Chris was off work all last week so we took advantage of it and headed to the coast to stay the week with his parents. Cory, Chris's little brother, also came so it was great to see him. He moved to Lake Tahoe over a year ago and we miss him! It is always refreshing to go visit my in-laws. I love the delicious meals, homemade cookies, playing games (not bragging but I won at Scattergories), conversations, and resting while they entertain Colby! I love Thanksgiving and spending time with family but it doesn't take a holiday for me to think about all the things I'm thankful for......I do that every day of my life!
Colby is not your ordinary 2 year old. He doesn't like toys, especially toys made for his age. He would prefer to help with chores.
Helping JoJo with laundry
Picking up pine cones after Coach cut down a dead tree
Preparing dinner
Blowing off the porch
Washing Uncle Cory's truck
Making bean dip
Wearing JoJo's wigs (which she doesn't need anymore...her hair grew back even thicker and curlier than before) She looks beautiful and is cancer free!
I think he is definitely a blondie
He calls this riding the tractor
The Jones Family
Loving on Abby
Checking out neighbors putting in their shed
I went to the doctor the day before we left and he said to eat seconds at Thanksgiving since I have only gained 14 lbs. Of course, I had to follow doctor's orders and by the time I was done my jeans were hurting so I put on stretch pants hehe!
I have now gained 18 lbs, which means I gained 4lbs in a week. I don't know what Chase was waiting on, I guess all the turkey and dressing caused him to have a growth spurt!
I went to the doctor today and everything went well. I was concerned about my weight gain because I'm almost 31 weeks and have only gained 14 lbs. I was way bigger with Colby, but he assured me it was easier to gain weight in my first pregnancy because I wasn't chasing Colby around all day. It's not an understatement when I say he is the most active child in the world. People always give me the "bless you", "how do you do it all day", and "whew, I wish I had his energy!" Even though it is quite exhausting, I love him just the way God made him! I wouldn't change a thing! God will use all that energy for something special one day!
Colby is extremely active all the way up until bedtime. He has to do about 20 fly jumps on the bed and would do 100 more if we let him. Watch how he makes Chris stand in one exact spot and he thinks you run on two instead of three LOL!
The only time Colby sits still is to watch football. Yes, he is just like his father. I will be so outnumbered especially after Chase gets here...good thing I like football!
These are the exercises I have been doing to prepare for natural birth but every pregnant woman can benefit from them. They open the pelvis, keep everything limber, strengthen the pelvic floor and just plain, make you feel better. Every time I start to exercise Colby becomes my personal trainer!
Cat Stretches
You should do at least 20 cat stretches 2-3 times a day and they are especially effective at night to help relax right before going to sleep.
Tailor sitting as often as possible can help the baby get into the easiest birthing position where the spine faces your belly button. This position also helps stretch the muscles around your pelvis.
Pretty much all that applies to tailor sitting applies to squatting with the addition that squatting is a position you could actually labor/birth in. You can do this one with a partner if your achilles tendons aren't very flexible.
The last one is Kegels... and I can't post a picture of that. Look them up.
Through my journey of preparing for natural birth, I have learned that every labor experience is different and you can not plan or expect any certain type of situation. I have all the info, and I know without a doubt that I want a natural birth. I know it's better for me and the baby but will it be enough to make me not scream....BRING ON THE DRUGS!!!
I hear a lot of negative comments from people when they hear I intend to have a natural birth but thank goodness my husband is my biggest support and believes in me and my decision.
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we might oft win by fearing to attempt." -Shakespeare
"Act as if it were impossible to fail." -Dorothea Brande
I once read Keys to Positive Thinking by Michael Ritt that changed my outlook on life.
I strongly believe in the power of the spoken word and I'm going to apply it to this situation: * I can do this, no matter how hard it gets * I can rely on strength from God and support from my husband * God designed my body to do this, I will make it through
Believing God is wonderful. But Jesus urged us to do one more thing — to speak the word of faith, to verbalize what we are seeking from God. Such a believer, who understands the power of the spoken word of faith, "shall have whatsoever he saith".
Mark 11:22-23, KJV ...Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Three foundation stones of faith that gets results:
(1) Have faith in God [vs. 22] — faith in His Word, in His promises, in His Son Jesus. It’s not “faith in faith” or in memorized formulas that gets results, but faith in God.
(2) Believe in your heart, without doubting.
(3) And say with your mouth what you believe.
• Believe in your heart and say with your mouth. Believing God and His Word is of great importance. But Jesus encourages us further to articulate, to say aloud, what we are believing God for. There is great power in the spoken word of faith.
2 Corinthians 4:13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.
"He did it with all his heart, and prospered." 2 Chronicles 31:21
"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"
I have decided to have a natural birth with Chase. I had many complications with my epidural not working with Colby, and I feel this is the best choice. I also had complications with nursing because Colby was so lethargic from the drugs that he wouldn't latch on and then he became jaundice which made it even worse. It was a rough three weeks of getting him to nurse well, and I would have traded all the stress of those weeks for the labor pain of a natural birth any day. I made it through and ended up nursing for a year, but I always wondered if it could have been avoided. Nursing is very important to me so I will do whatever it takes to make the experience successful for Chase. I know this is something that I can do because God designed my body for this special event, and I want it to be according to his plans. I have some really supportive friends that have had natural births and they have really helped in my preparation! I just started reading Natural Birth the Bradley Way and I'm intrigued by all the information.
I love watching videos of natural birth
This is so inspirational
Epidural Risk
Maternal Risks Hypotension (Drop in blood pressure) Urinary Retention and Postpartum Bladder Dysfunction Uncontrollable Shivering Itching of the face, neck and throat Nausea and Vomiting Postpartum Backache Maternal Fever Spinal Headache Uneven, incomplete or nonexistent pain relief Feelings of Emotional detachment Postpartum feelings of regret or loss of autonomy Inability to move about freely on your own Loss of perineal sensation and sexual function Very Serious and rare risks Convulsions Respitory paralysis Cardiac arrest Allergic shock Nerve injury Epidural abscess Maternal death
Labor Side Effects Prolonged First Stage of Labor Increase of malpresentation of baby's head Increased need for Pitocin augmentation Prolonged Second Stage of Labor Decrease in the ability to push effectively Increased liklihood of forceps or vacuum extraction delivery Increased likelihood of needing an episiotomy Increase in cesarean section
Baby Side Effects Fetal distress; abnormal fetal heart rate Drowsiness at birth; poor sucking reflex Poor muscle strength and tone in the first hours.
Benefits of Natural Childbirth 1. Mothers who labor naturally can move freely, go to the bathroom, walk and change positions throughout labor. According to the Cochrane Review, recent studies have shown that getting medication makes changing positions even after birth more difficult.
2. Since you can feel your body's reflexes in natural childbirth, mothers can push better and generally faster. In fact studies show that getting an epidural prolongs your pushing time.
3. The pain during labor serves a purpose by guiding the mother to seek certain positions. For example, if her back hurts, she will naturally seek positions off her back which can help to turn her baby. Having back pain is one sign that the baby might be posterior and needs to rotate.
4. Mothers often describe that their recovery after a natural childbirth was faster and easier since they could get right up and walk and shower. Usually they eat right away and their appetite is normal.
5. Endorphins secreted during a natural childbirth have been found in the placenta and umbilical cord. This may serve a purpose to help the baby adjust to life outside as well as make the journey more comfortable for baby.
6. Research has shown that in mothers who have natural childbirth, babies are more alert and show more interest in pre-breastfeeding behaviours such as sucking and massaging the mother's breasts, as well as the actual length of time they spend nursing within the first 90 minutes.
All the excitment and anticipation that leads up to Halloween night...has now come and gone. Colby had so much fun this year (what a huge difference from 10 months old to 22 months old) !!
Last year he couldn't hardly walk in his costume, and this year we couldn't keep up with him. Last year I would have had a panic attack if he ate candy, and this year he ate suckers and kit kats for dinner (I know it's awful, but I couldn't tell my little pirate NO...it's only once a year afterall).
2008
2009
We started the Halloween festvities early yesterday morning at 10:00. We had our bestfriends come over for a photo shoot of all our adorable kiddos! Then all the kiddos from around the block paraded the streets to show off their costumes!
Look at these great daddies! Colby walked Maggie in the parade!
Then he hopped on the back of Madden's four-wheeler.
Little Miss. Piggy (Sarah Spencer)
Gray the lion
Morgan and Sarah Spencer....both so adorable!
Lions and Tigers and no Bears, but really proud dads!
Kate and Kale the tiger.......what a cute pair!
Trace the monkey
Jenn & Gray.....gotta love big bad lions that suck a passy!
The Garrett Family
mommies and munchkins
The whole clan
After the parade, we snuck in a nap and then headed to the fall festival at First Baptist Florence.
We didn't stay for long because Colby was only interested in eating suckers.....didn't care much about the games and slides.
He enjoyed the train ride, only because he could eat his sucker at the same time!
Conner Neely, Colby, and Noah Reynolds saying their good-byes.
Finally we headed back home and went tricker-or-treating for the first time with Braxton and Conner. My sister also came, which has been gone for 18 weeks so we were excited to see her. Colby got the concept but didn't understand that you don't eat every piece of candy as soon as you get it. Once, he even put the sucker he was sucking into someones candy bowl so he could grab a new one and start eating that one....no Halloween etiquette LOL! We called it a night around 7:00 and had little man in the bed by 7:30. I was so pooped that I was sound asleep by 8:30. It was a great Halloween, and I felt so blessed to share it with great friends and family!
Colby's very first time to trick-or-treat...aw wee!
Avery and Paige Buckley.
Braxton Byrd
These are the sweetest moments to me. I hope Colby understands one day how blessed he is to have such a great daddy!!
Colby is not your ordinary 2 year old. He doesn't like toys, especially toys made for his age. He would prefer to help with chores.
Blowing off the porch
Washing Uncle Cory's truck
Making bean dip
