The Bear Cub has arrived!

The Birthday Bandit

My baby girl is here! Scarlett Kate arrived Wednesday, September 18th at 2:07 AM. She weighed in at 6lbs 12oz, and is 19.5 inches long. She was born six days after her due date and I am so glad that the labor process kicked in naturally just as it was meant to. Especially being overdue, I kept saying that she will choose her own birthday - birthdays are written in the stars and it is one of life's best surprises. Well, this little lady was destined to be born on her Daddy's 33rd birthday! We knew it was a possibility this whole time, but I can't believe it actually happened! It is such a gift and we will be basking in this double birthday for the rest of our lives.

 

 

Sharing birthdays happens to be a tradition in my family. My sister, Bethany, was born on my mom's birthday. And when I was 8 years old, I received the gift of my youngest sister, Megan. Scarlett is just carrying on this tradition.

 

It was the most amazing, beautiful sight to watch my husband hold Scarlett in the wee morning hours of their birthday. I fell in love with both of them so deeply. I'm so proud of the man that I chose to spend my life with and the Dad that he has become. (You are welcome for your birthday present! I'll never be able to top it!)

 

 

So now, here we are. We have been a family of four for 3 days now. We are resting and adjusting at home. Fortunately, our circumstances are providing us with time and support to settle in to this new family dynamic. Miles is able to use his saved time off to take a four week paternity leave. Our family lives close by and have already helped us out immensely, and Miles' mom is also staying with us for two weeks and is a huge help in keeping us fed, our house tidy, and spending lots of time with Jude Bear.

 

 

 

Jude has just been through 4 to 5 days of intense transition. Tuesday morning was his very first day of preschool. Tuesday afternoon I went into labor, and by 2 AM Wednesday he had a baby sister. Daddy & I had not spent a night apart from him up until this time, and he spent 2 nights with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. On top of all of this, he developed a cold Monday night. Also, we passed through a full moon Thursday night, and he is my full moon baby. Each cycle he grows a ton and gets a little wild. Keeping all of this in mind, he is dealing with everything wonderfully. On the outside, he has a lot of rowdy, loud, wild and whiny moments. He is hitting Daddy, which is not typical behavior.

 

 

I see my job right now as getting as much rest as I can so that I can heal as completely as possible. From there, I'll be able to approach caring for my kids & family from a healthy and positive place. My job is also to keep myself and Scarlett fed - my appetite is ravenous! My body is figuring out the whole nursing process, and she is figuring it out from her end as well. We are having some difficulties with latching and sore nipples. But, we definitely have the supply & demand!

 

 

For this blog, I want to document my first 45 days as a Mother of Two. This is my entire life right now. And I just realized that it will be my Life forever... from this day forward.

 

Whoa!





 



 



 



Ring of Fire: Day 44

According to my calculations, it's day 44! Man, if you want a 45 day project to FLY by, just start it near the end of your second pregnancy.

Last Sunday I took a walk with my sister (where we took photos such as this one...)

 

and then I went to yoga. When I got home, my uterus was totally contracting. The muscles were tightening and you could see baby Scarlett's body poking out. This went on for a couple of hours, and I started to get excited. I figured now was the time to (finally) pack a bag for the hospital and type out a birth plan. I guess I had been procrastinating on these important items on my to do list.



 

 



Here we are, a week later, and Scarlett is still snug as a bug on the inside. The "contractions" have been coming and going for a week now. But, I'm still excited about it! I don't feel impatient or frustrated. I don't have that feeling that many women do near their due date when they're just DONE. I truly enjoy being pregnant and I pretty much feel like how I look here in this picture...

 

 

Yes, I know. My sister is an AMAZING photographer! I don't feel like I typically look this beautiful in real life. But, there is one little boy who actually IS  THIS beautiful all of the time...

 

 

So, here we are. My "due date" is this coming Thursday. I have no idea when Scarlett's birthday actually will be. I am excited and curious to find out. Her birthday is written in the stars, and it's one of my life's great surprises.

 

I got some inspiring words from my aunt who I greatly admire. She told me to call on all of the women who have given birth before me, and their energy will see me through. And, just thinking about that is Mind Blowing. I am finally starting to "get it". Driving home from my best friend's birthday party tonight and looking out over the bridge at the city, thinking of all of the people who live here... we all grew in our mother's womb. We were all birthed. It is the beginning of all of our stories. Giving birth is nothing to fear. It's the most natural thing in the world. There can be so much resistance around it, and the fear of having to experience physical pain. Why are we so wrapped up in this? I feel like I'm rambling now... but I'm interested in joining a new conversation surrounding birth.

 

We'll see how this story unfolds.

 

*bask*