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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Baby Number 3: Titus's Birth Story


I had been having what most call "false labor" signs for a good month or more. I'd have lots of menstrual type cramps that were really bad, my body would start severely cleaning itself out, I'd have braxton hicks, etc. It was actually getting frustrating because I wish it would just make up it's mind! lol But I had to keep telling myself that all of these things were not "false labor" but just really early labor.

425

I wanted to post at least some pictures to introduce Titus Jackson Orion Brines to my blogging followers. :) He was born on Monday, January 19th at 4:51pm (45 minutes after arriving at the hospital...birth story to follow later). Here he is :)

Right after he was born doing some skin to skin




Being weighed and such. Daddy watching over him. :)





No Excuses!


I will use NO EXCUSES for myself. Not having a jogging stroller--not an excuse. Not having someone to watch the kids and having to work around sporadic and often naps--not an excuse. Feeling more exhausted than I think I have in my whole life--not an excuse. Feeling bloated and fighting nausea--not an excuse. Feeling icky emotionally--not an excuse!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Belly Picture Update

 I have not been really taking updated belly pictures this pregnancy too much. But I have a few. Here are some:
14 Weeks I think


20 Weeks

29 Weeks

Another 29 Week Shot



So that is what I have so far. :) Not much but hey!


Are They All Yours?


So, my whole last post was basically about how people I know will question us having more than 2.5 children AND having them so close. Well it started yesterday.

Third Time 'Round Hospital Bag

As you guys know, I get anxious and excited and do things really early, especially packing. This pregnancy is no different. I am 30 weeks and guess what, my hospital bag is basically packed. I am asking for a few nursing shirts, comfy yoga pants, and some cute and comfy slip on shoes for Christmas, but in case I don't get them, I went ahead and packed what I do have and I will be 37 weeks at Christmas, so just in case I go super early. I have gone almost a week early (5 days to be exact with BOTH previous pregnancies), but each pregnancy is different and I am trying to not get my hopes up. :)  Anywho, so here are pictures I took of my hospital bag stuff. 

So the first thing I did was right out a list. I love lists. I wrote out everything I wanted to pack. Most of it is the same as last time with one big exception, I have been reading a lot about women using Depends or something like them for the first few days of post partum bleeding. Their reason is because with Depends, you do not have to worry about leaking. Sorry for the TMI, but with Jahs my second, my first bathroom trip the mesh underwear fell off and the pad fell out because it wouldn't stick or stay in place. I had to have a nurse come help me clean up. It was humbling and gross to say the least. I love having the mesh undies because I don't have to worry about getting mine gross, but they are always big on me and the pads never stay in place for me. So, I added depends on my list and I won't lie, I am excited to see if they work because then I can sit comfortably and when I get up, I don't have to worry about if my butt is all bloody especially when guest come to visit. I HATE worrying about that! Even with Aunt Flow I get nervous about that. This just puts my mind at ease. We'll see if they work! I'll try to remember to do an update on this post after I deliver to let you know my thoughts. Also, I am not sure how many I should bring to the hospital, how often you change them, etc. I can't find any of that info. online. I can only find women saying to use them. So I'd like to put a "review" afterwards for women like me who want to try them but don't know the "details." lol Now, I did get a different brand that was cheaper. I bought Tena's super absorbency ones. Also, I ordered a free sample of depends off of the Depends website and I am going to compare the fit of the two brands. I just bought a pack of 18 of the Tena's and it sounds like that will be more than enough. If not, I've had two kids without them and I also have pads. 





This is parking instructions or reminders. Last time there was some issues with parking and I don't think there will be at all this time. In fact, I am very confident my hubby has it handled, but I like writing stuff out. Again...I get anxious and excited. This is my way of keeping myself busy I guess. One thing was that he parked the car right outside the door, took me up, then had to go back down to park. It worked out fine, but we wait until the last minute to go to the hospital (On purpose) so if this labor happens faster, it is nice to know the details of Valet and such just in case we choose to use that instead. 

I went out and got some travel size toiletries AND I had lost my blue water bottle and found it. I was so thrilled! The reason I like it so much is because I just suck the water out instead of having to tip it up. This is so nice for labor and for nursing. Just so much easier! John makes fun of me because he says straw cups are for kids, but I don't care, I LOVE it. I was devastated when I lost it (I had it i the kids' stroller and since it has gotten colder, I haven't used it in a while....I just so happened to be cleaning and had to move their stroller and found it! Yay!!)

 So this picture is of my "Shower bag" as the note clearly states. I didn't put labels on stuff last time and I don't know if they are necessary, but I put them on there so that if I need John or someone else to get something for me, I can just tell them what bag it is in or whatever. It is clearly labeled with what it is and what it contains. This one has my toiletries bag, my makeup bag, a nursing bra, nursing pads, 2 pairs of Tena's, 1 pair of socks, frizz creme for my hair, and dry shampoo. This is basically the bag I will take into the shower with me to freshen up and has anything I might need so I don't have to walk around or come back out and get something.


 Just a picture of everything out. On the far left is the Tena's, a pair of cloth nursing pads, a sample pack of disposable nursing pads, a nursing bra, my frizz creme, my dry shampoo (I saw travel sizes, but they were just as expensive if not more expensive. This was under $3. So it is bigger, but it will last longer. Then the pink bag is my makeup bag, the zebra bag is all my toiletries.

 So this is what is in my toiletry bag. Nothing exciting, but again I wanted to label it just in case.
 Okay, so inside I have travel size mouthwash, body wash (a yummy scent that will be refreshing! my first and second baths after I had Jahs were soooo wonderful! I felt so amazing afterwards!), travel size shampoo and conditioner (again something yummy smelling so I "feel" clean lol). At home we normally use a salt rock for deodorant, but I keep this brand in my purse for times when I have forgotten to put it on or when I just notice I need to freshen up. I got one for the hospital as well as post partum sweating is no joke! The colorful bag is facial wipes I got at the dollar store. I don't normally use these and actually I don't really wash my face I just rinse it with water, but at the hospital I want something I can just freshen up with when guest come. I bought travel size toothpaste (again, we don't normally use this type we use Tom's, but for this it will work perfect), a razor just in case (I am a "I-would-rather-have-it-and-not-use-it-than-want-it-and-regret-not-bringing-it" type girl lol) and of course extra tooth brushes for hubby and myself.

 Here is the contents of my makeup bag. Nothing excessive but I do like to feel frefreshed. I am a firm believer that when you get dressed and "fix" your hair or do whatever, then you mentally just feel better. For some this may or may not include makeup. For me, it includes a tiny bit. I simply have foundation, a pressed powder, concealer just in case I have breakouts, a lipstick/lip gloss, travel size perfume and lotion (again, remember me and wanting to smell clean lol I always freak out that the "lochia smell" will be smelled by others and I do NOT want that!) a dollar store mascara, eye liner, eye shadow (I really doubt I will use this, but just in case), blush, and a headband with bobby pins. ETA: Again, loved having this stuff too. I did very minimal makeup, but it made me feel fresh and like myself. Took like 5 minutes (Like I said, I did the bare minimum) and I felt sooo much better and smelled better too. lol


 This is what I am calling my bedside bag or nursing bag. It has extra breast pads, a pad of paper and pen for any notes or for writing down nurses' names, lanolin cream, gum, chapstick, and an extra headband. This will just stay on the table next to the bed so I can get to it easy. ETA: I LOVED having this. Kept everything I needed or would want right at my bedside without me having to really get up and get anything..

Now for the clothes! So the white things on the left are extra Tena's because again I can't find anything stating how many I should use. Above that is my "going home" outfit. I have a pair of maternity jeans, a blank nursing tank top, a green comfortable but cute button down cardigan, and a scar. The top middle pile is my "after delivery and shower" clothes. I have grey yoga pants (though these are not the most modest so I am hoping to get some baggier ones but like I said above, I packed them just in case. If I get new ones, these are being taken out), 2 nursing tank tops, and a comfortable blue cardigan that I have worn after every birth so far. It is comfortable and so much nicer looking than a robe. It makes me feel more human right after birth. The black pile is John's change of clothes. Then I have flip flops (I always bring them, but haven't ever needed them. We don't walk the halls because we labor at home and both hospitals we have delivered at have super nice Jacuzzi tubs so no dirty showers. But I always bring them just in case), non slip footie slippers. I have an old pair that I love. I wanted a "new" pair for the hospital. So comfortable! A sports bra that I use while I am in labor especially because I labor in the tub so I can keep a little bit of modesty and that is it for clothes. I don't bring but one nursing bra because I have the nursing tank tops that have built in bras, so that works great. I don't bring any underwear because I never wear my own while I am at the hospital. In fact, I wait a few days and just bring home the mesh panties (or this time the Tena's).

 Now for baby's hospital bag, it is a little skimpy at the moment. The reason being is we are doing a gender reveal party on New Year's Eve. John does fireworks shows at my parent's house and so the last firework of the evening is going to reveal the gender of the baby. I do have SOME neutral stuff, but not much. I will be pushing 38 weeks then and I want to make sure it is packed. If I haven't gone into labor after we find out the gender, I can then repack or add "gender specific" clothes. But if not, these things will work. :) I have my boppy nursing pillow, a black nursing cover which works great since you have nurses and guests coming and giong a lot. On the bottom is a crocheted outfit that was mine and I only packed it in case we have a girl. If it is a boy, I think it is a bit too feminine for me. I have a small bag that contains scratch mittens and socks. Our WONDERFUL sleep sack swaddle! LOVE this thing! At the moment only one undershirt/onsie because the hospital provides those and they are the kind that don't go over their belly button so it doesn't get irritated. One white nightgown which makes diaper changes amazing and one sleeper that will work well for going home.
 I am also packing a snack bag like I did last time. There is a cafe that is open 24/7 which is wonderful, but I like the idea of having snacks for John when I am in labor or for us while we are waiting for the food, etc. I am packing apple juice to help with the lovely post-partum constpation and so far I just have a few of John's favorite snacks. Jerky and Wheat things. I will be adding a few more things like chocolate milk (mainly for me, but I'll share. ;P), granola bars, and a few other things that I can think of. Not much, but something. I also have a few bags of Mother's Milk tea, Smooth Move Tea (again for post partum issues), and my wonderful Bath Herbs that I talk about in detail in this post.
And finally, here are my nurse thank you's. I didn't make book marks this year, instead I put candy (a cute little assorted chocolates box in there! So cute!), Ghirardelli chocolates, gum, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, and not pictured is a yummy smelling tea light candle. I am making 4 "main" ones and then I have 2-3 extra ones. Again, I cannot for the life of me remember how many nurses I ended up having. At Henry Ford West Bloomfield, you have a LDRP room, so you don't get moved, but I am not sure if that means more or less nurses or if it is the same amount. I wanted to do something. So, I am going to give these to the main nurses/midwife. I think this will be enough though, but we will see. Maybe I will buy some candy and put it in a bucket with a thank you card and have it at the entrance of our room in case I run out?


So, this is my third time 'round hospital bag. I am planning on adding things like our laptop, phone chargers, pillows, and such later. I also want to add a comfy throw for me in there as well. I am sure that this will get unpacked and repacked at least 10 more times (I have 10 more weeks left) before Baby Brines the 3rd is born! lol

ETA: So since this is the third time around, we basically used everything we brought except I didn't wear my going home outfit. I stayed in my sweats that I brought because they were comfortable. Also, I am so glad we brought the baby Halo Swaddle Blanket. I loved using that instead of the blankets at the hospital. It was so much easier to keep Titus wrapped. That first bath is ALWAYS my favorite and once again I loved it. I loved having all of my new yummy smelling stuff. I didn't wash my hair because I had just washed it and we only stay at the hospital for 24 hours (we'd leave sooner if they'd let us lol). So there was no need for the shampoo and conditioner but I will plan on bringing it again if we have another one because I'd rather have it than not. 

Monday, January 19, 2015

14 Week Picture Update

I am 14 weeks now with Baby Brines 3.0. We find out the sex of 3.0 at the end of August, but aren't going to find out until Labor Day when we do a gender reveal with the family (unlike with Jahs where we found out, but kept it a secret until the gender reveal, this time we will be surprised too!). I still want to update, but won't be updating as much as I did with Jahs. Here are some fun pictures I took "DIY style." I love the silhouette and it is easier for me to take the pictures because I don't feel like I have to get dressed up. This was no makeup and in pjs! BEST pregnancy belly pictures ever! I don't have any pictures from Jahs at 14 weeks otherwise I'd like to do a comparison. I will do one at 16 weeks though because I have a FEW pictures then. I didn't really start taking pictures until close to 20 weeks with him though. 


















Guess What?

I figured out why I have been so exhausted and emotional. It feels good to have some answers and strive to fix the problem.

After Having 2 All Natural Births, I am Still a Huge Advocate....Even More So Now....Here is Why

So, as many of you readers now, I have had two natural births and am planning on having a third one Lord willing. I wanted to write a post explaining first how we came to be believers in natural birth. Second, why we became believers in natural birth. And finally, how you can avoid many of the routine processors that normally cause you to end up having to have a c-section (baby's position, low fluid, inductions, etc.).

How Exercising During Pregnancy Effects You Post-Partum

Trying to exercise while you are pregnancy can be discouraging. The fact that no matter what you do, you watch the scale go up and your belly grow. That is a good thing ladies! You want to gain weight (obviously not too much because that isn't healthy for you and especially not for the baby; remember, eating for two is a lie!). There are many benefits to exercising while pregnant. Here are just a few:

-Helps increase energy
-Helps relieve swelling
-Helps with insomnia
-Helps prepare your body for the labor ahead
-Helps make labor faster (especially the second stage if you have a good set of abs)
-Is said to helps with morning sickness

BUT, the biggest thing for me is that the harder, consistently, and better you workout WHILE you are pregnant, the easier the weight sheds off when baby is born and the faster your muscle tone comes back. Muscles have a memory and as long as you continue to work them, they will snap back to where they were before pretty quick. I said in another post about how I gained a bit (not much but enough) more weight with Jahs than I did with Levi, but with Jahs, I lost the weight so much faster AND more importantly got my BF% down and my muscle tone back fast especially in my stomach. I am only 6 months post-partum as I write this and I am in better shape now than I was before I was married and had kids. I wished I had taken more pictures post-partum for you guys to see and for myself. But, trust me, I was thrilled at how quickly my stomach came back especially because I literally got depressed over my weight gain and cried after an appointment where a nurse who was a bit crass stated that I had gained too much between appointments. I didn't understand why since I was working out so hard. Jahs was only bigger by 1 lb, but I guess that made a difference.

Either way, my whole point in this blog post is that trust me, it feels hopeless and pointless to workout while pregnant. You figure you will just workout AFTER the baby is born. Ladies, please don't do this. Start now! You have 9 months where you are impatiently waiting anyways, so why not keep busy and workout. Make it your goal to look better than before. Pregnancy does NOT have to be an excuse to gain unnecessary weight. You can be fit again after baby even if you weren't before you got pregnant. It is so possible. As long as you put your mind to it and you want it enough, you can do it. And, just because you have had more than one kid doesn't mean that you have to just give up and let your body go. If you want to get your body back, fight for it! Your body is a temple and God blessed you with it. We are to be good stewards of everything and that includes the body God blessed us with. We should strive to be healthy and to be good examples to our kids.

Now this post isn't to bash anyone who gains more weight or who doesn't or can't exercise. That is not it. This is just to encourage you. If you feel hopeless and don't want to exercise because you feel like there is not point, know that there is. It makes EVERYTHING so much easier afterwards. I also recovered super fast this time around as well and account working out to that quite a bit.

Check out this young ladies blog. It is an inspiration to me. ETA: This pregnancy I ended up barely exercising at all. I gained the most amount of weight this time around too, but the baby ended up being the same size as Jahs. So far at 2 days postpartum I've lost 15 of my 50 lbs. So not bad. We'll see how easy it comes off since I didn't exercise. I'm not worried even if it is more work, but this does go to show that exercise DOES help! My body normally puts on a lot of weight during pregnancy even when I DO exercise, so when I don't, it really packs it on!