Ava's Birth Story - Part 2

Click here to read part one of this story. 

To quickly recap, we were ten days past our due date and my midwife had just informed us during a check up that I was 6.5 cm dilated and therefore technically in labor. She wanted us to check in right away, also because I was GBS positive and we wanted to get the antibiotics started and hopefully get the first dose in 4 hours before the baby would be born. We didn't come prepared though; my hospital bag was still at home. I hadn't felt a single contraction and felt completely fine so I said I wanted to go home and grab my things. My midwife said that wouldn't be a problem and we could also grab lunch if we wanted to before checking in. This was at about 11 am. 

Ava's Birth Story

I used to think birth stories were nothing but horror stories about terrible birth experiences and all about the scary "stuff that no one tells you about", so I avoided them completely when I was pregnant with Noah. After he was born I started to read mommy blogs and came across a number of beautifully written birth stories that didn't sugar coat the pain and emotions, but at the same time were so empowering that I fell in love with reading birth stories. Let this be a fair warning - I have no shame in sharing my story, in part because I had two very positive birth experiences that I hope may be empowering to other women as well. Feel free to skip this one if you prefer not to know all the details :)

Noah's DIY Advent Calendar 2015

Last year I shared some of our holiday traditions, including how special advent calendars were to me growing up (here's a link to last year's post). I'm so glad I get to share this tradition with Noah now. 

This year I decided to use little muslin bags inspired by those we had as children. I still don't know if I'll be using these every year going forward. While I think it was special that we had the same ones every year growing up,  I like the idea of switching it up every year. This year's calendar didn't cost much and was easy to make so I won't feel bad if it only gets used this once. 

Exploring our Senses: Touch and Feel Box

I never thought my Touch and Feel Box would be such a big hit. While I'm staying home by myself with both kids three days a week (both will go back to daycare full time when I go back to work in February) my goal is to have at least one activity, big or small, planned for each day. Not just to keep Noah active and engaged, but also for my own peace of mind - I can only read books and draw for so long. 

My favorite projects are those that are cheap (or free!) and need minimal planning and preparation. My touch and feel box is the perfect example. It's nothing fancy and I only used things I already had at home. 

feeling what distinguishes an apple from a ball

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Great food, drinks, and friends have made it special for me every year. Our Friendsgiving is the only Thanksgiving I know and I'm so grateful to have this group of wonderful people in my life. We may not talk to each other all the time but we know we're always there for each other. We have celebrated Thanksgiving together since 2007 (though my first Thanksgiving wasn't until 2008) and it has been so great to watch our tradition grow and evolve along with us (read here about last year's Thanksgiving). This year, it was our second time hosting at our house. Last time, we had just bought our house earlier that year and announced on Thanksgiving that we were expecting. This year, Noah was a big part of the celebration, loving the attention, Ava slept through most of it, and our newly remodeled kitchen proved to be perfect for entertaining. So much has changed and we have so much to be thankful for: a wonderful loving husband who is a fantastic dad to my babies, a beautiful, smart, funny son who makes me smile every day, a sweet daughter who is such a wonderful addition to our family, and no worries. Yes, life is hard every once in a while, but we've had a few really great years where we don't really have anything to worry about which I am very grateful for. 

Gluten Free Mini Pumpkin Pies

We're four days past the due date and have nothing planned besides waiting for our little one to arrive this weekend. I already got to watch the two latest episodes of Grey's Anatomy today, skyped with my family, and even got some laundry and cleaning done. Add another blog post to the list and I'll call it an accomplished day! 

Noah's Birth Story

We're only three days away from our due date with little Kraut #2 and now that it can happen any time, the day Noah was born has of course been constantly on my mind. I'm both anxious for it to finally happen and nervous about not knowing how things will go this time around. With Noah's birth on my mind I decided to share his birth story with you all. I wrote all of this down a few weeks after he was born. I felt a bit awkward re-reading it the other day; I feel like it doesn't even sound like me. But - I decided not to rewrite it but to just share it the way it is. I hope you like it. 

(pictures by www.taylorandersonphoto.com)