Sophia is TWO!

Here is what I wrote about her birth:

"The evening of the 17th I had irregular menstrual like cramps. I thought it might be leading up to the real thing so I called my friend Ame who was going to be at my birth and the birth center to give everyone a heads up. I went to bed at nine.

On October 18, 2004 I woke up at 1 AM with a contraction. I piddled around, worked on the computer, had some tea. They were very regular but pretty weak. I could talk and walk through them. They got a little stronger so I thought I'd call the birth center. The midwife called me back and said she would sleep at the birth center but to call and come it when it felt right. I took a bath and thought it couldn't hurt to go to the center since the contractions weren't stopping but were still really mild. So I woke everyone up at about 3. We got to the birth center at about a quarter to four. My contractions were quite a bit stronger. I was on the monitor for about 15 minutes and only had 1 full contraction and a half one but then they let me get into the tub anyway (THANK GOD. I just wanted to be in the tub). Oh, I was 5 cm dilated.

I loved being in the tub. I got in at 4 AM. My sister put in a CD: Jan Garbeck's Officium. After that we listened to B-tribe's Sensual Sensual. There was a 3rd CD but I didn't really hear it at that point.

I don't really remember much at this point. I will have to ask the midwife. I do think it was pretty regular until about 5 AM or so? (A guess) I do know I moved around a lot more in the tub trying to find the right position--the baby's heart rate went down if I laid on my left side, so I avoided that. When I was at 9 cm and thinking how bad this was (but I wasn't begging for mercy just yet!) the midwife said I was almost fully dilated and I wanted to cry! I wanted to hear it was almost over!

I felt a lot of pressure and I think what happened was that as soon as I was dilated, I pushed! The baby's head came right out! There was NO break and NO crowning. Just intense holymother-something-is-coming-out--they said one push and her head was out but you know, I think it was really two or three. It was so fast I swear it felt like I was going to just bust open. (And I did tear a teeny bit. One stitch which she would not even have done but she said she figured I'd be on my feet a bit more this time... ) It felt like I was thrashing around and begging for help. I felt very desperate and not in control at all. It was SO weird to feel how strong my uterus was! I felt like I was just along for the ride and could not get off. I don't think they liked how I was breathing but everything was so strong and intense and I felt so helpless. My mom said she could hear me from the parking lot.

As soon as the baby's head came out, it was much better and I didn't want to push anymore. The midwife firmly said I should push the rest of the body out now and I did and she same right out. As soon as that happened, I felt instantly normal. I felt elated and surprised! My baby was so beautiful but also SO tiny (Fiona was over 8 pounds) and SO dark! She had this head full of dark hair, darker skin than her sister, and dark eyes. She had perfect little nails that reminded me of doll nails. Her skin was very dry looking and peeling.

I swear she smiled.

Then she cried for a bit and I held her close and we wrapped her up and just hung out for a bit while the water from the tub drained. She nursed a bit--maybe 15-20 minutes later? She was born at 6:22 AM. When we saw she was a girl, we gave her the name of Sophia Tyne.

The placenta plopped out with a token push maybe 5 minutes after her birth. It was very peaceful after the birth and she has been nursing really well. Recovery seems to be much faster this time, too.

Fiona was there for some of the birth. My contractions weren't as productive when she was there, so she spent most of the labor with my mom in the playroom. She missed the head coming out (it took the midwife by surprise, too! She said "oh there's the head!") because she was having a poopy diaper change (ha! so typical of life) but she saw her sister coming from me out of the water into my arms. She did keep coming in the room to check on me (after the REALLY loud noises she kept asking if the baby was here yet?) and to talk to my friend Ame who explained the noises and what was going on. She would leave when she saw that everything was normal and all right. She has been very sweet and curious about her new sister but has become quite possessive of her daddy and is acting out a bit more in small ways."

I am so glad of the presence of the people there...Doug, Fiona, my mother, my sister Ellen Aim, my friend Ame, and the midwife who not only delivered Sophia, but also delivered Fiona, and most unfortunately, is no longer practicing at the birth center. It's a real loss; she is a fabulous midwife.

Happy Birthday, Sophia.

They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard!

Now I must infect you with this. I'd say this is work-safe.

Tagged

Ok, let's see if I can post something! I have posts started, I swear, but not finished. So look in the next 2 days or so for prior posts. Doug left about 2 PM Friday for a conference in Montreal and he won't be back until Monday at about dinner time. Fun this is not.

Ok, let me do this thing I was tagged for by Ellen Aim!

1) Would you bungee jump?

No, I would not. Not with a box, not with a fox. Not in a house, not with a mouse.

2) If you could do anything in the world for a living what would it be?

I would travel the world and eat and write about it. Or I would open my own cafe--kid friendly.

3) Your favorite fictional animal?

Totoros.

4) One person who never fails to make you laugh?

One person? Hm. There is more than one, but I'll say Ellen Aim.

5) When you were 12 years old what did you want to be when you grew up?

I don't think I knew what I wanted to be. 12 was not a good year for me. I just wanted friends.

6) What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

It varies. I might nurse Sophia. I might sneak downstairs for tea. I might use the restroom. I might fein sleep in the hopes that others will go back to sleep.

7) Have you ever gone to therapy?

Not yet.

8) If you could have one super power what would it be?

I like the flying super power. Yes, I'll take that, although transporting sounds good, too, and I'd like that this month, actually.

9) Your favorite cartoon character?

Favorite? I guess right now I really like Bob and Weebl.

10) Do you go to church?

No, I do not.

11) What is your best childhood memory?

The best? Hm. I agree, I think it has to be Christmas mornings. I have other good memories, but they are sort of vague. That could be sleep depravation at this point, however.

12) Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?

No.

13) Do you own a gun?

No.

14) Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?

I think I slapped a boy in nursery school or first grade. I was trying to be playful. Yes, I am totally embarrased by this.

15) Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?

Does junior high choir count? Oh, and some play in elementary school. That's it.

16) What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

Eyes and shoulders.

17) What is your biggest mistake?

Not flossing enough.

18) Say something totally random about yourself.

I am wearing 4 rings.

19) Has anyone ever said that you looked like a celebrity?

I've been told I look like Katherine Hepburn, which makes me feel great. I don't really think I do, but that's ok. I'm also a LOT shorter.

20) What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you?

Doug often takes the girls out or entertains them while I take a bath. That's real love. It really comes down to the little things every day that is true romance for me. That sentence doesn't really seem right, but I'm leaving it. I do still remember the huge jasmine plant Doug brought to me at work while we were in Florida.

21) Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?

Yes, I love to read other peoples' responses, especially if I know them.

Compost Happens

Whoa, sorry about the pause there! It's been busy while I try to do everything before our Texas trip. Not only are there things to do for the trip itself, but everything we want to do before the onset of winter should also be done before the trip (well, except firewood, which we may or may not be able to get at all because, once again, we slacked off on getting that done early). For instance, we bought about 100 bulbs and planted them in a newly made bed with compost we made over the past year! We got some beautiful tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, crocus, and muscari. Hopefully, the deer and moles and other digging creatures will stay away. I guess I don't have to worry about the daffodils, but we have mostly tulips. I love tulips. I am so tickled by the compost; that it actually worked. Actually, it worked but there were still egg shells and avocado skins in there. Everything else became dark moist soil. Very cool!

So Doug is in Montreal from Friday afternoon to Monday evening/afternoon. Sophia has a cold and is apparently teething. She is very needy and clingy. Fiona's saucy. I'm bored and I'm lonely and I hate business trips. Soon we will all be going to Texas, which I'm very excited about, as long as the getting there and back part of it goes smoothly. I just realized that they won't be able to use those trays on the airplane because they'll be in their ginormous Britax car seats. They are really big. They take up a lot of room. I'd check them at the gate, but there is a safety reason for little ones to be in car seats, so I'm tempted to sacrifice convenience for safety. I hope we don't piss off too many people, but there you go.

Next week is our last full week here but Fiona has two days off school for teacher workdays or something. Our parent/teacher conference is Thursday. Fiona's friend Ellie's parents offered to watch Sophia and Fiona so both Doug and I could go. I hope that works out for Sophia! Well, if it doesn't, we'll just bring her, I guess and hope for the best.

We don't seem to have wasps inside (yet?) but Doug has been more active with the wasp poison in the attic this year. I have no idea what I would do without Doug, because I am way too chicken to do this. I can barely GO in the attic.

I got pumpkins for carving but I just have to find the energy to do it. I got ingredients for birthday cake (Sophia turns 2 on Wednesday!) and I suspect it will be a mini version of the wedding cake. No strawberries, though. They are god-awful up here. They are crunchy and half white. Yes, I bought some out of desperation.

Triana

Last Thursday through Sunday, we had Triana up for a visit and what a time we had!  After picking her up at the airport, we took Triana to the Wayside Restaurant for a lovely lunch and a maple creme pie.  I would like to point out that this is also a very child friendly restaurant--not always easy to find!  Friday, after we picked Fiona up from school, we all went out for pizza, then down to King Arthur Flour and the Montshire Science Museum.  At King Arthur, I got some faboo blue-iridescent sugar and food coloring made by Americolor, the red of which I'll be using on Ellen Aim's wedding cake (hey, she wants a red cake!).  I also got some Whole Grain Chocolate Fudge Waffle Mix.  Ok, look, I never EVAH buy a baking mix, but Triana has given me some of their mixes, and I love to use whole grains in my baking (and King Arthur is really pushing the whole grains in their products, I suspect because they have a whole grain cookbook out now.)  You know, for a non-yeasted waffle batter, it is totally scrumptious.  Triana also bought me this whisk.  It looks very cool and I can't wait to use it!  Doug made fried chicken either Friday or Saturday night.  It's all a blur.  I think it was Saturday.  I can't remember everything, I may have to come back to this post and add on things!

Saturday Triana and I dashed to Vermont Chocolatiers, then everyone went to the farmer's market, Ben and Jerry's factory outlet, and the Adams Apple Orchard and Farm Market for apple picking.  Sunday we just chilled because it was cold and rainy.  Doug and Fiona went to the open house at the school while Sophia and I took Triana back to the airport :(  Oh well, we'll get to see her at Ellen Aim's wedding in a few weeks!  Expect plenty of blog enteries about the anxiety of taking a trip with two energetic kids.  I really am looking forward to it, though.  We haven't been to Texas in far too long.

By the way, my MySpace profile has now been made private, so if you want to see it, I believe I either have to add you or you have to invite me. I am not sure; I'm still figuring it out. If you don't want to bother, don't worry. It will remain fairly static, I'm sure, and you won't miss anything if you just stick to this blog.