It's a girl!

Brynja Dawn was born on Saturday, July 23rd at 12:27 p.m. She was 7 pounds 14 ounces, 21 1/2 inches.

My midwife broke my water a little after 9:3o a.m., and contractions quickly followed so I did not need to be induced. Ryley and I walked down to the kitchen and I had some strawberry ice cream and peanut butter toast along with some milk. I stopped in between eating to rock back and forth during contractions. About 45 minutes into it I was no longer able to carry on a conversation. The amazing nurse Julie helped me into the tub where I labored for another hour or so to some relaxing music. Things got so intense and I just couldn't catch my breath. I remember the midwife and the nurse asking me questions and I just couldn't respond or couldn't think beyond the pain. I was glad to be able to labor in the water, but I got overheated and got out when I was starting to feel the urge to push.

I really loved that the midwife never checked to see if I was dilated after she broke my water. She just told me to listen to my body. I remember feeling uncertain and wanting more direction, but finally I gave in to what nature was doing and began to push. She was out in less than 15 minutes.

My brain was not able to wrap itself around the idea that it was over. I continued to brace myself for more contractions while my sweet baby girl was lying on my chest. I finally collected myself to ask if anyone told Ryley if it was a boy or a girl. I had known since January that we were to have a daughter, but he wanted to be surprised. The midwife said, "Why don't you have a look, Ryley?" He leaned over and said, "Yep, it's a boy." I snapped my neck in his direction... thinking "could it be?" But the midwife quickly said, "You better check again." And so it was, that Ryley finally had the daughter he has been hoping for.

We had discussed mostly boy names throughout the pregnancy since Ryley was thinking it would be a boy. But when it came to girl names, we each had a name that we were stuck on. And neither of us seemed willing to budge.

I actually came upon the name "Brynja" an hour before we left for the hospital. We had the name "Bryn" on our long list of girl names, but it just wouldn't work for me since the middle name would be "Dawn" after my late mother. "Bryn Dawn Blair," all one syllable names - I was not feeling that. Anyway, "Brynja" is a Scandinavian name that means "armor."

Sweet Brynja is 3 1/2 weeks old now, and we are settling into a new normal. She is such a blessing. I spent years worrying that I would be stuck with a daughter someday, but of course I knew that if I ever had one I would think back to how naive that was. I just love how God plans everything out for us, and while that doesn't mean life will be easy, I feel so loved that He planned this baby girl to be our daughter. We are in love with her, almost as much as big brother Sawyer is! And Sawyer is finally starting to warm back up to me, too... he was not a fan of mine since she was born.

Pancakes

Here's a homemade pancake recipe that I love. I thought I'd post it for safekeeping and to share.

Just-Like-Restaurant Fluffy (Non)Buttermilk Pancakes (makes 8-10 pancakes):

• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbls white vinegar
• 1 1/4 cup white flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbls oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg

Directions:

• Pour the milk and vinegar into a small bowl, allow it to sit for a few minutes. This is your buttermilk substitute.
• Meanwhile, pre-heat a skillet over medium-low heat.
• Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir.
• Add the egg to the milk bowl, gently mix together. Then pour all of the liquid into the flour bowl.
• Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until most of the lumps are out.
• Lightly grease the pan and pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Allow them to cook slowly (it will take a few minutes) and flip once the bottom is golden and the edges start drying out. Once they have been flipped they won’t take long to finish cooking, maybe another minute or so.

The End is Near

Today was a roller coaster sort of day. I was up around 5:00 a.m., restless with no signs of labor. I took a bath and started getting ready for the day. Then, I had a strong indication of my body making progress in the preparation to give birth. Not a telltale sign like water breaking or intense contractions, but a definite, indisputable event nonetheless. (I try not to give too much information in case there are any gentleman reading)

With my patience renewed by this event, I decided that Sawyer and I would hitch a ride with him on his way to work. He dropped us off at his mom's, where his sister and our new niece are visiting. I became an aunt on June 28th, and I still hadn't met sweet baby Blair since they live a few hours away and we thought I'd be giving birth shortly after. Anyway, we had a sweet morning getting acquainted with Blair and visiting with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law. Sawyer even got brave enough to give Blair a kiss. I didn't use my camera, and I'm kicking myself for that now!

Ryley picked us up and we headed home. Sawyer went down for a nap, and shortly after I headed to the clinic for another appointment with my midwife. I arrived a few minutes before the scheduled time. I watched other patients arrive, 3 of them pregnant (but not as far along as me), and they all continue to get called back for their appointments. 35 minutes later, and I am fighting to hold back my tears of frustration. I was having contractions (like I've been having on and off for 2 weeks), I was very uncomfortable, and I am starting to give into the exhaustion. I feel like I have been fighting a mental breakdown for the last few days.

I finally get called back and it is near impossible to hold back my tears. My blood pressure was quite a bit higher than it had been. Jeanie (the midwife) walked in and said, "It's time to be done now, isn't it?" She didn't expect me to still be pregnant. 16 days overdue now. She said even if I was still trying to be patient, it's time to put a date on the calendar for an induction.

I was 4 1/2 cm dilated today and over 80% effaced. She said she would expect labor to start within 24 hours of what happened this morning. But just in case, she called the hospital and argued with the charge nurse about getting me an induction date.

She explained to me that many practitioners call the hospital 1-2 months ahead of their patients' due dates, and often they schedule the induction dates for 1-3 weeks before the due dates. So many of the inductions occurring this week are women who were due a month AFTER me. Being of similar philosophy to myself about labor and delivery, this frustrates her that someone who wants nature to take its course... and then it doesn't... has a hard time getting in to the hospital ASAP.

My midwife was willing to come in on a weekend to induce me, and she managed to get me on the calendar for this Saturday, July 23rd. So at the latest, I will be in labor about 36 hours from now.

Still praying that this baby starts to come on its own. But I was so grateful that I left Jeanie feeling empowered, encouraged, and cared for. And even excited for the chance to have my birth plan carried out. She told me that even if things don't go how I had hoped, even if I need to be induced via pitocin, she said, "I will get you through this" and it will be as close to my goals as she can get it. It's so good to feel understood at this point in my pregnancy, and to know I am in the care of someone who genuinely is doing just that... caring.

Can't wait to hold you in my arms, sweet baby of mine.

Stuck

Sawyer is obsessed with the concept of being (and the word) "stuck." He tries to get things stuck just so he can talk about how it is "stuck."

Tonight at supper, we were talking to him about life (haha) when I had a contraction and I placed my hand on my belly. He noticed and started saying, "It's a baby. A baby. That's mama's baby." So I asked him, "Do you want a baby brother or a baby sister?" He replied with, "Nawwwww." I asked him, "Would you like to see the new baby soon?" He said, "Nawwww. Stuck. It's stuck."

Stuck, indeed.

Tick Tock

Every day, I wake up amazed that I've gone this long being pregnant. And I wonder what the baby is waiting for. Is he/she waiting for the excessive heat wave to pass... with heat indexes in the 110-115 F range? Or maybe it knows that my best friend Emily's daughter, Carli, is sick and the baby wants Emily to be there like we originally planned? Now Sawyer is sick, he was up in the night a few times... shaking with pain from diarrhea :( ... what a good baby sibling to let him have all my attention. Maybe the baby is waiting for our friends, the Timms, to be back from their vacation in Canada?

Well I doubt the baby knows any of these things are going on. Except maybe it hears that Sawyer has been crying a lot and feels him sitting on its "womb hut" since Sawyer has been wanting more snuggle time.

I went to the doctor right away yesterday morning. I was dilated to a tight 4 cm and effaced 80%. Baby was very high, just like Sawyer was. I guess my body wasn't designed for a baby to drop. The doctor took some measurements via ultrasound, and estimated the baby to be right around 8 pounds. I am still planning to deliver with a midwife, but she wasn't available yesterday. It was nice to be able to have those measurements done for my peace of mind, at least. But she said she thought I was in the early stages of labor, and I thought that, too. Well, it's 24 hours later and I'm not feeling much going on anymore.

It is getting more challenging to wait. I have another appointment tomorrow with my midwife. If you are reading this, please pray that I don't make it to my appointment... and that I see her at the birthing center instead.

Impatience

A woman is meant to be pregnant for 38-42 weeks. They take 40 weeks as the midway point for a "due date." So often these days, if a woman goes 1 day past 40 weeks, the immediate question is: when will she be induced?

With Sawyer, I went 41 weeks and 3 days. While I believe I was going into labor, I arrived at the hospital and my water was broken to speed things up. Was there a medical reason for this? One that was in the best interest of me or Sawyer? I do not believe in interventions if it is simply to accommodate the schedule of the doctor or to cater to the impatience of the mother-to-be.

Now I am not judging what other people choose to do by any means. I know there are sometimes good reasons for interventions (inductions, c-sections, medications, etc.) and thank God that we have access to those if it helps. But it seems to me that inductions often just cater to the "I want it now" attitude in this society. I know if I went to the doctor today and she said we should induce tomorrow, I would be very tempted.

Anyway, last night I felt like things were starting. I packed my bag, Ryley called his parents so they could be on alert to come stay with Sawyer, and then I went to bed. I slept fairly well, but woke up at 7:00 a.m. to a kink in my neck and a baby still in my womb.

Great. REALLY?!?!

But just when I needed it, the Lord provided for me. An encouraging word from a few friends, and even one who had had a dream about me last night that I believe was from God.

And then my sweet Sawyer woke up. With all his chatterings and how happy he was to see his breakfast and just have another day... it's hard to stay impatient all day long. Because this moment with him will never happen again, and holding our new baby in my arms will come when it's supposed to.

While We Wait

So here are some photos of what we've been up to in the past few weeks while we wait for our brand new family member. I have my moments where I am tired of waiting, but then I remember the work ahead of me in childbirth and beyond. That makes me just enjoy the moment we're in... and it's a very sweet time in our lives!

I had to get a photo of Sawyer and I rocking with him on top of his baby sibling.

Our backyard... after our first date night in 3+months (and last one for awhile!).

Playing downstairs.

Busy with photo ops in front of our home :)

At the beach - less than a mile from our house!

Busy feeding the pig and playing with the dogs... we also inherited 2 horses.

Spending time with friends - we've had lots of opportunities for that. We love having "real life" friends since we live close to town now!

Getting ready for a dip in the pool.

Spending time outside on the covered deck during a thunderstorm. (Sawyer enjoyed growling back whenever it thundered)

Cleaning!

I had an appointment with my midwife a few days ago. My fingers and toes are a bit swollen, but overall she was pleased that my ankles, face, etc. have not retained fluid. My blood pressure was good, baby's heart beat is strong and within the normal range (I think it was 148 bpm). Today I am 41 weeks and 4 days pregnant. My midwife does not feel that baby is getting too big or that there is a reason to discuss induction at this point. I am praying that my water will break on its own so I know I'm in labor, and that I will be able to deliver this baby by water birth. I hope I can have more control this time in managing my pain. The last time I was in labor, I just laid on my side all day, completely inside myself with pain. But I did it without any pain medication, so I know I can do that again this time.

Ryley and I were discussing the details of my birth plan the other day. We compared our perspectives of Sawyer's birth, and I gave him tips on how he can support and encourage me this time since I am not brand new at it. This discussion occurred while I was giving him a haircut. He was about 2 months overdue... it looked like he was aspiring for a mullet. There was a pause in conversation as I finished up the back and sides with the electric clippers. Then he said, "All I know is I sure hope you don't go into labor while I have this half-haircut." I laughed so hard that I thought my water broke, and I had to go inside to make sure.

The other night when I was saying, "When... WHEN will this baby be born?" and we were talking about how people keep asking us, Ryley decided he was going to start saying, "We're trying for the New Year's baby... I heard you can get free diapers and stuff."

We have been in our new house for 1 month today. So there is not a shortage of projects to keep me busy while I wait for the baby. I did wash up some clothes, set up the bassinet, and pack my hospital bag. So today's project is starting to catch up on the accounting and paper work for Ryley's businesses, which has been neglected for the past 2 months because of moving.

Ryley has been busy with his agriculture businesses, as usual. His crops were looking great with all the warm weather and consistent rains. Then we had a storm come through earlier this week with some very strong winds, and Ryley ended up losing some of his corn crop. Snapped the corn stalks right off. Usually with a strong wind, the corn will get bent and there is a production loss. He was disappointed, but he knows by now that God will always take care of us. Five summers of growing his own crops and the stress it involves... he is learning to trust God's plan more every year, and for that I am grateful. In other agri-business news, his uncle is on his way to Arizona for the first of two trips to pick up two balers that Ryley has purchased. Ryley has been looking for a particular baler for a few years now, and his dad happened to find two that had been repossessed. I know he's very excited to finally have one... I mean TWO! So he will potentially keep both and do some custom baling, or he will look at reselling one of them.

I have recently been introduced to a product that I am so excited about, so I am also thinking about becoming a representative for that product. I don't have big dreams to make a pile of money selling this stuff, but I am passionate about it and if nothing else I'll get a discount on what I use. Putting that off, though, until after we get settled into a routine as a family of four. More on that in the future!

Sawyer has been busy making us laugh and being a little clingy. His Grandma Deb said last night that she thinks he knows there's a change coming. He has become a bit demanding, but we are learning to discipline him consistently and while he continues to test us, he is usually compliant. His vocabulary is expanding every day, and he chatters quite a bit about things. If we can't understand him, we encourage him to explain it again or else we just play along. He loves to talk about cows and tell us about how they say moo. He talks a lot about his doggies, and he really loves being outside with them, too. He loves corn on the cob... just like his mama. Ryley hasn't been eating corn on the cob when I make it for supper anymore... I think he just likes to sit back and watch Sawyer and me devour it while he makes fun of us.

Anyway, that's what we've been up to. Loving life and marveling at how God has blessed us... which is so easy when life is going great. I am just praying that we will feel just as strongly when we go through another valley in life.

Still Expecting.

I was not anxious to have the baby until yesterday afternoon. I don't know why I started feeling this way... maybe it's because I actually started getting ready. I set up the bassinet in our room, washed some clothes, even packed my hospital bag thanks to my friend Emily who arrived from Fargo on Monday. I thought it would happen soon when she arrived since I am past the 40 week mark. But nothing seems to be happening; no indications that it'll be soon.

I had some false labor over the past week. Painful contractions that would make it near impossible for me to move around. But obviously those episodes subsided, and left me frustrated because I would think "this is it" and it wasn't. I know these things happen, but I feel like I should know better now since this isn't my first pregnancy.

Anyway, today I'm just trying to concentrate on getting my chores done. And having a better attitude. Because life is good, and even if it wasn't, God is always good. And life will never be the same as it is now.

Baby of Mine

How I'm feeling right now... it's complicated. Physically, I feel "arthritic" at times which is likely due to excess fluid in my joints. But I continue to sleep well compared to most pregnant women who are full-term, and overall I can't complain because I know what some women go through.

Emotionally, I know I am so close to this blessed experience of giving birth again. And I know the love that I will feel for this baby might be so great I fear my heart will break since I love my Sawyer so much. But there's a melancholy, too... things won't be the same anymore. It won't be life with just Sawyer, and things are bound to be more busy (duh).

Life is so sweet right now, I feel like I should pinch myself. Life at our new home is wonderful. We fill our days with visiting friends and attending activities, and normal family stuff like playing in the pool, going to the beach, and riding the ATV. Cooking dinner, bedtimes, mowing the lawn... everything is a little bit sweeter at our new house. Sawyer and Papa have lots of room to run and play inside and out. I try to do some of that, too, but it gets challenging sometimes. I am generally not a huge fan of summer because of the heat, but this is one of the best summers of my life so far. And while of course, a new baby will make it that much more memorable, it makes me a little sad that I won't have the same amount of freedom to take Sawyer to the beach or travel to see friends.

I am probably more scared of childbirth this time around. Minutes after Sawyer was born, I looked at Ryley and said, "I'd do this again," even though it was not my ideal experience. This time around, I have switched to a midwife in hopes that I will get more support and due to the fact that her birthing philosophy is closer to my goals (natural vs. lay in bed and get meds). I am also hoping to have my dearest friend there with me, and I know she wants to help me create the best birth experience possible. My main objective in this delivery is to make it as easy as possible on baby and me, which I hope to accomplish through a water birth.

I have just started to get things ready for the baby, and I still have to pack our bags. It is so ridiculous that I would feel sad or hesitant at all about becoming a mama of two, especially when I think of my sweet friends who would love to have pregnancy come this easy. But I have to be honest. Just like my last pregnancy, I look forward to meeting this precious child of mine, but I am enjoying what my life looks like in this moment before I meet him or her.

I find myself thinking a lot about what it was like when I met Sawyer... and every bit of worry I have about the new baby melts away when I watch the slideshow of his first year.

Our Home

We have been in our new home for 2 1/2 weeks now. It truly feels like where we belong, and I have resolved to never take this blessing for granted. While this home suits our immediate and future needs and desires for growing our family, it is obviously not a mansion, but it is truly everything we could hope for. While I am obviously very fond of this house, I have also resolved to take good care of it but not pour my heart into it. I want to treat it as a place where people can gather, where I can show hospitality and share memories with extended family, friends, and even strangers. I want to hold our home loosely in my hands, palms facing up so that the Lord can do as He pleases. While this is not a "dream home" to most people, it is perfect for my family.

These photos are from the original listing, and I will maybe put more up as we continue to get settled and decorate to our own taste. Feel free to invite yourself over anytime! We love company, and we are greatly enjoying the proximity to our friends!