Quick, so you don't miss the giveaway!

I'm starting a new blog, Asteroid B612 (http://ab612.partialflow.com/), my own corner of blogosphere. You get a prize if you get the literary allusion.

I've been working on this change for a long time. Hubby has tirelessly transferred my old blog to Drupal. I'm a little sad to be leaving covblogs; I was the first covblogger, after all. But I've feeling the need to be on my own for quite awhile now, and lovely as MT4 is, I like Drupal better. Besides, I royally broke my template, and I don't know how to fix it, so it was a good opportunity to set up house on Asteroid B612.

So if you want to read something amazingly thought-provoking to see more cute pics of my kids, please update your bookmarks, blogrolls, feed readers. My blog stats were really climbing recently, I hope you continue to find it somewhat entertaining to follow me to my new digs.

Pouch slings and babywearing is becoming increasing popular because of its convenience and comfort, especially when you have multiple kids to chase. And have I mentioned how much I hate strollers? yea.

Anyway, it's important to keep safety in mind, correct positioning in a sling is important to take note of. This is a great article for correct positioning. Happy babywearing!

He had his first well-baby visit with our new pediatrician today and is back to birth weight after the typical losing a few ounces after birth. He's also gained half an inch in length and head circumference.

I like our new ped. We sort of stumbled into the one we had when E was a baby, and she was kind of nuts. Then I had to transfer a year ago because of insurance, which was nice, because I didn't know how to break up with the first one. But E only saw the new one once, because he was so healthy last year. But I wanted one I felt like I could develop a relationship with. The one I chose I feel like I can really talk to and that she'll respect me. She's a bit more mainstream than I would like, but she didn't balk at all when I didn't get the Hep B vaccine today. And the receptionist staff at this ped office is hands-down the most friendly, helpful staff I have ever encountered at a medical establishment! So anyway, new ped: check.

Overall, he's doing fantabulously! Get this, he sleeps! Can you believe it!? Like for multiple hours at a time! I sometimes have to actually wake him up to nurse!! It's a good thing we had Ellis first, because I know not to take this for granted. He also nurses very well. And is just totally adorable. He usually has a long stretch of wakefulness at one point during the day. He just looks and looks at us squarely in the eye.

We finally have a name sign for him, too, so that Ellis can call him something besides "baby". Since his nickname is Peanut and because he has a little dimple on his chin, his name sign is the letter M handshape tapped on the chin as if to sign PEANUT (the side of the index finger tapping on the chin).

Ellis loves on him. Kissing him and signing ILY (i love you). He wants to hold him whenever he gets a chance. And tells me MILK every time he cries. (He'd try to help him latch on, too, if I let him. haha)

But it's not saying much when your newborn infant is sleeping better than your nearly 3yo. Poor Ellis. He takes all his stress out on his sleep. All his growth and development, all his major life changes, it all gets thrown on his sleep and becomes lack thereof. Lately, he's actually made it to nearly 5 am, maybe waking up once and falling right back to sleep when sought snuggles are snuggled. It's hard to coax him past 5, though. Too early for mamas. Too early for little boys! Especially ones who don't nap. It turns him into a maniac bouncing off the walls. It's hard to balance the sympathy I feel for him, exhausted and upheaved life, and the irritation that creeps up on me when he is just flipped out crazy. I'm trying to spend some extra time with him during Marlowe's amazing naps. It's nice to be able to sit on his floor again. To feel like I can move and do things with him. Eventually we'll find our new normal.

Ellis continues to adore his baby brother.

So it's hard to say when labor really started. Weeks of regular contractions that began around 34 weeks didn't help matters. Then in the last two weeks I hardly had any contractions--just a few random Braxton-Hicks here and there, which did not help my morale. But we don't need to dwell on my personal roller coaster of the end of the pregnancy. I'm just glad that part is over with.

The due date I figured was Sunday, May 25, which, incidentally, was the day he was born. heh, heh. I felt a little vindicated. On Saturday morning I lost my plug and began spotting. I don't think I could've been more cheerful than I was all day. I knew the end was in sight. I knew it could be a few more days but probably not much longer.

In the afternoon, I took a nap, because that is what one does when one resembles a whale, and just in case.. Around 4.30 I started to get very light contractions, that gradually seemed to fall into some regularity, but they were very light and short. In the evening we went over to my ILs for supper, and I'm feeling downright jolly. The contractions were get a tad stronger, and around 5.30 I was timing them at about 5-10 mins apart, though still pretty light and short. By 7 things were still pretty consistent and progressing a bit, so I thought it would be a good idea if Ellis spent the night with Grammy and Poppy, so while Chris was giving him a bath, I called the Birth Center to see what they thought.

My contractions were about 5 mins apart and getting a bit stronger, but still very manageable. Since I was Group B Strep positive, the midwife wanted me to come in right away so I could get a dose of the antibiotic. I was a little worried about leaving Ellis because he'd been in kind of a funky mood all week, so I got down next to him and explained that mommy and daddy were leaving and he was staying to sleep with Grammy (which he's done before, so wasn't a huge deal). He just looked at me and said "bye! bye!" and gave me a friendly shove, like, well, go on already! Ok. Ellis was cool.

We stopped by our house on the way to get our stuff and C made a pot of coffee. The contractions were getting a bit more uncomfy sitting in the car. We arrived at the Birth Center around 8/8.30. Some of my hindwaters had leaked on the way, but thankfully, I didn't have full water breakage. The midwife checked me and I was 3cm and 75% effaced, so I felt like we could settle in for the long haul. They gave a round of antibiotics by IV, which took about 20 mins, and then unhooked me leaving the heparin lock in my arm to hook up later if need be. Then I could move around freely.

By then it was dusk and it was a beautiful spring evening, so I just went outside and walked. And walked and walked. They have a nice little garden in the back, which was a pleasant, and we were the only family there, so I just took laps in the parking lot enjoying the refreshing night air touched with a scent of something nice and flowering. My parents came around 9.30/10; I had asked my mom to come. My sister was around, too. So I walked, sipped on my water bottle, chatted between contractions with my family, paused to work through contractions and give my pelvis a little rocking action, and then I would come in, go to the bathroom, the midwife would take a listen to the baby's heartbeat and take my temp, and then I'd go back outside. It was a very, very nice way to spend the first part of labor.

Around 10.30 I began to feel myself turning the corner a little bit. Contractions required more focus and were lasting longer. Around 11 I was ready for the jacuzzi. Once I got in there things really sped up. It was wonderful when I first got in, I could just let my body relax and I found the jet streams really soothing. As a result, I felt like what there was left to dilate went pretty quickly and contractions got really intense really fast, and I found myself vocalizing as a way to work through them, just some kind of release really helped.

Unfortunately, at the birth center, they don't do water births...something about regulations requiring a tub with open sides that they just weren't able to fit in with their floor plan. So when I started feeling like I had pressure to push (at about 11.30/45), I had to get out, which I was actually okay with. It was really intense even though I was in the water and I felt like I needed more support anyway. On the way to the bed I had a couple more contractions. When the midwife checked me I was 9 cm.

Then I hit that nether region of transition, which I don't really remember too much of. It was very, very intense. I don't really remember making a decision to push. All of a sudden my body was pushing. It was kind of crazy at first, but I found my groove to work with the contractions and the midwife was coaching me. I could feel his head gradually crowning. And then she said, "Ok, get the baby out in this next contraction." So I pushed like crazy and yelled like crazy, and out he came. They put him on my chest and he cried lustily.

But then they told me that he had a really long cord, and it was wrapped around his neck twice and around his feet. His heart rate had dropped just as he was descending, so she had had me push him out fast rather than in a controlled, supported way. So I ended up tearing my perineum and clitoral artery, which meant the next several minutes were devoted to the very unpleasant task of getting stitches. I was really bummed about the stitches, but really happy that Marlowe was okay. He was born at 12.12 am on Sunday morning, about four hours after we got to the birth center.

Marlowe stayed on my chest for a long time. He latched on after about fifteen minutes and sucked for almost an hour. When he seemed content, they went ahead and measured and weighed him. I was shocked that he was only 6'14"! I expected him to be a lot bigger. I love my tiny peanut baby, though, so I'm pleasantly surprised.

After everything got situated and quieted down, and my parents left to spend the night at our apartment, I took a quick shower, and then Chris and I snuggled to sleep with our little baby. I actually didn't sleep for very long, though. Hormones, adrenalin, staring at the baby.

Ellis came in the morning with a big balloon for the new baby. He loved the baby instantly and has been hugging and kissing him and signing "I love you" ever since. I had matching shirts for the boys and we went home around noon.

I've been convalescing at home ever since. My mom and sister have been here taking care of me and Ellis has spent a few nights with Grammy. Recovery is going well, but the stitches make it harder. (grr) I'm really tired, though. I haven't been sleeping well.

Marlowe has been nursing well. He has a good latch with minimal coaching. Yay! It took Ellis a good month to get a good latch. It's nice to have experience on my side this time. Marlowe has dark hair and brown eyes. Yesterday the nurse came out from the birth center for one last checkup. He passed his hearing screen; we definitely notice him startling more than Ellis ever did. Chris already has nicknamed him "Peanut".

Having a baby at a freestanding birth center with a midwife was infinitely better than my hospital experience!! Night and day. I had also contemplated doing a home birth, but in the end, I was happy with the birth center. I liked not having to think about gathering supplies together, but I missed building a relationship with one midwife. There were seven at this birth center, and I just got whoever was on call. She was great and I had a really good experience. Most of all, though, I really liked the freedom I had. It was nice to manage my own labor and be in a comfortable environment.

Marlowe William joined us today.

He was born at 12.12am. 6 pounds, 14 oz. 19 inches.

Yay!

More details forthcoming. Very tired.

It appears that May 23 is not this baby's birthday. Unless something majorly changes in the next couple of hours, which is highly unlikely.

But that's the thing about being a history major. Sometimes random dates get into my head, and I have no idea why they're important and why they're in my head.

May 23, 1430
Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians and subsequently sold to the English. Hmm, I was just talking about Joan of Arc yesterday. I really was.

May 23, 1788
South Carolina became the 8th state in United States.

May 23, 1873
The North West Mounted Police force was formed in Canada. It would later be known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

May 23, 1911
The New York Public Library, at the time the largest marble structure ever built in the United States, was dedicated by President Taft in New York City after 16 years of construction.

May 23, 1934
Bonnie (Parker) and Clyde (Barrow) were killed in a police shootout.

May 23, 1945
Heinrich Himmler, head of Adolf Hitler’s Gestapo, committed suicide while in prison.

For the past few weeks, I've kept thinking that May 23 was somebody's birthday. At first, I thought it was E's little friend, but his birthday was last week. Maybe May 23 belongs to one of my million cousins.

Or maybe today is this baby's bday. *sigh*

Not much else to blog about this morning. My sister is coming around for a few days. That'll be nice.

I've hit the wall. No more coping. Just crying until this baby is born.

I had an midwife appt this morning. Short and sweet. Everything fine. Now I kind of wished I had asked for an exam to jiggle things up a bit. I was too tired to think.

Here's one to scare teenagers from too much hanky-panky (kidding!):

I finished up another pair of baby shoes for the baby. I picked a nautical theme for this pair. I made a skirt last summer out of the same fabric I used for the sole, so, hoping I can squeeze my post-partum self into an elastic-waisted skirt, we may get a little matchiness going. heh.

We love sailboats in this family. Chris and his family have always enjoyed sailing, and growing up, C prowled around nautical museums on family vacations. If the boat is wooden, all the better. One of our first big outings after we started dating was Chris taking me out sailing for the first time in my life. Other memorable sailing occasions include renting a sailboat for an afternoon in Bermuda (our destination for a family cruise that my great-aunt and uncle took us all on) in 2002. We sailed all over finding patches of reef. Then we'd hang over the side of the boat and stick our head in the water with goggles on and snap pics with an underwater camera. Way better than snorkeling. haha! That was so fun! Then, of course, there was the wild ride in a harbor in Maine last summer for E's first sailing experience.

Sailing is great. The thing that strikes me every time we manage to get out on the water is how quiet it is--skimming across the water so noislessly. Occasionally the rush of water adds a little punctuation to the quiet.

Boats are special icons in our family. When I look at sailboats, I think of some really happy times with C and hope for future fun times with our boys.