C- Sections, Needles, and Beautiful Baby...

  It's been a week since i lay under those bright lights and wondered what in the world we were thinking to ever consider a long needle in my spine and a knife in my stomach. Now that's it's over? Totally worth it! But don't we always say that?

Dr. Bonyo

  Christopher is doing wonderful and growing like a little man. I haven't weighed him but i'm convinced he's grown a bit since last week. His little face is filling out and he's getting wee little rolls on his legs. I love it, except it makes me sad to think of how fast he will be out of this stage. He's a very good baby so far. He had his days and nights mixed up at first but after working with him a day or two, he's up to 5 or 6 hour stretches at night. I won't promise it will last but i'm happy with even 3 hour stretches as long as he goes right back to sleep after eating. He has the appetite of a little piggy which would fit with the rest of my babies. :)

  So what do i think of a c-section versus natural birth? As i thot, there wasn't any "dear Jesus help me" or "I can't do this" or "NEVER, NEVER again" shrieks but neither was it anything like i envisioned. I was thinking long needle in my spine, and then complete and total numbness from my waist down. Nope, not so much.

  We got into the hospital at 5, planning on an early morning c-section the following day. What do you know, Marlin got a phone call from our surgeon informing us that she had just been told that theatre is full the next morning and she would like to do the surgery that evening yet. Marlin said sure, come on up, and i kissed my dreams of meatballs and french fries good by. He ate his soggy fish while waiting on doctor and the slow wheels of hospital of beaucracy to turn.  Thankfully i hadn't had much of any food that afternoon which is a blessing because puking and choking on the puke wasn't something i wanted to experience while under anesthesia. While we waited we had the privilege of listening to a lady in the throes of very natural labor next door. I found myself praying as much for her as for myself while my eyes filled with tears in sympathy.

Ok, i really, really don't like this picture. I look like i'm either having surgery or have bowel problems. But i'm leaving it on, mostly because Marlin posted it and partly because i can't always be beautiful. "choke" 

  Eventually they wheeled me downstairs on the stretcher and into a little cubby hole to wait on more nurses and paperwork. Marlin asked to be allowed in the operating room so after signing papers that he wouldn't faint and sue them for it, he donned the proper gear and waited. I was feeling pretty calm, up until they wheeled me into the operating room and i saw all the bright lights, the table where i was to be dissected, and the gloved and hatted assistants waiting with their hands in the air. I assumed the "position" and felt the needle go in and the liquid start flowing into my system. As they laid me back and i realized that while i wouldn't feel pain but i WOULD feel pressure, tugging and various other procedures, i had a moment of raw, pure, unadulterated fear. Throw up kind of fear. Never had i felt anything like it and at that moment i envied the woman moaning and praying upstairs in the throes of drug and needle free childbirth. I started praying. Furiously. It's not like i could sit up and say i've changed my mind. I had zero control over my legs at that point and i don't think anyone would've listened if i had. (and just for the record, you know how little, conservative girls are taught modesty as soon as they can sit up? they should also teach them that there will be exceptions and c-sections are one of them. Thankfully they soon taped large blue sheets over my lower half and i hoped no one was scarred for life, esp myself.) As quickly as the fear entered it left, followed by a complete and total peace. I started thanking Jesus for this opportunity of trusting Him, i thanked Him for being in control and i basically held my own praise and worship service while staring up at the ceiling and clutching Marlin's hand. I felt them marking where the incision would be and i sensed when they began, altho thankfully i couldn't feel the actual cutting. I was unprepared for the tugging and pressure that happened and i started wondering if they would ever get the baby out or if they had lost their way. After a great tug and me telling Marlin that i was going to be sore for a very, very long time, we heard a gurgle and Christopher James was pulled out. Marlin said he could tell when the doctor had him out because she got a great big grin on her face. There were tears and rejoicing and much anxious checking to see that baby was ok. And he was!!!

When i first saw this little man's nose i thot it looked like he fit right in with this country. I honestly was a little worried that his nose was abnormal. (It was before i saw the picture of myself during surgery.) His nose is now unsquashed and quite adorable. 

  The nurses brought Christopher over to Marlin and we adored him while the doctor continued to play tug of war with my insides. Marlin and baby disappeared and eventually, at long last i was wheeled out of the operating room and into recovery. That part was tough. My legs felt like concrete and as if there was a million needles pricking them. Like how you feel when you wake up during the night and your hand fell asleep and you can't move it. It was incredibly claustrophobic and i kept praying that no terrorist would decide to choose this time to take over the hospital. Seriously. You think of those things when you are living in a third world country and your legs are completely helpless. At long last they deemed me fit to be moved upstairs and they wheeled my wobbly, still semi numb body upstairs. Marlin was waiting and shortly they brought Christopher in and all was right with my world. Except i had a gash in my stomach, my legs still wouldn't work, and the poor lady next door was still birthing the old fashioned way. At that point i decided i would rather be me than her. Sometimes natural is over rated.

  We were privileged to have a very nice, private room and when the feeling returned to my limbs and they hooked up my pain meds, it truly was right with my world. By Sunday i was home and here we are, a week later. My healing has been going very well, except for a small bout of emotional hormones the fourth and fifth day. Wow, that was not so fun but from what i gathered, normal, especially after a c-section. Christopher is absolutely the cutest thing ever and i don't think it's possible for a child to be loved more.

  Simply put, we are seriously in love!

He's Here!

Christopher James Weaver

Born March 12, 2015 8:45 pm

7 lbs. 11 oz.

Both mama and baby are doing fine, and yes he's a little thumb sucker!

He was born c-section but 

I will leave the details for Darla to post at a later date.

Thank you for your prayers,

and

THANK YOU JESUS!

-Big Daddy Weav

Missing in Action

So i haven't fallen off the face of the earth........yet. When that happens it will be either through the rapture or death, and either way, i won't be back. Nor will i wish to be. :)

There IS a reason for my absence.

NAUSEA + FATIGUE = BABY!!!!!!

I'm 8 weeks pregnant and struggling through first trimester morning/all day sickness. Not fun but as that famous song went, "I will survive..."

We are very excited, and the children are hoping we'll reach number 16 yet before my body officially gives up on child bearing. They have figured out that if most women are finished by the age of 45, (yes, we've had the whole menopause conversation...in an abbreviated version) that means i have another 10 years yet, and if i have a baby every year.............they have forgotten to figure in God, daddy and last but most definitely not least, mamma. :) It's good to know God is in control.

I'm in love

The entire gang is in bed, including Jacob, and here i sit, writing a blog post. It's hard for me to go to bed at 8:30, in spite of a newborn baby. Speaking of baby, Jacob is almost a week old. I can't believe it and it makes my heart sad to think how fast he's growing. I'm so desperately in love with him, from his little round dark head to his wrinkly, little, old man feet. You would think after 7 children your love tank would be running dry but there's a small miracle in that it keeps growing. Actually, i think the love in my heart expands with each baby.

A week ago i sat on the couch, breathing through contractions, fighting that gnawing fear in the pit of my stomach. Try as i would, i couldn't forget what i had to work through until i could hold this baby. I finally, as the contractions intensified, started thanking God through each contraction. Thanking Him for how He made our bodies, thanking Him for this baby, for this contraction, and telling Him that i trusted Him. The fear left, the pain didn't. I remember reaching down, before he crowned, and feeling this little round hard ball that was his head. It gave me a bit of encouragement, albeit a small bit. His delivery was excruciating, and i sobbed to Marlin in the middle of it that i never want to do this again, and i meant it from the bottom of my heart. And then i blink, and he's a week old. I find myself wondering how many other children God is waiting to bless us with and i quickly remind myself how much it hurts to get them here. I have 3 friends from church that i just found out are pregnant and i feel a stab of something. When their babies are born, Jacob will be so very big. Long past the helpless newborn stage and it makes my heart ache. I struggled when i found out he was on his way and now i can't imagine him not being here. And i rest in the fact that i can leave it up to Marlin and God as to how many children we will have. I trust them both, knowing that my hormones are liable to change with the weather, but God is unchangeable and able to give my man the wisdom he needs.

And with that, i bid you good-night.

Red Raspberry Tea...

An interesting article, although take it with a grain of salt. Enjoy. :)

"The Raspberry Leaf Tea Story

Tea made from raspberry leaves is the best-known herbal aid in pregnancy. Rather than go into all the traditional lore about this herb, we present the following lengthy account, because it is both contemporaneous and highly specific.

"My mother was born and raised in Scotland, coming to america at the age of 26. Whenever a member of her family became ill or had a health problem, her mother had consulted an herbalist or herb doctor. As a result of this, I was treated with herbs as a child.
"Mother had always told me that red raspberry leaf tea would prevent miscarriage and was excellent for pregnany and chilbirth. When I became pregnant, I immediately sent for some raspberry leaf tea and began taking one cup of it each day, made from one teaspoon of dried leaves added to one cup of boiling water and steeped for 15 minutes. I had a very normal pregnancy. Then I went into labor, I truly expected to have an easy labor and delivery because I had faithfully taken the tea. While it is true that I did not have a complicated or extremely difficult time, it was not by any means easy. The tea had not lived up to my expectations.
"It was not until sometimes after the birth of my daughter that I read a book my mother had brought with her from Scotland entitled Dragged to Light by W.H. Box of Plymouth, England. In it I found the secret of just how to take the tea so it would truly work wonders during labor and delivery. Box said, 'On one ounce of raspberry leaves pour one pint of boiling water, cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain, and when the time for delivery is approaching drink the whole as hot as possible.'
"There were a number of testimonials in the book written by women who had used this herb. Several took the strong solution over a period of time before going into labor. They were instructed in that case to take a wineglassful three times a day. They had 'only two stiff pains and it was all over' or 'no after pains and very slight before.' They never made it out of the house. Box's instructions were, 'But those who take the tea considerably before the time should not leave the house when the time is approaching as many mothers are delivered almost suddenly when at their work, to the great veaxtion of doctors and nurses.'
"When I became pregnant again I was determined to try it that way. I still took a cup a day as I had before. but this time when I went into labor I made a strong solution of it as I had read in the book. I put it in a container and took it to the hospital with me. I wasn't sure how quickly it would work and I didn't want to have the baby in the car. I didn't think they'd allow me to drink it in the hospital so I drank half of it in the parking lot. I was afraid to drink all of it as it was so strong and I didn't personally know anyone who had taken it this strong before. I had been having strong contractions but by the time I registered and was taken up to the labor room the contractions were so mild I hardly felt them. Upon examination they said I was ready to deliver and would not even give me an enema. In the delivery room I was quite comfortable and hardly felt anything. One hour after entering the hospital my son was born." End quote.

I will say that i'm a HUGE believer in red raspberry leaf tea, along with nettles, alfalfa and peppermint. I have drank it faithfully the last couple of pregnancies and i don't have a doubt that it plays a big part in my healthy pregnancies. In the first trimester it eases my nausea and i know it helps to strengthen my uterus for carrying all these babies. Since we don't see an end in the near future to having these small humans, i want to take care of my insides as well as possible. Do i think it makes for easier labors? I don't really know, although i do want to try the infusion when labor kicks in. I have been making my tea very strong the last couple of months so we'll see. I realize the fact is that labor hurts, at least for most of us. My midwife did tell me about a woman whose baby they just delivered who has very little pain during childbirth. Her babies come fast and are relatively easy to deliver. I asked her what i can do to have the same experience and she said it's simply the way God makes some women. She also said that the person is calm and controlled. I started laughing and said i have a feeling my personality works against me. She agreed (that's one reason i like her, she's not afraid to be real)but hey, while i might have to literally tell myself to be calm, at least my personality is a plus in other situations. :)

I promise i'll start posting something other than pregnancy and childbirth in the future. Obviously it's a big part of my life right now but that will soon change to baby, nursing, and everything else that goes along with it. Can't wait.

It's another day at the Weaver house. Busy, sometimes hectic, but always interesting. I finally got my baby clothes ready... kind of... and i want to stock up this weekend on wee little pampers, baby lotion, and a few extra baskets to hold all the precious little things in. I can hardly believe i only have a little over 3 weeks left. Emily can hardly wait, talking about how the baby will sit in it's bouncy seat, or how she will rock it to sleep. And she will. We had friends here for the weekend with an adorable 3 month old girl, and she sang her to sleep while cuddling her. So, so precious. I love having an 8 year old daughter and can't wait to watch her interact with her new sibling. She's trying to prepare herself in case it's a boy and yet can't keep the desire for a sister inside.

A couple of Bible verses jumped out at me today and i want to share them with you. When i think of labor, i can't help but wonder why God designed it this way. Yes, i know the curse and all that, but i can't help but think there's a reason more than that. For one, it's hard for any woman to give up control and when you're in labor, you don't have much choice. You can fight it all you want, but when push comes to shove (no pun intended) you don't have much choice but to surrender your body to the way God made it. Fighting it will only make it worse. Much worse. For me i can handle the contractions, but i usually reach a point where i don't want to do this any more and i want it to go away. I feel annoyed that i have no control over this body of mine and i don't usually have much more control over my emotions. And then there comes a point where i relinquish control and trust God to work through my body. It's not usually real long before the baby is born and i feel like climbing mountains in my joy at a new child. Giving up control, trusting our God, trusting our husbands........it all works together. I believe from the bottom of my heart that there is a work being done in a woman's heart every time she walks through the pain, trusting in her God. Making a choice to trust. And now for the verses that have brought me peace today.

..As for God, His way is perfect..Psalm 18:30

...In quietness and trust is your strength....Isaiah 30:15

I'm in love.........

I ate too many pancakes this morning. Ugh, i feel a bit full and i have a sneaky suspicion i know why that scale is creeping up. It seems lately that i can eat and eat and hardly get full. I'm thinking i'm not eating enough fats and scarfing down way too many carbs. All the fellowship meals at church and dinner invites aren't helping either. On the other hand, maybe i have unresolved issues in my life from when i was a child and so i'm really not to blame. You know, it's all my parents fault for me not being perfect, i'm just a victim of circumstances. Just kidding........:)

We finally, at 30 weeks pregnant, found a midwife. Not just any midwife but one we're really excited about and feel a real connection to. I had pretty much given up hope that it was possible this late in the pregnancy and i had asked Marlin just a couple days before if he was sure we shouldn't do unassisted. Although he would be happy to deliver the baby himself he knows that I'm not ready for that so in his great husbandly wisdom he said no. And then we found her. I can always tell something about a midwife by the way she feels the baby. If her hands are too gentle and unsure, the red flags go up. We don't want someone who's cocky and over confident, but Marlin, being the business man that he is, looks for that confidence and calm bearing of someone who knows what they're doing. This midwife's hands were gentle and yet firm, and she instantly knew how the baby was lying. But i think the biggest thing that impressed us was her spirit. Obviously a conservative christian, we could tell by the way she handled herself that she knew her position in Christ. I can't explain that, it's just something we picked up on and our spirits instantly connected and that mattered far more than anything else. You know, in a homebirth you don't have the security blankets of a surgical team down the hall or drugs. While we firmly believe birth is a natural thing and 99% of the time it's best to let the body work naturally the way God intended, you can't ignore the fact that things can go wrong in the best of circumstances. Every time i get pregnant we pray for God to show where He wants us to have the baby, and that includes a hospital. I never want to get to a place where i refuse to consider something "different" than what we're used too, simply out of my own opinions. However, when you have a natural birth, having a midwife who can pray with and for you through the hardest part of labor (that's where i look at Marlin and say "NO MORE CHILDREN!!! EVER!!!!!!!! and that's where he quickly agrees, smart man) means the world. I have to say, after the twins i didn't think i would ever want to go through birth again. Theirs was a hard birth and i was so exhausted by the end that i couldn't even hold the babies or walk to the bathroom. So when i found out i was pregnant, i felt a few moments of panic and wished a few times that i could simply get an epidural or have someone knock me over the head until the baby's born. I knew if i begged for a hospital birth Marlin would agree, but i also knew deep in my heart that it wasn't really what i wanted. Something strange has happened however. As i get closer to the end of this pregnancy, i have started feeling a bond that's incredibly strong with this baby, and along with that an anticipation for labor. Not that i want the pain but i want the rewards that come with it. I've never had this feeling before, although i tried to have it many times. I would read scripture and try to convince myself that labor was worth it but it never worked. Of all pregnancies, i never expected it to happen with this one. I struggled the hardest when i found out i was pregnant, and was too busy for months to give it a whole lot of thought, but somehow over the last number of weeks God has done a work in my heart and i am head over heels in love with the child. I look at my strong manly husband and i feel a thrill that i get to carry one more child of his. Let me assure you friends, that is a God thing. With all the hormones raging through me and the emotional weariness, there's no way that i could come up with these feelings on my own. So i rest in that, and continue to pray that God would lead us and that most of all we would remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit and broken at the foot of the cross. After all, that's where all this started. :)