Urban Green Farm

Introducing

Ayla Mei-Li Millis

She was born at home, in bed on Feb 25th at 8:34am. She weighs 7lbs exactly and measures 20 1/2 inchs long.

We are both doing well. We are all snug in bed. 

I am so blessed, she is perfection. 

Pics soon!

early labour fun

It has been DAYS of this crap. 

Tuesday or I guess Wed at 1am the early stuff began. Leaving me sleepless from 1am - 7am when I finally just got up. Then nothing really. Lame little ones all day. More strength to ones during naps. 

Brining us to Wednesday night, well I guess Thursday at 1am, contractions hit HARD and are coming every 10 minutes. From 1am till 7am when I give up trying to sleep and BAM they completely stop. STOP. 

So I go to the mall today to walk myself into labour....nothing. Not even one lame little pinch, nothing. I try to nap at 1:30, from 1:30 till 3:45 I get contractions in random, some ouchy, some not, no even spacing to speak of. 

I am now out of bed. I seem to only have contractions in bed. Isn't that backwards? I have had 2 since being awake which is better then nothing, but really??? come on. 

I am trying not to get discouraged. Obviously something is happening. Tons more "show" as well. These early pangs have a purpose, thinning out that cervix, but I really really really want to meet this kid already. 

Boo. Send labour, REAL labour vibes if you can :)

Due date

is possibly working its magic!?!

Saw the midwives yesterday and they asked if I wanted a little sweep, too which I replied "GOD YES!". She checked things out, cervix was long and far back, softish, soft enough for her to get her fingers in there and do a tiny sweep! This was more then they were able to do with Ivy back in the day and it send me into labour, so I was feeling positive. 

Since 1am I have been having contractions. About 20 mins apart. They are holding to that pattern and I am still only getting one every 20-30 mins. But its something. Also lost a lot of mucous plug (yay over information sharing!). 

Sooo who knows, any time. Ivy was born 48 LONG hours after the first major contraction, so we could be at this for a while. But geez I am excited to meet this little new person. 

pregnant

THIS is feeling kinda familar.

Only I have a midwife appointment and it is this morning and I hope they do an internal check and it works out like last time, or I just might end up pregnant with a teenager....so not into that. 

Due date tomorrow. Working on being zen with February. 

ZEN......ZEN

 

 

no, nothing

2 days till due date. I am kinda giving up on my inkling that this baby is coming early....I really really thought it would be early. 

I am dealing. 

I was not dealing so well this weekend. Huge grumpy lump I was. 

I had a bath last night, all alone (no Ivy!) and just mellowed out. I talked to Sparkle, I really tried to absorb the feelings of Sparkle's kicks and movements. We don't know for sure how many kids we want, but who knows this could be my last pregnancy and I should focus on enjoying what pregnancy is like instead of obsessing about labour. Not an easy thing for me right now, but I am trying. 

We have a bunch of things to get done today, so I am thinking about that instead. 

Thanks for all your well wishes and sending labour vibes my way! 

ya

I know Fridays are this moment days with an awesome pic from the week, but I am all about words these days. 

Yesterday there was a full moon, I was really hoping this lunar magic would get the baby out....I hear there are more births on full moon days, but alas this babe was not meant to be one of them. 

We are tackling list items like crazy over here, so much so we are kinda stretching now to find things to do...like OHHH there is 3 pieces of bread left, better get more! Or there is only half a bottle of cream totally need more, or shampooing the carpet was soo fun lets do it again! 

I did get some needed things done too though. 

1. All things Tissue are stocked up and he got taken to the vet and had a bath! 

2. Baby announcement envelopes stamped and addressed! 

3. Croch-sicles, frozen pads, made! 

4. Important paper work things, like GST for my business, Tissues pet licence and Ivy's Social Insurance Number all filled out and mailed

5. All books pregnancy wise and newborn wise re-read and caught up with! I am the labour newborn expert over here. Funny all the things you forget in just 21 months! 

6. We bought a bed! So we can have real guests over, maybe should have done this BEFORE my mom arrived, but whatev's she has a bed now :) 

There are still some important things to do though, 

1. Our infant bucket seat has a recalled part....it needs some oil or something to tighten the tightening strap, need to get on that.

2. The huge ass annoying double stroller I decided to keep (the cheap used one I bought for toting Joelle and Ivy around) needs the little metal piece so I can just slip on the car seat to it.

3. Sparkle needs a baby book. I want to get the same one I have for Ivy, so I need to hunt it down. 

4. We left the legs to the baby swing in the attic of our old house, which lucky we rent out, so we need to ask the renters if we can go up there and get them.

umm I think that is it. I am sure more and more things will just keep creeping into my mind at 3 in the morning, leaving me sleepless (AHHH this is soo annoying!), but a girl needs something to do with all this painful waiting around! 

Now off to the store because ya, we need something to do.

And a pic for your patience:

grandma lovin!

39 weeks, random

39 weeks...7 days till due date...been at this for 267 days...really really hoping there are very few days left in this tally. 

More stuff off the to do list, like shaving! Yes it was on the list. The legs have been tackled, other more sensitive areas were also tackled, but really not very successful due to the large belly in the way. The only reason I even bothered is because I am off to the spa today!

Keith, without getting into it all, has had his mind on other very huge, very awesome things. Kinda all consuming things, and rightfully so. Just happens to be bad timing with my all consuming thoughts of baby baby baby. So because I was feeling a little un-noticed he showed me some love in the exact way I receive it best, GIFTS! A pregnancy massage and...

I love little surprises, like if he picked up a weed that reminded him of me I would be sooo touched and feel soooo loved, so this was JUST what this tired, pregnant mama needed. Me and my mom head to the spa this aft and then Keith is taking all us ladies out for dinner! Lucky me :) 

He also spoiled me with some solid baby talk last night. A few months ago we FINALLY came to the ultimate decision of a name, 2 actually since we don't know the sex. Things were all fine and happy until a new name list came out, the list for the top names of 2010. I have a THING...one little thing. The names of my children just really can't be on the top 100 list, it's just my issue. Our girl name made the list. Very low on the list, but still on the list. I tried to be ok with it. I really did. But it was eating at my soul and in the end, the name had to go. Keith was not impressed with me. I have been bugging him with names for weeks now, only to be basically ignored....So last night we did it. We talked and hashed it out and I think we have come to a decision...I think. 

So yay shaved legs and names! 2 items off the list and one more...

new photos hung! Some of our most recent vacations and a few of my pregnancy photo shot.

some colourful ones of Ivy and the fam..obviously some of these will be of new baby once here. 

these are right outside Sparkle's room...

because this one is right outside Ivy's room. 

I love this view from the top of the stairs. 

So yay, legs shaved, name chosen, picture frames hung!

AND.....

just in case you care, all my home birth supplies! 2 baskets full of towels right beside the bed and a cart beside the bath full of birthing, diapering and other crazy needed things. 

SOOOOO legs shaved, name picked, frames hung, birth organized as best as I can! Rockin that list. 

And because you are such good little readers making it through this random huge post, some Ivyness for ya...

also SNOW! ahh so pretty, still lovin the winter. Can't wait to settle down in our warm house nest with a snug little newborn watching the cold outside. 

 

Sparkle

The ultrasound went well. 

Baby Sparkle is measuring a tiny bit smallish, more like a 36-37 week old fetus, 6lbs 9 ounces roughly, but there is plenty of amniotic fluid and baby seems healthy! 

Baby is already lowish in the pelvis, so not going to be flipping and hopefully getting ready to come out. She said that for baby to be Ivy's size when born, 7lbs 9 ounces, it will need another 2 weeks in the womb. SOOO I am hoping baby doesn't really want to be that big.....

The tech could tell I was stressing a bit, so she was super sweet and showed me some extras! Sparkle has a head of hair!! She zoomed right into it, total fuzz head! Ivy was totally bald at birth, so that is kinda fun. She also zoomed into some wrist wrinkles to show that the baby is nice and fat :) 

No pics because babes face is all turned into my left pelvic area, so really nothing super cute to take a pic of. 

But I feel better. I am glad Sparkle is ok. It makes the possibility of having to wait 2 more weeks to meet Sparkle more bearable. 

Sooo back to waiting! 

Some things

No not in labour....boo

1. I am actually looking forward to the craziness of newborn sleep, because at least I will be so freakin tired that I will pass out when ever I get the chance to sleep, not just lying there, thinking, being sore and exhausted and grumpy. 

2. I had a midwife appointment yesterday. I am measuring 3cm behind, I measured 2cm behind constantly with Ivy my whole pregnancy, this one is no different. Except this time I am measuring 3 behind and did not grow any since last week...not good. I go for an ultrasound tomorrow. Baby's heart is fine and baby is moving a lot, so thats all good, but I am still a little worried. Trying not to be. 

3. My mom is here. Which just makes it all better. She was going to come when I was in labour, but she had a week of lonely times ahead and I was like, dude just come early and hang out with us. Maybe your presence will bring about this child :) 

4. Birth plan. I haven't talked about this at all here on this blog. I wanted to avoid judgement and opinions and such, not that you guys would do that...I am just protective about it I guess. We are going to be trying a home birth, a water birth in our jacuzzi tub actually. I am totally stocked up on all the needed supplies, gobs and gobs of towels, garbage bags, flash lights, extra sheets for the bed to get all stain-a-fied all kinds of goodies. I am actually really pumped about this. I am hoping the fact that I don't have to go anywhere to have the baby will speed things up. Being turned away from the hospital 3 times in labour with Ivy was the WORST. So ya, thats the big secret plan. Wish us luck. 

5. Peeps I can't describe to you how done I am. I don't remember being this DONE even with Ivy. The groin pressure is intense, the flip flopping of the babe is painful, the constant state of un-comfort is just plain annoying...ahhh I want to meet this little person already. 

6. waiting. We are more ready then I could possibly be. Please Sparkle, PLEASE show up soon. 

this week

Ya, so there was like no effort put into this picture. No bra, still in pj bottoms, makeup left over from yesterday, can't even bother to really even give you a smile...kinda sums things up nicely! 

Thats being 37 weeks pregnant for ya! 

The next belly shot, after this 37 week one, is the last one. The next Twinkle one I have was the day I went into labour, just shy of 41 weeks, by the time labour was over Ivy was born at exactly 41 weeks, yay for 48 hour labours. 

So that is totally crazy, next pic, THE NEXT BELLY PIC, will be on the day I am in labour! THIS IS TOTALLY HAPPENING. 

My body is defiantly making way for it to happen too. Tons of braxton hicks contractions, baby has dropped into my pelvis relieving some of my pelvic pain to my joy, intense pressure in the lower regions in which I feel like sometimes I might just pee this baby out and the fun-ist symptom of all....mood swings. I am just so absorbed in baby prep and baby this and baby that, that ANYTHING else is too taxing for me to think about or have patience with. 

I am going to be honest mom here, I am sucking out. This week has just been awful so far for me and Ivy. She so quickly gets on my nerves, I have no patience for her sillyness, I just want to accomplish a few tasks and she increases the time to do these by 3 fold. We are not gelling, more like yelling with each other. 

The crap thing is I know it's going to get worse. I was a hell of a mess after Ivy was born. Baby blues to the extreme. I am expecting them this time, so hopefully that will prepare me better, but poor little Ivy is going to suffer the most through this emotional battle. 

And she is such a GOOD kid. Like I have it sooo easy compared to others with almost 2 year olds. She is awesome at independent play, is cautious at not risking her little precious body in crazy activities, she is 99% of the time happy no matter what we are doing, she just so desperately wants love and cuddles and attention like a sweet little puppy that it makes NO sense why we are not getting along. I just feel tremendously guilty I suppose, which makes my emotional state even more unbalanced. 

Please Sparkle just get here soon, I want the cool, calm, collected mommy back, not this monster mommy. 

Sorry sweetness: