My Baby...but not for much longer.

I must say that I sure have a cute baby!!! Okay, I know that she is almost three, and very much a big girl, but I only have a few more months left before my baby is a big sister and I have a new baby to be the mommy to. The closer this baby comes, the more I hug her tighter, and play with her longer, and read "one more story" at night. It's kindof a wierd feeling going from one to two. We've been a family of three longer than we were a family of two with just me and Hikari! It's such a bittersweet feeling. I feel like we are ending a chapter in Munchkin's life and I just not quite ready, yet. I told her this morning that we are going to the doctor after mommy comes home from work, and she got so excited to see baby brother on the TV tonight. She holds the pictures and proudly walks out to show all the nurses her baby brother in mommy's tummy! She is going to be such a great big sister. In the morning, she'll sneak into our room, with the bottle of lotion so that she can rub lotion on mommy's belly. It's so wonderful to have such a loving and giving daughter. How lucky can I get???

My baby is Santa's helper!!

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Tag:Motherhood

1. How long have you been a MOTHER? 3 years
2. How many kids call you mommy? 1 and 1 on the way
3. When you were pregnant did you know what you were having? Yes.
4. How old were you when you became a mom? 22
5. How long were you in labor? That's a really funny question. I went into labor on a Sunday morning, finally went into the hospital on Wednesday (three days later) and was in hard labor at the hospital for 18 hours. We're hoping this trend does not repeat itself with our little boy.
6. What's your favorite thing about being a mom? Climbing into Munchkin's bed on Saturday mornings (that is, if I wake up before her, which doesn't happen too often) and waking her up and reading books while snuggling.
7. What's your least favorite thing? Having to go to work each morning and say good-bye. Although coming in a close second would be dealing with her terrible two tantrums!
8. Do you want more kids? Of course
9. Have you ever taken your kid(s) on a trip? We've been on little trips with our families, but we had planned to go to San Diego this summer, but then decided to buy a house, and then found out we were expecting. With both of working, its been hard to take vacations, but some of the best times were when we just went with the three of us on outings. This year, we've gone to the Living Planet Aquarium, a Jazz game, and the zoo. It's fun to watch Munchkin see new things, even if they are only 30 minutes from our house!
10. How many times have you been peed on? More than once, but I really don't remember how many
11. How many times have you been barfed on? once. She was so fussy and right when I picked her up from her crib and took her in the other room, she lost it. It was all I could do not to lose it myself, but she was so scared. I think she was only one.
12. Are your kids named after someone? Her first name is "beautiful Flower" in Japanese and is after a little girl in a family that he baptized in Japan on his mission. She has my first name as her middle name.
13. When is the last time you had a sitter; What did you do?Because we both work, she is with someone else all week, and I hate being away from her more than I have to. We've only had a sitter for us to "go out" a couple of times. The last was for our Anniversary in June. We went to dinner and stayed at bed and breakfast, then went golfing. It was fun, but I still had a bit of heartache over it. But when we called my parents to see how she did, she was having a ball and didn't want to talk to me because she was busy playing outside with the dog!
14. When your kids gets in trouble, who is the bad guy? I discipline more often, but if she is acting up when hikari is around, she knows that she is in trouble. She's in a place where she loves to test our limits right now!
15. What is the longest you have been away from your kid(s)? 1 night. When we went to the bed and breakfast for our Anniversary
16. Are your toes painted right now? Yes. On Saturdays, Munchkins favorite thing to do is help me clean the bathroom and then she pulls down all the nailpolish and wants to paint toes.
17. Last movie you saw in theater? uuuuhh...I really don't remember.
18. One thing you will not give up just because you're a mom: My baths. Every once in a while, I will lock the door, and take a hot bath. If Munchkin comes knocking she gets upset that the door is locked and Hikari will take her away and let me have my few minutes.
19. One thing you did give up now that you're a mom? Time fore myself. Which isn't necissarily a bad thing. I used to spend a lot more time doing crossstitch and scarpbooking, and maybe when I'm home more, I will be able to that again, but because my time at home is limited, I spent it all with munchkin, which I love! We do stamping together, though, so I do get a few of my things in there.
20. Favorite Cartoon: All I can think of is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
21. Favorite Snack: Anything sweet. Although lately I have truly been craving pickles A LOT.
22. When the kid(s) are napping, you are: Usually trying to get some cleaning in, although on Sunday afternoons, we all take a nap together.
23. Where is/are your kid(s) now? At my wonderful Sister in Laws house. Hopefully napping and giving her a break for the day
24. If I could do it over, I'd do this differently: Be more patient. My time is so little with her. For a long time I would jsut get frustrated and upset if she didn't do what i needed her to right then. I've learned that some of the best times we've had, is when I slow down, and just play with her when I get home from work, rather than worry about all the other things going on in our lives. Especially now that another will be coming soon, I am very attached to my little baby!
Now your it!

WE'RE ON THE BLUE TEAM!!

Last night we had a VERY convinving look at our little growing baby BOY!! Ayana is so excited that she is having a baby brother. I asked her last night while she was getting ready for bed, what we should call him, and she said "A boy!" At least she knows not to call him a girl! Now we just need to decide on a name. It's such a big decision. The fate of a child lies in the name that is chosen for them by thier parents! It's such a big responsibility. I know that I don't want to be the reason that my child has a complex for the rest of his life. But at the same time, he better like whatever we choose, because we choose it for a reason!

And the Kick OFF...

Well, I started feeling the baby kick a week or so ago. But today, I am starting to feel it quite a bit more. I was looking through Munckin's Baby book and saw that I had recorded her first kick around 15 weeks, with this one, I was 14 weeks. It makes me so excited to feel what I'm going to feel over the next few months. As I've been reminiscing about Munckin's birth, I have been thinking quite a bit about the actual birth, and what I want with the delivery of my next child. I delivered my daughter after 4 days of labor, 18 hours of which was in hard active labor at the hospital. I was given pitocin after 8 hours, and declined ALL pain medication during labor. Why is it that we live in a society where birth is a "medical condition." I've given thought to the idea of birthing at home, even. However, not only is my Hikari not comfortable with the idea, but I have serious anxiety issues about it, and for me, a hospital birth gives me the peace of mind that I need in order to relax. When I was in labor with Munckin, the nurse I had kept offering "other forms of pain relief." Did she not get the memo? I politely declined, but was quite frustrated that she wanted to sabbatoge any efforts that I had made to experience this without any medication. In the morning when the shift changed, not only did I have a nurse who had actually HAD children, I had a nurse that gave me support for my decision and even had suggestions on breathing and labor positions. My doctor was on board with me from the beginning and understood my desires, of which I am grateful.
I guess these past few weeks, I have been thinking about what I enjoyed about Munchkin's birth, and what I want different. I think that a better education on my part would have led to a more successful birth experience. We went to one birthing class while I was pregnant, and the nurse was certainly not "pro-epidural" but she wasn't openly against it either. She let all the women know that whatever their choice, they will probably have to get through a few hours of contractions on thier own, and it would be helpful to know some breathing and position techniques. But she also explained each of the different procedures that may or may not happen. Not once did she discuss the pros and cons to each procedure, but what it was and how they did it. What they never said was that every single one of them was in interference with the natural process that our bodies are made to do. I think there is certainly a place and a need for some of those procdures, but all too often, women go in expecting to have an IV put in, a pitocin drip started, an epidural placed, and episiotomy performed, and foreceps used. That when one says, I'm going to have a baby, that's what they have to look forward to. Women have been birthing children since the beginning of time. And I know that until the last century or less, they were born without those procedures.
When we first were married, I had told Hikari that I think I want to have a natural child birth when we have children. I did a little research and decided to move forward with it, against the advice from many women who had recently had children, all with epidurals. But I have a craving to go into this one armed with as much information as I can get my hands on, so that every decision I make and every nod of my head is an educated decision and not just because "the nurse/doctor told me that's what I should do."
If I have my appendix rupture I would more than likely nod my head and say, "because the doctor said I should probably have it out before I die." But when it comes to my own child...to doing something that my body was made to do, to doing something that is not a medical emergency, please let me have a baby in a hospital, but let me have my baby, not "perform a medical procedure."

Halloween is here

Christmas is coming...

and I know that it is not even Halloween yet, but I'm too excited. I got our New Nativity set from the nice FedEx Man today!!! Our old Nativity is...well not as wonderful as I want my Nativity display to be. I bought it my first year of college at a bargain store in St. George when I was very poor. I think the whole thing cost me $6.00 or so. I loved it and cherished it because it completed the Christmas decor. You can't have Christmas decorations without a Nativity Scene! Last year, when Munchkin helped me get it out, she fell in love with it! She was big enough that she could reach and would play with Baby Jesus. I think a Wise man lost a hand, and we almost lost baby Jesus. I told Hikari that next year, I wanted to look at getting a new Nativity Set. And we found one!! What's even better, is that Munchkin can play with it all she wants, and I don't have to worry about something breaking! I love Fisher-Price!!! I can't wait to display it!!