Scrub a Dub

In November I decided to make my own laundry detergent.  Cory and I had just gotten married and I thought it would be something to help us save money along with helping me feel like a domestic wife.  In November, I was pregnant and not feeling great so I took any chance of making myself feel like a better wife.  Since November, I have made one more batch of this laundry detergent.  We love it, it last about 5 months and only cost around $30.00 to make.  Can't beat that!

Instructions:
1 box super washing soda (3lb)
1 box Borax (4lb)
1 box Pure Baking Soda (4lb) -- I bought four one pound boxes
 1 container of Oxy Clean or Dirty Jobs - you can use big or small depending on how dirty your laundry is
2 Fels bars of soap, shaved.  I use a cheese grater.
Purex Crystals - This past time I used two containers of the baby scented kind and I LOVE IT!  It could be that I love babies right now but who cares, it smells like heaven.

Mix together in a big buck.  I use half a scoop on each load.  We have a front load washing machine and I throw the laundry detergent on top of the clothes, I don't put it in the laundry detergent tray.  I have read where you can use this for baby clothes and I probably will once the new wears off.

This picture was taken in November - I sure miss my old kitchen and counter tops.

Postpartum

Today I am 6 weeks and 3 days postpartum.  Wow, has it really been that long since I had such a wonderful, perfect, precious little boy?  They say that some women go crazy during pregnancy, some women go crazy after they have the baby but I'm here to say - I have been crazy the entire time.  If you don't believe me, ask my husband.

No really, I wasn't that crazy during pregnancy.  Even though pregnancy was rough on this girl with all sickness and swelling I endured.  Boy, that swelling was pitiful.  I am thankful to have my ankles back most of the time, my wedding rings are back on, and my toes don't look like sausages any longer.  I cried during stupid commercials and movies during pregnancy but other than that, I wasn't thaaat crazy.

Now, postpartum has been different.  Your emotions go crazy.  I feel constantly judged by people on what I do with Oaks and the decisions I make for him and us.  Even though people aren't judging me... I feel like they are.  That makes me cry sometimes.  Stupid.

Another tear jerker - breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding is hard, so hard, it tests you mentally and physically.  I can't imagine not breastfeeding but boy were the first few weeks rough.  I was in constant fear of starving my child.  If he wasn't eating enough or gaining enough weight, it was my fault.  I was either not feeding him enough or my body wasn't producing enough milk to give him the proper amounts of nutrients.  How heartbreaking is that for a Mom?  You have nurtured this child for the past ten months but now your boobs suck at producing milk and you can't provide for your child properly.  Ugh, the heartbreak.  My first major meltdown after I had Oaks was when Cory suggested I supplement formula since I wasn't producing enough milk for Oaks.  I cried for two hours I think, seriously, two hours.  I felt so defeated, how could I not make enough milk for my baby?  After our three week appointment and we learned Oaks was back to his birth weight, I felt much better about breastfeeding.  Even though I still worry, wonder, and of course compare him to all other children at 6 weeks - I know that he is growing big and strong with my yummy momma juice. 

I cry when sweet stuff happens now.  Seeing Cory so in love with Oaks melts my heart.  A father who had been serving our country sees his sweet daughter for the first time, that made cry for an hour or so.  Or during church on Sunday we watched a video about a father and son.  Oh my gosh, I cried like an idiot.  Here is the video.... Derek Redmond Video......if you want to cry like an idiot too. 

It makes me want to cry when my clothes don't fit.  When I'm not down to my pre-pregnancy weight.  When I don't feel good about myself and the way I look in the mirror.  I'm working on it though, slowly but surely.

Now I'm planning on the biggest meltdown I've had yet.  I will be leaving Oaks at daycare starting next Monday.  I'm heartbroken.  No one can love him like his Momma loves him.  He needs me when he cries.  It makes me cry thinking about it.

Please pray for me.  Pray for Cory to deal with me.  Pray for Oaks as he starts his new school.  Pray for the women in the classroom as they are going to be a large part in my sons life.

Time please stop, thanks!

Delivering of The Cupcake

On May 3, 2013 I woke up not feeling well. I hadn't felt great in months but on this particular morning I couldn't get out of bed. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. No energy at all. I thought, maybe this is it - maybe Oaks is coming. Ten days until his due date, maybe this it is. So that Friday night I went to the mall to pick up a hat for him to wear home from the hospital and purchase a housewarming gift for Tiffany's shower that was the next day (and I was a hostess for). After shopping, Cory and I had a low key dinner and had fresh pineapple. We went to bed early since I was tired, swollen, and completely miserable.

I woke up several times that night to pee, of course, and would have strong contractions when I would get back on bed. This had been happening for weeks now so I thought nothing of it. At 6:00am I go to pee, again, I laid back down and I instantly felt something.... Different. I thought, well hell, I finally did it and peed myself. After a cleanup and change of clothes I lay back down and it happened again. Uh oh, is this it? Did my water just break?  I woke Cory up to tell him something was going on but I wasn't sure what.  I had read that amniotic fluid smelled kind of sweet and I tell Cory this as I'm changing clothes for the second time seeing if that would help determine if I'm just peeing the bed or what. With such a serious face, he looks at me and says, "You are crazy if you think I'm smelling that." I wasn't hinting at that but hilarious he thought so. 

I wrote on the Facebook group of pregnant women all due in May to see what the girls thought.  They all agreed it was my water and I should start timing my contractions. Thanks to my app that helped me time contractions we quickly figured out that they were between 3 to 4 minutes apart. They were starting to be painful too. Cory called his Mom but left out the possible water breaking part. So when I text her around 8:30 and told her that I had leaked some fluid earlier, she told me we needed to probably go in to the hospital and be checked out. Cory was so cool during this time. He didn't seem concerned, was supportive but not panicked at all. 

After trying to eat some breakfast, taking a bath and fixing my hair - the contractions were stopping me in my tracks. So, I called Dad and told him I was going in to be checked out but not to panic because this may not be the real thing.  

At 9:30am we had gotten ourselves ready, packed, the dogs taken care of and ready to head to the hospital.  I of course had to pee before we left so as I sat down to pee- a huge gush happened. That my friends was my water!!!! It was the craziest thing I've ever felt. It wouldn't quit!!!  At that point Cory realized it was go time, we called our parents and headed to the hospital.  As we walked into the hospital, the water was pouring out. I told Cory I could feel it and he thought I was talking about the baby. The more I laughed, the more it gushed. So. Gross. 

After we got in our room and I was admitted, the nurse checked me and I was 100% thinned and 3cm dilated. Just 5 days prior I had not thinned or dilated any at all (most depressing doctors visit ever).  I sent out a text to our closest friends letting them know it happening and we would be meeting Oaks that day. I wanted to try to do natural labor and I think the women that do it are rock stars but I thought my back was going to break in half.  I labored hard with my contractions only being 2 minutes apart until 2:00pm when I was checked again.   I was dilated to 5cm and ready for that epidural!!! Life was a breeze after that. Well, until later in the night.

Visitors came in and out until around 6:00pm when I was told I was dilated to 10 but he hadn't dropped all the way yet. Around 6:30 I started pushing. I pushed and pushed and pushed. At 8:00pm or so they came in to add some medicine to my epidural since I was starting to gain some feeling back. They had to change my bandaging for my epidural due to the large amounts of water I was still gushing. Disgusting, I know.

By 8:30pm the pain had only gotten worse. Like way worse. I felt everything. Ever contraction, every push. Wow! The doctor came in to check me and found that my cervix were swelling and Oaks would not be able to be delivered vaginally. Actually, the doctor gave me the option - keep pushing but it may take hours if the swelling will allow him to deliver or have a c-section. So, by this time  was exhausted and in serious pain. So we decided on the c-section and the doctor left to get the OR ready.  In my mind I thought, "Get this kid out of me, I don't care of you have to get him from my mouth, just get him out!!"

The next hour was a blur. Apparently there were two emergency surgeries so I was next in line. I labored with no pain medication for an hour. My contractions were lasting several minutes at a time. The pain was so bad because Oaks was pressing against my pelvis. Cory was at a loss. Nothing made the pain better. Finally around 9:30 they came to get me to prep me for surgery. I was scared to death but so ready to get Oaks out of me!!!!!  The spinal was a breeze other than me feeling like I couldn't breath. Finally when Cory got by my side I was relaxed. I felt no pressure, tugging or pulling, I felt nothing. FINALLY!!

Oaks Allen Meadors was born at 10:00pm weighing 8lbs 10ozs and measuring 21.75 inches. He was perfect. Other than his oddly shaped head. He had bruises on his shoulders where I had pushed him into my pelvis. Poor baby.  Cory was scared his head would not go down but by the next morning, it looked a lot better.

Our experience at St. Bernard's was amazing. Our nurses, doctors, and staff were wonderful to us. We were so blessed to have such carrying people assisting us for the next three nights. By the 3rd day I was ready to go home. I was up and moving. Slowly but moving. I was ready to go to the house!

Thank you for all the phone calls, texts, meals, and visits we received from our friends and family.

I will continue to update you on our life as parents. It's already been a roller coaster full of fun!

First Family Picture