Linking up with Needle and Nest Design: Momologue Monday!

We're linking up again with the lovely Mama Mel over at my most favorite (or as she writes "favourite", love it!!!) blog Needle and Nest Design.  Every monday us mama's get to write our shpeel about those things no one seems to tell you about motherhood, in all senses of the word.  This week : labor and delivery.  oh my, are you ready?  I'll try to not write a novel.... though, who am i kidding.....

 In my case, my babies are always late.  Oliver was 2 weeks late.  there was nothing.  not a twinge, not a "could this be it?" moments.  nothing.  so, we had to go the ol' route of that four letter word: induction.  ugh, can you hear the dramatic music? dun dun DUNNNNNN.  my labor started incredibly slow but quickly became very painful....

Here i am at the beginning, just before i needed to get into the tub and start hallucinating, of course later we would learn i was a mere ONE cm dilated..... (so funny, i thought i would wear that necklace the whole time.... oh suz....)

           The labor took about 2 days and got really scary and intense at the end, but some how, i did it!

                                                         Oliver Lennon Wood 9lbs 6.9 oz

                       Then, because we somehow for get this pain, a couple years later...........

                                 Gibbson Leo Wood 9lbs. 15.1 (i HAVE to add the 1 thank you)

His was a much different story.  Unlike with Oliver, there was a lovely SEVEN day stretch of "this is it!" moments (mind you, i was very thankful to at least be feeling SOMETHING).  On the 8th night, it became real.  Then, before we knew it  we were dropping off Oliver and the dog and heading out.  Pay attention to this ladies :  they make you wait until your contractions are 5-7 minutes apart before coming in.  i suggest finding a friend that lives close by the hospital to hang out with the moment you feel one coming on because goodness gracious it really sucks riding in a car while having close together contractions.  oy vey.  anyway.  with this pregnancy, we took a Mindfulness Base Childbirth Class and though i believe labor is VERY much different when not on synthetic drugs like pitocin to induce labor, these techniques that i learned were invaluable.  To notice the moments AFTER contractions, the relief of it being over and having one down.  NOT focusing on "oh god that hurt, when is the next one coming?  what am i going to do?  what if it hurts worse? etc..." but not thinking those thoughts at all.  incredible.  labor with oliver, my mum and Gabe went through 200 washcloths trying to sooth my head that was spinning, it was 6,000 degrees in that room and i was delirious with pain and heatstroke.  Gibbsons birth? we went through ONE, i am holding it in the photo below, and frankly, the only reason i was holding it was because my poor mum didn't know what to do with herself! she was certain she would have to be on washcloth duty!

So here it is!  One of the proudest moments i can recall.  This is a photo taken when i was at 7 cm., approaching 8.  The smile is real.  i was talking in between contractions as though i was not in labor at all.  MIND over MATTER.....


Now, please don't be fooled, i will admit that shortly after this photo was taken i got to a full on 8 cm.  When you get there, you are not on this planet.  You just aren't. You are someone else.  Don't worry, you'll return, but for the time being, you would probably allow a 6 year old give you an epidural.  There is nothing that i will try and compare it to.  it doesn't even "hurt" as much as it's just so. incredibly. intense. but, it's what gives us super powers as mentioned in last weeks link up.

And even though some of the first words i spoke after he was out were "wow.  i don't ever.have.to.do.that.again........"  i would.  as crazy as my children make me sometimes.  as scary as walking into the hospital that second time around is, knowing full well what is coming.... i would do it again.

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I feel like i need to say something that is off the topic of labor, but something that has been on my mind for some time.  It's not something that i can really just say publicly in some random facebook post to get people all riled up. and maybe it won't even reach the people that this pertains to, but i just feel like this is an easier way:
some people make comments like "oh, don't you think two is enough!?"  or "you shouldn't have more kids" or, "you think you're crazy now! and you want MORE????"  and i know that no one is saying these things to be mean spirited.  they most of the time might even be joking.  but when it is said over and over and over and over, it doesn't feel as harmless.  i DO want more kids.  i want to look around my house at the holidays and have a lot of children in my life when i am older.  i look into my future and i see more children in it.  i just do.  and i don't think that there is anything wrong with it.  do i complain about my kids too much?  yes.  i admit that i do. i admit that i have a lot of things that i need to work out with ME to make me better, to allow me to have more patience and understanding.  when i am told over and over again that i should not have any more children it hurts and it makes me feel like people think i'm an idiot.  "why do you want more kids, are you crazy?"  they don't see my future as i see it. plain and simple. so please, even if you are just joking, if you think that i shouldn't have more children, i ask you to kindly think it silently. please. much love to you all

<3 suz