Our surprise has arrived -finally the birth story

I was never an eloquent writer in school.   I am blunt and tactless sometimes and just forget to portray details in my posts. While some enjoy this it does take away sometimes from those posts that need the detail for you to feel the heart.   So here is my try at writing a birth story for our little surprise.

With my due date (2/12/2010) 3 weeks away, I felt pretty confident in allowing my Midwife to “stretch” me out a little at my 37 weeks appt on Friday 1/22/10.  I was a good 2.5cm and 70% effaced.  But this was nothing new for me.  I dilate and thin early and just stick there for a few weeks until my Midwife “stretches” me out good and strips my membranes.   This stripping usually throws me into labor but never had we tried it this early with any of my others. So when she asked my permission, I kindly replied why not, with full intentions on returning the next week even more pregnant. 

So my Friday afternoon was spent updating the future grandparents and best friends on my status and then waiting for my hubby to get home.  About 4pm I noticed I was contracting on a regular basis.  Every 8-10 minutes at this point but I drank my water and kept on my with my business.  When hubby arrived home at 5:30, I was telling him about my day and had to stop a few times as the contractions would just take my breath away.  They werent awfully hard just my belly tightened so much I had to stop and breath for a second and then return to my story.

We left as planned at 6:15pm to go to our churchs homeschool meeting.  Packed up all the kids, except the oldest who was staying at a friends house, and went about our evening.   With contractions that were now 6-7 minutes apart but still like Braxton Hicks just tightening and takin my breath away. We ate at the meeting and finally sat down for the meeting to begin and the contractions were getting stronger.  I started timing them again around 7pm and they were 4-5 minutes apart now.  While I am one that doesnt want to be wrong and show up at the hospital with baby #5 in false labor and look like a fool,  I sat there talking myself out of thinking this was the real thing.  All the while, hubby (the nervous, better safe then sorry kinda guy) kept asking..is this it?… do we need to leave?..  are they getting stronger?   I held him off for awhile and then around 7:40pm decided that with 3 kids to pack and load up, my parents to call *who were out of town on a “date night”*, and bags to still pack, we better go ahead and start the phone calls.

So my best friend Ashley was at the meeting, I asked her to keep the kids there and take them to her house until my parents got back in town to get them. CHECK  Called my Mom, who was just sure for the first few minutes we talked that I was playing a joke on her, and let her know she needed to get the kids at Ashleys. CHECK.  Tried to sneak out of the meeting without a lot of fanfare, but that didnt happen, lol.   Pastor prayed for a safe delivery and healthy baby, etc. etc. And we left.  CHECK  Got home packed my bag, baby’s bag, hubby packed his bag. CHECK  Pulled all the sleeping bags down, got the kids pillows, unloaded the car seats for my Mom, threw some clothes in bags for the kids.  CHECK  Called the midwife and headed to the hospital.  CHECK

We arrive to the hospital and I was 3cm and got hooked up to the monitor for awhile and then we unhooked and we walked.  We walked… and we walked.. and walked. Got checked again around 10pm and was 4-5cm and contractions were picking up.  Midwife said, looks like you are staying.  And my heart started beating faster.  It was real.  We were really going to have a baby. WOW!     I call my Mom to tell her we are staying and baby is coming.  She is equally surprised and so very excited. 

The night went on with more walking and sitting on a birthing ball.  Around midnight, I couldnt walk anymore.  I knew we were getting close.  Since I have no epidural or pain meds, I like to hear it from my midwife that birth is around the corner so I know it is almost over as the pain intensifies.   Indeed I was an 8 and things were starting to pick up.

Still in shock that we were about to meet this baby that we had dreamed of, I prepared myself for the surprise to be revealed.   Before I knew it I was pushing and the baby was here.  I look at my hubby and say “WHAT IS IT?” .  He said I cant see… midwife holds the baby up and I see— BOY!!  It is hard to describe what that moment felt like as I met that baby that I felt inside. It was 1:18am

There are no words for:  the moment you see the baby in the flesh for the first time, the moment they weigh that baby, you bathe that baby, you change that babys’ diaper, and breastfeed that baby for the first time.   tears streaming.. heart’s aflutter… I am blessed.

Henry James:

Easy Mini Ruffled Purse Tutorial

Hey all!  Been awhile since I posted a free tutorial and thought I would share how to make this bag that I did for my Daughter! 😀

Materials needed:

• 15.5 inch by 19 inch piece of woven for the body of the bag
• 4″ x 44″ (full width) of coordinating woven for handles/trim
• iron
• marking pen is really handy for this 😉

Step #1 – After cutting the above pieces.  Take your strip for the trim/handles fold in half long ways and IRON.  Then unfold and fold both raw edges into the center and iron!   Pic here:

Step #2 – Cut this strip into 2 pieces.  One measuring 18 inches long for the trim, then whatever you have left (should be about 26 inches) will be the straps

Step #3 – Now I like to do french seams for the purse bottom since we arent lining this bag.   With french seams I sew on the RIGHT sides of the fabric using a 1/8″ seam allowance, turn my material with RIGHT sides TOGETHER and sew on the WRONG side using a 1/4″ seam allowance to enclose the raw edges as seen here:

Step #4 Now we RUFFLE the top edges of the bottom of the bag!   Here is what I do on my machine:  Turn your tension dial all the way up *mine goes to 9* and make your stitch length as long as it will go *mine goes to 5*   The using a 1/4″ seam allowance, stitch along the top raw edge.  I hold my finger behind the foot like so and then release every 3-4 inches sewn.  You can also pleat the top, use a ruffler foot, or even stitch then pull the threads to gather like many patterns tell you too 😉

Step #5- Set that piece aside and pick up your long STRAP piece.  Stitch 1/8″ along both edges to finish the strap

Step #6 – Set that aside and grab your “TRIM” piece.  Open the ends and match them like shown below and sew 1/4″ away from edge.  I did farther in so I didnt include that selvage edge you see 😉

Your piece should gladly go back to the “double fold” position when tucked back in so it will look like this:

 

Now with your seam in the center, use your marking pen to put marks at the “half way” marks on both ends.  These will be where we line up the straps and the side seams of the bottom of the bag!!!

Step #7 – Line up each end of your strap *making sure you dont twist it* with the marking pen marks you made.  Open your “trim” piece and fold the end of your strap into the inside of your trim piece and baste into place like so:

Step #8 –   Keeping your trim piece open line up the side seam of the main bag piece with the mark you made as well.  Tuck all the raw edges and stitching  you made to ruffle the bag piece well into the trim piece and fold the trim piece closed:

Step #9 – With your trim piece securely folded over all the ruffled raw edges of the bag piece, sew along the edge like so.  Make sure your strap is folded up and out of the way as seen above in the picture.  Tuck the edges in as you go.  When you get a few inches away from the other strap, be sure to line up the side seam with your strap & mark.

Step #10 – Now with the straps folded up, Topstitch along the trims top edge:

Step #11 – OPTIONAL   You are done at this point unless, like me you want to add a little more shape to the bag.  Here is the bag BEFORE SHAPING:

 Here is what I did to square the bottom a little.   Iron the corners of your bag piece FLAT.  Then open the ironed corner and match the side seam with the ironed line made at the bottom.  Measure in with your ruler 1.5″ from the tip and sew this line!

I then folded up the “triangle odd piece and tacked it to the side seam allowance.  DONT SEW THE BAG just along the seams 😉  You could also cut the piece off and zig zag the edges but I wanted to keep the inside clean!

Here is the results with my 9 year old!

Get cashback on your regular Online Purchases

So last post I told you about Swagbucks, which is a search engine that gives you bucks for some searches and then allows you to purchase items with your bucks!!!

This post I thought I would let you in on another small secret to saving money.  While it isnt much, I have received over $30 this year by shopping at home.    The service is called Shop at Home.   You must login, then search the store you are wanting to purchase from *or a store that carries something you want to purchase*.  Then click through the link and make your regular purchase.  You will receive whatever % Shop at Home is offering at the moment on that purchase!! 

So for example I received the following Cash back on purchases I would have made anyway:

• $2.02 from Inkgrabber.com *bought recycled ink cartridges*
• $1.37 from Diapers.com
• $1.78 from Highlights Magazine *renewed subscription online*
• $.84 from Snapfish
• $2.99 from Checks in the Mail *purchased new checks*
• $1 from Ebay several times for purchases made

Those are only the most recent.   You also get a $5 registration bonus when you sign up and $5 for every friend that signs up and makes a qualifying cashback purchase!    You dont get a check in the  mail until your cashback has reached $20, but it rolls over month to month.  So there isnt any rush.  Just buy what you would always buy!!   I received my first check in February, so it is a real deal!!!

Sometimes when I do is search for what I need.  This is what I did on the ink cartidges.  I searched for Ink, then sorted the searches and found the one offering the best few % of cashback, compared the prices and shopped at the best deal.   Also some stores offer coupons AND the Cashback, so you might also find a free shipping or 10% off you order coupon on the Shop at Home site when you search!

If you make lots of online purchase, I hope you register and save some money!  Dont forget when purchasing online to make sure you login to Shop at Home and go through the link to the store so your cashback is logged!!!