My Sister

I just love my firstborn... the kid has oodles of personality, who needs television when Adelaide's around for entertainment? Not I!

photo share...

Here are some photos from the first few days...

Miss LindyJean looking just like AddyLouHoo at this stage.

Bitty pretending to sleep with "my baby LindyJean."

Our most fabulous midwife, Kristin, on a postpartum visit!

My family feels so much more complete, it's like something was missing.

Could Bitty be any cuter? Eric looks so very proud.

The Home Birth

This is a rather detailed description as I imagine that I may be the first person you know to have done this...

Here I am Friday late afternoon, big as a house, labor pains have begun but are sporadic. At noon, we went in to see the midwife and she stripped my membranes and I immediately dialated to 4 and began to have contractions here and there.

I get HUGE during pregnancy, apparently because we make big babes.

By 8 o'clock labor began in earnest, Kristin came to stay, and she called Lorri (our second attending midwife). It progressed nicely, building in intensity through the night until about 4 am. During that time I was able to take walks, eat & drink if I wanted, I spent a lot of time on all fours on my yoga mat doing cat/cow (that felt good), I got in the birthing tub (that felt really good), sometimes I would squat - swaying back and forth and breathing. The midwifes are very supportive of any odd whim that you might have as a coping method, plus you're at your house so you don't feel inhibited either. Mom & Staci got here at about 1:30 am or so, we had snacks and they settled into bed, as did Eric for a nap!

At four in the morning, I felt like I had made a lot of progress, but things were holding steady and stalling. Kristin suggested she check me and if we wanted to we could break my water. I was dilated between 7 & 8 and we decided to go ahead... after I took a rest.

Did you know you can turn down labor and take a nap? Kristin said that if she broke my water it would likely get very intense, very quickly and we could be down to the nitty gritty in a short amount of time. She asked me to lay down and take a nap and then in an hour or so we would get up and decide if we would proceed with popping the amniotic sac. I actually fell asleep in between contractions, which slowed considerably, and it felt as though I was sleeping for a real long time. I woke up at 5:30 am and we decided to go for it. Kristin woke Eric, Bitty heard us and woke up, everyone had a snack and some fresh coffee. (I snacked, but no coffee). At 6:00 or so, she broke my water.

Lindy Jean was born at 7:50 a.m. Within five to ten minutes of rupture of the waters, labor went from manageable to "OH MY GOOD LORD, what the hell is going on?" I spent a bit in the tub, with Eric keeping me focused and breathing. Then I felt like I needed to go to bathroom, when I got there I literally fell off the toilet onto all fours on the bathroom floor where I got slammed by transition. This stage feels like you're on drugs, it's wild. I moo-ed like a cow and tried to breath, waiting for the breaks. Suddenly, my body was pushing.

Lorri and Kristin suggested I get in the tub for this part, I protested, but then relented. Good thing, too! In retrospect, pushing in the warm water has to be the easiest way to do it. This part was also very vivid & powerful, but it felt good and I knew that the baby would be here sooner than later. At this point I wanted nothing to do with Eric and was relying on Kristin. She was a rock (I suppose that is why she does this). This part of labor is crazy, your body just does what it is supposed too and you have to try and keep up with it. The midwives were having me resist pushing. As I had such a nasty episiotomy from the first go round (& scar tissue is brittle) and they knew the baby was a big one, they were trying to keep me from tearing. It was really hard work to fight the urge the bear down, push with my contractions, and send that baby flying out of there. :) The only time I pushed was after her head and shoulders showed and I had to pushed to get her barrel chest out!

She came and I knew the baby was a little girl. I hollered something to the effect. At this point everyone came barreling down the stairs. Bitty, in her most surprised voice and matching expression exclaimed, "there's a baby in the bathtub, my baby!" The midwives leave the baby in the water, still connected to the cord, until it stops pulsing. Then I birthed the placenta, got out of the tub, and layed down on my bed for some stitching. My scar tissue had "blown out" (Lorri's description) and they painstakingly stitched it back together. Which was very unpleasant, but as Kristin said "I have a vagina and I like mine to work properly and so will you, hold still please!," while I am cussing at her. :)

I must tell you, this was a fabulous experience. The midwives arrive and don't leave your side through the whole ordeal. You are in the comfort of your own home. They don't strap you to any machines and make you do things you don't want to, they always ask if they can examine you or listen to baby. No one tells you, you HAVE to do this or that (if there were an emergency I imagine orders would be issued in short order and you would be expected to comply, but this was a normal, healthy birth). It is woman's touch, ladies who, themselves, have birthed children and have attended hundreds of births. I will NEVER, EVER, EVER go to an OB/GYN ever again. Eric thinks that every husband should consider this option. We will, likely, have more children and we will have them at home. I really feel it's the only way to do things. Kristin and Lorri are really competent, very caring and I feel incredibly grateful to them and Eric for believing in me and supporting me.

Hooray! Here she is, all 9 lbs, 11 oz and 21.5 inches of our gorgeous little meatball - LindyJean. I am so in love with her, as is Eric and Bitty.

Our family feels more complete and we are so very proud, thankful, & joyful. Our home is truly blessed.

IT'S A GIRL!

Lindy Jean Cornelia Stagg

Born a 7:50 am Saturday June 12, 9 lbs 11 oz, 21.5 inches

It's Aunty Staci doing a guest post- can I get a "what what" I will let Jolene tell you all the fun birthing details, but it was a very smooth labor and delivery, JoMama and Lindy Jean are doing awesome! Adelaide is a very concerned and caring big sister, she has named her "Baby" and told us today that "Kristen (the amazing mid-wife) brought her" when we asked where the baby came from. She calls Lindy Jean "her baby" and when ever she cries she runs over and says "it's ok, baby"

Lindy Jean is literally a spitting image of Addy when she was born, it it creepy how much they look exactly alike. I would have loaded more pictures but the internet was slow!

Alright, that's all for now from the Stagg residence, we are all pooped and ready for a good nights sleep! Over and Out, this is Aunty Staci signing off...10-4

No baby yet!

Hey everybody... still no Stagglet. That's about all there is to say. I have been nesting furiously, there's ridiculous amounts of food in the house and I have been vacuuming daily, all the ironing is done, laundry's clean, bills are paid, etc. The only not tidied portion of our household is the yard/garden. It's really hard to bend over and Bitty needs near constant watching outside - she's either destroying plants, turning on the hose and soaking herself, or escaping and running away.

The Weekend

We had the most lovely weekend. After a week of being severely grumpy, with a virtual meltdown on Friday, I decided to adjust my attitude.

One must simply be patient, rushing the arrival of the Stagglet certainly is a futile effort and pouting about the baby's insistence on a little more time to cook, was making me (and everyone else in my house) miserable.

Once again, not a lot of photos, but here's a few. Saturday was GORGEOUS weather and I gardened, as best as I could, most of the day. In the late afternoon, we attended a BBQ at our neighbors and that was a great distraction. On Sunday, we went to Bob & Trudi's and she prepared a divine brunch, we came home and did yard work, Bitty took us on a walk (more about that in a minute), I made a great dinner, and we ended the day chatting away in bed, after munching on ice cream and strawberries from our garden. Yesterday was perfect.

GARDEN WOES...

Our beets & spinach have been attacked by leafminers, nasty wormies that get in between the layers of leaf and eat all the good stuff, killing the plant. We purchased some neem oil and insecticide soap, hopefully that will kill the rotten things.

A close up of the damage... poor beets!

Spinach, rendered inedible by a stinkin' leaf miner. Gross.

Also, when I took the hot-houses off my peppers, the leaves got a sunburned and Eric was convinced they would all die. Since then they have recovered and begun to flower!

Bitty foolin' around!

One of her silly faces. This large horse trough she is playing in is, in fact, the birthing tub! Ha. Eric says "... brings a whole new meaning to dropping the calf, huh, baby?" That's nice dear. Shortly after this was taken we sanitized and readied it, it is now at the foot of my bed. Can you believe we're birthing this baby at home - you better!

Adelaide, being a total imp, never holds still. Sunday, she was not feeling real well and so she was a snuggler. You know something is wrong with your child when they have gotten into the habit of proclaiming, "no touch me Mama!," and then out of the blue insist on being held, snuggled, and even having her backed rubbed. She also slept until 8:30 am, first time ever.

By late afternoon, she was back to herself. She grabbed the dog's leash and insisted that we walk Atila. It was raining, which was of no concern to her, we relented and let her decide the route. The little weasel - she led us directly to the park/playground, coyly deflecting any attempts on our part to direct the walk elsewhere (we had no idea what she was doing, until the park came into view, Eric asked her where she was going, and she responded, "just walking... (pause) THE PARK, silly Daddy!!!"). The kid is a card!

A Bitty Story

I don't have a photo of this, but...

Yesterday, Trudi came over to help me clean the house and mind Bitty while I caught up on some Eric Stagg Construction book-keeping. Well, Miss Bitty got very angry with Gammy over some nonsense and ran to her room, slammed the door, and yelled, "GOODBYE GAMMY!" She then ran to her closet and shut herself in, which was pitch dark and must have been very scary. She started to whimper and cry, when Trudi opened the door she had a terrified expression and was holding herself and had pissed herself (she refused to wear a diaper yesterday and peed in the toilet all day). I almost fell over laughing upon hearing this! Just desserts, kiddo.

As for myself and the Stagglet, last night I thought that I was going have the baby. But, it turned out to be a preparatory false alarm. I began having contractions at 10:30 that intensified and built until 3:00 am and then totally fizzled. BUMMER DUDE! I was so ready for it to begin. It appears I am in for some "hurry up & wait."