He's Here!!

And we are grateful! Brennan Carter Riddle arrived last Sunday, September 6th at 8:47 a.m. It was a wonderful labor and delivery and we are in love with our little guy.

I delivered at Heart 2 Heart birth center in Sanford, FL. It was incredible and my midwife Michelle was awesome! I am being really honest when I say that only the last hour was truly painful. The rest of the time was very peaceful.

Here are a few pics of everything...

delivery bed at heart 2 Heart

Just doing a little laboring...ya know minor stuff.

First pic of our family of four

sweet big brother

My friend Sarah

Had her babies yesterday, twins!!! a boy and a girl. They are the most precious little twins. Check them out here. She did a fabulous job, and we are all so proud of her!

The Big Day

I am trying not to put any importance on the fact that tomorrow is my actual due date, because I know babies come when they want to. So the fact that I have everything ready, as of today, means nothing to this little child of mine. But maybe, just maybe, I'll get surprised. After all who wouldn't want to lay their head in this sweet little cradle.

"All done Mommy"

So I guess it has begun....the lying I mean. This morning we were eating our breakfast...soft boiled egg and rye/wheat marble toast. I enjoyed it very much, but Shep seemed to have some issues with it. He has never been the best eater...really it seems as though he could care less about food, always has, even when he was a nursing little babe. Anyways, so it is always somewhat of a struggle to get him to eat what he should. So this morning after he sits down to eat, a few minutes later I hear "all done mommy". I think to myself that was rather quick for him, so I go and check his bowl and sure enough it is empty. I begin washing off his hands and face and am about to take his bib off when I realize that pretty much the whole egg and piece of toast were all in the pouch on his bib. I couldn't believe it, it was a real lie. I knew this time was coming, but so soon?? At the sweet ripe age of 2?? Black-hearted from the beginning I guess.

So I did what any reasonable mother would do...he finished eating his breakfast from his bib.

And as a side note, I myself remember stuffing my cheeks full of food at the dinner table and then asking to be excused to the bathroom to spit it out in the toilet. Payback comes in all forms....

my numbers

measuring 40 weeks (only 39)

2cm dialated

50% effaced

I'll be walking until I can't walk anymore...if you see me on the side of the road, don't offer me a ride. There is a mission to my madness.

Starting the herbal concoction my midwife made, as nasty as it smells.

Oh and I better go make some raspberry leaf tea...we are ready for baby #2!

explode, really??

I am not sure how it has come to be that it is socially acceptable to comment on the size of a pregnant women. Everyone else can gain or lose weight without the public offering their opinion about how they look. And I am not talking about friends who say things here and there...that is totally fine. If you are my friend than I am fine with you talking about, looking at and even touching my belly. However, if you are someone I don't know at all, please don't comment on the size of my belly, whether you think it is big or small, I really don't care to know. Let me recap where this anger is coming from...a quick grocery run to Publix with a friend from work. We were waiting in the sub line to get her some lunch and this man walks by who is a lot taller than me (not hard to do, btw). He is towering over me and is looking directly at my belly and says outloud "wow, about to explode". Really?? He was clearly looking for a response from me, but I didn't even know where to begin so I chose to ignore him and looked away. Idiot....

A few of my other favorites:
1) when are you due? are you sure there are not twins in there??
2) how much longer do you have left? (me: 3 weeks) oh well they say you do most of your growing in the last month.
3) ohh girl, you must be so hot in this summer heat with that little incubator!

Birth Center

This is where I will be delivering our little one (God willing). Check it out...it will make you never want to go to a hospital again!

www.h2hbirthcenter.com