So, pregnancy!  My little ninja baby is, well, just that, a frickin ninja!  Constantly practicing his mad skills against my hips, ribs, lungs, belly button, cervix, bladder and showing his little appendages through the skin on my belly.  I don’t care how many pregnancies you have, or how many bellies you see, watching a heel or elbow roll across your belly is soooooooooooo strange… amazing, but strange!  Anyway, despite this little baby’s insistance on keeping me up all night and squashing my bladder 24 hours a day, he and my body have finally decided to cut me some slack.

Things have been relatively smooth the last few weeks though.  It’s about time!!!  Placenta – moved!  Head – down!  Diabetes – under control, no insulin!  ( Though I did just have an unexplained and competely random bought with a plugged milk duct…go figure, not even nursing yet and already warding off mastitis! haha)   Long story short, I am no longer running around town to a million different appointments and jumping through every hoop I can find.  No more, OB/GYN, Acupuncture, Midwife, Nutritional Counselor, Therapist, and 2-3 moxa sessions a day.

I see Sunshine once a week, in my living room while Penny and Noah raid the toys and make us laugh.  Noah loves to help measure my tummy, check my blood pressure and listen to the baby with a fetoscope all from the comfort of my own sofa  I love that he is so much a part of this process.  I have an amazing team of women planning on attending my birth and helping Jason and I bring this baby into the world in the peace, serenity and comfort of our own home.  I am full of gratitude for the amazing birth community in our area and eternally grateful for all the women who have held my hand, heart and soul through out this journey.  I am a very lucky momma and don’t take a single moment for granted!

This entire pregnancy has been full of surprises, hiccups, challenges and triumphs that have forced me to grow in more ways than I thought possible.  This journey has been full of emotional and spiritual growth.  I have been pushed to redefine who I am, what I am capable of, and what I believe in.  I have been forced to acknowledge that my perspective is not always one that serves me, and with time, patience and an open heart, a small shift in that perspective can open up a whole world of brighter opportunities.  This little baby, has had big plans for me from the very beginning, and I have a feeling these plans dont end with the birth  I am constantly trying to remember to remain receptive, and remain content in the humble place of powerlessness.    A lesson easier talked about than practiced, but between Noah and “Baby Bo-Bo,” I get the opportunity to practice every day!

Though I may still have 3 weeks (or a bit more) before the work of birth begins, no one thinks I will make it to the December 20th EDD.  While I am anxious to meet him, the reality of a newborn in our home 7 days from now is a bit much for me to swallow and would be a-ok with another few weeks to wrap my head around it all!  So, to all my readers, keep those thoughts of a safe and peaceful birth coming…but attach a little extension notice to the time frame

Lastly, the questions that have been asked a million times…

~ No, we don’t have a name picked out yet!  We have our top 3 or 4 but we cant cant seem to choose, and assume that we are just supposed to wait until we meet him.

~ We plan to birth at home…our house….the place where we live!  In the living room, office, hallway, bathroom, bedroom or kitchen…all of them or one of them.  Wherever we are comfortable!

~ We took the Birthing Again classes….loved them, and would suggest the Birthing From Within Series to Everyone!

~ Other than fatigue, occasional heartburn and broken sleep….I FEEL GREAT and really cant complain too much!

~ We will have a birth tub and yes a water birth is a possibility.  I am trying not to get attached to any particular “place.”  This baby will be born exactly where he is supposed to be born!

~ I have an amazing Midwife, Sunshine Tomlin and she has an amazing assistant, Rowen Holland.

~ I also have an amazing Doula, Patricia Madden and my fantastic husband to support me in labor.

~ For now, the plan is for Noah not to be at the labor and delivery.  He will be with my wonderful Mother and Step-Dad!  But, come labor day, if it seems appropriate and Noah isn’t looking too freaked out, then I am not opposed to having him at the birth.

Those are the main questions I can remember right now, but my prego brain has been known to frequently omit or even delete information….if you have any more questions, just ask and I will be happy to answer them!  With that, this nija and I are going to go crawl into bed and try to share the same body until the next bathroom visit!

In the mean time, enjoy some pics from the last few weeks

Noah also talked about having a Halloween Party for weeks, so we decided to host the annual gathering at our house.  We met up in down town Boulder Creek with The Tracy Fam, The Snow Fam, The Long Fam & The Oster/Cady Fam to take the boys trick-or-treating at the local businesses.  BIG SURPRISE, it was all a bit crowded and overwhelming and any one with a mask or face paint sent poor Noah into a crying, trembling state of the utmost fear possible.

Noah had been practicing for a few days, holding out his bucket, saying “trick-or-treat” and replying, “thank you!”  He got to say it twice, before we had to swoop him up and walk off the sidewalk and into the street to get away from all the scary monsters.  He was crying so hard, burying his little dino face into our chests and saying, “all done! just go bye-bye!”  It was so sad to see him so scared and totally missing out on the trick-or-treating that he was so excited about.

Luckily, about half way down the other side of the street, the crowd was thinner and both Jason and I had our radars on for “masked monsters.”  We were able to keep him from seeing anything scary and he got to join in on the fun.  It was so cute and he was so happy to have all these people dropping candy into his Thomas bucket!  When we ended at the fire station with the big big trucks, both Noah and Soren were happy campers!

After the downtown fun, we all headed back to our house for pizza and chit-chat, matched with no naps, sugar highs and meltdowns.  It was a total success and super fun to spend some time with all our friends!  Thanks for coming everyone! (if you have anymore pictures to add…send um my way, I managed to miss some of our crew and lots of the night!)

The whole weekend was a real treat.  My mom came down Friday night and spent the whole weekend with us.  We spent one day planting flowers that she brought us, an evening carving pumpkins, and the next day knitting and hanging with the ladies at the baby shower.  I always love having her visit, and always hate watching her go…but I am so grateful that we live close enough to have frequent weekend visits!  (We also learned a new trick…if she comes down alone (no Rose or Grandpa) then Obachan is the main attraction and she and Noah were best buds She was so so so happy!)

]]> http://ourlongstory.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/om-baby-shower/feed/ 0 krazymamak 102310_ (1) 102310_ (7) first run in the grass 102310_ (11) running in the grass is soooo fun 102310_ (14) peek a boo 102310_ (9) 102310_ (15) 102310_ (18) first fire of the year 102310_ (23) obachan and n carving pump 102310_ (27) our pumpkins 102310_ (30) 3 pumpkins 102310_ (33) n and the pumpkins 102310_ (43) pumpkin crew 102310_ (46) me and n 102310_ (50) noah 102310_ (56) pumpkin king 102410_ (1) well wishes 102410_ (2) well wishes 102410_ (3) om baby candles 102410_ (4) well wishes box 102410_ (6) food time 102410_ (7) playing games 102410_ (8) i won this game 102410_ (11) snack table 102410_ (13) buddah 102410_ (15) soren taking out the table 102510_ (1) n passed out 102510_ (2) n passed out on me http://ourlongstory.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/trains-pumpkins-corn-goats-gorillas/ http://ourlongstory.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/trains-pumpkins-corn-goats-gorillas/#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:27:09 +0000 Mommy Krystal http://ourlongstory.wordpress.com/?p=3358 ]]> In the middle of October, we joined Chesna, Damien, Soren and Sesilee and made a beautiful trip up the coast to the Arata Pumpkin Farm near Half Moon Bay.  Though it wasn’t a sunny day, the temperature was a-ok for me and my belly and for chasing 2 small boys through a busy pumpkin patch!  The boys started in the play area and Soren was making friends left and right!  Noah just wanted to see the train though so while me and my diabetes had our scheduled lunch, he explored with Daddy.

While they were exploring though, Noah found a few things that he found “not so interesting” and actually quite terrifying…the terror transfered to pretty much everything in the farm.  He didn’t want to ride the train, go on the slide, pick up a pumpkin, take a picture, walk, or see the animals!  There were a ton of sculptures around the farm, mostly mid-evil and fantasy kind of stuff (half man half horse, bulls, a GIANT gorilla), then there were knights that were in full armor and engaged in battles…all of it was a bit too scary for Noah.  Poor little guy.  Eventually we made our way into a simple pumpkin patch and a corn field without too many people (or statues) and Noah loosened up a little bit.  He ran circles with Soren, climbed on pumpkins and actually shared some smiles….then we found the Gorilla and spent another 20 minutes distracting him again.  We took a tractor ride, watched Soren play with the goats, and let the boys pick out some mini pumpkins and corn!

Despite the sheer terror that we managed to inflict upon Noah, I think once he got over it, he really did have fun and the day was a success.  He passed out almost instantly in the car (always a good sign) and clung to his pumpkin and corn for at least the next few days!   (and, I just realized that N is wearing the same hat from last years pumpkin patch adventure!)

Anyway, the whole trip was jam packed with fun.  We started with a day in the water park at the hotel…there was a huge train that sprayed water and made tons of noise every 15 minutes….Noah was terrified!   Then there was the main event and big party.  It was perfect (except my Mom, Chris, and Rose got stuck in the airports and missed a good chunk of it)!  The food was great, the speaches were tear jerking (literally, even the bar tender was crying), the kids all had fun and celebrating the love and legacy of Granny and Grandpa was special.

We made a trip to the Mall of America.   All 30 something of us rode the light rail and invaded the mall.  Noah was in heaven!  The whole park was Nickelodeon and Dora, Diego and Boots were around every corner.  He got his very own wrist band and took to the rides for the entire day!  The next day we walked around the city a little bit (bad idea in 100+ temperatures and humidity) but found a neat little knitting store, had a yummy lunch and got in a good nap!  The evening ended with a professional photo session with the whole family and then a Birthday Party for Clea!

We spent the last day visiting Del, Ann and their kiddos before jumping in the pool and having a BBQ at Granny and Grandpa’s.  Our flights home were again easy and uneventful and we gladly welcomed the California climate

Thanks to Granny and Grandpa for a truly memorable vacation!  We had so much fun and loved visiting with everyone!

I am at least 12 weeks late in posting about the newest addition to the Long Family, but hey, better late than never and her introduction is a must!  Sesilee Grace joined the world on July 30th, 2010 and did so in the slowest hurry I have ever seen!  Sesilee wasn’t expected to leave her Momma’s tummy until the end of August, but she decided to come a bit early!

On the evening of July 24th, I hosted a Blessingway at my house for Chesna.  A few of us very close to Chesna spent a beautiful evening honoring Chesna as the amazing Mother that she is.  We wrapped our love and support around her for her second journey into birth and motherhood and encouraged her to embrace the stregnth and wisdom that she already possesed.  The evening was full of emotion and power and community!  As Chesna left my house that night, she made some comments that most pregnant women make…about feeling uncomfortable and like the baby was trying to make an escape.  3 hours later, that little baby did just that.

Baby Sesilee broke her bag of waters that night and sent her Momma to the hospital!  Then, it seemed that she knew it was just a bit too early, she quickly changed her mind.  Chesna spent the next 5 long days in the hospital waiting for Sesilee to “cook” a little while longer.  She was right on the cusp of “too early” and “ok” and staying in the belly just a little bit longer would make a world of difference.  Well, Sesilee listened, and I think by the following Friday, Chesna and Sesilee were both ready!

Sesilee was born Friday night, July 30th, 2010.  She weighed 6 lbs 1oz and I forgot how long she was As soon as she was in her Momma’s arms the two of them began their intimate dance as mother and daughter and I feel very blessed and honored to have been a part of this journey!  Chesna, you are an amazing woman, mother, sister, wife and friend.  You are strong, smart, beautiful and full of so much love.  I admire you in a million ways and love you dearly!  Thank you for being you and for allowing me to into your life.

So, now that I am all tearyeyed from revisiting that string of events, I will end by saying WELCOME TO THE FAMILY BABY SESILEE and CONGRATULATIONS TO CHESNA, DAMIEN AND BIG BROTHER SOREN!  WE LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!

i wish he was this happy about his bed

It’s no secret, Noah has never been a sleeper.  From day 1, he was an every 2 hours nurser and that trend has held strong for the last 2 years.  Though he will do 4 hour stretches, and occasionally even longer, Noah likes to cuddle, he doesn’t know how to fall asleep on his own and like all 2 year old boys, he is testing his limits (and pushing me to the brink of insanity some days)!!  And I am guilty of loving to snuggle and rock with my little man too.

sleeping "just pretend"

Before I got super sick, Noah was sleeping in his bed, in his room, at least half the night, if not 3/4 of the night.  Eventually, Jason and I were too tired to deal with it, and just brought him to our bed.  What we had going worked for us, and we all got some decent sleep.  Then, when I got sick in the beginning of the pregnancy though, I was desperate for sleep and Noah and I napped together everyday, (2 hours instead of 30-60 min.) and co-slept every night.  Basically undoing all the work we had previously done….sigh…..but again, for that moment it is what worked for us.

Anyway, with the new baby on the way, the thought of all 4 of us in my bed, awake every 2 hours,  we decided it was time to get Noah into his own bed and into his own room, all night long.  Not to mention the kid has become quite active in his sleep!  Midnight kicks to the face and sleeping on the edge of a king
size bed was getting pretty old!  So, I devised a plan!

We put Noah’s toddler bed in our room, next to the bed, we made a big deal out of it!  I went to the $ store and filled a “prize bin” full of crap, made a kick ass sticker chart and a timer!  We talked to Noah about being a “big boy” in his “big boy bed!”  and about the new routine of, “holding hands” for 5 minutes until the timer went off.  The first night was so sad.  We talked about sleeping in his own bed, and he cried and cried just at the thought of it all.  An hour later, in the bath, he remembered and looked at me so genuinely sad and said, “no sleep in noah’s big bed?!”  It really reinforced my desire to do this before the new baby comes so Noah doesn’t see the baby as replacing him.  He was so so so sad and my heart hurt!

With a little fight and a lot of tears, the first night was rough, all night long.  The second night was easier and the third night was even easier.  I think we even got a 7 hour stretch.  First thing in the morning, he would say, “Noah gets a present!”  We would get up, cover his sticker chart and then he would dig through the “present box.”  He was so proud of himslef and I was soooo happy that it was going smooth.

here he is on day 3 with his "prize" and sticker chart!

After 4 days, the sticker chart lost its glory…he didn’t care.  After 5 days, the presents lost their thunder, and were an after thought when he was bored.  Overall though, he was going to bed without issue (though humming 2 songs got added to the 5 minute hand holding), and sleeping long stretches and going back to sleep quite easily!  Then, he caught a cold.

“They” (who ever “they” are) say that an illness or big change can throw off any rhythm you have going with a kiddo (potty training, sleep training, whatever).  Well, THEY are super fricking right.

not sure what possesed me to buy him a flute...that was fun!

Noah and his happy week of sleeping are now a daily nightmare and all night battle all over again.  :(   I have literally ended up in tears at least 4 times (which, sadly, usually results in Noah stopping his antics and quietly climbing back into bed on his own), and spend a good part of most nights duking it out with my son who has an iron will.  We have resorted to time outs (which no longer work in this situation), screaming and yelling (again, pointless), and “ignoring” him, which is literally impossible to really do, he is super loud, but he gets no attention from Jason or I for periods of time, which is the only tactic that even kinda works!

after 5 days of sleeping in his own bed, he got a big big surprise!

So here we are, at a stand off with an insanely cute and insanely strong willed 2 year old…desperate times call for desperate measures…this coming weekend, his bed is going back to his room.  The sticker chart will again make an appearance, and the gate will be installed at his bedroom door.  I have been against the, “cry it out method” for a bajillion years, but sadly, nothing else has worked and we are at the end of the road.  Though our version of “cry it out,” I’m sure will be tamer than the actual method, I foresee a lot of tears from both Noah and me for a few days and Jason will end up the human tissue!  (thanks babe!)

Crossing my fingers and toes, and staying receptive to all the positive thoughts all of you readers are sending our way!  Wish us luck and I will keep you posted!

can't you tell?!

26 Weeks & 32 Weeks

Waaaay back in the middle of September, Noah and I ventured up to Tahoe for a weekend of Baby Shower fun with my family.  Sarah’s little baby (Bodhi), is scheduled to enter the world in just 5 days! And I figured that before he does, I should share some pics from our fabulous day celebrating him and his Momma!

My mom hosted the shower…of course…and Rose did all the decorating and facilitated all the games.  We had a huge spread of salad fixins, rubber duckies everywhere, blue punch and delicious cupcakes!  Rose did an amazing job organizing all the activities and keeping us all engaged and Sarah was showered with beautiful gifts to help make her life with another baby a bit smoother.  Lily was a bit overwhelmed initially and took a little nap, but woke up in time for presents and was sure to show the baby (through Mom’s belly button of course) all of his new clothes and toys!  She is going to be the best big sister a boy could ask for!  We are all anxious to meet this little man and can’t wait to see Sarah and Lily smothering him with kisses!

Love You Sarah!  Love You Lily!  Love You Bodhi!

Cup Cake Queens (1 & 2)

Cup Cake Queens (3 &4)

Noah helping cook

our salad bar

game central

noah made up his own game

tissue paper has so many uses

get Lily!

where is Noah?!

there he is!

eventually they escaped out to do some yard work

and FYI 2 pregnant Mommas should NOT sit on a swing together!

we sure miss daddy on these trips...

the web cam gives us our fix though!

We also got to make a quick trip down to Gardnerville for a super short visit with the Ellis 3 and Papa and Hanama!

Noah couldn't get over all the cows...so I stopped & let him get out!

but I had to hold on to him...he wanted to go say "HI!"

he was soooooooo excited!

We ended our trip with another short and surprise visit with Obachan and Grandpa to wish them a happy birthday and made our way home!  The trips are always too short but always so much fun!