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July 2011

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Yep, {Mommy Monday} on a Tuesday. I have an excuse… 
I’m Pregnant! 
(Soon I’ll need a new excuse for my sorry posting skills.)
But, I will try to have another, non-mommy related post up later today. 
This last week was a doozy. 
—I was tested for GBS and my test unfortunately came back positive.
—I ended up in Labor & Delivery with “Practice Labor,” 
most likely due to being on my feet too long and getting dehydrated.
— I learned a LOT about hospital procedure and along with my diagnosis of GBS was very disappointed at my options (more on this later).
—My feet have swollen so large that I can’t wear any of my shoes comfortably. 
I must be 37 weeks pregnant
.
~*~
Barefoot
This is what I’ve been doing a lot of lately. My feet are HUGE. My hands are HUGE. My face is HUGE. I’ve been retaining over 5 lbs of extra weight in water a day. 
(As in, I weigh myself at night at am 5 lbs heavier than in the morning when I am less swollen. Possibly not the most scientific way of coming to this conclusion.) My midwife says that all my vitals are fine so this is just natural pregnancy swelling that happens in some women. Lucky me. 
(Thankfully I live in Oregon where the weather has been under 80 degrees most days. 
For all the pregnant women dealing with the awful heat advisories… my thoughts are with you!)
I’ve gone from a shoe size of 9.5 to a flip flop size 11! I’m mainly walking around barefoot or in my new, ridiculously large, flip flops. 
Boy, does my husband tease me when I start doing something in the kitchen.
The plus side of these uncomfortable, huge feet? 
I feel a lot less guilty about treating myself to a pedicure!
Such pretty swollen peds!
The Hospital
*Wow… I keep writing and re-writing this post as it is very personal and very NOW for me. I think I will refrain from saying everything I want to say about the following topic of Natural Birth and Hospital Procedure… but, am more than willing to discuss them with anyone with any questions.* 
So, I’ve been very adamant that I want as a natural birth as I can possibly have. 
I was super happy when my very large HMO provided me with a Midwife that I really like and seemed to support my hopes for a natural delivery. We honestly can’t afford to do this without my HMO, so having these options available and ready to us seemed like a dream come true. 

(Please note: I have NOTHING against women taking medications to ease their pain during birth and feel that this is a very personal choice. My choice is to go without pain medication if at all possible but, I will listen to my body throughout this process and not rule anything out.) 
I really don’t want to be induced if at all possible….this is a natural thing, right?
It’ll happen (for most women) when the baby is ready, right? 
I don’t like the risks associated with narcotics or epidurals so I am choosing to do it without. But, if induced the pain is even worse…and, let me tell you that practice labor stuff was no joke.
I was in PAIN and it wasn’t even the real thing!
I recently found out a lot about hospital procedure and 
was very disappointed in the information that I received. 
I was going to go into a big rant about hospital procedure just now… 
but, I know why they have procedures in place. They have to protect themselves. 
I get it, although I may not agree with the procedures, they do keep some women safe. 
I am not a very high risk pregnancy (although the diagnosis of GBS does put me slightly higher risk than some). I think I am more aggravated by the lack of information about these options/procedures until this late in the game. Maybe it is because it is my first pregnancy and I didn’t know to ask…. but, wow I couldn’t imagine how scary all this might have been if I hadn’t done the research or gone to the birthing classes! 
So, we are perfecting our birth plan at the moment. I’ve been researching several sites with materials on birthing plans. I’ve been reading up on all the drug options and possible options for drug intervention. I’ve been researching my diagnosis and my options. I’m just researched out in all honesty. But, the knowledge is making me much more comfortable with the idea of giving birth. 
I know it may not go to plan. I know that things may happen and I may end up with an epidural and a C-section. I know that I may decide I can’t handle the pain and I ask for a drug. 
But, I feel that with the knowledge in hand and a well-thought-out birth plan I will be more in control of the experience of the birth of my child.
Both the hospital and my HMO provider have stated on their websites (and in person) that they highly support women who come in with birth plans that have been well thought-out. 
I’m hoping to find that it is the case in my upcoming birth!
A couple of sources on birth plans that I’ve found very useful: 
Nursingbirth.com: Top Ten Dos for Writing Your Birth Plan
AmericanPregnancy.Org: Creating Your Birth Plan
www.birthplan.com

Also, both my hospital and insurance care provider have great guides for creating birth plans. I’d suggest checking your hospital or insurance provider’s sites and searching for birth plans.
Did you have a birth plan? What were you surprised about with hospital procedure? Did birth go according to your plan? 
I’d really love to hear about your birth experiences. I’m getting so close!
On occasion my {Friday Finds} post is hard to write mainly because a lot of the things I find and really enjoy throughout the week tend to not always fit into a neat little theme. 
So, today’s {Friday Finds} doesn’t really have a theme… but, rather it is a collection of really fun things I’ve discovered over this past week! I hope you enjoy!
(BTW… You can find a ton of inspiration from my finds throughout the week by following me on Pinterest! Need an invite? E-mail me and we’ll see about getting you one!)
Photo Booth Props: Free Printable from Oh Happy Day!
Image Credit: Oh Happy Day
Okay, we all know I love a good home photo booth. But, I’m always searching for inexpensive and fun props for my booths… low and behold Oh Happy Day has not one but TWO amazing free printables for your home photo booth. CHECK OUT MY FAVORITE SET BY CLICKING HERE!
The above illustrations were done by Lauren Stiebler. 
DIY Board Books from Utah County Mom
 
Yep, this is as cool as it sounds. I’ve been a little baby centered lately and have been looking for ways to introduce my (soon-to-be) little one to his far away relatives. I love the idea of this book and think it is such a neat way to familiarize a kid with the faces which he/she should be familiar!
Check out Utah County Mom for instructions and a link to a store that sells BLANK board books!
(This could also be a good idea for a baby shower gift or favor!)
Totally “Gross” Party: An awesome party for a little one tired of traditional themes and ribbons featured at Catch My Party
Image Credit: Stephanie M. on Catch My Party
This has got to be one of my FAVORITE parties I’ve seen in a long while. While there are a lot of beautiful event out there I am rarely shocked and awed at the creativity incorporated… this party has plenty of SHOCK and AWE… beware though, it is totally GROSS. Stephanie’s son wanted a different type of theme without ribbons and bows and he certainly got it! Loved the dessert table!
Nail Art: Words on Finger Nails from Passion Nail Art
Image Credit: Passion Nail Art
As I’m working on getting things ready for my Library Themed Party I fell in love with this tutorial! If I get time I’m totally going to have words on my nails for the party. The instructions to the tutorial are in French, but the photos are pretty self-explanatory and it all look really fun and easy.
A Well Crafted Week in Review: 
1. {Mommy Monday} Packing for the Hospital
Check out the items I’m taking to the hospital with me and check out the free printable I have for you!
Check out a simple little party in honor of the Harry Potter 7 pt. 2 release! 
A quick update on how my Library Themed Birthday Party is going with a look at the invites I created.
An easy and tasty recipe for a summer salad using fresh veggies and a grill!
5. {Friday Finds} Random Fun
Have a great weekend everyone! If you have any “FINDS” that I should see please leave a link in the comments!