Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Nathan's Birth Story

              I know it’s been an eternity since I've updated this blog. I’m not sure when or why I stopped writing posts for it, making sure it was updated, etc., but I suppose that’s just called life getting in the way. ;) I think it mainly had to do with the fact that only a week or so before Kessie’s first birthday, we found out that we were expecting a new little baby! It was a surprise for us, since we weren’t trying to get pregnant again, but we knew that he would be a blessing to our family. J
            This pregnancy was a bit harder this time around. I had terrorizing leg cramps and swelling for about half of the pregnancy, along with some pretty bad back issues, plus chasing around a busy toddler, but the pregnancy went well overall. J
            So, our due date, based on my last period, was the 19th of November. However, Brandon and I knew the date of conception (which most people don’t know, but we did), which would have made the date November 27th. Then we had an ultrasound and they told us December 1st. Although we told people that the date was the 1st of December, Brandon and I secretly knew that the 27th was probably much more accurate, so in our minds and hearts, we settled on that date. Which was good actually, and you’ll see why.
            It was November 28th, Thanksgiving day. We had decided to stay at home and do our own Thanksgiving dinner with just the three of us since I was too close to delivery day to travel and we didn’t want to have to cancel any plans with friends in case Nathan decided to come before or on Thanksgiving.
            We had spent the day prepping the turkey, getting it in the roaster, having a relaxing morning and day. When Kessie went down for her nap, Brandon and I ate some snacks and watched Aladdin (a movie we have on VHS, but have been dying for Disney to bring it out of the vault so we can have it on DVD/Blue-Ray!). It was so nice to have some time with him during the day, instead of late at night like we usually did. Then we started to make the mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and rolls, and Kessie woke up soon after. I had been faintly aware of a few strong pressure waves that day, but nothing had been consistent, so I didn’t think anything of it. At one point, I did have a small, sudden pain in my pelvis, but it went away after a moment, and again, nothing else was happening, so I brushed it off.
            We then sat down to dinner around 6:00 and had our delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Kessie didn’t eat much of it, of course, but I loved it. I was soooo super hungry and all of it just tasted amazing to me! I ate a pretty good amount for a pregnant girl and totally enjoyed it too. ;) After dinner, we got the pumpkin pie in the oven, which I was so excited about because I had been craving pumpkin pie on and off since the night before.
            Then, around 7:00, my stomach felt a little crampy, so I headed off to the bathroom, thinking I had some indigestion (which is funny because I just read Kessie’s birth story, and I said the same thing, haha!). I did end up having some diarrhea and cramps too, so I didn’t feel so well. However, the cramps started to get a little stronger, and they started to coincide with my pressure waves. Not long after feeling that way, I decided to try timing them, but found it really difficult to do so since they were stronger and I was still having some stomach issues. Eventually, at around 7:45, I called for Brandon and told him that he better get Kessie down for bed, just in case this turned into something more. Only a few minutes after that, I had a couple pressure waves where I needed to “aaahhh” through them. I also got a little shaky too, and that’s when I knew that this was it.
            Brandon put Kessie down for bed as quickly as he could and came back down to see how I was doing. We both agreed that this was our birthing time, so he quickly called my friend Jennifer to come stay with Kessie. However, it sounded like she was at a friend’s house for Thanksgiving, so she wasn’t at home, and needed to stop by her house before coming over. She said she would make it there in about 30 minutes. My heart did sink a little when Brandon told me that, but I figured that 30 minutes wouldn’t matter too much. After all, I had just gotten started with all of this, without much warning, by the way, so what would  30 minutes hurt?
            Brandon then left to get our birth things put together, after which I went to get into hypnosis (I was using the Hypnobabies method again). It was a little difficult to relax though since things had already started progressing, and the shaking made it a little hard too. But I did my best, which was good enough. I then went upstairs to get my shoes on since I was very anxious to get out the door the moment Jennifer arrived. Brandon called Hannah, the midwife on call at the birth center (same place we went to with Kessie). I talked to her on the phone for a few minutes, and although I couldn’t tell her how far apart my pressure waves were, she agreed that this was my birthing time and would meet us at the birth center in 30 minutes. I got my shoes on, and then went to sit down on the toilet again since I was feeling stomach cramps again. Honestly, I would say that was the worst part of this birth. Having diarrhea and stomach cramps are bad enough on their own, but adding birthing waves on top of it is really no good.
            So I stayed on the toilet for a while (it’s a good position to birth in anyway, especially if your water breaks, since it will all empty into there instead of making a mess). Brandon was such a great support and really helped me to relax through those pressure waves. Unfortunately though, somewhere in all of this, I ended up losing most of my delicious Thanksgiving dinner. It wasn't as delicious the second time around, but I wasn't surprised, since the same thing had happened with Kessie's birth also. After a while, I had one pressure wave where I pushed a bit, and I suddenly felt, and thought I heard, a pop. My water had broken, although it was only a small trickle every now and then. But Jennifer hadn’t made it to our house yet, and we knew that we didn’t have much time anymore, since things had really progressed with Kessie after my water had broken. So Brandon called a neighbor of ours, hoping that she could come over until Jennifer arrived, but she didn’t answer her phone. Luckily though, Jennifer pulled up right after that. Brandon answered the door, and then ran upstairs to get me. We waited through one pressure wave, and then I stood up to go. But as I stood and made my way out the bedroom door, I felt another pressure wave, this time with a pushy sensation. And I was certain I could feel the baby’s head.
            I told Brandon what I was feeling, and he asked, “Are we going to make it?” I didn’t know what to say or do, so I just said, “Let’s just get going and try.” I knew I didn’t have much time until another pressure wave, so I made my way downstairs as fast as a laboring mother could and got in the car. As we were pulling out, Hannah called and we let her know we were just leaving. I sat in the car reclined as Brandon sped down the freeway. The birth center was about 20 minutes away, and I’m sure he didn’t want to be the one to catch our little boy in the car, all alone. The nice thing though was that sitting reclined seemed to keep my pressure waves from being as strong, and the fast movement of the car felt really relaxing as well. So the drive wasn’t as bad for me, although I’m not sure if I can say the same for Brandon. ;)
            We made it to the birth center in 15 minutes at 9:30. As I got out of the car, I could feel everything change the moment I stood up. It’s amazing how different positions can really get things moving along. I walked through the door to the birth center, and halfway through the hall, I had another pushy pressure wave. Katie, the assistant midwife, checked Nathan’s heartbeat and all was well. Then I laid down on my side on the bed to rest. I had actually really wanted to get in the tub and try doing a water birth, but I had a feeling that we were a little too late for that and that I just needed to get situated in a position I liked and get going.
            Things were going really well, and the baby was descending with every pressure wave. I got to feel his head as he was being born and felt some hair again! I was pretty excited! J While it was motivating to touch his head during the process, I actually did feel his head go back in a couple times. I was like, “Oh no you don’t! You started this, and now you’re going to come!” ;)
            I had about 4 pressure waves, with a few pushes each, and at 10:10 pm, Nathan was out!  I heard him cry and saw the most adorable baby boy as he was put skin to skin on my chest. Immediately, I just loved that baby so dearly and so much. Sometimes, in pregnancy, it’s a little hard to believe that you actually have a real little person inside of yourself. But when you see that little person, they suddenly become so real to you. That’s how I felt with Nathan. He was so real, so sweet, such a dear little baby boy, and he was all mine. J

            Not long after, Brandon cut the cord after it was done pulsating, I delivered the placenta, and I got to breastfeed Nathan for the first time. He did a great job and has been a good little eater ever since, much to my delight. J After that, we got Nathan weighed and measured. He was 8 pounds 8 oz and 22 inches tall. Good sized baby, although he didn't surpass his sister, much to my relief. ;) 
            Then Brandon got Nathan all dressed while I got a few minor stitches done. I was so happy to know that I had only had a few little tears instead of the major ones I had last time! Then we got me all cleaned up, got Nathan in his car seat and headed home. Brandon got me tucked in bed, I finally got my slice of pumpkin pie, and then, around 4:00 am, we all settled down for the night.





Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Jasmine&Jim || I Want Some More

Yes, yes, I know I have been MIA for a few weeks. I've just been busy and to be frank, I also wasn't feeling in the mood to blog either. :P But here is the video of the week at least. Hopefully I'll have a moment to get something written on here soon. :) I love crossover videos.

There are some that are okay, others where I'm like, "eew, I would NEVER pair those two together," and some that are just plain awesome! Like this one! :)


Monday, February 25, 2013

Paperman

In honor of the Oscars, I thought it was only appropriate to have an Oscar winner as the Video of the Week. :) Seriously though, I LOVE this short, and it totally deserved the award!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Creamy Corn Chowder

I got this wonderful crock pot cook book for Christmas, and I absolutely LOVE it! It's called 365 Days of Slow-Cooking by Karen Bellessa Petersen. It has lots of great recipes and most of them are the easy ones that you let cook all day and don't have to think about until it's time to serve.  She even has her own blog where you can check out more recipes and such: .http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/



I know I don't have a good picture for this one, but this recipe is seriously sooooooooo delicious! And not only that, but it's a crock pot recipe! Woot!

Creamy Corn Chowder
from 365 Days of Slow-Cooking

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but into 1/2-inch pieces
11 oz. can whole-kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained (I wasn't able to find a can of corn with peppers, so I just used regular corn only and it still turned out awesome!)
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of potato soup
4 oz. can diced green chili peppers
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro plus extra for garnish
1 1/4 oz. envelope of taco seasoning
14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and darined
2 Cups chicken broth
8 oz. sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese

1. In slow-sooker, combine chicken, corn, soup, chili peppers, cilantro, taco seasoning, and black beans. Stir in broth.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.
3. In a medium bowl, stir about 1 cup of the hot soup into the sour cream. Stir sour cream mixture and cream cheese into the soup in the slow-cooker; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until combined.
4. Granish with cilatro and serve.
Makes 8 servings.

Monday, February 18, 2013

[PMV] Paradise

I've really gotten into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic lately. Like, crazily so, lol! Here's a very well done video starring all your favorite ponies. Enjoy!


Sunday, February 17, 2013

The Tail on the Donkey

So here's a funny little thing that my husband and I thought up. Why not post a picture, call it "The Tail on the Donkey" and then pin it to Pinterest, and then tell everyone to pin The Tail on the Donkey????

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

So here it is. The Tail on the Donkey. Now pin it!!!!

Picture from: http://www.outbackonline.net/Advent%20Calendar/Journey_Day19_SongDance_DonkeyChristmas_2005.htm

Friday, February 15, 2013

A Budding Personality

So here's the story:
Kessie loves to take the DVDs off the shelves. She does this just about 20 million times every day. I didn't mind before because realistically, she isn't going to stop. But a couple weeks ago I decided, "nah, I should really try to keep her from doing that." So I started to tell her "uh-uh" every time he started it and proceed to put them all back, trying to make it a fun game. She still wanted them out, so I diverted her attention elsewhere and put them all back. Later, while in the kitchen, I hear her pulling them out again. So I went in, got her to play with something else, and put them back. A little while later, she's in them again. So I come around the corner and say, "Uh-uh. Leave them there." And she gives the biggest, exasperated "uuuuuhhhhh!" I've ever heard from her, clearly stating something along the whiny lines of, "But why? I want to!" I gave up after that, and later found the biggest mess of DVDs she's made yet. She has quite the blossoming personality (aka dramatic attitude). No idea where she gets it from... ;)


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, All of my base, Are belong to you!

My brother-in-law once said that catchy little title to his wife on Facebook a couple years ago. Since then, my darling husband and I have had this great idea.
Why not make Zero Wing valentines?
YES!!!
This year, we FINALLY got around to making them. And I must say we did  a great job with them.

(In case you are not familiar with the hilariously bad translation of the opening for the video game Zero Wing, watch this.)





We ordered the prints online through FedEx Kinkos on card stock paper.  Once we cut them out, we made sure to decorate them with lots of hearts and such. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Titanium

I am in love with this song. Seriously. Such great lyrics and music combined. :)


Friends for Dinner and The Proposal

This week, we have not one, but TWO videos to share! Why two? Well, simply because these are each five seconds long. Yup. But they are definitely well worth the five seconds. ;) Enjoy!




Friday, February 8, 2013

Wreck-It-Ralph

A couple months ago, my husband and I had the chance to get out for a date night (it only took us 8 months...). Some wonderful friends of ours gave us a pair of movie tickets, so we thought we'd go to the new movie Wreck-It-Ralph.

(Click here to watch the trailer)

I had seen this trailer right before I saw Brave. I'm not usually the type of person to say, "I want to see that" after just watching the trailer (most of the time, I wait to hear how a movie does and see the reviews), but I had a good feeling about this one. And I was right. 
Wreck-It-Ralph totally lives up to being an original film. You don't see many movies where the setting is the inside of the world of digital (in this instance, games) after all. :) The movie is about Ralph, who is the bad guy who wrecks a big building in the game Fix-it-Felix Jr. But Ralph is tired of being the bad guy and tired of being treated like he's nobody. So he leaves his game to win himself a medal in another game, thus thinking that this will prove that he can be a good guy too.

  • Age Appropriateness: All ages! Wreck-it-Ralph is a movie that is enjoyable for both kids and adults. Especially for those who are into gaming, and especially into the old-school games. 
  •  Content Rating: I would say this is G. I can't recall anything objectionable. Of course, one of the games is about alien bug invaders and everyone in that game carries a gun, but there's no blood and it's really not too bad. Maybe some sensitive kids would get a little scared from the bugs, but it' not too likely. 
  • Overall Rating: 5/5. I would totally buy this movie. It has some great characters, great music, lots of funny parts, and great animation. I would recommend it to anyone!
  Movie Poster picture: http://www.kulfoto.com/movie-posters/wallpaper/1/33515/wreck-it-ralph-poster-5

Monday, February 4, 2013

Avatar- Remember the Name

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a GREAT show. Really great storyline, humorous, fun, and creative. So here's an amv (anime/animated music video) of Avatar by MamoruMe. I like this one a lot!




Thursday, January 31, 2013

Princess Tutu

Ah, Princess Tutu. My favorite anime. Seriously, my most favorite. Anime. Ever. :)

(Click here to watch the Japanese promo trailer)

This anime is about a duck named Duck (Ahiru in Japanese) who sees a handsome prince dancing by her lake, and falls in love with him. The prince's eyes are always sad, however, so Duck wishes to help him. Suddenly, an old man appears and gives her a magical pendant to transform herself into a girl, and then into a magical ballerina named Princess Tutu. She discovers that the prince is actually from a story that the old man wrote called "The Prince and the Raven." In this story, the prince shattered his own heart to seal away the Raven. Since then, stories and reality have intertwined and it's up to Princess Tutu to restore the pieces of the prince's heart.

  • Age Appropriateness: Preteens +
  • Content Rating: Although the name and look may suggest otherwise, I would recommend this one for about age 11 and up, due to the complicated plot. I just think smaller children would get confused in it. Swearing is very mild and very minimal. There are also a couple times too where a character is naked, but nothing is explicit and it is not sexual. It is either being used to convey feelings and ideas (such as despair or being one with nature), or because it is realistic (such as when the bird form of Duck transforms into a girl. Of course she wouldn't be wearing anything. Ducks don't.) Princess Kraehe, the main antagonist, is dressed quite immodestly as well. 
  • Dub vs. Sub: I would suggest watching this with the English dub (because Lucy Christian is awesome!) but the Japanese with subtitles is a wonderful way to watch it as well. You really can't go wrong either way. 
  • Overall Rating: I would give Princess Tutu a 5/5. I watched this anime for the first time a few years ago, and it is still my absolute favorite. I will warn, however, that the show may be difficult to get into at first, mostly because it may seem repetitive and goofy, but please keep watching . Give it until at least after episode 6 or 7 when Princess Kraehe appears. That's when it gets really good! This anime has so many twists and turns and actually has more to it than it appears. The classical music is beautiful and the numerous ballet references to other ballets is genius. 
Princess Tutu picture from: http://www.freewebs.com/siteoftheswan/apps/photos/photo?photoid=111529937

Monday, January 28, 2013

Jump Rope

Not only is this a good song, but it is a great video as well. Fun thing about this video too is that it was made by lots of different people, all who took a section, made their own part, and then put it all together. These are called MEPs, by the way. Don't ask me what a MEP stands for. I actually have no idea. :/
Anyway, here's the video, as well as the description from YouTube. Enjoy!



Song: "Jump Rope" by Blue October
Theme: Animash - working through life's ups and downs
Host: Hinokara

Part 1 - Sawnahhh
Part 2 - XReiKaoriX
Part 3 - Annnarchist
Part 4 - CorpseBridesmaid
Part 5 - DiamonddollJeanette
Part 6 - CherryFoxify

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Cosplay

I love to dress up. And I love to make my own costumes too! So, naturally, being somewhat of a geeky nature, I love cosplaying.
Now, for those of you who don't know what cosplay is, according Wikipedia, it is " short for "costume play." [Cosplay is] type of performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea." Some popular sources of cosplay come from anime, manga, sci-fi, fantasty, video games, and films. Some people will take it to a level of awesome where they act out their part as well, but for me, I just like the dressing up part. :)  

Here are some pics of a few of my favorites, just to give you a good idea:

 Princess Peach

 Anastasia
 Odette from The Swan Princess
 Emily from The Corpse Bride
 Ganondorf from Legend of Zelda

 Korra from The Legend of Korra
 Mulan
 Thumbelina
 Link
 Giselle from Enchanted
 Peter Pan and the lost boys
 Dot from Reboot
 Mai from Avatar the Last Airbender
 Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon
 Tangled

Now, I know it is really early on in the year to be thinking about what I want to cosplay as (the usual convention I attend isn't until August, although there is another in May), but I've decided what I want to do.
And here it is:
My most exciting project for the year:













RAINBOW DASH!!!
From My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!



I am sooooooo excited!!! I didn't really understand what the hype was about this show, and why there was such a huge fan-base for it, until I started watching it a couple weeks ago. I'm hooked, and I love the show. It's cute, but also very, very funny! 
It's kind of funny though. My favorite pony tends to be Rarity, but for some reason, I really wanted to cosplay Rainbow Dash instead. Must be that awesome hair of hers... ;)
 Anyway, I have some great ideas for my costume, so I'll be posting my progress here on the blog every now and then. 
Also, Kessie and Brandon are in on this as well! (Seriously, I have THE SWEETEST husband EVER! He knew I really wanted to do this one, so he said he would join in, and I promised I would 1.) Make his costume looks awesome 2.) Not make him wear a wig, ears, or wings. Which I'm totally fine with). I wanted us all to match, so Kessie will be Scootaloo and Brandon is going to be Soarin', one of the Wonderbolts. This. Is. Going. To. ROCK!!!! :D

So here's my wig I just ordered. (Click on the picture to see where I got each item from. That way, if you're looking to make your own, this can help you find what I found!)



It should be here in about a month, so I'll have a picture of me trying it on and see what it looks like. :)

Plus I just ordered these as well, for both me and Brandon.



 I got the jacket in the mail today, but it's a little big, so we'll see if I can exchange it for a smaller size.




And here's a baseball tee to go underneath. I'm planning on putting Rainbow Dash's cutie mark on the front. :)


Woot! :)         

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Mending Severed Bonds

Wow, it sure has been a while! Christmas craziness and fun has kept me from updating things here, but I'm back now and *hopefully* ready to keep the blog updated regularly. :)
This week's video is Mending Severed Bonds by LovingHeartbreak, starring Jim from Treasure Planet and Thumbelina from Thumbelina, as well as other animated characters. I just love these crossover videos, and LovingHeartbreak does such a gorgeous job! Seriously, it all looks like one movie!
Since there is an actual storyline with this one, I'll post the editor's description at the bottom. Enjoy!



SCENARIO/STORY INFO:
(You will have to imagine Jim and Thumbelina being in their late teens to early 20s in order to get through this video. Also, Thumbelina is human size in this ^_^)
Jim works as a space cadet and so he travels alot. One night, however, he returns home early as a surprise, but he finds his wife in the arms of another man (Tulio). They argue and their marriage goes sour for a while with Jim hardly ever talking, or looking, at Thumbelina. Thumbelina feels the shame, but she tries her best to make it up to him. This goes on for months, until a sudden move to France causes the couple to swallow their pride and rekindle their marriage. Only this time, fate has something else in mind for the young couple...

DISCUSSION:
This plot was inspired by "The Painted Veil", the only major difference here is that Thumbelina doesn't resent her marriage, she actually loves Jim. Her affair was a cry for the physical love and attention that Jim wasn't able to deliver while he was away. As for the child, Jim is the father, not Tulio :)