Natural Birth Motivation

As some of you may know, I plan on having Levi naturally, meaning that I do not plan to use any pain-relieving or labor-enhancing medications during his birth. I know this means that I need to prepare for a whole lot of pain, but I also believe that, for me, it is the best way to give birth. I know it's best for a healthy baby because of the lack of drugs, and I really want to be able to fully experience the entire birthing process.

That being said, planning on a natural birth in a hospital takes some serious preparation, not just to prepare myself physically, but also to get ready to deal with a hospital staff that may disagree with your choice. Based on a recommendation from a friend, I read the book Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel. Click here to visit the website that goes with the book. During parts of the book, I was a little turned off by the semi-combative approach to hospitals and whatnot, but the final chapter made up for all of that. It tells the story of a couple who had two children naturally and their different experiences at two different hospitals. It taught me the importance of remaining confident in my choices without being rude or confrontational. Now I know that I need to stop telling people that I will "try" to give birth naturally, but that I need to openly own the fact that I fully believe in my ability to do it.

With that being said, I came across an old quote that has become my mantra for this whole experience: "I am not afraid...I was born to do this." - Joan of Ark. I know I can do this. If I have to have an unwanted medical intervention because of an emergency situation with Levi, that's fine, but I full believe in my physical ability to have him naturally and I am really looking forward to the experience.

Wooden Anniversary!

Tomorrow is Justin and my 5th wedding anniversary, but with Baby Shower weekend coming up, we decided to celebrate last night. The traditional gift for a 5-year anniversary is wood, so I got Justin a cedar tie and belt rack that also has a shelf on top for watches, a wallet, and any other accessories. I thought it would be cool for him to be able to store his ties in a way that would allow him to see all of his options at once.

Knowing how much I love interior decorating, Justin got me a set of wooden coasters made from a tree branch that have a painted circle design on each. They're super cute and they look great on our coffee table!

These can be found at Etsy at Earth Art by Wendy's store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/earthartbywendy?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Because we're trying to save money for the arrival of our first little one, Justin and I decided to go on a little dinner date for our anniversary. Justin originally planned to take me to Luigi's in McGregor, but when we got there it was closed for the entire month of July! Crazy! So, having put me in the mood for Italian food, we decided to try a restaurant in Waco that's known for their Chicago-style pizza: Rosati's!! It was really good! They have 4 different styles of pizza so we want to go back again some time to try a different type, but I thought the pizza was delicious! Y'all should check it out!

Overall, Justin and I had a great 5-year anniversary date night!

Miracle Ball!



I went to my first Childbirth Class last night at Hillcrest Hospital. The class was excellent and our instructor was very friendly and open to all sorts of birth plans. My greatest take-away from my first class? Every pregnant woman should get an exercise ball! I've had some serious lower back pain in the latter half of my pregnancy and sitting on an exercise ball practically eliminates it! After class, Justin and I went straight to Target and got a C9 exercise ball for about $15 and it's great.

Not only is it comfortable to sit on when you're pregnant, but I can do exercises on it to prepare for labor, and can take it into the hospital with me if I want when I go into labor. One of Justin's coworkers who is due on the same day as me does not care for exercise balls because she feels it causes her to slouch, squeezing all of her insides together, so it's not for everyone. That being said, I absolutely love it and encourage any pregnant woman struggling with lower back pain to try one out.

Living in Transition

My life is sort of crazy right now. I'm 33 weeks pregnant, earning my master's degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs at Baylor University, and working part-time in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. On top of that, I have a loving husband and I spend a lot of time cooking, crafting, and reading. With a baby on the way, I feel like every aspect of my life is a learning process, and what could be more fun than to tell others about what I've learned? I decided to start this blog so I can share crafts, yummy recipes, organizational strategies, book reviews, and other tips and tricks that I learn about being the best mother, wife, student, and employee that I can.