mommychick

.: Baby's environment :.

Asher at 10 months is very busy busy busy:-) He loves exploring the cupboards in the kitchen...taking out bowls and canteens. Oh, so much fun! I must get a picture next time when he's in the dishwasher! He get's so very excited when he sees the dishwasher door open! Oh, how he crawls over so quickly! Tee hee, it's actually quite entertaining to watch him light up when we're doing our usual thing of cooking and cleaning up.

I'm very relaxed about Asher exploring his environment. Almost nothing is off limits because I'm right there next to him. Well, nothing super sharp and dangerous or toxic like that, but you know what I mean;-) I don't limit him to "baby toys". He actually don't have much "toys". I've noticed that children, even babies, prefer real life objects over plastic pretend toys.

He's learning so much about his environment and about relationships... This is a perfect time to exchange things with them and play "please" and "thank you". He loves to hand over things to me and delights in the interaction so very much. 

 

:: what I've been knitting ::

Knitted up some cozy longies for Asher...just in time for chilly weather:-) The last picture is Asher wearing his pants, all fuzzy at the knees.

You can see details on my Ravelry page and get the free pattern here.

 

.: Natural Learning & Socialization :.

I'm fondly observing how quickly my two younger ones are growing... Ryker, who turned four this summer, spontaneously wrote his name on a blackboard last week. While I went to get the camera, he drew a border around it:-) I love how he wrote the "E" as it's very organic looking. It's amazing how he's coming into the world around him and naturally wants to understand the written word that surrounds him. I've noticed that his older brothers both wrote their names at age four on their own. If feels good to know that learning happens naturally, contrary to what schools try to tell us... 

We had a couple of friends over (ages 14 and 11) and were about to have snack. Ryker volunteered to pour water for everyone. It's beautiful to observe the pure pleasure he gets from serving his friends... Yes, he whole heartedly believes that they're his friends as he's not segregated by only his age group. He's very blessed in my eyes because I see the love and patience he receives from older homeschooled friends, and in turn, Ryker gets to be kind and gentle with those younger than him. There was no crying over unshared toys or conflicts during this playdate!

Oh and my littlest angel is moving about very quickly and busily;-) He's pulling himself up and following his brothers around. I think he'll be going up those stairs very soon! 

And the cute nakey pic is after a bath where he kept crawling away before I could dress him! There's never a dull moment around here!

 

 

.: yummy cheeks :.

Can't stop kissing these yummy cheeks:-)  

When I'm holding this little one, I can't help but to be fully present. It's not just for the sheer necessity of keeping him safe, i.e. making sure that he doesn't fall off my lap and roll down the hill (LOL). But, also because I know how fleeting this moment is. One thing I learned from being a mama for the fourth time is how very very short this babyhood really is. Having a teen at the same time can also be a great reminder to appreciate the simple sweet time such as this:-) 

Having a wee one can take a toll on you for sure. You may not have time to eat or sleep, let alone shower or use the bathroom!:-) But, they do let you know what they need, don't they. They love to be held and be close to you. And for the most part, you're all they need...

And all too soon, they'll be running off exploring the wonderful world around them as they should. Their need to stay in your lap and be cuddled endlessly will become less and less frequent... 

So I'll just enjoy these yummy cheeks a bit longer and savor the moment, thank you!

 

 

:: hanging out with baby ::

 

~ so in love ~

 

 

 

:: elimination communication ::

 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (inspired by Soulemama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

:: Brother Love ::

 It's so sweet to witness so much tenderness between the brothers. Time seems to stop for these moments...

 

 

 

Baby #4 is here!

So here’s my home waterbirth story:

Asher Clover Jung-ho Shin was born on 11/28 @9:54pm, weighing 8lbs. 2oz. and 20.75" tall.

I woke up with contractions around 8:00am and stayed in bed, reading emails on my iphone for a while. I finally got out of bed and went on about with my usual daily things. We had moved my bedroom around just two days before. I now had a seating area with a coffee table so that I could nurse and hang out during recovery. I had gotten a new dresser for the baby also and spent the morning lining the drawers and organizing the baby clothes (talk about last minute!). Yes, I’ve been nesting like crazy!

My contractions were about 6 min. apart lasting a good minute. I called my midwives around noon to just let them know that I’m in labor and that I’ll probably be giving birth today but I didn’t need them just yet. My midwife didn’t want me to get in my tub until she was on her way in case it speeds up my labor (which tends to happen for me).

I finished organizing the baby clothes, had lunch, took a shower, nursed my 3yr old, got some labor snacks ready…etc. My contractions were getting closer and stronger where I couldn’t sit through them and had to stand up. I was ready to get in the water so I called my midwife around 4:30. They were on their way so I started to fill the bathtub. My 9 year old lit candles in the bathroom and everything was just so calm and peaceful. I was ready!

One of my midwives came around 5:30 and checked my blood pressure and the baby’s heartbeat. Everything was great so I got in the tub with my iPhone (in double zip loc baggies that my hubby put together;-). I had my Pandora app music on and played my favorite app game (Bejeweled Blitz). By 6:30, both of my midwives and my doula friend were here. My contractions slowed down when they all came into the bathroom ( I think I felt self-conscious or distracted), so they all left. My midwives actually went out for dinner:-) My doula friend went downstairs and knitted booties for the baby:-) My sweet hubby brought me some soup for dinner and I ate in between the surges (in the tub).

For the next couple of hours, I dozed off in between the surges. I was leaning over the side of the tub and had a couple of cushy towels under my arms so it was comfy:-) I was very relaxed and just felt the surges well up within me and I focused on going with the flow of it, letting it pass over me. I was vocalizing through the surges with a soft ahhhh sound. I then had to go on all fours for the stronger and longer surges at the end. I don’t know, I felt the urge to move my body and go on all fours to free up my pelvis. Perhaps the baby was gearing up to come down? It seemed like a continuation of surges…strong then milder but just kind of continuous waves… I’m so grateful that I was given this beautiful space to be alone, to just be, to listen to my body and be completely trusting of the birthing process.

My husband came in the bathroom when all of a sudden, everything seemed to stop. I remember this happening with my last baby and asking my midwife in CA. She calmly said, “it’s the calm before the storm.” Sure enough, pushing came soon after:-) So I told my hubby to let the midwives know.

I soon felt the urge to push and started to push gently. Then all of a sudden, I felt like I couldn’t do it any more and started to cry! He gave me some reassurance that I could do it, and my midwife came in. I asked her if I should push, and she said that I’d know what to do. She checked the baby’s heartbeat again which was fine, and I started to push. My husband got behind me to support me under my arms. I was squeezing his hands like crazy:-)

I felt the baby move down and feeling my body doing its thing… and it was all just so powerful! After maybe about 15 minutes, the baby was crowning and I felt the baby’s head with my hand. My husband switched places with one of my midwives to catch the baby. He held on to the baby’s head when he first came out and caught him when the shoulders also slipped out. The water bag popped as the baby was born! The baby had the cord wrapped around his neck AND around and under his arm! My hubby had to flip him around twice to untangle him! The baby yelled out a quick cry and settled into my chest, still in the tub. Whew!!! I was so relieved to have given birth! Wow, it was such an amazing experience! 

Asher is a peaceful, delightful baby. He nurses well and has been smiling from day one. He giggles out loud in his dreams and loves looking around his surroundings. I’m in love again and thoroughly enjoying this babymoon:-) His older brothers are also showering him with lots of love. My friends have been amazing and sending over home cooked meals every other day. My husband was able to take a vacation for two weeks, and it has been such a sweet precious family time for the six of us.

 

:: Blessingway ::

I had the pure pleasure of experiencing a Blessingway today. It was an amazing experience to be showered with such powerful and empowering poems and blessings! My good friend, Susan, put together the most beautiful ceremony for me and I'm so very grateful for this thoughtful gift. Now I'm ready to give birth:-)