Kings Speech--Spoiler

So like i said I rented Kings Speech--

It was a great movie, but once again, a few scenes made it leap into the Rated R section.

SPOILER----

It was all because they choose to emphasize that when swearing he didn't stutter--

BUT knowing my limited amount about stuttering--I wish they would have taken the time instead of yelling the F word over and over again to show other techniques....like learning to talk while breathing in---or show what all those marks on his speech meant a little more.

While I understand it was building the anger up in him for the next scene, I just think---really would the movie be ANY worse if they changed some of that? I always think that. Did what they leave in to make the rating go to an R--really enhance the movie so much that it couldn't have been left out?

Most movies that I have seen that have been edited--I don't feel like I have missed anything--maybe I did and I just didn't know--BUT I also know that I have NEVER seen a Rated R movie and thought--OH yeah, they had to make that Rated R because if they left out the violence, sex, language, the movie wouldn't be as good--

Mostly I don't feel like I miss out on anything because I choose NOT to watch rated R movies, plus have you noticed that movies in the 1980's that are rated R are like today's PG-13 movies...it is a slippery slope--makes me wonder what my kids will be watching in 20 years...not only in the movies, but on TV.

Sewing & rated R movie

I will start with the R rated movie-- I rented one tonight. I am dying to see Kings Speech and since I live in the middle of no where I can't find an edited version anywhere--so far I have no idea why it is rated R, but I will keep you updated. (I only watch movies while breastfeeding, so I am about 45 minutes into the movie)

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So for my brothers wedding I thought I would accomplish a ton--which didn't happen,

BUT I did get some things done.

well--some things done and other things ALMOST done

Their colors are Sage Green, Black, and Purple

FINISHED
1. Colored the white seams of my shoes I will wear to the wedding purple.
2, Finished (except buttons) the basic part of the girls dresses--I had to make them twice because I lost the first set---I will blog about that later.
3. Made two of Peppers long sleeve shirts into short sleeve shirts---why is that related to the wedding? Because I needed a few more shirts I thought where really cute to pack--so I thought I would give it a try--I am very happy with the results.

Really I feel like I should have MORE than that accomplished--

ALMOST DONE
1. Baby Wheelers Tie/shirt--
2. Fabric Flowers for girls dresses and other embelishments

I will post pictures hopefully when I get them all done!

I don't want to forget

I read a blog where a women posted 20 things and then said

in 10 days I want to accomplish 10 of these tasks.

Some where big (take down the curtains in one room, wash them, iron them and return them)

Some where easy (Change 3 light bulbs that have burned out)

but most where inbetween.

I really like that idea---I think I will use it.

ALSO in a Conference talk/Ensign (church terms) article I read that if you put first things first, prayer, scriputers, and the such--the other parts of your day will flow easier and you will find time for the other things you want to accomplish--so

I want to start doing this....

2 more quick things and then I am off to bed.

1. How do you reduce gas in babies--with out drugs. Wheeler toots ALL the time, and not cute ones, but loud out there ones that everyone can hear.

2. How soon is too quick to start exercising after having a baby? I am thinking at least 3 months before I really start doing something to hard---what is your opinion?

losing weight

I have lost 3 pounds today! BUT I have been sick all day.

It startred with me waking up to Sedona yelling "MOM WAKE UP PEPPER IS THROWING UP!"

of course then you always feel a little sick to your stomach, but I got up and cleaned it up.

When ever someone throws up I assume it won't be long till we are all throwing up, but she was the only one, and only once.

HOWEVER, my stomach has been aching all day, and Lucas has used the restroom a little more often today--so I threw out all the leftovers from yesterday--

I felt well enough to start many projects, but never could finish a single one, so the house is a DISASTER...and instead of cleaning up---I am off to bed in hopes that tonight will be full of sleep and easy feedings and tomorrow will be bring a healthy happy mama--who is ready to

1. pack
2. clean house
3. finish girls dresses

Those are the ONLY things I am putting on my list tomorrow

See you tomorrow.

Breastfeeding 101--maybe too much info.

I saw a book titled "Breastfeeding Sucks"

On many levels that is SO True.

Like i said--this might be way more info than some of you want, so please close the blog page now. :)

for the rest of you with me still--here we go

I hate breastfeeding

*GASP*

I know women always talk about how wonderful it is and how they feel so close to their child and it is a almost heavenly experience. Personally I think it is more in line with OTHER location--think further south (no not Mexico--hell!).

Really it is the WORST part of having a child. The whole natural child birth thing was HORRIBLE, but it ends. It only lasts so many hours and then it is over and you forget AND you have a wonderful new baby after. BUT breastfeeding is not like that-it never ends and you don't really get to see any results from it.

If you don't know how breastfeeding works--here is a crash course (But really those who read my blog are mostly mommy's so I am preaching to the choir).

The nipple is like a big sponge and when sucked on it squeezes out milk--not like a nipple which has one point, but like a sponge, with many places that leak (or shoot) out the milk.

Between feedings your "milk comes in" which just means your body produces milk which is stored in milk ducts. Different things can make your milk come in--for me, exercise, hearing my baby cry, hearing other new Born's cry, sometimes stress, thinking about feeding Wheeler, and then time--your body will just naturally produce milk after a certain amount of time. The actual fatty part of the breast has milk ducts in it. Like storage containers for milk. Not really sure how that works, but I just pretend I have lots of little milk cartons in my breast, each with a straw that leads to the nipple--I am so scientific!

Then the baby has to Latch on--which means put their mouth in the correct position to connect to the nipple. The upper and lower lip can't be folded under, and the tongue is covering the bottom gums. If you ever have a chance to watch a baby suck on a see through pacifiers--you will see what I mean. Newborns eat every 2-3 hours, some a little more, some a little less, and they are suppose to eat for a minimum of 15 mins on each side, Don't count the cat nap time, just the time they are actually eating.

If you have ever watched animals feed their young, many you have noticed first time moms pushing their babies away when they are trying to eat. There is a reason for that.

PAIN.

It is pain that you know is coming every 2-3 hours (or less!). It is a constant pain for 15 minutes on each side until you "toughen up". For those who have never breast feed--toughening up is a nice term for waiting till your nipples are stripped of their first layer of skin, and then slowly grow callouses, but it is a long process, because their is little time to heal between feedings so every 2-3 hours you are almost starting over. Yep--it is so fun! Then if you are lucky--your nipples crack...Everyone says "oh baby is latching on wrong if you are cracking"--

BUT the truth for me is that now with 4 laction consultants (fancy name for women who help you learn to breastfeed) have all watched me latch my babies on and each one said--'you are doing it perfectly, not sure what the problem is'--finally this last one, waited till Wheeler was done--and looked at my nipple after he finished eating and said "OH--he doesn't suck right. He is latched on right, but it is the way he sucks--not much you can do about that." UGGG. Each one of my children has sucked liked that. No their tongues are not tied (short tongues because of the flappy piece of skin that attaches the tongue to the mouth.), and they have no other mouth issues--just "lucky" I guess. I actually think it is genetic, because my sisters kids are the same way. She latches on right, but still lots of pain!

So lets go back--Not only is there pain with breastfeeding, but some stranger comes in and watches you try to teach your newborn how to latch on (which means attach to the nipple)--so you have a total stranger looking at your breast AND OFTEN helping you move your breast (yes, they just reach on in and move your boob around for you, so baby latches on correctly. Kind of strange to have that happen to say the least. Also newborns instincts tell them to latch, but just like any skill, it can take them a while to figure it out, which can make them frustrated, which makes them cry, which makes your milk come in, which makes it harder for them to latch on, and the cycle continues.

When you produce too much milk you get engorged. Your breast get painfully full, and the part around the nipple gets hard, which makes it almost impossible for baby to latch on.

Then when baby is done eating--they really examine your nipple. again, very strange.

Also you never know when the pain will end. Some women feel pain for a few days, others the first month. Some feel pain only when the first latch on happens--and others, like me, feel it the whole time you are feeding.

Not sure if you can read this, but it is the dad, sounding like a waiter, saying things like "your meal tonight will be heated to perfection, prepared personally by the chef, along with a back rub, and for dessert, a good night sleep--Enjoy your meal"

BUT in all fairness, after given the childbirth experience, you kind of feel detached from your body. I was a little weirded out by the whole breast touching, but your breasts no longer look, feel, or act like they did a few days ago, so it wasn't such a big deal...

I give my baby ONLY pacifiers with rounded tops, no slanted pacifiers for me, it teaches them to suck that way which is the WRONG way.

I have been total luck (blessed) to not have a clogged duct or any thing worse. BUT when your milk comes in it hurts. Image when your foot is asleep and the painful tingle of it waking up. My milk might come in about 3 times between feedings and each time it feels painfully tingly, mostly in my nipples.

With Sedona it was so painful I couldn't breastfeed in public for 3 months because I would have to stomp the floor, bite on something, or just really focus so I wouldn't cry--With Pepper, it only lasted about 2 1/2 months, and with Wheeler I haven't been breastfeeding even 3 weeks and while it still hurts like crazy to latch on--the pain soon goes away. I have cracked a little with Wheeler, which makes the pain more then it was even 3 days ago, but I only have a few small cracks that don't bleed when he eats so I am doing better than the other two!

I have found a few things that have helped me this time. Something to help hold baby up, like a boppy or a pillow, helps. I used Lanion like crazy! I put a good amount on after every feeding. I make sure my nipples are never dry--But my friend told me so had to be 100% dry or else it would hurt, but I am the opposite. Also my sister got me these Gel packs (expensive) which you put on your nipples before you feed and they help. And she also gave me some nipple cleaning pads which also help. I also couldn't live with out my breast pump. It is a small hand held pump, but when I get engorged, I just pump out about 1/4 to 1/2 an ounce and then I feel relief and Wheeler can latch on better. Plus the more relaxed and comfortable you are the easier it will be. I think I was in so much stress and worry everytime I fed Sedona it made it worse, plus I seriously would worry about feeding her alot, so it made it hard to accomplish anything, because I was always thinking about the next feeding.

So if someone tells you they are not breastfeeding, don't judge. You have no idea the Pain and lots of times other medical, emotion, issues going on in their life--

BUT I will say--I am 100% a believer in Breastfeeding, or else I wouldn't have made it past the 2nd day. I breastfeed my kids until they are a year old, and I encourage everyone to do the same.

bug city and life

Bugs have taken over my bathroom--I killed two spiders, a stink bug and a centipede in my bathroom yesterday. What is up with that!? Where do they come from? seriously--the spider and centipede were in the bathtub--do they crawl up the drain?

Wheeler is doing great--but he still decides every few days to stay up all night. He is so cute and we are totally loving him! He had a Dr. appointment and has grown an inc and gained a pound. He is so big!

The house is going to be tamed today and I am so excited to get it done! The kitchen is almost done and the bathroom is about 70% done. Then the rest of the house--well--moving on.

Sedona is such a wonderful girl and I love her so much--she keeps coming up to me and asking "what else can I do to help you?" wonderful child!

Pepper is a joy--she loves to rhyme all these words and has the cutest smile. She is a great joy to me and with her little smile she can melt hearts!

WHAT would an Amy post be without a TO DO list...

1. Shower
2. Wheeler bath
3. Girls Dresses
4. Lucas's & Wheeler Tie
5. Mow lawn
6. Clean House

Does that seem like a big list? I am hoping to actually accomplish 4 or 5 today!
Here I go!!

Baby Wheeler

I know--way more than you ever wanted to see

So tonight I have a very messy (dirty) house, but I am going to blog.

The Story of Wheeler's Birth

The Doctors office scheduled an appointment for us on May 27th at 4:30 to have an ultrasound. They told us if everything looked good they would induce me, which is what I wanted. So we go in on Friday, only to be told that it would be "rude/unethical" for them to induce me on the start of a holiday weekend--so walk around and see if I could get some contractions going. Like I had any control over that--I was already 4 days past my due date!

Lucas and I were frustrated to say the least. We wanted to have this kid--I was totally uncomfortable, and I think God gave us modern medicine for a reason and I was going to use it!

So we walked around the hospital neighborhood for about 2 hours and went back (Lucas had his first Slushy from 7-11)--by then there had been a shift change and the head nurse had us come in and she checked me and said that she would admit me and "lets have a baby!" She was great after dealing with the less than friendly doctor we had earlier.

So we got checked in and I got the gown, the IV and all that fun stuff. The new Doctor came in and said--"lets get you an epidural and then we will break your water"---Sounded good to me. A few times the fear was starting to get to me, but I just had to ignore it and focus on right then and there...

I was telling the nurse how the guy who gave me an epidural 3 years ago with Pepper was awesome and really relaxed me because he was so at ease--and guess what! Same guy comes walking in. I was really happy and told him so. He was more friendly this time around. We talked about how he had a ferarri, but traded it in for a Subaru because he was so unsure of the Obama health care plan---he had a great (Irish?/Scottish?) accent that I could listen to all day--don't worry, he was older and looked a bit like Albert Einstien to me. The epidural went in great and soon my legs and lower body were warm and tingly and mostly numb. So there we sat with Lucas watching the monitor as I had contractions and the babies heart beat kept right on going.

At one point the nurse was in watching the monitor and Lucas and her noticed something was wrong, and pretty soon here comes another nurse with a big smile on her face and they told me baby wasn't liking something so they had me turn this way and that way until the heart rate when back up---so if you ever have a nurse come in with a bigger than normal smile--be prepared.

We were admitted around 8:00 at night and around 2:30 I started to feel a little uncomfortable. Then I started to feel pain--so I called the nurse in and said "I can feel pain" so she called in the anesthesiologist again and he have me a "booster shot" which is suppose to work with in about 5 minutes, but nope--it didn't take. I have always heard of women having their epidural run out, but I always thought--how could that happen? It goes straight to the brain-I am not sure how it could run out.--BUT I am here to tell you that it CAN! Even with the medicine still in the IV bag (yes I use very technical terms) I was now fully aware of all feeling--NOT the way I wanted to have a baby. So by then my pain was INTENSE so the nurse checked me and low and behold--I was ready to have a baby.

Poor Lucas was not prepared--not that I was either, but--and he was really good--he kept saying "what can I do?" I finally told him--"just be here!" and then he was really good at telling me to try and relax and my body was made to do this--and all those things I had told him before. Most of the time it was really helpful--I only remember once thinking "MY body was not made to do this!"

So I am in pretty great pain by now and the nurse tells me to push a few times which I do--but what no one told me is that once you start pushing your body wants to keep pushing and there is no stopping it. Try to stop yawning in the middle of a yawn--or stop sneezing in the middle of a sneeze---it just doesn't work. So I push a few times and the nurse tells me "ok, great, now breath through the next few" So I am trying, but the pushing sensation is to great. It is a VERY strange feeling. Lucas asks the nurse "why does she have to stop pushing" and the nurse said "because I don't want to deliver this baby" and then just like in the movies she yells "I need a Dr. in here!" The room comes alive--it was like all the nurses were waiting outside the door for a more dramatic entrance--the bottom of the bed gets pulled off, the baby warming table is prepped, the doctors tools are prepped and in walks the Dr.

I do remember saying things like "Tell the Dr. to hurry, please." and "i am sorry, I am trying not to push, but I can't help it!" and"oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness." (I said that a lot) and "I hope I don't wake the women up in the room next to me." Lucas said the nurses thought that was kind of funny and I remember one of them saying "It is OK, don't worry about her" and the one thing I remember saying alot was "I CAN FEEL EVERYTHING!!"

So I pushed and a few minutes (maybe 15) little Wheeler was out--What it is like to have your body open up to deliver a baby?--lets just say I thought that each time I opened up a little more I thought for sure this is it, but nope--it keep right on getting more and more intense. The thing I remember was that opening feeling didn't cause a lot of pain, the contractions caused pain, but the body opening up was more like --hell--ok really--it was more like finally some relief to the pressure. When Wheeler was finally born I just remember relief. anyway--hope that wasn't to much info. Wheeler came out and Lucas said "Amy look down" and plop --Wheeler was on my stomach. I picked him up and held him for a few minutes before the nurses took him to do all the measuring and stuff. Image our surprise when the nurses said "9 pounds 2 ounces"!! After having him I remember saying "that was horrible!" but I will say 2 weeks later and I am forgetting alot of the pain--what a blessing!!

The doctor finished up all his work down there and soon the bed was put back together, and the room got quiet again. I was flipping back and forth between total exhaustion and being super excited about having a new baby!

Lucas and I just sat there amazed. I got up not to much later to go to the bathroom and I walked just fine over to the bathroom--the nurse was worried since I had the epidural, but I tried to tell her, I can feel my legs 100% the epidural is totally gone and has been for a while.

They gave Wheeler a 8-9 Apgar score, which is really good. He was the highest scoring of all my kids so I was happy! He was a big, healthy (mostly except jaundice--which I will write about another night) boy and it was really a great experience over all. The nurse told me later that Wheeler was the biggest baby she had ever delivered. I said "I am not sure I want that 'award'" and she answered back--which helped put things in perspective "it is better than the award for the smallest baby"--VERY TRUE!!

I don't recommend it to anyone, but I will say after his birth I felt the best even thought he was WAY bigger than the other two.

So--if you have any questions about how to deliver a baby or what to expect, I have now had a C-section, a successful Epidural birth (my favorite), and a "natural" birth. I say "natural" because I was able to relax during all the pre-pushing contractions--so take it for what it is worth. so I feel I can talk to all the "mommy crowds" about any type of child birth!

I will say that Breastfeeding is STILL the hardest part about having a kid. I would rather have natural child birth and NOT have painful breastfeeding, then to have no pain child birth and painful breastfeeding, but since we don't get to choose--I just suffer through it, but I will say this one has been better than the other two. (Yes I have talked with a lactation nurse--not much I can do about the pain--)

Anyway--that is the basic story of Wheeler Lucas Larson.

I will post about Jaundice and our extra 4 days in the hospital some other time.

update still on hold!

I still am unpacking the car and getting things put away- (yes three/four days later)-but an update will come soon. I hope!

Life on hold--

everytime I have sat down to blog Wheeler starts screaming--I call him
screamer wheeler

It has taken me about 7 minutes to just type this post--so until life is calmer

bye!