happy birthday to emma-bean...yesterday!

I meant to get this up yesterday and just didn't get to it... but in honor of her first birthday, I thought I would FINALLY share her birth story! Hopefully I am not too graphic for some of you...but I wanted to be factual because, well, I just do.
So here it is... and HAPPY HOMEBIRTH DAY BEAN!!!

First of all, making the decision to have a home birth was a hard one for us. We live in such a small town and we are an hour away from a hospital with a regular OB/GYN on staff. I did some research and found out the LIFEFLIGHT info from the good hospitals and decided to do it. We truly felt that God was calling us to.
My best friend, Noelle, is a doula and a childbirth educator and I attended her homebirth, which was amazing. I also had attended one in Orlando when we lived there. I have been at several hospital births other than my own and KNEW I didn't want THAT experience again (stories for another day). I already knew the midwife I wanted, but after hiring her and having our first prenatal, she had some family problems and dropped me...I was 32 (?) weeks before I finalized my new midwife... yikes... anyway, I chose the new one because of her tremendous amount of experience, specifically with rural area births...She was a midwife for the Amish in PA for many years and is also trained as an EMT. She had over 1500 births under her belt. That was a biggie for us. We started to prepare for the birth by trying to finish the upstairs (our new bedroom, where we wanted to have her)...We exhausted ourselves trying to finish and actually, the day my water broke, we had worked our behinds off...The room was NOT finished, for the record...:)
It was 12:30 AM on the 27th, 2 weeks before my due date, and I was lying in bed next to my snoring husband, surrounded by construction materials and MESS! and suddenly....a gush of water soaks me, the sheets, the blanket...everything! I FREAKED OUT!!!
Not really...but I just remember thinking..."Oh LORD (truly praying), she's coming NOW! I'm really going to have this baby!" I knew that if my water broke, that baby HAD to come out within a day or so...I woke Tim up and we called the midwife and all the people that were going to be here (several friends and a back-up midwife). They were all SOOO wonderful, they came and cleaned up the whole upstairs, moved out most of the construction stuff, disenfected the bathroom, set up the pool, etc. ALSO, Noelle was on her way back from TX!!! I called their cell and her husband Jon answered... I said, "Umm, you might want to drive a little faster..." He said, "Whhhyyyyy????" I said, "Because my water just broke!!"....
They were in MISSISSIPPI!
Needless to say, they broke all speed limits to get here....
Terri (midwife) had just been out to see me earlier that day for a prenatal! She lived 3 hours away, so she started heading my way. Taking into consideration that this was my fourth, we figured it would go fast.
It didn't.
We petered through many a small contraction that early morning, but never got into any real good ones...
Noelle and her mom arrived Sunday AM at about 9... All day Sunday, we walked and tried herbal tinctures (nasty.nasty.nasty!!!) and nipple stimulation (releases oxytocin, the natural form of pitocin, and stimulates the uterus to begin contracting) and well, I guess that's enough huh? To no avail...we would have some smallish contractions, but they would stop as soon as we stopped the stimulation. That evening at about 6, she checked me and said that I was only about 2 centimeters...I cried...I was soooo tired...Also, Emma was posterior (facing forward instead of back, this can cause lengthy labors, because the head can't slide properly through the pelvis)
Finally at about 2 AM on the morning of the 28th (I had been up for almost 40 hours!), I slept for awhile. When I awoke, Terri gave me some castor oil...(I know, you're thinking YUCK!!!, but truly, it was not near as bad as I thought it would be... she mixed it with peach syrup and had me take one sip of the mix and then one sip of plain syrup...it worked fairly well...I only gagged once...) :)
Somewhere in here, we called Summer, who was visiting her mom and dad in Florida, and arranged to move up her flight home, hoping that perhaps she might make it to the birth.
Anyway, then we walked...then I rested...still NO contractions at all. I did have some diarrhea from the castor oil, which was normal, but it was not overwhelming at all...but no contractions...So, at about 3 pm, she sent Tim and I upstairs to do more nipple stimulation, since that had worked somewhat, by at least producing contractions the day before. So we weren't up there for more than 15 minutes and WHOA, here they came--- 3 MINUTES APART!
I think that this is when the labor truly STARTED. I think my body was not ready for labor and that Emma broke my water prematurely with her hand, which was raised up by her head as she came out...
So.... on that note....here we go.
I labored downstairs for about an hour, then we decided to go ahead and get into the birthing pool. No sooner than I got in there and they were coming very fast and VERY hard! The last time we had checked, hours before, I had only been 2 cm, so I still thought I had hours and hours and hours to go... After ONE more hour, I was trying super-hard to not get overwhelmed when suddenly I started feeling like I needed to push...and when I say that I mean NEEDED TO PUSH!!! It was SO strong. Soon after that I literally began to feel my cervix fully dilate and feel her moving down the birth canal. It was so incredible...I can't even describe it. It hurt like the dickens but I could really FEEL her moving down! I knew right where she was. As she began to crown, the midwife said, "Okay, Jen, stop pushing now...Look at me...she's this far out (holding fingers about an inch apart)" I couldn't vocalize anything at that moment, but I KNEW THAT!! I knew exactly where she was....It was so empowering.
So then, at 5:47 pm, out she came and Tim delivered her up to my chest! She was so beautiful! We had another girl!
Summer was in the air somewhere between Palm Beach and Atlanta...
We realized right away that she was not breathing and so we began to pray. The cord had not been cut yet, to allow all the the life-giving oxygen rich blood flow to her until the placenta stopped pulsating completely, so she was still receiving oxygen. Her heart rate was doing well. The midwife used a little contraption that blew room oxygen into her lungs, and we kept praying. We finally just spoke LIFE to her, in the name of Jesus, and she began to make some small noises. We kept massaging her little chest and she finally began to breathe on her own. It was quite scary, but yet there was such a peace in the room. The midwife was sooo calm and had everything under control. It was wild.
So, then I birthed the placenta and then got up on the bed. She nursed fairly quickly and her whole family fell in love. We were surrounded by so many friends and family and it was so beautiful. I can't wait for the next one, if we decide to have more.
We did the newborn exam, right there on my bed and she did great! She was 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 19 inches long. Her head diameter was 14 inches.

I did have some tearing, but that was to be expected considering her head circumference and the fact that her hand was up by her head as she came out... hence the excruciating pain worse than all the other births...
The midwife stitched me up and told me to stay upstairs for a whole week! I was to be Queen Jennifer! HA!
Actually, everyone did treat me like a queen. They were all WONDERFUL! My church family brough yummy meals and movies and books, and even homemade bread! I loved being at home and being in my own bed with my own family taking care of me. SO different than my other birthing experiences. Maybe I'll write those out someday...
Actually, if there is a next time, I want to do a more hands -off approach. I certainly want the midwives there, but I feel like I can handle the birth part better just by listening to my body, rather than a person. It was kind of frustrating to be listening to both this time.
Summer arrived a few hours after the baby, and sobbed as she held Emma for the first time. I was so sad that she missed it. She had been at Chloe's birth, and was so looking forward to this one. :(
All said and done, the TRUE labor only lasted about 3 hours! YEAH BABY! But I will say this, those 3 hours were like all the pain from the longer labors crammed into 3!!! I've heard it said that quick labors are like a train ride, once your on, you just hold on for dear life 'til it's over! SOOO TRUE!
But I certainly got my reward in the end... What a beautiful baby...
She is our "bean"...
Anyway, that's my story and I hope you are blessed by it. If you haven't seen the slideshow, you should check it out.... See the sidebar on the right...

on turning thirty-five...

I can't believe it. I , Jennifer Elizabeth Bailey, who was 13 yesterday and might still be somewhere in this head of mine, will be turning 35 on Friday. Did you hear that...
35...
thirty-five...
T-H-I-R-T-Y- - F-I-V-E !!!! That is half of 70!!!
Last week, I was talking to a young man at our church group and he siad he was born in 1987. He is an adult. In 1987, I was almost done with high school. He is an ADULT.
I know all of you who are older than myself are just chucklin away, thinking "Just you wait, sweetie-pie, just you wait..., " but you need to remember how you felt when you had that defining moment of realization that you were truly getting "old."
That all the young hip twenty-somethings are ALL calling you Ma'am now.
That is has been almost 20 years since you graduated from high school.
That the fashion trends that were so popular in your era, have already passed the "out of date-how did we wear that" status and are becoming the latest "new thang" (bangs, perms, side ponytails, long shirts, leggings under a jean mini-skirt, sam&libby's, neon, blue eyeshadow, legwarmers...!)
That your generations music is now referred to as "OLD school!" HA!
That grey hairs and wrinkles are there to stay...and get worse.
That your body will NEVER look like it did...EVER, no matter how hard you work out.
That your son is only a year away from being a TEENAGER! AAACKK!
And only 3 years away from DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE!!!
Egads.
Calgon, take me away.
Just for awhile.
Or at least let me pretend to be 13 for a day.
No responsibilties, no worries, lots of friends, fun and all the food I can eat (with no caloric consequences!)
CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME ALL THAT FOR MY BIRTHDAY?????
yeah right.
:)
happy birthday to me.

junk pumpkins...

Last weekend was our church fall festival. On the Thursday prior, we went out to help with some decorating. Our friends, Hank and Nichole and Janice and Marc were hosting the festival. Janice is Nichole's mom and they live next door to each other, out in the country.
Anway, I will post pics of the actual festival later, but here are the pics of the centerpiece "Junk Pumpkins" that we made.
We had SOOOOO much fun.
And for the record, Marc carved a beautiful calvary scene on one pumpkin and I forgot to go back after dark and get a finished picture of it. But it was so intricate and very well done. Good Job Marc.
Here's the slideshow... Enjoy!

If it is in the middle, just click on the first picture at the bottom to start over...and if you want to pause it to view a picture longer, there are controls at the top for that...

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

tongues in cheeks and idiots...

For those of you who are interested... My slightly very mental husband, who possesses the incredible ability to sound like the wittiest man alive and an absolute idiot at the same time, depending on who is reading or listening and whether they KNOW him, has decided to finally begin his own blog.
Oh. My. Word. :)
Actually, I have enjoyed watching him get his creative juices flowing and have an outlet for that amazing sense of humor that he has. And those that don't "get" the humor, and do think that he is a complete idiot, well... I suppose it would be their loss for not knowing him.
I have never known a man like him in all my days and I am so honored to have his love and his never-ending wackiness in my life.
For those that dare, click here:
verbal grinds
Enter at your own risk, but please put your tongue in your cheek first...
:O)

hotsie socksies...by nini

Okay, here's the post you've all been waiting for!
The grand internet opening of Nicole Bailey's new business!

hotsie socksies
aromatic herbal heat socks

Here is her business card:




She offers many different colors and patterns, most of which are shown below.
The socks are also scented with all-natural essential oil blends including lavender, anise, peppermint, patchouli, clove, cedar, and eucalyptus. My personal favorite, of course, is the patchouli with a splash of clove.

The socks can be heated in the microwave for 2-4 minutes and then used for a wonderful aromatic heat source for aches, pains, injuries, or to just plain get warm... The warmth releases the yummy scents for some aromatherapy too.

They can also be placed in the freezer and then used as a cold pack as well.

The grains inside the socks make them mold easily wherever you need them! They work quite nicely as a neck warming pillow too!

The socks are reasonably priced at $8.00 (plus S&H) and would make wonderful Christmas gifts for anyone on your list!

We even have some brown and black striped socks that you men would be completely comfortable with. Although if you want a pink one, you got it buddy... The customer is ALWAYS right, right? :)

I would love it if this really took off for Nini, so please do what you can to support her. She is really excited about this venture, and has already sold quite a few at the farmer's market and has several socks on order for tomorrow!

Here are the pictures of the socks and patterns and such.

Nicole and her socks at the farmer's market...





all the socks together...


Here they are listed by name in the same order as above from L to R...

Navy/Heather Fat Stripe


Aqua/Sky Blue Fat Stripe


Aqua Multi-colored Stripe (colors include: aqua-purple-black-limey green-sky blue)



Aqua Multi-colored Skinny Stripe
(colors same as above...what looks like white in this pic is actually the limey green...)



Lavender Fat Stripe (colors include heather grey-black-heather cream-purple-lavender)



Pink/Aqua Multi-Colored Fat Stripe


Hot Pink/Purple Fat Stripe


Black/Heather Cream Fat Stripe


Chocolate/Heather Cream Fat Stripe




There are several ways to order:
1. Call and speak to Nicole directly at 706-401-4005
2. Leave a comment on this post with your order and your e-mail address so that we can contact you about payment...
3. E-mail your order to our family website at allthebaileys@gmail.com


Payments can be made by
1. Mailing a check (we will e-mail you the mailing address)
2. Using paypal online (I WILL SEND A PAYPAL INVOICE VIA E-MAIL)
3. Paying Nini in person if you are from 'round here.


FOR THE RECORD:
The shipping costs drop significantly per sock the more you ship in each box, so it would be prudent to buy more than one and save on shipping costs!!! :)

THINK OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE ON YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST!
Grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren, spouse, friends, co-workers, hairstylist, even the MAILMAN! :)

Thank you all for your support!
Love,
Jen

smashin' fashion...

We had SO much fun on Saturday at the market! Here are some pictures from the day... I just commented throughout rather than a huge post up top...


we made the Athens paper...


this is the booth for the organic clothing company that sponsored the event...
happygreenbee... check out their website here:
www.happygreenbee.com



our fashion diva... sporting the pumpkin-butterscotch-chocolate-bean dress and beret...(notice dad looking on in the background...)


hank adam was the youngest model... wearing the radish-bean cardigan and sock hat...


here she is...



and her paci even matched... so cute.


the hankster deux... what a hunk.


all the moms and babes. by the way, they even let us all keep the outfits! how cool is that.


bean and her mama...



the entertainers, Henslee & Kenslee... they were fantastic!


Chloe enjoys the show...


Emma and her ever-protruding tongue...


with daddy, showing those teeth again...


the scarecrow outside with his pumpkin "crack". ha.


Chloe and her new friend. his name, no kidding, is Djoe-Phsh (pronounced jo-fish) and his nickname is "Duct-tape"...really. Chloe just calls him "duct-tape." He is an adorable kid!



Timmy tried to sell hot popcorn, but it didn't go over real well... oh well.





Me and Tim for a rare alone shot!


Nini and her herbal heat socks...which are doing very well actually. I will be doing a whole post just for that soon...



Nichole poses with farmer John's 9.5 lb. sweet potato!


as Tim says..."One hot mama..." sheesh. whatever. I'm just thrilled to be in 10's again!
whoo hoo!


my homemade caramel...I have to say, it was pretty amazing.


i had some issues with the "caramel apple" on a stick thing, so this was plan B...


another bread shot...


the day is done for our bean...

A-Baking we will go..A-Baking we will go... Hi-ho-the...

My friend Nichole Gautreaux and I have started a business! I have been thinking and praying about this plan for months, and finally decided to give it a shot.
We are called "bailey & gautreaux breads and confections" and we are selling breads and sweets at the farmer's market on Saturdays. We spent all last week getting ready for our debut, making signs, business cards, labels, tags, etc... And then stayed up ALL night Friday night baking! (Lesson #1 - start earlier in the day...) I had already been feeling the beginnings of a cold, so by mid-Saturday, I was an absolute mess. I ended up home in bed with a horrific migraine...but that's not the point... So, we sold all the bread we baked and even had a few pre-orders for next week. The cupcakes (spiced pumpkin with browned-butter icing and hazelnut brittle) did okay, but would have done better if I had put out a sample earlier(Lesson #2)... Once people were able to taste them, they sold better. We're not sure if we will continue the cupcakes part right now... We'll see. Nicole also made some coffee mixes from scratch that we packaged up real cute... We sold a few of those as well!
I'll tell you one thing, we could not have done it all without the help of Nichole's mom, Janice, who is also a good friend of ours... She was so incredible... no complaints even at 4 AM!!!
We are actually having a business meeting tonight with Hank, who will help us put together a business plan. I spent the day today figuring out all of our costs and overhead and all that good stuff.
Our first priority is to get a better mill, because the little one she has just isn't cut out for so much hard work... We really have to baby it... But I am thankful that we have it!
I took some great pics of our first trial day so here they are...
Also, Nini is starting her own business as well... I will make a special post all about that later with pictures of her and her new "product." You'll see... so cute...
Anyway, here's our business card and some pics. And I am making a website too! I'll post when that is ready...