Fiona Maeve: Nine and Ten Months

I'm late on this post, Fiona just turned 11 months. But better late than never!

Fiona had a big couple of months between 9-11 months. She got to travel to Hawaii and also finally started crawling on Easter Day! She still has no teeth (just like her brother, he didn't get his first tooth until nearly his first birthday) but she is a voracious eater and manages with just her gums!

She is a very happy girl who loves to watch her brother, laugh at daddy, get tickled, listen to music, play peek-a-boo, clap, wave, make lots of loud noises, be close to mama, be with family and other kids, and go on walks outside in the stroller. I can't quite tell yet but I may be completely surrounded by extroverts! She and her brother both love to have friends and family over to the house and have their best attitudes when there is a lot to do and see.

Fiona is a great eater and enjoys carbs of all kinds (a girl after my own heart), berries, citrus, broccoli, zucchini, mac n'cheese, and of course...ice cream.

We love you Miss Fiona!!

Fiona Maeve: Seven and Eight Months

Fiona is now eight months old! Her little personality is starting to shine through and I seriously can't wait to get to know this little girl. Just this weekend she started to get the hang of gently petting Rafa and I could see the beginnings of a toddler emerging.

She continues to be a sweet, easy-going, roll with the punches baby. She is eating solids (loves mac n'cheese, cinnamon apples, peas, and baby mum mums), sitting up without support, and putting everything in sight in her mouth. She ADORES her big brother and Rafa, loves to laugh, enjoys having a lot of people around (I'm surrounded by extroverts!), and has a blast splashing in the bath with her big brother. She's not quite crawling and barely rolling over so we are trying to encourage her to start moving a bit more. That chill personality of hers isn't giving her much motivation! 

Love you sweet Fiona!

Also: Mylo wanted to get in on the fun:

I Marched in Seattle: What's Next?

Jenny took this photo of me nursing Fiona at the Womxn's March on Seattle last Saturday. If you haven't already, check out her thoughtful reflections on the march.

Last Saturday was an inspiring day for me. I marched with two of my best friends, my mom, my aunt, and my baby daughter. We wore our 30/30 Project "Healthcare is Human Right" t-shirts and gave away a bag full of them to fellow marchers with healthcare signs along the route. We arrived at Judkins Park in south Seattle at 9:30am and didn't start marching until nearly 1:00. By the time we reached the end of the route at the Seattle Center we were literally in the last 50 people (out of 130,000) to finish the march. It was a long day, Fiona was in her stroller for nearly 8 hours outside. I nursed her sitting cross legged on the lawn at Judkins Park on top of the stroller rain cover and then sitting on 4th Avenue with my back against the wall at Starbucks. And yet being a part of the march was energizing. Talking with fellow marchers, hearing the reasons people were out there, reading the empowering and clever signs that people had put together, joining with other Seattleites in song and cheers. It left me full of hope and enthusiasm.

But as I reflect back this week, and read several articles that gave me a lot of food for thought (here, here and here) I think the most important thing that I will take away from the experience is a drive to take that energy and continue to be engaged, using my voice, money and privilege to make a difference.

I want to be able to tell that little girl that I nursed on the side of the road that her mom stood up for what was right. That in the one of the darkest hours of our country's history, my children were there with me making a difference in our community, in our country, and in this world. I have been too much of a bystander already in the struggle for equality in this country.

Tonight I'm headed to my friend Brittany's house to sign postcards with friends to mail off to our representatives. Patrick and I are in the midst of deciding what additional organizations we want send monthly donations to that will be able to hold our government accountable or step in where services are no longer being offered. Our family will be marching again this year for causes we believe in. I am joining Jenny and others in educating ourselves about the intersection of race and feminism, and about practical steps we can take to recognize our privilege and stand with people of color in our community.

Now is the time to take action.

Marching in Seattle

I was blown away to know that MILLIONS of people around the world were marching on Saturday- as far away as Africa and Antartica! Teresa and I joined the march in Seattle, along with Teresa's mom, aunt, a couple of dear friends and FIONA!

After I got home from the march, I spent a couple of hours scrolling through social media, and was amazed to see the range of people from all different parts of my life who had been marching with me. One of my first babysitters was there, so was a young woman I babysat when I was in college! There were people I'd grown up with, women who have mentored me, friends who brought their mothers and grandmothers, pastors, church groups, doctors and nurses, stay at home moms, cancer survivors, sexual assault survivors, and so many kids! Just within the sampling of people I personally know who marched, I can tell you they represent a variety of voices and opinions, politics and religious views but regardless, they were all there together.

I marched as a way to recognize my privilege, and to stand strong with people who don't have the same privileges that I do. I marched to point out these inequalities. I marched because I can, because I'm thankful to live in a country where peaceful protesting is a protected right. And I marched wearing my "Healthcare is a human right" shirt, because that is something I wholeheartedly believe.

To the people who are reading this with curiosity or opposition, who voted for Trump, or just don't think American women have anything to complain about, I encourage you to read this. I also encourage you to reach out to me, or someone you know who participated and have a conversation. Really, you are part of the reason I marched, so people would see me and ask why I was there. To be completely honest, not too long ago, I would have been right there with you, wondering what people were complaining about and maybe even a little fearful of this thing that I didn't understand. As I've traveled across the country, and even to other parts of the city I live in, my understanding continues to change and my compassion continues to grow as I hear and see how America is a very different place for people who weren't born with the same privileges as me.

Like I said above, so many different views were represented in the massive sea of people marching. One of my friends who marched shared this on her social media today and many people I know who were at the march in D.C. have voiced that they didn't agree with everything that was being said by speakers there.

Here's a smattering of some of my favorite signs I saw along the way.

Of all the signs, this was my favorite and the most important. We can't just march and say we made a difference. We have to keep going.

"Many White Women Marched. Now What?" This is exactly what we should be asking ourselves, and answering.

Here's what march organizers suggest.


PS.  Shoutout to our amazing friend Brittany who knitted hats for us!

Fiona Maeve: Five and Six Months

Can you believe this little baby is already six months old?!? I think I'm in denial about her growing up. The pediatrician gave me a little lecture about how I need to stop swaddling her and start feeding her solid foods. Nooooo. She's too little for that. ;)

Fiona is a sweet, easy going baby girl. She doesn't have a lot of routine in her life but she is great at rolling with the punches. She loves to giggle at all her big brother's antics, splash in the bath, go on walks in the Ergo or stroller, put everything in her mouth, and be in the middle of the action. She smiles at everyone and likes to meet new people. We are working on her rolling over more and getting the strength to sit up on her own. Love this girl!

Fiona Maeve: Three and Four Months

I feel like Fiona's babyhood is going by in lightening speed. It's so cliche but I seriously can't believe she is already four months old. And I forgot how wonderful four month olds are! She can hold her head up high, she is getting much better at nursing, loves to look around at everything and is just enjoying her little life!

She continues to be my sweet little babe, rolls with the punches and is super flexible...so different than her scheduled brother! She isn't on a nap regiment yet but sleeps pretty well at night, just waking to nurse. She smiles and giggles at her brother, loves looking at toys and books, and is starting to try to grab things and put them in her mouth. She is super cuddly and loves to be held and rocked. She's a joy to be around! ALMOST makes me want another one. ;)

Fiona Maeve: Months One and Two

Well...I guess the old cliche is true that it's not as easy to document the second kid as the first. But better late than never right? (Is that my new motto? Ugh.) Here are Fiona's one and two month pictures.

She is SUCH a sweet and easy little baby, I am so enjoying being her mom. She started smiling around 5-6 weeks and is such a little ham now for the camera. She loves being outside, being in the wrap on mommy, sleeping, watching her big brother, and cuddling. I can take her almost anywhere and we have had a great summer going on family nature walks, playing at the beach, hanging with friends and traveling around the Pacific Northwest. She even went on her first boat ride at Priest Lake! She is cooing and trying to make words and sounds already, we'll see if she is a big talker like her brother. :)

She isn't a great nurser but we are working hard (pumping a lot and trying to make nursing fun again) and she's in the 50th percentile for weight which is a big accomplishment. She's a tall girl in the 88th percentile for height.

Burritos

A few weeks back, Teresa had me take some photos of Fiona. This is what we were going for...

But then there was Mylo. The energetic older brother.

Really, he just wanted to be involved. And he is so sweet with his little sister! 

So somehow, this is what we ended up with. I like to call it the burrito photo shoot. Some of my best work I'm pretty sure. 

Fiona's Birth Story

Better late than never!

Fiona Maeve was born on May 27th via a planned c-section -- pretty much the exact opposite of her brother's birth. After my first traumatic labor and emergency c-section I considered a VBAC but in the end decided that since I'm really not a good candidate (small pelvis) and I didn't want to end up with another emergency situation I would go for the planned c-section. It was a hard decision for me but one that made the most sense for all of us.

Ready to go for surgery and meet our little girl!

On the morning of her birth we arrived at the hospital with all of our stuff after a good night's sleep (so different). The nurses took great care of us and my anesthesiologist was absolutely amazing. After about 90 minutes of taking vitals and getting prepped we were wheeled down to the operating room. I was feeling very nervous and excited at this point, everything seemed like it was going SO quickly. I was administered the spinal which would numb me from the waist down, which stung but not as bad as I was anticipating. The worst part of the day was right after I got the spinal, I started to feel very nauseous and tingly throughout my whole body. I thought maybe I was going to feel like this for the whole surgery but within 5-10 minutes my body felt numb and a complete calm washed over me.

I had a moment to look around and made a comment about how exciting it was that there were about 10 people in the room and only one (besides Patrick) was a man (a scrub tech in the corner). I had two female OB's performing the surgery, a female anesthesiologist, and a whole bunch of amazing female nurses. It will be so fun to tell my daughter that she came into the world surrounded by a group of talented female clinicians!

After about 20 minutes we heard that she was about to come into the world! There was a little clear section of plastic in the drape that was shielding the surgery which was opened and after a little pressure on my abdomen she was right there in front of us! The first thing I said was "she looks exactly like her brother!!" Then I asked if she was really small because she seemed so tiny to me. I think it was just in comparison to her huge older brother. They told me she was normal size. :)

After a couple of minutes clearing her lungs they set her on my chest and she immediately relaxed, was quiet and snuggled in to me -- which is soooo her personality still. The doctors and nurses remarked that she was a very relaxed baby and it was unusual that she was so calm. She laid on my chest for another 40 minutes while they stitched me up and I think Patrick and I were on cloud nine just smiling and taking photos. After that we got wheeled upstairs to our room and spent the rest of the day feeding her and meeting family.

Fiona's birth-day was really sweet and heavenly, I couldn't have hoped for more from my planned c-section. I will say that the next day reality began to settle in that I was going to have a long recovery from major surgery. I unfortunately had a tear in my bladder during the procedure (caused by previous scar tissue) that caused me to have to wear a catheter home for a week. I would never recommend a c-section to someone who can give birth vaginally but it was definitely the right choice for us. And two months later I am feeling great!

Fiona: One Week Old

Fiona is a week old as of Friday! It was a special and also intense week recovering from surgery. So happy to be home and feeling like I'm on the mend. Fiona is a very relaxed baby, she sleeps a ton and is fairly easy to calm and comfort at this point. She is very snuggly which I'm loving!

She is tiny but very strong. I love watching her study the world around her and get the little scowl on her face that her big brother used to have. She's eating a lot and being passed around from friend to family so everyone can hold her and love on her.

Welcome baby girl!

Introducing...Fiona Maeve!

She's here! Fiona Maeve arrived right on time at 10:04 on May 27th weighing 7lbs 3oz. The first thing I said when I saw her was "She looks just like Mylo!" We are at home now enjoying our precious girl and getting acclimated to being a family of four. I'll share more later about her birth story and pictures with her an her big brother but for now some incredible photos courtesy of JKOE Photography. Thank you Jason and Jenny for these gorgeous pictures of Fiona's birthday!

Did you have a birth plan?

With one week to go until baby girl arrives I've been reflecting on labor and delivery quite a lot.

Going into the Mylo's birth, I had a clear plan of action. I wanted to have a natural, drug-free labor and deliver my baby vaginally. That did not happen! I ended up with a long list of interventions and an emergency c-section under general anesthesia. I was thrilled to have a healthy baby but also deeply disappointed and a little traumatized by my labor experience after he was born.

One very unhelpful thing that people still say to me is that "people shouldn't plan out their births at all, it's the one's with long and specific birth plans who end up with disappointing experiences." Sorry, but that's just BS. I am a planner and researcher by nature. I hired a doula for my labor (HIGHLY recommend!) and read several books about labor and delivery. Although things didn't turn out as I'd hoped, I had a lot of knowledge in my head that helped inform the long labor process as I was going through it. I never felt like the situation was out of my control or I didn't have enough information to make the next decision that was presented to me.

Each person has a different mentality going into birth. For me, planning and researching is calming and makes me feel more confident. For others it makes them anxious to know about all of the options and they would rather just trust the professionals.

This time, under the advisement of my OBGYN, we are doing a planned C-section. Although I would have liked to avoid major surgery, I feel confident this is the right choice for my body, our family, and my baby. It should be a totally different experience than the first time. I'll let you know how it goes!

Did you have a birth plan? Do you prefer to plan and prepare or let things just take their course? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Tea Party Baby Shower

Yesterday we celebrated baby girl with a tea party themed shower that my sister threw me here in Seattle! It was the perfect weather and the perfect group of women to celebrate with. I left the shower feeling so filled up with love and excited to introduce my girl to this incredible group of ladies that will help raise her. Here are some pictures!