8 Things

A LONG time ago, Lilia tagged me for this and I am just now getting around to it. The rules are as follows:

Post the rules before you give the facts. Post eight random facts about yourself. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag eight people and list their names. Leave the people you tagged a comment on their blog, letting them know that they've been tagged.

Since this site is our family site, I don't feel like I should list eight random things about ME. However, there isn't much to say about "us" that would be interesting either as so much is unkown. We don't know our baby's gender, where we will be living in a month, or even where we will give birth. There are some things that we DO know though and while they aren't exactly "random," you may or may not be aware of them. So a list of things we know it is!! :)

1. Names: Yes, we've chosen them. And no, they aren't a secret. :) Rob actually insisted on nailing them down the NIGHT we found out we were having a baby! He wouldn't let me sleep until we agreed. :) :) :) If baby is a girl she will be named Emma Ruth. A boy will be Aidan Robert (Robert Alvin Barr IV got booted, sorry!).

2. Breastfeeding: A natural extension of my teaching pregnancy classes has been me researching all sorts of issues surrounding babies and health. We are convinced without a shadow of a doubt that there are no substitutes for breast milk and that the benefits of breastfeeding, regardless of the challenges, are just too great to ignore. I've also learned a ton about how to overcome the difficulties that end up making so many women quit early, so I feel pretty prepared. It's such a shame that it hasn't been part of our every day culture these last few generations because now every woman is venturing out practically on her own and usually without much support in this area. That being said as a preface, our plan is to breastfeed exclusively (no formula, bottles, cereals, pacifiers, or anything of the sort) for at least 6 months and then breastfeed primarily with only a few supplements for a year more or until baby shows real interest in weaning. This sounds crazy to lots of people and if you're one of them I encourage you to do some research and find out why so many families are doing things this way. La Leche League International is a great place to start. The incentives: FREE food, sweeter-smelling diapers (Rob likes this one), perfect balance of nutrition, delayed ovulation (I like this one!!), faster weight loss for me.

3. Cloth Diapering: We're making life hard for us. :) I switched to cloth menstrual pads last year (you wanted to know that right?) and was so delighted with how comfortable and easy (compared to what I had in mind) they were that I looked into cloth diapering. The incentives: saves money, lets baby's bum breathe, keeps sensitive skin away from plastics and chemicals, produces less waste (as in trash, not poop - haha), and did I mention they are CHEAPER? :) I'm very excited about this aspect of caring for baby actually - I might even make some cute diaper covers myself!

4. Natural Childbirth: Now you really think I'm crazy! :) Why would I want to go through all of the pain of childbirth now that we know how to dull that pain? Well, part of it I admit is a masochistic desire to experience everything to the fullest, but that certainly wouldn't be enough on its own! Because we have decided to breastfeed exclusively, it's essential that baby get a chance to latch on and start bonding right away. Anesthesia can hinder the alertness of both baby (since everything that goes into me goes into the baby) and me, making breastfeeding right away a little more difficult. An epidural is definitely out of the picture for me. I realized after thinking about it for a while when we found out we're pregnant that me two biggest fears regarding labor had nothing to do with the pain but rather centered around having a gigantic needle jabbed into my spine and the prospect of having an episiodomy (if you don't know what that is, I'll spare you. And if you are male, spare yourself and don't look it up). I may have a good reason to fear that needle as there are quite a few risks associated with it. In general though, I'd like to avoid medication during labor (to dull pain or to induce) because I believe God made my body for exactly this purpose and He knows what He's doing. :) Induction can lead to more pain due to the intensity of labor and sometimes more tearing since baby comes so quickly. I'm pretty much going to have a body guard with a broom for any nurse who gets too close to me with a needle. :)

5. WAHM: Stands for Work At Home Mom - cute huh? yeah, I know. Basically, I have 14 more working days at the center as of today and I won't be going back there or anywhere else for full time employment until we've completed our family. We've always known this is a non-negotiable fact for our family and we have been planning accordingly. Disaster can always happen, but aside from that, I'll be spending my time being a mommy, volunteering, and working on all of my passions. I hope to get certified to be a doula (birthing assistant) in the near future and a lactation consultant after I have more experience. And of course I'll craft. In fact, I opened my first craft website just today!! Hooray! Click the banner below to check it out!

6. Co-Sleeping: Our grandparents were told completely different things than our parents regarding safe sleep for infants, and our generation is told different things still. Everyone is afraid of SIDS, and that's a valid fear since we still don't know exactly what causes it. The common thing throughout history however, has been to sleep with baby. This regulates baby's temperature and keeps baby close enough to easily nurse when needed. The only time co-sleeping is definitely unsafe is when the parents are very heavy sleepers or intoxicated so that they won't sense the baby's presence in the bed. We plan to start baby out in a bassinet next to bed (we're sleeping in a full and our feet already hang off) and then move baby into the bed with us when we get a larger one.

7. EC: Eliminated Communication is a popular term that means a lot of different things. We are sure we want this to be part of our parenting, but don't know exactly how we will apply it yet. The idea is that babies don't naturally enjoy wetting themselves and sitting in poo. If parents continue to "communicate" with them about their need to potty, they will have an easier time getting out of diapers and into underwear. Parents who practice EC range from people who never use diapers but rather hold their newborns over a bowl when they start to give signs of needing to relieve themselves, to parents who just introduce their children to the potty a lot sooner than most Americans. We don't know yet where we fall in that spectrum, but we know we want to help our children make the transition as easily as possible. Check out Diaper Free Baby for more info.

8. Large Family: The more we've spoken and thought about it, the more we have come to realize that we'd like as many children as God gives to us. We understand the health risks of having children after a certain age and certainly won't ignore any difficulties I have during childbirth in general, but we'll jump those hurdles as they come. Our plan is to continue with Fertility Awareness rather than contraception, breastfeed, and see what happens. We would be fine with a few years before the next baby, but aside from any health problems, we would count it an exciting blessing to get pregnant again no matter when it happens.

I think I'll duck out now before I think too much about all of the things you (my family and friends) are probable thinking about us right now. :) Don't hesitate to ask questions though! We know we're a little crazy sometimes, but for the most part we've thought our craziness through and have reasons for it and don't mind sharing them!

I'm not tagging anyone for the 8 things, btw, but if you decide to list 8 things of your own do please comment and tell me!