Chosing my Midwife

This is one of my favorite ways someone has talked about home birth.

My family has been supportive thus far, even if I can hear the "OMGYOURGOINGTODIE" in their voice.
I'm grateful that they keep any negativity to themselves.
Negative vibes are bad for a fetus ya know.


When I was pregnant with Mya, I knew the next child would be born at home.
While I loved my CNM Christy Francis, I just wanted to get out of the hospital.
I feel safe at home, I am comfortable at home, I can eat whatever I want at home, the children are in their own environment, they can also be involved as little or as much as they like, I don't have to fight off nursing staff, it all just makes sense.

I am well aware that home birth is not for everyone.
Giving birth is about where the mother feels most comfortable.
For me, that place is home.




On my our quest to birth at home, an important part was finding the perfect midwife.

This part was insanely frustrating.

I emailed at least 5 midwives, only 2 of which actually responded after the first email.
Poor business practices? Yup.

Quirky Mama $1900
North Salt Lake
includes placenta encapsulation in price
birth tub use

Brickyard Birth Medicaid or $3000 + birth kit
South Salt Lake
Medicaid is still deciding if they will cover home birth
birth tub use

Birthwise Maternity Care $2900
(took 2 emails to get a response a few weeks later)
Layton

Arrival Birth Services $2900
(2 emails, no email back)
Ogden
beautiful birth center

Papaver Midwifery $1900
(3 emails, no email back)
Salt Lake
willing to take trades
birth tub use
placenta encapsulation at extra cost

(These are the prices I got at the time, they could possibly change)


After interviewing the top two, it was an easy decision.

While I'm sure all of the other midwives are wonderful, they simply weren't the perfect fit for me.
Being as this could very well be my last pregnancy, I get to be picky.
 (I said last pregnancy, not last child. With the severity of PPD that I get, it just isn't fair to my family. If it is bad this time around, we will adopt the rest of our children.)

I chose the lovely Jessica Stahle of Quirky Midwife to look over my pregnancy and birth.
I felt at ease with her, which didn't happen with any other providers.
I love that she includes placenta encapsulation in her global fee.

When I mentioned my PPD, she actually asked me about it. Every other medical provider threw pills at me.

I'm happy with my decision, and look forward to getting to know her even more over the next 6 months or so. :)

And just because I know my mother yearns for more pictures, here ya go.
I've been practicing my low light photography.

Treehouse Time

Denny took the 6 am - 3 pm shift this tax season.

Lord knows he hates it, but that means the girls get more time with him during the days.

Home earlier = going out more.

Normally I take the girls to the Treehouse alone, because we go on weekends.

Weekends mean TONS of kids there.

Tons of kids means Denny bitching the whole time.

I love him, but he is worse than a toddler when he doesn't want to be somewhere.

Since we went on a weekday, he came along with no fuss.

We went on what happened to be Three Billy Goats Gruff day.

In the art garden the girls made little puppets.

AND Sophie got to be the Middle Billy Goat in the partici-play.

The girls wandered about and did their thing, while I just followed around as usual.

Denny helped them build stairs out of the giant foam blocks.

What a ham.

One of my favorite things there is the little medieval kingdom.

All the castle pieces and knits are such fun.

We spent so much time upstairs, that we didn't even get to anything downstairs.

It's a good thing we have memberships.

(I use a bit of our tax return each year to renew it, great investment!)

Birthday Girls

I've never liked "joint" parties.

I have always felt that they are a lazy way for a parent to not celebrate each child individually.

That's just me.

When Mya was born just 5 days before Sophie's birthday, I decided right then that I would make sure they each got their own special day.

Sophie threw me a curve ball.

She said that this year, she wanted to have her party with Mya.

Sharing at it's best.

I made SURE that is what she wanted, then went ahead with the planning.

We woke up bright and early with the girls, and headed off for a special birthday breakfast.

Lots of yummy food at Bee's Cafe.

Doesn't he just radiate happiness?

Once Mya was napping, we set up the treats and awaited the guests.

My favorite was by far the Dino Poop.

Apparently little chocolate cake balls look a good deal like poop.

Almost NONE of the kids would even touch them.

Sophie and Mya powered through theirs like champs.

We played a few games and colored some dinosaur pictures.

I made each of the kids (16 total) a dinosaur egg pinata.

Waaaaaaaaaaaay too much work, but the kids enjoyed smashing them open.

After the eggs, we opened gifts.
Mya was more interested in her paper bag of candy.



Sophie didn't mind doing most of the openinig.





After gifts and snacks, everyone went home.
The girls played about while we cleaned up and finished opening the packages.









Mya relaxing with her Cookie Monster.





Here are some of the awesome gifts they got, only some.
All of the others were ran off with before I got pictures.

Art stuffs



Dino



Squishy animals



Bathroom stuff for their dollhouse



Ponies & Lalaloopsies



A flower making kit



I made Mya a monkey



and Sophie a mermaid




Thank you everyone who came to share this special day with us.
And to our family who couldn't be here, thank you for sending your love.
(and a giant swing set, mom)





Birthday Surveys
I do one every year for their scrapbooks.


SOPHIE IS 5
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite food: Apples & Peanutbutter
Favorite animal: Puppy
Favorite movie/show: Beakman's World
Favorite toy: Art supplies
Best friend: Lydia & Halle

MYA IS 2
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite food: Cheese
Favorite animal: Dinosaur
Favorite movie/show: Blues Clues or Curious George
Favorite toy: Play kitchen

Best friend: Sophie