autumn in our backyard

updated birth pictures

there are some really great labor, birth and post partum pictures here at my doula client's website. i am proud ot say that i took a bunch of them. the coolest part about taking pictures was that she is a photographer so i got a free class on taking pictures. another awesome part of the experience was that no one asked us to abstain from taking pictures during the actual birthing! i have had doctors and nurses remind me that they do not allow pictures to be taken during the pushing or actual birthing. no one breathed a word of that at any point in the process. fabulous!

raking leaves

lil ones raking leaves

the bear's friend

a view of two friends from above

the were side by side all morning

born the same month!

let's build a campfire, she says.

the bear in the leaves
will and the trees
eyes shut tight
playing outside on a crisp fall morning.

they has so much fun together.
a late afternoon nursing.

full tummy

happy thanksveganing!!!

the kid's museum

like a good neighbor

in the past, you have read about how fabulous my neighbors are. well, here is yet another story of how awesome they are.

this weekend we realized that we were going to run out of insulin for our dog (newly diagnosed as having diabetes). We were trying to make it stretch until monday when we could go to the vet. our vet is great and we probably could have called them on saturday night to get more insulin for sunday's two shots. but, for some reason we did not do this.

our neighbor does animal rescue. she has been so good to us in caring for sherpa over the years. sherpa loves her and her husband dearly. when she heard that sherp was diagnosed with diabetes, she came right over to offer advice and sympathy. she told us that the people who built our house (and lovingly cared for it for 23 years before selling it to us), have a diabetic dog and a diabetic son.

we called our neighbor last night to ask if she had any insulin at her house. she recommended that we call the woman who used to live in our house, who is her dear friend. we did and left a message. she called us right back full of sympathy and understanding. she offered to come over with unsulin and teach us how to check sherpa's blood ourselves with a lip stick. we laughed about how we were all in our pajamas.

she came over after 9pm and spent so much time patiently explaining how she manages her dog's diabetes. she left us two syringes full of insulin, as well. i am so grateful for this woman. she is truly a good neighbor!

post partum support

happy 9 month birthday to the bear!!! already?

yesterday, my hubby cut my hair shorter. i was starting to regularly get tangles in the nape of my neck. it was just too long for weeks now but i was tired of the combing, combing, combing and the knots! it had to go. the left side is a bit longer in the front and i like it. it's still long enough to pull it back. it's the same otherwise. does that make sense? you need to see a picture, don't you?

my november clients have given birth as well as my december clients. what will i do with my time now? so far, i have been doing lots of post partum support, especially helping with breastfeeding. it's very enjoyable for me to help people but i am not at all glad that it is hard for them. it further concinves me that 6 weeks is way too long to go between birth and that first doctor visit. another care provider skilled in helping with all the challenges of breastfeeding, healing from labor and birth, juggling life, bonding, diaper changing, nutrition, sleeping, building attachment, and even grocery shopping or housekeeping is CRUCIAL. why do we even attempt to do all of it on our own? families deserve more help than they are getting...in everything from a skilled post partum attendant to a community of friends that will drop off meals or wash their dishes.

if you have a friend or relative who just gave birth, try to do more than ask for picutres of the babe. try to help them out. even if all seems well, they could benefit from doing less running around and more sitting still at this point in their lives. you bringing a meal is a simple act that means the family has much less to think about each day. if the mom is well nourished, her newborn babe can benefit, too. if you live in another town or state, just have food delivered to them on your dime by googling local restaraunts. and, from a doula and a mama to two, trust me when i tell you that it helps!

the sweet onion is here.

Yesterday morning, i was able to witness the birth of a little babe (4 lbs 7 onz) from an amazingly strong woman aided by the love of her husband. Due to being less than 37 weeks into her pregnancy, the mom came from the birth center to the hospital with her midwife. It was such a gentle birth full of close contact with the lil babe. her birth story will not be written in english, i have already been told. i am just thankful that i can capture my own reflection of it to have as a memory.

Three years ago this month, i gave birth at about 37 weeks along to a lil babe (exactly 5 lbs). She is the joy of my world as well as the greatest teacher of patience. Thank god for those lil babes that teach us how to stay close, give attention, develop patience and just get attached!

couple of birth stories and a music wall

is this a self-portrait of my precious little love?

mamatoo talking with the massage therapist.

what a candid shot of anna b that bash got! i have never seen that look on her face. has her mom?

and, how cute is this one?!

his girlfriend.

bash is quite a budding young photographer.

bash took this one of max-e-mu.

bash took this pic on ez in her car with lib.

i was whacking the nail all up until she saved me.

kara was pretty amazing. i think she may be a carpenter.

we used a muffin tin, cake pan, two old dog bowls, a hanging planter for the 'drumsticks', a cheese slicer (from the days of ole), a sifter, mismatched butter knives, a wooden spoon, CDs, measuring cups strung on a chopstick, the inside of measuring cups pried off, a small bucket, a ladybug double hook, a bowl, two lids, a pancake shaper that looks like a tulip (we bought this at crate and barrel years ago and never used it) and lots of green twist tie.

i hesitated to use anything plastic but anna b nailed this on in a way that it can be removed. we also used nails, two cup hooks, some string and super glue.

we searched the house to create this music wall.

the whole crew that helped construct our very own soulemama inspired "banging wall"!

they are finally getting to really bang on it!

my lil sweets at the end of a fun day!

over the past week, i have been to two births. and, will probably get to be at another one (surprise!) this weekend. in the previous posts, i told you that i would send the links to those two birth stories once the mamas posted them.

here is last week's birth story.

here is this week's birth story.

i have this confidentiality thing that i try to honor. my perspective on their births is a bit different, perhaps. but i honor their stories here. and, if i am ever around these two clients with you, it will be hard for me to not tell you just how hard they rocked labor and birth. seriously.

also, both of these births taught me so much. being at home with a midwife is always a learning experience for me. i got to weigh and measure a babe all on my own for the first time. in the hospital, i cannot tell you how surprised i was to be encouraged by a doctor to support a client's perineum with mineral oil that the nurse brought in and hot water...or that he encouraged her to stand/squat/be in ANY position she wanted...or that we got to take pictures of the entire birth happening...or that he sat still and supportive for 2.5 hours of pushing and then delayed cutting the cord. i kept forgetting we were in a hospital.