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.