Married (with children) Conversations

^^more pics, because I love them so.^^

A week or so ago, about to go to bed:

Victor: It's your turn to say the prayer.

Me: Ok. ........[long silence].........

Victor: Annie.

Me: What?

Victor: You're supposed to be saying the prayer.

Me: Oh, right.

I amaze myself these days at how quickly I can pass out. Ha.

****

After our two week checkup for baby J:

Victor: Well, tonight should be nice, since the doctor said that we don't have to wake J up to eat anymore.

Me: Just because the doctor said he can sleep longer, doesn't mean he actually will, Victor.

Victor: [...]

Yeah, so babies don't really care about doctor's orders. It was a rough night two nights ago, but then last night he only woke up once. No consistency! Newborns.

One Week Old Deliciousness

Introducing Joseph Ramón Castro

I hadn't thought much about taking newborn photos. My good friend Anna had mentioned it before giving birth but it wasn't until after that I realized that capturing the perfect goodness of a delicious one week old was absolutely necessary. Anna did such a good job with the pictures, and these photos are treasures to me. 

Baby J, you are perfect and you have captured our hearts. 

The Agony and the Ecstacy (AKA Giving Birth)

I gave birth just five days ago. And it sure is amazing how those extremely painful parts are starting to become foggy and I think, "oh yeah, I could do this again." But if you had asked me on Tuesday, the day I spent entirely in labor, I would have said, nope, no more babies ha ha.

I started having regular contraction, five minutes apart like clockwork at midnight on Tuesday. I went into labor and delivery at 3am and they told me to go home. I also had a doctors appointment that morning with my dr to possibly discuss induction. At that appointment, she got the ball rolling (in other words stripped my membranes) and then the contractions that started made all the other ones look like chump change. I labored at home for about five hours. I was so scared to go to the hospital and get turned away again, after being in so much pain and feeling like I just HAD to have made progress.

But we went in, and I was 4cm, and I had a leak in my water. My golden ticket! I got admitted, and the anesthesiologist soon was on the scene giving me an epidural.

Epidural, sweet epidural! When it kicked in, my husband said, "it's so nice to be able to talk to my wife again!"

^^not too shabby view. smiles from the epidural!^

I spent the rest of the evening making progress. My dad's flight got in, and our dear friends picked him up and brought him straight to the hospital. Finally, at 2am, my midwife that delivered me said it was time to start pushing! But at this point, with the way I was sitting for pushing, I started feeling so much pain from the contractions. I was exhausted, and I hadn't eaten a thing all day so my energy was dwindling.

That hour of pushing was definitely the hardest thing I have done physically. I know I couldn't have done it without prayer. I just kept praying to find the energy I needed to do it. And soon enough, the head was starting to come out: I reached down to touch it in my midwife's effort to get me motivated. It was pretty weird, but still pretty cool.

Soon I could feel the whole baby coming down the birth canal. That was so surreal! And then he was out. And everyone immediately exclaimed "he's so big!" They immediately put him up on my skin, and he really was a chubby little guy. That moment was surreal. It wasn't like how some people say that they felt they knew their babies all their lives. It was more like, "wow, you've been in my belly for 9 months: it's nice to finally meet you!" To finally have a face to all those kicks and movements you come to know for so long.

They let me do skin to skin for as long as I wanted. I felt like I was hogging him from Victor ha ha. I knew he was so excited and so ready to hold his son. So, I gave him to Victor and then he had him weighed. Nine pounds four ounces! Where was he hiding in that belly of mine?? The belly they said was always measuring small, and the belly that my doctor had estimated would maybe be around 7.5 pounds. It was crazy. But I love my little baby with chubby cheeks and cute little leg rolls.

And I am amazed and frankly, proud of my body, for growing that baby, for being able to get it out, and for now being able to create food to keep him alive. It's all so amazing. And witnessing live birth, whether it's being the laborer o being able to be a witness, is by far the most spiritual and sacred thing I have ever been apart of.

Cape Manzamo at 39/40 Weeks

My mom is here! And it's my birthday tomorrow! And actually, it's my due date tomorrow too. Wowzers. My mom has been here for a little over a week, and it has been pretty great being able to play with her before baby comes. Despite my belly that slows me down, and my mom tearing her ACL and meniscus just 3 weeks before coming, we have been having lots of fun. 

^^ick I look like a whale! but ny husband sure looks handsome^^

I seriously can not believe I am hitting 40 weeks. I feel like this pregnancy went by so incredibly fast, and yet when I look back, I do feel like I have been pregnant for such a long time. I still need to pack a hospital bag, and we still need to put the carseat in the car, but even then, I don't think I'll ever feel completely prepared.

This will most likely be my last bump post. It's kind of bittersweet. It's fun and pretty miraculous to look back at how my body has grown a baby. Pretty amazing. Hope you've enjoyed the journey with me!

Summer Days at Cape Maeda (37 weeks)

 Full-term, baby.

I love Cape Maeda, but visiting it on this crazy hot day with no plans to get in the water was torture. That water was perfect! Everyone else already had that idea, as you can see in the picture with all the boats and the hoards of snorkelers and divers.

Basically these days if my plans don't involve going to the pool or swimming in the ocean, then I am usually at home with my cranked up air conditioner. I feel like all dining establishments and stores are being stingy with their air conditioning so I like to order my food to-go so I can enjoy it from my own house. Classic cranky pregnant woman at its finest.

So, in other words, it's HOT!

But I'm doing good, and still soaking up this summer and these last precious weeks of freedom with my husband ha ha. Okinawa sure is gorgeous in the summer. Hope you have a great week!

xoxo Annie

Books Read in 2014: Return and Report (Part One)

I did much better these last six months the six months prior so I'm proud of that, but I still slowed down a bit these last few months. Maybe I need new suggestions (hint hint) since I've had a few that I've started and just haven't had the motivation to keep reading. 

I wrote reviews on all of these books on my goodreads account which I wish everyone would join because it's my favorite social media that is not used by enough people. Anyway, you can still read my reviews if you're not a member: just click the thing on my sidebar. I'm just going to highlight my favorites in this post, and if you want to read a review that I don't mention, or read my full review since I'm just paraphrasing here, go to my goodreads. 

And join goodreads!

 Women and the Priesthood: You had me at Sheri Dew. Loved this book and love what she has to say. If you want to know where I stand with all the mormon feminist controversy taking place right now, just read this book.

I Am Malala: An inspiring read that also helps give a background into how Pakistan got to be such a messed up place.

I read the Divergent series before the movie came out, and man, was it pretty disappointing how each of the following books got worse and worse from the first. Veronica Roth tries, but she can't keep the momentum of the first book due to weak plots and poor writing. 

Gift From the Sea I read on my girls trip to Ishigaki Island and it was a perfect read for a trip near the ocean. It is such a great book for women. 

Wonder: Loved it. I recommend it. 

Wild: I'm including it because I am almost done with it and will be discussing it at book club this week. And I have issues with it. Overall, I just say "meh." You're not really missing out if you don't read it. 

So what has been on your summer reading lists? Do tell. 

Our Baby's Nursery

I thought about waiting to show you until baby arrives but I can't wait any longer! I finished my final projects, got clothes and stuff organized, and it's pretty much ready to go. I love walking by this room: I feel like it's such a happy space.

All the furniture in the room was from local yard sale finds (except the gov loaner arm chair), and most items like the rug, picture frames, shelving, globe, and the cuckoo clock were purchased from local Japanese stores. I made the baby mobile, also Japanese inspired: you know how much I love origami!

^^Victor wanted to keep the extra chair on the left in the room so more people could sit in there. It really is nice to have the extra seating^^

^^the blank frame will be for a family photo I think^^

 I knew immediately when I found out I was pregnant that I wanted a book wall. I wanted the room to be a fun "learning" space if that makes sense ha. Thus the globe, and the gallery wall with the alphabet and the U.S. map. Then I found the adorable Eric Carle fabrics (from Brown Bear, Brown Bear if you recall) and loved how they brought the color into the room.

I made two crib sheets, and two changing pad covers. The one in the pic was just a tiny bit harder than using just one fabric, but seriously, both projects were so easy. I highly encourage making your own baby bedding. It saved me so much money, and it was completely customized to what I wanted. I ended up making two crib sheets, two changing pad covers, the baby quilt, and the crib pillow for just $80.

So there you go! Now we just wait until we have a tiny person actually living in it. Then things will get real. Hope you like it!