Reid's Birth Story

On Friday 10/18, I woke up to my bloody show and irregular contractions.  I was excited but continued like normal, going to the gym and getting my nails done.  My mom took the kids for the afternoon and we decided to have them sleepover.  Sean and I went on a date and I started having more regular contractions about 10 minutes apart during our dinner.

 Around 8 or 9pm I started timing them and they went from 7 minutes apart to 3-7 minutes apart.  I called my midwife and by 11pm, Sean and I headed out of town to the hospital.

(Backstory: I decided after having Winnie that my body and mind were very capable of having a baby unmedicated (pending no complications).  The hospital I delivered at is known for having a more holistic approach to childbirth.  So I made the decision to switch to the midwife/OBGYN co-op at 20 weeks and drive outside of town to this hospital and practice.)

After getting to the hospital around 11:30pm, I was set up in a triage room.  Luckily, triage at this hospital is a normal delivery room without a tub so it was equipped with a bathroom, yoga balls, newborn warming unit, etc. 

After 20 minutes of monitoring in bed, the nurse checked me and I was at 1 1/2 cm dilated (midnight).  It was surprising but not disappointing.  They told me they would keep me for 2 hours.  I started walking around the room and laboring in the bathroom.  The toilet has always been my go-to laboring position for earlier stages because it opens the pelvis and clears the bowels.

I kept in mind advice I had received: In earlier labor, you do things that make you uncomfortable and during the later parts of labor, you do what you can to get comfortable.

Around 1:00am, the nurse came in and sat on the floor to monitor Reid’s heart rate with a doppler through a contractions to see if he was handling them well.  He was doing great so she said she would be back at 2:00am to check my dilation.

After that, I started using the yoga ball to widen my pelvic area.  I also used deep, controlled breathing: using 4 counts in, 8 counts out.  I kept any vocalizations low so they would be productive instead of using up energy.
Around 1:30am, Sean started doing hip squeezes to help me through each contraction.
Around 1:40am, I asked the nurse to come in to check my dilation.  I was 4 cm dilated and again surprised.  I felt like the intensity of the contractions didn’t match the dilation.  The nurse told me they would admit me and set up my room and start filling the tub.

After that, contractions started coming with less rest in between.  One round in particular was 3 contractions right after another.  Speaking positive affirmations to myself at this point was extremely helpful in keeping me in control. Imagine "prep talk" style.  It was incredibly effective for me.
At about 1:55am, contractions changed to pressure and my low moans started to become more guttural.  I called my nurse to tell her I was feeling “pushy”.  She came into our room and led me to my own delivery room.

After taking off my dress, they monitored Reid’s heart rate while I stood by the bed. Once they determined Reid was doing well, I was able to get into the incredibly warm water.  It felt so good! The water was more effective in relieving pain than the hip squeezes.

I immediately got into a half kneeling position and my body started pushing baby out.  Sean and the nurse (Claire) were behind me, outside the tub, and Claire had her hand near me in case I needed assistance.  Blanche, the midwife, came in as my body pushed and observed.  

I felt down as I was pushing and felt his head come out then I was able to pull his sweet body up and out of the water at 2:09am.   

We continued to keep Reid warm with the water while we waited for the cord to stop pulsing.

After Sean cut the cord, he was given Reid for some skin to skin while I got out of the tub to deliver the placenta and get checked out on the hospital bed.  The placenta was delivered easily without medication and Blanche gave me a “tour” of my placenta (I had requested & videoed that -- placentas are amazing!).

After talking to my midwife at 20 weeks, I decided not to encapsulate my placenta since I had a good postpartum period and a good milk supply with my previous babies.

After examination, it was determined that I had not torn and didn’t need any stitches and Sean gave Reid to me and Reid eventually started nursing.

My mom and Megan came in and a bit later, Sarah and Mindy joined.  They were supposed to be my labor and delivery team but since I had progressed from a 4cm to baby in less than half an hour, they had missed the delivery. But it was so fun having them in the room right after having Reid.  We shared how things had progressed (and why they were unable to get here fast enough for the birth).  We also told them how we had chosen Reid Luther.  

About 2 hours after Reid was born, the nurse came back in and weighed and measured him.  The nurse wrote down all of our guesses of Reid’s weight and my mom got it spot on!

Once Reid was all checked out, we walked to my postpartum room and everyone had a chance to hold sweet Reid.

Throughout my entire experience, I was impressed by the level of respect and trust my nurses and midwife had for me.  They were respectful of my body as well as Reid’s and kept me informed through each step of their process.  When I told them I was feeling “pushy”, they trusted me and didn’t have me lay on a bed to check my progress.

It was the sweetest experience and to be honest, one that I am incredibly proud of.

We are thrilled with our newest addition!

Why I Started Working for VIPKID and a glimpse at the job

Being a mom is hard.  Everyone knows that.
Sometimes is hard because you have little ones screaming at you and dinner needs to be made.
Or a simple diaper change turns into cleaning poop off baby's foot, your elbow and the wall. Blegh.
Sometimes it's hard because there's no evaluation.  No one to tell you, "Hey! Today you had a rough crowd.  Good job keeping everyone alive!"
Or (one I've discovered since moving to Eugene) you're going on 3 weeks of rainy days.  You have two options: stay home for the 2nd week in a row or go to the store and risk spending too much money or having your kids freak out because you won't get them a random set of paper clips. (What?!)
I was feeling all of these in January.  I learned that I need to recognize when I'm having a hard time and then do something about.  I realized I needed a hobby.  Enter VIPKID.  
I had seen friends post about VIPKID and how awesome it was to work before your kids wake up.  I was hesitant because sleep is sacred to me and getting up anytime before 5 didn't seem like it was going to work.  But in January I changed my tune and applied, interviewed, taught my mock class and got hired!  And guess what? I still get at least 7 hours of sleep every day. Usually 8 hours. Success.

Why am I writing a blog post about VIPKID? Because it has helped me out emotionally and I wanted to get the word out. I get to do something I love every morning and it doesn't interfere with my day job (as a full time mom).  I may be working 2-3 hours in the early hours in the morning but I still get out with my kids.  We go on playdates, walks, jump houses (trampolines), library trips, etc.  It's amazing what you can train your body to do.

I graduated with a BS in Elementary Education but never got my certificate.  My only teaching experience includes what I did in college, a month of subbing, and being a sunbeam teacher for a year.  Luckily this was enough for VIPKID and I know get paid $20 to teach [usually] dedicated, adorable kids in China.

Lesson Prep: I prep while my kids are napping or during the quiet time right before bed.  Prepping for 6 - 25 minute classes only takes me 15 minutes.  How awesome?

Schedule: I make my own schedule.  There are no longer minimum requirements so you can work as much or as little as you want. Going on vacation? No problem.  I don't work.  Or I teach 2 classes and call it good.
Ask my family.  I'm kind of in love with my early morning job.  VIPKID is always looking for ways to better their company!  It is a fantastic company to work for.

Have you heard of VIPKID but have been on the edge about it?  Ask me about it!

Do I get a referral bonus for new teachers I refer? Yes!  And when you become a teacher, you will too!  (And this month, new teachers get an extra $25) But if even if no one ever signs up, my paycheck from teaching kids is awesome! Your job stability is NOT dependent on getting people to sign.  I just love this job.  It has helped me get back in my "Hilary Groove" and if there is someone out there needing something like this for emotional or financial reasons, I hope this helps them too.

Want to get started?
Sign up and start your application process here: VIPKID APPLICATION SIGN UP

My VIPKID classroom set up

The Hospital Bag

I have so many friends who are pregnant. (Yayyyy!) So I thought I would let you guys know what I took and used during my hospital stay.  And to have as a record for my future hospital stays.  But if you want me to come over and pack your hospital bag that'd be cool... Actually I'd love that.

I didn't bring everything in with me initially.  Just the things I knew I would need until I was moved from the labor and delivery unit to the mother/baby unit.

Labor & Delivery:

Makeup-- Yes, I'm vain.  I know.  But I didn't want to cringe at all the pictures from my birth. Obviously this is something you can do before the hospital if you want but my pain tolerance is... high. So I always go to the hospital thinking I'll be sent home. Don't want to waste the effort just for that.

Eye drops-- If you're wearing contacts.. and it's late, eye drops are a must. I didn't bring them with me but my sister saved the day.

Rice bags/heating pad-- Unless you're being induced, you'll be in some level of discomfort at the hospital.  For Klaus' birth it didn't take very long to get an epidural but for Winnie there were a few hoops I needed to jump through before an order was even put in for an epidural.  Then there's a possibility of the epidural wearing off/not working.  Long story short-- some sort of heating device feels really good, even if you aren't experiencing back labor.

Photographer--  I LOVE having pictures from my labor and delivery.  I guess it isn't for everyone but those photos are priceless to me.  Such tender moments were caught.  We didn't have one for Klaus and I soooo wish we did.  My sister photographed Winnie's birth and it was incredible.  She was extremely professional about it and was a fly on the wall during the process.  If you're on the fence about birth photography-- DO IT.  No regrets.

Wallet-- Photo ID, insurance card, etc. :)

My labor bag is small.  You can bring stuff to entertain yourself but I love talking to the nurses, my hub, anyone who will listen really.  I LOVE birthing babies so I relish in the moment. ;)




Recovery:

Robe-- Did I mention I'm vain? Yes.  That is established.  But even if I wasn't, I really don't enjoy the hospital gowns.  I wore a fluffy pink robe the entire time.  It was wonderful and made me feel pretty.

Nursing tank tops--  I wore this one and this one.  I brought nursing bras but didn't use them. Tanks were enough and I covered up with my robe when we had company/got too cold.

Nursing pillow-- I brought my boppy and even slept with it around me so that when baby woke up to eat, I didn't need to adjust anything.  Some people swear by their nursing pillows, some don't.  For me it's a matter of ease.

Sweats-- I had thin sweats to wear.  Loose leggings, really.  They are heaven.  I'd link it but I'm pretty sure my MIL got them off Zulily.

Slippers/grip socks-- I'm not a huge germaphobe but TRUST ME.  You do NOT want to be bare foot on a hospital floor.  I've seen bodily fluids wiped up with a paper towel.  No cleaning products.  No cleaning products! *gag*

Snacks-- Utah had fantastic food and tons of it.  California?  I packed a bag of snacks just in case... and ate allll of it.  The food was pretty bad.  Stereotypical hospital food. If you're like me, you are ALWAYS hungry when nursing.  Snacks, snacks, snacks. Protein bars, fruit, carbs.

Water bottle-- My nurses had a hard time keeping up with my postpartum camel tendencies.  It would've been nice to have a bottle my hubs could go fill up. (Utah has nice and big water bottle for you- in case you're delivering there.)

Long, huge pads-- A lot of blogs will tell you to not bring clothes you want to take home.  I never had an issue with leaks because I wore long, huge pads.  No exaggeration.  Two feet long, half a foot wide.  My hospital only gave me two so having a back up like Depends is good.  I felt comfortable wearing my own clothes because of them.

Coming home outfit-- I don't remember what I went home in for Klaus.  With Winnie, I just wore sweats and a v-neck.  But you do need something unless you want to go home in what you worn while you were in labor.

Toiletries-- I brought the whole shebang.  And used all of it.  I took a shower each day I was there and did my hair and makeup the second day.  It was great.  But if that isn't your style then bring the bare minimum.

Flip flops-- Remember the need for slippers or socks?  The showers?  Worse.

Here's a list of things I would ask the hospital if they have and if they don't have them, you'll want to bring them with you:
- Tucks pads
- Dermoplast
- Lanolin
- Nursing pads (only 1 or 2 pairs)
- Mesh underwear
- Peri bottle
(I brought a list with me to ask during the hospital tour.  I'd recommend calling to ask if they don't offer tours.)




For Baby:

Coming home outfit-- Something for baby to leave in.  Klaus just had a cute onesie.  Winnie... she came home in an oversized half tee. Weird if you know me but I was just so happy to have her coming home with me right away, I didn't care what she was wearing. So that cute coming home outfit I made? Yeah.  Didn't get used.

Blanket-- I brought a warm option and a light option and used both of them.

Extra outfits for baby-- Winnie was in the room with us the entire time so it was up to us to clothe her.  I would suggest getting some of these.  They make changing your newborn so easy.

Pacifier-- Ever heard of a WubbaNub? Get a WubbaNub.  If you're baby doesn't take a pacifier, that's fine but if they do-- you'll thank me for getting one.  A pacifier stuck to a stuffed animal?  You'll have a harder time losing it or dropping it.

Carseat-- Obviously. It's a bit of a requirement.

Happy Packing! 

Winnie's Birth Story

Here we are again!  Almost two years ago I wrote Klaus' birth story and now I get to write his sister's.  Joy.  That's what I'm feeling.  Pure joy.
The short story of her birth is that it was fabulous.  Just like Winnie.  But here's the long, detailed version in case you're interested.

Thursday, February 25th around 2 AM, I woke up to some contractions.  They weren't intense by any means and I was able to go back to sleep an hour later.  When I woke up that morning, Sean and I went on a 2 mile walk and by the time we got back home my contractions were completely gone.

It's funny.  Earlier in the week I was really anxious about waiting to give birth.  I wanted to meet this babe!  Klaus was born in my 37th week of pregnancy so at 38 weeks, I was more pregnant than ever.  Tuesday was a really rough day for me and then I made a mental switch.  If I had to be pregnant, I was going to be happy about it.  I wasn't in pain.  I wasn't huge and swollen.  I didn't have any complications. I had so much to be grateful for.  So I decided to be happy.  WHAT A DIFFERENCE it made.  

Okay back to the story!

Thursday was a great day.  Klaus and I hung out with my mom.  I napped.  When Sean got home from work we went to the Sacramento Temple.  It was relaxing and Sean and I had an amazing time together.
That night, I was a bit crampy and spent a lot of the evening on my ball, swaying with a heating pad on my back.  The hospital I planned on delivering at doesn't allow things to be plugged in during labor and delivery so my mom whipped up some super cute rice bag that night when I realized I enjoyed the heat on my back.  She's a pro, that mom of mine. ;)
Contractions started coming more frequently that evening but nothing consistent.  I walked around, chatted with my mom, and swayed on the ball.  When they became more uncomfortable I started laboring on the toilet.  I went back and forth between the ball and the toilet from then on.
At 11 PM I started tracking the contractions to see if there was any consistency.  A little while later, Klaus woke up really distraught and couldn't go back to sleep.  At midnight, I realized my contractions had been about 3 minutes apart for about an hour so I woke my mom up to come sit with Klaus and Sean & I left for the hospital to get checked out.  Leaving Klaus that night was very emotional for me.  My heart was overflowing with love for him and didn't want to leave him but the desire to not have a baby at home was more overwhelming.

Sean and I got to the hospital at 12:21 AM and were admitted from triage at 1:10 AM.  I was dilated to 5/6 cm and my cervix was paper thin.  I had to concentrate through each contraction but kept control.
We got to our labor and delivery room and my nurse, Joan got me hooked up to fluids and penicillin (GBS positive).  After getting hooked up, I decided that I wanted an epidural but I had to have half a bag of fluids and blood work done before the order could be put in with the nurse anesthetist.  At 2:30 AM the nurse anesthetist, Arnie, came in to administer the epidural.  My contractions took a lot of concentration and coping but I was still working through them really well, thanks to Sean and my rice bag!  It was a world of a difference compared to Klaus' birth.  I didn't even try to cope with the pain from his labor.  I felt pretty zen this time around.

Yes... I did my makeup at 3 in the morning.  I wanted to feel awake!

I was dilated to 8 cm by the time Arnie had finished administering the epidural.  Sarah arrived around 3 AM.  She was our birth photographer and record keeper of the events of the labor and delivery.
The epidural made me shiver like crazy and by 3:20 AM I was almost complete at 9 3/4 cm dilated.
At 3:30 AM I started feeling pain in my under belly which was odd considering the epidural was supposed to be numbing that area. I called my nurse and while waiting for her to arrive, we made predictions on baby's weight and height.  Sean= 7-2, 20 in; Hil=7-9, 19 1/2 in; Sarah 7-11, 20 1/2 in.
The nurse came in and I told her my concern.  She told me to call her if it got worse.

By 3:45 AM I had to start coping with the pain through low moans.  At 4:05 AM the nurse came in and confirmed that the epidural machine wasn't working.  Instead of letting me get a dose every 12 minutes, it was stuck at 9 hours.  Yeah, no thank you!

Concentrating through contractions while the epidural was wearing off.

4:13 AM Arnie, the nurse anesthetist came in and gave me meds through my back tube and sat and chatted with us for a while.  Ten minutes later my legs were COMPLETELY numb.  You could have stabbed me and I wouldn't have flinched.
My water broke after that with a POP.  It was awesome!  Joan came in and checked me-- My cervix still had a bit of an anterior lip to it.
At 5 AM I was complete and we did a practice push that went really well despite the fact I couldn't feel a thing! Joan called in the team and set up the room for delivery.
There was a moment when Sean, Sarah and I were the only ones in the room so I asked Sean if he would say a prayer before our baby was born.  The spirit was very strong going into the time of pushing.

At 5:10 AM our baby was born!  After one set of pushes!

Sean and I decided not to find out the gender throughout the pregnancy.  The baby was born and Sean exclaimed, "It's a girl!" and I just cried.  She was amazing!
They placed her on my stomach and then took her to get checked out.  Meanwhile, the OBGYN, Dr. Overbey delivered the placenta and stitched up the tiny tear I received.  They gave me pitocin to help my uterus contract and shrink.

They had our baby girl behind a curtain for a while and I started wondering what was happening.  I asked Sean and he beamed, mouthing "She's good."  The OB didn't see Sean tell me and exclaimed, "Someone tell her how her baby's doing!!"

We announced her name to the room and she was back on my chest in no time.  It was an absolutely beautiful experience.  We are SO in love with our little Winnie Jean and we're so grateful for her health and strength.

Grandma Winnie Stevenson's class ring

Pixie Cut

Sarah's rockin before and after

About three months ago one of my sisters came to me with the idea of getting her hair cut.  But not just any cut- a pixie cut like Whippy Cake.  I instantly fell in love with the idea and the cut.  Then she got it done and I fell in love even more.

I'm the type to make impulsive decisions but I've learned with my old age *ahem* to chill out and take time to ponder the decision. Four months went by and I was still obsessed with the cut (and that's an understatement).  And not just the cut but the platinum blonde that Whippy Cake rocks. Fangirl much? No shame.

The Whippy Cut

I got the cut! and.... well people, I love it.  And it's really funny.  I can tell rather quickly whether people like it.  It's a really drastic cut and there have been some who instantly comment on it and rave.  Others comment that I got it cut and leave it at that.  And others completely ignore the fact I went from long to super short hair.  It's pretty entertaining.



I'm in love with it and my hubby still thinks I'm a fox.  What else matters?  And no, I'm not offended if people don't like it.  Shoot, if we all liked the same things, the world would be a boring place.  In the words of T-Swifty "Haters gonna hate.. I'm just gonna shake.. Shake it off."

When my hair was long, it was stringy and ick.  The only way it would look good is if I added my nifty extensions.  It was a little too much work for muah.  And it'd look awesome for an hour then be straggly for the rest.  Guess how long my pixie looks awesome?  All. Day.  Compared to my long hair it takes about the same amount of time to style.  But heck.  Lasts longer.  Then I can stop worrying about how I look and play with my little Klausy boy the rest of the time.
Short hair = happy momma.  No it's not my "mom cut", it's my "rockin pixie cut".  :)

   

{ California Trip } Part Four

Klaus received a baby blessing at church.  It was a beautiful prayer and to celebrate Klaus, we had family come over to our house for a luncheon.  It was so fun!  Sean's parents, grandparents, and his sister's family all came into town for it. It humbles me to know there are so many that love my little baby.  We are truly blessed.

Klaus' grandparents

Klaus' great grandparents

The studly Stevenson men. :)

 I just had to include this... Sean's face is my favorite.  It explains our relationship well-- always falling all over each other.  Right babe? ;)

Klaus has a best friend.  She's a pretty young thang weighing 14ish lbs and she laughs like crazy.  Cousin Jane.  They are 4 weeks apart and just, ya know, lay there together but I can tell with my mommy instincts... They're already BFF.  At least that's what I assume when Jane grabs his hand and trys to munch on it.... or stroke his hair.

Sacramento has TONS of strawberry patches.  It's too good to pass up, so Sarah, Mom and I made strawberry jam.  Then I messed up a batch and it became strawberry syrup.  Ya win some and you lose some folks.

The place where we went fishing was so beautiful, so I asked my sister Sarah if she could take some pictures for us.  Not too shabby eh?

Klaus did so well during pictures.  I'm biased, being his mother and all, but I think he's pretty photogenic. :)

Klaus loves being sung to and grandpa was willing to accommodate. 

It's a tradition to eat your cake topper a year after you've been married.  Well, our anniversary was back in May but we still enjoyed our cake. A lot.  My mom = superb baker = excellent 1 year old cake.

The rest of the trip was awesome.  We had a family sleep over at Sarah's, played games, and visited my grandparents.  It was hard to say goodbye but it really was the perfect vacation.  Till next time family!

{ California Trip } Part Three

Our post-Mendocino stay was incredibly busy and uber fun!  Sean loves to spoil me... So he suggested we stay a week after we got back to Sac from camping.  *insert singing angels* There was so much going on that I split this section up into two posts. :) Enjoy!
July 31st is Harry Potter's birthday.  We're some serious geeks so...

 And you know your family members are true geeks when they point out that the scar is on the wrong side of the forehead.  We celebrated dear Harry that night with awful butter beer (my bad),  chocolate covered pretzel wands, witch hat brownies and the Harry Potter soundtrack.

This is what pure joy looks like.  Love my Trudy girl.

Our entire family had the opportunity to go fishing on a friend's property.  Us Hogges LOVEEEE fishing (it's a Grandpa Joe nostalgia thing) and I felt pretty cool teaching my hubby how to cast. :D

My cousin Manna hosted the most fabulous baby shower! It was so stinkin adorable. Not to brag... (okay, I am) but my cousins are pro party planners.  Need proof? Okay fine. ;)

Klaus was a little stud.  And then he did what all babies do and zonked.  And yes, my son is a little weirdy and sleeps better when his face is covered by a blanket.  And I allow it.  No judgy. 

 Angry baby! Hahaha....

Klaus loves his Auntie Manna.  And so do I. :)

So I'm one of those weird dog owners that celebrates my dogs "birthday" (adoption day).  It's become quite the event in my family.  My nieces LOVE it and even get her a plethora of presents each year.  It's cute.  Too cute. 

Sadie got too much peanut butter stuck to the roof of her mouth.. Sometimes you've gotta help a sista out.

How lucky am I? So much fun to be had.

Next up: The Baby Blessing and other shenanigans