I make laundry soap but that's because I do ever so much laundry and I was tired of spending so much money on detergent and I found a recipe for laundry soap that is easy to make and I like and so I just make it when I need it and it makes me happy to save money.
I also do cloth diapering. I've always wanted to but I just got the nerve up to do it for Dinah and I really only started to get good at it about 6 months ago when the planets aligned and I finally had enough cloth diapers (bought second hand because those suckers are expensive), I had the right laundry soap to wash them in (mean green soap from the Amazon), and I had the laundering method down (thanks to the wonderful internet).
I had a baby at home. On purpose. That one probably seems like a big one but it sure made sense to me. I've had 6 hospital births. I didn't dislike them. They all resulted in lovely babies that I got to bring home. When we began to expect this newest little person I was already thinking that I would like to try a home birth and that made me nervous. I've used the same OB for all of our babies and I love his guts and he is wonderful and he did an external version on my Buggy baby when she was breech and she turned and I got to avoid a c-section for which I will be ever grateful. He is an excellent doctor. I became a bit dissatisfied with the rigamarole at the office though... the staff that apparently didn't think he needed to be told that my water broke with Dinah, it was all a big surprise to him to find me in the hospital delivering a baby. I should have been suspicious when they didn't take any of my info when I called to let them know. Whatevs, or maybe it was the long waits and the feeling like I was just another of 100's of patients who may or may not be a druggie, or disease riddled person and I was probably lying about it if I said I wasn't. I'm sure they've seen some harrowing stuff and it is all for the good of the babies to assume the worst, I guess, but maybe there was a different way.
So when I asked a friend the name of her midwife and I called to make that first appointment, I felt like I was sneaking out on Dr C and boy was he going to be irritated with me if he ever found out! I even turned off my tracking software on my phone that my sisters and mom have when I went to that first appointment so that they wouldn't get suspicious about what I was doing up at 3rd Street and Bethany Home? I imagined they would be so curious about what was there that they would look up all the businesses there and figure out what I was up to! Then maybe they would tattle tell on me. I was also not telling anyone about the pregnancy yet even though I was about 12 weeks along. So my veil of secrecy was very important to me.
That first appointment was just a breath of fresh air. I was a bit nervous and unsure what they would think of me. I worried that they would think I was too old to be trying a home birth, or that it would be too expensive, or that they wouldn't believe I was pregnant (bahaha), or they wouldn't believe that I thought I could do a home birth. Who knows?! I was worried about lots of things. I went right in, there was no waiting whatsoever (I never waited for any of my appointments). I met with two or three of the lovely midwives that first time, Mary, Jenny, and Amy mostly. They answered all my questions and apparently I wasn't too old! Who knew? They were sweet and confident and kind and I was convinced that they were the girls for me.
I called my Ryan on the way home and talked way too fast and tried hard to convince him that my crazy scheme was a good idea. I was worried that he wouldn't love the idea or let me do it. But he was sweet and let me ramble on and on and after he looked over all the literature they gave me and all the info he agreed that we could do it! Hooray!
I learned that midwives are just more laid back than my experience with dr's offices had been. We did all the same tests and ultrasounds and such that I did for all the other babies, it was just a more pleasant experience altogether than I had had with the other babies. For example, the glucose test. The dreaded but necessary glucose test. Blech, how I hated that syrupy soda they made me drink on an empty stomach then sit around feeling nauseous for forever to see if my poor bod could handle all that sugar. It is a test I dread with every pregnancy. I've never had gestational diabetes, I was measuring big with this baby and not loving sugar at all and I was a bit suspicious that I may be borderline with her. So I was looking forward to/dreading the test. But when wonderful Mary told me that there was no glucola to drink and that all I had to do was eat a big breakfast of things I normally eat and stop eating at a certain time and get to the appt and they would do the blood draw and that was it! Well, I was giddy. I was actually looking forward to this test! I love eating a big breakfast so I had lovely pancakes and eggs and I ate and ate and ate until 8am on the dot and off I waddled to my appointment. I loved that they trusted me enough to believe that I could follow simple instructions and they were smart enough to know that testing my bod with things it normally encountered would be the best way to see how it responds (since I never drink sugary drinks anyways, I'm a water drinker thru and thru).
When it came to be time to have the dear darling I once again became a little anxious. I had gathered all the things Mary had said I would need for a home birth, everything on the list was checked off and I was having regular contractions! I called Mary, just like she told me to, and let her know that I was probably in labor and stuff. I was worried because, though I was having regular contractions, they weren't making me particularly sad, I could talk thru them, walk thru them, etc. So I set out on a walk to hopefully move things along so that when Mary came I wouldn't be ashamed at having made no progress. Jeffy accompanied me on a long walk in the neighborhood and he was a great walking buddy. We had a good talk about having babies and him being a big brother and him being a great kid and all that mushy stuff. He really is a great kid. But eventually he got hungry so I returned him to the house and traded for Terry, my father in law. He walked around the block with me and was fun to talk to, then we switched him for my Ryan who had finished feeding the flock of children and getting them settled. It was lovely to get to walk with Ryan. He always makes me feel better.
We went home and read scriptures with the kids and got them put to bed. Before they went we asked them if they wanted to be awoken when the baby got here. Leah, Tessa, and Alana all wanted to be there when she was born. The boys said they wanted to see her after she was born. So we agreed to wake them up at the appropriate times. The kids were off to bed, very excited about the prospect of getting a new sister soon and Ryan and I finished up a few preparations before Mary arrived at 8:30 to see how I was progressing. Mother and Whitny were on their way out from Chandler, Amanda was on her way from her home in Taylor (three hours away). And I was just hoping I had made enough progress to merit all the lovely visitors that were travelling so far to be here with me.
Mary arrived and I was glad that she found everything she needed here and I hadn't forgotten any of the preparations. She checked me and, Hallelujah! I was dilated to a three. That may not seem like much progress but for me and how I labor, it was fantastic. I was relieved to be in real live labor and to know that the pregnancy chapter would soon be over and I would get to meet the little person. Granted, there were a few hurdles to come, believe me, I have come to respect and stand in awe of labor. It is truly an experience that defies description and amazes me every single time. And boy does it hurt.
Mother and Whitny arrived shortly and we all settled in my room to visit and wait. Jessica, my lovely sister in law arrived, she is expecting a little boy, her second baby, and I was glad that she came over. She is a fun girl. Amanda arrived just after that and it was a party.
I sat and enjoyed talking to everyone and introducing them to Mary. Mom and Mary found that they had a lot in common since Mom had been a labor and delivery nurse for ages and ages at John C Lincoln Hospital and she and Mary bemoaned the closing of the birthing center. Whitny found out that Mary had trained the midwife who trained Whitny's midwife who had delivered Whitny's last two babies. And I got to be pleased again with my choice to have a home birth and have Mary as my midwife. 
She really is awesome. She gave me great advice on how to labor and manage faster progress. 
It was really a nice labor, I was able to smile and laugh and talk thru most of the contractions and there was a lot of laughing and talking with my sisters, Ryan, and Mom.
By around midnight things started to get more serious.
I wasn't smiling and laughing as much any more and I was pretty uncomfortable. We got the girls up and they came and sat on the bed next to me, Tessa, Leah, then Alana at the end. 
My water hadn't broken yet and Mary suggested that during the next contraction I push and that my water would break. I thought that was kind of wacky, I'd never before broken my own water but sure enough, I tried a little push during the contraction and a huge wave of fluid gushed out. It was rather exciting and the people in the front row got wet. That was probably about 12:45 or so and I immediately began to despair and be kind of a baby about it. 
I was pretty sure she wasn't going to come out and even though they told me I was doing really well and that she was for sure on her way. I went a little crazy. As I always do. Fortunately it never takes me long to push the darlings out so I started pushing at 1:02 and she was born at 1:10am. My mom took a video and Tessa's face was priceless. She looked a little sick and concerned and worried then all of a sudden she got a huge smile on her face and said, "Oh! A baby!" and there was our little girl.
She is a happy girl and we get along really well. We right away noticed that she was born with a large mole just above her left eyebrow. It was strange to get used to at first, in dim light it seemed like she had one eye open! But it was always just her beauty spot. 
The doctors have said that she will most likely have to have it removed for cosmetic reasons and because it is a risk for skin cancer. She gets to see the plastic surgeon in a couple of weeks and we will see what they have to say about it. Anyways, she weighed 7 lb 12 oz and was 20 inches long. She and Peter are tied for my biggest babies which is why it took me 8 long minutes to squeeze her out!
The poor sweet girl waited five days to get a name. Ryan and I were just never together and awake enough to discuss it, but by Sunday morning we had settled on Gwendolyn Renee as her name. We called the kids in before church and let them know. They were glad she finally had a name and it was a big relief to Ryan and I as well. It is hard to name a person. She already has quite a few nicknames, which is how we roll around here and she is fitting in very nicely. Dinah loves her fiercely which is why Gwen spends lots of time safely hovering out of reach in her bouncy chair where Di can't love her too much. The big kids adore her and want to hold her always. I'm pretty smitten myself, she really is darling. Ryan loves her a lot too. She is a sweet little lady and I am grateful she is safely here. I'm especially grateful that we were able to do a home birth and that she was born to a relaxed, comfortable and happy atmosphere.
