May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you and the pure light within you, guide your way on "~Incredible String Band

Friday, June 29, 2007

The Birth of A Family..

Thank you for all the many blessings and comments, both private and public, we have received ! I am finishing up a few details and waiting on some photos from my friend Jackie, then will be posting a detailed birth story.




We three are doing very well and enjoying our new lives together. I have to say I am shocked and surprised at how in love I am with this little girl! The intensity of what I am feeling is beyond anything I could have imagined. I thought for sure I would take a long time to bond and that I would be horribly depressed and unable to cope with the demands of motherhood. I was convinced I would have no idea what to do with a baby and that breastfeeding would be a nightmare. I imagined myself sleep deprived and suffering from severe post partum depression. I made sure moss was well versed in the signs of post partum psychosis and knew where to get help for me if need be.I think it is precisely because I read every post partum horror story and imagined every conceivable difficulty that I am having an easy time of it. I prepared myself for how difficult it can be,as well as what to reasonably expect..so there were no surprises.




Yes, I know this flies in the face of now conventional wisdom, a la "The Secret" but I do think it played a part in my easy adjustment. That and the fact that I am the luckiest woman in the world, as I have a husband who is incredibly supportive. He is as good or better than any postpartum doula. The other thing I think may have helped is the two fish oil capsules I take every day (it definitely helped with stretch marks !)


The truth is, my post partum time has been a joy and a delight, and motherhood has been, so far anyway, purely natural and instinctual ! Sage is a great nurser and breastfeeding couldn't be easier. She has also been sleeping well through the night (as much as can be expected of a newborn anyway) . We have been co sleeping, meaning she sleeps in the bed with Moss and I. This is, I believe, where babies are meant to sleep. It is where they feel the most secure and comforted, snuggled in next to mama and papa ! When she wakes in the night hungry, I simply roll over, offer her a breast and go on sleeping. I barely need to wake up. It is no wonder most folks with newborns get little sleep, as it is customary in this country to put baby in a separate room in a crib. When baby cries mom needs to get up and go into the other room, calm baby down and nurse her to sleep, or worse, go in the kitchen and fix a bottle. Finally when the baby is sleeping, she is placed back in the crib again only to start screaming the minute she is put down..starting the cycle all over again.



If only more people in this country would embrace co sleeping, as do cultures all over the world and, as our species has done since the beginning of time, parents - and babies - would sleep much better !



In an effort to be reduce landfill waste, save money and for Sages health (avoiding synthetic plastics) we have chosen to cloth diaper. We are using a mix of pre folds and fancy fitted diapers. So far that has been easy as well, though I have been warned that when she starts solids we may really consider going with disposables. Moss has been a wonderful dad and partner and is doing most of the diaper changes, helping fold laundry and just being the amazing nurturing person he is. We have an agreement, I take care of what goes in and he takes care of what comes out. I do my share of diaper changes, but he has been doing most of them and really enjoys spending that time with Sage, being silly and having fun. He is also a master at calming her down using infant massage/touch ( Moss is a natural healer, very good with reiki type energy work) when booby, wet diapers or gas is not the problem.




I do have my weepy moment's from time to time now, but not for the reasons I thought I would. I figured I would be in tears and berating myself for having thrown my life away. Instead I am in tears thinking how quickly she will grow up and leave..


Anyway, our plans are to remain here at Moss's folks house for a few more weeks. We need to install belts in the bus for Sages car seat, fix some problems with the electrical system and do some other last minute baby proofing things. Once that is done we can move back into the bus and begin our new life as a family. Hopefully, we will get things done in time to make it to the Faerie worlds festival in Eugene, on July 21. If not, the plan is to head to Santa Barbara for the summer, where we will sell some art and save up a bit of money for the fall and winter.



In the meantime we are are at the folks house, counting our blessings and enjoying every second of Sages babyness, as I know it will pass all too soon....













8 comments:

rootsong said...

What a great blog update. I'm so happy to hear how happy & in love you are! I wanted to comment on the cloth diaps. You'll probably find that using them once Sage in on solid foods will be just as easy, and will only get easier the firmer her poo poos get (the firmer they are of course, the easier to toss in the toilet). I can't actually think of a reason solid foods would change anything besides the smell. Sage's diaps will get stinkier with solids, but y'know, POOP stinks!! LOL

I'm all for cloth diapers. There is no comparison to plastic diapers when it comes to impact on the environment, & the health of Sage's booty (can you imagine wearing a plastic bag full of toxins around your genitals for years on end? ecch.)

Anyway, congratulations again & thanks for sharing pictures of your gorgeous family!

Amy E said...

I agree with Aubrey, great update. I am so happy for you two. I agree with the cosleeping thing, and well, now I have a 9 year old girl and a 3 year old little girl sleeping with us every now and then LOL. Needless to say we have a big bed, and I love it. The do grow up too fast. (My eldest just turned 18, man it flew by fast!) I loved not having to get up to nurse, I wish I had learned his earlier with the 9 year old, I would have received more sleep.

I used cloth diapers all the way to potty training, only using disposables when they were sick with a stomach bug, I didn't find it more difficult to use cloth as they ate solids, but everyone has their breaking point. My girls potty trained early too, one at 10 months, and the other at 1 1/2 years, all on their own.

Just wanted to say I have 5 acres in Missouri that is remote and isolated if ya'll are passing through Mansfield/Cabool area and need a place to stay short term or longer term. Let me know...email me at queensedgefarm@yahoo.com

Contact Information said...

Hi,
YOu don't know me, but I've been readin gyour blog for about a year now, ever since I found it by chance. I fell in love with you bus, your writing, and your art. :) You are living a life I dream of :). Congratulations on your daughter, she is stunning. She has the eyes of an old soul, showing wisdom and strength beyond her young age.
What a lucky girl to have a mama and daddy that co-sleep and listen to her needs like that. We have two kids and we've been cloth diapering and co-sleeping for four years, since the night our first was born. I had the same experience as you, really falling in love with him at first moment and bonding with an immediate force, moe strongly than I would have ever guessed.

I wanted to comment on he cloth diapers as well. We cloth diapered our first, and our second, but with ou second we also found out about "Elimination commnication" which is really listening to babys cues and pottying them from day one (or whenever you start) by holding them over the potty and cueing them. We have only changed about 20 poopy diapers on our daughter, and she will be two in september.

I wish it was something I had known about when I was pregnant with my first. After reading your blog a bit (what a strange www thing, to read of someone you don't know) I just think Elimination Communication might be an aproach that you and Moss would find to really fit in with how you live. (and...later in the bus, would really allow for less laundry stops!! :) )

Anyway, I hope this isn't too weird of me to intrude completely unrequested into your lives. If it is, please just ignore this post.

Many blessings on the continued adventures of your beautiful family.

Anno Bell

Unknown said...

Hello Mama's !
Thank you so much for all your wonderful advice and tips.We are dedeicated to cloth diapering no matter what, but it is heartening to hear that it doesnt really get more difficult, as I had been told.However, in the bus we are sure to have unique challenges that stationary folks do not.

Anno, I sincerely love communicating with and "meeting" blog readers online.You are not intruding at all, and your comments,suggestions and tips are welcome and appreciated.Elimination
communication sounds like it could really be a benefit to us in the bus, I will look into it.~Pixie











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Nina said...

Many good vibes sent your way as you journey through this wonderful, sacred, time in your life. It truly is amazing isn't it? Not that it is all dreamy and perfect as the pictures would lead us to believe but definitely a time when you experience every emotion full circle. There has been nothing that has made me feel as magnificent and as inadequate as the little 11lb being lying next to me. However, I do embrace every moment.
I came across your blog last week and read the whole thing within an hour. I was truly inspired. Not that I think you and Moss have been living in complete bliss the whole time, but you have certainly been living. My partner and I have been looking into school bus conversion, however, I think have have decided to buy a diesel RV and convert it. We have 2 children (2yrs &2mo) so we would not have the time to renovate the bus. That is if we want to get on the road anytime soon:)
I just wanted to send some positive vibes your way and let you know how inspiring your blog is (also a good references). I hope you continue on your journey. Sage is truly blessed to have you as parents. You will show her so much.
Take care
Nina

BTW.....I love the wool soakers Sage was wearing!! You could definitely sell those!!

Elisa said...

I just want to send the three of you lots of love and good fortune from Holland. Happy days and sunshine in your hearts.

Unknown said...

just found your blog and read the entire thing. what a story! congratulations on your new little love. your life will certainly change...in a positive way. now you are "we-3!"

hugs, r.

Anonymous said...

Hi, i'm on the funknpuf myspace friends list ...
Just perusing ...
Congrats on the kid ...
Join the club ...
Have you 2 seen the movie 'Eraserhead' ? Hee hee, you should ... brilliant film .
David Lynch's first big film .

-Skorpitarius