Out in the yard

Every time we step out in to the yard we are greeted with more and more flowers. Since we were not living in the house this time last year, it is all such a surprise! A beautiful surprise!

Happy Birthday Rowan!

I thought, in honor of Rowan's third birthday I would post of story of his birth. Happy birthday my sweet baby boy!

I started having mild contractions in the early part of the afternoon on the 1st of May while the kids and I were at our regular homeschool park Tuesday adventure. When we left the park in the late afternoon, I called Mike to let him know that I was having some contractions but they were mild and he should head on to class (he was in his last class for the spring) and keep his phone on in case I wanted him to come home before class was done (at 10 pm). I made the kids some dinner and we all ate up and then cleaned up. I decided that a nice walk would be good. And boy was it. We saw a duck flying and quacking (which is so funny), and we saw the moon rise and be swallowed by the clouds... at times it was so huge and orange-ish yellow it looked like a moon you see in a scary movie with werewolves. Then as we continued to walk we saw two jets taking off from the AFB and we could see the flames coming out of the rockets... it was very cool. The walk took about 45 minutes and was very nice and relaxing. The older kids (Sis and Logan) took showers and then I gave Sagan and Cae a bath. This whole time the contractions are getting stronger and longer and closer together... but instead of worrying I felt great and powerful.

Finally at 8:30 pm I give Mike a call and ask him to come home.... oh and could he pick up some water. Mike hurries home. I read the little guys some stories and we cuddled on the couch. By 10 pm everyone is sacking out, due to a busy day at the park. All of a sudden Mike says... hey do we have a nose sucky thing? NO! LOL so off he goes to Walgreen's to get one. By 11pm everyone of the kids is asleep (even our night owls). Mike is pooped from getting up so early (5:30 am) and I tell him to just get some sleep (as he needs to be functional tomorrow with the kids) and I will wake him up if I need him. I draw myself a nice hot bath and soak and have wonderful contractions noting to myself that the stronger they get the more my back is starting to hurt. Around 2 am I give my friend a call. She is there by 2:45 or so. Time for me seems to be going by so fast. The contractions are now feeling very strong. I am not tried, I feel great... but my back is really starting to hurt alot when I have a contraction.

I wake Mike up and tell him A___ and I are going for a walk and we will be back soon. It is a very short walk as I have too pee right away. But it is a good walk and I have 6 or so contractions while we are walking. After going to the bathroom I draw another bath. A___ and Mike join me in the bathroom and we chat. Of course by now all the noise has woken up Sis who comes in to use the bathroom and then can't get back to sleep. At 4:30am I am feeling like I am in transitions. The contractions are so overwhelming and by now my back is just screaming. I wanted to have a water birth but I could not get into a postion that felt good to my back. So out of the tub and into the bed where A____ and get some good counter pressure on my back. Mike goes and gets Sis and Logan who come in and start giggling at all the noises I am making... which is exactly what I needed to sort of snap me back to earth and focus. I start feeling "pushy" and my lovely husband places a nice warm compress on my perineum. ONE HUGE PUSH and out pops Rowan in all his big beautiful glory. He is so calm and quite... he goes right to my chest and we rub him a little as he is bluish on his fingers and toes. He has a great big wail and pinks up. He nurses right away.

After a bit the placenta finally comes out... while I am on the toilet trying to pee. LOL Totally grossed Sis out.

It was a very empowering experience...being totally in control of my own birth. Not having fear, not giving up my power. Having who I wanted there and doing what felt right to me.

Beltane (Also known as May Day)

We put together a May Pole, made masks and danced around the Maypole today. (Yes, we are a day off, but I don't think the fairies will mind). Beltane is one of my favorite holidays; flowers, fertility, fairy magic. This year was really exciting, being in our own house, putting up the maypole in our own yard, and really watching spring unfold here in Maine.

Audrey was our Beltane Maiden. Rowan was our honored guest, as today is his 3rd birthday!

I got the design for the masks we I made here . There is also great stories, crafts, and just plain wonderfulness on Pooka Pages.

Strawbery Banke, Flatbread Pizza, Venus Flytraps and pretty dresses

What a day we had on Saturday. We took a trip to NH to visit Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth. Strawbery Banke is lovely. They have period dressed actors who "live" in the houses and talk to you about what it was like in the time period of the house they live in. The Victorian house so amazing and I am sure the gardens will just be breath taking come summer. Personally, I think, the best part of the Victorian house was the children's fairy garden that ran along the side of the house. Many of the houses were not "finished" and they left the floors and walls open so you could see how they were made. The wallpaper in some of the houses was so great. Now I am not a big wallpaper fan, and the wall paper in our house makes me crazy... but this stuff? LOVE IT! Cae and Sagan helped a woman make pasta, she was an immigrant durning the early 1900's. Her husband came to the states and lived and worked for 4 years to bring her and their daughter to the states. I talked with a woman about medicinal herbs and how they made cough drops and cold medicine back in the 1800's. We even visited the tavern George Washington visited while in NH, back in the last 1700's! They had a great house that was full of period costumes, and toys for the kids to play with. One area was half 1940's grocery shop and the other half was 1700's grocery shop. They also had out door games that children use to play like Hoops and Graces, and the game you play with a stick and a hoop (you roll the hoop on the ground and sort of push it with the stick.)

After visiting Strawbery Banke we went to Flatbread Pizza Company in down town Portsmouth. Fresh, some local, organic, wood fired pizza. It was like heaven on a plate! The place is completely family friendly, we ate on sofas around a huge "coffee" table, they had music playing, you could watch them flip the dough and watch your pizza bake in the wood fire, they even gave the kids pizza dough to play with.

On our walk back to the van we stopped in a used dress shop because a lovely dress just Audrey's size was hanging in the window. We had to snap that up. And then just as we were leaving town we picked up a new pet... a Venus Flytrap! We still haven't named him yet... maybe con carne!