Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Stage of Rudy

I've been contemplating, examining, and role playing in my head a lot lately with how to deal with, react to what Rudy does sometimes (lately it has been maybe 1-2x a day). Here was the situation this morning:

(preface to say we were awake at 4:30am - normally 7:30)

Mama was sitting on the floor and Rudy came behind me and peeks around me as Mama says "Where's Rudy" (a game we often play) Rudy then pulls Mama's hair and I gently pull him closer to me and say "Hair is not for pulling, that hurts mama" and then he proceeds to hit, kick and then he will try to bite everything in the near vicinity.

I've tried to think if I need to hold him closer (so he feels safe?) or let him have space and get the emotions out? This mornings situation I think could have been because he was tired (and) am going to try to really pay attention now to the other times he does this now and see if it is when he is tired.

So, Professional AP parents - what would you do? :)

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Children and School

Having a child now, makes me realize how much I don't want to be without Rudy. I don't want to send him to school. I want him to learn all he wants to know and I want to play daily with him with the things that most interests him.

School was not a bad place for me - I actually had a pretty good time. There were subjects I hated (M-A-T-H!) and it was mostly a social aspect for me. I got pretty good grades (other than M-A-T-H!) and enjoyed it.

I remember the morning hustle and bustle, the hurry up, get ready, get moving. The mornings we all left the house crabby because someone couldn't get moving fast enough, find a certain sock, shirt, or whatever the case be. Maybe we didn't get enough sleep the night before and just needed a little bit more.....who knows what the situation was.

So on the first day back to school, I think of the kids with butterflies (some good/some bad), the excitement for some - the dread for others, and I am lucky to have learned about unschooling and the many possibilities it has brought our family already and the endlessness it will bring in our future.

Just my thoughts this A.M.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

She's THAT Mom

She's that Mom that works 10+ hour days so that one of us can stay home with our son.
She's that Mom that gets to see one SUPER excited kid when she pulls into the driveway.
She's that Mom that is OKAY with nothing getting done around the house, because that's just the way it goes.
She's that Mom that is amazing in the way she be just as kid-like as Rudy is.
She's that Mom that stays up late because the other Mama who can sleep in until 8am can't function until 10pm (when she has to get up at 5am!)
She's that Mom that can feed Rudy AND get him to eat! (I can to, she just gets him to eat a more variety of things)
She's that Mom that spent Sunday morning cleaning out our room, taking down the side-car'ed crib (that she arranged for Rudy to sleep in 2x!) to once again re-arrange and put the beds on the floor.
She's that Mom that reads stories to Rudy every night.
She's that Mom that comes home with more energy to play than I'd imagine ever having.
She's that Mom that will come home, cook dinner, fold laundry, do diapers, water the lawn, pick fruit/veggies and not rest til 9pm....after starting at 5am.

She IS that Mom.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Rudy Anthony Shelton Punteney Birth Story

Rudy Anthony Shelton Punteney
Born July 7, 2009 7:26am
7lbs 4oz 20” long
Winni McNamara – Midwife
Mary Burgess – Doula
Sharon Avolio – Assisting Midwife

Preface:
I did not want to have the baby on the 4th of July – like I have much say in when “he” came out. We did not know what we were having…. But I will use HE since we now know. My mom lives 5 hours East of me and was here for the 4th of July and headed home on the 5th of July. We had a feeling she might get home and have to return…… but what a wonderful reason to have to!
Pre-labor: Sunday July 5th – we put in the car seat, went to Target got a nursing tank, birthing gown, and a few other necessities we still had needed to pick up. (I didn’t realize it at the time but now most call it “nesting”).
Sunday the 5th I spoke with my mom after her return home – about the weekend, the drive, going-on’s at her house, etc. In the midst of talking to her, I had some strong breath-taking pains. They weren’t contractions. They were almost as if the boy was kicking really hard and enough to take my breath away. Mom asked what it was…. Said I didn’t know but that not to get her hopes up. It happened 2 times in the midst of say a ½ hour conversation. Mom had told me that she hadn’t prepared to be gone before she left….. nor had she felt like stopping by the store when she got home to prepare to be gone for the birth. After speaking with me this night, she got back in the car and went to the store for cat litter, cat food, stopped to see her parents, and got all she needed to be prepared to leave on a whim. Moms know best 
Water broke: My water broke at 11:40pm on Sunday July 5th. Kauleen had asked me before heading to bed at about 10:30pm if I needed to put anything under me “just in case”. I told her nah, no need. I got up to go to the bathroom…. And felt something funny – almost like a pop. I had been using Evening Primrose Oil vaginally since 36 weeks so just thought maybe the pill had fallen out. No biggie. I got back in bed and laid there a few seconds and then go “Kauleen, I think my water broke!” and I get up…….. and sure enough there was a spot in the bed where I had leaked. Kauleen said “Couldn’t you have waited until the morning?!” (Now realize we’ve not gotten any sleep since Sunday morning….) (Randi insight: I had been hoping for a SIGN of labor – water breaking, etc. THIS really was amazing and awesome that it happened this way!)
We called the midwife and doula and gave them both a heads up that my water had broken. Their advice was “Get some rest as it could be awhile”.
Contractions: Contractions started about 12:40am (1 hour after my water broke) and being the anal people we are started writing down every contraction. At first they were about 10-12 minutes apart and felt like menstrual cramps – not too horrible and I was able to get some rest in between. We didn’t really sleep though. Every contraction we wrote down (some 6+ pages!) and we were anxious……. We’ve never done this before and have waited a LONG time for this!
We ended up getting up at 3am so Kauleen could get the birth tub set up and filled. That was the one thing on Sunday we didn’t get done. Kauleen didn’t want to be filling the tub while I was in active labor and we needed to be able to let the hot water tank fill. So at 3am, K’s setting up the pool, writing down contractions, and I’m doing whatever I feel like……. Cut some watermelon up, put away some dishes, etc.
We’d been told multiple times…… once the contractions are 5-6 minutes apart, about a minute each – that you need to call the doula/midwife. So at 6:00am we called my Mom and told her that my water broke……… told her to take her time it could be awhile. (She made it here in 4 hours!) We called the doula and let her know – but I was still coping very well with the contractions and able to talk/work through them.
Our doula (Mary Burgess) came down to check on us around 10:30 a.m. I was coping quite well even though the contractions were still 5-6 minutes apart. Mary decided to go run a few errands and if things had not picked up she would head back up to Bellingham. I tried to rest as much as I could during this time. Contractions remained fairly constant but still nothing I couldn’t handle. We even tried to take a nap although I don’t know how much sleep we got. Our midwife (Winni McNamara) called to check in on us and said she would be stopping by after her last appointment to check on us.
Winni arrived around seven that night…she had her own eventful evening. Her car had broken down after her last appointment and her husband drove her to our house. After checking me she said “yeah that’s kind of what I thought”. We were anxious to hear my progress…turns out I was 8 centimeters! Whoo hoo we were ecstatic that something had been happening all day. Now all we needed to do was get my contractions to get stronger. Winni gave me some Black Cohosh (sp) and some other homeopathic medicine to help out and told us to take a 15 minute walk and come back and take some more medicine. Winni zipped home with her hubby to get her own car and come back.
We cruised around the neighborhood in my birthing gown and bathrobe. I called my mom and gave her the news that I was 8 centimeters and that it shouldn’t be long. This was about 8 pm.
Winni returned and my contractions had started picking up. Mary was called and she headed back down. The assistant midwife (Sharon) showed up to help out. We were really excited now as Winni stated we could have this baby by midnight.
My laboring continued and midnight came and went. Kauleen was sent to get some sleep as she was wiped out by this point. I continued to labor switching positions, breathing, moving. Kauleen got up about an hour later to find the house dark and quiet. I was on the birth ball in Rudy’s room with Mary and Winni still laboring.
2 a.m Tuesday morning - Winni checks me and I am still not fully dilated and my contractions are still not where they need to be. We are all in the guest bedroom and Winni opens it up for suggestions as she is “out of her bag of tricks” If all options are out we are going to the hospital. Sharon states that I am coping well and that maybe I could try hands and knees. Winni says “that might help turn the baby but I am not sure it will help kick up the contractions.” So this is what we are going to do. They pile up the pillows and birth ball on the bed and hands and knees I go. The first contraction hits and I fly out of bed it is so strong. Sharon advises me that is what we need so I crawl back up in bed. I labor like this for the next four hours. We are hopeful that things will be moving along.
6 a.m Tuesday morning – Winni checks me again. I am still not quite to 10 centimeters but she thinks I have enough room to push the baby out so on the next contraction I am going to push and she is going to move my cervix over. Contraction comes and I push and she pulls and I hit my breaking point. I am crying, yelling – stop, stop, no, stop. I am done. We are heading to the hospital. I state “I need to go to the bathroom”. While in the bathroom, after re-adjusting the pain/thought process….
I have an idea of maybe heating up the birth pool so I can get in, relax a little and Winni can try again to move my cervix again. The ladies hustle around getting water warmed up and I go to the bathroom. Next thing I know I say to Winni I think I am pushing the baby out. I call out to Winni who comes and checks me and it is true. He has moved. Hurrah!! We are not going to the hospital after all. I labor for 45 minutes sitting on the toilet. Next they move me to a birthing stool in the guest room. I labor there for another 20-30 minutes. Now I am moved to the bed. One push, two push – Mary says “Kauleen you better look” and here comes the baby’s head and sloop out he came. They handed us the baby and it took us a moment to see we had us a beautiful baby boy! Rudy was finally here. I was exhausted and overjoyed all at once. I was utterly exhausted and Winni later told us it was if I was drunk. They kept trying to talk to me and I’d just fall asleep mid sentence. Everyone talked about this rush they get at the end of pregnancy – but it was all I could do to get cleaned up and in bed!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

What Really Matters

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2 inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the student again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal."

"Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."


What Really Matters

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Couple Looking to Adopt

We know what a struggle it was to try to get pregnant. This couple is amazing, wonderful, and they long for a little baby! Can you help me and help them, by posting this on your blog, facebook, or any other networking site - in hopes by Father's Day they have a lead on a baby on the way.

Thank you in advance.
Randi

Chuck and Lori's Adoption Site

Friday, May 07, 2010

Friday Fill-In

1. Salsa and salsa and gucamole are yummy!
2. breastfed babies poop and you've even got mustard.
3. By the time I get home from running errands - we are ALL glad to be home!
4. Saving money is what I look forward to most when grocery shopping.
5. And I was dreaming of a full nights sleep?
6. Cuddling...is there anything else better?!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to burgers and Costco (again) with my family, tomorrow my plans include hanging with Rudy while K works a bit and maybe the Bellingham market and Sunday, I want to pick up a special present, go on a walk and have a picnic celebrating 2 MAMAS!! (our first offical Mama's day!)

Monday, March 22, 2010

Vote For Me

I entered Rudy into a cutest baby photo contest! OUR FIRST ONE! Please help us win by votting on your favorite picture to the right....

ONE VOTE PER DAY UNTIL APRIL 4 @ 11:59PM

SPREAD THE WORD!!

Randi