Happy Birth Day, Squirt! It's a....

GIRL!

This time, for once, I did have mother's intuition. It helped that Squeak clued me in about this one awhile ago. I know that everyone really just wants to see a photo, so I'll try not to be too wordy in this post, but if it weren't for the sleep deprivation that accompanies having a newborn, I'd have a baby every nine (OK, maybe ten) months for the thrill and exhilaration of natural birth. Labor and birth were AWESOME! D was a fabulous birth companion--the best doula I could ever have!

Proud sister and brother

We're still deciding about a name (and hoping it doesn't take two weeks like last time!!), but one of our favorite options is Botum, which is Cambodium for princess.




Lots of exciting things to say about the birth, but for now I'll just mention one. Squirt was born with the amniotic sac intact, or en caul. This is something I had heard about as a childbirth educator, but it's very rare, and I've never known anyone whose baby emerged with the sac intact--and now it happened to us! Pretty cool!

Here's some info I found on the internet:

Dwight Cruikshank MD, states that being born with or in a caul is rare, probably occurring in fewer than 1 in 1000 births, and that he has seen fewer than 10 babies with a caul throughout his career.

In medieval times the appearance of a caul on a newborn baby was seen as a sign of good luck. It was considered an omen that the child was destined for greatness. Birth "En Caul" is generally considered to be a very auspicious beginning for a child.

Many are great natural healers, which trait may be manifested by the laying on of their hands, or remotely from a distance. Many are considered to have great ability in matters of judgment and ruling nations and often possess insights which are difficult to appreciate by other people.

In many cultures the Caulbearers were considered to be “Kings by right,” due to the predictive nature of their births and their leadership abilities. This is one of the reasons why certain Buddhist groups, to this very day seek out Caulbearers to be brought up to become Dalai Lamas.

More info found here

Stats:
Birth Day: September 26, 2009
Time: 3:41 a.m.
Weight: 7 lb. 12 oz.
Length: 19.5 inches
Head circumfrence: 13.5 inches (smallest one yet)
Labor time: 18.5 hours

We are so thrilled about our baby girl!

So Beeg!

At the pool with my seesters and kids on Labor Day.

That other baby is Pip's twin cousin, born the same week, different year.

I am so beeg! For me, I mean. I'm one of the lucky ones though--my full-term belly is smaller than most. I'm enjoying the last bit of pregnancy in the following ways. I LOVE WEARING BLACK! I wash my black clothing items every few days so I can wear them as often as possible! I LOVE MY ROCK-HARD ABS!! I know, I know, it's not really my abs, it's actually my uterus in constant surge (seriously, I get Braxton Hicks for like three hours straight), but I love the tight belly and know that as soon as Squirt emerges, it will just feel like deflated dough. I LOVE ENJOYING MY TWO SWEET BABIES!!! They are so adorable and fun, I just can't get enough of them! I LOVE THAT I WAS STILL RUNNING UNTIL JUST RECENTLY! I ran till 38 weeks this time and decided to call it quits when I felt the urge to pee with every step. I'm still getting out with the Baby Jogger, but we do a walking hill workout instead of a run now. I LOVE SQUIRT'S LITTLE MOVEMENTS, HICCUPS, AND KICKS! It's one of my favorite things about late pregnancy, and I always miss feeling my fetus inside me when it comes out. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO NAP WHEN MY KIDS NAP! I've got Squeak and Pip's afternoon naps coordinated (it took me about a year to do this), and I've been taking advantage of their naptime to get a little rest myself. And by the way, they're sleeping now, so I should be too...

Advice, anyone?

I'm really interested in simplifying my life. It was so great to move recently and get rid of extra stuff. But it was only a start! I want some helpful hints. Right now, I don't have the time or drive to deal with "extra." So, what does everyone do to keep things simple?