Myer Elliot's Birth Story.

The day before Myer was born (Sunday), I was having irregular contractions- anywhere from 9 to 20 minutes apart. Then they would stop completely for awhile. They were nothing more than slightly uncomfortable, so I wasn't sure that anything was happening. I went to bed that night and slept comfortably, only waking up a few times to whimper through a contraction before falling right back to sleep again.

At 6:00 am, I had a couple of contractions that felt a little bit stronger. I was up and out of bed around 7:00. Contractions were still sporadic.

Then 7:30AM came along. Suddenly, my contractions were only 5 minutes apart and I couldn't talk through them anymore. We timed these contractions for about 45 minutes before my husband's gut instinct told him he needed to get me to the hospital... much sooner than later.



He scooped Ezra up in one arm, still in his PJs, scooping his bowl of cereal up in the other hand, and jogged down the street to my neighbor Nikki's house. All I can say about this is THANK GOD FOR NIKKI. Yes, indeed.

He jogged back to the house and grabbed a few last minute things, all the while I'm squatting and working my way through intense contractions. Then we get in the car and drive the 20 minutes to the hospital. It only felt like 2 minutes to me.

We got up to the labor & delivery floor and went up to the check-in desk. There was another woman waiting in front of me- also in labor- but there was no one behind the desk. NO ONE BEHIND THE DESK! For a good 5 minutes, I writhed on the floor and moaned. FINALLY, a woman stuck her head around the corner and was all, "Can I help you? I've been sitting right here the whole time." THE WHOLE TIME. I was soooo pissed.

This woman proceeded to take me to a room so that she could enter all my information into the computer system. I couldn't answer her questions- the contractions were too intense to talk through. Thankfully, another nurse came in and said she thought she needed to check how dilated I was right then because I was "looking serious". I thanked her profusely. She checked me and I was already 8 centimeters dilated. Say what?!

I cried tears of joy. I really did.

They quickly wheeled in a bed, plopped me on it, and took me straight to a labor room. All the while the nurse was yelling "History of rapid delivery! History of rapid delivery!" as everyone scrambled to get everything ready around me.

At this point, I was still smiling and talking between every contraction. My friend Leanne showed up to help us through the labor, and we were all chatting away and excited and making calls. When a contraction would come, I would breathe through it and I felt like I was totally in control and able to manage each one as it came. After each contraction, I was able to relax.

When my midwife, Leeanna, walked in I was totally THRILLED. She happened to be on the labor floor that day, which meant that the woman who had handled all of my prenatal care was going to be delivering my baby. If she hadn't been on call that day, she wouldn't have made it in time. I was overjoyed when I saw her face! We laughed at how craaaazy fast everything was happening and we tried to get my antibiotic IV drip started for the Group Strep B.

Somewhere around this time, my contractions started getting even more intense. In between each contraction I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I was still able to breathe through them and stay on top of them, but I could tell things were REALLY happening.

Chris held my hand and told me how flushed and beautiful I looked. He said I had that 'far away look in my eyes' like I was about to give birth to a baby. He cheered me through every contraction- telling me I was doing amazing- and helped guide my breathing and encouraged me to relax. In the midst of all of this insanity, I felt peaceful inside. I knew I was doing well... that everything was okay.

I could feel Myer making his way down the birth canal, and the pressure on my tailbone became very, very intense. It felt good to apply counter-pressure with my hand, and my midwife was laughing because she couldn't get me to move it out of her way for anything. So, she let it be. Did I mention I love her?

I was moaning and breathing and crying out as it came nearer to the time to push. It just felt good to make some noise. So I did. I think I remember saying 'Jesus' a lot. Because... well... OW. Jesus HELP ME.

My water broke. People scrambled around again. Not long after that, I managed to say "puu-shing!" I was fully dilated and his head was right there. Pushing was quite a bit more painful this time around, because it took longer (about 30 minutes) and my midwife was there guiding me- telling me when to push gently and when to bear down. I definitely felt the 'ring of fire' more this time around, but I was completely able to follow her direction... I was still in control. She used warm compresses and massage and Chris got to help guide Myer out. After a primal scream or two, all EIGHT POUNDS of Myer came roaring into the world. His head was 14.25 inches... and I didn't tear even one little bit.

That's the sign of an amazing midwife. (I tore with Ezra and he was only 6 lbs!)

I remember verbally praising God as they laid him on my belly. I felt nothing but joy and relief and nearly unbearable pride. It was 10:32AM. Less than two hours after we'd arrived at the hospital.



I was SO glad to be done, and I was INSTANTLY in love.

I'm still wading through the effects that such an amazing and empowering labor have had on me personally... as a woman, as a mother... but I know this much for certain: I am forever changed by his birth. I feel somehow... unshackled. Strong. Focused. Surefooted. When I think of his birth, I am completely blown away by God's goodness to me and my growing family.

He's an amazing, amazing boy.

Introducing.....

myer elliot clark
"bringer of light to the Lord"

born January 12th, 10:32 AM

21" 8 lbs. 1 oz.

We are all doing GREAT!!!!

I started having contractions around 7:00AM this morning. We got to the hospital at 8:45 AM, and he was here at 10:30 AM!!

We feel so blessed and are over-the-moon in love with this little guy. He's very mellow and quiet so far, and has us all wrapped around his microscopic little pinky finger already.

Thank you, Jesus!!!

Ring Sling!

Nothing new to report today... I still feel really good and am enjoying these final days of pregnancy! I know I am going to miss being pregnant once this little guy makes his arrival, so I am trying to soak up these moments like the last days of Summer Vacation... the last days of rest before the whirlwind begins.

I must confess, I was secretly hoping (and praying) that he would be born on the 9th (yesterday). 1.9.09. That's just a cool day to be born. PLUS, it was a full moon, so my chances were good! But, no such luck. Now, I'm aiming for the 12th because it's my best friend's birthday. (Hi, R-Tron!)

I spent part of the day making a sling out of some fabric I fell in love with and some rings I ordered from slingrings.com. The fabric was originally $24 a yard, but I got it for $6. The rings were about $3, so the whole thing cost me less than $20! Also, a friend of mine from California was kind enough to let me borrow her Maya Wrap Sling for awhile, so I'm finally feeling covered as far as carriers go. (Thanks, Debra!!!) Now I am totally ready!

Here's the fabric:



And here's the sling:



Now all I need is a yummy munchkin butt-butt to fill it... woo woo!

Golden Thread.

I'm still here... still feeling excited and like I want to meet my baby soon! This morning I woke up to the "show" (I'm trying to be discreet here, but if you've had a baby before you will know what I am referring to) and have felt pretty normal all day since then. I am just SO thrilled to know that my body has been busy without me even really knowing it. I am ECSTATIC to know that I am already at 3 cm... that's way more progress than when I showed up at the hospital (in pain) to have Ezra, and I have been pretty darn comfortable up to this point, so I'm over the moon! Go body, go! I am so proud of its progress.

I am feeling empowered and in awe of this process once again. Our bodies are unbelievable, aren't they? I am excited about the pain, the triumph, the awakening of labor. I am yearning to see my husband fall head over heels in love again... overcome by a boy no bigger than his forearm. A "David & Goliath" conquest played out before my very own eyes...

This baby has already accomplished much in his life without ever even taking a breath. In the throes of loss and suffocating depression... A light! A light!

On the heels of God-induced joy came the knowledge of new life... almost like our little family had stopped in the desert to build an altar for what God had done in our hearts. A remembrance. A symbol of His goodness and love for us. A baby... and now he's almost here!

I'm praying that things will kick into gear sooner than later, but I am also well aware of the fact that this baby will get born at the EXACT moment he is meant to. It could be tonight, or it could be two weeks from now. My heart and my home are ready... the rest I will leave in Good Hands- The very same hands that have been busy slowly knitting this child together and stitching up my broken heart with strings of golden thread.



Oh, the anticipation and joy of it all! There's nothing like it in the world!

37 Weeks and BORED.

37 Weeks.

If I haven't mentioned it here before, it's probably because I ran out of babies to wear about 3 years ago, but... I'm very into "baby wearing". If there's a way to strap a baby to yourself out there, I know about it and have probably tried it. I know how to make a baby sling using nothing but a bedsheet and a slipknot. I know the kangaroo carry and the hip carry and the cross carry and the rucksack carry. I know how to strap a baby to my back or create a hands-free cradle sleep carry with nothing but a piece of long stretchy fabric, and I know that my baby carriers have gotten much more use than any of my strollers ever did.

On the cusp of this baby arriving, I have found that my brain has been completely hijacked by the subject once again. I have been touching up on my baby-wearin' skillz and making sure I have everything I need to start wearing this guy right away. I'm suddenly obsessed, is all I'm saying.

Here are the current carriers that I have:

The Ultimate Baby Wrap, in Navy Blue.

The Sleepy Wrap, in Slate Gray.

and the New Native Baby Sling in Black.

I also have two other pieces of fabric that I use as wraps. So... FIVE options. That seems like plenty, no?

Apparently, five is not enough. I am suddenly convinced that I MUST have an adjustable ring sling to make my life complete.

Here's an example of my dream sling:



...from this etsy shop, but it's a bit on the pricey side and I will probably just end up borrowing one or getting some fabric and making my own.

So... yeah. This baby needs to come soon because I am bored and have been spending way too much time thinking about all this. BOOORRED.

In other news, I had an appointment on Friday and everything is going great. Baby's heart sounds excellent, and the little guy is head down just like he should be. I'm feeling good and my hospital bag is FINALLY packed. The car seat is ready, the nursery is ready, the closet is ready, and I've even been getting lots of fun goodies in the mail from our amazon baby registry the last couple of weeks. My mom is flying out on the 20th to stay for awhile, and we are hoping the baby will be here by then or by the time she has to leave again... After that, the rest of my family is coming out in mid-February to meet the little guy. Wahoo!

Here are a couple photos of the closet and the nursery as it stands right now:

Chris BUILT these closet shelves from scratch. He never ceases to amaze...



The changing table.

It seems that everything is in order and all that's left to do is wait. (NOT A STRONG POINT OF MINE.)

PS. Do you like my new blog banner? I rang in the New Year by crouching over my laptop and creating it. I didn't realize it was a New Year until 12:15 or so. ***MASSIVE BLOG NERD ALERT***

Baby Showers and New Years.

Well, it's New Year's Eve. My husband helped plan a huge mega dance party celebration out at our friend's airplane hangar/house, and he is DJ-ing the entire event while simultaneously running the light show and being the MC.

I was planning on going to the big shebang, but... turns out I'm just too darn pregnant to handle all the hoopla. So, Ezra and I are at home. We stopped at Target on the way back home and I bought myself some sparkling cider and looked for the movie 'Notting Hill'. But they didn't have it. I also bought mini sized shampoo & conditioner to put in my yet-to-be-packed hospital bag. (BABY STEPS, people! BABY STEPS!)

Speaking of baby steps...

I've been meaning to post photos from my baby shower that I had a couple of weeks ago. Some dear friends of mine put it all together, and it was absolutely PERFCET and exactly what I was hoping it would be... My friend Rebekah hosted it (at the same airplane hangar house my husband is rocking right now) and it was a laid back candle-lit dinner with wine and good friends. Perfect in everyway, and I got some great gifts for the baby-dude-man. Here are some photos:


Le Table.


Crazy coziness.


The snack/gift table.


Amy, Shannon, Catherine


Lovely gifties.


The diaper cake... handcrafted by Rebekah's hubby Caleb.


My friend Erin MADE ME this blanket...


AND these baby blocks!!!!! Somebody sign this girl up for an etsy shop!

Some of the ladies.


Morgan & I.


Rebekah & Jacquie!


Leanne & Rebekah!


Erin (also radiantly pregnant), Me, and my mother-in-law Cathy.


I am so blessed to have found such sweet friends out here in Oklahoma. They are AMAZING and everyone made me feel so special and loved that night. I am a lucky, lucky momma.

So... uh...on that note... HAPPY NEW YEAR, all!!

:)

Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick....

Chris and I ventured out to the mall last night to see the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". (Amazing, BTW.) We knew before hand that it was a three hour movie, so I stretched and walked before I planted my butt in a theater seat for that long. As we I waddled my way through the mall towards the movie theater, I felt like all eyes were on me. Like there was a path clearing before me and everyone stopped to look at the ticking time bomb carefully making her way through the crowds.

It felt like they all knew something I didn't. Like I had a sign on my forehead that said "ANY TIME NOW." The teenage girls looked at me with fear in their eyes. The mothers gazed at me with sympathy and joy. The men stepped aside and nodded in my direction.

Any time now.

Throughout the movie I was having what felt like mild, regular pains that turned out to be probably just gas or something. But the pain got me thinking... this is really happening. Like, SOON. It's strange how it still all feels hard to believe even though I'm so big I can't put my own shoes on anymore.

I still haven't completely packed my hospital bag. Because... there's plenty of time for that... right?

GAH. PROCRASTINATOR.

I'm excited about the labor. I feel prepared and ready. I feel like my family is ready. It's the WAITING that is driving me insane now. Part of me knows I need to enjoy this last little bit of time we have left as a family of three, and the other part of me is so restless and anxious to meet this little guy that I can hardly focus on one thing for more than 20 seconds.

Oh look! There's something shiny over there!

*GONE*

35 Weeks Pregnant.

This past week in my pregnancy has brought much discomfort and subsequent grumpy scrooginess to my normally happy countenance. I am uncomfortable. I can't reach my own feet. NO PANTS WILL STAY UP AROUND THIS CANTALOUPE OF A BELLY. I swear, I feel like that's where two-thirds of my discomfort and grumpiness is coming from... from being ANGRY with my PANTS. I've gotten to this point where they won't stay up, so I am constantly pulling on them, and my underwear are being pushed down with every step I take, so I'm pulling on those too, and suddenly I'm in a blind rage and I feel like punching a wall. Seriously.

This is a downside of being pregnant in the Winter: PANTS. At least when it was warm I could wear flowy skirts and dresses. Now, every morning when I open my pants drawer, I feel 'the scowl' creep back on my face. And it doesn't leave again until I can ditch them that night. This even goes for pajama pants (with ties!)... and "mid belly" pants... and "under belly" pants... and "full belly coverage" pants... I'm convinced that there are NO pants made in the universe that will cooperate with this insane belly of mine.

To recap for those who may have dozed off during this rant: HATE. PANTS.

Also, I think this little boy may have scooted down lower a bit, because there's this new trick he does where he moves and then MY LEGS GO NUMB. Usually while I am walking or trying to fall asleep. He must think it's funny, because he does it a lot.

Couple of last complaints and then I'll shut up. (I'm not a big fan of the "Woe is me... I'm pregnant!" posts.) (Although I'm sure this won't be the last...)

- Extremely TIRED.
- Peeing every 5 minutes.
- Sore hips.
- HATE. PANTS.

The upside- there are only 35! days! left! until my due date. I'm trying to heed the advice that my son gives me when I am groaning in discomfort: He says, "It's otay, mamma. The baby will be born soon. You just go sleep now."

So wise.



Ezra came 8 days early, so I am hoping and praying his brother will follow suit. They say that usually happens, right? If your first is a bit early, the rest tend to be too?

RIGHT?

RIGHT?!?!?!

A Pregnant Advent.

34 weeks! woot!

There has been something so incredibly special and significant about being pregnant during the Advent season this year. Advent lasts the four Sundays before Christmas, and is the season of eagerly awaiting and preparing for celebrating the birth of Jesus.

The word advent literally means "coming". And, boy oh boy, can I relate.

As we sing and talk of God coming to us as a helpless baby, it has been amazing to have the tangible example of how fragile and small the God of the universe became for us busily poking me in the ribs and stretching against my skin as I go about my day.

Is there anything more helpless than an unborn baby? Even... an embryo? To think that the God who governs all things at all times became an embryo for us... Was painfully born into filth and manure- roommates with a donkey and sleeping in the most humble box imaginable: a trough for the slop and food of musty barnyard beasts.

What a shocking King. A King who nurses at Mary's breast and intimately knows our pains and frustrations as human beings in this world. My kind of hero! Unexpected and seemingly unqualified. These heroes have the greatest stories, don't they?

God could have chosen to send His Son down to us from the clouds in a glorious light- expelling all rumors against His deity and authority. He could have appointed Him to instant power and plowed through His to-do list with nary an opposition. But who can relate to that? How will that kind of a God help the prostitute or the addicted father or the suicidal teen? The very people God came to rescue?

All of this to say... I'm thankful for this baby inside of me and this season. It has been a very poignant way for me to reconnect with the God I sometimes find myself too lazy to love. I'm falling in love with what He did for me all over again. Is it possible that God was thinking of me and my heart while His son was stretching against Mary's womb 2000 years ago? Knowing that this Jesus could speak to MY mother's heart about God's love like nothing else ever could?

I think it's just crazy enough to be true... Just unbelievable enough to embrace with every fiber of my being.

****************************************************

Here's a song I wrote a few years back about all of this. I think I may have posted it on this site EONS ago, but I thought I'd throw it up here again in case you want to hear it...

Humble Baby by emery clark

Also, here's a little Christmas song that Chris & I recorded this year! Hope you like it, too. It's one of my favorites.

Have Yourself A Merry Little C by emery clark & chris clark

To download either of these songs, click here.

Oh, I hope you like them!

32 (and a half!) Weeks Pregnant.

Y'all... I'm hugenormous. I've "popped". And if I hear one more "basketball smuggling" joke I may just go and hibernate for the rest of the winter. Heck, I may do that anyways- basketball reference or no... I am far too unbalanced to be walking around and stuff.

heh.

Seriously though, I'm still feeling pretty darn tootin' great. I don't do much these days... I pretty much just sit around and then lay around and then take another bath and read my book. I'm going through books like they were hotcakes. I feel like I should be exercising or walking around the neighborhood everyday, but I don't do it. I draw another bath instead. And have some more eggnog.

I'm probably averaging 3 baths a day at this point. (Sorry for the upcoming water bill, honey!) It just feel so good to FLOAT for a minute and be warm. I've also taken to another disturbing quirk that happened last time I was pregnant as well. I have this Lavender "bath powder" that I got from someone probably 5 years ago. It's almost gone, but I refuse to use the last of it because, multiple times throughout the day (while preggo), I will stop what I'm doing, go open the container, and SMELL the yumminess inside. Just smell it for a second or two- and then continue on my day. Is this strange? I can't stop myself. In fact, I'm smelling it now.

I told Chris he only needs to start worrying about me if I start cutting lines and snorting the stuff. THEN WE WILL HAVE A PROBLEM.

YES. I've moved this nearly empty container halfway
across the country with me, and into four different houses.
NO. They don't make the stuff anymore. *sniff*

This baby is rockin' and a rollin' inside of me, and tap dancing on my bladder, and making it more and more difficult to sing due to the fact that my diaphram is now MIA somewhere inside my body. He gets the hiccups a lot at night right when I lay down to go to sleep, and it's cute.

I'm going to try to take a tour of the Labor & Delivery Ward tomorrow, and get my pre-registration packet for the hospital admittance for when I go into labor. I've started doing fun things, too, like putting together a little online registry for family far away, and GET THIS, my dear friends Rebecca & Leanne are hosting a BABY SHOWER for me soon!! I'm so excited, I can't even stand it.

On my list of things to do still: Get stuff squared away with the insurance company for when this little dude makes his arrival, and start thinking of what to pack in the hospital bag. I may be two months out still, but you just never know. Also- track down a rocker/glider of some sort. (Woe! I have no chairs that move!)

Hello, Preparedness! (It's the girl scout in me...)



As per the "name" situation: DON'T ASK. I'm turning prematurely gray with the stress of it all over here. I just can't seem to get my heart to SETTLE on one. Lord have mercy! Like I said, I enjoy being prepared. This whole naming fiasco has gotten that little Girl Scout inside of me into a screaming tizzy. It's hard to feel "ready" when there are visions of birth certificates with "That Baby" written in the blank dancing in one's head.

Arrrrgg! I think I'll go take another bath.

30 Weeks Pregnant.

Thirty weeks!

Just like clockwork, the third trimester has brought restless nights and difficulty sleeping. This is mostly due to the fact that the dreaded leg cramps are back, and all methods of eating bananas and drinking milk and taking vitamins and stretching before bed are seemingly powerless against them. I find myself staring bleary eyed at the clock as it inches closer to 2 AM almost every night, plowing through book after book and stretching in the dark until my legs feel like old rubber bands.

Other than this discomfort, I still feel extra super great. I'm definitely starting to feel my limitations, however, and am TRYING to remember to ask for help instead of expecting special treatment and consideration to fall from the sky into my (ever shrinking) lap. Little things, like getting Ezra into his carseat and oh, getting up off the smooshy couch are becoming exceedingly difficult to manage on my own. Heck... I can barely get out of the bathtub by myself these days. By the end of the day, my body is sore and tired, yet the second I lay down for my much desired rest, my legs start acting like naughty, silently screaming banshees.

Pregnancy... the training ground for the lack of sleep headed your way.

I took a good nap yesterday and got more sleep last night than I have in awhile, though, so I'm feeling great today. Bring on the mountainous laundry!

Ezra has a a cold today, so we are laying low.

Your nursery paint suggestions have been weighed and considered. We have yet to actually paint, but I think we're in agreement with the majority of your suggestions... stay with something similar to the green.

As per the job- THANK YOU for your very helpful suggestions and opinions. They were beyond helpful and I think I am comfortable with my current decision (to wait), and hope that the opportunity presents itself again at a more opportune time. To those of you who threw in your two cents... thank you so much.

Lastly- I am having a BLAST meeting some of you on facebook! What a great way to get to know some of you a little better. Thanks to all of you for being my friend and joining the blog network!



I can't believe I get to meet this squirmy little guy in 9ish weeks. SINGLE DIGITS, people! SINGLE DIGITS!

Third Trimester.

Get this... I'm already in my third trimester somehow. I feel like I JUST got pregnant. This is all so very opposite of how it felt last time.

When I was pregnant with Ezra, I was bored most of the time. I worked the lunch shift at a restaurant by my house, which occupied about 4 hours of my day, and then I pretty much just... sat around after that. Eating sweetarts and watching Oprah. The days and months crawled by like a thousand million Christmas Eves. I journaled a lot. And wandered around a lot.

This time, however, has felt like hyper-warp-speed. Not that I'm a very busy person even now... but caring for Ezra has replaced all the hours of wandering and writing in journals that I had four years ago. And, heck, I must say that I much prefer the chasing of a squealing, laughing toddler down the hall all day to the lonesome wandering and journaling I did before. That got old and boring real quick.

So... yeah. Third trimester. The very last one. What the heck?!? This makes me slightly sad to think that I am quickly approaching the end of pregnancy already.



I love being pregnant. It's one of my most favoritest things.

Yet, I also can't wait to meet this boy. He's going to be utterly fantastic.

I think that some semblance of "nesting" is beginning to set in already... you can judge for yourselves by the fact that I spent a good chunk of time SCRUBBING MY OVEN MITS today when I should have been grocery shopping. Also, we've begun on the nursery. This photo is not pretty, but we're just starting the process of putting up wainscoting:



The chair rail & crown molding will go up next, and then the painting will come after that.

Also, I need to figure out what to do with the full bed in there. Part of me wants to keep it for after the boys are sharing a room, but the other part does not want it sitting around collecting dust somewhere until that eventually happens. We'll probably sell it on Craigslist. Or sumptin'.

Final thought:


Wigs are fun and silly!! Right up until one of those nasty plastic hairs find their way into YOUR MOUTH. The end.

Things That Have Made Me Cry (or Have ALMOST Made Me Cry) This Week.

Baby's new Owl Softie. Bought from etsy, made by this lovely lady who I just realized lives nearby!


Washing and folding all of Ezra's 0-3 month clothes and putting them in the baby's room... and stumbling across the premie onesies we had to go buy for him because he only weighed 6 lbs.



The gift of a tiny baby hat from great grandma Joyce & Tom.



Ezra's love (so much like mama!) of inching through chapter books night after night.



A note left behind for Ezra on his chalk board from my mommy & daddy.



My sweet boy who is always making me laugh till it hurts... telling me things like, "Mama? You look like a hungry dog!" and "Mama, you as big as a whale!" (Please see photo below.)


And, last but not least... Oy! This aching back!