Random pre-Finn's birth photos

Cathleen made up a new reward system for herself. For each day that she completes her schoolwork (S) and violin (V) without complaint, she puts a marble into the appropriate cup. Reward to be determined later.

We found a nice lady who cuts hair from her garage turned salon right down the road. She's cheaper and much closer than our Waldorf lady but not quite as good. Close but not quite.

39 week ultrasound of Finn. He was smacking his lips over and over. So cute.

Cathleen's small group class in orchestra. We've decided not to continue orchestra after this year. We'll discuss it later when Cathleen's and Sean's times coincide. Right now, since they're in separate orchestras, it takes from 8:30a to 3:15p. Every Saturday. So after a semester of this, we decided it's too much. 

Adam and Sean burying one of Sean's birds.

Kieran enjoying candy from Grammy and Grampy.

At our old homeschool group's Easter egg hunt early April.

Pea's violin practice reward chart (that she came up with one her own) was completed and she was rewarded with a tea party, her choice. So glad we did this before the baby was born!

More tea time fun!

Selfie going into tea room.

Sean having fun with pattern blocks.

This RARELY happens. Kieran sat himself on the couch and fell asleep. 

Pea is the monkey bar queen!

Eeek! Baby Finn is here!

Our beautiful baby boy arrived yesterday in a flash! I only have one hand to type with as the other is holding His Highness but in a nutshell, after a short trip to the commissary (across from our house) I decided to lie down to see if the contractions were going to stall again. Called midwife at 5:30pm and she said to give it 30 min and report back. 15 minutes later, my water broke (first time for me!) but I was alone in the house. Thankfully within minutes, Adam brought the kids back from a playground. I sent a quick text to my lovely friend Charlotte to please come ASAP to pick the kids up. Adam raced around, trying to draw a bath for me as I wanted to slow the contractions down to wait for the midwife and birth assistant to arrive. It soon became apparent that we were not going to be able to wait for them. Adam frantically looked for the paper (that I had given him in the morning) with emergency delivery instructions. Finally he found it as I'm moaning away in the bath. He got the heating pad ready to warm up baby's blankets, etc. Then he called Hillary, the midwife racing in her car towards us. She calmly told him to get me out of the tub when she heard me vocalize during a particularly strong contraction. I complied though I was much happier in the tub. After 5 contractions lying on the bed, I could tell baby's head was crowning and there was nothing I could do to stop nature! The pain was intense but Adam was calm and Hillary was very supportive so that helped. I told her (she was on speakerphone) that the baby's head was going to be born the next contraction whether I liked it or not and she said that was fine. Three contractions later, his head was born. Adam said he had a full head of hair! The head being out and no cries threw me for a loop though if I had has more sense at that moment, I would have remembered that's how it always works. Once his head was out, I calmed down. Even though I was worried that he might need extra help (that Adam and I couldn't/didn't know how to give) I knew the end was near! And that was a very very soothing thought! She had Adam check and double check that the cord was not wrapped around his neck. The next contraction, of course, was to birth the rest of his body and it was so simple! A little painful but he just flopped right out into Adam's hands onto the bed. (ETA: Adam said he caught him fair and square and the bed wasn't involved at all.) What a miracle! Our little Finnian was born! I didn't immediately sob as usual. I was frantically asking Hillary how to see if he was breathing. He cried for half a second and then stopped. Then we noticed the cord was partially around his neck and that made it very tight and taut. I scrambled (not very carefully bc I was scared) to get it off his neck. He was still blue at this point and not noticeably breathing. Adam, being the calm guy he is, told me to let him do it so I didn't hurt the cord or the baby. He got it off (it wasn't wrapped around entirely; we think it happened as he landed on the bed and/or as we brought him up to my chest. He started to pink up and cry pretty hard and then I finally let myself believe he was A-okay. Then I lost it. :) He was perfect and I couldn't believe how he came into the world. Happiest moment ever. 40 minutes later, the birth assistant arrived. The midwife was delayed even further due to the cherry blossom traffic. She arrived almost 2 hours after his birth!

Anyway, we are now members of the unassisted homebirth club! His full name is Finnian Robert Dempsey. After St. Finnian, my dad Robert, and the Robert Dempseys in Adam's family tree.

7 lbs 13 oz
21.25" long

Cherry blossoms and 40 weeks pregnant

We were facing right into the sun but at least it's better than our Easter pictures! Thanks to Adam's parents for our new tripod.

This morning, Adam woke up early to buy some Krispy Kreme donuts for an early morning excursion to see the puffy cherry blossoms downtown. Unfortunately, even though we were there at 7:15am, it was too late so we're going to go either tomorrow morning or Monday morning. This tree is beautiful but not nearly as puffy and pretty as the ones downtown. BUT it's on base with the Potomac in the background so we had a dry run just in case baby decides to make an appearance tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I'll officially be 40 weeks when we wake up! Due date is April 12th and no real signs of labor yet. This baby is hanging out much longer than his siblings. I have another ultrasound to check amniotic fluid on Monday and then my weekly prenatal appointment on Tuesday which will include baby's second non-stress test. The midwives will ask if I want any interventions performed (membrane stripping, cervidil gel, etc) and as of right now, I'm going to decline. I think they will insist around the 41 week mark...I'll have to find out the details on Tuesday since I never thought I'd still be pregnant!

Baby!

Baby #4 is due in one month! We are very excited to add another sweet baby to te family. This pregnancy is going well...fatigue and varicosities are my only two complaints with a bit of heartburn and back ache here and there. I have some less than stellar picture documenting my growing belly.  

We are set for another home birth...one in each house since we left Georgia!

Skiing!

Trying to blog from my phone while the memories are fresh! Yesterday, the kids and I left at 6am for a ski trip. The prices with this huge Baltimore homeschool group are too good to pass up. We got there before 8am and were dressed and ready to ski by the 8:30 opening. 

Unfortunately my phone died before I got a picture of Kieran skiing. But he was out there on the bunny slopes enjoying himself for about two hours total. Then I gave up bc I had to go with him every step of the way. He was too young for the included lesson but hedesperately needed one! I know just the basics and he couldn't get his feet into the pizza wedge on his own. He loved it though!

Pea was the most shocking of all. She didn't cry getting her gear on and quickly started skiing and practicing her pizza wedge on her own, going up the conveyor belt many many times to the two bunny slopes. She had a one on one lesson for an hour and was feeling even more independent after that. 

Sean was off on his own for a few hours until his 1.5 hour lesson. He really connected with his teacher who came up to me later and said how well Sean did and what a joy he was. 😃 He perfected the second way to stop and learned another way, the J stop. 

He went down a steep icy slope with some friends and was very cautious. Took him forever to get down because he was so cautious. The ice really scared him (me too afterward!) but somehow the experience gave him the confidence to try a new slope alone. The ski lift operator asked if he was going alone and gave him a fist bump when Sean said yes. Sean was proud of that! 

Lastly, Sean took Pea up a couple ski lifts. I went just to ask the operator to slow the left down for her and after that, Kieran and I watched from the lodge where my body decided enough was enough! (Have I mentioned I'm 8 months pregnant? More on that to come.)

Sean and Pea went up that second ski lift at least five times. They had such fun!

It started to rain (and it was 30°) so I packed up hastily and we were on the road by 5. I was scared of ice on the roads so between my slow driving and a bit of traffic, it took two hours to get home. The trip to the ski resort in the morning took around 1.5 hours. 

Welcome, Kieran James!

We welcomed Kieran James Dempsey at 1:31pm on Saturday, September 3rd. 2011. I'll write out his birth story when I have two hands available but the gist of it is this: His birth was totally different than my other two.  Up until he was born, I thought it was all b/c my waters hadn't broken (and the midwife was not supportive of doing so even when I caved and suggested it a few times!) Once he head was out, it was all clear:  he was OP or occiput posterior or sunny-side up or star gazer, etc.  I had no idea how much of a difference it would make with the the labor and delivery!  Much harder. Anyway, he is perfectly perfect and I can't get enough of him.  Adam and I have both remarked on how limitless a parent's love is..each child is so precious!

Kieran's birth was definitely a family event.  Both kids witnessed the actual birth and lived to tell about it!  Actually they  loved it, though I'm sure it was a little scary with all those "vocalizations" I was doing.  Sean cut Kieran's cord and can't stop talking about it.

This was early Saturday morning before the house was awake.  I wanted to take a final belly shot.

Aunt Laura (and her belly apparently) came over some time after 6 or 7 the same morning to take care of the kiddos. Thank goodness...they really needed guidance..they couldn't seem to find things to do like they do normally.  Not that the impending birth of their brother or sister had anything to do with that!

On the day before Kieran's birth, I was in early labor but we decided to trade Sean's violin in for the next size up as instructed by his teacher.  He's now on a 1/4 size violin and won't. stop. playing.

Sweet Pea must have been beebopping around but I don't recall since it wasn't as obvious as violin playing.

Adam and Lori, the birth assistant who also attended Sweet Pea's birth, double make the bed in preparation for Kieran's birth, though we really had no idea where I would finally decide to settle down when it was time.

Don't worry, I'm not actually doing anything on the toilet, just a nice sort of squatting position that helped me with some of the contractions. I think this was about 5 or so contractions before the baby was born, hence the look on my face. Be happy I am not posting the video the midwife took of me having a pushing contraction right before I walked to the bed to birth the baby.  :)

Immediately after his birth.  I was (as usual for me after my babies are born) a sobbing, weeping, happy mess.  Sorry about the wardrobe malfunction... I thought I was about to nurse him but I waited until after the Apgar test.

Checking my vitals.

I was asked to unlatch Mr. Super Nurser after our magical hour together as a family so I could shower and use the toilet.  I didn't want to at all but Kieran sucked his thumb and didn't cry at all with Daddy.

Getting ready to be weighed.

Weighing the baby on the special spring scale used at homebirths.  All three of my kids were around 7 pounds...guess we're consistent!

Getting his first total body newborn check-up after our family time.  

Sean wouldn't leave my side until he fell asleep and we put him in his bed.  Well, he wouldn't leave Kieran's side. 

If you are squeamish about blood, ignore the next picture.

We asked the midwife to show us the two different sides of the placenta, the mother's side and baby's side (I had no idea there was a difference ) It was fascinating.  Sean was able to don a pair of gloves to feel the difference in each side.