Reflections Along the Way

All strapped in and ready to go!

So we have a tentative goal to get Canaan out on a climbing day trip sometime towards the end of May.  To do this, we figure we need to take lots of baby steps (no pun intended…:) ) in order to make sure he is ready for the long haul of a whole day out and about.  We started out by taking a hike with BeBe and Papa Joe last Friday in celebration of his due date.  It was a leisurely3.5ish mile hike along a smooth trail.  It took us a little over an hour – so not really any more committing than our daily walks down to the lake, but we did experiment with the BabyBjorn carrier rather than the stroller.  To read about that adventure and see pictures, click here.

Fun in the sun with Daddy

We decided that this weekend we would up the anty a little bit, and see how the C-Squatch would do with a little more of a challenge.  Our goals:  outdoor feeding, outdoor diaper change, hiking with the Moby Wrap, and a family picnic.  We opted for the Company Mill Trail at Umstead Park.  Canaan really seemed to like the Moby, and it was really comfy for me as well.  The nice thing about the Moby versus the BabyBjorn is that it supports more of his bottom as opposed to having him dangle by his crotch…It was also much easier to shade him from the sun with the Moby, b/c I could just pull the flaps of fabric over his face and keep him covered.

Our little outdoorsman!

Dreaming of being Superman!

We found a fantastic picnic spot along the river.  One thing that we have noticed is that whenever we are hungry, Canaan is hungry also, so that means Canaan eats first (Canaan is also hungry when we are sleeping, showering, watching TV, and trying to finish up blog posts…) Nursing in the Moby Wrap was actually kinda cool, once we figured out which straps to loosen and which ones to tighten – I could actually nurse him hands free (which meant I could eat at the same time!)

and there was so much extra fabric that I was able to be completely covered up.

Me and Canaan relaxing while Daddy plays on the boulders

There were a few fairly large boulders all around where we decided to picnic.  They were all low angle slab (we both decided less than V0, probably closer to 5.6…) but it was the first time that I had bouldered anything since about 18 weeks pregnant, so I had loads of fun!  We took turns eating, watching Canaan, and playing around on the rocks for about an hour, before we strapped Canaan back into the Moby and continued our hike.

Having fun on the slabs!

It sure did feel good to be on the rock again!

Sure enough, after another 45 minutes or so of hiking, Canaan started wailing and Steve and I started to smell poop – oh boy, a chance to practice our outdoor diapering skills!  We found a large log where we could spread our portable changing pad out and went to work!  I am now proud to say that at 20 days old, Canaan had his first poop in the woods – should be the first of many   After the diaper change, we realized that it was about time for Canaan to eat again, so we just leaned up against the log and nursed before moving on.

Me and my little Bean in the wrap

The rest of the hike was peaceful and uneventful – of course everyone that passed by us smiled and commented on how sweet the C-Squatch looked all bundled up in the wrap!  I told him to try not to let it go to his head, even though he is clearly the most beautiful baby on the planet…On our way back by the river, we took one more family photo, this time with Canaan in the wrap.  We finally got back to the car around 4:30 or so, where two of us hi-fived on our success, while the third person was out like a light!    All in all, we got in well over 5 miles of hiking, and were away from the house for a grand total of 6 successful hours – we left feeling rejuvenated, encouraged, and refreshed (and I felt like I’d been released from a cage…)  Our day could not have gone better, and I feel like it did wonders for my Creation Exploration Withdrawal symptoms!  I can’t wait til next weekend to see what adventures we can get into!

Family Portrait!

....and another Family Portrait!

Just before we left brunch - without a clue of what was about to happen

This is the story of how Canaan Ray Lineberry entered the world.  On Friday, March 19th, I finished my last day at Chesterbrook Academy, and was ready to enjoy two full weeks off before my due date.  Folks kept asking me what I was going to do with all that time off, and I jokingly would say that there’s no way the little guy was gonna let me have two weeks all to myself.  Steve predicted that I would go into labor at 4:00 Friday afternoon, right when I got off of work.  I was a little more cynical, and said that the C-Squatch was gonna let me go the whole weekend looking forward to my time off, and planning my activities, and then decide to come when I woke up on Monday morning.  As it turns out, I called it pretty well…

Our weekend started out just as the past several before had gone.  We went to the  climbing gym Friday night so that I could dutifully log my 38 week 5.11 (which was down to only one that I could still do…)  Saturday was a beautiful day, so we did our traditional walk down to and around Lake Lynn, and then headed over to Chapel Hill to watch the Dixie Rock Climbing Comp finals that night.  On Sunday, we went to church and then caught up with some dear friends for brunch around 11. 

Tracey and I taking a break between contractions

It was a nice day and we ended up lingering and talking for a few hours.  Steve and I originally had planned on heading to Umstead Park after brunch for a nice leisurely hike, but the weather had gotten a little cool for the change of clothes we had brought, plus I felt like I might should have a snack, so we decided it would be best to stop off at home first.  When we got home, I felt really tired, and decided to lay down for a bit.  Steve came back to tell me he was ready to go, and I was knocked out.  We decided that it might be best to just rest for a bit, and then perhaps just take a stroll around the neighborhood.  After a few minutes, my back started hurting really bad, and when I stood up, I thought that my water may have broken.  I think Steve and I both were silent for several minutes while our minds reeled around a few times trying to process that this could be it!  We debated calling the doctor right away versus waiting around a while.  After a few minutes, it became apparent that this was no false alarm.  Here’s how everything went down…

7 and 1/2 pounds, 20 inches, and a good set of lungs!

2:30 – Water breaks
2:45 – Started having strong contractions 4-5 minutes apart (where were the hours of 10-20 minutes apart mild contractions we learned about at childbirth class?!?)
3:45 – finished packing, called doula, left message with doctor
4:15 – contractions 3 minutes apart, decided not to wait on the doctor and headed to the hospital (doctor calls as we are headed in and tells us to come on in – he’d been called in to an emergency C-section when we had called earlier)
5:30 – admitted to a room,  3.5 cm dilated, 90% effaced, pain level around 4 or 5.   Walked the hall, used birth ball, kept breathing as contractions got stronger. 

It was very helpful having Steve and Tracey (our doula) there.  During a contraction we would hold hands, and they would tell me when the contraction had peaked and was on the way down.

Steve cutting the cord

7:30 -  Cervix check was 5cm, 100% effaced, pain level around a 6.   Even though the contractions were getting stronger and stronger, I felt like I was able to relax enough in between to get my strength back, which made the pain seem manageable.�
9:00 – 9:40 -Started having really bad back labor.  Turns out the little guy was sunny-side up (head down, but facing the front instead of the back).  The nurse told me how to change my body position to get him to turn.  At this point my pain level shot up to around 8 or 9, and my back was in a relentless spasm, even between contractions.  Started to feel a bit panicky, and told Steve and Tracey that I might need to get the epidural.  After about 25 minutes in this position, I felt the baby turn, and though it took some of the pressure off my back, I still felt dizzy, nauseous, and clammy.  Tracey suggested that we have the nurse check our progress – everyone was pleasantly surprised that I had already dilated at 10 and was ready to push!  Thoughts of the epidural quickly faded since I knew we were so close.

Some skin to skin love

9:40-10:20 - Relieved that I had made it thru transition, I got a second wind.  I relaxed through the next several contractions, trying to breathe through them, letting the baby do most of the work, and then we started pushing.  It felt much better to have something to do during the contractions, but I couldn’t keep myself from feeling really dizzy…got hooked up with some oxygen, which didn’t take away the dizzies, but probably kept me from passing out.�
10:20pm – The C-Squatch is born!!! 

We couldn’t have asked for the delivery to go any better.  I was really appreciative of our support team – I definitely could not have done it without them.  Our nurse was awesome, and very supportive of our decision to go natural.  Steve was amazing, as expected, and it was really great having Tracey there to handle all the medical jargon with the nurses and doctors so that Steve could be there for me.  Steve also read out the comments on my facebook status throughout the early part of the evening, and it was really neat to feel like there were all of these people I knew cheering for us. 

Getting to know each other

After Steve cut the cord and we had some snuggle time with the little bean, the nurse took all of his stats and sponged him off.  We got moved to a regular room where I was finally able to eat something for the first time in 12 hours (I ordered a cheeseburger and some angel food cake off the after hours menu).  This whole process was slightly hindered by me passing out several times, but eventually we got in and got settled.  The three of us stayed together pretty much the whole time and were finally released to go home on Tuesday afternoon.  Since then, its been a wild ride, but all in all, I think the three of us are adjusting well.  We love our little bean and are having a lot of fun getting to know him and introducing him to life outside the womb!

�
 

Snuggling with daddy!

Family photo-op on our way out of the hospital

Steve and I had a blast today, and it was the most random day I’ve had in a long time, so I thought it was worth noting. In preparation for the upcoming family trip to Yellowstone, I decided I wanted Steve to teach me how to fly fish. Since his experience has been limited to the annual “guy’s trip” with his brothers and dad, Steve felt like he might need a refresher himself, and certainly didn’t know the good spots to go to in Raleigh. So we met up with our friends the Touseys, Tim and Jenn, and their two kids, Sam and Charlotte. Tim is an avid fisherman, and had been wanting to try out a new spot his friend had told him about in the middle of Umstead Park.
We had agreed to meet at 9:00, however, we got sidetracked by a situation that required my immediate attention. There in the middle of the road, at the corner of Lynn and Leesville Rd, sat a HUGE Snapping Turtle! Now, as some of you may know, I have had some run-ins with rescuing turtles in the middle of roads before. This turtle, however, was BIG and PISSED!!! I got out of the car and some other lady had stopped also. She tried to pick him up from the front as his mouth was wide open and he was hissing (hmmm, perhaps not the smartest move?). The turtle literally jumped at her, and the lady screamed…so I picked him up from behind (he was HEAVY!) and carted him off across the road to safety, with him scratching and clawing the whole way. He was kind enough to pose for one picture with his mouth closed.

So with all that excitement out of the way, we met the Tousey’s and hiked down to the lake. Its kind of off the beaten path, and there was not another soul in sight. The weather could not have been more perfect. Tim proceeded to give me a wonderful lesson on the basics of casting, while Steve brushed up on his tying on techniques. While Sam was attempting to “catch a dolphin” from the docks, Steve and I found a nice little nook in the lake in the shade. Throughout the morning Steve caught 4 fish, and I caught 3! I think my favorite part was putting them back in the water and watching them swim away After lolling the morning away, dreaming of backpacking/fishing expeditions we could take, we were starting to get hungry, so we headed over to Lake Crabtree with our bikes for a nice picnic lunch by the lake. With the nice breeze coming off the lake, and our nice spot in the shade, it didn’t even seem to matter that we had no hand sanitizer to wash the fish slime off our hands before we ate We ended our afternoon with a lazy, laidback ride thru the mountain bike trails at Crabtree, but NOT before we came across another small box turtle in the middle of the bike trail. He was a scaredy cat, but we saved him anyway.

 So that was my day. Just goes to show that you don’t have to travel to some mystical, remote place to enjoy the outdoors. Keep your eyes open, and you just might surprise yourself with all the fun you can have in the little corner of Creation that you call home!