Happy Hippity Hoppity Day!

We had a great Easter! For brunch I made Vanilla Cinnamon French toast with fresh strawberries on top as well as sausage. Then we went to the Easter Service. During the sermon, Claire announced, "Mommy, I gotta go poop." Luckily, we were in the back, but since I heard some giggling around us, I knew that people had heard. Oh well. I'm happy to have provided them with a tidbit of amusement.

When we came home Easter Bunny (aka Daddy) hid some plastic eggs all around the house. I wasn't going to hide more since we had just done an egg hunt with our playgroup on Friday, but it was so nice out! I only put 1 jelly bean or 1 MnM in each egg. She had so much fun finding them! And she did a really good job! On Friday, she only found about 6...she wasn't into and didn't really get it. I think it may have been too busy for her.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day outside. We spent a lot of time outside on the patio and in the sunshine. Man. Too bad it's bad to "lay out" -- I totally dig the little "sun-buzz" from being out in the sunshine.

For dinner I made ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, and a dessert. I rarely ever make a dessert. I made "Brownie Banana Split Pizza" -- and it was sinful. It was a brownie mix baked on a pizza sheet. Then you mixed cream cheese and powdered sugar. Always glorious in combination! Then you layered a can of crushed pineapple, a banana, fresh strawberries, and some maraschino cherries. Claire of course had fun helping me make it. Of course she was licking each cherry before she put it on the "pizza" LOL! Good thing it was just for us!

Then I sat outside some more while Claire ran her shopping cart in circles around the patio. I was tired of looking at some trash along the back fence, which is actually the neighbor's property. So I grabbed a plastic grocery store bag to pick up the trash. They are mostly those flyers that they hang on doors. Seriously. I want to boycott any place that will not pay for a mailing. And they never stay on the doors. They end up all over the freaking neighborhood as muddy pieces of bright yellow paper. Freaking annoying as hell. The other thing that irritates me to no end...typos on the ads. Things like "PAYING TO MUCH FOR.....?" SERIOUSLY. You can't use the right form of to vs. too on an ad...I am so not patronizing your business.

But anyways, we had a very nice Easter at home. This was about the first time ever not spending Easter with my family. Actually, 2nd I think. The first time was when I was an exchange student in Germany. But it was a bit odd. Last year, Holly got married on Easter weekend so we were all together for a big Easter dinner and festivities. I didn't go to church last Easter though, since we were up to midnight or later for Holly's wedding reception. So Claire and I took a nap while the others went to church last year. ;)

It's crazy to think that last year at this time, Holly was single and living on her own (until the 11th anyways) and now she's married and more than half-way to having her own little baby! How time flies!

So here's my latest ponderance...should I bother writing a birth plan? Seriously? I was like wanting to....but I wrote one last time, but it's so not going to matter because they just skim it and don't really care what it says anyways. PLUS...they are "meant" to be broken. So if I just don't plan one...nothing can really go that wrong? Me.frustrated=true about this. So if I just don't plan for anything...then what? It's not like I'm going to get a homebirth setting in a hospital, because it just doesn't work that way.

Anyways, hope you all had a great Easter! I've got lots of pictures and videos to share soon! :)

Post-Partum Supply List

Post-Partum Supply List:

My list assumes birthing vaginally and exclusively ecologically nursing (no artificial bottle nipples or pacis) planned:

Stocked freezer with meals

Stocked household with groceries and household supplies and newborn essentials (clothes, blankets, diapers, wipes, burp rags, etc. These are more obvious.)

Umbilical stump stuff (cotton balls, Q-tips, rubbing alcohol by your changing station) Some opt not to clean them, but I've seen an infected one on a friends' baby, and therefore will be using alcohol again!

Nursing pads

Nipple Cream

Nursing Bras (Ha...I don't think I have any regular ones anymore!)

Numbers of a LLL leader and/or friend/relative who have nursed

Sitz Bath

Sitz Bath Soak

Bleach (to clean sitz bath between uses)

Hydrogen peroxide (to get blood out of clothing, etc)

Witch Hazel and Tucks Pads for cleansing down there

Maximum flow/overnight maxi pads for the first week postpartum, then lighter flow pads and pantiliners for after that. Remember, no tampons, as the placenta wound is an internal "open" wound!

Ibuprofen for reducing swelling

Ice, ice, ice for making packs for any sore areas!

Ziploc bags to make icepacks. Then wrap in a clean kitchen towel.

Prep.-H or Tucks or similar cream. I don't know of anyone who doesn't get "roids" from pushing out a baby. Anyone who says they didn't...LIARS!)

Peri Bottle

Numbing Spray

Stool softener caplets, milk of mag, or something more natural like prunes, prune juice, dried apricots, raisin bran, bran muffins, etc.

Underpads or chuck pads

Bag of DEPENDS or similar adult diaper...yes, hopefully not needed for incontinence but easier to have on hand...also great instead of dealing with pads and leaks. Even with a C-section, one can have problems with incontinence for a few days after delivery. See here.

Waterproof mattress pad...put this on your bed at about 36 weeks if you don't already have one in case your water breaks in bed! (like mine did with Claire!) Also, you really need two for each bed if you have kids ;) Saves mattresses!

A sling for babywearing

A bed rail for safe bedsharing

What am I forgetting???