Happy Friday to all! This is a prewritten (brain dump) post as we are off at the OBGYN early this morning for the 31 week checkup and more fights about the RhoGam shot. When will this OBGYN care be done? (Oh yeah, we need to fire them already.)

We are also finishing up last minute cleaning at the old place this morning in addition to running several loads of laundry over there while we’ve still got access to the washer and dryer. I am trying to make sure we wash all the baby clothes and anything else we might need to launder now because as soon as we turn the keys over we are without a washer and dryer.

Not sure if I mentioned this but N and I talked and prioritized stuff. It looks like we are going to be laundry mat people until after we’ve paid off the remaining $2000 for Tater’s birth costs. It just doesn’t seem smart for us to spend money we don’t have on something that wont be a good investment for us…

We were considering finding a cheapo, top loading, used washer that we could snag for $100 or less to tide us over. Then we went window shopping for washers last weekend and saw some nifty floor model, energy star washers for only $400-$500 at Home Depot.

We’ve been eying those energy star, front loading beauties for quite some time and if we can hold off a few months, get the birth paid off and save we’ll be able to buy one that is just what we want and need.

Like everything else in the world it is one of those things we need and want but just can’t have immediately. It will take some saving and patience that’s all.

Heck we might even get some gift cards from people that we can use to help us pay for a portion of  the washer, since the washer is a must for cloth diapering and all… Basically we’ve just resolved to wait on it for now. The timing and cash flow isn’t right.

Besides, I could always walk down to our “pond” out back and launder the clothes old fashion style…

LOL! I am kidding, don’t freak out. I am just spewing all the random thoughts out right now. I would wash them in the tub if need be, not the muddy pond, Seesh! (Kidding again!)

Oh, in other news N got a set of comp media tickets to see Spelling Bee this weekend so we’ll be enjoying a date night out and a Tony-Award winning show which is always super fun for us.

It looks like we are going to have a warm, stress free and fun-filled weekend. It has been well overdue I think and it gives me a reason to get all spiffied up and looking nice for a change. TGIF!

Hopefully you are all having a nice Friday and are looking forward to a nice weekend.

The post Picture this: Talina washing laundry in the pond out back and balancing a laundry basket on her head… appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

This morning we had a “meeting” with my OBGYN about the blood glucose test, we also broke the RhoGam shot news to her and basically she argued with us and said that the RhoGam shot wasn’t optional.

She had nothing to tell us about statistics or research on the benefits of the shot, just that it was a routine preventive measure that everyone needs to get. I told her we weren’t provided with enough info about the benefits and risks so we did our own research and came to the conclusion that the risks do not out weight the benefits. She refused to accept that we’ve done our research and we don’t want it. She provided us with a very general, “for dummies” pamphlet about the RhoGam shot.

Amazingly she had the lab tech draw N’s blood right then and there, just to see what his blood type was… as a means of convincing us to get the shot. We asked about this at the beginning of my pregnancy and she said his blood type wasn’t that important and that a blood draw wasn’t necessary. I am dreading receiving the bill for that blood draw, since it is not covered by insurance till our deductible is met. At least we’ll know N’s blood type though.

We’ll know N’s blood test results on Monday but we are not going to continue prenatal care with them. We are still declining the shot and we did get out of the second blood glucose test… She fed us some bull about the Glucola test and gave vague diet modification ideas that weren’t helpful… She wouldn’t give me a prescription for blood glucose test strips like I asked. Again she gave the “well it’s not really necessary” line.

I just don’t want to deal with the added stress of seeing this OBGYN anymore. Especially since after our little discussion she took it all out on my belly! She wanted to do an external examination, measure my belly and hear Tater’s heartbeat. While she was checking Tater’s position she was quite rough and actually she really of hurt me! I was crampy and having BH contractions while she was being rough and the pain continued for a good half hour after the visit. I told her about the pain and she said, yeah that is normal…

NO! It is not normal, when Pamela examines me I don’t cramp or hurt, ever! I am just done dealing with her and her demeanor. It stresses me out, it’s a waste of my time and we don’t need her anyway. Once we get N’s blood test results back we are just going to cancel our future appointments and go our separate ways, thanks goodness!

——————————————————————————–

Oh, and for those of you in Indiana who are also interested in homebirth options I have some great news! A midwife licensure bill went to the House Health Committee (Midwifery Licensure Bill 508) and just passed through the committee! This is good progress and gets us pretty close to getting midwives legalized here! For more information on the push for Indiana midwives checkout this page.

Now we are gearing up for the third reading in the house (the full house hearing) and those people in Indiana who are in support of midwives or who want to preserve a woman’s choice of birthing options need to speak up and let your views be heard about this today. Your representatives MUST hear from you so that they know this issue matters to their constituents, so contact them today! You can find out who to contact on this page: http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/

Here are some things you can mention when you contact them:

• CPMs are professionals, well-trained, skilled in neonatal resuscitation and other life-saving skills.
• Homebirth in low risk pregnancies is safe, especially when a trained and skilled midwife is attending it!
• Homebirth is legal and having midwives regulated will provide a safety net for the consumers who choose homebirth.
• Women deserve the right to choose the best birthing option for them!
• Not licensing CPM’s eliminates a vital option and backs women up against a wall.

Sign up for Inmwsupporters@yahoogroups.com or join Indiana Push for Midwives for alerts and action emails.
Idaho got their bill passed this year, and the governor signed it Monday.  That makes the 26th state.  Let’s make Indiana the 27th.  It is within our reach now!

The post Sitting in the nasty basement waiting for the storm to pass and pushing for the Indiana Midwifery Licensure Bill appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

– Yesterday we signed the paperwork and paid the down payment for our new home. We got the keys and have begun slowly but surely moving stuff in over there. The utilities aren’t on there yet but they will be soon and I planned on doing a live video tour of the new place on April 2nd to share it with you.

– The video home tour will take place at 3pm Indiana time and will be posted @ http://www.harvestofdailylife.com/webcasts-vlog-live-chat for your viewing and chatting pleasure. It will also be recorded and available for you to view at any time after the live broadcast, you just wont be able to participate in the live chat.

– Got a funny call from my OBGYN’s office today! After not calling back to schedule my 3 hour blood test like they wanted on Friday they placed a follow up call this morning that I missed. Then this afternoon I get another call from them and they’ve changed their tune!

I was told by the nurse practitioner that “when the doctor was filled in she decided, since I only failed by one point, and because I have such a hard time with blood draws… that they would LET me skip the follow up test” if I came in and had a chat with my doctor about all the particulars.

I told the nurse that we were going to decline the 2nd test anyway and that we would come in to talk with the doctor about it all since I want to be written a prescription for the blood glucose test strips so I can just test and mange it all on my own. Isn’t it funny and kind of odd that they have changed their tune all the sudden?

– Oh, rent is due on the 1st right… Well, the slumlady never dropped that mutual release letter back off to us like she said she would. We met with her back on March 13th and she assured us she would retun the letter signed, she also said she would swing by to pick up our April 1st rent (as opposed to her just using our security deposit to cover it like we suggested).

Since she is still NOT following through with what she says she’ll do we’ve decided we are also going to quit following through with our own obligations. She can keep our security deposit for April’s rent, we’ll give her a check for any supposid “damages to the property” upon move out inspection and we are done.

Heck she can sue us if she really wants to, we would be happier if she did that way we could lay our case out to a judge (without having to pay crazy fees to begin the legal process) and get this all delt with officially. I bet she wont sue though, she seems to be avoiding paper trails and official stuff like the plague. We probably wont even be able to get her to do a move out inspection.

Oh, on Saturday we hid in the basement waiting out our Tornado warning and the basement flooded again. It was flowing like a river down there, I even took a video of it for fun. Luckily there wan’t ever a tornado, just another flood in the basement. We were kind of hoping that a tree would cave in the roof here or something, that would end our lease early I bet! LOL…

If you didn’t get email notification of the online shower Maiden53 put up for me you can check it out here. Be sure to stop by to sign the guest book and play a game or two. Oh and you’ll be able to see some cute photos of the baby bump (and her heartbeat) there too!

The post Just passing through to leave a quick update or On the move again! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

The last few weeks have been filled with all sorts of crapola and it’s made us grumpy at times but we are glad to have gotten so much accomplished. Here is a recap complete with links in case you missed something or a bored and want to read our drama.

We got our taxes filed and our returns are on the way, we got our February rent check mystery solved with the bank, we got our march rent paid and sent off in this certified letter that still hasn’t been picked up!

We looked at so many home options, decided on and bought Tater’s nursery bedding, we rescued a bird from the wall of this house, delt with and remedied the broken garbage disposal, we finished Boners homemade cage but he managed to mate with Maybelle anyway and we are expecting baby bunnies in a few weeks now!

In the next two weeks I’ve got 2 prenatal appointments (one at The Farm with Pamela and one with the local OBGYN), I have a chiropractor appointment and my 27th birthday is March 20th.

Then we have the end of March and all of April to pack and move, again. In May I’ll be nesting and unpacking and then I am off to The Farm to have Tater in June! Time is just flying these days, unbelievable…

Oh wait, I skipped over the big news… We found our home!

Saturday we entered a verbal agreement and hashed out all the terms, now we are going back and fourth drafting up a contract. On April 1st we are making a down payment, moving in to the house and will have 12 months to take over ownership of it.

We are super happy and also pretty excited about it all. The place is just what we need right now! It doesn’t need major work to be ready for Tater’s arrival, it is in our price range and it is a pretty good investment for us. Here are some more photos of it from the weekend:

I think we will be very happy there and it is something we can call our own. After 5 years we’ve finally managed to find the right house at the right price and terms. I’ve always wanted to be in our own home before we brought home a baby too. It’s funny how it all works out in the strangest of ways!

Like I’ve said before the last six months have been quite the roller coaster ride for us! We went from making no life progress over several years to making tons of progress all at once within like 6 months. When it rains, it pours!

Oh and I am entering to win a Bumgenius over at http://hotbellymama.blogspot.com/, you can too. Here is how:

The post Time flies… When it Rains, it pours… We have some more news too! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

• My tap water gives me diarrhea.

Yep I know that is TMI huh? It is serious though. About every 2 weeks it happens and oddly enough it is coinciding with my water intake. Any time I drink more than my 2 jugs of water it just runs right through me. Someone remarked “wouldn’t you just pee the water out?” and I thought to myself, “why yes I should”. Problem is that is not what is happening. Then my mom reminded me that her water has some unusual levels of minerals that cause them stomach upset among other issues. Our bodies really can have problems with the levels of stuff in our water and if my body can’t process whatever is in it and sees it as harmful wouldn’t it just eliminate it as quickly as possible? We are putting this theory to the test, I am now only drinking water that had been distilled first. Hopefully that will do the trick, I can tell you after 2 days I am peeing way more!

• Our OBGYN never called about our appointment that never happen.

We were planning to have our ultrasound on the 29th of January but since the town was literally shut down as a result of the storm our doctors office wasn’t open. They didn’t call to inform us of this either, this makes us a bit annoyed. We’ve been expecting them to call us to reschedule the missed appointment but I guess they really don’t care. I called them today and got booked for an appointment next Thursday, 2/12/09. We should be finding out Tater Tot’s sex then. *fingers crossed*

• I am still researching genealogy, now for Tater Tot’s sake.

Remember those silly family tree projects you are assigned as a kid in school? I never had fun doing them and always kind of despised them because we had no info on our family history at that time. In my baby book in the family tree area my parents and grandparents are filled in but nothing else. Where it says great grandmother/ grandfather someone wrote “dead”… Nice huh? Anyway, I am still loving the myheritage.com site and would encourage each of you to sign up there (it is free) and record all the info you know about your family. It may help others later on down the road and you never know when you might want to reasearch your own genealogy further.

• Our residential roads are still iced over, the city doesn’t plough them- ever.

Flagstaff had 12 ploughs in operation, the same number of ploughs are working here in Evansville… Funny thing is we had better snow/ ice removal in Flagstaff, which is was smaller than Evansville and gets way more winter storms. Things are ass backwards here with regards to winter weather response/ management, big time!

• Scott MacIntyre did advance to the next round on American Idol.

I recorded it and fast forwarded thought all the commercials and annoying drama girl parts but did see him in many of the filler shots and the show did indicate that his group made it to the next round. Of course he wouldn’t be featured in the group night drama episode, he is nice, cooperative and does well with others. I am sad that they didn’t show his groups performance though.

• Tater is crazy active and we are in the planning for baby phase now.

Tater’s kicks and punches continue, I am used to them now. Shoot! We’ve only got about 5 months left to this pregnancy, almost half way through and we have tons to do! [cue anxiety]

Here is my “perfect world” scenario brainstorm: We’ve got to get out of this place and in to another rental preferably before May (even though our lease doesn’t officially expire until August 31st). Any ideas on how to nicely get us out of our lease?

This means we only have 3 months to pack, find a new place and move in to it. Didn’t we just do the moving thing? *sigh* Once we are moved we’ll have the month of May to unpack and nest before any chance of early labor. We don’t want early labor folks!

Then I’ll take it easy for 2 weeks before we drop me off at The Farm (around the 2nd week of June). Then I’ll wait at The Farm for labor to begin while N is back in Indiana working and caring for the pets (I could end up being there until the 2nd week of July if baby wants to come later).

I’ll call him when I feel like it is time for him to make the trip down to be with us for the delivery (but who will care for the pets?). We’ll hang at The Farm for a few days after labor to get breastfeeding support and to make sure baby is doing well, then we’ll head home and adjust to being new parents.

See? Told you this was a brain spew post! Oh and we sat down and got our baby registry lists semi updated too! We still haven’t added gender specific stuff like bedding and clothes but all the other junk is on the registries now! You can check out the registries by using these buttons:

So basically that is it in a nutshell, sort of… Stop diarrhea, find out Tater’s sex, genealogy research, clean, pack, find new home, move, buy baby stuff, unpack, nest, rest, go The Farm, squeeze baby out, rest more, learn to breasfeed, bond with baby, enjoy, adapt, head home. The end (for now).

The post Brain Spew: Bullet Point Thursday. Bun in the oven edition. appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.