Birth Doesn't' Require Luck

I have a little bit of a pet peeve when it comes to what people say to a mom when she says she is in labor. I know these things are said with good intentions, but when you really look at what these statements imply, it makes it sound like birth is just a game of chance.

"Good Luck!" and "Hopefully everything turns out ok!", are among the phrases I often see.

Why do we need "luck" when we give birth? I didn't feel like I had any odds to beat while I was laboring. I focused on having the birth I wanted and focused on the healthy baby I was sure I would be holding soon. I truly believe that positive thinking goes a long way, and that my positivity helped create my amazing birth. I just can't imagine managing the pressure of my contractions effectively, if I had been worried about everything that could have gone wrong.

I know I haven't posted my entire birth story here yet, but I was faced with a few situations that weren't in my dream birth plan. I decided to roll with the flow, stand firm on what I believed was right for my baby and decided to have the birth I wanted. I believe that I avoided having to use pitocin during my labor, because I decided I wasn't going to need it. Yes, I know this all sounds so tree-hugger, but have you ever realized that people who think positively, seem to have very positive lives? They see the glass as half full and decide to enjoy that half glass, instead of focusing on how things could be.

I didn't tell many people that I was trying to go medication free. I didn't want the opinions of others to affect my positive feelings about my labor and birth. I wanted to be excited to feel the contractions and experience every aspect of birth. I know too many women who have heard "You won't win a trophy for not having an epidural" or "You won't be able to do it without an epidural, it hurts too much". I didn't want someone to tell me what they thought I was capable of. I knew myself and my body and knew what I wanted. It just wasn't anyones business but my own. I just didn't care what anyone else thought and refused to let anyone ruin my excitement.

I also didn't tell anyone that I was being induced. I saw my labor as a special time for just me and my husband to experience. I wanted to focus on myself, and not have the distraction of people calling or texting to see if my son had been born yet. It also helped me avoid hearing statements full of good intentions, but not full of the support they thought they were giving.

Now I want to be clear, I don't judge any women for her choice of how she labors or births her child. It is her body and her choice. It is also her choice to call everyone she knows or post on Facebook that she is in labor. I just ask everyone reading this to think about how they respond when they see the announcement that a mom is in labor. Instead of wishing her luck, congratulate her! Instead of saying you hope everything turns out ok, say "You will do great!". Help that momma be confident in her body and it's ability to birth a baby.

We don't need luck, but your positivity and support is always appreciated.

Kitchen Shelf Makeover

When we moved into the house, the sellers left behind a few things (we told them they could). One of the things they left behind, was a wooden shelf that was above the kitchen window. I liked the idea of having a shelf there, but was not really digging the country looking heart in the center of it.

We have been in the house for a little over three years and I am finally getting around to doing something with the shelf. I personally would rather use what I have and upcycled it a bit, than buy something new. It saves money, and I know that the item isn't sitting in a landfill somewhere or stuck eternally on a thrift store shelf. I knew that I wanted something that mimicked the style of the other wall decor found around our downstairs.

I had the hardest time figuring out what to put over the heart. I didn't want a clock; I am too lazy to change the batteries and time(I am the person who doesn't change the clock in her car. I figure in a few months it will be the right time again). I though about maybe a decorative tile, but I couldn't find the right size or style. I finally found a cute, wooden appliqué...but it was too small. I returned it and bought it again during my trip back to the craft store. I decided to buy an oval wooden plaque and layer it with the wooden appliqué. I was so glad that the shape and size was finally just what I was looking for!

I glued the appliqué to the wooden oval, then painted and distressed it. I sanded down and painted the shelf and also distressed the edges some. I glued the oval over the heart with hot glue and popped the shelf right back onto the wall. The whole project took just a few hours.

I love how the shelf looks! I do have some toying around to do with vase arrangement on the top. I bought most of the vases at the dollar store and craft store. The cost for each one was between .50 and $1.50. The green one was $7 at TJ Max. To make each one unique, I wrapped the vases in twine, using hot glue and Modge Podge. I added ribbon or embellishments to add a bit of color and style.

As much as I love the shelf, it makes me want to refinish our builder grade cabinets. We want to extend our kitchen out a bit and need to find some matching cabinets so we can refinish what we have, instead of spending thousands of dollars on new cabinets. We have to wait until the size and model cabinets show up on Craigslist, Freecycle, or in the Habitat for Humanity store.

Craft-Wooden Sign

I have been try to tackle small projects for the house that I have had on my to-do list for awhile. One of the projects, was to create a sign for the wall space I have between the living room window and a bookshelf.

I have been trying to incorporate twine and burlap into the decor downstairs and wanted to find a way to incorporate the twine into the sign. We have a natural theme going on. The prominent colors are brown and green, with black accents. In addition to the burlap and twine, I also have moss rocks used in some accent pieces. I will do a post soon so you can get an idea of the space.

I bought an unfinished wooden sign for 8 dollars and I bought wooden letters for $1.50 a piece. I already had the twine and paint on hand. I wrapped each letter in the twine, using a hot glue gun. I painted the sign black, and distressed the edges. I used hot glue again, to glue the letters to the sign. Easy peasy!

The sign color and distressing, matches another sign we have in the living room, so they really work well together in the space.