Welcome baby August

Monday, June 10th at 8:09 pm, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, August Julius.  He was born via c-section due to being breech.  I was scheduled for a c-sectionon Thursday the 13th but went into labor Monday morning.  I wasn't sure it was labor since I was induced for my first son's birth.  Eventually, it became obvious that it was labor.  I went to the hospital when the contractions were about 10 minutes apart and by the time we got there, they were three minutes apart and I was 2 cm dilated.  The whole birth experience was wonderful.  The doctor and nurses were really nice and reassuring.  He ended up being 8lbs, 2oz and 19.2 inches long.  I only had to stay in the hospital until Wednesday which was also nice.  I am still pretty sore but every day is better.  My family has been here helping us watch our dogs and Hugo.  They have taken care of August and made us meals.  My sister has taken Hugo to her house for a week.  He is busy having fun with his cousins.  This is allowing Rob and I to catch up on sleep and adjust to a new baby in the house.  I feel like such a lucky person.  I have so many supportive people around me, I now have two beautiful sons and a husband who loves me.  All of this makes me want to be a better person.

Minimalism

I am sitting here eight months pregnant and contemplating what I would like my future to look like.  Besides horrible heartburn, this point in my pregnancy has brought out my nesting instinct.  At least, I think this is what one could call nesting.  I want to declutter and simplify my life.  I think two things have really prompted these feelings.  First, my sister took it upon herself to clear her stuff and my stuff from childhood through early college years out of my parents' attic.  I was sent home with stacks of dusty boxes full of total crap.  Second, I went into my own attic and pulled out all of the baby stuff I saved from my first son, H.  In going through it all, I have realized how worthless and meaningless it all really is.  Besides enjoying looking at old pictures of myself and friends and family and reading old letters, the rest could disappear forever and not ever be missed.  Things that I once thought were so important like my stuffed animals and textbooks and trophies are just things.  The importance that I once placed on these things just seems to exemplify how meaningless all the material items in my life are.  Really, this stuff just wastes my time, money and energy.  So, I am trying to let it go.  Some of it is easy to part with.  Other things I am sentimental about (photos, letters, certain mementos) and still others are guilt possessions (gifts from other people that I feel guilty giving away or perhaps things that I might use one day).  It is going to take some time to do this, but I am determined to do this.  I see a future for Rob and I that involves a small home of sorts (always dreamed (perhaps naively) of living in a yurt)) surrounded by beautiful land and water.  I want gardens and animals and paths through the property.  I want to have a boat that we can get away from our daily lives with when we want to.  So now, when this is a distant dream, I will prepare for it.  Perhaps this dream doesn't have to be so distant.  Perhaps we can live this way even with two kids.  We will see...

Stranger then Fiction is on right now.  I love this movie.

Bucket List

1) Take master gardener course and become master gardener
2) Learn how to keep chickens
3) Learn how to sew clothing
4) Make a quilt
5) Visit Costa Rica
6) Learn to boat
7) Take lots of trips
8) Go somewhere tropical with clear water and stay in a hut
9) See the Florida Keys
10) Go to all the National Parks
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