Just Another Crazy Birth Story

 Let's get one thing straight...I've never enjoyed being pregnant.  To the women who say they love pregnancy and everything that comes with it, I cock my head to the side like a bewildered dog looking at a new dish.  It just can't be true.  Sure, there are moments of bliss and magic and elation, but the nonstop months of barfing, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, trouble swallowing, hip and back pains, waddling, exhaustion, headaches, swelling, itching, the dreaded glucose test...(the list goes on and on), tend to cast a long shadow over the good parts.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered I was pregnant with baby number four!

I won't bore you with the details of my pregnancy ailments.  Let's get right to the good stuff...the labor and delivery!

Being overweight and of "advanced maternal age," (the nurse's words, not mine :) ), I was at a higher risk of having gestational diabetes.  Turns out I had it.  Yaaay me.  The only good news I received from that diagnosis was my doctor saying he would induce me at 39 weeks instead of making me wait it out.  I could have kissed him after hearing that!  My other three babies were all born early (naturally), but knowing that I would have a week less of "suffering" made me feel better.

Braxton Hicks contractions were a common and frequent occurence in all of my pregnancies.  By the time I neared the end of this pregnancy, those contractions had been happening for several months.  I had learned to welcome them because they seemed to help get things moving and made my previous labor and delivery sessions short.  I thought for sure I would go into labor before the scheduled induction, but on the morning of March 12, 2014, my husband and I calmly walked into the hospital and checked in.  Labor hadn't really started yet.  The good news was that I was already dilated to 4cm, which was 1cm more than two days prior.  I was excited at the progress and knew it would be just a couple hours until the baby was born!  My doctor asked that I immediately tell a nurse if I felt anything happening during the induction.  He was working in the clinic that day and had a 20-minute drive to get back to the hospital.  Because my previous deliveries were quick, he didn't want to miss it.  Yep, got it, Doc.  I was sure I would be sounding the alarms in about an hour.

After changing into the gown and getting settled on the bed, it was time to start the IV.  I almost think that part is worse than the actual pain of childbirth.  I have terrible veins and it usually takes several attempts to put in a line.  This time was no exception.  I was an anesthesia consult, which meant I was supposed to have a well-thought-out plan for pain management, and my needs would be met ASAP.  I met with the anesthetist, but after two attempts with the needle on my left hand, he gave up and called for reinforcements.  The next guy found a vein in my right hand like nobody's business.  I was all...where were you 10 minutes ago??  Regardless, the needle torture was done for now.  My master plan included getting a low dose of IV pain medication if the contractions got bad enough, then just before it was time to push, I would get a single shot in my spine to numb me from the waist down.  Okay, the plan was in place, so it was time to start the pitocin!

It was around 9:00am that the pitocin drip started.  I was sure I would have the baby by 10:30am, with enough time left in the morning to order a late room service breakfast.  Mmm...my favorite part of the hospital stay is ordering food.  :)  To my delight, the nurse said I could order a normal meal (no clear diet for me!) because I wasn't technically in labor yet.  I ordered and ate, waited, used the bathroom, got the pitocin turned up, watched TV, waited, used the bathroom, played games on my tablet, waited, got the pitocin turned up, used the bathroom, waited...you can see where this is going.  No where.  Nothing was really happening.  I could feel the contractions and they were coming every couple minutes, but they weren't hurting in the right spot.  The nurse and resident doctor said my cervix was flipped backward and was pretty far back, so the contractions had to flip it up the right way, then it would finish opening.  Greeaat.  More contractions and waiting.

After nine hours of the above mentioned routine, my normal doctor was back in my room to check my progress.  It was 6:00pm.  I wasn't supposed to STILL be pregnant at 6:00PM!!  He checked my cervix...I had only gotten to 5cm!  I couldn't believe it.  A feeling of devastation came over me.  I had just gone through nine hours of contractions and discomfort for one measely centimeter.  The doctor said he would need to break my water to get things moving.  I agreed, but was quick to mention that I hadn't had any pain medication yet and that I wanted a shot in my IV before that nice cushiony water was gone.  He got the long water breaker needle thing and had the nurse get the medicine.  

As he was breaking my water, I hadn't gotten the medicine yet.  I started getting a little frantic.  I mean, my pitocin drip had been steadily increased throughout the day and I was getting some pretty good back-to-back contractions.  I could read the writing on the wall and pretty much lost it.  As soon as the floodgates were opened, the pain felt unbearable.  Where was that medicine??  I saw the nurse in the room with the vial and syringe, but then she was gone before I got any of it.  Ummm...come back!  At this point, I was literally begging and screaming for help.  I was scared.  This wasn't part of the plan!  I didn't want to be one of "those" women that you hear in the room down the hall.  The screamer. The lady who can't deal with the pain.  But alas, I was her.

Four contractions after my beloved water was taken from me, I yelled out that I needed to push and that I could feel the baby's head almost coming out.  My doctor was in the warming room getting gloves.  He told me not to push (he had just checked me and said after the water was gone, I had dialated from 5cm to 8cm, but everything was still far back), but I insisted that my body was pushing!  Suddenly I heard the nurse say "there's a head!" (nice of her to come back - she had to get a new syringe because the first one broke when she pushed it into the vial.  Of course it did, because that would be my luck!  Haha!  I'm still not sure if I ever got the medicine.) and then it happened.  The baby's head was coming out and I didn't have any pain medicine.  Surprisingly, it didn't hurt a bit.  The contractions were awful, but when the baby came out, I hardly felt it.  The doctor rushed back to my bed and grabbed the baby's head.  He didn't even have time to get scrubs or gloves on.  I was still laying on the same bed I had been in all day.  The end hadn't been removed and there were no stirrups. Hallelujah for no stirrups!  In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the baby was out and was whisked away to be cleaned off and tended to.  My husband was at my side telling me what a great job I did.  I felt like I was in shock!  The doctor broke my water at 6:26pm and the baby was born at 6:39pm.  Crazy!  

I had the body shakes after delivery, but that's normal.  I remember feeling quite awkward at the sight of two young male doctors stitching me up...and of course I'm blabbing away and apologizing that they had to be down there to see my fat Jell-O legs shaking, my hemorrhoids, and I believe I also used the word "crotch" several times.  Sigh.  After i was stitched up and cleaned up, a nurse applied one of those glorious ice packs.  Throughout my hospital stay and recovery at home, I never had to use another ice pack.  In fact, I only had a couple doses of ibuprofen, Tylenol, and oxycodone to help with the cramps.  I never had any peri pain.  Praise God for that!

I had the baby 16 days ago, and the details are already getting fuzzy.  I wish I could hold those memories as if they were still happening.  All of my babies are precious and they're all growing up too fast.  Having this baby is bittersweet...I don't want to ever go through another pregnancy, labor, delivery, and recovery, but I also don't want this to be my last baby.  How can this child's firsts be the last that I'll get to witness?  The thought brings me to tears.  I'm going to continue to enjoy every moment I have with my children.  They are true gifts from God!  (And now I'm sobbing in the bath tub - multi-tasking by blogging while soaking - and the toilet paper is just out of reach!  Guess it's time to end it!)

Joseph James
Born 3/12/14 at 6:39pm
8lbs 2oz
21" long
Perfect in every way!

Week 5 Weight-Loss Results

I am SO late in posting this!  Last week threw many challenges my way, so I wasn't able to publish on time.  

Week five is done and I'm down one pound from last week!  That makes my total weight loss 13 pounds, which is 5.75% of my total body weight.  When I weighed in, the pin on the scale was between 212 and 213, but I opted to have my "official" weight be 213.  That gives me a little room to make bad eating choices.  :)  I think I've been doing pretty well, and I'm feeling a lot better about myself.  Looking back at my pictures from just five weeks ago, I can really tell a difference!  Styled hair and black clothes help, too.

  

I asked my husband to take my picture this week.  I was busy primping (anyone who knows me personally KNOWS that I can't keep my hands off myself - I'm like a monkeys that grooms other monkeys, except I groom myself and I don't eat the things I pick off. lol) and Tim was doing a video instead of taking a picture.  Argh!  So, here it is.  (no clue why it is sideways or how to fix that.)

Eh, it wasn't that exciting.  I'm weighing in again this week and will post my results.  So far so good!  Thanks for following along - I'm having fun!

 

Week 4 Weight-Loss Results

I'll cut right to the chase...I'm down one pound from last week!  That makes my total weight loss 12 pounds in four weeks, which is 5.31% of my total body weight.  I also WON the Chub Club mid-point challenge and was awarded $25.  Yeah, buddy!  <--- (read using Pauly Shore's voice)  I thoroughly enjoyed taking my co-workers' money and plan to take the rest of the money pot at the end of the competition.

Too bad my cell phone camera is so slow.  You just barely missed my jazz hands routine.  It was a hot, flabby mess.  I'll keep working on it.  You're welcome.

Last week was challenging.  I continued to want to eat everything in sight.  Hmmm...I'm starting to notice a trend.  One night, all I had for supper was four oatmeal raisin cookies, a Diet Mountain Dew, and a single Hershey's Kiss.  I'm sure there was other junk mixed in, but those were the high points.  I was busy running around with the kids and was just too lazy to make myself something decent.  The kids had a good supper - spaghetti sandwiches.  I fold the spaghetti in a slice of buttered bread so it's not such a mess when they eat.  I hate to admit this, but I also found some cookie dough in the fridge and ate it straight from the container!  I didn't have too much of it, but felt REALLY guilty for eating it.  And then what did I do?  I kept it out instead of throwing it away, so then later I ate a few more spoonfuls!  Der!!

The weekly weight loss is really motivating me to want to be a better version of me.  Rachel 2.0, if you will.  I'm looking at calories, sugar, and sodium in the foods I eat.  What an eye-opener.  I'm planning on starting a garden this spring and want to have home-grown veggies to use for canning in the fall.  I don't know how to garden or can, so this should be interesting.  Also, I'm planning to have the kids help.  What am I getting myself into!?

I'm almost ready to start working out...even just moving around more than I do.  Jumping in and starting doesn't appeal to me - I need to convince myself that working out is something that I can keep doing.  I also feel like I have more energy, and my outlook on life seems to be more positive.  That might just be my mood for today, though.  I had my period last week and was pretty mean and negative about everything.  Compared to that, everything seems better.  :)  Having a baby really messes with your hormones, too.  I'm not sure when things are supposed to regulate.  I had baby #3 in October 2012...it hasn't even been four months yet.  I know I need to give it some time, but I'm pretty sure my husband thinks I'll never be normal again.  :S

Photographed by:  Kim Anthony Photography

This picture was taken at the end of December, 2012.  My husband and I lovingly refer to ourselves at "The Fats."  It's a jokingly pointed way of telling ourselves to shape up and change for the better...for our kids.  Since this picture was taken, I've lost 12 pounds and Tim has lost 15.5 pounds.  Way to go, Fats!  

Thanks to everyone who has been following my blog, and leaving such nice, encouraging comments.  I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart (aww...it's Valentine's Day).  Until next time...

Let's Make Some Cake Pops!

This is my tutorial on how to make cake pops.  Mmmm...  They are finicky little beasts that will cause you tons of frustration to make, but they are soooo worth it!  If you make them or have made them before, leave me a comment on how they turned out.


Step 1:
Bake a 9x13-in box of cake mix (any flavor) according to the package directions.  Wash your hands, then crumble the cake into a mixing bowl.  The crumbles should be somewhat fine - smaller than a pea.  Think "Grape Nuts."

**TIP**  When mixing the ingredients, sift the dry cake mix so there are no lumps, and lightly beat the eggs before adding to the mix.  You won't have to use the electric mixer in your batter for more than about 30 seconds (including scraping down the bowl).  That will give you a fluffy batter that is free of those chewy little bits.   

  

Step 2:

Add approximately 1/2 - 2/3 of a container of store-bought frosting (any flavor that compliments the cake; red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting are perfect for Valentine's Day).  It's easier to add more frosting to the mix than it is to take away frosting if you added too much.  The amount you used will be determined by the brand of cake mix you used and how you baked your cake.  A moist cake will use less frosting and a cake that is dry will use more. 

 

 

Step 3:

Combine the crumbled cake and frosting.  Some people like to use their hands, but that really grosses me out.  A spoon works just fine.  You should have a play-doh-like consistency that is moist enough to hold together to form a ball, but not too moist where it won't stay hold its shape.

 

Step 4: 

To get cake balls that are all the same size and shape, use a small cookie scoop.  I got mine from Walmart for around $7.  When scooping the dough, scrape the dough along the edge of the bowl to remove any excess. 

 

Step 5:

Drop the scooped dough onto a plate.  Work in groups of 10 cake balls per plate.  In one cake mix, I can get almost exactly five dozen cake balls.  That seems like a lot, but don't give in to the temptation to only scoop out the exact number you want to make.  Some of the cake balls won't turn out, so you'll need those extras.  

 

Step 6:

Wash your hands again.  Roll the scooped cake ball between the palms of your hands until they form a smooth ball shape.  This should only take a few seconds per piece.  You'll notice your hands getting coated with dough.  Working in groups of 10 also gives you a chance to wash your hands frequently.

 

Step 7:

Insert a lollipop stick just over half way through each cake ball.  I like to use 4" sticks when making individual pops, and 4" and 6" sticks when making bouquets.  Michael's has the best price on lollipop sticks, especially if you use a 40% off coupon.  After all of the sticks are inserted, refrigerate the cake pops for about 30 minutes, or until cold and somewhat firm.  You could also put them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, but make sure they aren't getting frozen.   

 

Step 8:

While the cake balls are refrigerating, you can prepare your coating.  I prefer to use Wilton Candy Melts, but the brand that is pictured is all that was available at the time.  I have use chocolate chips, but the chocolate burns easier in the microwave and white chocolate chips seem to seize and become a hard clump.  Walmart has the best price on candy melts, especially if you buy them just at the end of a holiday.  Red and pink candy melts usually go on clearance right after Valentine's Day.

 

Step 9:

Prepare your candy coating for melting by filling half of a mug with the wafers.  I prefer to use a mug for dipping because it is tall and narrow.  If you use a bowl, you'll have to use more candy melts to make the coating deep enough to dip the cake ball.  Microwave the candy melts in the mug for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 seconds.  After the first 30 seconds, the candy won't be melted, but stir anyway...you don't want it to burn.  You'll probably only need to put the mug through three rounds of melting in the microwave.  You'll notice that as the candy melted, there isn't as much in the mug.  Stir in more wafers until the mug is half full.  The newly added wafers will melt and help cool everything down.  Stir a few times if it needs extra cooling.  If the candy is too stiff, put it in the microwave for another 10 seconds or so.

 

Step 10:

Prepare your work space: use a piece of foam to hold the drying / finished cake pops.  Use a lollipop stick to poke holes in the foam, being careful to space out the holes so the cake pops don't touch.  Lay a piece of wax paper down to rest your stirring spoons.  It's okay that the candy dries and hardens on the spoon.  You'll need to reheat and add more candy wafers a few times, and what's on the spoon will melt when you stir.   

Take one plate out of the refrigerator or freezer.  Working with one piece at a time, remove the lollipop sticks and dip about 1/2" of one end into the melted candy.  Immediately put the candy-coated end of the stick back in the cake pop - in the same hole you took it from.  This will help "glue" the stick to the cake pop so it doesn't come off when dipping.  By the time you get back to the first cake pop, the "glue" should be set enough to work with. 

Step 11:
Time to dip!  Working with one cake pop at a time, dip the cake end in the melted coating.  Go slow!  The coating tends to act like a vacuum to the submerged cake pop.  If you pull too hard or fast, the cake ball will come off of the stick.  Push the cake pop down far enough for the coating to completely cover it.  You might need to tip the mug if the coating isn't deep enough.  Be sure to have the coating touch the stick - there needs to be a candy "seal" all around the cake ball.

 

Step 12:
Slowly pull the cake pop out and gently tap the stick on the side of the mug while turning the pop.  Tap GENTLY.  I've had several cake tops fall off during this process.  The tops will also fall off easier if you pushed your lollipop stick too far (or all the way through) or not far enough.  It's a delicious mistake, but not one you want to repeat too many times.  The purpose of tapping off the excess coating is to give the pop a nice, round look.  It will also dry faster, allowing you to work quickly through the batch.  (Speaking of drying, chilling the cake balls before dipping quickens the drying process.)  Keep tapping and turning until you are satisfied with the thickness of the shell.  If you didn't remove enough of the excess, the coating will drip when it's set up in the foam holder.  Mine haven't ever dripped all the way, just enough to look like stalactites.  Maybe a cool look for a cave-themed event??  

**TIP**  The pink, red, and white candy melts tend to be thicker when melted, whereas the chocolate melts are thinner.  Candy melts aren't real chocolate - they are candy and the chocolate varieties are candy flavored like chocolate.

**TIP**  Look all around the pop while you are tapping off the excess.  If you see any little bubbles, pop them before they grow into problems.  You can dip the tip of your finger or a toothpick in the melted coating to reseal the popped bubble.  If you let the coating harden, the bubble will pop on its own.  As the candy coating dries, it contracts, and at the same time, as the cake pop warms up, it expands.  The contracting coating will squeeze the cake ball, and if there are any holes (check around the stick, too), oil from the cake will start to seep out.  Trying to cover a seeping hole won't work because the coating won't stick to the oil.  This is gross looking, but they still taste great.  The only way to avoid this problem is to reach perfect temperatures for the chilled cake ball and melted chocolate.  Since this is almost impossible to do for the entire batch, you'll be glad you make extra cake balls.  This is by far the most frustrating part in the entire process.

 

Step 13:
In this picture, you can see the side swoosh from tapping and turning the cake pop to remove the excess coating.  I think it looks artsy-fartsy.  Set your cake pops in the foam to complete drying - they don't take more than a minute or two to dry.

Step 14:
You can get fancy and use a piping bag and tip (Wilton Round Tip # 1 would work best), or you can just use a sandwich baggie.  A little candy coating goes a long way when it comes to decorating.  Put a few spoonfuls of melted candy coating in the corner of the bag, then snip off a tiny part of the corner.  Just like when adding frosting to the crumbled cake, it's easier to snip off more than it is to put it back.  Hold the piping bag in one hand and the cake pop in the other.  Turn the cake pop as you go.  As you can see in the picture below, I snipped too much of the corner of the pink decorating bag, so the pink line is way too thick.  I could have avoided that by reheating the pink coating for a few seconds.  I also could have avoided the child-like decorating by being a better artist, of which I am not.  They taste good.  Period.

Step 15:
If you plan to make these to eat at home, there really isn't a need to package them.  They seem to grow legs and walk away at my house.  If my kids know that I made cake pops, they cry for them for every snack and meal.  I guess it's a compliment.  :)  It's probably best to store them in the refrigerator (line a sealable container with paper towel - do not stack them together or they might crack), but it doesn't hurt anything if they are out, either. 

If you're making these as a gift, packaging is key.  Dress them up by individually wrapping in treat bags (got mine from Michael's with a 40% off coupon) and wrapping with a colored twist tie or ribbon.  Cut the ribbon 8" long so you have enough to make a bow.  Below are two ways I've packaged my cake pops.  

The first way is individual and upside down.  I used silver mini muffin liners (keep the white paper lining with it) and a silver twist tie.  The muffin liner will keep the cake pop upright.  The only problem I have with this approach is that it looks like you took the easy way out and let the pop dry in the muffin liner.  It'll be a nice surprise for the recipient when they unwrap it to find a smooth cake pop instead of one with jagged edges.

The second way is to assemble a bouquet.  Wrap each pop in a treat bag and tie with a twist tie or ribbon.  After selecting your container, hot glue a piece of foam to the bottom.  The foam should almost completely fill the container.  Make sure your container is big enough that it won't tip over - the cake pops will make it top-heavy.  Using a bare lollipop stick, poke holes in the foam where the cake pops will be placed.  Don't try to do this with a finished pop.  Sometimes the foam is difficult to poke through, and the stress could crack the cake top.  Use the 8" lollipop sticks for the middle cake pops, and fill the outside with the 4" pops.  Done!
 

I hope this post was helpful.  Good luck!  :)