You know you're not ready for zumba when...

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1.  you forget a water bottle and have to ask your friends for sips of water off of there's

2. you thank God they keep the lights dim in class  

3. you should have stuck it out in dance class in third grade, it could have really come in handy in the rhythm department

4. you don't have moves like Jagger

5. you've been limping all week because you messed up your knee doing rhythmic squats

6. you have no idea how you made the dance team when you were 15, pity it had to have been pity

7. your hair tie fails you during class and you have to keep putting your hair up while making it look like you're still "dancing"

8. you wished you would have done more kegels, if you had known there were going to be that many hip thrusts and booty shakes

9. you know if your husband saw you doing it he would be on the floor laughing until he cries, I know I would

10. you don't care, and will do it over and over again until you fit into those darn pre-pregnancy jeans that sit mocking you on the top shelf of you're closet

I wanna hold your hand

Her arrival

Zooey Jane McMullin 10-14-11 born at 11:47 a.m. 8lbs. 20 1/2 inches long

My due date came and went on October 11th of this year, it was such a disappointing day mainly because with my first born I was two weeks early. Being late was a very new experience for me, one I did not enjoy all to well. Where was she? When was she coming out? I'm going to be pregnant FOREVER!?! Yes, all these thoughts and more crossed my worried mind as two days slipped by, with no baby in sight.I know two days does not seem very long, but when you're 10 months pregnant and walking around at 5cm dilated and 70% effaced, two days might as well have been two hundred days.

Finally, the day of my doctor's appointment came and the blessed words, "would you like to be induced, tomorrow?" came from my doctor's lips. My mouth said yes, but my brain said NO! I was so scared, even though I really wanted to be done. It was so final, she would be coming out whether I was mentally prepared or not. 

After a restless night of "sleep", we set out for the hospital. It felt so surreal,like checking into a hotel, "Hi, I'm Amber McMullin, I'm here to have a baby today." A little after 8 a.m. I was hooked up to an I.V. with fluids and pitocin. I was petrified of that stuff, I had heard so many horror stories of 7 minute long contractions and putting babies into distress. But my nurse was very reassuring that since I was already so far dilated that I wouldn't need very much of it, and that it would be very gradual.

9ish a.m.-

 Sometime after that my doctor came to check me, I was a solid 6cm by then, he asked me what my birth plan was, again I choose the all natural route.Good bye, chance at a pain free birth since being 6 cm already it was now or never, I chose never. After that he told me he would be back soon to break my water, he needed to run to the office first. The nurse called after him, you better run!

After laboring for awhile (9-10 a.m.) the doctor came in, it felt like he was gone for only a minute! CRAP!!! I knew once he broke my water the contractions would get harder and faster, not fun by any means. At 10:10 a.m. he broke my water and left. 

10:10-11:47 a.m.

Each contraction was bringing me closer and closer to meeting my little girl, literally I could feel her moving down the birth canal. With each one, I kept thinking "I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!!!". And then out of no where I got extremely hot and started tearing off my hospital gown, I had a contraction and my stomach involuntarily spasmed like when you are dry heaving, I said I need to PUSH!The nurse told me to wait so she could check me, gotta love when they tell you to wait, WAIT?!? Are you freaking kidding me? Birth is like a freight train, once it starts there is no stopping it. She checked me, I was "complete" (10cm,100% effaced) she then called in another nurse and the doctor . The next three pushes weren't pretty or graceful, I didn't breath during any of them and felt like my face was going to explode. But hearing my husband and sister in-law say "we see her head" was music to my ears. It's hard to describe the absolute painful relief of birth when its all said and done and that beautiful wet and crying baby is laid on your chest. 

  

Pure bliss.

the cut

Sleep deprivation, postpartum hormone changes,psychotic break, call it what you want but somehow I O.K.'d this:

Before:

After:

Please save the chastising for another day, there gone(for now), I know. But they will grow back and then I can go back to brushing his hair and constantly running my fingers through it. And not having to convince people he isn't a three year old.:)