Hi! I'm Kara, 30 year old wife to Tom and mom to Connor (6), Kadyn (3), and Avery (1).

This is them in front of our "Christmas tree" this year:


We are currently living in South Korea as my husband is stationed here. The kids and I are leaving soon (three weeks from yesterday) to spend a month back in the States with the extended family before Tom joins us and we head off to his next assignment in Germany. Always an adventure for us!

We homeschool and try to make the most of our many, many living situations. We've been to New Jersey, Washington state, Washington D.C., Texas, and northern California in our eight and a half years of marriage. As my grandmother says, we don't let the grass grow under our feet!

Connor nursed for twenty-one months, Kadyn for sixteen (she weaned herself when I was five months pregnant with Avery), and Avery's still going strong at almost twenty months. She asks to nurse three or four times a day and is only satisfied with her "ennay", which is fine by me. We're kind of naturalist folks - Avery was born, unassisted, at home, and we do the whole organic foods deal.

I basically calorie count on South Beach. I like the focus on homemade meals rich in vegetables and whole grains. I'm trying to lose this last bit of jiggly baby belly! I also love to exercise and hit the gym and the running track about every day, although my efforts would show forth more were it not for my insatiable love of chocolate!

It's nice to "meet" you all!

Kara

The house we're moving into is right off Far Hills where Kettering starts (just by David cemetary.) Are you close to that? I don't really know Dayton well at all. Are you going to UD? My husband went there and all his friends went too. They're a pretty close-knit little community - he was in a band for a couple of years and there are all these guys that were in the band or used to go to every show. I think it's fantastic that he's got such a solid community - just not sure how I'm going to fit in with them, you know? I'm looking forward to the move, because I know it's going to be a huge stress reliever for him and once the house is remodelled I'm going to love it, but I've got mixed feelings for myself. It's not like I'm moving to the other side of the country, though. (or even the state.) What kind of dogs? We can't wait to get a dog (it'll happen when we move and have a real yard.)

Hi Kara! Does your milk change when you get pregnant? I think I remember reading something about that. We're planning on starting work on #2 late summer/early fall. Don't know if el nino will be still be nursing then, but probably. Your life sounds pretty exciting!!! I used to live in Europe (in another life) and still miss it from time to time.

Hi Kara-- I love your "Christmas tree" your children are beautiful! You certainly don't let the grass grow beneath your feet! I have lived in OH since I was three. My husband may be getting laid off and I am encouraging him to look overseas for jobs, if even for a year. I have four pets though, presents a big problem! You are a woman... organic we do with the baby for sure, at home unassisted birth at home, however, not a chance. I am seriously considering an epidural at 8 months next time around. I admire your fortitude!

Kuhljeanie-- I kid you not, you will be about 3 miles from where I am. When I was training to walk a half marathon, I would walk up there and through David's cemetery. One of the libraries I work at is just up the street from there and my husband used to live in the apt. complex right next to it. I have a mutt and a soft coated wheaten terrier, you are welcome to either of them.

I'm Meredith. I've been married for 2 years to my hubby(who's last name is Mullett, hence the screen name). I have two amazing children. Kate will be 3 in March and is smart, beautiful, polite and absolutely amazing. Not that I'm biased. Brody is my chunky monkey. He is 5 months old and nurses like a piggy. He is calm and laid back and all smiles. He doesn't really dig the bottle, but it is his only option during the day. I pump twice a day for him.

I am a full time Realtor and own a meal preparation business with my mom and another partner. I also teach breastfeeding classes every other month at the hospital and make house calls to new mamas.

I was just going at the weight loss thing at a "try to eat less, exercise more" approach, but I haven't been having the results I want. I dug up the old weight watchers point system to help keep myself accountable. I have been underestimating what I eat. I'm back to the basics and trying to keep up the exercise with the treadmill, Bowflex, and my weekly salsa class.

I've *heard* (didn't actually taste it myself ) that the collostrum starts coming in during the third trimester. I think Kadyn was just at the right time for her to wean. She had been eating solids since she was about seven or eight months - went right to table food as we don't do "baby food" really, just mash up real food so they can gum it down. I am really careful about how we introduce foods, though, as we struggled with several food allergies with Connor when he was a tot.

Where did you live in Europe? I did a semester in London when I was in college. Actually, Tom was on his first tour over here in Korea at the time! I figured he couldn't have all the fun!

Kara

Thanks for the compliments on the tree and the kiddos! We didn't bring our tree stand and I'm too cheap to buy a new one, and we didn't want to get a fake tree since we really prefer real ones, so we decorated our air conditioner! The kids got a huge kick out of it and we all had a blast. It'll be one of those, "Remember the year we were in Korea and..." memories for sure.

I can see how four pets would make moving overseas difficult! We actually ended up leaving our Lab with my parents because she doesn't care for confined spaces too much and I was worried she might have some sort of traumatic nervous break down on a plane! My parents have a Golden Retriever and the two of them get along splendidly, so all is well. We do miss her, though!

I just don't really care for hospitals, and I get really annoyed at all of their mindless testing and lack of awareness of individuality. It wears me out to constantly be explaining why the baby and I don't need eye creams meant to protect against STDs and monitoring that ties me to a bed where I'm terribly uncomfortable and not laboring effectively. With Connor I was in labor for 25 hours (24 hours at home). Kadyn's labor was 34 hours long (arrived at the hospital 15 minutes before she was born), and I know it was because I was holding myself back, not wanting to go to the hospital. Avery's labor...4 1/2 hours long...all at home, beautifully centered and focused and confident. It was the most amazing and perfect moment of my life. I realize home birth isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I wouldn't do it any other way now.

Kara

Hi ladies!! I have a 5 month old nursling. I nursed our 2nd child till he was 14 months and plan on going at least that long with this one. My problem is that he only wants to nurse to sleep. He will not take a binky. He thrusts it out with his tongue. Same if I try to give him some EBM in a bottle. Any suggestions on the binky??

Karen-- my daughter thinks pacifiers are of the devil. She would toss them. No thumb sucking either. Pretty much I am the biggest pacifier in the world.

Kara-- seriously, you are a WOMAN. Around the time I told my husband that someone else was going to have to birth this @#$@%$@% baby (not typically how I talk to my husband) and my threatening to throw the bowl I had been puking in across the room, I agreed to consider an epidural. It was not my prettiest moment(s) I had forgotten that I get angry when in pain. Seems like I should have remembered that.

Just a quickie to say hi as my LO has just decided to wake up.

My DD is 6 weeks old and obviously still exclusively bfing!

I am eating about 1600 cals per day (got that right, yay!) and losing between 1.5 and 2 lb a week, so I'm pretty chuffed. I was 144 pre-pg and just rather piled it on - ended up at 207!

Hey Kara! I'm glad you had the births you had. I really wanted a natural birth - spent months taking Hypnobirthing classes and practicing, but I ended up needing a c-section after a pretty rough ride. Not what I had wanted but we're all healthy etc, so I shouldn't complain. I bet it was great getting to do the whole thing at home! I spent as long there as I could - was almost 8 cm when we showed up at the hospital. Alas...

For those with two, has it been your experience that the second one is noticeably easier than the first? My husband's face gets kind of white when we talk about the next one. The first one was really hard on him (maybe even harder than it was on me, because I didn't have to watch it happening. KWIM?)

Hi Robsia! That's TREMENDOUS! I wish my starting weight had been healthier, but I've been heavy my whole life. I managed to get up to about 247 right before I delivered. You're doing amazing!

Well, I had two very different experiences - I wouldn't say the second was better, just different. First time I was induced at 10 days late and ended up with emergency c/s. Second I went into labour naturally and had a VBAC after 30 hours of labour - 5 attempts at epidural before it finally took, episiotomy and forceps delivery. However it was my first actual delivery so I don't suppose that really counts for comparison.

Neither much fun. C/s was easier 'birth', hard recovery - VBAC hard birth, easier recovery.

But there probably won't be a third - I'm happy with two and our financial circumstances would need to change before we could contemplate a third.

Oh...Ladies....I am so sorry I have not been keeping up, I have been so very busy. I want to stay in the loop and hope to catch up on reading everyones posts sometime today. Until then, hello!!! Hope everyone is staying warm!
it was -35 here yesterday with the wind chill factor (only -15 if you dont add in the wind) today is supposed to be almost 0....woo hoo a heat wave!
Minnie

I had two very different births too. My first was induced because of heart problems. I got the epidural and tore like crazy (4th degree!). I had a horrible recovery and had to be repaired again 6 weeks pp. I never did fully heal and actually had a hole in my perinium. I knew I'd have another babe, so we opted to repair it at birth.

Second baby, water broke, things went super fast and I didn't have any medication. I felt like superwoman. The only meds I had was numbing to sew up my fancy new butt hole.

I have complicated pregnancies and deliveries and early babies and no desire for a home birth, but I respect and am in total awe of those that do. It is illegal to have an assisted home birth in my state. If I have another babe, I am going to shoot for another natural child birth. Much more enjoyable. I swear, the cursing and shouting meant I was having fun.

Hi ladies, I'm still around too. It's great to see all the new moms. We've been really busy so I haven't had much time to post. DS is still nursing and will be 10-months old this week. He's nursing 3 times a day, along with lots of solids. He's growing so fast.

Both of my kids were vaginal deliveries (at hospital) and relatively quick. My first was born after 5 hours of active labor and 30 minutes of pushing. My second was born after 2 hours of labor and with no pushing at all (he actually popped out as they rolled me to the delivery room). So in my case, the second was easier than the first. It varies for each woman. A lot depends on the baby's position and size, for example.

I had an epidural with my first and loved it. I requested to have one with my second, but he came too fast. He was early too. If we have a third, which is really iffy, I'll probably do the same.

I think a lot of pain is perspective. Of course labor isn't comfortable and I wouldn't choose for my body to feel like that on a daily basis, but it was bearable because I understood what my body was doing and how what I was feeling was necessary for the birth of my babies. We took a Bradley Method class before Connor was born and it was wonderful! I think it was around ten weeks long and it really helped me understand the physiological and psychological components of labor, so I could work with my body instead of fighting it, trying to escape from the physical sensations. For me, it was important to not expose my babies' little systems to the medications. I kind of do everything with a natural bent, and labor and birth was no different. I did a LOT of visualizing about the birth before hand and I labored in different positions that were almost as close to being comfortable as you can be in labor. Being in my own home was so much easier, and being able to welcome my baby into the world without all the harshness of the hospital made the whole experience softer.

Kara