mama to mama.

 i have to say that this is, by far, my favorite mama-to-mama post to date. there's just something about a survey that is so so so enjoyable to read. it was also comforting to know that beetle's sleeping habits are pretty normal (she WILL sleep through the night, she WILL sleep through the night...)


off we go! here are my answers :) ENJOY!




1. How long did it take you to conceive?
easy peasey. 2 months.

2. How long was your labor?
argh. i was really planning on sneezing my baby out, but my labor ended up being 12 hours, with about an hour of pushing. you can read my birth story here and here.

3. How long since you last shaved your legs?
ha! i try to shave my legs every monday, as monday night is mommy and daddy's one guaranteed "nookie" night...i know...

4. How long was your maternity leave?
12 weeks. waaaay too short. if anyone has some great and free insurance, let me know and i'll quit my job right now.

5. How long is your "to do" list?
miles and miles long.

6. How long does your baby sleep at night?
goes down about 9 and wakes up between 7 and 8am with 2 to 5 wake ups in between.

7. How long since you last cried? laughed out loud?
cried: this morning after andrew left for rehearsal. i miss him.
laughed: this morning at lu scooting around on the wood floor - she's gonna be TROUBLE!
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Kim, Atticus and Calvin

1. How long did it take you to conceive?
With Atticus it took 9 months, with Calvin it only took three months

2. How long was your labor?
The first time around my water broke at 7 pm and Atticus was born at 5:45 am, so 13 hours, although I didn't have any seriously painful contractions until a few hours after my water broke. With Calvin, labor came on more slowly and gradually. I had mild but uncomfortable contractions all day and he was born at 2:00am the next morning. It would have gone a lot faster if I didn't have to lay still for so long while I got antibiotics for Group B strep. Even though labor technically lasted longer the second time, it was far less painful.

3. How long since you last shaved your legs?
It's been months since I've shaved. I've been trying waxing.

4. How long was your maternity leave?
6 weeks

5. How long is your "to do" list?
I don't have a "to do" list. I have a "must be done to prevent a catastrophe" list. A lot of stuff gets pushed to the back burner around here.

6. How long does your baby sleep at night?
They sleep all night now, but for years there were regular night wakings. Both boys woke up to nurse at least once until I weaned them around 2 1/2 years.

7. How long since you last cried? laughed out loud?
A matter of hours for both.
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Leslie and Eloise

1. How long did it take you to conceive?
Not long at all...we had a "chemical pregnancy" our first month trying and Eloise was conceived the next month.

2. How long was your labor?
It depends on when you consider my labor starting (it was anything but typical).;) About 36 hours from when my "water broke" (it was a teeny tiny trickle). 24 hours from when my triage nurse got contractions going during a cervical exam. 19 hours from when my Dr. really broke my water and CONTRACTIONS started. 

3. How long since you last shaved your legs?
2 weeks ago. Because I was getting a pap smear. Did I shave my legs 5 days later on my anniversary? Nope. Woops.;)

4. How long was your maternity leave?
I'm staying home.

5. How long is your "to do" list?
Which one?

6. How long does your baby sleep at night?
10-12 hours, but wakes up every 1-2 hours.

7. How long since you last cried? laughed out loud?
I was watching a movie last night called "The Other Woman" about a woman whose 3 day old baby dies...waterworks!
I'm watching the Oscars as I type this up, and the Christopher Guest skit was HI larious.
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Nora and Maybelline


1. We tried for two months and were able to conceive but then lost a little one at 7 weeks. Because we wanted one so badly we didn't ask how long we were supposed to wait till we try for the next - oops. one week after our miscarriage we got pregnant again - yeah little egg and sperm! It stuck.

2. I was due on August 12. August 15 i went into the doctor because i was worried about not feeling my little one enough - everything was ok. I am sure the doctor sees this all the time. My water broke on August 16. My doctor told me to eat a good meal and get some sleep before i come in even if my water broke... she said it would take awhile. Well, being a first time mother i was too excited/nervous/all of the above to wait (and we lived 45 minutes from the hospital) so we drove in on Monday afternoon. To make a long labor short, my "all natural" birth turned into a c-section after 24 hours of constant contractions and no progress, 2 hours of pushing (still no progress) and a little head stuck on my pelvis. Wednesday morning, August 18 she was delivered.

3.I shaved my legs last week for my doctor's appointment.

4. I took one year off of teaching and then decided not to go back, so...forever. I may go back teaching when she goes to school.

5. My "to do" list just gets larger and for some reason when i have the time (8 pm) i am tired.

6. Since Maybelline was a year old she has been sleeping for 12 hours (8pm-8am). i don't know how long this will last so i am taking advantage of the sleeping in. I couldn't get up in the morning and do my "to do" list if i wanted to. We have a very small house and she hears everything. i would wake her up.
This sleeping hasn't always been the case. 0-3 months in our bedroom and i fed her every 3 hours. 3-8 months i would get up 1 or 2 times at night to breastfeed. at 8 months i stopped going in her room when she cried (not an easy task - jesse had to tackle me in bed as i cried for her. i felt awful hearing her cry, but i know she could do it.) the feeding at night was a comfort for her. She ate pureed foods now so she didn't need me during the night anymore (her eating caught up with her growing). This crying at night only took a few nights and she then slept thru the night.
She still gives out a little cry every now and then and even yells mum-mum (for her mommy) once or twice a night. i think she does it to make me feel good. i know she is safe and sleeping well.

7.If you know me at all you know that i am always emotional. I have cried recently at the book i am reading. Laughing is an hourly occurrence with Maybelline. the things she does amazes me. She is so funny, cute, huggable, and smart.
One lucky mom right here!
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Laura and Juniper


1. How long did it take you to conceive?
1 month, we were very lucky

2. How long was your labor?
3 hours 16 mins, including an emergency c-section because I dilated so quickly and she was breech, unbeknownst to us

3. How long since you last shaved your legs?
4 1/2 months :/ That is so embarrassing. We had family pictures taken when she was 6 months old, and I'm pretty sure that was the last time.

4. How long was your maternity leave?
14 weeks, then back to work part-time

5. How long is your "to do" list?
I don't even have time to make the list! More things are added each day than checked off, that is for sure.

6. How long does your baby sleep at night?
she goes to be around 8pm, gets up between 6am and 7am, and wakes up 3-12 times in between (yes, we co-sleep)

7. How long since you last cried? laughed out loud?
both today, and almost every other day too
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Emily and Elli, Gretchen and Miles

1. I come from a long line of fertile-Myrtles! We didn’t have to try; we were very lucky that when we wanted to conceive, it happened.

2. My first labor was approximately 2.5 hours, my second was 38 minutes, my third was about 3 hours. No pain meds, all-natural child birthing. Yes, I’m bragging. That being said, I know how lucky I am that my labors were short enough that by the time I was begging to be “knocked out” it was too late!

3. How long since I last shaved my legs? Well, about a week---but that’s only if you don’t include the spots I missed---it’s obvious that it had been quite some time prior to the last time!

4. My maternity leave with my first-born was 12 weeks, with our second child I stayed home full-time, and with our third I was back in school part-time after about 5 weeks.

5. My “to do” list is never ending, seriously. One thing gets done and by the time I finish the next, I’m starting all over again!

6. My youngest, Miles (14mos.) has been sleeping 10-12 hours each night since he was about 6 weeks old. I love that kid!

7. I laugh out loud every day thanks to my kids and nieces and nephews and their hilariousness! I haven’t broken down and cried in a few weeks—although I almost cried in the fabric store yesterday when the pattern I wanted didn’t come in my size. :’-(

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Miriam, Azalia and Lucia

1. How long did it take you to conceive?
With our first we were not trying to conceive, but we had been married for 8 months when she was conceived :) With our next daughter, we had gone through a miscarriage and were told to wait 2 months afterwards until we began TTC again. 2 months passed and we didn't "try" to conceive but we didn't prevent it either. So, 3-4 months after the miscarriage we discovered we were pregnant!

2. How long was your labor?
My first labor was 8 hours. My second lasted 6 hours.

3. How long since you last shaved your legs?
I totally stopped shaving my legs about 3 years ago. Yup, I'm one of those women.

4. How long was your maternity leave?
Both of my maternity leaves were 3 months. I found it was the perfect amount of time. At the end of that 3 months I was ready to get some time out of the house, to myself, even if it was for work! I only work part-time, so I didn't feel like I was missing out on a lot.

5. How long is your "to do" list?
I feel like I have a perpetual "if there is extra time" list. But somehow, that time never comes and it continues to get pushed to the next day, the next week, next month. One day!

6. How long does your baby sleep at night?
My 17month old will sometimes sleep 10 hours, sometimes 5, sometimes 12. She likes to keep us on our toes :)

7. How long since you last cried? laughed out loud?
Last time I cried was during the 2nd season finale of Downton Abbey on Sunday night! I laughed this morning at one of my husband's many jokes. I'm thankful to have a husband that makes me laugh every day :)
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Thanks to all the Mamas! You are awesome :) 

p.s.  sorry I missed Sara's!!  Here it is:
1. With Nathan it took 10 months after a miscarriage. Oliver was a surprise after a pharmacy lapse in birth control 2. Nathan's labor was 22 1/2 hours, Oliver was 2 hours, both we're induced. 3. I shaved my legs 4 days ago. 4. I'm staying at home. 5. My to do list doesn't really exist, we live ay to day 6. Oliver sleeps 12 hours 7. I laughed 5 minutes ago while Nathan was playing imaginary drums to our prayer song, I don't remember the last time I cried....