some of the pregnancy shoot.

Piper May Doric

Piper was born on Tuesday August 17, 2010 at 12:20 PM.

I was in labor at home for 36 hours. The labor was peaceful, full of love and always surrounded and supported by Tyler, my Mom Lois, and my father Paul. I was also visited by my massage therapist Fran, who is a beautiful soul. THE midwife Gina, who is truly one of the most inspiring and amazing women I have ever known and her student Allyn also attended for the last 12 hours.

Piper was born without any drugs or intervention. She was delivered at home in the same house Tyler grew up in, underwater where she was able to serenely transition from the womb. She stayed underwater and wide-eyed for a few moments while she sweetly took everything in. She was welcomed with smiles and tears of joy and immediately was brought to my breast where she stayed and bonded and breastfed for over an hour.

She has been a happy and peaceful baby and we are thrilled to finally meet her and offer her our best. She is a very strong, very special little soul and I am honored to be her mother.

I hope to write my entire birth story to share with anyone who is interested and especially soon to be moms who should know that a drug free, natural childbirth is completely attainable and worth every moment of discomfort and challenge. It is the greatest gift I have ever been able to give and I feel SO blessed that it happened.


(click on any image to see the bigger picture.)


moments before the last push.







Piper May Doric
Born August 17, 2010
!2:20 PM
21 inches long
7 lbs 14 oz


Pipers first outfit.


Her first trip in the car to see THE midwife Gina.


Dad holding Piper while mom gets examined.











The day before...

I was in "false" labor the night of taking this picture with 15 minute apart contractions for the entire night. They stopped by mid morning and were off and on all day the next day. I can't believe all of that baby was in that belly... wow.



Every little thing she does is magic...

heaven on earth.

I recently have been watching episodes of Cake Boss to pass the time when I am feeling lazy. It is about a Italian bakery in Hoboken, NJ. Of course, now I NEED Italian pastries. I never liked cannoli but after learning more about them I think maybe I needed to have a REAL one.. like... not from Olive Garden.

So this afternoon, after psychotically cleaning the house following Tyler's failed attempt at French Toast (the house got smoked, he is learning and I predict a future Michelin chef), we went to Mazzaro's for the first time. All I have to say is- this place is heaven on earth. I am looking forward to spending more time there sipping espresso's and eating my new favorite thing- cannoli.

After we stocked up on pastries, we stopped at St. Pete's other slice of heaven... Red Mesa. Red Mesa has the most amazing Mexican food. Once you eat there, no where will be good enough!

Tyler snapped some pics of me at 40 weeks and 3 days prego in the insane heat... I can't believe I am still pregnant! Sometimes I feel absolutely fine with it, other times I just can't wait to go into labor...

As long as I have Italian pastries and amazing Mexican food though, everything is A-OK!

happy 40 weeks to my baby

I can hardly wait to meet you. Whenever you are ready, so am I.

39 weeks 6 days.

We had a great weekend!

My old buddy from Ai took AMAZING prego pics of me! Check out his website! Can't wait to see them!!!! It was so much fun and I felt so BEAUTIFUL!



Here are some snapshots from the weekend...



copycat!







huge!



The due date is TOMORROW! But, the midwife says it will probably be another week... I am still 1cm, 40% effaced... but I am feeling a lot of cramping! That's good! We are ready when she is! The more my body can get ready before I go into labor the better so I am ok with this!

Just focusing 100% on being positive and compassion filled... It means more to me than ANYTHING that we bring my daughter into this world as peacefully as possible.

It is ALL for her.

39 weeks 2 days

Friday August 6, 2010

5 days before the D day.

rambling.


my p.o.v.

38 weeks and 6 days weekend update.

This weekend we went to the Dunedin Doggie Rescue dog wash at the Dunedin Brewery. It was way too hot for me! Jackie and Royal got washed and everyone but me got to enjoy a cold beer. I had root beer and it was delicious! You can see where I held the cold glass up to my shirt to keep cool :)

Yes I am as tired and uncomfortable as I look.



Today our bed finally got delivered. Just have to set it up and let it come alive for a couple days before we can sleep on it. Today at 430 I have a midwife appointment and will see if anything has changed since last week. I haven't felt much this week other than the baby moving around a lot and my back pain. The back pain is somewhat better as long as I don't move around too much. I have been getting massages at my chiropractics office by the most amazing woman. I feel so blessed to have been introduced to that place!

I had a dream last night that I went into labor in the middle of the night. Everyone was asleep and even though I tried, I couldn't wake them up. So.. I delivered the baby by myself and when they woke up there she was! She was beautiful...

I am nervous but I feel very prepared and confident. I know that no matter what happens I am going to meet my baby and that's what matters. I know I can do this. I have the strength of every other woman before me. I feel so blessed to have been given the gift of experiencing true creation.

Tyler is so excited too. He is giving me so much strength. He gives me massages every night and makes sure I am healthy and happy. I snapped this pic of him while he was napping last weekend... he is a beautiful man, the rare kind that we should all strive to be more like...