Toveli's Day Today

EIGHT!  

Hard to believe it's 8 years ago already since our

'Good Happiness' 

joined our family, 

out of the womb.

I remember her birth so well.  The moment I realized I was in labor.  The anticipation of Everette getting home from work.  You know how it is......I was at about 42 weeks, and every day could have been 'the' day, but Monday was when my midwife had to go to training all day long, and Everette had to get a tiling job completed for a client.  It was then, about 9:20 am as their work days had begun that I called them to say that I was in labor. 

My 2 most recent labors had been really fast, like 49 mins & 1 1/2 hrs, but they were at the hospital and after AROM, so we didn't know what to expect.  Of course, thats an exciting part of labor & childbirth.  One just never knows!!

It wasn't until I was actually in labor that Everette said we could have a homebirth (my dream).  Fortunately, my midwife, Joanne, was so supportive of our freedom to choose that she had already agreed to come see me at the house and decide while in labor if I would stay home or not.  Of course, her and I had already made plans for a homebirth but we weren't going to pressure Everette into it. 

When Everette saw Joanne bring in all her medical stuff, he felt much more comfortable about the whole thing.  Oxygen.  IV's.  He started to relax.  And then when he got to go to his own fridge for a snack during labor, he was thrilled to stay home for labor.  And when he helped Joanne pack up her stuff at the end of the day, and she was the one to drive away while he re-entered his own house to find all his children and his wife tucked in their beds, all snug under the same roof with newborn daughter tucked snuggly in our own bed....he was SOLD on homebirthing.

Our first homebirth.  

Born on our bed.  

Fuzzy shoulders 

rolled up fat as she descended 

and got stuck temporarily on her way out,

but when Daddy caught her 

the warm fat oozed between his fingers, 

filling his hands and heart with such warmth. 

He still fondly remembers that moment.

Today, Toveli is anything but fat,

but she certainly is warm and cuddly. 

Her smile can melt you.  

Her eyes sparkle. 

She dances and twirls like a real ballerina.

Graceful like a princess.  

She doesn't wear dresses as much as she used to,

but is still very much a princess.

Toveli picked a menu of Zucchini Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce. Mitchell shows you how long one of those noodles is!! 

For dessert Toveli picked having a raw fruit fondue.  The caramel sauce was just soaked dates (about 1 cup), lime juice and some celtic salt whizzed until thick and creamy in the blender.

The chocolate sauce was coconut oil, coconut butter, cacao & stevia. 

A big hit with the family, and so pretty.  A guilt-free finish to a healthy birthday celebration. 


Maret has a love of art, creativity and giving.  And so she worked for days on creating a shadow box and puppets as a gift for Toveli.