Things they don't tell you about being a new mom...

Childbirth truly is the worst pain you will ever feel. It's not something you can prepare for, and you lose all of your dignity in the process.

Childbirth is the most rewarding and incredible experience you will ever have. It is a miracle...there is no other word for it.

When I was in the hospital, every day felt like Christmas morning. I had this precious gift, London, waiting for me. The nurses took care of everything and I could just relax and enjoy my present....

Then they sent me home. You have to take a test to drive a car and become a US citizen, but they just let any idiot walk out of a hospital with a baby. I remember thinking, "I can't even figure out how to buckle her into the car seat. How am I going to raise her without all the nurses??"

The first month sucks. I wish there was more eloquent way to put it, but there's just not. You don't sleep, you don't have time to eat, you still look pregnant, you cry a lot and you have no idea what you are doing. I have heard women talk about bringing their babies home and staring into their eyes all day, contemplating how much they love them. They are liars. No one has time to stare or contemplate. You simply survive the war zone.

By about 3 months you might have time to contemplate your great love for your baby. I love holding London while she naps. I wish I could say that I always use that time to read, pray and think deep thoughts. But sometimes all I have the energy to do is watch Netflix. However, more often than not, I find myself gazing at London, taking in her features and thanking God for the miracle that is my baby girl.

Babies are a full time job. I consider my day successful when I am able to change out of my pajamas before Christian gets home.

London is a what Dr. Sears calls a "high-needs" baby. She doesn't like to be put down. She will out cry us every time. For the first two months, I would literally hold her all day long (thank the Lord for my Moby Wrap). Once, after a particularly hard day, I told my mom that I felt like a loser because I hadn't "done anything." Her reply was one I will never forget. She said, "I dont know why people think rocking a baby means you're not doing anything. Holding and rocking London is the most important thing you can do right now. She will only be a baby for the blink of an eye and then she will never be this small again. Hold her and rock her as much as you can, because someday you will wish you had just one day again to hold your baby."

Being a new mom is the hardest, craziest, most stressful, most emotional thing I have ever done...and there is nothing that I'd rather do.

London Scout Pimentel

When God said that he would greatly increase labor pains because of Eve’s disobedience, He wasn’t kidding. However, now that London is here, I realize that the reward of a baby is the ONLY thing that would cause a woman to do something so unbearably painful. In one instant, I experienced that greatest pain and the greatest joy I have ever felt.

On Monday night, I started having regular contractions that were gaining strength by the minute. I didn’t sleep at all Monday night and went to the doctor’s office on Tuesday morning. My midwife said I was indeed in labor, but that it was progressing slowly. She told me to go home and keep an eye on it. There was a risk of prodromal labor (contractions that don’t help you progress at all—basically REALLY SLOW labor), but she thought I would be at the hospital that night to deliver. Well, lucky me, it ended up being prodromal labor. We went to the hospital that night around 9:00PM, only to find that I was still only 1cm dilated. Since I hadn’t slept in 24 hours, they gave me allergy medication to help me sleep and sent me home. However, the contractions continued to increase in strength and were 4 minutes apart, so at 3:00AM we went back to the hospital to be admitted. By the time the midwife showed up, I had been without sleep for 48 hours, so they gave me stronger medication to aide my sleep. I still had contractions, but was able to doze in between them for 2 hours.

Christian and I had decided to do an unmedicated birth, and in my naivety, I thought a few classes and some determination would make this whole labor thing a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong! I never thought I would be one of those women to yell and cry during labor (not sure why I thought that, because I am pretty dramatic). In fact, Christian and I would make fun of the women in the videos we saw during our labor class. I am here to tell you that I ate every snide comment that I made about those women. My mom, dad, and sister were in the room for the majority of the labor, and we could not have done it without them. I say “we” because Christian was as much a part of the labor as I was. I had back labor the entire time, so Christian would apply counter pressure to my back during contractions. My mom and dad took turns rubbing Christian’s back in between contractions so that he would be able to help me. It was truly a group effort! My poor dad probably cried more watching me labor than he did at my wedding….it was really sweet!

When I started the transition phase of labor, everyone but my sister and Christian went to the lobby to wait. At that point, I truly thought I could not continue. Shelby and Christian were amazing, and continuously encouraged me when I felt like giving up. At one point, I ended up writhing on the floor and crawling under the bed….to their credit, Shelby and Christian didn’t laugh at me once, even though I know it was hilarious to watch. You truly lose all dignity when you are in that much pain. I could care less about what people thought….I just wanted to do whatever it took to meet my baby girl!

Finally, after 45 ½ hours of labor, I started pushing. I pushed for 2 ½ hours, which took every ounce of strength that I had. I was literally praying out loud the entire time, asking Jesus to help me find the strength to push….I’m sure the nurses thought I was crazy! Shelby and Christian were incredible and stayed by my side to encourage me the entire time. About halfway through pushing, we were able to see the top of a head full of black hair. Knowing that my little one was so close gave me the strength to continue pushing. There was this poignant moment, at the very end, where I thought my body had given out….I literally had nothing left to give. I remember looking at Christian and asking, “Can I do this?” to which he replied, as he had so many times before, “Baby, I’m so proud of you. I know you can do this.” That was all I needed. At 10:44PM on 7.13.11, London Scout Pimentel entered the world weighing 7 lbs. 11 ounces. I can’t begin to describe what it was like to give birth to London and have them lay her on my chest. It was the most beautiful, spiritual, and joy-filled moment of my life. I thank God for trusting me with the life of my precious little girl.

Baby Central

I watched the documentary "Babies" this week, and within the first 10 minutes, I was deeply convicted about how very spoiled we are here in the US. Women in Africa literally give their kids rocks and sticks to play with. That's it. They don't have diapers, and they certainly don't have cribs or swings, nor do they get "Parents" magazine each month. And you know what? Their kids are perfectly fine! My house, on the other hand, is officially baby central. We have it all....the swing, the bouncer, the cradle, the crib, the play mat, the jumper, the stroller, the car seat, and a million books and toys. Talk about a spoiled child...and she's not even here yet! Don't get me wrong....we are incredibly thankful for the blessings that God has given us and overwhelmed by the generosity of those around us. I am just reassessing how much of this stuff I really NEED. Of course I want it all, and I'm sure it will come in handy, but if I were stranded on a deserted island, I'm pretty sure that London would learn to sleep without a crib or a monitor or the book Baby Wise. In a way, it is extremely comforting. If she decided to make an appearance this week, everything would be just fine! All she really needs is two parents that love her. Everything else is just icing on the cake! That being said, we are extremely humbled by all the support we have been given by family and friends. It has allowed us to furnish a beautiful room for our precious baby girl, and we can't wait to watch her enjoy it!

London's First Trip!

We just got back from our "babymoon"/conference in Cali. It was an absolute blast! We were headed to a conference called Catalyst in Orange County, so we decided to go a couple of days early and take London to Disneyland! The conference was amazing, and the park was magical as always, but the best part of the trip was shopping for and talking about our baby girl. Who knew that shopping for your unborn child could be more fun than a trip to Disneyland!?

I was a bit fearful that becoming a mom would mean no more freedom and fun. However, now I realize that everything is so much richer with London in tow. Even though we haven't officially met her yet, I am filled with joy thinking about our future adventures together. I can't wait to revisit childhood with London, to make lasting memories as a family, and to see the world through her eyes.

She got her first taste of loud music on our trip, and it was hilarious! During a Disney show, she kicked and squirmed every time the music got loud. I noticed her kicking again during Aladdin the musical, but by the end of the week she had grown used to it...she didn't kick much during worship time at the conference (which, by the way, was amazing...it you haven't heard John Mark McMillan or Gungor, go look them up right now). Maybe she just loves musicals like her parents. :)

Here are some of the things we bought her in Disneyland. I don't even like pink that much, but felt compelled to buy it for her! I just can't resist the girly stuff, even though I was really opposed to it before!

Next adventure with London: at trip to NYC to help Aunt Shelby with her bridal pics!

Meet Baby London!

Baby P has been extremely active since week 17 of my pregnancy...kicking, punching, flipping. It has even kicked me awake a few times! In fact, one morning it wouldn't stop kicking until I got up and ate my leftover chinese food...at 6:00 in the morning! All that kicking had given me the impression that I had a little man-baby swimming around in there...a baby boy that took after his rather large daddy. However, at our ultrasound on Wednesday we were shocked to learn that we are HAVING A BABY GIRL!

We are so excited! We are officially in love with baby London (yes, her name is London, like the city where we honeymooned!). She is just so cute! She moved and kicked her little legs throughout the entire ultrasound. She is an active little girl and most certainly strong-willed like both of her parents!

Against my better judgement, I am posting some prego pics. My friend Wendi (who is due on the same day as me!), inspired me to do so. She looks so cute in her pictures!

1 week ago: 5 months

4 Months

I feel like a beached whale.

OK, so I know I’m pregnant and all, but should I really look like I have a giant beer gut when I’m only 4 months along? Baby P is only 4 inches long and weighs 3.5 ounces, so is it really necessary for my belly to start at the middle of my rib cage (no lie) and go down to my thighs? A little girl at church told me the other night, “Wow, I can’t believe your stomach is already that big. My cousin is 4 months pregnant too and your are WAY bigger than her.” Awesome. By the time it’s all said and done, I guess Christian will just have to roll me around like a massive beach ball. OK, so maybe I’m being a bit dramatic…..I’m not THAT big. But I sure don’t feel like I look preggers. Instead, I look like I have a food baby.

On a more positive note, I just spent an awesome weekend with my college friends and their families. We talked a lot, played with babies, ate good food and laughed a ton! It was so much fun. Every year I spend with them makes me more thankful for the precious bond we share. They are amazing women. Watching my sweet friends be moms was such a blessing. It put things into perspective for me….even if I gain 200 pounds, it will be worth it, because I will get to have a precious little baby to love in the end!

Boy or Girl??? What do you think?

According to this really reliable online quiz, I have a 65% chance of having a girl. Dad, Bob, and Paul think it's a girl. Here are the worst possible combinations of me and Christian in a girl:

1)Really pale skin with lots of dark body hair

2)Giant man-like bone structure and the propensity for dance

3)A love for sports involving fire arms and no hand-eye coordination

According to the wedding ring test, I am having a boy. Mom, Linda and Shelby (I think) think it's a boy. Here are the worst possible combinations of me and Christian in a boy:

1) Again, really pale skin with lots of dark body hair

2) Feminine physique and a manly set of vocal chords

3) Small and unathletic with a propensity for football

What do you think it will be?? We find out in 5 weeks!

We're having a baby....WHAT!?!

So, right after Christian spun me around the room, both of us elated at the sight of the word “pregnant” on the little stick, I had this sinking realization that you can’t take this decision back. Ever. For the next 80 years I will be a mommy. WHAT?!? Yes, it is amazing and wonderful and thrilling beyond belief. But it is down right terrifying too. Christian and I, starting on July 11^th, will be the sole ones responsible for screwing this child up. For a perfectionist, the idea of messing up a HUMAN BEING is just about the worst thing ever. Way worse than getting a B on a grad school paper or gaining 10 pounds (which, by they way, I get to do….like 4 times over throughout the next few months). How in the world can we prepare for this? After trying to read 5 different books on pregnancy simultaneously, then giving up (because there was no flippin’ way I could process all the contradicting information), I decided to just let it go. There is no way I am going to be a perfect mom. My child will not be perfect, but then again, neither are his parents. And isn’t that what makes this life so interesting? The fact that we all have sob stories and baggage and funny childhood memories about family fights? I love the fact that God has kept me humble through my imperfection, and that I know what it means to suffer because of my mistakes. In the end, if I make a million mistakes (which I will), and my little one ends up loving Jesus in spite of that, or maybe because of that, then nothing else really matters. We’re imperfect. Jesus is perfect. What more is there?