Riley Jack Mulholland

Riley Jack Mulholland entered our lives at 8:00am on Sunday, November 14th. He weighed 6 lbs 2 oz and was 19 inches long at the time of birth. After 24 hours of intense labor and in every position you can imagine, we hung in with the hypnobirthing plan and birthed him naturally.

I could not have done it without Kristian by my side, holding me, supporting me and helping me through every contraction. Our Doula, Claire Stanley was a godsend as she massaged, encouraged and showed us how to get through the process. And those of you who were sending positive thoughts and prayers, we felt your presence. Our support team was far beyond the bounds of the delivery room.

Birthing Riley was definitely the most transformative experience for all of us. It was more richly intense than I coudl have ever imagined. It has left me with a feeling of awe -- a quiteness inside and a greater appreciation for life and the gifts we are given. Not only is it amazing to look at the beautiful life we have created, it is incredible to have a whole new understanding for how are bodies are built to create this magical life.

I sign off now and will write more and post pics to our website (www.jenniferandkristian.com) in the coming days. Thank you for all your support and wishes.

Jennifer, Kristian and Riley

Weekly Check-up

Well, no change from a week ago. Still 70% effaced and 1 cm dilated... Baby Mulholland is growing every day and he seems to be learning how to project his feet into mommy's ribs. It seems he elongates at night - stretching out, making the natural routine of sleep more and more of a challenge. We have become very attached to the body pillow, Joanna Snyder lent us, which has turned out to be a life-saver.

Our lesson this week is "trust" and "patience"....turning over our agenda as to when our little person will enter this world. Maybe he is waiting for "grandma Sue Sue" to arrive on November 16th, or grandpa Hadley and grandma/nana Mulholland to arrive on the 20th...

Stay tuned for more updates...

Jennifer andk Kristian, 2004

Awaiting the arrival of baby Mulholland

It is 5:30am. I have been up since 4:00am creating on the computer, watching the presidential election results, doing laundry and updating our website. The baby is moving and growing at a fast rate as his due date draws near. This time period of "not knowing" when he will enter this world is very strange and teaches me patience, the art of letting go, and trust. Kristian and I are prepared and continue to practice my meditations, relaxation exercises and hypnobirthing techniques. We meet with Claire, our Doula, this evening for our last practice session.

Stay tuned on changes....

- Jennifer