Meet Sunny Sokol

Sunny Bernice Sokol

She’s here, a few days early, as a kind gesture to her mother. What a beautiful little girl! Perfect face and skin. Perfectly shaped head, and gorgeous long curled eyelashes. The nurses are swooning over her as are we.

She came out quick. Just over three hours from start to finish. Lucky I know, especially since we went the natural route only using Hypnobirthing techniques.

My water broke at 3am on the dot. I was asleep and woke up instantly as I soaked the bed with very warm water. I woke up Steve and jumped in the shower believing I had plenty of time. My contractions began as I showered and were only two minutes apart.

My mom rushed over in less than 20 minutes to stay over with Alyssa and we were hospital bound. Did you know it only takes 15 minutes to get to Alta View at 3:30 am. Kudos to Steve who showcased excellent NASCAR racing skills.

As we arrived the nurses Gretchen and Cathy greeted us with the utmost expediency. We had previously met Nurse Gretchen three weeks ago visiting my brother’s baby who was delivered at the same hospital. Gretchen also cared for them. One of our biggest worries was that the hospital staff would not be supportive of our Hypnobirthing—but Gretchen and Cathy were down with it and were excited to have someone to take care of since this was the first baby to be born there since Friday (this was early Monday morning).

We set up the room with our hippy music, ambiance and very dim lighting and got on with the hypnosis. It worked like a charm. In the car, the surges (Hypnobirthing for contractions) were painful, but once we had our hypo-groove on, they were very manageable.

Then came the news that our MD was out of town until Tuesday. This turned out to be an error on their schedule and he was in town, but it threw me for a little bit of a loop and broke my hypnosis concentration. The next surge was very painful, but we quickly got our groove back on.

As time continued I progressed very quickly from a 4-5 when I arrived to a 7-8. Before we knew it they were setting the room for a delivery. A comforting yet terrifying thought as the reality became evident that I would indeed push this baby out with no drugs whatsoever.

At about 5:45 am, things started getting pretty intense. The surges started getting stronger and I had to really work to keep my concentration and relax through the surges. Steve kept telling me I was a ‘rock star’ and this was somehow very motivating. He also told me things like, this was the Salt Lake marathon, and I was almost to the Gateway (the finish line).

The doctor gave me some directions and I had a strong urge to push. As I began pushing the pressure of the surges started to turn to pain, and I lost my concentration once and started to panic and get screamy. Nurse Gretchen got down close to my face and told me that I could do this, that millions of women have given birth naturally including her, and that the worst was already over. She really inspired me to keep going.

At this point, I really focused, directed my breaths, and the baby started to move down. Looking back it really was incredible to feel the whole process especially during the pushing stage where the baby is actually traveling through the body and you can feel it as it is happening. In case you were wondering the pushing stage...not nearly the most painful part of child birth, but if you have ever heard anyone talk about the Burning Ring of Fire...that is true, but at that point you are so close to delivery that somehow you don't care and it doesn't matter.

I’ll spare you the rest of the gory details of the baby’s emergence, but it all happened very fast. Sunny was born at 6:20 am. We didn’t really have any time to use most of our repertoire of Hypnobirthing techniques. I just heard the music and affirmations, relaxed, and let my body do what it naturally knew to do. Fascinating. We didn’t really even have time to take any pictures or video until after the birthing was complete.

I’ll be honest, birthing naturally was very...intense. But it went so quickly and afterward, I was able to get right up and use the restroom. If I had to, I could walked right out of the hospital, put Sunny in the car and driven home. Night and day different from my last birth which took four months to fully recover from. I can’t say it’s for everyone, but I highly recommend Hypnobirthing and natural childbirth in general.

She was 7 pounds, 7 ounces. 18 ½ inches long. Born 3 days early on April 28 at 6:20 AM.

The pic of me above was two days before delivery.

Anyway, we have lots more to talk about—stay tuned for more news!

Pictures--Story to follow soon

Could it be more than a stray thought?

Do you ever stop and have a stray thought and think to yourself…hmm…I wonder why that just popped into my head? Only to find out later that it was the constant companionship of the HG telling something and you didn’t recognize it. So, that happened to me yesterday. I wish I was better at feeling and recognizing the spirit, it would keep me (and others) out of some unnecessary trouble.

So, three days ago someone mentioned Wendy’s Classic Single with Cheese. I, being nine months pregnant decided against my better judgment that I must eat one, even though I generally don’t consider Wendy’s (especially Wendy’s in Herriman) an acceptable place to eat. Unfortunately a burger with all the fixins’ overpowered my better judgment and I took my sweet Alyssa there for lunch yesterday.

Here’s where the not-so-stray thought comes in. Before I even ordered, as I stood in line, I looked at the employees and thought, “these people look okay… they wouldn’t food poison my child.” I un-wrapped her hamburger and the thought came to me. “What if this hamburger were to give her food poisoning?” I gave it a second thought, thinking that would be terrible. “I don’t know what I would do if I had to watch my darling girl wretch all evening puking up hamburger,” was my second thought.

I have never before considered the fact that a child could be food poisoned. It was an all new thought that I should have recognized was not my own.

Do you see where this is going? I then ate my burger. It was very tasty. Alyssa’s looked a little dry I must admit, but otherwise fine. She proceeded to disassemble it in her normal fashion, than ate what she wanted of it, which was mainly the meat patty.

We then picked up some last minute items at Smith’s for dinner. We planned to have our neighbors over for Chicken Fajitas and fresh pineapple. After Smith’s we headed back home for a much needed nap.

Naptime didn’t go very well which is unusual for Alyssa. She generally likes napping. After I finally got her to sleep I made all the preparations for our yummy dinner. After about 30 minutes she woke up crying. I went in to check on her just in time to see an old-faithful-style vomit session. This continued the rest of the evening until about an hour before bed.

I have never felt so sorry for her. I did it to her and I sort of knew. My thought wasn’t just a stray, it was a prompting. Her hamburger was tainted and mine was fine. The spirit tried to warn me, but I was too distracted by hot pickles onions and tomatoes on my burger.

So I learned a lesson. I never want to learn another lesson where I have to watch my child go through something painful that I could have prevented. I vow to listen better, to use better judgment and to take time to consider any thoughts that may at first appear to be random as they may really be promptings and can help me avert danger.

I also again learned that the companionship of the HG plays a big part in my life whether I am always conscious of that or not. I am truly grateful for that special influencing spirit. As I get older and more mature I hope I can get more tuned into it so I can avoid more of life’s little un-pleasantries, and gain whatever experieces are necessary for progression.

FYI: We canceled the dinner party which left me with 2 lbs of cut up raw chicken and vegetables, and a pineapple the size of my head cut up in delicious bite-sized pieces. I guess I know what we are having tonight.

Eleven reasons

There are plenty of reasons why I leave a lot to be desired, but on a more positive note, here are 11 reasons why I am proud of myself. Now that I have disclosed, I want YOU to disclose too.

1. I earned a college degree. I never expected to actually graduate. I didn’t have that kind of forethought or long term planning ability when I started. But it ended up taking so long that I developed what I lacked when I started and I actually pulled it off. Special thanks to Misty who helped me pass Math 1010 on my fifth attempt. I couldn’t have done it without you.

2. I served a mission when I didn’t want to, and I did a good job.For some reason the idea of waking up early and working long days, seven days a week, never appealed to me. But after being berated by the HG for three years I finally relented and went. Yeah, it was one of the best things I have ever done. Don’t get me wrong though it was hard and quite un-enjoyable a lot of it. One of the things I learned is you don’t have to enjoy every last thing you do. Sometimes it’s important to do things anyway. When it’s all said and done, it’s worth it.

3. I picked a great guy to marry. What a guy. He is a great husband, father and provider. I am so lucky. It’s so fun to be so happy together. I love my man. I love spending all my time with him. I love late night pillow talk. I love riding around in the car. He was a real find. I’m so glad he found me. Thanks technology! Special thanks to Heather who created my LDS Singles account.

4. I treat my husband kindly.It’s so easy to make this man happy and I enjoy doing it. It makes me happy to treat him right. Plus I get it back as fast as I can give it. I love buying him an unbelievable amount of Pepsi and Sudafed because it makes him happy. I love making him Rice-a-Roni. I love saying sweet things to him and appreciating him for what he does. It makes him feel good and that makes me feel good. Special thanks to Dr. Laura for her book "Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands" great inspiration and motivation for a happy and fun-filled marriage.

5. I ran half a marathon, when I didn’t think it was possible and I ran the whole time.It’s true. I did. Who knew. First race ever. Special thanks to Missy who convinced me that I could at least attempt it do it and gave me a training schedule. It’s one of the best things I have ever done. It really taught me that it’s okay to bite off more than you really think is reasonable to chew. It also showed me that when you connect your mind, body and intention you can accomplish your goal.

6. I lost 52 lbs on weight watchers.I gained way too much weight with Alyssa, plus I think we are all comfortable with the fact that there was always more than enough of me than was really pleasant. I finally accepted that I couldn’t do it without some support and joined. Best decision I ever made. My sister-in-laws and several friends would agree since it did all of us some good and we all lost weight together. From this I learned that if there is a road block in front of you, it’s okay to seek outside resources to help you past it.

7. I took a job as a newspaper reporter and I enjoy it.I really enjoy this weird little job. It’s been good for my brain, writing skills and social contact. Special thanks to Steve who gave me the idea and confidence to go for it.

8. I love being a mother. After being single for so long and enjoying the me-centered lifestyle, I was really worried that motherhood would me more of a drag than anything else. I have been pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoy it. I realize I only have one and that things are bound to get harder. I just never realized how enjoyable hanging at home with kiddies would be. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I think I will lose my mind and or kill myself or others, but by and large. I really really like it.

9. I have great hair.It’s sleek and modern and I like it.

10. I am planning an all natural Hypnobirth.After having a terrible experience and recovery last time I made a decision to do it a different way this time. I know many of you think I am crazy, but to you I say…I’m rubber you’re glue whatever you say bounces of me and sticks to you. I am able to do hard things. I have done some hard things in the past. This will be one of the things I will be able to put on this list after. Have some faith in me.

11. I have great friends.As you can tell by this list, I have good friends who have steered me in the right directions and have helped me to find happiness. I hope that I have influenced some of you the way you have influenced me.

Thanks for the idea Jenny. I agree, it feels better to dig deep and think about why you are proud of yourself rather than why you are not cutting it. Those things are too easy to pin point.

Just so you know

Just so you know if you cook three single serving sized bags of microwave popcorn in a row, it might be the last time you cook anything at all in your microwave.

Yes. According to the microwave repairman, when you cook small portions that have a very low moisture density, it’s basically like running your microwave empty. So basically, we ran our microwave empty for like 15 minutes and that didn’t turn out very favorable.

It still worked, but would spark and make terrible noises as if there was a big hunk of metal inside. Again according to the microwave repairman,that it means it is leaking radiation, which, as I understand,can be bad for your health.

So what is the exciting conclusion to our Micro-Drama? KSL.com. After about 6 months of scouring the site religiously, I found another built-in, white Frigidaire microwave a year newer than ours for only $100 (instead of like $400 in the store). We bought it and Steve’s brother Jeff helped us install it today.

I have to say it felt a little trashy to have a second microwave in the kitchen, but after a while I just got used to it. We now have the broken microwave out in the front yard on blocks. I imagine we'll get used to that too. Hopefully the neighbors will. At least it's not taking up my kitchen counter space anymore.

*Post note: We now have an popcorn air-popper and a big bag of kernels, just like the olden days.

Post, post note: If you are interested in purchasing our old microwave--or just want some entertainment, please view our ad here..

Reminiscing about being pregnant

Being pregnant is a blessing. Who would ever believe that I could make my own child, and with no hands. Going through a pregnancy is a very interesting and fascinating experience. As I near the end of my experience, here are the things I will miss.

1. Having a constant stream of acid coming up my throat.
2. Scaring strangers who ask when I’m due by saying…”I don’t know what you are referring to.”
3. Having my brother tell me I look like an overfilled water balloon.
4. Being a superstar in public.
5. Having a good excuse to eat a Big Mac.
6. Getting high centered while turning over in bed.
7. Not being able to breathe at night unless I take a Sudafed.
8. Being all hopped up on Sudafed at night and not being able to sleep.
9. Finding something to wear to church.
10. Thinking of things to tell people when they ask what her name is going to be. By the way, we’re naming her Bubbles. Bubbles Sunshine Sokol. Cute huh?
11. Having Alyssa throw balls at my belly in an effort to play catch with baby sister.
12. Having Alyssa stick raisins in what is left of my belly button in an effort to “share” with baby sister.

As I finish reminiscing about pregnancy, I have to give a shout out to Steve who has been very supportive and patient throughout this whole pregnancy. He has been a real trooper getting me things, picking stuff up off the floor, taking my sox off, keeping my water bottle full, bringing me my prenatal vitamin (when he doesn’t take it himself), listening to my grunts when I am trying to move around in bed or get off the couch without rolling his eyes.
He has also been a champion at insisting we practice our Hypnobirthing techniques.

Hey, do you know what is good..

The Brick Oven, you know, in Provo. Have you been there? It's so good. I like mainly nothing about Provo because its so creepy, but the Brick Oven is very, very good.

I went there like 10 days ago and I am still thinking, "Hey that was a great meal." For your information in case you are considering dining there, I had the Feast for One. It included a six inch pizza, and one trip to the pasta bar. I also added (for Alyssa) one trip to the salad bar for $1.50 (cheaper than a kids meal).

During my trip to the Pasta Bar I got Spiro noodles and Broccoli. On it I put Alfredo sauce and some Marinara. Then at the end of the bar they have different cheeses you can add. They had Mazithra cheese. I love it. I can't afford to buy my own. At Smith's a block the size of my fist cost as much as our monthly mortgage payment. So I put a lot of that on.

The pizza, which I was not expecting much from, was really, really, really, (yes three reallys) good. Almost as good as the only good place to get pizza in town, The Rusted Sun Pizzaria on 2100 South and State. The alfredo sauce was, yes, better than Olive Garden's, and was totally worth whatever fat content it had.
The Salad Bar, also good, included a chocolate mousse that was unlike anything I have ever tasted.

It is an enormous restaurant. Maybe the biggest one I have ever been to. You’d think because of its size you’d feel like you were at a high school cafeteria or at the Macaroni Grill but no. It’s all separated into rooms and it feels quite cozy inside.

Another highlight is that they have balloon artists who will come to your table and for only tips will make balloon creations for your kids. Alyssa got a Cinderella. The man used like a dozen balloons, and it turned out pretty incredible. People at the restaurant were taking pictures of it with their cell phones, it was rather impressive.

Anyway, the Brick Oven is good. You should go there. If you do, let me know so I can go with you.

*Disclaimer: I mentioned that I think Provo is creepy, and I do, but I still consider myself a BYU enthusiast, even though I graduated from Weber State—GO WILDCATS. It’s just that being in Provo creeps me out.