Holy Sh*t Labor Day: Maverick's Arrival

That was probably the hardest shit I’d ever had to do in my entire life, but it gave me the best blessing I could ever imagine. After 23 hours of trying to labor down, my son Maverick James was born on 28 February 2020, at 1255. He weighs in as a light featherweight champion of 6.4 lbs, measuring 20 inches long. The adrenaline was surging when they placed him in front of me as I stared down at him while I was still on all fours.

26 February 2020 @1500

Sean and I had a 39-week appointment this day, but I was already having contractions. Mild as they were, the clinic still thought it was best to send me up to be checked in case I was going into labor. While I was triaged, I found out I was 3 cm and 75% effaced. The OBGYN that saw me asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes, and I said yes! Little did I know this was going to kick start the process fairly quickly. I went home that night and was cramping and contracting throughout the night.

27 February 2020

I woke up to slower contractions, not as intense, and all of a sudden felt a little disappointed. The contractions had been fairly strong throughout the night, but the fact that I was able to fall asleep through them to have them completely fade away? Rough. Sean and I still stayed home though because even though they were irregular, they were still there. The OBGYN told me to wait 24 hours, so that’s what we did. I called LND asking what admission criteria was, and she said that she would bet I still had 48 hours or so before I came in. So Sean and I went on a few walks, to include a very short 10-minute hike on the Franklin Mountains. This was barely a hike, it was a slightly elevated gravel trail, some kind of joke to a PNW’er. We ate lunch at an overpriced crab boil restaurant, and then walked to Wal-Mart to get milk, and that’s when it hit me.

I told Sean I needed to go home because I started having intense cramping. When we got home, I laid on my birth ball while Sean started a warm bath for me to relax in. I sat in the bath for about 15 minutes when I thought I felt a trickle come out, we thought nothing of it. Then a gush of fluid came out and formed a cloud in the bath, “HOLY SHIT” both of us exclaimed. I stood up, “THIS IS IT!” Fluids kept leaking out like they do in the movies!

“YOU’RE STILL GUSHING!”

“GET ME PADS AND MY CLOTHES.”

“HOLY SHIT IT’S HAPPENING!”

“I’LL CALL LND AND FLORA AND WE GOTTA GO!”

The adrenaline was rushing, but we honestly could have moved a little slower. But with every gush that came out, we became more and more excited. We were going to meet our little boy soon and we couldn’t wait! Sean drove us to the hospital in record time (safely of course), and I was still in the backseat trying to gather all the mental courage I was going to need for the big push.

Disclaimer: Graphic images included in this blog. Photography by Kai Lanzi Photography - El Paso Birth Photographer

We got to the hospital, and I barely progressed. I was at 4 cm and 80% effaced. I came in with a birth plan but God decided that he wanted to switch things up on us. I wasn’t contracting. I wasn’t in labor. My water was broken. My risk of infection would grow with every hour that passed by. So the question of, “do you want to start Pitocin” came up and it was the one thing I wanted to avoid. I’ve always heard that laboring on Pitocin was a different kind of hell. I ended up giving in after a couple of hours. I was going to feel the pain either way, so we might as well kick start it. I labored unmedicated (without epidural) on Pitocin for almost 8 hours. My night nurse, Maria, was the most soothing nurse ever. Every time she came in and massaged me through a contraction, I fell asleep. Then as soon as she left and Sean took over, I was screaming. There was something so calming about her that really helped me through those first 8 hours of labor.

28 February 2020

At 0430, I tapped out and asked for an epidural when they got the Pitocin up to 14 milliunits per second. They missed twice on my epidural, but gave me a hefty dose when they finally got it in. I slept until 9 AM. By then I was a complete 10 cm and 100% effaced and baby was at station 0. I was feeling mighty fine after hearing this, thinking that my labor was going to be sunshine and rainbows, but this was more like the PNW where a sunny day can turn into a rainstorm real quick.

After having the hardest time trying to push with an epidural, we ended up taking it off after 4 hours to let my body feel the contractions and the pushing. My legs were so heavy and I could not for the life of me focus my pushing to my butt. I also wasn’t having strong enough contractions to help me push baby out, so they had to start the Pitocin again. This was enough to put me through three hours of hell. My birthing team was the most encouraging team of nurses though. My midwife, Regina, didn’t give up on me at all and was pulling out every trick in the hat to get me to deliver. My nurse, Pat, didn’t give up on me at all and was so encouraging throughout the entire process. My husband was a trooper in supporting me. And my birth photographer, Kai, was doing way more than just taking photos. She was holding my hand, my legs, wiping the sweat off my face. My team was strong, and they believed in me; so I had to believe in me.

We tried EVERY position possible to push in. My son was NOT wanting to evacuate his hot tub of 9 months. We started in the traditional on the back push. I moved to both sides. I was squatting with the bar. My midwife put me in a weird rag doll position called Walcher’s position to try and get baby to drop. I went back to my back. I went back to my side. I felt EVERYTHING. The epidural was GONE. By the time 2.5 hours hit, I was hysterical and exhausted. I wanted to give up so bad and throw the towel in and opt for a c-section. I was losing my focus, but my team kept me on track. I started to lose hope after being started on antibiotics for a 102 degree fever I broke during labor. Everything seemed to be stacking up against me and my ideal of how my labor would go. Our last resort was on all fours. I don’t know if it was because my midwife said, “I’ll give it two more contractions and we’ll talk options on what to do next.” All I thought of was forceps, vacuums, episiotomies, and c-section. ALL things that I wanted to avoid.

If I thought I dug deep for the Athens Marathon, you’d be surprised at how deep I had to dig to get this baby out. The entire 2.5 hours before that I was screaming and crying. The last 30 minutes, I pulled focused, stayed quiet, did my breathing, and pushed that motherfxcker out. As soon as I felt his head pop out, it was just a burst of adrenaline to get the rest of him out.

At 12:55 PM, my baby boy was born. Would I do that again? Right now, no. I’m thinking “one and done.” I know in a few months, I’ll forget it was like and I’ll want to give my boy a sibling. Until then, I will cherish my cone-headed baby. I am overjoyed with how beautiful my son is. I am SO grateful for the support I had at the bedside. I couldn’t have done it without them. If there’s anything I aspire to be, it’s to be like the nurses and midwives I’ve had work with me during my labor.

Skin Series: The basic on Chemical Exfoliants (EEP!)

We must have some serious chemistry because you’re here again for our THIRD Skin Series Blog! Lovin’ the support that we have gotten from you if you’ve stuck with us this far. So we’re going to go more in-depth with what these mysterious chemical peels are and why it’s such a great step to incorporate into your skincare routine. You’ve probably heard of some of the more popular ones like salicylic acid for blemishes or citric acids for brightening. So chances are you’ve already been using them in your routine just embedded in your cleansers.

So there are 3 main types of chemical exfoliants that skincare products use: PHA, AHA, and BHA. All have similarities in what they do for your skin, but can definitely make a difference depending on what skin type you have. Chemical exfoliants mainly help shed that dead-skin layer that lies on top or penetrates through sebum that sits within your pores. So without further ado, let’s get to it. “Sanding it down and stripping it” and then repainting it with new stuff.

AHA, or Alpha-hydroxy Acids

You’ve probably already used products with AHAs blended in with them. AHAs are naturally derived from things like fruits, sugar cane, or milk. They’re gentle water-soluble acids that work on the epidermis (top layer). They work by breaking down the bonds of the dead skin that lies on the surface. Without these bonds, it’s easier for the dead and dull skin to fall off, or be “exfoliated”. With this process, it is only natural to have brighter skin because new bebe skin is exposed. AHAs are great for all skin types, including dry skin to help with texturing. A few of the most commonly used AHAs are listed below:

Glycolic acid

• It’s pretty much the holy grail of the AHAs due to it’s small molecular size

• It comes from sugar cane

• Helps with texture to smooth out the skin

• Can be used 2-3 times per week

Lactic acid

• Slightly larger than glycolic acid, making it more gentle

• It comes from sour milk, but doesn’t smell gross!

• Helps with moisturizing as well as texture

Malic acid

• Milder than glycolic and lactic acid, often used in combination with other AHAs

• It comes from apples

• Helps with brightening

Mandelic acid

• It comes from bitter almonds

• Helps with anti-bacterial properties and exfoliation without the brightening

• Very gentle on your skin!

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BEAUTY GIVEAWAY 2020

I’m going to be teaming up with Susanna to host a giveaway in celebration of Okami & Company’s one year anniversary! To enter, participants must do the following:

1. Follow us on IG @lynnnnsane and @SusannaTheSkinSlayer

2. Tag a friend on the respective Instagram post for the giveaway

3. Comment on each blog post on the website with your favorite products and why

Each individual tag on Instagram is an additional entry to the giveaway. This giveaway will feature trial size and full size products that we will be recommending throughout the skin series!

GIVEAWAY ENDS FEBRUARY 23 :)

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BHA, or Beta-hydroxy Acids

The infamous salicylic acid that all of us have known as tried and true during our pubescent years. Chances are your parents bought you your first face wash containing a dose of salicylic acid when your teenage face was first starting to break out. You know that it is gentle enough to use every day. The first time I used salicylic acid was when I was started on Proactiv and it made a world of difference. Salicylic acid is a fat-soluble acid that is able to penetrate deeper into the pores and those stubborn oil glands allowing them to be cleared. Unclogging those pores are so important before applying other products, especially ones that are not fat-soluble. With that being said, BHAs work great for those with oilier skin types!

PHA, or Poly-hydroxy Acids

It’s not that this is a new one, but it is becoming more popularly used. Think of PHAs as the baby sister of AHAs. They’re very similar, but the biggest difference is the larger molecular size of a PHA. If you’ve ever taken the time to look at your products, anything with glucose lactose, galactose, or lactobionic acid is a PHA. Who does this product work best for? Those with sensitive skin. Sometimes our skin doesn’t tolerate products because, let’s face it, some products are just too strong for our skin. A big plus for PHAs are most PHAs are great for hydration because they’re a humectant. There’s also less of a chance for photoaging, aka, you’re less sensitive to the harsh rays of the sun after application. That doesn’t mean to skip out on the sunscreen though.

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Things to remember about chemical exfoliants

1. Can be found in some of your main products already or are found as their own product

2. Tingling versus burning? Tingling is normal and subsides a few minutes after application; burning does not subside and you may see redness afterward - this could be a sign that you’re using it too often or the concentration is too high for your skin right now

3. Try to use them at night to not expose skin to immediately the sun because your skin may become irritated with increased sun exposure - USE SUNSCREEN THE MORNING AFTER (if you aren’t a normal wearer of sunscreen, cause it should be used daily)

4. Hydrate and moisturize after application of chemical peels

5. Check the concentration of the peels that you use, start low and work your way up

6. Don’t over-exfoliate with physical or chemical exfoliants - if you plan on using a chemical exfoliant, maybe skip out on your Clarisonic for the night, the last thing you want is to cause micro-tears in your skin

7. Don’t use on sensitive skin (already broken skin, inflamed skin, or bad blemishes) Not even PHA! Let your skin heal first before you start to slough it off

Skin Series: Serums and masks, big benefits in small products

It wasn’t until after moving to South Korea did I decide to add these little extras into my beauty routine. I was already excited about having access to so many beauty products but I was extremely overwhelmed. There are beauty stores all over South Korea, even in their train stations. You couldn’t walk more than a few blocks without running into an Olive Young, LaLaLove, Innisfree, Etude House, or some other store. There’s way too many to name, so I won’t even bother going into it. But if you’re a big beauty fanatic, South Korea has to be one of your top destinations to visit.

After finally getting my skin to clear up and figure itself out with a good skincare regiment, I decided to look into other forms of skincare. Sheet masks, serums, and ampoules are so popular in Korea that you can find them in almost any convenience store. So I’ve decided to briefly go over a few of my favorites and why I decided to add it to my regiment.

If you haven’t already read the first part of my essentials routine, check it out before delving into this one!

For this blog, I have my best friend, Susanna, joining us again with very helpful input on what the professionals recommend. You can find her social media feed at @SusannaTheSkinSlayer on IG.

Serums

I only recently started incorporating serums into my skincare routine and I have absolutely no regrets. Luckily for me, my skin has actually gotten much better through pregnancy, so I want to make sure it stays that way even after the baby is here. Serums are basically super packed with active ingredients that you may need for your skin. For example, hyaluronic acid in serum is great for hydration or retinol for those who are being greeted into their older years. Serums typically are made up of smaller molecules that can penetrate deeper than the epidermis. They’re used after cleansing and toning but before moisturizers. Unless you happen to find a face oil (that is sometimes marketed as a serum), and it goes on after your moisturizer, to help create that barrier for all of your products.

”Serums are lightweight moisturizers that penetrate deeper to deliver active ingredients into your skin.” - Susanna

Mamonde Floral Essential Serum | This serum makes me face feel so silky after application. This is a vegan certified product, that’s made up of almost 82% honeysuckle complex. The antioxidants in this serum are so strong because they are fermented for an entire year before being made into this product. Honeysuckle is known for helping with inflammation, dullness, and uneven skin tone. It’s more gel-like than my other serum, so the application is a little less messy.

Clarins Hydra-Essential Bi-Phase Serum | If there’s any kind of serum that you need for a dry face, it’s definitely this one. My skin started out so rough this winter. I normally get dry patches along my temples and my nose gets pretty dry as well, but this serum does wonders. It includes the leaf of life (Kalanchoe Leaves) and beautyberry in it’s ingredients. Kalanchoe leaves have been known to help with eczema, inflammation, and infections. Beautyberries have so many benefits to their use that include antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, mosquito repellant, and skin lightening. To apply this serum, I pump a few drops and rub them between my palms to warm it up and press it into my face, making sure to focus on my drier spots.

Sleep Masks

We can thank SoKo skincare for this step in our beauty regiment. Typically on the western side, you’ll hear more about night creams than you will sleep masks. Night creams are pretty similar to a normal moisturizer, but normally contain something that’s too heavy to wear throughout the day. Sleep masks are similar in that sense. They’re thicker creams that can contain ingredients that help target your skin’s needs. They help seal in all those lovely serums and essences that you put on beforehand.

Kiehls Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque | For as thick as this cream looks, it’s actually pretty light on my face. I don’t apply masks with a heavy hand, just because I don’t think it takes too much product to get the results you want, and the texture is what I imagine day old Nickelodeon slime would feel like. I do this mask at least once a week after my routine. I normally just wipe off the excess and sleep with a super thin layer on at night. It does smell more like cilantro than it does orange, so keep that in mind if you’re a weirdo and don’t like cilantro. But I do feel like my face is a little more plump in the morning after use!

Clarins SOS Hydra Refreshing Hydration Mask | I use this every other day, especially since it’s been fairly dry here in Texas during the winter season. It has a much better consistency than the previously mentioned mask, so it spreads pretty easily onto my face. You leave it on for 10-minutes, wipe of the excess areas and try to press the rest into your skin for it to work overnight. It’s great for hydration because it does contain hyaluronic acid. Plus the scent is pleasing and subtle. I usually finish up with applying the Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Cream.

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BEAUTY GIVEAWAY 2020

I’m going to be teaming up with Susanna to host a giveaway in celebration of Okami & Company’s one year anniversary! To enter, participants must do the following:

1. Follow us on IG @lynnnnsane and @SusannaTheSkinSlayer

2. Tag a friend on the respective Instagram post for the giveaway

3. Comment on each blog post on the website with your favorite products and why

Each individual tag on Instagram is an additional entry to the giveaway. This giveaway will feature trial size and full size products that we will be recommending throughout the skin series!

GIVEAWAY ENDS FEBRUARY 23 :)

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Sheet Masks

If you think it’s overwhelming walking into an Ulta or even Target and finding a lot of sheet masks, you can only imagine what it’s like walking down the STREET of Myeongdong where everyone is out there trying to give you a sheet mask. Sheet masks have become so popular thanks to SoKo glam, and I think it’s the best thing for skin routines. I don’t think there’s not one mask you can’t find for you skin type in Korea. Dry skin? Oily skin? Flaky skin? Skin that’s breaking out? Have wrinkles? Sunburnt? There’s a mask for that. Sheet masks are packed with SO much nourishment for whatever you need. It’s a great way to relax at the end of the a busy day. You use this after your toner, whether you want to do it before or after your other serums. I always take the extra from the packaging and apply it to my neck and hands (especially if it’s for hydration). I’ve listed a few of my favorite brands below!

Etude House Dr. Ampoule Dual Sheet Masks (any of them!) | Any Dr. Jart mask | Innisfree My Real Squeeze masks | Innisfree Aloe masks

Tune in next week for when we go over chemical exfoliants!

Related: Skin Series Part I: The Essentials

6 things I’ve incorporated into my mornings to be more productive

Let’s be real - New Years is always a good time for everyone to start implementing changes into their lifestyle to try and better their every day living. For the past few months, I’ve noticed myself becoming more and more frustrated with how much cleaning and organizing we have to do in the house. It’s my first time living with my husband under one roof, and there are some things we need to work on, such as not leaving all of our things dumped at the door when returning from work.

I’ve never been good at being productive in a cluttered or messy environment, so I started brainstorming ideas on how I can improve this. Most days I’d find myself saying, “I’m too tired, I’ll tackle it all tomorrow.” By the time tomorrow comes, there’s an even bigger mess to clean. So I decided that in the mornings that I have before work, I would take the time to start my day off with a straight hour of productivity.

Keep my phone on DND and limit use on social media

When I would wake up before, the first thing I’d check was all of my social media. I had an extreme case of FOMO when I first moved to El Paso. I think it’s because of the lack of things to do here while pregnant; I was vicariously living through everyone on my feed. I found this very draining after a while. So I started leaving my phone in the bedroom when I’d wake up. I don’t have any social media apps on my iPad except for YouTube, so the chances of me being lost in a “scroll-daze” on Instagram are highly unlikely when I use my iPad. Instead, I find blogs or videos about being a more productive person and incorporating new systems into my lifestyle and let them play in the background. Social media will always be at the ends of my fingertips when I seriously have the time, but I’m trying to no longer fall into that black hole of scrolling.

Make the bed

I make our bed. It’s probably the easiest task I can do in the morning. As soon as I get up, I let my dogs out to use the restroom and I go back to make my bed. By the time I’ve made the bed, they’re already begging to come back inside. It’s the perfect 2-minute routine to jumpstart my productivity. Walking into my room and not having to see a mound of blankets piled on top of all of our pillows gives me a little more ease as I get ready for the day.

Start the day with breakfast and a warm drink to sit and think of what needs to be done in the next hour

Every day that I work, I have the same breakfast. I always start off with a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of tea or coffee, depending on how my baby is feeling that day. (Some days I have an inkling that coffee isn’t going to sit well with him, lol.) It takes me 90-seconds to make my breakfast, and takes me about 10 minutes to sit and enjoy it. During this time, I focus more on the audible or YouTube video I’ve chosen for the morning. They’re normally 10-15 minutes long, so it’s perfect for the first part of my day. I’ve got a good start on my daily nutrition, and I’ve already brainstormed what needs to be done in the next “tidy-up hour”.

Journaling or Planning

Depending on if I have an idea to write something or if I need to take the time to plan the week, this is when I’ll do it. I use the Goodnotes app and Google Calendar to plan my days and weeks, and to write down any thoughts I have. There are a lot of things I know need to be done before the arrival of baby, to include the personal goals I have for myself, so I try to find the best ways to tackle them. I know that if I write it down then I won’t forget it needs to be done. Being able to cross if off my to-do list helps me stay on track and keeps me accountable to the task. I make sure I write down all of the urgent things that I need to get to, and plan ahead of the tasks I can clump together to be more efficient. I highly suggest learning to plan, even if it’s just writing down your errands. When you set aside the time, you’re more likely to get it done than trying to keep it in your short-term memory and saying, “I’ll get to it after I do XYZ.”

Tidy up the house

I cannot stand coming into my home when there are things all over the place. When my husband comes in from work, he’s always dragging in 2-3 bags from work to include his backpack, gym bag, and lunch bag + giant water bottle. He dumps the mail on the table, he takes off his clothes and hangs it on the back of the chairs, and dumps his pockets next to our coffee machine. It. Drives. Me. Crazy. He’s gotten better at putting things away after I’ve clearly voiced how upset I get when I see it :). So now, all I do is tidy up the kitchen and the living room. I take the time to fold the blankets, fix the pillows, vacuum, feed the dogs, load/empty the dishwasher, prepare the coffee, and make rice for dinner. Doing all of these things in the beginning of the day make it easier to come home to the house at the end of the day. By the time I get off of work, the last thing I want to do is clean. That’s why it would usually get pushed off to the weekends or my days off. Tidying the house a little bit every day helps keep the messes from piling up too high, which in return, gives me more time to enjoy being at home hanging out.

Skin care

This is a routine that I have had to really get myself to follow, and I’m glad that I started being more serious with my skin care. There isn’t a time where I felt worse after cleansing my face. It’s a refreshing start to my day. I know that when I go out, I’m feeling my best because I feel like I’m looking my best. Taking the short 5-10 minutes to take care of myself goes a long way when starting the day off. (Related: Part I: Essentials of my skin care routine)

3 must-have apps if you’re trying to get fit!

Oi, fitness. Exercise. Something we all know we should be getting at least 20 minutes of every day, but it’s so much easier to turn Disney+ on than it is to do 40 pushups, right? I know, I feel you. You’ve been at work all day long, and if it’s as tiring as being a nurse, you’ve been vertical all day, so there’s nothing more inviting than being horizontal on your couch. But don’t let that stop you from your workout!

It used to be daunting to go into the gym and not beeline it to the cardio equipment. I ran because it was the easiest thing to do in the gym (no thought, just start the treadmill and go for as long or as fast as you could). I ran because to me, it didn’t take much effort. Then I signed up for my first marathon. I realized that there was much more to running than going out and running 6 miles a day. My muscles were sore, I was starving, I wasn’t supplementing my training the way I should have been. That’s when I looked into incorporating other forms of training and diet into my routine, and these apps helped me stay accountable.

Nike Run Club

This app is pretty self-explanatory. I had an Apple Watch at the time and it was easy to just lace up, hit start on my watch, and go. I wasn’t using the app to it’s full potential at first because I would just to my own runs. Then they made some updates that had more guided runs to help you through interval training, endurance runs, and sprints. When I started scheduling my runs, the notification would pop up on my watch and I’d get myself dressed to go. The notification alone was a nice way to stay accountable for my training, but then I added my friends. Every day we’d run, whether it was together or on our own. The accountability sky-rocketed when we were running alone. Trying to “one-up” each other on our mileage. We’d see each other at work and say, “hey man, you’re slackin’ this week!” I probably had put in hundreds of miles before running my Athens Marathon, and I’d have to say a majority of it was because of this app.

Nike Training Club

When I decided that I needed to add supplemental training to my running, I downloaded this app. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what I was doing in the gym, it’s that I was too lazy to create a routine. This app made it so easy to choose what I wanted to work on, whether it was stretching, cardio, HIIT, or resistance training. There’s even a yoga series on the app that made it a little easier to stretch out after my longer runs. If you aren’t comfortable getting into the weight room, then find yourself a small space in the aerobic room, grab a mat, some equipment for resistance training, and start the app. This is also nice because you can link up with friends and keep each other accountable just like on the running app!

LifeSum

Okay, I’ve only used the free version of this app, but it’s been amazing. I haven’t found the will to buy the pro version, especially since I’ve become pregnant, I rarely use it. I first started using this app when I decided that I wanted to become very serious about my weight training and diet. This was post-marathon, and I was in the weight room almost twice a day. This app helps you track your calories for every meal, you water count, your fruit count, your veggie count. It can also break down how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you eat. You can scan the barcodes of items that you buy, and if you don’t find it, the app makes it easy it manually input the nutritional values! If you’re the type of person I was, eating meal-prep, then it is very easy to input your calories into this app. If you’re like my husband who eats regularly cooked meals with a bunch of varying ingredients, cooked different ways, then this app might not be best for you.

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Get moving this 2020!

All three of these applications are available on Android and Apple. If you’re struggling to keep up with your New Years resolution on being active, maybe it’s time to get some digital motivation and accountability! I can’t wait to get back into a steady routine after I give birth! Get ahead of me now, because I’m coming back strong this year with my new mom bod!