Soren's Playlist

In addition to all of the prepping and planning and just plain getting ready for Soren (i.e. typing a list of information about the boys and their routines and important phone numbers, continually cleaning because surely tonight's the night and heaven forbid people coming over to help see how we really live, fretting over who would be available to take the boys even though i had a fantastic list of friends willing and waiting, reading my favorite childbirth prep book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" even though my labor and delivery ended up being nothing like a midwifery delivery; etc., etc.), I made a lovely little playlist that i burned to a CD to listen to while laboring/delivering. Initially, I thought i'd fill it with a lot of my workout songs. You know, keep the energy going/pump you up songs. But i decided to make a broader mix of songs i just liked/haven't tired of yet, some that were high energy and some that were mellow and some that spoke to me as bringing-a-baby-into-the-world songs. I purposely tried not to listen to it much so it would be fresh when i went into labor. But i went a week or two longer in my pregnancy than i'd anticipated, so toward the end, i cheated a bit and listened to it.

My labor went from la-de-da to sha-bam in a very short time. So. We forgot about the music and just worked hard and fast at bringing Soren into the world. Now that we're home, i'm enjoying listening to it.

Here's the list:

1. Chariot by Gavin DeGraw
2. Apron Strings by Everything But the Girl. This is a favorite from my college days and was excited to finally find it on iTunes.
3. I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas. I had a lot of days when i thought i was going into labor. When my typical six or so contractions an hour turned into every 5 minutes and then every 2-5 minutes. I would get excited, start cleaning (or obsessively making sure the diaper bag had a change of unders for Keegs or double-checked the gluten-free-to-go food bag for Bode...) and crank up this song because of the positive, fun energy it has ("I gotta feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good good night...). And then the contractions, while frequent, wouldn't get much stronger than usual and would finally go back to the typical pattern.
4. Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Just like it. Soothing and mellow.
   
5. This Woman's Work by Kate Bush. Seemed appropriate.
6. Fallin' for You by Colbie Caillat.
   
7. For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder. Upbeat and positive.
8. Move Along by The All-American Rejects. Keep the labor moving along, you know?
9. Golden Slumbers by Jackson Browne
10. If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickelback
    
11. My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson. One of my favorite songs to workout to/blast really loud.
12. I'd Rather Be With You by Joshua Radin
13. Chasing Pavements by Adele
14. Pump It by Black Eyed Peas
15. Feather in the Wind by Mindy Gledhill
16. Viva la Vida by Coldplay
17. Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder
18. Can't Keep It In by Cat Stevens. My idea of labor/pushing humor. "Oh, i can't keep it in. I can't keep it in i gotta let it out. I gotta show the world. World's gotta see. See all the love. Love that's in me."
19. Gone Gone Gone by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
20. The Wood Song by Indigo Girls
21. Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder.

And she is so very lovely.