G had his 4-month doctor's visit yesterday. He looks great, and the doctor couldn't hear the heart murmur he had at his 1-month visit so that's wonderful.
What's not so wonderful is the bad timing of the visit in relation to when he wanted to nap, and then the oral vaccine & two shots he received. He was soooooo tired that he was crying when the doctor was just listening to his heart & lungs; he wanted to be left alone to sleep! Then when he got that stuff squirted into his mouth the tears really flowed. All topped off by two shots in his thigh. He was such a sad baby after that. I nursed him for a bit in the room to get him settled down, then he fell asleep in his car set on the drive home, and slept in that for another hour (usually even if he's fallen asleep in the car seat, he wakes up as soon as we stop moving).
He was restless all day yesterday, and fairly cranky and tired. He also had a ROUGH night (which means I had a rough night too.) He's napping well today, but I'm trying to decide if I should think about discouring him from napping too much in hopes of a better night's sleep for both of us tonight.
Fortunately we won't have to do that again until January.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Weekend Recap
- I washed a mountain of laundry this weekend.
- I have not yet folded or put away said mountain. It currently resides on the futon in the family room.
- I got to the library BY MYSELF. As in, sans child, which meant that I got to drive my car since there was no need for the car seat. I'd forgotten how much fun my car is to drive.
- G has his four-month well-baby doctor's visit tomorrow. I've been dreading it because the poor guy gets shots. Based on how he cries, I'd say that the shots are much harder on his momma than on him.
Not such a good sports weekend. Can I pretend it didn't happen?I wrote too soon! All was redeemed by the amazing finish last night. Which I didn't manage to see thanks to going to bed so early, but the highlights sure were nice. :)- I made some AWESOME coconut bread. Unfortunately L also thinks it's awesome and he keeps eating it! I thought it would be all mine, but instead I'm having to share. Drat.
- I also made some rice pudding that is not even close to awesome. Unfortunately this one is all mine.
- I cut my finger on the inside of a can while opening it. Now I keep catching it on everything and realizing what an obnoxious spot it's in. Typing isn't easy with it either.
- I think I've postponed enough. Time for me to get to bed.
Friday, November 13, 2009
I Am Such a Dork
I just ordered some stuff for myself from one of my favorite stores. Seriously, it's kind of ridiculous how excited I get about ordering from them. I've always got a wish list of items I'd like, and every so often (usually when they've got free shipping offered) I put in an order. And now I just have to wait for my stuff to arrive!
What I'm most excited about this time is some bread pans. I've been using incorrectly sized pans for years, and I finally decided to get the 8 inch pans instead of continuing to use 9 inch pans. I hope to see improved results now!
I've also got a dough whisk coming, and I'm hoping it's as wonderful as it sounds. Assorted other goodies rounds out my order.
So yes, I think my enthusiasm for this officially makes me a dork. But that's ok, I'll admit to it.
What I'm most excited about this time is some bread pans. I've been using incorrectly sized pans for years, and I finally decided to get the 8 inch pans instead of continuing to use 9 inch pans. I hope to see improved results now!
I've also got a dough whisk coming, and I'm hoping it's as wonderful as it sounds. Assorted other goodies rounds out my order.
So yes, I think my enthusiasm for this officially makes me a dork. But that's ok, I'll admit to it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Change of Plans
Due to a sick child (not my own, fortunately) today's visit by L's aunt and grandmother has been canceled.
I feel like my day has just opened up tremendously.
L wants to go to Chili's for lunch. I'd hate to disappoint him, so I suppose he'll just have to drag us along. ;)
I'm sure that will mean he won't be up for lasagna for dinner. I'm beginning to think that this lasagna is destined to not ever happen. Although I guess if I have the energy to make it, I could then just stash it in the fridge to bake tomorrow. That would probaby work pretty well, just depending on if I can get to it today. Because despite it being a holiday, L will be working.
I feel like my day has just opened up tremendously.
L wants to go to Chili's for lunch. I'd hate to disappoint him, so I suppose he'll just have to drag us along. ;)
I'm sure that will mean he won't be up for lasagna for dinner. I'm beginning to think that this lasagna is destined to not ever happen. Although I guess if I have the energy to make it, I could then just stash it in the fridge to bake tomorrow. That would probaby work pretty well, just depending on if I can get to it today. Because despite it being a holiday, L will be working.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Dinnertime Scramble
I've got potato cheese soup cooking for dinner, but it's not looking or tasting right, so I'm not sure if we'll be eating it or scrambling for something else instead.
It's been a rough stretch recently for dinners - unsuccessful new recipes and uninspired meals scrounged up when I haven't had a plan at all.
Lasagna would have been good, I'm pretty sure anyway, I just never managed to fix it because the baby wasn't letting me put him down long enough to make it. I'm hoping to try tomorrow since L has the day off and should be able to wrangle his son.
The only reason I'm not sure it will happen is because L's grandmother and aunt are both coming over to see the baby and may make it so I can't get to the lasagna. You'd think it'd be easier with them around (and it should), but I'll probably have to visit with them. (These crazy extraverts who otherwise get their feelings hurt if I'm trying to hide in the kitchen.)
I'll guess I'll just see what happens...
It's been a rough stretch recently for dinners - unsuccessful new recipes and uninspired meals scrounged up when I haven't had a plan at all.
Lasagna would have been good, I'm pretty sure anyway, I just never managed to fix it because the baby wasn't letting me put him down long enough to make it. I'm hoping to try tomorrow since L has the day off and should be able to wrangle his son.
The only reason I'm not sure it will happen is because L's grandmother and aunt are both coming over to see the baby and may make it so I can't get to the lasagna. You'd think it'd be easier with them around (and it should), but I'll probably have to visit with them. (These crazy extraverts who otherwise get their feelings hurt if I'm trying to hide in the kitchen.)
I'll guess I'll just see what happens...
Monday, November 9, 2009
Turning into a Stereotype
G and I had quite the outing today. I took him in to my old workplace to show him off. He was so good throughout his time being handed from one person to the next. Then we went to lunch together - he fell asleep during the drive so I went through the drive-thru and then ate my sandwich in the truck so I wouldn't disturb him by moving him. After I finished I went to Trader Joe's and read in the parking lot until he woke up (I was trying to avoid him having too short of a nap leading to extreme crankiness later in the day.) We made a semi-quick trip through the store once he was awake, then it was back home.
He's fallen asleep again now, I think all the excitement did wear him out. And I need to see about getting some more accomplished with my day. Like perhaps paying bills and laundry and wonderful things like that.
He's fallen asleep again now, I think all the excitement did wear him out. And I need to see about getting some more accomplished with my day. Like perhaps paying bills and laundry and wonderful things like that.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
So Successful
At this blogging every day thing I mean. I lasted less than a week. Gah.
So it's Sunday and that means FOOTBALL. In addition to watching the Colts play, I plan to make lasagna and tollhouse pie. Yummm. We'll see how that goes because the baby does not always cooperate with my plans. He's snoozing now, which gives me the chance to get a post up and then get myself some lunch.
So it's Sunday and that means FOOTBALL. In addition to watching the Colts play, I plan to make lasagna and tollhouse pie. Yummm. We'll see how that goes because the baby does not always cooperate with my plans. He's snoozing now, which gives me the chance to get a post up and then get myself some lunch.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thanksgiving
It's only three weeks away. I repeat, it's only. three. weeks. away.
How is this possible?
I'm kind of freaking myself out with thoughts of what I'd like to accomplish before the end of the year. I think I need to rein myself in a bit, even if I'd like to go for it all. (sound familiar?)
I should probably start with a list of absolute, must do's, then expand from there into would like to do's.
How is this possible?
I'm kind of freaking myself out with thoughts of what I'd like to accomplish before the end of the year. I think I need to rein myself in a bit, even if I'd like to go for it all. (sound familiar?)
I should probably start with a list of absolute, must do's, then expand from there into would like to do's.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
New Door!
Our new garage door is in and looks great! We've got a new motor, keypad, trim etc. Much better than the old one with the huge crack and large hole in it, as well as a motor that needed lots of encouragement when the temperatures dipped. It should make it much warmer too this winter - the new door has significantly more insulation than the old one (something like a 10 versus a 3 I think it was).
Happily, they even had one available in a good color that coordinates with the house already and doesn't seem to need to be painted. I say "seem to" because it might be a little too glossy and end up looking odd, but it'll make it through the winter and in the spring we'll reevaluate it and may paint it if it'll look better with a flatter finish.
Happily, they even had one available in a good color that coordinates with the house already and doesn't seem to need to be painted. I say "seem to" because it might be a little too glossy and end up looking odd, but it'll make it through the winter and in the spring we'll reevaluate it and may paint it if it'll look better with a flatter finish.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Baby Stuff
How do I balance enjoying the baby & all of that with also documenting/preserving memories? I thought of a story about him today that I should blog. Of course right at that moment I was in the midst of feeding him, so I couldn't write it down. Now, I have no idea what it was.
I don't want to forget his babyhood, but I also want to enjoy it while it's happening and not ignore him to write things down or photograph him etc.
I don't want to forget his babyhood, but I also want to enjoy it while it's happening and not ignore him to write things down or photograph him etc.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Things I Haven't Been Doing Lately
- Posting the books I've read. I've read them, just haven't updated my widget or posted the monthly lists.
- The exercises my physical therapist gave me. And my back and wrist are letting me know I've been neglecting them.
- Sending those last few thank you notes. They're not really that late; I got a couple of gift cards in the mail in the last month, so it's not like they're from before G was born. But still, I need to get them written.
- Walking with G. The weather is beautiful right now, but it seems like I only think about it when he's sleeping or about to go to sleep. Such as right now, he's napping but I'm ready to go.
- Driving my car. Our garage door is broken, and the car is trapped behind the non-working door. At least the truck was outside when the door broke so we can use it.
- Stopping by my former place of employment to show off the baby. This I blame on L who has had doctor's appointments every morning since our return due to his back. He's got the truck, so I can't go anywhere, and by the time he gets back it's been too late for me to leave. However! We're getting our garage door replaced on Wednesday so we will now be able to get the car out of the garage so we can both go to different places at the same time. Amazing how that will work.
- Returning a few phone calls. No good reason other than by the time they'd be home from work, I'm tired and not up for talking, and they're going to want more than a five-minute conversation. I think I need to try and reach them on a weekend.
The above may make me seem like a huge slacker. Not true, I've been busy and have gotten lots of other stuff done, some items even that had been waiting awhile. I just still have more before I feel caught-up from, oh, last fall.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
NaBlPoMo, Again
I did it in 2007 (more or less, but the effort was there). So I'm trying again.
And this counts as a post, as far as I'm concerned. I spent the day baking and cooking and cleaning. Oh, and taking care of a almost-four-month-old. Now it's late & my bed is calling me...
And this counts as a post, as far as I'm concerned. I spent the day baking and cooking and cleaning. Oh, and taking care of a almost-four-month-old. Now it's late & my bed is calling me...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time Management
During a discussion at lunch today, I came to a sad realization. I can't do it all. Earth-shattering, I know.
I want to be able to do more. But it really hit me this afternoon that no matter how much I want it, I can't manage to do everything I'd like. I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time accepting this, but there you have it.
Outside of the "have-to's" that I'd be happy not doing (house cleaning, grocery shopping, bill paying, etc.) there are four big areas where I choose to spend my time: pleasure reading, baking, blogging, and watching tv. I can do two of them easily. I can generally manage three of them when things aren't completely crazy on the home front (say, with a new baby or a husband disabled by a bad back and unable to do ANYTHING. It's been exhausting.) All four just doesn't happen.
My preference would be to drop tv. Other than Colts games and Top Chef I could skip it all and not miss it. But L really prefers me to watch some with him in the evenings, and so I do. This month it's pretty obviously been blogging that's been ignored. Actually, it's been baking too but that's due to L's injury requiring so much more time from me.
I'm debating how to handle it. So far I'm leaning towards lumping reading & blogging and alternating them; one day I do one and then next day the other. Or more likely, two days reading, one day blogging. That should hopefully keep my reading needs satisfied and still keep me writing (because I don't want to stop).
What I really need to do is stop the aimless internet surfing which I find myself doing at times. Why do I do that?
I want to be able to do more. But it really hit me this afternoon that no matter how much I want it, I can't manage to do everything I'd like. I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time accepting this, but there you have it.
Outside of the "have-to's" that I'd be happy not doing (house cleaning, grocery shopping, bill paying, etc.) there are four big areas where I choose to spend my time: pleasure reading, baking, blogging, and watching tv. I can do two of them easily. I can generally manage three of them when things aren't completely crazy on the home front (say, with a new baby or a husband disabled by a bad back and unable to do ANYTHING. It's been exhausting.) All four just doesn't happen.
My preference would be to drop tv. Other than Colts games and Top Chef I could skip it all and not miss it. But L really prefers me to watch some with him in the evenings, and so I do. This month it's pretty obviously been blogging that's been ignored. Actually, it's been baking too but that's due to L's injury requiring so much more time from me.
I'm debating how to handle it. So far I'm leaning towards lumping reading & blogging and alternating them; one day I do one and then next day the other. Or more likely, two days reading, one day blogging. That should hopefully keep my reading needs satisfied and still keep me writing (because I don't want to stop).
What I really need to do is stop the aimless internet surfing which I find myself doing at times. Why do I do that?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
September Baking
I almost made it 30-for-30, but one Monday tripped me up. G was cluster-feeding and I didn't manage to get semi-prepared during his one real nap of the day and then by the time I did have time it was 9:30 and I just was too tired to do anything. Sigh. I was surprisingly disappointed that I couldn't make it to a perfect string.
But, here's what I learned in my month of baking:
But, here's what I learned in my month of baking:
- It's easiest if I prep for whatever it is I'm going to bake as soon as I can. What I mean is measuring everything and having it ready to go, so that if need be I can dump ingredients into a mixing bowl with one hand while the other holds the baby.
- Bread is not that scary. And it is sooooo goooood it's worth the effort.
- Apparently I do not ever get tired of chocolate.
- Tyler Florence has a killer coconut bread recipe.
- Everything I've ever tried by Dorie Greenspan is killer.
- Pie crust is also not that scary. But it is impossible to roll while holding a baby or even wearing him, so plan accordingly.
- I counted baking from a mix twice. Because my point in this month was mostly to clear out my backlog of new recipes, but also to clear out my baking cabinet of odds-and-ends, which included some mixes.
- I love love LOVE trying new recipes. I thought I'd get annoyed by it or something, but nope, never did. In fact it inspired me to continue with it even more. Details to follow.
- I need to trust my instincts, because I had a recipe that was a complete disaster and I thought it seemed weird when I was preparing it. I should have followed my gut.
- L never questioned what I was doing with all the baking, or what was going on. He just enjoyed it.
Monday, September 28, 2009
I Love This Time of Year
And by "this time of year," I mean, of course, football season. (Something tells me Jennifer knew what I meant).
I watched a ridiculous amount of football both Saturday and Sunday. I completely enjoyed some of the games (see: USF on Saturday, and the Colts on Sunday), and was very disappointed in others (see: IU on Saturday, and the Steelers, Dolphins, and Falcons on Sunday).
What I am NOT crazy about is the late start for Sunday (and Monday) night games for those of us in the Eastern time zone. I fell asleep before the end of the Colts game yesterday. So what if the game was all but over, I still couldn't manage to stay awake to actually see it end. Tonight I don't even know if I'll make it to halftime of the game. This is when I miss living in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. I could watch games until the end! And not regret it the next day even!
I forgot to put G in his Colts outfit yesterday. He's got an aunt who is a RABID Colts fan so she made sure he would be appropriately attired for the season. That and she wanted to preempt him from possibly having his first sports clothing be for any other team.
I watched a ridiculous amount of football both Saturday and Sunday. I completely enjoyed some of the games (see: USF on Saturday, and the Colts on Sunday), and was very disappointed in others (see: IU on Saturday, and the Steelers, Dolphins, and Falcons on Sunday).
What I am NOT crazy about is the late start for Sunday (and Monday) night games for those of us in the Eastern time zone. I fell asleep before the end of the Colts game yesterday. So what if the game was all but over, I still couldn't manage to stay awake to actually see it end. Tonight I don't even know if I'll make it to halftime of the game. This is when I miss living in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. I could watch games until the end! And not regret it the next day even!
I forgot to put G in his Colts outfit yesterday. He's got an aunt who is a RABID Colts fan so she made sure he would be appropriately attired for the season. That and she wanted to preempt him from possibly having his first sports clothing be for any other team.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Baby Updates
G had his 2 month appointment this week. Two months! I know, every mom says it, but still. It seems impossible that it's been two months already. And I still haven't managed to write up his birth story.
The big news from his appointment was his stats - 26 inches long and 14 pounds 5 ounces. Let me repeat that: FOURTEEN POUNDS, FIVE OUNCES. a.k.a. a whole lotta baby.
And let's not overlook that length; it's 99th percentile and 4 inches more than his birth length. No wonder I feel like he eats a lot.
Everything looks good with him other than his moderate-to-severe case of cradle cap. He's quite scaly, and the doctor suggested using dandruff shampoo twice a week. If only I'd remembered to buy some at the store...
Not so good news is his bottle strike. It began with just him needing lots of encouragement to take a bottle. Then it was refusing a bottle now & then. Then always refusing the bottle. And now it doesn't matter what's in the bottle; he reacts as if we're torturing him by offering it.
This does not bode well for me ever leaving the boy.
He's still super cute though!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Weekly Menu Plan
Sunday - leftovers
Monday - baked gnocchi
Tuesday - black bean quesadillas
Wednesday - baked mushroom risotto with steak
Thursday - linguine with butter and pecorino
Friday - minestrone soup and homemade bread
Saturday - pizza
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
August Books
Robin Elise Weiss - 150 Tips and Tricks for New Moms: From Those Frantic First Days to Baby’s First Birthday: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Your New Addition
Charlaine Harris - Shakespeare’s Trollop
Alan Gordon – The Lark’s Lament
Elizabeth George - A Mom After God’s Own Heart: 10 Ways To Love Your Children
Nevada Barr - Borderline
Elizabeth M. Ward - Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, & After Pregnancy
George Barna - Finding a Church You Can Call Home: The Complete Guide to Making One of the Most Signifi-cant Decisions of Your Life
Laura Hunter and Jennifer Walker - The Moms on Call Guide to Basic Baby Care: The First 6 Months
Beverly Connor - One Grave Too Many
Jan Burke - Nine
Sue Grafton - T is for Trespass
Erin Hart - Lake of Sorrows
Gladys M. Hunt - Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life
Royal College of Midwives - Successful Breastfeeding
La Reine Chabut - Lose That Baby Fat! Bouncing Back the First Year after Having a Baby
Rick Warren - Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods: Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God’s Word
Stephanie Barron - Jane and the Stillroom Maid
Conrad Allen - Murder on the Marmora
Charlaine Harris - Shakespeare’s Trollop
Alan Gordon – The Lark’s Lament
Elizabeth George - A Mom After God’s Own Heart: 10 Ways To Love Your Children
Nevada Barr - Borderline
Elizabeth M. Ward - Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, & After Pregnancy
George Barna - Finding a Church You Can Call Home: The Complete Guide to Making One of the Most Signifi-cant Decisions of Your Life
Laura Hunter and Jennifer Walker - The Moms on Call Guide to Basic Baby Care: The First 6 Months
Beverly Connor - One Grave Too Many
Jan Burke - Nine
Sue Grafton - T is for Trespass
Erin Hart - Lake of Sorrows
Gladys M. Hunt - Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life
Royal College of Midwives - Successful Breastfeeding
La Reine Chabut - Lose That Baby Fat! Bouncing Back the First Year after Having a Baby
Rick Warren - Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods: Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God’s Word
Stephanie Barron - Jane and the Stillroom Maid
Conrad Allen - Murder on the Marmora
Monday, September 7, 2009
Weekly Menu Plan
Sunday - Leftovers supplemented with fresh corn on the cob.
Monday - Mexican rice skillet.
Tuesday - Penne with beef & arugula.
Wednesday - Lentil sloppy joes.
Thursday - Homemade PIZZA in honor of the NFL season starting.
Friday - Clean out the fridge!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
September Goals
For no other reasons then I think it's time for me to start accomplishing more than just surviving day to day, I'm setting some goals for myself for the month:
- Read the Bible everyday. I'm out of the habit since having the baby, and need to get back into it.
- Bake something new every day. So far I'm 5-for-5, and have a variety of recipes picked out that require varying amounts of energy so I can tailor them to my day. Update: I'm 12-for-12!
- Blog twice a week at minimum.
- Meet people for lunch twice (one down!)
- Take G in to work to show him off
Set up online portfolio with pictures of G to share with friends & family easily.- Submit receipts for FSA reimbursement.
Call the hospital about bill; think they've forgotten to credit me with some that was already paid.- Take recycling to bin & glass to store for deposit.
- Buy some (3 or so) new tops that work for nursing. (Update: I've got 1. I'm going to have to order some online for the rest.)
- Pay the hospital & doctor bills
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Still Here
I *hope* (no, really, I'm serious) to start blogging more regularly this month. And by regularly, I'm thinking twice a week. Last week I had a visitor (hi Susan!) and felt like my limited time with a functioning brain should be spent talking with her rather than writing here. She can attest to just how little time that is; I felt like most of the time I was saying how tired I am and how I couldn't wait to go to bed as soon as G would let me.
And speaking of G, he's doing well. He's generally very happy, as long as mama holds him. He's content to spend a little time with others, or in his bouncy seat, or gazing at his activity gym, but generally he tires of that after about 10 minutes or so and wants to go back to me. I've almost perfected internet surfing with one hand, because I've got a lot of time where he's dozing in my arms, and will wake up if I put him down, but is out of it enough where I can fritter my time away looking at blogs or recipe sites. If I could figure out how to write using only a mouse there would be a lot more posts here I can tell you.
G discovered his mobile a couple of weeks ago and that's a sure-fire way for me to get some time for me to run to the bathroom, or get a snack, and he's so enthralled in the motion that he doesn't care that I've left him. I'm trying not to overuse it lest it loses its effectiveness.
I'm hoping to get out of the house soon to go shopping - I fairly desperately need a few nursing tops; making do with my old shirts isn't working so well and if I hope to nurse in public I'll be better off with more than two shirts that allow it modestly. So far my desire for the shirts hasn't outweighed my reluctance to drag him with me to shops & squeeze into the dressing room as I try things on - just the logistics seem like more trouble than I'm wanting to handle right now. I could leave him with L and go out alone, but in the evenings after dinner I'm too tired to face it. Perhaps this weekend...
G still has some issues with his dad - he won't look at him (as in make eye contact or even look at his face in general), and often in the evenings he doesn't want to be held by him at all. He does better earlier in the day still fortunately, but I hope that the outgrows this evening thing soon. I just feel so bad for L!
And speaking of G, he's doing well. He's generally very happy, as long as mama holds him. He's content to spend a little time with others, or in his bouncy seat, or gazing at his activity gym, but generally he tires of that after about 10 minutes or so and wants to go back to me. I've almost perfected internet surfing with one hand, because I've got a lot of time where he's dozing in my arms, and will wake up if I put him down, but is out of it enough where I can fritter my time away looking at blogs or recipe sites. If I could figure out how to write using only a mouse there would be a lot more posts here I can tell you.
G discovered his mobile a couple of weeks ago and that's a sure-fire way for me to get some time for me to run to the bathroom, or get a snack, and he's so enthralled in the motion that he doesn't care that I've left him. I'm trying not to overuse it lest it loses its effectiveness.
I'm hoping to get out of the house soon to go shopping - I fairly desperately need a few nursing tops; making do with my old shirts isn't working so well and if I hope to nurse in public I'll be better off with more than two shirts that allow it modestly. So far my desire for the shirts hasn't outweighed my reluctance to drag him with me to shops & squeeze into the dressing room as I try things on - just the logistics seem like more trouble than I'm wanting to handle right now. I could leave him with L and go out alone, but in the evenings after dinner I'm too tired to face it. Perhaps this weekend...
G still has some issues with his dad - he won't look at him (as in make eye contact or even look at his face in general), and often in the evenings he doesn't want to be held by him at all. He does better earlier in the day still fortunately, but I hope that the outgrows this evening thing soon. I just feel so bad for L!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Obviously...
I'm not doing so well at regularly blogging right now. Can't imagine why.
Some of it is just that there isn't much going on in my life other than the obvious, taking care of G. And that isn't really very different day-to-day. Life at six weeks is about the same as it was at four weeks. I'm trying to get as much sleep as possible, and keep us fed and the house somewhat presentable. Beyond that... I've got nothing.
I am thinking about some bloggy changes. Not quitting the blog, just some changes...
I have lots of ideas of things I'd like to do, both online and in real life, but naptime is too short. And I have to remind myself that I've still been recovering from the c-section. At what point is that excuse too old to use anymore? Probably today, since I'm officially no longer "disabled" as far as work is concerned and I should have been back at work today. I still have another 6 weeks through FMLA, but if I couldn't take unpaid leave I'd have had to be back today.
Honestly, that seems completely crazy to me. In no way are either of us ready for me to be working full time again already. I am so grateful that I have the flexibility & didn't have to return so soon.
Six weeks. It's flown by. I'm sure the next six weeks will too.
I'm so blessed.
Some of it is just that there isn't much going on in my life other than the obvious, taking care of G. And that isn't really very different day-to-day. Life at six weeks is about the same as it was at four weeks. I'm trying to get as much sleep as possible, and keep us fed and the house somewhat presentable. Beyond that... I've got nothing.
I am thinking about some bloggy changes. Not quitting the blog, just some changes...
I have lots of ideas of things I'd like to do, both online and in real life, but naptime is too short. And I have to remind myself that I've still been recovering from the c-section. At what point is that excuse too old to use anymore? Probably today, since I'm officially no longer "disabled" as far as work is concerned and I should have been back at work today. I still have another 6 weeks through FMLA, but if I couldn't take unpaid leave I'd have had to be back today.
Honestly, that seems completely crazy to me. In no way are either of us ready for me to be working full time again already. I am so grateful that I have the flexibility & didn't have to return so soon.
Six weeks. It's flown by. I'm sure the next six weeks will too.
I'm so blessed.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
One Month
G had his one month well baby visit yesterday. He's not gained as much weight as they would like, so I'm being encouraged to supplement with formula. I am discouraged about that.
G also has a small heart murmur which the doctor said is not uncommon, and with most kids it disappears by their first birthday, but still, I'd rather he not have one at all.
And, G has now decided that he hates his father and only wants me to hold him. I feel so bad for L and also would like to rest my arms and back at times.
I sound really negative with that, so let's focus on the positive. G is starting to smile, especially if you tickle his chin or cheek. It's absolutely enchanting.
He also is quite strong, and turns himself from one side to the other when we put him to sleep. I fully expect him to completely turn over in the not so distant future. He also tries to stand and is more successful at it than I'd expect from such a young baby.
His face is still a mess - too many hormones have him quite rashy. I hope that clears up soon so his pictures start looking better.
Nursing is absolutely one of his favorite things - and he seems to be quite the foodie in that he smacks his lips and nibbles at me as if he's proclaiming over an exquisite morsel or fine bottle of wine. And then he's had enough of that and he dive-bombs right in for his meal. It's one of the funniest sights! And sounds too, because he's very vocal about it - lots of coos and grunts and other noises.
I'm finding more time to read than I'd expected (what with all the nursing) but less time to write or do anything else that requires more than one hand. We're still not on any real routine, but I'm hoping that soon it will happen. I seem to be able to manage maybe 3 tasks in a day besides taking care of him. Typically that means dinner, a load of laundry and one other thing.
I'd hoped to make a dash to the library today during lunch, leaving G with his father, but G decided he wasn't interested in eating anywhere near a time that would allow that to happen. Maybe tomorrow, or else I'll be paying some late fees.
G also has a small heart murmur which the doctor said is not uncommon, and with most kids it disappears by their first birthday, but still, I'd rather he not have one at all.
And, G has now decided that he hates his father and only wants me to hold him. I feel so bad for L and also would like to rest my arms and back at times.
I sound really negative with that, so let's focus on the positive. G is starting to smile, especially if you tickle his chin or cheek. It's absolutely enchanting.
He also is quite strong, and turns himself from one side to the other when we put him to sleep. I fully expect him to completely turn over in the not so distant future. He also tries to stand and is more successful at it than I'd expect from such a young baby.
His face is still a mess - too many hormones have him quite rashy. I hope that clears up soon so his pictures start looking better.
Nursing is absolutely one of his favorite things - and he seems to be quite the foodie in that he smacks his lips and nibbles at me as if he's proclaiming over an exquisite morsel or fine bottle of wine. And then he's had enough of that and he dive-bombs right in for his meal. It's one of the funniest sights! And sounds too, because he's very vocal about it - lots of coos and grunts and other noises.
I'm finding more time to read than I'd expected (what with all the nursing) but less time to write or do anything else that requires more than one hand. We're still not on any real routine, but I'm hoping that soon it will happen. I seem to be able to manage maybe 3 tasks in a day besides taking care of him. Typically that means dinner, a load of laundry and one other thing.
I'd hoped to make a dash to the library today during lunch, leaving G with his father, but G decided he wasn't interested in eating anywhere near a time that would allow that to happen. Maybe tomorrow, or else I'll be paying some late fees.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thankful Tuesday
It's been awhile since I did one of these...
- For a healthy son!
- For a healthy mamma. :)
Friday, August 7, 2009
July Books
I finished more than I would have expected in July but most of the credit for that goes to G being very very late & the bedrest I was on for the first week. Lots of nursing time doesn't hurt either; I've been able to read more than I would have thought while he's eating.
For anyone who wonders, it was the Polly Evans book I read during labor. I'd been holding off on reading it for ages, saving it for a special occasion. I suppose that qualifies.
Laura Lippman - Every Secret Thing
Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt - Couples Who Pray: The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman
Michael J. Collins - Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs: The Making of a Surgeon
Margaret Frazer - The Apostate's Tale
Stephen Booth - One Last Breath
Stephanie Barron - A Flaw in the Blood
Earlene Fowler - Delectable Mountains
Polly Evans - Mad Dogs and an Englishwoman: Travels with Sled Dogs in Canada’s Frozen North
Ellie Mathews - The Ungarnished Truth: A Cooking Contest Memoir
Clay & Sally Clarkson - Educating the WholeHearted Child: A Handbook for Christian Home Education
Leo Babauta - The Power of less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential … in Business and in Life
Donald S. Whitney - Simplify Your Spiritual Life
Bryan Chapell - Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus’ Name
Janet P. Penley with Diane Eble - MotherStyles: Using Personality Type to Discover Your Parenting Strengths
Elizabeth Pantley - The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Kathleen Huggins - The Nursing Mother’s Companion
Holly Pierlot - A Mother’s Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul
Sally Clarkson - The Mom Walk: Keeping in Step with God’s Heart for Motherhood
For anyone who wonders, it was the Polly Evans book I read during labor. I'd been holding off on reading it for ages, saving it for a special occasion. I suppose that qualifies.
Laura Lippman - Every Secret Thing
Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt - Couples Who Pray: The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman
Michael J. Collins - Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs: The Making of a Surgeon
Margaret Frazer - The Apostate's Tale
Stephen Booth - One Last Breath
Stephanie Barron - A Flaw in the Blood
Earlene Fowler - Delectable Mountains
Polly Evans - Mad Dogs and an Englishwoman: Travels with Sled Dogs in Canada’s Frozen North
Ellie Mathews - The Ungarnished Truth: A Cooking Contest Memoir
Clay & Sally Clarkson - Educating the WholeHearted Child: A Handbook for Christian Home Education
Leo Babauta - The Power of less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential … in Business and in Life
Donald S. Whitney - Simplify Your Spiritual Life
Bryan Chapell - Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus’ Name
Janet P. Penley with Diane Eble - MotherStyles: Using Personality Type to Discover Your Parenting Strengths
Elizabeth Pantley - The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Kathleen Huggins - The Nursing Mother’s Companion
Holly Pierlot - A Mother’s Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul
Sally Clarkson - The Mom Walk: Keeping in Step with God’s Heart for Motherhood
Monday, August 3, 2009
Getting it Together
So the baby is a little over 3 weeks old, and we've been home not quite 2 weeks. We've had both sets of grandparents visit, but they've all gone back to their homes now. We're on our own.
And so far it's ok. G is such a good baby - he doesn't cry that much. Tears are mostly reserved for times of extreme hunger. And ok, for him any hunger is extreme, but hey, he's a big boy & has to keep fueled. Tears also frequently accompany diaper changes because apparently those are EEEEEVVVVVVIIIIILLLLLL. The real fury is reserved for the most hated event of all - bath time! He SCREAMS in rage when I have the nerve to bathe him. Unsurprisingly, I bathe him as infrequently as possible because I hate doing something that gets him into such a temper. I'm hoping he'll grow to love bath time, or else there will be a lot of screaming in our future.
Breastfeeding is improving; I went almost a week without having to give him any formula supplement, and if it wasn't for our first outing over the weekend, and a lengthy doctor's appointment for me today, I think we'd still be continuing our formula-free streak. I just couldn't pump enough before my appointment, so I was pretty sure he'd be hungry before my return and my little bottle wouldn't last him. And I ended up giving him a bottle as we drove home from our outing; I don't think he'd gotten as much food as normal throughout the day as we were at the relative's house, and then our long drive home had him in a fit. Hopefully we'll get better at eating away from home soon. He still usually refuses to eat unless I'm using a shield so I hope to get him weaned off of that soon.
I managed to cook dinner tonight for the first time in a LONG time. I picked the menu carefully; it required no last minute work from me and was a very simple one to put together. The bonus was it was cheap, healthy and very tasty too! I love finding new recipes that are great. I'll share the recipe eventually.
And so far it's ok. G is such a good baby - he doesn't cry that much. Tears are mostly reserved for times of extreme hunger. And ok, for him any hunger is extreme, but hey, he's a big boy & has to keep fueled. Tears also frequently accompany diaper changes because apparently those are EEEEEVVVVVVIIIIILLLLLL. The real fury is reserved for the most hated event of all - bath time! He SCREAMS in rage when I have the nerve to bathe him. Unsurprisingly, I bathe him as infrequently as possible because I hate doing something that gets him into such a temper. I'm hoping he'll grow to love bath time, or else there will be a lot of screaming in our future.
Breastfeeding is improving; I went almost a week without having to give him any formula supplement, and if it wasn't for our first outing over the weekend, and a lengthy doctor's appointment for me today, I think we'd still be continuing our formula-free streak. I just couldn't pump enough before my appointment, so I was pretty sure he'd be hungry before my return and my little bottle wouldn't last him. And I ended up giving him a bottle as we drove home from our outing; I don't think he'd gotten as much food as normal throughout the day as we were at the relative's house, and then our long drive home had him in a fit. Hopefully we'll get better at eating away from home soon. He still usually refuses to eat unless I'm using a shield so I hope to get him weaned off of that soon.
I managed to cook dinner tonight for the first time in a LONG time. I picked the menu carefully; it required no last minute work from me and was a very simple one to put together. The bonus was it was cheap, healthy and very tasty too! I love finding new recipes that are great. I'll share the recipe eventually.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Finally!
Garrett was born on 7/9/09 (and I was hoping he'd be a 7/8/9 baby), following 43 hours of labor capped off by a c-section. He just wouldn't come out!
Once the doctor pulled him out the reason he wouldn't budge became obvious - our little guy wasn't so little! He was a very unexpected 10 pounds, 3.8 ounces. No, that's not a typo, he really was that big. Since L was 8 pounds 6 ounces, and I was 6 pounds 6 ounces, we're not sure what happened with G.
Unfortunately, G had inhaled some meconium, and we knew he'd have to be immediately suctioned out. What we hadn't known was just how much he'd inhaled, and the fact that he would end up with a collapsed lung and other breathing issues that sent him to the NICU. L got to accompany G to the NICU as they worked on him, but I wasn't able to see him for several hours, and even then we couldn't hold him until the next day. On the 10th I was able to hold him just long enough to shift him to be weighed, and then back into his oxygen tent.
Saturday (the 11th) he'd improved enough where he could come out of the oxygen tent, so we were both able to hold him. L gave him his first bath (helped by the nurse), and I started attempting to nurse.
We were finally able to bring G home on Tuesday, so he spent 5 days in the NICU. We're recuperating, and G is doing great. Nursing is ok; because he was supplemented with formula while I was unable to hold him (and obviously nurse), I'm still working to get my supply up to what he needs. It's been a bit of a struggle.
I'm also slowly recovering from the section. I'm gradually feeling able to accomplish a little more during the brief moments of time I have between feeding G and feeding myself. ;) I hope to be able to start posting semi-regularly again soonish.
Thanks to everyone for their prayers. We needed them.
The picture is of G in his NICU room, just before we left for home. His going home outfit choice was limited because he was so much bigger than we'd expected; those cute newborn outfits just wouldn't fit!
Once the doctor pulled him out the reason he wouldn't budge became obvious - our little guy wasn't so little! He was a very unexpected 10 pounds, 3.8 ounces. No, that's not a typo, he really was that big. Since L was 8 pounds 6 ounces, and I was 6 pounds 6 ounces, we're not sure what happened with G.
Unfortunately, G had inhaled some meconium, and we knew he'd have to be immediately suctioned out. What we hadn't known was just how much he'd inhaled, and the fact that he would end up with a collapsed lung and other breathing issues that sent him to the NICU. L got to accompany G to the NICU as they worked on him, but I wasn't able to see him for several hours, and even then we couldn't hold him until the next day. On the 10th I was able to hold him just long enough to shift him to be weighed, and then back into his oxygen tent.
Saturday (the 11th) he'd improved enough where he could come out of the oxygen tent, so we were both able to hold him. L gave him his first bath (helped by the nurse), and I started attempting to nurse.
We were finally able to bring G home on Tuesday, so he spent 5 days in the NICU. We're recuperating, and G is doing great. Nursing is ok; because he was supplemented with formula while I was unable to hold him (and obviously nurse), I'm still working to get my supply up to what he needs. It's been a bit of a struggle.
I'm also slowly recovering from the section. I'm gradually feeling able to accomplish a little more during the brief moments of time I have between feeding G and feeding myself. ;) I hope to be able to start posting semi-regularly again soonish.
Thanks to everyone for their prayers. We needed them.
The picture is of G in his NICU room, just before we left for home. His going home outfit choice was limited because he was so much bigger than we'd expected; those cute newborn outfits just wouldn't fit!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Induction Attempt, Take Two (a.k.a. we're off to the hospital)
We're leaving in a few minutes for the hospital. Unfortunately I am not in labor so they're going to have to induce me. I was really hoping I'd start on my own.
I'll update when I can - can't wait to show off the little guy!
Prayers appreciated. Thanks!
I'll update when I can - can't wait to show off the little guy!
Prayers appreciated. Thanks!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Week Forty
And this will hopefully be my last post before baby. Even though I'm currently into week forty-one, I think I'll just skip ahead to the birth post.
So! Week forty was filled with adventure and excitement. Or not. Actually it was filled with sitting on the couch, frequent visits to the bathroom, and two doctor's visits which entailed sitting in a chair (for much longer than the 20 minutes they always claimed it would be) while trying to keep the baby heart rate monitor registering his heart rate. Which meant that I had to hold the monitor down at the right angle, and occasionally chase the little guy as he moved enough to no longer be registering. But it was fun hearing his lovely heart beat.
Oh, and cervix checks each visit too because those are so much fun too. Especially when it ends up being no change at all. Woo-hoo! I'm 1 cm dilated and have been for over a week! I'll be at 10 cm before I know it!
I'm really not as cranky as that previous paragraph may make me sound. I just kind of wish I could have skipped several of those earlier cervix checks since it's not like anything is happening and they're not really comfortable if you know what I mean.
Besides the doctor's visits Monday and Thursday, I've basically been on the couch. When I'm not in bed that is, but that's only for sleeping because it's not as comfortable for me as the couch is.
May I just say how much I appreciate my laptop during this? It's been awesome, because daytime TV is dreadful. And I love being able to (usually) watch baseball games over the computer thanks to L's subscription (which is technically thanks to my parents, because that's been their birthday gift to L for I forget how many years it's been.)
I've had occasional contractions, but I'm certainly not in labor yet. I have not quite 24 more hours to start on my own before they'll begin induction proceedings, so I'm thinking this baby will have to be forced out.
We're due to show up at the hospital tomorrow at 6 PM. Depending on the state of my cervix they may do several more doses of gel, or they may go straight to pitocin, or they may break my water. I won't know until then. What I do know is that they won't let me go home this time without having delivered the baby.
So unless I get really inspired tomorrow, I probably won't post again until after he's arrived. I won't have my laptop in the hospital, but I may see if I can text an update via twitter or something.
Yeah, we're excited. :)
So! Week forty was filled with adventure and excitement. Or not. Actually it was filled with sitting on the couch, frequent visits to the bathroom, and two doctor's visits which entailed sitting in a chair (for much longer than the 20 minutes they always claimed it would be) while trying to keep the baby heart rate monitor registering his heart rate. Which meant that I had to hold the monitor down at the right angle, and occasionally chase the little guy as he moved enough to no longer be registering. But it was fun hearing his lovely heart beat.
Oh, and cervix checks each visit too because those are so much fun too. Especially when it ends up being no change at all. Woo-hoo! I'm 1 cm dilated and have been for over a week! I'll be at 10 cm before I know it!
I'm really not as cranky as that previous paragraph may make me sound. I just kind of wish I could have skipped several of those earlier cervix checks since it's not like anything is happening and they're not really comfortable if you know what I mean.
Besides the doctor's visits Monday and Thursday, I've basically been on the couch. When I'm not in bed that is, but that's only for sleeping because it's not as comfortable for me as the couch is.
May I just say how much I appreciate my laptop during this? It's been awesome, because daytime TV is dreadful. And I love being able to (usually) watch baseball games over the computer thanks to L's subscription (which is technically thanks to my parents, because that's been their birthday gift to L for I forget how many years it's been.)
I've had occasional contractions, but I'm certainly not in labor yet. I have not quite 24 more hours to start on my own before they'll begin induction proceedings, so I'm thinking this baby will have to be forced out.
We're due to show up at the hospital tomorrow at 6 PM. Depending on the state of my cervix they may do several more doses of gel, or they may go straight to pitocin, or they may break my water. I won't know until then. What I do know is that they won't let me go home this time without having delivered the baby.
So unless I get really inspired tomorrow, I probably won't post again until after he's arrived. I won't have my laptop in the hospital, but I may see if I can text an update via twitter or something.
Yeah, we're excited. :)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Update (but no real news)
You'd think I'd have been posting a lot, considering that I've had nothing else to do but sit on the couch since last week. But I haven't been up for writing that nothing is going on, other than me sitting on the couch.
I've been home from the hospital since last Thursday. I had a doctor's appointment on Friday, and then another on Monday. I've got still another one at 9:00 today (we'll see if I get this posted before I need to get ready to leave for the appointment). In between appointments, I've been on the couch. Notice a theme here?
My blood pressure has been good; it was slightly high when I first got to the doctor's office Friday, but when they retested it after I'd been sitting/lying on the table it was fine. On Monday I got smart and made sure to arrive at the office early so that I'd have time to rest in the waiting room instead of going straight from the long walk from my car to having my bp tested. What do you know, it worked; my bp was 128/82 on Monday, my best showing in awhile.
The baby continues to test well on the non stress tests (NST). He's doing so well it's hard to get him to cooperate and stay in the same spot so the heart rate monitor can get a continuous reading. I'll have another one of those tests this morning. They're probably the easiest test of the whole pregnancy. Sit in a comfy chair with a monitor on my enormous belly and listen to my baby's heartbeat. I can handle that.
After the NST test I'll meet with my doctor again to see what she says. Assuming everything still looks good, I'll come home and get back on the couch.
We do have a firm deadline: if the kid hasn't made his appearance before then, I am to appear at the hospital at 6:00 PM Tuesday the 7th. I'll have another dose or two or three of the gel, then bright and early the next morning they'll start pitocin. One way or another he will be evicted, so he'd probably arrive on the 8th. I suppose if I was slow but steady it might not be until the early hours of the 9th, but most likely it'd be the 8th.
This assumes that he doesn't decide to show up on his own, which he is more than welcome to do. I mean, I don't have any other plans for the weekend, so come on son, let's get acquainted!
I don't think I mentioned that on Friday they did another ultrasound, to make sure there was enough fluid around the baby. There was, but what I enjoyed (besides just getting to see him again) was the fact that they could tell that he has hair! I had no idea that that would be visible on an ultrasound, but it could clearly be seen floating around. So amazing!
Also amazing to me is the fact that they estimated his weight at 8 pounds 8 ounces. I did not think he'd be that big. I keep reminding myself that it was just an estimate. An educated guess if you will. No guarantees. (Please hold back on any stories of babies who ended up being significantly larger than the estimates).
There really isn't much else to share. I'm just hanging out, wishing I could be getting stuff done (like cooking or baking; I want some good food!) and bemoaning the sad state of daytime and summer TV. I'm not even reading much because I can't seem to concentrate. Sad, isn't it?
I've been home from the hospital since last Thursday. I had a doctor's appointment on Friday, and then another on Monday. I've got still another one at 9:00 today (we'll see if I get this posted before I need to get ready to leave for the appointment). In between appointments, I've been on the couch. Notice a theme here?
My blood pressure has been good; it was slightly high when I first got to the doctor's office Friday, but when they retested it after I'd been sitting/lying on the table it was fine. On Monday I got smart and made sure to arrive at the office early so that I'd have time to rest in the waiting room instead of going straight from the long walk from my car to having my bp tested. What do you know, it worked; my bp was 128/82 on Monday, my best showing in awhile.
The baby continues to test well on the non stress tests (NST). He's doing so well it's hard to get him to cooperate and stay in the same spot so the heart rate monitor can get a continuous reading. I'll have another one of those tests this morning. They're probably the easiest test of the whole pregnancy. Sit in a comfy chair with a monitor on my enormous belly and listen to my baby's heartbeat. I can handle that.
After the NST test I'll meet with my doctor again to see what she says. Assuming everything still looks good, I'll come home and get back on the couch.
We do have a firm deadline: if the kid hasn't made his appearance before then, I am to appear at the hospital at 6:00 PM Tuesday the 7th. I'll have another dose or two or three of the gel, then bright and early the next morning they'll start pitocin. One way or another he will be evicted, so he'd probably arrive on the 8th. I suppose if I was slow but steady it might not be until the early hours of the 9th, but most likely it'd be the 8th.
This assumes that he doesn't decide to show up on his own, which he is more than welcome to do. I mean, I don't have any other plans for the weekend, so come on son, let's get acquainted!
I don't think I mentioned that on Friday they did another ultrasound, to make sure there was enough fluid around the baby. There was, but what I enjoyed (besides just getting to see him again) was the fact that they could tell that he has hair! I had no idea that that would be visible on an ultrasound, but it could clearly be seen floating around. So amazing!
Also amazing to me is the fact that they estimated his weight at 8 pounds 8 ounces. I did not think he'd be that big. I keep reminding myself that it was just an estimate. An educated guess if you will. No guarantees. (Please hold back on any stories of babies who ended up being significantly larger than the estimates).
There really isn't much else to share. I'm just hanging out, wishing I could be getting stuff done (like cooking or baking; I want some good food!) and bemoaning the sad state of daytime and summer TV. I'm not even reading much because I can't seem to concentrate. Sad, isn't it?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
June Books
This should be the last month for a long, long time where I have finished so many books. I have a goal of reading 10 books in July, but we'll see if I'm wildly overestimating what I'll be able to accomplish with a newborn. The only reason I think it might be possible is because I've already finished one, and have a few others that are very close to being done.
Robin Lim - Eating for Two: Recipes for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
Donald S. Whitney - Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health
Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler - Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Steve Brown - Approaching God: Accepting the Invitation to Stand in the Presence of God
Nina Planck - Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby’s First Foods
Bill Hybels - Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith
Becky Tirabassi - Sacred Obsession: What You Chase After, You Become
David Lebovitz - The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City
Chip Ingram - Effective Parenting in a Defective World: How to Raise Kids Who Stand Out from the Crowd
Eileen Behan - Eat Well, Lose Weight, While Breastfeeding: The Complete Nutrition Book for Nursing Mothers
Anthony DeStefano - Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life’s Difficult Problems
Hannah Keeley - Hannah Keeley’s Total Mom Makeover: The Six-Week Plan to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family, and Life
Walter Scheib and Andrew Friedman - White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen
Janet Tamaro - So That’s What They’re For! The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide
Tedd & Margy Tripp - Instructing a Child's Heart
Sally Clarkson - The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child’s Heart for Eternity
Linda Dillow - A Deeper Kind of Calm: Steadfast Faith in the Midst of Adversity
Lori J. Davis and Sally Beacham - Picture Yourself Creating Digital Scrapbooks: Step-by-Step Instruction for Preserving Memories Using Your Computer
Janice Newell Bissex & Liz Weiss - The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time!
Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler - Your Pregnancy for the Father-to-Be: Everything Dads Need to Know about Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Getting Ready for a New Baby
Will Davis - Pray Big for Your Marriage: The Power of Praying God’s Promises for Your Relationship
Linda Dillow - Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Contentment
Michael Ruhlman - Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking
R. C. Sproul - Knowing Scripture
Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler - Bouncing Back after Your Pregnancy: What You Need to Know about Recovering from Labor and Delivery and Caring for Your New Family
Henry Blackaby & Carrie Blackaby Webb - Prepared to be God’s Vessel: Lessons from the Life of Mary / How God Can Use an Obedient Life to Bless Others
Tedd Trip - Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Cheri Fuller - The Mom You’re Meant to Be: Loving Your Kids While Leaning on God
Nick Kelsh - How to Photograph Your Life: Capturing Everyday Moments with with Your Camera and Your Heart
Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus - Intimate Issues
Donald S. Whitney - Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
Kerry Madden - Jessie's Mountain
Rhonda Barfield - Feed Your Family for $12 a Day: A Complete Guide to Nutritious, Delicious Meals for Less Money
Bill Hurter - Digital Portrait Photography 101: Learn to Take Better Pictures of Your Friends and Family!
Robyn O'Brien with Rachel Kranz - The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It
Nick Kelsh - How to Photograph Your Family: Getting Closer with Your Camera and Your Heart
Danielle Bean - Mom to Mom, Day to Day: Advice & Support for Catholic Living
John MacArthur - Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You
Robin Lim - Eating for Two: Recipes for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
Donald S. Whitney - Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health
Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler - Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Steve Brown - Approaching God: Accepting the Invitation to Stand in the Presence of God
Nina Planck - Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby’s First Foods
Bill Hybels - Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith
Becky Tirabassi - Sacred Obsession: What You Chase After, You Become
David Lebovitz - The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City
Chip Ingram - Effective Parenting in a Defective World: How to Raise Kids Who Stand Out from the Crowd
Eileen Behan - Eat Well, Lose Weight, While Breastfeeding: The Complete Nutrition Book for Nursing Mothers
Anthony DeStefano - Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life’s Difficult Problems
Hannah Keeley - Hannah Keeley’s Total Mom Makeover: The Six-Week Plan to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family, and Life
Walter Scheib and Andrew Friedman - White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen
Janet Tamaro - So That’s What They’re For! The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide
Tedd & Margy Tripp - Instructing a Child's Heart
Sally Clarkson - The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child’s Heart for Eternity
Linda Dillow - A Deeper Kind of Calm: Steadfast Faith in the Midst of Adversity
Lori J. Davis and Sally Beacham - Picture Yourself Creating Digital Scrapbooks: Step-by-Step Instruction for Preserving Memories Using Your Computer
Janice Newell Bissex & Liz Weiss - The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time!
Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler - Your Pregnancy for the Father-to-Be: Everything Dads Need to Know about Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Getting Ready for a New Baby
Will Davis - Pray Big for Your Marriage: The Power of Praying God’s Promises for Your Relationship
Linda Dillow - Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Contentment
Michael Ruhlman - Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking
R. C. Sproul - Knowing Scripture
Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler - Bouncing Back after Your Pregnancy: What You Need to Know about Recovering from Labor and Delivery and Caring for Your New Family
Henry Blackaby & Carrie Blackaby Webb - Prepared to be God’s Vessel: Lessons from the Life of Mary / How God Can Use an Obedient Life to Bless Others
Tedd Trip - Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Cheri Fuller - The Mom You’re Meant to Be: Loving Your Kids While Leaning on God
Nick Kelsh - How to Photograph Your Life: Capturing Everyday Moments with with Your Camera and Your Heart
Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus - Intimate Issues
Donald S. Whitney - Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
Kerry Madden - Jessie's Mountain
Rhonda Barfield - Feed Your Family for $12 a Day: A Complete Guide to Nutritious, Delicious Meals for Less Money
Bill Hurter - Digital Portrait Photography 101: Learn to Take Better Pictures of Your Friends and Family!
Robyn O'Brien with Rachel Kranz - The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It
Nick Kelsh - How to Photograph Your Family: Getting Closer with Your Camera and Your Heart
Danielle Bean - Mom to Mom, Day to Day: Advice & Support for Catholic Living
John MacArthur - Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You
Thursday, June 25, 2009
I'm Not Quite as Ready as They Thought
The important summary details: I'm home, and the baby is not here yet. We're both doing well. Lots more details follow...
We arrived at the hospital last night and settled in for our evening induction. After getting settled with a hep lock /soon to be IV, and an hour of monitoring the baby's heartbeat, I received the first of two planned prostin gel insertions. That was lots of fun, but the bigger issue was being so tied down to machines - I had two monitors (baby's heartbeat and a contraction monitor), and the IV fluid line.
That was around 11:15, and then L and I tried to settle in and get some rest before my second gel insertion which was schedule for 4 hours later (i.e. 3:15). Unfortunately, between the straps and lines and beeping and the nurse coming in to adjust the monitors or turn of the IV alarm which kept going off, it made for a very rough night. L was about 5 feet away in the guest area of the suite but the privacy curtain didn't let him miss much of the commotion, so he didn't get a lot more sleep than I did. I think I managed about 1.5 or maybe 2 hours total, split up in 30 minute segments, and he *maybe* doubled that, also in broken up segments.
The second dose of prostin was as effective as the first, which is to say not at all. My cervix didn't budge, and no contractions started.
I expected the pitocin to be started around 7:30, but instead my nurse contacted the doctor and filled her in on the lack of progress. Because my blood pressure had been dropping all evening and was looking great, the doctor was willing to discuss sending me home on strict bed rest instead of continuing on with the induction since apparently this baby wasn't ready to budge.
I was *thrilled* to have that option. After the long night, I was exhausted and hungry and uncomfortable, and labor hadn't even started - I wondered how I'd manage and thought it was just setting up to really make a c-section more likely.
So finally after instructions and an appointment set up for tomorrow morning involving an ultrasound/blood work/blood pressue check/etc, I was sent home.
Where I took a shower and planned to update the blog but instead fell asleep on the couch and have only just woken up enough to write this update. :)
Tomorrow at 11:00 I've got that appointment, and we'll see. I hope that my blood pressure continues to look good enough and he looks good enough that they let me start labor naturally. It's just a real wait and see time.
Oh, and since I haven't said this clearly enough, the only other reason they allowed me to go home was because the baby looked GREAT. He was monitored for around 15 hours at the hospital, plus 2+ hours in triage yesterday afternoon and his heartbeat was always fantastic. I was the one in bad shape yesterday.
I'll try and update tomorrow after my appointment. If nothing else, I've been in text contact with Jennifer and she may be willing and able to put updates in the comments if & when things get started for real.
Thanks everyone for your well-wishes and prayers (and continued prayers.) :) Hope to have good news soon!
Updated to add the super fun chore I do have to do as part of my condition to coming home. Collecting all my urine for 24 hours so they can test it for protein to make sure my kidneys are functioning well. Yes, that's right, I'm collecting my pee. Pee into a "hat" that's set in the toilet, pour it into a measuring cup and record how much I peed and when, and the pour that into the collection jug which is kept in the fridge. Lovely. Fortunately the collection jug is dark so it's not quite as obvious what the jug in the fridge actually contains, but man this is weird. And I'm sure I'm going to love walking into the doctor's office with that jug tomorrow. What a fun prize for them!
We arrived at the hospital last night and settled in for our evening induction. After getting settled with a hep lock /soon to be IV, and an hour of monitoring the baby's heartbeat, I received the first of two planned prostin gel insertions. That was lots of fun, but the bigger issue was being so tied down to machines - I had two monitors (baby's heartbeat and a contraction monitor), and the IV fluid line.
That was around 11:15, and then L and I tried to settle in and get some rest before my second gel insertion which was schedule for 4 hours later (i.e. 3:15). Unfortunately, between the straps and lines and beeping and the nurse coming in to adjust the monitors or turn of the IV alarm which kept going off, it made for a very rough night. L was about 5 feet away in the guest area of the suite but the privacy curtain didn't let him miss much of the commotion, so he didn't get a lot more sleep than I did. I think I managed about 1.5 or maybe 2 hours total, split up in 30 minute segments, and he *maybe* doubled that, also in broken up segments.
The second dose of prostin was as effective as the first, which is to say not at all. My cervix didn't budge, and no contractions started.
I expected the pitocin to be started around 7:30, but instead my nurse contacted the doctor and filled her in on the lack of progress. Because my blood pressure had been dropping all evening and was looking great, the doctor was willing to discuss sending me home on strict bed rest instead of continuing on with the induction since apparently this baby wasn't ready to budge.
I was *thrilled* to have that option. After the long night, I was exhausted and hungry and uncomfortable, and labor hadn't even started - I wondered how I'd manage and thought it was just setting up to really make a c-section more likely.
So finally after instructions and an appointment set up for tomorrow morning involving an ultrasound/blood work/blood pressue check/etc, I was sent home.
Where I took a shower and planned to update the blog but instead fell asleep on the couch and have only just woken up enough to write this update. :)
Tomorrow at 11:00 I've got that appointment, and we'll see. I hope that my blood pressure continues to look good enough and he looks good enough that they let me start labor naturally. It's just a real wait and see time.
Oh, and since I haven't said this clearly enough, the only other reason they allowed me to go home was because the baby looked GREAT. He was monitored for around 15 hours at the hospital, plus 2+ hours in triage yesterday afternoon and his heartbeat was always fantastic. I was the one in bad shape yesterday.
I'll try and update tomorrow after my appointment. If nothing else, I've been in text contact with Jennifer and she may be willing and able to put updates in the comments if & when things get started for real.
Thanks everyone for your well-wishes and prayers (and continued prayers.) :) Hope to have good news soon!
Updated to add the super fun chore I do have to do as part of my condition to coming home. Collecting all my urine for 24 hours so they can test it for protein to make sure my kidneys are functioning well. Yes, that's right, I'm collecting my pee. Pee into a "hat" that's set in the toilet, pour it into a measuring cup and record how much I peed and when, and the pour that into the collection jug which is kept in the fridge. Lovely. Fortunately the collection jug is dark so it's not quite as obvious what the jug in the fridge actually contains, but man this is weird. And I'm sure I'm going to love walking into the doctor's office with that jug tomorrow. What a fun prize for them!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Week Thirty-Nine a.k.a This Is It!
Why yes, this post is early. Because it's all I'm going to say about week thirty-nine.
Regular doctor's visit. Uh-oh. High blood pressure. Off to triage at the hospital to monitor me. Several hours later, despite otherwise good labs & test results, the consistently high blood pressure readings are leading them to say this is it.
They gave me a hour or two to come home & get my stuff & then I'm back to the hospital TONIGHT to be induced.
Prayers for a good delivery with a healthy baby & mom would be very much appreciated.
I plan to bring my laptop to the hospital, so tweets might happen to update the situation, but I can't promise anything.
Regular doctor's visit. Uh-oh. High blood pressure. Off to triage at the hospital to monitor me. Several hours later, despite otherwise good labs & test results, the consistently high blood pressure readings are leading them to say this is it.
They gave me a hour or two to come home & get my stuff & then I'm back to the hospital TONIGHT to be induced.
Prayers for a good delivery with a healthy baby & mom would be very much appreciated.
I plan to bring my laptop to the hospital, so tweets might happen to update the situation, but I can't promise anything.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Week Thirty-Eight
This week was mostly a repeat of last week. I'm still just waiting for him to arrive, and wrapping up household & work stuff until then.
We did get our changing table & it's in the room. I got a pad & cover (which is very cute!) and I've even got items in some of the drawers.
It hit me the other day that while we have enough diapers for probably the first two weeks, we had very few wipes, so on our next trip out we got a big tub. I know, you don't have to use them for every change, but still. I'd prefer not to have to make an emergency dash to the store (or send someone else on one) for something like that.
I also got a nursing bra and nursing cami, so I'm content with that until I see what size I end up being. And I got a boppy, but there's still a few things I'd like to get sooner rather than later.
Work is basically wrapped up, with me conceding that I'm just not going to manage to get everything accomplished I would have liked. Since I could not have this baby until 2011 without accomplishing everything at work, I'm content with that. I've only got two days left at work, and I'm only planning on working half days for both of them. A full day just tires me out way too much, so I'll deal with driving in twice. It's kind of a weird feeling knowing that I'm almost done there.
As of Wednesday, I still wasn't dilated at all, but I am about 50% effaced, so that is progress I guess.
We've got the guest room almost as ready as it will ever be, so I don't have to feel bad about the setup when my parents arrive. In a perfect world I'd get a little closet space cleared out for them, but that may not happen. They'll manage.
I've been reading as much as I possibly can, especially of books that either deal with childbirth/breastfeeding/child rearing that may be useful to know soonish, or Christian topics that may be harder for me to focus on after his arrival. Some of the books I'm realizing that I'm skimming too much, so I'm noting them as ones that I want to reread someday. And a couple I even want to purchase. I'll still never get through all the books I've got out from the library, so I'm sure many will be going back unread.
Almost forgot - I didn't truly pack my hospital bag this week, but I did gather most items I'll want and they're all on the top of my dresser, so L can easily scoop them into a bag if it's necessary. A few items are still elsewhere in the house, but they should all be reasonably findable by L if I go into labor too suddenly for me to get them myself (items such as my eyeglasses, iPod & charger, camera, and cell phone & charger.
Updated to add that I did forget to mention the stretch marks that have appeared from nowhere suddenly. And they ITCH. Bad enough that the doctor noticed and recommended hydrocortisone cream (which is not helping much). I'm doing my best not to scratch them, but I'll catch myself throughout the day, and I woke up one morning to discover that I'd apparently scratched them during the night enough to make them bleed. Yuck. It's really not pretty, and I'm glad that I've managed to avoid having L see the mess that is my lower belly. He doesn't need that image in his brain.
We did get our changing table & it's in the room. I got a pad & cover (which is very cute!) and I've even got items in some of the drawers.
It hit me the other day that while we have enough diapers for probably the first two weeks, we had very few wipes, so on our next trip out we got a big tub. I know, you don't have to use them for every change, but still. I'd prefer not to have to make an emergency dash to the store (or send someone else on one) for something like that.
I also got a nursing bra and nursing cami, so I'm content with that until I see what size I end up being. And I got a boppy, but there's still a few things I'd like to get sooner rather than later.
Work is basically wrapped up, with me conceding that I'm just not going to manage to get everything accomplished I would have liked. Since I could not have this baby until 2011 without accomplishing everything at work, I'm content with that. I've only got two days left at work, and I'm only planning on working half days for both of them. A full day just tires me out way too much, so I'll deal with driving in twice. It's kind of a weird feeling knowing that I'm almost done there.
As of Wednesday, I still wasn't dilated at all, but I am about 50% effaced, so that is progress I guess.
We've got the guest room almost as ready as it will ever be, so I don't have to feel bad about the setup when my parents arrive. In a perfect world I'd get a little closet space cleared out for them, but that may not happen. They'll manage.
I've been reading as much as I possibly can, especially of books that either deal with childbirth/breastfeeding/child rearing that may be useful to know soonish, or Christian topics that may be harder for me to focus on after his arrival. Some of the books I'm realizing that I'm skimming too much, so I'm noting them as ones that I want to reread someday. And a couple I even want to purchase. I'll still never get through all the books I've got out from the library, so I'm sure many will be going back unread.
Almost forgot - I didn't truly pack my hospital bag this week, but I did gather most items I'll want and they're all on the top of my dresser, so L can easily scoop them into a bag if it's necessary. A few items are still elsewhere in the house, but they should all be reasonably findable by L if I go into labor too suddenly for me to get them myself (items such as my eyeglasses, iPod & charger, camera, and cell phone & charger.
Updated to add that I did forget to mention the stretch marks that have appeared from nowhere suddenly. And they ITCH. Bad enough that the doctor noticed and recommended hydrocortisone cream (which is not helping much). I'm doing my best not to scratch them, but I'll catch myself throughout the day, and I woke up one morning to discover that I'd apparently scratched them during the night enough to make them bleed. Yuck. It's really not pretty, and I'm glad that I've managed to avoid having L see the mess that is my lower belly. He doesn't need that image in his brain.
Monday, June 15, 2009
To Do before D-Day
Wishful thinking perhaps, but here goes. Some are obviously more important/urgent than others:
Baby Related
Still to Get
Maybe Get?
House Related
More to be added as I think of it. And hopefully things will get crossed off soon!
Baby Related
- Find a pediatrician
Pack bag for hospital (first, create a packing list so I don't forget anything important)- Send out thank you notes for all baby gifts (these are all done for everything we've received so far; I just know that we've been told there are some additional items on their way to us, so I can't let myself cross it off yet)
Charge batteries for cameras- Wash crib bedding & make up crib
Put together pack & play- Wash clothing & other items we'll use the first month or so
- Figure out how to use breast pump
- Get some pictures of me (?)
Still to Get
Changing tableChanging table pad & coverBoppy & cover- Sling
Diaper bag- Cloth diapers
- Diaper pail liner
- Wet bag
- Stroller
Nursing bras or camis or bothWaterproof pads (for crib or wherever)Wipes
Maybe Get?
- Car seat base for my car
- Diaper sprayer
- Valence or curtains
Car seat protector- one of L's coworkers gave us one unexpectedly!- Swaddler
- Play mat
Bassinet or co-sleeper& sheets (I may have sheets that will fit already thanks to some hand-me-downs. Waiting to see if they work).- Travel swing
- Diaper changer kit
- Feeding seat
House Related
Call about switching futon orderPay bills- Caught up on filing (in progress; have it mostly done)
Returns to JoAnnReturns to KohlsReturns to Meijer- Returns to WalMart
- Mail Reiman return (find invoice first)
- Mail package to France
Submit expenses for FSA reimbursement (sent off the physical therapy receipts but can't find the ob receipts. Must look harder. I blame the desk move.)- Donations to library (in progress; made one trip but have another one to do still)
Paper recycling to binOffice closet organized (i.e. books & supplies stashed!)Find Lowe's receipt for L to make returnReturns to Lowes (need L's help to carry it)Clean out fridge- Clean out freezer (didn't get it 100%, but I made progress on it.)
Wash guest room sheets & make bedGet guest room ready (i.e. move the rest of the baby stuff into the nursery) (in progress)Mail credit card dispute statementBuy CD storage things for LDonations to Goodwill
More to be added as I think of it. And hopefully things will get crossed off soon!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Week Thirty-Seven
Not a whole lot to report from this week, just that I'm feeling really big and awkward and alternate between wanting this baby out already to hoping he'll stay put for a while longer because we're really not ready for him.
I guess that's pretty typical.
We ordered a changing table this week after finally giving up on finding one on craigslist. Perhaps if I'd started looking sooner (like perhaps when I first found out?) but by the time I started looking there wasn't as much time to wait for something we liked to appear. At least we got something off clearance so it was cheaper than normal.
There is still a lot of stuff I need (want) to buy before the baby arrives. Like a stroller. And a wrap or sling. And a changing table pad. And maybe a bassinet even? And some cloth diapers. And a diaper bag. And a waterproof pad for the crib/bassinet. And at least one nursing bra. And a boppy. And a diaper pail.
I'm working on my list of things to do before the baby arrives. Ha! There's no way it'll all get done. Perhaps I should post it so everyone can laugh at me.
He's been fairly quiet today, just occasional thumps and bumps, but still enough so that I know he's in there & moving around.
At my last doctor's appointment I found out that I'm still not dilated at all so there was really no change from the week before. But I did find out that I tested negative for group b beta strep, so that's good news.
I keep thinking I should get some pictures of myself. Susan, I really wish you were around to take my picture. :( L is horrid when it comes to photographing me. I could have had his sister take a few while she was here if I'd thought about it.
I guess that's pretty typical.
We ordered a changing table this week after finally giving up on finding one on craigslist. Perhaps if I'd started looking sooner (like perhaps when I first found out?) but by the time I started looking there wasn't as much time to wait for something we liked to appear. At least we got something off clearance so it was cheaper than normal.
There is still a lot of stuff I need (want) to buy before the baby arrives. Like a stroller. And a wrap or sling. And a changing table pad. And maybe a bassinet even? And some cloth diapers. And a diaper bag. And a waterproof pad for the crib/bassinet. And at least one nursing bra. And a boppy. And a diaper pail.
I'm working on my list of things to do before the baby arrives. Ha! There's no way it'll all get done. Perhaps I should post it so everyone can laugh at me.
He's been fairly quiet today, just occasional thumps and bumps, but still enough so that I know he's in there & moving around.
At my last doctor's appointment I found out that I'm still not dilated at all so there was really no change from the week before. But I did find out that I tested negative for group b beta strep, so that's good news.
I keep thinking I should get some pictures of myself. Susan, I really wish you were around to take my picture. :( L is horrid when it comes to photographing me. I could have had his sister take a few while she was here if I'd thought about it.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Week Thirty-Six
Last of the classes this week with a long one on breastfeeding. I think the most useful part of all of the classes was that L got a lot of info he wouldn't otherwise, and it wasn't just me telling him stuff. The breastfeeding info was pretty much all things I'd read, but L hearing it and learning specifics on what he can do to help me (and why it's such a beneficial thing to do that it's worth the effort) was fantastic.
We met with our doula as well for almost an hour and a half, and she asked me a slew of questions about my goals for having this baby (me: #1 healthy baby & healthy mama. #2 breastfeeding not hindered by anything that could be prevented). I really liked her and am glad I decided to go with a doula & hope that it helps make for a better birth experience.
The big event this week was that the shower with L's family was Saturday (hence the delayed posting). I was about 99% certain that his sister from Las Vegas was going to be there because of some things she'd posted on FaceBook, but what I had NOT known was that she was going to show up at our house with her two kids on Wednesday evening. Shortly afterward I found out that someone else was going to be arriving at midnight & L would be making a run to the airport to pick her up (I was guessing it would be the other sister from Phoenix, but wasn't certain).
I may have never blogged this, but I HATE HATE HATE surprises. I am a planner. I like knowing what's going on.
The above + pregnancy hormones + generally feeling lousy = me in a horrifically bad mood. I knew I was overreacting. I knew they all meant well & all that but I was beyond ticked that L hadn't told me (I know I've told him that I hate surprises). I felt like he was favoring his family over me (ridiculous, I know, but I think the whacked out hormones were not helping me be rational). I was so upset I couldn't even talk to him about it that evening since I was afraid I'd start shrieking or crying and that was not something I wanted to do with 3 visitors in the house. Even him telling me that they were staying at a hotel wasn't appeasing me; I had had my routines disrupted, the house was a wreck & I was embarrassed for it to be seen, and d*mmit, I HATE SURPRISES.
Deep breath.
Lots of prayers that evening/night and next morning, for God to help me get a handle on my out-of-control emotional reaction to something that really wasn't anything as big as I was feeling it to be. And they'd all meant well, just most of them were thinking about what they'd like.
The next day, despite still feeling pretty awful, I was almost delighted to head out for work. I just wished I could have been home alone and rested. That evening I eventually managed to talk to L & explain my feelings & admitted that I knew I was overreacting, but that I was really hurt by having the visitors sprung on me. He quickly apologized and then admitted that two more were arriving the next day - my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were also coming in from Arizona.
I think my prayers worked, along with talking it out with L (that and finally feeling better too) because by Friday afternoon when the final two arrived I was able to enjoy the visitors and not try to fake pleasure at seeing them like I had been doing.
The shower itself was a blast.
And I think L knows, for future reference, that it really doesn't matter if everyone else thinks that a surprise for me would be So! Much! Fun! because it really won't be for me. And if the point of the event is to do something nice for me, a surprise is the last way to go about it.
In other news, the nursery is progressing. And at my 36-week appointment I learned that the baby is definitely head down (yay!), and I'm not dilated at all, but my cervix is "nice and soft." We are getting close!
We met with our doula as well for almost an hour and a half, and she asked me a slew of questions about my goals for having this baby (me: #1 healthy baby & healthy mama. #2 breastfeeding not hindered by anything that could be prevented). I really liked her and am glad I decided to go with a doula & hope that it helps make for a better birth experience.
The big event this week was that the shower with L's family was Saturday (hence the delayed posting). I was about 99% certain that his sister from Las Vegas was going to be there because of some things she'd posted on FaceBook, but what I had NOT known was that she was going to show up at our house with her two kids on Wednesday evening. Shortly afterward I found out that someone else was going to be arriving at midnight & L would be making a run to the airport to pick her up (I was guessing it would be the other sister from Phoenix, but wasn't certain).
I may have never blogged this, but I HATE HATE HATE surprises. I am a planner. I like knowing what's going on.
The above + pregnancy hormones + generally feeling lousy = me in a horrifically bad mood. I knew I was overreacting. I knew they all meant well & all that but I was beyond ticked that L hadn't told me (I know I've told him that I hate surprises). I felt like he was favoring his family over me (ridiculous, I know, but I think the whacked out hormones were not helping me be rational). I was so upset I couldn't even talk to him about it that evening since I was afraid I'd start shrieking or crying and that was not something I wanted to do with 3 visitors in the house. Even him telling me that they were staying at a hotel wasn't appeasing me; I had had my routines disrupted, the house was a wreck & I was embarrassed for it to be seen, and d*mmit, I HATE SURPRISES.
Deep breath.
Lots of prayers that evening/night and next morning, for God to help me get a handle on my out-of-control emotional reaction to something that really wasn't anything as big as I was feeling it to be. And they'd all meant well, just most of them were thinking about what they'd like.
The next day, despite still feeling pretty awful, I was almost delighted to head out for work. I just wished I could have been home alone and rested. That evening I eventually managed to talk to L & explain my feelings & admitted that I knew I was overreacting, but that I was really hurt by having the visitors sprung on me. He quickly apologized and then admitted that two more were arriving the next day - my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were also coming in from Arizona.
I think my prayers worked, along with talking it out with L (that and finally feeling better too) because by Friday afternoon when the final two arrived I was able to enjoy the visitors and not try to fake pleasure at seeing them like I had been doing.
The shower itself was a blast.
And I think L knows, for future reference, that it really doesn't matter if everyone else thinks that a surprise for me would be So! Much! Fun! because it really won't be for me. And if the point of the event is to do something nice for me, a surprise is the last way to go about it.
In other news, the nursery is progressing. And at my 36-week appointment I learned that the baby is definitely head down (yay!), and I'm not dilated at all, but my cervix is "nice and soft." We are getting close!
Monday, June 1, 2009
May Books
Tracy Klehn - Prayer Starters for Busy Moms: How to Pray All Day and Still Put the Laundry Away
Chip Ingram - The Invisible War: What Every Believer Needs to Know about Satan, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare
Kerry Madden - Louisiana's Song
Nick Kelsh - How to Photograph Your Baby: Getting Closer with Your Camera and Your Heart
Nancy Leigh DeMoss - Lies Women Believe: And the Truth That Sets Them Free
Kerry Madden - Gentle's Holler
The 100 Most Important Bible Verses for Mothers
Don Piper with Cecil Murphey - 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life
Richard Stearns - The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? The Answer That Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World
Jan Burke - Bloodlines
Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice - For Parents Only: Getting Inside the Head of Your Kid
Sheila Walsh - Get Off Your Knees & Pray: A Woman’s Guide to Life-Changing Prayer
Laura A. Jana and Jennifer Shu - Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality
Ann Kroeker - The Contemplative Mom: Restoring Rich Relationship with God in the Midst of Motherhood
Mark Littleton - The Ten-Second Prayer Principle: Praying Powerfully As You Go
Diana M. Raab - Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal
Don Everts and Doug Schaupp - I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus
Mark Bittman - Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating
Ginger Plowman - “Don’t Make Me Count to Three!” A Mom’s Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline
Victoria McKernan - The Devil’s Paintbox
Penny Shore - How Your Baby & Child Learns: Give Your Baby & Child the Best Start
Rennie Airth - The Blood-Dimmed Tide
Kelli B. Trujillo - The Busy Mom’s Guide to Spiritual Survival
Cheri Fuller - When Mothers Pray: The Greatest Influence in a Child’s Life (I think it's now out in a newer edition with a different subtitle)
Penny Simkin - The Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and all Other Labor Companions
Ellen Banks Elwell - The Christian Mom’s Idea Book: Hundreds of Ideas, Tips, and Activities to Help You Be a Great Mom
Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, and Janelle Bradshaw - Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and Not Be Overwhelmed
Natalie Bovis Nelson - Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-to-Be
Dr. Deborah Newman - Loving Your Body: Embracing Your True Beauty in Christ
Michael Ruhlman - The Reach of a Chef: Beyond the Kitchen
Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn - For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women
Bill Dallas - Lessons from San Quentin: Everything I Needed to Know about Life I Learned in Prison
Shaunti Feldhahn - For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men
Shannon Ethridge - Completely His: Loving Jesus Without Limits
Stephen Booth - Blind to the Bones
Chip Ingram - The Invisible War: What Every Believer Needs to Know about Satan, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare
Kerry Madden - Louisiana's Song
Nick Kelsh - How to Photograph Your Baby: Getting Closer with Your Camera and Your Heart
Nancy Leigh DeMoss - Lies Women Believe: And the Truth That Sets Them Free
Kerry Madden - Gentle's Holler
The 100 Most Important Bible Verses for Mothers
Don Piper with Cecil Murphey - 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life
Richard Stearns - The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? The Answer That Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World
Jan Burke - Bloodlines
Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice - For Parents Only: Getting Inside the Head of Your Kid
Sheila Walsh - Get Off Your Knees & Pray: A Woman’s Guide to Life-Changing Prayer
Laura A. Jana and Jennifer Shu - Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality
Ann Kroeker - The Contemplative Mom: Restoring Rich Relationship with God in the Midst of Motherhood
Mark Littleton - The Ten-Second Prayer Principle: Praying Powerfully As You Go
Diana M. Raab - Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal
Don Everts and Doug Schaupp - I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus
Mark Bittman - Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating
Ginger Plowman - “Don’t Make Me Count to Three!” A Mom’s Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline
Victoria McKernan - The Devil’s Paintbox
Penny Shore - How Your Baby & Child Learns: Give Your Baby & Child the Best Start
Rennie Airth - The Blood-Dimmed Tide
Kelli B. Trujillo - The Busy Mom’s Guide to Spiritual Survival
Cheri Fuller - When Mothers Pray: The Greatest Influence in a Child’s Life (I think it's now out in a newer edition with a different subtitle)
Penny Simkin - The Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and all Other Labor Companions
Ellen Banks Elwell - The Christian Mom’s Idea Book: Hundreds of Ideas, Tips, and Activities to Help You Be a Great Mom
Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, and Janelle Bradshaw - Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and Not Be Overwhelmed
Natalie Bovis Nelson - Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-to-Be
Dr. Deborah Newman - Loving Your Body: Embracing Your True Beauty in Christ
Michael Ruhlman - The Reach of a Chef: Beyond the Kitchen
Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn - For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women
Bill Dallas - Lessons from San Quentin: Everything I Needed to Know about Life I Learned in Prison
Shaunti Feldhahn - For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men
Shannon Ethridge - Completely His: Loving Jesus Without Limits
Stephen Booth - Blind to the Bones
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Memory Verse
1 John 4:4, English Standard Version
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Week Thirty-Five
We wrapped up our childbirth prep class series this week. The final session was on postpartum and newborn care. I continued to be impressed at how interesting the instructor made some topics that could have been pretty unpleasant.
We also had a class on natural labor at the beginning of the week, and it also ended up being a terrific class. This one was taught by a woman who is usually a labor & delivery nurse at the hospital, but she LOVES natural labor and teaches a class on it once a month. Her enthusiasm and support for it was fantastic and really made us (i.e., me) think I can do it. Or at least give it a very good shot. :)
I've spoken on the phone with the woman who will most likely be my doula. The way our hospital works is they have doulas, and after I answered questions on my personality & what I wanted & the type of person I thought I'd most be comfortable with, the coordinator matched me with one of the available doulas. We'll meet next week in person to get to know one another & make sure we both think the match will work. She seemed very nice on the phone, so I've got good hopes for it. :)
My belly button is slowly but surely turning into an outie. I'll be honest, it kind of disturbs me. I have no idea why this aspect of pregnancy gets to me so much, but it does. I try to pretend it's not happening.
We hope to get a lot of work done around the house this week so that we feel more prepared for the baby's arrival. I've had a contraction every 3 - 4 hours today so I realize that the end is definitely approaching. And if you're wondering, by "we" I really mean that L will be doing a lot while I do what I can and take lots of breaks on the couch. I don't want to encourage this baby to arrive early!
We also had a class on natural labor at the beginning of the week, and it also ended up being a terrific class. This one was taught by a woman who is usually a labor & delivery nurse at the hospital, but she LOVES natural labor and teaches a class on it once a month. Her enthusiasm and support for it was fantastic and really made us (i.e., me) think I can do it. Or at least give it a very good shot. :)
I've spoken on the phone with the woman who will most likely be my doula. The way our hospital works is they have doulas, and after I answered questions on my personality & what I wanted & the type of person I thought I'd most be comfortable with, the coordinator matched me with one of the available doulas. We'll meet next week in person to get to know one another & make sure we both think the match will work. She seemed very nice on the phone, so I've got good hopes for it. :)
My belly button is slowly but surely turning into an outie. I'll be honest, it kind of disturbs me. I have no idea why this aspect of pregnancy gets to me so much, but it does. I try to pretend it's not happening.
We hope to get a lot of work done around the house this week so that we feel more prepared for the baby's arrival. I've had a contraction every 3 - 4 hours today so I realize that the end is definitely approaching. And if you're wondering, by "we" I really mean that L will be doing a lot while I do what I can and take lots of breaks on the couch. I don't want to encourage this baby to arrive early!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Memory Verse
Romans 11:33, English Standard Version
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Week Thirty-Two, Thirty-Three & Thirty-Four
I'm feeling huge. Which scares me a bit because I am so not huge and still have a ways to go.
Physical therapy has made a huge difference for my back, and the doctor has even prescribed massage therapy for me to help my back even more. I am definitely not complaining about that!
The baby is still nicely head-down, and I hope he stays that way. His bottom is pushing against my belly kind of below my sternum if that makes sense. He moves enough now that my whole belly sometimes shifts & bulges, which is just weird.
I can tell he's getting bigger because he's crowding out my lungs - I'm having a terrible time breathing and the doctor says it may get worse before it improves. I definitely understand now why women are so relieved when the baby drops, and it's not just because it's a sign that there isn't much longer until the baby arrives.
My energy level is basically nonexistant (hence the very very sporadic blogging). If I go to work, I am just about worthless once I get home. Weekends when I'm not at work I've been trying to use my limited energy to get work done around the house.
Speaking of work around the house, my desk has finally been moved out of what will be the nursery, so this coming weekend we hope to get the crib set up. There's a love seat in there that will have to go downstairs, but L has to find some help with that since I can't. Then there's a rocker/recliner downstairs that needs to come upstairs to go into the baby's room that would also probably be easier if he has help too.
I signed up for doula services at the hospital. The way their program works is they will match me with an available doula, we'll have a meeting with her to make sure we get along, and assuming we do, that's who we'll stay in touch with until we call her to say I'm in labor. The program coordinator asked me a slew of questions to get an idea of what I'm like and which doula will probably be the best fit. I'm waiting for a call back from the coordinator with the meeting date & time.
L & I are halfway through our classes - we're taking a series of 4 childbirth prep and basic baby care courses, then a course on natural labor & one on breastfeeding. All we've done so far are the first three of the series, but we'll have the final three in 7 days - Tuesday the 26th (natural labor), Thursday the 28th (#4 of the series - on basic baby care), and Monday the 1st (breastfeeding). So far the classes have been great - the instructor has been fantastic. We'll have different instructors for the Tuesday & Monday classes, and I hope we get as good of an instructor in those two. So far we've covered labor, relaxation & comfort measures, and the medical side of childbirth (drugs & c-sections basically). And a tour of the maternity ward & a view of the rooms which are AMAZING. I'll have the same room for my entire stay - labor, delivery & recovery. They're very very nice & I've heard the setup at the other hospital we almost went to are nowhere near as good so I'm glad we went where we did.
We had another shower this past weekend - L's coworkers & friends. It was a couples shower & it ended up being a lot of fun. The hosts had a baseball them for it and I was very impressed with how they carried the theme through the entire event. The invitations were super cute and so was the "concession" stand with all the food. Now I'm just trying to get up the energy to write the thank you notes. Maybe I can convince L that he should write some too (or instead) since they're from his friends & coworkers...
Physical therapy has made a huge difference for my back, and the doctor has even prescribed massage therapy for me to help my back even more. I am definitely not complaining about that!
The baby is still nicely head-down, and I hope he stays that way. His bottom is pushing against my belly kind of below my sternum if that makes sense. He moves enough now that my whole belly sometimes shifts & bulges, which is just weird.
I can tell he's getting bigger because he's crowding out my lungs - I'm having a terrible time breathing and the doctor says it may get worse before it improves. I definitely understand now why women are so relieved when the baby drops, and it's not just because it's a sign that there isn't much longer until the baby arrives.
My energy level is basically nonexistant (hence the very very sporadic blogging). If I go to work, I am just about worthless once I get home. Weekends when I'm not at work I've been trying to use my limited energy to get work done around the house.
Speaking of work around the house, my desk has finally been moved out of what will be the nursery, so this coming weekend we hope to get the crib set up. There's a love seat in there that will have to go downstairs, but L has to find some help with that since I can't. Then there's a rocker/recliner downstairs that needs to come upstairs to go into the baby's room that would also probably be easier if he has help too.
I signed up for doula services at the hospital. The way their program works is they will match me with an available doula, we'll have a meeting with her to make sure we get along, and assuming we do, that's who we'll stay in touch with until we call her to say I'm in labor. The program coordinator asked me a slew of questions to get an idea of what I'm like and which doula will probably be the best fit. I'm waiting for a call back from the coordinator with the meeting date & time.
L & I are halfway through our classes - we're taking a series of 4 childbirth prep and basic baby care courses, then a course on natural labor & one on breastfeeding. All we've done so far are the first three of the series, but we'll have the final three in 7 days - Tuesday the 26th (natural labor), Thursday the 28th (#4 of the series - on basic baby care), and Monday the 1st (breastfeeding). So far the classes have been great - the instructor has been fantastic. We'll have different instructors for the Tuesday & Monday classes, and I hope we get as good of an instructor in those two. So far we've covered labor, relaxation & comfort measures, and the medical side of childbirth (drugs & c-sections basically). And a tour of the maternity ward & a view of the rooms which are AMAZING. I'll have the same room for my entire stay - labor, delivery & recovery. They're very very nice & I've heard the setup at the other hospital we almost went to are nowhere near as good so I'm glad we went where we did.
We had another shower this past weekend - L's coworkers & friends. It was a couples shower & it ended up being a lot of fun. The hosts had a baseball them for it and I was very impressed with how they carried the theme through the entire event. The invitations were super cute and so was the "concession" stand with all the food. Now I'm just trying to get up the energy to write the thank you notes. Maybe I can convince L that he should write some too (or instead) since they're from his friends & coworkers...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me
Is it tacky to say that on my own blog? Despite the risk, I'm going to do it.
Because yeah, it is. And it's been a nice one. It included this, so how could it not be? And that was after a steak dinner and receiving some beautiful flowers, so it's definitely been nice. And there were cupcakes at work!
Real blog entries coming again soon. I have been sooooooo tired lately that I come home & just collapse. Twittering even has been beyond me. I should start drafting entries during lunch because then I might actually get something posted.
(And Jennifer, hope this counts as enough of a post to knock the cake picture off the top of your screen. Sorry for tormenting you with it for so long!)
Because yeah, it is. And it's been a nice one. It included this, so how could it not be? And that was after a steak dinner and receiving some beautiful flowers, so it's definitely been nice. And there were cupcakes at work!
Real blog entries coming again soon. I have been sooooooo tired lately that I come home & just collapse. Twittering even has been beyond me. I should start drafting entries during lunch because then I might actually get something posted.
(And Jennifer, hope this counts as enough of a post to knock the cake picture off the top of your screen. Sorry for tormenting you with it for so long!)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Cake From My Baby Shower!
Why yes, that is a smoking baby cake topper. And yes, it really smokes. Which is just so inappropriate it is wonderfully hilarious. Thanks Jennifer for coordinating the great party & for contributing your smoking baby to temporarily top the cake! And if anyone is insanely jealous and needs a smoking baby of their own - they're still available.
Sadly my beautiful necklace of red hot chili peppers is mostly hidden by the cake. I was going with the Tex-Mex fiesta theme. If they'd found a fiesta tiara at the party store I'm sure they would have had me in that instead of just the necklace.
Most importantly, the cake was delicious. Rich and chocolately and all together decadent.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Thankful Tuesday
- I won a giveaway from Carrie! I'm quite excited about receiving the book. I do have a thing about books.
- L is finally feeling better after the terrible cold he caught while we were on vacation. At first we joked that he had the flu that's making headlines, but after every other person who found out he was sick asked us if he had it, the joke got stale. No, just a cold.
- Dinner last night was delicious, and since the last couple of new recipes I've tried have been busts of varying degree, I was glad to find one we both liked. That it's cheap, easy, and healthy make it even better!
- I think a family situation that was looking like it could become an issue (sorry to be so vague, but just in case family were to stumble across the blog) is resolving itself nicely without me having to upset anyone when I put my foot down. Which I was going to have to do. Although prayers that work scheduling difficulties would completely remove this from even being a possibility would still be appreciated. Then work becomes the bad guy and not me. :)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Week Thirty-One
LOTS of comments this week from people finally realizing I'm pregnant. I think I've popped quite a bit over the past week or two. I do have a couple of picture that I may post if/when I get them cropped/blurred so I'm comfortable posting them.
No dizzy spells this week (unlike last), so either my emphasis on protein is helping or it was something else entirely that is no longer happening.
I'd say that maybe the nosebleeds have gotten better but I don't want to jinx myself again. The heartburn is definitely not better at all. Anything and everything seems to bring it on.
The physical therapy appointments do seem to be helping my back so that's a good thing. I've got two more appointments for each of the next two weeks and then he reevaluates me and sees if I need to continue seeing him, and if so, how frequently.
The baby either loves or hates me rocking. The chair that I sit in downstairs when I watch TV is a rocker/recliner, and I've noticed that if I rock in it, he starts kicking up a storm. It's kind of fun to get him going. :)
Friday was my shower at work. It was AWESOME. Great food and just a lot of fun. And some super-cute gifts! If I get really motivated I might post some pictures of some of the items we received. It just makes me that much more excited about him arriving so I can dress him in some of the adorable outfits.
I do seem to be slowing down again as far as my stamina - I thought perhaps I'd get some more energy back after resting up from our vacation, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I get super tired at night and when I need to go to bed, I need to go immediately. I'm also hitting a wall in the afternoon where I'm wondering if I should be trying for a brief nap or at least a lie-down.
No dizzy spells this week (unlike last), so either my emphasis on protein is helping or it was something else entirely that is no longer happening.
I'd say that maybe the nosebleeds have gotten better but I don't want to jinx myself again. The heartburn is definitely not better at all. Anything and everything seems to bring it on.
The physical therapy appointments do seem to be helping my back so that's a good thing. I've got two more appointments for each of the next two weeks and then he reevaluates me and sees if I need to continue seeing him, and if so, how frequently.
The baby either loves or hates me rocking. The chair that I sit in downstairs when I watch TV is a rocker/recliner, and I've noticed that if I rock in it, he starts kicking up a storm. It's kind of fun to get him going. :)
Friday was my shower at work. It was AWESOME. Great food and just a lot of fun. And some super-cute gifts! If I get really motivated I might post some pictures of some of the items we received. It just makes me that much more excited about him arriving so I can dress him in some of the adorable outfits.
I do seem to be slowing down again as far as my stamina - I thought perhaps I'd get some more energy back after resting up from our vacation, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I get super tired at night and when I need to go to bed, I need to go immediately. I'm also hitting a wall in the afternoon where I'm wondering if I should be trying for a brief nap or at least a lie-down.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
April Books
Kami Gray - The Denim Diet: 16 Simple Habits To Get You Into Your Dream Pair of Jeans
Michael Ruhlman - The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection
Beth Moore - Get Out of that Pit: Straight Talk about God’s Deliverance
Regina Leeds - The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Decluttering
Lennard Bickel - Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written
Cindy Glovinsky - Making Peace with the Things in Your Life
Lisa Whelchel - Taking Care of the Me in Mommy: Realistic Tips for Becoming a Better Mom - Spirit, Body & Soul
Michael Ruhlman - The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America
Val Frankel - Thin is the New Happy: A Memoir
Jan Burke - Flight
I. J. Parker - The Dragon Scroll
Peter Robinson - Friend of the Devil
Peter Tremayne - Absolution by Murder
Rennie Airth - River of Darkness
Jennifer Block - Pushed: The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care
Robert Jordan - Knife of Dreams
Peter Heller - Hell or High Water: Surviving Tibet’s Tsangpo River
Jan Wong - A Comrade Lost and Found: A Beijing Story
Regina Leeds - One Year to an Organized Work Life: From Your Desks to Your Deadlines, the Week-by-Week Guide to Eliminating Office Stress for Good
Laura Lippman - Baltimore Blues
Richard J. Foster - Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation
Judith S. Beck - The Complete Beck Diet for Life: The 5-Stage Program for Permanent Weight Loss
Patricia Reilly Giff - Willow Run
Jim Fay & Charles Fay - Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years
Robert Jordan - Crossroads of Twilight
Marq De Villiers and Sheila Hirtle - Sable Island: The Strange Origins and Curious History of a Dune Adrift in the Atlantic
Thelma A. Meyer - Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Home: No-Nonsense Advice That Will Inspire You to Clean Like the Dickens
Jan Burke - Bones
Michael Ruhlman - The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection
Beth Moore - Get Out of that Pit: Straight Talk about God’s Deliverance
Regina Leeds - The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Decluttering
Lennard Bickel - Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written
Cindy Glovinsky - Making Peace with the Things in Your Life
Lisa Whelchel - Taking Care of the Me in Mommy: Realistic Tips for Becoming a Better Mom - Spirit, Body & Soul
Michael Ruhlman - The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America
Val Frankel - Thin is the New Happy: A Memoir
Jan Burke - Flight
I. J. Parker - The Dragon Scroll
Peter Robinson - Friend of the Devil
Peter Tremayne - Absolution by Murder
Rennie Airth - River of Darkness
Jennifer Block - Pushed: The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care
Robert Jordan - Knife of Dreams
Peter Heller - Hell or High Water: Surviving Tibet’s Tsangpo River
Jan Wong - A Comrade Lost and Found: A Beijing Story
Regina Leeds - One Year to an Organized Work Life: From Your Desks to Your Deadlines, the Week-by-Week Guide to Eliminating Office Stress for Good
Laura Lippman - Baltimore Blues
Richard J. Foster - Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation
Judith S. Beck - The Complete Beck Diet for Life: The 5-Stage Program for Permanent Weight Loss
Patricia Reilly Giff - Willow Run
Jim Fay & Charles Fay - Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years
Robert Jordan - Crossroads of Twilight
Marq De Villiers and Sheila Hirtle - Sable Island: The Strange Origins and Curious History of a Dune Adrift in the Atlantic
Thelma A. Meyer - Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Home: No-Nonsense Advice That Will Inspire You to Clean Like the Dickens
Jan Burke - Bones
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Memory Verse
Matthew 4:19, English Standard Version
And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Friday, April 24, 2009
Week Twenty-Nine & Thirty
Combining into one post since I was out of town last week & didn't get to post anything.
We had a huge 8-day road trip over these weeks and I discovered that my stamina is definitely not what it usually is. I would CRASH in the evening and fall asleep very quickly. That actually was kind of nice; usually I have trouble falling asleep but most nights I was lucky if I could make it past 10:00.
I tried to be very careful and not overdo it, but a couple of the days I could tell that I probably had. By the time I'd get to the hotel room in the evening I was having lots of pain & even some contractions. Resting on the bed & drinking lots of water seemed to be all I needed however.
I must be looking significantly more pregnant now too, because I had lots of comments during the trip. I'm not quite used to it! And it felt weird being offered some special privileges on one of our tours but by the end of the tour I was glad I'd said yes. I climbed up the 54 stairs at the first tour stop, but took the elevator down and used the elevator on the other stop. There were only a few of us allowed to use the elevator, but I'm glad I could (and I probably shouldn't have climbed them the first time; it wore me out and I had a heck of a time catching my breath!)
It was also somewhat strange to do so much less than normal when it came to loading & unloading the truck when we left & when we'd stop for each day/start up again in the morning. L has a really bad back so usually I try to not leave him with too much stuff, but this time he did most of it. And yes, when we road trip it we don't travel especially light. We each bring a pillow (makes it so much nicer when I have my favorite pillow), I always have a sack full of books to read, he's got his laptop, etc. etc. etc.
One thing I noticed and was slightly concerned about was that I had a number of occasions of feeling really light-headed, almost to the point where I thought I'd faint. I discussed it with my doctor after my return and she said it could have been my blood sugar if I hadn't had enough protein at my last meal. Considering how difficult it was for me to get protein at every meal (carbs are so much more easily accessible, especially for breakfast and snacks), that sounded very likely to me to be the cause, and it reinforced for me how much I need to concentrate on getting enough protein. For someone like me who dislikes many sources of protein, this can be a challenge. I should have brought a jar of peanut butter with me on the trip; I've done it in the past and it would have been a great idea. I also don't know why I didn't think of packing some almonds or walnuts or something similar - they would have been another easily transportable choice.
Still having the heartburn, but the nosebleeds seem to maybe have gotten better. I hope that continues! (I started drafting this email on Thursday evening, and a couple of hours after writing this, I had one of my worst nosebleed ever, since that was the first time I've ever had it where I discovered it by noticing the blood on my shirt. Sheesh, type too soon or something??)
I've been having increasingly bad back pain, and my ob-gyn referred me to a physical therapy clinic. I had an appointment with them this week as well (Wednesday was doctor day for me; I ended up not going in to work at all because of the spacing of my two appointments). Apparently my extremely bad knees (stupid genetics) have led me to have some bad walking/sitting/standing/living practices when it comes to using my leg muscles vs. my back and abdominal muscles. Usually this compensating behavior isn't noticeable for me, but as my abdomen grows bigger and those muscles are otherwise engaged, it's putting more strain on my back & hip muscles which can't handle it. And it's manifesting in severe lower back pain. Or at least that's what I think he was saying. The good news is the doctor was very confident that he could help me, and I'll be visiting him twice a week for four weeks, then probably once a week for another 2 - 3 to learn stretches & exercises I can do, as well as receive treatment. After the baby arrives & I've recovered, I'll probably go back for a few more weeks to work on strengthening some of my underused muscles and stop compensating with some overused muscles. But, it doesn't sound like an unfixable problem or something that would mean never-ending doctor visits. So yay for that.
We had a huge 8-day road trip over these weeks and I discovered that my stamina is definitely not what it usually is. I would CRASH in the evening and fall asleep very quickly. That actually was kind of nice; usually I have trouble falling asleep but most nights I was lucky if I could make it past 10:00.
I tried to be very careful and not overdo it, but a couple of the days I could tell that I probably had. By the time I'd get to the hotel room in the evening I was having lots of pain & even some contractions. Resting on the bed & drinking lots of water seemed to be all I needed however.
I must be looking significantly more pregnant now too, because I had lots of comments during the trip. I'm not quite used to it! And it felt weird being offered some special privileges on one of our tours but by the end of the tour I was glad I'd said yes. I climbed up the 54 stairs at the first tour stop, but took the elevator down and used the elevator on the other stop. There were only a few of us allowed to use the elevator, but I'm glad I could (and I probably shouldn't have climbed them the first time; it wore me out and I had a heck of a time catching my breath!)
It was also somewhat strange to do so much less than normal when it came to loading & unloading the truck when we left & when we'd stop for each day/start up again in the morning. L has a really bad back so usually I try to not leave him with too much stuff, but this time he did most of it. And yes, when we road trip it we don't travel especially light. We each bring a pillow (makes it so much nicer when I have my favorite pillow), I always have a sack full of books to read, he's got his laptop, etc. etc. etc.
One thing I noticed and was slightly concerned about was that I had a number of occasions of feeling really light-headed, almost to the point where I thought I'd faint. I discussed it with my doctor after my return and she said it could have been my blood sugar if I hadn't had enough protein at my last meal. Considering how difficult it was for me to get protein at every meal (carbs are so much more easily accessible, especially for breakfast and snacks), that sounded very likely to me to be the cause, and it reinforced for me how much I need to concentrate on getting enough protein. For someone like me who dislikes many sources of protein, this can be a challenge. I should have brought a jar of peanut butter with me on the trip; I've done it in the past and it would have been a great idea. I also don't know why I didn't think of packing some almonds or walnuts or something similar - they would have been another easily transportable choice.
Still having the heartburn, but the nosebleeds seem to maybe have gotten better. I hope that continues! (I started drafting this email on Thursday evening, and a couple of hours after writing this, I had one of my worst nosebleed ever, since that was the first time I've ever had it where I discovered it by noticing the blood on my shirt. Sheesh, type too soon or something??)
I've been having increasingly bad back pain, and my ob-gyn referred me to a physical therapy clinic. I had an appointment with them this week as well (Wednesday was doctor day for me; I ended up not going in to work at all because of the spacing of my two appointments). Apparently my extremely bad knees (stupid genetics) have led me to have some bad walking/sitting/standing/living practices when it comes to using my leg muscles vs. my back and abdominal muscles. Usually this compensating behavior isn't noticeable for me, but as my abdomen grows bigger and those muscles are otherwise engaged, it's putting more strain on my back & hip muscles which can't handle it. And it's manifesting in severe lower back pain. Or at least that's what I think he was saying. The good news is the doctor was very confident that he could help me, and I'll be visiting him twice a week for four weeks, then probably once a week for another 2 - 3 to learn stretches & exercises I can do, as well as receive treatment. After the baby arrives & I've recovered, I'll probably go back for a few more weeks to work on strengthening some of my underused muscles and stop compensating with some overused muscles. But, it doesn't sound like an unfixable problem or something that would mean never-ending doctor visits. So yay for that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)