It's been a crazy holiday. No surprises, eh? I wanted to get everything done before Christmas Eve, but my worn-out body took over. I can't even say I've been doing anything strenuous. But when I'm staying up all hours attempting to put together this 1000-piece murder mystery puzzle, PLUS I'm carrying a baby around, then yeah, I tend to get tired quicker.
Christmas Eve was the worst as I spent most of the day cleaning, doing laundry, and baking--and then I had to finish wrapping presents. Thankfully, I got most of the presents done ahead of time, so I was NOT up until 3:30 in the morning like last year! I was only up until 1:30. It wouldn't have been that late, but I spent the last 45 minutes or so in the bathtub trying to ease away the fatigue of the day. I was just plain WIPED.
Yes, about a week ago, the third trimester decided to kick in (slightly early compared to SOME pregnancy calendars). The baby started making big waves with her movements--with knees and elbows poking out. The girls have been fascinated to watch and feel the baby do all these somersaults in their mom's belly. My son is kinda like his father--sorta amazed, but mostly weirded out about it (there is no "honey, can I feel your tummy?" around here, and I'm fine with that--I mean, it IS kind of weird!).
Anyway, in addition to the tummy gymnastics, I've also been getting the lovely joint pain and more frequent bathroom breaks. The bathroom breaks aren't too annoying yet. The joint pain is. The day after Christmas I could barely walk because my right hip hurt so badly. I tried not to make a big deal out of it. We went out to spend some Christmas gift cards and cash, and the kids couldn't help but notice my limp. After every inquiry, I would just tell them that it's just my hip, and it's nothing to worry about. After the second store, DH subtly said that he would drop the girls and I back off to the house while he and DS finished their shopping. Later, when I was trying to get comfortable on my couch, I just couldn't do it plus watch the movie we had on. So, I asked DS if he wanted to trade couches with me. It took a gentle reminder from DH to get him to do it. "Um, son, when Mom wants to switch places with you, then you DO it." DH takes care of me in his own quiet ways.
I went in for another tummy check yesterday and got my results back from my glucose test. No gestational diabetes, but...I'm slightly anemic. No surprises. I get that way every pregnancy. I did try to prevent it this time by taking prenatal vitamins that included the iron from the beginning, but frankly, that whole second trimester, I just kept forgetting to take them. The doctor mentioned that the vitamins with the iron already there aren't very helpful anyway as the calcium in them counters the body's ability to absorb the iron. *sigh* But...I have to take them both anyway, so, what? take them at different times? And remember not to take the iron pill with the calcium? I'm having enough problems remembering to take the one vitamin--with food!--how am I supposed to remember THAT?
Anyway, my BP and tummy are fine. I think I gained another two pounds. I'm not sure if I'm recording all the weight correctly here, but I have now gained a total of 20 pounds. Gee...and I've only got a whole trimester to go?! Well, I usually don't gain much the last trimester, so maybe if I lay off these darn Christmas cookies and fudge, I won't end up a huge balloon.
I took the kids and two of their friends to the Y today to get out of the house (and get them--and me--off their new DSs). So, this is now the second time I've actually worn the $20 maternity bathing suit. I still mostly like the way the suit fits, but now that my belly is two months bigger than the last time I wore it, I noticed that the top part is not really hugging it right, and the suit kept trying to ride up on me. I finally started tucking the top piece into the bottom. If I hadn't seen a very similar pattern on one of the dear old ladies doing the water aerobics, I would probably like the style of the suit just a smidgen better!
Now that the holidays are (mostly) over, and I'm in my third trimester, the hubs and I have to get some serious work into getting the house ready for baby. It would be nice to at least have a place to store all those baby clothes I got at my shower, as the bags and boxes cluttering up my bedroom are making it difficult to get around in there (at least it's a little easier now that the Christmas gifts are no longer in there!). At least DH has been taking time this week to attempt to figure out the plumbing problem which is preventing the dishwasher and the downstairs toilet from draining properly. It looks as if an actual professional will have to be called--really not looking forward to that. But, once the plumbing is fixed (and I'm not longer doing dishes by hand), THEN we can get to work on a room for baby....
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I got showered
Last night was my GS Service Team meeting. For December, we always do a white elephant and cookie exchange. I baked my six dozen cookies and wrapped up a set of holiday candles and went on my merry way.
Well, we did the number exchange for choosing gifts, but the hostess said that this time instead of stealing AFTER we open, we'll be stealing before--kind of put a little bit of fun/risk into the process. Ironically, I got first pick. Everyone else picked accordingly, and there were some steals, and we were laughing and having fun. THEN we opened, and I got to start since I got #1. Oh! Baby clothes! Wow! What a coincidence! (I'm thinking...did someone bring me a baby gift and put it in the white elephant swap on accident? Did my friend steal my present on purpose to place THIS baby gift in front of me? Huh!) Person #2 goes: Hey! Baby stuff! Here, C, I don't need this!
By now I've caught on that EVERY SINGLE gift in the pile is a baby gift for ME--except of course for my cheesy cinnamon candles! HOLY CRAP!
I think I turned about a million shades of red, but what a wonderful surprise! My friends said they've been planning this since AUGUST. I didn't even catch on to the fact that a co-leader NOT on Service Team came--I completely fell for the "we're trying to get her to join, so she came to a meeting" line. And...what a great idea to put the gifts in X-mas paper and go through the whole drawing numbers thing just to keep me fooled!
The hostess then brings out a trio of baby shower cakes and even shower plates, napkins, and party favors. The cakes were all different flavors with different fillings and absolutely adorable.
This is the best surprise shower I've ever received. I've had other showers from my other babies at my old job, but only one truly ended up being a surprise--and I ended up ruining it because my oldest had a fever, and I had to stay home from work that day! THIS was beyond awesome as I got completely hosed.
I've learned my lesson. My friends are not to be trusted!
Well, we did the number exchange for choosing gifts, but the hostess said that this time instead of stealing AFTER we open, we'll be stealing before--kind of put a little bit of fun/risk into the process. Ironically, I got first pick. Everyone else picked accordingly, and there were some steals, and we were laughing and having fun. THEN we opened, and I got to start since I got #1. Oh! Baby clothes! Wow! What a coincidence! (I'm thinking...did someone bring me a baby gift and put it in the white elephant swap on accident? Did my friend steal my present on purpose to place THIS baby gift in front of me? Huh!) Person #2 goes: Hey! Baby stuff! Here, C, I don't need this!
By now I've caught on that EVERY SINGLE gift in the pile is a baby gift for ME--except of course for my cheesy cinnamon candles! HOLY CRAP!
I think I turned about a million shades of red, but what a wonderful surprise! My friends said they've been planning this since AUGUST. I didn't even catch on to the fact that a co-leader NOT on Service Team came--I completely fell for the "we're trying to get her to join, so she came to a meeting" line. And...what a great idea to put the gifts in X-mas paper and go through the whole drawing numbers thing just to keep me fooled!
The hostess then brings out a trio of baby shower cakes and even shower plates, napkins, and party favors. The cakes were all different flavors with different fillings and absolutely adorable.
This is the best surprise shower I've ever received. I've had other showers from my other babies at my old job, but only one truly ended up being a surprise--and I ended up ruining it because my oldest had a fever, and I had to stay home from work that day! THIS was beyond awesome as I got completely hosed.
I've learned my lesson. My friends are not to be trusted!
Friday, December 9, 2011
I'm pregnant, not disabled!
I understand that the girls in my younger daughter’s GS
troop are only 7 and that some may not be ready for some activities—such as
overnights. I also understand that it’s
not actually the GIRLS in many of those circumstances who are not ready—it’s
their parents. I guess I am trying too
much too soon as I want to take the girls on activities that THEY want to do,
and I just thought as a leader I would try to make it happen. And if the parent is too uncertain about a
sleepover, then the parent can also come.
Or we can arrange the girl to be picked up before the actual
sleepover. BUT what kills me is having
not one but TWO people (and one as an envoy of other moms) say to me that I
need to keep in mind that I’m also PREGNANT and maybe should take a step back
and not push myself so much. Um...? Are you telling me now that your excuse for not
wanting your daughter to do any of the fun stuff I’m trying to plan is MY
pregnancy? I feel FINE. In fact, I feel GREAT. I am still at the edge of the honeymoon phase
of pregnancy. I’m not too huge yet. I am getting plenty of sleep (when I make the
effort to go to bed at a decent hour).
I’m breezing right through my tummy, urine, and ankle checks at the
doctor’s. Really, the only difference
between me now and last year (besides the ginormous belly) is that yes, I do
get tired a bit more easily—especially if I have to stand/walk for really long
periods of time. But, hello! I’m
pregnant, NOT disabled! (And what are we
teaching our girls anyway if we have a dull, no activities year because the
leader just can’t handle a NORMAL pregnancy.
Girls! When you get pregnant, don’t
do ANYTHING extra! Stay home and put
your feet up, you just can’t handle the fun stuff! You don't want to push yourself!) Mom, if you are unsure about overnights for
your daughters yet, then that’s fine—perfectly understandable. But telling me to slow down due to my
pregnancy, even if not intended that way, is actually kind of insulting.
(Then there was the veiled insult from one mom that she
would prefer the “organized” sleepovers [which are highly overpriced] to a
simple pajama party that I’m trying to put together [with projects and badges
worked in—just like those organized ones!].
Basically what you’re telling me here is that you don’t trust ME and how
I can keep 13 girls entertained for more than an hour and a half. This despite the really well-run meetings
we’ve had this year. Not to mention my
experience with several sleepovers with my older daughter’s troop. Not to mention the town-wide fun day I’ve
planned for younger girls for the last two years. And not to mention the training that I was
required to take as a leader just so that I would know how to do those
things. Grrrr….)
Hmmm...maybe this pregnancy IS making me just a tad too cranky?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
25 weeks, really?
Yesterday I had my monthly checkup. The doctor had to go out of town, so I got to
see the nurse practitioner, who is most definitely my most favorite person at
the practice. In fact, when I found out
my OB had started a new practice last year, I wasn’t sure whether or not to
move with her (I really liked a lot of the other doctors at the old practice
also) until I found out that the NP had moved, too—that clinched it! So now I have to drive 15 minutes instead of
7, but it’s worth it!
Anyway, Katie the NP says that my BP, weight, measurements,
and ankles are just perfect. I gained
about two pounds. I guess I’m leveling
out after gaining more than normal the first four months.
Next week is orange cola time! That is always a big milestone—the end of the
pregnancy is near! My next appointment
will be in three weeks to get me in at 28 weeks, and then I start going bi-weekly. Oh!
Yay! Almost done! Oh!
Dear! I’m not ready!
No progress has been made in the hopeful nursery. But DH and I are taking baby steps. We actually ordered a CRIB. We didn’t think our old one was worth trying
to fix and certainly didn’t have all the hardware for it. We then got one as a hand-me-down, but after
I explained that we would have to find the locking mechanism for it (it’s a
drop-down), and after DH looked at it, he said, “Meh, let’s just get a new
one.” DH found one online that was
recommended to him, PLUS it was on sale, PLUS it had free shipping. I’m actually surprised at how cheap it was. And…it even converts to a toddler bed. I told him we can get rid of our plastic
toddler bed that’s in the basement! (He
thought we already had.) I actually
didn’t mind our old plastic toddler bed.
It suited its purpose just fine for the three kids and the only reason
why it hadn’t been hauled to Goodwill yet (um, except for the fact that I
hadn’t bothered calling them to see if they’ll actually TAKE a toddler bed) is
because it was in such nice shape, I wondered if maybe I shouldn't just try to
sell it—and never got around to it. Anyway, I’m pretty excited about a NEW crib
for our NEW kid. Now we just have to buy
a new mattress.
Bedding: With all
three kids, we have used the same Sesame Street bedding. I LOVE it and still want to use it. But I can’t help but look online at all the
adorable PINK stuff...! This is the
first time we’ll actually get to decorate a WHOLE nursery since all other
babies were born in apartments. Since
Sesame Street is so rare, I keep going back to the PINK (Especially the
owls! And lady bugs! So cute!), but I have managed to find some SSwall decals and with those, a good paint job, and the SS stuff I have kept (a
lamp, lots of stuff animals), I think we can pull this off pretty nicely. I would like to get a spare sheet or two, but
there are very few SS sheets to be found now.
I did find a toddler bed set, so I put it on our baby registry.
The baby registry I started is really more a checklist for
me. Anytime I have the “Oh! I need…!” I put it on the registry to purge
it out of my brain. The biggest item on
the list right now is a new travel system.
Other items: new pack ‘n’ play
(we have a hand-me-down, but I won’t say no to a new one!), umbrella stroller, new
breast pump, bottles, bottle brush and drying rack, hooded towels, sponge
insert for the baby bathtub (can’t believe we hung on to our old bathtub!), and
a baby monitor. It’s funny because we
never really used our other baby monitor.
Our apartments were small enough that I could always hear the baby. I remember using it a couple of times when I
went outside to play with the other kids, and the baby was still inside
sleeping. It’s one thing I got rid of
that NOW I feel we’ll need. The nursery
is going in a room that’s off our den.
With our split level house, I may not hear the baby if she’s in her room
sleeping while I am upstairs in the
living room watching TV or something.
No more progress has been made with the Naming. Knowing us, this will probably sit out there
until the baby is actually born and then we’re finally forced to fill out the
paperwork for her. But DH keeps going
back on names we’ve already discussed/partially agreed on, so it’s anyone’s
guess what name this kid might finally get.
I will probably go more into this on my other blog, but
ohmygoodness, my youngest two kids are just turning into DEMONS lately—and we
think part of it (with the youngest, anyway) is an early reaction to our
audacity for bringing a fourth child into their lives. She screams and yells and stomps around the
house. She and her brother are
constantly arguing and picking on and poking each other. She got herself really wound up the other day
while DH was with her at a department store and was actually ROLLING ON THE
FLOOR while he was in line waiting to pay.
EVERYTHING gets the extreme reaction.
DH and I are trying to figure out ways to get more one-on-one time with
her—while trying to juggle all the kids’ busy schedules. I worry what’s going to happen when baby gets
here. HOW on earth are we going to
manage then? I am picturing me in my
sleep-deprived haze in March trying to keep I and K from killing each other
while I’m trapped on the couch nursing the baby. THIS will be quite the challenge.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Another month gone by
I had another tummy check last week, and if I'd blinked my eyes, I would have missed it. All is well, and I think I gained another six pounds. But I always gain the most the second trimester. If I'm still gaining that much the third trimester months, maybe I"ll start to worry!
Now that we know the sex, we are trying to narrow down names. DH and I have emailed a few lists back and forth to each other (amusing that we've only really discussed this electronically), and I'm actually amused at some of the names we had in common on them. In fact, there were a few names on his list that I took off mine because I figured he would not like them or think they are too old-fashioned.
Some of the names are definitely mostly old-fashioned in nature. A couple not so much. I told my folks that since they all got a sneak preview of the sex, then I'm going to keep the name (um, if we ever figure it out) a secret. heh!
Anyway, here are the top names we've been discussing/mulling over:
Lucy or Lucille
Julia or Juliette
Molly
Johanna
Hazel (unfortunately, it was a guinea pig's name, so probably not--still a great name, tho)
Imogen
Millicent
Victoria (Tori)
The name has to go with Loretta as a middle name. This is the tough part. I think that for the most part, I've thrown out all my original rules. Can't be more than two syllables, can't also end with an a, try to stay away from the kids' schoolmates' names.
Other names DH likes, but me, not so much:
Teagan
Olivia (sorry--too many of them out there)
Wynona (actually, I like this one, but it makes me think of the Primus song, so NO.)
Ella, Ellie (way too many of those out there, too)
Juno (actually, I do like this one, too)
Lillian or Lilly (hmmm....I like the other options better)
Arya
Names I like, but he didn't want:
Leslie (family, and I won't say anything more....heh!)
Samantha
Jonna (he said No Way)
So, there we are for now!
Otherwise, I'm getting mixed opinions on whether or not I'm HUGE or barely showing (I am favoring the former opinion). I was at the school on Halloween, and I had a LOT of teachers do the double take who hadn't known. Then I had a mom later be all shocked when I said something about my pregnancy. "You're pregnant? NO way! You don't look it!" Another teacher who has seen me almost every Wednesday just noticed yesterday--and that was only because she overheard me talking about my pregnancy to another mom in the hallway and came out to be nosy and find out who was the lucky one! In her defense, she has usually seen me in my jacket, in which I do NOT look pregnant if you see me head on. If I turn to the side, tho.... Yeesh! But my kids aren't helping my self esteem at all. The other day I was wearing a tighter shirt, and the oldest says, "Um, no offense mom, but you are getting FAT." And even #3 has made a few comments. And #2 seems afraid to even HUG me.
I got another lovely boon of a box of hand-me-down maternity clothes on my birthday. Yay! More pants and some comfy pants and some nice shirts for work. NOW I've got a nice wardrobe to work with. Amusingly, there is a maternity bathing suit in there--four weeks after I bought myself one (hey, it was only $20!). I've actually already worn it once--#3 was thrilled she got to go swimming without the vest. :-)
Oh! And the baby is squirming like mad now. And I'm actually starting to feel movement up along my belly button now instead of just below my waist line. I'm wondering if she managed to turn herself around since she was breech at my ultrasound. Anyway, it's that wonderful phase where every time I eat or drink something sweet, she just starts flipping all over the place. I just LOVE this bit!
Now that we know the sex, we are trying to narrow down names. DH and I have emailed a few lists back and forth to each other (amusing that we've only really discussed this electronically), and I'm actually amused at some of the names we had in common on them. In fact, there were a few names on his list that I took off mine because I figured he would not like them or think they are too old-fashioned.
Some of the names are definitely mostly old-fashioned in nature. A couple not so much. I told my folks that since they all got a sneak preview of the sex, then I'm going to keep the name (um, if we ever figure it out) a secret. heh!
Anyway, here are the top names we've been discussing/mulling over:
Lucy or Lucille
Julia or Juliette
Molly
Johanna
Hazel (unfortunately, it was a guinea pig's name, so probably not--still a great name, tho)
Imogen
Millicent
Victoria (Tori)
The name has to go with Loretta as a middle name. This is the tough part. I think that for the most part, I've thrown out all my original rules. Can't be more than two syllables, can't also end with an a, try to stay away from the kids' schoolmates' names.
Other names DH likes, but me, not so much:
Teagan
Olivia (sorry--too many of them out there)
Wynona (actually, I like this one, but it makes me think of the Primus song, so NO.)
Ella, Ellie (way too many of those out there, too)
Juno (actually, I do like this one, too)
Lillian or Lilly (hmmm....I like the other options better)
Arya
Names I like, but he didn't want:
Leslie (family, and I won't say anything more....heh!)
Samantha
Jonna (he said No Way)
So, there we are for now!
Otherwise, I'm getting mixed opinions on whether or not I'm HUGE or barely showing (I am favoring the former opinion). I was at the school on Halloween, and I had a LOT of teachers do the double take who hadn't known. Then I had a mom later be all shocked when I said something about my pregnancy. "You're pregnant? NO way! You don't look it!" Another teacher who has seen me almost every Wednesday just noticed yesterday--and that was only because she overheard me talking about my pregnancy to another mom in the hallway and came out to be nosy and find out who was the lucky one! In her defense, she has usually seen me in my jacket, in which I do NOT look pregnant if you see me head on. If I turn to the side, tho.... Yeesh! But my kids aren't helping my self esteem at all. The other day I was wearing a tighter shirt, and the oldest says, "Um, no offense mom, but you are getting FAT." And even #3 has made a few comments. And #2 seems afraid to even HUG me.
I got another lovely boon of a box of hand-me-down maternity clothes on my birthday. Yay! More pants and some comfy pants and some nice shirts for work. NOW I've got a nice wardrobe to work with. Amusingly, there is a maternity bathing suit in there--four weeks after I bought myself one (hey, it was only $20!). I've actually already worn it once--#3 was thrilled she got to go swimming without the vest. :-)
Oh! And the baby is squirming like mad now. And I'm actually starting to feel movement up along my belly button now instead of just below my waist line. I'm wondering if she managed to turn herself around since she was breech at my ultrasound. Anyway, it's that wonderful phase where every time I eat or drink something sweet, she just starts flipping all over the place. I just LOVE this bit!
Monday, October 31, 2011
More pics and stuff
My baby laptop has completely died, so now I am having to sneak on to the hubby's when HE's not on it. Not always an easy feat! But I wanted to post a few more pics from the ultrasound.
It's nice that now they make you only drink 16 oz of water instead of 32, so now you don't show up for your appointment feeling as if you should be rolled in on a dolly. (And again, WHY does the OB have a water feature in her waiting room? WHY?) I actually drank most of my 16 oz of water early and quite quickly since I was thirsty from having a snack of peanut butter-filled pretzels before I left work, so I allowed myself a tiny pee break when I got home and then drank a little more. Then I was worried I still hadn't drunk enough since I didn't have that hand-truck-toting feeling. No worries--by mid-ultrasound I felt about to burst.
The sonographer spent a LOT of time taking pictures of the baby's brain and heart. And informed us that the squirmy thing was definitely breech right now (ah...that would be why ALL the kicks I feel are below the waist line and seems to be so low). She was quite definite about the sex--and even my untrained eye could tell that there was NO stem on that apple!
She didn't make any alarming noises or anything and sounded pretty confident and sure, so I'm reassured that everything is cooking fine in there.
Here are some more squirmy pictures:
I do have a belly shot to post if/when I get time to download the pic off the camera. By the time I get THAT done, it will be time for a new pic since that one was taking at 17 weeks, and I'm now at 20! Ah well. I'll catch you all up soon!
I didn't dress up much for Halloween since I'm working again. I am just wearing black pants with my husband's orange "This IS my costume" t-shirt on. Lame, but at least still appropriate! I am helping out in I's class party this year. I will be taking the kids out to tonight in the freezing cold--not really looking forward to that this year!
Oh yes! DH and I have been going back and forth on names for the last few days, and we're trying very hard to narrow it down. (He has surprised me in that names I took off MY list because I figured he wouldn't like them are showing up on HIS list. This may not be as difficult as we imagined.) We still have plenty of time to get to the final choice. I may keep the final decision a secret since everyone already knows the sex. Let's have SOME fun with this, huh?
It's nice that now they make you only drink 16 oz of water instead of 32, so now you don't show up for your appointment feeling as if you should be rolled in on a dolly. (And again, WHY does the OB have a water feature in her waiting room? WHY?) I actually drank most of my 16 oz of water early and quite quickly since I was thirsty from having a snack of peanut butter-filled pretzels before I left work, so I allowed myself a tiny pee break when I got home and then drank a little more. Then I was worried I still hadn't drunk enough since I didn't have that hand-truck-toting feeling. No worries--by mid-ultrasound I felt about to burst.
The sonographer spent a LOT of time taking pictures of the baby's brain and heart. And informed us that the squirmy thing was definitely breech right now (ah...that would be why ALL the kicks I feel are below the waist line and seems to be so low). She was quite definite about the sex--and even my untrained eye could tell that there was NO stem on that apple!
She didn't make any alarming noises or anything and sounded pretty confident and sure, so I'm reassured that everything is cooking fine in there.
Here are some more squirmy pictures:
 |
| Profile. |
 |
| Top of head and a little hand |
 |
| One foot. |
 |
| Two blurry feet. |
 |
| Another profile with part of leg. |
 |
| Profile with arm. |
 |
| REALLY stretching that leg. |
I do have a belly shot to post if/when I get time to download the pic off the camera. By the time I get THAT done, it will be time for a new pic since that one was taking at 17 weeks, and I'm now at 20! Ah well. I'll catch you all up soon!
I didn't dress up much for Halloween since I'm working again. I am just wearing black pants with my husband's orange "This IS my costume" t-shirt on. Lame, but at least still appropriate! I am helping out in I's class party this year. I will be taking the kids out to tonight in the freezing cold--not really looking forward to that this year!
Oh yes! DH and I have been going back and forth on names for the last few days, and we're trying very hard to narrow it down. (He has surprised me in that names I took off MY list because I figured he wouldn't like them are showing up on HIS list. This may not be as difficult as we imagined.) We still have plenty of time to get to the final choice. I may keep the final decision a secret since everyone already knows the sex. Let's have SOME fun with this, huh?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
17 week check-up
Another tummy check today. Everything is growing perfectly. BP is great. I've gained around four more pounds (eight total, I think?). I got to meet the doctor at the practice that I've never met--she's very sweet and upbeat and fun. My kind of doctor!
I've been laughing at myself the last couple of weeks. I've started this temp job, and I'm having to do a lot of walking around. I've noticed that I've already started waddling. WADDLING, people! Seriously? I'm not that big yet! It must be some sort of mental thing. I did feel a little better when my weekly pregnancy email the other day mentioned that my balance will probably be a little off now. Ah! Maybe THAT's why I'm already waddling. Yeesh.
I've been laughing at myself the last couple of weeks. I've started this temp job, and I'm having to do a lot of walking around. I've noticed that I've already started waddling. WADDLING, people! Seriously? I'm not that big yet! It must be some sort of mental thing. I did feel a little better when my weekly pregnancy email the other day mentioned that my balance will probably be a little off now. Ah! Maybe THAT's why I'm already waddling. Yeesh.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Ping!
I should be eating my now way-past-time lunch, but instead, I am sitting here catching up on FB, blogger, and my emails. And...feeling little tiny pokes and proddings from the little peanut in my uterus.
I can't really pinpoint the day I started feeling the little bugger because this one just seems so different than the others. Basically, I was sitting around waiting to feel the faint "butterfly flutters" that all three of my previous babies used to make their presence be known. Instead, I started feeling these pings and poppings and POKES that for a day or two there I couldn't be sure if it was the baby or just gas bubbles. And then after a couple of days, I knew that this kid was apparently already worried about not getting enough attention in a house full of three other siblings and was using whatever brute force he could muster to get me to notice him. Ah...this should be interesting!
I have now had to change my next appointment three times as things keep coming up to interfere (work!, already scheduled dentist appt, viola lesson, promise to watch other friend's kids), and now I have no idea when my appointment is or when I'm actually going to get it in.
I managed to get in a visit to an old friend who still had some of the baby stuff I had lent HER six years ago or so. How funny to get back a few things that I thought would have been passed down the hand-me-down cycle and gone forever! And a friend dropped off a few more sets of clothes. Not all the clothes I'm getting are usable--at least not YET--but it's nice to have a few more options as the belly gets bigger. And since I'm working this part-time temp job, variety is greatly appreciated. I have to laugh because I now have two of the same exact skirt from two different sources (and...well, I'm not much of a skirt wearer since that means SHAVING or at least TIGHTS or PANTYHOSE, and I pretty much don't like to do any of these things--which is why I usually sing the praises of WINTER and the need to wear pants AT ALL TIMES). (And just the THOUGHT of maternity pantyhose scares the bejebus out of me.)
And...now I really need to get some lunch (maybe the baby is pinging me so madly now because he is HUNGRY). And then I promised my Columbus Day kids that I would take them swimming. I'm not sure HOW since I have no bathing suits that fit me. Littlest may have to be content with the play room or be stuck wearing the life preserver since my big belly and I will not be entering the pool.
(Is it worth my effort to look for a maternity bathing suit when I'll only wear it for a few months, we hardly ever get out swimming now that school has started, and I really think we should just cancel the silly gym membership?)
I can't really pinpoint the day I started feeling the little bugger because this one just seems so different than the others. Basically, I was sitting around waiting to feel the faint "butterfly flutters" that all three of my previous babies used to make their presence be known. Instead, I started feeling these pings and poppings and POKES that for a day or two there I couldn't be sure if it was the baby or just gas bubbles. And then after a couple of days, I knew that this kid was apparently already worried about not getting enough attention in a house full of three other siblings and was using whatever brute force he could muster to get me to notice him. Ah...this should be interesting!
I have now had to change my next appointment three times as things keep coming up to interfere (work!, already scheduled dentist appt, viola lesson, promise to watch other friend's kids), and now I have no idea when my appointment is or when I'm actually going to get it in.
I managed to get in a visit to an old friend who still had some of the baby stuff I had lent HER six years ago or so. How funny to get back a few things that I thought would have been passed down the hand-me-down cycle and gone forever! And a friend dropped off a few more sets of clothes. Not all the clothes I'm getting are usable--at least not YET--but it's nice to have a few more options as the belly gets bigger. And since I'm working this part-time temp job, variety is greatly appreciated. I have to laugh because I now have two of the same exact skirt from two different sources (and...well, I'm not much of a skirt wearer since that means SHAVING or at least TIGHTS or PANTYHOSE, and I pretty much don't like to do any of these things--which is why I usually sing the praises of WINTER and the need to wear pants AT ALL TIMES). (And just the THOUGHT of maternity pantyhose scares the bejebus out of me.)
And...now I really need to get some lunch (maybe the baby is pinging me so madly now because he is HUNGRY). And then I promised my Columbus Day kids that I would take them swimming. I'm not sure HOW since I have no bathing suits that fit me. Littlest may have to be content with the play room or be stuck wearing the life preserver since my big belly and I will not be entering the pool.
(Is it worth my effort to look for a maternity bathing suit when I'll only wear it for a few months, we hardly ever get out swimming now that school has started, and I really think we should just cancel the silly gym membership?)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Is it too early to start thinking about NAMES?
My ultrasound is scheduled for October 24! And I'm still surprised at myself for actually wanting to know the sex of this baby NOW as opposed to the other three babies. The main reason why I want to know is not so that I know whether or not to buy pink or blue jammies, but because we need help with the NAMING issue! DH and I pretty much used up all our agreed baby name options with baby #3. In fact, it took us two hours on the phone while I was in the hospital to try to even come up with the middle name for her because we'd pretty much run out of options at just the FIRST name. Yeesh.
Here's part of the dilemma: each of our children has been named after SOMEONE. #1 was named after her grandmothers (and sort of ME, as my mother and I have the same middle name). #2 was named after a very close family friend and my father. #3 was named after her great-grandmother (on his side) and DH's sister (sort of--we changed the spelling a tiny bit). Now, with #4, we're kind of out of family names we LIKE to name our kids after.
Frankly, I think we're mostly OK with throwing the traditional namesake pattern out the window for this fourth--but I don't want the kid to feel all weird since he has a different naming tradition than his siblings (as if this poor kid won't feel weird enough being 7, 10, and 12 years younger than his siblings).
My neighbor lent us a baby-naming book, and the kids immediately starting pouring through it to look for names for their new sib. I am LOVING this. DH has posted some of the "findings" and his other thoughts about the naming issues on FB.
OK, so while we have now established that both my husband and I like the names Prudence and Jude, let me just add that I'm not really sure that Prudence, even though I love it, is a name that "wears well" in this day and age. Too old. Too many unfortunate nickname possibilities. But Jude? Jude I think will still wear well.
This got me thinking, though. I have tried many, many times to get my own grandmother's name inserted into possible child-naming situations, and it has never really worked. The name is Loretta. I do LOVE this name. It's never really worked with us I think partly because of all the syllables (couldn't make it match with other names we liked), and...I am also worried that it won't wear well with this day and age. But...how can you not like the name Loretta? And...it's in a Beatles song! "Sweet Loretta Martin." Oh...um, unfortunate lyrics with that one. Ah...well....
And...still trying to stick somewhat with the namesake tradition, if we have a son, I still would like to name him Ian (which would have been #3's name if she had been a boy--hence the reason the kids were kind enough to put in on THEIR list--they know is a parent favorite) as it's sort of a derivative of my DH's name, and a way to sort of name a kid after him. Problem--we couldn't figure out a middle name to go with it.
Along the same line of thinking, I'm trying to come up with a way to name a girl after my husband. I'm not sure I can do it without copying directly from a favorite blogger of mine. (Do you think she'd care? She hardly knows me!) I'd probably spell it Johnna, though. Maybe. Another possibility: maybe Johanna? Or just Joanna? Joanne? Jo isn't quite the same as John, but you know, SIMILAR. (STILL need middle names with all these! I may have to beg Swistle for help!)
So, here is where we're at with the names right now. Until that hopefully good and revealing ultrasound next month where we'll be able to cut our options in half. Until then I'm just anxiously awaiting this 16th week, as that is when I felt the baby move with all three other pregnancies. I am hopeful to start feeling some flutterings soon!
Here's part of the dilemma: each of our children has been named after SOMEONE. #1 was named after her grandmothers (and sort of ME, as my mother and I have the same middle name). #2 was named after a very close family friend and my father. #3 was named after her great-grandmother (on his side) and DH's sister (sort of--we changed the spelling a tiny bit). Now, with #4, we're kind of out of family names we LIKE to name our kids after.
Frankly, I think we're mostly OK with throwing the traditional namesake pattern out the window for this fourth--but I don't want the kid to feel all weird since he has a different naming tradition than his siblings (as if this poor kid won't feel weird enough being 7, 10, and 12 years younger than his siblings).
My neighbor lent us a baby-naming book, and the kids immediately starting pouring through it to look for names for their new sib. I am LOVING this. DH has posted some of the "findings" and his other thoughts about the naming issues on FB.
Boy - Aidan, Ian, Nicholas, Link, Diego, Tiger, Alexanddr [sic], Gus (!)
Girl - Zelda, Penelpe [sic], Alexandra, Olivia, Easter
I'm partial to Gus and Zelda so far."
That last line was sarcasm. Although, it was interesting how many folks responded and said that they liked the name Zelda. And really, it DOES seem to go well with our last name. But...do I really want to let my older kids name my youngest after a video game character? (I already had to veto Mario and Luigi.)
EASTER? Kids, REALLY????? EASTER???!
And then there was this:
OK, so while we have now established that both my husband and I like the names Prudence and Jude, let me just add that I'm not really sure that Prudence, even though I love it, is a name that "wears well" in this day and age. Too old. Too many unfortunate nickname possibilities. But Jude? Jude I think will still wear well.
This got me thinking, though. I have tried many, many times to get my own grandmother's name inserted into possible child-naming situations, and it has never really worked. The name is Loretta. I do LOVE this name. It's never really worked with us I think partly because of all the syllables (couldn't make it match with other names we liked), and...I am also worried that it won't wear well with this day and age. But...how can you not like the name Loretta? And...it's in a Beatles song! "Sweet Loretta Martin." Oh...um, unfortunate lyrics with that one. Ah...well....
And...still trying to stick somewhat with the namesake tradition, if we have a son, I still would like to name him Ian (which would have been #3's name if she had been a boy--hence the reason the kids were kind enough to put in on THEIR list--they know is a parent favorite) as it's sort of a derivative of my DH's name, and a way to sort of name a kid after him. Problem--we couldn't figure out a middle name to go with it.
Along the same line of thinking, I'm trying to come up with a way to name a girl after my husband. I'm not sure I can do it without copying directly from a favorite blogger of mine. (Do you think she'd care? She hardly knows me!) I'd probably spell it Johnna, though. Maybe. Another possibility: maybe Johanna? Or just Joanna? Joanne? Jo isn't quite the same as John, but you know, SIMILAR. (STILL need middle names with all these! I may have to beg Swistle for help!)
So, here is where we're at with the names right now. Until that hopefully good and revealing ultrasound next month where we'll be able to cut our options in half. Until then I'm just anxiously awaiting this 16th week, as that is when I felt the baby move with all three other pregnancies. I am hopeful to start feeling some flutterings soon!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Others
OK, let me first start off by telling you all that I had a lovely monthly appointment this morning. Cup peed in, BP at around 104/60, baby measuring fine, heart beat great, and I gained about 4 pounds. Wait--what? That is the most I've EVER gained in the first trimester--usually I LOSE weight. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about that. Hmmm....
Next appointment in a month. Ultrasound on October 24--yay!
Can I just take a moment here to tell you how anxious I was about this appointment? I guess that I still can't believe my "luck" and keep thinking that it's still too easy and surely SOMETHING will go wrong one of these appointments. I don't recall being this anxious for any of the other pregnacies--maybe the first, I dunno. Anyway, I just about cried at the end when I got into my car. Big sigh of relief! 13 weeks and one more monthly appointment down!
So! I know you're all dying to hear how the kids took to the Big News. Well! First off my whole plan of attempting a sit-down discussion over dinner or maybe in the car didn't happen. The kids apparently had other plans!
Saturday morning a friend of M's called and invited us all to the local amusement park--they had free passes! So, as the kids and I are hurridly getting dressed, M was making some comment to me about me and rides (perhaps teasing me about my embarrassing puke incident after riding a spinning ride several years ago), and I said something about how I wasn't going to ride today. M looked DIRECTLY at my belly and said, "Oh. Right."
Ah HA!!! I KNEW she knew!
Not two minutes later, M approaches me in the living room and says, "Mom, can I ask you a question?" "Yessssss...?" "Are you pregnant?" *sigh* "Yesssss...." "Ha! I KNEW it!"
Then she proceeds to tell me how she figured it out from all the doctor's visits plus apparently little tidbits that K was overhearing while I was on the phone locked up in my bedroom--from where he can apparently hear me better than I thought when he's in his room next door playing with his legos. The two of them put their heads together one day and exchanged ideas/clues and even told little I. M proceeds to tell me that K is "mad" at me, and that she's a little upset too--especially because she is afraid that once the baby comes, I'll no longer be able to spend any time with her, K, and I. I reassured her as best as I could, but I'm not sure how well since I was still reeling from the "K is mad at you" comment. But M did say that she would help me out (I'm not sure what all that entails since she basically has expressed several times over the summer--while apparently knowing about a future baby brother/sister--that she does NOT really like babies and does NOT want to babysit them. Hmmm....)
After we got back from the amusement park, I made it a point to talk to I and K to get a better grasp on their feelings. Happy-go-lucky I is all excited and has already offered name options: Eric if it's a boy; Emily if it's a girl. K vehemently denies ever saying he was "mad" at me (perhaps that's just M's way of expressing their worry about future abandonment?). K goes on to tell me that one of their biggest worries was that *I* was keeping this secret not only from them, but from DH!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! *wipes tear*
It's nice to be all open and non-secretive now. My neighbor lent me her baby name book (along with a whole maternity wardrobe, thankyouthankyouthankyou!), and they were all three poring through it like crazy last night suggesting (or laughing at) the names. I'm not sure what we're all five going to come up with for this new baby, but the process is sure going to be interesting!
And...of course I finally posted the news on FB and being am amused by the comments coming in. Friend reminding me of my "crazy busy" life and that "something's gotta give"? Um...thanks???? Anyway, DH's family now knows, so that's good....
Looking forward to getting fatter and perhaps sleeping more now that I'm in the 2nd trimester!
Next appointment in a month. Ultrasound on October 24--yay!
Can I just take a moment here to tell you how anxious I was about this appointment? I guess that I still can't believe my "luck" and keep thinking that it's still too easy and surely SOMETHING will go wrong one of these appointments. I don't recall being this anxious for any of the other pregnacies--maybe the first, I dunno. Anyway, I just about cried at the end when I got into my car. Big sigh of relief! 13 weeks and one more monthly appointment down!
So! I know you're all dying to hear how the kids took to the Big News. Well! First off my whole plan of attempting a sit-down discussion over dinner or maybe in the car didn't happen. The kids apparently had other plans!
Saturday morning a friend of M's called and invited us all to the local amusement park--they had free passes! So, as the kids and I are hurridly getting dressed, M was making some comment to me about me and rides (perhaps teasing me about my embarrassing puke incident after riding a spinning ride several years ago), and I said something about how I wasn't going to ride today. M looked DIRECTLY at my belly and said, "Oh. Right."
Ah HA!!! I KNEW she knew!
Not two minutes later, M approaches me in the living room and says, "Mom, can I ask you a question?" "Yessssss...?" "Are you pregnant?" *sigh* "Yesssss...." "Ha! I KNEW it!"
Then she proceeds to tell me how she figured it out from all the doctor's visits plus apparently little tidbits that K was overhearing while I was on the phone locked up in my bedroom--from where he can apparently hear me better than I thought when he's in his room next door playing with his legos. The two of them put their heads together one day and exchanged ideas/clues and even told little I. M proceeds to tell me that K is "mad" at me, and that she's a little upset too--especially because she is afraid that once the baby comes, I'll no longer be able to spend any time with her, K, and I. I reassured her as best as I could, but I'm not sure how well since I was still reeling from the "K is mad at you" comment. But M did say that she would help me out (I'm not sure what all that entails since she basically has expressed several times over the summer--while apparently knowing about a future baby brother/sister--that she does NOT really like babies and does NOT want to babysit them. Hmmm....)
After we got back from the amusement park, I made it a point to talk to I and K to get a better grasp on their feelings. Happy-go-lucky I is all excited and has already offered name options: Eric if it's a boy; Emily if it's a girl. K vehemently denies ever saying he was "mad" at me (perhaps that's just M's way of expressing their worry about future abandonment?). K goes on to tell me that one of their biggest worries was that *I* was keeping this secret not only from them, but from DH!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! *wipes tear*
It's nice to be all open and non-secretive now. My neighbor lent me her baby name book (along with a whole maternity wardrobe, thankyouthankyouthankyou!), and they were all three poring through it like crazy last night suggesting (or laughing at) the names. I'm not sure what we're all five going to come up with for this new baby, but the process is sure going to be interesting!
And...of course I finally posted the news on FB and being am amused by the comments coming in. Friend reminding me of my "crazy busy" life and that "something's gotta give"? Um...thanks???? Anyway, DH's family now knows, so that's good....
Looking forward to getting fatter and perhaps sleeping more now that I'm in the 2nd trimester!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Baby Story #2
This seems an appropriate day to start typing this since I was pregnant with baby #2 ten years ago today when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked. In fact, the very week that the attacks happened was when I first started feeling the little guy bopping along in my uterus. To be experiencing that exciting proof of new life while watching all the deaths on the news every day was tear-wrenching indeed.
So, here is how it all went down with baby #2.
I will start with February18--President's Day. It was first day of my official maternity leave, a week until my due date, and I had my weekly appointment. I got to my appointment, and my belly was bulging on the right side, so the baby seemed to be in a weird position (normally I bulged to the left). The nurse had a tough time finding a heartbeat. Then when she felt my belly, she was having a hard time figuring out the positioning of the baby. After much internal poking and prodding (while pushing DOWN on my belly), she announced that I was 2 cm, but she just couldn't figure out the position of the baby's head. So, she sent me to get an ultrasound.
The baby's head was down, no problem. So...whew! OK, there! The sonographer said baby was about 7 lbs, 6 oz and everything was golden.
Tuesday, I had DD1 home from the day care because she had a fever. We hung out in our PJs all day. I shampooed the rugs (nesting, anyone?). DH came home from work exhausted and took a nap. I put Mary to bed, took a shower, and stayed up to read. And fell asleep on the couch.
Around 10:30 or so, I woke up and decided to head to bed. But I felt as if I had to go to the bathroom (kinda crampy). I was not too successful with the bathroom trip, so I decided to get a snack. But instead of being a smart pregnant lady and grabbing an apple, I was a craving pregnant lady and grabbed the salt and vinegar ships. Anyway, my back was feeling kind of "funny," so I decided to do a couple of those pregnancy back exercises (trying to prevent another posterior birth!). I still felt weird, but I decided to try to sleep again. I couldn't sleep and the next bathroom trip resulted in a bloody show. OH!!!! It was around 11-11:30, I woke up DH and told him I thought we might be having a baby soon.
I lay back do, but then very gradually, I started feeling contractions. I started timing them around 12:20. I nudged John and told him I was going to pace the floor downstairs to make sure they were the real thing.
It was after 1:00 AM when I asked DH to come down and help me time the contractions. They were three minutes apart lasting about 40 seconds. After another half an hour, I had DH call the answering service while I got dressed and got a few things ready. Within minutes, the doctor called back. I made DH answer the phone because another contraction was hitting, and I was to the point where I couldn't talk through them anymore. The doc said to come on in to the hospital.
DH and I immediately started calling our day care provider/friend to wake her before we took DD1 over there as arranged. We called and called and no one answered the phone. She did say that if this were to happen, we should just drive right on over and pound on the door if it was locked. It was just after 2:00 AM when we finally woke up DD1 and packed her and everything else into the car. She was NOT happy. "Put me down! Put me down!" she kept crying--poor kid!
We drove over to our friend's house and John started pounding on the doors while I kept calling from the cell phone. No answer! I finally decided to put the back-up plan into effect. My boss lived just around the corner--but I didn't have her number on me! I DID have a co-worker's number, so I eventually got it. The boss answered--yay!--so we headed over there. Poor DD1 had such a pouty little look on her face when we left her--like, "How could you do this to me?"
It was getting close to 3:00 AM when we finally got on the road to the hospital. I started timing contractions again--2 minutes apart! I also had to change my breathing method as the relaxed breathing was no longer helping (I wonder how much of the STRESS of finding a place for my older kid contributed--LOL).
So, it's quite a haul from our place to the hospital, and we're going 55 down a 40. You know what comes next. Yep, we got pulled over. I'm sitting there trying to breathe through a contraction, and DH is getting all white-knuckled while we wait for the cop to get to the window. "Hey, how you guys doin'?" DH, "Well, I'M fine, but my wife's in labor!" The cop shines his flashlight at me. I just raise my hand and smile weakly, "Hi." Cop, "BYE! Drive safely!" And we were off again!
So no more impediments on our trip to the hospital, thank goodness! After we finally found the triage room (yeah, we never got around to visiting this new hospital), and I get my belly buckled into the band, and questions answered ("What was the last thing you ate?" *blush* "Salt and vinegar potato chips."), the resident checks me, and I'm at five centimeters! "Do you want anything for the pain?" "I want this to be as natural as possible." "Well, good! It probably won't take long since your first labor wasn't very long."
We get settled into a room, and the nurse starts the jacuzzi, but it's taking FOREVER. The water was a funny rust color she didn't like, so she kept letting it out while trying to get the water to run clear--all the while apologizing to DH and me while we're "hoot-heeting" away. She did give me a heating pad to put on my back and help with the pressure.
DH was great. He's feeding me ice chips and rubbing my back. My contractions are so painful now that we switch to a new random method of breathing we'd learned at our childbirth refresher course. It really helped me a lot
The doctor makes an an appearance sometime during all this. She's so wonderfully bubbly, I like her right away (I had seen her once during my pregnancy with DD1, but not with this pregnancy). She reassures me that the birth will go pretty quickly.
I had read somewhere that 2nd labors are usually around 20% shorter in duration than first. So, I'm figuring in my head that I should give birth around 7:00 AM or so(?). Yeah, math isn't my strong suit to begin with, but to try it while in labor???? Whatever, it gave me a GOAL, you see!
The nurse finally gets the jacuzzi water the proper color and temperature. Ahhhh....the power of jettisoned water! (And it didn't turn green!)
I don't think I was in the tub very long (an hour? I dunno.), when I started feeling nauseous during contractions and just felt so uncomfortable that I decided to get out. I got on the bed.
When the nurse came in again, I asked to be checked because I was curious. The resident came in. "You're at eight centimeters!" Wow, already? She asks if I'm feeling the urge to push. I'm not sure yet since I'm really only feeling the pain of the (now seemingly non-stop) contractions.
I remember trying to check the clock, but DH told me not to look. Hey, I needed to check for my sanity's sake! I had estimated a 7:00 birth, and here it was 5:30. I needed the reassurance that time was actually passing and that I was actually going to "make it." Only an hour and a half to go!
The resident decides that it's time to go ahead and break my water. I warned her that the LAST time my water was broken at 8 cm, I ended up having to push RIGHT AWAY. She breaks my water and says that there is a "tiny" bit of merconium in the water. Oh great. Once again, the baby will be swooped off to be checked immediately and DH won't get to cut the cord. Anyway, as predicted, as soon as she broke my water, I felt the urge to push.
The resident let me make an attempt to push to see if I could "push past" the last two centimeter. I didn't, but she said it would be anytime. She leaves to go fetch the doctor and start setting up for the birth. The nurse stays behind and helps me concentrate through my transition period. By now the urge to push is so strong, I'm afraid of a repeat of DD1's scary birth! The nurse has me flip over to my side and tells me to "grunt through the contractions if you have to." I also try to panting, but she insists I stick to the breathing pattern DH and I were using. My legs are shaking uncontrollably, and I'm trying not to panic. But the nurse tells me I'm doing wonderfully.
Finally the doctor and resident come back in. I hear something about "pushing past that last little bit," but I didn't catch it all. All I know is they set up shop and let me start pushing again. The nurse has a hold and my right leg and DH has my left. The resident even lets me put my left leg right up against her hip to keep it as far back as possible.
I probably pushed for about 15 minutes or so? It was so different from my labor with DD1. When I had to push her out, I didn't feel anything because of the local anesthetic from the episiotomy. This time, I had had no drugs and could feel the burning/tearing as the baby started coming out (I learned later that's why they call it the "ring of fire"!) It kind of scared me. I know I asked the doctor twice if I was dilated all the way and if it was OK for me to push. "Yes! You're doing wonderful!" but the burning was so bad, I started yelling, "It hurts, it hurts!" Doc, "I know, but you're doing great!"
When the baby crowned, the doctor exclaimed, "Look at all that hair!" She let me reach down to touch the baby's head to feel it. After a few more pushes, the head was out. Maybe two more, and out came the rest. I heard the baby cry right away. Doc, "Dad--what is it?!" DH looked and exclaimed, "It's a boy!" I sat up and looked at the baby. He was laying on the foot of the bed and wet and purply and crying! What a wonderful site!
Yes, he got swooped away, but just like with DD1, DS was just fine.
DS was born at 5:58 AM on Wednesday, February 20. He weighed 7lbs, 7oz and was 20.5 inches long.
(I still think it's cool that the sonographer was able to estimate almost to the OUNCE how big he was!)
So, here is how it all went down with baby #2.
I will start with February18--President's Day. It was first day of my official maternity leave, a week until my due date, and I had my weekly appointment. I got to my appointment, and my belly was bulging on the right side, so the baby seemed to be in a weird position (normally I bulged to the left). The nurse had a tough time finding a heartbeat. Then when she felt my belly, she was having a hard time figuring out the positioning of the baby. After much internal poking and prodding (while pushing DOWN on my belly), she announced that I was 2 cm, but she just couldn't figure out the position of the baby's head. So, she sent me to get an ultrasound.
The baby's head was down, no problem. So...whew! OK, there! The sonographer said baby was about 7 lbs, 6 oz and everything was golden.
Tuesday, I had DD1 home from the day care because she had a fever. We hung out in our PJs all day. I shampooed the rugs (nesting, anyone?). DH came home from work exhausted and took a nap. I put Mary to bed, took a shower, and stayed up to read. And fell asleep on the couch.
Around 10:30 or so, I woke up and decided to head to bed. But I felt as if I had to go to the bathroom (kinda crampy). I was not too successful with the bathroom trip, so I decided to get a snack. But instead of being a smart pregnant lady and grabbing an apple, I was a craving pregnant lady and grabbed the salt and vinegar ships. Anyway, my back was feeling kind of "funny," so I decided to do a couple of those pregnancy back exercises (trying to prevent another posterior birth!). I still felt weird, but I decided to try to sleep again. I couldn't sleep and the next bathroom trip resulted in a bloody show. OH!!!! It was around 11-11:30, I woke up DH and told him I thought we might be having a baby soon.
I lay back do, but then very gradually, I started feeling contractions. I started timing them around 12:20. I nudged John and told him I was going to pace the floor downstairs to make sure they were the real thing.
It was after 1:00 AM when I asked DH to come down and help me time the contractions. They were three minutes apart lasting about 40 seconds. After another half an hour, I had DH call the answering service while I got dressed and got a few things ready. Within minutes, the doctor called back. I made DH answer the phone because another contraction was hitting, and I was to the point where I couldn't talk through them anymore. The doc said to come on in to the hospital.
DH and I immediately started calling our day care provider/friend to wake her before we took DD1 over there as arranged. We called and called and no one answered the phone. She did say that if this were to happen, we should just drive right on over and pound on the door if it was locked. It was just after 2:00 AM when we finally woke up DD1 and packed her and everything else into the car. She was NOT happy. "Put me down! Put me down!" she kept crying--poor kid!
We drove over to our friend's house and John started pounding on the doors while I kept calling from the cell phone. No answer! I finally decided to put the back-up plan into effect. My boss lived just around the corner--but I didn't have her number on me! I DID have a co-worker's number, so I eventually got it. The boss answered--yay!--so we headed over there. Poor DD1 had such a pouty little look on her face when we left her--like, "How could you do this to me?"
It was getting close to 3:00 AM when we finally got on the road to the hospital. I started timing contractions again--2 minutes apart! I also had to change my breathing method as the relaxed breathing was no longer helping (I wonder how much of the STRESS of finding a place for my older kid contributed--LOL).
So, it's quite a haul from our place to the hospital, and we're going 55 down a 40. You know what comes next. Yep, we got pulled over. I'm sitting there trying to breathe through a contraction, and DH is getting all white-knuckled while we wait for the cop to get to the window. "Hey, how you guys doin'?" DH, "Well, I'M fine, but my wife's in labor!" The cop shines his flashlight at me. I just raise my hand and smile weakly, "Hi." Cop, "BYE! Drive safely!" And we were off again!
So no more impediments on our trip to the hospital, thank goodness! After we finally found the triage room (yeah, we never got around to visiting this new hospital), and I get my belly buckled into the band, and questions answered ("What was the last thing you ate?" *blush* "Salt and vinegar potato chips."), the resident checks me, and I'm at five centimeters! "Do you want anything for the pain?" "I want this to be as natural as possible." "Well, good! It probably won't take long since your first labor wasn't very long."
We get settled into a room, and the nurse starts the jacuzzi, but it's taking FOREVER. The water was a funny rust color she didn't like, so she kept letting it out while trying to get the water to run clear--all the while apologizing to DH and me while we're "hoot-heeting" away. She did give me a heating pad to put on my back and help with the pressure.
DH was great. He's feeding me ice chips and rubbing my back. My contractions are so painful now that we switch to a new random method of breathing we'd learned at our childbirth refresher course. It really helped me a lot
The doctor makes an an appearance sometime during all this. She's so wonderfully bubbly, I like her right away (I had seen her once during my pregnancy with DD1, but not with this pregnancy). She reassures me that the birth will go pretty quickly.
I had read somewhere that 2nd labors are usually around 20% shorter in duration than first. So, I'm figuring in my head that I should give birth around 7:00 AM or so(?). Yeah, math isn't my strong suit to begin with, but to try it while in labor???? Whatever, it gave me a GOAL, you see!
The nurse finally gets the jacuzzi water the proper color and temperature. Ahhhh....the power of jettisoned water! (And it didn't turn green!)
I don't think I was in the tub very long (an hour? I dunno.), when I started feeling nauseous during contractions and just felt so uncomfortable that I decided to get out. I got on the bed.
When the nurse came in again, I asked to be checked because I was curious. The resident came in. "You're at eight centimeters!" Wow, already? She asks if I'm feeling the urge to push. I'm not sure yet since I'm really only feeling the pain of the (now seemingly non-stop) contractions.
I remember trying to check the clock, but DH told me not to look. Hey, I needed to check for my sanity's sake! I had estimated a 7:00 birth, and here it was 5:30. I needed the reassurance that time was actually passing and that I was actually going to "make it." Only an hour and a half to go!
The resident decides that it's time to go ahead and break my water. I warned her that the LAST time my water was broken at 8 cm, I ended up having to push RIGHT AWAY. She breaks my water and says that there is a "tiny" bit of merconium in the water. Oh great. Once again, the baby will be swooped off to be checked immediately and DH won't get to cut the cord. Anyway, as predicted, as soon as she broke my water, I felt the urge to push.
The resident let me make an attempt to push to see if I could "push past" the last two centimeter. I didn't, but she said it would be anytime. She leaves to go fetch the doctor and start setting up for the birth. The nurse stays behind and helps me concentrate through my transition period. By now the urge to push is so strong, I'm afraid of a repeat of DD1's scary birth! The nurse has me flip over to my side and tells me to "grunt through the contractions if you have to." I also try to panting, but she insists I stick to the breathing pattern DH and I were using. My legs are shaking uncontrollably, and I'm trying not to panic. But the nurse tells me I'm doing wonderfully.
Finally the doctor and resident come back in. I hear something about "pushing past that last little bit," but I didn't catch it all. All I know is they set up shop and let me start pushing again. The nurse has a hold and my right leg and DH has my left. The resident even lets me put my left leg right up against her hip to keep it as far back as possible.
I probably pushed for about 15 minutes or so? It was so different from my labor with DD1. When I had to push her out, I didn't feel anything because of the local anesthetic from the episiotomy. This time, I had had no drugs and could feel the burning/tearing as the baby started coming out (I learned later that's why they call it the "ring of fire"!) It kind of scared me. I know I asked the doctor twice if I was dilated all the way and if it was OK for me to push. "Yes! You're doing wonderful!" but the burning was so bad, I started yelling, "It hurts, it hurts!" Doc, "I know, but you're doing great!"
When the baby crowned, the doctor exclaimed, "Look at all that hair!" She let me reach down to touch the baby's head to feel it. After a few more pushes, the head was out. Maybe two more, and out came the rest. I heard the baby cry right away. Doc, "Dad--what is it?!" DH looked and exclaimed, "It's a boy!" I sat up and looked at the baby. He was laying on the foot of the bed and wet and purply and crying! What a wonderful site!
Yes, he got swooped away, but just like with DD1, DS was just fine.
DS was born at 5:58 AM on Wednesday, February 20. He weighed 7lbs, 7oz and was 20.5 inches long.
(I still think it's cool that the sonographer was able to estimate almost to the OUNCE how big he was!)
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