Sean is on vacation this week. Yay! I'm looking forward to having him around, and spending time together as a family.
I posted the other day about finally getting Alice into a routine and to bed earlier. You know how long I've struggled with that! Well I also mentioned that my fear was that having Sean around would throw that off...well, I'll be. ONE day of being home and he blows it to pieces!
Yesterday, I took Harry with me to pick up a few things before my dad came over. I returned about an hour later (at approximately 5pm) to find them both sleeping?! WTH? I woke Alice up (Sean can sleep-he worked 8pm-8am last week so I know he was dead tired). She fell back asleep while I was nursing, and I had to get her back up.
We ate dinner and dessert (chocolate cupcakes with Nutella filling and Nutella buttercream frosting--I'll share the recipe later!) and I threw them both in the bath. It was right before 9 when I got her into bed, and of course she wasn't tired. Jumping, screaming, and kept getting down and running around. Sean and my dad came inside about an hour later and I told Sean I was going to choke him if he let her nap that late ever again. To make a long story short, I found them playing on the bed an hour later! Grrr! Alice finally fell asleep about midnight.
So we woke her up at her new wakeup time. Of course we had a crabby patty! So bad, in fact, that I refused to go to church. I knew she was going to gave a meltdown and I sure didn't want it to be at our first church service! I got her down for a nap at noon, after dealing with an hour and a half meltdown about not being able to play with the water in the kitchen sink. I was able to convince her the bathtub was just as much fun after forty-some minutes. So she took a two hour nap.
Fast forward to tonight...I get her ready for bed, and Sean was going to read her a book and put in the movie afterwards. I come inside an hour later (I was mowing) and she is still up and climbing on him. He tried to blame it on me and letting her nap too long/late! So I kick him out and get her down in about twenty minutes.
So we went over the new "rules". No naps past four (which means she has to be up BY 4). If she is going to nap, I'd prefer an earlier one (noon-2 would be nice). Dinner by 7pm, play for a bit, bath, pjs, brush hair/teeth, get marty/blankie/drink, hop into bed, read a book, start a movie, and BE still and quiet! She should be out within 10-15 minutes once in bed.
Now you are my witness. Not only have I told him (you'll have to take my word on this), but I've now told the world. If he messes this up, then he is on Alice duty from 8pm on!
I'm hoping this is remedied by tomorrow, so he and I can actually have some kid free time. It has been months years since we have been "alone", minus two dates since Alice was born. I'm sure we will just look at each other in silence wondering what to do and talk about ::wink::
Showing posts with label Alice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alice. Show all posts
Sunday, June 26, 2011
I Love Him, But I Might Choke Him!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
One Day I'll Laugh About This
I was making Jenner's Braciola for dinner, when Alice came in the kitchen. She was bent down grabbing herself, announcing "pees". Before I could do anything, she turns around and I notice my worst nightmare! She didn't mean pee, folks!
I got her in the bathroom and set her on the potty. Then I set off in search of her pull-up. I found it. Behind the tv?! I also found a lot of messes in various rooms.
After getting her cleaned up, a new pull-up, and a movie going, I started to clean up these messes. A few minutes later, she comes up to me with no pull-up on (again!). So we sat back on the potty and put on a diaper this time. I know she will probably just take the diaper off too, but at least she doesn't have to "step out" of it.
I'm excited that she is starting to initiate potty training. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of a poop covered house everyday!
I know I'll laugh about this later, but right now I need to go figure out what is smashed raisins (from her snack) and what isn't! FYI, they look the same. Man, I'm going to need a drink tonight!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Catching Up
I've been absent for awhile. Maybe you noticed. It was bound to happen. I could feel it coming on. I just was so "burnt" out that I didn't even have the decency to let all of you lovely Internets know.
It started gradual. Posting every few days instead of daily. Then not posting, but still reading and commenting on your blogs. And then...well I took a hiatus.
I was feeling so overwhelmed and weighed down. I had a to-do list miles long and nothing was getting crossed off. I had hit the peak of the hormone drop (I did the same thing around this time with Alice too). I was just burnt out. I enjoy blogging and keeping up with each one of you. It just got to the point that it felt like more of a "chore" than something I enjoyed. My comments were hardly thoughtful, and were completely generic. I don't like being like that. I like being "me" and writing the things I would say. So I just took a complete break.
I played a lot with the kiddos. I got some things on my to-do list crossed off. I enjoyed the little bit of "me" time that I sometimes can squeeze in, and did whatever I felt like doing. I got some flowers, herbs, and veggies planted. I have mastered the perfect (to me) cranberry almond chicken salad.
So enough about that. Updates. Alice has had a horrible diaper rash/yeast infection for months. Every time she had a dirty diaper it would come back. I'd slather diaper cream and Lotrimin on her and it would clear up. Only to return with the next dirty diaper. So I took her back to the pediatrician (again) and demanded help. I was thinking it was strep. The doctor thought otherwise. So we started using a few different creams. I'm happy (albeit a bit annoyed I was wrong) that her rash/bumps are pretty much cleared up.
HJ is just the sweetest. He smiles and talks to me all of the time. And the giggles? My goodness. My heart explodes EVERY. TIME.
The chicks? Not so chick looking. We Sean put them outside the other day. I can't tell which one Fluffy is anymore. See for yourself how much they have grown in the past two weeks.
Two or three weeks old.
Three or four weeks old!
Four or five weeks old!
It may be hard to tell how much bigger they are because of the angle and zoom differences. Trust me. They are mini chickens now! And yes, I know they were before, but they weren't "chicken" looking.
One of my mom's pugs had puppies almost two weeks ago. Sean wants to get one. I'm struggling with this. I'm torn. I do want a puppy/dog. I just don't know if I want a pug. And if I want one soon. I already have a lot going on around here. I already deal with enough poop and mouths to feed (Alice, HJ, the cat, three rabbits, the chickens, and the chicks). Logically, it doesn't make sense. However, it does when I look at the big picture. I'm at home, so I'd be here to house train. I could house train before I potty train Alice. HJ isn't mobile (yet), so that makes the transition a bit easier. If we wait, then we'd be waiting at least a year or two. And who knows what life will be like then?!
Then the whole pug debate. I want another Staffy. That costs money, and quite a bit. The pug would be free (initially). Are pugs good with kids? That is my biggest priority, of course, followed by the hair. From what I've read, pugs shed heavily. I'm not too keen on that. So if you have any experience or knowledge on pugs, let me have it!
So I'm back! I'm not going to promise daily posts. I'm going to ease back into my groove. I do promise that if I ever need a break, that I will let all you lovely people know.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Our Newest Additions
Nothing quite says spring like babies. Any kind of babies. While I would be most thrilled with a puppy, and we will get one someday, I don't quite have the time for something like that. Ever since Bruno's death (he was our first baby-a Staffordshire Bull Terrier), we have been hesitant to bring another canine into our home. Ideally, once the kids are a bit older we will consider adding a new best friend. I'm hoping for another year or two!
So what did we get? Why, a bunch of chicks, of course! We currently have three hens and a rooster, and we needed/wanted a few more. So Sean and Alice went chick shopping! We were planning on getting 5 or 6, but I guess he had to buy at least 10. So we have ten baby chicks! If any of them are roosters, I'm a bit sad to say that their lives will be somewhat short. Though we would be doing them a much better disservice to put them in with the one we have now. He is large and beautiful, but oh so mean to other cocks. He was part of our original set, and he killed three others. We weren't sure which one was the "killer" as he was the smaller of the two we had left, and we were deciding which one to keep. I wanted to keep him, and Sean wanted the other one. Turns out I have a better knack for these things, as a day or two later we found the other rooster dead.
So enough about death. Let's see the chicks!
So what did we get? Why, a bunch of chicks, of course! We currently have three hens and a rooster, and we needed/wanted a few more. So Sean and Alice went chick shopping! We were planning on getting 5 or 6, but I guess he had to buy at least 10. So we have ten baby chicks! If any of them are roosters, I'm a bit sad to say that their lives will be somewhat short. Though we would be doing them a much better disservice to put them in with the one we have now. He is large and beautiful, but oh so mean to other cocks. He was part of our original set, and he killed three others. We weren't sure which one was the "killer" as he was the smaller of the two we had left, and we were deciding which one to keep. I wanted to keep him, and Sean wanted the other one. Turns out I have a better knack for these things, as a day or two later we found the other rooster dead.
So enough about death. Let's see the chicks!
This was the box they came in. Way too small!
So Sean and Alice found them a bigger box! And moved them into our laundry room, so that we could care for them easier (I'm short and couldn't reach the food or water when they were in their original spot!). Plus now Alice can stand and watch them for hours! So far, she has tried to share her sippy cup and shoes with them.
This one is my favorite! S/he is so fluffy and fuzzy! I shall call him/her Fluffy. And Fluffy is, obviously, intelligent because Fluffy is doing the crossword! My kinda chick!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
What A Morning!
I hope this posts. I wrote one yesterday, and I tried to publish it and have NO idea where it went. It wasn't even saved to my drafts!
I got everyone to bed earlier than ever last night. Everyone was asleep BY 9 pm! Except me. I stayed up until 1 am.
Around 2:30, I was awoken to Sean running into the room yelling, "How did he fall out of the swing?" I immediately jumped up and said, "What the hell!" Alice woke up during all of this, so we had two kids crying. Alice didn't want Sean to leave ("Daddee NOOOO bye!"). HJ only cried for a few minutes. I checked him out. No bumps or marks. He nursed for about twenty minutes and then went back to sleep. It took me an hour to get Alice back down. She HAD to have a cookie and a drink. I stayed up for awhile longer and kept checking on HJ.
He seems fine. He shows no signs of anything. No vomiting, etc. He has been sleeping a lot, though. I tried to figure out how he got out of the swing. We have it fully reclined, and it wasn't going fast enough to "launch" him out of there. I think he just plopped himself over the tray.
I checked on him again before going to sleep, and he was almost out again! Apparently he had kicked the tray up and was wiggling himself down. Good grief! I've got a Houdini! Now it is time to start buckling him in. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have to worry about this with a 6 week old!
(Just talked to Sean and this is what he said)
Sean said he was in the kitchen and he heard two thuds. He was in the bedroom before HJ started crying and picked him up. He thought Alice had thrown him out of the swing! Our best guess is that the first "thud" was him kicking the tray up and the second was him hitting the floor. I guess he was face down about two feet in front of the swing!
I'm planning on calling the pediatrician, as he seems fine, but I'm worried a little as he has been asleep since 8:30 (it is almost 1pm). I know the big thing to look for/worry about is vomiting, and we are okay there.
I'm just hoping he is fine. He seems to be, but I'm still a little worried. I'm glad babies are resilient. Sean "dropped" Alice (he says she rolled off of his chest) and she hit her head on the corner of the nightstand, within hours of getting home from the hospital after her birth! So we are no strangers to head "injuries".
Also today, I've had to wash one of the couch cushions and give Alice a bath. She had a blowout and got it all over the couch. Lovely!
Ahh, a day in the life ;-)
I got everyone to bed earlier than ever last night. Everyone was asleep BY 9 pm! Except me. I stayed up until 1 am.
Around 2:30, I was awoken to Sean running into the room yelling, "How did he fall out of the swing?" I immediately jumped up and said, "What the hell!" Alice woke up during all of this, so we had two kids crying. Alice didn't want Sean to leave ("Daddee NOOOO bye!"). HJ only cried for a few minutes. I checked him out. No bumps or marks. He nursed for about twenty minutes and then went back to sleep. It took me an hour to get Alice back down. She HAD to have a cookie and a drink. I stayed up for awhile longer and kept checking on HJ.
He seems fine. He shows no signs of anything. No vomiting, etc. He has been sleeping a lot, though. I tried to figure out how he got out of the swing. We have it fully reclined, and it wasn't going fast enough to "launch" him out of there. I think he just plopped himself over the tray.
I checked on him again before going to sleep, and he was almost out again! Apparently he had kicked the tray up and was wiggling himself down. Good grief! I've got a Houdini! Now it is time to start buckling him in. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have to worry about this with a 6 week old!
(Just talked to Sean and this is what he said)
Sean said he was in the kitchen and he heard two thuds. He was in the bedroom before HJ started crying and picked him up. He thought Alice had thrown him out of the swing! Our best guess is that the first "thud" was him kicking the tray up and the second was him hitting the floor. I guess he was face down about two feet in front of the swing!
I'm planning on calling the pediatrician, as he seems fine, but I'm worried a little as he has been asleep since 8:30 (it is almost 1pm). I know the big thing to look for/worry about is vomiting, and we are okay there.
I'm just hoping he is fine. He seems to be, but I'm still a little worried. I'm glad babies are resilient. Sean "dropped" Alice (he says she rolled off of his chest) and she hit her head on the corner of the nightstand, within hours of getting home from the hospital after her birth! So we are no strangers to head "injuries".
Also today, I've had to wash one of the couch cushions and give Alice a bath. She had a blowout and got it all over the couch. Lovely!
Ahh, a day in the life ;-)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Help Me Out
I'm going to start a new thing. It may not be weekly, but it will be an occasional thing. Help Me Out will be where I ask you some questions, and you can humor me and help me out!
Jack (that is what I'm calling him this week *wink*) has been a horrible napper lately. He will fall asleep nursing and wake up immediately upon putting him down. He takes cat naps. Ten, maybe twenty minutes if I'm lucky. In order to get him to take a good nap during the day, I have been putting him in bed with Alice and me, and nursing him until he falls asleep. Then he will sleep for about three hours, BUT only if I'm lying next to him for a good part of that at the beginning. So I usually end up taking a nap for an hour or so (much needed!). I then put him in the bassinet, which I warm up with a heating pad so it feels like I'm still there for a bit. Any ideas on getting him to nap better and quit falling asleep at my breast? I don't swaddle him, but maybe that would help. He does well at night mostly. I put him in the swing, and he will go anywhere from 3-5 hours with the occasional longer stretch.
Alice, also, has been napping/sleeping poorly. She has been getting about 8 hours of sleep at night, and a two (sometimes three) hour nap. She really needs more like twelve hours of sleep a day. She will fall asleep for twenty to thirty minutes, and then be up for a few hours before actually napping (which means she goes down later than I'd like) and the same thing at bedtime. Tonight she went to bed with Sean (about 9:30) so I'm hoping she will stay asleep until morning. I think me lying in bed and being awake is what is interrupting her sleep. If Sean is here, I can stay out if the room until I'm ready to sleep, but if I'm the only one here, she won't stay in bed unless I'm right there with her. Any ideas for her?
Jack (that is what I'm calling him this week *wink*) has been a horrible napper lately. He will fall asleep nursing and wake up immediately upon putting him down. He takes cat naps. Ten, maybe twenty minutes if I'm lucky. In order to get him to take a good nap during the day, I have been putting him in bed with Alice and me, and nursing him until he falls asleep. Then he will sleep for about three hours, BUT only if I'm lying next to him for a good part of that at the beginning. So I usually end up taking a nap for an hour or so (much needed!). I then put him in the bassinet, which I warm up with a heating pad so it feels like I'm still there for a bit. Any ideas on getting him to nap better and quit falling asleep at my breast? I don't swaddle him, but maybe that would help. He does well at night mostly. I put him in the swing, and he will go anywhere from 3-5 hours with the occasional longer stretch.
Alice, also, has been napping/sleeping poorly. She has been getting about 8 hours of sleep at night, and a two (sometimes three) hour nap. She really needs more like twelve hours of sleep a day. She will fall asleep for twenty to thirty minutes, and then be up for a few hours before actually napping (which means she goes down later than I'd like) and the same thing at bedtime. Tonight she went to bed with Sean (about 9:30) so I'm hoping she will stay asleep until morning. I think me lying in bed and being awake is what is interrupting her sleep. If Sean is here, I can stay out if the room until I'm ready to sleep, but if I'm the only one here, she won't stay in bed unless I'm right there with her. Any ideas for her?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Stoned
I'm laughing thinking about how many hits on google this post could get. Especially considering what day it is!
No, I'm not stoned. I sure feel like it though. We had awful storms last night (80 mph winds!), and Alice didn't go to sleep until 2am! Not because of the storms, but because she has been staying up later and later every night, and getting up later each day. I've allowed this because it gives me a chance for some extra sleep, but no more!
I got her down at 2, and then went to the grocery store. It couldn't wait. We needed toilet paper! And food because why waste a trip? I got home around 3:20 and put everything up, washed my face and brushed my teeth, and headed to sleep about 4. No sooner had I gotten settled and HJ woke up. So we did the whole routine, and got to bed at 5:30. 8 o'clock rolls around, and someone was hungry! Got back to sleep thirty minutes later, and then everyone was up around 10. Ugh! I'm exhausted!!! This is especially cruel because HJ had slept 7.5 and 8.5 hours the past two nights, so I was "used" to getting some sleep. I have gotten a few really big smiles from a cute toothless guy, so it is all worth it!
Today is also Alice's 20 month-versary! Twenty months on the twentieth! Is that kind of like a princess birthday? It is hard to believe she will be TWO in four months! My goodness, time flies by! Since I haven't posted her monthly updates in awhile, I'll do one today.
Alice has started talking more. She had stopped using most of her words when I started staying home, so I'm glad she is starting to communicate a little more.
Words she is now using regularly:
Pee
Dog (sounds like daw)
Bunny (bunh)
Ball (baw)
Bite (she uses this for sips of my drink as well-too cute!)
Bath
Bolt (bote-this is her most favorite movie!)
Swing (swee)
Yea (finally answering yes occasionally!)
So a lot of those words sound the same and some people may say she isn't saying new words, but I can tell a difference in what she says and know what she is trying to say.
New things this past month:
Somersaults
"reading" all of the time
Loves to do laundry (throw stuff in washing machine or dryer and close the door/lid)
Can lock doors!
Can throw a ball correctly
Loves to feed the chickens (instead of watching)
Loves tools and "helping" Daddy on the car (future mechanic?)
Puts things back where they go (or where she thinks they should go!)
And there is probably more, but I'm not functioning too well!
Happy Twenty Month-aversary, my sweet Alice!
No, I'm not stoned. I sure feel like it though. We had awful storms last night (80 mph winds!), and Alice didn't go to sleep until 2am! Not because of the storms, but because she has been staying up later and later every night, and getting up later each day. I've allowed this because it gives me a chance for some extra sleep, but no more!
I got her down at 2, and then went to the grocery store. It couldn't wait. We needed toilet paper! And food because why waste a trip? I got home around 3:20 and put everything up, washed my face and brushed my teeth, and headed to sleep about 4. No sooner had I gotten settled and HJ woke up. So we did the whole routine, and got to bed at 5:30. 8 o'clock rolls around, and someone was hungry! Got back to sleep thirty minutes later, and then everyone was up around 10. Ugh! I'm exhausted!!! This is especially cruel because HJ had slept 7.5 and 8.5 hours the past two nights, so I was "used" to getting some sleep. I have gotten a few really big smiles from a cute toothless guy, so it is all worth it!
Today is also Alice's 20 month-versary! Twenty months on the twentieth! Is that kind of like a princess birthday? It is hard to believe she will be TWO in four months! My goodness, time flies by! Since I haven't posted her monthly updates in awhile, I'll do one today.
Alice has started talking more. She had stopped using most of her words when I started staying home, so I'm glad she is starting to communicate a little more.
Words she is now using regularly:
Pee
Dog (sounds like daw)
Bunny (bunh)
Ball (baw)
Bite (she uses this for sips of my drink as well-too cute!)
Bath
Bolt (bote-this is her most favorite movie!)
Swing (swee)
Yea (finally answering yes occasionally!)
So a lot of those words sound the same and some people may say she isn't saying new words, but I can tell a difference in what she says and know what she is trying to say.
New things this past month:
Somersaults
"reading" all of the time
Loves to do laundry (throw stuff in washing machine or dryer and close the door/lid)
Can lock doors!
Can throw a ball correctly
Loves to feed the chickens (instead of watching)
Loves tools and "helping" Daddy on the car (future mechanic?)
Puts things back where they go (or where she thinks they should go!)
And there is probably more, but I'm not functioning too well!
Happy Twenty Month-aversary, my sweet Alice!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Harold Jack's Birth Story
I have been working on this for almost four weeks, and am finally done!
*****************************************************
I had a feeling on Friday, March 11, that I would be going into labor soon. I remember telling Sean on the phone that I wasn't going to make it through the next week! He thought I was referring to taking care of Alice. Ha! Nope, my dear, this baby will be here soon.
Of course, he thought I was just tired and cranky, but I could tell. How? I had a tingly sensation in my head (hormones-I got them a few days before Alice was born, and get them from time to time before I ovulate or start my period) and I felt like being left completely alone. Alice was driving me nuts that evening, and she was just watching a movie! My sister called too, and I just didn't want to talk. I told her I wasn't feeling well and (I think) wanted to be left alone. So not like me.
So Saturday rolls around, and I got sick that morning. I decided to still go to my prenatal massage because nothing would make me go into labor, unless it was time. I remember having some cramps in the drive there. I relaxed and enjoyed my massage. As soon as it was over and I got up to get dressed, the cramps returned but were stronger and a bit painful.
I got home and took a nap. When I got up, the cramps returned. I needed to go pick up some prescriptions, so Alice and I headed into town. We didn't make it before the pharmacy closed (missed by four minutes!). I realized on the drive there, that my "cramps" were getting stronger, and I had three (it is a 10 minute drive). So I opened up Contraction Master on my phone and started timing. Sure enough, they were contractions! We got home, and I threw something together for dinner and went to sit down. The contractions were irregular, lasting around 30 seconds and anywhere from four to twenty minutes apart. I called my brother and let him know that he was on-call for the night.
After dinner and Alice's bath, I had Sean get her settled for bed, and I went outside to walk. I didn't want to have days of prodromal labor like I had with Alice. Days of painful contractions, no more than twenty minutes apart, really take a toll on you! I walked up and down the driveway, and even through the yard. The contractions slowed down and spaced out. So I went inside and took a hot shower. I was hoping they would pick back up, but they didn't. So I went to bed.
I got up several times, still having minor contractions, but was able to go back to sleep. About 7 am, they were getting uncomfortable and I couldn't sleep anymore. So I got up and started walking around. I called the after hours number and left my number for the ob to call. I had Sean go into town to get prescriptions and a few things. That was around 8:30. I told him to hurry back because I was having trouble coping through some of them. Alice woke up and I fixed her breakfast.
I hopped into the shower, while she was eating, and this time they didn't stop or slow down. Sean called and told me the pharmacy didn't open until 10 am, and he'd be home right afterwards. So I called my brother and let him know what was going on. That we would be going to the hospital at some point, and I'd keep him informed.
I went to the bathroom where I noticed I lost a large portion of my mucus plug and had some bleeding. Sean called and said he was on his way home. I told him what was going on, and I guess he over reacted a bit because I noticed him flying down the road with hazard lights on, going about 80!
He ran in and started rushing around. What a contrast to being in labor with Alice. I had to threaten to kill him for hours before he agreed to go to the hospital! I told him to calm down. We had awhile left. I finished packing a few things for the hospital, and then packed a bag for Alice, along with snacks, juice, and books. Sean packed up the car, and I finally talked to my doctor. I told her I had been having contractions regularly since 7 (it was after 11 at this point). They were lasting 30-50 seconds, and 1:30-3 minutes apart. She told me to head to the hospital. I went to the bathroom before we left, and noticed a lot more mucus plug and bloody show. So we headed to the hospital. I called my brother en route, and he was to meet us there.
Sean took a different route to the hospital, an asked if we had time to grab some food. I was starving, so we pulled into a McDonald's. We got our food, and headed towards the hospital. We got there around 1 pm, and headed up to Labor & Delivery. They got me in a triage room and had me put on a gown. The nurse checked me, and I was 3 cm and about 50% effaced. Normally, you have to be 4 cm to be admitted, but my ob came in and said to admit me. So they moved us to a huge delivery room (it was for twins). After hooking me up to the monitors and starting an IV line, I was able to walk around for 40 minutes every hour, with 20 minutes of monitoring.
My dad, brother, and Alice were still at the hospital and they came back to visit for a bit. I will never forget the look on Alice's face. She looked confused and concerned...and yet, in awe of everything! Alice, my dad, and I did a few laps while they were there. I had to stop with every contraction, and Alice kept rubbing my leg. It was so sweet! They left about 3 to get her a nap.
My walking laps and being monitored continued for a few more hours. My contractions were getting increasingly painful, and if I wasn't up walking around (actually bending over, kind of squatting) through them, I had a really hard time getting through them!
At six, my new nurse came in and offered me an epidural. I told her I wanted to see where I was at, and then decide. I was STILL 3 cm and about 80% effaced. So in four hours of walking, it did nothing. I told her I'd wait a bit longer, but they were starting pitocin, so I didn't know how long I'd be able to hang on.
They started pitocin about 7pm, and I was pretty confined to the bed (or bathroom) at that point. I hung in there for several hours before I couldn't take it anymore. I asked for an epidural, and at 10:30 the anesthesiologist came in. This was the worst experience of my life! She used the lidocaine shot, but didn't wait for it to start working before starting to put the epidural in. So I'm bent over the table, holding on to my nurse's hands and I can feel the whole thing. At some point it just felt like pressure, so the lidocaine had started working. Of course, during this I'm having the longest and strongest contraction yet. So I'm breathing (barely), tears were streaming down my face, and the nurse was trying to help me cope. She kept apologizing under her breath for the dr not waiting for everything to numb. The epi was finally in, and was started. Of course, it didn't take very well. My right side was numb, but I could feel hot points on my left side. Which didn't surprise me, since I felt the epi go in and it was more on the right side of my spine. Plus she put it up a bit higher than normal. So what does the dr do? Just keeps giving me more drugs in the line. Which eventually makes my left side numb too. Of course, it was too much and having to lie almost flat didn't help. It soon traveled up to my chest, and I started having an anxiety attack. Do you know what it feels like to have to cough, but not be able to because everything is numb? Scary! So I elevated the bed and after an hour or so, I could start to feel my chest.
I was checked a little after midnight, and I was almost 4 cm and 80%. I was getting frustrated. I just tried to relax and played some games on my phone. Sometime between 1:15-1:20, I heard a "pop" and what "felt" like there was fluid by my legs (I was still really numb, so to feel anything was weird). My nurse came in a few minutes later, and I asked her to check me because I thought my water had broken. I was right, my water had broken and she said there was some meconium. Great. Now if I had been anxious before, that was nothing compared to how I felt now! She did an internal and I was now 7cm! Woo hoo! I woke Sean up a little after this time and told him the party was going to be starting soon, and to give him a heads up about the meconium.
She went off to notify the Nicu that they would need to be there at delivery, and to call my ob. A little after 2 am, Stacy (my nurse-who was the best ever!) came in to check me (I was almost complete) and let me know it wouldn't be an "intimate" delivery, as a lot of people would be there, in case he had any complications. My epidural was wearing off on my left side and I was getting hot spots, so they gave me another bolus. Great more numbness!
Around 2:30 am, I started feeling pressure and let Stacy know. I was almost complete, but had a bit of cervical lip left (had this with Alice too-they just flipped it). So we waited for my doctor.
She got there about 2:45 and checked me. I told her she would probably have to flip the lip, and she smiled and did. Then we had to wait for the Nicu team. They came in right before 3 am, set up, and got called to another room! My doctor and Stacy were a bit peeved! Couldn't it wait? His head was literally right there! My contractions were moving him down and at this rate he would just slide out!
So they came right back. I started pushing at 3:05. Two contractions later, Harold Jack was born at 3:08 am, weighing 9 pounds (actually 8lbs15.6oz), 22 inches, and head circumference of 14cm.
It felt like minutes before I heard him cry, but Sean said it was almost immediate. Sean cut the cord, and followed him to get suctioned. Then they brought him to me. He was absolutely beautiful! Dark hair, chubby cheeks...just perfect! After a few minutes, they whisked him off to get cleaned up and then brought him back to me. I started nursing him, and he went to town!
We had to wait about two hours before they moved us, as I still couldn't feel or move my legs from that last bolus (which I don't think I needed, but who knew it would be so soon after?!).
Once we got to our room, I immediately was given some pain medicine along with a turkey sandwich and some other stuff. I'm pretty sure it was an awful sandwich, but it tasted amazing! Funny how hunger is the best seasoning!
About 7 am, I managed to get a bit of a nap in. I'm glad I did because visitors started pouring in around 10 am. Did they think that I slept six hours and was well rested? Luckily, I managed a shower before that, and Sean went home to get cleaned up and feed the animals.
When my brother and SIL brought Alice, I just started bawling! I had missed her terribly. She and I had never spent that much time apart, let alone an overnight! Plus the look on her face! Excitement, happiness, and concern. She was glad to see me, wondering why I was in this totally awesome bed with buttons, and wait...what is that? A BABY! "Beebee!" And the tears started flowing again! I got her in bed with me and hugged and kissed her, and introduced her brother to her.
I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get family time with Alice before everyone came. That was my original plan. To introduce her, and the four of us have a little time together. It all worked out. We had all evening together and the next day!
Harold Jack was unnamed until the last hour (or less) that we were at the hospital. We had a name picked out that second day (Charles Walker), but when I told my sister she said "Chuck Norris, Walker Texas Ranger" and I immediately nixed it. I have always loved the name Harold Jack (how could you not like the way it flows!), plus my grandfather was named Harold and my other grandfather was John (nickname for Jack). I had given up on the name long before we knew HJ was a boy. So when Sean came in and suggested it that last day, I was surprised to say the least! So that is how HJ became Harold Jack!
*****************************************************
I had a feeling on Friday, March 11, that I would be going into labor soon. I remember telling Sean on the phone that I wasn't going to make it through the next week! He thought I was referring to taking care of Alice. Ha! Nope, my dear, this baby will be here soon.
Of course, he thought I was just tired and cranky, but I could tell. How? I had a tingly sensation in my head (hormones-I got them a few days before Alice was born, and get them from time to time before I ovulate or start my period) and I felt like being left completely alone. Alice was driving me nuts that evening, and she was just watching a movie! My sister called too, and I just didn't want to talk. I told her I wasn't feeling well and (I think) wanted to be left alone. So not like me.
So Saturday rolls around, and I got sick that morning. I decided to still go to my prenatal massage because nothing would make me go into labor, unless it was time. I remember having some cramps in the drive there. I relaxed and enjoyed my massage. As soon as it was over and I got up to get dressed, the cramps returned but were stronger and a bit painful.
I got home and took a nap. When I got up, the cramps returned. I needed to go pick up some prescriptions, so Alice and I headed into town. We didn't make it before the pharmacy closed (missed by four minutes!). I realized on the drive there, that my "cramps" were getting stronger, and I had three (it is a 10 minute drive). So I opened up Contraction Master on my phone and started timing. Sure enough, they were contractions! We got home, and I threw something together for dinner and went to sit down. The contractions were irregular, lasting around 30 seconds and anywhere from four to twenty minutes apart. I called my brother and let him know that he was on-call for the night.
After dinner and Alice's bath, I had Sean get her settled for bed, and I went outside to walk. I didn't want to have days of prodromal labor like I had with Alice. Days of painful contractions, no more than twenty minutes apart, really take a toll on you! I walked up and down the driveway, and even through the yard. The contractions slowed down and spaced out. So I went inside and took a hot shower. I was hoping they would pick back up, but they didn't. So I went to bed.
I got up several times, still having minor contractions, but was able to go back to sleep. About 7 am, they were getting uncomfortable and I couldn't sleep anymore. So I got up and started walking around. I called the after hours number and left my number for the ob to call. I had Sean go into town to get prescriptions and a few things. That was around 8:30. I told him to hurry back because I was having trouble coping through some of them. Alice woke up and I fixed her breakfast.
I hopped into the shower, while she was eating, and this time they didn't stop or slow down. Sean called and told me the pharmacy didn't open until 10 am, and he'd be home right afterwards. So I called my brother and let him know what was going on. That we would be going to the hospital at some point, and I'd keep him informed.
I went to the bathroom where I noticed I lost a large portion of my mucus plug and had some bleeding. Sean called and said he was on his way home. I told him what was going on, and I guess he over reacted a bit because I noticed him flying down the road with hazard lights on, going about 80!
He ran in and started rushing around. What a contrast to being in labor with Alice. I had to threaten to kill him for hours before he agreed to go to the hospital! I told him to calm down. We had awhile left. I finished packing a few things for the hospital, and then packed a bag for Alice, along with snacks, juice, and books. Sean packed up the car, and I finally talked to my doctor. I told her I had been having contractions regularly since 7 (it was after 11 at this point). They were lasting 30-50 seconds, and 1:30-3 minutes apart. She told me to head to the hospital. I went to the bathroom before we left, and noticed a lot more mucus plug and bloody show. So we headed to the hospital. I called my brother en route, and he was to meet us there.
Sean took a different route to the hospital, an asked if we had time to grab some food. I was starving, so we pulled into a McDonald's. We got our food, and headed towards the hospital. We got there around 1 pm, and headed up to Labor & Delivery. They got me in a triage room and had me put on a gown. The nurse checked me, and I was 3 cm and about 50% effaced. Normally, you have to be 4 cm to be admitted, but my ob came in and said to admit me. So they moved us to a huge delivery room (it was for twins). After hooking me up to the monitors and starting an IV line, I was able to walk around for 40 minutes every hour, with 20 minutes of monitoring.
My dad, brother, and Alice were still at the hospital and they came back to visit for a bit. I will never forget the look on Alice's face. She looked confused and concerned...and yet, in awe of everything! Alice, my dad, and I did a few laps while they were there. I had to stop with every contraction, and Alice kept rubbing my leg. It was so sweet! They left about 3 to get her a nap.
My walking laps and being monitored continued for a few more hours. My contractions were getting increasingly painful, and if I wasn't up walking around (actually bending over, kind of squatting) through them, I had a really hard time getting through them!
At six, my new nurse came in and offered me an epidural. I told her I wanted to see where I was at, and then decide. I was STILL 3 cm and about 80% effaced. So in four hours of walking, it did nothing. I told her I'd wait a bit longer, but they were starting pitocin, so I didn't know how long I'd be able to hang on.
They started pitocin about 7pm, and I was pretty confined to the bed (or bathroom) at that point. I hung in there for several hours before I couldn't take it anymore. I asked for an epidural, and at 10:30 the anesthesiologist came in. This was the worst experience of my life! She used the lidocaine shot, but didn't wait for it to start working before starting to put the epidural in. So I'm bent over the table, holding on to my nurse's hands and I can feel the whole thing. At some point it just felt like pressure, so the lidocaine had started working. Of course, during this I'm having the longest and strongest contraction yet. So I'm breathing (barely), tears were streaming down my face, and the nurse was trying to help me cope. She kept apologizing under her breath for the dr not waiting for everything to numb. The epi was finally in, and was started. Of course, it didn't take very well. My right side was numb, but I could feel hot points on my left side. Which didn't surprise me, since I felt the epi go in and it was more on the right side of my spine. Plus she put it up a bit higher than normal. So what does the dr do? Just keeps giving me more drugs in the line. Which eventually makes my left side numb too. Of course, it was too much and having to lie almost flat didn't help. It soon traveled up to my chest, and I started having an anxiety attack. Do you know what it feels like to have to cough, but not be able to because everything is numb? Scary! So I elevated the bed and after an hour or so, I could start to feel my chest.
I was checked a little after midnight, and I was almost 4 cm and 80%. I was getting frustrated. I just tried to relax and played some games on my phone. Sometime between 1:15-1:20, I heard a "pop" and what "felt" like there was fluid by my legs (I was still really numb, so to feel anything was weird). My nurse came in a few minutes later, and I asked her to check me because I thought my water had broken. I was right, my water had broken and she said there was some meconium. Great. Now if I had been anxious before, that was nothing compared to how I felt now! She did an internal and I was now 7cm! Woo hoo! I woke Sean up a little after this time and told him the party was going to be starting soon, and to give him a heads up about the meconium.
She went off to notify the Nicu that they would need to be there at delivery, and to call my ob. A little after 2 am, Stacy (my nurse-who was the best ever!) came in to check me (I was almost complete) and let me know it wouldn't be an "intimate" delivery, as a lot of people would be there, in case he had any complications. My epidural was wearing off on my left side and I was getting hot spots, so they gave me another bolus. Great more numbness!
Around 2:30 am, I started feeling pressure and let Stacy know. I was almost complete, but had a bit of cervical lip left (had this with Alice too-they just flipped it). So we waited for my doctor.
She got there about 2:45 and checked me. I told her she would probably have to flip the lip, and she smiled and did. Then we had to wait for the Nicu team. They came in right before 3 am, set up, and got called to another room! My doctor and Stacy were a bit peeved! Couldn't it wait? His head was literally right there! My contractions were moving him down and at this rate he would just slide out!
So they came right back. I started pushing at 3:05. Two contractions later, Harold Jack was born at 3:08 am, weighing 9 pounds (actually 8lbs15.6oz), 22 inches, and head circumference of 14cm.
It felt like minutes before I heard him cry, but Sean said it was almost immediate. Sean cut the cord, and followed him to get suctioned. Then they brought him to me. He was absolutely beautiful! Dark hair, chubby cheeks...just perfect! After a few minutes, they whisked him off to get cleaned up and then brought him back to me. I started nursing him, and he went to town!
We had to wait about two hours before they moved us, as I still couldn't feel or move my legs from that last bolus (which I don't think I needed, but who knew it would be so soon after?!).
Once we got to our room, I immediately was given some pain medicine along with a turkey sandwich and some other stuff. I'm pretty sure it was an awful sandwich, but it tasted amazing! Funny how hunger is the best seasoning!
About 7 am, I managed to get a bit of a nap in. I'm glad I did because visitors started pouring in around 10 am. Did they think that I slept six hours and was well rested? Luckily, I managed a shower before that, and Sean went home to get cleaned up and feed the animals.
When my brother and SIL brought Alice, I just started bawling! I had missed her terribly. She and I had never spent that much time apart, let alone an overnight! Plus the look on her face! Excitement, happiness, and concern. She was glad to see me, wondering why I was in this totally awesome bed with buttons, and wait...what is that? A BABY! "Beebee!" And the tears started flowing again! I got her in bed with me and hugged and kissed her, and introduced her brother to her.
I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get family time with Alice before everyone came. That was my original plan. To introduce her, and the four of us have a little time together. It all worked out. We had all evening together and the next day!
Harold Jack was unnamed until the last hour (or less) that we were at the hospital. We had a name picked out that second day (Charles Walker), but when I told my sister she said "Chuck Norris, Walker Texas Ranger" and I immediately nixed it. I have always loved the name Harold Jack (how could you not like the way it flows!), plus my grandfather was named Harold and my other grandfather was John (nickname for Jack). I had given up on the name long before we knew HJ was a boy. So when Sean came in and suggested it that last day, I was surprised to say the least! So that is how HJ became Harold Jack!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Oh The Love!
I am just so in love with HJ, Alice, and Sean. It is amazing how adding a new little person can intensify the love everyday for everyone!
I worried while pregnant if I would love this little man as much as I love Alice. Without a doubt, I do, and it happened so much "quicker" than after Alice was born. Not to say I didn't love her immediately-I did! I just think my heart grew a million times more that day, so it just felt like that.
I'm really wondering how my body can contain my heart. It feels like it grows exponentially everyday!
I worried while pregnant if I would love this little man as much as I love Alice. Without a doubt, I do, and it happened so much "quicker" than after Alice was born. Not to say I didn't love her immediately-I did! I just think my heart grew a million times more that day, so it just felt like that.
I'm really wondering how my body can contain my heart. It feels like it grows exponentially everyday!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Forgive Me
I know it has been awhile since I have posted. Over a month! I can't believe it myself. A lot has been going on. I have been swamped with pt/dr appts, busy with Alice, and doing a whole lot of cleaning/organizing...oh, and reading. I have read probably 12 books in the past month.
So what has been going on? The other day, I had a genius idea. I need as much quality sleep as possible, and that is hard in our queen size bed with Sean (who is a lot bigger than me) and Alice (whom is way smaller, but moves around just as much as she did in the womb-seriously, this kid would wake me up with her kicks and punches...and that hasn't changed since she is in our bed). No more! I pulled the futon mattress out. I bought new bedding and curtains. I bought a pillow pet and scented oil for her room. The result? Brilliant! She loves her bed. She will go lay down on her own for naps. She watches movies in there (when I put them on). And I have been having a good night sleep for the past 4 days! Why didn't I think of this sooner?
I have some belly pics to share, but I'm on my phone so I can't post them right now. I have my 20 week u/s tomorrow. Though, I think I'm 19 weeks. I have decided not to find out the gender. I want to be surprised. I will have the tech write it down and seal it in an envelope, just in case I change my mind. I may let Sean have a peek, if he swears not to tell a soul...and forget about it immediately. If he slips up, you may see us on the news (crazy pregnant wife strangles husband) ;)
I will make sure to come back in the next day or two. I need to post pictures of Alice's room, belly pics, and new pics of Sprout (which I will get tomorrow!). Yippee! I can't wait to see Sprout again! I have been feeling him/her for awhile, but a lot more in the past few days!
Hope all is well with all of you! Til next time :) xoxo
So what has been going on? The other day, I had a genius idea. I need as much quality sleep as possible, and that is hard in our queen size bed with Sean (who is a lot bigger than me) and Alice (whom is way smaller, but moves around just as much as she did in the womb-seriously, this kid would wake me up with her kicks and punches...and that hasn't changed since she is in our bed). No more! I pulled the futon mattress out. I bought new bedding and curtains. I bought a pillow pet and scented oil for her room. The result? Brilliant! She loves her bed. She will go lay down on her own for naps. She watches movies in there (when I put them on). And I have been having a good night sleep for the past 4 days! Why didn't I think of this sooner?
I have some belly pics to share, but I'm on my phone so I can't post them right now. I have my 20 week u/s tomorrow. Though, I think I'm 19 weeks. I have decided not to find out the gender. I want to be surprised. I will have the tech write it down and seal it in an envelope, just in case I change my mind. I may let Sean have a peek, if he swears not to tell a soul...and forget about it immediately. If he slips up, you may see us on the news (crazy pregnant wife strangles husband) ;)
I will make sure to come back in the next day or two. I need to post pictures of Alice's room, belly pics, and new pics of Sprout (which I will get tomorrow!). Yippee! I can't wait to see Sprout again! I have been feeling him/her for awhile, but a lot more in the past few days!
Hope all is well with all of you! Til next time :) xoxo
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Poor Baby
I have been pretty busy the past few days. Alice has a cold. Which isn't that bad, really. She has been really cranky and fussy. Plus the usual... runny nose, fever, etc. I ended up taking her to the ER on Sunday morning at 2 am because she woke up about 12:30 screaming, crying, and writhing in pain. Of course, by the time we got to the hospital she was fine and running around and dancing. The doctor told me she had acted like that because of her fever (which she was NOT running, and hadn't been for at least 4+ hours). I didn't buy it, but they wouldn't do any tests or anything. So we went home and back to bed. About 2 1/2 hours later, same thing. Screaming, crying, and writhing in pain. She was literally flinging her body all over our bed. And an hour, went to bed. And about 2 1/2 hours later, same thing. Then the day started and she was mostly fine. A tad more fussy than usual, but generally in a good mood. So what is wrong with her? It isn't an ear infection. It isn't teeth. There is no swollen/red gums. Perhaps it was gas, but that doesn't last that long. My best bet is growing pains? I'm still unsure, and since she can't tell me then we will all remain in the dark. Last night, she had another bout for about 20 minutes, but it was not near as bad as Sunday morning. Any ideas? She is not running a fever. Her cold seems pretty much gone. No more runny nose. And I don't buy the whole it is because of a cold thing. That doesn't cause (what appears to be) severe pain. So we have started my SAHM adventure with this weird thing. She has been more tired than usual and fussy, so I'm leaning more towards growing pains.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Alice's Birthday Part One
I have been meaning to post this earlier, but I kept forgetting to bring my laptop with me. Since the pictures were on my laptop, I couldn't very well do this post. I will be doing this in two or three parts (and there will be another post in a couple of weeks after her "real" party).
Part One of the Birthday: The Children's Museum (if you are ever in Indianapolis, and have kids you should check it out; it is a LOT of fun and is supposedly the Biggest and Best Children's Museum in the world!)
Our day in pictures. Please note, we did not get through the whole Children's Museum (it is rather large) as we wanted to spend time doing things that Alice was actually able to do, rather than make her sit and watch.
Aunt Lindsay and Alice by a Mastodon that was found in Indiana a WAY long time ago.
Mommy and Alice by a Mastodon head! Alice looks rather perplexed. And apparently, I am starting to show a little.
Carousel with Aunt Lindsay!
Look at them go!
Mommy tried to get Alice on a moving horse, but alas, she was too small. So this had to do!
Heading in to the Mirror House!
Look, it's me!
I'm not vain. I don't need to keep staring at myself.
Sitting at the Bear's table in the Mirror House. I had to watch her closely because she kept trying to put the "food" in her mouth. I can only imagine how many germs are on those things!
I'm pretty!
Let me try to climb this...
Okay, I DO like to look at myself. Side note: she was really trying to get that outlet...why aren't those child-proofed?
Ehh, I'm ready to leave this place.
Water! Let me get wet!
Playing in the Playscape area (an area specifically for kids under 4 or 5).
Daddy would be proud!
Dancing in the Barbie exhibit (they were playing disco-like music) and entertaining those around us! If you would like to see a video of her doing this please go here and see what my sister got! Seriously, check it out. It is hilarious!
Getting ready to go home! Someone was wore out! Actually, I think we all were.
Part Two will be Birthday Dinner!
Part One of the Birthday: The Children's Museum (if you are ever in Indianapolis, and have kids you should check it out; it is a LOT of fun and is supposedly the Biggest and Best Children's Museum in the world!)
Our day in pictures. Please note, we did not get through the whole Children's Museum (it is rather large) as we wanted to spend time doing things that Alice was actually able to do, rather than make her sit and watch.
Aunt Lindsay and Alice by a Mastodon that was found in Indiana a WAY long time ago.
Mommy and Alice by a Mastodon head! Alice looks rather perplexed. And apparently, I am starting to show a little.
Carousel with Aunt Lindsay!
Look at them go!
Mommy tried to get Alice on a moving horse, but alas, she was too small. So this had to do!
Heading in to the Mirror House!
Look, it's me!
I'm not vain. I don't need to keep staring at myself.
Sitting at the Bear's table in the Mirror House. I had to watch her closely because she kept trying to put the "food" in her mouth. I can only imagine how many germs are on those things!
I'm pretty!
Let me try to climb this...
Okay, I DO like to look at myself. Side note: she was really trying to get that outlet...why aren't those child-proofed?
Ehh, I'm ready to leave this place.
Water! Let me get wet!
Playing in the Playscape area (an area specifically for kids under 4 or 5).
Daddy would be proud!
Dancing in the Barbie exhibit (they were playing disco-like music) and entertaining those around us! If you would like to see a video of her doing this please go here and see what my sister got! Seriously, check it out. It is hilarious!
Getting ready to go home! Someone was wore out! Actually, I think we all were.
Part Two will be Birthday Dinner!
Friday, August 20, 2010
One Year Ago...Happy Birthday Alice
I can't believe it has been a year! As promised, I will start off with how it all began. Well, not all the way of how it began because that would need to be censored *wink*.
Monday, 17 August 2009
Sean and I went in for my 40+ week appointment. My due date was 14 August. They did a NST (non-stress test) and everything was fine. It was neat seeing her heart rate and kick counts go up when Sean spoke. We then saw the OB, and there was NO progress. I was still about 1 cm dilated and 50-75% effaced. We then discussed induction and set it for Wednesday 19 August at 6 pm. I would be staying overnight while they did cervadil, and then start the pitocin at 6 am. With any luck, our little girl would be here by Friday.
We left the OB's office and went out for lunch (Mexican), and then went to Lowe's and walked around forever. I was starting to have some contractions and was BIG and tired, so I remember sitting down on a roll of carpeting... really annoyed that Sean was taking forever. I continued to have some contractions throughout the day.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
The contractions continued, very irregular approximately 7-20 minutes apart. They were getting very strong and painful. About midday, they were extremely painful. I hoped on Contraction Master at this point, and tracked them. 4 minutes, 3, 5... I'm thinking this is it! Damn! 20 minutes. And so it continued all day. No longer than 20 or so minutes apart, and very painful. I would now writhe in pain. It felt like someone was stabbing me. I remember thinking "how am I going to make it, if I'm already a big wuss right now". I don't think I slept. I was up with every contraction. Seriously, who could sleep through that? I tried talking Sean into taking me to the hospital, but he refused, stating "We aren't supposed to be there until 6 pm tomorrow." ARGH!
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Finally! As soon as Sean woke up (and I know he was up a LOT over the night, as I was pitifully moaning and moving around) I tried to talk him into going to the hospital. No such luck. I got the same answer as last night. So I sat and stared at the clock, willing 6 pm to come quicker. Sean finally layed down for a nap around early afternoon, and I decided to go take a shower/bath and get ready to go. I felt great in the shower... for the first couple of minutes. And then the contractions returned closer and stronger. What should have taken about 15 minutes (I was trying to shave) took about 40. So I stumbled around throwing the rest of my stuff (all toiletries) in my hospital bag that had been ready for about 6 weeks. I grabbed the baby bag, and went to wake Sean up to go. Granted it was only like 2:30 or 3 but I couldn't take it anymore. My contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and were agonizing. He told me to take a nap and we'd leave in a bit. So I hung out for a bit longer, writhing in pain (literally). And then I got smart. I threatened to do one of three things if we didn't leave immediately to go to the hospital, appointment be damned. I would a) get in the car and he could drive, b) drive myself, or c) kill him. I told him to make a choice. Like a wise man, he chose option A, and so he loaded everything in the car and off we went. I kid you not. Traffic was awful. My contractions were no more than 3 minutes apart (getting closer to 2) and were lasting well over a minute. And then the worse thing... we get stuck behind farm equipment! I lost my mind. I really thought that Sean was going to knock me out from all of the moaning (more like screaming) at this point. What should have been a 40 minute drive was well over an hour. We arrive at the hospital, and Sean starts to go park! I start screaming about pull up at the door and leave the car (they did tell us to do this during our tour of the hospital). We start walking to the elevator to L&D, people are literally scrambling out of my way (I guess I looked really pathetic?). Sean wants to know if I want a wheelchair. "No," I said. Then I change my mind, as a horrible contraction about brings me to my knees. Sean yells hold the elevator, which almost slammed on my hand mid-contraction. He proceeds to lecture me about holding the elevator, when I cuss at him. We arrive on the floor, and push the button. A nurse comes and I state, (with tears rolling down my face) "I'm your 6 o'clock induction, that doesn't need inducing. I'm also early." So they get me to a room, have me change, and start hooking me up. I was only 3 cm dilated and almost 100% effaced, but when they put the contraction monitor on me the nurses were shocked. I was having contractions (length and strength) that you wouldn't normally see until the transitional phase. So I wasn't a wuss after all! I had to wait about an hour for an epidural. And ahh, pure heaven!
My dad, aunt, and SIL came by to visit me (this was pre-epidural so I wasn't good company). They were at the hospital because my twin brother had surgery that morning to remove his parathyroid. What are the odds that we would both be in the same hospital at the same time? Granted, we were both scheduled to be there, but still.
Sean went home for awhile to rest and check on our dog. He returned about 11pm. He turned on the food network on tv. CRUEL! I was starving, as I really hadn't eaten since Monday. I did have a few bites of a snack here and there, but who really wants to eat when it feels like their insides are being torn apart? I finally convinced him (with some help from my nurse) to switch it to something else.
Thursday 20 August 2009
I remember my nurse kept nagging me about getting some sleep before the delivery. How do they expect you to sleep when they keep coming in to check you every hour, and it takes about 10-15 minutes to do that? Seriously, every single time I fell asleep the door would open and in would walk the nurse.
Around 3 am I was 9 cm and had stalled. So she brings in another nurse (or two) and they proceed to turn me in all kinds of directions. At one point, they even had half of my body on my little table. Dignity? I think I forgot to pack it. The nurse finally called my OB around 4 (?) and she said she'd be there shortly. She got there about 5:45 am, and checked me out. I was still at a little over 9, but she flipped the lip of my cervix, and stated, "We're ready to push!" Huh? So she wakes Sean up, and tells him to get ready. She proceeds to explain how to push. Yeah, I know how to poop, so I'm good lady! Then she tells me it usually takes about 3 hours for first time mothers. Great! It is 6 am and I'm starving and you're telling me I won't be eating until at least noon?! So we start. My epidural was starting to wear off, so I could feel the contractions coming on way before the monitor (which they didn't believe me until I proved it to them a few times). Well, I got Alice out in hardly no time. At 6:45 am, she was born! It was so surreal. I kept watching them weigh her and clean her up while the doctor was stitching me up-I had a third degree tear. They brought her to me and I just couldn't stop staring at her! She was the prettiest thing I had ever laid my eyes on. A healthy 7lb12oz, 20 1/2 in baby girl! I should note, that she didn't have a name yet.
I just couldn't keep my eyes off of her!
We had to wait an hour or two before they transferred me to our room. And the first thing I did was order food. I remember ordering two meals. And then the floodgates of visitors started coming. They seemed to work it out that no more than one set of visitors was visiting at a time, but I did not get any sleep. I think I finally got a shower late that evening (like 11pm).
Friday 21 August 2009
Around midday to early evening, we finally settled on a name for our baby girl. After much deliberating, we settled on Alice Oleandra. I came up with Alice. The nurse had brought her back from the nursery (early that morning) and she had a little hat with a bow on, and when I saw her the name "Alice" just popped in to my head. I had to work on Sean for a few hours. Sean came up with Oleandra, after his great-aunt Oly and his mother Sandra.
I knew her name as soon as I saw her!
**********************************
So that is where it all began. I really can't believe it has been a year. I know that time goes by faster and faster the older you get, but wow!
Happy Birthday, to my little monkey, Alice!!! Mama loves you so much, and this past year has been everything, and more, that I have dreamed of. You have provided so much amusement for your Dada and I. I love watching you grow and learn. Though, I wish time would slow down a bit. You will be starting kindergarten before I know it, and the thought makes me cry a bit. I can only imagine what a wreck I will be that day.
For your birthday, we (you, me, and Aunt Lindsay) went to the Children's Museum. You had a blast! In fact, we all did. I always have fun watching you. We then went out to dinner at Abuelo's, where you entertained everyone around us. You LOVED getting your ice cream and candle for dessert. Your actual party won't be until after Labor Day, as we want to announce your little brother/sister. Tomorrow, we are having a cookout at home to celebrate, since your Aunt Lindsay won't be here for the party. I know you had a great day to day, and while I know you probably won't remember it, I did take a lot of pictures (and write this) to show you how we celebrated!
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, ALICE!!!
*Note: pictures from the Children's Museum will be in the next post!
Monday, 17 August 2009
Sean and I went in for my 40+ week appointment. My due date was 14 August. They did a NST (non-stress test) and everything was fine. It was neat seeing her heart rate and kick counts go up when Sean spoke. We then saw the OB, and there was NO progress. I was still about 1 cm dilated and 50-75% effaced. We then discussed induction and set it for Wednesday 19 August at 6 pm. I would be staying overnight while they did cervadil, and then start the pitocin at 6 am. With any luck, our little girl would be here by Friday.
We left the OB's office and went out for lunch (Mexican), and then went to Lowe's and walked around forever. I was starting to have some contractions and was BIG and tired, so I remember sitting down on a roll of carpeting... really annoyed that Sean was taking forever. I continued to have some contractions throughout the day.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
The contractions continued, very irregular approximately 7-20 minutes apart. They were getting very strong and painful. About midday, they were extremely painful. I hoped on Contraction Master at this point, and tracked them. 4 minutes, 3, 5... I'm thinking this is it! Damn! 20 minutes. And so it continued all day. No longer than 20 or so minutes apart, and very painful. I would now writhe in pain. It felt like someone was stabbing me. I remember thinking "how am I going to make it, if I'm already a big wuss right now". I don't think I slept. I was up with every contraction. Seriously, who could sleep through that? I tried talking Sean into taking me to the hospital, but he refused, stating "We aren't supposed to be there until 6 pm tomorrow." ARGH!
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Finally! As soon as Sean woke up (and I know he was up a LOT over the night, as I was pitifully moaning and moving around) I tried to talk him into going to the hospital. No such luck. I got the same answer as last night. So I sat and stared at the clock, willing 6 pm to come quicker. Sean finally layed down for a nap around early afternoon, and I decided to go take a shower/bath and get ready to go. I felt great in the shower... for the first couple of minutes. And then the contractions returned closer and stronger. What should have taken about 15 minutes (I was trying to shave) took about 40. So I stumbled around throwing the rest of my stuff (all toiletries) in my hospital bag that had been ready for about 6 weeks. I grabbed the baby bag, and went to wake Sean up to go. Granted it was only like 2:30 or 3 but I couldn't take it anymore. My contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and were agonizing. He told me to take a nap and we'd leave in a bit. So I hung out for a bit longer, writhing in pain (literally). And then I got smart. I threatened to do one of three things if we didn't leave immediately to go to the hospital, appointment be damned. I would a) get in the car and he could drive, b) drive myself, or c) kill him. I told him to make a choice. Like a wise man, he chose option A, and so he loaded everything in the car and off we went. I kid you not. Traffic was awful. My contractions were no more than 3 minutes apart (getting closer to 2) and were lasting well over a minute. And then the worse thing... we get stuck behind farm equipment! I lost my mind. I really thought that Sean was going to knock me out from all of the moaning (more like screaming) at this point. What should have been a 40 minute drive was well over an hour. We arrive at the hospital, and Sean starts to go park! I start screaming about pull up at the door and leave the car (they did tell us to do this during our tour of the hospital). We start walking to the elevator to L&D, people are literally scrambling out of my way (I guess I looked really pathetic?). Sean wants to know if I want a wheelchair. "No," I said. Then I change my mind, as a horrible contraction about brings me to my knees. Sean yells hold the elevator, which almost slammed on my hand mid-contraction. He proceeds to lecture me about holding the elevator, when I cuss at him. We arrive on the floor, and push the button. A nurse comes and I state, (with tears rolling down my face) "I'm your 6 o'clock induction, that doesn't need inducing. I'm also early." So they get me to a room, have me change, and start hooking me up. I was only 3 cm dilated and almost 100% effaced, but when they put the contraction monitor on me the nurses were shocked. I was having contractions (length and strength) that you wouldn't normally see until the transitional phase. So I wasn't a wuss after all! I had to wait about an hour for an epidural. And ahh, pure heaven!
My dad, aunt, and SIL came by to visit me (this was pre-epidural so I wasn't good company). They were at the hospital because my twin brother had surgery that morning to remove his parathyroid. What are the odds that we would both be in the same hospital at the same time? Granted, we were both scheduled to be there, but still.
Sean went home for awhile to rest and check on our dog. He returned about 11pm. He turned on the food network on tv. CRUEL! I was starving, as I really hadn't eaten since Monday. I did have a few bites of a snack here and there, but who really wants to eat when it feels like their insides are being torn apart? I finally convinced him (with some help from my nurse) to switch it to something else.
Thursday 20 August 2009
I remember my nurse kept nagging me about getting some sleep before the delivery. How do they expect you to sleep when they keep coming in to check you every hour, and it takes about 10-15 minutes to do that? Seriously, every single time I fell asleep the door would open and in would walk the nurse.
Around 3 am I was 9 cm and had stalled. So she brings in another nurse (or two) and they proceed to turn me in all kinds of directions. At one point, they even had half of my body on my little table. Dignity? I think I forgot to pack it. The nurse finally called my OB around 4 (?) and she said she'd be there shortly. She got there about 5:45 am, and checked me out. I was still at a little over 9, but she flipped the lip of my cervix, and stated, "We're ready to push!" Huh? So she wakes Sean up, and tells him to get ready. She proceeds to explain how to push. Yeah, I know how to poop, so I'm good lady! Then she tells me it usually takes about 3 hours for first time mothers. Great! It is 6 am and I'm starving and you're telling me I won't be eating until at least noon?! So we start. My epidural was starting to wear off, so I could feel the contractions coming on way before the monitor (which they didn't believe me until I proved it to them a few times). Well, I got Alice out in hardly no time. At 6:45 am, she was born! It was so surreal. I kept watching them weigh her and clean her up while the doctor was stitching me up-I had a third degree tear. They brought her to me and I just couldn't stop staring at her! She was the prettiest thing I had ever laid my eyes on. A healthy 7lb12oz, 20 1/2 in baby girl! I should note, that she didn't have a name yet.
I just couldn't keep my eyes off of her!
We had to wait an hour or two before they transferred me to our room. And the first thing I did was order food. I remember ordering two meals. And then the floodgates of visitors started coming. They seemed to work it out that no more than one set of visitors was visiting at a time, but I did not get any sleep. I think I finally got a shower late that evening (like 11pm).
Friday 21 August 2009
Around midday to early evening, we finally settled on a name for our baby girl. After much deliberating, we settled on Alice Oleandra. I came up with Alice. The nurse had brought her back from the nursery (early that morning) and she had a little hat with a bow on, and when I saw her the name "Alice" just popped in to my head. I had to work on Sean for a few hours. Sean came up with Oleandra, after his great-aunt Oly and his mother Sandra.
I knew her name as soon as I saw her!
**********************************
So that is where it all began. I really can't believe it has been a year. I know that time goes by faster and faster the older you get, but wow!
Happy Birthday, to my little monkey, Alice!!! Mama loves you so much, and this past year has been everything, and more, that I have dreamed of. You have provided so much amusement for your Dada and I. I love watching you grow and learn. Though, I wish time would slow down a bit. You will be starting kindergarten before I know it, and the thought makes me cry a bit. I can only imagine what a wreck I will be that day.
For your birthday, we (you, me, and Aunt Lindsay) went to the Children's Museum. You had a blast! In fact, we all did. I always have fun watching you. We then went out to dinner at Abuelo's, where you entertained everyone around us. You LOVED getting your ice cream and candle for dessert. Your actual party won't be until after Labor Day, as we want to announce your little brother/sister. Tomorrow, we are having a cookout at home to celebrate, since your Aunt Lindsay won't be here for the party. I know you had a great day to day, and while I know you probably won't remember it, I did take a lot of pictures (and write this) to show you how we celebrated!
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, ALICE!!!
*Note: pictures from the Children's Museum will be in the next post!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Randomness
I'm going to do a very random post today, as I have many things that I would like to talk about. And since tomorrow's Friday Night Leftovers will be the Birthday Version, I feel I should address everything else that I would have normally done then.
So...
- To answer Megan's question, we have: 3 rabbits (JackieBlue, Roxanne (Roxy), and Janie -and yes, I love rock. If I have any other female animals in the future they will probably be named after songs as well); 1 rooster and 5 hens (they are not named, but we get 6-7 eggs a day, so obviously one or two of the hens are very fertile); 5 cats (actually one mama cat-whom is probably off getting knocked up again-that slut! and 4 kittens)
- The thing I love about chickens is that they will eat just about anything. Seriously! All of our scraps and spoiled food (which I try not to have any). We still give them their feed everyday (well I do, I don't know about Sean), but I love to take the scraps of food (which Alice contributes A LOT) to them and watch them peck at them. I think our chickens are probably healthier than most other chickens out there. Plus with the recent egg recall, we don't have to worry about that.
- I have been meaning to make pickles for a few weekends, but things have been hectic since the accident. I will share with you the whole pickling process when I get around to it, and how to make your own spaghetti sauce.
- I was outside today, and I realized I never planted any flowers (well I did plant bulbs, but I don't count those) this year. It isn't too late, and I could in another week or two, so perhaps I will get Alice a little gardening set for her birthday and we can plant flowers in a few weeks! I just have to make sure to watch her like a hawk... she will probably try to eat the dirt.
- Speaking of the little monkey, she really is a monkey. Sean and I would tell people that we were hoping for a monkey when they asked what we wanted. I mean, seriously, doesn't everyone want a healthy baby?! Sean and I were originally planning on getting a monkey, but we got a different breed of monkey *wink*
- Ahh, yes, I digress... Alice, undoubtedly, did climb out of her crib. I'm still not sure about the falling to the floor thing or climbing down (but I'm leaning more towards climbing down after seeing her in action today-more on that in a second). This morning, I witnessed her pull herself up to see what was on the kitchen table and then use her legs to climb up more. There is no doubt in my mind that she would have been on top of the table had Sean not stopped her. And when we were outside, she climbed onto the tractor all by herself and sat in the seat and "drove". People, we are in TROUBLE!
- I have thought over all of the suggestions from yesterday (and Megan, my sister wasn't at our house, but if she is capable of teleporting I demand to know how!). I have looked at tent cribs, and like Jen, I don't think that is a viable solution. I don't think anything would deter her from trying to get out, and I sure don't want to find my baby strangled to death in a tent crib because I was trying to prevent broken bones. And I do agree that cribs should be lower. And with lids! Sean wants to put a piece of plywood on top, to which I pointed out that she would hit her head every time she tried to stand up. So, for now, we are just going to keep her in our bed with us.
- I have TWO WEEKS to go! Woo hoo! Which really works out to 11 days (counting today) but since today is almost over 10... and since I have tomorrow off, 9!!!
- At some point, this weekend, I will be posting Alice's birth story. Don't you all just love birth stories? I do. And hers is funny (at least the part before getting to the hospital-and I only think it is funny now).
- Oh, and in all likelihood, I will have two posts tomorrow, so keep an eye out!
- And to think that a year ago, at this exact time, we were at the hospital! Wow! Time is flying!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Let's Play a Game!
So the game we are going to play today is called "Guess What?!". The rules of the game are pretty simple. You just guess what you think was going on from the clues I give you. The prize you shall receive is a fortune from my fortune cookie (which I have not opened yet, but will and will tell you your fortune).
Okay, here goes. What in the world do you think that this adorable baby did this morning? (*Note: the pictures do not have anything to do with the story. They are there so you can look at my cuteness of a baby!)
She normally sleeps in the bed with me every morning. I put her in her crib when I finally get up (while she is still sleeping) and go outside to feed the animals; which takes about 15-20 minutes usually.
This morning, I had to give the chickens water, so that took an extra 5 minutes. Do you know what I returned to when I came back inside?
This cutie here! And do you know how she got all the way from her crib, out of her room (with the door shut), across the house, opened the swinging door to the laundry room (where the back door is), and stood there waiting for me with a teary face?
If you guessed either 1) climbed out of her crib, 2)fell out of her crib, or 3)a combination of the previous two then you are a winner! Let me know how you would like your fortune sent to you!
Yes, my daughter apparently decided she could NOT wait any longer for me to come get her. So she apparently (from what I can deduce from the carnage) threw all of her stuffed animals and blanket out of her crib. Somehow got her little leg up and over the rail (there is a small bruise on her inner thigh but that is the ONLY mark) and presumably fell to the floor. Though she could have just monkeyed her way the rest of the way down. Then she proceeded to grab her blanket and Marty (her mouse/lovey) and open the bedroom door (which wasn't completely shut but cracked) and trampled through the house (probably crying) looking for me. She came upon the kitchen and pushed the swinging door (which I did not know she was capable of opening) open, somehow getting her blanket stuck under it and jumped in to the laundry room. Her blanket acted as a stopper, so she was stuck in the laundry room until I rescued her. I'm very thankful that she was not hurt! Now, I have to figure out how to prevent this from occurring again. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have to worry about this this early! Oh, and yes her mattress is on the lowest setting. Now do I get a crib tent, or do we get her a "big girl" bed so she can get up and terrorize... er, visit us whenever she wants? I'd rather she only fall a couple of feet versus four plus, if I had a choice.
Okay, here goes. What in the world do you think that this adorable baby did this morning? (*Note: the pictures do not have anything to do with the story. They are there so you can look at my cuteness of a baby!)
She normally sleeps in the bed with me every morning. I put her in her crib when I finally get up (while she is still sleeping) and go outside to feed the animals; which takes about 15-20 minutes usually.
This morning, I had to give the chickens water, so that took an extra 5 minutes. Do you know what I returned to when I came back inside?
This cutie here! And do you know how she got all the way from her crib, out of her room (with the door shut), across the house, opened the swinging door to the laundry room (where the back door is), and stood there waiting for me with a teary face?
If you guessed either 1) climbed out of her crib, 2)fell out of her crib, or 3)a combination of the previous two then you are a winner! Let me know how you would like your fortune sent to you!
Yes, my daughter apparently decided she could NOT wait any longer for me to come get her. So she apparently (from what I can deduce from the carnage) threw all of her stuffed animals and blanket out of her crib. Somehow got her little leg up and over the rail (there is a small bruise on her inner thigh but that is the ONLY mark) and presumably fell to the floor. Though she could have just monkeyed her way the rest of the way down. Then she proceeded to grab her blanket and Marty (her mouse/lovey) and open the bedroom door (which wasn't completely shut but cracked) and trampled through the house (probably crying) looking for me. She came upon the kitchen and pushed the swinging door (which I did not know she was capable of opening) open, somehow getting her blanket stuck under it and jumped in to the laundry room. Her blanket acted as a stopper, so she was stuck in the laundry room until I rescued her. I'm very thankful that she was not hurt! Now, I have to figure out how to prevent this from occurring again. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have to worry about this this early! Oh, and yes her mattress is on the lowest setting. Now do I get a crib tent, or do we get her a "big girl" bed so she can get up and terrorize... er, visit us whenever she wants? I'd rather she only fall a couple of feet versus four plus, if I had a choice.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Battles of the Milks
We are in the middle of a war, people. Seriously. An epic battle of the milks and Alice. Alice loves her mama milk. She does not, however, love her mama milk in the bottle any longer. I think this may have arose out of me calling it "Mama milk" instead of "Milk" or "Nurse". So you can blame me for that battle.
Since my supply was decreasing, I have had the babysitter (and now Lindsay) mix toddler formula (thank goodness for marketing, as I have received several free cans; which I otherwise would not have paid for) with breast milk. This worked for a few days at the sitters. Lindsay has had no such luck. Alice would just spit it at her. Lindsay has also had trouble getting her to just take just regular breast milk in a bottle. So I suggested the sippy cup. So Lindsay tried the sippy cup with the mixture, and straight breast milk. Again, no such luck.
So since she is almost one, I decided to buy organic whole milk and see how that goes. I realize it may take awhile for her to "like" the stuff. I also realize that we may have a much harder time than most families, as Sean and I do NOT drink milk. Sean will use it and drink it when it is in cereal, but I will not drink the stuff. I quit drinking the stuff shortly after my sixth birthday (really an interesting story-which I'll share another time). So I gave her a sippy cup with a bit of whole milk in it. She took a sip. Took another sip. Looked at me... and threw it at me! Lindsay has had the same results.
So I asked a few people for advice (which I'm asking all of you lovely bloggers the same thing) on getting her to drink any kind of milk. I have heard suggestions ranging from serve it at room temperature to add flavor to it. I have gotten suggestions of switching to soy milk also.
What are your suggestions? At this point, the only things that I can get her to drink are water and watered down juice in a sippy cup, and mama milk (but only from the tap).
Since my supply was decreasing, I have had the babysitter (and now Lindsay) mix toddler formula (thank goodness for marketing, as I have received several free cans; which I otherwise would not have paid for) with breast milk. This worked for a few days at the sitters. Lindsay has had no such luck. Alice would just spit it at her. Lindsay has also had trouble getting her to just take just regular breast milk in a bottle. So I suggested the sippy cup. So Lindsay tried the sippy cup with the mixture, and straight breast milk. Again, no such luck.
So since she is almost one, I decided to buy organic whole milk and see how that goes. I realize it may take awhile for her to "like" the stuff. I also realize that we may have a much harder time than most families, as Sean and I do NOT drink milk. Sean will use it and drink it when it is in cereal, but I will not drink the stuff. I quit drinking the stuff shortly after my sixth birthday (really an interesting story-which I'll share another time). So I gave her a sippy cup with a bit of whole milk in it. She took a sip. Took another sip. Looked at me... and threw it at me! Lindsay has had the same results.
So I asked a few people for advice (which I'm asking all of you lovely bloggers the same thing) on getting her to drink any kind of milk. I have heard suggestions ranging from serve it at room temperature to add flavor to it. I have gotten suggestions of switching to soy milk also.
What are your suggestions? At this point, the only things that I can get her to drink are water and watered down juice in a sippy cup, and mama milk (but only from the tap).
Friday, June 11, 2010
I'm beat
Thank you, Jillian Michaels, for kicking my butt. I am sore and can barely walk. I have now done two days of The 30 Day Shred. Go me! I am also watching my carb intake. I had very good results of doing a low carb diet several years ago. I weighed 198 when I started it, and got down to 147 in like 3 months. I kept that weight off for over a year... until I got pregnant with twins. And then I gained 26 lbs in like 10 weeks. Yikes! How is it possible to gain that much weight when you are constantly nauseous and throwing up?
Well, I digress. So now I am working on losing Alice weight. Though a lot of that is due to my Reese peanut butter cup and Peanut Butter M&M kick. I weighed myself yesterday, and I weighed 176.7. Good grief! You are probably thinking I am the size of a cow, since I am 5'3"... but I'm not. I have (or at least had) a lot of muscle mass, and I carry my weight very well. So most people would be shocked if I told them I weighed that much. I think I probably look like I weigh 150 or so. Wow...I can't believe I told the Internet how much I weigh.
The one thing that I like about working out is that Alice is right there watching. And she tries to work out too. It is adorable! For instance, when we were warming up and stretching our arms (swing out and across the body) she started doing the same thing. And when we do jumping jacks or jump rope, she tries to jump too. I love it! Oh, and pushups and situps are funny stuff!
So, do me a favor Internet... help me stay on track. I will update on how I'm doing, and if I haven't updated please feel free to bombard me with questions about if I'm still staying on track!
Well, I digress. So now I am working on losing Alice weight. Though a lot of that is due to my Reese peanut butter cup and Peanut Butter M&M kick. I weighed myself yesterday, and I weighed 176.7. Good grief! You are probably thinking I am the size of a cow, since I am 5'3"... but I'm not. I have (or at least had) a lot of muscle mass, and I carry my weight very well. So most people would be shocked if I told them I weighed that much. I think I probably look like I weigh 150 or so. Wow...I can't believe I told the Internet how much I weigh.
The one thing that I like about working out is that Alice is right there watching. And she tries to work out too. It is adorable! For instance, when we were warming up and stretching our arms (swing out and across the body) she started doing the same thing. And when we do jumping jacks or jump rope, she tries to jump too. I love it! Oh, and pushups and situps are funny stuff!
So, do me a favor Internet... help me stay on track. I will update on how I'm doing, and if I haven't updated please feel free to bombard me with questions about if I'm still staying on track!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Girls' Weekend!
Sean asked me yesterday if he could go to Arkansas for the weekend. I'm a bit fuzzy on exactly what was going on down there (a Memorial/political thing? Hey, I was working at the time he was telling me!), but he left shortly after midnight this morning. He will return Sunday afternoon/early evening.
So that means Alice and I get a girls' weekend! Tomorrow we are going up north to his cousin's graduation cookout. I have to bring strawberry lemonade, pasta salad, and asparagus to grill. I'm even happier to announce that Sean went to the store and got all of the stuff I would need to make all of the said items. Though, to be honest, I did ask him and tell him what I needed. But since I have to make it all tonight after Alice is asleep (i.e. after 1am) and then I have to be up by 7 to get up there in time for lunch. We should return home around 6ish tomorrow evening, so I'm trying to get something planned for that evening. Most likely we will end up staying at home and watching movies and playing games. Which is probably the most fun we could have.
I'm really excited to see all of his family. We haven't seen most of them since Christmas; and his step-sister hasn't seen Alice yet! And Alice's cousin Olivia (who is 6 months older) and Lily will be there. I'm really excited to see Olivia and Alice interact. Who knows what that will be like?! But I'll make sure to take pictures, and maybe get a video or two.
And hopefully I can update tomorrow, since I won't have a husband stealing my internet at home! Although I will still have an adhesive baby :)
So that means Alice and I get a girls' weekend! Tomorrow we are going up north to his cousin's graduation cookout. I have to bring strawberry lemonade, pasta salad, and asparagus to grill. I'm even happier to announce that Sean went to the store and got all of the stuff I would need to make all of the said items. Though, to be honest, I did ask him and tell him what I needed. But since I have to make it all tonight after Alice is asleep (i.e. after 1am) and then I have to be up by 7 to get up there in time for lunch. We should return home around 6ish tomorrow evening, so I'm trying to get something planned for that evening. Most likely we will end up staying at home and watching movies and playing games. Which is probably the most fun we could have.
I'm really excited to see all of his family. We haven't seen most of them since Christmas; and his step-sister hasn't seen Alice yet! And Alice's cousin Olivia (who is 6 months older) and Lily will be there. I'm really excited to see Olivia and Alice interact. Who knows what that will be like?! But I'll make sure to take pictures, and maybe get a video or two.
And hopefully I can update tomorrow, since I won't have a husband stealing my internet at home! Although I will still have an adhesive baby :)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Stuck on you
I have been extremely busy the past few days. Truthfully, it isn't that I was so much busy (though we were), but any free time I had was taken up by a certain baby who was stuck to me like glue.
Thursday, we met my dad and went shopping at Babies R Us for my SIL's baby shower. I spent way more than I planned, but I decided to get some things for Alice to give. I don't know how all of you registered for baby showers, but I wanted to beat my head against a wall by the time we left there. I have never seen so many pacifiers, etc. in my life. AND I HAVE A BABY! Then we went to Noodles & Co. for dinner. I love that place!
Friday, I finally got my hair cut. It looks and feels so much better. I think I got about 3 inches cut off. I dropped Alice off with Sean before my appt. I met him at the insurance office to pay the premium on Alice's life insurance, and while I was writing the check Alice slammed in to their magazine rack and busted it. Of course, she got a nasty bruise/welt on her cheek, but she won the fight ;) Then we hung out at Monica's for a bit and she got to play with the girls.
Saturday was the baby shower. It started at 11:30 so we had to leave the house an hour earlier. Alice normally doesn't get up until 10:30-11 and goes back down about 12 until 1. So you can probably see where this is going. She was tired and a tad fussy; which even when she is fussy she is still much better than most babies. Of course, she isn't familiar with any of them (including my SIL and mom) so she was stuck on me for awhile. My mom was in her face and picking her up... and Alice would scream, cry, and try to get away. Of course, my mom blames me for all of that, but that is a post for another day. That evening, we went to our former neighbor's for a cookout.
Sunday, Alice and I stayed home and tried to avoid race traffic. Alice slept most of the day. I think she was just catching up on the day before. We did manage to get outside for a few hours and play in the grass!
So that brings us to today. I am trying to play catch up on chores, but I still have a baby glued to me. So I'm just getting done what I can. I figure everything can wait. She won't always want to be carried or in my arms. I'm just enjoying it for now!
I should note, I'm on my phone so I won't post pictures today. I hope everyone has had a wonderful Memorial weekend. Thank you to all the men and women(past and present) who have served or are serving our country. Thank you for all you do, and all you have gave! God bless you and your families.
Thursday, we met my dad and went shopping at Babies R Us for my SIL's baby shower. I spent way more than I planned, but I decided to get some things for Alice to give. I don't know how all of you registered for baby showers, but I wanted to beat my head against a wall by the time we left there. I have never seen so many pacifiers, etc. in my life. AND I HAVE A BABY! Then we went to Noodles & Co. for dinner. I love that place!
Friday, I finally got my hair cut. It looks and feels so much better. I think I got about 3 inches cut off. I dropped Alice off with Sean before my appt. I met him at the insurance office to pay the premium on Alice's life insurance, and while I was writing the check Alice slammed in to their magazine rack and busted it. Of course, she got a nasty bruise/welt on her cheek, but she won the fight ;) Then we hung out at Monica's for a bit and she got to play with the girls.
Saturday was the baby shower. It started at 11:30 so we had to leave the house an hour earlier. Alice normally doesn't get up until 10:30-11 and goes back down about 12 until 1. So you can probably see where this is going. She was tired and a tad fussy; which even when she is fussy she is still much better than most babies. Of course, she isn't familiar with any of them (including my SIL and mom) so she was stuck on me for awhile. My mom was in her face and picking her up... and Alice would scream, cry, and try to get away. Of course, my mom blames me for all of that, but that is a post for another day. That evening, we went to our former neighbor's for a cookout.
Sunday, Alice and I stayed home and tried to avoid race traffic. Alice slept most of the day. I think she was just catching up on the day before. We did manage to get outside for a few hours and play in the grass!
So that brings us to today. I am trying to play catch up on chores, but I still have a baby glued to me. So I'm just getting done what I can. I figure everything can wait. She won't always want to be carried or in my arms. I'm just enjoying it for now!
I should note, I'm on my phone so I won't post pictures today. I hope everyone has had a wonderful Memorial weekend. Thank you to all the men and women(past and present) who have served or are serving our country. Thank you for all you do, and all you have gave! God bless you and your families.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Greetings from Alice!
Hello Mama's Lovely Blog Friends! This is my first auto-post. Mama says that if things go according to plan today, she and I will be hanging out with my Grandpa Joey! I love my Grandpa Joey! I can almost say Joe. It sounds like Dee-O. My mama is mean. She keeps me in my stroller. (Note from Mama: I DO not keep her in her stroller, contrary to what these pictures show. hehe)
HELLO PEOPLES!
Don't I have pretty eyes?
How you doin'?
"KiKi!" (She was trying to get the cat to come to her)
Happy when the cat came to the stroller!
Ciao Peoples! See you soon!
HELLO PEOPLES!
Don't I have pretty eyes?
How you doin'?
"KiKi!" (She was trying to get the cat to come to her)
Happy when the cat came to the stroller!
Ciao Peoples! See you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)