It's been a little while since my last blog - I've been engrossed in being a mother - but it is time to blog again!
Last week was an interesting week. Emily decided, out of nowhere, to start crying when it was time to breastfeed. On Thursday night we sat down in the glider with the boppy for the last feeding before bedtime. She ate from one side just fine, but then, when I put her to my other boob (I don't know how else to say that...) she started screaming. Not just a little whiny cry, but a full on bawling screamfest. No matter how I positioned her she wouldn't stop. I could tell she was still hungry but nothing would get her to stop crying. At first I thought, maybe she is just gassy, so I burped her for a while. Then I tried baby gas x. She still cried every time the boob got near her. My mom was over so she was trying to help, but nothing she did worked either. Once Emily was crying, there was no stopping it at all. I got frustrated, snapped at Mom, she left to give us some space. Mike came in and after about 45 minutes Emily calmed down, kind of. It took another 2 hours to get her to go to sleep.
The feedings that took place throughout the night were fine, so I thought it was an isolated incident. But no. I couldn't be so lucky. The next day, starting with the 7 a.m. feeding she was all tears again. I ended up ditching the boppy pillow, sitting hunched over on the floor and after about 45 minutes of trying she finally settled down to eat. Then she was all smiles.
Each feeding throughout the day was pretty much the same. They got a little better each time as I relearned what Emily would and wouldn't tolerate. I have no idea what changed. The only thing I can think of is that she is taking a bottle more often now that the nanny is here. Perhaps she was confused? It does happen. But she ate just fine once she latched so who knows...
What I can say is this. As a mom when you are trying to comfort your baby and nothing works it is a very difficult thing. When you are trying to feed her and she is screaming around your nipple, it is even worse. The logical part of me knew that something was wrong on her end, that I should be comforting her. After all, how frustrating it must be when you can't communicate at all other than to scream. But the emotional side of me felt rejected. Horribly rejected. After a full day of this I went over to my sister-in-law's house. She has 2 kiddos. One is almost 2 and the other is about 4 months old. I figured if anyone could understand what I was going through it would be her. And I needed some sympathy.
Lucky for me, the feeding situation worked itself out. As long as I no longer use the boppy pillow, we don't have any problems. Perhaps it was the angle? Who knows...
What I learned at Katie's was life changing. It has only been a few days, but those few days have been amazing. See, lately Emily gets fussy around 8 p.m. And she fusses till she falls asleep at about 11. We try to get her to go to bed at 8, but it just takes forever to get her there. And there is usually a fair amount of crying on the way. Mike is usually the one to handle the baby this time of night since he doesn't get to see her while he is at work. And it is very hard for him that she fusses so much when he has her - even though he knows it is just because she is overtired.
Katie and John gave me a DVD called the Happiest Baby on the Block as a shower gift. I had already read the book so I thought I didn't really need to watch the DVD. Boy was I wrong. Katie suggested I watch it, and when I did i realized that we could improve on how we comforted Emily. Something was totally lost in translation in the text version. The video made it painfully obvious.
Sunday was the first night I used the technique. Emily had been crying on and off for about 3 and a half hours. She would fall asleep, wake herself up, then cry some more. I used the methods in the DVD and she fell deeply asleep within 5 minutes. And she stayed asleep. Granted it was midnight by then, but it was still a victory.
Last night she started to fuss around 8 again. I applied the techniques and whala! She was calm within about 30 seconds and asleep in about 10 minutes. She slept from 8:30 until 1:30, got up to feed, then went right back to sleep. If it was Christmas, I would say it was a Christmas Miracle! But it was only Halloween and I don't think there is a Halloween Miracle.
Anyway, a special thank you to Jon and Katie for giving me that DVD. And a extra special thank you to Katie for encouraging me to watch it. Now Mike and I get some time to ourselves in the evening. Something I am sure every parent cherishes.
For any baby parent or soon to be parent reading this: do not pass go. Go directly to Amazon and buy that DVD. It will make your life so much easier. And you wont have the heartache of trying desperately to calm a baby with no effect.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
ROAD TRIP!
I know, I know. You are thinking "Are you nuts? Going on a road trip with a one month old?" And the answer is "yes I am."
Thursday we packed up the car and headed from Dallas to Galveston to introduce Emily to my grandmother. The night before I sorted through all of the baby stuff, decided what we needed and piled everything so high we could have had an amazing bonfire.
I had to have plenty of cute outfits to show off in but Mike made me parse 20 outfits down to 8 (for a 3 day trip mind you...) And no I am not talking about outfits for myself, but outfits for the baby. A weird thing happens when you have a daughter. You don't really care so much what your outfit looks like anymore. You just want to make sure she is the best dressed gal in the room. As long as she looks cute, who cares if you do? I swear, no one looks at me anymore. And I find that somewhat appalling given that I have more cleavage than I have ever dreamed of having. But whatever, Emily is the star, and if that means I can get away with not wearing makeup, I am surprisingly ok with it!
Although we planned to leave around 11 it was well past 1 when we left and we had to pick up lunch on the road. Emily was great. She went to sleep and stayed asleep all the way to Buckees outside of Houston. We parked in the back of the parking lot so I could feed her, which was uneventful. But then I tried to change her diaper. I pulled out a changing pad and laid it on the back seat to change her.
For those of you who have read my previous blogs I would like to reference the Exorcist Incident. Now, lucky for me there was no spit up this time, just explosive poop. And we were in Mike's brand new 4Runner. Now, also lucky for me, I managed to catch it all in the diaper and on the changing pad, bub Baby Emily ended up with a onesy covered in poo. So we cleaned off the changing pad, laid it on the concrete next to the car, pulled off the onesy and got that diaper changed. Outfit changed and smelling like baby wipes, Emily happily went right back to sleep in the car seat while Mike and I hightailed it out of there praying no one took down our license plate and called CPS.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, but the evening gets better. We arrived safely in Galveston at my grandmother's house and took baby inside to meet her. We ate dinner, then got my 88 year old grandmother situated in a chair with a boppy pillow. We handed her the baby and a pacifier, then went out to the car to get all of our luggage. As I pulled the door shut behind me I thought, uh oh! But before I could catch it, the door shut. AND LOCKED. So we were locked outside with no key, and my grandmother was locked inside with a baby in her lap, unable to get up to let us in.
And the moment I realized we were locked out, Emily started bawling at the top of her lungs. I panicked. Mike didn't. By the grace of God, he had left his cell phone in the car. I called my mother. She immediately set to work calling her siblings who live in Galveston. Meanwhile I am yelling through the window at my grandmother. "We locked ourselves out. Can you hear me? Don't try to get up!"
My aunt and uncle arrived about 5 minutes later to let us in. Emily was still crying. Apparently she threw her pacifier on the ground and then flailed about wildly at my poor grandmother. All in all, it was a non incident, but hearing that baby cry and being powerless to reach her was definitely emotionally trying!
The rest of the trip went really well. Emily got to meet one of my cousin's, several aunts and uncles, and of course, my grandmother, who might have been as traumatized as I was by the whole experience. We got a picture with 4 generations - My grandmother, my mom, me, and Emily.
The ride back was pretty easy. Emily slept the whole way again - with only one stop to feed. I had a great time in Galveston, but getting home was definitely a relief. It is just much easier to handle a baby when you are in your own space, in your own routine. And of course, having a nanny sure helps too.
Thursday we packed up the car and headed from Dallas to Galveston to introduce Emily to my grandmother. The night before I sorted through all of the baby stuff, decided what we needed and piled everything so high we could have had an amazing bonfire.
I had to have plenty of cute outfits to show off in but Mike made me parse 20 outfits down to 8 (for a 3 day trip mind you...) And no I am not talking about outfits for myself, but outfits for the baby. A weird thing happens when you have a daughter. You don't really care so much what your outfit looks like anymore. You just want to make sure she is the best dressed gal in the room. As long as she looks cute, who cares if you do? I swear, no one looks at me anymore. And I find that somewhat appalling given that I have more cleavage than I have ever dreamed of having. But whatever, Emily is the star, and if that means I can get away with not wearing makeup, I am surprisingly ok with it!
Although we planned to leave around 11 it was well past 1 when we left and we had to pick up lunch on the road. Emily was great. She went to sleep and stayed asleep all the way to Buckees outside of Houston. We parked in the back of the parking lot so I could feed her, which was uneventful. But then I tried to change her diaper. I pulled out a changing pad and laid it on the back seat to change her.
For those of you who have read my previous blogs I would like to reference the Exorcist Incident. Now, lucky for me there was no spit up this time, just explosive poop. And we were in Mike's brand new 4Runner. Now, also lucky for me, I managed to catch it all in the diaper and on the changing pad, bub Baby Emily ended up with a onesy covered in poo. So we cleaned off the changing pad, laid it on the concrete next to the car, pulled off the onesy and got that diaper changed. Outfit changed and smelling like baby wipes, Emily happily went right back to sleep in the car seat while Mike and I hightailed it out of there praying no one took down our license plate and called CPS.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, but the evening gets better. We arrived safely in Galveston at my grandmother's house and took baby inside to meet her. We ate dinner, then got my 88 year old grandmother situated in a chair with a boppy pillow. We handed her the baby and a pacifier, then went out to the car to get all of our luggage. As I pulled the door shut behind me I thought, uh oh! But before I could catch it, the door shut. AND LOCKED. So we were locked outside with no key, and my grandmother was locked inside with a baby in her lap, unable to get up to let us in.
And the moment I realized we were locked out, Emily started bawling at the top of her lungs. I panicked. Mike didn't. By the grace of God, he had left his cell phone in the car. I called my mother. She immediately set to work calling her siblings who live in Galveston. Meanwhile I am yelling through the window at my grandmother. "We locked ourselves out. Can you hear me? Don't try to get up!"
My aunt and uncle arrived about 5 minutes later to let us in. Emily was still crying. Apparently she threw her pacifier on the ground and then flailed about wildly at my poor grandmother. All in all, it was a non incident, but hearing that baby cry and being powerless to reach her was definitely emotionally trying!
The rest of the trip went really well. Emily got to meet one of my cousin's, several aunts and uncles, and of course, my grandmother, who might have been as traumatized as I was by the whole experience. We got a picture with 4 generations - My grandmother, my mom, me, and Emily.
The ride back was pretty easy. Emily slept the whole way again - with only one stop to feed. I had a great time in Galveston, but getting home was definitely a relief. It is just much easier to handle a baby when you are in your own space, in your own routine. And of course, having a nanny sure helps too.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Most of my posts have been about the funnier/grosser side of being a mom, but this one is gonna be a mushy one.
First things first, though. At our one month pediatrician visit Emily weighed 9lbs. 15 oz. That puts her in the 90th percentile for weight. She is 22 and 1/4 inches long, which keeps her in the 95th percentile. I find it so amazing that she is so big since neither of her parents are very large. Emily is happy and healthy and both Mike and I are grateful for that. The only thing we have to worry about right now is a slightly gunky eye. One of her tear ducts is producing some mucus. The doctor said it was nothing to worry about - apparently it is quite common among newborns. It isn't infected and should flush itself out by the time she is 6 months old if not sooner. In the meantime, I have to massage her tear ducts twice a day and keep the eye clean. All of which is easier said than done since Emily cries every time I take a warm wet wash cloth to the eye. And massaging a baby's tear duct is just plain difficult. It is hard to get her to hold still. I can't complain though. On the scale of things that could go wrong, this is way down the line.
I am feeling very blessed to be experiencing this phase of life. I am really loving being a mom. It is really hard late at night when you have a wakeful baby, but even then, there are moments that just bring joy to your heart. A few nights ago, just after I fed Emily and changed her, we sat down in the rocking chair. Emily was swaddled nice and tight and sucking happily on her pacifier. I was looking down at her talking to her and she spit her pacifier out. I gave her a big smile and she looked right at me and smiled back. This was the first time she smiled and meant it. This smile was totally different than the little gas bubble smiles. This smile was her saying, I see you mom. And it touched my heart like nothing else ever has. It was a moment of pure joy. One of those moments that make the sleepless nights, the c section, the whole nauseated pregnancy worth it. I am so dramatically changed by this tiny creature. I can't remember what life was like without her. And I can't imagine what I would do without her. I feel incredibly protective of her. I find it hard to keep my control freak nature in check, even when it comes to letting someone else change her diaper. And all of this sounds like a giant cliche. But I can't help it. I guess most moms feel this way.
Today, our nanny started. She is great. 24 years old, bilingual, really sweet and soft spoken. I think she will be a wonderful influence for Emily (and totally different from Mike and me!) Mike and I are both home this week. We thought a week of transition would be good for everyone involved. (Well, I'll get a lot more than a week since I will only be working part time for the next month.)
I am finding it almost impossible to let someone else hold my child when I would rather be holding her myself. And that is nothing compared to letting someone else comfort her when she cries. I can barely keep my mouth shut when the nanny changes her diaper because she doesn't do it exactly like me. But I must say, it is lovely to eat my lunch at my leisure. It is wonderful to be able to check my emails and get some work done.
I guess all of this really becomes about balance. I am enjoying having a little freedom again. But I guess that means letting go of a little control. Wish me luck.
First things first, though. At our one month pediatrician visit Emily weighed 9lbs. 15 oz. That puts her in the 90th percentile for weight. She is 22 and 1/4 inches long, which keeps her in the 95th percentile. I find it so amazing that she is so big since neither of her parents are very large. Emily is happy and healthy and both Mike and I are grateful for that. The only thing we have to worry about right now is a slightly gunky eye. One of her tear ducts is producing some mucus. The doctor said it was nothing to worry about - apparently it is quite common among newborns. It isn't infected and should flush itself out by the time she is 6 months old if not sooner. In the meantime, I have to massage her tear ducts twice a day and keep the eye clean. All of which is easier said than done since Emily cries every time I take a warm wet wash cloth to the eye. And massaging a baby's tear duct is just plain difficult. It is hard to get her to hold still. I can't complain though. On the scale of things that could go wrong, this is way down the line.
I am feeling very blessed to be experiencing this phase of life. I am really loving being a mom. It is really hard late at night when you have a wakeful baby, but even then, there are moments that just bring joy to your heart. A few nights ago, just after I fed Emily and changed her, we sat down in the rocking chair. Emily was swaddled nice and tight and sucking happily on her pacifier. I was looking down at her talking to her and she spit her pacifier out. I gave her a big smile and she looked right at me and smiled back. This was the first time she smiled and meant it. This smile was totally different than the little gas bubble smiles. This smile was her saying, I see you mom. And it touched my heart like nothing else ever has. It was a moment of pure joy. One of those moments that make the sleepless nights, the c section, the whole nauseated pregnancy worth it. I am so dramatically changed by this tiny creature. I can't remember what life was like without her. And I can't imagine what I would do without her. I feel incredibly protective of her. I find it hard to keep my control freak nature in check, even when it comes to letting someone else change her diaper. And all of this sounds like a giant cliche. But I can't help it. I guess most moms feel this way.
Today, our nanny started. She is great. 24 years old, bilingual, really sweet and soft spoken. I think she will be a wonderful influence for Emily (and totally different from Mike and me!) Mike and I are both home this week. We thought a week of transition would be good for everyone involved. (Well, I'll get a lot more than a week since I will only be working part time for the next month.)
I am finding it almost impossible to let someone else hold my child when I would rather be holding her myself. And that is nothing compared to letting someone else comfort her when she cries. I can barely keep my mouth shut when the nanny changes her diaper because she doesn't do it exactly like me. But I must say, it is lovely to eat my lunch at my leisure. It is wonderful to be able to check my emails and get some work done.
I guess all of this really becomes about balance. I am enjoying having a little freedom again. But I guess that means letting go of a little control. Wish me luck.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Exorcist Episode
Last night was a challenge for sure. Emily slept for 4 hours at a time, but the 2 a.m. feeding was a mess. She was a little fussy while eating, but nothing too out of control. It wasn't until the diaper change began that things weent downhill.
First I took off her diaper and she squirted poop all over the changing table cover. I cleaned that up and put a new diaper under her and she squirted poop all over that. New diaper, which she peed all over before I could even get it all the way on her. New diaper and poop came squirting out again, this time all over my hand. Now, I say squirt, but it was really kind of a cross between bubbling out and spraying, combined with the occasional squirt. I'm not even sure how there was any poop left at this point. After cleaning up the mess AGAIN I finally got a diaper on her and this time it got to stay on. I baby wiped my hand, then used some purelle to sanitize it and reached down to pick Emily up.
At this point she spit up. Are you kidding me? I just changed that changing table cover. It is almost 3 a.m. I am half asleep and already totally grossed out. I'm irritated and I feel bad for her all at the same time. "Oh honey!" I say and pull her into an upright position. I am looking for a burp cloth, but the closest one is across the room in the rocking chair. Luckily I keep more in the drawer of the changing table. I reached down when all of the sudden she goes projectile. Spit up is pouring out of her mouth exorcist style. I start to freak out, but I've seen this before. And all I can really think is "At least it's not pea soup."
Amazingly, even with spit up all down her front, all over her arms and face, all over my arms, and all over the table, Emily didn't shed a tear. Instead she gave a little giggle. Like the whole thing was funny. Haha, Mom. I pooped on you. Haha, Mom. I just puked all over you. This girl is definitely my child. I know this is payback for everything I did to my parents as a kid.
I pulled out an emergency onsie - the plain white ones that I keep in the changing table for just such an occasion - and wiped her down with a wet wash rag. It wasn't until she had to get dressed again that she actually got upset. And then it was another 30 minutes or so before she calmed down enough to go to sleep. When she finally did, I was ecstatic. I put her into the bassinet and crawedl into my own bed, which has never felt so good.
And you think that is the end of the story, but your wrong. It seems like that would be the end of it, but wait, there's more.
I woke up with her several more times before it is light enough and I am coherent enough to notice, but she has left me a present that can only be discovered in daylight. The wall behind the changing table is streaked with runny poo. It has dripped down the wall behind the table.
Now wait just a minute, I think. This is totally unfair. The next words out of my mouth are "Mike, can you come help me?" After all, he got to sleep through the rest of it. And lucky for me, Emily's Daddy is a team player. He Clorox wiped that wall like a pro.
With that I think to myself, "Not a bad way to start the day." And that, my friends, is how I know I am really a mom.
First I took off her diaper and she squirted poop all over the changing table cover. I cleaned that up and put a new diaper under her and she squirted poop all over that. New diaper, which she peed all over before I could even get it all the way on her. New diaper and poop came squirting out again, this time all over my hand. Now, I say squirt, but it was really kind of a cross between bubbling out and spraying, combined with the occasional squirt. I'm not even sure how there was any poop left at this point. After cleaning up the mess AGAIN I finally got a diaper on her and this time it got to stay on. I baby wiped my hand, then used some purelle to sanitize it and reached down to pick Emily up.
At this point she spit up. Are you kidding me? I just changed that changing table cover. It is almost 3 a.m. I am half asleep and already totally grossed out. I'm irritated and I feel bad for her all at the same time. "Oh honey!" I say and pull her into an upright position. I am looking for a burp cloth, but the closest one is across the room in the rocking chair. Luckily I keep more in the drawer of the changing table. I reached down when all of the sudden she goes projectile. Spit up is pouring out of her mouth exorcist style. I start to freak out, but I've seen this before. And all I can really think is "At least it's not pea soup."
Amazingly, even with spit up all down her front, all over her arms and face, all over my arms, and all over the table, Emily didn't shed a tear. Instead she gave a little giggle. Like the whole thing was funny. Haha, Mom. I pooped on you. Haha, Mom. I just puked all over you. This girl is definitely my child. I know this is payback for everything I did to my parents as a kid.
I pulled out an emergency onsie - the plain white ones that I keep in the changing table for just such an occasion - and wiped her down with a wet wash rag. It wasn't until she had to get dressed again that she actually got upset. And then it was another 30 minutes or so before she calmed down enough to go to sleep. When she finally did, I was ecstatic. I put her into the bassinet and crawedl into my own bed, which has never felt so good.
And you think that is the end of the story, but your wrong. It seems like that would be the end of it, but wait, there's more.
I woke up with her several more times before it is light enough and I am coherent enough to notice, but she has left me a present that can only be discovered in daylight. The wall behind the changing table is streaked with runny poo. It has dripped down the wall behind the table.
Now wait just a minute, I think. This is totally unfair. The next words out of my mouth are "Mike, can you come help me?" After all, he got to sleep through the rest of it. And lucky for me, Emily's Daddy is a team player. He Clorox wiped that wall like a pro.
With that I think to myself, "Not a bad way to start the day." And that, my friends, is how I know I am really a mom.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Well the initial adrenaline that comes with having a new baby wore off and it has taken me a few days to get myself together enough for a new blog post. We have had all kinds of company and yesterday was actually the first day Mike and I had alone with Emily since she was born. We had over 3 weeks of help. (Which I am VERY grateful for!) First my mom came and stayed with us, then Mike's mom did. Then my mom returned for a few days. And in the meantime we have had a steady stream of visitors: both daytime guests and over nighters. It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many of our family and friends, but it sure is nice to have things quiet down a little too. Although it will be a short lived quiet. We are visiting Grandmomma soon and then some aunties and uncles will be coming to visit us.
Mike starts work on the 24th so I am gearing up to take care of Emily mostly by myself. Well, I say that, but we have a nanny starting next week. She is 24 and has been a nanny for 5 years for the same family. She is only leaving them because their kids are all in school now. She is bilingual and will speak only Spanish with Emily so that Emily will be bilingual as well. She will be coming from 8:30 to 6:30 Monday through Thursday. On Fridays I will be home with Emily. (I actually wont be back at work full time until after Thanksgiving. I am taking one or two client meetings a day starting in November, but a full return won't happen until after the holiday.)
One of the things I really wanted to be sure to do is spend lots of time with my kids. (There is only one right now, but don't worry Dad, there will be more!) By packing my work week into 4 days I can keep doing what I love and get plenty of time in with Emily. Eventually, when she is in school, I will work 5 days and just adjust my schedule around her school schedule. I have the best job in the world - I get to do something I love and build it exactly the way I want to. I get to structure my life exactly the way I want it. I feel very blessed to be able to do that. Hopefully my kids will feel blessed too!
I am loving being a mom. It is a totally different type of challenge than I have ever faced. For the most part Emily is pretty easy to deal with. She gets a little fussy after feedings, but I am learning to figure out the difference between the "I'm gassy and it hurts" cry and the "I'm bored and you are not very entertaining right now" cry. The only time I get really annoyed (and yes I have lost my temper once or twice) is when I get the "I'm bored" cry at 2 a.m. and Emily won't stop crying and go to sleep. I don't want to be entertaining at 2 a.m. I just want to go to bed. Still, after plenty of prayer I find I am actually really patient and Emily will usually go to sleep after I talk to her for about 30 minutes. (Yes I am that boring. You can put just about anyone to sleep talking about insurance if you work at it...even babies.)
At her last doctor visit (which was about a week and a half ago - I am so behind!) Emily weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. That was her 2 week visit. From the time she left the hospital (at 7 lbs. 10 oz.) she gained 25 oz. That little oinker can eat! 25 oz. in 2 weeks is really good. She was in the 95th percentile for length and the 80th percentile for weight. Her next visit is this Friday. If I can get my act together I'll give you a prompt update.
Kisses from Emily!
Until next time. Whenever that may be...
Mike starts work on the 24th so I am gearing up to take care of Emily mostly by myself. Well, I say that, but we have a nanny starting next week. She is 24 and has been a nanny for 5 years for the same family. She is only leaving them because their kids are all in school now. She is bilingual and will speak only Spanish with Emily so that Emily will be bilingual as well. She will be coming from 8:30 to 6:30 Monday through Thursday. On Fridays I will be home with Emily. (I actually wont be back at work full time until after Thanksgiving. I am taking one or two client meetings a day starting in November, but a full return won't happen until after the holiday.)
One of the things I really wanted to be sure to do is spend lots of time with my kids. (There is only one right now, but don't worry Dad, there will be more!) By packing my work week into 4 days I can keep doing what I love and get plenty of time in with Emily. Eventually, when she is in school, I will work 5 days and just adjust my schedule around her school schedule. I have the best job in the world - I get to do something I love and build it exactly the way I want to. I get to structure my life exactly the way I want it. I feel very blessed to be able to do that. Hopefully my kids will feel blessed too!
I am loving being a mom. It is a totally different type of challenge than I have ever faced. For the most part Emily is pretty easy to deal with. She gets a little fussy after feedings, but I am learning to figure out the difference between the "I'm gassy and it hurts" cry and the "I'm bored and you are not very entertaining right now" cry. The only time I get really annoyed (and yes I have lost my temper once or twice) is when I get the "I'm bored" cry at 2 a.m. and Emily won't stop crying and go to sleep. I don't want to be entertaining at 2 a.m. I just want to go to bed. Still, after plenty of prayer I find I am actually really patient and Emily will usually go to sleep after I talk to her for about 30 minutes. (Yes I am that boring. You can put just about anyone to sleep talking about insurance if you work at it...even babies.)
At her last doctor visit (which was about a week and a half ago - I am so behind!) Emily weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. That was her 2 week visit. From the time she left the hospital (at 7 lbs. 10 oz.) she gained 25 oz. That little oinker can eat! 25 oz. in 2 weeks is really good. She was in the 95th percentile for length and the 80th percentile for weight. Her next visit is this Friday. If I can get my act together I'll give you a prompt update.
Kisses from Emily!
Until next time. Whenever that may be...
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Adventures in the Night!
Back so soon? Why yes I am! I am getting used to Emily's schedule and I know when I have a few minutes to spare.
Oh what a night!
Being a parent is a complete life changer. I used to be able to do whatever I wanted. Now all I get to do is feed Emily. Not that I mind. But it is different. Last night she was out at 7:30 and I thought, "How fabulous! I can set her in the bassinet and read for an hour before I go to bed." (And yes, I would gladly go to bed at 8:30 at this point. I'll take my sleep where I can get it!)
So... I set her in the bassinet, brushed my teeth, grabbed my kindle, and got into bed. I got to read one paragraph before Emily decided she missed being held in my arms and the squawking began. Seriously? Part of me was delighted that she noticed I was gone, but most of me just wished she would conk out for the night.
Two hours and a feeding later Emily finally decided to go back to sleep. So much for my plan to relax for a bit. By the time she passed out I was exhausted. So I just went to sleep too. The good news is that she slept until 1:30. Which means I got a full four hours of sleep. Before I was a parent four hours of sleep would have been atrocious. Now it sounds like heaven. And it felt like it too. How quickly things change!
Mike and I got up with Emily, who was howling with hunger. She latched immediately and went to town with the feeding. All good. Until she decided she was done. At that point, still clamped firmly on my nipple, she pushed her little body back as hard as she could and threw her head back. Now, I was kinda prepared for this (because she has done it before), but not totally.
The pain was excruciating! It felt like she was going to pull my nipple off while biting it! I screamed. Yes, I actually screamed. Then I burst into tears. Meanwhile, content little Emily was giggling up at me, totally unaware of what she had done. I have to admit, there was a small part of me that instinctively wanted to slap her at the moment it was occurring. It reminded me of a story my mom always tells. A story where I was actually slapped for doing the same thing. Granted, I was much older and had teeth, but still... I guess turn about is fair play.
After I finally pulled myself together and stopped crying - at which point Emily had started to cry since she could not figure out why her meal was interrupted - I had to start the feeding all over again and brave another bite. Luckily for me (and Emily) there were no further episodes.
Except... that when she was done she was pretty fussy and daddy had to rock her to sleep. Because I don't have much ab strength due to the C section, my rocking chair skills are somewhat limited. Mike, on the other hand, rocks "con fuerte". His words, not mine. It's pretty funny to watch.
Daddy and baby both relaxed. Baby fell asleep. And then, baby spit up all over daddy and just kept spitting up. I think she lost about half of what she ate all over Mike. I had to rush in with a burp cloth. I bent over to wipe up the spit up and just fell over. Having no ab muscles just hinders coordination. I was sprawled out on the floor, stunned. Mike was half concerned, half laughing. And Emily just kept spitting up.
It took about 45 minutes to get Emily cleaned and relaxed again. After a total of two hours awake in the middle of the night we could finally go back to sleep.
The good news is that she then slept from 3:30 to 6:45. And after her early morning feeding she slept till 9:00. I got about 7 hour and 45 minutes of sleep in all. I feel pretty good about that. And this morning Emily and I are both doing just fine. And Mike bears no lasting scars from being used as a human burp cloth.
Oh what a night!
Being a parent is a complete life changer. I used to be able to do whatever I wanted. Now all I get to do is feed Emily. Not that I mind. But it is different. Last night she was out at 7:30 and I thought, "How fabulous! I can set her in the bassinet and read for an hour before I go to bed." (And yes, I would gladly go to bed at 8:30 at this point. I'll take my sleep where I can get it!)
So... I set her in the bassinet, brushed my teeth, grabbed my kindle, and got into bed. I got to read one paragraph before Emily decided she missed being held in my arms and the squawking began. Seriously? Part of me was delighted that she noticed I was gone, but most of me just wished she would conk out for the night.
Two hours and a feeding later Emily finally decided to go back to sleep. So much for my plan to relax for a bit. By the time she passed out I was exhausted. So I just went to sleep too. The good news is that she slept until 1:30. Which means I got a full four hours of sleep. Before I was a parent four hours of sleep would have been atrocious. Now it sounds like heaven. And it felt like it too. How quickly things change!
Mike and I got up with Emily, who was howling with hunger. She latched immediately and went to town with the feeding. All good. Until she decided she was done. At that point, still clamped firmly on my nipple, she pushed her little body back as hard as she could and threw her head back. Now, I was kinda prepared for this (because she has done it before), but not totally.
The pain was excruciating! It felt like she was going to pull my nipple off while biting it! I screamed. Yes, I actually screamed. Then I burst into tears. Meanwhile, content little Emily was giggling up at me, totally unaware of what she had done. I have to admit, there was a small part of me that instinctively wanted to slap her at the moment it was occurring. It reminded me of a story my mom always tells. A story where I was actually slapped for doing the same thing. Granted, I was much older and had teeth, but still... I guess turn about is fair play.
After I finally pulled myself together and stopped crying - at which point Emily had started to cry since she could not figure out why her meal was interrupted - I had to start the feeding all over again and brave another bite. Luckily for me (and Emily) there were no further episodes.
Except... that when she was done she was pretty fussy and daddy had to rock her to sleep. Because I don't have much ab strength due to the C section, my rocking chair skills are somewhat limited. Mike, on the other hand, rocks "con fuerte". His words, not mine. It's pretty funny to watch.
Daddy and baby both relaxed. Baby fell asleep. And then, baby spit up all over daddy and just kept spitting up. I think she lost about half of what she ate all over Mike. I had to rush in with a burp cloth. I bent over to wipe up the spit up and just fell over. Having no ab muscles just hinders coordination. I was sprawled out on the floor, stunned. Mike was half concerned, half laughing. And Emily just kept spitting up.
It took about 45 minutes to get Emily cleaned and relaxed again. After a total of two hours awake in the middle of the night we could finally go back to sleep.
The good news is that she then slept from 3:30 to 6:45. And after her early morning feeding she slept till 9:00. I got about 7 hour and 45 minutes of sleep in all. I feel pretty good about that. And this morning Emily and I are both doing just fine. And Mike bears no lasting scars from being used as a human burp cloth.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
My Guest Blogger has Failed Me!
I tried. I really tried. I begged and pleaded and almost threatened but to no avail. Mike refuses to blog about Emily's explosive poop incident. He said he would only do it if I could come up with a good nom de plume and I got nothing. So readers, we have 2 options. I can blog about it, or you can come up with a good pen name for my hubby. We'll see if we get any good responses. If not, I'll just write the story myself.
In the meantime, we have plenty else to talk about.
Recovery from a C section.
Since I had it in my head that I was just going to have a normal birthing experience I never really prepared myself for the possibility of a C section. It's not something I would have chosen if there were any other options. I'm grateful it was an option, don't get me wrong. I feel very blessed to be recovering without complications. And I am even more grateful to have a beautiful healthy baby.
The hardest part is not so much the pain as it is not being able to move around. I can't drive for 2 weeks. Riding in a car isn't too pleasant anyway - it requires too much ab work for stabilization. All I can really do is lie around the house and feed the baby. And really , I think that is a good thing since she hasn't had any of her vaccinations yet, so she shouldn't really be going anywhere.
Today Mike and I are going to get vaccinations for whooping cough and the flu so we can't pass that on to her. I believe all the grandparents are getting the same vaccines as well.
The dogs
The dogs have been adjusting to Emily's presence quite well. We have taught them to maintain about a 2-3 foot distance from her unless invited closer. Neither dog seems particularly interested in getting to close to her. They are both more interested in her stuffed animals. When Emily starts crying during a diaper change both dogs get really uncomfortable. When Emily and I are sitting in the rocker, the dogs lie at my feet facing the door - classic guard dogs. I am really quite proud of them. We are keeping watchful eyes on both dogs, but so far we are pretty pleased. They are very calm and careful around her, and as long as that keeps up, they can both stay!
Emily
Oh, where to begin. This baby is a pretty easy baby. (My blessings are being counted every time I think that!) She is pretty low maintenance. She sleeps a lot right now. At night she goes down about 8 or 8:30, sleeps until 12:30 or 1, gets up for a meal, then sleeps till 5 or so. After that she will go back down for a few hours and I get up with her around 7:30 or 8. So far she has been fairly predictable. During the day her feeding schedule is pretty high maintenance, but the only reason she cries is if she is hungry or we have to change a poopy diaper and we don't use heated wipes.
Somehow Emily manages to sleep through just about everything from barking dogs to slamming cabinet doors, to husbands hollering from the other room. The only thing that seems to startle her is silverware clinking on a plate.
I am amazed by how much I already love this little creature. A lot of mom's don't bond with their babies right away. I really assumed I would be one of those moms. I have a tendency to dissociate from events when I know I am supposed to feel a strong emotion. Emily has pushed her little self right through that. She is absolutely my world in a way I couldn't begin to imagine before I had her. Who else would I get up with at 4 in the morning (with no coffee) just to stare at her adoringly while changing a poopy diaper. If that's not love, I don't know what is.
Here are some new pictures of her for your enjoyment.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Emily's Arrival!
Last we left off, our valiant heroine was off for a power waddle and heading toward labor. Let's pick up from that very spot...
After our 45 minute walk contractions started coming about every 5 minutes for at least a minute a piece. Dr and doula agreed that at that frequency, it was time to head to the hospital. Luckily for me, Mike had already packed the car that morning, so all I had to do was hop in and away we went. (Although, he did make me put a thick blanket down on the car seat to make sure I didn't ruin the interior of his new 4Runner.)
In the 15 minutes it took to get to the hospital my contractions started coming 2-3 minutes apart. They were so intense I was crying through them, trying to breathe in that cliched "hee-hee-hee haaawww" kind of way you always see on tv. It was hard not to laugh through the pain when I realized I sounded like a crying donkey. I sometimes wonder how a man forgets moments like that and still finds a woman attractive. Mike was incredibly supportive and managed to get us to the hospital with minimal cursing.
We checked in to the hospital at about 5:30 and found out I was dilated to 2 centimeters. (Only a two??? I was ready to cry some more) and I was about 90% effaced. Now, what I didn't know at the time was this: In a first pregnancy it is normal to efface fully to 100% before any dilation occurs. In later pregnancies the two can occur simultaneously, but it is very rare for that to happen at the stage I was in. (And for those of you not up on the pregnancy lingo, think of effacing like a rubber band. A fat rubber band wont stretch very far but a skinny one will stretch for days. Same thing with a cervix. A fat (0% effaced) cervix wont dilate but a skinny, soft (100% effaced) cervix will.) I also later found out from our doula that the timing and intensity of my contractions at that stage was comparable to what someone dilated to an 8 would be experiencing just before pushing the baby out!
By 7:00 I was dilated to about 4 centimeters. I was in so much pain I was begging for an epidural - and you all know how I feel about needles... Getting the IV put in hurt more than getting the epidural itself and the relief was instant. What amazed me was that I could still feel (although I did have a lot of trouble moving my legs) I just couldn't feel the sensation of pain.
I stalled out at 6 centimeters of dilation with no change in the effacing. They broke my water to try to move things along and that is when things started getting exciting. With each contraction the baby's heart rate dropped pretty dramatically, so it was evident something was compressing the cord. We tried several different positions and nothing seemed to fix the problem. Then Emily decided to poop while still inside the womb. That only happens if the baby is stressed. Which, with the contractions coming every two minutes and cutting her heart rate down, she clearly was.
In an attempt to flush the amniotic sac of merconium (the poo) and relieve pressure from the umbilical cord, fluid was reinserted into the amniotic sac. When this had not solved the problem, the doctor decided it was time for us to have a chat.
At 3:00 a.m. I got the news no laboring mom wants to hear. It was time for a C section.
Our doctor was phenomenal. He calmly explained why a C section was necessary and walked us through the procedure. Then he gave us time to "get ok with the idea" instead of rushing us into action. We talked to our doula and she was very reassuring. She told us most of the time she would suggest other courses of action before rushing into a c section, but with this doctor, if he said we needed a c section, we really did. She then explained that aspects of my labor had been odd from the start and she wasn't totally surprised that was where we ended up. She did a lot to calm us down and actually went into the OR with us so she could explain what was happening and why as the procedure took place. Mike and I were both a lot calmer because she was there to reassure us. I would recommend her to anyone going into labor, especially because most insurance companies cover the cost.
Actually, our doula took pictures of the procedure for us, but I'll spare you having to see them. Those will not be photos I upload. Instead you can just see the before and after.
Mike was amazing throughout the entire surgery. He talked to me the whole time and held my shaking hands. I'm sure he was just as scared as I was, but he never showed it. I realized afterward I had only been worried about Emily, but Mike was worried about both of us. I think it must be really hard to be a man - you have to be strong when everyone else gets to be weak. I have nothing but respect and love for him. He is going to be such a great dad.
Emily arrived at 3:27 (although her birth certificate says 3:40) on Saturday September 17th. She weighed 8lbs. 6 oz. and was 20 and 7/8 inches long. It was a good thing we decided to proceed with the C section. As it turned out, Emily had wrapped her umbilical cord around her belly and aghain around her neck. Mom is convinced she was playing Princess dress up in the womb. She must have mistaken the umbilical cord for a feather boa and wrapped it around herself. She has a flare for the dramatic already!
I didn't get to see her right away because she had merconium on her and they didn't want her to inhale it when she started to cry. And cry she did! The first words out of my mouth when I heard her were "She sounds just like a feral cat!" I blame the morphine in my IV drip.
We were in recovery by 4:15 that morning. Since then, mom and baby have been fine. No complications for either of us. We are happy to be home and getting to know one another.
More posts to come.
After our 45 minute walk contractions started coming about every 5 minutes for at least a minute a piece. Dr and doula agreed that at that frequency, it was time to head to the hospital. Luckily for me, Mike had already packed the car that morning, so all I had to do was hop in and away we went. (Although, he did make me put a thick blanket down on the car seat to make sure I didn't ruin the interior of his new 4Runner.)
In the 15 minutes it took to get to the hospital my contractions started coming 2-3 minutes apart. They were so intense I was crying through them, trying to breathe in that cliched "hee-hee-hee haaawww" kind of way you always see on tv. It was hard not to laugh through the pain when I realized I sounded like a crying donkey. I sometimes wonder how a man forgets moments like that and still finds a woman attractive. Mike was incredibly supportive and managed to get us to the hospital with minimal cursing.
We checked in to the hospital at about 5:30 and found out I was dilated to 2 centimeters. (Only a two??? I was ready to cry some more) and I was about 90% effaced. Now, what I didn't know at the time was this: In a first pregnancy it is normal to efface fully to 100% before any dilation occurs. In later pregnancies the two can occur simultaneously, but it is very rare for that to happen at the stage I was in. (And for those of you not up on the pregnancy lingo, think of effacing like a rubber band. A fat rubber band wont stretch very far but a skinny one will stretch for days. Same thing with a cervix. A fat (0% effaced) cervix wont dilate but a skinny, soft (100% effaced) cervix will.) I also later found out from our doula that the timing and intensity of my contractions at that stage was comparable to what someone dilated to an 8 would be experiencing just before pushing the baby out!
By 7:00 I was dilated to about 4 centimeters. I was in so much pain I was begging for an epidural - and you all know how I feel about needles... Getting the IV put in hurt more than getting the epidural itself and the relief was instant. What amazed me was that I could still feel (although I did have a lot of trouble moving my legs) I just couldn't feel the sensation of pain.
I stalled out at 6 centimeters of dilation with no change in the effacing. They broke my water to try to move things along and that is when things started getting exciting. With each contraction the baby's heart rate dropped pretty dramatically, so it was evident something was compressing the cord. We tried several different positions and nothing seemed to fix the problem. Then Emily decided to poop while still inside the womb. That only happens if the baby is stressed. Which, with the contractions coming every two minutes and cutting her heart rate down, she clearly was.
In an attempt to flush the amniotic sac of merconium (the poo) and relieve pressure from the umbilical cord, fluid was reinserted into the amniotic sac. When this had not solved the problem, the doctor decided it was time for us to have a chat.
At 3:00 a.m. I got the news no laboring mom wants to hear. It was time for a C section.
Our doctor was phenomenal. He calmly explained why a C section was necessary and walked us through the procedure. Then he gave us time to "get ok with the idea" instead of rushing us into action. We talked to our doula and she was very reassuring. She told us most of the time she would suggest other courses of action before rushing into a c section, but with this doctor, if he said we needed a c section, we really did. She then explained that aspects of my labor had been odd from the start and she wasn't totally surprised that was where we ended up. She did a lot to calm us down and actually went into the OR with us so she could explain what was happening and why as the procedure took place. Mike and I were both a lot calmer because she was there to reassure us. I would recommend her to anyone going into labor, especially because most insurance companies cover the cost.
Actually, our doula took pictures of the procedure for us, but I'll spare you having to see them. Those will not be photos I upload. Instead you can just see the before and after.
Emily arrived at 3:27 (although her birth certificate says 3:40) on Saturday September 17th. She weighed 8lbs. 6 oz. and was 20 and 7/8 inches long. It was a good thing we decided to proceed with the C section. As it turned out, Emily had wrapped her umbilical cord around her belly and aghain around her neck. Mom is convinced she was playing Princess dress up in the womb. She must have mistaken the umbilical cord for a feather boa and wrapped it around herself. She has a flare for the dramatic already!
I didn't get to see her right away because she had merconium on her and they didn't want her to inhale it when she started to cry. And cry she did! The first words out of my mouth when I heard her were "She sounds just like a feral cat!" I blame the morphine in my IV drip.
We were in recovery by 4:15 that morning. Since then, mom and baby have been fine. No complications for either of us. We are happy to be home and getting to know one another.
More posts to come.
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Beginnings of Labor
Well it appears the spicy pizza did the trick. I will never hear the end of it now.
I woke up at 7:01 this morning with my first contraction. I waited for about 30 minutes to be sure that it was actually a contraction and that I had more than one. Then I woke Mike up so he could start freaking out. We notified family and then got up to start our day. .
Mike insisted I call my doctor, who was unavailable, but I talked to the nurse. After discussing the duration and frequency of my contractions, she told me I needed to go ahead and go into the hospital for observation. I told her no. Even though my contractions were about 7 minutes apart, they weren't very intense - after all, if you can talk through them without yelling or cursing, you aren't about to have the baby. Mike had a hissy. He was quite adamant that I go in, but that would have ruined my schedule. I had pregnancy pictures at 9:30 and I wasn't about to miss those.
How is that for procrastination? I am actually in labor during the pictures. In fact, once I get them I'll post at least one picture that was taken in the middle of a contraction. At least I am still actually pregnant in the pictures. There is nothing like waiting till the last minute.
Contractions have been happening regularly - in intervals of about 5 to 12 minutes for durations of about 20 seconds to a minute. They haven't been particularly intense. Just enough to be uncomfortable. I finally went in to the Dr's office for my scheduled appointment at 1:20 (after a giant lunch - cheeseburger and fires!) After looking at the meticulous schedule of contractions Mike had logged onto notebook paper, the doctor agreed I was not on the verge of having Emily pop out. The cervical exam was conclusive. I am a full centimeter dilated and almost fully effaced. So progress is definitely being made, but it may be a while.
Right now, Mike is forcing me on another power waddle and then I am going to try to nap through contractions. I doubt that is really possible, but here's trying.
I woke up at 7:01 this morning with my first contraction. I waited for about 30 minutes to be sure that it was actually a contraction and that I had more than one. Then I woke Mike up so he could start freaking out. We notified family and then got up to start our day. .
Mike insisted I call my doctor, who was unavailable, but I talked to the nurse. After discussing the duration and frequency of my contractions, she told me I needed to go ahead and go into the hospital for observation. I told her no. Even though my contractions were about 7 minutes apart, they weren't very intense - after all, if you can talk through them without yelling or cursing, you aren't about to have the baby. Mike had a hissy. He was quite adamant that I go in, but that would have ruined my schedule. I had pregnancy pictures at 9:30 and I wasn't about to miss those.
How is that for procrastination? I am actually in labor during the pictures. In fact, once I get them I'll post at least one picture that was taken in the middle of a contraction. At least I am still actually pregnant in the pictures. There is nothing like waiting till the last minute.
Contractions have been happening regularly - in intervals of about 5 to 12 minutes for durations of about 20 seconds to a minute. They haven't been particularly intense. Just enough to be uncomfortable. I finally went in to the Dr's office for my scheduled appointment at 1:20 (after a giant lunch - cheeseburger and fires!) After looking at the meticulous schedule of contractions Mike had logged onto notebook paper, the doctor agreed I was not on the verge of having Emily pop out. The cervical exam was conclusive. I am a full centimeter dilated and almost fully effaced. So progress is definitely being made, but it may be a while.
Right now, Mike is forcing me on another power waddle and then I am going to try to nap through contractions. I doubt that is really possible, but here's trying.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
What's a control freak to do? or Being Proactive (whichever title you think suits me)
My due date is only 2 days away and I am feeling more than ready to bring Emily into this world. I can barely get around at this point because my stomach has gotten so big. I wake up 6 times a night to pee. And I'm lucky if I can get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. So I am being proactive.
My mom likes to tell my brother and I (over and over) that she ate spicy pizza the night before giving birth to us both. She is coming into town tonight and we are going to do just that. Sorry John and Katie - if this works we'll never hear the end of it... We are going to head over to Sal's, a deliciously greasy pizza joint in the Gayborhood of Dallas. Mike and I first found this place years before we moved to Dallas and it remains one of our favorites. I am gearing up for some serious indigestion. But if Emily comes tomorrow I'll count it as worth it. I've got plenty of Tums on the bedside table, so I think I am prepared.
After dinner Mike is making me go for a power walk. Although really, I think we should call it what it is: a power waddle. I'm just glad no one has a video camera on me for this one. We took a 45 minute walk yesterday and I could barely move afterward. Gravity and a giant bouncing belly just really don't go together.
Tomorrow I have my pregnancy pictures scheduled first thing in the morning. I have been putting this off and putting this off because I just don't feel photogenic. Still, I guess some part of me feels the need to document this part of my life because I finally caved in and scheduled a photo shoot with Ren Morrison. Ren has done pictures for me before and she will be doing the newborn pics the day we get home from the hospital as well. Hopefully I'll look happy and awake when Ren gets here. If not, at least I already know she is good with photoshop!
After the pregnancy pics I have an inducement massage. My massage therapist will hit all the pressure points that are supposed to encourage inducement. She maintains that there is no research that proves this has any effect, but I know enough people that swear by it that I am willing to give it a try. At this point I am so ready to be done I will try almost anything! (Hence the spicy pizza - even though I am absolutely sure the indigestion will make me wish I hadn't done it later tonight.)
Once I finish my massage, Mike and I will head over to my doctor's office and we will see if I have made any progress from last week. Cross your fingers for me. I'm certainly doing everything I know to do on my end! If we're lucky I'll go into labor and Emily will be here with plenty of time to spare before the UT game on Saturday. Cuz we all know if I go into labor on Saturday there is a good chance Mike will demand that the game be on in the delivery room...
My mom likes to tell my brother and I (over and over) that she ate spicy pizza the night before giving birth to us both. She is coming into town tonight and we are going to do just that. Sorry John and Katie - if this works we'll never hear the end of it... We are going to head over to Sal's, a deliciously greasy pizza joint in the Gayborhood of Dallas. Mike and I first found this place years before we moved to Dallas and it remains one of our favorites. I am gearing up for some serious indigestion. But if Emily comes tomorrow I'll count it as worth it. I've got plenty of Tums on the bedside table, so I think I am prepared.
After dinner Mike is making me go for a power walk. Although really, I think we should call it what it is: a power waddle. I'm just glad no one has a video camera on me for this one. We took a 45 minute walk yesterday and I could barely move afterward. Gravity and a giant bouncing belly just really don't go together.
Tomorrow I have my pregnancy pictures scheduled first thing in the morning. I have been putting this off and putting this off because I just don't feel photogenic. Still, I guess some part of me feels the need to document this part of my life because I finally caved in and scheduled a photo shoot with Ren Morrison. Ren has done pictures for me before and she will be doing the newborn pics the day we get home from the hospital as well. Hopefully I'll look happy and awake when Ren gets here. If not, at least I already know she is good with photoshop!
After the pregnancy pics I have an inducement massage. My massage therapist will hit all the pressure points that are supposed to encourage inducement. She maintains that there is no research that proves this has any effect, but I know enough people that swear by it that I am willing to give it a try. At this point I am so ready to be done I will try almost anything! (Hence the spicy pizza - even though I am absolutely sure the indigestion will make me wish I hadn't done it later tonight.)
Once I finish my massage, Mike and I will head over to my doctor's office and we will see if I have made any progress from last week. Cross your fingers for me. I'm certainly doing everything I know to do on my end! If we're lucky I'll go into labor and Emily will be here with plenty of time to spare before the UT game on Saturday. Cuz we all know if I go into labor on Saturday there is a good chance Mike will demand that the game be on in the delivery room...
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Mood Swings: From Fear to Relief
Emotion 1: Fear
I got an email this morning from a good friend of mine who just had her baby. She went into the hospital on Sunday night to be induced. After 24 hours of hard labor, she had a C section. Her new baby boy was 9.5 lbs! The reason this scares me is that my delivery date is 2 weeks after hers and my sonograms measured right in line with hers. So when hers said 7.5 lbs, mine did too!
At my last sonogram (which was last Friday) the baby measured 8.5 lbs. My doctor said she thought the baby was closer to 8 lbs based on the size of my stomach, but there is a margin of error on sonogram weight estimations of 2 lbs in either direction... 6.5 pounds sounds just fine, but 10.5 sounds impossible. Given that I am borderline for gestational diabetes, there is a good chance my baby will be on the bigger side, so while I am optimistic there is a devilish part of me that is just absolutely sure I'm in for it.
That being said, here's how they take the measurements: head circumference and diameter, rib cage, thigh bone. Emily has a big head. (Go figure. Someone with a big head in this family. I mean, c'mon, the head has to be big enough to hold the ego. I wonder who she inherited that trait from...) Her rib cage is measuring where it should and her thigh bone is long. I'm gonna brag on that one. Since I have a 34 inch inseam in flats, we know where that came from. All that being said - I'm crossing my fingers that she'll just be long and skinny. And hopefully her head won't get any bigger between now and delivery!
Emotion 2: Relief
Today we interviewed a second pediatrician. The first was really nice and seemed to have a good practice. She came highly recommended and took a holistic approach. The pediatrician we interviewed today blew us away. He was obviously a critical thinker. Not just about medicine, but about life in general. (And it certainly didn't hurt that his undergrad degree was from UT and his major was Plan II - just like mine!) He took about 30 minutes to answer all of our questions about vaccinations, overall medical philosophy, and all kinds of other things. Mike and I both like a whole lot of information. We loved that he was willing to explain his opinions and back them up with research and personal stories about how he handles things with his own kids. This is one are we have been concerned about - and we were getting a little worried since we obviously procrastinated on this front. It is a huge relief to have found someone we feel like we can trust. And the fact that communication was easy just makes things even better.
I got an email this morning from a good friend of mine who just had her baby. She went into the hospital on Sunday night to be induced. After 24 hours of hard labor, she had a C section. Her new baby boy was 9.5 lbs! The reason this scares me is that my delivery date is 2 weeks after hers and my sonograms measured right in line with hers. So when hers said 7.5 lbs, mine did too!
At my last sonogram (which was last Friday) the baby measured 8.5 lbs. My doctor said she thought the baby was closer to 8 lbs based on the size of my stomach, but there is a margin of error on sonogram weight estimations of 2 lbs in either direction... 6.5 pounds sounds just fine, but 10.5 sounds impossible. Given that I am borderline for gestational diabetes, there is a good chance my baby will be on the bigger side, so while I am optimistic there is a devilish part of me that is just absolutely sure I'm in for it.
That being said, here's how they take the measurements: head circumference and diameter, rib cage, thigh bone. Emily has a big head. (Go figure. Someone with a big head in this family. I mean, c'mon, the head has to be big enough to hold the ego. I wonder who she inherited that trait from...) Her rib cage is measuring where it should and her thigh bone is long. I'm gonna brag on that one. Since I have a 34 inch inseam in flats, we know where that came from. All that being said - I'm crossing my fingers that she'll just be long and skinny. And hopefully her head won't get any bigger between now and delivery!
Emotion 2: Relief
Today we interviewed a second pediatrician. The first was really nice and seemed to have a good practice. She came highly recommended and took a holistic approach. The pediatrician we interviewed today blew us away. He was obviously a critical thinker. Not just about medicine, but about life in general. (And it certainly didn't hurt that his undergrad degree was from UT and his major was Plan II - just like mine!) He took about 30 minutes to answer all of our questions about vaccinations, overall medical philosophy, and all kinds of other things. Mike and I both like a whole lot of information. We loved that he was willing to explain his opinions and back them up with research and personal stories about how he handles things with his own kids. This is one are we have been concerned about - and we were getting a little worried since we obviously procrastinated on this front. It is a huge relief to have found someone we feel like we can trust. And the fact that communication was easy just makes things even better.
Monday, September 12, 2011
My first blogging entry
As I am approaching my due date I figure I should start acting a little bit more like a mom. That means I get to start talking about my daughter as much as I want. And it means I can assume everyone else is just as interested in her as I am! I have 5 days left until she is officially due, but Emily seems to be quite happy where she is. As of my last doctor's visit they have decided if she isn't here by the 23rd, we will induce. Hopefully she will deign to grace us with her presence well before that. I am ready to meet her.
This past weekend we went to brunch with Mike's Dad, his Aunt Kay and his cousin Ginger. Kay was saying Emily will probably be laid back - after all, she is in no hurry to get here. I just laughed - with Mike and me as parents it is more likely she is just being recalcitrant and stubborn. We know we are in for it. If the two of us are any indication of what our kids will be like we should expect hyper, bossy, independent children.
Looking forward, we are actually pretty relaxed about her arrival. We finished remodelling the living room this weekend, so everything is set. All we have left to do is hang curtains in Emily's room. I could still do some last minute decorating in there, but I think once the curtains are up I'm just going to be done. Our registry is bought out. Emily has more clothes than I do. We have our hospital bags packed (complete with all kinds of snacks and entertainment). Our doula is on notice, so I think we are good to go.
Speaking of doulas, I was amazed to find out insurance covers this. For those of you that don't know what a doula is, she is essentially a labor advocate. She will show up when the contractions start, keep you company, help you speed things along, run interference with the doctors and nurses, and explain everything along the way. We met ours at the birthing class we went to at Baylor. (She was actually the one teaching the class.) We are excited to have her helping us since this is our first time going through this and we don't really know what to expect.
As things progress I will try to keep everyone updated. Now if only I could figure out how to put pictures into my posts...
This past weekend we went to brunch with Mike's Dad, his Aunt Kay and his cousin Ginger. Kay was saying Emily will probably be laid back - after all, she is in no hurry to get here. I just laughed - with Mike and me as parents it is more likely she is just being recalcitrant and stubborn. We know we are in for it. If the two of us are any indication of what our kids will be like we should expect hyper, bossy, independent children.
Looking forward, we are actually pretty relaxed about her arrival. We finished remodelling the living room this weekend, so everything is set. All we have left to do is hang curtains in Emily's room. I could still do some last minute decorating in there, but I think once the curtains are up I'm just going to be done. Our registry is bought out. Emily has more clothes than I do. We have our hospital bags packed (complete with all kinds of snacks and entertainment). Our doula is on notice, so I think we are good to go.
Speaking of doulas, I was amazed to find out insurance covers this. For those of you that don't know what a doula is, she is essentially a labor advocate. She will show up when the contractions start, keep you company, help you speed things along, run interference with the doctors and nurses, and explain everything along the way. We met ours at the birthing class we went to at Baylor. (She was actually the one teaching the class.) We are excited to have her helping us since this is our first time going through this and we don't really know what to expect.
As things progress I will try to keep everyone updated. Now if only I could figure out how to put pictures into my posts...
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