Randomness

During the holidays I feel particularly crafty and this year was no exception. Generally I make a lot of my gifts...I just think it means more. This year I planned to make cookies, my secret banana bread and various knitted items....well...sometimes plans change. It appears I didn't even mail a single Christmas card. Sorry peeps! Since almost everyone is in the same boat this year, most of my friends and family agreed NOT to exchange gifts this year. With a new baby in the house I have to admit I was relieved and dropped the ball entirely. To fulfill my crafty desires, without spending any cash, I dove into my box of randomness (eg, yarn, fabric, textured papers, etc).

I started with crocheted snowflake ornaments...make that ornament..singular. What a freakin' anxiety-inducing pain in the ass! I made the smallest one in the book (about 1" in diameter) and gave in. No wonder this crap had been sitting around for years...I subconsciously knew it would suck.

I then found partial skeins of green, red, brown and multicolored yarn so I made Mark, Isaiah, and myself stockings.


I moved onto to a fabulous ball of handspun yarn. My friend Robyn (the crafiest of them all) spun it herself and gave it to me as a gift. I grabbed what was left of the scrap yarn and made myself a cozy shoulder wrap. I think I'm going to put buttons on the far edges and make big kimono-like sleeves...I'll call it granny bat wings!


The last item is a Kusudama...a bunch of origami flowers glued together in a ball. I totally stole this idea from the Yoda of crafts mentioned above...Robyn. I made a small one out of scraps cut from old magazines (also Robyn's idea). I loved it so much I tore apart some crappy old book of angel pictures that I had (I don't know why) and made one for my mom. Each flower had a word on it like Miracle or Love:)



Other random shit that's fabulous...

Exhibit A

I found this image posted on Craftzine.com...these people pressed their bodies into the fresh, powdery snow on a car windshield. Now I'm totally going to have to try this sometime.

Exhibit B
www.craftingagreenworld.com... my new favorite crafty site. I found it via an artice on "Craftivism" (a crafting/activism combo) what a pleasant thought. I stumbled upon this newly coined term via a Chemo Caps website. I made a few for my mom recently and found a website dedicated to knitting caps for cancer patients. I don' see myself trekking through rainforests again any time in the near future, but that doesn't mean I can't contribute. Craftivism is a fabulous idea...don't ya think?

Exhbit B-2
The Knit One, Save One Campaign. Need I say more?

Exhibit C
The Tushy Cushy...essentially a handmade boppy. Awww. I found this at my favorite knitting site.. Knitty.com.



Exibit D
Ok...so maybe this isn't fabulous, but you have to admit the commitment is impressive.


Exhibit E
I'm all for recycled crafts...it is quite fun, but the prude in me says no way! I give you....the bra purse. Yes, it is true. What was once a bra can be your next handbag on date night. Scandalous!

Merry Christmas!

We had a damn nice Christmas this year. :) It was much busier than we had anticipated, but I think that made the day turn out better. Our little early bird woke us, as always, around 6:30am. I made a big breakfast, we lounged and watched the morning news, I sewed new buttons on Isaiah's overalls (damn baby is almost as tall as me), gave Isaiah a bath, etc. And then...the clock suddenly said 10:15 and we wondered where the time had gone. Mark and I both had to shower, dress, primp, round up the dogs, warm up the car, and pack baby shit (an attempt to not be as ill prepared as usual...though we were still ill prepared, as usual).

We arrived at my parent's house shortly after 11AM and I was impressed with how quickly we managed to get our shit together at the last minute. The 3 of us had lunch with my mom and dad and followed that up with Isaiah's First Christmas/Gift Opening Extravaganza. He got books and puzzles and a crazy rocking giraffe (as in rocking horse that looks like a giraffe). Among the many gifts from grandma and grandpa were a baby V-Tech laptop (Mark's favorite) and a musical gym. We put the gym together on the spot to see if Isaiah had any interest. My expectation was that it would take him a few days to figure it out...I was so wrong. He was entranced immediately. This continues to reinforce my belief that Isaiah will have a strong love of music. I was starting to believe this for the following reasons:

1. Only a few weeks ago we started playing a lullabies CD from the Putamayo Kids series during Isaiah's bedtime (the focus is world music in various languages from Swahili to Spanish). He sleeps so much better with a little quiet music playing.
2. He typically enjoys playtime more when music is playing. For instance, if he is in his jumperoo, he is more likely to jump about if we have the musical toys playing.
3. When he is upset I can usually calm him down with a sing song type voice (although I think this is probably true of all babies).
4. Isaiah threw a tantrum at a friend's house the other day. We both did everything we could think of to calm his cries...none of my usual tricks worked. Then Maya had the idea to play her favorite Thai music for him. He was immediately interested. The tears stopped about as quickly as they started. I was impressed! Now I will forever be armed with a CD...another tool in my bag of tricks.
5. Isaiah clearly has a preference for certain music. He prefers island-style songs, Jack Johnson, and world music with a softness to it. This is so exciting to me since I am completely devoid of any musical talent. If it turns out that Isaiah has musical abilities similar to my own, at least he will have grown up with an appreciate for music from other cultures. This will be wonderful in itself since Mark and I would like to expose our children to as many cultures as possible during their childhood. Clearly, music is an important part of every culture. (I could go on and on about the importance of cultural diversity, but I will save it for another day)

Ok...can I go off on a tangent or what?! So as I was saying we had a nice, albeit busy, Christmas day. We spent the afternoon at my parents, followed by an evening at Mark's best friend's house. He has 2 little boys around 6 and 8 years old. When I walked in the door I was completely speechless. The toy carnage was unbelievable. Thems some spoiled little boys. My son will never see a Christmas like this...even if we strike it rich. That's about all I'm going to say about that.

I know Aunt Jen is dying to see more footage of her nephew...I'm sure the rest of you will finding this unnecessarily boring.

Words of Wisdom...From the Fetal Position

My cousin Jamie and her husband Richard recently came back to IL for a visit. I think their main reason for coming back was for a burial we had for my grandmother. It was a very small event with immediate family only and was a nice way to get closure. On the up side, this visit also allowed us to introduce our new babies! Isaiah was born about 1 month before Benjamin. It was so amazing to see cute little Benny grunting and sleeping constantly...the way Isaiah was only a few weeks before. While they are only 1 month apart, it was so crazy to see what a HUGE difference a few weeks makes in an infant's life. I am excited for them to get a little older so they can actually play together.

Benny and Isaiah were able to go see Santa. It was insanely cold that day, but we all managed to squeeze into Santa's little hut on Main St...This was no minor feat as Jamie, Richard, Ashley (my other cousin), Santa, an elf, both babies, Mark and I crammed into a hut meant for about 3 adults. Jamie and I made silly noises and faces at the babies while the Mark and Richard took pictures. We managed to get a few good pics with both babies smiling, although most of the time poor Benny was pissed that some strange man was holding him and Isaiah decided he was hungry enough to try to eat Santa's beard. I wish we had video of the beard eating attempts. It was hilarious. I have some photos up on flicker.

Of course all of the fun with the babies was balanced with some sadness. My mother was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. I guess she was having a hard time swallowing and went to the hospital Thanksgiving night. After a series of tests we learned it was cancer. I don't think its appropriate to write in detail about this topic on my blog. I would rather try to keep things light here. It is a really big deal though and not something that I want to pretend doesn't exist. So, from time to time I may blog about this new event in our lives. My goal is to try to find the humor, even in this, and share it on my blog. Hopefully this will be a way for our family (and me) to have a positive outlet.

So stay tuned if you like. My baby blog may be taking a bit of a turn toward the various other aspects of our lives...I have been thinking of a new title for the blog and I think it should be something like Words of Wisdom From the Fetal Position. haha!

Thanksgiving

So its December and I'm blogging about Thanksgiving, but what the hell. I don't really have much to say except to brag that I spent the entire day making a pretty traditional, but tasty Thanksgiving dinner. While this isn't the first Thanksgiving dinner I've made, it was Isaiah's first Thanksgiving. I don't know why that mattered to me since he couldn't eat any of it, but it did. With all the excitement of the previous months, Mark and I decided to have Thanksgiving at home with just the 3 of us. It was perfect and peaceful. Yes, I even made a 13 lb turkey (which then became endless sandwiches and casseroles). We had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, spicy green beans, gravy, stuffing, and pumpkin pie...I think that's it...my memory seems to be failing me a bit.

We definitely ate too much and spent the evening finishing off a bottle of wine while watching movies in our PJs. It was FABULOUS! I even managed to squeeze Isaiah into the little turkey onesie we bought him months ago. I nearly had to cut the thing off of the poor child, but at least he got to wear it.

We did have a big family Thanksgiving at the Hopper's on Sunday as well, which fulfilled my desire to lounge around playing with babies all day/night waiting for someone else to call out, "dinner's ready!" I heart the Hoppers. Their oldest daughter is Mark's age and has a 5 month old so it was all about the babies. Mrs H sent me home with a plate full of various pies too...can't complain!

3 Months Old!

It is still amazing how quickly babies develop. From an outsider's perspective, it probably looks like little has changed. When I look at Isaiah, I see a completely different baby than the one we brought home 3 months ago. He used to sleep, poop, pee, and chirp, that's about it. He then started to cry, smile, stay awake longer, and play. Everyday he develops a more distinct identity.

I now know that he's very independent. Unlike many other babies, Isaiah will cry and cry and cry while you bounce him, tickle him, make funny faces, etc. In the end, he just wants to be left alone. He demonstrated this Sunday night when we went to the Hopper's for Thanksgiving dinner (we call them Mark's yankee family). Shortly after we all sat down to eat, Isaiah started getting fussy. I expected this despite the fact that we loaded him up with a big bottle beforehand. Thankfully, with 20 other people in the room there were plenty of willing arms to try to appease him. I happily finished my plate while everyone else tried to calm his cries... nothing worked. Even daddy couldn't get him to stop. As a last resort we started to undress him and change his diaper thinking maybe he was uncomfortable, but once we picked him up he got pissed all over again. I laid him on the couch next to me hoping he would cry himself to sleep, and then it happened...silence and smiles. He simply wanted everyone to leave him the hell alone! Ah-ha! He looks like daddy, but acts like mommy. I was wondering if this kid had any of my DNA.

Another new development in Isaiah's life is his increasing desire to be mobile...yet again, a move toward independence. It started about 2 weeks ago. He was no longer content to be held like a newborn baby (unless he's feeling icky, then its ok to be treated like a baby...haha). I can no longer sit with Isaiah cradled in my arms unless he is eating. He no longer likes to sleep on my chest. Instead he prefers to sit up in my lap facing the world, like a big boy. Yesterday I observed 2 new behaviors. First, if lying on the bed or the floor he can kick and wiggle himself to a new location. I call it the reverse crawl. He is also strong enough to lift his bum with his legs, combined the with kick and the wiggle, he can get some pretty serious distance. Second, daddy introduced him to standing. Uh-ooh. Isaiah spent a good part of the night bouncing or "standing" on Mark's lap. As soon as Mark tried to sit him down...tears...oh the tears. This helped us decide on Isaiah's Christmas present...a jumper of some sort. We had already decided on books, but were still up in the air about whether another massive toy would be worthwhile for him...the answer is certainly YES!

*************

Now that Jen is back in Africa (and has easier access to the internet...hooray!) I will try to post more videos of the little one.

This was Isaiah 1 Month ago. He was smiling a little and just starting to find the mobile interesting. Most of the time he sat quietly pondering the world, and I wondered if this meant that he would be one of those introverted, thinky, shy types.



As the days passed it became obvious this was only a temporary condition. This was Isaiah about 2 weeks later.

How My Vote Didn't Count

Now that I'm back to blogging when it is nearly December, let me go back in time to election day...

It was a crisp and sunny fall afternoon. The stars were aligned for Obama...hahaha. OK, seriously...it was a very beautiful day. Mark and I packed up the munchkin to go find our polling place, which was about 2 blocks away. The town we live in in extremely dinky, even by rural standards. I think the population is nearly 4000 (up from the whopping 800 or so that lived here when I was a kid...blame the real estate boom). We first headed to the town hall because I assumed that is where they would have the polls. I was wrong. It only took us about 2 minutes of driving around to find another building, which was clearly labled "vote here".

We parked in the gravel lot and headed inside the metal Morton building. Yes, I said Morton building. For those of you who have no idea what a Morton building is, it is a cheap metal building constructed primarily of 2x4's and sheet metal. It is used often in farming communities to store farming equipment and what not. Keep in mind this building is in the middle of "town". Although our town is surrounded by cornfields and, in fact, still has a working field in the center (I shit you not. I totally have been meaning to take a picture of this because it is hilarious. On one corner a park, the other 2 corners have modest homes, and the forth is where the cornfield begins...surrounded on all sides by houses.) Anyway, you get the picture.

We walk inside and chaos ensues. First the overtly sweaty babbling woman at the end of the table tries to explain to us the process, which she clearly doesn't even understand herself. And its not like it was a complicated process: last names starting with A-L go to the lady at the end of the table, last names M-Z go to the lady standing next to her.

Ok, so we get in our appropriate lines since Mark and I have different last names. They find Mark's registration, he goes to vote. Mine, however, they cannot find. They call the records office and proceed to tell me that I'm not allowed to vote because I am not registered. I find this interesting since the girl in front of me got the same line. I explained that I had voted in the primaries and even double checked my voter registration at the DMV when I was last there only a few months ago. I also explained that my husband and I registered to vote at the same time when we moved here and somehow they had his information. The bumbling fools couldn't say anything except. "Sorry, maam. You can't vote today."

I insisted on being given a provisional ballot. No one in the room had even heard of this. I had to have one of the women call the "help" line, but this proved to be of little help to her. She handed the phone over to me so I could explain that it was my right to have a provisional ballot to the woman on the phone...the woman who was there to answer questions about voting!

After a long process of finding the appropriate documents, I cast my vote. When we returned home Mark called the CNN "problems with voting" 800 number and we were connected to someone in our county who was actually informed about the voting process. She explained that I was not in a unique position. They had been getting calls all day long about this. The problem seemed to be effecting women voters in our county who had registered at the DMV. How crazy is that?!

To this day I don't know if the problem was resolved. I never read anything about it in the paper and I seriously doubt all of the women that were turned away that day knew enough to demand a provisional ballot. Of those who did, how many took their proof of registration to the courthouse within 48 hours to make sure their vote counted?

I will never cease to be amazed by how easily I can check my email by phone while in the middle of the woods, or how I can register my vehicle by phone or internet, or how I can drive my car down a tollway in Illinois and my toll will come out of an IPASS account whether I have to transponder in my car or not (its true you only need to have the liscense plate on file). Despite all of these conveniences, the state of Illinois cannot manage to properly record my voter's registration information, but they sure manage to fine me EVERY TIME I've passed through a toll without an IPASS.

Amazing!

So Much to Say

Sheesh time flies, huh? I can and can't believe it has been an entire month since I last blogged. I think it goes without saying we have had a lot going on.

Shortly after halloween my grandmother passed away. It was one of those moments where I had mixed feelings. I knew she had been suffering for a very long time so I was relieved that she was finally at peace. Of course, I was also very sad since I wasn't ready to see her go. I am grateful that we lived so close to her this last year because I was able to see her grin ear to ear each time she saw my ginormous baby belly get even bigger. She was so excited that my cousin Jamie and I were both expecting our first child...and even more excited that they were both boys. She told me over lunch one day that she always dreamed of having 5 boys so she could have her own basketball team. She got 2 daughters and 5 granddaughters, how funny is that?!

Each of the grandchildren wrote a brief story that was read at her memorial. I think we all did a great job at writing something rather funny since my grandmother was known for her dry wit. Of course, the pastor totally screwed up my story (according to her reading my grandmother ended up giving birth to herself) as well as the story written by my cousins Ashley and Sarah (Ashley described my grandma as "maticulous" and the pastor read this as "malicious"). At the time I was pretty disappointed with the pastor's reading since I worked hard to write something that would make people smile as that is exactly what my grandmother would have wanted. In hindsight, I think it was probably better that the woman screwed it up so bad...my grandmother would have found it hilarious. I can just imagine her telling the story over holiday dinners.

My sister was able to delay her return to Tanzania. I am glad she was able to be there, I think it meant a lot to her. My cousin Jamie just had her son (also a preemie) on Oct 1st so she was not able to fly home, but will be here soon for a private burial we'll be having. It is nice that both Jen and Jamie would have an event to attend for closure.

On a more positive note, we are looking forward to having photos taken with Santa this year. It was my cousin's idea to have Benjamin and Isaiah have pictures togethr with Santa since they are so close in age. We are super excited about it. Hopefully Isaiah will still be able to fit into his reindeer outfit because that would just be adorable.

Speak of the...he cries for food...again. Don't worry, there is tons more news and mindless banter to come.

Quick update.

Isaiah had his 2-month birthday on the 28th! Fortunately, Halloween was just a few days later so we used that as our celebration.

The day before Halloween was Isaiah's 2-month visit to the pediatrician where he weighed in at 9 lbs, 3 oz and 23 inches long! If you calculate his growth using his due date (since he's a preemie) he's in the 10th percentile for weight (not too bad for a preemie) and the 75th percentile for height (holy shit!). Mark is average height and we all know I'm a shorty so we were both surprised to have such a lengthy son. He is growing out of NB clothes, not because of his weight, but because of his height. Hopefully he'll be putting on the pounds this next month so he can start filling out those clothes.

We wrapped up the visit with the dreaded immunizations...3 shots and 1 oral dose. He was not too happy about this experience, nor was I. It was unpleasant to say the least to hear my baby scream the way he did when he got his shots. He spent the next 24 hours pretty fussy and didn't sleep much, but was back to happy baby the next morning.

On Halloween, Aunt Jen bought Isaiah a cute little ghost hat so we paired that with a long-sleeved, white onesie from Gail, some ghost socks, a mummy bib, and a matching ghost blankie from Lindsay and we were good to go.



Isaiah was a bit cranky that evening...I think there may have been a bit too much excitement for his taste since he was interested in sleeping most of the time. This worked out great for me though...Isaiah started sleeping in his bedroom by himself a little over a week ago. By the pediatrician's definition he is already sleeping through the night. Yay! We're still trying to nail down a consistent schedule, but he's good at loading up on calories between 9pm and 11pm in order to sleep at good 4-5 hours. He wakes for another big bottle around 3 or 4 am and sleeps until 6am. This is when the schedule varies all day long with mini-naps or loooong naps, depending on his mood. I'm flexible though and I really don't think its bad for him.

We had a ton of visitors on Halloween night, which made the evening. My aunt and cousin stopped in and brought Isaiah the CUTEST little outfit ever. I can't wait until he's big enough to fit in it. Joe (dressed as Jimmy Buffet) and Gail arrived next...just in time for Lillian (as a witch), Logan (as a goulish motorcycle guy), and Nicole who stopped by to trick-or-treat. The kids even got to run around our neighborhood with Joe to trick-or-treat. They scored some serious goods!

Jen dressed as an angel, using her actual wedding dress as the gown (hey it arrived on Halloween and it just seemed to be the perfect way to round out the outfit). Of course, all of the kids were totally excited when they saw her answer the door. Apparently it is just the coolest thing to have a beautiful angel give you candy. She got several wide-eyed smiles and a few, "you are soo bewtiful!"



Today we're planning on adding more footprints to my belly cast and will be relaxing allllll day! Love it!

More Baby Stuff

I was looking at a friend's blog today and was amazed at how active her little one is, he is only 4 months old. I look at Isaiah and can't believe that he too will be babbling and bouncing around in just a few months. I looked back at some of the video we've taken so far, thinking Isaiah hasn't changed much over the course of the first 2 months...ha! I still can't believe how quickly babies progress from those quiet, sleepy days. I found a video of Isaiah at 1 week, quietly waking up to eat. This was before he really cried for anything. Now that he has figured out the cause and effect of crying, its particularly funny to watch him trying to figure out how to communicate the desire to eat during those first few days.

Isaiah Making Food Faces at 1 Week
This was Isaiah Flash forward to today. We have resorted to using our son as the primary source of entertainment. The other day we put together a video of Isaiah dancing to a song from a cartoon. Unfortuntely, the full-length version is too long to upload, but I had to include a short version. Yes, I realize this is probably something only Mark and I can truly appreciate, but I'm posting it anyway because I think the little jazz legs are hilarious. Oye...our poor, mild-tempered son...to be born to 2 goofballs like us...it will be torture for him I'm sure.

Bunny Video

How Not to be a Virgo

I have learned many things during Isaiah's short life. The most important lesson thus far can only be described as, "how NOT to be a Virgo".

I have learned:
- to use my shirt as a burp cloth without giving it a second thought.
- to happily wipe away formula goo/ spit-up with my sleeve.
- that if I spill ice cream down the front of my shirt, I can still wear said shirt around the house for the rest of the day if I feel like it (and its one less thing in the laundry).
- that a baby will opt to explosively poop all over you, the bed, and themselves at precisely the time the doorbell rings and the dog knocks over a fresh cup of coffee.
- that the person ringing the doorbell will continue to ring it until you answer the door.
- that once you strip the baby naked, wrap him in blanket, lock the dog in the bedroom, and stub your toe getting to the door, you will find: a) the person has left, b) it is a politician handing out pamphlets, or c) it is a child trying to sell you a shitty subscription to a newspaper that is from a town 60 miles away for their school fundraiser.
- that babies choose to poop primarily when it is inconvenient for you(at the grocery store, the doctor's office, etc)...I see this as preperation for toddlerhood.
- that babies have an awesome sense of smell, which means that every time I make something to eat, Isaiah will cry for food too.
- that sometimes an otherwise happy baby just needs to cry for a minute when they smell your tasty pizza so you can get a bite to eat.
- that babies grunt a lot and that this is very disturbing when you're trying to sleep because no matter how often they do it you will start second guess yourself and think something is wrong.
- that even though I have a big butt, flabby abs, a double chin, an infant to take care of and little to no time for myself these days, I still manage to brush my hair, brush my teeth, and dress in clean clothing that doesn't look like I just got out of bed when I leave the house...WHAT'S UP WITH THE PEOPLE IN WALMART?!!!
- that take-out is always an option
- that the dishes can wait until tomorrow
- that there will always be dog hair to clean up...that too can wait until tomorrow
- that cleaning the bathroom every Monday, reorganizing the kitchen cabinets, knitting everyone a sweater for Christmas, and training for a half-marathon sounds like a great idea, but is not a realistic goal at the moment
- that babies fart A LOT and if the guy next you in the produce aisle thinks it was you, that's ok.
- that the dog will vomit the moment you are finally ready to leave the house (after you've spent the last hour trying to leave).
- that booger snatchers are a necessary evil.
- that the pretty douvet cover I made for the bed is totally staying in the closet for the next 10-15 years.

And most importantly...if it looks like poop, assume its poop. If it smells like poop, assume its poop. And, if your wondering if its poop while your picking up shampoo at Target...yes, it is poop; yes, it is most likely on your shirt; and yes, everybody around you knows it. So smile and ask the lady crinkling her nose if she smells something. hahahaha!

Waaaaa!

So yet again our solution to Isaiah's discomfort was short lived. I finally headed in to see our pediatrician yesterday, and it was perfect timing. He hadn't pooped in over a day and was super cranky...she was going to get to see him in all his fussy glory.

It started with a fart-filled car ride (you would be too if you needed to poop your body weight). I felt a oneness with our dog Stella as I hung my head out the driver's-side window while I zoomed down our country roads. It was amazing that we arrived on time, a first since Isaiah's birth. Due to an excessive number of stairs at our peds office (I'm still trying to figure that out, what with all the strollers and trantrum throwing toddlers), I was in a full sweat by the time we got to the waiting room. Don't get me wrong, I can still climb stairs like a normal person, but this time I was lugging my increasingly hefty son in his car carrier. I think a photo is the only way to truly see how ridiculous I look carrying this thing as its about half my size.

There wasn't a soul at the doctor's office so we got right in. Before I could even get my coat off the nurse was in the room asking me to strip him down. I was lifting Isaiah from his car set, one hand firmly under his bum, when he let loose with the poopy he had been storing up for over a day. I was suddenly grateful for the trusty diaper bag. Of course, just as I was about to change him, the docotor walks right in. When does a doctor come in the minute you arrive? So, I was trying talk with her about what was going on while dealing with a poo extravaganza on the table...and then I realized...where are all the wet wipes? There's only one?! (I later learned Mark had been using the wipes out of the diaper bag because it was more convenient in the evening).

Part of me went on autopilot to answer the doctor's questions while my main focus was the poopy diaper. I mentally searched the diaper bag for other options. Several alternatives came to mind. Had the doctor not been in the room I may have selected the emergency onesie or opted to stick him under the sink for a quick rinse, but this was not an option. I studied the diaper and discovered one clean corner. "Could I...?" Realizing the doctor was starting to look at me like I was a moron, I knew I had to act quickly if I were to recover from this situation without convincing the doctor she would need to speak to me in short-syllabled sentences. Suddenly the Yoda withing pushed me forward, "do or do not, there is no try." I yanked up Isaiah's rear with one hand while folding the loaded diaper with oragami skill. Voila! A complete success. I am a mommy afterall! If it weren't completely inappropriate I would have taken a bow.

Isaiah's situation is still up in the air. We now think he has some pretty bad reflux in addition to being a guzzler. We've switched bottles to try to reduce the amount of air he swallows and he takes Prevacid in the morning. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Let Me Try This...Yet Again

Today's mission: complete blog post. Attempt number: 312

Since those quiet preemie days where Isaiah sleeps 20 hours a day are long gone, I have little if any time to sit down and write...I'm sure you all understand.

Belated congratulations to Jamie (my cousin) and Richard. They had their son Benjamin Michael 5 weeks early! He was 5 lbs, 5.3 oz and 19 inches long...almost the same measurements as Isaiah. Unfortunately little Benny had to stay behind in the hospital for a few days, but it sounds like he is doing great and will be going home soon. Go Benny! Can't wait to meet him.

Amidst all the excitment of yet another new baby in the family, my sister arrived from Africa in mid-Sept. It has been so awesome having my sister here, and she arrived just in time. Isaiah was starting to get more demanding and I was starting to feel much, much better around the time Jen arrived. So, while my inner Virgo screamed, "you can finally clean the house, organize the nursery, and change that damn light bulb!", my son often had other plans. We initially thought he had a terrible cold as he was getting stuffy noses, crying a lot more, and not sleeping at night. Naturally we stormed the pharmacy and hooked ourselves up with the vaporizers, and booger snatchers, and nasal drops. Isaiah grew even crankier following a good booger cleaning. Can't say I blame the guy. He quickly returned to normal...for a few days.

We discovered he was having problems with his tummy. We switched to supplementing with a hypoallergenic formula, but after 2 weeks he was continuing to get worse. I was no longer able to keep up with him using breastmilk so he was getting more and more bottles. Oddly my body did not get the supply and demand thing...I continued to produce a very limited amount of breastmilk while he was increasing his need for more. It became evident that the trauma my body went through was just too much for me to successfully tackle nursing full-time. Finally, we cut out the breastmilk entirely on the hunch that mixing breastmilk and formula was a problem...we also started using Mylicon drops. As you can tell by my post, he is sleeping like a baby once again...Thank God! Screaming baby = sad mommy. I was pretty upset that I wouldn't be able to nurse, but it is what it is...and I am happy that he is feeling much better.

Fortuntately, Aunt Jen jumped right in when she arrived. She took Stella for a long needed grooming (sorry 'tellers we missed the photo op), cooked us up some tasty African food, cuddled with her new nephew, and fed plenty of bottles. Without this help I don't think I could have even kept up with the daily activities so we owe her a huge THANK YOU!

Aunt Jen cuddled with the snicker...


and gave mommy a much needed break...


and played pregnant lady with mommy's belly cast...

Woo HOOO!!!

Just quickly wanted to say that I am soooo happy! My sister is coming back from Africa for over a month and she arrives next week! She already had this trip back to the states planned, but when Isaiah came early she moved things around and was able to come home a little earlier. I cannot express how happy this makes me.

While I have recently learned that my husband is in fact Superman...he does have to leave for 10 1/2 hours every day for work. I have been blessed with visits from friends a few nights a week while Mark is at work. They bring food and clean and entertain the baby...and keep me from losing my mind. Without my peeps, I would likely be a complete wreck. That being said, having my sister here will also be a HUGE help.

Can't wait to see you aunt jen!

Poop and Stuff

First let me say that I feel blessed to have so many wonderful mommies in my life. You have all been so great at assuring me that my moments of panic with phone in hand to call the pediatrician for every little friggin' thing is normal (is that a new bump on his head? why is it there? is that spit up a funny color? does that mean he has an intestinal blockage? why hasn't he pooped yet? oh my...it must be intestinal blockage! is he eating too much? is he eating too little? is he still breathing? etc, etc, etc). Thank you for reassuring me that I'm not a complete lunatic, just an irrational, temporarily insane new mother.

While the anxiety from my first two weeks of motherhood is slowly easing its grip, I am finally excited to share my first diaper stories. Mark and I were laughing histerically this weekend when we started swapping "guess what Isaiah did?" stories over the weekend. I must share...I'm burned out on drama...bring on the comedy PLEASE!

So obviously Isaiah is a little boy...and little boys have penises that are highly senstive to breezes...if this is news to anyone, you shouldn't be reading my blog. :) We learned very early, that our son has squirming abilities that will dislodge even the most well-placed diaper or wipe, which quickly eliminates all protection from a good hosing. A few days ago, he did just that...he kicked his little legs and wiggled his bottom until the shielding wipe fell to the side. Generally he aims over his left shoulder, hitting whatever lies behind him (in this case our bed) as well as his clothing (usually a fresh out of the dryer onesie...typical). However on this day, he didn't quit free the wipe completely so his aim was slightly altered. Before I could replace it, the sprinklers went on and the poor little man peed into his own eye! He reacted with a full face squint and startle...something you might associate with eating lemons. To make matters worse, I was laughing so hard, it took me minute to gather myself before I could calm him down and get him cleaned up. Lord have mercy, I'm still laughing my ass off.

Weew! Breathe...so now I move on to Mark's story. The other evening while I was getting my beauty sleep, Mark was up with Isaiah. As usual, our son saved the poopiest of dialy diapers for his daddy. It all started when Mark decided to check whether or not the diaper was dirty with a quick finger check...something I've already learned to avoid. Turns out, the diaper was VERY dirty. Being overly tired, Mark didn't head to the bathroom to wash his hands before changing the diaper. Nope! Insted he chose to try to hold out said finger (something like a tea pinky) while completing the diaper change. So Mark was going through his routine, finger in the air...but shortly into the changing, he realized he was taking on a bigger project than he was used to. He lost concentration on the poopy finger and focused on cleaning up the boy without getting poop all over the bed. Once Isaiah was rebundled and dry, Mark placed him back in his bassinet, got rid of the diaper, and washed his hands. He couldn't help but think he was tasting poop. His initial thought being, "man that was once fierce diaper, I swear I can taste it!" A few minutes later, after checking the bed, his clothing, and Isaiah, he returned to the bathroom to wash his hands again because he could not get rid of that poopy smell. This time, he look up into the mirror as he was washing...there was the culprit. Somehow, in full diaper changing concentration, Mark must have wiped his face and left a nice streak of shit across his cheek! ahahaahahahaha. Oh lord, I cannot stop laughing when I think of this story. I am so, so, so sad that I wasn't there to witness this first hand.

We have been welcomed to parenthood! ha!

Two Weeks!

We have had a number of big firsts around here lately, I'm sure you can imagine. Isaiah will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! It has been a blur. He is officially nursing (almost) full-time. We still supplement with bottles at night when Mark takes over so I can get some sleep. I'm still not completely capable of keeping up with his appetite, keeping my fingers crossed that day will come soon.

Fortunately, his HUGE appetite gave us several "he's amazing!" comments from our pediatrician this morning. He has already gained back his weight and then some, weighing in at 5 lbs 6 oz today. He is alert for longer periods now, makes eye contact, kicks about his little arms and legs, recognizes our voices and can hold his head up briefly when on his tummy. I only list these items because they are each big steps for a newborn, especially a preemie. Our doctor says if she didn't know otherwise, she would never guess he was born 6 weeks early...he acts just like a full-term baby. Music to our ears.

Now that we've got nursing down and are getting used to the new routine that comes with having a baby to worry about 24/7, our new challenge is focusing on longer sleep at night and shorter naps during the day. I'm sure Mark will totally appreciate this since he lets me sleep from 1:30am-6:30am most mornings while he takes care of the baby.

I am feeling much better and am healing much faster than expected. I've been driving for several days now and can help out around the house again...though not exclusively. I'm sure all of the sleep has been a huge help. I have been told it may take 6-10 week for me to be 100%, I'm thinking I'll be good to go in 4, we'll see. I haven't taken any pain medications for almost a week now and all has been well. My BP is slowly returning to normal as well (woo hoo!) and after losing 20 pounds in 3 days (ahhh!) it looks like I'm steadying out. I'm expected to lose about 1 pound a week in water weight for the next 4 weeks and I'm hoping some baby fat will go with it. Oh do I look forward to the day that I get to see my face without the fatty turtle neck that preeclampsia blessed me with. :)

Thanks to all of you who brought us tasty food. A special shout out to Auntie Nicole who came over after work last week to cook us dinner and clean the house...I think she washed a weeks worth of dishes! We love you!

Isaiah's Birth Story

It's the moment I'm sure you all have been waiting for (hahaha, ok so only a few of you are actually curious)...Isaiah's birth story. By the pictures I'm sure you've been able to tell that he is super healthy...what a relief.

So the story begins on Monday, August 25th. I went to my twice weekly doctors visit where they monitored Isaiah's heart rate, my contractions, my BP, weight, etc, etc. I was feeling great that day, especially since I had such a wonderful Sunday (one of my best friends threw me a baby shower on Sunday! photos of that to come). It had only been 4 days since my previous visit and everything was still going fairly well so I had no big concerns...then I stepped on the scale...I had gained 12 pounds in 1 week! uh oh. I was having contraction (?really? I didn't feel them). My BP was still in a safe zone for a preeclamptic patient (140's/ 80's) so they sent me home with another jug to collect my pee. Yes, I said it...I had to collect my pee for 24 hours. This would be the 2nd, but not last, time I would get to enjoy this experience. Thankfully, Mark was the one who had to go back to the hospital and sit with a big stinky jug of my pee in the waiting room to get it to the lab...hahaha. Poor guy.

We got the results Tuesday afternoon that my proteinuria had jumped from 210 to 470 in 4 days...another uh oh. I was told to stay in bed and come in on Thursday for more non-stress testing. However, I was also starting to see spots to which the nurse I was speaking with responded, "oh, that's probably your eyes adjusting to the light, if it happens again call us." HUH?! My super fabuluous husband freaked out and called the high-risk doctor in Rockford who returned our call within the hour and within 2 minutes had my regular doctor on the phone to insist I be sent to the hospital immediately.

So I'm in the hospital, hooked up to all sorts of stuff. They decide to take my BP every hour, put me on nonstop fetal monitoring, collect ANOTHER 24 hr urine...etc, etc. They were essentially stalling. The on-call doctor finally made it in to see me late that evening. He was clearly very nervous and admitted that he was on pins and needles with a patient like me in his hospital on his watch. He said if were up to him he would deliver me immediately, but he could not overrule my primary care doctor without seeing me hit clinical markers for severe preeclampsia. After talking with us for about an hour, he called Rockford Memorial to get a go ahead to deliver me. The high-risk doc gave the ok, then the on-call doc decided to back pedal and decided he'd like to wait until the morning and have a discussion with other doctors before moving forward with anything. He was interested in putting a needle in my belly to test for lung maturation, but also needed an ok from my PCP. In the meantime, if I showed any more neurological symptoms he SAID he wouldn't hesistate to deliver the baby.

Clearly the doctors were concerned: 1) that Isaiah would have significant respiratory and/or neurological problems if born this early, despite the steroid injections and 2) that the preeclampsia would cause me to have seizures or would worsen the abruption causing me to bleed out rather quickly. For obvious reasons, Mark was terrified. It didn't really make things any better when they came in to pad up my bed in case I started seizing.

The following morning I was seeing spots again (signs that neurological complications may be impending) and my BP became labile (which means it was changing dramatically from 100/60 to high 150's/90's). We were told the night before that if my BP started doing this my risk of seizure skyrocketed and I would need to be treated immediately. At this point I freaked, especially because we thought we would be getting to speak with a doctor immediately, but we waited, and waited, and waited. Mark finally flipped out on the nurse while I cried like a little girl. In retrospect I'm sort of chuckling at how dramatic we were in that moment, but if there was ever a time to be over-the-top, that was it.

Thankfully our OB nurse got my primary care doctor on the phone immediately. Evidently our primary care doctor was OFFENDED that we had contacted the high-risk specialist in Rockford! What?! We clarified that her nurse was taking the liberty to give me piss poor medical advice of her own without consulting a physician and had not passed on info about my symptoms to the physicians... I don't think nurse "Jen" has a job anymore. :)! Strangely, things moved much quicker once this got cleared up.

Up to this point, Mark and I were irrate for several reasons: 1) our primary care doc missed not 1, but 2 very critical diagnoses, 2) although my symptoms worsened our doctor continued to neglect the situation, 3) once the high-risk doctors got involved it was clear no doctor that had seen me at Kishwaukee hospital was willing to make the call on what to do with me out of fear, 4)we had previously been told that the baby had received the proper protection with the steroids and would be born healthy any time after 33 weeks, once I was in the hospital at 34 weeks pending delivery, this information was clearly not true, and 5) I waited in a hospital bed without food for nearly 48 hours waiting for someone to step up and help us.

Mark made a list of all of the reasons he felt the baby should be delivered immediately, presented it to one of the doctors and flat out told them, "if you guys are too afraid to make a decision, I'll be more than happy to make the decision for you!"

Enter Dr. Sui....my new favorite person. In addition to everything mentioned above, the baby had stopped growing. He went from well above average size at 24 weeks to the lower 20th percentile at 34 weeks. Dr. Sui said for that reason alone, we should deliver the baby as my condition was clearly inhibiting the baby from further growth and the only reason for keeping him inside is for him to grow! Not shit? Really? This was a point Mark had brought up with the first doctor we had seen upon being admitted nearly 48 hrs earlier.

I was put on magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures (horrendous by the way, it makes you feel like you are on fire from the inside out..not just hot...ON FIRE!). It was decided to deliver the baby by C-section at 5:30 that evening. Yes, we were given the option to try to induce labor with a few caveats: 1) I would be given medications to induce labor, but my body would have to complete what is normally a 3 week preperation for birth in under 24 hours...with severe preeclampsia they would not let me labor for more than 24 hours due to the risks, 2) even if I only tried the induction for a few hours, there was a greater risk of hemmorage and seizure than if I would have a c-section, and 3) if I tried induction my chances were greater than 50% that I would end up with a c-section anyway.

We went with the safest approach and had a c-section...which was not the most pleasant experience, but did result in the quick delivery of my beautiful son! The numerous medications I was on to control everything from vomiting to pain made me unbelievably ill. Thankfully, Mark was with me and after only a few minutes of whining to him about how horrible I felt, I heard Isaiah cry...AND LOUDLY!

It was music to our ears. He passed all of the major markers (crying, cleared lungs, good apgar score, maintained core body temp, pooped, peed on the nurse....hahaha) all within a very short period of time. So he never had to be admitted to the NICU or even have oxygen. Mark went with him to the nursery where they bathed, weighed and measured while my surgery was finished and I went to recovery.

In the end, would I recommend a C-section...HELL NO! The drugs made me so sick I was vomiting all night long. Every time I sat up to hold Isaiah to feed him I had to vomit first, get IV anti-nausea meds to get me to stop, then feed the baby. It was EXHAUSTING and oddly wonderful at the same time (I'm sure other mommies can relate).

It was all worth it, of course. Isaiah is the most perfect thing ever. I've never been happier. I can spend an entire day sitting in bed staring at him and never get bored. I, of course, think he's the cutest child ever created...but I might be a little biased. He adores his daddy who went without sleep for days in the hospital to take care of him 24/7 while I recovered. Thanks to Mark, I got plenty of rest and upon returning home have felt fabulous. I think I'm healing pretty quickly and so far haven't experienced the exhaustion so many parents talk about once they arrive home. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Mark helps out tremendously. He returned to work yesterday when Isaiah was only 5 days old and still manages to put in several hours at night changing diapers and feeding while I get my rest. Isaiah is also a huge help...he's a preemie so he pretty much sleeps all the time anyway and is a big eater (he's eating over 200-300 mL of high cal formula and 2 oz of breast milk a day), which can tide him over for up to 4 hours.

Today we had the biggest event yet. I have been trying to breastfeed, but my body was put through the ringer so I've been told that it could take me several weeks to produce enough milk to keep him healthy. In the meantime we are supplmenting with a high calorie formula so he can gain as much weight as possible. His tiny size prevents him from being able to maintain a body temp above 97 degrees. The faster he puts on weight, the easier it will be for him to regulate his body temp. So far he is eating tremendously, but we have had a few low temperature scares. Today was one of those days. I spent and 1 1/2 hours skin to skin with him under a heavy fleece blanket to warm him up. I know that this isn't a huge deal and that all will be well once I get his temp up, but it still makes me nervous. After getting warm, he continued to be fussy, which isn't like him...he's pretty content all the time. He didn't want a bottle, his diaper was clean...I was confused. I decided to give breastfeeding a try, although he pretty much latches, lays there, falls asleep and nothing happens, which has had me concerned when it comes to trying to get him off the formula and back to au naturale feeding. Today he latched and went to town...I'm sure this isn't exciting to anyone but me. I must confess, it made me so happy I had to call Mark at work to tell him.

And now I think...OH MY GOD...I'm going to be that lady! I'm the breastfeeding mommy in the park who uses words like "engorged" and "letting down" and can talk about nothing but infant development. So my dear friends, if you are still with me, please continue to test my knowledge of current events, past events, or anything non-baby. I can happily announce that shortly after Isaiah was born, I was able to put together complete sentences and even use three-syllable words once again. A moment my husband declared a miracle, while he hugged and kissed me...he feared I was gone forever. :) Now all I need to do is diversify my topic of interest. So again, I beg you, please...please...please, save a friend from being THAT MOMMY and force a girl to have a normal conversation again.

That's all for now.

Pictures of Isaiah's First 4 days

Isaiah's Birthday!

As some of you already know, Isaiah Cruz Guerrettaz was born on Thursday, August 28 at 5:41 pm. He was 5 pounds 1.3 ounces and 19" long. He was delivered by C-section...more about the why and other details another time. We just arrived home a few hours ago so I am still resting up and trying to spend as much time staring at my perfect little man as I can. The greatest news is that he appears to be in perfect health at this point. He was nearly 6weeks early and didn't have any respiratory problems or delays in reflexes. He latched on and was breastfeeding immediately! He is absolutely adorable. I will post pictures and hopefully a brief clip of his little chirps and wimpers soon...too cute.

Things I Never Thought I'd Say

After a somewhat hectic Sunday, Mark was out the door early (I'm talkin' 4am...uck) Monday morning for his business trip to Minnesota. I got plenty of sleep that morning, thankfully, so I was able to get a few of the more annoying tasks out of the way...our roof is leaking due to a poorly installed satellite dish so I was dealing with those sort of things.

I spent the afternoon chatting with my mom and living vicariously while she cleaned my living room and kitchen. Sweet! She also made me a tasty dinner. Its so nice having someone cook you dinner. I can get used to this pampering.

On Tuesday, mom ran me around to get some other errands done (bank, shopping, lunch, etc) and we headed to Rockford for my ultrasound and consultation. Everything looked great on the ultrasound. I even got a 4D pic of babies chubby face! Oh lord he has the biggest, fattest cheeks ever! And tons of hair according to the technician. He is measuring right on track at 4 1/2 pounds. All good news. I was planning on heading home within minutes when the doctor came in to conifrm all was well.

He started by saying everything looked good, and then he started reading my medical records. Hmmm...his suggestions were similar to the 2nd opinion we had gotten a few weeks earlier. After some more digging, he also indicated there was no way of really knowing what was going on with out additional tests and an exam. He really didn't understand why my current doctor hadn't done these tests, or why she sent me home from the hospital without at least 24 hours of monitoring.

He was excellent, did a very thorough history, exam, etc and then started asking questions about my blood pressure, weight gain, etc. "Well, you just won yourself a stay in my hospital" he says. "Umm...you mean today?" I asked. "Yes."

Ok, wasn't really expecting that. I knew it was a possibility, but I felt great. The strange thing is, I wasn't admitted because of the abruption, I was admitted because of preeclampsia. Oh joy! Unfortunately, it appears I've been teetering on the brink of mild preeclampsia for nearly my entire pregnancy. This is something I was very surprised to hear. These are the high-risk experts so I assume they have a good a idea. I was kept overnight for monitoring since my BP was 160/100! Holy crap. They also said I had protein in my urine through my whole pregnancy (really?), edema, my weight gain could not have been just because of diet, and the pain in my right side (rib pain) had to be examined as it is also a symptom of preeclampsia as are headaches.

Huh?! I had previously told my regular doctor about the pain in my ribs, she said it was just the baby. She didn't even ask where specifically or poke me or anything. I told her I had a really bad headache at my last hospital visit and obvious swelling. She claimed it was because I wasn't drinking enough water. My high BPs had a tendency to drop once I was in bed for awhile and she said I had NO protein in my urine so no preeclampsia.....Somethings fishy here.

In addition to my regular docs obvious lack of concern regarding a potential placental abruption, she has clearly been ignoring what are obvious signs of preeclampsia. My mom was with me and is not to happy with my current doctor, nor is my hubby. More on that at another time.

So I got hooked up to the monitors an settled in my hospital room with absolutely nothing to do. Ugh! I should have at least planned for the worst and brought my hospital bag along. I tracked down some magazines, got some crossword puzzles, watched a TON of TV, and became quite the talker whenever a nurse, cleaning lady, or nutritionist came to the room. :) It passed the time.

Thankfully I was released last night! Woohoo! I have never been happier to be in my own bed. No more complaints about being jailed in my own home. Nearly 2 days in the hospital was enough for me. I don't know how people do it for any longer. Since my problems are 2-fold now, I am on official house arrest. I can no longer even make a sandwich for myself. I am allowed bathroom privledges at least (thank god!) and get to leave the house twice a week to go to the hospital for 2 hours of monitoring. I will go in twice a week for at least 2 hours until the baby is born. If I show any signs of moving toward more severe preeclampsia or other symptoms associated with the abruption, the baby will be delivered and we'll be done with it.

So that's the latest news. I was freaked out for obvious reasons while in the hospital, but after talking to the high-risk doc who released me last night I feel tons better. I only have to hang on until this Sunday, after that I could have the baby any day. All I have to do is stay in bed and I could potential hang in there until nearly 40 weeks! It almost feels like a challenge to hit 40 weeks at this point so I'm determined to remain sloth-like for as long as possible. :)

In the midst of all this craziness, I have uttered sentences I never in a million years thought I would say as an adult. Here are some of the better ones:

"I need more ice for my pee."

"Can we move this thing, my belly button itches?"

"Can I walk?"

"How do I use the bathroom?"

"Yes, I think I understand. So I pee in the hat and dump it in that container, right?"

"Mom, can you bring me clean underwear?"

:)

Congratulations Nicki P!!!

I have to give a much belated congrats to a friend who had her son in late July (((Kaiden Jay))). He (who was actually supposed to be a girl according to the ultrasound) was born quite a bit early (32 weeks), but looks like he's quite the trooper. Unlike me, Nicki had no signs of premature labor or other complications, but one night had to call 911 when she realized she was actually in labor. She got to the hospital, already at 7 cm, and delivered her son shortly thereafter. Last I heard he was still using a feeding tube while waiting for those relfexes to kick in, but all else was great and he is ADORABLE! I love this story since I am due only a few weeks after her (well...was due). It makes me feel better and helps me to believe our son will be ok if he comes early.

Of course, our doctor has reassured us that if we have to induce labor or if I go into to premature labor, it will be safe to deliver him at this point. I am almost 33weeks, which is still very early, but we got the steroid shot and it appears he should be over 4 pounds at this point. He may still end up in the NICU, but shouldn't have any long-term problems. Ahhhh...sigh of relief. So right now our only concern is making sure that I avoid any situations where an abruption would get worse (if I actually have one...only 30% are diagnosable by ultrasound...how fun). This is why they would consider sticking me in the hospital for weeks and weeks or just inducing me. If the placenta detaches from the uterine wall too much, the baby's source of oxygen and nutrients will be cut off, which is very bad for obvious reasons. If I'm already in the hospital, it is obviously ideal for them to get him out right away should this occur. On the other hand, is this all over-reaction? It is always possible that a small tear will stay a small tear, especially since it hasn't appeared to have gotten worse, in which case I could spend my time being more comfortable at home. It is also possible that this is simply how my little body reacts to having a small bowling ball in my belly, and I could hang on until 40 weeks. I suppose we may not know until the big day...I'll do my best to keep everyone posted.

Doctors, doctors, doctors...I'm sick of doctors.

Another Friday, another visit to the doctor. My doctor has recommended me to a high-risk specialist in Rockford. For those of you unfamiliar with the way thing work out here in the boonies, rural hospitals aren't generally equipped for trauma, major surgeries, etc. Out here the hospital is basically a place where patients can be stabilized before being flown to a larger hospital...in this case, Rockford. I am waiting to hear back from the specialist's nurse to find out what time I will be going in next week.

The new doctor will be reviewing my records and I will get a "specialized" ultrasound, whatever that means. This doctor will determine what steps to take next, which can range from being admitted to a hospital in Rockford until the baby is born to inducing labor to coming home and sticking with bedrest. Holy crap! This is especially poor timing since Mark has to be out of town all of next week. We already arranged for my mom to come stay with me for the week, so thankfully she is free to take me in and keep me company. I am keeping my fingers crossed that nothing major goes down until Mark gets back Friday night. Even better would be hearing the doctor say,"I see nothing wrong, you're just an unusual case. Go home, do everything you normally would and wait for your baby to arrive in early October." Hey, a girl can dream.

Since I was out of the house anyway this AM for my visit to the doc, Mark and I took a detour to Shawn's to get some breakfast. Yeah for tasty muffins! I also had a small coffee, with lots of water to follow. It was de-lic-ious! We sat there and talked for a good hour. It was so nice to be out of the house doing something normal. My second taste of world in 1 week! Last weekend I went to a friends wedding shower, also very entertaining albiet exhausting. I was out a little longer than I had expected and took a serious nap as soon as I got home. Fortunately, Mark found this so endearing that when I woke up all groggy eyed and dizzy, he decided to jump right into a bunch of household chores that I would have the duty to oversee. Awww. He knows me so well. All I had to hear was, "let's get some things done around the house" and that shook the sleepy right out of me. Sometimes its strange being a Virgo.

He hung curtains the nursery, put together to portable crib for our bedroom, did ALL of the laundry, and some vaccuuming. Now I'm just hoping he'll clean out the garage before he goes out of town next week. Aren't you people glad you're not married to me? hahaha.

Reality Check and My Need to Nest

I'm back! What a week. Two crazy weeks in a row. Its only going to crazier from here on out I suppose.

First, let me clarify a few things about the steroid shots for those who are like, "WTF Kel! Isn't that bad!" Truth? At first I was terrified to get the shots, so much so that I actually had an incident a few weeks after my first trip to the hospital...and I didn't tell my doctor (I told her later, woops!). I had done some research on steroids and was fearful that the negative outcomes I was reading about would happen to us. Fortunately, I then found a very thorough review paper on betamethasone administered IM to improve outcomes for premature babies. Turns out that 1 course of treatment is very advantageous, should the baby arrive early, with minimal negative outcomes for the child. Not only is the incidence of respiratory problems significantly reduced, but so is the incidence of neural hemorage and periventricular leukomalacia (big word!), both of which are linked to cerebral palsy. The incidence of CP in premies who were exposed to betamethasone at least 7 days before delivery is cut in half! In fact, the only downside I found was that these infants tend to have more infections/trips the to doctor in the first 2 years of life than full-term healthy babies. Since I haven't read the actual studies that reported this finding, I have to presume that one limitation is the fact that we are comparing premies to full-term babies, which may increase the incidence of infection in and of itself. So I have to say...bring on the steroids!

The negative effects of steroids are associated with MULTIPLE courses. In this instance, there is a lot to be concerned about, including low birth weight, small head circumferenc, and effects of the hypothalamic-adrenal axis (badness!). There is NO evidence whatsoever that more than 1 course is beneficial and tons of data suggesting that mulitple courses are bad, yet some docs still administer multiple courses. What!?

I explained all of this to Mark and my nurse at the hospital to ensure that I DO NOT get another treatment. I'm sure the nurse is like, "who does this lady think she is? I hate people who tell us how to do our job." I could care less. I trust my abilities to read and analyze medical literature far more than I trust that my doctor and nurses are well read and up to date on recent literature. And I feel more confident than cocky when I say this since my doctor suggested I take over the counter tylenol PM to help me sleep. Umm...sorry lady, but no. Tylenol PM contains dyphenhydramine. I'm not going to rant about why I think its bad to use as a sleep med (after years of writing negative things about dyphenhydramine as a sleep med, I'm convinced). I will mention that I'm taking Alevert...an allergy medication...that contains loratadine...hmmhmm...also an antihistimine. Isn't that bad lady? And people wonder why recent epidemiological data shows that the rate of accidental deaths due to drug interaction is increasing sharply and will far exceed death by homicide if it continues at this rate. Really? Um...yes! Soon death by motor vehicle accident (the rates of which are decreasing) will be the only specific cause of accidental death to exceed drug "mix ups".

Sorry for ranting, but I find this appaling as many people trust their doctors and pharmacists to do their jobs...and clearly there is something lacking here. The moral: feel free to doubt the "expert" and ask for a second opinion, even if its something as simple as double-checking with the pharmacist when you pick up meds.

OK, well this is nice transisition to today's events. I had a follow up appointment with my doctor to make sure all was going well after leaving the hospital and getting the steroids. Turns out my doctor is on vacation until NEXT Friday so I had to see one of her collegues. Essentially we were given a second opinion. Today I was told that if I was his patient I would have been hospitalized for good last week. Meaning I would be in the hospital for 6 weeks. Ugh! He believes that they should have done another ultrasound and at least kept me for 24 hours for monitoring instead of letting me go home. Without this info, he was unable to identify whether or not I had a placental abruption, but based on my history thus far, he would diagnose me with a placental abruption. If it gets worse and I don't make it to the hopsital in time...no baby. Ummm...we freaked!

This doctor then discussed my history with another collegue of his who said he would also just send me home with light activity. Evidently it is a matter of opinion. So now I'm freaked and am going to be a very very good mommy from here on out. I'm staying in bed, I'm knitting, I'm drinking bathtubs full of water. My need to nest is restricted to making lists of things for Mark to do. :) Poor Mark.

He has been very busy with a hectic work schedule lately so keeping up with house work hasn't been at the top of his list. Yes, this annoys me, but not that much. Some days I totally want to just do laundry, or jump in and clean the bathroom...but I don't. My mom has been good about coming over and doing some cleaning here and there on days when I'm totally losing it. I can't fault Mark for neglecting dishes and laundry for a few days in lieu of sleep. He needs sleep. He is also doing the big jobs on the to-do list, which really are more important that the little day to day things that aren't going to hurt anything if left undone.

This past weekend he put in a kitchen backsplash for me! We wanted to use our wedding money and stimulus package wisely, so we decided on home improvements that will payoff. We didn't want to do the tiling in the kitchen after the baby was born because of the mess. We were worried about the chemical odor from the sealer and grout with the baby around (presently I can go and sit at my parents for the day while it airs out). We also weren't sure if there would be a lot of dust from cutting tiles. The one thing I didn't think about was losing the use of my kitchen. As it turns out, this would have probably been the most problematic part of doing this after the baby was born. My friend Joel is usually our go to guy when it comes to this type of thing, but he is busy until this winter. So, Mark decided we could save a boat load of dollas if he did it himself. He's never done anything like this before so we were both a little worried about it. It turned out fantastic!



Boy, give me a whole lotta nothing to do and a keyboard and I'll type til my fingers fall off evidently. I'll end this now, and save my other gripes for another day.

TA!

9 Weeks to Go... I'm Going Stir Crazy

It has been another exciting week around here. I had quite the burst of energy and got quite a few things on my to-do list accomplished. Yes, I have heard that you get a burst of energy before you go into labor, but he's still cooking...before anyone jumps to conclusions.

On Monday Mark started on his long list of honey-do's before the baby comes. He hung darkening blinds on all windows upstairs to keep it cooler up there (just in time for that heat wave) and fixed some other things around the house before heading to work. I finished up all of the little things on the baby clothes I've made, like sewing on buttons and what not. I then started a gigantic nursing sweater for myself..yeah! The following day I headed to my parents to enjoy their AC and let Stella run around for awhile. I also wanted to see Winnie who is officially banned to my parents house until the baby arrives. She has too much energy for me to handle alone and outdoor exercise does her good. Surprisingly, I arrived to a few gifts that my mother couldn't wait any longer to give me. :) It was like Christmas...but better. We got a video camera so we won't miss a moment once the baby arrives (Marks favorite thing ever by the way...more on this later). We also got a travel system, which has a car seat base, carrier and stroller...sooo neat and convenient. I have mentioned putting Stella in for a test drive, but she far exceeds the weight limit. I'm a dork.

As Wednesday rolled around I was still full of pep so I ran a few errands in town (picked up fabric for nursery curtains, got a few items from the grocery store, etc). Once I got home I was ready to sew. I finished the last of the homemade sleepers. Hopefully these will work out as well as the store bought ones, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I also started making the curtains for the nursery. While I was sewing (which I do in the kitchen, its our only table) I set up a pretty nifty freezing assembly line for over abundant harvest of beans I snatched from my mom's. Her garden is rockin' this year (as usual...Martha Stewart would be put to shame). It was much easier than expected to freeze veggies. I've never done it before. While I was waiting for things to boil and then cool, I got my sewing done. Voila! I love multi-tasking.

On Thursday, I discovered that taking advantage of my burst of energy did get some thing checked on my list, but left me exhausted on Thursday. Ooops! There I go again. I did my best to stay off my feet all day and drank plenty of water. Since my "limited activity" was put into effect, I have broken the rules now and then, which usually puts me in bed for a few days with some tisks from my doc. I haven't really had any complications though. Rest and water generally does the trick and I'm back to square one, trying to follow all the rules like a good mommy.

Unfortunately, on Friday I discovered that I really had over done it. I ended up in the hospital again. The baby is still fine, all my tests came back normal. I got a little reprimand from my doctor....FOLLOW THE RULES KELLY! And, I now have to track my water intake to make sure I drink at least 200 oz a day. I also got my first course of steriods to help the babies lungs develop in case I deliver early... boy that's fun. More on that later, for now I'm going to try to get some sleep....a wonderful side effect of betamethasone is evidently restlessness and insomnia. Yeah for me.

Just Sharing For Your Entertainment

I just saw this guy for the first time last night and I thought he was absolutely hilarious. Just a clip for your entertainment...I'm particularly fond of the fake girl and survivor jokes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MTXTHMtnXA&playnext=1&playnext_from=QL

I Now Pronounce You Man and Wife

Evidently I haven't been doing a very good job at contacting everyone and letting them know my big news so...Yes, the rumors are true...Mark and are married. If you've picked up on my use of the word "husband" lately you probably already guessed this.

As most of you know we were already planning on getting married and having a family well before I discovered I was pregnant. We then thought that we would have to hold off on our wedding plans for awhile and focus on the baby instead. Well it turns out things get a lot easier (healthcare, life insurance, hospital visits) when you're actually married, not to mention that we already knew we would be together forever.

We were officially married on May 27th, but still hope to have a big event in the future to celebrate. So don't worry people, there is a plan to provide free food and beverages in the future.

HAHA! This is just for you Lorey.

Actual Wedding Photo Awww!

What's With All the Babies!

We had an appointment with our doctor this morning. Everything is looking good. Yay! Altough my ultrasound showed a pretty large baby for 24 weeks when I was in the hopital, my doc says I'm measuring about 30 weeks, which is right on target. So despite my hugeness, it appears I am not carrying twins nor is my due date off by an entire month. I'm just huge. I suppose it makes sense, I am only 5ft tall. Baby doesn't have much room to grow up, so he grows out.

I still have adominal pain so on those days I have the luxury of spending the entire day in bed, drinking tons of water (I'm already drinking about a gallon a day..can you say potty break?) I also have Braxton-Hicks contractions when I'm sitting upright or on my feet for awhile and have the baby-in-the-ribs pain almost nonstop. Since I am only at the BEGINNING of my third trimester, all I can say is, "Let the games begin". This is clearly going to be extremely pleasant from here on out. The only hope I have is delivering early (though I don't want him to come too early). According to my doctor I am at higher risk of delivering between 30-35 weeks, which would make the little one a premie. We want to avoid that so I'm still doing the "bedrest" thing. I've learned that "bedrest" is actually a broad term. I am not confined to my bed, I can still drive a car and get around the house. I can't lift anything or bend over a lot or anything like that.

So far we're guessing my delivery will be somewhere around the 35 week mark, but you never know. With my luck I'll be 2 weeks overdue.

In other news, I had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. My mom, Mark and I went camping in Galena with some of the fam. My cousin Jamie and her husband were visiting from Texas and they are also expecting their first baby (end of Oct). My step-cousin Nicole was also there is expecting in Oct too! We had lots of fun exchanging stories/complaints and watching our respective husbands goof off. I spent pretty much the entire weekend lounging in the shade with plenty of sunscreen.

So what the heck is with the BOY baby boom?! I am starting to loose count of all of the new/expected babies: 1. former manager (had a boy this spring), 2. friend from grad school (had a boy about a month ago), 3. friend from crazy college backpacking trip (had a boy a few months ago), 4. family friend (had a girl 1 month ago..the first girl!), 5. my sis's old roomie (expecting a girl), 6. my cousin (expecting a boy), 7. my step-cousin (expecting, but doesn't know sex), 8. neighbor (expecting a boy), 9. my sister-in-law (yep, expecting a boy), 10. best friend from grade school (just had a little boy), 11. friend from HS (expecting, but doesn't know sex), and of course, 12. ME!!!

Baby belly - Week 28

Yikes! That's one big belly.

Too Good Not to Share

A friend posted this on her blog. It's too good not to pass along. http://www.holytaco.com/2008/06/27/the-douchiest-phone-message-in-history/

Enjoy!

Baby Ultrasound - Week 25

Hi Aunt Jenny. I'm a little person now.

New Belly Photos

Okay, okay...here are the new belly photos. I can't say I'm really enjoying this photo thing anymore as I'm seriously enormous, but I suppose I can deal with it.

Week 27 - This morning. You can tell I've gained back the water weight (and then some) pretty quickly.




Week 22 - After plenty of rest and water I was able to get rid of some of the swelling.



Week 21 - Memorial Day Weekend at Starved Rock. We hiked for 4 1/2 hours!!! I have begun to swell.

Time to Regain the Motherly Confidence

OK. I am breathing normally again after a draining week. Mark had the entire weekend off (yeah!) and we spent it eating tasty foods, watcing many movies (good and bad), and relaxing with some friends who just moved back to the area after a year in Thailand. It was nice. Especially the venting part. Maya and I got to swap stories about how ridiculous it is that doctors scare he crap out of you for evidently no reason sometimes!

Mark and I are pretty convinced that my problems came about because I over do it. End of story. We all know how I am. Did I hike for 4 1/2 hours over Memorial Day Weekend? Yes. Do I tend to save the bulk of the housework for 1 day of the week (including all of the laundry, grocery shopping, etc)? Yes. Did the doctor tell me to stop walking our 2 ginormous dogs during my 1st trimester? Yes. Did I listen? No.

I will admit I have had a tendency to keep going and going until my legs froze up or swelled up until I couldn't stand. The fact that I was totally out of shaped when I got pregnant doesn't help I don't think. My concern has been inactivity. I have worried that I'll be that lady who just can't push anymore because I'm out of shape and spent too much time laying around during pregnancy. Unfortunately, it got the best of me.

At least I'm not so worried about going into labor early anymore. Mark had been wonderful and has settled in to a routine of laundry, dishes, vaccuuming, etc before he goes to work. Admittedly, the house looks better these days. :) My parents stop by to take the dogs now and then so they can run to exhaustion on the farm (it's nice).

I have had plenty of time to read and plan. Well, I'm actually planning to plan right now, if that makes any sense. We're trying to decide on how we're going to have the baby, get to the hospital, take care of the doggies, deal with daily activities the first few weeks after baby arrives, etc in a) the ideal circumstances, b) if something goes somewhat awry, and c) if things go terribly wrong. So far the plan is looking something like this: 1. Hypnobirthing, epidural, c-section. 2. Mark, my mom, an ambulance. 3. Mark, my parents, my parents. 4. Pre-made meals Mark can thaw and throw in the oven and all else falls on his shoulders; the generosity of friends and family; Papa Johns is on speed dial, the dishes can wait, dogs will have to walk themselves (hehe).

It's A Mystery

No Diabetes. In the words of Homer, "Wooohooo!" That's all for now folks.

Healthy Mommy? Update

I'm trying to keep this updated as often as I can (this is especially for you Jen).

My 3 hour glucose test was today. I had to stop all food and beverage (including water, which is the only thing I'm allowed to drink anyway) at midnight. Of course, I was dying of thirst AND had horrible heartburn all night long. Who takes away the tums and agua from the pregnant lady? Meany doctors thats who.

I got up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 am to get ready to head in to the doctors office. Mark was very sweet and said he wouldn't eat if I couldn't, but I forced him to. There was no need for 2 cranky people. I arrived on time. They explained what they would be doing throughout the day and then the games began.

It started with a fasting glucose test, which of course meant they had to draw blood yet again from excessively punctured veins. Initially I thought they would put in a catheter so they could just draw blood from it, but no. After the blood draw I got to drink an entire bottle of syrupy stuff that tasted like exrememly sweet flat Fanta. It wasn't bad at first, but about 1/4 of the way through the bottle I heard the tummy rumble...uh oh. I got it down in 3 minutes and headed to the waiting room to wait for my next blood draw. The first hour was rough. I was feverish, started sweating, was nauseaus and was extremely spacey! At the second blood draw the nurse told me to get her immediately if I needed to lay down, etc. Fortunately, the feeling passed and I felt quite well through the rest of the testing. Aside from being hungry and tired, I managed the rest of the testing pretty well. I was literally waiting at on the edge of my seat ready to leap at the nurse when she came to get me for the 4th blood draw (all of 4 of which had to be taken from the same vein since the others were wrecked from that stupid hospital nurse).

I drove very speedily to the new Dunkin' Donuts, probably not the best food choice, but it was the only thing on my mind. I scarfed a bagel sandwich so fast I could have probably beat our record-breaking food gobbler, Winnie, if she were given the same opportunity. I then proceeded to eat a donut. And then persuaded Mark to go buy another 6 donuts (though I only had 1 more). I was jittery and soo uncomfortable when I sat down to eat and then felt the sudden urge to pass out. Fortunately about an hour later I felt back to normal.

Despite the scarffing incident, I think the test went quite well. I didn't respond the way I would have anticipated had I been diabetic. Of course, I have to wait until next week for the results, but I have a good feeling all is well.

Will I Have the Baby Early? Update

First I have to send out a hooray and congratulations to Amy and Rob who had a little boy eary Sunday morning. Baby, mom, and dad all looked unbelievable healthy and happy in the pictures. I can only hope I look half as good as she did after labor. Seriously Amy, it looks like you just took a walk in the park or something.

Our little peanut is still incubating (thank god!) and is doing well. We have narrowed down my CBC problem to seriously bad allergies and/or a common cold. Fearing the worst, I haven't been taking anything for my symptoms, but my doctor informed me that if my body is fighting it this hard, it could bring on pre-term labor. Grr! So I'm taking Alevert, which seems to be the safest option, drinking tons of water, and I'm sleeping lots and lots.

Unfortunately, my 1 hour glucose test also came out high. I return for a 3 hour testing session tomorrow morning and am keeping my fingers crossed that I don't have gestational diabetes. It does run in my family, but I'm still hoping I'm in the clear.

Other causes for concern have been my dramatic weight gain in months 4 and 5, severe swelling, cramping, and spotting. Not so good. I also had on occassion a high BP reading, which put pre-eclampsia on the table. However, the pre-eclampsia fears are starting to go by the wayside, which pleases me tremendously. My BP is elevated when I arrive at the hospital or doctors office, but levels out by the time I leave so it's probably just anxiety induced. It is also at a very healthly 120ish/80ish when we monitor it at home. My weight has taken an unusual turn in month 6 and I am now losing weight. This is very weird since I haven't changed my diet (I was primarily eating fruit anyway), and my activity level has decreased. I am blaming it on losing water weight.

Overall I still feel ok. I'm tired, but who isn't? For now I'm sticking with what I know works best, good food, plenty of water, and sleep, sleep, sleep. I also spend plenty of time instructing my son on the importance of staying inside! Hopefully he is listening. :)

Trying to Plan My Birth and It Has Not Gone As Planned

Well, I haven't been knitting or sewing or reading the books on my classics list lately. After reading "Birth" by Tina Cassidy, which I LOVED by the way, I became temporarily obsessed with researching midwives, natural childbirth, and homebirths. Thanks to one of my wonderfully informed friends, Mark and I also watched Ricki Lake's documentary, "The Business of Being Born." Between the book and the movie, we were becoming convinced that drug-free homebirth was the best option for us. I was still a little anxious about not delivering in a hospital, but then I read, "Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife" by Peggy Vincent. I also highly recommend this book to expecting mommies. It was filled with wonderful stories about sucessful (and a few scary) home births.

I started reading, "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin. She is evidently the midwifery guru, interviewed for the documentary I mentioned above as well as the historical book "Birth". This was also on the recommended reading list in the back of "Baby Catcher". The first portion of the book is filled with stories of women traveling short and long distances to a place in Tennesee called The Farm. It sounds like a very hippie, midwifery compound where single mothers can get a new start and where any woman who wants a drug-free birth can go. Their stats are very impressive with much lower cesearean and mortality rates than hospitals.

I put down the book to watch a mid-day movie with Mark. He is working 7 days a week lately, but on Sundays is working mornings instead of nights. I love this because we can at least have dinner together and do normal couple things like lounge in our PJs all afternoon. :) Unfortunately, I ran into some problems while watching the movie and had to call our doctor to see if it was anything I should worry about. Five minutes later I was on my way to Labor and Delivery...!

I am only 25 weeks so keep in mind this was quite scary. I had one nurse asking me my medical history while another brutalized both arms trying to find a vein to put an IV (I look like a junkie at present) and yet another was doing some not so pleasant things to me (can you say catheter?). I had people asking me to sign paper work and others asking me if I was excited to be having a baby today.

WHAT!!!! My only response was, "I'm not having a baby today!"

I immediately felt like I was living the terror that many of the women I had read about had described. Swooped into the hospital in a wheel chair, hearing scary things like, "Prepare the delivery room" and "did you think you would be having a baby today?" No one could say what or why they were doing these things to me... and no one seemed to notice that the nurse jabbing me with a needle hadn't a clue how to put in an IV. The irony was here was unbelievable.

Thankfully, my wonderful doctor showed up. A woman who I was previous to this moment considering firing. In a very calm straightforward way she explained everything. Weew. Protocol, yadda yadaa. Then the bad stuff. I was getting tested for placenta previa and placental abruption (both which would likely mean I would loose the baby). They monitored baby's heartbeat, my contractions (which I wasn't having by the way), took measurements by ultrasound, eventually took tons of blood for testing, etc, etc, etc.

The conclusion: You are not in labor (DUH! even I knew that). You don't have placenta previa or an abruption (YEAH!). Your baby is very active and healthy as far as we can tell (heee, my little trooper, he kept kicking the moniter and they kept loosing his heartbeat. This was not scary as it was quite obvious he was bustin' a move in there). What's wrong? No clue. I was definitely dehydrated for starters. I got tons of fluids and this morning I awoke to actually see my ankles! I have weird CBC counts (their high) but they can't find an infection anywhere. My doc is still trying to figure it out.

I have to go back if I have more symptoms at which point that will treat me for preterm labor despite the test showing otherwise. I also have a load of testing to get through tomorrow to see if they can uncover the mystery. Until then I am not on bedrest, but I can't clean the house, do laundry, vaccuum, drive, cook, lift anything, walk for any extended period of time, etc. It's essentially bedrest except I can go to the bathroom whenever I want and I can sit at the desk in my office. Oh joy! This also means no midwife for me. I am officially considered High Risk, which is a fancy way of saying they think you're going to have your baby way to early.

I am happy to see that without all the puffiness I look like a normal pregnant lady again. Hopefully I'll get a picture before I blow up again. I'll post it soon. It is also wonderful to see how healthy our son is. Nothing wrong with him at all so I have no real complaints.

Wish me luck!