This was our first real holiday with Emma, and it was fantastic! My sister and her boyfriend were able to come up to Mom's house and join us, which was an improbability until the week before. Paul and I made sure to test Emma on foods she may try before hand, just to make sure we wouldn't have any allergic reaction scares. Emma sat at the table with us and had some turkey and sweet potato baby food. After that, she had some of my roll, some steamed sweet potatoes, some baby cheese doodles, steamed pears and steamed apples. My little lady was a piggy and just kept on eating.
We had a video camera set up on the table to record Emma, We all agree it will be fun to listen to the background conversations in a few years! It was amazing to think about what Paul and I were doing this time last year. I guess the setting was similar, except that Dad was able to join us. The biggest difference was that Emma was still in my belly. It was a bit surreal to sit there next to her, watching her feed herself and listen to her "talking". I realized my life has changed forever and that it has only changed for the better. I have a fierce protectiveness toward my little girl and a love for her that makes all things bearable... as long as I still have Emma.
We got started on Christmas a little early this year. Actually, it may have been a little too early for Emma at first. She has been listening to Christmas music with me and with her sitter. On Wednesday morning (the day before Thanksgiving), I went in to get Emma when she woke up in the morning. I said, "good morning, Emma!" And she says..."BAH HA BAH!" Shocked, I asked her, "did you just say bah humbug to me?" With crinkled forehead, Emma says in her angriest voice, "BAH HA BAH!!!!!" Needless to say, we took a break from all things Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Never before and not since has Emma said anything even remotely close to bah humbug...!
Had Emma known what was in store for her, she would have asked for Christmas to come even earlier. The girls all hit the Black Friday sales, and Emma got jammies GALORE! She also got some shirts, warm socks and jeans. I couldn't find any good sales on toys, and I was pretty bummed about that. Fortunately, I found some fun stuff online. I ordered a Baby Einstein tunnel (SUPER AWESOME!!!!!!) and a Leap Frog table. We went ahead and gave Emma her presents, because I just couldn't wait. I love the tunnel way more than she does, but Mom and Paul agree that she will love it as she gets older. Emma is fascinated to no end with the table. It plays music and talks in English and Spanish. She will stand at the table for up to an hour playing with all the instruments. I am glad we were able to find some toys in the end. It has helped put me in the Christmas spirit.
Lastly, things are moving along with the sale of our house. Paul had to make a last minute trip today to Colorado to dewinterize the house for inspections. Hopefully all goes well with everything. Hopefully we get an offer soon! After Paul is done in Colorado, he is headed to New Mexico for a training. Emma and I are spending some time with my Mom so I can have some company. I love Emma to pieces, but sometimes I need to be around some one who can actually understand me and and hold a conversation with me. Emma was pretty grumpy pants tonight. Hopefully she will perk up tomorrow or Mom is going to send up home!
P.S. I saw that I have a new follower! Hooray and thanks for reading my blog!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Better things to do...
This is just a quick little post about our impatient Emma. She decided (after much biting on her side and pain on my side) that she prefers a bottle to old fashion nursing. I am still able to nurse Emma in the middle of the night. During the day, however, when there are better things to do, Emma prefers to chug-a-lug a bottle and get back to playing. I guess I was just too slow and she had to work too hard.
I cried a lot when I realized what was happening, but I am okay with it now. Not happy. Okay. I am not able to pump enough milk for Emma, so I am having to mix a little bit of formula with her milk, but she has no complaints. She guzzles 5-7 oz in about 5 minutes, pushes her bottle away and demands to be entertained. So even if I am not, Emma seems perfectly content with the way things are now.
Emma is pushing her walker around more and more every day. She is eating all sorts of "big people" food. After gagging and making a production out of rejecting her pureed baby foods, Emma showed us that she prefers to feed herself. Now, I give her cereal, some nasty-horrible-mommy-is-awful pureed baby fruit or veggies and some steamed, cubed whole fruits or veggies and puffs that Emma can pick up and eat by herself.
We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and all the fun foods Emma will get to try. She had some Vanilla Wafers last night and daintily nibbled them with her tiny teeth before gumming them to a nasty paste. It is amazing to think that she was snug in my tummy this time last year, and now she is playing games, chewing cookies and cruising around with her walker. She is truly the most amazing thing in the world!
I cried a lot when I realized what was happening, but I am okay with it now. Not happy. Okay. I am not able to pump enough milk for Emma, so I am having to mix a little bit of formula with her milk, but she has no complaints. She guzzles 5-7 oz in about 5 minutes, pushes her bottle away and demands to be entertained. So even if I am not, Emma seems perfectly content with the way things are now.
Emma is pushing her walker around more and more every day. She is eating all sorts of "big people" food. After gagging and making a production out of rejecting her pureed baby foods, Emma showed us that she prefers to feed herself. Now, I give her cereal, some nasty-horrible-mommy-is-awful pureed baby fruit or veggies and some steamed, cubed whole fruits or veggies and puffs that Emma can pick up and eat by herself.
We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and all the fun foods Emma will get to try. She had some Vanilla Wafers last night and daintily nibbled them with her tiny teeth before gumming them to a nasty paste. It is amazing to think that she was snug in my tummy this time last year, and now she is playing games, chewing cookies and cruising around with her walker. She is truly the most amazing thing in the world!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
How could I forget?!
Emma is trying to talk. she was saying 'ba ba" the other day, so i tried teaching her "ma ma". She loves to say "ma ma' now, but she has no idea what it means. She calls all of her toys ma ma. Now, when she's upset or angry, she yells out "MA MA". I figure if I keep acknowledging her when she says it, she'll figure out ma ma is not an all purpose word. She has also amended it recently to "mom mom" She is a silly one! I love to hear her trying to say words now!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Our Little Lamb
We went to our first seasonal party as a family. A Halloween party! Fun times. Emma was a lamb, and Paul and I were sheep farmers. Emma did very well and only fussed a couple of times. We got all dressed up again on Saturday to hand out candy, but we had no trick-or-treaters! Oh well. More candy for us! Emma and I danced to Halloween songs... until she threw up... oops!
We went to Phoenix to visit Sam and Larry and go to a friend's graduation. The highlight of the trip was going to the zoo. Emma loved the aquarium. She loved it so much she slept through most of the rest. Emma showed off her army crawl and her awesome set of lungs. She sure loves to hear herself yell!
Emma is army crawling a lot, crawling a little and standing all the time. She even uses her walker to walk around a little. She would do that all day long if she could. We had a doctor's appointment today, because Emma's eye has been bothering her. She apparently has a blocked tear duct. No big deal. I just have to massage it.
This week, Emma and I are on our own while Paul is in Phoenix. The upside is that Paul will be home shortly before Thanksgiving! Time is flying by! I can't type much more. Emma is in my lap and very unhappy that I am blogging and not playing with her. I will post more updates after next week's dinner and BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING! I am sooooooo excited that Sam will be here to go. It will be fun times for the girls... but not for Emma. She gets to hang out with Daddy and Larry! They will have their own fun!
We went to Phoenix to visit Sam and Larry and go to a friend's graduation. The highlight of the trip was going to the zoo. Emma loved the aquarium. She loved it so much she slept through most of the rest. Emma showed off her army crawl and her awesome set of lungs. She sure loves to hear herself yell!
Emma is army crawling a lot, crawling a little and standing all the time. She even uses her walker to walk around a little. She would do that all day long if she could. We had a doctor's appointment today, because Emma's eye has been bothering her. She apparently has a blocked tear duct. No big deal. I just have to massage it.
This week, Emma and I are on our own while Paul is in Phoenix. The upside is that Paul will be home shortly before Thanksgiving! Time is flying by! I can't type much more. Emma is in my lap and very unhappy that I am blogging and not playing with her. I will post more updates after next week's dinner and BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING! I am sooooooo excited that Sam will be here to go. It will be fun times for the girls... but not for Emma. She gets to hang out with Daddy and Larry! They will have their own fun!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Growing up
We had Emm'a six moth check up on the 9th. She is still long and skinny. 14 pounds and 26 inches. Emma is sitting like a champ now. She even leaned forward onto her knees today to reach something but collapsed when she reached to grab. Yesterday we noticed Emma cut TWO teeth! I knew she had been working on it, but I didn't expect for two to cut through at the same time. She tries to chew her spoon with her little teeth. It is so amazing! On top of all of this, Emma has learned that she can be LOUD! She just screams at the top of her lungs while she plays, and when she is mad... everyone within a mile radius know all about it! Fun for Emma... she is going through all her Stage 1 foods to see if she has allergies. After that, we move on to yummy Stage 2 combos. Like Strawberry Banana. Mmmmmm!
Paul and I are both enjoying our jobs. Emma is doing a good with her baby sitter, and her sitter LOVES her. I had to go by to pick up Emma's left over milk, and I left Emma in the car with Paul. Patricia (the sitter) said, "Oh! Is Emma in the car. I'll go out so I can see her". I told Paul that is how I know Patricia doesn't just like Emma. She loves her. That makes me feel really good. It is still hard for me to leave Emma, but at least it's only twice a week. I will work more hours if I have to, but I am not going to just volunteer to for the heck of it.
We are very much looking forward to the holiday season. At least I know I am! We are also planning on having a family portrait taken. It will be fun for Emma to be able to celebrate her first Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas on the outside! Especially since I really feel she will be mobile within the next few weeks. I am just so happy that we are able to be so close to family, and I know they are just as happy to have us near by!
That's all I have for now. I may not post again until Halloween, unless Emma decides to crawl before then. Keep your fingers crossed that we sell our house for a very good amount, so I can get a computer and internet soon! Then I can post more often, especially as Emma starts learning things faster. So far, we are at a mile stone a week. I can't imagine more than that!
Paul and I are both enjoying our jobs. Emma is doing a good with her baby sitter, and her sitter LOVES her. I had to go by to pick up Emma's left over milk, and I left Emma in the car with Paul. Patricia (the sitter) said, "Oh! Is Emma in the car. I'll go out so I can see her". I told Paul that is how I know Patricia doesn't just like Emma. She loves her. That makes me feel really good. It is still hard for me to leave Emma, but at least it's only twice a week. I will work more hours if I have to, but I am not going to just volunteer to for the heck of it.
We are very much looking forward to the holiday season. At least I know I am! We are also planning on having a family portrait taken. It will be fun for Emma to be able to celebrate her first Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas on the outside! Especially since I really feel she will be mobile within the next few weeks. I am just so happy that we are able to be so close to family, and I know they are just as happy to have us near by!
That's all I have for now. I may not post again until Halloween, unless Emma decides to crawl before then. Keep your fingers crossed that we sell our house for a very good amount, so I can get a computer and internet soon! Then I can post more often, especially as Emma starts learning things faster. So far, we are at a mile stone a week. I can't imagine more than that!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Williams so far...
We have had an interesting first month in Williams. Even though Emma and I have been here longer, I am not counting the weeks we were here without Paul. The Monday of Paul's second week at work, we were informed of a tragedy affecting a friend of ours. I will not share what happened, but it broke our hearts. That weekend, Emma had her first experience with a body of water larger than her tub. We went to Fossil Creek (a "happy place" for Paul and me), but it was unfortunately late in the afternoon. The sun was down, and it was a bit chilly. Needless to say, Emma was more happy watching the water than playing in it. We were happy to back to Fossil Creek, and Mom came with us.
This past Thursday, there was a forest fire right outside of Williams. I don't know the official story. All I know is, we were coming home from Flagstaff, and the sign that previously said "Prescribed Burn Ahead" was changed to "Wildfire Ahead". There was a bright orange glow on Bill Williams mountain, and Paul kept saying, "Oh Shit oh shit oh shit!" While Paul went to go and see what he could do to help out the next morning, Mom, Emma and I went to Kingman to help me get my mind off of the fire, and so Emma could meet some of her cousins.
Today, I went back to work for the first time. Emma had a great day. My day SUCKED! I was half an hour late for work. Luckily I work in an office where this was not a big deal. They understood that my first day back was going to be a little hectic. They even gave me lots of hugs and encouraging words when I cried. It's hard to leave my little girl after six months. I am just thankful to be in an office where my feelings matter. When I got settled in, I realized I forgot my insulated bag to keep my milk in on my way home from work. Not a huge deal, but not a good thing either. Mom called to tell me she checked in on Emma, and Emma was having a good time. This made me feel much better. As I was leaving the office at the end of the day, I remembered I needed gas. Of course the pump I chose had air in the lines, so I had to barely squeeze the trigger or else the gas wouldn't come out. While standing around waiting for my gas to trickle in and fill my tank, I noticed one of my tires was flat. I proceeded to the air tank and attempted to fill up a tire for the first time. By the time my money ran out the second time, I realized I could hear air leaking out of my tire. Off to Discount Tire I go...
On my way to the tire store, I hit EVERY red light along the way. While praying for my tire to make it, a nice man comes up and knocks on my window to tell me he can hear the air leaking out of my tire. CRAP! I finally get to the tire place, and the guy notices a big hole in my sidewall. New tire for me. I call Paul, who is already on his way to pick up Emma for me, and I break into tears. I am tired, I miss my baby and I want to go home. Paul stays on the phone with me until he gets to Emma and I have calmed down.
Emma did well with her sitter. She is not taking a bottle very well, but she only has two bottles while she is away from me, so I'm not too worried. The whole way home (20 minutes), Emma yells at me, and I acquire a horrendous headache. Luckily, Emma and I were soon on our way to visit my sister and Larry, so I only had to sit back and relax, finally!
Friday, I go back to work, and Paul will have Emma for the day. We also have Emma's 6 month appointment, so I will have updates soon after. Emma still seems to be a long, skinny little thing. Cute as a little button! She decided last week that she was ready to sit all by herself, and it reinforces how grown up she is getting. She is pulling herself up on her hands and knees, so we think "inch worming" will be happening soon. Still no teeth, but all things in good time.
Paul and I are both enjoying our new jobs, and we are both enjoying being back around civilization. We dearly miss our friends in South Fork and hope to see them again before too long. For now, here's to hopeing our next month is nice and mellow and full of nice firsts for Emma!
This past Thursday, there was a forest fire right outside of Williams. I don't know the official story. All I know is, we were coming home from Flagstaff, and the sign that previously said "Prescribed Burn Ahead" was changed to "Wildfire Ahead". There was a bright orange glow on Bill Williams mountain, and Paul kept saying, "Oh Shit oh shit oh shit!" While Paul went to go and see what he could do to help out the next morning, Mom, Emma and I went to Kingman to help me get my mind off of the fire, and so Emma could meet some of her cousins.
Today, I went back to work for the first time. Emma had a great day. My day SUCKED! I was half an hour late for work. Luckily I work in an office where this was not a big deal. They understood that my first day back was going to be a little hectic. They even gave me lots of hugs and encouraging words when I cried. It's hard to leave my little girl after six months. I am just thankful to be in an office where my feelings matter. When I got settled in, I realized I forgot my insulated bag to keep my milk in on my way home from work. Not a huge deal, but not a good thing either. Mom called to tell me she checked in on Emma, and Emma was having a good time. This made me feel much better. As I was leaving the office at the end of the day, I remembered I needed gas. Of course the pump I chose had air in the lines, so I had to barely squeeze the trigger or else the gas wouldn't come out. While standing around waiting for my gas to trickle in and fill my tank, I noticed one of my tires was flat. I proceeded to the air tank and attempted to fill up a tire for the first time. By the time my money ran out the second time, I realized I could hear air leaking out of my tire. Off to Discount Tire I go...
On my way to the tire store, I hit EVERY red light along the way. While praying for my tire to make it, a nice man comes up and knocks on my window to tell me he can hear the air leaking out of my tire. CRAP! I finally get to the tire place, and the guy notices a big hole in my sidewall. New tire for me. I call Paul, who is already on his way to pick up Emma for me, and I break into tears. I am tired, I miss my baby and I want to go home. Paul stays on the phone with me until he gets to Emma and I have calmed down.
Emma did well with her sitter. She is not taking a bottle very well, but she only has two bottles while she is away from me, so I'm not too worried. The whole way home (20 minutes), Emma yells at me, and I acquire a horrendous headache. Luckily, Emma and I were soon on our way to visit my sister and Larry, so I only had to sit back and relax, finally!
Friday, I go back to work, and Paul will have Emma for the day. We also have Emma's 6 month appointment, so I will have updates soon after. Emma still seems to be a long, skinny little thing. Cute as a little button! She decided last week that she was ready to sit all by herself, and it reinforces how grown up she is getting. She is pulling herself up on her hands and knees, so we think "inch worming" will be happening soon. Still no teeth, but all things in good time.
Paul and I are both enjoying our new jobs, and we are both enjoying being back around civilization. We dearly miss our friends in South Fork and hope to see them again before too long. For now, here's to hopeing our next month is nice and mellow and full of nice firsts for Emma!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Have I mentioned...
Emma can roll from back to tummy now? She is now officially MOBILE! I turn my head for two seconds, and she's gone! Of course I missed the first time she rolled. I turned around and turned back and she was on her tummy! She is making up for me missing it, though. She rolls all around. I am having to get her unstuck from her crib slats, poor girl!
Emma is also babbling a lot/ It is so cute... and SO slobbery! I love it. She gets cuter and more curious every day. Her Daddy will be so happy to see her on Thursday!
Emma and I very much love our new house. We can't wait for Paul and Alpine to join us. Al lot of the unpacking is done now. Shoot! I just remembered I am supposed to be doing laundry!!!!!
Emma is also babbling a lot/ It is so cute... and SO slobbery! I love it. She gets cuter and more curious every day. Her Daddy will be so happy to see her on Thursday!
Emma and I very much love our new house. We can't wait for Paul and Alpine to join us. Al lot of the unpacking is done now. Shoot! I just remembered I am supposed to be doing laundry!!!!!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Moving day
It was a piece of cake! Just a couple of complaints.
1. Why would they jumble my books up when they pack them? It makes it much harder then necessary to put them back on the shelves when they are not packed in order.
2. Why do they have to label everything in Spanish?
Other than that, I am a very happy camper. Now I just have to unpack everything, which is very difficult to do with a sad, teething, grumpy pants for a daughter. Dad came over and helped entertain Emma while the movers were at the house, and that helped a bunch. He also came back today and helped take kitchen stuff out of the box. That was a HUGE help. I can put things a way one handed while I'm holding Emma. It's getting the stuff out of the box that is hard!
Today is Mom's birthday. Dad and I went to lunch with her. I will talk more about that some other time.
Emma has something to say now. ,,,,. jn bmpok\//................
I think that means she needs her diaper changed. Emma is 5 months old today. Time sure flies!
.gigu jkd5dc trc
Emma says, "bye for now!"
1. Why would they jumble my books up when they pack them? It makes it much harder then necessary to put them back on the shelves when they are not packed in order.
2. Why do they have to label everything in Spanish?
Other than that, I am a very happy camper. Now I just have to unpack everything, which is very difficult to do with a sad, teething, grumpy pants for a daughter. Dad came over and helped entertain Emma while the movers were at the house, and that helped a bunch. He also came back today and helped take kitchen stuff out of the box. That was a HUGE help. I can put things a way one handed while I'm holding Emma. It's getting the stuff out of the box that is hard!
Today is Mom's birthday. Dad and I went to lunch with her. I will talk more about that some other time.
Emma has something to say now. ,,,,. jn bmpok\//................
I think that means she needs her diaper changed. Emma is 5 months old today. Time sure flies!
.gigu jkd5dc trc
Emma says, "bye for now!"
Monday, August 31, 2009
Grandpa's Surprise
Larry and I get to Phoenix, pick up Sam and head to Rick and Jennifer's house. Dad and Uncle Ricky are still out after golfing. Dad still has no idea Emma and I are waiting for him. Mom tells me Dad and Uncle Ricky are pulling up. Sam is holding Emma (who is napping). It's about 7PM or so. I open the door, and Dad stands there staring at me wondering how in the world I magically teleported from Colorado. It all finally clicks in his head. He has been tricked and surprised! Dad comes in and finally meets Emma for the first time. As always, Emma is sleeping!
Grandpa and Emma have been bonding since then. My 3 year old cousin, Riley, was pretty sure Emma was his baby. He even told me at one point that Emma was not my baby but was his baby. We will have to make sure the two of them visit often. He was very concerned every time she cried, and he was also confused as to why she could not run around and play with him. "Put her on the floor so she ca sit with me". "Let her down. She wants to go". i wish I had brought my video camera!
I am picking up the keys to our new house today. We are only renting for now, and for now that makes me very happy. The movers should come tomorrow or Wednesday, but I have plenty of stuff for Emma and me for the time being. Paul will be here next week, and I can't wait. I have been lucky enough to have been kept very busy, but that is coming to an end. Even though I am surrounded by family, I still miss my husband.
I spoke to my friend at NACOG and also to the director of the department I was in. Both really want me to come back, which is fantastic, because I would love to come back! As soon as I know what Paul's schedule is going to be, I will let my friend know if I can start out by coming in on Fridays. By the end of September, I should be up to two or three days a week. I am very excited. I loved the department I was in. It was the happiest I have ever been at work. Everyone truly cares about eachother, and even though I was gone for two years, every one was so happy to see me come back. They all loved Emma, and they are willing to work with meas I try to ease my way back into work. I am very thankful for friends like that!
Now to find a sitter... I feel like that will work out just as everything else has been. So we will see!
Grandpa and Emma have been bonding since then. My 3 year old cousin, Riley, was pretty sure Emma was his baby. He even told me at one point that Emma was not my baby but was his baby. We will have to make sure the two of them visit often. He was very concerned every time she cried, and he was also confused as to why she could not run around and play with him. "Put her on the floor so she ca sit with me". "Let her down. She wants to go". i wish I had brought my video camera!
I am picking up the keys to our new house today. We are only renting for now, and for now that makes me very happy. The movers should come tomorrow or Wednesday, but I have plenty of stuff for Emma and me for the time being. Paul will be here next week, and I can't wait. I have been lucky enough to have been kept very busy, but that is coming to an end. Even though I am surrounded by family, I still miss my husband.
I spoke to my friend at NACOG and also to the director of the department I was in. Both really want me to come back, which is fantastic, because I would love to come back! As soon as I know what Paul's schedule is going to be, I will let my friend know if I can start out by coming in on Fridays. By the end of September, I should be up to two or three days a week. I am very excited. I loved the department I was in. It was the happiest I have ever been at work. Everyone truly cares about eachother, and even though I was gone for two years, every one was so happy to see me come back. They all loved Emma, and they are willing to work with meas I try to ease my way back into work. I am very thankful for friends like that!
Now to find a sitter... I feel like that will work out just as everything else has been. So we will see!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Changes!
So...
Paul got the promotion and is being transferred to Williams. I am actually already in the area to do the house hunting, look for a sitter for Emma and look for a job. I have accomplished one-and-a-half of my goals already. I found us a house. We had it narrowed down to two when Paul was here over the weekend, but I got to make the final decision on Monday after Paul had already gone back to Colorado. The house is about 1900 square feet and sits on 1.25 acres. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sun room and a hot tub. Due to us having to haul water (no fancy well systems like in Colorado... no ground water like in Colorado to dig a well...), we will not be using the hot tub. It also has a pellet stove, so that should help keep the house nice and toasty. We will also have lots of storage space (for all of Paul's toys) with the two car garage and a storage shed. The dogs have a fenced yard and a doggie door, and there is room for our trailer and camper. There's even hook ups for the camper in case Paul ever gets in trouble and I kick him out!
I have possibly found a job (hence the "half" of one of my missions accomplished). I was talking to a lady I used to work with at NACOG whom I ADORE! I wanted to meet up with her for lunch since I am back in town. On top of setting up a time and day to meet, she told me she needs some one to work for her part time. We are meeting for breakfast tomorrow, so I will know more then.
My uncompleted task is finding some one (whom I trust) to take perfect care of my baby pumpkin. Again... I will cut this section short so I don't have to think about all the "what ifs".
I just realized that I have to delay the publishing of this post. My dad is back in town, and he thinks Emma and I went back to Colorado with Paul. We are going to Phoenix to surprise him tomorrow morning. He has never met Emma in person. I don't want to risk him reading all of this before I get there. We (too many people involved to mention) are so excited to be surprising him. He will be so happy to see his little grand daughter.
It is so nice to be around family. Mom, Sam and Larry seems to really like seeing Emma so often. Sam moved to Phoenix, so she doesn't see Emma every day, but she will see her much more often than when we lived in Colorado. Emma Really loves her Grammy, Auntie and Uncle. It's great to see how happy she is with them.
I feel bad for Paul being without his family in an empty house. The movers came yesterday and loaded up everything. Thank goodness for Alpine. And for Rob. They should help keep Paul company.
Emma is a talker, and it is amazing to listen too. I wish I could understand what she saying. I can tell if she's happy or not, but I would like to know the specifics! She could roll from her back to her tummy if she really wanted to, but the only time she really attempts it is when I'm changing her diaper. I am using a bassinet right now, so she can only go so far. She remains a very good baby. It took a few days for her to adjust to her new surroundings, but she is very happy now. She has a temper that I am afraid is here to stay, but that won't be a real problem for a few years still.
Emma is growing like a baby weed. At her 4 month check up, she measured 24.25 inches and weighed 12 pounds, 13 ounces. So she is still long and skinny. She fits into her 6-9 month jumpers perfectly, but she is still skinny enough to barely fill a 3-6 month onsie. Her 6-9 month pants are long enough for her, but they are way big in the waist. She is eating her cereal like a champ. Emma likes both the rice cereal and the oatmeal. We are waiting on other solids until Emma is 6 months old.
I think that is all I have for now. I shall share more later!
Paul got the promotion and is being transferred to Williams. I am actually already in the area to do the house hunting, look for a sitter for Emma and look for a job. I have accomplished one-and-a-half of my goals already. I found us a house. We had it narrowed down to two when Paul was here over the weekend, but I got to make the final decision on Monday after Paul had already gone back to Colorado. The house is about 1900 square feet and sits on 1.25 acres. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sun room and a hot tub. Due to us having to haul water (no fancy well systems like in Colorado... no ground water like in Colorado to dig a well...), we will not be using the hot tub. It also has a pellet stove, so that should help keep the house nice and toasty. We will also have lots of storage space (for all of Paul's toys) with the two car garage and a storage shed. The dogs have a fenced yard and a doggie door, and there is room for our trailer and camper. There's even hook ups for the camper in case Paul ever gets in trouble and I kick him out!
I have possibly found a job (hence the "half" of one of my missions accomplished). I was talking to a lady I used to work with at NACOG whom I ADORE! I wanted to meet up with her for lunch since I am back in town. On top of setting up a time and day to meet, she told me she needs some one to work for her part time. We are meeting for breakfast tomorrow, so I will know more then.
My uncompleted task is finding some one (whom I trust) to take perfect care of my baby pumpkin. Again... I will cut this section short so I don't have to think about all the "what ifs".
I just realized that I have to delay the publishing of this post. My dad is back in town, and he thinks Emma and I went back to Colorado with Paul. We are going to Phoenix to surprise him tomorrow morning. He has never met Emma in person. I don't want to risk him reading all of this before I get there. We (too many people involved to mention) are so excited to be surprising him. He will be so happy to see his little grand daughter.
It is so nice to be around family. Mom, Sam and Larry seems to really like seeing Emma so often. Sam moved to Phoenix, so she doesn't see Emma every day, but she will see her much more often than when we lived in Colorado. Emma Really loves her Grammy, Auntie and Uncle. It's great to see how happy she is with them.
I feel bad for Paul being without his family in an empty house. The movers came yesterday and loaded up everything. Thank goodness for Alpine. And for Rob. They should help keep Paul company.
Emma is a talker, and it is amazing to listen too. I wish I could understand what she saying. I can tell if she's happy or not, but I would like to know the specifics! She could roll from her back to her tummy if she really wanted to, but the only time she really attempts it is when I'm changing her diaper. I am using a bassinet right now, so she can only go so far. She remains a very good baby. It took a few days for her to adjust to her new surroundings, but she is very happy now. She has a temper that I am afraid is here to stay, but that won't be a real problem for a few years still.
Emma is growing like a baby weed. At her 4 month check up, she measured 24.25 inches and weighed 12 pounds, 13 ounces. So she is still long and skinny. She fits into her 6-9 month jumpers perfectly, but she is still skinny enough to barely fill a 3-6 month onsie. Her 6-9 month pants are long enough for her, but they are way big in the waist. She is eating her cereal like a champ. Emma likes both the rice cereal and the oatmeal. We are waiting on other solids until Emma is 6 months old.
I think that is all I have for now. I shall share more later!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
It's official...
This morning at 3:30 AM, I was christened Mommy To Emma Poopy Pants! It finally happened... I was pooped on... The worst part was that I wasn't completely grossed out, and I was even a little thankful. At least Emma didn't poo while she was sleeping. Emma is officially sleeping by herself in her own room. The humidifier has taken my place on her floor. She is doing so well, I have decided when we move to take her crib with us in the car, instead of letting it get packed. I don't want her to have a hard time sleeping. However, I anticipate traveling to be difficult. We have a travel crib, but she needs something with lights to watch so she can fall asleep. Nothing will fit on her travel crib...
This leads me to my next bit of news. Paul officially accepted a position in Williams yesterday! He reports September 14. Time is going to fly. This weekend we have a BBQ, next weekend we will probably visit his family (therin lying the crib issue), the weekend after we may have to go house hunting (hopefully it can wait until we get there... more traveling), the weekend after is our going away BBQ, the next is Labor day weekend (my family visiting and Paul hunting) and the next weekend, we will move! Enough about that, or I will start to freak out. I am excited, but it is all happening so fast. It's just like last time we moved. Everything all at once! I am just really happy to be so close to family and that Paul has been offered such a great opportunity!
I will keep you posted on what happens. Emma has her 4 month check up on Friday, which means more shots. Sad times for all.... I'm excited to see how long she has gotten! I guess we need to find a new doctor for her 6 month check up!
This leads me to my next bit of news. Paul officially accepted a position in Williams yesterday! He reports September 14. Time is going to fly. This weekend we have a BBQ, next weekend we will probably visit his family (therin lying the crib issue), the weekend after we may have to go house hunting (hopefully it can wait until we get there... more traveling), the weekend after is our going away BBQ, the next is Labor day weekend (my family visiting and Paul hunting) and the next weekend, we will move! Enough about that, or I will start to freak out. I am excited, but it is all happening so fast. It's just like last time we moved. Everything all at once! I am just really happy to be so close to family and that Paul has been offered such a great opportunity!
I will keep you posted on what happens. Emma has her 4 month check up on Friday, which means more shots. Sad times for all.... I'm excited to see how long she has gotten! I guess we need to find a new doctor for her 6 month check up!
Friday, July 31, 2009
17 Weeks and Counting
Since it has been so long since I have posted, I am going to break everything down by months. I don't have my calendar handy, so I am going to have to guess on specifics as far as dates and measurements go.
Month 1:
Bringing Emma home was by far the most exciting and terrifying thing I have ever done. She hated being dressed to go home, and she hated her car seat. Every time the car would stop, she would cry. I cried, too, because I hated seeing her upset. We won't even discuss the affect my hormones were having on my sanity. My mom (Grammy), my sister (Auntie Sam), my sister's boyfriend (Uncle Larry) and my mom's mom (Cracker) were waiting at the house for us. My family was a source of help we could not have done without. At the very least, they kept me from killing poor Paul. He probably wasn't even doing anything wrong, but the first few days (and eventually the first couple of months) I blamed everything on my dear husband. Emma slept a lot, and I barely slept at all. I was so worried something was going to happen to her while I slept. Thankfully, the only thing that happened while I slept was Emma woke up to be fed. Nursing was very hard for both of us in the beginning. We were both too lazy to do it right. After a couple of weeks, we figured it out, and it's still going well. Emma went to her first pediatric appointment when she was about four days old. She had already gained a few ounces above her birth weight. My fears of starving my child were put to rest. At one month, Emma had gained two pounds. She was definitely not starving! Since she started out so skinny, her rapid weight gain was a good thing. By the end of the first month, I was beginning to loosen up a little bit, and we were finally starting to really bond. I was still having painful symptoms from the complications I had experienced, but they were getting better, and I was able to carry Emma and be on my feet a bit more. Soon, I would have to go back to work, and I was dreading it for several reasons. I would miss Emma horribly since we were just getting to really know each other, and I was not sure how well I would be able to deal with my bleeding and pain while at work. Emma also went on her first road trips during her first month. We went to Flagstaff, AZ to visit my family and Colorado Springs to visit Paul's family. Emma did very well, and we quickly learned what to bring with us and what could be left at home. Emma was still mostly sleeping in bed with us at this point, so that was pretty easy. Grammy got her a My Little Lamb chair, and she started sleeping in it the for the next few weeks.
Month 2:
This was a month of firsts for Emma, and I know every month henceforth would be similar. First off, we got some money we were not expecting, and I was able to stay home for a few more months. This was a god send. I needed to be home due to my complications, and now I could afford to do so. The best part? I GET TO BE HOME WITH MY LITTLE LADY!!!!! I will have to go back to work eventually, but I will deal with that when it happens. We may end up getting transferred at the end of the summer, so it was better for me to just quit my job and let them find some one else. I will start looking for a new job in August if we do not move. During this month, Emma started sleeping in longer stretches. She gained another two pounds and was 22.5 inches at the beginning of her second month. She is still a long, skinny little girl. And the most beautiful baby I have ever known. We went on our first "back road" road trip to Silverton, CO. Emma loved the bouncy roads, and therefore slept through most of her first 4-wheel excursion. Emma had her first series of shots. She cried... I cried... and Daddy was informed that he is expected to come to every one of her appointments from now on more moral support, if nothing else. The shots gave Emma a bit of a fever, and I decided to give her Tylenol before our next appointment to nip that in the bud for the next time. We bought some toys Emma didn't like, but in time she learned to love them. The best was her Baby Einstein floor gym. At first she just laid on it and watched her friend Ocho the Octopus (we named all of her "friends"). After a little while, she figured out how to hit Ocho, though it was sporadic. Then... she learned to LOVE Ocho and SMILE at him. Not only did she smile at Ocho, but she smiled at us! We are not sure when gas grins turned into real smiles. The first time we really noticed it was when Paul had come home late from work. Emma was lying down while I was getting ready for bed. Paul went over to her (I could see the whole thing form where I was) and said "hello". Emma looked right at him and gave him the most beautiful smile. It was the first of billions of heart warming smiles. Paul and I laughed and thought it was the most amazing thing we had ever seen. As the days went by, Emma got better at punching Ocho, and she even started to grab at him and shake him once she caught him. Emma was very grumpy and cried a lot during the first part of her second month. I began to realize that she was not sleeping longer than 15 minutes or so, and I figured she was not getting enough sleep. How she slept the best changed from day to day. Sometimes she liked her Lamb chair and the next day she might like one of her swings the best. She began taking longer naps, and her mood rapidly improved. Emma also started sleeping longer at night. She would sleep from about 8pm to midnight, eat, sleep from 12:30am to 4am, eat, and sleep until about 7:30 or 8am. At that time, I thought 7:30 was early. As her time between late night meals lengthened, the time she woke up in the morning got earlier. Around the end of the month, Emma was up and ready to play at 5:30-6am. It was at this time I decided to revise her schedule.
Month 3:
Our third month will be coming to and end on Monday. Time is flying by. Emma is getting bigger, but she is still skinny. She is a non-stop mover. Once she learned how to grab and shake things, she wanted to grab everything. Sometimes she shakes her friends a little too vigorously, which leads to flying toys. She has started to look for them when they fall, and that is a milestone only a parent can recognize! We were having a hard time with tummy time, because our little lady has quite a temper and hated being on her belly. She would kick her feet and scream and never even attempt to figure out what to go about it. The one day, she just rolled. Like it was nothing at all. Now we have a hard time with tummy time, because Emma rolls the instant she is put down on her tummy. I will find other ways to strengthen her arms. It is cute to watch Emma roll, as her arms play not part. She pulls her feet under her tummy and kicks. Silly but very effective! Soon after she figured out how to roll, Emma discovered her toes, and she LOVES them. Out of all her toys, her toes are her favorite. She grabs them and swings her feet all over the place. I a hoping all this fun will lead to laughing soon. She giggles, but much prefers to pant when she is having fun. Emma loves to chew on everything (especially her hands!) and most objects she gets a hold of are covered in slobber. Daily squats and sit-ups are giving Emma some very impressive muscles. She loves to hold on to my fingers and sit up then stand up. Standing must make Emma feel very proud, because she does it often and always with a smile. She hold herself up while standing and just needs my fingers for balance. She will even take a few steps sometimes. All the sit-ups are also helping Emma learn how to sit. She has been using her Bumbo since she was four weeks old, so she is able to keep her back and head pretty straight. Balance is what she has to work on the most. She can sit in my lap without much help from me. As she starts to lean to the side, I help her get back to the middle. All toe toe grabbing is going to help Emma learn to roll over whether she means to or not. As she crunches her head to her toe and brings her legs to her head, she sometimes tips over to her side. She doesn't even realize that is the hardest part! I am pretty sure month 4 will be a month of rolling all over the house. As a Mommy Milestone, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Now I just have to lose the 10 pounds I wanted to lose before I found out I was pregnant. I am beginning to look for a job. We have not heard anything about the position Paul applied for in Williams, AZ. I was so sure he would get it, but I guess it was just wishful thinking. The only part about going back to work that stresses me out, is finding someone to watch Emma. As of today, I have no leads on anyone I trust to watch her. I am going to quickly move from that topic, or I will go on about it and all the "what-ifs" forever. I have been slowly getting Emma used to her crib. She takes most of her naps there and really enjoys it. She usually wakes up laughing. Last night was Emma's first night in her crib. I slept on the floor, and was actually VERY happy and comfortable. The only reason I didn't get more sleep than I did was I had a hard time falling asleep, because I was thinking about work and some one to watch Emma. She woke up twice to eat, but I think she may be growing. We are supposed to talk about starting cereal next week at her 4 month appointment, and I think it's time. All this wiggling around and growing is making her super hungry, and I don't think I am enough anymore! I forgot to mention that we bought Emma a Baby Einstein Jumper, which she hated at first. Over the past few weeks, She has discovered that she likes it more and more. She will only stay in it for about 10 minutes at the most, but she is still learning what to do with it. Her favorite toy as of yesterday (besides her toes) is a little doll. I say little, but it is almost half as big as Emma is. She has rattles, plastic rings to chew on a d a crinkly dress. Emma loves her! I could go on all day about everything Emma does, but I think I have covered the basics. I am not sure when I will be able to get back online. In the mean time, please cross your fingers about the Williams job, and at the very least pray that I can find some one to watch Emma who will love her and treat her well. Emma is my life and I cannot even fathom something happening to her or for her to be mistreated.
Month 1:
Bringing Emma home was by far the most exciting and terrifying thing I have ever done. She hated being dressed to go home, and she hated her car seat. Every time the car would stop, she would cry. I cried, too, because I hated seeing her upset. We won't even discuss the affect my hormones were having on my sanity. My mom (Grammy), my sister (Auntie Sam), my sister's boyfriend (Uncle Larry) and my mom's mom (Cracker) were waiting at the house for us. My family was a source of help we could not have done without. At the very least, they kept me from killing poor Paul. He probably wasn't even doing anything wrong, but the first few days (and eventually the first couple of months) I blamed everything on my dear husband. Emma slept a lot, and I barely slept at all. I was so worried something was going to happen to her while I slept. Thankfully, the only thing that happened while I slept was Emma woke up to be fed. Nursing was very hard for both of us in the beginning. We were both too lazy to do it right. After a couple of weeks, we figured it out, and it's still going well. Emma went to her first pediatric appointment when she was about four days old. She had already gained a few ounces above her birth weight. My fears of starving my child were put to rest. At one month, Emma had gained two pounds. She was definitely not starving! Since she started out so skinny, her rapid weight gain was a good thing. By the end of the first month, I was beginning to loosen up a little bit, and we were finally starting to really bond. I was still having painful symptoms from the complications I had experienced, but they were getting better, and I was able to carry Emma and be on my feet a bit more. Soon, I would have to go back to work, and I was dreading it for several reasons. I would miss Emma horribly since we were just getting to really know each other, and I was not sure how well I would be able to deal with my bleeding and pain while at work. Emma also went on her first road trips during her first month. We went to Flagstaff, AZ to visit my family and Colorado Springs to visit Paul's family. Emma did very well, and we quickly learned what to bring with us and what could be left at home. Emma was still mostly sleeping in bed with us at this point, so that was pretty easy. Grammy got her a My Little Lamb chair, and she started sleeping in it the for the next few weeks.
Month 2:
This was a month of firsts for Emma, and I know every month henceforth would be similar. First off, we got some money we were not expecting, and I was able to stay home for a few more months. This was a god send. I needed to be home due to my complications, and now I could afford to do so. The best part? I GET TO BE HOME WITH MY LITTLE LADY!!!!! I will have to go back to work eventually, but I will deal with that when it happens. We may end up getting transferred at the end of the summer, so it was better for me to just quit my job and let them find some one else. I will start looking for a new job in August if we do not move. During this month, Emma started sleeping in longer stretches. She gained another two pounds and was 22.5 inches at the beginning of her second month. She is still a long, skinny little girl. And the most beautiful baby I have ever known. We went on our first "back road" road trip to Silverton, CO. Emma loved the bouncy roads, and therefore slept through most of her first 4-wheel excursion. Emma had her first series of shots. She cried... I cried... and Daddy was informed that he is expected to come to every one of her appointments from now on more moral support, if nothing else. The shots gave Emma a bit of a fever, and I decided to give her Tylenol before our next appointment to nip that in the bud for the next time. We bought some toys Emma didn't like, but in time she learned to love them. The best was her Baby Einstein floor gym. At first she just laid on it and watched her friend Ocho the Octopus (we named all of her "friends"). After a little while, she figured out how to hit Ocho, though it was sporadic. Then... she learned to LOVE Ocho and SMILE at him. Not only did she smile at Ocho, but she smiled at us! We are not sure when gas grins turned into real smiles. The first time we really noticed it was when Paul had come home late from work. Emma was lying down while I was getting ready for bed. Paul went over to her (I could see the whole thing form where I was) and said "hello". Emma looked right at him and gave him the most beautiful smile. It was the first of billions of heart warming smiles. Paul and I laughed and thought it was the most amazing thing we had ever seen. As the days went by, Emma got better at punching Ocho, and she even started to grab at him and shake him once she caught him. Emma was very grumpy and cried a lot during the first part of her second month. I began to realize that she was not sleeping longer than 15 minutes or so, and I figured she was not getting enough sleep. How she slept the best changed from day to day. Sometimes she liked her Lamb chair and the next day she might like one of her swings the best. She began taking longer naps, and her mood rapidly improved. Emma also started sleeping longer at night. She would sleep from about 8pm to midnight, eat, sleep from 12:30am to 4am, eat, and sleep until about 7:30 or 8am. At that time, I thought 7:30 was early. As her time between late night meals lengthened, the time she woke up in the morning got earlier. Around the end of the month, Emma was up and ready to play at 5:30-6am. It was at this time I decided to revise her schedule.
Month 3:
Our third month will be coming to and end on Monday. Time is flying by. Emma is getting bigger, but she is still skinny. She is a non-stop mover. Once she learned how to grab and shake things, she wanted to grab everything. Sometimes she shakes her friends a little too vigorously, which leads to flying toys. She has started to look for them when they fall, and that is a milestone only a parent can recognize! We were having a hard time with tummy time, because our little lady has quite a temper and hated being on her belly. She would kick her feet and scream and never even attempt to figure out what to go about it. The one day, she just rolled. Like it was nothing at all. Now we have a hard time with tummy time, because Emma rolls the instant she is put down on her tummy. I will find other ways to strengthen her arms. It is cute to watch Emma roll, as her arms play not part. She pulls her feet under her tummy and kicks. Silly but very effective! Soon after she figured out how to roll, Emma discovered her toes, and she LOVES them. Out of all her toys, her toes are her favorite. She grabs them and swings her feet all over the place. I a hoping all this fun will lead to laughing soon. She giggles, but much prefers to pant when she is having fun. Emma loves to chew on everything (especially her hands!) and most objects she gets a hold of are covered in slobber. Daily squats and sit-ups are giving Emma some very impressive muscles. She loves to hold on to my fingers and sit up then stand up. Standing must make Emma feel very proud, because she does it often and always with a smile. She hold herself up while standing and just needs my fingers for balance. She will even take a few steps sometimes. All the sit-ups are also helping Emma learn how to sit. She has been using her Bumbo since she was four weeks old, so she is able to keep her back and head pretty straight. Balance is what she has to work on the most. She can sit in my lap without much help from me. As she starts to lean to the side, I help her get back to the middle. All toe toe grabbing is going to help Emma learn to roll over whether she means to or not. As she crunches her head to her toe and brings her legs to her head, she sometimes tips over to her side. She doesn't even realize that is the hardest part! I am pretty sure month 4 will be a month of rolling all over the house. As a Mommy Milestone, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Now I just have to lose the 10 pounds I wanted to lose before I found out I was pregnant. I am beginning to look for a job. We have not heard anything about the position Paul applied for in Williams, AZ. I was so sure he would get it, but I guess it was just wishful thinking. The only part about going back to work that stresses me out, is finding someone to watch Emma. As of today, I have no leads on anyone I trust to watch her. I am going to quickly move from that topic, or I will go on about it and all the "what-ifs" forever. I have been slowly getting Emma used to her crib. She takes most of her naps there and really enjoys it. She usually wakes up laughing. Last night was Emma's first night in her crib. I slept on the floor, and was actually VERY happy and comfortable. The only reason I didn't get more sleep than I did was I had a hard time falling asleep, because I was thinking about work and some one to watch Emma. She woke up twice to eat, but I think she may be growing. We are supposed to talk about starting cereal next week at her 4 month appointment, and I think it's time. All this wiggling around and growing is making her super hungry, and I don't think I am enough anymore! I forgot to mention that we bought Emma a Baby Einstein Jumper, which she hated at first. Over the past few weeks, She has discovered that she likes it more and more. She will only stay in it for about 10 minutes at the most, but she is still learning what to do with it. Her favorite toy as of yesterday (besides her toes) is a little doll. I say little, but it is almost half as big as Emma is. She has rattles, plastic rings to chew on a d a crinkly dress. Emma loves her! I could go on all day about everything Emma does, but I think I have covered the basics. I am not sure when I will be able to get back online. In the mean time, please cross your fingers about the Williams job, and at the very least pray that I can find some one to watch Emma who will love her and treat her well. Emma is my life and I cannot even fathom something happening to her or for her to be mistreated.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Happy Birthday, Emma!
Emma Noёl Hancock was born April 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM. Emma weighed 6 lbs, 5 oz and was 20.5 inches at birth.
The first half of our story is already posted. I'll start at 2AM. My contractions were getting intense, and I was hurting from the doctor opening the scar tissue on my cervix. At 4 AM, the doctor came and checked me again, and I had no made any progress. He broke my water and uppped my pitocin. I was in so much pain that I was crying, and I broke down and got the epidural. I was still only at 4cm after 12 hours of contracting and 6 hours or pitocin, so I knew it was going to be a long night, and I couldn't handle the pain in my cervix anymore.
After the epidural was in place, my blood pressure kept crashing. The lowest it got was about 68/34. They had to give me a few shots of epinephrine, but I stabalized after about an hour. I tried taking a nap at that point, but my legs kept twitching and keeping me up. The nurse had me lay on my side to even the epidural out and that helped my legs chill out. At about 7 AM, a nurse came in to check me, and I was still a 4. Emma was also starting to stress out with the contractions, so they had to take me off of the pitocin. I was starting to lose heart at this point. I had to keep switching sides to keep Emma happy, so I was still unable to really rest.
At 8:30 AM, the doctor came on to check me again. This time he brought an internal monitor for me and baby to make sure Emma was okay and to see if my contractions were getting intense enough. He was also going to put some saline back into my uterus to see if that would help Emma drop lower. The doctor checked me first to see if I had dilated any more. I was AT A 9!!!!!!!!! He didn't even need all the reinforcement he had brought. Within half an hour, I was ready to push.
I pushed for an hour, and Emma was born. I would have been able to have her sooner if she wasn't angled. Her head was a bit sideways. It was amazing to hear Paul say, "She's a girl! We have a little girl!" I cried and cried and said I knew it all along. I cried and told her she was such a sill looking baby, because she was so squished and dirty. I was so happy and have never known such love for any one or anything. I told Paul that she is a vital part of my life now. I could never life without her now.
After I had Emma, I had to try to go to the bathroom to make sure my bladder was okay. We noticed I was bleeding pretty bad, but no one was really to concerned about it at the time. I got really dizzy and had to be revived with smelling salts before I passed out. I decided to take a shower to help me feel better. I kept the water just barely warm. I noticed I was still steadily leaking blood, and I even had small gushes from time to time. I got dizzy again, so I turned the water to cold to see if I would help. It did help but only long enough for me to get as far as the toilet. I was still bleeding and I was passing large clots. Long story short, I was losing way too much blood. I was gushing blod out periodically. At one point, I started having horrid contractions and had an urge to push. I called my nurse to say something was coming out of me. She checked me and said it was only blood. I involuntarily pushed and there was a "pop" and blood and blood clots came gushing out. I was pretty sure I was going to die at that point. I got put on several medications to try to get my uterus to contract. It wasn't staying firm enough to stop the bleeding.
I bled quite bad into the evening. The doctor came in to check me for a uterine laceration. Luckily there was nothing torn. He removed some clots and sutured some tears inside (without anesthesia...) to see if he could help to stop my bleeding. Eventually the bleeding slowed down, and my uterus finally figured out how to stay firm enough.
Emma and I are still in the hospital. She is doing VERY well. She is starting to look around and is quite vocal when she is upset. She is eating about every 2 hours and is staying awake longer and longer. I am biased, but I am pretty sure we have the prettiest baby EVER! It looks like she will have auburn hair (which was my prediction!), and she has the cutest nose. She is always chewing on her hands, so she will be a thumb sucker. Since we've been in the hospital, I've been letting her sleep on my chest. She really enjoys skin to skin contact. That is all I have for now. I will update more as things happen. We should be able to go home tomorrow, assuming my bleeding has not started up again. We are all very happy with our sweet, new addidtion.
The first half of our story is already posted. I'll start at 2AM. My contractions were getting intense, and I was hurting from the doctor opening the scar tissue on my cervix. At 4 AM, the doctor came and checked me again, and I had no made any progress. He broke my water and uppped my pitocin. I was in so much pain that I was crying, and I broke down and got the epidural. I was still only at 4cm after 12 hours of contracting and 6 hours or pitocin, so I knew it was going to be a long night, and I couldn't handle the pain in my cervix anymore.
After the epidural was in place, my blood pressure kept crashing. The lowest it got was about 68/34. They had to give me a few shots of epinephrine, but I stabalized after about an hour. I tried taking a nap at that point, but my legs kept twitching and keeping me up. The nurse had me lay on my side to even the epidural out and that helped my legs chill out. At about 7 AM, a nurse came in to check me, and I was still a 4. Emma was also starting to stress out with the contractions, so they had to take me off of the pitocin. I was starting to lose heart at this point. I had to keep switching sides to keep Emma happy, so I was still unable to really rest.
At 8:30 AM, the doctor came on to check me again. This time he brought an internal monitor for me and baby to make sure Emma was okay and to see if my contractions were getting intense enough. He was also going to put some saline back into my uterus to see if that would help Emma drop lower. The doctor checked me first to see if I had dilated any more. I was AT A 9!!!!!!!!! He didn't even need all the reinforcement he had brought. Within half an hour, I was ready to push.
I pushed for an hour, and Emma was born. I would have been able to have her sooner if she wasn't angled. Her head was a bit sideways. It was amazing to hear Paul say, "She's a girl! We have a little girl!" I cried and cried and said I knew it all along. I cried and told her she was such a sill looking baby, because she was so squished and dirty. I was so happy and have never known such love for any one or anything. I told Paul that she is a vital part of my life now. I could never life without her now.
After I had Emma, I had to try to go to the bathroom to make sure my bladder was okay. We noticed I was bleeding pretty bad, but no one was really to concerned about it at the time. I got really dizzy and had to be revived with smelling salts before I passed out. I decided to take a shower to help me feel better. I kept the water just barely warm. I noticed I was still steadily leaking blood, and I even had small gushes from time to time. I got dizzy again, so I turned the water to cold to see if I would help. It did help but only long enough for me to get as far as the toilet. I was still bleeding and I was passing large clots. Long story short, I was losing way too much blood. I was gushing blod out periodically. At one point, I started having horrid contractions and had an urge to push. I called my nurse to say something was coming out of me. She checked me and said it was only blood. I involuntarily pushed and there was a "pop" and blood and blood clots came gushing out. I was pretty sure I was going to die at that point. I got put on several medications to try to get my uterus to contract. It wasn't staying firm enough to stop the bleeding.
I bled quite bad into the evening. The doctor came in to check me for a uterine laceration. Luckily there was nothing torn. He removed some clots and sutured some tears inside (without anesthesia...) to see if he could help to stop my bleeding. Eventually the bleeding slowed down, and my uterus finally figured out how to stay firm enough.
Emma and I are still in the hospital. She is doing VERY well. She is starting to look around and is quite vocal when she is upset. She is eating about every 2 hours and is staying awake longer and longer. I am biased, but I am pretty sure we have the prettiest baby EVER! It looks like she will have auburn hair (which was my prediction!), and she has the cutest nose. She is always chewing on her hands, so she will be a thumb sucker. Since we've been in the hospital, I've been letting her sleep on my chest. She really enjoys skin to skin contact. That is all I have for now. I will update more as things happen. We should be able to go home tomorrow, assuming my bleeding has not started up again. We are all very happy with our sweet, new addidtion.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Holy Crap
I'm not sure I can do this. Pitocin hurts like a mofo! Contactions are one on top of another. It is 2 AM
Thursday, April 2, 2009
I'm In Labor!
I had my 40 week appointment today, and the doctor broke through some more scar tissue. He said there was a band of scar tissue still holding things up. After much tugging and pulling, the doctor finally broke the band and stretched me to 3 cm. Paul and I hung around town and walked for about an hour. I was cramping pretty bad, but I didn't think I was contracting. We had dinner, and Paul thought we should stop by the hospital to get checked out. I was contracting about every three minutes, so they admited me.
I have since (5 hours later) dilated to 4 cm. The doctor hooked me up to pitocin to try to get things going. He thinks my "breaking point" may be 5 cm. We will have to see. The contractions are closer and more intense, but they are still very tolerable. The doctor says he is pretty sure my paain threshold is very high and I will be able to tolerate the contractions well. He based his opinion on what he did to me earlier in the day.
I will update more as events happen. One way or another, we are having a baby soon!
I have since (5 hours later) dilated to 4 cm. The doctor hooked me up to pitocin to try to get things going. He thinks my "breaking point" may be 5 cm. We will have to see. The contractions are closer and more intense, but they are still very tolerable. The doctor says he is pretty sure my paain threshold is very high and I will be able to tolerate the contractions well. He based his opinion on what he did to me earlier in the day.
I will update more as events happen. One way or another, we are having a baby soon!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Dear Baby,
We will be at 40 weeks tomorrow. I know first time mommies sometimes go past their due date and only a small percent of mommies actually go in to labor on their due date. Wouldn't it be fun to beat the odds. You could come on your due date tomorrow. You would be born at 40 weeks and on your due date, thus going again TWO statistics. That sounds very fun to me!
I love you more than you will ever know, but you are putting me through quite a bit of pain. I am cramping constantly, but I am not contracting. My back feels like a donkey kicked me, and everything I eat makes my tummy hurt. You are obviously getting quite cramped, as your rear and feet are still in my ribs. I think it would be much better if you would just come out and meet all the people who are so excited for your arrival. Your room is ready, and Trixie and Lexus constantly check it to see if you are there yet. Your clothes are washed and folded and have been for several weeks. I have tried everything I can think of to try to coax you out. I have hiked, walked, hopped and marched around the house. I am taking evening primrose oil to help soften my cervix, and I have even used visualization. the doctor tore my insides apart to help aid in your arrival, yet you seem to find like in my tummy quite comfortable. I am concerned that I may have freaked you out by making you think life on the outside is strenuous and hectic. That is very much NOT so.
So from now on, I am going to try to relax. I will take a nice warm bath tonight, and we will listen to Beethoven. I think this is all going to turn out the way out breech situation did. No matter how hard I tried to flip you, you didn't budge until you were good and ready. I just thought I would make one final plea to you. We are so excited to meet you, and sooner would be preferable to later! We all love you, Baby, and hope to meet you soon!
I love you more than you will ever know, but you are putting me through quite a bit of pain. I am cramping constantly, but I am not contracting. My back feels like a donkey kicked me, and everything I eat makes my tummy hurt. You are obviously getting quite cramped, as your rear and feet are still in my ribs. I think it would be much better if you would just come out and meet all the people who are so excited for your arrival. Your room is ready, and Trixie and Lexus constantly check it to see if you are there yet. Your clothes are washed and folded and have been for several weeks. I have tried everything I can think of to try to coax you out. I have hiked, walked, hopped and marched around the house. I am taking evening primrose oil to help soften my cervix, and I have even used visualization. the doctor tore my insides apart to help aid in your arrival, yet you seem to find like in my tummy quite comfortable. I am concerned that I may have freaked you out by making you think life on the outside is strenuous and hectic. That is very much NOT so.
So from now on, I am going to try to relax. I will take a nice warm bath tonight, and we will listen to Beethoven. I think this is all going to turn out the way out breech situation did. No matter how hard I tried to flip you, you didn't budge until you were good and ready. I just thought I would make one final plea to you. We are so excited to meet you, and sooner would be preferable to later! We all love you, Baby, and hope to meet you soon!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Mystery Solved
Paul and I were wondering if my previous cryo surgery could have caused scar tissue, which is making it difficult for me to dilate. Before we could even ask the doctor, he said he was going to poke at me with sticks (in medical terms, of course) to see if he needed to break through scar tissue. Sure enough, I have scar tissue galore.
The following is a run through of what happened during our appointment yesterday. We get called back and I have gained 4 pounds in a week. The whole "drink a gallon of water a day" is a catch 22. I drink until I am too full to eat, and then I retain the water like a sponge and feel fat when I go in to get weighed. I know I am not fat. I am proud of my baby body, but some days are just harder to deal with than others. Especially when I know I am not progressing. So I go into the exam room and the nurse catches me crying (Paul was in the potty and was oblivious). the nurse is concerned, and I told her to just ignore me. I am tired, hormonal and in pain. My BP was perfect and my belly is measuring perfectly. Baby's heart rate sounded wonderful. Doctor comes in and tells the nurse to "go get some of the plastic dilators", I tell her to get the biggest ones she can find.
Doctor comes back in, pokes at me and props me up in the stirrups. Some of the next information may be TMI, but it's still memories for me. Just a warning to the squeemish. Doctor says it looks like my cervix is open a little bit, and he pokes at it with some plastic sticks. Not fun! Doctor says, "This hurts. I know". I say, "I'm pretty sure you don't know". To which he agrees. He says he is trying to break through scar tissue to see of he can get me to dilate enough for him to get his "big fingers" through. Speculum comes out and doctor attempts to break through with his finger. After trying to push through for a little while, he tells me to prop my hips up on my fists to try to move my cervix down further. He even tries coaxing my cervix, "come on down to me cervix", but to no avail. He can't get through. Meanwhile, nurse and Paul and rubbing my arms and my hair and I am practicing my breathing and singing Tom Petty songs in my head. All of which worked.
Doctor goes back in with the speculum to see what will fit through my tiny, closed cervix. He finds another stick of some sort, and that goes through without a problem. So he pokes around some more and decided he is going to poke at me with his finger one more time. He says, "I am going to try one more time", and I say "try really, really hard". He definitely listened. He told me to tell him when it got to be too much, and I told him to just do whatever he had to. I thought I knew pain before, but this was a whole brand new experience. It didn't hurt like cutting myself would hurt. It was mostly a lot of pressure. I told the doctor I was afraid I might pee on him, and he said it wouldn't be the first time. The nurse said I should just do it as pay back. Finally, finally the doctor says, "there we go. I got through!" Oh hooray!!!!!! He next tries to get his "fattest finger" through and once again succeeds. Hooray some more!!! He says, "I am stretching your cervix to try to break all of the scar tissue and keep you dilated". OWEEE!
Doctor, nurse and Paul all pat me and tell me I did wonderfully. I feel really proud of myself, as well. Doctor said he was able to get all the way through my cervix and even poke Baby in the head (knock knock Baby. It's time to come out!). There is guarantee that what he did will put me in labor any time soon, but at least we got through all the scar tissue. It's likely my body has been trying, but there was just too much. Doctor and nurse are both pretty sure I am going to pass out at any minute. Doctor says, "I'm not usually that aggressive, but I had to be in this case". I told him I was glad he was. Nurse says, "oh! You're shaking", and I say, "I'm sure I am!" I had to take a few seconds to compose myself, but I was so much happier. We had made progress. Progress I would likely never have made on my own!
All through the night and for much of today, I have been cramping. Boy do I hope these cramps are actually dong something now. Baby is pretty upset that he or she got poked in the head and has been extra aggressive today, but that's okay! You're days inside me are numbered, Baby!!!! I just hope that now we can do this on our own without an induction. This weekend seems like a good time to have a baby. I don't have anything else planned. Paul's ski time may get cut short, but he'll get over it. Wish us luck! At the very least, I will post another update after our next appointment on Thursday, but I really hope to have something to say before then!
The following is a run through of what happened during our appointment yesterday. We get called back and I have gained 4 pounds in a week. The whole "drink a gallon of water a day" is a catch 22. I drink until I am too full to eat, and then I retain the water like a sponge and feel fat when I go in to get weighed. I know I am not fat. I am proud of my baby body, but some days are just harder to deal with than others. Especially when I know I am not progressing. So I go into the exam room and the nurse catches me crying (Paul was in the potty and was oblivious). the nurse is concerned, and I told her to just ignore me. I am tired, hormonal and in pain. My BP was perfect and my belly is measuring perfectly. Baby's heart rate sounded wonderful. Doctor comes in and tells the nurse to "go get some of the plastic dilators", I tell her to get the biggest ones she can find.
Doctor comes back in, pokes at me and props me up in the stirrups. Some of the next information may be TMI, but it's still memories for me. Just a warning to the squeemish. Doctor says it looks like my cervix is open a little bit, and he pokes at it with some plastic sticks. Not fun! Doctor says, "This hurts. I know". I say, "I'm pretty sure you don't know". To which he agrees. He says he is trying to break through scar tissue to see of he can get me to dilate enough for him to get his "big fingers" through. Speculum comes out and doctor attempts to break through with his finger. After trying to push through for a little while, he tells me to prop my hips up on my fists to try to move my cervix down further. He even tries coaxing my cervix, "come on down to me cervix", but to no avail. He can't get through. Meanwhile, nurse and Paul and rubbing my arms and my hair and I am practicing my breathing and singing Tom Petty songs in my head. All of which worked.
Doctor goes back in with the speculum to see what will fit through my tiny, closed cervix. He finds another stick of some sort, and that goes through without a problem. So he pokes around some more and decided he is going to poke at me with his finger one more time. He says, "I am going to try one more time", and I say "try really, really hard". He definitely listened. He told me to tell him when it got to be too much, and I told him to just do whatever he had to. I thought I knew pain before, but this was a whole brand new experience. It didn't hurt like cutting myself would hurt. It was mostly a lot of pressure. I told the doctor I was afraid I might pee on him, and he said it wouldn't be the first time. The nurse said I should just do it as pay back. Finally, finally the doctor says, "there we go. I got through!" Oh hooray!!!!!! He next tries to get his "fattest finger" through and once again succeeds. Hooray some more!!! He says, "I am stretching your cervix to try to break all of the scar tissue and keep you dilated". OWEEE!
Doctor, nurse and Paul all pat me and tell me I did wonderfully. I feel really proud of myself, as well. Doctor said he was able to get all the way through my cervix and even poke Baby in the head (knock knock Baby. It's time to come out!). There is guarantee that what he did will put me in labor any time soon, but at least we got through all the scar tissue. It's likely my body has been trying, but there was just too much. Doctor and nurse are both pretty sure I am going to pass out at any minute. Doctor says, "I'm not usually that aggressive, but I had to be in this case". I told him I was glad he was. Nurse says, "oh! You're shaking", and I say, "I'm sure I am!" I had to take a few seconds to compose myself, but I was so much happier. We had made progress. Progress I would likely never have made on my own!
All through the night and for much of today, I have been cramping. Boy do I hope these cramps are actually dong something now. Baby is pretty upset that he or she got poked in the head and has been extra aggressive today, but that's okay! You're days inside me are numbered, Baby!!!! I just hope that now we can do this on our own without an induction. This weekend seems like a good time to have a baby. I don't have anything else planned. Paul's ski time may get cut short, but he'll get over it. Wish us luck! At the very least, I will post another update after our next appointment on Thursday, but I really hope to have something to say before then!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
I am a big fat walrus!
I sincerely hope every one enjoys my belly pictures, because they make me feel like a big fat walrus. Though when I am stuck on my back in bed, I feel like a big fat tortoise. And Paul would simply say that I am a water buffalo. Basically... I AM SO DONE!!!! I have a very patient child (very unlike Mommy, says Paul), so I am pretty sure Baby will be late. We had an appointment last Friday, and... you guessed it... NO PROGRESS! I have tried dancing, hiking up mountains, evening primrose oil, raspberry tea, spicy food, squats... You name it, I've tried it. Except for castor oil, which makes no sense to me, so I'm not trying it. If the doctor tells me on Thursday, "I still can't get my big finger in there", I am going to kick him in the face! I am still having random contractions, and Baby pushes so hard against my cervix that I want to cry, but this has been going on for WEEKS now, and to no avail. I love my baby so much. I am very glad that I am capable of carrying a baby to term, but I am done. Baby has cooked long enough. It is time to come out and meet Mommy and Daddy. And if one more person says, "have you had your baby yet?" while looking at my big fat walrus body, I am going to punch them in the face! I really am a happy mommy right now, but I am uncomfortable, and patience has never been a virtue of mine. I just needed to vent. Baby and I are doing very well. I still have not gained any more weight (I'm not sure where all the cream pie shakes are hiding), and my blood pressure is perfect. I have very slight swelling, and my tummy is measuring right on. Baby has a beautiful heart rate, which makes us all happy. What an amazing thing to be able to grow such a perfect little person so easily. I may be moderately uncomfortable and moody as heck (but what else is new), but you would seriously think growing a little person should be harder to do. Just wait until I meet this baby. Then I'll really be shocked at how efficient this fat walrus body can be!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
37 Week Update
We had another appointment on Thursday. All is well. We discovered the reason the doctor couldn't find my cervix is because it's already in an anterior position. Baby's head is down low and my cervix is facing the right way... so why won't Baby come?!?!?! I am just so ready to meet him or her, and so is Paul. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient, but I have never been a patient person. I am very, very tempted to go train for a marathon or maybe sing horrible opera until Baby gets fed up enough to come out! As I am writing this, by the way, I am 38 weeks. So, I'm not really hoping for a 3 week early baby. I just call this my 37 week update, as I had intended to share our doctor's office experience. Basically, all is well. I am healthy, and Baby is too. Paul and I get more and more excited every day. I did not gain any more weight, though I did have a coconut cream pie shake two days in a row afterward, so we'll see what happens this Friday. My blood pressure spiked while having a particularly painful contraction at the doctor's office, but they went away and my BP went back down. I am starting to swell, though not horribly. I can't sleep from 3-5 AM for some reason. I have been sick with a cold, but it is going away. We got our coming home outfit, so all is ready for Baby's arrival. Not much more to update on. Oh! Baby likes to poke really hard with his or her feet, so that's fun to watch! That's really all I have for now!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Week 36
We had an appointment on March 6th and an ultrasound to check Baby's position. the appointment went well. So far no progress, but that's okay. The ultrasound was fantastic. Baby is head down, and the tech says Baby is getting long. Baby was sleeping and looked so peaceful. Baby also already has some hair. Maybe not a lot, but at least there is enough to see in the ultrasound. I have been having a lot of cramping, but nothing too terribly painful. Baby doesn't seem to like the cramping and kicks me or wiggles a lot when it happens. Paul and I have another appointment tomorrow, and this time I am hoping for some progress. Now that Baby is head down, we are ready! KNowing the ornery child I am growing, Baby will be a week late... at least!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Week 34
We had another non-stress test on Friday. Everything went well. Baby moved so hard Paul saw my belly jiggle like a Jello mold. Baby's feet still seem to be planted right in my pelvis. I truly understand the meaning of "Evil Crotch Pain". We have another appointment on March 6th... which is 25 days before our DUE DATE!! My oh my time is flying now. At the next appointment, we will have an ultrasound first to see if Baby has flipped head first. Please cross your fingers. I don't want to have a version, and I definitely don't want a c-section. For now, I will try not to freak out about it. I had to see the midwife for my appointment, since my doctor was out of town. I really like the midwife, and I LOVE her nurses, so it wasn't a big deal. My blood pressure was much lower than normal, which may explain why I was feeling to worn out. My weight gain is up to 24 pounds. Right on track. I did notice that my weight went a little crazy in the 2nd trimester, but I've heard it's not uncommon to gain the bulk of pregnancy weight at that time. I gained 6 pounds one month and 8 the next... yikes!!!! Then I leveled out to a pound a week. I have gained 4 pounds in 6 weeks, so hopefully I can keep it at that.
We got the nursery finished on Saturday. It looks really nice. The insides of all of Baby's furniture are sanitized, all of Baby's clothes and bedding are washed and put away, all of the furniture is polished on the outside, and the carpets are vacuumed and steam cleaned. Needless to say, I was in an extreme amount of pain by Saturday night. I didn't know 24 extra pounds would hurt my back and feet so bad. I had a bad night, which made me cry, and the added pain made me cry even more. I know it is all worth it in the end, but I wish some of this extra weight could cushion my poor bones. I feel like I am walking on bare bones in my feet! And my sweet, sweet baby thinks it fun to stretch out into my spine. Mom, I am sorry for ever having caused you so much pain by being posterior, now please undo the curse you put on me. I am BEGGING you!!
Paul is out of town this week, but he bought me some entertainment before he went. I really do have a very thoughtful husband, in spite of what I may say in my more hysterical moments. He bought me a new Harvest Moon game, so I can get my farm on. He also bought me ice cream... rather... he let me buy some ice cream. I cry about my weight all the way to the refrigerator... The weather has been nice and the sun is staying up longer, so I am trying to get back to walking. I am going to need Heather to drag my hiney out whether I like it or not. It's just so easy to curl up in bed at the end of the day. But, if I want my ice cream, I need to be willing to expend a little extra energy to work some of it off. In my defense, I did buy a lifetime supply of fruit on Friday. I just like dessert afterward.
Basically, all is well in the Hancock world. The dogs are a pain, but what else is new. I am a bit crazy, but, again, what else is new. Paul is Paul. Very sweet and always caught in the middle of me and my personalities. God bless him. At least he will be prepared the second time around. At least he is still up for pregnancy number two someday.
We got the nursery finished on Saturday. It looks really nice. The insides of all of Baby's furniture are sanitized, all of Baby's clothes and bedding are washed and put away, all of the furniture is polished on the outside, and the carpets are vacuumed and steam cleaned. Needless to say, I was in an extreme amount of pain by Saturday night. I didn't know 24 extra pounds would hurt my back and feet so bad. I had a bad night, which made me cry, and the added pain made me cry even more. I know it is all worth it in the end, but I wish some of this extra weight could cushion my poor bones. I feel like I am walking on bare bones in my feet! And my sweet, sweet baby thinks it fun to stretch out into my spine. Mom, I am sorry for ever having caused you so much pain by being posterior, now please undo the curse you put on me. I am BEGGING you!!
Paul is out of town this week, but he bought me some entertainment before he went. I really do have a very thoughtful husband, in spite of what I may say in my more hysterical moments. He bought me a new Harvest Moon game, so I can get my farm on. He also bought me ice cream... rather... he let me buy some ice cream. I cry about my weight all the way to the refrigerator... The weather has been nice and the sun is staying up longer, so I am trying to get back to walking. I am going to need Heather to drag my hiney out whether I like it or not. It's just so easy to curl up in bed at the end of the day. But, if I want my ice cream, I need to be willing to expend a little extra energy to work some of it off. In my defense, I did buy a lifetime supply of fruit on Friday. I just like dessert afterward.
Basically, all is well in the Hancock world. The dogs are a pain, but what else is new. I am a bit crazy, but, again, what else is new. Paul is Paul. Very sweet and always caught in the middle of me and my personalities. God bless him. At least he will be prepared the second time around. At least he is still up for pregnancy number two someday.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Week 33
And a little before...
We had our baby shower on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I have an amazing family and a wonderful set of friends. We got a variety of gifts, and we are about ready to meet little Hucklebaby. It was fun to get to spend time with my family, but it makes me heartsick once they leave. I have never been this far from them before, and it's hard for me to see them go. At least I am lucky enough to be able to visit them, and they visit us. I am in a rush and do not have time to tell the shower story, but there are a few moments worth mentioning quickly. Paul was a sport and changed a baby's diaper. He listened very carefully about what to do, and didn't complain once. Granted, it was a clean diaper, so we'll have to see how he handles a poopy one later on! One of the games we played was a Jelloo eating contest. You had to eat all the Jello in your bowl and suck out a tiny pacifier, all without touching your bowl. It was a close finish. I finished first (hey... it was an eating game... was there ever a doubt?), Suzy was a close second and Mom was a very close third. We had Jello all over our faces, and seeing Mom covered in red Jello was priceless. I will always have that mental image in my head!
Monday started out with a little scare. I called the doctor's office to let them know I really hadn't felt Baby move a whole lot over the past week. They wanted me to come in right away to be seen my the doctor. I freaked out and tried my best not to cry, but I just couldn't help thinking that I would be lost forever if anything happened to our little baby. We got to the office, and the doctor tried to perk Baby up by wiggling him and squeezing his head. That part will be really funny a little later. Baby moved a little, but not a whole lot. I got hooked up to a non stress test machine to monitor Baby's heart rate for a little while, and everything sounded fine as far as that went. We got scheduled for a bio physical profile for Wednesday.
On Wednesday we went for our ultrasound and discovered baby had moved toes first. Baby's head and upper body is mostly behind the placenta. Basically, baby is punching a pillow, so I can't feel the movement very well. Baby is also very stretched out, much to my dismay. So I have a head under my ribs and toes in my cervix. I had to have a cervial measurement to be sure it's still holding. It is. While she was measuring that, I saw something in the corner of the screen and asked if it was a foot. Suddenly, the foot crashed into my cervix (boy did I feel that), and she said, "wow. Those feet are low!" I knew something was hitting me there, I just didn't expect it to be feet! Baby was being very good and was even practicing breathing and swallowing, which was fun to watch. Baby has very long fingers and toes and has big eyes and chubby cheeks. The tech measure Baby's longest toe (she was in awe of how "adorable" Baby is), and it is already measuring a little over half an inch long. Baby has Mommy's toes and fingers!
Tomorrow, we have a follow up appointment with the doctor. All seems to be well, though. The tech said Baby is perfectly formed, so that is a relief. I guess we'll find out what the plan is since Baby is breech. We still have a couple of weeks to worry about that. I really don't think I will ever get around to posting any belly pictures, but I am posting new baby pictures. I will write an update next week on how our appointment goes tomorrow.
We had our baby shower on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I have an amazing family and a wonderful set of friends. We got a variety of gifts, and we are about ready to meet little Hucklebaby. It was fun to get to spend time with my family, but it makes me heartsick once they leave. I have never been this far from them before, and it's hard for me to see them go. At least I am lucky enough to be able to visit them, and they visit us. I am in a rush and do not have time to tell the shower story, but there are a few moments worth mentioning quickly. Paul was a sport and changed a baby's diaper. He listened very carefully about what to do, and didn't complain once. Granted, it was a clean diaper, so we'll have to see how he handles a poopy one later on! One of the games we played was a Jelloo eating contest. You had to eat all the Jello in your bowl and suck out a tiny pacifier, all without touching your bowl. It was a close finish. I finished first (hey... it was an eating game... was there ever a doubt?), Suzy was a close second and Mom was a very close third. We had Jello all over our faces, and seeing Mom covered in red Jello was priceless. I will always have that mental image in my head!
Monday started out with a little scare. I called the doctor's office to let them know I really hadn't felt Baby move a whole lot over the past week. They wanted me to come in right away to be seen my the doctor. I freaked out and tried my best not to cry, but I just couldn't help thinking that I would be lost forever if anything happened to our little baby. We got to the office, and the doctor tried to perk Baby up by wiggling him and squeezing his head. That part will be really funny a little later. Baby moved a little, but not a whole lot. I got hooked up to a non stress test machine to monitor Baby's heart rate for a little while, and everything sounded fine as far as that went. We got scheduled for a bio physical profile for Wednesday.
On Wednesday we went for our ultrasound and discovered baby had moved toes first. Baby's head and upper body is mostly behind the placenta. Basically, baby is punching a pillow, so I can't feel the movement very well. Baby is also very stretched out, much to my dismay. So I have a head under my ribs and toes in my cervix. I had to have a cervial measurement to be sure it's still holding. It is. While she was measuring that, I saw something in the corner of the screen and asked if it was a foot. Suddenly, the foot crashed into my cervix (boy did I feel that), and she said, "wow. Those feet are low!" I knew something was hitting me there, I just didn't expect it to be feet! Baby was being very good and was even practicing breathing and swallowing, which was fun to watch. Baby has very long fingers and toes and has big eyes and chubby cheeks. The tech measure Baby's longest toe (she was in awe of how "adorable" Baby is), and it is already measuring a little over half an inch long. Baby has Mommy's toes and fingers!
Tomorrow, we have a follow up appointment with the doctor. All seems to be well, though. The tech said Baby is perfectly formed, so that is a relief. I guess we'll find out what the plan is since Baby is breech. We still have a couple of weeks to worry about that. I really don't think I will ever get around to posting any belly pictures, but I am posting new baby pictures. I will write an update next week on how our appointment goes tomorrow.
Monday, February 2, 2009
32 Weeks
Paul and I had an appointment last Thursday, January 30. We didn't get to see our regular doctor, but the appointment went well. I gained 2 pounds in three weeks. Hooray for that! I was pretty sure I had gained about 5!! So my weight gain is now around 20 pounds. Right on target. I am starting to feel better about my self image. I just try not to look at my rear in direct light... My blood pressure was nice and average, and Baby is moving often.
Paul and I also finished our birthing classes. We got to go on a tour of labor and delivery, and I almost cried a couple of times. No real reason other than my stinking hormones. It's just amazing to think we will be in there before too long having our own little baby!
Baby is nice and playful now. I have a head in my left hip, a hiney in my belly button, and a foot in right ribcage. My body is starting to really hurt me. I have a pretty consistent pain in the lower right side of my belly, and my back and hips hurt me beyond description at times. I am also starting to get pretty sleepy, but that could be due to my lack of sleep. Either I am too uncomfortable to sleep, I am comfortable but Baby is not or I just can't sleep. HOWEVER... I am not complaining. I am just updating you all on how I am feeling. eing pregnant is amazing, and time is passing to quickly. I will very much miss feeling my little baby moving around inside of me. I will miss having my baby with me where ever I go.
Paul and I worked on the house some more over the weekend. The nursery is primed and ready to be textured. The bathroom is almost completely grouted. Now, let's just hope we can get it sold this summer!
In any case... 8 MORE WEEKS!! Our next appointment is February 13. Our baby shower is this coming Saturday. My family (minus Dad) will be here on Friday, and I am so excited to see everyone. I think they will all get a kick out of seeing me the size of a small walrus. I really do need to post some belly pictures. I promise I will get on that shortly. Sometimes it really sucks not having internet at home. I have the pictures, I just need to upload them. I will try to update as soon as I can. I'm pretty sure it won't be until next week, though.
Paul and I also finished our birthing classes. We got to go on a tour of labor and delivery, and I almost cried a couple of times. No real reason other than my stinking hormones. It's just amazing to think we will be in there before too long having our own little baby!
Baby is nice and playful now. I have a head in my left hip, a hiney in my belly button, and a foot in right ribcage. My body is starting to really hurt me. I have a pretty consistent pain in the lower right side of my belly, and my back and hips hurt me beyond description at times. I am also starting to get pretty sleepy, but that could be due to my lack of sleep. Either I am too uncomfortable to sleep, I am comfortable but Baby is not or I just can't sleep. HOWEVER... I am not complaining. I am just updating you all on how I am feeling. eing pregnant is amazing, and time is passing to quickly. I will very much miss feeling my little baby moving around inside of me. I will miss having my baby with me where ever I go.
Paul and I worked on the house some more over the weekend. The nursery is primed and ready to be textured. The bathroom is almost completely grouted. Now, let's just hope we can get it sold this summer!
In any case... 8 MORE WEEKS!! Our next appointment is February 13. Our baby shower is this coming Saturday. My family (minus Dad) will be here on Friday, and I am so excited to see everyone. I think they will all get a kick out of seeing me the size of a small walrus. I really do need to post some belly pictures. I promise I will get on that shortly. Sometimes it really sucks not having internet at home. I have the pictures, I just need to upload them. I will try to update as soon as I can. I'm pretty sure it won't be until next week, though.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Where has the time gone?
I'm glad I'm not responsible for a popular blog. I just realized it's been almost a month since my last update. In my defense, it was the holidays, and we were moving our office where I work. Given that we only have about 11 weeks left, and things are bound to happen quickly, I will make a point of updating weekly! For now, I will do a quick "catch up".
Last appointment: 28 weeks on January 8
U/S results: Cervix is nice and long. No need to watch it anymore!!
Doctor appointment results: I am no longer sharing my weight gain. Blood pressure was fine, weight gain was fine. My belly is measuring right on track. Baby's HR was nice and fast. My glucose test came back right in the middle of the acceptable range. All of my other blood work is great. I told the doctor I have no complaints and that I'm boring, and he said "you are not boring. You are nothing short of perfect". He also said I'm skinny! I'm pretty sure I love him. Paul tells me all the time how great I look, and I appreciate that, but it's nice to hear it from a doctor.
I have all intentions of posting a picture of myself soon and finally scanning my 20 ultrasound baby face picture. I'll try to do it in the next few days.
Paul and I started our birthing classes. It freaked me out! Mostly, I just feel unprepared. We need to get a lot taken care of for the house. I also wish our nest egg was a little bigger. But... everything always works out in the end. All will be fine. I realize that. It all happens the way it's supposed to happen, whether it makes sense at the time or not.
Last appointment: 28 weeks on January 8
U/S results: Cervix is nice and long. No need to watch it anymore!!
Doctor appointment results: I am no longer sharing my weight gain. Blood pressure was fine, weight gain was fine. My belly is measuring right on track. Baby's HR was nice and fast. My glucose test came back right in the middle of the acceptable range. All of my other blood work is great. I told the doctor I have no complaints and that I'm boring, and he said "you are not boring. You are nothing short of perfect". He also said I'm skinny! I'm pretty sure I love him. Paul tells me all the time how great I look, and I appreciate that, but it's nice to hear it from a doctor.
I have all intentions of posting a picture of myself soon and finally scanning my 20 ultrasound baby face picture. I'll try to do it in the next few days.
Paul and I started our birthing classes. It freaked me out! Mostly, I just feel unprepared. We need to get a lot taken care of for the house. I also wish our nest egg was a little bigger. But... everything always works out in the end. All will be fine. I realize that. It all happens the way it's supposed to happen, whether it makes sense at the time or not.
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