Thursday, December 3, 2009

Cruising

Is that what you call it? Holding on to anything he can and "walking" around the house. If he could, he'd cover the entire perimeter of the apartment. It is really amazing to watch, considering that a few weeks ago he couldn't move from point A to point B on his own and now if you leave him for a few minutes, there is no guarantee that you are going to be able to find him. He is usually approaching whatever electronic or electronic control that is closest to him. He moves from coffee table to couch to side table to whatever is next. It is fun to watch, but also terrifying. I have been told that this is the beginning of the end of any type of relaxing while he is awake. Nine months is great, though.

OMG Teething!

Ace's front teeth are coming in and it is no picnic! He started waking up around 11pm, completely inconsolable, just wanting to hang out. So that's what we did for two nights. Just hung out until he was calm and tired and nursed and ready to go back to sleep. Then we thought maybe we were being played. We tried to get him back to sleep by letting him cry it out. He cried and fell asleep off and on for an hour. I finally caved and got up and nursed him and hung out with him. I can't remember if we gave him infant Motrin that night or not, but we started giving it to him after that. Then two nights later, after more night waking, I gave him Motrin when he went to bed and there was no night waking. I was told that meant it was a teething issue and not a behavior issue. Poor little guy. You can see where the teeth are coming and his mood during the day is also atrocious. I have also read that this is the age for separation anxiety, but he doesn't really have those issues consistently. It seems he only has them when he is uncomfortable. Luckily today was a pretty good day. I am hoping for a full night's sleep and am not going to give him Motrin before bed.
In other news, Thanksgiving was fun. We had a last minute oven problem and ended up ordering our turkey from Whole Foods, but it was really good.
Also, Ace was baptized last weekend. Not my thing, but B and his family were happy about it. Ace did look adorable in his baptismal gown.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Feeding an Almost Nine Month Old

I am worried that I am not nursing Ace enough. I am down to about five nursing a day, if I'm lucky. Some days it is just four feedings. I have dropped the Dream Feed at 10:30, so that is why I'm concerned. He seems to be more constipated lately too, and I am wondering if that has to do with the decrease in breast milk. He is eating three meals a day and drinking water. He also drinks pear juice occasionally when he is really not pooping and straining.
He is showing signs of teething again and last time he was teething he was also constipated. Isn't that odd? He sleeps a lot when he is teething too. He takes two, two hour naps during the day. Right now he is chewing on his Fisher Price piano that his grandmother found in her trash room (she cleaned it up before we let him chew on it).
I'm also trying to be good about giving him iron fortified cereal every day and I'm pretty sure that makes him constipated.
Ugh. I guess I'll be serving him prunes at every meal until I see a result.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Back Again and How We Got Our Baby to Sleep Through the Night

I fell off the updating wagon for a while there. Ace is now eight months and a lot has happened in his development since July. But it also seems as though not too much has happened and things are still kind of status quo, which is kind of nice.
Let's see what Ace can do now: roll over both ways, sit up unassisted, chew with his one bottom tooth, eat solid foods - both purees and chunks of things, stands pretty well with support, army crawls a bit, can grab things easily and is working on his pincer grasp. I think that's about it.
Oh, wait, the biggest thing: Ace sleeps through the night. At least he did until a week ago when we took a trip to NJ and messed up his sleeping routine a bit. At about five months I realized that he cried whenever he got tired, no matter if he was in his carseat, crib, or in my arms. I did some internet research and read on AskMoxie that some kids just need to let off some steam before falling asleep and will cry. You don't know if you have that kind of kid unless you let him cry a bit. So one day, I did. I let Ace cry for five minutes and after those five minutes he was so close to sleep that all I had to do was put the pacifier in again and he rolled over, grabbed his baby and fell asleep. I was besides myself with glee.
That is the super simplified version of what really happened. I read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, The No Cry Sleep Solution, Sleepeasy Solution, The Sleep Lady, and Happiest Baby on the Block. I didn't follow any of them to the letter.
We have had a bedtime routine since three months: bath with dad, pyjamas, last nursing or bottle, books, bed. But he was still not letting us put him down awake. He would scream the moment we put him in the crib. We eased Ace towards falling asleep on his own and staying asleep through the night by following suggestions from The No Cry Sleep Solution. This involved a lot of participation from B. I think it is key to take Mom and the boobs out of the sleep and night time equation. B spent a few nights with the baby in the nursery to get an idea if the baby was really hungry or just waking up and wanting someone with him. The baby would go back to sleep with B comforting him, so we felt confident that it was not hunger and we could wean him off his night feedings and work toward a full night's sleep.
Then we used the night time weaning method from the SleepEasy book and used a modified Ferber/SleepEasy cry it out method. We got to the point where I could put Ace down in his crib, drowsy but awake, without him immediately starting to cry. Then we would leave the room. He would usually start crying and we'd give him five minutes. Then we would go back in and make sure he had his pacifier and his lovey and give him a pat and then leave. B would never let me stretch the time for Ace to cry longer than five minutes. Luckily Ace responded well to this and has been, mostly, sleeping through the night ever since. Occasionally something will happen that will interrupt his sleep schedule and he'll wake up screaming and won't go back down without being fed and maybe even rocked a bit, but it usually only lasts a few days and then he's back to sleeping from 7:30 pm until 7 am. It used to be closer to 7:30 am, but that stopped with daylight savings just recently. Up until just the last week I'd been doing a Dream Feed at 10:30, but I felt that Ace was ready to let that go and I didn't wean him from it, just dropped it and he did not have any reaction to that at all. Just kept sleeping.
Ace sleeping through the night changed my life - or changed it back to being more like it had been before baby. I find that I am a much happier, better mom and wife and person, really, if I am well rested.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A Little Less Crazy

We have moved Ace into his crib. We were going to wait until we got back from our trip to visit family, but I just wanted him out of the room. The first night I didn't sleep at all and I think it may have been a bit of separation anxiety. But now I'm sleeping fine, when I'm not in his room rocking him back to sleep, that is. He has calmed down a bit with his sleeping. He now sleeps in three hour increments, roughly. Last night I got one almost four hour stretch. Then he woke up at 5:30 am and would not stay asleep when I put him back in the crib, so I just brought him to bed. I don't know what else to do and I'm not going to just let him cry it out. Our pediatrician said he's too young and I don't know if I could take it.
In other baby news, he is making so much noise these days, talking away and it is so precious to hear his little sounds. He is so sweet. He has stopped hating the car, except when he gets sleepy and I have to reach back and keep his pacifier in his mouth until he falls asleep.
I was going to go to a moms' group today with him, but I don't know if I'll make it, seeing how he's still asleep for his morning nap and I'm not showered. Maybe I should jump in the shower before he wakes up.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Sleep is Still Crazy

Ace weighed in at 14lbs, is 24.5" long and has a head circumference of 17.5" I think that means he has a huge head and below average everything else.
His sleep only got crazier over the past week but today he went down drowsy but awake and slept for a good nap twice. I was amazed because this baby has been seriously crazy when it comes to sleeping lately. Screaming, fighting, twisting his whole body around. Yikes.
The doctor said everything was normal and suggested that we might start some sleep training in the next month or two. I think we are going to wait until we come back from our trip to the inlaws and then move Ace into his own room.
I pray that today means he is past this regression. Supposedly another one comes in two weeks or something like that. Yay.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Four Months

With four months comes something called the four month sleep regression. I read about it on AskMoxie.org, which is an excellent site for parents, in my opinion. I had heard that at four months babies' sleep gets a little crazy and that is definitely what is happening. I don't know if we are putting him down too early or if he is just developing so much that he can't sleep, but he is no longer a baby who wakes only to eat. He wakes up to eat, scream, fuss, smile at me, all of that. And then it takes a while to put him back to sleep. We are going to the doctor tomorrow, so I have a bunch of questions for her. Including, is it ok that Ace still wakes up to eat? I pretty much know that the answer to this is yes, babies sometimes don't sleep through the night until six months, but I have a book that says if your baby isn't sleeping through the night at four months you have a problem, and you caused it.
Four months has also brought rolling over. Ace rolls from his stomach to his back and seems to know when we want him to do it. He rolls over and lands with a smile on his face. Sometimes he gets too tired, however and whines between every attempt, but if he catches our eye, he will smile and try again. Such a sweet little guy (when he's not keeping me awake at 4 am). He rolls to his side from his back, bringing in his knees, but he has not flipped over yet.
Another new skill is grabbing. At first he was just grabbing for things held up for him, but now he focuses in on something that he wants and then starts going for it. The first time I noticed this he was in the sink taking a bath and I turned on the faucet. He stared at the water and then slowly reached his hand out to it, eventually putting his hand into the running water.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Little Charmer

I have fell so much more in love with Ace lately. In the past couple of weeks he has really found his voice and has started laughing at random things. I could listen to his breathy little moaning sounds all day. He makes them when he sees something he likes and just makes them repeatedly for a little while. It is the cutest thing I have ever heard.
He is also into playing peekaboo, but with rules. I have to be popping out from behind a stationery object, no moving a blanket over and then away from my face. He doesn't get that.
He is also becoming a great grabber and can manipulate objects with his hands. I can't wait until he can pick up his pacifier and stick it back into his own mouth.
He is just darling. I just wish that he would stop hating the car seat so much. I don't think it's very safe for me to be driving with my arm back and my hand fishing for the pacifier so I can stick it in his mouth while he screams. I've done this in the fast lane of the 10. Bad mommy.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

3 month update

I can't believe Ace is three months. He is actually two weeks away from being 4 months, but I'm a bit behind. In three months, he has gone from being a baby that did nothing but eat, poop and sleep, to a person who smiles, makes amazing, joyous sounds, almost laughs, can hold his head up and reach for things and grab them. It is truly amazing how fast babies develop. Stages go by in a flash.
In these first three months, Ace gave us a run for our money by not gaining weight initially and by refusing to sleep unless a person was touching him or he was in his swing. After much worry about his weight gain and tons of pumping and even formula supplementing, Ace is now gaining weight slowly but surely and is a very healthy looking little guy, finally developing chunky baby thighs. As for the sleeping, I still hate hearing about three month olds - or any young babies, for that matter - who sleep through the night. My three month old still wakes up every two to three hours to eat during the night. He occasionally sleeps four to five hour stretches, but that's usually if he is in bed with us. He has developed the ability to sleep on his own in the bassinet next to our bed, but that is how he sleeps the worst. There was so much anxiety on my part about how he was sleeping and that I was creating a cosleeping nightmare, but I have since decided not to care. As long as I am getting some sleep, I am sure the baby will learn to sleep by himself eventually.
Ace's favorite thing to do recently is lie under a tree and watch the leaves moving. He loves his mobiles in the home and trees are just large scale mobiles, really. The leaves, the birds flying overhead and even the wind blowing over him, tickle him to no end and he happily lies back, taking it all in and moving his little body around with excitement.
His least favorite thing is riding in the car. He screams for a while and then either falls asleep or just looks out the window. It breaks my heart to hear him scream while I'm driving, but I have to admit that I don't pull over. I am hoping that he just gets over it - very soon!
His favorite toys at this point are little stuffed animals with wooden parts and parts that are filled with that crinkly material that makes that sound that babies love. He can now grab for them and put them in his mouth. Everything is going into his very, very drooly mouth.
Ace flew on an airplane and went into a pool for the first time in this, his third month. The plane travel went very well. He wasn't too sure about the pool, but it produced his first sustained laughing when a friend kept popping up from under the water in front of him. B was crying, he was so enthralled by the sound of Ace laughing.
Ace can hold his head up now and loves looking around a room. He is able to entertain himself a bit more these days and does not always need to be held, as long as he can see me or the other people in the room. It makes it easier to get things done, but I find that I still don't get much done.
I have started thinking about going back to work, but am not sure what job will be available for me with this stinking economy. I don't want to leave Ace yet, even though my mother would be the one watching him. I want to be with him for at least a year, maybe two. I need to find some sort of ideal part time gig that pays tons!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Props to Single Moms

I had Ace today all by myself from 9 am on and I just ate dinner and it is 9:30 pm. B is out for work and pleasure and won't be home til much later. Also, I didn't have the usual help this week that I normally have and Ace has decided that sleeping five hours at a stretch is for chumps and has gone back to eating every two to three hours during the night. I am tired! And not doing too well on my healthy eating plan. I am sitting here with a pint of Brownie Batter. In my defense, I did not buy it. B came home with it last night. Who am I to refuse ice cream?
Anyway, single mothers, you have my utmost respect!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Traveling with Baby

We went to Washington DC this past weekend with Ace and I have to say it was much easier than expected. I wore Ace in a Moby Wrap and we wheeled our car seat and Snap and Go to the gate with us. I was able to wear Ace through security, with B putting the car seat and stroller through the X-ray machine. Ace didn't cry at all on the plane, which we attribute to feeding him at take off and landing. On our return flight, upon landing, a passenger one row behind us announced, "That baby is awesome!" I agree!
One unfortunate discovery we made was that United Airlines no longer allows people with small children to board early. I still managed to board early, but on our flight home this was met with some bad behavior from the gate agent. Everyone else was much more accommodating on both legs of our trip.
We didn't travel with much gear. We brought the sleeping wedge that Ace sleeps on and he slept on that in between us on the bed. We brought tons of extra clothes and diapers, but not too much else.
It was a nice trip to DC. We had an ok hotel, close to the White House, so we walked down and took at look at it. We saw some Tamil people protesting and Michelle's vegetable garden. I was hoping to see the Lincoln Memorial at night, but after the wedding I was just too tired. We'll go again when Ace is old enough to appreciate it.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Baby Fat

I stopped believing that breast feeding would magically make me skinny today and joined Weight Watchers. I've been on it before and it has worked great, so here's hoping! I know that breast feeding alone has made other women skinny and it did work for me, to a certain extent. I lost 30 pounds in the six weeks postpartum. I don't even want to think about how much I gained while pregnant. I also think that I'd let myself go a bit before I got pregnant.
I'm not going to meetings, just doing it online, with the added points for nursing. That's a lot of points! Anyway, I have to go to a wedding next weekend and I just didn't want to lie around feeling sorry for myself (lie around - Ha! As if I can do that!) and needed to be proactive in order to feel a bit better about my post baby body.
Also, I got a sun burn while walking around Larchmont the other day.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Almost Three Months

Ok, so a lot has happened in the last three months. Ace is doing so well. There has been a weight gain issue, since he started out huge and is now average, which involved a horrendous amount of pumping and supplementing with formula and little to no sleep or getting out of the house. Thank God that ended.
Ace starting to smile at about five weeks made all the difference in the world and now he smiles and babbles and is just freaking adorable. I am just starting to feel as though I can handle it all. I think that has been the hardest part of this whole thing. I am a smart, capable woman, but I was not at all prepared for the craziness that is motherhood. Sure, a person could do this no problem on a full night's sleep, but mothers rarely, if ever, get that. I become more and more sleep deprived and then I become an anxious, insane person. Ace is sleeping better now, so I am sleeping better and we are all happier.
I went with Ace to get a bagel this morning and I saw a woman with a small baby. I asked her how old her baby was and she was five weeks. That was probably the beginning of the worst part for me. I saw that she wanted to talk, so I told her it would get better. She had a bunch of questions for me and then we exchanged info. Yay, I need more mom friends.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Delivery Drama

On the Wednesday past my due date, B and I went to my regular OB appointment. It had been suggested by my OB that I be induced soon because the baby was looking big and Dr. didn't want it to get any bigger. Dr. was heading out of town that weekend, so we were planning on being induced the Tuesday after he returned, if I didn't go into labor on my own before then.
I had been walking tons and taking everything suggested to me. I had spicy food, we had sex, etc. The baby was not going anywhere. I even went to the chiropractor for a special massage (totally awesome, I highly recommend the inducement massage - not adjustment involved), and had some acupuncture. Also, I let my OB strip my membranes, which hurt like hell but did not induce me.
So we are in the room with the Dr. and he takes an ultrasound, after stripping my membranes for a second time - OUCH! He takes a deep breath and looks at me with a look that I don't like. He proceeds to tell us that the baby is so large that he can't measure it with his ultrasound machine and at this point he feels that the only responsible thing he can do at this point is to strongly advise me to have a C section.
Crap! This was what I had been hoping to avoid all along. This is why I'd switched doctors in the 32nd week. I now had the most natural delivery friendly doctor in all of LA, supposedly, and he was telling me to have a C section. I felt ill. He told us that he would be scared to deliver this baby vaginally because of the risk to the baby - getting stuck - and to me - serious tears.
B was convinced immediately that the C section was the way to go, but I was torn. I had heard tales of many women giving birth to large babies vaginally and wasn't I supposed to push back when doctors suggested medical intervention? But I also thought what he said made a lot of sense. I didn't want to risk hurting my baby or being hurt myself if I didn't have to.
The Dr. suggested we go home and talk about it and call him back. He said he could schedule us for that night or for the next day - because he was going out of town. He said we could have his partner do it, but I didn't want his partner. I was scared enough and I wanted him.
I went home and called everyone that I knew who had had a C section. I kept hearing about woman who had decided to go into labor naturally after being told they should have a C section and then ended up with a C section after many hours of labor and how awful that was. I also talked to a friend who had a large baby and did not have a C section. Her baby had broken his clavicle and required physical therapy.
B made the call to the Dr. and the Dr. said he'd already scheduled us for 9 am the next morning.
Then I made the call that I dreaded the most - to my doula. I knew she was going to try and convince me to attempt a natural delivery and at that point I'd already decided to go with the C section. I knew the natural delivery people wanted me to be a warrior woman and give it my best shot, but my doctor, a huge supporter of the natural delivery people, had told me that he was scared to deliver my baby. I wasn't brave enough to try natural delivery at that point.
Once my doula understood that I was settled on the C section, she was actually really helpful. She said that she would be there with me if I wanted and told me everything that would happen. I asked her to be there, since I was kind of freaked out.
Then B and I went out to dinner. It was kind of a relief to know that we would have the baby tomorrow. I was able to go home and clean up the apartment and pack our bags and send out emails to let people know what was happening.
The next morning we arrived at the hospital very early, as advised, and I got hooked up to an IV and B, my doula and I hung out in a small room for a few hours. Then the anesthesiologist arrived and primed me. Soon I was walked down the hall to the surgery room. I was given my spinal and my legs immediately began to go numb. I was laid out on the table and a sheet was put up right in front of my face. I could feel them positioning my legs and they inserted the catheter. I think they covered me up, because then B and the doula came in and sat by my head. The dr's arrived and soon it was underway. B and my doula comforted me and my doula put her hands on pressure points and it really made me feel calm and able to focus on not focusing on the extremely weird sensations of the C section. You can feel everything that is happening, you just don't feel pain.
Next thing I knew, my dr's partner was exclaiming how huge the baby was and thank goodness I'd had a C section. She held the baby up and I saw that it was a boy. I didn't really have that big of a reaction because I was feeling very odd. I wanted to be sewn up, cleaned up and then I would be able to focus on the baby. B went with the baby and my doula stayed with me, keeping me centered. They announced the baby's weight, 10 lbs, 15 oz. Holy crap! How did that happen? His head was 39.5 cm in diameter. After she heard that, my doula leaned forward and said, "You made a very smart decision." I felt so relieved when she said that. The natural delivery people like to tell you about the doctors who warn their patients that their babies are huge and push for a C section, only to discover that the baby was only 7 lbs or something. I had really worried that this scenario would be true for me as well and I would have felt as though I'd let myself down.
I started to feel kind of sick during the sewing me back up part, but I was able to hold off any nausea or shaking because of the support of my doula. Soon I was sewn up and being wheeled off to another room with the baby in my arms.

Holy Cow - Where did those two months go?

On February 19th, I had a beautiful baby boy who we named Ace (not really, but that's what I'm going with here). Since then I have been totally wrapped up in the whole Mommy thing. It has been hard, tiring, interesting and wonderful. Details to follow.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

This Waiting is Ridiculous!

I am now on day three past my due date and nothing is happening. It is quite frustrating, even though I know that most first time moms go past their due dates by 8 days. Other people I know who were due later than me in February already have their babies! But I also know one woman who was recently induced. I prefer not to be induced, so I am trying to get things going by doing everything I can.
On Sunday we went to eat a salad in the Valley that is supposed to bring on labor. About three hours later I started having contractions. It lasted on and off all night, but Monday morning it was all gone. I feel very premenstrual, but the cramping is not really happening. We went to the Dr. yesterday and I am 2+cm dilated. He strongly suggested that I let him strip my membranes. At first I said no, but then the Dr. brought it up again and I decided to let him do it. It did not hurt as much as I thought it would, it was mainly just very uncomfortable. He said that it may increase the chance of my water breaking and he seemed to think that it would start my labor soon. Nothing has happened.
I am thinking of going to have that salad again today.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Is it Time?

I went to the mall today to walk with my mom since it has been raining here in Los Angeles off and on today. We hit Target first and I went to use the restroom. I saw what appeared to be a bloody tinge in my underwear but wasn't sure. Then we did a loop around the mall and ended up back in Target, so I used the restroom again and sure enough, there was a spot of blood. So I am thinking this might be part of the mucus plug? Maybe, please? Yesterday I was feeling really achy and at the end of my rope, today I have been feeling odd sensations off and on. I am hoping the end is near.
I am going to keep busy the rest of the day, putting odds and ends away and making the apartment as neat as possible, just in case I go into labor tonight.
We have been having sex to try to get things moving, however, so maybe that's what caused the blood? I don't know. I am just hopeful.
The crib mattress arrived today, so we are officially ready for this baby. Maybe I'll take some pictures of the nursery later tonight too.
The Le Bernadin episode of Top Chef was last week and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Changing Doctors Late in Your Pregancy

After my visit with my Dr. yesterday, all afternoon I was thinking how happy I was that I had switched doctors. I switched at about 31-32 weeks after finding out that my previous doctor was not as on board with our delivery wishes as he had previously told us.
We would have known this if we had been more educated about labor and delivery prior to being five months along, but as we learned more about it and started asking questions about how he practiced, we learned that he was probably not the right doctor for us.
He also really scared me about the size of my baby at five months - telling me that it was too big.
Anyway, I was hesitant to switch doctors at that point because I was worried that no other doctor would be available to deliver me, that another doctor would just confirm what my current doctor said and make me feel even worse, or that it would just be a giant hassle.
Thankfully, I had friends and family that encouraged me to at least look into it. My husband suggested we go to our original doctor with our concerns, but I felt that I already knew that I didn't agree with him and had lost trust in him and this had permanently damaged my relationship with him. Even if the original doctor agreed to compromise on some of his stands for us, I would be left worrying that he would try to bully us into something that we did not want in the delivery room, which was the experience that several of my friends had with their doctors. Who wants to be arguing with a doctor while in labor? No thank you!
I learned that my own mother had switched doctors a week before my older brother's birth because he had told her at the last minute that my father would not be allowed in the delivery room after all. After I heard that, I knew that I could handle the switch, so I put out a call for suggestions and called the doctor that came the most highly recommended and who accepted our insurance.
The receptionist told me he was available to deliver me, I made an appointment, went to meet him and found him to be incredibly nice and way more in line with what we wanted. We are not crazy progressive people in terms of my labor and delivery, by the way, all I wanted was to not be induced unless there was some concern for the baby's health or mine.
Anyway, each visit to the new doctor I am reminded how glad I am that I made the change. To anyone who is thinking about it, I'd totally suggest to make an appointment or two with another doctor just to see how you feel after wards. You may realize your current doctor is just fine, or you may realize you'll be much happier somewhere else.

38 Weeks

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

50% Effaced, 1 cm Dilated

That's what the doctor found today when he checked my cervix. And he could feel the baby's head through my cervix for the first time. I know that doesn't really mean anything, but I am hoping that it happens sooner than later. I am ready.
He also showed me on the ultra sound that the baby's head is 10.1 cm in diameter and suggested that I have the baby sooner, since I will have to dilate the extra .1 to fit the baby's head out through me. I asked if I had created this giant headed baby by eating too much and he reassured me that no, I didn't do it, that it is genetic. I said that made sense since my family has really big heads. He added, "and Mom gave birth vaginally, no problems, right?" which made me feel much better.
I am so happy that we switched doctors!
After my appointment I went to Whole Foods and bought red raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil because the Dr said they might work for inducing labor. He also mentioned walking, nipple stimulation and sex. I will try any and all of those! Although I am not quite sure how to accomplish the sex part. I'm sure B will have some ideas.
By tomorrow night I will definitely have the following finished: car seat installed, nursery art up, hospital bag packed.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

So It's True What They Say...

That pregnancy causes flatulence. Because I just let one out at the post office that you would not believe. Long and quite loud. Thankfully there were very few people there and I was using the machine in the lobby, away from most of the patrons. It happened so suddenly that I didn't even really believe that I did it. I ignored it at first and then looked around to see if anyone was staring at me in disbelief or if there was someone standing behind me that I hadn't noticed. Luckily neither of those things were happening.
Now that the carpet is cleaned, I might be feeling ready to get this sucker out of me.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Musical Chairs

I was talking to a friend today and I told her that, in regards to going into labor, I felt as though I was playing musical chairs and waiting for the music to stop. I remember playing that game as a child and being driven crazy by anticipation and not knowing. When will it stop? Am I going to be right in front of an open seat? Or will I be rounding the corner and no where near the open seat? I thought I had plenty of time with my due date being three weeks away, but people seem to think that I will go any day.
We went to our last birth class last night and there were only two couples left! Actually three, but one was having their shower and didn't show up. One woman that I spoke to last week who was so ready to have her baby but was two weeks away from her due date, had her baby toward the end of last week. This is all very nerve racking.
I'd like to have the rest of this week at least, please!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Lovely Day

I am so happy to have our new president. I watched Obama take the oath of office and settled in to watch his speech, and then I fell asleep. I am seriously tired these days. Extremely tired. It's sort of depressing how tired I am.
I went to the Dr. today and he said that my cervix is closed but soft. That is good news. I am not ready yet! I have some more cleaning and organizing to do and B needs to put together more furniture and have the carseats installed and I need to make some nursery art!
Up until this past Sunday I had been saying that I was completely happy to keep the baby inside of me for now, that it was really convenient and I wasn't ready to have the actual baby to take care of, but then I had a really rough Sunday night and I've had awful acid reflux and I'm huge and can barely move. So now I'm ready to have the baby out of me. But not really. Not yet.
Stay put baby.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Cutest Things Ever

I came across these adorable stuffed animals after reading this post on Ohdeedoh. It is from the Etsy shop Skunkboy Creatures. I love all of them and will definitely be purchasing some for the baby - as long as that stupid law regarding handmade crafts doesn't make it impossible.

35 Weeks Major Sweet Tooth

Is this normal? I have been craving sweets like nobody's business. I was told that these last weeks you aren't really that hungry and might even lose weight. I highly doubt that is happening. I am eating healthily, but I am also indulging in sweets almost daily. The thought of something, such as ice cream or a donut, gets into my head and I can hardly stand it. I have been eating as much fruit as I can to replace a yearning for full on sweets. Or having a yogurt. But it's so difficult! Since I've been warned about the potential size of my baby I am concerned about eating too many carbs.
Our doula stopped by for her final visit this past Thursday and commented on my unusual pregnancy belly shape. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but my belly button never popped out. That part of my belly remains flat. I thought maybe it had something to do with having an anterior placenta, but the doula said that it might mean that the baby is posterior. I don't really think that is the case because I'm pretty sure that I can feel the baby's butt and back on the right side of my stomach. But I'm going to ask the Dr. on Tuesday.
Our Bradley class tonight is about breast feeding. I'm looking forward to it and I hope they will have good information about what kind of pump will work best for me, since I'll be home with the baby for six months.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Baby Stuff

As I was starting my day, I received a phone call from the hospital where we are delivering regarding a maternity tour. I was told that, even though the tours for January are booked, I would be squeezed in either today or next Friday. I opted for next Friday, hoping that B would be able to get off of work and come with me. I was very happy that the hospital had been so accommodating, especially with switching doctors late in the game and having my due date so soon. Then I went swimming and when I got back to the car I had a message from the hospital. I called back and was told that I was being called back in regards to the maternity tour. I told the woman what I had discussed with the previous person, but it was as if that didn't really happen and I was told that the only tour I could go on was February 6th. A WEEK FROM MY DUE DATE. That's not cool. I am wondering if I should just show up on January 23rd and see what happens.
After swimming, I headed to Babies R Us and Walmart to use some gift cards we've been given to buy the random but supposedly necessary stuff that people probably won't buy us as gifts and that we'll need when the baby comes. I bought nail clippers, pacifiers - both smoothies and nuks, a changing table cover, baby caps, and for me some lovely items such as maxi pads. I was trying to find a donut pillow, but didn't see one at Walmart. Oh the horror.

I will miss Indie 103.1

I was so sad to hear that Indie 103.1 has gone off the airwaves. It has been my favorite station for a while now. First Joe Escalante got the boot and now it's all gone. Supposedly you can still listen on the internet. I need good music while I'm in the car. I'm the only person in the world who can't use her Ipod in her car. The tape player adapter makes too much noise and I've been told that the radio thing won't work. I should probably look into this again.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

One Month to Go!

Tomorrow will be one month from my due date. I am feeling very overwhelmed! I have my list of things I need to get done, but I need to work on a list of things that I need to buy. We have most of what we need for the nursery: Ikea Gulliver Crib, Hemnes Dresser, Glider. Then we have our Snap and Go stroller and Chicco Key Fit 30 Car seat. I have an Armsreach Cosleeper that has been ordered for us. I need to make the mobile for the nursery, make the wall art, put together the furniture and stroller and have the carseat installed. We also need to go on a maternity tour of the hospital. Unfortunately, since we changed Drs, all of the tours for January are filled up and I am on a waiting list. I really hope I don't go into labor early, I don't feel ready!
I am also finally over my cold. I stayed in bed most of today to give myself a break. This past weekend was my shower, which was wonderful, but pretty exhausting. My mother in law was in town for it, so I wasn't really able to sleep as much as I should have. Then, instead of staying in bed yesterday, I met my aunts for lunch. By the end of the day I felt as if I was falling apart at the seams.
All I wanted to do was lay down, but I have been having horrible acid reflux problems if I lay down with anything in my stomach, even water. I wake up choking and coughing and gasping for air. Super gross. Anyway, I didn't eat anything and went to bed really early and I had a full night's sleep for a change. I am feeling much better today and trying to get some things on my list done.

Friday, January 9, 2009

I Heart Eric Ripert

I first saw Eric Ripert on Top Chef. I am not a foodie and I have never been to Le Bernadin, but I am sure that he is an excellent chef and I love to listen to him talk. My favorite episode of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain is when Ripert helps Bourdain out in the kitchen at Les Halles. Those two are great together. I saw another show where they went to French Laundry together - I think that's where they were. Anyway, Ripert has a website now: AvecEric.com, where he puts together dinner party recipes and then asks you to contribute photos if you have a party and make the recipes. I am excited to try his Goat Cheese Truffles and Coq Au Vin. I don't know that I'll have a party, however, at this point spinach artichoke dip is an effort for me.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

17 weeks through 33 weeks Belly Pics
































Give or take a missed week or two...

Things That Have Made This Pregnancy Easier

The Echo Park Public Swimming Pool
My EQ Maternity Swim Suit
My Snoogle

It's Been a While

I guess I got sucked into the holiday vacuum. Oh well. I'm back now.
Things have been going very well. Baby is good and I am feeling well. Tiredness and hugeness are two constant feelings, but I suppose it is to be expected.
Things that have happened:
Traveled for Thanksgiving - Being stuck in someone else's home while pregnant and not in complete control of when and what you eat or when and where you sleep is not fun!
Started worrying about my doctor and whether he'd really be okay with letting me attempt a natural/nonmedicated labor and delivery, so we switched to a new doctor who makes me very happy.
Continued to grow bigger and bigger!