There are lots of things you hear while pregnant. There is advice about your health; don’t drink or smoke, don’t eat sushi, eat your fruits and veggies, drink lots of water. There is advice about how to raise the baby; don’t hold it too much or you will spoil it, breastfeeding is best, use glass bottles. There is advice about advice; remember, free advice is worth what you pay for it.
Your girlfriends who have been there before you will also offer up advice; get an epidural, the last three weeks are the worst, you need a (insert whatever is the newest and greatest thing here), you don’t need a (insert whatever is the newest and greatest thing here). They will tell you about weight gain, butt spread, gas and vaginal discharge.
And then there are mountains of books, about pregnancy, birth, nutrition, funny ones, serious ones, ones for new mothers and ones for new fathers. With all this information floating around I didn’t really think anything about pregnancy would surprise me…until yesterday.
Yesterday morning I woke up, went to the bathroom and saw blood. Bright-ish red blood. Covering the toilet paper! I wiped again, and more blood. At this point I was trying not to freak out. I went back into the bedroom, woke up Brian and told him we needed to go the hospital. So, at this point, we are both now wide awake at 6 am.
I called the doctor’s office and talked to the doctor on call who asked some questions and then assured me that nothing was wrong and to just come in for my appointment today as scheduled. She said that I passed the mucus plug and it probably just broke a capillary when it came off. I was still worried.
When I went to the bathroom later, there was still blood and some was dripping in to the toilet. That was not making me feel better and my appointment was not until 10:30!! I didn’t know if I should be excited because this baby might actually come out or if I should be worried that something is wrong.
I called a friend to get her advice and she also said that it was normal.
We decided to go ahead and pack the last minute things into the suitcase and put it in the car, just in case. We did that. We took the trash out and took the cans to the curb (Friday is trash day) and put the car seat in the car. We cuddled/ watched TV for about an hour, then took showers and got ready for the appointment.
As it turns out, nothing was “wrong”. I guess it is what is called the Bloody Show. It is mostly defined as: a stringy mucous discharge tinged with pink or brown blood. Tinged…HA. It would have been nice to know it could be that bloody and still be “normal”.
It was a freaky morning but a few good things came from it; we got a practice run at getting ready, we had the chores for the day done by 8 am and we know that the process has started (I was one centimeter dilated)…there will be labor starting at some point. :o)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Shiva Rea’s Prenatal Yoga aka ex-sail
I borrowed Shiva Rea’s Prenatal Yoga DVD by Gaiam from friend. And basically I think it sucked.
There are a few reasons I didn’t like this DVD, one being that I expect the people walk you through the poses. For example, they say, out loud, something like, now exhale as you start to bend forward, reaching your arms toward the floor. I don’t like to have to watch the screen every second to be able to keep up. How do they expect you to follow along when some of the poses require you to be in a head down or sideways position that doesn’t lend so well to looking at the TV screen? (Duh.)
But the main reason I didn’t like this DVD is because the lady says exhale as if the hale part was spelled sail. Ex-sail. OMG, it was soooo annoying that it was all I could hear. Blah, blah, blah ex-sail, blah, blah, blah EX-SAIL. Could. Not. Take. It.
It did have three different levels to account for different trimesters and as far as I could tell the poses were fine, nothing hurt when I did it. But I will point out that I was so sick of listing to the lady talk that I fast forwarded a lot of the DVD.
I don’t know if they have a prenatal DVD but I would recommend the Yoga Zone DVD’s over any other. They are great. They talk you through every pose telling you where you should feel what and giving you lots of variations, easier and more advanced. And they don’t make you feel bad about where you are, quite the opposite in fact. Even some of the instructors can’t go as deep into some poses as others who are doing the poses with them. The music isn’t funky and they don’t have that ‘I’m so cool (and better than you) because I am a yoga master and I can make my studio look and sound new-age-y. ‘ (I hate that. I will stop watching something if I get even a little of that vibe.)
I own the Yoga Zone Ultimate Collection and I think it is the one the best things I have ever purchased.
There are a few reasons I didn’t like this DVD, one being that I expect the people walk you through the poses. For example, they say, out loud, something like, now exhale as you start to bend forward, reaching your arms toward the floor. I don’t like to have to watch the screen every second to be able to keep up. How do they expect you to follow along when some of the poses require you to be in a head down or sideways position that doesn’t lend so well to looking at the TV screen? (Duh.)
But the main reason I didn’t like this DVD is because the lady says exhale as if the hale part was spelled sail. Ex-sail. OMG, it was soooo annoying that it was all I could hear. Blah, blah, blah ex-sail, blah, blah, blah EX-SAIL. Could. Not. Take. It.
It did have three different levels to account for different trimesters and as far as I could tell the poses were fine, nothing hurt when I did it. But I will point out that I was so sick of listing to the lady talk that I fast forwarded a lot of the DVD.
I don’t know if they have a prenatal DVD but I would recommend the Yoga Zone DVD’s over any other. They are great. They talk you through every pose telling you where you should feel what and giving you lots of variations, easier and more advanced. And they don’t make you feel bad about where you are, quite the opposite in fact. Even some of the instructors can’t go as deep into some poses as others who are doing the poses with them. The music isn’t funky and they don’t have that ‘I’m so cool (and better than you) because I am a yoga master and I can make my studio look and sound new-age-y. ‘ (I hate that. I will stop watching something if I get even a little of that vibe.)
I own the Yoga Zone Ultimate Collection and I think it is the one the best things I have ever purchased.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
In Two Weeks
Last night Brian looked at me and said, “You know what? In about 2 weeks we could have a baby.”
I said, “Yes…”
“In two weeks, we could be parents.”
And I thought…I am failing to see the revelation here. :o)
It must be weird to have all of this hit at once. I mean, I have had a reminder that this event is coming for the last 9 months. I know that men don’t have the same luxury.
I have read that, for men, it becomes “real” once they see the baby. That must be hard. Really. Your whole life is different in like 3 seconds. That seems like a reason to faint to me; not the goo or blood or any of that…mostly just the thought that this is real and now everything is different. That might take my breath away or make me lose blood flow to my extremities.
I have to admit that it is a weird thought that the hospital will let us just take a baby home. And then it is going to be there…forever.
I said, “Yes…”
“In two weeks, we could be parents.”
And I thought…I am failing to see the revelation here. :o)
It must be weird to have all of this hit at once. I mean, I have had a reminder that this event is coming for the last 9 months. I know that men don’t have the same luxury.
I have read that, for men, it becomes “real” once they see the baby. That must be hard. Really. Your whole life is different in like 3 seconds. That seems like a reason to faint to me; not the goo or blood or any of that…mostly just the thought that this is real and now everything is different. That might take my breath away or make me lose blood flow to my extremities.
I have to admit that it is a weird thought that the hospital will let us just take a baby home. And then it is going to be there…forever.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Some questions for today
I have a few random questions that just need to be "let out", so here goes...
It is possible to not pee my pants EVERY time I sneeze?
Why did that start now? Three days ago I was fine.
Why do so many people assume that I am going to cut my hair once the baby arrives?
Is there some sort of Mommy memo that I didn't get? Is short hair the standard Mommy do?
When will this cold go away? And will my nose fall off?
Is it possible to get any work done with all the dirt in my house staring at me? (I have already cleaned out two drawers in the kitchen, only two more and a bunch of cabinets to go.)
Did anyone else know that we had so much junk in those drawers? And if so, why didn't anyone tell me?
How many cheap wine openers does one family need?
Are my wine glasses getting lonely? (Dear wine glasses: it isn't you, it's the baby.)
It is possible to not pee my pants EVERY time I sneeze?
Why did that start now? Three days ago I was fine.
Why do so many people assume that I am going to cut my hair once the baby arrives?
Is there some sort of Mommy memo that I didn't get? Is short hair the standard Mommy do?
When will this cold go away? And will my nose fall off?
Is it possible to get any work done with all the dirt in my house staring at me? (I have already cleaned out two drawers in the kitchen, only two more and a bunch of cabinets to go.)
Did anyone else know that we had so much junk in those drawers? And if so, why didn't anyone tell me?
How many cheap wine openers does one family need?
Are my wine glasses getting lonely? (Dear wine glasses: it isn't you, it's the baby.)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Steps for putting on a crib mattress cover
1. Take everything out of the crib
2. Place cover on mattress
3. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
4. Lean over and tuck back left corner on mattress
5. Tuck front left corner on mattress
6. Move to right side
7. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
8. Gently pull on cover and wonder, how is this thing going to fit
9. Tuck back right corner of cover on mattress
10. Step back and see that left back cover has come off
11. Move back over to left side
12. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
13. Notice that you have the cover inside out
14. Turn cover right side out
15. Again, stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
16. Tuck back left corner of cover on mattress
17. Break out in a sweat
18. With right hand, hold the back left corner of cover/mattress
19. With left hand pull and tuck left front corner on mattress
20. Place left hand on back left corner and try to move over and reach right back corner
21. Hold back left cover/mattress while pulling with right hand trying to tuck in back right corner
22. Success! Stand back
23. Watch mattress cover spring off mattress
24. Curse at cover
25. Try to pick up mattress to see if you can put the cover on it with it out of the crib
26. Decide the cover would probably fall off while putting the mattress back in the crib
27. Consider calling husband to help
28. Decide to try again
29. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
30. Tuck back right corner of cover on mattress
31. Hold corner with right hand
32. Slowly move hand toward left side while holding on mattress cover
33. With left hand tuck back left corner of cover on mattress
34. Hold back left corner with right hand
35. Tuck front left corner of cover on mattress
36. Wonder how in the world this is going to stay on
37. Consider getting some tape
38. Hold cover in place with left hand and move toward right side
39. Realize that there is no way this cover is going to fit
40. Curse at cover again
41. Throw cover at mattress and storm out of room
F*ck it…it doesn’t need a damn mattress anyway!
2. Place cover on mattress
3. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
4. Lean over and tuck back left corner on mattress
5. Tuck front left corner on mattress
6. Move to right side
7. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
8. Gently pull on cover and wonder, how is this thing going to fit
9. Tuck back right corner of cover on mattress
10. Step back and see that left back cover has come off
11. Move back over to left side
12. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
13. Notice that you have the cover inside out
14. Turn cover right side out
15. Again, stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
16. Tuck back left corner of cover on mattress
17. Break out in a sweat
18. With right hand, hold the back left corner of cover/mattress
19. With left hand pull and tuck left front corner on mattress
20. Place left hand on back left corner and try to move over and reach right back corner
21. Hold back left cover/mattress while pulling with right hand trying to tuck in back right corner
22. Success! Stand back
23. Watch mattress cover spring off mattress
24. Curse at cover
25. Try to pick up mattress to see if you can put the cover on it with it out of the crib
26. Decide the cover would probably fall off while putting the mattress back in the crib
27. Consider calling husband to help
28. Decide to try again
29. Stand on tip-toes to get stomach over edge of crib
30. Tuck back right corner of cover on mattress
31. Hold corner with right hand
32. Slowly move hand toward left side while holding on mattress cover
33. With left hand tuck back left corner of cover on mattress
34. Hold back left corner with right hand
35. Tuck front left corner of cover on mattress
36. Wonder how in the world this is going to stay on
37. Consider getting some tape
38. Hold cover in place with left hand and move toward right side
39. Realize that there is no way this cover is going to fit
40. Curse at cover again
41. Throw cover at mattress and storm out of room
F*ck it…it doesn’t need a damn mattress anyway!
Possible Careers
Based on your movements I have compiled a list of careers I think you might be suited for:
Rock band drummer
Bread maker
Soccer player
Football field goal kicker
Go-go dancer
Rockette
Olympic gymnast
Rock band drummer
Bread maker
Soccer player
Football field goal kicker
Go-go dancer
Rockette
Olympic gymnast
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Boy or Girl
Since we decided not to find out the sex of the baby via ultrasound, we thought it would be fun to test out some old wives tales and see if we could get any “insight” into the baby’s gender.
Carrying High vs. Carrying Low –Girl I am carrying “high” so this would indicate that we are having a girl.
Cravings—Girl Since I am craving sweets.
Breast evenness – Girl Because my left is bigger than the right.
Pendant/wedding ring on string –Girl
Acne – Boy Under the theory that if you have acne it’s a girl…mine hasn’t changed either way so I am counting that as none.
Chinese Gender Calendar – Girl
The “What do you think you are having” feeling – Girl
Dreams – Girl but with a surprise Boy I have had two dreams that we had a girl, early in the pregnancy, and one last night that we had a boy and I was really surprised.
Even and Odd – Girl Both the year of conception and my age at conception are even. Or if you add the numbers up the resulting number is even, so again, girl.
And according to Childbirth.org (http://www.childbirth.org/articles/boyorgirl.html)
You have a 47% chance of having a boy. And you have a 52% chance of having a girl.
And Here's Why...
You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.
The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your pregnancy, so it's a girl. (The hair on my legs is actually growing slower than it did before.)
Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.
Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the south indicates that you will be having a girl.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl. (My feet are warmer than before.)
You prefer the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a boy.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother has gray hair, so a boy will be born.
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.
You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy. (Other sites stated that even numbers meant you are having a girl.)
A needle on a thread held over your belly moves in circles, so you will have a boy. (Other sites stated the opposite.)
You are craving sweets, which means that it is a girl.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
So, according my research, we are having a girl. Guess we will know for sure in about 6 weeks.
A few months ago my Bosnian neighbors told me that I was having a boy because when you are having a girl you get prettier. (Yes, what they were saying is that I was ugly or uglier.) I saw them last night and they now say it is a girl, I guess I must be looking better. ;o)
Carrying High vs. Carrying Low –Girl I am carrying “high” so this would indicate that we are having a girl.
Cravings—Girl Since I am craving sweets.
Breast evenness – Girl Because my left is bigger than the right.
Pendant/wedding ring on string –Girl
Acne – Boy Under the theory that if you have acne it’s a girl…mine hasn’t changed either way so I am counting that as none.
Chinese Gender Calendar – Girl
The “What do you think you are having” feeling – Girl
Dreams – Girl but with a surprise Boy I have had two dreams that we had a girl, early in the pregnancy, and one last night that we had a boy and I was really surprised.
Even and Odd – Girl Both the year of conception and my age at conception are even. Or if you add the numbers up the resulting number is even, so again, girl.
And according to Childbirth.org (http://www.childbirth.org/articles/boyorgirl.html)
You have a 47% chance of having a boy. And you have a 52% chance of having a girl.
And Here's Why...
You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.
The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your pregnancy, so it's a girl. (The hair on my legs is actually growing slower than it did before.)
Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.
Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the south indicates that you will be having a girl.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl. (My feet are warmer than before.)
You prefer the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a boy.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother has gray hair, so a boy will be born.
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.
You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy. (Other sites stated that even numbers meant you are having a girl.)
A needle on a thread held over your belly moves in circles, so you will have a boy. (Other sites stated the opposite.)
You are craving sweets, which means that it is a girl.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
So, according my research, we are having a girl. Guess we will know for sure in about 6 weeks.
A few months ago my Bosnian neighbors told me that I was having a boy because when you are having a girl you get prettier. (Yes, what they were saying is that I was ugly or uglier.) I saw them last night and they now say it is a girl, I guess I must be looking better. ;o)
The bra dilemma
So yesterday I decided to try out a new bra. My “normal” ones have an underwire and they have been fitting fine…except for one thing. When the underwire rests on the top of the belly, after 13 hours, it really starts to hurt.
I bought some nursing bras a few weeks ago, one without an underwire, and I thought I would try it out. Well, it was way tighter then when I bought it, there was no stretch to it, and without the underwire it made my boobs look weird. Not to mention that it wasn’t all the comfortable, instead of having the underwires dig into my skin, I had the whole bottom band digging in.
The only bra that is comfortable right now is the one I sleep in and it is an old, padded sports bra. And I am certainly not going wear that to work. (Although, I think that un-a-boob is better that flat, weird, kind of Madonna cone shaped boob.)
Today I am back to the underwire. And I think I might need to go bra shopping again and get something softer and with some stretch. Oh joy.
I bought some nursing bras a few weeks ago, one without an underwire, and I thought I would try it out. Well, it was way tighter then when I bought it, there was no stretch to it, and without the underwire it made my boobs look weird. Not to mention that it wasn’t all the comfortable, instead of having the underwires dig into my skin, I had the whole bottom band digging in.
The only bra that is comfortable right now is the one I sleep in and it is an old, padded sports bra. And I am certainly not going wear that to work. (Although, I think that un-a-boob is better that flat, weird, kind of Madonna cone shaped boob.)
Today I am back to the underwire. And I think I might need to go bra shopping again and get something softer and with some stretch. Oh joy.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Crafty weekend
Today I got to spend some time with a friend doing crafty stuff. I made a card and then helped her with her scrapbook pages. She needed some cute cut outs so I made some for her on my Silhouette. Totally fun day and I totally love my Silhouette.
She brought over her copy of Monty Python's Flying Circus and we watched, laughed and were crafty.
Here is a pic of today's card.
She brought over her copy of Monty Python's Flying Circus and we watched, laughed and were crafty.
Here is a pic of today's card.
I’m in love…
…with my bed.
Yesterday we bought new pillows and a memory foam topper for our mattress. This added to the big body pillow with a super soft cover that Brian bought for me last week created what can only be described as resembling The Princess and the Pea’s set up. I climbed in, snuggled in and fell fast asleep.
Last night was the first night we slept on the mountain of comfort. And it…was…heaven! I woke up this morning and my hips didn’t hurt, my back didn’t hurt and I felt rested. (Insert the sound of angels singing here.)
I can’t wait for tonight. And in the future, if you need me, I will be in bed.
Yesterday we bought new pillows and a memory foam topper for our mattress. This added to the big body pillow with a super soft cover that Brian bought for me last week created what can only be described as resembling The Princess and the Pea’s set up. I climbed in, snuggled in and fell fast asleep.
Last night was the first night we slept on the mountain of comfort. And it…was…heaven! I woke up this morning and my hips didn’t hurt, my back didn’t hurt and I felt rested. (Insert the sound of angels singing here.)
I can’t wait for tonight. And in the future, if you need me, I will be in bed.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Messy eater
I have decided that pregnancy makes you a messy eater. I am really not sure how this happens but it seems to have happened to me.
Yesterday I was in the store, I walked around for 10 minutes, then took my stuff up to the counter. I pulled out my wallet and in the process I saw a peice of granola bar fly off my shirt and onto the counter. I ate the granola bar in the car on the drive over to the store and walked around the store for 10 minutes with food on my shirt. Great!
It seems like every time I look down there are crumbs or something on my shirt. Last week, after lunch, I found a peice of orange, the white rind part, on the bottom half of my shirt, like under my belly. And after dinner last night I found crumbs in my hair.
Ummm, is this some sort of weird way of getting me ready for wearing spit-up?
Yesterday I was in the store, I walked around for 10 minutes, then took my stuff up to the counter. I pulled out my wallet and in the process I saw a peice of granola bar fly off my shirt and onto the counter. I ate the granola bar in the car on the drive over to the store and walked around the store for 10 minutes with food on my shirt. Great!
It seems like every time I look down there are crumbs or something on my shirt. Last week, after lunch, I found a peice of orange, the white rind part, on the bottom half of my shirt, like under my belly. And after dinner last night I found crumbs in my hair.
Ummm, is this some sort of weird way of getting me ready for wearing spit-up?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tea Time Shower
This weekend I went to a friend’s baby shower. She loves tea, so her shower had an English High Tea theme. It was beautiful.
The food was all different types of finger sandwiches, scones with creamed honey butter, and cookies and truffles. It was all served on beautiful china trays and tiered stands. There were lovely china plates and of course tea served in cups and saucers.
I drove down Saturday morning to be there, a trip that would normally take 4.5-5 hours took me at least 5.5 hours because I had to stop and pee 4 times. Yes, FOUR times, which almost made me late. (And it is worth noting that I only had to stop twice on the return trip, of course, when I didn’t have a time issue.)
I could not believe how many people were there. I think there were at least 30 adults, not counting the four ladies who threw the shower and assorted children. And I think she spent about an hour or more just opening presents.
I was sitting next to a super fun lady, who if we lived closer I would really try to befriend. She was great. She just had a baby (I think about 9 months ago) and is older like me. We laughed the entire time and she gave me a bunch of tips, everything from what things to use with cloth diapers, to bedtime tips. She told me funny stories about things they did, which sounded like things I would have tried. It was just great.
There is one thing from the shower that will take note of, any children that need to be watched every second, will not go with me in the future or be invited to events that aren’t about them. Children’s birthday parties, fine; showers that are meant for an adult and their guests to enjoy, no. This one little girl, I have no idea how old she was but she was tiny and could walk when holding on to things, “walked” over to the area I was in and stepped on my purse. I didn’t notice this until she got taller and then I saw that she was standing on it. I didn’t think much of it at the time but later when I took my sunglasses out of my purse and they were broken I knew why. (She also cried and did things that kids of that age do when you are not paying attention to them every minute. Not her fault but still annoying.)
And yes, even though I like kids and understand that kids are kids, I still find it very annoying when parents don’t pay attention and the kids cause problems for others. I wanted to pick that girl up and hand her to her mother and say, here I think this is yours. If you don’t want to watch your kid at a party or event…don’t bring them. Hire a babysitter, lock them a closet, I don’t care, but don’t let them ruin my good time and expect me to understand just because I (will) have kids. If your kids can’t behave because you are not paying attention to them it is your fault and you should know better than to bring them out in public.
I did have a great time, enjoyed making a new friend and spending time with some great old ones. 10 hours in the car and 6 stops at rest areas was worth it. :o)
The food was all different types of finger sandwiches, scones with creamed honey butter, and cookies and truffles. It was all served on beautiful china trays and tiered stands. There were lovely china plates and of course tea served in cups and saucers.
I drove down Saturday morning to be there, a trip that would normally take 4.5-5 hours took me at least 5.5 hours because I had to stop and pee 4 times. Yes, FOUR times, which almost made me late. (And it is worth noting that I only had to stop twice on the return trip, of course, when I didn’t have a time issue.)
I could not believe how many people were there. I think there were at least 30 adults, not counting the four ladies who threw the shower and assorted children. And I think she spent about an hour or more just opening presents.
I was sitting next to a super fun lady, who if we lived closer I would really try to befriend. She was great. She just had a baby (I think about 9 months ago) and is older like me. We laughed the entire time and she gave me a bunch of tips, everything from what things to use with cloth diapers, to bedtime tips. She told me funny stories about things they did, which sounded like things I would have tried. It was just great.
There is one thing from the shower that will take note of, any children that need to be watched every second, will not go with me in the future or be invited to events that aren’t about them. Children’s birthday parties, fine; showers that are meant for an adult and their guests to enjoy, no. This one little girl, I have no idea how old she was but she was tiny and could walk when holding on to things, “walked” over to the area I was in and stepped on my purse. I didn’t notice this until she got taller and then I saw that she was standing on it. I didn’t think much of it at the time but later when I took my sunglasses out of my purse and they were broken I knew why. (She also cried and did things that kids of that age do when you are not paying attention to them every minute. Not her fault but still annoying.)
And yes, even though I like kids and understand that kids are kids, I still find it very annoying when parents don’t pay attention and the kids cause problems for others. I wanted to pick that girl up and hand her to her mother and say, here I think this is yours. If you don’t want to watch your kid at a party or event…don’t bring them. Hire a babysitter, lock them a closet, I don’t care, but don’t let them ruin my good time and expect me to understand just because I (will) have kids. If your kids can’t behave because you are not paying attention to them it is your fault and you should know better than to bring them out in public.
I did have a great time, enjoyed making a new friend and spending time with some great old ones. 10 hours in the car and 6 stops at rest areas was worth it. :o)
Friday, March 12, 2010
Clothes
I am starting to have second thoughts about my clothing choices. Not maternity clothes, but my normal non-pregnancy clothes.
I don’t like to wear my cloths tight or in a way that shows off any lumps, so most of my clothes are loose.
There are certain pieces of my wardrobe that still fit.
You can see my baby belly but they still fit.
Interesting.
I don’t like to wear my cloths tight or in a way that shows off any lumps, so most of my clothes are loose.
There are certain pieces of my wardrobe that still fit.
You can see my baby belly but they still fit.
Interesting.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Best idea ever...or at least for the day
I had an idea yesterday while in Value Village. I bought some flannel sheets in colors/patterns I liked and I am going to cut them up and make receiving blankets out of them.
I think it will work out great. I will keep you posted.
I think it will work out great. I will keep you posted.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
You: Having a Baby
I started reading You: Having a Baby by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz (Dr. Oz). This book is great! Just as great as the other "You" books. (I have You: The Owners Manual and You: Staying Young.)
If you haven't read any of the "You" books you are missing out. They explain things in a way that is easy to understand but don't make you feel dumb and is entertaining. They have lots of cartoons that explain what they are talking about.
All I can say is they are totally worth it. I would suggest picking one up...any of them. You will learn a lot and have fun doing it.
I wonder if we can suggest these as required reading in Med School?
If you haven't read any of the "You" books you are missing out. They explain things in a way that is easy to understand but don't make you feel dumb and is entertaining. They have lots of cartoons that explain what they are talking about.
All I can say is they are totally worth it. I would suggest picking one up...any of them. You will learn a lot and have fun doing it.
I wonder if we can suggest these as required reading in Med School?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
3rd trimester = the 1st trimester without being able to bend over
I am feeling quite huge lately. My ankles swell and my morning sickness seems to be coming back. I am tired and feel like I can't breath.
I thought that by the 3rd trimester the tired and sickness would go away. No, it doesn't. And now I can't bend over.
If we want more children, we are adopting. I am too old for this.
I thought that by the 3rd trimester the tired and sickness would go away. No, it doesn't. And now I can't bend over.
If we want more children, we are adopting. I am too old for this.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Perspective
Last week I was sitting in the living room watching TV when I realized that in a few months there will be a baby in the room. A BABY. And then I started thinking; where is it going to go? There is no room in here for a baby. As a matter of fact, there is no room in our house for a baby. The only room that has extra space is our bedroom; we are all going to be living in the bedroom. What were we thinking?
Then I started to think about all the baby stuff we already have, in a pile in the extra room, and all the stuff we will have and then I started to hyperventilate. Really, where are we going to put all the stuff? We don’t have any extra space in the kitchen for bottles, where are those going to go? I sold my desk, gave away my cute little hutch thing and three bookshelves. I am throwing out or giving away a lot of stuff, and now I have to find things in the kitchen to get rid of?
After panicking about where we are going to put things we don’t own yet (yes, I know that is crazy, I can see that) it occurred to me….what are we going to do with a baby? I don’t know how to take care of a baby. And on a totally selfish level, I need my sleep. I don’t do well when I haven’t had enough and now I am voluntarily doing something that will seriously cut into my sleeping!!?
Which then made me feel weird because I have wanted a family for years…like for the last 8, a lot more so in the last 3 years. So, here I am finally having a baby and I think I should be totally happy and all I am thinking about is, how am I going to do this and where will all the stuff go?
Then I was talking to a friend, who laughed a lot as I told her this story, and she told me just to wait until the baby is crawling around eating dirt and I will wonder why I was so worried about this.
Perspective is a great thing. :o)
Then I started to think about all the baby stuff we already have, in a pile in the extra room, and all the stuff we will have and then I started to hyperventilate. Really, where are we going to put all the stuff? We don’t have any extra space in the kitchen for bottles, where are those going to go? I sold my desk, gave away my cute little hutch thing and three bookshelves. I am throwing out or giving away a lot of stuff, and now I have to find things in the kitchen to get rid of?
After panicking about where we are going to put things we don’t own yet (yes, I know that is crazy, I can see that) it occurred to me….what are we going to do with a baby? I don’t know how to take care of a baby. And on a totally selfish level, I need my sleep. I don’t do well when I haven’t had enough and now I am voluntarily doing something that will seriously cut into my sleeping!!?
Which then made me feel weird because I have wanted a family for years…like for the last 8, a lot more so in the last 3 years. So, here I am finally having a baby and I think I should be totally happy and all I am thinking about is, how am I going to do this and where will all the stuff go?
Then I was talking to a friend, who laughed a lot as I told her this story, and she told me just to wait until the baby is crawling around eating dirt and I will wonder why I was so worried about this.
Perspective is a great thing. :o)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Registering
Last weekend I went with my wonderful friend Nicki to Babies-R-Us to register. Who knew that three hours could go by so fast? We wandered through the store; looked at cute baby stuff and she told me about what types of things I would and wouldn’t need. It was fun.
But now, after the fun of all that has worn off, I am starting to panic a little. I started to feel greedy, like if I have too many things on the list people will think badly of me. The lady at the store said to have 5 things on the list for each person you plan on inviting to the shower, so they had lots to choose from. That sounded okay in the store (it still felt like a lot) but I could see the logic. I also know that she is salesperson for the store; her job is to sell after all, so I took her advice with a grain of salt.
But now, I am imaging people going to the store and printing out a huge list and feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things on the list. And then thinking to themselves, wow, she wants a lot of stuff (and if they think I want a lot of stuff that means I am greedy).
And I am also imagining all the stuff in my house. Ummm, where will it all go? Nicki gave me some good suggestions, you know, like under the crib storage for sheets and blankets, which I can see helping a lot. But I am also trying to get stuff out of my house, de-cluttering. And this feels like re-cluttering.
Logically I know that I am way off base here but emotionally it feels…well, still greedy. That people will give what they want to give and that in the grand view of it all there is not that much “stuff”. It’s just that Brian and talked about this before and we both would really like to keep the “items” to the things we need and not just all the stuff that looks cool or we think might be nice. And I also know that I have no idea what we will really need until we need it…so how do your register for that?!!
On a side note, Brian and I went together to register at Target. I would like to point out that taking someone with you who is more clueless then you and really has no interest in trying to pick stuff out is a bad idea. It was okay with the wedding registry stuff, not super great, but okay and at times fun. But this is a whole other ballpark! (Ladies, if you are in this situation and thinking to yourself, really how bad can it be? Don’t do it. Again, don’t do it. Find a girlfriend or go by yourself, it is better than arguing with your honey in the middle of the baby section.)
I know that it is not because Brian doesn’t love me or the baby because he does. I think he feels like I would feel if he took me to the hardware store, stood in front of a row a screws, pointed to one and said, “What do you think of this one?” They all seem pretty much the same to me, so I am sure that Brian was like, how do I know if we want the one with the light up ladybug? It’s a toy for a baby.
The other issue that I am coming up against is that it feels very wasteful to have people buy new items when there are so many gently used things out there that are far from being used up. I put a note on the registries that handmade and gently used items are welcome. (I did this online once I left the store, I didn’t want to be that rude.) Other than that I don’t know what to do. Should I write…Save your money shop Craig’s list, on the shower invitations? (haha, kidding, sort of).
And this brings up another point…who am I to decide how others spend their money or how they feel about spending their money? That has nothing to do with me.
I know…I have to let it go. It is just easier said than done.
But now, after the fun of all that has worn off, I am starting to panic a little. I started to feel greedy, like if I have too many things on the list people will think badly of me. The lady at the store said to have 5 things on the list for each person you plan on inviting to the shower, so they had lots to choose from. That sounded okay in the store (it still felt like a lot) but I could see the logic. I also know that she is salesperson for the store; her job is to sell after all, so I took her advice with a grain of salt.
But now, I am imaging people going to the store and printing out a huge list and feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things on the list. And then thinking to themselves, wow, she wants a lot of stuff (and if they think I want a lot of stuff that means I am greedy).
And I am also imagining all the stuff in my house. Ummm, where will it all go? Nicki gave me some good suggestions, you know, like under the crib storage for sheets and blankets, which I can see helping a lot. But I am also trying to get stuff out of my house, de-cluttering. And this feels like re-cluttering.
Logically I know that I am way off base here but emotionally it feels…well, still greedy. That people will give what they want to give and that in the grand view of it all there is not that much “stuff”. It’s just that Brian and talked about this before and we both would really like to keep the “items” to the things we need and not just all the stuff that looks cool or we think might be nice. And I also know that I have no idea what we will really need until we need it…so how do your register for that?!!
On a side note, Brian and I went together to register at Target. I would like to point out that taking someone with you who is more clueless then you and really has no interest in trying to pick stuff out is a bad idea. It was okay with the wedding registry stuff, not super great, but okay and at times fun. But this is a whole other ballpark! (Ladies, if you are in this situation and thinking to yourself, really how bad can it be? Don’t do it. Again, don’t do it. Find a girlfriend or go by yourself, it is better than arguing with your honey in the middle of the baby section.)
I know that it is not because Brian doesn’t love me or the baby because he does. I think he feels like I would feel if he took me to the hardware store, stood in front of a row a screws, pointed to one and said, “What do you think of this one?” They all seem pretty much the same to me, so I am sure that Brian was like, how do I know if we want the one with the light up ladybug? It’s a toy for a baby.
The other issue that I am coming up against is that it feels very wasteful to have people buy new items when there are so many gently used things out there that are far from being used up. I put a note on the registries that handmade and gently used items are welcome. (I did this online once I left the store, I didn’t want to be that rude.) Other than that I don’t know what to do. Should I write…Save your money shop Craig’s list, on the shower invitations? (haha, kidding, sort of).
And this brings up another point…who am I to decide how others spend their money or how they feel about spending their money? That has nothing to do with me.
I know…I have to let it go. It is just easier said than done.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
To circumcise or not to circumcise
At the last doctor’s appointment our midwife asked if, we have a boy, we wanted to circumcise.
I thought I knew what the answer would be but now I am not sure. When I really started thinking about it I realized that I had a lot of questions.
Who are we to decide what his penis should look like? Is there a big difference between circumcised and not? (Health wise our midwife (and the research I have done) says there is no difference.) What if we do it and there are complications? What if we don’t do it and there are complications?
If we do it, it will hurt him. Won’t having a diaper on hurt? But, then again, it will hurt less now, when he won’t remember than if it was done later. It is possible that if we don’t do it, will it be hard to keep clean when he is older than toddler age, when we are not in charge of keeping that area clean?
The procedure is not an exact science. There could be infection because there is a cut. There could be a less then optimum cosmetic outcome. They could take too much or too little skin. Or both.
Statically, circumcision is preformed in about half the baby boys born in this area. So, I don’t think that “looks“will be a factor as he grows up. Either way he will probably look like other boys. I just don’t know what to do.
What I have been doing so far is hoping that the baby is a girl…so I don’t have to make the decision. :o)
I thought I knew what the answer would be but now I am not sure. When I really started thinking about it I realized that I had a lot of questions.
Who are we to decide what his penis should look like? Is there a big difference between circumcised and not? (Health wise our midwife (and the research I have done) says there is no difference.) What if we do it and there are complications? What if we don’t do it and there are complications?
If we do it, it will hurt him. Won’t having a diaper on hurt? But, then again, it will hurt less now, when he won’t remember than if it was done later. It is possible that if we don’t do it, will it be hard to keep clean when he is older than toddler age, when we are not in charge of keeping that area clean?
The procedure is not an exact science. There could be infection because there is a cut. There could be a less then optimum cosmetic outcome. They could take too much or too little skin. Or both.
Statically, circumcision is preformed in about half the baby boys born in this area. So, I don’t think that “looks“will be a factor as he grows up. Either way he will probably look like other boys. I just don’t know what to do.
What I have been doing so far is hoping that the baby is a girl…so I don’t have to make the decision. :o)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Closet Update
The closet is not nearly as bad I thought it was going to be. YAY! We got the clothes bars and the holders out of the closet and the only weird thing is that the walls under where the wood was is not painted or textured. There are a few nail holes to fill in and we need to sand down the edges of where the paint and the wood met but other then that we are good to go.
Sighhhhhhhh. We just might be able to get this done after all.
And today I found a good sale on baby clothes at Fred Meyer's. Half off clearance and I was able to get a few cute things and a gift for a friend's new baby for about $30. I got a layette set that can be a gown or legged, and came with a hat, bib and booties. Two sleep gowns and two sleep sacks. It still baffles me that baby clothes cost so much but getting things on sale makes it a bit better.
Once the baby is born we can get clothes off craig's list, from thrift stores and resale shops and that will make me feel a lot better.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Baby Room
I think that for most people getting “The Baby’s Room” ready is a fun event. They pick out furniture while imagining that soon there will be a baby in that room, the one element that starts or completes a family. There are cute baby things to pick out, fun colorful things to hang on the wall and tiny clothes and accessories to put in the furniture.
For me it is just feels like more work. I have no desire to pick out cute sheets and hang stuff on the walls. I don’t want to go shopping and spend a ton of money on a room and clothes that the baby will outgrow very soon. I see the price tags of stuff and freak out. (Forty-six dollars for one baby shirt?!! I usually don’t spend that much on my shirts and I can wear them for YEARS!!!)
I don’t want to figure out where the furniture that is currently in that room is going to go. Of course, I know that this is my fault. If I had bothered to get my butt in gear and clean out the front bedroom anytime in the last 2 years this wouldn’t be so much of an issue. But I didn’t and so now here I am, about 3.5 months until baby’s arrival, getting bigger every day and now trying to get the baby room ready. I don’t want to add one more thing to do to our to-do list
I could just throw out the two pieces of furniture that are in that room and start setting up baby stuff and then it would be done. But since Brian and I don’t want to throw out the futon and filing cabinet I need to organize and de-clutter the front bedroom so we have somewhere to move the before mentioned furniture.
We are in the process of putting in a closet organizer (in the front bedroom) and that should help immensely but that, like all the projects with our house, has turned into something bigger than just taking stuff out of the closet, putting in the organizer and putting stuff back in the closet. The moneys who were trying to “flip” our house did the fastest, cheapest (read crappy) job they could to try and fix things in the house to get it ready to sell. So, now we need to take out the closet rods and the homemade crappy rod holders and paint the closet. And since we haven’t taken out the rods or holders yet, I am quite sure that there will be something wrong with the walls under the rod holders that will explain why the rod holders that are in there are in there.
Even with all this in mind, I am hoping to have the organizer in by Friday so that over the weekend I can start putting stuff in the closet. And I realize that the process of painting and all that won’t add that much time to this project but I am sick of starting something that should be quick and finding out, again, that there are five more steps to do because the dorks who had the house before us couldn’t be bothered to learn how to do anything correctly. They just figured out a way to cover stuff up. I am starting to hate our house.
Also adding to the dragging out of this situation is that fact that I am not good at getting rid of stuff. I love it when the house is clean and all the clutter is throw out. I love the way rooms look when they have less stuff in them. I like my rooms to look cozy and lived in and streamlined and clutter free. But I seem to collect stuff and then I don’t want to get rid of it because it seems I always have some great plan to do something with whatever is it. And I rarely do. I am starting to think this is a problem.
I can recognize that, for the most part, if most of the stuff that was in the closet disappeared I would have no idea what was missing and probably never miss it. Yet here I am still holding on to whatever it is. And now, as I am sitting here writing this, I think to myself, why don’t I just go and throw it out? And I want to, now. But as soon as I see the boxes I can’t do it and I feel the need to open the boxes and go through them, because what if there is really something in there that I need? Or is valuable to me in some way? UUGGGGGHHH.
I wonder how much it costs to hire one of those people who can come to your house and help you de-clutter. Oh, never mind, it wouldn’t matter…I am too cheap to hire someone to come tell me what I already know and can do by myself if I would just suck it up and do it. (I mean really, if I am too cheap to buy cute baby clothes…)
Anyone what to come over for pizza and help me de-clutter this weekend?
For me it is just feels like more work. I have no desire to pick out cute sheets and hang stuff on the walls. I don’t want to go shopping and spend a ton of money on a room and clothes that the baby will outgrow very soon. I see the price tags of stuff and freak out. (Forty-six dollars for one baby shirt?!! I usually don’t spend that much on my shirts and I can wear them for YEARS!!!)
I don’t want to figure out where the furniture that is currently in that room is going to go. Of course, I know that this is my fault. If I had bothered to get my butt in gear and clean out the front bedroom anytime in the last 2 years this wouldn’t be so much of an issue. But I didn’t and so now here I am, about 3.5 months until baby’s arrival, getting bigger every day and now trying to get the baby room ready. I don’t want to add one more thing to do to our to-do list
I could just throw out the two pieces of furniture that are in that room and start setting up baby stuff and then it would be done. But since Brian and I don’t want to throw out the futon and filing cabinet I need to organize and de-clutter the front bedroom so we have somewhere to move the before mentioned furniture.
We are in the process of putting in a closet organizer (in the front bedroom) and that should help immensely but that, like all the projects with our house, has turned into something bigger than just taking stuff out of the closet, putting in the organizer and putting stuff back in the closet. The moneys who were trying to “flip” our house did the fastest, cheapest (read crappy) job they could to try and fix things in the house to get it ready to sell. So, now we need to take out the closet rods and the homemade crappy rod holders and paint the closet. And since we haven’t taken out the rods or holders yet, I am quite sure that there will be something wrong with the walls under the rod holders that will explain why the rod holders that are in there are in there.
Even with all this in mind, I am hoping to have the organizer in by Friday so that over the weekend I can start putting stuff in the closet. And I realize that the process of painting and all that won’t add that much time to this project but I am sick of starting something that should be quick and finding out, again, that there are five more steps to do because the dorks who had the house before us couldn’t be bothered to learn how to do anything correctly. They just figured out a way to cover stuff up. I am starting to hate our house.
Also adding to the dragging out of this situation is that fact that I am not good at getting rid of stuff. I love it when the house is clean and all the clutter is throw out. I love the way rooms look when they have less stuff in them. I like my rooms to look cozy and lived in and streamlined and clutter free. But I seem to collect stuff and then I don’t want to get rid of it because it seems I always have some great plan to do something with whatever is it. And I rarely do. I am starting to think this is a problem.
I can recognize that, for the most part, if most of the stuff that was in the closet disappeared I would have no idea what was missing and probably never miss it. Yet here I am still holding on to whatever it is. And now, as I am sitting here writing this, I think to myself, why don’t I just go and throw it out? And I want to, now. But as soon as I see the boxes I can’t do it and I feel the need to open the boxes and go through them, because what if there is really something in there that I need? Or is valuable to me in some way? UUGGGGGHHH.
I wonder how much it costs to hire one of those people who can come to your house and help you de-clutter. Oh, never mind, it wouldn’t matter…I am too cheap to hire someone to come tell me what I already know and can do by myself if I would just suck it up and do it. (I mean really, if I am too cheap to buy cute baby clothes…)
Anyone what to come over for pizza and help me de-clutter this weekend?
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Mov'n and Shak'n
This morning I felt the baby kick, from the outside, for the first time. Brian was able to feel it too. !!! Cool.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
20 week ultrasound
We had our 20 week ultrasound (about a week ago, I know, and I am just getting around to posting now) and it was amazing. You can see everything. I think that both of us could not believe what they can show you now with those machines.
We could see all four chambers of the heart and we could see the valves moving. The valves!! We saw leg bones, arm bones, finger s, toes, the bladder, diaphragm and they could even check for cleft pallet. They measured a bunch of stuff and everything looked good. Baby has all the right things in all the right places. It was moving all over the place and we got to hear the swish, swish of the heartbeat.
It was really great.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Worry Wart Wednesday
I can’t figure out why/how I can go from picking out a name and then in the span of like a week, doubt my choice.
One day Brian and I are talking about names and find ones we both like, so great, done. Then, out of nowhere, starts the well, what if… What if the name is dumb? What if I don’t like it in 3 years? What if the baby doesn’t look like the name? Should we pick a different middle name? Should we pick a different first name? Is it too long? Why is this turning into such a big deal!!?? We have names we like (one boy and one girl, a couple of girl names actually) so why now am I second guessing myself? It’s a name; it doesn’t have to be perfect. For that matter, if I totally hate it later, there are name change forms. But it still feels like a big deal.
This feeling is not limited to names. I am finding that it extends to, well, everything. Which bottles are the best, how do I pick a breast pump, which diapers do I use, how do I pick the right car seat? How many baby t-shirts will I need, how fast will they grow out of stuff, do I really need 700 blankets?
And why am I in such a bad mood today? I don’t want to be at work, I don’t want to be at home.
One day Brian and I are talking about names and find ones we both like, so great, done. Then, out of nowhere, starts the well, what if… What if the name is dumb? What if I don’t like it in 3 years? What if the baby doesn’t look like the name? Should we pick a different middle name? Should we pick a different first name? Is it too long? Why is this turning into such a big deal!!?? We have names we like (one boy and one girl, a couple of girl names actually) so why now am I second guessing myself? It’s a name; it doesn’t have to be perfect. For that matter, if I totally hate it later, there are name change forms. But it still feels like a big deal.
This feeling is not limited to names. I am finding that it extends to, well, everything. Which bottles are the best, how do I pick a breast pump, which diapers do I use, how do I pick the right car seat? How many baby t-shirts will I need, how fast will they grow out of stuff, do I really need 700 blankets?
And why am I in such a bad mood today? I don’t want to be at work, I don’t want to be at home.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
House Cleaning
I spend all day yesterday cleaning the house. By the time I was done, and ate dinner, it was 9 pm. (And I was exhausted.)
It was the type of cleaning that you do when you have a dream that your dog has fleas and realize that your house is infected. Then you wake up and start frantically cleaning even though you don’t have a dog because you are certain that the universe is trying to tell you something.
So, now, my house a clean, the windows are sparkling and the trim on the doorways is nice and white but the funny part it, it is still cluttered. I still have clothes piled on the dresser. Sigh…I guess it will get it all together eventually.
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