I'm very bad at updating, aren't I? Well, it's been an interesting month so I suppose it isn't a big deal. Recently, I've had to learn to cope without my mom being in town. Now she's not just not in town, she's not in state. It's been strange, but I have done a lot better than I thought I would. I find things to occupy our time and I think it's been easier on the kids being at home all of the time.
Being that we're in a new situation, we've been trying some new things as well. Steve and I decided that it was time to sleep train Bella. It's been 3 weeks, and while we've had success we certainly still have a ways to go. She still cries when she has to go to bed, but that's our fault for not creating good sleeping habits for her in the first place. Another thing I know will need to happen soon that could throw a wrench in our plans is moving to a toddler bed. She's starting to climb and I'd rather not experience broken bones if I can help it.
We also started back up with food therapy since Bella was starting to slip in her growth again. We've seen immediate progress! She's begun to eat more solids and take less bottles and now we are slowly trying to wean her off formula all together. Now, she's a solid 22 lbs and continuing to gain weight, so now seems like the right time to move in that direction.
As for Jude, well he's so delightfully normal that it's almost boring. I say almost because he's my son so he simply can't be boring to me! He's gone through all of the vegetable purees and we're almost through the fruits. This kid can pack away the food, that's for sure! I'm guessing he's close to 19 lbs now. Then there's his quickly emerging personality. Lots of people thought I would have a nice calm, sweet baby since Bella is such a ball of energy (and has been known to be a bit challenging at times). That's a load of baloney! Jude is super energetic and is already becoming quite talkative. He doesn't really say any consonants like Bella was at this point, but he loves experimenting with raspberry sounds and gurgling, among other things. He's getting close to sitting on his own and then most likely crawling will come very soon after.
I'm certainly not bored during the day. Perhaps a bit overwhelmed at times, but never bored.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Jude is on a Roll
Today, Jude and I went to his 4 month appointment. As I already knew, everything is going wonderfully. He is still the polar opposite of his sister and making it relatively easy to have two kids. He has now reached 17 pounds and 26 inches long, and it's only a matter of time before he catches Bella in size.
After talking with his doctor, he now has her full blessing to start solid foods. We've already sampled some cereal but within a couple of weeks we can also try adding a vegetable to it as well. This boy is huge and he wants to eat. The more I get him to like food now, hopefully, the more he will want to eat later. I have a feeling that he won't have any trouble picking up whatever I put on his tray and gobbling it up. You never really know until you try it, but all signs point to this conclusion. Of course, I have to get him sitting up on his own and picking things up first :).
Jude is also rolling around to his right. He'll try to roll to get somewhere, but only to his right. I don't know why, but I suppose anything to his left just isn't as interesting. This also leads to lots of waking up in the middle of the night. At least he'll go back to sleep in a decent amount of time without me having to feed him. We'll get back to consistently sleeping through the night soon enough. By 6 months, we expect him to be sitting on his own and possibly start crawling. He's right on track. Soon, he'll be the one knocking his sister over!
In the meantime, I'll allow Bella to torture him with her hugs and kiss because it's just that adorable!
After talking with his doctor, he now has her full blessing to start solid foods. We've already sampled some cereal but within a couple of weeks we can also try adding a vegetable to it as well. This boy is huge and he wants to eat. The more I get him to like food now, hopefully, the more he will want to eat later. I have a feeling that he won't have any trouble picking up whatever I put on his tray and gobbling it up. You never really know until you try it, but all signs point to this conclusion. Of course, I have to get him sitting up on his own and picking things up first :).
Jude is also rolling around to his right. He'll try to roll to get somewhere, but only to his right. I don't know why, but I suppose anything to his left just isn't as interesting. This also leads to lots of waking up in the middle of the night. At least he'll go back to sleep in a decent amount of time without me having to feed him. We'll get back to consistently sleeping through the night soon enough. By 6 months, we expect him to be sitting on his own and possibly start crawling. He's right on track. Soon, he'll be the one knocking his sister over!
In the meantime, I'll allow Bella to torture him with her hugs and kiss because it's just that adorable!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Why Yogurt?
I'll tell you why. Because, it's packed with nutrients and it can be calorie loaded as well. And, what's most fun for Bella, you can dip stuff into it including (but not limited to) crackers, a spoon, and your fingers. She is particularly fond of doing this with her fingers. The messier we can get, the better the experience. This isn't really my favorite philosophy, but it's what's best for Bella. As I type, she is covering herself in peach yogurt and talking about how she likes it. She also has taken to saying "Mmmm" when she eats. Steve is highly amused by this.
Feeding Bella is certainly an adventure. It takes time and effort and you aren't always successful. Really, you might be successful 50% of the time, if you're lucky. However, this is something we can overcome. In fact, this is how Bella is going to become proficient with a spoon and fork, because heaven knows she won't let me feed her anymore :).
And now there's a big glob of yogurt on the table. The most fun you can with a spoon is flinging your food.
Feeding Bella is certainly an adventure. It takes time and effort and you aren't always successful. Really, you might be successful 50% of the time, if you're lucky. However, this is something we can overcome. In fact, this is how Bella is going to become proficient with a spoon and fork, because heaven knows she won't let me feed her anymore :).
And now there's a big glob of yogurt on the table. The most fun you can with a spoon is flinging your food.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Back to Therapy
Today, Bella was evaluated for ECI again so that we can resume feeding therapy. She has made so little progress with eating textures and also not putting everything she picks up in her mouth, so we thought it was time to pick it back up again. Well, they do a full evaluation anytime you start services or restart them.
It was interesting to see where Bella is on their scale of development. As usual, she sits a bit behind on physical development (4 months behind). However, much of this has to do with her tibial torsion and shorter stature. For instance, she has a more difficult time going up and down stairs without getting on hands and knees. With all that the physical therapist found, she decided it wasn't worth doing therapy to "catch up". What Bella is behind with will come with time. Nothing to worry about.
Bella is also behind in social development (at 12 months). Again, we talked about it and the only reason she ranks lower in this department is due to the fact that she doesn't really do pretend play yet, nor does she seem to care when you tell her to do something or not to do something. Bella does what she wants, when she wants. If she doesn't feel like doing what you've asked, she ignores you :). Most 18 month old kids are responding to requests that they don't wish to do with a resounding "no". A lot of this comes from the fact that Bella isn't around other children her age. So, really, that isn't anything to worry about either.
Now, the speech factor. This is what we're looking at because it has to do with her feeding. Bella is a very orally fixated girl. Her way of playing with things is to put it in her mouth. This also contributes to her being "behind" in some of the social and physical points. When we measured her development in speech, Bella actually comes in at around 21 months. She is a very verbal girl and does a pretty good job at communicating what she wants, what she doesn't want. She also picks up a lot from repeating what Steve and I do. However, this is the therapy we need. Funny, isn't it?
What speech therapy will do for Bella is help her eating habits and also help to curb her oral fixation. Her therapist and I will work on getting her to drink more creamy beverages, eat a larger variety of textures, and get her to strengthen the muscles in her mouth so that she won't keep her mouth open all of the time (eliminating much of her drooling) and keeping her from putting everything in her mouth.
Some things we have to look forward to:
It was interesting to see where Bella is on their scale of development. As usual, she sits a bit behind on physical development (4 months behind). However, much of this has to do with her tibial torsion and shorter stature. For instance, she has a more difficult time going up and down stairs without getting on hands and knees. With all that the physical therapist found, she decided it wasn't worth doing therapy to "catch up". What Bella is behind with will come with time. Nothing to worry about.
Bella is also behind in social development (at 12 months). Again, we talked about it and the only reason she ranks lower in this department is due to the fact that she doesn't really do pretend play yet, nor does she seem to care when you tell her to do something or not to do something. Bella does what she wants, when she wants. If she doesn't feel like doing what you've asked, she ignores you :). Most 18 month old kids are responding to requests that they don't wish to do with a resounding "no". A lot of this comes from the fact that Bella isn't around other children her age. So, really, that isn't anything to worry about either.
Now, the speech factor. This is what we're looking at because it has to do with her feeding. Bella is a very orally fixated girl. Her way of playing with things is to put it in her mouth. This also contributes to her being "behind" in some of the social and physical points. When we measured her development in speech, Bella actually comes in at around 21 months. She is a very verbal girl and does a pretty good job at communicating what she wants, what she doesn't want. She also picks up a lot from repeating what Steve and I do. However, this is the therapy we need. Funny, isn't it?
What speech therapy will do for Bella is help her eating habits and also help to curb her oral fixation. Her therapist and I will work on getting her to drink more creamy beverages, eat a larger variety of textures, and get her to strengthen the muscles in her mouth so that she won't keep her mouth open all of the time (eliminating much of her drooling) and keeping her from putting everything in her mouth.
Some things we have to look forward to:
- getting more calories into her diet by getting her to drink creamier drinks
- strengthening her jaw so she won't tire out from eating so quickly
- getting her to eat different textures so she doesn't have to vigorously chew everything she eats, which tires her muscles out
- getting her to use utensils more and teaching her to use a straw
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Time for an Update
Jiminy Cricket! I have not had any desire to blog for a long time. But now, I'm feeling the itch again! Mostly because I'm going through all of my beloved names again and I have a feeling that's mostly where my entries will go in the immediate future. But first, a life update.
Jude is now 2 months old. And he's the size of a 6 month old. I am in complete awe of how fast he's grown. We're already thinking about when he'll be ready for a high chair and when we're going to have to buy the next size car seat. There's no doubt that he is the polar opposite of Bella in this regard. Their temperaments are somewhat similar. Jude is much more of an arms baby. Bella wanted arms a lot when she was little because she didn't feel well. Jude just LOVES to be held. I've also been very fortunate that he is a champion eater, unlike Bella. In fact, he eats well enough that he will now sleep for up to 8 or 9 hours at night. That's such a wonderful thing to have.
Bella is now walking everywhere. Because of that, she's also getting into everything. Surprise, surprise. She's a super curious girl. And she talks like no body's business. She has already mastered 50+ words. I'm pretty sure I lost count at 20 or so. The only thing we really need to tackle now is her sweet little bow legs. I'm hoping that will just require a special set of shoes to help keep her from walking on the edges of her feet, but we will see next month when we visit the orthopedic doctor.
Two major things have happened since Jude was born. The first was the passing of our niece, Audrey. It was so sudden and certainly unexpected. My sister has been devastated ever since, but I don't think we could expect anything less. I cannot fathom losing a child and how much sorrow comes with such a loss. The hardest part has been seeing the grief and sorrow that my mother has gone through. Audrey was more than just a granddaughter to her, so it has been extra difficult for her this past month and a half. I can only pray that those I love will be able to come to terms with Audrey's passing but I know that won't be easy. We all miss her so much.
The second major change in our lives has been the impending job change that Steve has been looking for. As of right now, he is in negotiations to take a job in Maryland. We are currently waiting for Raytheon to finalize the offer so they can officially offer the job to Steve. Nothing is certain yet, but it is most likely going to happen in the next couple of months. That means we have to sell the house and pack up to leave Texas. That will be strange for me since I have lived her since just before I turned 5. I've been here for 20 years. The other thing that this means for us is that we are looking for a new home for our puppies. I am not to keen on taking them to Maryland and having them cooped up in townhouse or worse, an apartment. So hey, if you know anyone, give me a call!
I suppose that's enough of an update for now. Somebody refuses to nap unless he's in mommy's arms, and that sure makes it difficult to type! Oh well :). Until next time.
Jude is now 2 months old. And he's the size of a 6 month old. I am in complete awe of how fast he's grown. We're already thinking about when he'll be ready for a high chair and when we're going to have to buy the next size car seat. There's no doubt that he is the polar opposite of Bella in this regard. Their temperaments are somewhat similar. Jude is much more of an arms baby. Bella wanted arms a lot when she was little because she didn't feel well. Jude just LOVES to be held. I've also been very fortunate that he is a champion eater, unlike Bella. In fact, he eats well enough that he will now sleep for up to 8 or 9 hours at night. That's such a wonderful thing to have.
Bella is now walking everywhere. Because of that, she's also getting into everything. Surprise, surprise. She's a super curious girl. And she talks like no body's business. She has already mastered 50+ words. I'm pretty sure I lost count at 20 or so. The only thing we really need to tackle now is her sweet little bow legs. I'm hoping that will just require a special set of shoes to help keep her from walking on the edges of her feet, but we will see next month when we visit the orthopedic doctor.
Two major things have happened since Jude was born. The first was the passing of our niece, Audrey. It was so sudden and certainly unexpected. My sister has been devastated ever since, but I don't think we could expect anything less. I cannot fathom losing a child and how much sorrow comes with such a loss. The hardest part has been seeing the grief and sorrow that my mother has gone through. Audrey was more than just a granddaughter to her, so it has been extra difficult for her this past month and a half. I can only pray that those I love will be able to come to terms with Audrey's passing but I know that won't be easy. We all miss her so much.
The second major change in our lives has been the impending job change that Steve has been looking for. As of right now, he is in negotiations to take a job in Maryland. We are currently waiting for Raytheon to finalize the offer so they can officially offer the job to Steve. Nothing is certain yet, but it is most likely going to happen in the next couple of months. That means we have to sell the house and pack up to leave Texas. That will be strange for me since I have lived her since just before I turned 5. I've been here for 20 years. The other thing that this means for us is that we are looking for a new home for our puppies. I am not to keen on taking them to Maryland and having them cooped up in townhouse or worse, an apartment. So hey, if you know anyone, give me a call!
I suppose that's enough of an update for now. Somebody refuses to nap unless he's in mommy's arms, and that sure makes it difficult to type! Oh well :). Until next time.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Let's do this already! (or Who knew induction could be so easy?)
I mean it. Who know induction could be so easy? Well, the doctors do. BUT, you have to keep in mind that you must be favorable for an induction and its still not a guarantee that things will go smoothly. I was one of the fortunate moms who had a successful induction. Between my dilation and effacement and the fact that I have had a successful vaginal birth in the past, I was a great candidate for induction. I knew I wouldn't have wanted it if the situation had been different. My sister had just gone through a failed induction and a very traumatic delivery. Granted, there were other underlying issues that made the delivery more frightening than it would have been, it still started with a failed induction. She had no dilation and I don't believe that Audrey was even engaged at the time. Knowing all of that, I knew that I wouldn't be OK with an induction unless my body was close to going into labor on its own anyway.
Well, that wasn't an issue for me. By 35 weeks, I was past all of the prelabor work. All that had to happen was a few real contractions and I would be in active labor. So, at 36 weeks, Dr. Potter and I decided that if I made it to 38 weeks we would induce. Jude was looking rather large and he measured around 2-4 weeks ahead at each sonogram after 20 weeks. As for me, I was almost always measuring 3 weeks ahead in the last 3 months. I was pretty big! Although ultrasounds can be very inaccurate and your uterus measuring large doesn't automatically imply that you're carrying a large child, its worth considering your options. Boy, am I glad we did!
On January 20th, we arrived at the hospital at around 6:30 in the morning. Steve's parents picked Bella up to watch her for the day and then Steve went to grab some breakfast. I sat in our room watching TV while the nurses came in and out of the room helping to set up my IV and take my stats. The nurse who started to place my IV was very sweet. She failed twice to get a vein to take. After the second IV attempt, she said it was someone elses turn to torture me. I felt bad that she felt so bad for not getting the IV in. The second nurse finally found a spot that worked and, by 7:30, my delivery nurse (the 3rd nurse to help me out) started my pitocin. The first nurse who attempted to place an IV told me to ask for my epidural whenever I started to feel some strong contractions, even if there wasn't much pain. You better believe I listened to that!
The anesthesiologist showed up sometime around 9 and it took him maybe 2 minutes to place my epidural. That was the part I was most concerned about, and while it wasn't free of discomfort, it was a whole lot easier than I ever anticipated. Shortly after that, Dr. Potter showed up to check on me and I was dilated to about a 6 and she broke my water. It was really blissful just laying back and letting my body do its job. With Bella, I had a hard time progressing due to her position and my body's reaction to the pain. Neither of these factors were an issue this time. After a while, my nurse sat my bed almost straight up so that Jude would put more pressure on my cervix and move further into the birth canal. Well, around 12:30 or so, Dr. Potter came back to check on my after the nurse did and they both said it was time to start pushing. I was kind of shocked it happened so fast. I had felt the contractions in the top of my belly because the epidural was only numbing below my belly button while I sat straight up. I just didn't imagine that they were doing that much work!
Pushing was funny. I figured I wasn't doing a very good job because I was so terrible at it when I had Bella. It's true, I am not naturally good at pushing. I would put pressure in other places than where I was supposed to. Like my first couple of pushes had everyone laughing at me and the doctor and nurse told me to stop pushing in my cheeks. I looked like a blow fish, I'm guessing. After about 30 minutes of pushing, however, I finally mustered up enough of the right power in the right spot to push Jude out. He just had to get past a protruding tailbone :). I think the first thing that anyone said was about how large he was. Steve cut his cord and I got to hold him on my stomach for a moment, then they went to clean him up on the warmer next to us. Finally, the pediatric nurse weighed him. 8lbs and 15 oz. Even my doctor was shocked. We thought he was going to be big, but not THAT big! Either way, I'm very glad we decided it was time for him to come out. I am glad that it turned out to be so easy. I am one very lucky mama!
Since then, it's felt like the same old routine. I think we had a second child so quickly that it has been easy to slip into the newborn routine. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm excited to get the first two months out of the way and start seeing him become active (and hopefully wanting to sleep through the night!). But until then, I'm going to enjoy all the worrying, excitement, and joy that comes with having a new baby!
Well, that wasn't an issue for me. By 35 weeks, I was past all of the prelabor work. All that had to happen was a few real contractions and I would be in active labor. So, at 36 weeks, Dr. Potter and I decided that if I made it to 38 weeks we would induce. Jude was looking rather large and he measured around 2-4 weeks ahead at each sonogram after 20 weeks. As for me, I was almost always measuring 3 weeks ahead in the last 3 months. I was pretty big! Although ultrasounds can be very inaccurate and your uterus measuring large doesn't automatically imply that you're carrying a large child, its worth considering your options. Boy, am I glad we did!
On January 20th, we arrived at the hospital at around 6:30 in the morning. Steve's parents picked Bella up to watch her for the day and then Steve went to grab some breakfast. I sat in our room watching TV while the nurses came in and out of the room helping to set up my IV and take my stats. The nurse who started to place my IV was very sweet. She failed twice to get a vein to take. After the second IV attempt, she said it was someone elses turn to torture me. I felt bad that she felt so bad for not getting the IV in. The second nurse finally found a spot that worked and, by 7:30, my delivery nurse (the 3rd nurse to help me out) started my pitocin. The first nurse who attempted to place an IV told me to ask for my epidural whenever I started to feel some strong contractions, even if there wasn't much pain. You better believe I listened to that!
The anesthesiologist showed up sometime around 9 and it took him maybe 2 minutes to place my epidural. That was the part I was most concerned about, and while it wasn't free of discomfort, it was a whole lot easier than I ever anticipated. Shortly after that, Dr. Potter showed up to check on me and I was dilated to about a 6 and she broke my water. It was really blissful just laying back and letting my body do its job. With Bella, I had a hard time progressing due to her position and my body's reaction to the pain. Neither of these factors were an issue this time. After a while, my nurse sat my bed almost straight up so that Jude would put more pressure on my cervix and move further into the birth canal. Well, around 12:30 or so, Dr. Potter came back to check on my after the nurse did and they both said it was time to start pushing. I was kind of shocked it happened so fast. I had felt the contractions in the top of my belly because the epidural was only numbing below my belly button while I sat straight up. I just didn't imagine that they were doing that much work!
Pushing was funny. I figured I wasn't doing a very good job because I was so terrible at it when I had Bella. It's true, I am not naturally good at pushing. I would put pressure in other places than where I was supposed to. Like my first couple of pushes had everyone laughing at me and the doctor and nurse told me to stop pushing in my cheeks. I looked like a blow fish, I'm guessing. After about 30 minutes of pushing, however, I finally mustered up enough of the right power in the right spot to push Jude out. He just had to get past a protruding tailbone :). I think the first thing that anyone said was about how large he was. Steve cut his cord and I got to hold him on my stomach for a moment, then they went to clean him up on the warmer next to us. Finally, the pediatric nurse weighed him. 8lbs and 15 oz. Even my doctor was shocked. We thought he was going to be big, but not THAT big! Either way, I'm very glad we decided it was time for him to come out. I am glad that it turned out to be so easy. I am one very lucky mama!
Since then, it's felt like the same old routine. I think we had a second child so quickly that it has been easy to slip into the newborn routine. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm excited to get the first two months out of the way and start seeing him become active (and hopefully wanting to sleep through the night!). But until then, I'm going to enjoy all the worrying, excitement, and joy that comes with having a new baby!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
When are you TOO paranoid?
When pregnant with Bella, I had tons of moments where I'd worry she wasn't moving enough. I'd go lay down or sit down and eat/drink something sweet and she'd start twirling around like usual. Things were SO easy then. I could not believe how incredibly lucky I was to have such an uneventful pregnancy. I even got asked a couple of times if I felt cheated that I didn't have morning sickness or the little aches and pains as I started to get bigger. My answer: HELL NO! So long as that little girl was moving and kicking, that's all the pregnancy experience I needed to have.
This time around, I got to have the experience. I am, again, extremely grateful that there hasn't been any problems with this second pregnancy. But, instead of things being a walk in the park, I've been able to find out what it feels like to be nauseous all the time, feel like your hips are about to fall off, and the pain of a sweet little someone planting his foot into my ribs. All the normal pregnancy complaints! However, my paranoia about things like fetal movement and signs of labor have not gone away. If anything, they've intensified.
First time around, I went into labor on my own less than a week after finding out that I'd already started dilate and prepare for labor. This was shortly after I started to feel Braxton Hicks contractions (none of which were painful, or even that uncomfortable). The moment I had any kind of fluid issues, I freaked out thinking my water had broke. No such luck. But less than 24 hours later, I went into labor 2 weeks early.
This time, I've visited the hospital a total of 3 times. The first I was sent by my nurse practitioner because of the decent amount of contractions I'd been having and the fact that I had begun to dilate (almost half way). I knew I wasn't in labor, but that didn't mean that I wasn't going to be a complete basket case about when labor would start. She put me on red alert. I may not have been in labor yet, but it really was at the point that it could happen at anytime. I've been like this for 3 weeks now. I've also been to the hospital a second time for painful contractions (that went away thankfully) and then decreased fetal movement with a possible water breakage (he started beating my up shortly after I was hooked up to a monitor).
The closer the induction date gets, the more paranoid I become. I am literally driving myself crazy with worry. I feel absolutely silly being so worked up over something I have no control over. I have a pretty good idea of what labor feels like, so there's no need to jump to conclusions over things that I know aren't labor. I have made it to the home stretch, there's no need to flip out now! Advice to those of my friends who have control issues: enjoy your pregnancy (whether you be pregnant now or will be in the future) and trust your body. You'll know if something is truly wrong. Stressing out over the little things is just going to drive you bonkers!
Thursday is going to be here soon enough :).
This time around, I got to have the experience. I am, again, extremely grateful that there hasn't been any problems with this second pregnancy. But, instead of things being a walk in the park, I've been able to find out what it feels like to be nauseous all the time, feel like your hips are about to fall off, and the pain of a sweet little someone planting his foot into my ribs. All the normal pregnancy complaints! However, my paranoia about things like fetal movement and signs of labor have not gone away. If anything, they've intensified.
First time around, I went into labor on my own less than a week after finding out that I'd already started dilate and prepare for labor. This was shortly after I started to feel Braxton Hicks contractions (none of which were painful, or even that uncomfortable). The moment I had any kind of fluid issues, I freaked out thinking my water had broke. No such luck. But less than 24 hours later, I went into labor 2 weeks early.
This time, I've visited the hospital a total of 3 times. The first I was sent by my nurse practitioner because of the decent amount of contractions I'd been having and the fact that I had begun to dilate (almost half way). I knew I wasn't in labor, but that didn't mean that I wasn't going to be a complete basket case about when labor would start. She put me on red alert. I may not have been in labor yet, but it really was at the point that it could happen at anytime. I've been like this for 3 weeks now. I've also been to the hospital a second time for painful contractions (that went away thankfully) and then decreased fetal movement with a possible water breakage (he started beating my up shortly after I was hooked up to a monitor).
The closer the induction date gets, the more paranoid I become. I am literally driving myself crazy with worry. I feel absolutely silly being so worked up over something I have no control over. I have a pretty good idea of what labor feels like, so there's no need to jump to conclusions over things that I know aren't labor. I have made it to the home stretch, there's no need to flip out now! Advice to those of my friends who have control issues: enjoy your pregnancy (whether you be pregnant now or will be in the future) and trust your body. You'll know if something is truly wrong. Stressing out over the little things is just going to drive you bonkers!
Thursday is going to be here soon enough :).
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Waiting
I really have little motivation to update either of my blogs at this point. I now chase after my toddler most of the time so I don't always find the time to sit at the computer long enough to put something together. The great thing, though, is that I can update this blog in a shorter amount of time than my name blog. That takes a little more effort.
My update today is all about waiting. It's hard to say that you're miserable when you're waiting for a baby to show up. No matter how awful you feel, you're getting something pretty amazing out of it. But, the waiting game is crappy. Some days go by just fine, but many of them seem to drag on forever! I wake up every morning (ya know, when I decide that I'll just stay up after going to the bathroom for the 7th or 8th time) and I find myself able to say "Nope. Today isn't the day." I know that you can go into labor at anytime of day, but I still just don't see myself going into labor in the middle of the day.
The upside is that my wait has been cut down by 2 weeks. At 38 weeks and 1 day, I will be induced. This is assuming that I haven't already had Jude by then. My body has done a lot of the pre-work when it comes to labor. I really just have to start having some true contractions and we're off to the races. However, as some of you know, I can sit here at 4 cm dilated and 50%+ effaced for a few weeks and not go into labor. That is what has made this wait so unbearable. The fact that I can go into labor at any minute and already be half way there. It just makes it feel like labor should have happened by now. So, having an actual labor date has made me quite a bit less anxious.
Whether I will make it another 9 days or not is a big question mark, but at least I know that's all the more I'll have to wait.
My update today is all about waiting. It's hard to say that you're miserable when you're waiting for a baby to show up. No matter how awful you feel, you're getting something pretty amazing out of it. But, the waiting game is crappy. Some days go by just fine, but many of them seem to drag on forever! I wake up every morning (ya know, when I decide that I'll just stay up after going to the bathroom for the 7th or 8th time) and I find myself able to say "Nope. Today isn't the day." I know that you can go into labor at anytime of day, but I still just don't see myself going into labor in the middle of the day.
The upside is that my wait has been cut down by 2 weeks. At 38 weeks and 1 day, I will be induced. This is assuming that I haven't already had Jude by then. My body has done a lot of the pre-work when it comes to labor. I really just have to start having some true contractions and we're off to the races. However, as some of you know, I can sit here at 4 cm dilated and 50%+ effaced for a few weeks and not go into labor. That is what has made this wait so unbearable. The fact that I can go into labor at any minute and already be half way there. It just makes it feel like labor should have happened by now. So, having an actual labor date has made me quite a bit less anxious.
Whether I will make it another 9 days or not is a big question mark, but at least I know that's all the more I'll have to wait.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Ouy
Ouy. That's the only word that can describe how I feel at this point. I'm torn over everything going on with this kid. I want to go ahead and just go into labor but I know that he will still be considered preterm for another week and a half. I can't stop stressing about when I will go into labor but I want to just relax about it and not worry. It's going to happen when it's going to happen. There is nothing I can do to speed it up or prevent it. If that means that I'm gonna have a couple more weeks of sleepless nights, then so be it.
I think I can at least rest easy knowing that I can't get too much more uncomfortable. I have contractions whenever my body feels like it, in no particular pattern. Apparently, the nurse in labor and delivery thinks my contraction pattern looks like I have an irritable uterus....exciting. Sleep is just about impossible to come by because my legs get sore if I lay on them too long (I do lots of flipping sides). And chasing Bella around. Ugh. I get to cope with a little bit of everything now that I'm so close to going into labor.
How do I know I'm so close to going into labor? Go look at a list of early labor signs and I pretty much fit the bill. I'm not going to go into detail because it's really, really gross :). Although, no matter how many aches and pains I have, the worst part is the waiting. I can't lie. It's damn near unbearable. So, the plan is to take this a day at a time and try to find as much as possible to occupy my time. Otherwise, I may just go completely insane.
I think I can at least rest easy knowing that I can't get too much more uncomfortable. I have contractions whenever my body feels like it, in no particular pattern. Apparently, the nurse in labor and delivery thinks my contraction pattern looks like I have an irritable uterus....exciting. Sleep is just about impossible to come by because my legs get sore if I lay on them too long (I do lots of flipping sides). And chasing Bella around. Ugh. I get to cope with a little bit of everything now that I'm so close to going into labor.
How do I know I'm so close to going into labor? Go look at a list of early labor signs and I pretty much fit the bill. I'm not going to go into detail because it's really, really gross :). Although, no matter how many aches and pains I have, the worst part is the waiting. I can't lie. It's damn near unbearable. So, the plan is to take this a day at a time and try to find as much as possible to occupy my time. Otherwise, I may just go completely insane.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
My contraction!
Christmas is one of my favorite times of year because its always an awesome excuse to hang out extra with friends and family! Besides that, there's always tons of good food to enjoy. But for once, I've had something else on my mind during this holiday season. Bet you can't guess what that is...HA HA! It's Jude of course. He isn't an outside part of the family yet, but he sure loves to make his presence known to mommy.
Since 26 weeks or so, I've been getting a lot more aches and pains. In particular, I've been feeling those pesky Braxton Hicks. With Bella, I always thought they were really cool to have because it was just a sign of how close I was getting to having a baby. That was not the case this time. My contractions with Jude are far more uncomfortable and they started 9-10 weeks earlier than they did with Bella. My oh my does it make for an interesting day. I can't imagine what people think when they look over at me and see my face contort while I brace myself to get through a BH.
Well, that went on until a couple weeks ago, then all of a sudden it slowed down. For a week. Now, and since last Sunday or so, I am getting a ton of these contractions and they are becoming really uncomfortable. I think it may have to do with my size as well. The contractions seem to pair with a decent amount of back pain. I am surprised though at how easily I'm able to cope with them. I suppose its the season and all the warm fuzzies that come with it. I am by no means silent about the discomfort, but its easy for me to remember that its all a part of the process and it just means I'm getting closer and closer to having a baby again!
Besides, I can always remind myself that when it comes to having a baby, the phrase "No pain, no gain" is extremely accurate :).
Since 26 weeks or so, I've been getting a lot more aches and pains. In particular, I've been feeling those pesky Braxton Hicks. With Bella, I always thought they were really cool to have because it was just a sign of how close I was getting to having a baby. That was not the case this time. My contractions with Jude are far more uncomfortable and they started 9-10 weeks earlier than they did with Bella. My oh my does it make for an interesting day. I can't imagine what people think when they look over at me and see my face contort while I brace myself to get through a BH.
Well, that went on until a couple weeks ago, then all of a sudden it slowed down. For a week. Now, and since last Sunday or so, I am getting a ton of these contractions and they are becoming really uncomfortable. I think it may have to do with my size as well. The contractions seem to pair with a decent amount of back pain. I am surprised though at how easily I'm able to cope with them. I suppose its the season and all the warm fuzzies that come with it. I am by no means silent about the discomfort, but its easy for me to remember that its all a part of the process and it just means I'm getting closer and closer to having a baby again!
Besides, I can always remind myself that when it comes to having a baby, the phrase "No pain, no gain" is extremely accurate :).
