Saturday, February 28, 2009

Happy Morning

Lil boy was so happy again this morning. He just wakes up making baby noises, coos, then eats, then lays down and talks and smiles. It was a very nice morning. Makes a girl not even mind waking up at 7 am on a Saturday. He did so good last night. He slept from 11pm till 4 am then till 7 am. I think I can function on that.
My brother and SIL are moving into their house today. Nathan is supposed to help them this afternoon. Then we are supposed to go to MILs bday party tonight. I thought my mom wanted to hang out today, but she hasn't called yet. I'm ok with a lazy day. I did get those picture frames, so I might try to get them ready to hang and nag Nathan till I get him to hang them. Of course, I could hang them myself, but he is really particular about pictures on the wall. I'll give him a chance this weekend to hang them, and if he doesn't, I'll hang them next week.

Friday, February 27, 2009

First smiles!

So we got our first smiles from little boy yesterday. He had what I call practice smiles earlier, but yesterday was the first big happy grin from just being a happy boy! This morning he woke up at 6:30 am in a very happy mood and the three of us just laid there and talked, and he smiled and opened his mouth big. It was wonderful. Then he puked all over the place... Had to change the sheets and his clothes... Life is good.

I'm hoping to get some pictures framed and hung on the wall today! My brother and SIL are moving this weekend, so my mom is keeping Mya, and we are supposed to go shopping tomorrow with the kids. We'll see how that goes.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Finally!

He finally pooped yesterday afternoon! He is feeling much better now thank you very much. No more vomiting either. I am feeling better too. I might try to go and visit some of the neighbors today that have babies. Lil boy (and I) were up from 2:30 till 3:30 am. Not so fun. He wasn't fussy, just awake. I was so tired. I think back to a few weeks ago and wonder how I managed to stay up all night long. Nathan will be off tomorrow so it will be nice to have him around to help. I might try to go and buy some picture frames for our family picture. The baby is good when I take him out, but my back is hurting too much to take that dang stroller in and out of the car. So heavy!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Dr visit

So the dr didn't do anything for the baby. He told us to try the q-tip in the butt, but that didn't work. And the Karo syrup last night... not so good. He vomited it all up, all over him and me. I was freaking out screaming for Nathan, and he was outside. The baby had vomit in his face, in his nose and mouth, and in his eyes. He couldn't breathe. I had to suction it out. It was so scary. And it was so nasty. But we cleaned up and survived. He didn't cry at all. Just blehhhhh and looked at me. Then he slept till 1:30, then till 3:30, then 5:30. Then we got him up at 7:00 to go to the dr. He vomited everytime he got up. Dr said it's normal.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

It's official

No poo poo for 3 days for lil boy. I don't know what the deal is. I called the dr. He is eating fine. We'll see what they say to do. He slept better last night, from 10:30 pm till 2:20 am then till 5:30 am then napped for a while on and off till 10 am. And he is getting better at putting himself to sleep. He just lays there and looks around for a while and then goes to sleep.

Never underestimate the power of a tiny penis... I was too slow changing the diaper, and he peed all over his playpen bed! Thank goodness it didn't get me in the face. So there's another load of laundry!

Monday, February 23, 2009

The mall

So I went to the dr and got some meds which will hopefully make me feel better soon. I dropped off the prescription and needed to burn 1.5 hours till it was ready. So I went to the mall. I think that if lil boy can be around me and not get sick, his immune system is pretty darn good. Plus it was during the day on a weekday and not too crowded. I went to Motherhood for some nursing bras, and there was this little girl about 3 years old who was there with her mother and grandmother. She saw the baby and came up to the stroller and looked... then tried to touch. I said, "You can look, but don't touch," hoping that her mom or granda would come and get her, but no such luck. Then she asked the baby if he wanted to play with her. I said, "He is too little to play with you." Still no help. Finally after I had to push her hands away, her grandma came and told the little girl to get away from the baby. The lady asked how old the baby is, I told her, and she again told the little girl to get away. I said, "She's just curious." Then the lady said, "Well your baby is very young and fragile." Like I don't know that. What did she want me to do, slap the little girl? I was trying to be nice without letting her touch the baby!

Still tired

I think my tiredness is from still being sick. I am ready to kick this cold so I can enjoy the rest of this week! Lil boy woke up at 11, 2, 4, and 6:30. He is sleeping now. I'm going to the family dr to see if they want to give me anything. I think I have sinus infection. I've been having weird dreams! And since my sleep is so interrupted, sometimes I remember a different dream every time I wake up. One of them last night was that Nathan wanted to sell the house and live in an apartment! Weird! I was having to just go along with it. I really like our house. It is a lot of upkeep, but I hope we stay here for a long time. It's nice with the baby that we have a living room upstairs that doesn't have to stay perfectly neat, and the ones downstairs can be used when people come over. I even think I've figured out how to fix it up for my SIL to keep the kids in their. I have an old hutch that will be perfect to use as a changing table. It has cabinets and drawers that can hold diapers and supplies and toys. And I have a chest that is empty for toys. And she has Mya's old crib that we can put in their for lil boy's naps. That will be good since Mya won't be able to pick up the baby from the crib (well unless she climbs in), but it will be less tempting than him laying in the bassinet.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Well Needed Help

Thanks ladies for the advice and for the encouragment. I know that life will get easier and that I will survive being a working mom. It's just scary going into different phases of being a mom.

So my MIL and FIL spend the night last night and I got to sleep 6 hours! The only reason I woke up was because my breasts were hurting and I needed to pump or feed. She had already fed him so I pumped and tried to go back to sleep. It took a while because it was just so strange not being able to check in on him, but I knew he was ok in the nursery with his grandparents sleeping. Then I fed at 7:00 am and sleep till 9:30 am. I still feel tired today maybe just because I am sick, but I do feel better.
I got to do my pregnancy/baby shower/hospital scrapbook today while MIL helped with the baby. She cleaned the house while I worked on it or held the baby while he was awake. We are having some of Nathan's family over tonight for dinner, which she pretty much cooked. I would rather them come over here than us try to go to a restaurant with them and be there forever. So here is a pic of my cutie tootie boy in his big boy clothes!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Answers and feelings

To answer Nancy's questions - Yes, I was on the list and they didn't hold a spot. So crappy. But I'm trying to focus on what could be a very positive thing coming out of this. More on that later. I think that is a good idea to have Nathan take on from evenings till 12:30 am. I think you and your husband have had some practice and know what works. I just try to do everything and break down and beg for help when I'm exhausted. I agree that it seems that I should let Nathan sleep, but I really don't feel like I'm getting to veg out and rest during the day. The baby only takes tiny naps and likes to be held a lot and fed a lot. Maybe we will try your plan next week. I think I also need to go to bed as early as possible.

Last night was much better. I was ready for bed at 8:30 and fed the baby and took care of him till 9:30. Then I slept. Baby wasn't sleepy so Nathan rocked him till 11:00. Then I fed at 12:00, and he went to sleep! Hallelujah! Till 4 am!! I did accidentally fall asleep with him in bed. I really didn't mean to. Then he slept till 6 am, ate, slept till about 8:30.

I've really been freaking about child care and working. I have been thinking about it, and since the daycare didn't work out... I asked my sister in law, brother's wife, mom to Mya, to keep Chesley while I work. She is moving here next weekend and doesn't have a job yet. She is very excited. My brother is a little worried about money and her driving 25 mins to my house, but I think it will work out. I'm keeping the mindset that if it doesn't work out, I'm hoping she can at least watch him till I find a daycare. It's a sacrifice for us because we will be paying her more than daycare costs, but he will be getting love and attention all day. And I'm a little worried about Mya being gentle on the baby and on my house. But we do have the big living room we don't use that will be perfect for the kids to play and Paulina to watch tv and hang out.
At first I thought I could take Chesley to her house, but it's kind of far, and I would have to drive there twice. Paulina would only have to drive once. I'm not sure what I will do about backup if she can't keep him. I'm still cautiously optimistic. I do think daycare will be better when he gets bigger, but for now I'm glad he will get more attention and be close to his aunt and cousin.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about going back to work. On one hand I will be glad to be back in the world of adults. We have to have the income. Not an option right now to sell the house and move. But I'm wondering how much time I will really get to spend with my little guy. I have a hard time getting things done around the house now. I wonder how I will do it working 5 days a week and still manage to spend time with the little boy. I guess I'll have to let things go sometimes and maybe get our family to help out once in a while. And I know that at some point lil boy will actually sit and play with toys instead of wanting to be held 24/7. Not that I don't love holding him, I just can't do anything else. I do put him down on the activity mat if he's in a good mood and he'll do that for about 10-15 mins or swing for 10-15 mins. He's still pretty fussy a lot, which is a main reason I'm glad he will have someone to care for only him and one other kid. I'm wondering how we will come up with the extra money, but I'm sure we will somehow. I have a dependant care account that lets me set aside tax free money every payday for childcare expenses. So the first $3500 will come out of that. So for a while it won't seem like we're paying anything. Then after that, we'll just have to make sacrifices, which I'm more than willing to do.

I actually think sometimes, what can I give up to make this work? Expensive makeup, clothes, perfume, shampoo, I can live without that stuff. I can cut back on eating out at work and try to cook at home, which does require help. I hope my husband is thinking along these lines too. I worry that he is upset over what he will miss out on, finishing his car. Health insurance is another big expense at extra $270 a month. Maybe we could sell one of our vehicles to help out. It's not a big deal to me. I love this kid and will do what I need to do to make everything work. And missing out on any of these things won't be a problem at all for me. Just think of what I've gained!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Life is hard right now

So last night wasn't so great. Baby ate and went to sleep around 11:00. I breastfed, and he didn't seem satisfied. We gave him his first bottle of formula, which he sucked down, and he actually slept 4 hours, which was good. Then I fed him and stayed up for an hour till 3:30 am. I am sick with a cold and starting feeling tired and miserable, so I woke Nathan up and that wasn't such a great idea. We got into a fight and said ugly things to each other. He did get up and rock the baby for a while and I got to sleep for a couple more hours. We are ok now, but I don't like fighting in the middle of the night.

I think I'm going to get out of the house for a while even though I feel crappy. I need more cold meds. I think I'm going to hang out at my parents' house and maybe even go to the park and take a little walk.

I also think I'm going to do something I've been majorly avoiding... calling the daycare and trying to pick a date to go back to work.

Update... Just called the daycare and they obviously didn't hold a spot for me... Great... The oldest baby in the class is 6 months and won't move up classes for about 3 months... I'm not sure what we will do. Maybe we'll try to find a nanny for a few months then do daycare. I would like that better anyways. All the good daycares here have long waiting lists. Now I see that being on the list doesn't mean getting a spot...

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Tired...

I didn't get a chance to post earlier. Lil boy only takes one or two one hour naps a day. One is for me to eat and read posts and news. The other is to try and relax. I tried to nap, but I couldn't fall asleep. Last night was really bad. I got 3 hours of sleep. I went to the dr today for my 6 week postpartum checkup. Everything is good. I'm feeling much better, still not 100% healed, but she thinks in a couple more weeks I'll be better. I'm just so tired. When she asked if I'm getting any sleep I couldn't help but almost start crying and she could see it. She says I really need more sleep and that sleep deprivation is torture. I'm going to try to get Nathan to help me a little tonight. He always says he will, but in the middle of the night when I try to get him up, he won't... So we'll see. I did feel like a zombie most of the day today.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tired

So my lil boy has been super hungry lately. He went to sleep well last night but woke up 30 mins later starving. Then 2 hours later, then 2 hours later, and you get the point. He is just hungry all the time. Hopefully he'll get satisfied tonight and do better. It's very tiring. I got Nathan up at 5:00 to give me a break. Now we're just hangin out doin our thang... not much.

Monday, February 16, 2009

All alone

So it was really nice having Nathan here the past few days. I didn't have to worry about the baby screaming while I'm doing something and having to stop or hear him scream. But now I'm by myself and have to learn to deal with it. Right now he's sitting in his chair looking outside and talking. We had a great weekend. It was so nice to see my niece and play with her. It was funny that she is normally scared of Nathan, but she was attached to him big time. Lil boy's face is broken out horribly. I'm going to call the dr.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day


Here is my little Valentine!

5 years ago today Nathan and I were married at our church, Triangle Baptist Church in Nederland, TX at 3:00 pm. Our colors were red and pink of course. My four bridesmaids, Sarah, Kelly, Tiffany, and Tabatha stood by me as I married my wonderful husband.
The four groomsmen Lynn, Michael, Brett, and Steve stood by Nathan. Flower girls were Emma and Rachel. Ring bearer was Cameron. I will try to scan some pics soon. Everything was beautiful and a dream come true. We had about 250 guests including family and friends. We honeymooned in New York, which was freezing and covered in snow. We staying in a bed and breakfast about 90 miles north of the city next to the Hudson river. We went to West Point, Franklin Roosevelt's house, NY city, and even Orange County Choppers! It was so much fun. We made memories there that I will cherish forever.

Now I as look at where life has taken us, I am thankful to have such a wonderful husband and a beautiful wonderful son. May you all be as blessed as we are on this Valentine's Day.
Posted by Picasa

Friday, February 13, 2009

TGIF

I'm so glad it's Friday and Nathan is off today. He got up early with lil boy and let me sleep late. Hopefully he'll hang out with us today and just be lazy. It's nice to have help with the baby and to get a little break. And I like that Nathan and the baby spend time together alone. They need to continue that bond. We had a good night last night. It's so good that he is sleeping more. He still is up sometimes for a while, but it's improving and that's what matters. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and our 5th anniversary! Time has gone by so fast. I will try to do a post about our marriage later or tomorrow. I think my parents are going to come over tomorrow and cook dinner for us here. It gets so crowded at restaurants, and I don't want to be gone for hours. It's still not comfortable for me to sit in a chair for too long.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Par-tay!

Lil boy slept till 2am!! Woo-hoo! I couldn't hardly believe when I woke up to see 2 am and not like 1 hr after I fell asleep. I did my normal bedtime routine and then daddy rocked him to sleep, held him for a few minutes and laid him down. I actually read a book for a little while and went to sleep at 10:30. Then he ate and went back to sleep!

He's kinda fussy this morning, but I did manage to get a bath during his cat nap. And I ate breakfast while he sat in his bouncy chair. I went to change his diaper downstairs where I have a diaper caddy and supplies. I moved a blanket on the couch and cat puke went everywhere... Then right on cue, baby puke. Then I opened the diaper to find giant poo. What a life...

The dr didn't cut any stitches out yesterday. She said the ones that are bothering me are very deep, the cut would be painful, and would be very likely to get infected. She recommended leaving them in to dissolve in time. So it's nice not to get cut, but the stitches do bother me. But I trust the dr, and I will live. I keep reminding myself that one day things will be back to normal. Overall I feel ok as long as I can keep the migraines at bay.

Rigth now I'm typing and feeding a baby and watching the poor cat paw out the last few morsels of food in his bowl. They are seriously getting neglected. I'm excited that Nathan is off tomorrow. I don't need so much help in the middle of the night, but it will be nice for him to let me sleep late, eat breakfast, and shower without rushing. And it will be nice for Nathan and the baby to spend more time together.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

More advice

I posted this on Jewels blog and thought I would share.

I ordered some cute handmade baby stuff from etsy.com. I got a great mommy bag from gypsyrosehandbags. I got some cool stuff from modestmilk and babygoinplaces and sunnydaytags (all on etsy). Once you start looking at stuff, it's addicting, but I love my stuff.

Also, more random pregnancy tips: the only panties I liked were the bikini stretch panties from Motherhood. Not the hipster ones though. They rode up BAD. The bikini ones are pretty low cut and very stetchy, but they look like normal panties. I wore them when I was really big, and I am wearing them now. They're great. And the sleep bra from Motherhood is awesome. I have to wear a nursing bra 24/7 because of leaks, and this feels like wearing nothing. I am a 36C and wear a size small. They tend to run a little big. I've ordered many different bras, and this is the best. I find that I wear it even out of the house. It's thin, but with the nursing pads, there is no show through. I also like this lacy bra. It says web only, but I got it at the store. I am super picky, and this one is nice. The other ones were not so great, and I tried them all on. I don't have much advice for predicting postpartum bra size. I started out pre-pregnancy at 34 B (barely), went up to 36B. Now I am 36C, but I'm thinking I might go back to 34C or 36B.

I'm surviving

So that was rough, but I'm surviving. I realized yesterday that the stitch she cut out was not the one that was bothering me. I really struggled with the idea of going in again for the third day in a row. I feel like a nutcase, like I'm imagining things. But when I'm going crazy wanting to cut this out myself, I need to see the dr. It bothers me so much it's all I think about. Whether there is something there or not, I will feel better if I get checked. I'm not looking forward to bringing the baby in. But they will just have to help me.

Lil boy has gotten stuck on eating every hour, or else he screams. He only slept 2 hours at a time last night, not horrible, but not great. Maybe he'll nap for a little while and get really huingry and eat good and not eat every hour.

I got all my announcements and thank you cards done. I sent out 90.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

OMG dr had 2 do

OMG dr had 2 do mini surgery 2 get stitch out so i have a new big cut that hurts like hell. I hope its better soon. Lil boy might b only child.

Again

So I'm going to the dr again today. I feel really dumb having to go back. But I'm pretty sure I've got more stitches. Sucks.

Lil boy slept good from 9-1 and from 1:30 till 4. Then he was super wide awake. But it was ok. Those weeks of up all night were so hard. I almost can't believe I survived.

We all took a family walk next door last night to visit our neighbors who are having twin boys and already have 4 children. I brought her some packs of diapers that we had already opened and used a few and then lil boy outgrew them. She seemed happy. I hated to throw them away. And I sent a new pack of size 1s. We have so many packs of size ones, maybe too many. I'll just share them with her. She is 38 weeks pregnant and is delivering by c-section tomorrow. She looks great and is still running around and going strong. Her mother is staying with them to help for a while. It's going to be fun when the boys can play together.

Lil boy is fussy. We are having our singing and dancing time while I type. We sing Dixie Chicks every day. I really like rock n roll the best, but Dixie Chicks music is good for singing to baby boy.

I am really having a hard time thinking about going back to work. Really hard. It's not that I mind working, but I would really like to have someone stay with lil boy one on one at least till he's old enough to not need to be held all the time. I hate the idea of him screaming and crying laying in the bed. We'll see what I can do.

Monday, February 9, 2009

More fun

So the dr cut out more stitches today. Fun times. I'm still having migraines. Meds and caffeine help a little bit. And the crazy hot/cold weather around here is driving me crazy.

Lil boy did ok last night. I'm not feeling so much like a zombie anymore. I would have gotten more sleep, but at 3 am I couldn't fall asleep. Nice.

I bought lil boy some toys at Target yesterday that he really likes. I think we get as much enjoyment out of it as him. Nathan was laying on the floor with him watching him stare at the toys and lights. Lil boy is getting better at sitting/laying on his own for 10-15 minutes at a time. This makes me feel better. I love holding him, but I know at daycare they won't hold him all day. And he will be happier if he can be content on his own. Here is the activity gym we got him. He likes it. And the music it plays is actually nice and not annoying like most baby toys. Highly recommended.

I don't normally do movie reviews, but I have to share this one. It's called Stuck. It's about a girl (Mena Sorvino) who hits a man with her car while she is on drugs and drunk. At first she seems like a good person, but things go downhill fast. The story gets crazier and crazier. Irony abounds and flourishes. I was so tense and on the edge of my seat. This is not a relaxing movie. But it was very good. Definitely rated R and not for kids. Lots of nudity and bad language. Hope lil boy wasn't watching and listening...

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Good night

We had MIL and FIL spend the night last night. Lil boy slept very good till 3 am then till 6am. Maybe life will get easier. MIL is holding him right now, and I'm going to BRU to get a few things. I want another head rest snuggler thing. And I want something that he can lay on with lights and music. I bet he gets tired of looking at me all day... He likes his mobile, but I have to wind it up, and it only lasts one minute. So we'll see what I find.

I have more stitches that need to be cut out... Hurting again. WHY ME??? So hopefully dr can see me asap tomorrow morning. My dad is off work so he can babysit. So great! I just need that time to myself when I'm getting cut up. Things have worked out well with getting help with the baby. It's very nice to have family around.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Improvement!!

Last night went really well. I gave him a bath, which he really liked, then he passed out from 7-11 pm, ate, then slept till 3 am, then ate, then slept till 6:30 am. My SIL came and got him when he was fussy for a little while, so I got a lot more sleep than normal, which was nice. My ILs are coming to spend the night tonight, so it's a busy weekend, but I don't mind since my weekdays are super lazy and easy. My friend Rachel, whose daughter was born one day before Chesley and two doors down in the hospital, came over yesterday and visited. She is a super cutey!

On my heart

Today I have something heavy on my heart for a very close friend. As some of you may also be, and as I did for 3 years, she is suffering from infertility. At this point, I know I am not the best person to talk about infertility, but I did go through it and I know how it feels. My heart truly breaks for her as I hate that anyone has to feel that pain like I did. I tried my best to give a pep talk, and though it feels like doesn't count, I really mean it. I just want everybody that's going through infertility to know that there is treatment out there! Keep trying and get help! I feel all of your pain. I'm praying for you.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Back from dr

So I'm back home from the dr and she had to clip 8 more stitches!! Ouch!! She said she had never seen this happen before. The internal stitches are not dissolving on their own, and they are poking through the skin and tissue. It felt like I was sitting on barbed wire. Last night it was hurting bad. So I'm glad I went to the dr and didn't ignore the symptoms. It hurt like hell when she clipped them out, but I know it will feel better in about 24 hours. It already feels a little better than last night. Dang! How did I get so lucky? Dr also gave me med for migraines. She said lack of sleep could be trigger and that caffeine and tylenol will help. I actually didn't start drinking caffeine until I got the headaches.

Lil boy had an ok night last night, not great, but not horrible. We are having overnight guests for the first time tonight. Nathan's sister and her kids are coming. Hopefully it will be fun and not stressful. Hopefully the migraine meds will help. I want to get better!!!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Dare I say it?...

Another good night. Not quite as good as the night before, but I'll take it. He was down at 9:00, up at 12:00, back down, up at 2:00, down, up at 3:00, then up at 4:30, which is late enough for daddy time,thjen up at 6:00 and back down. So I was up at 8:00 for good, which is nice. I like sleeping late sometimes, but it's nice to be rested at 8:00 am, especially when you go to bed at 9:00 pm. I'm starting to feel like a normal person, getting some sleep, feeling better. I am going to the dr for me tomorrow. I just want her to check me to make sure everything is healing well. It's feeling a little bit bad still.

I'm getting out of the house for a little while, going 15 minutes away to my parents' house, just to get out, but still somewhere safe for the baby not to catch germs.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Unsolicited unprofessional advice

Since I have some pregnant friends out there and just for fun, I thought I would post some unsolicated and unprofesstional advice. If anyone disagrees or wants to add in, please comment. See my post on "ThingsI didn't know about pregnancy."

1. If something seems wrong, call your dr or go to the ER. You know your body the best, and worrying is not good. Better to just get checked out.
2. Read the books, but don't over-worry or get scared. What will be will be with labor and delivery and you will be ok.
3. For baby registry or purchasing - For your swing and bouncy chair, get something with a head rest to cradle baby. I got stuff with straight back and his head goes all over the place. I did get the head positioner which is great, but it would be better to just get something with a head rest.
4. Regarding screening results - I got a somewhat false positive. I worried, but not too much. Your dr will guide you through whatever needs to happen.
5. Expect the unexpected. Things could go 100% perfect for you, and hopefully they will, or things could go off track for a while. Just go with the flow and listen to your dr. I had no idea I would have to stop work at 35 weeks, but I did, and the world will go on.
6. Breastfeeding is hard work. It's each person's decision, but it's working for us. Don't worry what other people say, you will be judged either way. Either people think formula is evil or breastfeeding is gross.
7. Don't feel guilty if you are disappointed for a minute if you find out your baby is not the sex you desired. I was for a minute, then I was happy. I never knew how much I always wanted a little boy...
8. Maternity clothes - Unless money is a serious issue, buy some maternity pants when your regular pants are not comfortable anymore. Motherhood is great for $20-$30 pants. You will love them. If you have a choice between a perfect fit and too big, go for bigger. You will grow. I promise. I liked Old Navy Maternity clothes too. I also have some things from Target. I didn't need shirts till about 22-24 weeks when regular ones were too short. And I'm still wearing the maternity clothes for now, and no one can tell but me. And dresses are great for days when your belly is hurting or sore, even if you don't normally wear dresses. Skirts are great too.
9. Your feet will grow and your shoes might not fit. So don't go on a shoe shopping spree, maybe just one pair at a time. And I didn't like wearing heels. My feet were very sore.
10. Get a massage somewhere that has a pregancy table. It's awesome. I have a great therapist if you are local. Seriously, it's awesome.
11. Get your husband/significant other involved. Nathan went to a lot of appointments, but not all. It was nice, especially when the wait was long to have him there. If it was anything where we thought we might get bad news, he was there, and he was there for every ultrasound.
12. Get a man-friendly diaper bag so daddy can carry it.
13. Get a good car seat/stroller combo. Test it out in the store to make sure it's easy. They are a pain in the ass even if they are good, so don't go cheap.
14. Make sure you have newborn size clothing unless you are expecting a huge child. I only had 0-3 months, which is huge. We did have to buy preemie clothes and more newborn clothes. Carter's brand is smaller than others and Miniwear from BRU.
15. BRU and Target suck at returns, and Walmart is awesome, but our Walmart has crappy inventory. So pick your poison. Most people will get blankets and clothes. Just be aware of the store's policy.
16. Don't worry too much about money. Just save what you can. Things are working out for us so far.
17. Check out your health insurance to see if they have any special programs. Mine has a Healthy Pregnancy program where I'm supposed to get money sometime soon just for talking to a nurse once a month.
18. Take all of the classes you can take. It's good to be prepared, as much as you can.
19. Get a pediatrician sometime in the last 3-4 months of pregnancy. Mine is great, Dr. Hubbell.
20. Get ready for some fun with a newborn!

A good night

Thanks Jewels for the sleepy vibes. It must have worked! He slept very good last night. He woke up at 12:30 am, ate, slept till 3:00 am, ate, then fussed a little till 4:00 am, and went back to sleep. Nathan rocked him at 4:30 am without me having to even ask. Maybe life is going to get easier one day. Lil boy has been napping this morning, so I got taxes done and his papers submitted for his health insurance. I got my check from work for vacation in the mail, and we got a check from our windstorm insurance from the hurricane back in Sept. It's only a portion, but at least it's something. They have really taken forever. We would probably be madder if we weren't so busy with the baby. I called the dr trying to get in because I'm hurting a little more down there. Maybe more bad stitches.

Congrats to Charmaine and Kevin on their pregnancy!!!! So excited for you guys! Just keep reading here for the baby story.

Speaking of... He's crying gotta go.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Rough night

Well I guess the night before last was just a tease. Last night was really rough, very little sleep. Lil boy is very fussy today and wants to eat all the time. I did get a break long enough to bathe and then later eat something. More later if I get a break.

Monday, February 2, 2009

A good night

I'm not sure if this is the start of something nice or just a fluke, but Mr. Chesley actually slept through most of the night. He went to bed at 10:30 pm, was up at 1:30 am for feeding, went to sleep at 2:00 am, up at 4:00 for feeding, down at 4:45 am, up at 7:00 am, back down. So great. I still slept late and I feel rested for the first time in a long time. I never felt miserable while I was up with him. We'll see what happens tonight.

I've had some people ask about our diaper situation and peepee pants. It's gotten better. Not sure why. We are still using Pampers newborn. I have some Huggies newborn we will try today. Last time I tried them they were too big.

Thanks Nancy for the good advice. I really think the headaches are from caffeine. I'm having just a little once a day, and I'll try to get off of it slowly. The headaches are so bad, and nothing helps but caffeine.

It will actually be nice to have a quiet day today and quiet evening after going so much this weekend. And the weather is beautiful. Maybe we will get to go for a lil walk today when Nathan gets home. We live next door to a park, and it has a nice sidewalk. No serious excercise yet, just a 5 minute stroll to get out of the house.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

So much to do

Maybe it's because I'm feeling better, but it seems like I have a million things to do. I have a lot of time, but lil boy seems to take a lot of it with feeding and holding and snuggling, which I love. And I've been doing some light housework, folding clothes, dishes, straightening up. Dr said no housework, but I think things that only require sitting or walking around are ok. I'm not vacuuming or lifting anything heavy. I learned my lesson about heavy lifting last week when I bled like crazy. I need to finish the taxes and send them in. Nathan keeps bringing up things to add in, like sales tax on our car among other things. Maybe it's better to wait a couple of days to make sure we got everything. I need to address and send out announcements. I would love to send one to my blogger friends. Just email your address and you'll get one. If I run out, I'll get more. I need to finish papers for lil boy's health insurance, which I have to wait until Tues or Wed when I should get his birth certificate in the mail. I need to... hmm... I was sure there was something else. Nathan didn't do so great last night. He refused to get up at all. He sort of redeemed himself by getting up at 6 am and letting me sleep as long as I wanted, which was till 10:30 am when my breasts felt like they were going to explode. He fed the baby a bottle of pumped milk, so I had to pump when I got up.

This leads me to share my thoughts on breastfeeding (BFing). It is so hard! I know it's good for the baby and for me, and I am going to continue, but dang it's hard. And I am fortunate that lil boy had no problems learning how to latch. It's hard to wake up at 12 am, fed till 12:30, sleep till 2 am, then do it all again, and that's a good one. It's really hard to feed at 2 am, then stay up till 4 am and feed again, and maybe sleep at 5 am till 6 am. He bites (gummy bites) which hurts like hell. I don't know how I will be able to continue when he gets teeth, maybe just pump? Maybe he will learn to not bite. Even though he is a good latcher, when he is really hungry, he gets so excited that it takes him a while to get started, making him more mad, making it take longer, more mad, longer,... I do love the bonding time and how he is so happy and peaceful (sometimes) and just looks at me. And it's nice not to have to make bottles in the middle of the night, especially since our bedroom is upstairs. And my breasts get so full. It's very painful. And I'm finding that when I pump, even though I only pump when I'm going to miss a feeding, and I only pump 1 oz from each breast for a 2 oz bottle, when my milk comes in after pumping, it comes in hard and fast and is more painful. It will be nice tomorrow to take a break from pumping. I'm going to try to make one bottle a day just to get a little supply, and so Nathan can do a feeding if I'm sleeping once in a while. I'm setting small goals, 3 months, then 6, 9, 12. I would like to do 12, so we'll see.

I realize sometimes that I don't gush a lot about how happy I am with my baby, but let me assure you all that I am. I love him more than I can express in words. I would do anything for him. I have nightmares about something bad happening to him. I love to talk to him and watch him seem to listen. I have more patience with him than I thought I could with anyone. Who else would I sit up all night with screaming in my face and be thinking how much I love him? So I'm taking this moment to say I love being a mom, I love my son, and I love my new life. I also will love when he sleeps a little better, but that will come in time.

View My Stats