Today is day three of illness. Peanut has a cough and a fever. He seemed better this morning. He played really well and was a fun little kid. The fever seemed to be gone. Then we hit some sort of pot hole.
He said he had a dirty diaper (no he isn't potty trained yet - you do it) so we went to change it. It wasn't dirty or even wet so I said "let's go potty". I figured he had to go since he was talking about it. So he sat and I gave him an Elmo potty book. It has lots of buttons that make sound effects. The story is something about Elmo and his dolly David getting potty trained.
Anyway, Peanut sat there quite a while and then said he was done. He tried to take the book to the living room and I told him it was the bathroom book to be read while on the potty. This would be where the pot hole was lurking. He wanted to get back on the potty to read the book. I was OK with this, but asked him if he had to go or did he just want to read. Then he got upset. He threw the book (breaking it) and the rest of the day went down hill.
We had lunch and he spent most of it staring into space. He was really tired. So I took upstairs to nap. We started reading books and one thing after another he lost out on the last two books. Crying. Two hours later, still no nap. Some time after that I realized he was burning up again. He sat next to me and put his little head on my shoulder. He only snuggles like that when he doesn't feel well. We watched television and a movie to pass time. He ate a bite or two of toast for dinner and we were off to bed.
Things were going so-so at this point. He was totally exhausted. His poor little eyes were all puffy from being sick and crying so much. Bedtime is usually 8:30pm, but tonight I started at 7. Good thing I did. We did the routine and got into bed. He started coughing and then threw up. So I stripped him and the bed, got everything cleaned up and started over. He freaked out when I left the room without taking his cup and cried for a minute, then passed out. Thumper started to freak out at this point too. I fed him to quiet him and that worked for a bit.
Both boys were out of sync today. When one went to sleep the other woke up grumpy (or didn't sleep). When I finally got one calmed down and situated the other lost his mind. I didn't have much time for anything today. At one point I had to pee and remembered like 3 hours later I never did.
I would love to send Peanut to school tomorrow so I can rest. Since he had fever and threw up tonight I think it's a bad idea. It's movie day though. They basically watch a movie, eat lunch, nap and then watch another movie. I don't think he would be over active, but he might cough on all the other kids. I'd hate to start some epidemic. I might go out of my mind though. The next school day (rest day for me) won't be until next Wednesday. Aack!
I just realized both boys are asleep. I'm out of here and off to bed.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
On My Mind
First, my kid is sick. Peanut has had a runny nose for over a week and in the last few days a cough has developed. Today a fever popped up. It is low-grade, but will be watched. Tonight he was coughing so hard he threw up. He was pretty upset about it. Daddy did a great job calming him down and I changed all the bedding. During the day he would cough and look at me with tears in his eyes as if to say 'mommy, make it stop'. How I wish I could have. It really breaks my heart to see my kid sick.
So, no school for him tomorrow. As a mother I totally understand and he should stay home and I'll nurse him to health if I can. As an individual that is very used to sending him to school on a Wednesday I'm disappointed to have to give up 'my' day. Even though I still have Thumper I can relax quite a bit. Sure Thumper cries, but I feed him and put him to sleep and things are great.
Oh well. We'll probably end up watching television for most of the day. That's OK. Kids need those lazy sick days. It won't hurt him to be spoiled for an extra day. My concern at this point is to keep the other 3 family members from getting it. I pretty much get everything that gets anywhere near me so I'm probably going to get it. Please, please, please do not let the baby get it. That is the last thing we need.
Second, I am supposed to be helping my sister with a paint job. I did tell her ahead of time that this is her job and I would help when I could. I spent about 6 hours there yesterday and got 2 1/2 hours worth of work done. It's hard to work with a baby. He was extra fussy yesterday and didn't nap well. I was frustrated. When you have a baby you know you won't get stuff done, but you still want to. Anyway, I didn't work today and won't tomorrow or Thursday. So maybe on Friday if we all stay healthy I might get to work some. I have to keep reminding myself the kids come first and anything after that is gravy for me.
I told my sister tonight that I might have to stay home. She was pretty uncaring about it. She basically said 'whatever'. I was a little sad until I realized the other option is she makes me feel bad for not being there. Neither option was one I wanted, but I'm not sure there was one in between. Maybe she could have said something about she understands, but she'll still miss having me there. Yes. That would have been nice to hear.
Third. I'm tired. Have I mentioned that before? Oh. Well it's still true. I don't feel appreciated. Do I toot my own horn to get attention? That somehow feels fake. If no one notices what I do, then what's the point. I don't want to have to list what I do so someone can then say oh wow.
Fourth. Did I mention the cleaning people are gone? It was a mix up and I don't miss them really, but I miss having a clean house. We are total slackers when it comes to cleaning. Right now we have an excuse with the sick kids, but what then? I guess I'll try to find a new person soon.
So, no school for him tomorrow. As a mother I totally understand and he should stay home and I'll nurse him to health if I can. As an individual that is very used to sending him to school on a Wednesday I'm disappointed to have to give up 'my' day. Even though I still have Thumper I can relax quite a bit. Sure Thumper cries, but I feed him and put him to sleep and things are great.
Oh well. We'll probably end up watching television for most of the day. That's OK. Kids need those lazy sick days. It won't hurt him to be spoiled for an extra day. My concern at this point is to keep the other 3 family members from getting it. I pretty much get everything that gets anywhere near me so I'm probably going to get it. Please, please, please do not let the baby get it. That is the last thing we need.
Second, I am supposed to be helping my sister with a paint job. I did tell her ahead of time that this is her job and I would help when I could. I spent about 6 hours there yesterday and got 2 1/2 hours worth of work done. It's hard to work with a baby. He was extra fussy yesterday and didn't nap well. I was frustrated. When you have a baby you know you won't get stuff done, but you still want to. Anyway, I didn't work today and won't tomorrow or Thursday. So maybe on Friday if we all stay healthy I might get to work some. I have to keep reminding myself the kids come first and anything after that is gravy for me.
I told my sister tonight that I might have to stay home. She was pretty uncaring about it. She basically said 'whatever'. I was a little sad until I realized the other option is she makes me feel bad for not being there. Neither option was one I wanted, but I'm not sure there was one in between. Maybe she could have said something about she understands, but she'll still miss having me there. Yes. That would have been nice to hear.
Third. I'm tired. Have I mentioned that before? Oh. Well it's still true. I don't feel appreciated. Do I toot my own horn to get attention? That somehow feels fake. If no one notices what I do, then what's the point. I don't want to have to list what I do so someone can then say oh wow.
Fourth. Did I mention the cleaning people are gone? It was a mix up and I don't miss them really, but I miss having a clean house. We are total slackers when it comes to cleaning. Right now we have an excuse with the sick kids, but what then? I guess I'll try to find a new person soon.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Loads of Random
We've lived in our house for one year. We made the offer on July 4th and closed on my birthday. Then we moved in two days later. One month later I got pregnant. In the following months we've slowly painted and re-painted a few rooms. There is still a lot to do, but a couple rooms look pretty good. None of them are totally finished, but look nice enough for now. Maybe if I had mucho money to spend we could finish the decorating in a flash. I'm going as fast as the budget allows (which is pretty slow). That's ok. It gives me time to think of what I really want.
Why do smokers wear seat belts? Does anyone else think that's weird? Smoking slowly kills you whereas a car crash could kill you instantly. Are they afraid to die fast? I believe smoking causes cancer and other bad stuff to infect your body. Smoking will kill you. Sure, it's not immediate and some will argue that you will die anyway (although sooner if you ask me). A car crash would probably kill you pretty fast if not instantly. So smokers are ok with dying a slow cancer death but not a quick car crash death. Go figure.
I'm going to the dentist on Friday. I hate the dentist. Sure, I've never been to this one, but I already hate it. They clean your teeth and tell you how awful you are at taking care of your teeth. I do the best I can. Yes, I could do better, but I don't. So please don't make me feel bad about it. Just fix me up and send me on my way. Oh and could you just knock me out while you do the work? That would be fantastic.
My boys are growing so fast. Peanut will be three soon! It occurred to me he will be moving to a new room at daycare. He'll have a new teacher and be with new friends. Of course he has to be potty trained first, but I think that will happen soon enough. I hope he copes ok. Some of the kids in the 3's room he already knows from when they were in the 2's room. I'm not sure I can handle it.
The baby is growing fast too. I looked at him today while he was asleep on my lap. His head is enormous. I can't believe he is almost 3 month old. Where is time going?
My sister scored a couple of painting jobs. I do hope I can work some. I think it will be hard with the baby, but he does nap. Part of me doesn't want to work while he naps since that is my time. Making money seems like a pretty good motivator to do something though.
My cleaning service accidentally ditched me. I got a letter saying they were sorry I left when actually I never left. I told them to forget it. To me good customer service is making me feel like I'm the only customer regardless of how many they actually have. The gal started talking about how she has so many customers she can't keep track of them. Well, now she has one less. Apparently two less since some other person did cancel. She try too hard to get us back either. She said they could still come, but didn't offer to make it up to us in any way. I thought a little discount or something wouldn't have hurt them at all, but whatever. Saving the money is fine with me. We'll either find someone else or I'll try to get my butt in gear and do that on top of everything else.
Speaking of everything else...I've been doing the washing, folding and putting away laundry, loading and unloading the dishwasher, washing the other dishes by hand and putting them away, going to the grocery store, planning and fixing meals, generally cleaning up as well as trying to sort through the disaster that is the office and oh yeah, raising two children. Could I get a bit of appreciation? I'm feeling a bit overlooked. I think some of that comes from my sister. She asked me to help her design her daughters new room and I gave ideas and made drawings. She didn't really appreciate anything I did. Eventually, I sort of backed away. I wanted to help and be a part of it, but I also wanted to not be taken advantage of. So it's done or at least getting there. Some of it is how I suggested, but most of it is how her mother wanted it. So much for doing something the daughter wanted.
I've wrenched my back. I was on the couch and stood up with the baby and then it was stiff. It hurts to move. Guess I better figure out what medicine I can take. At this point I need a heavy dose of something.
Summer is almost over. I think we did what we could to enjoy it. Sometimes I think we stayed at home too much, but we made it to the pool quite a bit and did have some fun. Having a baby takes a couple options out of your life, but we tried to just incorporate him when we could.
I'm also attempting to sew again. I'm making new bedding for the baby. I've bought the fabric and I'm trying to sew a bumper pad and bed skirt with only the existing ones as a pattern. This should be interesting. I'll try to post a picture when they are done. If they are ever done that is.
I'm going to try to make this for a party this weekend.
Why do smokers wear seat belts? Does anyone else think that's weird? Smoking slowly kills you whereas a car crash could kill you instantly. Are they afraid to die fast? I believe smoking causes cancer and other bad stuff to infect your body. Smoking will kill you. Sure, it's not immediate and some will argue that you will die anyway (although sooner if you ask me). A car crash would probably kill you pretty fast if not instantly. So smokers are ok with dying a slow cancer death but not a quick car crash death. Go figure.
I'm going to the dentist on Friday. I hate the dentist. Sure, I've never been to this one, but I already hate it. They clean your teeth and tell you how awful you are at taking care of your teeth. I do the best I can. Yes, I could do better, but I don't. So please don't make me feel bad about it. Just fix me up and send me on my way. Oh and could you just knock me out while you do the work? That would be fantastic.
My boys are growing so fast. Peanut will be three soon! It occurred to me he will be moving to a new room at daycare. He'll have a new teacher and be with new friends. Of course he has to be potty trained first, but I think that will happen soon enough. I hope he copes ok. Some of the kids in the 3's room he already knows from when they were in the 2's room. I'm not sure I can handle it.
The baby is growing fast too. I looked at him today while he was asleep on my lap. His head is enormous. I can't believe he is almost 3 month old. Where is time going?
My sister scored a couple of painting jobs. I do hope I can work some. I think it will be hard with the baby, but he does nap. Part of me doesn't want to work while he naps since that is my time. Making money seems like a pretty good motivator to do something though.
My cleaning service accidentally ditched me. I got a letter saying they were sorry I left when actually I never left. I told them to forget it. To me good customer service is making me feel like I'm the only customer regardless of how many they actually have. The gal started talking about how she has so many customers she can't keep track of them. Well, now she has one less. Apparently two less since some other person did cancel. She try too hard to get us back either. She said they could still come, but didn't offer to make it up to us in any way. I thought a little discount or something wouldn't have hurt them at all, but whatever. Saving the money is fine with me. We'll either find someone else or I'll try to get my butt in gear and do that on top of everything else.
Speaking of everything else...I've been doing the washing, folding and putting away laundry, loading and unloading the dishwasher, washing the other dishes by hand and putting them away, going to the grocery store, planning and fixing meals, generally cleaning up as well as trying to sort through the disaster that is the office and oh yeah, raising two children. Could I get a bit of appreciation? I'm feeling a bit overlooked. I think some of that comes from my sister. She asked me to help her design her daughters new room and I gave ideas and made drawings. She didn't really appreciate anything I did. Eventually, I sort of backed away. I wanted to help and be a part of it, but I also wanted to not be taken advantage of. So it's done or at least getting there. Some of it is how I suggested, but most of it is how her mother wanted it. So much for doing something the daughter wanted.
I've wrenched my back. I was on the couch and stood up with the baby and then it was stiff. It hurts to move. Guess I better figure out what medicine I can take. At this point I need a heavy dose of something.
Summer is almost over. I think we did what we could to enjoy it. Sometimes I think we stayed at home too much, but we made it to the pool quite a bit and did have some fun. Having a baby takes a couple options out of your life, but we tried to just incorporate him when we could.
I'm also attempting to sew again. I'm making new bedding for the baby. I've bought the fabric and I'm trying to sew a bumper pad and bed skirt with only the existing ones as a pattern. This should be interesting. I'll try to post a picture when they are done. If they are ever done that is.
I'm going to try to make this for a party this weekend.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
All Around and All That
Thoughts on Olympic gymnastics.
1. Over the course of all these many years, why has no one designed an outfit that does not go up the rear?
2. One chick has a large forehead and a long nose. Wearing your hair poofed up on top only makes it all look that much larger.
3. Oh yah, the chick in #2 never smiles. I get you are nervous and all, but geez, look a little happy to be there.
4. Doesn't it hurt to land on the side of your ankles?
5. It freaks me out to watch the balance beam. I took gymnastics for a while and hated the beam part. Of course I have no balance so maybe that's why I didn't do so well. I can't imagine being there and going all those flips on something barely as wide as your foot.
6. I get that they are around the World from me and all, but does the stuff I want to watch have to be on at midnight? I have a baby for crying out loud. He's going to wake up soon and well, cry out loud. I need to sleep when he does, but this only happens every 4 years. It's not like I can catch the re-run.
7. Another chick has one eyebrow way out of sync with the other. It's annoying when they do a close up on her.
Go USA!
1. Over the course of all these many years, why has no one designed an outfit that does not go up the rear?
2. One chick has a large forehead and a long nose. Wearing your hair poofed up on top only makes it all look that much larger.
3. Oh yah, the chick in #2 never smiles. I get you are nervous and all, but geez, look a little happy to be there.
4. Doesn't it hurt to land on the side of your ankles?
5. It freaks me out to watch the balance beam. I took gymnastics for a while and hated the beam part. Of course I have no balance so maybe that's why I didn't do so well. I can't imagine being there and going all those flips on something barely as wide as your foot.
6. I get that they are around the World from me and all, but does the stuff I want to watch have to be on at midnight? I have a baby for crying out loud. He's going to wake up soon and well, cry out loud. I need to sleep when he does, but this only happens every 4 years. It's not like I can catch the re-run.
7. Another chick has one eyebrow way out of sync with the other. It's annoying when they do a close up on her.
Go USA!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
No One in the Bedroom
So, I had a baby not long ago. There are lots of books and whatever that says you should wait 6 weeks to do the deed after the birth. That's great. I was just sort of feeling slightly back to normal at 6 weeks. So here we are at almost 11 weeks and lets just say we haven't had 'relations' in a while.
On one hand I think we should sort of get it over with. The first time I mean. After that I think it will get better and we'll get back into the groove, so to speak. On the other hand I'm not interested so why force it? I guess because if we don't get to it, we may start having some issues.
I'm beat at the end of the day. Keeping up with the kids and the house is draining. Plus, Husband is in an MBA program and he is crazy busy with school. Two nights a week he is home late and the other nights he is usually doing homework. We rarely go to bed at the same time. Not much love happening there. I'm not complaining. I know he has to study to do well at school and I want him to do well. It's just that sometimes I want him to pay more attention to me.
I guess maybe 2 months isn't that long and I should give us a break. I was just thinking about it.
On one hand I think we should sort of get it over with. The first time I mean. After that I think it will get better and we'll get back into the groove, so to speak. On the other hand I'm not interested so why force it? I guess because if we don't get to it, we may start having some issues.
I'm beat at the end of the day. Keeping up with the kids and the house is draining. Plus, Husband is in an MBA program and he is crazy busy with school. Two nights a week he is home late and the other nights he is usually doing homework. We rarely go to bed at the same time. Not much love happening there. I'm not complaining. I know he has to study to do well at school and I want him to do well. It's just that sometimes I want him to pay more attention to me.
I guess maybe 2 months isn't that long and I should give us a break. I was just thinking about it.
Water Boy
We went to the Lake over the weekend. I actually suggested it on Friday. I figured it would be one of the last weekends for us to go this summer. I told husband that it was a lot of work to pack the kids and dogs, but we should go anyway. In reality it's more work than fun, but it's nice to go to see my father-in-law.
So we left early Saturday morning and only had to stop once to feed the baby. Once we were there we hopped on the boat and went for a ride. It was great. FIL drove and we sat with the kids. Thumper sleeps and Peanut hangs on for dear life. He does great if he can sit on a lap.
Husband took Peanut on the Jet Ski. He loves it. Shortly after take off he starts squealing with delight. It's fantastic. He gets so excited about it. I swam with him a bit too. The water was warm like a bath tub. We both put on life jackets and floated about.
Saturday evening we went out to dinner and then started the fun over again on Sunday. It was a great weekend. I had a lot of fun. The boys both did great the whole time with minimal fussing. The weather was great for boating.
I got a glimpse of future visits. My boys are going to love going to Grandpa's house. Not only do they get to see Grandpa, but all the water activities are great too. Anyway, it was a lovely weekend. The ride home, not so much. We left late since we were having so much fun and Thumper had issues. We had to stop to feed him twice and he was grumpy for quite a while. I think he gets tired of being in the car seat and the car in general. Peanut did fine, he got to watch a movie on the portable DVD.
So we left early Saturday morning and only had to stop once to feed the baby. Once we were there we hopped on the boat and went for a ride. It was great. FIL drove and we sat with the kids. Thumper sleeps and Peanut hangs on for dear life. He does great if he can sit on a lap.
Husband took Peanut on the Jet Ski. He loves it. Shortly after take off he starts squealing with delight. It's fantastic. He gets so excited about it. I swam with him a bit too. The water was warm like a bath tub. We both put on life jackets and floated about.
Saturday evening we went out to dinner and then started the fun over again on Sunday. It was a great weekend. I had a lot of fun. The boys both did great the whole time with minimal fussing. The weather was great for boating.
I got a glimpse of future visits. My boys are going to love going to Grandpa's house. Not only do they get to see Grandpa, but all the water activities are great too. Anyway, it was a lovely weekend. The ride home, not so much. We left late since we were having so much fun and Thumper had issues. We had to stop to feed him twice and he was grumpy for quite a while. I think he gets tired of being in the car seat and the car in general. Peanut did fine, he got to watch a movie on the portable DVD.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Lock 'Em Up
We went to the pediatrician for Thumper and ended up talking more about Peanut even though he wasn't with us. We asked about Potty Training and sleep issues. He didn't tell us anything new about PT, but did tell us about the sleep issues. He suggested doing the bed routine as normal and then closing the door and not going in. We've been doing it for almost a week and it seems to be working.
The nice thing about this is it takes us out of the equation. We don't give him any attention this way. Basically his room is on lock-down. No books, toys or anything. There's not even any light bulbs in there. I know it sounds crazy, but he got into absolutely everything. I don't care. If my child will go to sleep at bedtime I'm willing to keep it up.
The nice thing about this is it takes us out of the equation. We don't give him any attention this way. Basically his room is on lock-down. No books, toys or anything. There's not even any light bulbs in there. I know it sounds crazy, but he got into absolutely everything. I don't care. If my child will go to sleep at bedtime I'm willing to keep it up.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Singing
Do you hear that? That is the sound of angels singing. Wonderful isn't it? No, really. It's the sound of both my children asleep. At the same time.
Nap time has become a struggle again. Last night I hit on something that might work for a while though. Peanut kept crying so I went in there and scooped him up. I sat in the chair holding him like a giant baby. He hated it. I told him if he acted like a baby he was going to be treated like one. He settled right down and said he was a big boy. Off to bed he went without a fuss. Of course this was over an hour after bedtime, but whatever. Today at nap it worked again, but it didn't take nearly as long.
Nap time has become a struggle again. Last night I hit on something that might work for a while though. Peanut kept crying so I went in there and scooped him up. I sat in the chair holding him like a giant baby. He hated it. I told him if he acted like a baby he was going to be treated like one. He settled right down and said he was a big boy. Off to bed he went without a fuss. Of course this was over an hour after bedtime, but whatever. Today at nap it worked again, but it didn't take nearly as long.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
You Go Poo in the Loo
Peanut has been going potty at school. At least 2 out of 3 times he goes in the potty. I think he would get that third time if they weren't usually outside. Anyway, the teacher suggested it might be time to start potty training. Gads. I have been waiting until he was ready and I guess he is getting pretty ready. At school he gets candy. One M&M for trying and two for going. He loves it. That's the first thing he tells me when I go get him. "Mama, I got candy today" I know some people think it's gross to get food for going potty, but for him it's a fabulous motivator.
I'm not sure how smoothly the training will go with an 8 week old. There are many times he is so upset I can't really put him down to take Peanut to the bathroom. I know it doesn't work if the parents aren't willing to drop everything (so to speak) and get the kid to the bathroom. I guess for a while I can live with putting the baby down. It's not like I won't ever put him down, I'm just saying there will be moments when it will be difficult. I hope those moments are fewer and far between.
Now that we have decided to start this weekend, he seems fairly against going. We'll start it and see how it goes for a while. I suppose if we have to stop we will.
I cannot believe my little boy is growing up so fast. Getting him out of diapers would be great, but this means he is a boy, not my baby. Even though I have a new one, he is still my little baby.
So any advice? I could use lots of suggestions and helpful hints. What made it go fast? What slowed you down? What would you do differently? I guess we'll start in the next week or two. We'll get all the supplies ready and talk to the school. Wow!
I'm not sure how smoothly the training will go with an 8 week old. There are many times he is so upset I can't really put him down to take Peanut to the bathroom. I know it doesn't work if the parents aren't willing to drop everything (so to speak) and get the kid to the bathroom. I guess for a while I can live with putting the baby down. It's not like I won't ever put him down, I'm just saying there will be moments when it will be difficult. I hope those moments are fewer and far between.
Now that we have decided to start this weekend, he seems fairly against going. We'll start it and see how it goes for a while. I suppose if we have to stop we will.
I cannot believe my little boy is growing up so fast. Getting him out of diapers would be great, but this means he is a boy, not my baby. Even though I have a new one, he is still my little baby.
So any advice? I could use lots of suggestions and helpful hints. What made it go fast? What slowed you down? What would you do differently? I guess we'll start in the next week or two. We'll get all the supplies ready and talk to the school. Wow!
Clean it Up
So even though I'm not working and we bought a house, had a baby and bought a new AC all in the last year, we hired a cleaning service. See, with the new baby I wasn't getting any cleaning done. We put it off thinking we would get to it eventually. Months later (Eww, I know!) we still haven't gotten to it. Something about a constantly crying two year old, a breastfeeding newborn, grass that refuses to stop growing and just look pretty, an MBA to get and oh yeah, a full time job just makes it difficult to find time for anything else. I keep thinking 'this will be the weekend we get something done' and each weekend we do not get anything done.
To help with the dirty house part I hired someone to clean my house. It's pretty expensive, but about average as far as cost goes. It's a luxury I'm willing to spring for, for at least a little while. It's wonderful to have the bathrooms clean and the floors mopped. I only wish they came more often. So far it's every two weeks, but that is way better than what I'd be doing.
Some days I think I would really like to go back to work. Partly for extra money and partly for some 'me' time. Once the little one is a bit older I may try my hand at something part time. I really want to nurse him for about a year and I figure I may as well stay home and enjoy everything in that time. Our daycare doesn't take kids until one year anyway so I'm in no hurry.
To help with the dirty house part I hired someone to clean my house. It's pretty expensive, but about average as far as cost goes. It's a luxury I'm willing to spring for, for at least a little while. It's wonderful to have the bathrooms clean and the floors mopped. I only wish they came more often. So far it's every two weeks, but that is way better than what I'd be doing.
Some days I think I would really like to go back to work. Partly for extra money and partly for some 'me' time. Once the little one is a bit older I may try my hand at something part time. I really want to nurse him for about a year and I figure I may as well stay home and enjoy everything in that time. Our daycare doesn't take kids until one year anyway so I'm in no hurry.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Help Yourself
I wanted to shower today. Peanut was downstairs watching a kid show and Thumper was in the bouncy seat in the bathroom with me. I quickly showered and got dressed. Thumper was asleep so I went to check on Peanut, knowing how easily he can get into trouble.
He was sitting on the couch where I left him with a spoon in his hand. I thought it odd, but not really unusual. He has all sorts of odd toys. Anyway, there was also a phone box on the couch too. Husband got a new cell phone and the box was in the toy box to play with. Upon closer inspection of the box, there was some sort of goo in it. At first I was puzzled. What was it? I tentatively sniffed the contents and identified it as yogurt.
At this point I sort of panicked a little. How did he get it? Was there a big mess in the kitchen? I went in there and found the yogurt cup sitting on the counter. He apparently opened the fridge, got the yogurt, opened it, poured it into the phone box, grabbed a spoon and hopped back on the couch to finish the show.
I wasn't mad. I was more amazed he did all that without making a fuss or mess. I simply told him he had to eat his snacks at the table. He ran right in and finished the yogurt. I guess I'll have to shower at night when there is another adult at home to watch him. There is no telling what he could get into.
He was sitting on the couch where I left him with a spoon in his hand. I thought it odd, but not really unusual. He has all sorts of odd toys. Anyway, there was also a phone box on the couch too. Husband got a new cell phone and the box was in the toy box to play with. Upon closer inspection of the box, there was some sort of goo in it. At first I was puzzled. What was it? I tentatively sniffed the contents and identified it as yogurt.
At this point I sort of panicked a little. How did he get it? Was there a big mess in the kitchen? I went in there and found the yogurt cup sitting on the counter. He apparently opened the fridge, got the yogurt, opened it, poured it into the phone box, grabbed a spoon and hopped back on the couch to finish the show.
I wasn't mad. I was more amazed he did all that without making a fuss or mess. I simply told him he had to eat his snacks at the table. He ran right in and finished the yogurt. I guess I'll have to shower at night when there is another adult at home to watch him. There is no telling what he could get into.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Geez! It's July.
Our AC went out. It is totally dead. We spent last night with all the windows open and several fans going. I won't say it was pleasant, but it was OK. Today was fine since the weather was cooler. We keep the lights off and the fans going and that makes a huge difference. Someone is coming tomorrow to install a new one. The stupid thing is we haven't even lived here a year and the thing was new just before we moved in. It's not even a year old and it died.
In other news, Peanut is becoming more testy. He tries at every moment to get away with things he knows are wrong. He is hitting more, yelling more and all around being testy. We're trying to be patient since we just brought home a little brother and all, but come on already. Plus we realize he is two and that's what they do. Still. It would be nice to not have a half dozen time outs during a day.
The baby is doing well. He's growing like a weed. We go for our first check on Monday so we'll see where we are on the charts. I think it will be just like Peanut and he will plot his own line in space. What is in my milk anyway? I should bottle it and send it to starving countries. Forget oatmeal and rice, have some fattening milk.
In other news, Peanut is becoming more testy. He tries at every moment to get away with things he knows are wrong. He is hitting more, yelling more and all around being testy. We're trying to be patient since we just brought home a little brother and all, but come on already. Plus we realize he is two and that's what they do. Still. It would be nice to not have a half dozen time outs during a day.
The baby is doing well. He's growing like a weed. We go for our first check on Monday so we'll see where we are on the charts. I think it will be just like Peanut and he will plot his own line in space. What is in my milk anyway? I should bottle it and send it to starving countries. Forget oatmeal and rice, have some fattening milk.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Argh
Let me start by saying I love my family and have never been happier. That being said I think the postpartum phase has begun. I've been OK for the first few weeks, but I'm still not myself. It's not really the typical depressed, don't want to go anywhere or see anyone feeling. It's more the, tick me off and I'll punch you in the face sort of feeling.
I'm tired. I'm jealous of anyone and everyone sleeping more than me. I'd love to do something all my own for a day even if that meant going to work for eight hours. I'm tired of cooking, cleaning, keeping things in line and laundry. I'm tired of Peanut having no memory of things he is not supposed to do and doing them so often I'm on the brink of screaming. Is two years, eight months the point at which they snap and can do nothing but test me?
I'm tired of still looking/feeling pregnant. I know it's only been three weeks and I'm not expecting it to be different so fast, but my clothes don't fit and I'm tired of being sore. I think as a reward for birthing a child, nature should get your body back to you a lot faster. It would make dealing with things a lot easier.
At the end of the day I have given all I have to Peanut, the baby and the house and there is nothing left for me or Husband. He tries to hold my hand or do some other loving gesture and I can't stand it. I just want to be left alone. It doesn't mean I don't love him, it's just I have nothing left. At night when the baby wakes up he usually gets up with him first and I go to the bathroom and then stumble in to feed the baby. Husband goes back to bed until the next feeding. On one hand I think this makes sense since he has to get up and go to work while I can stay home and sort of lay around all day. But, on the other hand I hate that I have to be awake for an hour to feed, change and get baby back to sleep. Then I get to do it again in two hours.
That's another thing. That whole three hour schedule is bull. I realize you count from the beginning of a feeding to the next, but when it's an hour (or more) until you get done then you only have 1-2 hours before the next feeding. I guess that's some sleep, but just when you get comfortable it's time to get up again.
I feel that breastfeeding is the best option for my kid. It's healthy and good for me and not to mention cheaper than formula. But there are times I think it would be a lot nicer to let someone else take a feeding or two. Husband did offer to feed baby a bottle of pumped milk, but I'd still have to get up and pump so I may as well feed baby.
I'll get over all of this as soon as I get some more sleep and me time. There are things I'd like to do that I just can't yet. Once I can do them I think I'll feel a little more human. Until then, just don't tick me off or you might get that punch to the face. ;)
I'm tired. I'm jealous of anyone and everyone sleeping more than me. I'd love to do something all my own for a day even if that meant going to work for eight hours. I'm tired of cooking, cleaning, keeping things in line and laundry. I'm tired of Peanut having no memory of things he is not supposed to do and doing them so often I'm on the brink of screaming. Is two years, eight months the point at which they snap and can do nothing but test me?
I'm tired of still looking/feeling pregnant. I know it's only been three weeks and I'm not expecting it to be different so fast, but my clothes don't fit and I'm tired of being sore. I think as a reward for birthing a child, nature should get your body back to you a lot faster. It would make dealing with things a lot easier.
At the end of the day I have given all I have to Peanut, the baby and the house and there is nothing left for me or Husband. He tries to hold my hand or do some other loving gesture and I can't stand it. I just want to be left alone. It doesn't mean I don't love him, it's just I have nothing left. At night when the baby wakes up he usually gets up with him first and I go to the bathroom and then stumble in to feed the baby. Husband goes back to bed until the next feeding. On one hand I think this makes sense since he has to get up and go to work while I can stay home and sort of lay around all day. But, on the other hand I hate that I have to be awake for an hour to feed, change and get baby back to sleep. Then I get to do it again in two hours.
That's another thing. That whole three hour schedule is bull. I realize you count from the beginning of a feeding to the next, but when it's an hour (or more) until you get done then you only have 1-2 hours before the next feeding. I guess that's some sleep, but just when you get comfortable it's time to get up again.
I feel that breastfeeding is the best option for my kid. It's healthy and good for me and not to mention cheaper than formula. But there are times I think it would be a lot nicer to let someone else take a feeding or two. Husband did offer to feed baby a bottle of pumped milk, but I'd still have to get up and pump so I may as well feed baby.
I'll get over all of this as soon as I get some more sleep and me time. There are things I'd like to do that I just can't yet. Once I can do them I think I'll feel a little more human. Until then, just don't tick me off or you might get that punch to the face. ;)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Take Two. This Makes Four.
Peanut went to school on Friday and I spent the whole day snuggling with Thumper. We mostly watched television and slept on the couch. Once in a while I thought he felt warm, but since we were so close and he was wearing a sleeper I didn't think much of it.
Then yesterday morning he felt very hot to me and husband. Husband took his temperature and it was 100.4. We called the ped. office and they sent us straight to Childrens Mercy to be treated. The upside is he seems to be ok other than fever. The downside is that they test for everything by doing several cultures that take 48 hours. So we are stuck here until Monday for sure and longer if things don't turn around.
We did this same thing with Peanut. He was only 3 days old instead of 15, but a newborn is a newborn. The nurses are all pretty nice and take good care of him. The doctor was nice, but seemed a little odd to me.
Peanut got shipped off to his aunts house (again). We owe that woman a lot for watching him so much. We've been at a hospital 4 times in the last couple months. Unreal. Though I will say we're being watched over because it's turned out ok each time.
Then yesterday morning he felt very hot to me and husband. Husband took his temperature and it was 100.4. We called the ped. office and they sent us straight to Childrens Mercy to be treated. The upside is he seems to be ok other than fever. The downside is that they test for everything by doing several cultures that take 48 hours. So we are stuck here until Monday for sure and longer if things don't turn around.
We did this same thing with Peanut. He was only 3 days old instead of 15, but a newborn is a newborn. The nurses are all pretty nice and take good care of him. The doctor was nice, but seemed a little odd to me.
Peanut got shipped off to his aunts house (again). We owe that woman a lot for watching him so much. We've been at a hospital 4 times in the last couple months. Unreal. Though I will say we're being watched over because it's turned out ok each time.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
It's the Day After Your Birthday
Once the baby was born he stayed on me for quite a while. Other than getting weight, height and the apgar, he didn't go anywhere. It was nice to not have him taken away first thing. His color and breathing were good so I got to keep him for almost 20 minutes. Then the nurse came in to clean him and dress him and all that.
His weight was listed at 9lbs 13oz. and height was 21 inches.
After I got him back again and I was all situated with ice packs and whatnot we just spent family time together. The nurses disappeared and only came in to do the vital checks. It was really nice.
My sister brought Peanut later in the day. He was a little wary at first. I think seeing me like that made him a little nervous. I was holding the baby when he came in and he said "that baby came out". He did really well. We gave him a bag of presents to unwrap and he thought that was great. He wanted to hold the baby and even cried when he was taken away. He seemed to understand that the baby wasn't in mommy anymore.
They didn't stay long. We kept him in the room for most of the night but did send him to the nursery one time. He just wanted to suck and not nurse and my boobs were too sore for that. We sent him out so we could get a little rest. They brought him back screaming for food about 3 hours later. Glorious sleep.
They did the weight and vital check on him while he was in the nursery at 3 am. When they brought him back the nurse told us he weighed 9lbs 1 oz. This was a 12 oz drop. We figured on of the measurements had to be off. Turns out it was the original weight that was off. He probably weighed more like 9.03 or 9.05 instead of 9.13. It doesn't really matter because he was still big, but it's sad we won't ever know the true weight. 9.13 is in the book, but it's not right. That's the only thing about the whole experience that makes me sad.
The next day was busy. He was checked by the pediatrician, circumcised, photographed and visited by more friends. That was all before 10am. Then the paperwork lady came in and snapped at us to finish the birth certificate. We didn't have a name picked out yet. She was really rude about the whole thing. We put the do not disturb sign on the door and it took us about 10 minutes to come up with the name.
After that we just hung out and got to know the little guy.
His weight was listed at 9lbs 13oz. and height was 21 inches.
After I got him back again and I was all situated with ice packs and whatnot we just spent family time together. The nurses disappeared and only came in to do the vital checks. It was really nice.
My sister brought Peanut later in the day. He was a little wary at first. I think seeing me like that made him a little nervous. I was holding the baby when he came in and he said "that baby came out". He did really well. We gave him a bag of presents to unwrap and he thought that was great. He wanted to hold the baby and even cried when he was taken away. He seemed to understand that the baby wasn't in mommy anymore.
They didn't stay long. We kept him in the room for most of the night but did send him to the nursery one time. He just wanted to suck and not nurse and my boobs were too sore for that. We sent him out so we could get a little rest. They brought him back screaming for food about 3 hours later. Glorious sleep.
They did the weight and vital check on him while he was in the nursery at 3 am. When they brought him back the nurse told us he weighed 9lbs 1 oz. This was a 12 oz drop. We figured on of the measurements had to be off. Turns out it was the original weight that was off. He probably weighed more like 9.03 or 9.05 instead of 9.13. It doesn't really matter because he was still big, but it's sad we won't ever know the true weight. 9.13 is in the book, but it's not right. That's the only thing about the whole experience that makes me sad.
The next day was busy. He was checked by the pediatrician, circumcised, photographed and visited by more friends. That was all before 10am. Then the paperwork lady came in and snapped at us to finish the birth certificate. We didn't have a name picked out yet. She was really rude about the whole thing. We put the do not disturb sign on the door and it took us about 10 minutes to come up with the name.
After that we just hung out and got to know the little guy.
Friday, June 13, 2008
It's Your Birthday!
Due date 5/20. Pre-term labor at 33 weeks stopped with medication. Medication stopped at 36 weeks.
The due date pretty much came and went. We talked with the doctor and scheduled an induction for 5/30 at 6 am. It was a lot later than I wanted, but it was the only opening for the doctor and hospital. You take what you can get.
On 5/23 I woke up sick and started having different contractions. I thought for sure it was labor, but was not. This was trip #2 to the hospital with no baby coming out.
So on Thursday 5/29 I took Peanut to my sisters house to stay while we had baby. I stayed for dinner and got him ready for bed. I hated leaving him there because he is a hot kid and her house was about a 1000 degrees. Anyway, that night husband and I were doing last minute preparations and I said it was a bummer we couldn't have just gone in that night to get it started. He replied that it was nice for us to get to sleep in our own beds one last time. So we went to bed around 11 or so.
I was asleep and dreaming when I felt something gush. I either said out loud or in the dream 'uh oh'. Then it gushed again and I said/dreamed 'uh oh' again. At that point I jumped up, grabbed a towel and ran for the bathroom. I flicked the light on and just sat there pondering what to do. I took off my wet clothes and went to get some dry ones. Husband asked what was happening and I calmly said "my water broke". He bolted upright and started mumbling hospital. I tried to explain we were supposed to call the doctor and/or hospital first before just showing up. He was very tired as it was just midnight and we'd only been asleep for about an hour.
At the time I wasn't having any contractions and felt a little weird heading to the hospital without them. No need to fear though, they started like clockwork on the way, coming about every 3 minutes. By the time we got to the hospital, in the room and situated they were pretty strong. By now it was about 1:30am. I was finally starting to dilate a little too. I think I was a solid 2, maybe 2 1/2.
I labored through the contractions for a while, but they started to be pretty intense. I was worried it was too early for drugs. I didn't want to slow labor down at all. No need to worry. About 4 am I called the nurse for an epidural. I was dilated about 4-5 so I was happy to go ahead and get one. The lady that did it was nice and explained everything, but talked so quiet I could barely hear her. Anyway, after a little while I didn't feel anything. She gave me a button to push if the pain got more intense and I needed more drugs. Woo hoo!
I tried to sleep at this point, but they took my blood pressure every 15 minutes and each time it was below the acceptable level so the alarm went off. I had to page the nurse every time. She asked if I was dizzy or anything and since I was mostly laying there trying to sleep I didn't really feel too different. After an hour of this she called the drug lady back in. They gave me something to elevate my blood pressure. It went from 90 over 40 to 166 over something. This made me pretty sick and I started to throw up. Lovely. After a few minutes of this it was back down to 90 over 40 and I felt better. I'm not sure why this wasn't a problem, but they didn't do anything else at this point.
Shift change happens at 7 am so I got a new nurse. She wasn't quite as friendly as the first girl, but ended up doing a great job. I finally rested for a while until around 8:30am. The contractions started being much more intense and I felt the pain again. I was breathing through them even with the epidural. I kept thinking maybe this meant I was getting close to having the baby. So I pushed my drug button and paged the nurse. The doctor came in around the same time too. At 9:11 am I was fully dilated and effaced. The doctor said I should start pushing. So we did.
After the first push I started to throw up again. I was so disappointed. I didn't want to be sick, I wanted to get the baby out. I was so mentally ready to do what I had to do to get it out. Fortunately, I wasn't sick long and she gave me oxygen to inhale while I pushed. I was surprised how much this helped me feel better. Anyway, I pushed as best I could for 40 minutes or so. Then she said we should try tug of war. It was a great position for me. She tied a blanket in a circle so I could hold one side and she held the other. I could pull in front of me instead of on the sides of the bed. Just a few minutes later and we were ready. The doctor came in and said to stop pushing and they got everything ready. Then it took one more push and he was out.
He was so big, slippery and wiggly that I though the doctor was going to drop him. The nurse next to her grabbed his lower body and they sort of shoved him onto my chest. He looked just like Peanut. It was like having him all over again. They sewed me up and wiped off the baby. We were so happy.
The due date pretty much came and went. We talked with the doctor and scheduled an induction for 5/30 at 6 am. It was a lot later than I wanted, but it was the only opening for the doctor and hospital. You take what you can get.
On 5/23 I woke up sick and started having different contractions. I thought for sure it was labor, but was not. This was trip #2 to the hospital with no baby coming out.
So on Thursday 5/29 I took Peanut to my sisters house to stay while we had baby. I stayed for dinner and got him ready for bed. I hated leaving him there because he is a hot kid and her house was about a 1000 degrees. Anyway, that night husband and I were doing last minute preparations and I said it was a bummer we couldn't have just gone in that night to get it started. He replied that it was nice for us to get to sleep in our own beds one last time. So we went to bed around 11 or so.
I was asleep and dreaming when I felt something gush. I either said out loud or in the dream 'uh oh'. Then it gushed again and I said/dreamed 'uh oh' again. At that point I jumped up, grabbed a towel and ran for the bathroom. I flicked the light on and just sat there pondering what to do. I took off my wet clothes and went to get some dry ones. Husband asked what was happening and I calmly said "my water broke". He bolted upright and started mumbling hospital. I tried to explain we were supposed to call the doctor and/or hospital first before just showing up. He was very tired as it was just midnight and we'd only been asleep for about an hour.
At the time I wasn't having any contractions and felt a little weird heading to the hospital without them. No need to fear though, they started like clockwork on the way, coming about every 3 minutes. By the time we got to the hospital, in the room and situated they were pretty strong. By now it was about 1:30am. I was finally starting to dilate a little too. I think I was a solid 2, maybe 2 1/2.
I labored through the contractions for a while, but they started to be pretty intense. I was worried it was too early for drugs. I didn't want to slow labor down at all. No need to worry. About 4 am I called the nurse for an epidural. I was dilated about 4-5 so I was happy to go ahead and get one. The lady that did it was nice and explained everything, but talked so quiet I could barely hear her. Anyway, after a little while I didn't feel anything. She gave me a button to push if the pain got more intense and I needed more drugs. Woo hoo!
I tried to sleep at this point, but they took my blood pressure every 15 minutes and each time it was below the acceptable level so the alarm went off. I had to page the nurse every time. She asked if I was dizzy or anything and since I was mostly laying there trying to sleep I didn't really feel too different. After an hour of this she called the drug lady back in. They gave me something to elevate my blood pressure. It went from 90 over 40 to 166 over something. This made me pretty sick and I started to throw up. Lovely. After a few minutes of this it was back down to 90 over 40 and I felt better. I'm not sure why this wasn't a problem, but they didn't do anything else at this point.
Shift change happens at 7 am so I got a new nurse. She wasn't quite as friendly as the first girl, but ended up doing a great job. I finally rested for a while until around 8:30am. The contractions started being much more intense and I felt the pain again. I was breathing through them even with the epidural. I kept thinking maybe this meant I was getting close to having the baby. So I pushed my drug button and paged the nurse. The doctor came in around the same time too. At 9:11 am I was fully dilated and effaced. The doctor said I should start pushing. So we did.
After the first push I started to throw up again. I was so disappointed. I didn't want to be sick, I wanted to get the baby out. I was so mentally ready to do what I had to do to get it out. Fortunately, I wasn't sick long and she gave me oxygen to inhale while I pushed. I was surprised how much this helped me feel better. Anyway, I pushed as best I could for 40 minutes or so. Then she said we should try tug of war. It was a great position for me. She tied a blanket in a circle so I could hold one side and she held the other. I could pull in front of me instead of on the sides of the bed. Just a few minutes later and we were ready. The doctor came in and said to stop pushing and they got everything ready. Then it took one more push and he was out.
He was so big, slippery and wiggly that I though the doctor was going to drop him. The nurse next to her grabbed his lower body and they sort of shoved him onto my chest. He looked just like Peanut. It was like having him all over again. They sewed me up and wiped off the baby. We were so happy.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
More to Come
We had the baby on 5-30. Boy. Over 9 lbs, 21 inches long.
We've been home adjusting and getting used to things. Everyone is doing great.
I have lots of things to post and only one hand to type with.
For the sake of remembering what to post here are the topics I want to type about:
1. The birth story
2. Peanuts reaction to a new baby
3. My mother (lots of things here, but I'll remember as I go)
4. The differences in the first child vs. the second
Will I ever sleep again? Thumper has been sleeping pretty well for an almost 2 week old. Last night he went 6 hours between feedings. I'd guess he slept about 4 or so hours.
He's a good eater and a decent sleeper. The only trouble we have is burping him. He doesn't seem to want to let them out. It takes up to a couple hours to get them all out. Today he's been doing better at it.
We've been home adjusting and getting used to things. Everyone is doing great.
I have lots of things to post and only one hand to type with.
For the sake of remembering what to post here are the topics I want to type about:
1. The birth story
2. Peanuts reaction to a new baby
3. My mother (lots of things here, but I'll remember as I go)
4. The differences in the first child vs. the second
Will I ever sleep again? Thumper has been sleeping pretty well for an almost 2 week old. Last night he went 6 hours between feedings. I'd guess he slept about 4 or so hours.
He's a good eater and a decent sleeper. The only trouble we have is burping him. He doesn't seem to want to let them out. It takes up to a couple hours to get them all out. Today he's been doing better at it.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Smile and Nod
As I continue to be pregnant and near the end I thought I would compile a short list of things to and not to do concerning pregnant women.
Do:
Bring her a drink, snack, magazine or something so she doesn't have to get up. She needs to rest while growing a baby.
Buy her flowers, chocolates, or whatever else might brighten her day.
Offer to rub her back, feet or any other body part of her choosing to ease sore muscles. Better yet, offer to send her to a spa to have a pro do it.
Watch any other children for a while so she can have some relaxing alone time.
Have her make a list of things she would like done. Do one or two of them once in a while. She'll feel like things are getting done without having to strain.
Buy her something fabulous to congratulate her for carrying a baby for 9+ months without going insane (much) or killing anyone (though they deserved it I'm sure).
Encourage her daily (or by the minute). Let her know she is doing the best she can and you are proud of her. Pregnancy is tough, she is like a soldier in a war. She is working harder than you know and deserves some credit.
Do Not:
Ask if she is still pregnant. Yes, she is. Unless she doesn't know you at all you will get a call or email announcing the birth. Asking every day only reminds her she is still pregnant. If she doesn't know you at all then you're just being creepy.
Ask if she is ready to be done. Yes, she is. She knows this better than anyone. Don't act like it is a burden to you, she's got a lot going on.
Ask if she is having contractions or if labor has in any way started yet. If it's your business to know she will tell you. Asking this over and over only reminds her that, no, nothing is happening.
Say wow, gosh, oh my, holy cow, or any other exclamation indicating you are amazed she is so big and has not yet exploded.
Ask if her doctor is crazy or imply he/she is in some way not capable of delivering a baby. She has picked her doctor and put her faith and trust in this person. Do NOT shake her faith now.
Point out the due date has passed. She knows. She is well aware of that date and it's passage without giving birth.
Tell her how to feel, think or act. Yes, she may be irrational, but that is her right. If she is crying, acknowledge it, don't tell her to stop.
Do:
Bring her a drink, snack, magazine or something so she doesn't have to get up. She needs to rest while growing a baby.
Buy her flowers, chocolates, or whatever else might brighten her day.
Offer to rub her back, feet or any other body part of her choosing to ease sore muscles. Better yet, offer to send her to a spa to have a pro do it.
Watch any other children for a while so she can have some relaxing alone time.
Have her make a list of things she would like done. Do one or two of them once in a while. She'll feel like things are getting done without having to strain.
Buy her something fabulous to congratulate her for carrying a baby for 9+ months without going insane (much) or killing anyone (though they deserved it I'm sure).
Encourage her daily (or by the minute). Let her know she is doing the best she can and you are proud of her. Pregnancy is tough, she is like a soldier in a war. She is working harder than you know and deserves some credit.
Do Not:
Ask if she is still pregnant. Yes, she is. Unless she doesn't know you at all you will get a call or email announcing the birth. Asking every day only reminds her she is still pregnant. If she doesn't know you at all then you're just being creepy.
Ask if she is ready to be done. Yes, she is. She knows this better than anyone. Don't act like it is a burden to you, she's got a lot going on.
Ask if she is having contractions or if labor has in any way started yet. If it's your business to know she will tell you. Asking this over and over only reminds her that, no, nothing is happening.
Say wow, gosh, oh my, holy cow, or any other exclamation indicating you are amazed she is so big and has not yet exploded.
Ask if her doctor is crazy or imply he/she is in some way not capable of delivering a baby. She has picked her doctor and put her faith and trust in this person. Do NOT shake her faith now.
Point out the due date has passed. She knows. She is well aware of that date and it's passage without giving birth.
Tell her how to feel, think or act. Yes, she may be irrational, but that is her right. If she is crying, acknowledge it, don't tell her to stop.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
I'm Not a Doctor and I Don't Play One on TV
Last week my child skinned his knee in the driveway. It was finally healing a little. Tonight I suggested we go outside and while walking around the block he fell. The only injury? Tearing open the wounded knee. Not a scratch on him otherwise. At first the tears were from pain and the scare of falling, then they were from losing the jelly bean he was eating.
He seems terrified of bandages and won't let anyone touch it or look at it. We had to hold him down a bit to clean the concrete out of it. He will let you put 'lotion' on it. Lotion is his word for Neosporin.
There is nothing sadder than seeing a 2 year old limp around because of a boo boo.
I'm just not ready for my boy to get hurt, let alone bleed. I know I have a lifetime of this to come, but it really tears me up to see him hurt in any way.
Yes, he got more jelly beans.
He seems terrified of bandages and won't let anyone touch it or look at it. We had to hold him down a bit to clean the concrete out of it. He will let you put 'lotion' on it. Lotion is his word for Neosporin.
There is nothing sadder than seeing a 2 year old limp around because of a boo boo.
I'm just not ready for my boy to get hurt, let alone bleed. I know I have a lifetime of this to come, but it really tears me up to see him hurt in any way.
Yes, he got more jelly beans.
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