Fur Baby II

Bummer, the holidays are over. Mike has to get back to work and I’m on my own again. Of course, I’m not totally alone, I have my mom and sometimes my dad helping out. Unfortunately, it’s not the same as having someone your own age hang out. I get along with my folks, but there have been times when we’ve grated each other’s nerves. I supposed that would happen with anyone, but I feel so bad when I don’t get along with my own parents. There is a notable difference, though, with my parents vs Mike. I gain weight with my folks around, I tend to lose a little when it’s just me and Mike. Not that I’m blaming him, if anything I’m the one to blame. When the weekend rolls around, I’ve got a list longer than Santa’s with things to do. Most of the weekend, he’s doing errands or taking Oliver to the dog park. So usually, I eat 2 meals/day on the weekends compared to my 5 meals/day during the week.

Oh and no more mister nice guy, or super-hero Mike or saintly Mike. I’ve recently found out I can bag on Mike all I want because he doesn’t read the blog! Of course he can spend hours perusing Ebay looking at either Mustang parts or Stickley furniture rather than read the family blog!

As for the other important male in my life – our beloved puppy Oliver. My heart has been breaking for Oliver. Poor thing doesn’t realize his life is about to change drastically (again). First we moved him from Sacramento where he had a really good life. Every evening, Mike would take him to the park at the end of our block. Even though it wasn’t an actual designated dog park, all the neighbors brought their dogs around in the evening. There, Oliver had many friends whom he loved to chase and would chase him back or wrestle and play.

In OC, he doesn’t have his friends nor does he get to go out every night. Instead, Mike tries to take him to the dog park once a week. He’s our fur-baby and Mike plays him when he gets home. I can’t play with him much since it’s hard for me to bend over or squat. He’s also 20 lbs now so I can’t lift him up either. Here are some recent pics of Oliver with his favorite Christmas present.
I’m also concerned how he’s going to react to the new additions. He’s a male puppy so I don’t think he knows about babies. Our nieces have come over and he gets so excited because they’re closer to his size than adults. We’re trying to get him used to little people. Thanks to Maggie and Audrey for helping Oliver adjust. Right now, both nieces are initially a little afraid of the pup. Oliver overwhelms them because he’s a licker and a jumper. He loves to shower you with kisses which don’t bode well with Maggie and Audrey. After a little while, they gain a little more confidence and realize how cute Oliver is. And once they realize how harmless he is, both girls love to play with him (sort of). Maggie loves to throw toys and have Oliver chase after them, Audrey loves to pet him. She even loved to feel his fur against her cheek.

So I’ve been reading up on how to best prepare Oliver. Since I have friends (that means you – Dana, Leslie and Monica) that are TTC (trying to conceive) and who have fur-babies of their own, I thought I would share what I’ve found out.

This is from Babycenter.com -
“It’s all right to allow your pet near your new baby, as long as the pet is well behaved. It's common for a pet, who has until recently been the focus of the family's attention, to act jealous toward a new baby. You should allow your pet to become accustomed to the new baby while in your presence. Also, continue to give your pet plenty of attention, both when the baby is present and when you have time alone with your pet. This will keep the jealous behavior at a minimum. If your pet shows any aggressive or hostile behavior toward the new infant, you should quickly reprimand him. He will learn fast what behavior is allowed near the baby. When the baby is very young, I would recommend not allowing the family dog or cat to lick the baby's face. This could possibly transmit infectious material (such as feces) into the baby's mouth or eyes. As your baby grows older, her immune system will get much stronger and she can play with and even be licked by your pet without any consequences.”

And here are suggestions from a Babycenter thread I came across recently -
“play a CD of baby sounds-crying, etc. Also to bring something home from the hospital that smells like baby (blanket, diaper, etc). We have also been using a stuffed animal and putting it into the Baby Bjorn and moses basket and carrying it around and cooing at it.”

“After the baby is born, have your husband or someone else bring home a blanket that the baby was in while you’re still in the hospital and put it in the middle of the floor while you are still there (in the middle of the floor at home) and that way the dog/cat can get adjusted to the "smell" of the baby. Then, when you come home, just put the infant carrier on the floor and let the dog/cat do their dance/walk around it and smell it - just supervise while they investigate. It won't be a big deal at all.”

“There is a CD out there called "Preparing Fido" that has all types of baby noises on it so you can get the dog used to some new sounds. We got one of the baby dolls who makes cooing and crying sounds, we would hold it and put it in the bouncy seat to get the dog aware of the new arrival coming. I think most of all just strengthening some of your basic commands (sit, leave it, lay down, stay) was also helpful because you will use them with the baby.

Now we say "baby's toy" and "leave it" so she knows not to touch the toys. My dog is super gentle with the baby and actually knows when to let a toy go if the baby goes to take it from her etc. She totally takes so much abuse from our daughter and just sits there. We do not allow the baby to hit her or torture her in any way--we stop it as much as possible. And we never let the baby go in the dog's bed, that's her safe place that she can go when she doesn't want to be bothered.”

“The most common thing is to have someone take a baby blanket home for the dog to get used to the scent before the baby comes home and I went in the house first and played with her for a few minutes before my husband brought the baby in, because I hadn't seen her for a few days. Overall as much as you are nervous about it try and give the dog some attention too, have a new toy to give her from the baby and allow her to sniff around, dogs can become jealous just like siblings if you don't include them. Don't be surprised if the dog is overprotective of the baby as well, my dog didn't like it when my daughter cried in someone else's arms other than husband’s or mine. She would sit at their feet at attention like "what are you doing to my sister."

Hopefully, we won't have any problems finding a solution for us all. I'm sure Oliver will be fine and once the kids get big enough, he'll have playmates. It won't be like the episode of Brady Bunch where the family had to get rid of Tiger because of Jan. Oliver is a member of the family and here to stay.

New Year!

New entry for the New Year! To be honest, I had doubts of still being pregnant. Apparently so did Mike but, smart man he is, he never voiced them to me until after the clock struck midnight. The possibility of making it to 36 weeks seems much more likely now. I’m not losing site of the fact that labor could hit at any moment, but my count down has rolled back again and now I’m thinking 4 weeks and 2 days to go.

There’s so much to do still, will we get it all done? Will we ever be ready? It’s a similar question to those that are contemplating having kids. I’ve often heard people say they just aren’t ready yet to start a family, but is anyone ever really ready? There will always be some sort of excuse. It can be professionally or financially or even mentally. Most of you that are able to get pregnant naturally will be surprised when they get pregnant. But for those of us that aren’t as lucky, we plan, save, count down the days to when we hope we get pregnant. And then when it happens, we’re still not ready! Of course, the unknown is part of the fun (I think). The answer is no one is ever really ready.

Mike and I have been trying for quite a while and now that the birth is somewhat imminent, I feel like we’re not ready. Actually I should rephrase that, we’re not as ready as I’d like to be. My parents were married on July 22nd and I was born on May 22nd. I was born exactly 10 months after they got married, think they were ready? No car seats necessary then, mom just carried me in the front seat with no seat belt on. I slept on the coffee table surrounded by cushions on the floor. And look how great I turned out. A few bumps to the head never hurt anyone, right?

So I’m in full research mode now. I signed up for a couple of classes today, ‘How to Breastfeed’ and ‘How to care for a Newborn’. If I didn’t sign up for these classes, would we be totally screwed? In all seriousness, does the hospital give you a manual? How else are we going to know how to give a bath? I’ve heard (from friends with personal experience) not to take showers with them - something about being very slippery. What about their belly button stump? How often are they supposed to be fed?

I’m also getting feedback on equipment and gear. Should we get a tandem, side by side or jogging stroller? Which is more practical? What features should I look for? I’ve also called medical supply companies to inquire about renting a wheelchair for my big day out next weekend. S H O P P I N G!!!

Past couple of weeks, my sister and SIL (sister-in-law) have been bringing over baby clothes their kids have outgrown. I’ve also finally opened the box from our friend, Devi. Good news is that we’ve got a lot of cute clothes, bad news is that everyone’s babies were huge (8lbs and over!) and ours will most likely be 4-5lbs or thereabouts. So I’ll still need to pick up some clothes so our little ones won’t be bare naked. And blankets, diapers (which kind?), bedding (do they have sheets for coffee tables now?).

Kanga-Rhew

My sisters and I have sometimes referred to each other as kanga-rhews. Being pregnant, I feel more like a kanga than ever before. Carrying these two in my belly, I wonder how those marsupials manage. My back is killing me! I know this is perfectly normal. There’s a whole bunch of extra weight in front of me and my spine isn’t used to it. I don’t have the greatest posture to begin with (thanks to years of accordion practice), but now I’m fighting to straighten my shoulders. I’d really love to have my back cracked, but bending over is out of the question. Even lying on the couch has gotten uncomfortable. I can’t find a comfy position that lasts very long.

I’m also out of room. Even though I’ve got a license to eat whatever I want, I don’t have the room! How unfair is that? I’ve got a 2lb box of See’s Candies, a 3ft long box of Trader Joes Chocolate Mosaics, brownies, gingerbread cookies, swiss almond cookies and a slice of Doughboy’s red velvet cake (my favorite!) all sitting in my kitchen but I have no desire to eat of it. The acid reflux doesn’t help matters any. Instead of the awesome holiday treats, I’m loving my TUMS. My nurse who came to administer my shot today told me my internal organs are crammed up high. They’re all squished together. Imagine that?!?!

I hope I don’t sound too whiney. This is my outlet and my blog so I can say whatever I want and feel. And since these feelings are at the foremost of my thought, you get to read all about it. What else have I been up to? Netflix, one of the greatest services around has been a life saver. So far I’ve watched ‘The Break-Up’ – thought it would be funnier, didn’t think it was all that. ‘’Devil Wears Prada’ – also thought it was mediocre. Its saving grace was the DVD included a gag reel, my favorite part of the movie. ‘X3’ – good two hour distraction. And lastly, ‘DaVinci Code’ – it was good, although it felt like I was watching the Cliff Notes version of the book. Movies are great; I get caught up and forget I’m pregnant. Even after the movie is over, I tend to replay scenes in my head and dwell on them. My sisters are great to discuss movie details, but Mike’s over it the moment we hit the eject button. I figure I should watch as many movies as possible, before I’m subjected to Baby Einstein and Sponge Bob. Thank goodness Barney seems to be over (it is, isn’t it?).

31 weeks

31 weeks today! My initial goal of 32 weeks is nearly there. As I mentioned, we had a doctor’s appointment yesterday. The reality of bringing home the babies is sinking in and I’m slightly freaking out over it. I’ve been so concerned with keeping the babies inside; I haven’t given much thought to when they get here. The farthest I’ve allowed myself to think is planning the nursery and we all know that’s just really an excuse to shop. Btw, I’ve officially bought our first item for the babies. BabyUniverse is very cool. I placed the order 12/26 late afternoon and it arrived this morning. Plus, they’re affiliates of Ebates, so I got free shipping and a cash rebate. Having to double up on most things, I’ll definitely be scrimping and saving where possible.

Back to my freak out, the doctor said the babies could arrive any moment. If they came now, we’d have some time to prepare since they’d be in the NICU for several weeks. However, at 36 weeks (5 weeks from today!), they’d most likely come home with us. Of course, I desperately want them to come home with us. I pray none of you will ever know what it’s like to leave a hospital without your babies after delivering them. The emptiness and sadness is like no other. It’s unbearable. Obviously, leaving your babies in the capable hands of a medical team while they grow or get better is a completely different matter, but we’d much rather be buckling them in our cars and bringing them home with us.

But how do we prepare? Should I be reading Dr Sears? Dr Spock? Dr Seuss? What exactly do I need to have before they come home? Am I supposed to bring the breastfeeding pillow with me to the hospital? Are they supposed to have special going home outfits? Do I bring my brand-spanking new diaper bag to the hospital? If so, what goes inside? When do we decide whether or not we’re going to snip our boy? How long will it take to heal from a c section? What will I be able to do after the surgery? Will I be more mobile than now?

Sometimes the birth seems so far away, I think I’ve got plenty of time. But then some sites I’ve visited say items may take 5-6 weeks to arrive. Yikes, then I realize it’s not so far away.

It’s also weird to realize our lives are going to change irrevocably. No going back now. Mike and I won’t have ‘our time’ for the next 20 years or so. But then we realize we are ready for the next phase of our lives, we have been for quite awhile. We’ve lived away from our family, lived in a foreign country and traveled abroad. We’re prepared to share our lives, to teach the little ones and become kids ourselves once again. We’re looking forward to the joy they’ll bring us and our families (especially the grandparents).

I can’t wait for Mike to become a father, he’ll be awesome. He’s one of the most patient and compassionate people I’ve ever met (if he wasn’t before, he’s gotten plenty of practice being married to me). Mike had a pretty cool upbringing; there are a lot of traditions from his family we’d like to pass onto our kids.

Ok, I think I’m ready to do this now ;-)