On Friday you probably noticed I missed my post. Now when that happens it means something has happened. I’d hardly forget to post my daily entry (weekends and holidays excluded). Before anyone starts sending us congratulatory messages, the babies are not here yet. It was just another trip to L&D, my home away from home.
I’d had some leaking. I wasn’t sure what it was, but didn’t think it was amniotic fluid. However, every book and message thread I’ve read and every nurse/doctor I’ve spoken to always say to check out things when something feels amiss. I’ve heard ‘better safe than sorry’ more times during this pregnancy than in my life. So I mentioned it to my home care nurse who administers my weekly progesterone injection. I told her it could be excess discharge (sorry, TMI) from the cerclage (the body’s reaction to a foreign object in the body) or just pregnancy hormones going crazy. I didn’t think it was amniotic fluid because it was consistently a small amount (compared to the gush when your water breaks). There are instances where small leaks do occur, i.e. sometimes after an amnio or CVS testing. I figured the babies were far enough along that if it was a small leak, it would be ok until my next doctor’s appointment on Wednesday. The nurse said otherwise. If it is a small leak, then the sterility of the placenta has been compromised which could be a dangerous thing (infection!) for the baby. She suggested I call my doctor’s office, which I did. I called and spoke to Mary (the nice nurse that gave me the negative results from the GD test) and she consulted with another nurse since no doctors were in the office. They advised me to go to L&D to get it checked out. Once again, it was ‘better safe than sorry’. I dislike going to L&D because I can never get out of there in less than 6 hours. Most of the time, I’m lying on an extremely uncomfortable bed with one pillow (if I’m lucky) and Mike has to wait downstairs. There are other women there that are about to give birth any minute and I hear them grunting, panting or moaning. At least this time, we didn’t go in late evening, rather we went in the afternoon and it was pretty crowded. For the first hour or so, I just lay there reading my book. Finally, they hooked me up and monitored the babies’ heart beat for 30-40 minutes. Finally, they tested for amniotic fluid and did an ultrasound. Everything looked ok, I had not ruptured (yay!) and got to go home after only 3 ½ hours!
So what was it? Well it wasn’t completely determined, but it could’ve been discharge or incontinence. I’ve never been so happy to pee in my pants or at least hope that was it. I worry discharge may be an indication of something bad, but incontinence is completely normal. Before you stat grossing out or start sending me packages of Depends, walk in my shoes for 10 feet. Not a mile, but a couple feet because you would then know what it feels like to carry so much weight in front of you. We’re talking about achy back, major pressure down there, basically feeling like the babies are going to fall out at any moment. I’d like to see how you guys would react if you had a (not so) little pea pod rolling over your bladder or kicking it. How long could you hold out before running to the bathroom? There’s a reason God made women have babies, men can’t handle it :-).
Monday, January 8, 2007
Thursday, January 4, 2007
OMG - 32 weeks!
It’s hard to believe this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. 32 weeks! I’ve been pregnant for 225 days and I’m in my 8th month of pregnancy. Now that it’s here, it seems too early for them to arrive. Just 4 more weeks, guys! Hang in there! According to I-am-pregnant.com, here’s what’s going on with the pea pods -
“A baby born now has an excellent chance of survival, but will still need intensive help with breathing and feeding. Your baby is 42 centimetres long and weighs about 2.2 kilos (four and a half pounds). The body growth slows down from now on. Because of the lack of space in the uterus, the legs are drawn up in what is known as the fetal position. The baby sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming (what the heck can they be dreaming about considering they’ve only known the womb and its darkness?). As a preparation for breastfeeding, your baby has learned to root for the breast. The baby will turn its head if touched on the cheek and open its mouth if the bottom lip is tickled. By this time the baby can also suck and swallow in a coordinated way.”
Also, Mike has redeemed himself for not reading this blog. Last night he stayed up creating the birth announcement for the babies. Many of you know Mike’s pretty talented as a graphic artist. He’s mostly self taught, which impresses me. As I’ve mentioned, he’s got great taste and appreciates quality over fads. Had we not met, I might still have shabby chic or Santa Fe furniture (I’m exaggerating to make a point, I’m not that bad!). To get back to my original point, we spent last night creating the announcements and they’re really cool. I’m glad we did this, we created our own wedding invitations (which I think is still one of the most beautiful invites) and so it seems appropriate we create the birth announcements. If you’d like to receive one of the announcement cards, email me (lisarj@gmail.com) your home address (as well as email addy). Even if you’re sure we still have it, send it anyway. As my friend Marky-mark liked to remind me I have a major case of ‘B.I.B.O.’ (Babies In, Brain Out).
“A baby born now has an excellent chance of survival, but will still need intensive help with breathing and feeding. Your baby is 42 centimetres long and weighs about 2.2 kilos (four and a half pounds). The body growth slows down from now on. Because of the lack of space in the uterus, the legs are drawn up in what is known as the fetal position. The baby sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming (what the heck can they be dreaming about considering they’ve only known the womb and its darkness?). As a preparation for breastfeeding, your baby has learned to root for the breast. The baby will turn its head if touched on the cheek and open its mouth if the bottom lip is tickled. By this time the baby can also suck and swallow in a coordinated way.”
Also, Mike has redeemed himself for not reading this blog. Last night he stayed up creating the birth announcement for the babies. Many of you know Mike’s pretty talented as a graphic artist. He’s mostly self taught, which impresses me. As I’ve mentioned, he’s got great taste and appreciates quality over fads. Had we not met, I might still have shabby chic or Santa Fe furniture (I’m exaggerating to make a point, I’m not that bad!). To get back to my original point, we spent last night creating the announcements and they’re really cool. I’m glad we did this, we created our own wedding invitations (which I think is still one of the most beautiful invites) and so it seems appropriate we create the birth announcements. If you’d like to receive one of the announcement cards, email me (lisarj@gmail.com) your home address (as well as email addy). Even if you’re sure we still have it, send it anyway. As my friend Marky-mark liked to remind me I have a major case of ‘B.I.B.O.’ (Babies In, Brain Out).
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
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.
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.
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."
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.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
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?).
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?).
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