I write this with a little girl snuggling on my shoulder - best feeling in the world!
Here's the birth story:
Just like her mommy (in terms of time management...), Rose Ellen decided she would need to be forced out instead of coming on her own. All week and by the end of Thursday afternoon, I had been feeling pretty consistent contractions - some pretty strong - but they would always subside. I kept thinking to myself, "I better go to bed early tonight so that I can get some rest before the baby comes tonight,"... then I'd wake up the next morning, nothing. I didn't go to work after Monday, because the contractions were pretty distracting. So Thursday rolled around, and I had already been scheduled the week before by my doctor to be induced that night. I definitely didn't think I'd be showing up "scheduled" to have a baby - I had really wanted to go natural, but I knew this baby needed to come out, and at the rate she was going, God only knows when she would've come out (Wednesday night I put Preston down for bed, and cried the whole time, since I knew that would be the last time I put him down as my only baby. He was really sweet and hugged me the whole time..).
Skip's mom came to the house to watch Preston, so we said goodbye and headed to the hospital. By 7pm they had started the cytotec to "ripen" things... I seriously was feeling like some sort of produce whenever they said that. The nurses said a lot of people don't feel anything, and just sleep until they start pitocin. Oh guess what, I was in the percentage where the cytotec started super strong contractions. At first they were tolerable, and I was working through them, but they got to the point where I was sure I had to be significantly dilated because they were so painful (They felt like the contractions I had with Preston when I was ~7-8 cm). So they checked me: 1.5. Awesome. Another dose of cytotec coming up.
At that point, I was finding it hard to breathe through things, so the nurse gave me a couple of doses of fentanyl over the course of a couple hours. That was able to take the edge off the contractions, and allow me to relax better between them, but it was wearing off. The nurse thought again that I for sure must be dilated... only 2cm this time. I was starting to feel pretty deflated by that point, because I really didn't want to get an epidural, and for sure not that early (I had been really hesitant about even getting the IV meds, but the pain overrode that...). I just couldn't work through the contractions, though, and they were only 2 mins apart, so I was getting no rest. I gave in. Epidural please.
Turns out the epidural allowed me to breathe and relax a bit - thank god. That was at about 3:30 am. They started pitocin at ~4:15, since my own contractions weren't doing anything productive. Well... turns out that was all Rose needed to get moving. At 5:25, I all of a sudden felt a TON of pressure and couldn't find the baby on the monitors... I was just about to call the nurse when she came in on her own. She checked me and I was already 9.5, and the baby's head was right there! Went from 3 to 9.5 in an hour! I frantically got Skip to call my mom, since she and Sarah were waiting for the call to come over from the hotel. It took them about 20 mins to get there - not bad (they said they made all but one light on Bluemound :))!
The doctor (who was very surprised I went so fast) broke my water, and then 3 pushes later, out she came! What an uneventful, easy delivery after the pain of the labor! She came out with her eyes wide open, pink and perfect. The doctors and nurses couldn't have been happier about how easy the delivery went - and I knew I was very blessed and lucky that there were no complications. Rose also took to nursing right away, which was such a difference from Preston who really took a little while to catch on.
We stayed at the hospital until Sunday morning, which allowed (forced) me to rest and stay off my feet, which was fine. Not to mention the help at night was good for the first two nights. Skip was back and forth with and without Preston, and we were grateful for the help from Nana that first night, but then also Grandma (i.e. Nom-na) and Papa Eckel.
Since then, we have been settling in well at home. Rose is on a fairly strict 3-hour nursing schedule, then sleeps up to 5 hours at night already. I'm not going to comment on anything with that, lest I jinx myself with how well she's been doing!
Her brother, well, it's been an adjustment for him. Preston is so sweet with Rose, and really wants to help and hug and kiss her. He's not a big fan of Mommy or Daddy, though, which has been tough. He's been acting out a lot more, but we are trying as hard as we can to find a balance between consistent correction, but also giving him some slack considering the circumstances. We know it's just a phase... and we're making sure he gets time with each of us away from Rose, and we're making sure he knows he's still our baby, too.
For now, that's the update, more to come later!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Thoughts at 41 weeks
Never thought I'd be writing this one! I seriously thought that by this point, we'd have a ~1-week old baby that we were getting ready to celebrate Easter with. I had plans to go out and get matching outfits for Preston and the baby if it was a boy, or a cute little dress if it was a girl. Alas, I doubt that at this rate I will even be home before Good Friday! It's funny, though, because I was born on Good Friday and came home on Easter Sunday, so it would be pretty neat if this one does the same. :)
I've been home from work since Tuesday, after my latest dr. appointment Monday afternoon. Dr. Lasser stripped my membranes (TMI), but wasn't too hopeful that it would get things really going. Which it really hasn't. I've had strong contractions here and there, but as soon as I think they are going to get more measurable, they die off. Darn. So in the meantime, I've been trying to clean up my house or just take it easy, and have actually finished 2 books in 2 weeks (The 1st two Hunger Games books - I highly recommend them!).
We have been sleeping upstairs for about 2 weeks, and it's been nice. There is definitely a lot to finish up there, but having the space now downstairs has allowed us to get things in place down there. The guest room is actually a guest room now (albeit Skip's dresser is still down there... he doesn't want to move it until we can refinish it...), but there is a sleepable mattress in that room. I got to put the new yellow quilt and shams on it, too, which have been waiting for seriously 6 months since I bought them. I was mildly excited about that one. :)
The back bedroom is now officially a playroom, and all of Preston's toys are back there. It's nice to have them out of the livingroom, since it's not big enough to have toys in plus people. I admit that I'm sure that room is going to become somewhat of a "dump spot" for stuff, but my thought is that it's contained at least. I have every intention of that space extending out into the porch when the weather gets nicer, too.
I've been really anxious, more and moreso each day I go over my due date. People have wondered if my dates were off, but I know for sure when I got PG, so the dates are spot on. My mom says this is my "Ellen" - just doing things on his/her own time. I haven't been stressing too much about the health of myself or the baby, except that I'm nervous as all hell if I have to get induced tomorrow night. The doctor doesn't want me to go past 41 weeks, although he also doesn't want to have to induce, either. I will go to see him tomorrow morning for him to try and "get things moving" again, and then wait until the evening for things to happen on their own. If not, I will be going to the Maternal Fetal Care Center/L&D to get induced... Please pray that if that does happen, that all goes smoothly. There is statistical evidence that induced labor/delivery has increased chances of ending in emergency c-section, and that's not something I want, obviously. I'm hoping this little one decides it will come tonight without any interventions.
I've been home from work since Tuesday, after my latest dr. appointment Monday afternoon. Dr. Lasser stripped my membranes (TMI), but wasn't too hopeful that it would get things really going. Which it really hasn't. I've had strong contractions here and there, but as soon as I think they are going to get more measurable, they die off. Darn. So in the meantime, I've been trying to clean up my house or just take it easy, and have actually finished 2 books in 2 weeks (The 1st two Hunger Games books - I highly recommend them!).
We have been sleeping upstairs for about 2 weeks, and it's been nice. There is definitely a lot to finish up there, but having the space now downstairs has allowed us to get things in place down there. The guest room is actually a guest room now (albeit Skip's dresser is still down there... he doesn't want to move it until we can refinish it...), but there is a sleepable mattress in that room. I got to put the new yellow quilt and shams on it, too, which have been waiting for seriously 6 months since I bought them. I was mildly excited about that one. :)
The back bedroom is now officially a playroom, and all of Preston's toys are back there. It's nice to have them out of the livingroom, since it's not big enough to have toys in plus people. I admit that I'm sure that room is going to become somewhat of a "dump spot" for stuff, but my thought is that it's contained at least. I have every intention of that space extending out into the porch when the weather gets nicer, too.
I've been really anxious, more and moreso each day I go over my due date. People have wondered if my dates were off, but I know for sure when I got PG, so the dates are spot on. My mom says this is my "Ellen" - just doing things on his/her own time. I haven't been stressing too much about the health of myself or the baby, except that I'm nervous as all hell if I have to get induced tomorrow night. The doctor doesn't want me to go past 41 weeks, although he also doesn't want to have to induce, either. I will go to see him tomorrow morning for him to try and "get things moving" again, and then wait until the evening for things to happen on their own. If not, I will be going to the Maternal Fetal Care Center/L&D to get induced... Please pray that if that does happen, that all goes smoothly. There is statistical evidence that induced labor/delivery has increased chances of ending in emergency c-section, and that's not something I want, obviously. I'm hoping this little one decides it will come tonight without any interventions.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
38 weeks
Yup, today's 38 weeks! How fast this time has flown by. Nothing really new to report, except that everything pregnancy-related is going well. Weight and blood pressure on track, baby growing (not going to be too big - thank God!), but still a little "cockeyed" inside. The doctor wants it to rearrange itself a little better before coming out, so let's cross our fingers that it settles into the right place as it drops! My appointment on Monday was in strobe lights... I had to take a sick little boy with me since he wasn't at the babysitter, and of course he found the light switches in the exam room. My dr. told me I'm going to have my hands full with a newborn and smart 2 1/2 year-old. I'm beginning to think the same thing!
I had the second two installments of my EMT refresher this past weekend (have to do it every two years), and thankfully I passed. After not running a call for a good 3 years, I really do need the "refreshing," so part of me enjoys it. It helped that my class was very friendly and my teacher was the best, but it did stink having to drive the 30 mile/35 min trip out to Stone Bank FD 4 times. I put a few miles on my car in those two weekends!
The house is the house. The floor is completely done, and most of the trim is in. We've been patching and re-sanding the little nail holes on the trim, and will touch up the paint on it this weekend. Furniture will FINALLY be going up. I've been sleeping up there anyways for the past week, which has been awesome. I can't wait to get everything settled both downstairs and upstairs, so we will be ready for Bean to make his/her grand entrance. The time is ticking...
We've been able to be outside a bunch this week, since the weather has been so ridiculously beautiful. Here are a few pics of Preston enjoying his time outside. The blue ones are what I will call "Adventures of Trying to Catch a Picture of a Two-Year-Old At a Park. i.e. Impossible!"
I had the second two installments of my EMT refresher this past weekend (have to do it every two years), and thankfully I passed. After not running a call for a good 3 years, I really do need the "refreshing," so part of me enjoys it. It helped that my class was very friendly and my teacher was the best, but it did stink having to drive the 30 mile/35 min trip out to Stone Bank FD 4 times. I put a few miles on my car in those two weekends!
The house is the house. The floor is completely done, and most of the trim is in. We've been patching and re-sanding the little nail holes on the trim, and will touch up the paint on it this weekend. Furniture will FINALLY be going up. I've been sleeping up there anyways for the past week, which has been awesome. I can't wait to get everything settled both downstairs and upstairs, so we will be ready for Bean to make his/her grand entrance. The time is ticking...
We've been able to be outside a bunch this week, since the weather has been so ridiculously beautiful. Here are a few pics of Preston enjoying his time outside. The blue ones are what I will call "Adventures of Trying to Catch a Picture of a Two-Year-Old At a Park. i.e. Impossible!"
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| Such a little boy, playing in the dirt. |
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| So muddy, but so fun! |
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| On his way down the slide! |
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| Hi Mommy! |
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| No time for pictures. |
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| Loves the swing! |
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| Apparently too sunny to look at the camera. |
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| Good to see that swing chains still pinch fingers. I thought that was only the case when I was a kid... |
Monday, March 5, 2012
Weekend Update.
In the year 2000.... In the year 2000!! (Delta Chi Sing 2002 anyone?)
Anyways... It was a good weekend. It really was. I'm just clouded by major pregnancy hormones these days, so sometimes I lose track of rationality.
Friday I was able to get off work a little bit early, so we took advantage of Lent and had dinner at St. Paul Fish and the Milwaukee Public Market. Despite the crazy snow, we had a really nice evening out, and totally overspent at the candy vendor at the MPM. Mmm...saltwater taffy....mmmm.
Saturday morning Preston and I went down to CL with Sarah, Steph and Owen for a little baby "sprinkle" Sarison was throwing for me. It was such a nice thing for her to do, and I really appreciated getting some time to catch up with the ladies of my family and a few close friends. We (and I) got some neat gifts, and the baby is now set to sleep with a brand new bassinet. Preston went with my dad and Andy and the little girls to get lunch while the shower was going on, and then came back and we hung at Harrisons for a little while before riding back up to Milwaukee with Mom and Dad. We stopped at the hotel so Mom and Dad could check in, then went on a wild goose chase for dinner. We ended up at Friday's at Miller Park, which was fine. After that, we swung over into Riverwest to drop the camera off for Skip, who was headlining Riverwest Follies with his band Astral/Subastral. He was very excited to have the opportunity to play for a good crowd, and apparently the show went pretty well. Mom and Dad dropped P and I at home, and we basically just went to bed.
Sunday, we all got up and sprung into action. By 10am, Andy, Jim, Nancy, Megan and Mom and Dad were at our house, ready to work. They had all volunteered to come up and really get some stuff done upstairs, which Skip and I welcomed. Andy and Jim really got cracking on getting the rest of the floor laid, while Skip worked on the electrical stuff - Nancy cleaned my ceiling fans, one of my "to dos" before the baby comes, and Mom cleaned the upstairs bathroom. Sarah, Michael and Elizabeth showed up by noon, so Dad/Nancy/MCE took PCM/MLH/EGH to the Children's Museum, while Mom and Sarah kept on with all types of cleaning. After a few hours and a Menards run, I was having a really hard time having everybody in the house, even though I appreciated the help more than I could ever say. It was just overwhelming and frustrating to not be able to do some things, and not get some of my priorities done. I just want my house back! I ended up absolutely melting down, and hid down in my basement for like a half hour... Not one of my best moments.
I finally crept back upstairs, and worked a little bit before we all ordered Mekong takeout for dinner. We devoured the food, just in time for the kiddos to all reach their limits - Preston especially. He and Megan and EGH play really well together, but after a whole day, "go away" was the coined term of the day between Megan and Preston. Mostly Megan (rightfully) telling Preston to leave her alone. All the kids got in their jammies, then Michael took the Harrisons home while Mom and Dad went back to the hotel. Preston went to bed about 20 mins after they left, and Skip and I sat up and talked for a little while before we both passed out.
As far as the house goes, however, there was a TON of progress made up there. Andy and Jim finished the floor, which looks great (and we appreciate their tolerance for continuing the herringbone pattern Skip and I decided to do in the bedrooms...). Skip was able to hook up all the rest of the electrical stuff, and then he and Andy got a ton of trim and moulding done. Mom and Sarah really got the upstairs bathroom cleaned out (it was horrible!), and Sarah got the downstairs one as well. Like I said, Nancy appeased my crazy nesting and cleaned all 5 ceiling fans in our house. Sarah and Michael cleaned off our bed upstairs and got it completely "sleepable" again, and my GOD did I forget how comfortable that bed is. The rest of the upstairs may not be quite finished, but hell, I'm finally up off the mattress on the floor downstairs, so I can't complain. I've been rationalized down by everyone enough now to realize that all the rest of the things to get done can be done one thing at a time, and that the few important things left will get there by the time Bean comes. I can't promise I won't have any more crazy pregnancy-induced meltdowns, but at least now I have a comfortable bed to escape to!
Plus, I have a full hour pregnancy massage tonight, so I will at least be loose. :)
Guess when Bean will arrive!
www.expectnet.com
Game name: beanmanning
Anyways... It was a good weekend. It really was. I'm just clouded by major pregnancy hormones these days, so sometimes I lose track of rationality.
Friday I was able to get off work a little bit early, so we took advantage of Lent and had dinner at St. Paul Fish and the Milwaukee Public Market. Despite the crazy snow, we had a really nice evening out, and totally overspent at the candy vendor at the MPM. Mmm...saltwater taffy....mmmm.
Saturday morning Preston and I went down to CL with Sarah, Steph and Owen for a little baby "sprinkle" Sarison was throwing for me. It was such a nice thing for her to do, and I really appreciated getting some time to catch up with the ladies of my family and a few close friends. We (and I) got some neat gifts, and the baby is now set to sleep with a brand new bassinet. Preston went with my dad and Andy and the little girls to get lunch while the shower was going on, and then came back and we hung at Harrisons for a little while before riding back up to Milwaukee with Mom and Dad. We stopped at the hotel so Mom and Dad could check in, then went on a wild goose chase for dinner. We ended up at Friday's at Miller Park, which was fine. After that, we swung over into Riverwest to drop the camera off for Skip, who was headlining Riverwest Follies with his band Astral/Subastral. He was very excited to have the opportunity to play for a good crowd, and apparently the show went pretty well. Mom and Dad dropped P and I at home, and we basically just went to bed.
Sunday, we all got up and sprung into action. By 10am, Andy, Jim, Nancy, Megan and Mom and Dad were at our house, ready to work. They had all volunteered to come up and really get some stuff done upstairs, which Skip and I welcomed. Andy and Jim really got cracking on getting the rest of the floor laid, while Skip worked on the electrical stuff - Nancy cleaned my ceiling fans, one of my "to dos" before the baby comes, and Mom cleaned the upstairs bathroom. Sarah, Michael and Elizabeth showed up by noon, so Dad/Nancy/MCE took PCM/MLH/EGH to the Children's Museum, while Mom and Sarah kept on with all types of cleaning. After a few hours and a Menards run, I was having a really hard time having everybody in the house, even though I appreciated the help more than I could ever say. It was just overwhelming and frustrating to not be able to do some things, and not get some of my priorities done. I just want my house back! I ended up absolutely melting down, and hid down in my basement for like a half hour... Not one of my best moments.
I finally crept back upstairs, and worked a little bit before we all ordered Mekong takeout for dinner. We devoured the food, just in time for the kiddos to all reach their limits - Preston especially. He and Megan and EGH play really well together, but after a whole day, "go away" was the coined term of the day between Megan and Preston. Mostly Megan (rightfully) telling Preston to leave her alone. All the kids got in their jammies, then Michael took the Harrisons home while Mom and Dad went back to the hotel. Preston went to bed about 20 mins after they left, and Skip and I sat up and talked for a little while before we both passed out.
As far as the house goes, however, there was a TON of progress made up there. Andy and Jim finished the floor, which looks great (and we appreciate their tolerance for continuing the herringbone pattern Skip and I decided to do in the bedrooms...). Skip was able to hook up all the rest of the electrical stuff, and then he and Andy got a ton of trim and moulding done. Mom and Sarah really got the upstairs bathroom cleaned out (it was horrible!), and Sarah got the downstairs one as well. Like I said, Nancy appeased my crazy nesting and cleaned all 5 ceiling fans in our house. Sarah and Michael cleaned off our bed upstairs and got it completely "sleepable" again, and my GOD did I forget how comfortable that bed is. The rest of the upstairs may not be quite finished, but hell, I'm finally up off the mattress on the floor downstairs, so I can't complain. I've been rationalized down by everyone enough now to realize that all the rest of the things to get done can be done one thing at a time, and that the few important things left will get there by the time Bean comes. I can't promise I won't have any more crazy pregnancy-induced meltdowns, but at least now I have a comfortable bed to escape to!
Plus, I have a full hour pregnancy massage tonight, so I will at least be loose. :)
Guess when Bean will arrive!
www.expectnet.com
Game name: beanmanning
Monday, February 20, 2012
34 weeks and a successful ethnic food weekend
Hello. At the request of a few friends, I thought I would post a little update (since I haven't written anything in like 3 weeks... oops!)
Anyways, I got to Week 34 this past Thursday. Holy crap has this pregnancy flown by! Everything really is great, though. I had my appointment with the doctor this morning, and he says I'm measuring right on track, and the baby is head down - just where we want it to be! Let's hope now that it doesn't pull an Owen Ziemer and shove its butt down there between now and the end of March... My blood pressure and weight gain were "perfect" according to the doctor, which was something I always like to hear. It just reiterates to me that the healthy feelings I've had aren't just in my head! The only issues I've been having have been some pretty nasty back and hip pain, made worse by the fact that I sit ALL DAY LONG for work. I have to make a serious conscious effort to get up and move and stretch throughout the day (something, in fact, I should probably get going on right now... instead of sitting on my tush writing blog posts!). I've found that a combination of consistent yoga and swimming really help the pain, but finding the time to go do that stuff has been a lot harder with this pregnancy - thanks to the two-year-old in residence at my house! I managed to have Andy adjust me this weekend, which was awesome, and I have an appointment to go see his old boss this evening, too. So that should help!
As far as the weekend, Preston and I headed down to Crystal Lake on Saturday morning, then piled into the van with my mom, my dad, UncleMichaelEckel and the 3 blondies to have lunch in Chinatown (a fun new word for Preston and Megan, by the way...). We got down there just in time to avoid a wait at Triple Crown (or maybe it's Original Triple Crown... there are two different places). We were so proud of the kiddos and how they loved things like shrimp balls, shu mai, bean paste cakes and a bunch of other things. Preston was particularly enamored by the tanks of gigantic fish and crabs, which actually was the eventual demise in our dining experience. The only thing he wanted to do was look at "all those fish!" so we didn't last too long at the restaurant, once Two-year-old Meltdown Mode was in full force x 2. We headed over to one of the grocery stores to get some Asian staples, and that was thoroughly overwhelming and crowded enough for all of us. Got some good stuff, though.
We came back to CL, and stopped quick at Joseph's for a few more things (which included a Polish juice/nectar I've found and P loves, and carnitas, guacamole and salsa for dinner), before heading up to McHenry to Andy's office. Getting adjusted was the primary purpose for us going down to IL, so I got that done. Wow did it help! We then headed home, while the rest of my fam went to dinner.
Preston and I got home and woke up Skip (he had worked Friday night), then had those delicious carnitas for dinner. We vegged the rest of the night. On Sunday, we got up after sleeping in a little, and Skip started working upstairs while P, Stinky Evil Red Dog and I took a trip to Target (stupid store was out of size 4 diapers last time I was there. How does that happen?). After Target, since I hadn't managed to get everything I needed from the previous day's trip to Chinatown, we went up to Viet Hoa for a few more Asian staples. After getting super under-charged... we came home, had lunch, then I put P down while I worked upstairs with Skip for a couple of hours. We really managed to crank out a lot of work on the subfloor. We finished upstairs then came down and made some really tasty fried spring rolls with all of the goodies from the Asian stores. It was pretty funny, though, because Preston insisted on trying the sauce (he LOVES sauce - any kind) we were eating, but we were hesitant since Skip had added about a tablespoon of garlic chili paste to it. Well, he was insistent, so we let him try it. After a couple seconds of going "Ah! Blech! Blech!" he says, "Mmm, good! More?" Needless to say we have no worries that this kid is going to be just as much of a foodie as we are! Although I felt pretty bad at how red his little mouth and nose were after all that sauce! He didn't seem to mind, though. :) We had a nice evening after dinner, and that was about it!
This week I work, Skip works 3 nights, and then I have Part 1 of my EMT refresher on Saturday and Sunday (8-4:30 both days... yuck). Preston gets to have a sleepover with Nana and PopPop Manning this weekend while Skip cranks out some serious work upstairs. We're hoping to maybe see Harrisons for a little while this weekend, too.
Anyways, I got to Week 34 this past Thursday. Holy crap has this pregnancy flown by! Everything really is great, though. I had my appointment with the doctor this morning, and he says I'm measuring right on track, and the baby is head down - just where we want it to be! Let's hope now that it doesn't pull an Owen Ziemer and shove its butt down there between now and the end of March... My blood pressure and weight gain were "perfect" according to the doctor, which was something I always like to hear. It just reiterates to me that the healthy feelings I've had aren't just in my head! The only issues I've been having have been some pretty nasty back and hip pain, made worse by the fact that I sit ALL DAY LONG for work. I have to make a serious conscious effort to get up and move and stretch throughout the day (something, in fact, I should probably get going on right now... instead of sitting on my tush writing blog posts!). I've found that a combination of consistent yoga and swimming really help the pain, but finding the time to go do that stuff has been a lot harder with this pregnancy - thanks to the two-year-old in residence at my house! I managed to have Andy adjust me this weekend, which was awesome, and I have an appointment to go see his old boss this evening, too. So that should help!
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| Notice the little post-it on my computer... |
As far as the weekend, Preston and I headed down to Crystal Lake on Saturday morning, then piled into the van with my mom, my dad, UncleMichaelEckel and the 3 blondies to have lunch in Chinatown (a fun new word for Preston and Megan, by the way...). We got down there just in time to avoid a wait at Triple Crown (or maybe it's Original Triple Crown... there are two different places). We were so proud of the kiddos and how they loved things like shrimp balls, shu mai, bean paste cakes and a bunch of other things. Preston was particularly enamored by the tanks of gigantic fish and crabs, which actually was the eventual demise in our dining experience. The only thing he wanted to do was look at "all those fish!" so we didn't last too long at the restaurant, once Two-year-old Meltdown Mode was in full force x 2. We headed over to one of the grocery stores to get some Asian staples, and that was thoroughly overwhelming and crowded enough for all of us. Got some good stuff, though.
We came back to CL, and stopped quick at Joseph's for a few more things (which included a Polish juice/nectar I've found and P loves, and carnitas, guacamole and salsa for dinner), before heading up to McHenry to Andy's office. Getting adjusted was the primary purpose for us going down to IL, so I got that done. Wow did it help! We then headed home, while the rest of my fam went to dinner.
Preston and I got home and woke up Skip (he had worked Friday night), then had those delicious carnitas for dinner. We vegged the rest of the night. On Sunday, we got up after sleeping in a little, and Skip started working upstairs while P, Stinky Evil Red Dog and I took a trip to Target (stupid store was out of size 4 diapers last time I was there. How does that happen?). After Target, since I hadn't managed to get everything I needed from the previous day's trip to Chinatown, we went up to Viet Hoa for a few more Asian staples. After getting super under-charged... we came home, had lunch, then I put P down while I worked upstairs with Skip for a couple of hours. We really managed to crank out a lot of work on the subfloor. We finished upstairs then came down and made some really tasty fried spring rolls with all of the goodies from the Asian stores. It was pretty funny, though, because Preston insisted on trying the sauce (he LOVES sauce - any kind) we were eating, but we were hesitant since Skip had added about a tablespoon of garlic chili paste to it. Well, he was insistent, so we let him try it. After a couple seconds of going "Ah! Blech! Blech!" he says, "Mmm, good! More?" Needless to say we have no worries that this kid is going to be just as much of a foodie as we are! Although I felt pretty bad at how red his little mouth and nose were after all that sauce! He didn't seem to mind, though. :) We had a nice evening after dinner, and that was about it!
This week I work, Skip works 3 nights, and then I have Part 1 of my EMT refresher on Saturday and Sunday (8-4:30 both days... yuck). Preston gets to have a sleepover with Nana and PopPop Manning this weekend while Skip cranks out some serious work upstairs. We're hoping to maybe see Harrisons for a little while this weekend, too.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Getting there!
"Getting there" on two fronts:
First, the baby. I will be 32 weeks on Thursday, which means approximately 8 weeks to go! We're very excited, and everything has been progressing so well to this point. This baby seems to be a heck of a lot more active than Preston was, but maybe that's just because I'm more in tune to it. Who knows! I have been measuring right on track through all of my appointments, and I've been able to stay really active. I've slowed down just a little at the gym, and am now sticking mostly to swimming, walking, weights and stretching. Oh, and I've been trying to get to yoga at least once a week to keep loose. We will be ready for this little kiddo whenever he/she decides to make his/her entrance!
Second, the house. We are really on a role this week, and have gotten all the priming done - so now the walls are ready for paint. Bryan and Tamara finished up the drywall a couple weeks ago, so we've been really buckling down to get things ready by the time the baby comes. If we keep going at the rate we are, we'll be up there in a couple of weeks. Skip really has been working very hard to get things done - and I've been trying my best! Pictures to come...
We had an interesting week last week. Wesley, the son of our great friends Munch and Alicia was having heart surgery again (his last was about 3 years ago). There were some repairs that needed to be done on his valve, and they were hoping things would stay best-case scenario. Well, after surgery on Tuesday and a great progress in recovery, Wesley was able to go home on Sunday. We are all so glad that everything turned out okay, and we keep praying for him every day!
Because they were in and out of the hospital, our house served as a base for their showers and some overnight stays, as well as a "hotel" for their 12-week-old puppy Wayne. Wayne has a little bit of Vizsla in him (plus he's really still a baby), so it was an adventure having him around! He did well, though, and we got into a groove by the middle of the week remembering how to housetrain a puppy - it's been a while! Wayne got along okay (at the end of the week) with Scotch, but we were careful with him and Preston together. Wayne took down Preston pretty hard one evening, but Preston got him back by trying to ride him... It was sort of funny.
Also last week, Elizabeth had tubes put in her ears and her adenoids taken out. We found out that the regression she has been having since November was likely attributed to the immense fluid buildup in her ears - thus essentially causing her to be deaf. The pediatric otolaryngologist said that the tubes would be able to allow the fluid to drain, since her eustachian tubes were not doing their job (likely due to lower muscle tone from Elizabeth's Down syndrome). Her surgery went well, and she's had her good days since then. She's also had some frustrating days, but we all know she is basically re-learning a bunch of behaviors that she had lost over the past 3 months... so it's going to take time. There most likely will be some more and different doctor appointments in the next few months, but we're praying that she gets back to her old self and is able to speak and interact like she used to. We love her so much!
First, the baby. I will be 32 weeks on Thursday, which means approximately 8 weeks to go! We're very excited, and everything has been progressing so well to this point. This baby seems to be a heck of a lot more active than Preston was, but maybe that's just because I'm more in tune to it. Who knows! I have been measuring right on track through all of my appointments, and I've been able to stay really active. I've slowed down just a little at the gym, and am now sticking mostly to swimming, walking, weights and stretching. Oh, and I've been trying to get to yoga at least once a week to keep loose. We will be ready for this little kiddo whenever he/she decides to make his/her entrance!
Second, the house. We are really on a role this week, and have gotten all the priming done - so now the walls are ready for paint. Bryan and Tamara finished up the drywall a couple weeks ago, so we've been really buckling down to get things ready by the time the baby comes. If we keep going at the rate we are, we'll be up there in a couple of weeks. Skip really has been working very hard to get things done - and I've been trying my best! Pictures to come...
We had an interesting week last week. Wesley, the son of our great friends Munch and Alicia was having heart surgery again (his last was about 3 years ago). There were some repairs that needed to be done on his valve, and they were hoping things would stay best-case scenario. Well, after surgery on Tuesday and a great progress in recovery, Wesley was able to go home on Sunday. We are all so glad that everything turned out okay, and we keep praying for him every day!
Because they were in and out of the hospital, our house served as a base for their showers and some overnight stays, as well as a "hotel" for their 12-week-old puppy Wayne. Wayne has a little bit of Vizsla in him (plus he's really still a baby), so it was an adventure having him around! He did well, though, and we got into a groove by the middle of the week remembering how to housetrain a puppy - it's been a while! Wayne got along okay (at the end of the week) with Scotch, but we were careful with him and Preston together. Wayne took down Preston pretty hard one evening, but Preston got him back by trying to ride him... It was sort of funny.
Also last week, Elizabeth had tubes put in her ears and her adenoids taken out. We found out that the regression she has been having since November was likely attributed to the immense fluid buildup in her ears - thus essentially causing her to be deaf. The pediatric otolaryngologist said that the tubes would be able to allow the fluid to drain, since her eustachian tubes were not doing their job (likely due to lower muscle tone from Elizabeth's Down syndrome). Her surgery went well, and she's had her good days since then. She's also had some frustrating days, but we all know she is basically re-learning a bunch of behaviors that she had lost over the past 3 months... so it's going to take time. There most likely will be some more and different doctor appointments in the next few months, but we're praying that she gets back to her old self and is able to speak and interact like she used to. We love her so much!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
January zoo trip
Preston and I went to the zoo today - in January, and were able to eat outside! We were bundled, but not so bundled that we couldn't still be completely comfortable. The animals were all really active, which was great. He had fun chasing the peacocks (which roam free, and freak ME out), looking at "all those fish!" and watching the elephants who were really active. He was NOT a fan of the dark in the bat area, and almost wouldn't go in, but was okay if I carried him. I think we were there for over 2 hours, which is a record for us! We have a zoo pass from Mom and Dad, which is really nice, since if there's a meltdown or a day when the animals aren't doing much, we haven't wasted a whole day and a whole lot of money.
He, unsurprisingly, fell asleep in the car on the way home, and slept for few hours at home. I made some delicious home-made applesauce and Omaha Steaks hot dogs for dinner, which went over like a dream with the little guy (I haven't had a hot dog in a while - trying to stay away for the most part - so these ones were a nice treat!). After dinner, Preston helped me "neen up!" (clean up) some of the Christmas stuff, along with organizing my maternity clothes, which I now am almost exclusively in. :/
Now we're just hanging out, then off to bed! Here's a video from dinner tonight. This is a very typical dinner with this little crazy man! (I realized after watching this that at the beginning, he's saying he doesn't like "dinosaurs," not diaper. We have a dinosaur pop-up book that makes dino noises - he's not really a fan yet...)
He, unsurprisingly, fell asleep in the car on the way home, and slept for few hours at home. I made some delicious home-made applesauce and Omaha Steaks hot dogs for dinner, which went over like a dream with the little guy (I haven't had a hot dog in a while - trying to stay away for the most part - so these ones were a nice treat!). After dinner, Preston helped me "neen up!" (clean up) some of the Christmas stuff, along with organizing my maternity clothes, which I now am almost exclusively in. :/
Now we're just hanging out, then off to bed! Here's a video from dinner tonight. This is a very typical dinner with this little crazy man! (I realized after watching this that at the beginning, he's saying he doesn't like "dinosaurs," not diaper. We have a dinosaur pop-up book that makes dino noises - he's not really a fan yet...)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Dreams for the New Year
I've managed to avoid any particularly disturbing dreams this pregnancy, thankfully. Of course my dreams are always weird and vivid, but this last one was really bothersome. On the night of the 30th, first off, I had a really terrible dream about Preston, but I can't share it - just too weird. Hopefully it never comes back...
In the second dream, I was driving somewhere in a city where there were a bunch of overpasses, like in downtown Chicago or Milwaukee. I ended up getting stopped for speeding, almost directly under one of the overpasses. As the cop is writing my ticket, I look up and notice a semi is sliding sideways towards the edge of the bridge, and comes falling off the side. Everyone is yelling at everyone else to get out of the way, but of course it lands on some people. The cop lets me go, so I go running over to help people. As I'm doing that, I realize I'm telling others to "forget that one, that one, and this one," knowing full well they will never make it (it was pretty gruesome). So I start running towards another person, ready to cover them up with a blanket I had found, when I realized the semi had crashed onto a cart full of mannequin pieces and faces. So not only were there real bodies lying around, but also fake ones - and fake faces. Really disturbing. I found one girl who was lying on a couch under the bridge, and asked her if she was okay. She was alright, so I said I'm come back and check on her. When I came back a few minutes later, I realize it's a girl I know from Milwaukee, and hadn't realized it the first time. She was okay, and I hugged her telling her I was glad. That was basically the end of it.
So last night, I had a weird one that I'm beginning to forget, but it had something to do with airplanes (as my dreams often do), and how I ended up falling out of one. I asked the guy I was falling with if we were going to die, and he said no, just tuck and roll when you hit the ground. So I did, and I was fine...
Then all of a sudden I'm climbing a narrow staircase in a house like ours (I've been climbing a lot of stairs in dreams lately), except the stairs kept going like 30 stories. Each floor was a little apartment just like what our upstairs will hopefully soon look like... so I know where THAT dream was coming from!
In the second dream, I was driving somewhere in a city where there were a bunch of overpasses, like in downtown Chicago or Milwaukee. I ended up getting stopped for speeding, almost directly under one of the overpasses. As the cop is writing my ticket, I look up and notice a semi is sliding sideways towards the edge of the bridge, and comes falling off the side. Everyone is yelling at everyone else to get out of the way, but of course it lands on some people. The cop lets me go, so I go running over to help people. As I'm doing that, I realize I'm telling others to "forget that one, that one, and this one," knowing full well they will never make it (it was pretty gruesome). So I start running towards another person, ready to cover them up with a blanket I had found, when I realized the semi had crashed onto a cart full of mannequin pieces and faces. So not only were there real bodies lying around, but also fake ones - and fake faces. Really disturbing. I found one girl who was lying on a couch under the bridge, and asked her if she was okay. She was alright, so I said I'm come back and check on her. When I came back a few minutes later, I realize it's a girl I know from Milwaukee, and hadn't realized it the first time. She was okay, and I hugged her telling her I was glad. That was basically the end of it.
So last night, I had a weird one that I'm beginning to forget, but it had something to do with airplanes (as my dreams often do), and how I ended up falling out of one. I asked the guy I was falling with if we were going to die, and he said no, just tuck and roll when you hit the ground. So I did, and I was fine...
Then all of a sudden I'm climbing a narrow staircase in a house like ours (I've been climbing a lot of stairs in dreams lately), except the stairs kept going like 30 stories. Each floor was a little apartment just like what our upstairs will hopefully soon look like... so I know where THAT dream was coming from!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Post-Christmas news.
Last I posted was December 6th, so I've got some updating to do. First off, I had my 26-week appointment on the 12th, which went well. The scale did not cooperate, but the doctor is not worried, so I figured I'd just kick the gym-going into better gear, watch a little better what I eat, then just do what I do. Except that the next day I got a call saying that I needed to go in for further testing to rule out gestational diabetes (based on a preliminary blood test that day). So I did that, and thankfully everything came out okay. Since my weight gain has been okay and I eat well, I asked the nurse what could have set off my elevated blood sugar at the first test, and she said it could have been a number of factors, so not to worry. So I won't! The baby is moving like CRAZY these days, so I know all is well inside there!
On the 17th, I once again coordinated and participated in TubaChristmas Milwaukee, our 5th year up at Bayshore. Everything went really well, and we had an awesome turnout of over 30 players and probably 200 spectators. It was pretty cool. Boy was I sore after all the walking and tuba-carrying I had done that day, though! We went to a Christmas party that night hosted by my old Bioethics mentor and now-neighbor Kris and her husband Tim, which was a really nice time. Skip was particularly impressed by Tim's beer fridge, which he (Skip) strives to attain one day! Sunday we went down to Racine for the annual Breakfast with Santa at the RYC. Good times with Santa, crafts, and face-painting!
We visited with our good friends Adriane, Lawrence and Joe (5 days older than Preston) for a few hours on Wednesday night, as they were in town for a little while before the holiday. It was great to see them - we miss them since they moved to Ohio!
As for Christmas weekend, I had my office lunch on Thursday, then we headed north to Algoma for a couple days. It was really nice to get up there now that the crazy tourist season is over, even though not much is open. We had a nice time, and throroughly completed our Christmas shopping at a variety of stores in the area, as well as just enjoyed the cool weather and relaxing, while looking over Lake Michigan.
We came down to CL from Algoma, and spent Christmas Eve at Harrisons - the first Christmas Eve away from Grandma Preston's house in about 30 years... It went really well, and I think everyone had a great time. Christmas morning was at my mom and dad's, and then we came home for a leisurely evening just the 3 of us. We vegged and cleaned house on Monday, and that was about it!
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| Preston and his new OBSESSIONS - Cars characters. |
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| Cheese face for a cheesy little girl! |
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| You lose. :) |
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Things that have changed since becoming a Mom.
Okay, I admit I'm copying this a little from another blog I just read, but I have some things that I can add to the mix. For the better, for the worse, either way, I wouldn't trade any of these things back.
1.) I'm busier. No kidding! But it's a different type of busy. It may not be that I have plans every day of the week outside of the home, but I'm always doing something. You've got to be "on" 100% of the time with a little one. I am constantly preparing a meal, an activity, a bath, a diaper, a song, a dance... all the while fitting in laundry, cooking, cleaning, errands... all the while trying to find time to see loved ones! It's a little crazy, and I know it will even get crazier when two are in the mix.
2.) I'm fatter. Yep, I said it. I may weigh less now than I did when I was pregnant with Preston at this stage (approaching 24 weeks), but boy is my body different. Pregnancy changes you both emotionally and physically. The workouts I was doing between having Preston and getting PG with this little one would have made me the most in-shape girl when I was pre-baby. Instead, my body reacted more like it being "maintenance." I HAD to work out, just to keep from having my body parts keep repositioning themselves anymore than they already had during pregnancy!
3.) I have more fun, and I'm funnier. Some people may argue this, since I don't go out as often as I did before, but I beg to differ if they say I don't have any fun. I have so much fun every day I am with Preston. God is he a character! Some of the things he does make me laugh so hard, and I've learned all kinds of new ways to make HIM laugh. Keeping a two-year-old entertained forces you to dig deep down into your "fun stash" and come up with some pretty creative ideas. I've learned to see the pure joy in simply running through the living room or through the grass at the park. I have the ability just to make a silly face and get an equally silly, smaller version of that face looking right back at me. I've never made anyone else laugh as hard as I can make Preston laugh. I've learned how exciting it can be just walking down the sidewalk picking up sticks and rocks, looking out the window of a train as the world goes rushing by, or just looking up at the sky.
4.) I'm more emotional. If you know me, I was never one to wear my emotions on my sleeve, and I'm still not fully there (nor do I think I ever will be). But wow... do I ever feel things more than I did before. I watched an episode of Law & Order: SVU the other night, and started absolutely bawling when there was a baby who had died. I never was a big "hugger," but now, I know how much better your day can be if you just hug someone who loves you. I can look at something that I would have looked at before kids without a second glance, and now feel total sympathy, anger, frustration, happiness and a whole slew of other emotions that I would have never felt before looking at the same thing (like a TV commercial, or a person, or a news story, or a political figure).
5.) I'm scared. Sure I had things that I feared before: tornadoes, death, feet... But now I'm really scared. I'm scared that I may screw something up in raising kids now that will scar them for life. I'm scared that I'm going to die and leave Skip and Preston alone. I'm scared that Skip's going to die and leave ME and Preston - and a new baby - alone. I'm scared that I'll lose my job and my insurance, and not be able to support my family. I'm scared that I'll lose contact with some of my very dear friends from H.S. and college because of #1 on this list. I'm scared of losing Preston, and this new little one.
6.) I'm a stronger wife. I may not say I'm a better wife, because only Skip can judge that. Sure, some of the things he and I argue about (heck, MOST of the things we argue about) these days have to do with kids and child-rearing, but it's made us a stronger PAIR. We were raised a little differently, which means that how we want to raise Preston is sometimes different, but we've learned to work together so that we can use our experiences and apply them to our situation now. Each of us are learning when to stand up for what we want to see in our children, but also when to back down a little from what we knew as kids. Hell - we made a PERSON. That kind of thing is something that I can't say I share with anyone else.
7.) I'm happy. Not that I wasn't happy before I had a child, but the type of happiness and "completeness" - at least for me - that came with having a baby was something I never foresaw. I always have someone who needs me, and someone who can make me smile like no other. There's literally a part of "me" walking around on his own, and he's a pretty darn good kid, which makes me happy. I had someone this weekend tell me that Preston being as good as he is is a reflection of his parents, which makes me and Skip feel pretty darn good. We're doing something right!
8.) Something I WOULD like back: My belly button. It's never going to be the same... wah wah wah :....(
1.) I'm busier. No kidding! But it's a different type of busy. It may not be that I have plans every day of the week outside of the home, but I'm always doing something. You've got to be "on" 100% of the time with a little one. I am constantly preparing a meal, an activity, a bath, a diaper, a song, a dance... all the while fitting in laundry, cooking, cleaning, errands... all the while trying to find time to see loved ones! It's a little crazy, and I know it will even get crazier when two are in the mix.
2.) I'm fatter. Yep, I said it. I may weigh less now than I did when I was pregnant with Preston at this stage (approaching 24 weeks), but boy is my body different. Pregnancy changes you both emotionally and physically. The workouts I was doing between having Preston and getting PG with this little one would have made me the most in-shape girl when I was pre-baby. Instead, my body reacted more like it being "maintenance." I HAD to work out, just to keep from having my body parts keep repositioning themselves anymore than they already had during pregnancy!
3.) I have more fun, and I'm funnier. Some people may argue this, since I don't go out as often as I did before, but I beg to differ if they say I don't have any fun. I have so much fun every day I am with Preston. God is he a character! Some of the things he does make me laugh so hard, and I've learned all kinds of new ways to make HIM laugh. Keeping a two-year-old entertained forces you to dig deep down into your "fun stash" and come up with some pretty creative ideas. I've learned to see the pure joy in simply running through the living room or through the grass at the park. I have the ability just to make a silly face and get an equally silly, smaller version of that face looking right back at me. I've never made anyone else laugh as hard as I can make Preston laugh. I've learned how exciting it can be just walking down the sidewalk picking up sticks and rocks, looking out the window of a train as the world goes rushing by, or just looking up at the sky.
4.) I'm more emotional. If you know me, I was never one to wear my emotions on my sleeve, and I'm still not fully there (nor do I think I ever will be). But wow... do I ever feel things more than I did before. I watched an episode of Law & Order: SVU the other night, and started absolutely bawling when there was a baby who had died. I never was a big "hugger," but now, I know how much better your day can be if you just hug someone who loves you. I can look at something that I would have looked at before kids without a second glance, and now feel total sympathy, anger, frustration, happiness and a whole slew of other emotions that I would have never felt before looking at the same thing (like a TV commercial, or a person, or a news story, or a political figure).
5.) I'm scared. Sure I had things that I feared before: tornadoes, death, feet... But now I'm really scared. I'm scared that I may screw something up in raising kids now that will scar them for life. I'm scared that I'm going to die and leave Skip and Preston alone. I'm scared that Skip's going to die and leave ME and Preston - and a new baby - alone. I'm scared that I'll lose my job and my insurance, and not be able to support my family. I'm scared that I'll lose contact with some of my very dear friends from H.S. and college because of #1 on this list. I'm scared of losing Preston, and this new little one.
6.) I'm a stronger wife. I may not say I'm a better wife, because only Skip can judge that. Sure, some of the things he and I argue about (heck, MOST of the things we argue about) these days have to do with kids and child-rearing, but it's made us a stronger PAIR. We were raised a little differently, which means that how we want to raise Preston is sometimes different, but we've learned to work together so that we can use our experiences and apply them to our situation now. Each of us are learning when to stand up for what we want to see in our children, but also when to back down a little from what we knew as kids. Hell - we made a PERSON. That kind of thing is something that I can't say I share with anyone else.
7.) I'm happy. Not that I wasn't happy before I had a child, but the type of happiness and "completeness" - at least for me - that came with having a baby was something I never foresaw. I always have someone who needs me, and someone who can make me smile like no other. There's literally a part of "me" walking around on his own, and he's a pretty darn good kid, which makes me happy. I had someone this weekend tell me that Preston being as good as he is is a reflection of his parents, which makes me and Skip feel pretty darn good. We're doing something right!
8.) Something I WOULD like back: My belly button. It's never going to be the same... wah wah wah :....(
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