Baby Tedium...
Well our first night at home was an 'adventure' to say the least. I was up feeding my little angel from 1 to 5 AM. He's lucky he's so dang cute and his cries melt my heart like butter, or he'd be in serious trouble.
We visited the health nurse today- standard procedure after bringing baby home- and she said the whole night time feeding frenzy (more like frolic) is called 'cluster feeding'. Great. There isn't much I can do to change his schedule but eventually it will straighten itself out. Hopefully that is BEFORE I end up in the insane asylum.
Despite the lack of sleep, I seem to have a ton of extra energy. Tonight we (2 kids and myself) went to Wal mart to pick up a few odds and ends. Everyone that saw Nolan would say "Ohh, he is so tiny, how old is he?"
"4 days!" I'd reply, to which I usually got the response, "What the HELL are you doing in Wal-mart??" I wish I knew, but it's best to make hay while the sun is shining, especially in my world. We now have diapers that are small enough, Bottles that are small enough and a couple sleepers that are small enough. Who remembers that babies are so dang small??? You could have 10 kids and still be suprised at how tiny a newborn is.
I should get hopping, I still have a load of laundry to do, a bath to take and a baby to feed before I can hit the sack... Paige put HERSELF to sleep tonight at 10:30!! Will wonders NEVER cease??
Well I'm off,
More pictures and tedium to come tomorrow-
~jen
Back Home, sweet home.
Thank you everyone so much for the well wishes, I would love to be able to respond to every single comment (and I'll try) but time is a precious commodity around here at the moment. The labour was long and painful but i had plenty of drugs on my side- which is why most of the day is a blur to me and I am constantly referring to Mr. Island for details. I did manage to get away without the gross epidural, but at one point I was kickin my own ass from the pain and wondering what the hell i was doing without it. Even though i've never had an epidural, I highly reccommend it if you can get past that whole catheter in your spine thing. Anyway- I tried to get as much rest as i could in the hospital... it was trying but I don't feel too bad. All in all- it was a much better experience than my first time, but I knew what I was doing this time around which probably helped a lot.
I will try and take some newer pictures tomorrow, but here is one from the hospital. Paige is sure a proud big sister, and I'm looking haggard and puffy in the background... understandably of course. Tonight is my first night home, and Mr.Island is working night shift so i'm home alone with 2 children for the first time as well. So far so good... but we haven't attempted to go to bed yet. It's going to be interesting to say the least.
This one is going to be short and sweet, I'll post more pictures tommorrow. You'll be seeing so many photos your going to be sick!
Hugs and really tiny fingers & toes,
~jen
Baby Nolan
Welcome to the world NOLAN!!
Jen asked me to post these pics for her so you can all see the little nipper :)
Jen is doing great, Ken is incredibly proud, and Paige is a "little Mom"
Baby Hugs and Baby Kisses,
Suz
New Clan Member has arrived
One Baby, and put some wings on it...
Okay, today is the big day. Mr. Island and I have just returned from the labour and delivery ward where we were 'induced' with some gel. My doc examined me and said I was already a couple centimeters dialated but the cervix isn't all soft and ready like it needs to be yet. Sorry for the details but that is how it is.
We were sent home to go about our usual business and return at 3 this afternoon. He said that things will go 'quick and ferociously' once they start so if I feel like I should be getting to the hospital- I better get to the hospital. If all goes well, I'll have someone posting baby pictures in the morning!! I've had 3 NASTY contractions so far and it's been 3 hours since the gel. I came home and vacuumed the living room and now I'm going to paint my nails before putting my feet up. HOpefully the extra time on my feet will help move things along.
Thanks for all the well wishes- I really appreciate it and it's nice to know so many people are thinking about me today. I'm going to go and put my feet up for awhile since it may be the last chance to do that for some time.
Hugs and brownies (that I'll be eating tomorrow),
~jen
p.s. Jess, THANKS for the Orlando Bloom calendar- I laughed and drooled when I saw it. Paige has hers hanging in her bedroom already- she loves it even though she has no idea how to use it. Your the best aunty!
I Wrote THAT???
Do you ever go back into your archives and read your old blog entries?? I spent a little time today doing that and I was constantly suprised at my own writing. I keep finding myself thinking, "Did I write that??? It's too eloquent and witty, i couldn't possibly have written that."
One example is this entry from July or this one from September.
But i do remember sitting down to type the entries out, and their content proves that it was, in fact, ME that wrote them. Such a funny feeling, but I often feel the same when looking at old works of art that I've done.
Does anyone else get that feeling when looking back at their accomplishments? That feeling of "How did I manage to do such a great job all by myself??", I can't possibly be the only one.
Now i've started everyone browsing through their archives... have fun and enjoy your accomplishments.
~jen
Million Dollar Belly
Today was a good day. No babies arrived but it was a good day none-the-less. I had a doctor's appointment this morning and he said that I seemed fine dispite my high blood pressure. My blood pressure was high until the nurse at the hospital used a LARGE cuff on me, then it came out normal. How come nobody else is using a large cuff and how come I've never had to use one before??? Perhaps NurseNancy can help me out with this one...
Dr. Mitchell also said that the baby is BIG which has me just lightly freaking out. You all know how babies get out, into the world right?? Now you understand my distress. At the Non stress test this afternoon the baby was happy and put on a kicking show for the nurse so that was reassuring. So at the end of the day we are still left with our original plan of being induced on Thursday.
My insulin needs have sharply dropped and i was able to have a bowl of cereal last night. Yes you heard me, CEREAL. I was so excited, mind you it was Vector cereal and not shredded wheat but at this point i'm not going to be picky. This 'insulin thing' usually signals that the end is near, and is completely normal as my hormones change. Ummm ya, like we didn't already know that the end is near. But it's nice to see some evidence of it.
Anyway, I've been trying to stay relaxed while I count down the minutes until thursday. Hopefully there isn't a big surge of babies in the Labour and delivery ward on Thursday or I will get bumped... here is hoping.
Now i have a hospital bag to pack- batteries to charge, laundry to do and a daughter to entertain but i'm going to put my feet up as soon as i can.
Hugs,
~jen
Which Obsolete skill are YOU?
Once again, I think this is dead on for me... of course i'm not sure what the other options were... what are you??
You are 'Latin'. Even among obsolete skills, the
tongue of the ancient Romans is a real
anachronism. With its profusion of different
cases and conjugations, Latin is more than a
language; it is a whole different way of
thinking about things.
You are very classy, meaning that you value the classics. You value old things, good things which have stood the test of time. You value things which have been proven worthy and valuable, even if no one else these days sees them that way. Your life is touched by a certain 'pietas', or piety; perhaps you are even a Stoic. Nonetheless, you have a certain fascination with the grotesque and the profane. Also, the modern world rejects you like a bad transplant. Your problem is that Latin has been obsolete for a long time.
What obsolete skill are you?
brought to you by
Downstairs From You
If you should ever find yourself pulling or pushing some furniture s-l-o-w-l-y across a room and you can hear the wretched squawking of the furniture against the floor- PLEASE think on the people who may be below you. The tired, very pregnant and RESTING people below you.
Then stop it.
Thank you.
Hospital Good, Hospital Bad.
*This is a 'day old' blog that I'm posting from my journal...
There are some crappy things about being in the hospital and now that I have all this time on my hands, I am noticing a few bonuses as well. Lets weigh this out,
First of all, FOOD. Bad. Good thing, At least they give you (or at least me) SMALL servings of bad food. Side note; you won't beleive what kinds of food you'll start eating once they've starved you for 24 hours.
BEDS. BAD. They are so uncomfortable it's beyond comprehension. GOOD thing, "Somehing to help you sleep" that the doctor perscribed me... he must be familiar with the state of the beds or at least the state of my hips IN the bed.
BAD. Constant checking of your vitals. Good thing, realizing (at 3 AM) that you still have a pulse, thank goodness.
BAD. Extreme Bordeom. Good thing, Great friend who visits with a wicked journal and large packet of COLOURED pens... I'm so spoiled! Thanks Suz, you are the very best.
Hugs,
~jen
Movie Night On the Maternity Ward
This is a blog I wrote in the journal that Suz gave me while in the hospital- Tblog doesn't have a pre-date feature so I'm going to do it manually,
February 18th, 2005
Ya'll may have heard that I'm in the hospital- Yes, I am. to make a long story short, my preclampsia symptoms have reappeard (seemingly overnight) so I have landed myself in the maternity ward for observation and rounds of tests.
So far, my blood pressure has been up, then down, and now it's back up again. There have been 'indicators' in my bloodwork (which apparently isn't good) but I FEEL fine. The good news is that they've been keeping an eye on the little nipper and it's happy and kicking, as usual.
I'm pretty sure that I won't be going home without this baby because this condition will not simply disappear on it's own at this point of the pregnancy and the only cure is delivery. I just wish they'd hurry up and get it over with.
Sitting here in the private room (thank God for small blessings) leaves me with too much time to think and start worrying about problems that may never happen. BUT the extra free time has given me a chance to watch 'Sea biscuit', Amadeus, and Moulin Rouge. I still can't secide wether or not I like Moulin Rouge but, i don't really care to watch it again to figure that out so i guess I've answered my own question.
What movie to watch next, now THAT is something to worry about!
~jen
I'm back! For a good time not a long time...
You may have heard that I was admitted to the hospital- but they let me come home tonight! So as of now, I'm on bedrest and I will be going BACK to the hospital on Thursday to have this baby- barring any more unfavorable action from my blood pressure of course.
I wrote some blogs in a journal that was given to me by Suzanne, my neighbor, the one we all know and love, and I'll be posting them tonight and tomorrow...
the dates will be kinda screwed up but I still wanted to share what I wrote.
Enjoy, and many thanks for all the comments and well wishes- they were greatly appreciated.
~jen
Fiber wishes and Cereal Dreams
Now that you all know that I'm dreaming of Shredded wheat (from yesterday's post). What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast??
Sometimes I like nothing more than toast and a hard boiled egg- but other days the fare needs to have a lot more sugar on it. Pancakes with applesauce is also something on my wish list for the coming months- DAMN do I miss pancakes and applesauce. While i was at the grocery store the other day I noticed that they just came out with bran cereal that looks like mini wheats but they have strawberry filling in them. Now, that could be really damn good or it could be equally as bad- I'll be sure to let you know when I have the opportunity to try them. Since I'll be needing all the 'roughage' I can get my post-partum hands on I figure cereal is the best way to get it. Don't even mention prunes to me, I'm the only person on the planet that gets backed up after eating prunes, honestly, it's ridiculous.
ANYWAY, What food gets you out of bed in the mornings???
I'm so curious,
~jen
It's all in the Contract-ions
Okay, I'm now 37 weeks and 4 days prego. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to check my progress and discuss my induction date. I wasn't all that keen on being induced but I am SOO SO SO uncomfortable now, I've changed my mind. I gained 5 lbs in 5 days earlier this week, but that has leveled off. By the size of my sausage fingers, it's all water weight anyway. Last night while watching TV I noticed I was having contractions quite regularly so i started timing them out. Every 15 minutes for an hour and a half and then they calmed down to one every 30 minutes. It's nothing to write home about yet but the contractions have been quite steady so far today as well, about 2 to 4 and hour. It's all good, I think my body is getting itself ready for the 'big show'.
It's about time too, I had an absolutely HORRIBLE sleep last night and was up before Mr. Island's alarm went off this morning. Now I'm completely tired and exhausted and did I mention, UNCOMFORTABLE???? Everyone is on the red alert today should something actually happen and Mr. Island is quite adamant that I get my bag packed and ready to take to the hospital. I believe I mentioned that my usual doctor is gone to Hawaii for a seminar so I'm sure this baby will want to arrive home before the doctor just to make me worry more than I already do OR else it will make a liar out of me and stay put- very solidly LOL.
I'll let you know what we come up with after my appointment tomorrow... for now I'm going to try and make myself as comfortable as possible and dream of eating shredded wheat for breakfast sometime next week.
Big Prego Hugs,
~jen
Confucious say
Confucious say, "man who makes pot stickers lives in a house smelling of fart."
i know this one first hand.
Heart on the Belly
Happy Valentines Day Everyone!
As you can see I wear my heart on my belly, several of them in fact! (No that's not MY belly!)Please eat lots of chocolate and drink some good wine for me.
Mr. Island took me out for dinner and a movie last night. I had delicious chinese food for dinner and afterward we saw 'Hotel Ruwanda'. That movie is bloody amazing, and i would rank it up there with "Schindler's List". A must see, if you have the stomach for movies that give a harsh dose of reality. Anyway, Today is going to be spent doing 'Valentine Laundry" and other boring chores- it'll be a blast.
Have a good one,
~Jen
Just wondering...
Is there anything on the entire planet- heck, in the entire universe that smells as good as a freshly peeled and cut cucumber???
I think not.
Doggy Dreams
The other night Mr. Island was working night shift so I let Paige sleep in our bed. Normally, we have a no child policy when it comes to Mommy and Daddy's bed but i wanted to go to sleep early and this was the only sure fire way to accomplish it. Plus, the child thrashes about and talks a lot in her sleep which doesn't make for the most restful night. This night we both fell asleep fast and hard, a thing of beauty.
At one point in the night i was nudged awake to a little face asking me "Mom, why is the dog biting you??".
I said "Wha?" and she asked me again, "Why is the dog biting you?"
It took me a solid 10 seconds to figure out that I was in fact awake and the dog that had been biting my leg was only a figment of my over active dreaming imagination. I must have been talking about it in my sleep and now Paige was awake and very concerned. Somehow I managed to quell her questions and tuck her back in and then fall asleep with a grin on my face.
Mom's are allowed to talk in our sleep too, right??
~jen
Big Belly of mine, I'm gonna let it shine (along with my chins)
Yesterday I had my weekly appointment at the hospital for my Non stress test. I acutally remembered to bring my camera so I could get a picture of myself in pregnant action, you know, for baby book fodder. However when I got home i found the pictures to be some of the MOST unflattering shots ever taken of yours truly. Even Mr. Island, upon catching a glimpse on the computer screen said, "That is a very unflattering shot of you..." and he was surely being kind.
Anyway, My belly is LARGE and round (like the picture above), that was the best part of the shot- my face on the other hand looked swollen and pudgey and drew particular focus to my newly acquired chins. I'm going to try and getting a better belly shot today or tomorrow- with Mr. Island's photographer help- and if they turn out HALF bad I'll post it for you all to see.
I realize I have probably scared 90% of the tblog young ladies from ever wanting children with my 'brutally honest' documentation of the pregnancy and I didn't want to do further damage by posting this latest picture. Not pretty.
But in all honesty- yes pregnancy is hard for me, but it isn't for every woman!! Some women fly through with barely an itch to talk about. I wish I could be that woman, but I'm not. My creative side won't let me experience these things without sharing the finer details with you- it's a hazard of being a blogging addict. I thank you all for reading and commenting, your all the very best!
hugs to all those who read and kisses to all those who also comment,
~jen
36 Week Baby Update
For those of you keeping track this saturday was my 36 week anniversary in this pregnancy. Which means I'm now officially NINE months along. Most of you may not realize that women are actually pregnant for a duration of 40 weeks, and when you do the math, it works out to TEN months. Most women give birth on or around the 40 week mark which is why you rarely hear a woman say she is ten months pregnant. I really feel for those women who go 2 weeks past their due date, poor, poor women.Yes, the belly is huge and sleeping is difficult and most of the time it feels as though the child is trying to claw it's way out. i just need to remind myself that there is only 2 more weeks to go!!
I've got so much stuff left to do around the house it's rediculous. My husband just brought 3 rubbermade totes of baby stuff in from the garage today and i get terribly exhausted just looking at them. I think I need to hire someone to come in for a few hours and do it for me, while i supervise of course. My doctor is gone to Hawaii for a conference (how ;nice for him) so I'm hoping that the little nipper decides to come early, while the doctor is away- they can sense these things. I don't want to be induced, because i think going into labour naturally would be a lot less painful. OF course, I am also scared to wait around for labor to kick in naturally and end up having to give birth to a large pumpkin sized child or worse have the pumpkin by C-section :::gulp!:::
So far so good though, the ultra sounds show the baby is normal sized, no signs of high blood pressure, swelling or other preclampsia symptoms which is good. I'm just having an attack of nerves and anxiousness because it's been nearly 9 months since I've been on my 'happy pills' I can't wait to get back on them. I'll feel so much better. I also can't wait to get back on the beer, and naturally sweetened foods. LOL in moderation of course- but the strict diet has really gotten on my nerves lately (along with everything else!). There are only so many days you can take a protien bar for breakfast before you SNAP. The only thing I look forward to is eating a sugar free chocolate bar a day... they are full of artificial sweeteners which they say could cause the runs. Big deal, I need the chocolate indulgence in order to get through another morning without my favorite cereal (shredded wheat with bran).
Anyway- that's enough of my belly aching, no I don't have too many positive things to say other than... ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS TO GO!
Have a great unpregnant day,
~jen
Always DRAWING crowds...
I found a fun link to share. If you are bored and want to burn some extra time (or just avoid doing work) this site is perfect! You can create your own little works of art and post links to them... Fun Fun Fun!
Try it out for yourself, or watch me draw a self portrait...
Bye Bye Shrooms...
Okay, I actually feel like sitting down to type today so I thought I would take advantage of this and do some bloggin'. It's a gorgeous sunny day so we just came back from taking Piper the dog on one of our daily 'poop walks'. Yes, that is what we call them and the dog can hear you say that phrase "poop walk" from a mile away and she'll come running... heck she just heard me TYPE it! Anyway, it was a nice little walk and we even had a chat with our Neighbor Laurie and her daughter Chantelle (who is getting so big!!) yes, it was a good 'poop walk' today.
An update on my last blog; the shroom family is gone. Mr. Island was kind enough to dispose of them (outdoors, I hope) and now my only house plant is still- my ONLY house plant.
Paige is still a genious (haven't heard me brag for awhile have you??)... Mr. Island bought her a magna-doodle from wal-mart for 3 dollars and she's been using it non stop ever since. You'd never know that she was completely spoiled at christmas by the way she's attached to the magna-doodle. She has started drawing faces, which I think are pure genious since she's only 2 years old!!!! Check out her full usage of the drawing surface, I think it's cute as heck, What do you think??
Yes, my thoughts exactly- Genious and cuteness are a deadly combination.
~jen
Magic Shrooms putting on a show for the children...
I was watering my ONLY house plant this morning and noticed a family of visitors hiding under the foliage.
A rather large family of Mushrooms! The actual mushrooms themselves are small but there are many of them. As small and cute as they are, they gross me out to no end and I want to get rid of them. I'm scared Paige is going to see them, then try to eat them. The last thing I need is a halucinating 2 year old. For some reason i don't have the stomach to scrape them out of the pot so Mr. Island will be doing that for me when he gets home tonight.
Using the creative side of my brain the mushrooms look like the three stooges putting on a show for a large group of small children.
I know I haven't been using that creative side much- here's to thinking outside the box a little.
On another note, the burning boob I mentioned the other day was gone. I discovered that bras are very constricting and my body is NOT a big fan of constriction of any kind right now. I went braless for 2 days and was doing fine. Today, I wanted to run out and grab some groceries so I put the bra on (it's only polite)- the burning returned. How annoying.
Just thought you'd wanna know ::snicker::
Tomorrow is daycare day- can you feel the excitment building???
~jen