Lag Time

Hi internets!!

I have been a bad little blogger as of late. I’m busy in a way I’ve never been before and I have no idea what I’m doing, being a mother and all. But a little love, a sense of humour and a great husband, family and friends will carry you through.

Sir Henry is fantabulous! Every day he looks a little different. His face has chubbed out (love!). He has a new, very angry cry.

Breastfeeding is a challenge but I’m trucking through.

I am doing pretty well. I had some problems with my c-section incision. It popped open 5 days after surgery, got infected, had to go to the doctor numerous times, take antibiotics and poor Alan has to pack my incision every night with gauze. And yes, it is painful and gross. It hurts a little less every day though and I got a good report from the doctor today.

I have written about 3 pages of my birth story..but it’s still not finished! Still working on it!

Sir Henry Arrives!

Birth story coming soon.

Born on Tuesday 9/29/09 at 11:11pm via C-section. 6lbs, 13ozs, 21 inches. Such a little guy!!

Unfortunately the labor inducement did NOT work as planned, hence the C-section.

He’s SO sweet. He has my many, many facial expressions and seems to have Alan’s forehead and relaxed attitude. It’s so fun to see his little personality develop day by day. He was born to eat and I am so proud of myself for giving breastfeeding a chance. It’s a real challenge to me (us) every day but every day it gets a little bit easier. My husband has been extremely supportive, hands on and encouraging with EVERYTHING and I really would have given up a long time ago on the breastfeeding without him.

My Mom is here taking care of us and the house. I am having a very hard time following the post-op surgery instructions that say “rest”. I am on hyper adrenaline overdrive and have had a very easy time with the recovery (knock on wood).

Much more later, I am still working on the birth story.

Here are some pics

Hurry Up and Wait (for Henry)

Well I wanted to write something more profound, emotional and touching but this is all I can come up with for right now. I suppose it’s better than nothing!

Technically they could call in 45 minutes for me to come to the hospital, but common sense says they will not, I’m guessing it will be 7pm. I have no idea why the hospital gives me a three hour a 3 hour time frame

This day has been like my wedding day. So anxious and feeling like I can not relax and I will never be caught up. I guess I better get used to that, huh?

I have been hen-picking Alan all day. So glad my Mom is here to run interference!

We did find out the hospital room has a DVD player so we’ve packed lots of Star Trek. Plus the Panthers game is on today, Intervention AND I have like 4 gossip mags, a book, my laptop AND a Strawberry Shortcake coloring book with a brand new box of crayons. I am worried about getting bored. I know, I know, I probably will not have time to get bored (hopefully!) but just in case…I cannot stand being bored and waiting!!

TMI alert (maybe): I am NOT going immediately on Pitocin. They are starting me off on a drug called Cervidil. It’s supposedly a more conservative labor inducing drug. I don’t want to gross or weird any of my friends out so I’ll let you google the drug if you are interested.

I’ve been very scared this morning and broke down in tears a couple of times. But now I am very excited and I imagine I’ll flip flop several times before it’s all said and done.

I am hoping I can write more tonight. Check FB & Twitter for updates if you want to! If I can’t update my Mom. You know me, live life out loud.

*I hate to put this disclaimer BUT I have to. If you have anything to say about this blog PLEASE, PLEASE (especially horror stories about labor and/or labor inducing drugs) make sure it’s positive or at best, neutral. I can’t handle any negative comments/advice right now. Thank you!!

Bats in the Belfrey

Little Obsessions I have since being pregnant:

HGTV all the time. At one point I had broken the bad habit of watching TV while we sleep but since being pregnant and being up all night peeing anyway, I just keep it on.

Fantasy Football – I get waaayyy too much joy out of trading, switching, benching and pulling my players in and out week after week. Doing research, reading statistics, trying to beat my opponents team week by week. Then it gets better – you follow those games you have players in. Maybe you don’t pay as much attention to them as you would your “real” team, in my case THE CAROLINA PANTHERS (we need an efficient QB by the way….). It’s fun and I’d never thought I’d get so much joy out of it as I do.

Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune – No, I am not 80 years old but I do tune in to these two shows almost every night. I’m way better at Jeopardy than I am Wheel of Fortune. Alan does better at Wheel of Fortune. So it’s out thing. Slightly geriatric, but it makes us happy.

Headbands – I’ve somehow convinced myself that my hair is going to be a mess in labor and delivery and when people come to visit I want to look semi put together and this is where the headbands come into play. I think I can work them especially if my first plan pans out….

Hopefully I’ll have enough time and energy to curl my hair before going into the hospital. My hair holds curl really well and with the headband….well, it wouldn’t be a hair disaster.

I have also packed a very easy makeup routine to freshen and lively up my complexion so my visitors won’t be scared away by dark circles and pale skin.

Of course to million of NORMAL human beings the past 3 paragraphs have probably been disgusting and most likely irritating to read but I’ve said it before, I’ll said it again, I’m a little vain. Whatever I do, I like to look good doing it.

And who knows. All that could get thrown to the wind. I’m prepared for that as well. The most important thing is that Henry gets here safely and then we can get with all my neurosies at a later date. Right?

40 wks, 5 days

Just Gestatin’

this is more for my records so it may be a little boring and dry

So, my doctors appointment went well today.

Baby’s vitals are good! He’s such a good boy, when they put the doppler on my belly his heartbeat is always right there. I think only one time they’ve had to search around for it.

My vitals are good although my blood pressure higher than what I am used to (145/80, normally 120/60) but when I asked about it they were not concerned. I’ll just keep an eye on it. We have a home BP machine.

I am measuring 40 for my fundal height http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundal_height

Down 3 lbs from last week (no biggie).

They want me to come back this week on Friday to do another non-stress test on baby. At that point inducement will be discussed in more detail, giving me a date of October 2nd. I am glad of the end in sight but I already knew that date because it’s exactly two weeks after my due date so it’s not a big surprise. I am really, really hoping that my body does it’s own thing and I don’t have to be induced. The thought scares me but I do have a lot of friends who have had good experiences with inducements who assure me it’s not that bad.

Yesterday I was super energetic and hyper. Today I am kind of morose and mellow. A little tired. Even a trip to Target didn’t perk me up.

I have slept good the past couple of nights, thank goodness. Glad to get it in now. The trend is to wake up at 3:45-4:30 am every morning for a while but lately I have been able to get back to sleep within a half hour or so.

40wks, 4 days

Go Ahead, Ask Me When I’m Gonna Have the Baby, I Dare You!

Woo-WOO: all aboard the crazy train, first stop, Andrea’s house!

That’s right folks, I’m losing my effing mind but in a fun way. Sort of…fun. Well, unlike other crazy times I’ve gone through where I am angry, resentful and sad. This is more like a “weeee, I’m a little unstable feeling, wanna do the laugh-cry-laugh-cry show for the hell of it” kind of crazy.

My poor hubby. I have been more that cantankerous and sarcastic today. I am trying SO.HARD.TO.BE.NICE. But everything he does (today) drives me crazy. I thought I was going to go through the fucking roof when he ate an orange creamsicle noisily, then spent 10 minutes cracking the popsicle stick THEN picking his teeth with the popsicle stick. Oh! And then leaving the stick remnants (splinters) on the coffee table. I really had to leave the room. I know, I know, I’m an ungrateful little twit but my nerves are a little more than shot today and apparently I have a good reason.

I am determined not to isolate myself this week and get out and do things as if I wasn’t 3 days past due. Today, a success. Met a friend for lunch, walked around Crabtree (love that mall!), camera shopping, grocery shopping, house cleaning crap. Honestly I don’t know how I wasted a whole day doing those things but damn if it’s 6:42pm already. I take that back, having lunch with the friend was not a waste…but the rest of it was. Just spinning my tires. This is good. Time has been standing still lately.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow. The doctors appointments are getting more and more annoying to me instead of being exciting. WHY? Because they aren’t telling me what I want to hear which is “Oh man, you’re going to have the baby TODAY!!!” This makes me want to stick my fingers in my ears and go “Lalalalala, not listening NOT LISTENING!”. I also get so annoyed when I am like telling them how bad my hips and pelvic bone region area is and they’re just like “take tylenol”. NO. I am not taking Tylenol anymore, I will suffer because taking Tylenol is total placebo and I know it, it does NO GOOD. So fuck it, I’ll just be in pain. Why even tell them? (and I am not asking for narcotics or anything if that’s what you are wondering, just a little sympathy, maybe a suggestion or two, just not TYLE-freakin-OL) I’m just frustrated, please forgive me, nothing I am going through is unbearable by any means, just maddeningly annoying and tiresome now.

So yea, I’m a mess. It’s funny. Hahaha, funny.

I gotta go now. Alan’s making me take a walk around the neighborhood even though I don’t want to because my back, hips and crotch hurt but dammit if it’s going to get this boy out than I’ll do it.

40 wks, 3 days.

Like a Library Book

Today I am celebrating 40 weeks pregnant. It’s my due date, September 18th, 2009. I’d be lying if I said I am surprised I made it this far. I always knew in the back of my mind that if I was lucky enough to make it through first and second trimester I would most likely go past my due date. Most women do go past their due date anyway, so it’s not like I’m having some unique, intense experience. Just so ready. I am tired of nesting and re-nesting because we muck it all up.

My group of doctors is NOT very liberal on inducing. So I don’t have an induce date, nor is there any talks of doing so just yet. People really surprise me with their reaction to this. It’s not that I’m pro/anti inducement by any means but judging by everyone’s response they just think that they day 1 of your due date you’ll already have an inducement date. I feel like I’m disappointing everyone, too, every day that I don’t have the baby. That is just crazy stupid.

At my appointment last Tuesday I made them do a non-stress test on Henry and he was perfectly healthy in there. Moving as he should, heart beating as it should. That’s really what matters most.

So today I am doing something I am convinced I will not be able to do for a long, long time after Henry comes. I am laying in bed, playing on my laptop, reading gossip magazines, painting my nails and eating bits and bobs of chocolate here and there. Because I want too and I won’t be able to be this selfish (without feeling incredibly guilty) for a while.

I have a cold type thing I am fighting too. And at this point I’m just like whatever because I have had so many problems with acute sinusitis throughout this pregnancy that I can’t really tell when I’m sick with a cold or it’s just allergies/sinuses.

My Mom comes in next week – I cannot remember the date, I think Friday (?). Whether or not Henry is here, she’s coming and I am so grateful! Because let me tell you, if I am still pregnant next week I will be a basket case and even my dear, dear, sweet, perfect and more than saintly patient husband will NOT be able to handle the crankiness and bitchiness that this girl will be unleashing. 99% sure I will be a basket case and only my Mother will be able to handle it. God help her.

Speaking of Alan, he’s so cute! He’s like obsessed with educational things for the baby. I think we have over 15 sets of flash cards now. They’re actually kind of entertaining. The other day the Presidents flashcards came in. I got all in a tizzy because it says “Barack HUSSEIN Obama” and I fumbled through the rest of the cards just SURE that we had gotten a right winged written set of cards and I didn’t want Henry’s view to be slighted to the left or right. I seriously read all the cards searching for any hint of liberal or conservative opinions in the writing. I am happy to say they checked out okay. That’s me, I smell a conspiracy every where. (PS, I know this is redic, just roll with me, k?)

I feel like I should apologize to my friends that I have kind of blown off the past couple of weeks. I’ve felt so anti-social and like a wet blanket. I have felt kind of withdrawn and private; guarded. Not depressed or anything.

I have been a FREAKSHOW about laundry. I will find something to launder, dammit.

Just a little bored. And yes, I know, I won’t be for long with a little one to take care of.

I’ll keep everyone posted as to when this blessed and blasted event happens. Just check FB for updates. Alan has strict instructions to log in under my account and give updates as dictated by me. Of course we’ll have our laptops at the hospital – don’t be silly.

40 weeks. DUE DATE. MADE IT.

Ho Hum, Ho Hum

Woo-woo, 4 days until my due date!

On today’s agenda: More cleaning. Every time I get the house in nesting mode another week goes by that Henry’s not here so I have to re-nest and reorganize all over again. Aggravating.

Taking my La Petite cat, Saffron, to the vet. Just for booster shots, check up, and prescription for Fr0ntline or Adv@ntage, whatever the hell. I hope Saffron does better than Ginger did a couple weeks ago. Ginger attacked both the vet tech AND the vet and since I had no rabies vac records from OK (she WAS vaccinated!) they had to call Animal Control out. I really thought I was in big trouble, especially when they told me Ginger would need to be confined for 10 days. I totally understood that the doctors office was just following procedure and was in no way miffed at them. They were so nice and everyone kept a really good sense of humor about it. I secretly think they were afraid I was going to go in labor or something from the stress. Anyway, turns out I could confine Ginger on my own at our house, no big deal. Neither cat has ever been an outdoor cat, and I didn’t even get a fine.

I’m bored and restless. Ready for Henry, ready for my Mom to come, ready for anticipation to be over with.

This weekend was pretty okay. Saturday was bad though. I just felt horrible and like a cranky 3 year old. Nothing you could do or say made me feel any better and I kept getting sick to my stomach. Alan did such a good job with me, he has such patience!!

Sunday there was a Panthers game that we watched over at a friends house. I talked to my bff on the phone for a while, Skypped with Mom visited with Michelle and her boys, then went over to her house for dinner. Her boys are so funny and Alan is so wonderful with her 3 yr old, Little Dude. He spent an hour in Little Dude’s bedroom reading him stories, wrestling and playing with trucks. When we left I asked Little Dude, “Is Alan your favorite Giant friend EVAR?!?” to which he replied, “YES!!!!” Michelle’s youngest, Jr., is super sweet. He’s 14 months (I think) right now and going through a semi-shy phase. He does like to flirt and make google eyes at you, smile and giggle, then run away. He’s got a soft crop of red hair and he’s my favorite red head EVAR!!

So it was a good, full weekend, just keeping ourselves busy. Patiently waiting.

39 wks, 3 days.

Are we there yet? Arewethereyetarewethereyet?

Things I am doing (some constructive, some not) to make time go by faster:

1.Catching up on all my fashion magazines that have been sitting on the coffee table for months.
2.Cooking new recipes
3.Moving furniture and vacuuming underneath it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m moving furniture. If the kid busts out now, it’s okay.
4.Snuggling my cats Ginger and Saffron. I think they know something is about to go down.
5.Excessive amounts of laundry.
6.Febreezing
7.Knocking down spiderwebs on the outside of the house.
8.Ordering Avon skincare products.
9.Considering selling Avon after Henry arrives.
10.Watching cheesy People’s Court type shows. Which.is.rediculous.

I’m a little cantankerous.
I’m a lot tired but cannot sleep (feeling like an old bothered cow named Bessie)
Hips hurt to walk and
feeling all wobbly
never been graceful, but this is something else
Hands tingly and falling asleep
restless legs at night
Fitful, sweaty sleep
and I love it because it’s almost over and…
it equals a Henry.

Not Nyet

I’ll be honest. I had great ambitions of having a baby this weekend but it seems like it’s just not going to happen. Instead it’s been a fun weekend with lots of friends, fun, food and happiness. You can’t really beat that (except by having a baby, which I already said does not seem to be happening).

I’ve kept busy, trying to keep myself from being bored and listless.

Today was Labor Day and while I would have loved to be IN LABOR I was not. We did, however, go see Inglorious Basterds and I loved it. I seriously see about 3 movies a year (short attention span/rather read the book) and I’m glad this was one I dedicated 2.5 hours to. It was so creative and Brad Pitt played his character so well and was hilarious. Was a good day to see a movie, too. It’s rained almost all day here in Raleigh.

Alan’s working 2 days a week from home until “it happens”. Isn’t that sweet? I’m lucky he gets that option to work from home. I’m afraid of going into labor while alone and I’m not exactly sure why. I know, logically, that I will most likely start labor and be in labor quite a while before we’ll even need to go to the hospital. Plus all I’d need to do is call and Alan could be home in half an hour anyway. Still, it’s kind of odd to know that sometime in the next couple of weeks your body is going to do this incredibly amazing and painful thing but you don’t know when (surprise!).

Randoms:
It’s funny because every time I call someone now they are thinking it’s “the call”.

I thought of a cute nickname for Henry. Hank the Tank.

I have a couple of lame questions:

1.)How rediculous is it that I’m actually watching People’s Court today?
2.)I like Miley Cyrus’ song “Party in the USA”. Am I still “cool”?
3.)Why do people get such a kick out of telling me to get it on to kick start labor? I mean, old people even say it.

Why do we make fun of men with hairplugs when women walk around with silicone volleyballs implanted in their chest? I mean I just feel like you should have the option to do either or without so much static. They’re equally rediculous in all fairness. We’re all insecure, we should all be able to fix it by whatever means we see reasonably necessary.

I spent $30 on junk food yesterday for Alan and I: popcorn, chips, popsicles, cheese, crackers, pop. Gross.

I have an open bar of soap in my car in the door compartment and it makes my car smell good.

Annnd….I’m done.