Baby #2... it's True!

I've waited quite a while to post about this pregnancy. But, I am in fact pregnant with my second child, and it is due on March 5th, 2015. Hubby and I are incredibly excited, as well as big brother!

For those of you who may not know, I had a miscarriage late last year. After that experience I was not overly excited to let everyone know about this pregnancy right away. So I've waited.

As with my first pregnancy, I have a cervical cerclage. This cerclage is SO different from my first one though. This one was a preventative procedure, based on my strange history, whereas the first one was emergent at just over 21 weeks. Having it done as a preventative measure means I can do basically everything a normal pregnant woman can do. My doctor's only  restriction was, "Don't do anything stupid. You know your limits." I am so thrilled, this is not what I expected! Apparently when you have it done in an emergency means you get all your rights and privileges as a human stripped: minimal walking, no exercise, no sex, constant checks and micromanagement from the doctors. Freedom is such a relief. This cerclage I got to use general anesthesia, last time I was awake and had a spinal. My recovery was also much quicker this time, only two days.

I'm spending every day of this pregnancy grateful that I am pregnant (even though it makes me miserable sometimes). I say, "Thank you God for this opportunity!"

~Munchkin

Sad News

Hey Ladies,
   My Grandmother on my Fathers side, ( not the one you have met) passed away this morning.She has been sick for a very long time, needing dialysis 3 times a week. She had a heart attack this morning and after they revived her 3 or 4 times, my Grandfather decided she wanted to go. Both of her sons have been waiting for her a long time. I realized today how happy she must be getting to hold them in her arms again, I hope she has told my Father what a beautiful Granddaughter he has, and about his Grandson on the way.
My grandparents were married at 18, after a very short courtship. They have been married for over fifty years, and very obviously loved each other deeply. I think it will be very hard for him to be without her. They had the marriage everyone dreams of the day they get married. Of her 4 children she has 2 surviving daughters, 5 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildten.
Pepper is going to be named after her favorite Uncle, I did not get a chance to talk to her about it, but I think she would have been thrilled.  She has been too sick to talk on the phone for the last couple of months. I'm sorry for Pepper she will not be able to tell him about his namesake directly.
She was a sweet little German woman who showed me to love my family despite their shortcomings. She always believed her children and grandchildren were special because of the family and history they came from. I'm proud to be her Granddaughter.

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

That's right Pepper is a boy!

The Stay at Home Life

Ladies, I made a difficult decision to leave my job a few weeks ago.  I've nearly finished another novel, and I'm pretty close to finishing edits on my next publication.  Mr. B made me a vegetable garden in the back, and I've got tomatoes, pumpkins, peas, beans, onions, and Anaheim peppers planted.  I'm using the bricks from our old fireplace to create "mini plots" in my squares, and we take Baby out in his stroller with us while we garden.

The vegetable garden on June 20th:

And (17 days later) the vegetable garden today, July 7th:

So the pumpkins have, erm, taken over.  I'm so used to gardening out of planters on a porch that I underestimated how much space they would need, and I was using old seeds, so I figured some of them might not grow, and then I thought some would die because this part of the lawn is full sun and it gets HOT.
Well, all but 1 seed germinated and survived, and the plants are now trying to bust out of the rabbit fence.  Those leaves measure a littler larger than a foot in diameter.

I forgot that this yard never does anything small!  I may have some pumpkins to share later this year, assuming no early frosts and that the crowding doesn't diminish output too drastically.

Alula

Eggo Repreggo!

Hey ladies,
     I think everyone knows I'm expecting our second child. But its about time for me to make an offical blog anouncemet. I'm 16 weeks, and I feel like this pregnancy is going by very quickly. Mini Q is keeping me on my toes.
This baby is called Pepper, and will be making an outside arrivel around the 23rd of November!

Things to put on a baby registry

This post is about 10 things I either put on my registry or didn't, but that I turned out to really love during the first 8 weeks with my new son.  Thought I would share, for anyone who was as clueless as I was while setting up a baby registry...

1) Boon Grass.  I didn't register for it because it looked too cute for the price, and in my brain, that somehow translated to "this gimmick must not work".  My cousin got it for me anyway, and it instantly became my favorite fixture in the kitchen.  Four weeks later I actually went out and bought another one for my upstairs bathroom (midnight bottles and such) and got a boon twig and boon stem to expand the drying space.  This has been awesome for drying bottles, pacifiers, and pump pieces, and will probably continue to be used after the bottle stage for snack cups, child plates, and even our non-dishwasher safe items (child related or not)

2) Munchkin Bottle and Nipple Brush.  This was on my registry, mostly because they were cheap, but they have worked out incredibly well.  The nipple brush screws into the base of the main brush for storage, but i tend to leave the two pieces separate because the hollow base of the brush means that i can store this brush upright in my boon grass, thereby taking up less counter space.

3) Washable bra pads.  They weren't on my registry, because I thought I would just use disposable bra pads.  Then Q made me some washable ones, and I was so incredibly grateful that she did.  I have had uber problems with painful nipples since my son was born, and part of my problem (certain days, at least) was too much moisture trapped next to my skin.  The waterproof backing on disposable pads means they don't breathe as well, so the washables Q made were wonderful.  (I have linked to similar pads in this post, but Q, you really should start selling yours on Etsy or somewhere.  Let me know when they are available and I will switch the link!) 

4) Moby Wrap.  This is another product that looks like a gimmick, but my son LOVES it.  The first time you put it on, you probably won't trust that it will hold your child securely.  Trust me--get it all the way on, put the baby in the wrap (then take the baby out and put the wrap on again, tighter, because you'll see that yes, the fabric will give enough to slip the baby in even when wrapped tightly, and it works best that way).  You'll think it's cumbersome and complicated at first, but after about 3 uses, you'll be able to get it on and off easy.  I use mine daily around the house because when my son is in the wrap, he is happy as a clam and rides along while my hands are free to make the bed, do dishes, fold laundry, write on my laptop, etc.

5)  Breast Pump with a travel bag.  I don't care what the pump is, just be sure it has a dedicated bag.  If yours doesn't have a bag, get one.  I thought I would only use my bag rarely, for trips outside the house, but I was very wrong.  I tote my pump around the house with me, and the bag is indispensable because I can be sure that I have my pump, my pads, my empty bottles/bags for breast milk storage, and anything else I might need right there where I need it at all times.  I even use mine to toss in the pacifier, bottle, blanket, toy, cell phone, or anything else I need to travel with me from room to room.  You may be surprised at the number of things you need to transport when looking after an infant, even in your own home, and when your arms are busy carrying the infant, that shoulder bag will be a lifesaver for saving you the extra trip or two up and down the stairs to get the baby accessories.

6) Changing table pads.  Munchkin got me a very cute set, and they were lifesavers the first week.  I know, I know--disposable isn't green, and I agree.  But here's the thing--baby poop is messy.  Really messy.  And sometimes, watery.  This quality gives it projectile potential, and as you may discover when you are wiping your infant, it can stimulate their bowels and they let loose another #2 mid-change.  The same can happen with #1, because cold air down south can stimulate the need to urinate.  If you are not experienced in changing diapers (and heck, even if you are), the first few weeks changing a new baby will get your changing table dirty repeatedly.  You can wash your washable covers 5 times a day, use all the towels and blankets in the house, or just use disposables until you figure out your infants quirks while on the table.  These are also great to take with you in your diaper bag to cover the unsanitary surfaces you may need to change your child on in public, or to save your mom's floor or couch.  Along the same vein, my brother recommended using disposable pads under the crib sheet to save the mattress in case of diaper leaks or poo-related blow outs.

7)  Swaddles.  My son loves them, and in the first few weeks, he would quiet almost immediately on being wrapped tightly.  The velcro in these swaddles makes them easy to get on and adjust as needed.  We have been using the Summer Infant Swaddles for warmer nights, and the Halo SleepSack Swaddles for cooler nights.  

8)  A deluxe Pack 'n Play.  Especially if you're planning to have your infant sleep in your room for the first few weeks or months.  My husband and I did the baby's room to the nines, but didn't really think about having anything more than a basic bassinet in our room for our intended co-sleeping arrangement.  Luckily, my awesome coworkers got us a fabulous Pack 'n Play with a bassinet, a napper, a changing table, and a night light.  We have used every single one of these features (which I previously would have termed frivolities).  As it turned out, our infant hated the napper the first 3 weeks, then loved it when he got a little stuffed up and need to be on an angle to help his sinuses drain.  The attached changing table meant we didn't have to truck to the baby room to change several diapers a night.  And the night light meant we could feed the baby or re-insert the pacifier without turning on a room light that would fully wake the spouse or the baby.  All of these things helped us get back to sleep faster, which was priceless when our sleep was already so fractured.

9) Boppy Pillow.  Yet another product that looks a little like a gimmick, but thank goodness, I got two of them as gifts.  I keep one in our bedroom  and one on the main level of our house, and they are great for feeding and holding the infant, propping the baby up to sit, tummy time, etc.  They also don't make bad laptop/tray supports or neck/back pillows--and you may be using them as such during late nights sleeping when and how you can, or sending emails at odd hours because the baby needs to be held.  They also seem to imitate the way I cradle my baby, because when he's swaddled, I can set him in the Boppy after feeding to free up my hands to pump, and he keeps on sleeping (whereas setting him back in the bassinet immediately wakes him).

10) Car Seat Canopy.  This company constantly has coupon codes out for a "free" cover where you only pay the shipping, which evens out to a fair price.  I love my cover because during the first two months of life (before vaccinations), doctors tell you to keep your baby out of public to avoid possible exposure to major illness while their immune systems are still immature.  But, you may still find yourself in a doctor's waiting room (if your child gets sick, or at your 6 week postpartum appointment), running out to the store for diapers, etc.  The cover can help discourage well-meaning strangers from breathing on/touching your baby, and limits the germ exposure.  It's also great coverage if you get caught in the rain or sun, and detached from the carrier can double as an emergency blanket or changing surface.

And one last indispensable--Hand lotion.  Between washing bottle and pump components and your hands before/after diaper changes, you are about to start washing your hands more often than anyone ever should.  Invest in a quality lotion, because you'll want to keep the hands touching your baby gentle and soft.

Alula

The Lucky One

Ladies, just checking in to share my horror.  (Baby is still an eater and a sleeper, and a little angel.)

I have developed a case of postpartum PUPPP.  It's a skin condition of unknown cause, but the dermatologist said a theory is that I'm having an allergic reaction to cells my baby left in my body.  It's incredibly ugly, so itchy that I have literally scratched parts of my skin off (think bed bugs, if you've ever been so unfortunate, but the itch is everywhere instead of confined to bites), and it's anyone's guess how long it hangs around.

PUPPP usually strikes pregnant women.  Mine didn't hit until one week after delivery; the dermatologist said I'm just "lucky"--postpartum cases are rare, but do happen.

They've got me on a steroid cream that's supposed to help the rash and the itch.  Rash appears to be improving (or at least, it has stopped spreading).  The itch...on and off.

Wish me luck.

Alula

Early Arrival

Ladies, my son was born 6 days early on 3/31!  We are all at home, healthy, and doing well!

Munchkin asked me for the details, so here's the full story...

I went to bed on that Saturday (3/29) as normal.  Just after midnight (3/30) my eyes shot open as I felt a warm flood in the down south region--I believe I said something along the lines of "Oh my God, my water just broke" as I shot up out of the bed.  I managed to not get a lot of it on the bed, and cursed Murphy's Law, because Mr. Borealis and I had just discussed putting towels under the sheet on the bed earlier that evening (we hadn't done it yet).

As I stood there soaking the carpet, Mr. B looked at me in a panic, and said "What?"

I repeated that my water had broken.  I was running the odds, and I knew it was unlikely--85% of women don't rupture the membranes until they are at least at the hospital, and I wasn't having contractions.  I hadn't done anything that would have caused a rupture; I was just lying there asleep.  I was pretty sure I hadn't even rolled over or moved at all, because I was still packed in by pillows, and my fetus wasn't even awake or kicking at the time--I'm pretty sure he didn't even notice. I  had heard a lot of stories of women peeing themselves in bed and thinking that their water was broken, but the amount of fluid far exceeded what my bladder had been able to hold for several months.  That, and as fluid was still rolling down my legs and onto the carpet, I realized I had to pee, which meant my bladder hadn't given up on me.

Mr. B jumped out of bed and started babbling like a madman about how he had plans for the next day, the next week, the car wasn't packed, was I sure, that he needed to put pants on, and finally, what did I need him to do?

I asked him to get me a towel, and then to get me the phone.  He got dressed and I sent him on a mission to pack the car while I phoned in my soggy situation and mopped up.  The hospital I was supposed to deliver in was on divert, so they directed us to drive to the alternate hospital in Denver.

Mr. B came back, I told him the plan, and then asked him to go to the basement and set up the cats with an extra litter box and food for a few days.  I threw a few last minute necessities into a bag, went to the bathroom, and emerged to find my husband standing there with a pale face and the list of "before we go to the hospital" tasks clutched in his shaking hands.  He gave it to me, and then looked at me expectantly.  I read them off to him one at a time as I got dressed and finished getting ready to go to the hospital.

On the bright side, there was absolutely no traffic getting in to Denver at 12:30 a.m.  Some guy pulled up next to us at a stop light when we were almost there and asked if we had a light.  

At the hospital, nurses were initially skeptical that my water had actually broken because I wasn't in labor and I was a week early.  The exam proved them wrong, and we were admitted.  I was told they probably wouldn't let me go longer than 6 hours without pitocin if my labor didn't start naturally.  

My labor didn't start naturally.  And, I was exhausted from being up most of the night (we went to bed at 10, so I really only had about 2 hours of sleep).  Mr. B started to get anxious, and we had made a preset rule that he could call Q if he started freaking out, so that's what he did.  I don't remember what time Q arrived (maybe between 8 and 9 that morning?), but I was able to negotiate to wait on pitocin until noon.

 We started pitocin at noon.  I hated it.  As I told my husband prior to delivery, I'm no stranger to pain, and when I'm in a lot of pain, there are generally two things that happen to relieve the suffering: I pace a lot, and I throw up.  Being on pitocin, they wanted to keep me on a monitor, so my movement was restricted (which I really didn't like).  

I can't say with certainty if things would have been different if I'd had natural contractions instead of pitocin induced ones, but they started coming too quickly and sharply for me to breathe through them.  My preferred method of distancing myself from pain is pacing, and it wasn't at my disposal.  

Now, I had told my husband two things about epidurals prior to labor.  The first thing was that I didn't want one, because I have dislocated knees by not paying enough attention when sitting down in a chair--when I go numb in any part of my body (i.e. when a leg falls asleep), it immediately raises my blood pressure because I worry I'm going to hurt myself and not know it.  The second thing was that I know my limits on pain, and when I'm asking for pain relief, it's because I really NEED pain relief.  I've blown out eardrums, walked on dislocated joints, and once performed an at-home impromptu surgery to remove a toothpick-sized twig from my left foot when I impaled myself between 2 toes walking barefoot in the yard and it didn't work its way out over the following 2 weeks--generally, I like to think of myself as someone with an above average pain tolerance.

At some point that afternoon, I asked for an epidural.  

From that point on, the labor got much easier.  At some point, I rolled over and heard a loud pop from somewhere in my lower half, but didn't think much of it at the time (more on that later).

By about 8:30 p.m. that night (Sunday, 3/30), the doctor declared that I was fully dilated and effaced and ready to push.  I pushed from 9 to 10 and made absolutely no progress, so they had me rest for an hour.  Later, Mr. Borealis would speculate that they had me start pushing too early; I speculate that I could have really used the aid of gravity to get the ball rolling, but maybe that's just the desire to pace talking.  

We started pushing again at 11.  I made a little progress (could see the head in the mirror), but couldn't seem to get the head past the pelvis.  I'm pretty sure my nurse was getting pissy and 2 of my 3 doctors were getting impatient, but the Kaiser doctor was the only one that seemed to matter.  They kept trotting him in every few hours to ask if we could do a cesarean yet, he would look at the monitor and say that both my and the fetus's stats looked good, and that I could keep pushing if I wanted to.  So I kept pushing, and kept making zero progress while I b*tched about not being able to be upright and on my feet because I was sure it would help (and my nurse kept b*tching at me that "the baby isn't just going to fall out" like I wasn't trying, which kind of makes me think she totally misunderstood why I wanted to be on my feet in the first place).

Some hours in, I'm starving, sleep deprived, and seriously frustrated because I can't get vertical and I'm attached to a bag of my own pee.  I start asking what my options are, because there has to be something else I can try after making so little progress.  The doctors recommend turning off the epidural completely so that I can feel the contractions and where to push (feeling where to push had been an issue).  

Thirty minutes after turning off the epidural, I have pain in my left hip so excruciating that I can't even focus on the contractions.  And I mean that--the contractions were bad, but every time I even jostled that hip a little, I got a twinge in the joint like nothing I have ever felt before.  And even when I wasn't moving, the throbbing pain was so strong I having trouble figuring out when contractions were starting and stopping, and I started to panic.  I was sure I had done something to my hip, I voiced this concern to the nurse (who pretty much brushed it off), and I asked to have the epidural turned back on so that I could keep pushing.  After asking 3 times, Mr. Borealis went to lift my leg to support me while pushing and I had a stabbing pain so severe that I refused to push until the epidural was turned back on.  The nurse rolled her eyes at me, and Q exchanged some words with her in the hall.  The Kaiser doctor was trotted back in, told the nurse to manage my pain, epidural came back on and I continued pushing.

The baby's head was turned slightly, which may have been part of the issue.  (Too bad I couldn't assume any of the standing postures I learned in class to try and correct that...)

By 5 a.m., I still hadn't made enough progress.  The Kaiser doctor told me that all the stats were still looking good, but my water had been broken too long, and he was worried that we were approaching a point where chances of infection or fetal distress and emergency cesarean increased.  I said I would take any assist before a cesarean.  

This was an educated decision for me.  Babies and moms who have an assist generally have faster recoveries, better outcomes, and higher apgar scores than those who opt for cesarean.  I opted to go with a vacuum assist to avoid an episiotomy and tearing (much more common with forceps), and the potential facial nerve damage to the baby.

I'm pretty sure watching the vacuum assist almost broke Q.  I'm pretty sure seeing the amount of blood from tearing and damage did break Mr. B.

Baby was born at 5:32 a.m. on 3/31, at 8lbs 0.01oz and 19.5".  It took 3 doctors quite a while (15 minutes?  Q, were you more aware of time?) to stitch up my damage, and all the while I listened to them discussing where things were supposed to go together like I was too damaged for the fixes to be immediately apparent.  Baby had a bruise on his head for about a week, but now his vacuum spot is completely gone.  I couldn't walk without supporting myself on something for about 48 hours due to the pain in my hip, and I had to have a catheter in for 24 hours after delivery because I was too swollen and damaged to pee by myself.  

My hip still isn't 100%.  I get the twinge every time I sit on it wrong and lean forward, and sometimes when I step on it wrong.  I'm still not sure what that's about.  But my stitches are healing up great, I'm only 2 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight as of today, and we are both so in love with our baby.  

He's been very easy since delivery.  He had a brief bout of jaundice, but loved the lights so it corrected quickly.  He sleeps and eats great, and generally isn't very fussy--when he's crying, it's because there's a problem.  Fix the problem and he quiets and goes back to sleep; perfect nap and writing/gaming buddy!  Knock on wood that this continues!

Alula

"12 Minute BAD BOY" in Marker, by Little Munchkin

Well ladies, I'm sorry I haven't posted in quite a long time, but today warrants a good post.

My wonderful, two year old boy decided to make my home into an art gallery in 12 minutes flat today. And of course, it couldn't have been done in crayon or something easy to remove. It was a red permanent marker. =/

Thankfully the carpet, cabinets, wood railing, trim and bar stools were able to be saved. On the other hand, the walls must all now be painted on my main floor. I really can't believe he did it, and I'm furious at him. However, the work is quite nice for his abilities.

Too bad he didn't choose paper this time.

~Munchkin

P.S. I guess I should thank him a little bit, I've personally wanted to paint my home for a long time.

question

Why isn't there a baby countdown for our pregnant person? I had one so did Q soget it going girl, how else is this airhead supposed to keep track?  Oh and we are all doing good here, sort of but that story is waaay to long.

Fuzzy

How's everyone doing?

Any New Year's Resolutions or Year End Goals?

I'm aiming to publish 3 novels, lose all my baby weight, and grow a vegetable garden this year.

Side note--why didn't the sisterhood tell me that the over-the-belly-up-to-your-boobs clown pants are freakishly comfortable?  They feel like yoga pants, with the added bonus of no under shirt draftinss.  Up until my mom took me out maternity shopping, I've been wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans under the belly.  Now that I've discovered the belly pants, I may never stop wearing them.  These should be marketed to old men with pot bellies instead of suspenders.  

Alula