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