So far whenever anything comes out of Keaton, a long string of words come out of my mouth that I hope he doesn't learn for a very very long time. But we've had quite a few interesting moments today as far as that's concerned. We took him out to Target to get a few things and walk around a bit (mainly for my benefit so I can get out into the real world a bit more, and walking seems to help out my recovery process a bit). Anyway, after Target we went to Bakers Square and had some pie while Keaton slept. He has been EXCELLENT anytime we take him out. Even the 4 hours spent at the car dealership last weekend barely phased him... he just sleeps. So we get home and Case goes in to change his diaper. I always end up going in the room when he's doing this, because I normally hear him shout something and find out later that he got peed on- again. This time was no different. I went in to try to help him out and see if I could give him any advice. Then when I tried to help by putting diaper rash cream on his little bum, he decided to 'give back' if you will... all over my hand. LOL... Casey and I both started cracking up because we stripped the changing pad down and had to wipe it off several times, as apparently Keaton still had some more to give... and he kept giving and giving. Maybe I should mention that he wasn't peeing at this point. Yeah, it was gross, and a mess, but I want to remember looking at Casey and laughing together about how much of a mess it was and how it just kept coming out! Needless to say, my kid needs a bath, even after we washed him down after Pottyfest 2010. Shortly afterward, he was nursing and apparently decided not to stop eating when he was full, because he spit up all over me- my shirt, jeans, robe, and his blanket. It's been an eventful few hours at the Hetrick household!
His umbilical cord looks like it's going to fall off soon, and it's about time! It will be nice to give him a proper bath instead of the little sponge baths we've had to do to keep it dry. Once that falls off, he should be completely healed; the scab on his head fell off from where he got stuck coming out during labor. His little boy parts are healing nicely after the circumcision (sorry if that's TMI... I felt weird writing it, too... sorry guys), and then his little belly button will be visible once the cord is gone. I'm anxious to go to the Peds appt on Monday (can't tell you how many times I've almost called it the Vet... Yikes!). As most new parents go, I'm sure Casey and I will have plenty of questions about him, and what is normal, etc. I think we both question things on a semi-frequent basis that are probably totally normal, but it'll be good to get reassurance from the doctor.
Casey has been amazing, and took care of Keaton after 3:00 am this morning and allowed me to sleep in until 8! He even made cinnamon rolls and brought them to me in bed! I love that he's such a hands-on Daddy. It does crack me up that anytime he has a question about something Keaton related, he will hop on the internet and look it up. I am really thankful for weekends with Casey- we miss him a lot during the week, and it feels like there is never much time between when he gets home from work and then goes to bed. He's been going to bed early so he can wake up early and help if Keaton needs to be fed, etc. While that is awesome and I appreciate it, I still miss spending time with him. But these are things that we knew would happen, and I know it will get better, esp. when Keaton gets a schedule.
Pretty sure this blog is random... my brain is totally fogged up all the time now. Hopefully some part of this will make sense. I'll probably read it later and wonder what the heck I was talking about...
Until next time,
Ash
Casey, Ashley, Keaton, Nikolaus, & Rowan take on Chicagoland...
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Decoding the Kid
Keaton slept so much yesterday, I kind of had a feeling last night was going to be interesting. Glad I follow my gut more these days (which is melting away, thank you breastfeeding!). ;) I bring you to 11 pm last night, when I was exhausted and laying in bed to go to sleep. I knew it wouldn't last. Suddenly my little Keaton alarm went off and I whisked him out of the room so Casey could get some sleep. I fed him and changed his diaper, and thought we were good to go. The second I laid him down again in his bassinet, he was screaming again. So I took him back in the nursery and attempted to give him more food. All he would do was scream and scream. It got to the point where I was sitting on the floor with him, and I was about to lose it. Not the first time I've been close to tears in the past 2 weeks... in fact, I've cried almost every day, for one reason or another! Damn these hormones!
Anyway, I'm sitting there, staring at him and thinking, "God, I don't know what's wrong with him!! How am I going to do this??" when suddenly it really hit me. He was in pain. Every time he would let out a loud, high-pitched squeal, he would double up and put his feet to his chest. He is obviously having a lot of tummy issues (judging by the noises coming out of his little bum on a frequent basis!) so the more I watched him, the more I am convinced that the Teapot cry means pain. It only took me 12 days to realize this.
We've been giving him gas drops, and I think they may be working a bit, but not totally. Mom thinks he has colic. :( We go back for his 2 week appointment tomorrow to the Pediatrician, so hopefully they'll be able to shed some light on what's happening. The worst feeling is knowing your kid is in pain and there's nothing you can do about it. If this is just a gas issue, etc., then I have NO idea what I will do when he breaks his arm or needs medical attention... I'm going to be a mess!
Speaking of messes, and crying, I definitely started bawling while watching the movie Up the other night. Turns out a lot of people cried at that movie, so I have felt better after the moral support on Facebook, but the thing that scared me is that I went from watching a freaking Disney movie to being an absolute mess in a matter of minutes. We went out to get some food the other day (I think it was Sunday, but all my days are blurring together right now...) and I heard a song on the radio and cried into my gyro sandwich. It just hits me sometimes. The worst part is that it will come out of NO WHERE, or I will completely overreact about things. I keep thinking Casey is mad at me, and then I'll lose it. Nine times out of 10, he doesn't even have a problem with me. So yeah, the hormone changes and crying are definitely a downside to the whole Motherhood thing.
The up sides are that I have this awesome little kid to stare at all day, who smells good (at least the top half of him does, anyway) and makes cute little faces all the time. He looks around a lot and has his eyes open quite a bit now. He brings out a really cute side in his Daddy, who could not be prouder of him. And every time I look at Casey now, I see Keaton, which makes me love Casey even more. :-D Yes, I'm tired, but taking those little naps with Keaton (esp when he lays on my chest) are totally worth it. He's pretty amazing.
I guess I just have to realize (and am starting to) that this will be the toughest, but most rewarding job I will ever have. It will be interesting to see how next week goes, since I have gotten used to my mom doing everything around here and now it will be on me to maintain the house, etc... not that Casey isn't helping, but it's also not fair for him to work all day long to provide for us, then come home and have to do all the household stuff, too. And he has offered to help with dinner and other things around the house, which is awesome. It's going to be a big adjustment for us, but we will get through it. I'm sure I'm still going to have times where I sit on the floor with Keaton and try not to have a breakdown, but as soon as those moments pass, I realize that I really CAN do this... and everything is going to be okay.
Anyway, I'm sitting there, staring at him and thinking, "God, I don't know what's wrong with him!! How am I going to do this??" when suddenly it really hit me. He was in pain. Every time he would let out a loud, high-pitched squeal, he would double up and put his feet to his chest. He is obviously having a lot of tummy issues (judging by the noises coming out of his little bum on a frequent basis!) so the more I watched him, the more I am convinced that the Teapot cry means pain. It only took me 12 days to realize this.
We've been giving him gas drops, and I think they may be working a bit, but not totally. Mom thinks he has colic. :( We go back for his 2 week appointment tomorrow to the Pediatrician, so hopefully they'll be able to shed some light on what's happening. The worst feeling is knowing your kid is in pain and there's nothing you can do about it. If this is just a gas issue, etc., then I have NO idea what I will do when he breaks his arm or needs medical attention... I'm going to be a mess!
Speaking of messes, and crying, I definitely started bawling while watching the movie Up the other night. Turns out a lot of people cried at that movie, so I have felt better after the moral support on Facebook, but the thing that scared me is that I went from watching a freaking Disney movie to being an absolute mess in a matter of minutes. We went out to get some food the other day (I think it was Sunday, but all my days are blurring together right now...) and I heard a song on the radio and cried into my gyro sandwich. It just hits me sometimes. The worst part is that it will come out of NO WHERE, or I will completely overreact about things. I keep thinking Casey is mad at me, and then I'll lose it. Nine times out of 10, he doesn't even have a problem with me. So yeah, the hormone changes and crying are definitely a downside to the whole Motherhood thing.
The up sides are that I have this awesome little kid to stare at all day, who smells good (at least the top half of him does, anyway) and makes cute little faces all the time. He looks around a lot and has his eyes open quite a bit now. He brings out a really cute side in his Daddy, who could not be prouder of him. And every time I look at Casey now, I see Keaton, which makes me love Casey even more. :-D Yes, I'm tired, but taking those little naps with Keaton (esp when he lays on my chest) are totally worth it. He's pretty amazing.
I guess I just have to realize (and am starting to) that this will be the toughest, but most rewarding job I will ever have. It will be interesting to see how next week goes, since I have gotten used to my mom doing everything around here and now it will be on me to maintain the house, etc... not that Casey isn't helping, but it's also not fair for him to work all day long to provide for us, then come home and have to do all the household stuff, too. And he has offered to help with dinner and other things around the house, which is awesome. It's going to be a big adjustment for us, but we will get through it. I'm sure I'm still going to have times where I sit on the floor with Keaton and try not to have a breakdown, but as soon as those moments pass, I realize that I really CAN do this... and everything is going to be okay.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Mount St. Keaton
Yesterday was pretty interesting in the Keaton department. He woke up every 3 hours, almost on the dot, ready to feed, etc. The day was going great! Then about mid day, I changed one diaper and Keaton decided to unleash and pee all over both the old and new diaper, his clean onesie, and the changing pad. So we changed again. Not even 30 minutes later, he was acting like he didn't feel well, and threw up for the first time. That scared the crap out of me! Luckily it was just once, but it was enough to make me really paranoid the rest of the day. I think both times these things have happened, I've screamed out, "Oh sweet Jesus!!" or something to that effect b/c I didn't know what to do. But we managed to get him cleaned up, calmed down, and into new clothes. One of my neighbors came with her 4 little girls to see Keaton for the first time. I really don't know how she does it, but she'd definitely Supermom and I will gladly take notes from her.
Baby K woke up at 1:45 to feed, but this time he was super hungry and didn't settle down or go back to sleep until 3. I would feed him, then he'd act sleepy so I'd get him swaddled and ready for bed again, then he would SCREAM bloody murder until I fed him again. His screaming got to the point where nothing would calm him down at all- he would barely stop wailing to eat. Not even the binky would work at this point. It is so frustrating to have him cry and scream that loud but not be able to help him all the time. I really hope this anger thing doesn't translate over when he gets older! Our kid has an attitude!!!
I went to change his diaper earlier this morning, and he christened the wall, his head, my arm, and the entire changing pad with urine. I am obviously doing something wrong. I attempted to cover him up while I was changing him last time, just in case, but it doesn't always work. He's so squirmy!! Yesterday he was covered on top by the old diaper while I was getting the new one ready, but he peed out the side of the old diaper onto the new diaper, and himself. How long until I get the hang of this stuff??
So I just woke up from a 1.5 hour power nap with Keaton, who laid on my chest while we slept. I love those naps! He is so peaceful. :)
I guess that's about it for now. Not sure what's happening today. Mom is in the kitchen baking up something yummy... I'm going to miss that. Next week will be a real test as to what I can do on my own. Mom has been nothing short of amazing this week... and last week. Heck, she's been here since the first false alarm, so I guess the past 3 weeks have been a spoil-fest for us! Time flies.
I guess that's about it for now. Hopefully today will go better and the little guy will be less upset! ;-/
-Ash
Baby K woke up at 1:45 to feed, but this time he was super hungry and didn't settle down or go back to sleep until 3. I would feed him, then he'd act sleepy so I'd get him swaddled and ready for bed again, then he would SCREAM bloody murder until I fed him again. His screaming got to the point where nothing would calm him down at all- he would barely stop wailing to eat. Not even the binky would work at this point. It is so frustrating to have him cry and scream that loud but not be able to help him all the time. I really hope this anger thing doesn't translate over when he gets older! Our kid has an attitude!!!
I went to change his diaper earlier this morning, and he christened the wall, his head, my arm, and the entire changing pad with urine. I am obviously doing something wrong. I attempted to cover him up while I was changing him last time, just in case, but it doesn't always work. He's so squirmy!! Yesterday he was covered on top by the old diaper while I was getting the new one ready, but he peed out the side of the old diaper onto the new diaper, and himself. How long until I get the hang of this stuff??
So I just woke up from a 1.5 hour power nap with Keaton, who laid on my chest while we slept. I love those naps! He is so peaceful. :)
I guess that's about it for now. Not sure what's happening today. Mom is in the kitchen baking up something yummy... I'm going to miss that. Next week will be a real test as to what I can do on my own. Mom has been nothing short of amazing this week... and last week. Heck, she's been here since the first false alarm, so I guess the past 3 weeks have been a spoil-fest for us! Time flies.
I guess that's about it for now. Hopefully today will go better and the little guy will be less upset! ;-/
-Ash
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Opinion Nation
I spent almost 9 months hearing advice from people I didn't even know about the 'right' way to do things while you're pregnant. Now that Keaton is born, people seem to come out of the damn woodwork to tell me how to be a parent. It's one thing if you approach it in a "This is what worked for me" sort of way. But yesterday, it worked out that Casey and I had to go to the car dealership, and my mom and Keaton came with us. So it was Keaton's first time around a lot of people. I realize this is not an ideal situation. I will say this- he did GREAT, and slept almost the entire time we were out! I think we may have ended up spending about 4 hours at the dealership, which was ridiculous. But we needed to do it (and are finally a 2 vehicle family again!! Yay for the new 2010 Honda Fit in our garage right now!!). Anyway, wouldn't you know, people were telling me left and right how I shouldn't have an 8 day old baby out around so many people. One lady came up and asked to see him, and then went on and on about what to do about jaundice (he's looking much less yellow now... not to mention the fact that they wouldn't have let us leave the hospital if he were not okay, AND he's been checked 3 times since then and his numbers get better every time!) and finally lectured me about having him outside and pushed my buttons enough that I said, "Honey, I wouldn't have done it if I had another choice." She then went on to say that people like me 'make her sick' because I don't look like I had a kid 8 days ago. I walked away and said, under my breath of course, "If I make you sick, the feeling is mutual!"
Look, the bottom line is, this is MY child. If he does get sick (God forbid!!!) I will be the one taking him to the Pediatrician, paying the medical bills, and feeling like a horrible parent. It's not like I let anyone else hold him, and I doubt anyone got close enough to spit or cough on him either. Leave me alone!! Don't preach at me if I don't know you! If I DO know you, that's another story. And who was yelling at me for taking him out when he was FOUR days old, to the Pediatrician, in an office with sick kids running all over the place, putting their germs on anything around them!? Hospitals and doctor's offices tend to be the place you pick up a bug from, anyway! Gah. I just needed to vent about this. People are really starting to get on my nerves and soon I'm not going to hold my tongue. Angry pregnant woman may have been one thing, but angry Mommy? LOOK OUT!
Keaton has been feeding a bit better recently. I figured with our outing yesterday, and the fact that he slept almost the whole time (except to eat and change his diaper) he would probably be up at all hours of the night, but luckily I *think* we are starting to get some kind of schedule going. Cluster feeding sucks, though. I fed him on and off for two and a half straight hours this morning. He wouldn't settle down enough to sleep. I have tried to avoid using the pacifier, too, but I realize there are times you just need it. Like when he will act hungry, but not actually BE hungry... the pacifier quiets him, puts him to sleep, and then he spits it out.
I don't know. Maybe I'm going about this parenting thing all wrong. But I have to believe that 1) there is an instinctual nature to parenting sometimes and you just have to do what you think is best for your child, and 2) I have a lot to learn, so if I'm doing something wrong, hopefully it won't be something permanent or disastrous!! I just know I can't possibly listen to every bit of advice given to me, because everyone is different and what works for one may not work for another. I hope not to be one of those people someday that sees a new mom and starts telling her the 'right' and 'wrong' way to do things. Hopefully this experience will make me step back and see how to approach people... if anything, I can learn from others mistakes. But if things start to go South and people are hurling their opinions at me, you can believe there'll be a blog entry about how I went ape on them and didn't hold back. I think that time is coming!
I should go now. I'm pretty sure that since I didn't sleep while Keaton is sleeping, I will pay for it later... hopefully he was drunk enough on milk from the last feeding that he'll pass out for awhile. :)
Thanks for letting me vent!! Oh how I love blogging. ;)
-Ash
Look, the bottom line is, this is MY child. If he does get sick (God forbid!!!) I will be the one taking him to the Pediatrician, paying the medical bills, and feeling like a horrible parent. It's not like I let anyone else hold him, and I doubt anyone got close enough to spit or cough on him either. Leave me alone!! Don't preach at me if I don't know you! If I DO know you, that's another story. And who was yelling at me for taking him out when he was FOUR days old, to the Pediatrician, in an office with sick kids running all over the place, putting their germs on anything around them!? Hospitals and doctor's offices tend to be the place you pick up a bug from, anyway! Gah. I just needed to vent about this. People are really starting to get on my nerves and soon I'm not going to hold my tongue. Angry pregnant woman may have been one thing, but angry Mommy? LOOK OUT!
Keaton has been feeding a bit better recently. I figured with our outing yesterday, and the fact that he slept almost the whole time (except to eat and change his diaper) he would probably be up at all hours of the night, but luckily I *think* we are starting to get some kind of schedule going. Cluster feeding sucks, though. I fed him on and off for two and a half straight hours this morning. He wouldn't settle down enough to sleep. I have tried to avoid using the pacifier, too, but I realize there are times you just need it. Like when he will act hungry, but not actually BE hungry... the pacifier quiets him, puts him to sleep, and then he spits it out.
I don't know. Maybe I'm going about this parenting thing all wrong. But I have to believe that 1) there is an instinctual nature to parenting sometimes and you just have to do what you think is best for your child, and 2) I have a lot to learn, so if I'm doing something wrong, hopefully it won't be something permanent or disastrous!! I just know I can't possibly listen to every bit of advice given to me, because everyone is different and what works for one may not work for another. I hope not to be one of those people someday that sees a new mom and starts telling her the 'right' and 'wrong' way to do things. Hopefully this experience will make me step back and see how to approach people... if anything, I can learn from others mistakes. But if things start to go South and people are hurling their opinions at me, you can believe there'll be a blog entry about how I went ape on them and didn't hold back. I think that time is coming!
I should go now. I'm pretty sure that since I didn't sleep while Keaton is sleeping, I will pay for it later... hopefully he was drunk enough on milk from the last feeding that he'll pass out for awhile. :)
Thanks for letting me vent!! Oh how I love blogging. ;)
-Ash
Friday, February 19, 2010
One week old. :)
My little hungry bundle is just chillin' in my lap right now, drunk off (non-formula!) milk and swaddled away. We had a rough couple of nights recently as he's been cluster feeding and up every 45 minutes to an hour, claiming to be hungry. (PS, he just passed a TON of gas... or maybe more... not really looking forward to the next diaper change!!! Whoa!!!) LOL... sorry, I was distracted. Anyway, today we have a follow-up meeting with the Lactation Consultant at the hospital. I am happy to report that we've totally been off formula now for at least 36 hours... I think... and he's only had a bottle 3-4 times. Progress?? I sure hope so.
Keaton is going to have such a cute little smile. Right now I only see it because of gas bubbles, but soon he'll hopefully be smiling and cooing instead of squirming and crying. The kid really doesn't like having his diaper changed. Or his clothes changed. You'd think I'm hurting him from the way he squeals! I have been calling him Squeaky Pete or Tea Kettle b/c every time he gets really upset, he lets out this high pitched squeak that almost always makes me laugh! We make noises back and forth to each other whenever he's on the changing table. I also call him Baby Bird, because that's exactly how he looks to me when he's screaming and crying with his mouth wide open. I rarely call him Peanut, go figure! But his nicknames are definitely becoming more abundant as the days go on.
Strange to think that this time a week ago, I was less than an hour away from meeting Keaton for the first time. Right about now I was probably pushing to the point where my lips would go numb. I'm happy to report that I can actually walk around now like a normal human being. After all that pushing, I'm surprised the hospital didn't give me a donut to sit on. OUCH!! Things are getting back to 'normal' now. It's just so weird to think that I would be 39 weeks pregnant today if everything wouldn't have happened the way it did. He had dropped so much in the time between Superbowl Sunday and Friday, though, that there's no way I would have lasted much longer. To those ladies out there who are still waiting on their little ones to arrive, I want to encourage you... it is going to happen soon, and I know waiting is the hardest part (okay labor is technically the hardest part, I won't lie) but it will be totally worth it!!! And when it's over, you will probably think a lot of things. You may miss being pregnant and feeling the baby move around inside you. (I miss that, and the hiccups!) But you'll also soon get to enjoy the feeling of not having to waddle everywhere you go... of being able to tie your shoes again... or being able to eat some of the foods you missed and being able to ride in the car without being in complete pain. Little things you forgot about will come back to you soon, and you'll be like, "Oh my gosh!! I can get out of the bath tub without needing needing help from the Jaws of Life!!" Woo hoo!! To all those ladies, I am thinking of you, and I hope everything goes well, soon!
Gotta get around now! I'll try to blog again soon!
-Ash
Keaton is going to have such a cute little smile. Right now I only see it because of gas bubbles, but soon he'll hopefully be smiling and cooing instead of squirming and crying. The kid really doesn't like having his diaper changed. Or his clothes changed. You'd think I'm hurting him from the way he squeals! I have been calling him Squeaky Pete or Tea Kettle b/c every time he gets really upset, he lets out this high pitched squeak that almost always makes me laugh! We make noises back and forth to each other whenever he's on the changing table. I also call him Baby Bird, because that's exactly how he looks to me when he's screaming and crying with his mouth wide open. I rarely call him Peanut, go figure! But his nicknames are definitely becoming more abundant as the days go on.
Strange to think that this time a week ago, I was less than an hour away from meeting Keaton for the first time. Right about now I was probably pushing to the point where my lips would go numb. I'm happy to report that I can actually walk around now like a normal human being. After all that pushing, I'm surprised the hospital didn't give me a donut to sit on. OUCH!! Things are getting back to 'normal' now. It's just so weird to think that I would be 39 weeks pregnant today if everything wouldn't have happened the way it did. He had dropped so much in the time between Superbowl Sunday and Friday, though, that there's no way I would have lasted much longer. To those ladies out there who are still waiting on their little ones to arrive, I want to encourage you... it is going to happen soon, and I know waiting is the hardest part (okay labor is technically the hardest part, I won't lie) but it will be totally worth it!!! And when it's over, you will probably think a lot of things. You may miss being pregnant and feeling the baby move around inside you. (I miss that, and the hiccups!) But you'll also soon get to enjoy the feeling of not having to waddle everywhere you go... of being able to tie your shoes again... or being able to eat some of the foods you missed and being able to ride in the car without being in complete pain. Little things you forgot about will come back to you soon, and you'll be like, "Oh my gosh!! I can get out of the bath tub without needing needing help from the Jaws of Life!!" Woo hoo!! To all those ladies, I am thinking of you, and I hope everything goes well, soon!
Gotta get around now! I'll try to blog again soon!
-Ash
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Mommyhood, Day 5
This is attempt #2 at blogging since Keaton arrived... let's see if I can make it through without having to stop and feed him! He is currently laying on my chest, asleep. :) I love these moments because he's actually not screaming and hungry right now... I bet I will jinx myself!
So Keaton has been around for 5 days now, and those days have been a blur to me. Warning, I am going to talk about breastfeeding now, so if that's too much info, you have been warned!! Skip the next few paragraphs if you're not interested and just want to read about Keaton. :)
Breastfeeding has by FAR been the hardest part so far. Keaton has had a hard time latching on, and we had to start supplementing my milk at first because he would either scream his head off and not latch on, or he'd latch on and fall asleep almost instantly. People don't talk about this sort of thing, but breastfeeding, while a natural occurrence, is anything but natural to get used to. You have to feed the baby at least every 2-3 hours. Your milk doesn't normally come in for at least a few days at first, and you have to basically train the baby to latch on, which is tough because you can't really 'train' yourself before the baby arrives. Granted, if I were wiser, I would have taken a class beforehand so I knew what to expect. Since I didn't, I went into the situation with a lot of questions. But so many people only preach at you about how 'breast is best' and that supplementation is something you should try to avoid so there isn't any nipple confusion. Did you know that a pacifier can greatly increase the chance that you'll have a hard time breastfeeding? Wish I would have known that before registering! People avoid talking about this sort of thing, because you never want to hear the down sides of motherhood. The truth of the matter is, it's easy to feel like a milk factory when you are either pumping, feeding, or both, pretty much all the time. Top that off with the fact that your body is recovering from birth, and your milk hasn't come in yet. At first, it is one of the most overwhelming experiences you could have as a mom. You just want to provide for you child, but due to a combination of things, sometimes that just doesn't happen.
Breast milk is something that is so sacred to me right now (pumping enough for reserves, etc) I swear to God I will cry if I pump any and it spills. Every drop matters!! That will be one time that crying over spilled milk is acceptable, I would think! Luckily my milk has definitely come in now... I feel like I have to pump all the time just to keep from getting engorged and being in serious pain. That's another thing... breastfeeding HURTS!!!!
I will not go into more detail about the specifics of what I've had to do, but I will say that every time I've met with a lactation consultant, I have felt MUCH more confident that this will happen in time. To the expectant moms out there who plan to breastfeed, I can only tell you that yes, it is very difficult, and you will probably have moments where you cry because things aren't working the way you thought they would... but just try, and keep trying, and hopefully everything will pay off in the end. And really, if you end up having to formula feed, that does NOT make you a terrible parent!! Don't listen to all the militant folks out there that look down on such things. There are a lot of people in the world who were raised on formula for one reason or another, and they turn out JUST FINE!! That said, we're still making efforts toward breastfeeding, and I'm happy to say that today we've had NO FORMULA at all. Hooray! I have to count the little blessings.
Now for the Keaton part of the blog. This kid has got an Attitude already!! Not only that, but he's already moving his head around and pushing up frequently. He is one strong little boy! I know a lot of parents probably say the same about their babies, and I'm not trying to say that he's super advanced or anything, he's just a lot stronger than we had anticipated him being at this point. He will push me away sometimes, and scream bloody murder when we change a diaper or try to BF him (promise I will try to keep that reference to a minimum for the rest of the blog, for anyone who may be weirded out by the topic). We think they may have measured him incorrectly at the hospital, because yesterday at his first Peds appointment, he was already an inch longer! This does not sound like a trait my child should have!! LOL...
We've somewhat determined that I have contributed Keaton's hands, feet, and ears. Other than that, it's all Daddy! Keaton and Casey make the same faces, which is too funny to me... especially when Keaton will open his eyes and look around. Keaton also resembles a bird when he's angry and hungry- his face is bright red, and his little mouth opens as wide as possible and he puts his face up toward me like, "I want this now, dammit!!" LOL...
He makes the cutest noises when he sleeps! And he smells so good.. I often find myself putting my nose on his head just to breathe him in. Case and I gave him a bath yesterday, which was hilarious... I realized that I hadn't really seen his little butt yet, other than upside down while changing diapers, so when I went to take a peek, the kid passed gas- which is also another thing he does frequently- and a bit of poop flew out at Casey!! I laughed for a LONG time over that one. He's definitely doing fine in the potty department, too. The kid is fully functional!
Well, most of this feels pretty random now, much like my mushy brains have felt the past 5 days. I will try my best to utilize the blog so I can try and remember details as they happen, but my brain is fried. That's all for now... I will try to write again soon!!
Oh, and before I forget, I could NOT have made it through the last few days without Casey or my Mom. Both have been absolutely wonderful, helping me get through this first part and dealing with my pain, mood swings, occasional crying fits, etc. Stupid hormones!!!! It will all get better soon, though, and it's getting better every day. Thank goodness!!
Thankful Mommy,
Ashley
Copy & paste this link for pictures!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleyhetrick/sets/72157623454767406/detail/
A lot of these were stolen from Leslie or our friends who visited us @ the hospital. Hopefully I'll have more of our own up soon!
So Keaton has been around for 5 days now, and those days have been a blur to me. Warning, I am going to talk about breastfeeding now, so if that's too much info, you have been warned!! Skip the next few paragraphs if you're not interested and just want to read about Keaton. :)
Breastfeeding has by FAR been the hardest part so far. Keaton has had a hard time latching on, and we had to start supplementing my milk at first because he would either scream his head off and not latch on, or he'd latch on and fall asleep almost instantly. People don't talk about this sort of thing, but breastfeeding, while a natural occurrence, is anything but natural to get used to. You have to feed the baby at least every 2-3 hours. Your milk doesn't normally come in for at least a few days at first, and you have to basically train the baby to latch on, which is tough because you can't really 'train' yourself before the baby arrives. Granted, if I were wiser, I would have taken a class beforehand so I knew what to expect. Since I didn't, I went into the situation with a lot of questions. But so many people only preach at you about how 'breast is best' and that supplementation is something you should try to avoid so there isn't any nipple confusion. Did you know that a pacifier can greatly increase the chance that you'll have a hard time breastfeeding? Wish I would have known that before registering! People avoid talking about this sort of thing, because you never want to hear the down sides of motherhood. The truth of the matter is, it's easy to feel like a milk factory when you are either pumping, feeding, or both, pretty much all the time. Top that off with the fact that your body is recovering from birth, and your milk hasn't come in yet. At first, it is one of the most overwhelming experiences you could have as a mom. You just want to provide for you child, but due to a combination of things, sometimes that just doesn't happen.
Breast milk is something that is so sacred to me right now (pumping enough for reserves, etc) I swear to God I will cry if I pump any and it spills. Every drop matters!! That will be one time that crying over spilled milk is acceptable, I would think! Luckily my milk has definitely come in now... I feel like I have to pump all the time just to keep from getting engorged and being in serious pain. That's another thing... breastfeeding HURTS!!!!
I will not go into more detail about the specifics of what I've had to do, but I will say that every time I've met with a lactation consultant, I have felt MUCH more confident that this will happen in time. To the expectant moms out there who plan to breastfeed, I can only tell you that yes, it is very difficult, and you will probably have moments where you cry because things aren't working the way you thought they would... but just try, and keep trying, and hopefully everything will pay off in the end. And really, if you end up having to formula feed, that does NOT make you a terrible parent!! Don't listen to all the militant folks out there that look down on such things. There are a lot of people in the world who were raised on formula for one reason or another, and they turn out JUST FINE!! That said, we're still making efforts toward breastfeeding, and I'm happy to say that today we've had NO FORMULA at all. Hooray! I have to count the little blessings.
Now for the Keaton part of the blog. This kid has got an Attitude already!! Not only that, but he's already moving his head around and pushing up frequently. He is one strong little boy! I know a lot of parents probably say the same about their babies, and I'm not trying to say that he's super advanced or anything, he's just a lot stronger than we had anticipated him being at this point. He will push me away sometimes, and scream bloody murder when we change a diaper or try to BF him (promise I will try to keep that reference to a minimum for the rest of the blog, for anyone who may be weirded out by the topic). We think they may have measured him incorrectly at the hospital, because yesterday at his first Peds appointment, he was already an inch longer! This does not sound like a trait my child should have!! LOL...
We've somewhat determined that I have contributed Keaton's hands, feet, and ears. Other than that, it's all Daddy! Keaton and Casey make the same faces, which is too funny to me... especially when Keaton will open his eyes and look around. Keaton also resembles a bird when he's angry and hungry- his face is bright red, and his little mouth opens as wide as possible and he puts his face up toward me like, "I want this now, dammit!!" LOL...
He makes the cutest noises when he sleeps! And he smells so good.. I often find myself putting my nose on his head just to breathe him in. Case and I gave him a bath yesterday, which was hilarious... I realized that I hadn't really seen his little butt yet, other than upside down while changing diapers, so when I went to take a peek, the kid passed gas- which is also another thing he does frequently- and a bit of poop flew out at Casey!! I laughed for a LONG time over that one. He's definitely doing fine in the potty department, too. The kid is fully functional!
Well, most of this feels pretty random now, much like my mushy brains have felt the past 5 days. I will try my best to utilize the blog so I can try and remember details as they happen, but my brain is fried. That's all for now... I will try to write again soon!!
Oh, and before I forget, I could NOT have made it through the last few days without Casey or my Mom. Both have been absolutely wonderful, helping me get through this first part and dealing with my pain, mood swings, occasional crying fits, etc. Stupid hormones!!!! It will all get better soon, though, and it's getting better every day. Thank goodness!!
Thankful Mommy,
Ashley
Copy & paste this link for pictures!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleyhetrick/sets/72157623454767406/detail/
A lot of these were stolen from Leslie or our friends who visited us @ the hospital. Hopefully I'll have more of our own up soon!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Arrival of Keaton Alexander
As I sit here in the hospital room, I am reminded of a few things. First, life is definitely unpredictable. But damn is it awesome.
I bring you to 12:45 am, Friday February 12th (also Chelsea's birthday & the start of the Winter Olympics!). I'm sleeping, when suddenly BAM... my water breaks! I haven't moved so fast to the bathroom in MONTHS. This is when things start to go fuzzy. I'm sitting there, realizing what happened, and I start feeling contractions almost right away. You know, the ones that everyone says are 'too hard to talk through'. Yes, they are NOT joking. I managed to somehow yell out to Casey a few times (he was pretty crapped out at the time) and finally got his attention. It's TIME!! This is really happening!!!
I hear Casey go in and tell my mom that she needs to wake up because we need to 'go to the store'... LOL... he knew that would get her attention. Then he says, "Ashley's water broke... we need to go to the hospital!" So we all fly around the house (poor Charley had no clue what was happening and kept bringing us toys... LOL)... I am saying strange things like, "We need to turn off the coffee pot!" and other strange things, in between HORRIBLY painful contractions. I manage to call the hospital and let them know we're coming (and cuss loudly at the fact that the number we call is automated and I have to push a bunch of numbers before I can talk to an actual person... gah!) I'm in pain, people... PAIN!!
The drive to the hospital was a total blur. Contractions were 3 minutes apart, and so painful I couldn't open my eyes. We get to the hospital (we got to the wrong entrance... lol) and get to the desk (there was no one there) and FINALLY get a wheelchair and get up to the birthing suite. I finally get in bed and they check me- 6 or 7 cm dilated. Things started moving quickly after that. They asked if I wanted the epidural, and shortly the wonderful guy came in and hooked me up. OH my GOD. It was wonderful. Even before the meds kicked in, I had already totally relaxed. The shot didn't even hurt (compared to the contractions, I barely noticed). When the epidural started, I could actually feel my legs and feet (sort of like pins and needles when they go to sleep, only not painful) and feel the contractions happening, but again, NO PAIN. I could talk and joke around again. Next time I remember them checking me, I was at a 9... then around 7 am, they said we were going to start pushing.
All I really remember about pushing was feeling like I wasn't doing well enough, but the nurse and Casey kept telling me to keep doing what I was doing. The baby moved down a bit, but after about 1.5 hours or so of pushing, not much progress was being made. They started trying to talk to me about c-sections, and how I would need to get one if the baby didn't move down more when the doctor came in next. Not sure how this happened (it was probably the fact that the nurse repositioned the bed), but suddenly in my mind, we were doing this naturally. Actually, to be honest, I had wrapped my brain around getting a C-section, but somewhere I was thinking that we could get the job done. I pushed and pushed and we started to make progress, so much so that when the doctor came in to check, I had moved the baby enough that he just gave the thumbs up sign and left the room again. Lisa, our nurse, was absolutely wonderful and kept telling me how 'awesome' I was doing. Casey was even more amazing. I cannot say enough about the guy. He was so encouraging and wonderful through every single push. They could start to see the top of the head. They even let me feel it. (Funny comment from Casey at this point was, "Our baby has a head!" which made me laugh so much I stopped pushing for a moment... LOL!!) Around 9:45, Lisa told me that if I kept it up, I would have a baby by 10. Again, something clicked in my head and I kept pushing. We started out doing 3 sets of 10 second counts... in the end I kept pushing through it, and I know at one point I did 5 sets of 10.
Suddenly Casey, Lisa, and Dr. Josupait were all cheering for me, "You can do it!! The baby's almost out!!" And then... "IT'S A BOY!!!!"
Keaton arrived at 9:57 am. He was SEVEN POUNDS. We did not think he would be so big!! He must have been accordian pleated in my belly b/c I'm not sure how he fit. He was 18.5 inches long. Little dudes lungs are working WELL!! They put him on my tummy right away, and all I remember is sobbing and laughing, looking at Casey, who happily cried, "I have a son!!"
They cleaned us both up, and soon we were headed to the Mother/Baby ward. I was absolutely exhausted, and for fear of giving too much info, I was SWOLLEN. Everywhere. My face was puffy from the extreme pushing session. I didn't even look like myself when I first looked in the mirror after he was born. I used muscles I didn't even know I HAD to get that kid out, but it worked. Keaton had the biggest cone head of all time at first. His head got stuck on my pubic bone at first, and he's got a little hematoma because of it, which is actually healing well now.
I have a ton of other things to say about the last few days, but I wanted to be sure to write about the birth since I figure I will forget that quickly. Keaton is absolutely wonderful, and worth every amount of pain I have experienced so far. Breast feeding has been a little tough at times- starting off, at least- but since we met with the Lactation Specialist yesterday, we've had 2 really good feedings. Again, they started telling me I would probably need to start supplimenting because he was having trouble latching on, and when the nurse came back in the room to show me what to do with the formula, Keaton latched on and held on for at least 20 minutes! I will do my best not to blog about things such as breastfeeding, but it's part of the process so I don't want to leave it out. :)
We get to take Keaton home today, on Valentine's Day. I hope Charley likes the new addition! We are definitely proud parents, and so excited to start our new life with Keaton. I know it's going to be tough, but we have proven already that we can get through tough situations. We're going to be a good team!! I will post pictures sometime when I get home.. the laptop isn't allowing it here at the hospital. He's definitely a cute kid, though... looks just like Casey in a ton of ways. He even has dark hair! That was another surprise for us. ANYWAY, much more on this later. Keaton is awesome. Casey is absolutely amazing. Life is good.
Love,
Mommy Ashley :-D
I bring you to 12:45 am, Friday February 12th (also Chelsea's birthday & the start of the Winter Olympics!). I'm sleeping, when suddenly BAM... my water breaks! I haven't moved so fast to the bathroom in MONTHS. This is when things start to go fuzzy. I'm sitting there, realizing what happened, and I start feeling contractions almost right away. You know, the ones that everyone says are 'too hard to talk through'. Yes, they are NOT joking. I managed to somehow yell out to Casey a few times (he was pretty crapped out at the time) and finally got his attention. It's TIME!! This is really happening!!!
I hear Casey go in and tell my mom that she needs to wake up because we need to 'go to the store'... LOL... he knew that would get her attention. Then he says, "Ashley's water broke... we need to go to the hospital!" So we all fly around the house (poor Charley had no clue what was happening and kept bringing us toys... LOL)... I am saying strange things like, "We need to turn off the coffee pot!" and other strange things, in between HORRIBLY painful contractions. I manage to call the hospital and let them know we're coming (and cuss loudly at the fact that the number we call is automated and I have to push a bunch of numbers before I can talk to an actual person... gah!) I'm in pain, people... PAIN!!
The drive to the hospital was a total blur. Contractions were 3 minutes apart, and so painful I couldn't open my eyes. We get to the hospital (we got to the wrong entrance... lol) and get to the desk (there was no one there) and FINALLY get a wheelchair and get up to the birthing suite. I finally get in bed and they check me- 6 or 7 cm dilated. Things started moving quickly after that. They asked if I wanted the epidural, and shortly the wonderful guy came in and hooked me up. OH my GOD. It was wonderful. Even before the meds kicked in, I had already totally relaxed. The shot didn't even hurt (compared to the contractions, I barely noticed). When the epidural started, I could actually feel my legs and feet (sort of like pins and needles when they go to sleep, only not painful) and feel the contractions happening, but again, NO PAIN. I could talk and joke around again. Next time I remember them checking me, I was at a 9... then around 7 am, they said we were going to start pushing.
All I really remember about pushing was feeling like I wasn't doing well enough, but the nurse and Casey kept telling me to keep doing what I was doing. The baby moved down a bit, but after about 1.5 hours or so of pushing, not much progress was being made. They started trying to talk to me about c-sections, and how I would need to get one if the baby didn't move down more when the doctor came in next. Not sure how this happened (it was probably the fact that the nurse repositioned the bed), but suddenly in my mind, we were doing this naturally. Actually, to be honest, I had wrapped my brain around getting a C-section, but somewhere I was thinking that we could get the job done. I pushed and pushed and we started to make progress, so much so that when the doctor came in to check, I had moved the baby enough that he just gave the thumbs up sign and left the room again. Lisa, our nurse, was absolutely wonderful and kept telling me how 'awesome' I was doing. Casey was even more amazing. I cannot say enough about the guy. He was so encouraging and wonderful through every single push. They could start to see the top of the head. They even let me feel it. (Funny comment from Casey at this point was, "Our baby has a head!" which made me laugh so much I stopped pushing for a moment... LOL!!) Around 9:45, Lisa told me that if I kept it up, I would have a baby by 10. Again, something clicked in my head and I kept pushing. We started out doing 3 sets of 10 second counts... in the end I kept pushing through it, and I know at one point I did 5 sets of 10.
Suddenly Casey, Lisa, and Dr. Josupait were all cheering for me, "You can do it!! The baby's almost out!!" And then... "IT'S A BOY!!!!"
Keaton arrived at 9:57 am. He was SEVEN POUNDS. We did not think he would be so big!! He must have been accordian pleated in my belly b/c I'm not sure how he fit. He was 18.5 inches long. Little dudes lungs are working WELL!! They put him on my tummy right away, and all I remember is sobbing and laughing, looking at Casey, who happily cried, "I have a son!!"
They cleaned us both up, and soon we were headed to the Mother/Baby ward. I was absolutely exhausted, and for fear of giving too much info, I was SWOLLEN. Everywhere. My face was puffy from the extreme pushing session. I didn't even look like myself when I first looked in the mirror after he was born. I used muscles I didn't even know I HAD to get that kid out, but it worked. Keaton had the biggest cone head of all time at first. His head got stuck on my pubic bone at first, and he's got a little hematoma because of it, which is actually healing well now.
I have a ton of other things to say about the last few days, but I wanted to be sure to write about the birth since I figure I will forget that quickly. Keaton is absolutely wonderful, and worth every amount of pain I have experienced so far. Breast feeding has been a little tough at times- starting off, at least- but since we met with the Lactation Specialist yesterday, we've had 2 really good feedings. Again, they started telling me I would probably need to start supplimenting because he was having trouble latching on, and when the nurse came back in the room to show me what to do with the formula, Keaton latched on and held on for at least 20 minutes! I will do my best not to blog about things such as breastfeeding, but it's part of the process so I don't want to leave it out. :)
We get to take Keaton home today, on Valentine's Day. I hope Charley likes the new addition! We are definitely proud parents, and so excited to start our new life with Keaton. I know it's going to be tough, but we have proven already that we can get through tough situations. We're going to be a good team!! I will post pictures sometime when I get home.. the laptop isn't allowing it here at the hospital. He's definitely a cute kid, though... looks just like Casey in a ton of ways. He even has dark hair! That was another surprise for us. ANYWAY, much more on this later. Keaton is awesome. Casey is absolutely amazing. Life is good.
Love,
Mommy Ashley :-D
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Same Stuff, Different Day
So I give up. After an impromptu doctor's appointment yesterday, I am still a 4 cm, 100% effaced, and am not really contracting significantly enough now to count for anything. I go back in today around 1, but I don't expect to hear anything different...it's been the same for a few days now... "Don't come in unless 1) your water breaks, 2) you have contractions so painful you cannot talk through them, or 3) you start bleeding."
I have decided that as uncomfortable as I am right now, I'm just going to let Peanut decide when the best time to come out is, and I'm not going to try to walk 800 miles anymore, or eat spicy food, or do all the little 'tricks' people tell you about. So far none of them have worked. In fact, so far I am becoming skeptical of just about anything anyone tells me. The triage nurse did me in by telling me we'd probably be back in Sunday night or Monday to give birth, and that I'd definitely not go until my due date. I'm starting to think, even though I have quite a bit of time before the 26th, that she may have been totally wrong. Too many women I know were basically told the same thing, and had to be induced. Part of me also wonders if we would have made any more progress had we not left the hospital on Sunday, since that was when we made the most. But oh well, no use wasting time thinking about what could have happened, because at this rate I'm still pregnant. And more uncomfortable than I have been the entire time, mainly because the baby has dropped even lower now, and my stomach is drooping and huge. Everyone has noticed. I don't even want to take any more pictures at this point (even though I'm sure we will) because I look like I'm trying to steal a basketball... I wondered the other night when I was waddling out of Walmart all bundled up in my coat, if someone would ever suspect I was hiding something under my coat instead of being pregnant. I know a woman pretended to be preggo on a plane once and almost got away with smuggling a monkey into the US. So yeah... I'm sure it's been done before. Anyway, if someone dare ask me to prove my pregnancy, LOOK OUT! Haha... it's only because I'm borderline miserable and, in addition, have no filter anymore. I will tell anyone the story of the past few days, and I don't really hold back on details. I feel sorry for everyone around me right now... I think I'll have some apologies to make when it's all over. :P
Before I forget (and a bit off the subject), yesterday morning while I was blogging, Illinois experienced a small earthquake! I was sitting here at my computer when I heard a noise that sounded like a jet was flying really low to the ground- with vibration and everything- so I looked out the window to see what it was, because it sounded scary! Didn't feel much, though. Then we turned on the news and found out it had been an earthquake- they are saying it was about 4.3. Weird! If Peanut would have come out yesterday, someday I'd be able to tell them that story... alas, it was not to be. And again we're back to baby talk. Sorry, people... I've got a one-track mind right now. :-/
Well, the Hetricks made it home safely yesterday, and Mom, Casey and I are spending some quality time together. Mom and I plan to do some shopping today and go to my appointment at 12:45. I think we're just going to have to treat it like it's a normal week and the whole 'early labor' thing didn't happen. What a crock! I'll be a mom soon, and maybe I shouldn't rush it.
The endlessly impatient mommy-to-be,
Ash
PS: Peanut has decided that his/her permanent foot rest is the bottom of my left rib cage. I almost always have a little bump sticking out there. I can even push the feet back in, but it almost always kicks back harder. Car rides are the most painful thing at this point, because that's when Peanut really starts pushing and squirming around. I will have some fun stories to tell the kid after it's born!! "Here's the story about how your broke Mommy's ribs!"
I have decided that as uncomfortable as I am right now, I'm just going to let Peanut decide when the best time to come out is, and I'm not going to try to walk 800 miles anymore, or eat spicy food, or do all the little 'tricks' people tell you about. So far none of them have worked. In fact, so far I am becoming skeptical of just about anything anyone tells me. The triage nurse did me in by telling me we'd probably be back in Sunday night or Monday to give birth, and that I'd definitely not go until my due date. I'm starting to think, even though I have quite a bit of time before the 26th, that she may have been totally wrong. Too many women I know were basically told the same thing, and had to be induced. Part of me also wonders if we would have made any more progress had we not left the hospital on Sunday, since that was when we made the most. But oh well, no use wasting time thinking about what could have happened, because at this rate I'm still pregnant. And more uncomfortable than I have been the entire time, mainly because the baby has dropped even lower now, and my stomach is drooping and huge. Everyone has noticed. I don't even want to take any more pictures at this point (even though I'm sure we will) because I look like I'm trying to steal a basketball... I wondered the other night when I was waddling out of Walmart all bundled up in my coat, if someone would ever suspect I was hiding something under my coat instead of being pregnant. I know a woman pretended to be preggo on a plane once and almost got away with smuggling a monkey into the US. So yeah... I'm sure it's been done before. Anyway, if someone dare ask me to prove my pregnancy, LOOK OUT! Haha... it's only because I'm borderline miserable and, in addition, have no filter anymore. I will tell anyone the story of the past few days, and I don't really hold back on details. I feel sorry for everyone around me right now... I think I'll have some apologies to make when it's all over. :P
Before I forget (and a bit off the subject), yesterday morning while I was blogging, Illinois experienced a small earthquake! I was sitting here at my computer when I heard a noise that sounded like a jet was flying really low to the ground- with vibration and everything- so I looked out the window to see what it was, because it sounded scary! Didn't feel much, though. Then we turned on the news and found out it had been an earthquake- they are saying it was about 4.3. Weird! If Peanut would have come out yesterday, someday I'd be able to tell them that story... alas, it was not to be. And again we're back to baby talk. Sorry, people... I've got a one-track mind right now. :-/
Well, the Hetricks made it home safely yesterday, and Mom, Casey and I are spending some quality time together. Mom and I plan to do some shopping today and go to my appointment at 12:45. I think we're just going to have to treat it like it's a normal week and the whole 'early labor' thing didn't happen. What a crock! I'll be a mom soon, and maybe I shouldn't rush it.
The endlessly impatient mommy-to-be,
Ash
PS: Peanut has decided that his/her permanent foot rest is the bottom of my left rib cage. I almost always have a little bump sticking out there. I can even push the feet back in, but it almost always kicks back harder. Car rides are the most painful thing at this point, because that's when Peanut really starts pushing and squirming around. I will have some fun stories to tell the kid after it's born!! "Here's the story about how your broke Mommy's ribs!"
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
"Early Labor"... day 3
Well everyone, things have been pretty hit or miss (but mostly miss) since they sent us home from the hospital. Since nothing progressed on Sunday, and the contractions started becoming less painful (but still there), we decided to just walk a lot Monday and see if that would help.
I should note that Monday morning started out a little scary... I hadn't felt Peanut move in awhile, so I laid on my left side and had Casey try to feel as well. Nothing happened. Then we put the headphones on my tummy again, which normally made the kid kick, but nothing. The time seemed like it was going on forever and nothing was happening. We even got a flashlight and shined it on my stomach b/c that was supposed to wake it up. Nope. So Casey went to the other room, and I stayed in bed, panicking. Suddenly, like a light had been switched on, the kid woke up with a jump and has barely stopped moving since! (My ribcage could tell stories!!)
So after that frightening moment, we decided to get up and around, and went to the hotel to get the girls. We went to the mall and walked around for a bit. We got curtains for our bedroom (since the baby will sleep in there for a few weeks at least, and the sun comes up right in our windows... we needed something!) We also found some for the nursery. Woo hoo! After that adventure, we decided to take the drive up to Schaumburg to the larger IKEA store there, so we could get a mattress and slipcover for the love seat we bought last weekend. Our IKEA wouldn't cooperate so we had no choice but to drive up there. We walked around a lot (again) and got those items purchased. THEN, mom was itching to cook, so we went to the Plainfield Walmart and pretty much bought the entire store.
Walmart was pretty hilarious. At one point I was spacing out, and tried to put our gallon of milk in another lady's cart. The look on her face was priceless. I just looked at her and said, "Just kidding... um... I'm blond and pregnant, so I don't have a lot going for me right now.." (which is by far my favorite line/excuse during this pregnancy!!) A bit later, we were in the frozen food section and mom was apparently pretty excited to see some potatoes, because she bent over really fast right in front of me to look at something on the shelf and almost stuck her butt right into Peanut- so I had to jump back quickly so Peanut didn't get smashed! LOL... Les was cracking up at us pretty much the whole time. Walmart was definitely an adventure. :) Oh, and how could I forget... after all that walking, I had to go to the bathroom, so while the girls checked out I waddled over to the bathroom, only to find that the janitor was cleaning it and there was no way to get in. I am so glad that I was able to hold it... but I waddled back to the checkout line and said, "Okay, being 8 months pregnant and being blocked out of a bathroom is a very BAD thing." The little young guy working the cash register started asking me questions about the baby, etc. I think I have scared every dude in a 5 foot radius of me when they find out I'm in 'early labor'. All of them get wide-eyed and think the kid is going to fall out or something. LOL... yeah...
Anyway, I walked a TON that day... I had to have gotten at least a few miles under my belt when it was all said and done, which was even more impressive to me because my right foot was still killing me!
We came home that night after Walmart, watched the KU game, and then the girls went back to their hotel at half time and Casey and I stayed up feeling Peanut kick the crap out of my insides. Casey distinctly felt two little feet right under my left ribcage!!! Pretty amazing stuff! And thank GOD for it all, too... esp. after that scary start in the morning.
Tuesday, since things weren't progressing, Case decided to go in to work part of the day and took me to the hotel so I could hang out with the girls and we could run a few errands. I ate breakfast with mom at the hotel, then we went up to her room. Shortly afterward, De got up and we went back down to breakfast. We ended up chatting with a guy that worked at the hotel for at least an hour... poor kid just walked up and asked me when the baby was due (or if it was a boy or girl, I can't remember) and then we ended up talking his ear off! He was really nice, though, and asked a lot of questions about us, Casey's family's aircraft business, etc. The staff at the hotel was so nice- we ended up sitting and talking to a few of them. Then the girls got around, we checked out of the hotel, and went to get a video game and some things we forgot at Walmart the night before (which I didn't think was possible after all the food we bought!!). At home, the girls decided to help clean my entire house. Not kidding, the place looks better than it has in probably 6 months. Maybe more. I feel like I had Merry Maids come in, only they also did the laundry and cooked a ton of food. It was AWESOME.
Case got off work around 12:30, then had an appointment with our local police station to check the installation of our car seat. He decided to pick me up beforehand, which was nice because I got to see how awesome he did on his 'homework' assignment about the car seat... the inspector was very impressed and said he was more informed that anyone she'd met before! That's my hubby!! :)
Contractions have still happened every 10 minutes or so, but not many of them were very strong. I always hope for the strong ones so I can get this over with!! I am writing you now (and hopefully not jinxing myself) because I woke up at 3:30 with some pretty good ones, and I wanted to get up and move around so they wouldn't stop. Man, I hope this works. I know I should be patient right now, but it's tough when really the only thing I'm waiting on is my water to break. Facebook has provided me with a lot of 'suggestions' about how to induce labor... some are hilarious, some are definitely made up, and a few sound legit enough that they may be worth a shot. C'mon water, just break!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh....
Sorry for the long and rambling entry... I am probably going to forget a lot of the details after this is all over, so it'll be good to come back and try to remember what life was like before Peanut. I hope the wait is almost over!!
Love,
Ash
I should note that Monday morning started out a little scary... I hadn't felt Peanut move in awhile, so I laid on my left side and had Casey try to feel as well. Nothing happened. Then we put the headphones on my tummy again, which normally made the kid kick, but nothing. The time seemed like it was going on forever and nothing was happening. We even got a flashlight and shined it on my stomach b/c that was supposed to wake it up. Nope. So Casey went to the other room, and I stayed in bed, panicking. Suddenly, like a light had been switched on, the kid woke up with a jump and has barely stopped moving since! (My ribcage could tell stories!!)
So after that frightening moment, we decided to get up and around, and went to the hotel to get the girls. We went to the mall and walked around for a bit. We got curtains for our bedroom (since the baby will sleep in there for a few weeks at least, and the sun comes up right in our windows... we needed something!) We also found some for the nursery. Woo hoo! After that adventure, we decided to take the drive up to Schaumburg to the larger IKEA store there, so we could get a mattress and slipcover for the love seat we bought last weekend. Our IKEA wouldn't cooperate so we had no choice but to drive up there. We walked around a lot (again) and got those items purchased. THEN, mom was itching to cook, so we went to the Plainfield Walmart and pretty much bought the entire store.
Walmart was pretty hilarious. At one point I was spacing out, and tried to put our gallon of milk in another lady's cart. The look on her face was priceless. I just looked at her and said, "Just kidding... um... I'm blond and pregnant, so I don't have a lot going for me right now.." (which is by far my favorite line/excuse during this pregnancy!!) A bit later, we were in the frozen food section and mom was apparently pretty excited to see some potatoes, because she bent over really fast right in front of me to look at something on the shelf and almost stuck her butt right into Peanut- so I had to jump back quickly so Peanut didn't get smashed! LOL... Les was cracking up at us pretty much the whole time. Walmart was definitely an adventure. :) Oh, and how could I forget... after all that walking, I had to go to the bathroom, so while the girls checked out I waddled over to the bathroom, only to find that the janitor was cleaning it and there was no way to get in. I am so glad that I was able to hold it... but I waddled back to the checkout line and said, "Okay, being 8 months pregnant and being blocked out of a bathroom is a very BAD thing." The little young guy working the cash register started asking me questions about the baby, etc. I think I have scared every dude in a 5 foot radius of me when they find out I'm in 'early labor'. All of them get wide-eyed and think the kid is going to fall out or something. LOL... yeah...
Anyway, I walked a TON that day... I had to have gotten at least a few miles under my belt when it was all said and done, which was even more impressive to me because my right foot was still killing me!
We came home that night after Walmart, watched the KU game, and then the girls went back to their hotel at half time and Casey and I stayed up feeling Peanut kick the crap out of my insides. Casey distinctly felt two little feet right under my left ribcage!!! Pretty amazing stuff! And thank GOD for it all, too... esp. after that scary start in the morning.
Tuesday, since things weren't progressing, Case decided to go in to work part of the day and took me to the hotel so I could hang out with the girls and we could run a few errands. I ate breakfast with mom at the hotel, then we went up to her room. Shortly afterward, De got up and we went back down to breakfast. We ended up chatting with a guy that worked at the hotel for at least an hour... poor kid just walked up and asked me when the baby was due (or if it was a boy or girl, I can't remember) and then we ended up talking his ear off! He was really nice, though, and asked a lot of questions about us, Casey's family's aircraft business, etc. The staff at the hotel was so nice- we ended up sitting and talking to a few of them. Then the girls got around, we checked out of the hotel, and went to get a video game and some things we forgot at Walmart the night before (which I didn't think was possible after all the food we bought!!). At home, the girls decided to help clean my entire house. Not kidding, the place looks better than it has in probably 6 months. Maybe more. I feel like I had Merry Maids come in, only they also did the laundry and cooked a ton of food. It was AWESOME.
Case got off work around 12:30, then had an appointment with our local police station to check the installation of our car seat. He decided to pick me up beforehand, which was nice because I got to see how awesome he did on his 'homework' assignment about the car seat... the inspector was very impressed and said he was more informed that anyone she'd met before! That's my hubby!! :)
Contractions have still happened every 10 minutes or so, but not many of them were very strong. I always hope for the strong ones so I can get this over with!! I am writing you now (and hopefully not jinxing myself) because I woke up at 3:30 with some pretty good ones, and I wanted to get up and move around so they wouldn't stop. Man, I hope this works. I know I should be patient right now, but it's tough when really the only thing I'm waiting on is my water to break. Facebook has provided me with a lot of 'suggestions' about how to induce labor... some are hilarious, some are definitely made up, and a few sound legit enough that they may be worth a shot. C'mon water, just break!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh....
Sorry for the long and rambling entry... I am probably going to forget a lot of the details after this is all over, so it'll be good to come back and try to remember what life was like before Peanut. I hope the wait is almost over!!
Love,
Ash
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Labor update!
It has been a very interesting day so far. Since about 6 this morning, the contractions started getting more frequent, and we got to the point where we were getting our bags together, getting the dog ready to go to the vet, and calling our parents to let them know we were heading to the hospital. My contractions got to be 5 minutes apart about an hour or so before we left the house, so we took Charley to the vet, then called the hospital to let them know we were on the way. They told us that we should hold off longer to be sure it was really happening, and see how things went, so they advised us to go eat something, walk around, and see if that made things progress. After lunch, things were still going strong, so we called them back to let them know we were on the way.
We got to the hospital and got checked in (and I accepted the wheelchair offer from the little old guy this time!!) then they took me up to the room where they put the fetal monitor and contraction monitor on me. Sure enough, the contractions were happening every 5 minutes, and when the triage nurse checked me I was at 100% effacement, and was still dilated to a 3. She told us to try to walk around for awhile to see if that made things go faster. Casey and I did lap after lap around the hospital floor, for at least 45 minutes. When we got back to the room and she checked me, I had dilated to a 4. Yippee!! She suggested that we try the process again, and if I dilated more, they would admit me. Walking, walking, walking... lunges, squats, positive thinking (c'mon, dilate!!) only to find out that nothing had changed. :( If my contractions would have been more intense or I would have dilated more, they would have kept us there, but as of right now they're still 4-5 minutes apart (consistently) and not intense enough for me not to be able to talk during them, which is apparently the 'goal'. Although you all know me and know that I could probably talk through just about anything at this rate... I wonder if I should have mentioned that and maybe we would have gotten to stay longer?? Hmmm... lol...
While we were on our second walk, my mom, Casey's mom, and Casey's little sister arrived at the hospital. They arrived just in time for the nurse to check me again, and then we found out they were sending us home. We went out, had dinner at a local pizza place, and then the girls went to find a hotel near the hospital, and Casey brought me home. So here I sit, typing through contractions, hoping that this kid decides to join the world sooner than later... I have heard people say they were in early labor for weeks, and that scares me! I can't handle this for that long, I promise you! Not sure how I'm going to sleep tonight, but I will definitely attempt it.
I hope the next entry will include pictures of our new addition, plus whatever I can remember about the process. For now... back to walking.
Love,
Ash
We got to the hospital and got checked in (and I accepted the wheelchair offer from the little old guy this time!!) then they took me up to the room where they put the fetal monitor and contraction monitor on me. Sure enough, the contractions were happening every 5 minutes, and when the triage nurse checked me I was at 100% effacement, and was still dilated to a 3. She told us to try to walk around for awhile to see if that made things go faster. Casey and I did lap after lap around the hospital floor, for at least 45 minutes. When we got back to the room and she checked me, I had dilated to a 4. Yippee!! She suggested that we try the process again, and if I dilated more, they would admit me. Walking, walking, walking... lunges, squats, positive thinking (c'mon, dilate!!) only to find out that nothing had changed. :( If my contractions would have been more intense or I would have dilated more, they would have kept us there, but as of right now they're still 4-5 minutes apart (consistently) and not intense enough for me not to be able to talk during them, which is apparently the 'goal'. Although you all know me and know that I could probably talk through just about anything at this rate... I wonder if I should have mentioned that and maybe we would have gotten to stay longer?? Hmmm... lol...
While we were on our second walk, my mom, Casey's mom, and Casey's little sister arrived at the hospital. They arrived just in time for the nurse to check me again, and then we found out they were sending us home. We went out, had dinner at a local pizza place, and then the girls went to find a hotel near the hospital, and Casey brought me home. So here I sit, typing through contractions, hoping that this kid decides to join the world sooner than later... I have heard people say they were in early labor for weeks, and that scares me! I can't handle this for that long, I promise you! Not sure how I'm going to sleep tonight, but I will definitely attempt it.
I hope the next entry will include pictures of our new addition, plus whatever I can remember about the process. For now... back to walking.
Love,
Ash
"Ma'am, do you need a wheelchair?"
Yesterday, Casey and I attended our last prep class before the baby arrives. It was called Baby PLUS, and we attempted to cram a ton of information in our brains over 6 hours... hopefully some of it will stick! We learned all kinds of things, including car seat installation, infant CPR, bathing techniques, swaddling/calming techniques, and even had a quiz about what the different bowel movements meant! LOL... overall, it was a very informative class. We got to sit next to a couple that was in our Prepared Childbirth class, so it was fun catching up with them. The wife's name is Danielle and she's due 4 days before Peanut. We ate lunch with she and her husband Justin. Turns out they live fairly close to us, and we are hopefully going to catch up on Facebook and meet up after the babies are born. They are having a little boy. :)
Of course we were hoping that Peanut would decide to show up yesterday, since we were already at the hospital. I guess he or she had second thoughts about that, though. It was good to be there again, and get to know a bit more about where things are around there since we will be back soon. The cafeteria was pretty good- Case enjoyed his spicy Angus burger for lunch yesterday, and I had some pretty decent chicken strips. I wonder what kinds of food I'll get to eat when I'm there... I know they can be pretty picky about that sort of thing depending on what stage of labor, etc. you are in.
Speaking of labor... when Case and I were done with class and were heading down to the car, I discovered that I really had to go to the bathroom before we left, so I was quickly waddling toward the direction of the bathroom when I heard this little old man say, "Ma'am, do you need a wheelchair?"... it was then that I realized that Casey and I were briskly walking in the direction of the labor/delivery area by coincidence... LOL... so I had to yell back to the guy, "I'm actually not in labor right now, but thanks for the offer!" LOL... if I wouldn't have been so far along in my pregnancy, I may have been offended, but I actually cracked up all the way to the bathroom. The guy was just trying to help! LOL.......
I guess that's about it for now. Actually, it's not. I'm trying to figure out if I'm having contractions or not. They've happened on and off since last night, but they're not very consistent yet. So, I figure I'm not, but I'm doing some research just in case. That would happen, though- I would go into labor today, 2 days before Mom is supposed to arrive, and a day after I had been at the hospital already (for class). Haha... I wouldn't put it past our kid to make that decision late, if it's like me. I hope he/she is more like Casey in that respect. Anyway, we'll see! Something's definitely happening, but like everything else in this process, I know that it can happen for days at a time, so I'm trying not to panic. Yet.
More later!!
-Ash
Of course we were hoping that Peanut would decide to show up yesterday, since we were already at the hospital. I guess he or she had second thoughts about that, though. It was good to be there again, and get to know a bit more about where things are around there since we will be back soon. The cafeteria was pretty good- Case enjoyed his spicy Angus burger for lunch yesterday, and I had some pretty decent chicken strips. I wonder what kinds of food I'll get to eat when I'm there... I know they can be pretty picky about that sort of thing depending on what stage of labor, etc. you are in.
Speaking of labor... when Case and I were done with class and were heading down to the car, I discovered that I really had to go to the bathroom before we left, so I was quickly waddling toward the direction of the bathroom when I heard this little old man say, "Ma'am, do you need a wheelchair?"... it was then that I realized that Casey and I were briskly walking in the direction of the labor/delivery area by coincidence... LOL... so I had to yell back to the guy, "I'm actually not in labor right now, but thanks for the offer!" LOL... if I wouldn't have been so far along in my pregnancy, I may have been offended, but I actually cracked up all the way to the bathroom. The guy was just trying to help! LOL.......
I guess that's about it for now. Actually, it's not. I'm trying to figure out if I'm having contractions or not. They've happened on and off since last night, but they're not very consistent yet. So, I figure I'm not, but I'm doing some research just in case. That would happen, though- I would go into labor today, 2 days before Mom is supposed to arrive, and a day after I had been at the hospital already (for class). Haha... I wouldn't put it past our kid to make that decision late, if it's like me. I hope he/she is more like Casey in that respect. Anyway, we'll see! Something's definitely happening, but like everything else in this process, I know that it can happen for days at a time, so I'm trying not to panic. Yet.
More later!!
-Ash
Friday, February 5, 2010
Soon... very, very soon.... (37 week appt)
Well, I have a bit to report this morning. I went in for my 37 week appointment today. Got to meet a new doctor- I like him a LOT and wouldn't mind having him in the delivery room if possible. He definitely made up for the fact that I had the bitchy nurse again this morning... she was a tad less bitchy today, probably because Casey was in the room. She didn't tell me my weight, or BP, or the baby's heart rate, but I figure she would have told me if anything was wrong, or the doctor would have anyway. So I had the first internal exam today (which was quick and painless, thank God!!). I was not expecting the doctor to go, "Whoa!" (or maybe it was 'wow' or something along those lines...)during the exam; it turns out I'm dilated to a 2- possibly 3 now! Holy Crap. This doesn't necessarily mean a whole heck of a lot, though, and I could be this way for weeks, but it's still progress! I am 75% effaced. So basically, all the strange aches and pains I've felt lately have definitely been for a reason! The baby is still head down, and hopefully it'll stay that way now... since it's dropping, there's a good chance it'll stay in that position. Things are moving right along!
I can't lie and say that I'm not a little freaked out. In the best possible way, of course. It's just crazy to think that this could happen at about any time now, and we have proof that things have started progressing. I think I am nervous about the labor process, and excited for the part afterward where we get to meet the baby, bring it home, and I get to lose sleep for a better reason than having to pee every hour or having my hips fall asleep. But I'm going to be a Mom soon! That is so weird!! There are so many emotions going on right now that I'm a little overwhelmed and not able to think clearly. (That could also be because I got MAYBE 2 hours of sleep last night... but whatever...) It is also a bit more apparent to me that the sort of crampy feeling I have had a few times recently must have been contractions. It is weird to get to this point. You wait for months, thinking about the baby, and labor, and all that goes with it. But when you are staring labor almost in the face, it's like waiting in line for your first roller coaster ride... You know it's going to be exciting. You know you want to do it. You just hope you don't get stuck on the track somewhere, upside down, needing someone to come rescue you. And you know that at the end, as long as everything goes the way it's supposed to, you will feel exhilarated, and tired, and happy you did it. It will be one of the biggest thrills you get in your life. Anticipation can be a very scary thing sometimes! You just have to trust that the people operating the roller coaster know what they're doing, and be sure to buckle your seat belt. I just want to know when this ride is going to start!!
Enough metaphorical craziness for one day. I'm going to attempt to sleep now, and wait for Casey to call back and let me know his schedule next week so we can fly my mom here earlier than we had planned, just in case. Wow. Lots to think about today. :)
-Ash
I can't lie and say that I'm not a little freaked out. In the best possible way, of course. It's just crazy to think that this could happen at about any time now, and we have proof that things have started progressing. I think I am nervous about the labor process, and excited for the part afterward where we get to meet the baby, bring it home, and I get to lose sleep for a better reason than having to pee every hour or having my hips fall asleep. But I'm going to be a Mom soon! That is so weird!! There are so many emotions going on right now that I'm a little overwhelmed and not able to think clearly. (That could also be because I got MAYBE 2 hours of sleep last night... but whatever...) It is also a bit more apparent to me that the sort of crampy feeling I have had a few times recently must have been contractions. It is weird to get to this point. You wait for months, thinking about the baby, and labor, and all that goes with it. But when you are staring labor almost in the face, it's like waiting in line for your first roller coaster ride... You know it's going to be exciting. You know you want to do it. You just hope you don't get stuck on the track somewhere, upside down, needing someone to come rescue you. And you know that at the end, as long as everything goes the way it's supposed to, you will feel exhilarated, and tired, and happy you did it. It will be one of the biggest thrills you get in your life. Anticipation can be a very scary thing sometimes! You just have to trust that the people operating the roller coaster know what they're doing, and be sure to buckle your seat belt. I just want to know when this ride is going to start!!
Enough metaphorical craziness for one day. I'm going to attempt to sleep now, and wait for Casey to call back and let me know his schedule next week so we can fly my mom here earlier than we had planned, just in case. Wow. Lots to think about today. :)
-Ash
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
I've missed you, Social Life!
+003.JPG)
Almost 37 weeks! Woo hoo!!
Today has been a good one, and I am happy to say that I actually got out of the house and had a social life for once!! This is so rare, but so needed right now! I dropped Case off at work this morning, came back home and slept for a bit, then woke up, went to get my hair cut, and went out to lunch with my former coworker Michelle. It was great to catch up with her and hear stories about work (but not be emotionally invested in them like I was a few months ago!).. sounds like not a lot has changed around there! After lunch we went back to the office, and I chatted up quite a few people for probably an hour or so. There were a lot more people there today than there were before I left in December, so it was nice to be able to see people I didn't get to say goodbye to previously. Most people were surprised at how much bigger I've gotten, then some people thought I was still really small and had a lot of time left. It's strange how people are so different in that respect. One person can say I'm tiny, and the next says I look like I'm 'going to explode'. (And if anyone thinks I will forget that comment after I'm done being pregnant, they are sorely mistaken!!) :-P I digress... Then again, a friend said that I should take a picture of me from the back, and it would probably make me feel better about myself if I was feeling big, since the baby is all in the front. Turns out, it really is!
+005.JPG)
So I officially packed my bag for the hospital this afternoon when I came home. I think there are only one or two things to throw in it now (I even have make-up and hair supplies packed!) which is way more organized than I tend to be. I just get the feeling I will need it sooner that later, and I hope I don't regret saying that and am still sitting here talking about it in 3 weeks or so... I would LOVE for the kid to come early! And since Friday makes 37 weeks, the baby will be considered 'full-term' at that point. Yippee!!! Bring on the 'Nut!
I spent this evening making breakfast for dinner with Casey (one of our favorite meals!) and then we watched Monday night's episodes of Heroes and House. Now he's working on our taxes, and I'm about to watch American Idol. Not sure what I would do right now without the internet or TV!!
Anyway, I'm a tad early on the 37 week pictures, but I got my hair done today and Casey liked it a lot, so he wanted to take a few pics. Apparently February is 'curl' month at the salon I go to, so my stylist had fun with it today. :) I'll be sure to update Friday after the doctor's appointment... hopefully everything will go well!
+007.JPG)
-Ash
Monday, February 1, 2010
Hetrick visit & KU/KSU game
Wow, another weekend has come and gone, and it's Monday again. The days definitely start blending together after awhile! Case and I enjoyed our short time with the Hetricks this past weekend, though. Unfortunately it made the time go really fast, but we got a lot done! Friday night we went out for dinner at a new restaurant in Plainfield which turned out to be very good. We ate a ton of food and got to catch up a bit with Keith & De. Saturday, they wanted to so shopping, so we ended up going to Schaumburg to the huge IKEA store. We walked around there for a few hours, getting ideas of what we could do for additional seating for our living room. We ended up finding a love-seat that pulls out into a full-sized bed, which will be ideal for visitors that don't want to sleep in the 1/2 finished basement right now. I don't blame them, either (and that's one reason why the Hetricks stayed at a hotel this weekend... since there's not a working bathroom down there yet and you'd have to walk up and down the stairs all the time. Makes sense to me! That's one reason I haven't gone down there at night, b/c I know I'd have to come back upstairs just about every hour anyway.) So... we left IKEA, went to a late lunch, and then came home so I could nap before going out to watch the KU/KSU game. I would just like to say that my anxiety over that game could have sent me into labor!! Several other pregnant women I know who are KU or KSU fans actually said the same thing... haha! I am happy to report that KU won, but I don't know if they really deserved it. There was sloppy playing on both sides, and bad calls all around. Not sure what the refs were thinking on a few of them. I will even admit that the last foul call on KSU that was basically the deal-breaker for the KU win didn't really look like a foul to me, and we may have gotten lucky. But I'm kind of glad to get it over with, because I was not prepared emotionally for double overtime. That game was very back and forth, and the baby was doing jumping jacks in my stomach, I assume from all the anticipation and stress I had during the game. I think it took about 15 minutes for my blood pressure to come back to normal.
After the game, we came home and basically crashed. Then yesterday the Hetricks helped us do some things around the house, and we ran to the IKEA closest to us to pick up some things. At home, De helped me pack the diaper bag, and unpack a few of the items for Peanut like the monitor, sound sleeper, and mobile. We got things a lot more organized in there, and took some things to the basement that didn't need to be in the room. I think we're almost ready!
The Hetricks left around 3, and Case and I stayed home the rest of the night... he worked on setting up the love-seat and doing some things for work, and I watched the Grammy's. I slept fairly well last night, and have continued to do so most of today. I guess all that shopping and walking really did me in, because I'm still pretty tired, but then I worry that I won't sleep at all tonight if I don't stay awake now. I guess that's about it. This week I have a haircut on Wednesday, and doctor's appointment on Friday morning. We're almost at week 37!! :)
That's all for now...
-Ash
After the game, we came home and basically crashed. Then yesterday the Hetricks helped us do some things around the house, and we ran to the IKEA closest to us to pick up some things. At home, De helped me pack the diaper bag, and unpack a few of the items for Peanut like the monitor, sound sleeper, and mobile. We got things a lot more organized in there, and took some things to the basement that didn't need to be in the room. I think we're almost ready!
The Hetricks left around 3, and Case and I stayed home the rest of the night... he worked on setting up the love-seat and doing some things for work, and I watched the Grammy's. I slept fairly well last night, and have continued to do so most of today. I guess all that shopping and walking really did me in, because I'm still pretty tired, but then I worry that I won't sleep at all tonight if I don't stay awake now. I guess that's about it. This week I have a haircut on Wednesday, and doctor's appointment on Friday morning. We're almost at week 37!! :)
That's all for now...
-Ash
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)