11 posts tagged “baby”

Our new little moonpie faced boy joined us on May 15th.  Turns out that he was a really big baby, 9 pounds 5 ounces.  So the vbac didn't work and I ended up needing a cesarean.  All's well that ends well though.  He's big and beautiful and sweet.  We're really enjoying him already.  And big brother is getting used to having him around and becoming increasingly interested in giving him kisses and sharing toys with him.  So cute. 

Here he is...

moonpie

I taught my last class of the semester yesterday.  It wasn't my best, that's for sure.  I don't know if I made any sense at all.  I am very out of it these days and can't really focus.  But, now that it's over, I'm not going back.  Done with work, done with school.  I've made my arrangements for my GA to grade exams and compute final grades.  So I'm not going back there again until way, way after this baby is born.  It feels good.  There are always things hanging over my head at work, but I'm feeling pretty good about leaving them behind for a while and not worrying.  I've got to give myself space and time to focus on my new baby. 

I say all of this but I am teaching an online class in about 5 weeks.  I've got it pretty much ready to go I think.  I've cut the content back somewhat, something I know the students wouldn't mind since they always complain that I assign too much for a quick summer course.  I just have to remember to turn the course "on" so to speak when it is time.  I think I can handle it. 

It is funny to me how many students came out of the woodwork asking me for time, meetings, help in these last couple of weeks.  They are oblivious of course.  I've tried to be helpful but still, I know I'm not at my best.

Last Dr appt this morning before the excitement starts next week.  Should be fine. 

I am so ready.  I want my body back.  I want my hands and feet to return to normal.  Stop hurting.  I want to be able to hug the monkey closely again without the big watermelon belly in the way.  Let's do this. 

Mom's here!  She arrived last night.  She's about a week ahead of the baby.  Baby should be here between the 12th and the 14th at some point.  Could be exciting if it is the 13th because that's the Mister's birthday as well.  And Mother's Day I believe.  If he doesn't come before the 14th on his own, I'm being induced that morning at 9 am.   I'm hoping to avoid that.  As big as my belly is he's not really dropped yet and so he's got some moving to do. 

I've got to finish up 3-4 main things at work this week.  And then that's it for a while. 

Mom's got to get me organized here at home.  We've got to go through baby clothes and figure out what we've got and if there's anything we need.  We've also got to figure out how to keep all these baby clothes straight.  I doubt there's really anything to buy at this point (I bought a pack of newborn diapers already), it's just about getting everything figured out and ready for him.

Monkey is amazing and completely OBSESSED with the mister.  Just insanely attached to him.  Poor Da Da can't do anything without the monkey either following him around or telling him what to do.  Obsessed, I tell you.  I am often chopped liver and the mister is the only one who will do.  Not a bad thing, but pretty intense for the mister. 

So we're about 10 days out now.  Can't wait!

Had a really nice breakfast with the women folk this past Sunday.  It was to celebrate the new baby.  About nine of us altogether.  We went to the ever-wonderful Hash House A Go-Go.  It was good to spend some time with the ladies.  And it felt like so long since any of us had been together socially.  And it was pretty clear that we were all craving it.  Gotta do a better job getting the women together.  It shouldn't take a new baby to get us out of the house and around each other. 

Anyway, thanks for breakfast and for the gifts.  It was fabulous to see everyone!  Maybe after this new little dude comes out we can do it again!

I know.  It's been a while.  Things are fine here.  We're just going along.  My doula came over on Sunday and we had a really nice chat.  It was good to sit and talk with her and have her meet the two men in my life.  Thinking about calling a midwife this week just to consult about how to get this baby out of me.  Going forward with the vbac but there are some weird things about doing it that concern me.  I'm unclear about the logistics of it all.  Anyway, just stuff to figure out before the middle of May. 

This is Spring Break now.  I'm trying to get a ton of stuff done.  We'll see what actually gets accomplished. 

Had a good yoga class yesterday.  I'm the biggest preggo girl in there.  The farthest along and the fattest.  Feeling huge these days.  Just gigantic. 

My honey bought me a tiny little purple ipod shuffle.  It came in the mail today.  I guess I said something about not wanting to deal with cds in the care anymore, one too many times and he decided to help me do something about it.  Very sweet.  Totally unnecessary.  He deserves much credit.

Trying to write a chapter for a book I'm working on.  The book is on death and dying.  The chapter is on mass death.  Lovely.  How would you like to write about epidemics, natural disasters, war, and terrorism.  I'm struggling.  It's not fun.  Over winter break I wrote a draft of a chapter about children and death.  That was uplifting as well.  I don't mind dealing with and writing about death in general, but the particular topics I've been assigned to deal with are real downers--and not particularly easy to write about I might add.

Gonna go get the little monkey soon.  I guess that's it for now.

Made it to yoga today.  So nice.  I wish it were every day.  So good for me.  Little baby in my belly clearly loves it too.  He moves around the whole time I'm in there.  I know, he moves around all the time anyway, but he really kicks it into high gear when I'm in there chanting Ommm.....Love it.

healthy boy!  We had the ultrasound yesterday and he's got all of his important parts and pieces--including a penis.  He looks great.  It was wonderful to see him.  And to see so much of him.  The mister was with me and it was just fantastic.

We're trying to tell monkey that he's going to have a baby brother and that he's going to be a big brother but he's ignoring us.  His little world is about to get rocked in about five months.

I also had my first prenatal yoga class yesterday and that was great too.  I really like the teacher--a post Katrina transplant from New Orleans--and it felt so good to move like a yogini for an hour.  I need to do more of it.  I am trying to remember to squat every chance I get (which is pretty much constantly since I am always bending over to pick up some toy or another off the floor). 

Got a doctor's appointment today.  How is it that I am actually looking forward to it?  Yikes!

Well, I found a really great doctor in town who is supportive of me doing a VBAC.  There are only 2 in the valley and I chose this one because he was somewhat closer to where I live.  My mom went with me to meet him and we both loved him.  He was practically a feminist.  He said everything right.  I asked why he did VBACs when so many won't and he said that he knows that women want to have a good and positive birth experience and that that is really important to them.  He'd rather have a woman do a VBAC at the hospital under his supervision than at home with a midwife who couldn't really do anything for the mother or the baby if something went wrong. 

While I recognize that he is a Dr. and that they are generally biased against midwifery (and I'm not) and so that colors his perspective, I still appreciate that he puts women's values, experience, health, and safety at the center of his approach to birthing babies.  It's pretty much the same argument for why doctors are willing to do abortions.  I kept thinking that while he was talking.

This value on women's experience as well as their health and safety was not at all part of my first birth experience.  The doctors I had wouldn't even talk with me long enough to entertain the thought of a birth plan, for example. I had one, but they didn't care.  Anyway, I've got to figure out some insurance stuff, but I'm going to go with him.  Give it a shot.  If something happens and I have another c-section again, that's okay.  But for now, I really am grateful for the option of at least trying to have this baby vaginally.  That's what I want...options.  And I was thrilled to talk to a doctor who wasn't an alarmist asshole about the mere thought of a VBAC--which was my previous experience.  This time I'm also going to hire one of my students who is a doula.  I really like her anyway and she is very excited and supportive about me having another baby.  I think it would be good to have her there.

That's the latest on the birth plans.  Getting bigger and fatter all the time!  Here we go!

Pennsylvania was fun.  We had a great time at my brother's house in Pittsburgh.  Monkey loved hanging out with his cousins and it was such a baby-friendly place to hang out it was very low stress for us.  A really nice time overall.  And it's always good to get to spend time with my brother and his wife.  Good people.

Work is busy.  I'm having many moments of panic from time to time.  So many projects going on.  I have to try to get a handle.  I applied for some jobs this fall and apparently didn't get any of them.  Oh well.  Next year.  Maybe this isn't a good year to be on the market anyway since I'm trying to finish up a book, four articles, write a grant proposal, mentor four students, and HAVE A BABY all at the same time.  Maybe the timing is just a little off. 

Baby stuff is good.  Monkey stuff is good.  He's so funny.  He's stringing together words now into two word sentences and babbling all the time.  He knows the word kite and I have no idea how.  He's pretty amazing to watch. 

My mom is coming to town on Sunday and staying for 10 days.  I'm really looking forward to it.  She's got a lot of work to do once she's here!  It'll be good. 

Well, I guess first with an apology.  I've been completely neglecting my little vox blog for the past month or so and if you've noticed, then I'm sorry.  I can offer few good excuses other than just being busy and at times overwhelmed.  Thanks for noticing though.  I appreciate it.

There's just been a lot going on.  Everyone finally got over the colds and coughs and cruds that had been plaguing our little family for the past two months.  That was pretty exhausting. 

Work has been a lot for me lately.  Drama, deadlines, boredom, loneliness, frustration, weirdness, brain pain, challenges, all have been going on and seem that they will continue to do so.  I've got what I guess is a "difficult" or maybe challenging relationship with my immediate supervisor.  It's not hostile or anything, just annoying and pestering.  At heart he's a nice person, he's just got a style that makes me crazy.  And he seems to push me on purpose.  And I'm working with him on a big project, which means that I have to be around and communicate with him a lot and that's not easy.  I've met a couple of work deadlines in the past month but still have several looming over my head.  And with my closest friend/colleagues no longer in my department, it makes it kind of sad and boring to be there.  Wah.  It's not THAT bad, just not as fun as it used to be I suppose.  The mister and I have been going out to lunch more often than before, and so that has actually been a nice byproduct of being kind of lonely at work. 

And, well, the big news, the important news, the exciting news is that it looks like we're going to have another baby!  I haven't been to the doctor yet, but all the signs are there and the over the counter tests were positive.  So that is VERY good news.  We were initially shocked but also very happy about it.  We didn't expect it to happen so easily the second time since it took three years the first time.  I can't get in to see the OB for another week or so, so it'll be good to finally get in there and get the confirmation and more.  Start the prenatal regimen.  Part of the reason why I've been neglecting vox is that I am actually pretty nauseated this time around and so in addition to the usual first trimester exhaustion, I kind of want to puke all the time--even though I don't actually puke.  Eating a little something helps me feel better.  This is in stark contrast to my first pregnancy with the monkeymono when I never felt nauseous, just hungry all the time.  Different baby already! 

So, I guess that's the update.  I think that about covers it.  I'll try not to lapse again so badly.  I'll likely post some recent monkey fotos soon.  Can't get enough of those. 

I hope you're well!