In case you can't read what's scribbled in the corner, here's a close up.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
I Have Your Hat
In case you can't read what's scribbled in the corner, here's a close up.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Puke
No, I'm not talking about that disgusting Eminem song where the intro consists solely of the sounds of a person vomiting. Although, that's an awful lot like what my house sounded like on Wednesday...
Wednesday started like any other day. Up in the morning, off to daycare, went to work, and picked Isaac up from daycare. That's where the normalcy ended. I picked Isaac up a little early from daycare so that we could get ready to go to the Wednesday night kid's music class (taught by my old classmate and music therapist, Natasha). I fed him a snack later than usual, because music class is at 5:30, and last week he got hungry half way through the class and threw a fit. He had a banana and a glass of milk. When I took him out of his high chair, he was whining and crying a bit, which is out of the ordinary for him.
I sat down on the floor to play with Isaac. He came over and snuggled with me a little. Then he stood directly in front of me, looked at me funny, and proceeded to projectile vomit all over me. Not just all over me, but all over himself and the floor, too.
As I stood there in shock, contemplating what to do with the handful of puke I had (apparently, when I noticed he was going to throw up, I put my hand under his mouth, thinking I could catch it or something - not sure what was going through my head at that point), he suddenly vomited a second time.
Everything was covered with puke: my shirt, my pants, the floor, Isaac's shirt, Isaac's pants, and even his shoes. So I stripped him down, stripped myself down, and threw our clothes in a pile on the kitchen floor. When I turned around to assess the damage in the living room, I found my wonderfully psychotic dog cleaning it up for me. That's right, Gizmo was eating the piles of banana vomit. I want to gag just thinking about it. So I herded Isaac and Gizmo upstairs, closed the gate behind me so Gizmo couldn't do any more "cleaning" while we were up there, and gave Isaac a bath.
About 15 minutes later, J came home from work. The moment I heard the door open, I yelled down to him, "Get Isaac's bath towel and bring it up here... and pay no attention to the vomit in the living room." J later told me that it was unclear to him at the time exactly who the vomit belonged to - his toddler son, his pregnant (and often nauseous) wife, or his anxiety ridden Terrier.
Isaac vomited a few more times that evening, so we decided not to send him to daycare the next day. It was clear that he had some sort of stomach bug. Oh yeah, and music class obviously was a no-go, too. I had a hard time cleaning the banana acid puke smell out of the carpets, and ended up having to use my parents' carpet cleaner (that we borrowed like, a year ago and haven't returned yet - thanks Mom and Dad) to shampoo the areas where he had thrown up.
Oh, the joys of parenting.
I hope you enjoyed this disgusting post. Sorry for grossing you out. But, come on, the title of the post is Puke. What did you expect?
Wednesday started like any other day. Up in the morning, off to daycare, went to work, and picked Isaac up from daycare. That's where the normalcy ended. I picked Isaac up a little early from daycare so that we could get ready to go to the Wednesday night kid's music class (taught by my old classmate and music therapist, Natasha). I fed him a snack later than usual, because music class is at 5:30, and last week he got hungry half way through the class and threw a fit. He had a banana and a glass of milk. When I took him out of his high chair, he was whining and crying a bit, which is out of the ordinary for him.
I sat down on the floor to play with Isaac. He came over and snuggled with me a little. Then he stood directly in front of me, looked at me funny, and proceeded to projectile vomit all over me. Not just all over me, but all over himself and the floor, too.
As I stood there in shock, contemplating what to do with the handful of puke I had (apparently, when I noticed he was going to throw up, I put my hand under his mouth, thinking I could catch it or something - not sure what was going through my head at that point), he suddenly vomited a second time.
Everything was covered with puke: my shirt, my pants, the floor, Isaac's shirt, Isaac's pants, and even his shoes. So I stripped him down, stripped myself down, and threw our clothes in a pile on the kitchen floor. When I turned around to assess the damage in the living room, I found my wonderfully psychotic dog cleaning it up for me. That's right, Gizmo was eating the piles of banana vomit. I want to gag just thinking about it. So I herded Isaac and Gizmo upstairs, closed the gate behind me so Gizmo couldn't do any more "cleaning" while we were up there, and gave Isaac a bath.
About 15 minutes later, J came home from work. The moment I heard the door open, I yelled down to him, "Get Isaac's bath towel and bring it up here... and pay no attention to the vomit in the living room." J later told me that it was unclear to him at the time exactly who the vomit belonged to - his toddler son, his pregnant (and often nauseous) wife, or his anxiety ridden Terrier.
Isaac vomited a few more times that evening, so we decided not to send him to daycare the next day. It was clear that he had some sort of stomach bug. Oh yeah, and music class obviously was a no-go, too. I had a hard time cleaning the banana acid puke smell out of the carpets, and ended up having to use my parents' carpet cleaner (that we borrowed like, a year ago and haven't returned yet - thanks Mom and Dad) to shampoo the areas where he had thrown up.
Oh, the joys of parenting.
I hope you enjoyed this disgusting post. Sorry for grossing you out. But, come on, the title of the post is Puke. What did you expect?
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Big Boy Bed
That's right, we made the leap to the big boy bed. We converted Isaac's crib to a toddler bed on Wednesday because both J and I had Thursday and Friday off of work. We just wanted to see how it went, and if it goes well, we'll get him a toddler bed when it gets closer to my due date so that Sequel can have the crib.
It's going wonderfully so far! Bedtime is a breeze, as usual, he just climbs into bed himself now. How on Earth did we end up with such a great kid?
The only problem we have is nap time, and this issue developed just yesterday. When we put him in bed for a nap, he thinks it's fun to climb out of bed once we leave the room, take all the blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals off the bed, and lay on them right in front of the door. Then we have to put everything back in the bed, and he'll climb in and say, "night night". Then when we leave the room, he climbs out and piles everything behind the door. Lather, rinse, repeat. I found a trick that works, though. I just keep the door open a crack and watch him after I put him to bed. Then if he climbs out of bed, I open the door right away and tell him to lay down. He'll get back in bed, and then he knows that I'm watching, so he'll stay there. It worked like a charm both times I did it today. Hopefully it will continue to work.
I'm extremely impressed that he hasn't once gotten out of his bed in the middle of the night (knock on wood). He did fall out once on Wednesday night, but I guess he learned his lesson because he hasn't done it since.
Here's a picture. I sneaked into his room and took it about 20 minutes ago. Precious.
It's going wonderfully so far! Bedtime is a breeze, as usual, he just climbs into bed himself now. How on Earth did we end up with such a great kid?
The only problem we have is nap time, and this issue developed just yesterday. When we put him in bed for a nap, he thinks it's fun to climb out of bed once we leave the room, take all the blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals off the bed, and lay on them right in front of the door. Then we have to put everything back in the bed, and he'll climb in and say, "night night". Then when we leave the room, he climbs out and piles everything behind the door. Lather, rinse, repeat. I found a trick that works, though. I just keep the door open a crack and watch him after I put him to bed. Then if he climbs out of bed, I open the door right away and tell him to lay down. He'll get back in bed, and then he knows that I'm watching, so he'll stay there. It worked like a charm both times I did it today. Hopefully it will continue to work.
I'm extremely impressed that he hasn't once gotten out of his bed in the middle of the night (knock on wood). He did fall out once on Wednesday night, but I guess he learned his lesson because he hasn't done it since.
Here's a picture. I sneaked into his room and took it about 20 minutes ago. Precious.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
March Book: The Choice
First, I'd like to say that I realize that my book reviews (if that's what you want to call them) lately have been sort of negative. Well, maybe negative is not the right word... skeptical, maybe? Jaded? Maybe I'm hard to impress when it comes to reading a book. I don't know. The last book I read where I enjoyed the entire thing was Breaking Dawn. Other than that, I seem to get bored during certain, more drawn out parts of books.
That being said, I feel like Nicholas Sparks needs some new material. His only book that hasn't followed the exact same pattern was The Guardian, if I remember correctly. It makes reading his novels so predictable. And they're pretty unrealistic. I mean, nobody actually falls madly and truly in love in, like, a week. But that's what happens in every. single. one. of his books. Other than that, I like them - obviously, because I keep reading them. They keep me entertained, and I guess that's the point, right?
Ok, back to The Choice. I'll try not to spoil it too much for you.
This book is about a man named Travis, who falls in love with a woman named Gabby, who happens to be his new next door neighbor. Gabby, however, is in a relationship with her long time boyfriend. Apparently she wasn't too in love with him though, because she eventually dumps his ass for Travis. There's a lot more to the first part of this book, but it's really pretty irrelevant to the story so I won't go into it.
In the second part of this book, we find out that something has happened, and Travis is faced with an extremely difficult choice. The rest of the book is mainly about his emotional struggles and the implications of his decision.
This book makes you think. How do certain choices you make affect the lives of your loved ones? What would you have done in Travis' position?
And I'll admit, I cried at the end. Leave me alone, I'm pregnant. I'm allowed to cry at the drop of a hat.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Basic Lasagna
But I digress.
I really don't use a recipe when I make lasagna. Mine is pretty easy and basic: meat, sauce, cheese, noodles. The end. I also like to make it in a big 9x13 pan because this is another dish that is excellent warmed up as leftovers.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
Jar of spaghetti sauce (26 oz)
1 pkg lasagna noodles
Cottage cheese (22 oz) or ricotta
4 cups mozzarella cheese
Brown the beef, then drain it. Add the spaghetti sauce to the beef. Boil the lasagna noodles until they're very al dente. I like to use whole wheat lasagna noodles because with all the other stuff in lasagna, you can't even tell that it's whole wheat.
Now grab your 9x13 pan and start layering. Here's the order I layer in, but you can do whatever you want. The world is your burrito, er... lasagna? Whatever.
Noodles
Beef mixture
Cottage cheese
Mozzarella
Noodles
...
Lather, rinse, repeat until it's to the top of the pan. Try to end up with beef mixture on the top, then top it with some mozzarella.
Bake it at 350 degrees for about 45 min to an hour. If you freeze it, you really should thaw it before baking or else it's going to take a looooong time to cook. Bake it with some tin foil on top, then remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. This will prevent the cheese on top from getting crusty.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
VBAC
This is very possibly one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make - to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) or have a RCS (repeat c-section).
Isaac was born via c-section when, after 20 hours of labor, I hadn't dilated past a four. They even gave me pitocin after about 10 hours of little to no progress. My contractions were very strong and very close together, but did nothing. Was this due to the fact that my water broke at 37 weeks 5 days? Maybe. Or did my epidural, which only worked on half of my body, making it impossible for me to relax during contractions, play a role? Possibly. But who knows? I don't, and I probably never will.
Before I went into labor, I had a pretty open mind about my birth experience. I didn't have a birth plan, I was ready to roll with the punches. If I ended up with a c-section, oh well. If that's what needed to be done, then I'd be fine with it. Or so I thought.
Here's why I was not so ok with it.
First of all, J couldn't be in the OR with me until I was totally prepped. I was scared and emotional and I just wanted my husband to be with me. I kept asking when he could come in, and they kept saying "soon". Then there's the fact that I was puking for the entire surgery. Or at least I was trying to. Everything below my arms (including most of my arms) was completely numb because of my spinal (since my epidural didn't work), even my muscles. I felt the urge to vomit, and was trying to, but nothing would come up because my stomach muscles didn't work. It was awful.
Then when Isaac was finally born, they quickly showed him to us, then took him over to the side to be checked over. That was fine, I could still see him (sort of, I couldn't have my glasses on, and without them I'm as blind as a bat). J went over and was able to cut the umbilical cord. Then he was able to bring Isaac over to me once he was all wrapped up in a blanket. I held him for a moment, but I could hardly feel my arms because of the spinal, and I was terrified that I would drop him. So I gave him back to J. It was hard for me to not be able to hold my newborn baby. Then they had J whisk him off to the nursery, where my parents and brother got to know my little boy before I did. And I wasn't even able to be there to introduce him. That was the hardest part for me. Luckily, my wonderful husband had the foresight to take lots and lots of pictures for me because he knew I'd want to be there for that. But it's still not the same.
Then of course, there's the recovery aspect. I hated the feeling that my insides were going to fall out every time I stood up. There were a lot of tears for the first few days when I'd have to get out of bed. Oh, and the most painful part was when I swollowed some water wrong and had a coughing fit. I thought I was going to die. I can't imagine trying to take care of a toddler AND a newborn while recovering from a c-section. I know I'll have help. I know J will be awesome. My parents will probably be around a lot, and J's parents will probably spend at least a weekend with us. Last time, I needed my mom to help me shower because when I lifted my hands above my head to wash my hair, it felt like my incision was going to burst open. And I couldn't bend over enough to wash my legs/feet. I just felt like I should have been doing more, but I just couldn't. Isaac will want his Mommy, and I'll want to be there for him too. I also can't help but wonder if the c-section was part of the reason that I couldn't breastfeed. Maybe, maybe not.
Emotionally, the c-section was very difficult for me. This was something I hadn't predicted. To be honest, I felt terrible that I wasn't able to do this very basic thing that my body was made to do. It wasn't that I needed the c-section because the baby was in distress. He wasn't. My body just couldn't do it, and that thought hurt me. Why can other women deliver their babies vaginally, but I couldn't? It wasn't fair. I had no idea it meant so much to me. Looking back, I do believe that my c-section played a role in my post-partum depression.
So knowing what an effect the c-section had on me, you probably think that trying for a VBAC would be a no-brainer, right? Wrong. According to my doctor, there is a 30% chance that I'll be able to have a successful VBAC. This number is mainly based on the reason for my last c-section - failure to progress. Women who failed to progress have a lower chance of successful VBAC. If I fall into the 70% category (failed VBAC), there is a chance that the results could be catastrophic. In any given VBAC, there is a 1% chance that the uterus could rupture along the incision site. The kind of incision that I had (low transverse) is the least likely to rupture, but it still happens. 1% odds might not scare some people, but it scares me. When I went in for my gallbaldder surgery a few months after Isaac was born, I was told there was a 1% chance that they wouldn't be able to do it laproscopically and would have to open me up. They kind of glossed over the details since it was rare, but told me that would include much more pain, about a week long hospital stay, blah blah blah. Well, guess what folks, I was one of the lucky 1%. So I am one of the few that understands that somebody has to be on the wrong side of those statistics. It could be me.
What would a uterine rupture mean? Well, it depends on how quickly the signs were recognized and how fast they'd be able to get the baby out and control the bleeding. I could lose my uterus. Or even worse, it is almost certain that there would be some sort of permanent damage done to the baby. Mental or physical damage, or even death. I just don't know how I could live with myself if that happened.
So that makes me question myself. Why do I have such a strong desire to try a VBAC? Is it because of how I might feel, emotionally and physically? Are my reasons totally and completely selfish?
I don't think they are. There are risks with a RCS, too. I haven't been able to find any concrete numbers on this, but I'm gathering that the risks are similar. Also, c-section babies are more likely to have respiratory problems because the fluid isn't squeezed from their lungs during their passage through the birth canal.
So, J and I have discussed it, and I have agonized over the decision for months. We've come to the conclusion that if we're given the opportunity for a trial of labor (TOL), we'll do it. There are various reasons why I wouldn't be allowed to VBAC. For example, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, past my due date (maybe), etc. But none of these things were an issue with Isaac. Also, if there was a need for me to be put on pitocin or any other labor inducing drug, I think I would opt for the c-section, as labor inducers are known to increase the risk of uterine rupture. My doctor will do it, but she said "we need to be very careful with that."
We discussed our questions and concerns with our doctor at our last appointment. I asked how supportive and willing the other doctors in the practice are with VBACs. She said they are all very comfortable doing them. She further put my mind at ease by informing us that when they have VBAC mom in active labor, the OB on call or at the clinic during that time is required to be at the hospital the entire time in case things were to go south. That really made me feel better, because I was less than thrilled with the resident who handled most of my labor with Isaac, and I sincerely don't think he could have properly handled VBAC complications.
When we told our doctor that we were leaning toward VBAC, she said she thinks that it's very reasonable for me to try for one. She was very supportive, and indicated that the other doctors are, too. That was the clincher for us.
So, long story (not so) short, we'll be attempting a VBAC when Sequel comes. Assuming the stars align and I'm allowed to, of course.
Sometimes I really hate grown-up decisions.
Isaac was born via c-section when, after 20 hours of labor, I hadn't dilated past a four. They even gave me pitocin after about 10 hours of little to no progress. My contractions were very strong and very close together, but did nothing. Was this due to the fact that my water broke at 37 weeks 5 days? Maybe. Or did my epidural, which only worked on half of my body, making it impossible for me to relax during contractions, play a role? Possibly. But who knows? I don't, and I probably never will.
Before I went into labor, I had a pretty open mind about my birth experience. I didn't have a birth plan, I was ready to roll with the punches. If I ended up with a c-section, oh well. If that's what needed to be done, then I'd be fine with it. Or so I thought.
Here's why I was not so ok with it.
First of all, J couldn't be in the OR with me until I was totally prepped. I was scared and emotional and I just wanted my husband to be with me. I kept asking when he could come in, and they kept saying "soon". Then there's the fact that I was puking for the entire surgery. Or at least I was trying to. Everything below my arms (including most of my arms) was completely numb because of my spinal (since my epidural didn't work), even my muscles. I felt the urge to vomit, and was trying to, but nothing would come up because my stomach muscles didn't work. It was awful.
Then when Isaac was finally born, they quickly showed him to us, then took him over to the side to be checked over. That was fine, I could still see him (sort of, I couldn't have my glasses on, and without them I'm as blind as a bat). J went over and was able to cut the umbilical cord. Then he was able to bring Isaac over to me once he was all wrapped up in a blanket. I held him for a moment, but I could hardly feel my arms because of the spinal, and I was terrified that I would drop him. So I gave him back to J. It was hard for me to not be able to hold my newborn baby. Then they had J whisk him off to the nursery, where my parents and brother got to know my little boy before I did. And I wasn't even able to be there to introduce him. That was the hardest part for me. Luckily, my wonderful husband had the foresight to take lots and lots of pictures for me because he knew I'd want to be there for that. But it's still not the same.
Then of course, there's the recovery aspect. I hated the feeling that my insides were going to fall out every time I stood up. There were a lot of tears for the first few days when I'd have to get out of bed. Oh, and the most painful part was when I swollowed some water wrong and had a coughing fit. I thought I was going to die. I can't imagine trying to take care of a toddler AND a newborn while recovering from a c-section. I know I'll have help. I know J will be awesome. My parents will probably be around a lot, and J's parents will probably spend at least a weekend with us. Last time, I needed my mom to help me shower because when I lifted my hands above my head to wash my hair, it felt like my incision was going to burst open. And I couldn't bend over enough to wash my legs/feet. I just felt like I should have been doing more, but I just couldn't. Isaac will want his Mommy, and I'll want to be there for him too. I also can't help but wonder if the c-section was part of the reason that I couldn't breastfeed. Maybe, maybe not.
Emotionally, the c-section was very difficult for me. This was something I hadn't predicted. To be honest, I felt terrible that I wasn't able to do this very basic thing that my body was made to do. It wasn't that I needed the c-section because the baby was in distress. He wasn't. My body just couldn't do it, and that thought hurt me. Why can other women deliver their babies vaginally, but I couldn't? It wasn't fair. I had no idea it meant so much to me. Looking back, I do believe that my c-section played a role in my post-partum depression.
So knowing what an effect the c-section had on me, you probably think that trying for a VBAC would be a no-brainer, right? Wrong. According to my doctor, there is a 30% chance that I'll be able to have a successful VBAC. This number is mainly based on the reason for my last c-section - failure to progress. Women who failed to progress have a lower chance of successful VBAC. If I fall into the 70% category (failed VBAC), there is a chance that the results could be catastrophic. In any given VBAC, there is a 1% chance that the uterus could rupture along the incision site. The kind of incision that I had (low transverse) is the least likely to rupture, but it still happens. 1% odds might not scare some people, but it scares me. When I went in for my gallbaldder surgery a few months after Isaac was born, I was told there was a 1% chance that they wouldn't be able to do it laproscopically and would have to open me up. They kind of glossed over the details since it was rare, but told me that would include much more pain, about a week long hospital stay, blah blah blah. Well, guess what folks, I was one of the lucky 1%. So I am one of the few that understands that somebody has to be on the wrong side of those statistics. It could be me.
What would a uterine rupture mean? Well, it depends on how quickly the signs were recognized and how fast they'd be able to get the baby out and control the bleeding. I could lose my uterus. Or even worse, it is almost certain that there would be some sort of permanent damage done to the baby. Mental or physical damage, or even death. I just don't know how I could live with myself if that happened.
So that makes me question myself. Why do I have such a strong desire to try a VBAC? Is it because of how I might feel, emotionally and physically? Are my reasons totally and completely selfish?
I don't think they are. There are risks with a RCS, too. I haven't been able to find any concrete numbers on this, but I'm gathering that the risks are similar. Also, c-section babies are more likely to have respiratory problems because the fluid isn't squeezed from their lungs during their passage through the birth canal.
So, J and I have discussed it, and I have agonized over the decision for months. We've come to the conclusion that if we're given the opportunity for a trial of labor (TOL), we'll do it. There are various reasons why I wouldn't be allowed to VBAC. For example, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, past my due date (maybe), etc. But none of these things were an issue with Isaac. Also, if there was a need for me to be put on pitocin or any other labor inducing drug, I think I would opt for the c-section, as labor inducers are known to increase the risk of uterine rupture. My doctor will do it, but she said "we need to be very careful with that."
We discussed our questions and concerns with our doctor at our last appointment. I asked how supportive and willing the other doctors in the practice are with VBACs. She said they are all very comfortable doing them. She further put my mind at ease by informing us that when they have VBAC mom in active labor, the OB on call or at the clinic during that time is required to be at the hospital the entire time in case things were to go south. That really made me feel better, because I was less than thrilled with the resident who handled most of my labor with Isaac, and I sincerely don't think he could have properly handled VBAC complications.
When we told our doctor that we were leaning toward VBAC, she said she thinks that it's very reasonable for me to try for one. She was very supportive, and indicated that the other doctors are, too. That was the clincher for us.
So, long story (not so) short, we'll be attempting a VBAC when Sequel comes. Assuming the stars align and I'm allowed to, of course.
Sometimes I really hate grown-up decisions.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
It's a...
BOY!
Yep, Isaac is going to have a baby brother! And I am going to be seriously outnumbered by handsome boys in my house! :)
And he is, indeed, a bouncing baby boy. Emphasis on bouncing. He was all over the place during our ultrasound. Pretty much the only thing he actually wanted to show us was his junk. The u/s tech said, "I am literally chasing him around with this wand!" Needless to say, we have to go back before our next appointment and try to get pictures of the stuff they missed. We only got two pictures out of the deal, one picture of the money shot, and one picture that vaguely resembles a foot. No profile shot this time. :( But it was so fun to see him kicking and turning and just being so active. This one's going to be a trouble maker, I can tell...
I won't go into the whole VBAC vs. repeat c-section conundrum right now. I'll save that for a later post. But I will say that we had a wonderful discussion with our OB about it at our appointment on Monday and I think both J and I are feeling a lot better about our decision.
Yep, Isaac is going to have a baby brother! And I am going to be seriously outnumbered by handsome boys in my house! :)
And he is, indeed, a bouncing baby boy. Emphasis on bouncing. He was all over the place during our ultrasound. Pretty much the only thing he actually wanted to show us was his junk. The u/s tech said, "I am literally chasing him around with this wand!" Needless to say, we have to go back before our next appointment and try to get pictures of the stuff they missed. We only got two pictures out of the deal, one picture of the money shot, and one picture that vaguely resembles a foot. No profile shot this time. :( But it was so fun to see him kicking and turning and just being so active. This one's going to be a trouble maker, I can tell...
I won't go into the whole VBAC vs. repeat c-section conundrum right now. I'll save that for a later post. But I will say that we had a wonderful discussion with our OB about it at our appointment on Monday and I think both J and I are feeling a lot better about our decision.
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