Monday, December 29, 2008

2 1/2 weeks already??

Wow. That was a fast and busy Christmas. My parents and aunt were here from Michigan, and my brother, sister-in-law and 15-month old niece from Paris/NYC (they're moving back to the states this month). It was a very full house. I tried to take advantage of the plethora of babysitters to get out to the gym (Tuesday night, Saturday morning boot camp (yay! I missed that class so much), and a run outside (2.5 miles or so) yesterday. I definitely had moments when I wanted everyone to go so I could hold my daughter, take a nap with her, just hang out. I was basically just a feeding and diaper changing machine. But I have her back now, and as a reward she slept (after a marathon feeding session where she literally sucked me dry (eww) and we gave her formula) 8 hours last night. I woke up a few times thinking I should get her up to change her diaper at least (we're using cloth and they do feel a lot wetter than disposables) but resisted.

So boot camp Saturday was great. None of my usual "competition" was there (lots of new people who hopefully won't last) so maybe I didn't push as hard, but I was able to do everything and did NOT feel out of shape. The abs were a little tougher, but I still did just about all of them! And of course I'm sore, but not horribly so. I felt good enough to run outside yesterday (60 degrees, although dreary). Just a 3 mile loop (maybe a bit under). I felt a little awkward, like my gait was off, but except for tight Achilles (normal, I have weird heel bones and the tendon rubs) the run was great. I ran 20 minutes (probably about 2.25 miles) and walked the last half mile.

The challenge this week will be to get in workouts without all the babysitters. And without being able to use the Bob...I don't have the infant car seat adapter, and if I did, it's probably too cold anyway.

Can't believe Andra is already 2 1/2 weeks old. Looking back, the first few days were scary! She was so tiny. She's back up above her birth weight now, much more alert, and we've kind of figured each other out now. It's pretty fun...

Sunday, December 21, 2008

New Blog to Read

Alison Setton's blog will probably interest some of you who read this one...especially you triathletes.

Andra meets Santa


I really think I am the luckiest mom EVER. Easy pregnancy, fast delivery, cutest little baby who just sleeps and eats and occasionally charms us with her open eyes (did I mention she's sleepy?). She slept through the night two nights ago, the other nights she's only up once to be fed and changed. She was fussier in the beginning, but I think we're figuring each other out, and now she usually goes right back to sleep.

We went to meet Santa yesterday, and then to Ann Taylor Loft where I got 4 pairs of nice pants (nicer than my usual uniform of jeans and khakis) for $9.88 each! Santa was awesome...so good with the scared little boys ahead of us, and when he saw Andra he said, "This is why I do this job." She snoozed through it all. I love showing her off. So many people asked if there was really a baby in my sling (she's 7 pounds, she's not THAT tiny!) and then oohed and aahed when I let them peek.

Thursday we had to go back to the pediatrician to check her weight (up from Tuesday so we're all good now), then I went to Trader Joe's and there ran into one of our assistant principals. He reminded me that the high school faculty party was just down the road, so we went! The principal accused me of having "rented" the baby, as he never believed I was 9 months pregnant and was surprised to see us up and about so soon. Yeah, it feeds my ego...but we ARE pretty laid back and just having fun. (Except I do still get up in the middle of the night to make sure Andra's still breathing...does that go away??)

I went to the gym yesterday, just to walk a mile (14 minutes) and lift, upper body and some abs. I'm sore today and it feels SO GOOD! No running yet, but soon. I don't want to push it, since I'm already back at me pre-pregnancy weight and would rather start out strong than go out too fast and need to re-stop. But just being at the gym, even walking, I was having a blast and couldn't stop smiling. This is the best Christmas ever.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The first few days...

The first few days home have been fun. A little tiring of course. But Monday morning I put Andra in my hotsling and emptied the dishwasher and did a load of laundry while she snoozed. I won't lie, even just that tired me out!

We're figuring out the sleeping thing. Andra is a champion sleeper right now, which I really hope doesn't change! I might be lucky, as my mom said I slept so much as a baby she was convinced something was wrong with me (I followed a brother who never slept) and called the doctor a couple times. The first two nights (and the two in the hospital) were rough, because I had her in her Moses basket right next to me (first in bed, then on the couch) and every noise woke me up (if I was ever asleep, which I question). I ended up the first night having her sleep on her back on my chest, the second night was about half that and half in her basket. I get to go to bed a littler earlier (10 maybe) for some real sleep while Fred hangs out with her until she needs to eat again, or until after she eats (we're supplementing with formula at night, at the pediatrician yesterday she was still losing weight and my milk might just be coming in now, so the ped said to do it, which made me feel good...I was never against it, but breastfeeding isn't so bad after all and I started to question everything!). Last night she was super fussy even after the formula, so I got up around 12:30 to switch with him so he could sleep. Eventually, after a few cycles of putting her in her basket and letting her cry for 5 minutes (to the dot, I tried not to pick her up too early, the doctor said 5 minutes and I took her literally!), I had the brilliant idea of putting her basket in the bathroom with the fan on. Worked perfectly the second time! So I found a room fan, put it in her room, turned it on near her crib, and then put her in the basket in the crib. And I slept in my own bed 2 doors down. The fan (and distance) drowned out the little coos and stuff, but had she cried I would've heard it all. As it was, she didn't wake up once til I got her up around 7! I hope this is the new routine...because I actually slept (minus 2 trips to check on her when I woke up). An added bonus was that my cat got to sleep with me again (always our routine) and spent the rest of the night on my pillow purring. So we're all happy today!

Ok, I'm also going to post pictures of my post-baby belly. I gotta say, I'm amazed it went away so quickly. Don't get me wrong, it's doughy, my belly button is still really stretched out, and I'm not sure I have ab muscles any more, but we'll work on that in a week or so.

Oh, and one more thing...we took Andra to a holiday party last night. I stuck her in the sling where she was well-protected (but I could open it up to give people a peek) and slept for the whole 2 and a half hours (we stayed longer than we should have, I was tired by the end!). And second best to showing her off was hearing people say how good I looked for having given birth 4 days prior! It fed my ego just a bit, which is nice after a few months of looking pregnant! (And it REALLY helped that I read on Michelle's blog a few hours before we left that Moana had also been out to some parties, made me feel like I wasn't too crazy for bringing Andra out so early...although, no one even tried to touch her, I LOVE the sling!).

Sunday, December 14, 2008

A few pictures







7 lbs 4 oz, 18.5 inches. I keep forgetting to tell people that!!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The Details...

First, let me just say that Andra has been asleep on my chest for 2 hours and I just love it. She's wiggly and makes some funny noises (so far in lieu of real crying) and has tons of dark hair.

So at school Friday I decided that whatever happened, it was going to be my last day. In retrospect I felt differently, but can't pinpoint anything specific. I left school around 2:30, stopped at the post office and the grocery store...my cat Pokey needed food, and I needed a donut and ice cream (the fact that I bought and then ate both was a clue to me at that point!). Got home and relaxed for a bit, then got up to play with Pokey around 4:30. I was on my knees, and when I got up I felt a small gush. Now, I never understood how someone could mistake pee for water breaking. But I do now! I couldn't decide...I went and peed, stood up, kept dripping...no big gush or anything. So I walked around the house a little, and when I bent over I felt it again. Called Fred...he was on his way for a post-work drink with a colleague, I said think you better nix that idea! Called my mom, who reminded me that I really DO know if I'm peeing or not, and if I wasn't peeing then my water broke. So I called the doctor, who said to come in. I questioned the "right now?" part because I wasn't having contractions, except for a little one right before my water broke. Right now, he said. OK. So I drove myself to the hospital after getting a few more things in my bag (chapstick, water bottle, laptop). Very calm, still no contractions. Leave my stuff in the car when I go in, figuring no hurry, it's about 5:20. My doctor was there, checked and my cervix was still about 3cm. He said he was going to go home and be back. I did wonder what happened to his idea that I'd have a quick labor, but I didn't ask until the next day, when he said he thought he was safe for a little bit since I wasn't even in labor at that point. At any rate, he was back within an hour!

By 6 I was having contractions 7 minutes apart, then 6, then 5...it sped up very quickly. I felt nauseous, though never puked. Was shaking. Could not have believed the pain. I did try to consciously relax the rest of my body...face, arms, legs. And took really deep breaths. And pictured a particular hill I once rode up while trying in vain to keep up with 3 people infinitely faster than I was, feeling like I was going to die but forcing myself over the hill. (Strangely enough, that time I climbed that hill I KNEW that was going to be a focal point for me during labor.) I sort of wanted to get up, move, sit on the big ball...for some reason it was discouraged and I guess I didn't really care too much. In reptrospect, I guess I was already in transition (the horribly painful part...I think I just skipped right over early labor to that), which explains the nausea. I doubt I would even have been able to get up at that point, so no big deal. I do remember my doctor asking my husband, "Have you ever seen her like this? I think this is the first time I've seen her NOT smiling." Men.

At some point I did ask for the epidural. Maybe 10 minutes later the anaesthesioloist came in, my doctor was back, and I was ready to push. So, no epidural. They all said the worst was over. I'm not sure I would agree, pushing hurt! I pushed for maybe 15 minutes. 3 pushes in a row, probably 5 times. For the 2 contractions before actively pushing, it was the weirdest thing...you know how when you're gong to puke, your body involuntarily convulses as you heave? It was exactly like that, except going the other direction! I guess actually I didn't feel like pushing...I was weirded out by that convulsion sensation. But then the doctors and nurse told me to push, so I did. I know I was whimpering at the end of every push, and a few whispered "FUCK!"s came out. I had some tearing, 2nd degree I think but not so bad 24 hours later. I am dreading the first poo...but peeing has been painless. Surprisingly, nothing is sore (not abs, legs, no muscles at all) except...where you'd expect. But since I was shaking uncontrollably throughout most of the labor and pushing, and for a good few hours afterwards, I know my body was working HARD. I will say, I would NEVER want to do that without being in good shape.

This morning I noticed I have a lot of little spots around my eyes, from the pushing, broken blood vessels I assume. They put her on me when she came out, and it was very surreal! She looks like my husband (has his nose!) but has my hair and toes. Haven't really done the full body inspection yet, she's been sleeping pretty much nonstop. Nursed a little bit, but she had and still has a lot of fluids in her stomach so they told me she won't be hungry for a while. She spit up a bunch of liquid/mucous around 2am, so I called the nurse and then they took her for the rest of the night (til about 6) so they could keep suctioning her. I still didn't manage to sleep though.

She's about 24 hours old now, and MUCH more active...and loud! The first 24 hours were a blissful tease...we napped together a lot and just hung out.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Andra Kate

Details later, explicit gory details...but my water broke at 4:30 (took a while to actually believe it, it really does seem like you pee your pants!), got to hospital by 5:15, contractions started around 5:45, by 6:10 they were 7 minutes apart and by about 7 (when they came to give me the epidural I realized I REALLY wanted!) I was 10cm and ready to push. So we did it natural. OH. MY. GOD. Thank god it was quick. She's 7 lbs 4 oz, cute as a button. Pictures tomorrow!

yay for webcams and wireless! saturday am.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Doctor Upped the Ante

He did strip my membranes (at my request), said I was now 3cm dilated, and said baby by Sunday. Of course, he's been wrong before...

But they have a sub for me at school (someone I suggested way back in September), and she has a science background, knows the school culture, and will get the job done, even if the kids find her to be a bit more of a hard-ass than I am. Hey, it's good for them.

Took what I hope to be the last pregnancy pictures this morning. I am psyched to have a flat stomach again, BUT I also thought I looked pretty cute, and surprisingly I will miss the belly a little...

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Almost counts??

OK, so this morning I read the comment Michelle left on my last post about ALMOST going to the gym. "Almost counts," she said. I immediately took that (jokingly) as, "Well, almost going ALMOST counts, but DOESN'T, sucker!" Later today I reread it after another comment by X-Country 2 , and I thought maybe Michelle meant instead that yes, almost DID count! (It's funnier the first way though.)

Regardless, my point is that I'm GOING TO THE GYM NOW! I will likely just walk. Maybe do the elliptical, but that sounds...well, like a workout. I'm not sure what has happened to me. I have plenty of energy, I don't feel badly, I'm not even in a bad mood anymore (so much for that being a sign of labor). I am just plain lazy and impatient. Which doesn't even really bother me.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, 38 weeks 4 days...a while ago he said, "If you make it to 38 weeks we'll talk about stripping your membranes." I know it's no guarantee, but it beats doing nothing (I think...maybe it'll just make me crazy again, waiting!!).

(UPDATE) I went, I ran a mile, walked a little, stretched, and as usual, remembered that I LOVE the gym. I think my pelvis is protesting a little now, but alas my uterus is NOT.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

I almost...

...went to the gym today.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Argh.

Any chance extreme irritability is a sign of impending labor? Probably not, but it's the only sign I have. (Doesn't help that my husband keeps saying, "Wow, you really ARE in a bad mood..." and is completely unsympathetic. Yeah, that helps the situation. And yeah, he reads this blog.) I've not experienced any mood swings, emotional stuff, anything the whole pregnancy. Yesterday and today, a different story.

In good news, we got our Christmas tree and started decorating. And my parents brought up the fact that if I'm just getting home from the hospital when they arrive December 23, they plan to stay in a hotel so I can have at least some of the time alone to figure things out that I really think I want. Now, that makes me cry...because it's so nice. Not that I know that I'd want them to. But it's nice that they'd offer.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Pretty much no change...

Went to the doctor today. Up to 2cm dilated, still 100% effaced and the kid's at +3 station (I finally asked, he said she's been there a while). Found this cool video animation that kind of explains what that means. I asked, "So what if she doesn't come early?" Because my family comes from Michigan on the 23rd, and I do NOT want to be a) in the hospital or b) coming home from the hospital when they are here. I want a few days ALONE to figure things out! The doctor still insists she will be early. Sigh...he hasn't been right about too much so far.

The ultrasound showed she was around 6lbs 13oz, and that's without including a head measurement in the equation (can't see it since she's so low). I was a 9 pounder, my husband 6 something, so if she ends up in between that sounds perfect. I'm really hoping for this weekend.

Of course, today at school I find out there's still NO SUB lined up for me. I bitched at both my department head and the assistant principal about that. Both came back with the same line, basically, "It's not MY job, and anyway, don't worry about it." Are they joking? No one will take responsibility (though apparently later the AP gave the human resources guy (my favorite person) a hard time about it. I let everyone know in June, then again "officially" in September, then again in late October when no one had even started looking and the doctor was worried about bed rest/early labor. It wasn't until the day before Thanksgiving that they actually offered the position to one of 2 people who had applied, and eventually both turned it down because they'd accepted other jobs since it seemed this one was going nowhere. Now, it's true that once the kid is born I proabably won't care what happens at school (though it's REALLY tough to believe that, I love my job and 95% of the kids I teach and they're about to get SCREWED for the next 6-8 weeks with an unqualified sub...or worse, many unqualified subs), but right now I DO CARE and I've been busting my ass trying to keep teaching AND get things together so that when I do go out (and not knowing makes this really hard) it's not just wasted class time for a few weeks. Some of the kids would love that of course, but some of them are serious and would really feel cheated. Sigh...so part of me hopes she won't come until NEXT weekend so that what I have lined up to teach next week will actually get taught...

Anyway, there has been no working out since Saturday when I ran a mile, walked a mile, did some squats and some stuff for my hamstrings and was exhausted by that little effort! This Saturday I'll go to the gym again...once a week is better than nothing.