Ugh.
That's how I feel about things right now.
My contractions have slowed down, which is great. Thank goodness! But in order to keep them in a manageable state, I've had to really curtail my activity level. No more gym. As few errands as possible. And as much time as I can lying down on the couch. I was just starting to enjoy my 9 hours of kid free time a week, and was happily packing in as many things as possible into that time period. Now I spend that time lying down.
BORING!
Obviously, I will do whatever it takes to keep this baby growing as long as possible, because in theory, I still have 12 weeks of pregnancy left! But it's difficult to strike the right balance. I'm not officially on bedrest but am supposed to minimize my activity and rest as much as possible. But with 2 boys who have school and activities, a Hubby who works ridiculously long hours, and only me to play chauffeur and nanny, minimal activity is not as easy as it sounds. I feel great in the mornings, but by midday, after taking the kids to school and running an errand on the way home, I am contracting by lunchtime. So far, lying down in the afternoons has been able to get them to stop, but the boys are bored. And so am I.
I could be taking the time to blog, but have been feeling just too grumpy to do so.
One good thing about all this time on the couch...I have done a lot of reading for my book challenge! I'm currently working on book #42. Maybe there is hope for this 50 books in a year thing after all?? Updated reviews of books 31-40 coming soon...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Jittery
Today we have a great day planned. C's soccer game in the morning, a birthday party for O's classmate in the afternoon, and a long awaited trip to the circus in the evening.
Unfortunately, I'm going to miss all of it.
Yesterday afternoon I was feeling lousy and started having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions. All the usual remedies that I've used in previous pregnancies, drinking lots of water, a warm bath, and lying down, didn't stop them. So around 6pm I finally called my doctor and ended up heading into the hospital. I was quite sure they would think I was crazy when I got there, but when they hooked me up to the monitors, there I was contracting away. Luckily, these contractions seem to be of the annoying irritable uterus variety, as opposed to the true preterm labor variety since there were no cervical changes, and my fetal fibronectin test was negative. The contractions stopped quite nicely with a couple shots of terbutaline, which was amazing, except for the fact that they left me feeling very jittery and like I was going to pass out. After a couple hours, I was able to go home, with strict instructions to take it easy and stay off my feet for the next few days. I've had a few more contractions since then, but not nearly as many as yesterday. Hopefully things will remain calm because this baby needs to stay in a lot longer!
Now I just need to find someone to work my shift tomorrow.
And does anyone want to go to the circus???
Unfortunately, I'm going to miss all of it.
Yesterday afternoon I was feeling lousy and started having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions. All the usual remedies that I've used in previous pregnancies, drinking lots of water, a warm bath, and lying down, didn't stop them. So around 6pm I finally called my doctor and ended up heading into the hospital. I was quite sure they would think I was crazy when I got there, but when they hooked me up to the monitors, there I was contracting away. Luckily, these contractions seem to be of the annoying irritable uterus variety, as opposed to the true preterm labor variety since there were no cervical changes, and my fetal fibronectin test was negative. The contractions stopped quite nicely with a couple shots of terbutaline, which was amazing, except for the fact that they left me feeling very jittery and like I was going to pass out. After a couple hours, I was able to go home, with strict instructions to take it easy and stay off my feet for the next few days. I've had a few more contractions since then, but not nearly as many as yesterday. Hopefully things will remain calm because this baby needs to stay in a lot longer!
Now I just need to find someone to work my shift tomorrow.
And does anyone want to go to the circus???
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Great Pumpkin Mystery
Over the weekend the boys and I went apple picking, and after getting their fill of the orchard, the boys were determined to find the perfect pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. I agreed that they could choose a pumpkin, but just one. After searching around for a few minutes, O settled on this one.
I was surprised when C immediately agreed that this was just the right pumpkin, as I had been expecting some bickering over this decision. But it was indeed a great choice, with a good shape, intact stem, and no major dents or soft spots. When we got home the boys proudly displayed their find on the front steps. The plan was to keep it intact until the week before Halloween, when we would finally carve it into a Jack-o-lantern.
So it was very disappointing when we went outside yesterday and discovered this...
We immediately began hypothesizing about what might have happened to our pumpkin. Had it somehow rolled off the step and been damaged? Or, more likely, was this the work of the annoying groundhog that roams brazenly through our yard, and has previously been the prime suspect in the disappearance of our tomatoes?
While I think the groundhog was indeed the culprit, I truly fell in love with O's suggestion.
"Maybe while we were sleeping, a star came down and poked our pumpkin. And then said 'Oopsie!'"
I was surprised when C immediately agreed that this was just the right pumpkin, as I had been expecting some bickering over this decision. But it was indeed a great choice, with a good shape, intact stem, and no major dents or soft spots. When we got home the boys proudly displayed their find on the front steps. The plan was to keep it intact until the week before Halloween, when we would finally carve it into a Jack-o-lantern.
So it was very disappointing when we went outside yesterday and discovered this...
We immediately began hypothesizing about what might have happened to our pumpkin. Had it somehow rolled off the step and been damaged? Or, more likely, was this the work of the annoying groundhog that roams brazenly through our yard, and has previously been the prime suspect in the disappearance of our tomatoes?
While I think the groundhog was indeed the culprit, I truly fell in love with O's suggestion.
"Maybe while we were sleeping, a star came down and poked our pumpkin. And then said 'Oopsie!'"
Monday, October 11, 2010
Stud
When you've been a SAHM for 5 years, it's hard when your children go to school. You go from knowing absolutely everything about them to having huge gaps in your knowledge. Being dependent on 3 & 5 year old boys for information is difficult. After 2 years in preschool, I have C pretty well trained and he often will give me a fairly thorough report on his day. But O's response to "How was your day? What did you do today?" is always "Great! But I don't want to tell you about it." Who knew 3 year olds could already be so annoying!
So it's especially funny when I get little insights into their experience from someone else. A couple of weeks ago while dropping O off at school, one of his classmate's moms rushed over to introduce herself.
"Are you O's mom?!?" she asked eagerly.
"Yes," I said, a bit warily.
"Oh, it's so good to meet you! My daughter just loves O! She talks about him all the time, all we hear about school is "O this and O that". It's a running joke in our house that O is her boyfriend already!"
Huh??? I didn't even know who this girl was, since O never tells me anything. But sure enough, as we walked into the school, a little girl came running up "O! There you are!" and then they ran off to the classroom holding hands. I then watched as she directed O through the morning routine. "Here's your hook O! Here's your picture! Let's sign in! Now let's go play!" O followed her willingly enough. When I asked him about this girl later, he said "Yeah, S is my friend. But I don't want to tell you about it." What is he 13 already?!?!
That evening I told Hubby all about how O has a little girlfriend at school. "Did you know that apparently O is a stud?" I asked him.
"Of course he is! That's my boy!" he said proudly. I just rolled my eyes.
* * *
When I was unpacking C's backpack last week, I found a painting that clearly had not been done by C.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Oh, that's a painting that a girl in my class made for me." he said.
"Oh really? That's nice. Is she your friend?" I asked.
"I guess. Everyone's my friend." C replied nonchalantly.
"Well, why did she make it for you?" I asked.
"I don't know Mom. Why not?" He's playing it cool already.
* * *
As a mom to all boys, I feel a great responsibility to make sure I raise them to be fine young men who are respectful and kind to women. I just didn't realize the girls would be after them already!
So it's especially funny when I get little insights into their experience from someone else. A couple of weeks ago while dropping O off at school, one of his classmate's moms rushed over to introduce herself.
"Are you O's mom?!?" she asked eagerly.
"Yes," I said, a bit warily.
"Oh, it's so good to meet you! My daughter just loves O! She talks about him all the time, all we hear about school is "O this and O that". It's a running joke in our house that O is her boyfriend already!"
Huh??? I didn't even know who this girl was, since O never tells me anything. But sure enough, as we walked into the school, a little girl came running up "O! There you are!" and then they ran off to the classroom holding hands. I then watched as she directed O through the morning routine. "Here's your hook O! Here's your picture! Let's sign in! Now let's go play!" O followed her willingly enough. When I asked him about this girl later, he said "Yeah, S is my friend. But I don't want to tell you about it." What is he 13 already?!?!
That evening I told Hubby all about how O has a little girlfriend at school. "Did you know that apparently O is a stud?" I asked him.
"Of course he is! That's my boy!" he said proudly. I just rolled my eyes.
* * *
When I was unpacking C's backpack last week, I found a painting that clearly had not been done by C.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Oh, that's a painting that a girl in my class made for me." he said.
"Oh really? That's nice. Is she your friend?" I asked.
"I guess. Everyone's my friend." C replied nonchalantly.
"Well, why did she make it for you?" I asked.
"I don't know Mom. Why not?" He's playing it cool already.
* * *
As a mom to all boys, I feel a great responsibility to make sure I raise them to be fine young men who are respectful and kind to women. I just didn't realize the girls would be after them already!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Bonding
In the last few weeks, O has gotten back into the habit of waking up around 5:45AM and often ends up crawling into bed with me and talking my ear off. While I really want to nip this in the bud before the baby comes, I've just been too tired to fight it, especially since he's generally quite adorable and always wants to talk about his little brother at this time of day. While C is also very interested in the baby, O has taken it to another level. He is so excited to finally get to be a big brother, and is always talking about all the things he is going to do with the baby. He always wants to give my tummy "gentle pats" because he is sure that these are the baby's favorite thing. O also is always trying to see his baby through my belly button, and doesn't quite understand why this doesn't work. He was so excited when he finally got to see the baby on the ultrasound screen last week. Whenever the doppler sounds came on, he kept saying "the baby is sneezing! I hear him sneezing!"
During this morning's snuggle, I think O actually felt the baby kick for the first time. We've tried this before but he would always say "I feel it! I feel it!" when nothing was happening. This morning though, his exclamations actually seemed to match up with the baby's movements. Since this week's Babycenter pregnancy update said "The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other", this morning when I got tired of all of O's "gentle pats" (which eventually trend towards not-so-gentle after all), I suggested that he try to talk to his baby brother.
I wasn't expecting them to have a whole conversation...
O speaks into my belly button: "I love you, baby!"
O presses his ear to my belly and listens intently. "I hear him! I hear him Mommy!"
Me: "Really?"
O: "Yes! He is saying "Wah wah." That means "I love you O!"
Me: "Oh, that's so nice. I am sure your little brother does love you already."
O: "Shhh! He is still saying baby talk!"
Me: "Oh, sorry."
O: "He says his favorite song is 'Real Gone!' (O's favorite song from the CARS soundtrack).
Me: "Well, he hears that everyday in the car, so I guess he might like that song."
O: "I like that song best too baby! What else do you like?"
O presses his ear against my belly again.... "He says I love O and Mommy!!"
Me: "Awww, well we love him too! O, I'm so glad you understand his baby talk! Because after he is born, you can help me understand what he wants."
O replies very seriously: "Mommy, when he is crying and he is wet, that means he needs a diaper. And when he is not wet, that means he needs a baby bottle. And then I am going to carry him to the table and feed him!"
O listens to my belly intently again. "He said "That's right!"
I'm glad he's already got it all figured out.
During this morning's snuggle, I think O actually felt the baby kick for the first time. We've tried this before but he would always say "I feel it! I feel it!" when nothing was happening. This morning though, his exclamations actually seemed to match up with the baby's movements. Since this week's Babycenter pregnancy update said "The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other", this morning when I got tired of all of O's "gentle pats" (which eventually trend towards not-so-gentle after all), I suggested that he try to talk to his baby brother.
I wasn't expecting them to have a whole conversation...
O speaks into my belly button: "I love you, baby!"
O presses his ear to my belly and listens intently. "I hear him! I hear him Mommy!"
Me: "Really?"
O: "Yes! He is saying "Wah wah." That means "I love you O!"
Me: "Oh, that's so nice. I am sure your little brother does love you already."
O: "Shhh! He is still saying baby talk!"
Me: "Oh, sorry."
O: "He says his favorite song is 'Real Gone!' (O's favorite song from the CARS soundtrack).
Me: "Well, he hears that everyday in the car, so I guess he might like that song."
O: "I like that song best too baby! What else do you like?"
O presses his ear against my belly again.... "He says I love O and Mommy!!"
Me: "Awww, well we love him too! O, I'm so glad you understand his baby talk! Because after he is born, you can help me understand what he wants."
O replies very seriously: "Mommy, when he is crying and he is wet, that means he needs a diaper. And when he is not wet, that means he needs a baby bottle. And then I am going to carry him to the table and feed him!"
O listens to my belly intently again. "He said "That's right!"
I'm glad he's already got it all figured out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)