It took me a long time, and it's shorter than I wanted. It'll be easy to wash and comb, though, so that's something.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Ever's First Real Haircut
I haven't cut Ever's hair since she was a tiny baby and had a weird mullet below her bald spot. It was time. I wanted to cut a few inches; she and Jim wanted it practically chin-length. Here's what happened:
Thursday, March 12, 2015
This Baby
This pregnancy has generally been a lot worse than my first. I had a period of crazy, uncomfortable swelling, although somehow it actually got better as the pregnancy went on. My rings are still stuck on my finger, but my feet and legs haven't been so bad lately. (I'm not sure whether that has anything to do with the compression socks I bought.) I developed hideous spider veins early in the pregnancy, including a huge patch by the side of my right knee that looks like a gigantic bruise. I'm kind of really sad about that.
My carpal tunnel has been a lot worse. It has awakened me in the night and has made using my left hand difficult at times. Sometimes it's been really painful all the way up to my elbow. I've always assumed I'd wait to get the carpal tunnel surgery until we're done having kids, but I may have to do it ASAP regardless.
The incontinence is totally out of control. The fact that I've been sick through so much of this pregnancy has been extra problematic given what happens every time I cough. I have another cold now, and it's kind of a nightmare. I'm so incredibly tired of it. And I want that incontinence surgery immediately.
I haven't been sleeping much. I'm exhausted, and then when I get in bed I suddenly feel as if there's no way I can fall asleep. I'm up a bunch of times to go to the bathroom before I settle down. Now I'm coughing, too, so that's making sleep even more elusive. I've spent the last couple of nights on the couch. It's nice being able to hack and get up to go to the bathroom repeatedly without worrying about disturbing Jim. Plus I can read until I start falling asleep, and that seems to be key. In any case, I can't believe I have to go into childbirth and then life with a newborn being this sleep-deprived.
The only thing that's been better this time is that I haven't had sciatic nerve pain. I had that at the end (maybe the last month or so?) with Ever. So that's the good news.
I was just talking to a girl in the ward who always gets super-sick for the first half of her pregnancies. Her current pregnancy is killing her. She's 26 weeks and having cramping and contractions, etc. I realize my pregnancies could be a lot worse, but still - this process kind of wreaks havoc on the body. I nominate Jim to carry the next one.
Last Thursday the nurse/midwife said I was dilated to a one-and-a-half. I was pleased that I was dilated at all and hoped that meant I'd actually have this baby before I have to be induced. I've had a couple of signs of labor that I didn't have last time. But today, one week later, I was dilated to a "tight two" - so no progress. Induction is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, March 20th. Mamo arrives the morning of the 17th. I'm so glad we didn't decide to have her come earlier. I think we can safely say we won't have to use the calendar my new visiting teacher, Melanie Oddou, created for care of Ever if we have to go to the hospital before Mamo gets here. Our friends are off the hook.
Everybody but Ever and my secretary has predicted that this one is a boy. Jim and I became totally certain that it's a boy, although I didn't have a moment of revelation as I did on the train when I knew Ever was a girl. (I say, knowing that there is no reason I would have a revelation on that issue.) The ultrasound at last Thursday's non-stress test has shaken my confidence, however. All of my non-stress tests have been performed by one of two nurses. For the first several ultrasounds, they always confirmed, "So you don't know, and you don't want to know, right?" I've been in there enough times now that they know me, so I stopped worrying about warning them against a gender reveal. Then last Thursday the nurse, Terry, started out talking about "baby," and then halfway through the ultrasound started saying, "Her hand is in front of her face," etc. Terry didn't make any indication that she realized she slipped up, and I didn't call her out because I didn't want to confirm it. I thought maybe she just picked a pronoun because it was easier than saying "baby" all the time, and I was actually a little excited because we've been so certain it's a boy that it was boring. Apparently it might actually be a girl! Ever would be sooooooo excited. Even today, Ever told the nurse/midwife, Betty Cox, she thinks it's a girl, and Betty said, "But even if it's boy, it will be fun, right?" Ever said, "Girls are more [fun]." As I'm thinking about it now, I'm guessing Terry really slipped up and revealed that it's a girl. I understand why it would be incredibly hard to do all these ultrasounds and not give it away. At the same time, it's super lame that medical personnel ruin it when you really want to be surprised. Anyway, we'll know by next weekend for sure!
My carpal tunnel has been a lot worse. It has awakened me in the night and has made using my left hand difficult at times. Sometimes it's been really painful all the way up to my elbow. I've always assumed I'd wait to get the carpal tunnel surgery until we're done having kids, but I may have to do it ASAP regardless.
The incontinence is totally out of control. The fact that I've been sick through so much of this pregnancy has been extra problematic given what happens every time I cough. I have another cold now, and it's kind of a nightmare. I'm so incredibly tired of it. And I want that incontinence surgery immediately.
I haven't been sleeping much. I'm exhausted, and then when I get in bed I suddenly feel as if there's no way I can fall asleep. I'm up a bunch of times to go to the bathroom before I settle down. Now I'm coughing, too, so that's making sleep even more elusive. I've spent the last couple of nights on the couch. It's nice being able to hack and get up to go to the bathroom repeatedly without worrying about disturbing Jim. Plus I can read until I start falling asleep, and that seems to be key. In any case, I can't believe I have to go into childbirth and then life with a newborn being this sleep-deprived.
The only thing that's been better this time is that I haven't had sciatic nerve pain. I had that at the end (maybe the last month or so?) with Ever. So that's the good news.
I was just talking to a girl in the ward who always gets super-sick for the first half of her pregnancies. Her current pregnancy is killing her. She's 26 weeks and having cramping and contractions, etc. I realize my pregnancies could be a lot worse, but still - this process kind of wreaks havoc on the body. I nominate Jim to carry the next one.
Last Thursday the nurse/midwife said I was dilated to a one-and-a-half. I was pleased that I was dilated at all and hoped that meant I'd actually have this baby before I have to be induced. I've had a couple of signs of labor that I didn't have last time. But today, one week later, I was dilated to a "tight two" - so no progress. Induction is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, March 20th. Mamo arrives the morning of the 17th. I'm so glad we didn't decide to have her come earlier. I think we can safely say we won't have to use the calendar my new visiting teacher, Melanie Oddou, created for care of Ever if we have to go to the hospital before Mamo gets here. Our friends are off the hook.
Everybody but Ever and my secretary has predicted that this one is a boy. Jim and I became totally certain that it's a boy, although I didn't have a moment of revelation as I did on the train when I knew Ever was a girl. (I say, knowing that there is no reason I would have a revelation on that issue.) The ultrasound at last Thursday's non-stress test has shaken my confidence, however. All of my non-stress tests have been performed by one of two nurses. For the first several ultrasounds, they always confirmed, "So you don't know, and you don't want to know, right?" I've been in there enough times now that they know me, so I stopped worrying about warning them against a gender reveal. Then last Thursday the nurse, Terry, started out talking about "baby," and then halfway through the ultrasound started saying, "Her hand is in front of her face," etc. Terry didn't make any indication that she realized she slipped up, and I didn't call her out because I didn't want to confirm it. I thought maybe she just picked a pronoun because it was easier than saying "baby" all the time, and I was actually a little excited because we've been so certain it's a boy that it was boring. Apparently it might actually be a girl! Ever would be sooooooo excited. Even today, Ever told the nurse/midwife, Betty Cox, she thinks it's a girl, and Betty said, "But even if it's boy, it will be fun, right?" Ever said, "Girls are more [fun]." As I'm thinking about it now, I'm guessing Terry really slipped up and revealed that it's a girl. I understand why it would be incredibly hard to do all these ultrasounds and not give it away. At the same time, it's super lame that medical personnel ruin it when you really want to be surprised. Anyway, we'll know by next weekend for sure!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Cleaning Party
I'm not really into baby showers, and I am a traditionalist - one shower for my firstborn was good for me. Everyone here is super into showers and wants to throw one for every child born - even if it's the fourth in a family.
I made it known (through Melanie Karner mainly) that I didn't want another shower. Susan Oddou gave me some pushback, but she's in Jamaica visiting her sister and is therefore harmless for the time being. Last Tuesday morning Jim said something about some girls coming over to visit me that night. He wasn't supposed to say anything, but I was grateful for the heads-up so I could make sure I was showered and dressed before they arrived. (I worked from home in a robe that day.) I didn't know exactly what was happening. Then about 6:00 P.M., I got a text from Kristi Rondo saying Ella had made some cookies she really wanted to share with Ever and would I be home in a half an hour? Kristi and two other friends showed up on my doorstep and said they were here to deep-clean my bathrooms (and really anything else they could). Other girls trickled in after that. They brought all their own supplies, including a vacuum. I think in the end we had Kristi, Amera Alo, Amber Sorenson, Melanie Karner, Deb Moffat, Amy Thompson, and Lauren Foulger. They know I'm always stressing about getting on top of my housework, so Kristi came up with this idea of cleaning my house and then going out for dessert.
They always give me a hard time about how my house is always clean, and I try to tell them it's totally not. The day they came, though, it was actually in unusually good shape. I had recently cleaned two of the three bathrooms and had dusted all the upstairs baseboards, which hadn't been done in a long time. The girls found some things to do, though. Mel and Lauren cleaned the downstairs bathroom. Amber mopped the floor. Amera did some windows. Kristi dusted. Deb cleaned the outsides of the appliances. After the cleaning festivities, they took me for out for niblets and dessert at Chili's (for lack of a better idea). It was awfully kind and thoughtful of them.
Deb and Amber:
Lauren and Mel:
P.S. Susan texted the next day from Jamaica saying she was sorry to miss it. Then she said she's planning on doing something after the baby comes. I'm afraid my efforts to evade a shower may not be over yet.
I made it known (through Melanie Karner mainly) that I didn't want another shower. Susan Oddou gave me some pushback, but she's in Jamaica visiting her sister and is therefore harmless for the time being. Last Tuesday morning Jim said something about some girls coming over to visit me that night. He wasn't supposed to say anything, but I was grateful for the heads-up so I could make sure I was showered and dressed before they arrived. (I worked from home in a robe that day.) I didn't know exactly what was happening. Then about 6:00 P.M., I got a text from Kristi Rondo saying Ella had made some cookies she really wanted to share with Ever and would I be home in a half an hour? Kristi and two other friends showed up on my doorstep and said they were here to deep-clean my bathrooms (and really anything else they could). Other girls trickled in after that. They brought all their own supplies, including a vacuum. I think in the end we had Kristi, Amera Alo, Amber Sorenson, Melanie Karner, Deb Moffat, Amy Thompson, and Lauren Foulger. They know I'm always stressing about getting on top of my housework, so Kristi came up with this idea of cleaning my house and then going out for dessert.
They always give me a hard time about how my house is always clean, and I try to tell them it's totally not. The day they came, though, it was actually in unusually good shape. I had recently cleaned two of the three bathrooms and had dusted all the upstairs baseboards, which hadn't been done in a long time. The girls found some things to do, though. Mel and Lauren cleaned the downstairs bathroom. Amber mopped the floor. Amera did some windows. Kristi dusted. Deb cleaned the outsides of the appliances. After the cleaning festivities, they took me for out for niblets and dessert at Chili's (for lack of a better idea). It was awfully kind and thoughtful of them.
Deb and Amber:
Lauren and Mel:
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