My birth story kinda starts on Wednesday, August 11. I thought I had a high rupture of my membranes and had leaking amniotic fluid. I decided to go to the hospital that night around 10 PM and get the fluid checked out. My husband and I were there for two hours and after testing the fluid the doctors concluded that I had NOT ruptured my membranes. When we finally got home and in bed it was about 1 in the morning on Thursday, August 12.
On Thursday I was so tired that when I finally woke up I went to the bathroom and then went straight back to bed. As I turned over a little I noticed a little trickle of dampness that I thought was just a little bit of urine that leaked, so I turned more to grab some tissue off my nightstand. As I grabbed the tissue I had a huge gush of fluid. That time I KNEW that my water had broken!
Of course, I called everyone and went straight to the hospital. I drove myself to the hospital (Andy had gone to work with his dad so his dad drove him to the hospital, since it was almost directly in the middle of our house and the job DH was working on) and I got to triage at about 12. I sat around triage for a couple of hours just waiting for a room to be cleaned and opened up and for everything to get settled. I didn’t actually start having noticeable contractions (IE early labor) until 5 PM, but once that hit, things really went pretty quickly. When contractions started hurting I got into a Jacuzzi tub to relax. That helped for about 5 contractions (which were steady at 2-3 minutes apart and getting stronger) then I felt like it wasn’t helping and I was done hurting so I got some Nubain and relaxed again for a few minutes. When I got the nubain I was 5 CM dilated. By the time I was allowed to get more drugs (the epidural I was craving!!) I had progressed to 8-9 cm dilated! Not much longer after that I was dilated to 10 with a small amount of cervix left. My nurse told me to call her when I felt like I really needed to push, so I followed her instructions and at about 2:00 AM I had to push. I pushed for an hour and a half and Rex Arthur was born at 3:25 AM on Friday the 13th! Overall my real labor was about 10 ½ hours long from when I first started feeling contractions to the time Rex was born.
He was 8 pounds 6.3 ounces and 20 inches long. He was a big boy, and I have a sustained a tad bit of damage because of it, but it was so worth it. He is the sweetest little thing a person could ask for.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
31 weeks, right on time and I could deliver in 6 full weeks!!!
How far along? 31 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: probably 15 pounds including water weight.
Maternity clothes? I'm afraid to say that if I'm not careful, I sometimes have a sliver of belly sticking out from my shirt. I'm not ready for that yet!!
Stretch marks? Calmer this week, but I have a few old ones that are a little darker.
Sleep: I'm still sticking to just about 2 hours at a time.
Best moment this week: Rex moved away from my ribs!!! :) then he moved back :(
Movement: He's pretty much sticking in one position, but kicks and pedals and punches around! ANNNND He's learned how to make his kcik painful!! WONDERFUL!!!
Food cravings: hmmmm, I haven't really had a ton of cravings lately. I've actually been feeling kinda sick again. I'm trying to just keep myself full of luids since it's FINALLY getting warm again.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? This thing must've been a mile deep because it's still in. I'm not complaining but I fully expected to be out by now.
What I miss: My pool :( We deflated it to clean and now I want it full again.
What I am looking forward to: Getting a foot pump so I can inflate my own pool when it starts to sag. AND MY SHOWER!! I'm getting so excited for my shower it's CRAZY!
Weekly Wisdom: Taking naps=good.
Milestones: My baby is probably almost 4 pounds already!! OMG! He's gonna be here so soon!
Total weight gain/loss: probably 15 pounds including water weight.
Maternity clothes? I'm afraid to say that if I'm not careful, I sometimes have a sliver of belly sticking out from my shirt. I'm not ready for that yet!!
Stretch marks? Calmer this week, but I have a few old ones that are a little darker.
Sleep: I'm still sticking to just about 2 hours at a time.
Best moment this week: Rex moved away from my ribs!!! :) then he moved back :(
Movement: He's pretty much sticking in one position, but kicks and pedals and punches around! ANNNND He's learned how to make his kcik painful!! WONDERFUL!!!
Food cravings: hmmmm, I haven't really had a ton of cravings lately. I've actually been feeling kinda sick again. I'm trying to just keep myself full of luids since it's FINALLY getting warm again.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? This thing must've been a mile deep because it's still in. I'm not complaining but I fully expected to be out by now.
What I miss: My pool :( We deflated it to clean and now I want it full again.
What I am looking forward to: Getting a foot pump so I can inflate my own pool when it starts to sag. AND MY SHOWER!! I'm getting so excited for my shower it's CRAZY!
Weekly Wisdom: Taking naps=good.
Milestones: My baby is probably almost 4 pounds already!! OMG! He's gonna be here so soon!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
30 weeks. (Late again, but I have baby breain so forgive me!!)
How far along? 30 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Sitting at about 13-15 pounds
Maternity clothes? I don't get dressed when I don't leave the house, but I want some more variety.
Stretch marks? Just the same old ones getting bigger and darker. YAY
Sleep: With Rex's position right now, sometimes I get up every 1/2 hour and sometimes I can sleep for three hours. I'm just going with the flow and napping when I feel like it.
Best moment this week: getting some of the upstairs cleaned so I can make more space for BABY THINGS!!
Movement: He's pretty much sticking in one position, but kicks and pedals and punches around!
Food cravings: Lots and lots of things!!!
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? Getting shallower, but still entirely an innie
What I miss: Hard liquor and shots brah! (I'm sticking with this. I still really miss booze)
What I am looking forward to: Summer to REALLY get here. I am sick of it being 90 then 50 then 70 then 50 again.
Weekly Wisdom: Husbands like it when you shower and shave, even if you don't leave the house!!
Milestones: I've reached 30 weeks!! I'm really going to be having a baby in two months!! That's pretty super exciting!
Total weight gain/loss: Sitting at about 13-15 pounds
Maternity clothes? I don't get dressed when I don't leave the house, but I want some more variety.
Stretch marks? Just the same old ones getting bigger and darker. YAY
Sleep: With Rex's position right now, sometimes I get up every 1/2 hour and sometimes I can sleep for three hours. I'm just going with the flow and napping when I feel like it.
Best moment this week: getting some of the upstairs cleaned so I can make more space for BABY THINGS!!
Movement: He's pretty much sticking in one position, but kicks and pedals and punches around!
Food cravings: Lots and lots of things!!!
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? Getting shallower, but still entirely an innie
What I miss: Hard liquor and shots brah! (I'm sticking with this. I still really miss booze)
What I am looking forward to: Summer to REALLY get here. I am sick of it being 90 then 50 then 70 then 50 again.
Weekly Wisdom: Husbands like it when you shower and shave, even if you don't leave the house!!
Milestones: I've reached 30 weeks!! I'm really going to be having a baby in two months!! That's pretty super exciting!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Our first birthing class...
Will also be our last. LOL
We were very thouroughly bored by the end of the three hours. We feel that for some people it may be helpful to have that experience, but with our personalities and the experiences we've had we didn't feel it would be useful for us to continue going.
We're going to read the material that the instructor gave out together and really just wing it. Women have been having babies for centuries and I'm comfortable with my body's abilities, so I really don't want to waste three more wednesday nights to be convinced of that exact fact.
If you took classes and they were good for you, then power to you, but for me, not so much.
We were very thouroughly bored by the end of the three hours. We feel that for some people it may be helpful to have that experience, but with our personalities and the experiences we've had we didn't feel it would be useful for us to continue going.
We're going to read the material that the instructor gave out together and really just wing it. Women have been having babies for centuries and I'm comfortable with my body's abilities, so I really don't want to waste three more wednesday nights to be convinced of that exact fact.
If you took classes and they were good for you, then power to you, but for me, not so much.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
29 weeks!! OMG I'm really having a baby!!
How far along? 29 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: I'd say 10 ish pounds of actual gain, but I have done some swelling so I think I have some water weight in too, so probably 13 ish pounds??
Maternity clothes? I want more. I am getting bored with my selection and that makes me sad :(
Stretch marks? Nothing new. The old ones are a little sore though, because their stretching out more. :(
Sleep: It's hit or miss. I get up almost every 2 hours to pee and lately the heartburn is making it a little bit harder to get back to sleep. (I'm just leaving this answer this week, it's the entire truth again)
Best moment this week: Sex and the City party with my future Sister in Law!!!
Movement: He's such a wiggle worm, I love to sit and watch him move my belly around!
Food cravings: Popsicles. Pizza. ANNNNND booze. I want a long island like nobody's business. Let's see, three months of pregnancy, and then at least 6 months of breastfeeding before I can reaally drink liquor, so only another YEAR!!! GAHHHH
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? My belly didn't get too much bigger this week, so the belly button is still just hanging in there.
What I miss: Hard liquor and shots brah!
What I am looking forward to: Still excited for my shower and also for another sunny day to lay in my pool again!!
Weekly Wisdom: When Rex says it's time to pee, it's time to pee. When Rex says it's time to eat, it's time to eat. Rex calls the shots around here!
Milestones: ummm, I could have this baby in 8 weeks!! WHAT!!!
Total weight gain/loss: I'd say 10 ish pounds of actual gain, but I have done some swelling so I think I have some water weight in too, so probably 13 ish pounds??
Maternity clothes? I want more. I am getting bored with my selection and that makes me sad :(
Stretch marks? Nothing new. The old ones are a little sore though, because their stretching out more. :(
Sleep: It's hit or miss. I get up almost every 2 hours to pee and lately the heartburn is making it a little bit harder to get back to sleep. (I'm just leaving this answer this week, it's the entire truth again)
Best moment this week: Sex and the City party with my future Sister in Law!!!
Movement: He's such a wiggle worm, I love to sit and watch him move my belly around!
Food cravings: Popsicles. Pizza. ANNNNND booze. I want a long island like nobody's business. Let's see, three months of pregnancy, and then at least 6 months of breastfeeding before I can reaally drink liquor, so only another YEAR!!! GAHHHH
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? My belly didn't get too much bigger this week, so the belly button is still just hanging in there.
What I miss: Hard liquor and shots brah!
What I am looking forward to: Still excited for my shower and also for another sunny day to lay in my pool again!!
Weekly Wisdom: When Rex says it's time to pee, it's time to pee. When Rex says it's time to eat, it's time to eat. Rex calls the shots around here!
Milestones: ummm, I could have this baby in 8 weeks!! WHAT!!!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A little late, but Here is this weeks survey.
How far along? 28 weeks!! 12 weeks left!
Total weight gain/loss: probably close to 10 pounds??
Maternity clothes? I still want a swimsuit and shorts.
Stretch marks? I've got some down low that are getting wider and darker :( oh well.
Sleep: It's hit or miss. I get up almost every 2 hours to pee and lately the heartburn is making it a little bit harder to get back to sleep.
Best moment this week: Seeing the hubbs building my dad's fireplace hearth and picking out the flooring for the nursery!!
Movement: Strong strong strong!! Our boy is getting big! He really likes to wiggle his little toes around my ribs!
Food cravings: Popsicles. Pizza. junk food in general!
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? It's very shallow. I feel like it's not going to last much longer.
What I miss: being able to buy a bra from a regular store. ugh.
What I am looking forward to: Ummm, I know it's not for a while, but I'm really excited for my baby shower.
Weekly Wisdom: when you put vanilla ice cream in Vernor's it's not called a vernors float, it's called a "boston cooler" mmmm.....
Milestones: I'm still pretty psyched with THIRD TRIMESTER!
Total weight gain/loss: probably close to 10 pounds??
Maternity clothes? I still want a swimsuit and shorts.
Stretch marks? I've got some down low that are getting wider and darker :( oh well.
Sleep: It's hit or miss. I get up almost every 2 hours to pee and lately the heartburn is making it a little bit harder to get back to sleep.
Best moment this week: Seeing the hubbs building my dad's fireplace hearth and picking out the flooring for the nursery!!
Movement: Strong strong strong!! Our boy is getting big! He really likes to wiggle his little toes around my ribs!
Food cravings: Popsicles. Pizza. junk food in general!
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing but a braxton hicks every once in a while.
Belly Button in or out? It's very shallow. I feel like it's not going to last much longer.
What I miss: being able to buy a bra from a regular store. ugh.
What I am looking forward to: Ummm, I know it's not for a while, but I'm really excited for my baby shower.
Weekly Wisdom: when you put vanilla ice cream in Vernor's it's not called a vernors float, it's called a "boston cooler" mmmm.....
Milestones: I'm still pretty psyched with THIRD TRIMESTER!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
2 Trimesters down, 1 to go!
How far along? 27 weeks!!
Total weight gain/loss: I haven't checked this week, but I'd 4-5 pounds??
Maternity clothes? I want a swimsuit and shorts.
Stretch marks? Nothing new I think. But I'm not looking for them at this point!!
Sleep: Tough when it's hot. I only sleep 2 hours at a time as it is and when that sleep is interrupted by heat it's no fun.
Best moment this week: THIRD TRIMESTER!!
Movement: He's getting really strong. Sometimes it feels like he's going to come out the front!!
Food cravings: Popsicles. That's all I want right now.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: I've had some braxton hicks, but nothing that would indicate ACTUAL labor thank goodness.
Belly Button in or out? It's getting pretty stretched out!
What I miss: Not sweating...
What I am looking forward to: Sitting in the new pool the Hubbs just bought me!!
Weekly Wisdom: Ice water = good.
Milestones: THIRD TRIMESTER
Total weight gain/loss: I haven't checked this week, but I'd 4-5 pounds??
Maternity clothes? I want a swimsuit and shorts.
Stretch marks? Nothing new I think. But I'm not looking for them at this point!!
Sleep: Tough when it's hot. I only sleep 2 hours at a time as it is and when that sleep is interrupted by heat it's no fun.
Best moment this week: THIRD TRIMESTER!!
Movement: He's getting really strong. Sometimes it feels like he's going to come out the front!!
Food cravings: Popsicles. That's all I want right now.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: I've had some braxton hicks, but nothing that would indicate ACTUAL labor thank goodness.
Belly Button in or out? It's getting pretty stretched out!
What I miss: Not sweating...
What I am looking forward to: Sitting in the new pool the Hubbs just bought me!!
Weekly Wisdom: Ice water = good.
Milestones: THIRD TRIMESTER
Sunday, May 16, 2010
My super healthy normal baby!!
Okay, I just realized I never blogged about our worries for my precious little boys health!! OMG, how could I have missed that one??
So, at our second Ultrasound the doctor noticed that there were some measurements that were on the high side of average in the brain. They wanted to take another look to see what was up so four weeks later I had another ultrasound. They saw that the measurements had gone up to just over what is in the "normal" range. They told me that it was probably nothing, but we would rather be safe than sorry so they scheduled me to see a specialist to see what he thought of the situation.
The parts of the brain that were measuring large were the ventricals. The doctor told me that normal goes up to 10mm and Rex measured at 10.5mm. Hardly a huge margin, but enough to make this momma worry her brains out for 2 weeks while I was waiting for my appointment. There were all kinds of scary words floating around and I avoided google to keep my sanity.
I had a huge group of wonderful people praying for me and my baby. Luckily the Lord has blessed us with a healthy and rambunctious baby!
When we went to the specialist appointment we had almost an hour of watching my baby move around while they took their measurements and then the specialist came in and told me that my son is fine! They measurements in the brain have actually gone down. The doctor said that they aren't sure why, but it's okay for those numbers to flucuate and they aren't concerned unless the see steady increases that could indicate a blockage of some sort. He also said that if they were able to set the standard of norms today that a measurement of 11 or 12mm for that particular part in the brain would be fine, but since 10 had already been set it's not something that is easy to change.
Now that everyone is completely up to date I'd love to take this time to say, I HAVE A NORMAL HEALTHY BABY GROWING IN MY TUMMY!!!! I'm thrilled to be able to say that, so thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.
So, at our second Ultrasound the doctor noticed that there were some measurements that were on the high side of average in the brain. They wanted to take another look to see what was up so four weeks later I had another ultrasound. They saw that the measurements had gone up to just over what is in the "normal" range. They told me that it was probably nothing, but we would rather be safe than sorry so they scheduled me to see a specialist to see what he thought of the situation.
The parts of the brain that were measuring large were the ventricals. The doctor told me that normal goes up to 10mm and Rex measured at 10.5mm. Hardly a huge margin, but enough to make this momma worry her brains out for 2 weeks while I was waiting for my appointment. There were all kinds of scary words floating around and I avoided google to keep my sanity.
I had a huge group of wonderful people praying for me and my baby. Luckily the Lord has blessed us with a healthy and rambunctious baby!
When we went to the specialist appointment we had almost an hour of watching my baby move around while they took their measurements and then the specialist came in and told me that my son is fine! They measurements in the brain have actually gone down. The doctor said that they aren't sure why, but it's okay for those numbers to flucuate and they aren't concerned unless the see steady increases that could indicate a blockage of some sort. He also said that if they were able to set the standard of norms today that a measurement of 11 or 12mm for that particular part in the brain would be fine, but since 10 had already been set it's not something that is easy to change.
Now that everyone is completely up to date I'd love to take this time to say, I HAVE A NORMAL HEALTHY BABY GROWING IN MY TUMMY!!!! I'm thrilled to be able to say that, so thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
26 weeks and a picture of Rex!
Total weight gain/loss: I'm hovering around 3-4 depending on the day!
Maternity clothes? I wish I had more right now.
Stretch marks? It seems like some of the ones I had before are getting darker. So I don't know if I'm going to count those.
Sleep: Getting uncomfortable. My back and hips hurt a lot when I get up.
Best moment this week: Being told that Rex is perfectly normal!!
Movement: He's a little boxer for sure. I saw him moving at the Ultrasound. It was cool to see it and feel it at the same time!
Food cravings: ummm yeah, still cheese and butter and salt. That's exactly what I should be avoiding to keep swelling down. :(
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Not even braxton hicks yet. I'm not complaining though. The longer he bakes the better.
Belly Button in or out? Still in but getting shallower
What I miss: bending, breathing, my abdominal cavity being my own.
What I am looking forward to: As gross as it sounds, my gestational diabetes test. That way I have it done and I don't have to worry about it.
Weekly Wisdom: DON'T MUSH THE BABY! I'm sticking with this one. He gets angry when I mush himand kicks my ribs and ppunhes my bladder at the same time.
Milestones: At this point in pregnancy they start measuring from crown to toe, instead of crown to rump so baby is about 15 inches long!!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
How far along? 25 weeks and growing!
Total weight gain/loss: I'm still sitting at zero!
Maternity clothes? I have to do laundry more often than I ever used to. Even the "transition" clothes are getting small!
Stretch marks? Nothing this week.
Sleep: I'm up 2 or 3 times a night to pee or change positions.
Best moment this week: Realizing my baby is over 2 pounds now!
Movement: I get punched, kicked and NOW I can feel when he hiccups!
Food cravings: Cheese puffs and buttered Toast!!!
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: still nothing!
Belly Button in or out? It's in, but I can tell it's stretching.
What I miss: Painting my own toenails.
What I am looking forward to: Having the doctor tell me that Rex is fine and dandy.
Weekly Wisdom: DON'T MUSH THE BABY!
Milestones: I can feel Hiccups!
Total weight gain/loss: I'm still sitting at zero!
Maternity clothes? I have to do laundry more often than I ever used to. Even the "transition" clothes are getting small!
Stretch marks? Nothing this week.
Sleep: I'm up 2 or 3 times a night to pee or change positions.
Best moment this week: Realizing my baby is over 2 pounds now!
Movement: I get punched, kicked and NOW I can feel when he hiccups!
Food cravings: Cheese puffs and buttered Toast!!!
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: still nothing!
Belly Button in or out? It's in, but I can tell it's stretching.
What I miss: Painting my own toenails.
What I am looking forward to: Having the doctor tell me that Rex is fine and dandy.
Weekly Wisdom: DON'T MUSH THE BABY!
Milestones: I can feel Hiccups!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Another Survey
Total weight gain/loss: I've just about broken even to zero.
Maternity clothes? nothing new, but I'm filling them out more!
Stretch marks? I've found a few on my breasts, but no new ones on my belly
Sleep: I wake up at least twice a night to pee this hasn't changed.
Best moment this week: Andy feeling LO kick!
Movement: Very regular kicking and punching!
Food cravings: Chili dogs, which I just ate, so I'm good for now.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing. Thank goodness!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: My body! It's been taken over.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing the specialist and seeing my baby again!
Weekly Wisdom: drink water with lemons in it so I will drink enough!!
Milestones: Baby is darn near 2 pounds!!!! AHHH
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Week 23 survey. Maybe I'll start posting photos of the belly soon.
How far along? 23 weeks!!
Total weight gain/loss: I'm still at a net loss of about 5 pounds.
Maternity clothes?I got a couple of skirts, shirts and tank tops and a maxi dress to get me through most of summer, also a pair of jeans
Stretch marks? I haven't noticed any .new ones yet
Sleep: I wake up at least twice a night to pee.
Best moment this week: ummmm, Today I was able too feel baby kick from the outside of my belly too.
Movement: kicks,punches, and rolls all throughout the day. I was able to feel one from the outside today!
Food cravings: Everything it seems. Mostly I think salty and sweet.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing. Thank goodness!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: Being able to bend over and breathe at the same time.
What I am looking forward to: Andy being able to feel Rex kicking.
Weekly Wisdom: Allergies and a happy mommy do not mix well.
Milestones: Well, baby should weigh at least a pound by now! That's really cool!
Total weight gain/loss: I'm still at a net loss of about 5 pounds.
Maternity clothes?I got a couple of skirts, shirts and tank tops and a maxi dress to get me through most of summer, also a pair of jeans
Stretch marks? I haven't noticed any .new ones yet
Sleep: I wake up at least twice a night to pee.
Best moment this week: ummmm, Today I was able too feel baby kick from the outside of my belly too.
Movement: kicks,punches, and rolls all throughout the day. I was able to feel one from the outside today!
Food cravings: Everything it seems. Mostly I think salty and sweet.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nothing. Thank goodness!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: Being able to bend over and breathe at the same time.
What I am looking forward to: Andy being able to feel Rex kicking.
Weekly Wisdom: Allergies and a happy mommy do not mix well.
Milestones: Well, baby should weigh at least a pound by now! That's really cool!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Just a vent...I'm a young mom if you don't like it, I DON'T CARE!
So lately there has been some drama on a web forum I participate in concerning a young woman who at age 19 has gotten pregnant and is making decisions on how she'd like her birth to go. A lot of people don't agree with her decision (Something to do with she'd like her boyfriend to catch the baby at the hospital when she delivers. Apparently the boyfriend is a farmer and has helped birth animals and she thinks it would be special if he caught the baby. Whatever. It's not my style, but I'll hardly judge her for that.) BUT what is getting me angry is that SO MANY people are critisizing her for being 19 and pregnant.
I'm 22. I'm pregnant. I TRIED to get pregnant. If I had my way this child would have been born 5 months ago! Am I ready to be a mother? As ready as I'll ever be. Do I know all the answers? No. Will I learn the same as any first time mother? Yes! I have no desire to go to college, get numerous degrees, have a powerful career, or anything other than BE A MOTHER. Now I get to do that for the rest of my life.
I understand why some women would decide to wait to have children. If they didn't find their husband until later, then why would they have children. If they truly wanted to explore their career options, then they should do that first. If a couple is focused on exploring the world then they should do that. It's all about priorities. I'd never say a woman is "stupid" for having a child in their 30's, so why would a woman in her 30's say that to me?
While I was trying to get pregnant I got MANY MANY comments of, "You're so young, you have plenty of time. Don't rush things. You have so much life ahead of you. Take your time" and every single one of those people were older than me. I never once had someone my age say, "WOAH you shouldn't have a child." I never had any of my family and friends say "I don't think you're ready to have kids."
Why do these older strangers think they know better for me than I do? Why is it that their "experience" is a license for them to insult me as a mature adult who has been making her own decisions for 5 plus years and making it just fine. I understand someone asking my motives to find out why I want a child to make a judgement. But for a 30-40-50-60 year old woman or man to just say, "You have so much life ahead of you, don't worry about that right now" is simply insulting. You don't know how much life I have anymore than I do. And If I live a nice long life, I'd rather live that life being a mother, grandmother, great grandmother than regret waiting because I'll never get a chance to know and have a real relationship with those following generations!
So yes, I'm 22. I'm pregnant. I'm married to the man I will be with for the rest of my life. I have a 30 year fixed rate mortgage on the house I'd like to live in until I die or my kids ship me off to a luxury community in Florida to live out my old age! ;) My life is as together as it's going to get. and I'm HAPPY. That's the important thing, isn't it?
I'm 22. I'm pregnant. I TRIED to get pregnant. If I had my way this child would have been born 5 months ago! Am I ready to be a mother? As ready as I'll ever be. Do I know all the answers? No. Will I learn the same as any first time mother? Yes! I have no desire to go to college, get numerous degrees, have a powerful career, or anything other than BE A MOTHER. Now I get to do that for the rest of my life.
I understand why some women would decide to wait to have children. If they didn't find their husband until later, then why would they have children. If they truly wanted to explore their career options, then they should do that first. If a couple is focused on exploring the world then they should do that. It's all about priorities. I'd never say a woman is "stupid" for having a child in their 30's, so why would a woman in her 30's say that to me?
While I was trying to get pregnant I got MANY MANY comments of, "You're so young, you have plenty of time. Don't rush things. You have so much life ahead of you. Take your time" and every single one of those people were older than me. I never once had someone my age say, "WOAH you shouldn't have a child." I never had any of my family and friends say "I don't think you're ready to have kids."
Why do these older strangers think they know better for me than I do? Why is it that their "experience" is a license for them to insult me as a mature adult who has been making her own decisions for 5 plus years and making it just fine. I understand someone asking my motives to find out why I want a child to make a judgement. But for a 30-40-50-60 year old woman or man to just say, "You have so much life ahead of you, don't worry about that right now" is simply insulting. You don't know how much life I have anymore than I do. And If I live a nice long life, I'd rather live that life being a mother, grandmother, great grandmother than regret waiting because I'll never get a chance to know and have a real relationship with those following generations!
So yes, I'm 22. I'm pregnant. I'm married to the man I will be with for the rest of my life. I have a 30 year fixed rate mortgage on the house I'd like to live in until I die or my kids ship me off to a luxury community in Florida to live out my old age! ;) My life is as together as it's going to get. and I'm HAPPY. That's the important thing, isn't it?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Pretty good vacation!
Well, We are back from vacation and getting back into regular life. Hubbs is back to getting some work done and I'm back to doing almost nothing. LOL. I'll give a little re-cap of our vacation for you today.
We left Friday the 9th at about 9 in the morning. We realized we didn't have the registration for the car so we decided we'd stop at a SOS on the way to grab a copy so we wouldn't run into any issues during the drive. Well, stupid maps on my IPhone got us turned the entire wrong direction so it took half an hour to get back to where we wanted to be. We got gas and asked directions and Hubbs was completely correct in his guess as to where the office was. Once we got there he was in and out in a minute and a half.
The rest of the drive down was fantabulous. We felt good the entire time, we never got over-exhausted and we really enjoyed each others company. Andy drove all but about 2 hours. We really enjoyed spending time together and we laughed SO much, which is wonderful. We made great time and showed up at my sisters EARLY on Saturday morning. About 7:30 or 8ish.
When we got to Kelly's the kids were up and ready to give us a nice long day full of activity. We hung out at the house and got settled and then headed over to Downtown Disney. We didn't do any of the parks in Disney because we're cheap and I couldn't enjoy the rides anyway. We had fun though walking around and taking pictures and looking at the little stores. When we got sick of Disney we headed back to Kelly's with a quick stop at Target to grab some beer for Andy to enjoy by the pool and some sunscreen because our tube was almost gone! We spent a couple of hours at the pool and we had an absolutely AMAZING time. Andy taught my oldest niece Paige how to snorkel and she LOVED it. He also terrorized my nephews thouroughly, which ended up being HILARIOUS. I wish I'd had the video camera ready. Lexa enjoyed spending time with her Aunt Sassy a lot and we hung out on the chairs by the pool a lot.
After hanging out at the pool Andy and I decided that we were pretty exhausted so we headed to our hotel with some tearful goodbyes to the family. The hotel was really nice for 50 a night! If you ever need a hotel in Orlando area check out the Champions Resort. It's a Howard Johnson resort and it was great. We left the next day and headed to Miami. That was a pretty plain drive down the Florida Turnpike. For about $20 I would recommend takinng the turnpike. It is much less busy and so traffic moves very fast.
We got to the Midtown Inn in Miami and it was raining so we really didn't have a chance to do anything. We drove around a little just to see the downtown area, drove to the islands and looked at the ships that were still in port and just checked things out in general. Then we headed back to the hotel to relax and crash for the night. In the morning we parked the car in the hotels secure lot and grabbed the shuttle to the port to get on the Carnival Imagination.
We were on the ship VERY early and our rooms weren't ready until after 1:30pm. We had some lunch and sort of hung out and wandered around the ship until it was time to get to our rooms. It was raining and yucky so there wasn't a whole lot we could enjoy. That's pretty much the theme of the cruise. That night was pretty uneventful, we set sail around 4 and headed down to Key West.
Let me just say, WE LOVE KEY WEST! We had such a great day on the Island. I wish we had more time there to really see things, but we've decided our next vacation will definately be to Key West for a couple of days to enjoy the Museums and culture and everything! We just walked around mostly. We found Captain Tony's Saloon and Andy was thrilled to have a beer in the same place the Jimmy Buffett has. He took pictures of the wall with news clips of his performances and Captian Tony's mayoral story. We got back on the ship and had a regular evening. We enjoyed a nap and dinner and a show that evening. We really had a great time that day.
The next morning we slept in like crazy! We weren't scheduled to arrice in Cozumel until 1 and because of bad weather we were about 30 minutes late. We weren't concerned and when we felt rested we went up and had some breakfast and sort of leisured around until lunch time. After lunch it was time to go ashore so we did and grabbed a cab to Paradise Beach. We enjoyed hot humid weather for about 2 hours. Andy Snorkeled a lot and I snorkeled a little and then it started thundering and lightning. We decided to head downtown so we grabbed another cab. We didn't realize "downtown" was Punta Lagosta which is where we docked last time. We weren't very impressed so we decided to walk back down to the port. Well it started POURING on our way and we were getting wet and cold and tired. We found a tiny little bar called Alberto's where we got out of the rain for a few minutes. The people there were amazing. So friendly and helpful. When we first sat down and got our drinks (bottled water for me and a corona for Andy) the server grabbed some paper towel and wiped down my arms and neck to dry me off and then did the same for the Hubbs. It's was really sweet and cute. Then after we were done he offered to go out into the rain and grab a cab for us back to the port. When a cab wasn't stopping for us the woman who was behind the bar tossed the guy her keys and offered to drive us to the port!! It was amazing and so nice. Just then a cab pulled up so we grabbed that instead of putting them out of their way, but we will really remember them from now on. When we got to port we did some shopping at the little shops in the port area and I found a gorgeous pink sapphire and silver ring that I haggled from 225 down to 50!! YAY ME! When we got back to the ship it was still pouring so we just went to the cabin to get warm and dry and rest up for a little bit. The weather was crap for the rest of the evening and when we finally left port the seas were rough.
The whole night I was feeling sick so I mostly hung out in bed watching tv, because if I was up and about I felt really sick. That trend followed to the next day. We had really rough seas and the weather was cloudy and not very warm. A lot of people were by the pool when it wasn't raining and when it was kinda nice out we couldn't find a chair anywhere to relax. It was a VERY boring day because there really wasn't much going on to do inside. We watched a lot of TV and napped and were very very bored.
We were really glad to get up the next morning and be off the ship. We went for breakfast then headed off the ship and were on the road by about 9:30. We drove 28 hours straight and got home about 12 ish on Saturday.
Overall, we definately enjoyed the vacation as a whole, but after our third cruise we've decided to stop cruising for a while because we simply can't find enough things to occupy our time while we're on the ship. But we're really looking forward to a vacation in the Keys and we're so glad we were able to spend this time together just the two of us before we become a big family of 3!!
We left Friday the 9th at about 9 in the morning. We realized we didn't have the registration for the car so we decided we'd stop at a SOS on the way to grab a copy so we wouldn't run into any issues during the drive. Well, stupid maps on my IPhone got us turned the entire wrong direction so it took half an hour to get back to where we wanted to be. We got gas and asked directions and Hubbs was completely correct in his guess as to where the office was. Once we got there he was in and out in a minute and a half.
The rest of the drive down was fantabulous. We felt good the entire time, we never got over-exhausted and we really enjoyed each others company. Andy drove all but about 2 hours. We really enjoyed spending time together and we laughed SO much, which is wonderful. We made great time and showed up at my sisters EARLY on Saturday morning. About 7:30 or 8ish.
When we got to Kelly's the kids were up and ready to give us a nice long day full of activity. We hung out at the house and got settled and then headed over to Downtown Disney. We didn't do any of the parks in Disney because we're cheap and I couldn't enjoy the rides anyway. We had fun though walking around and taking pictures and looking at the little stores. When we got sick of Disney we headed back to Kelly's with a quick stop at Target to grab some beer for Andy to enjoy by the pool and some sunscreen because our tube was almost gone! We spent a couple of hours at the pool and we had an absolutely AMAZING time. Andy taught my oldest niece Paige how to snorkel and she LOVED it. He also terrorized my nephews thouroughly, which ended up being HILARIOUS. I wish I'd had the video camera ready. Lexa enjoyed spending time with her Aunt Sassy a lot and we hung out on the chairs by the pool a lot.
After hanging out at the pool Andy and I decided that we were pretty exhausted so we headed to our hotel with some tearful goodbyes to the family. The hotel was really nice for 50 a night! If you ever need a hotel in Orlando area check out the Champions Resort. It's a Howard Johnson resort and it was great. We left the next day and headed to Miami. That was a pretty plain drive down the Florida Turnpike. For about $20 I would recommend takinng the turnpike. It is much less busy and so traffic moves very fast.
We got to the Midtown Inn in Miami and it was raining so we really didn't have a chance to do anything. We drove around a little just to see the downtown area, drove to the islands and looked at the ships that were still in port and just checked things out in general. Then we headed back to the hotel to relax and crash for the night. In the morning we parked the car in the hotels secure lot and grabbed the shuttle to the port to get on the Carnival Imagination.
We were on the ship VERY early and our rooms weren't ready until after 1:30pm. We had some lunch and sort of hung out and wandered around the ship until it was time to get to our rooms. It was raining and yucky so there wasn't a whole lot we could enjoy. That's pretty much the theme of the cruise. That night was pretty uneventful, we set sail around 4 and headed down to Key West.
Let me just say, WE LOVE KEY WEST! We had such a great day on the Island. I wish we had more time there to really see things, but we've decided our next vacation will definately be to Key West for a couple of days to enjoy the Museums and culture and everything! We just walked around mostly. We found Captain Tony's Saloon and Andy was thrilled to have a beer in the same place the Jimmy Buffett has. He took pictures of the wall with news clips of his performances and Captian Tony's mayoral story. We got back on the ship and had a regular evening. We enjoyed a nap and dinner and a show that evening. We really had a great time that day.
The next morning we slept in like crazy! We weren't scheduled to arrice in Cozumel until 1 and because of bad weather we were about 30 minutes late. We weren't concerned and when we felt rested we went up and had some breakfast and sort of leisured around until lunch time. After lunch it was time to go ashore so we did and grabbed a cab to Paradise Beach. We enjoyed hot humid weather for about 2 hours. Andy Snorkeled a lot and I snorkeled a little and then it started thundering and lightning. We decided to head downtown so we grabbed another cab. We didn't realize "downtown" was Punta Lagosta which is where we docked last time. We weren't very impressed so we decided to walk back down to the port. Well it started POURING on our way and we were getting wet and cold and tired. We found a tiny little bar called Alberto's where we got out of the rain for a few minutes. The people there were amazing. So friendly and helpful. When we first sat down and got our drinks (bottled water for me and a corona for Andy) the server grabbed some paper towel and wiped down my arms and neck to dry me off and then did the same for the Hubbs. It's was really sweet and cute. Then after we were done he offered to go out into the rain and grab a cab for us back to the port. When a cab wasn't stopping for us the woman who was behind the bar tossed the guy her keys and offered to drive us to the port!! It was amazing and so nice. Just then a cab pulled up so we grabbed that instead of putting them out of their way, but we will really remember them from now on. When we got to port we did some shopping at the little shops in the port area and I found a gorgeous pink sapphire and silver ring that I haggled from 225 down to 50!! YAY ME! When we got back to the ship it was still pouring so we just went to the cabin to get warm and dry and rest up for a little bit. The weather was crap for the rest of the evening and when we finally left port the seas were rough.
The whole night I was feeling sick so I mostly hung out in bed watching tv, because if I was up and about I felt really sick. That trend followed to the next day. We had really rough seas and the weather was cloudy and not very warm. A lot of people were by the pool when it wasn't raining and when it was kinda nice out we couldn't find a chair anywhere to relax. It was a VERY boring day because there really wasn't much going on to do inside. We watched a lot of TV and napped and were very very bored.
We were really glad to get up the next morning and be off the ship. We went for breakfast then headed off the ship and were on the road by about 9:30. We drove 28 hours straight and got home about 12 ish on Saturday.
Overall, we definately enjoyed the vacation as a whole, but after our third cruise we've decided to stop cruising for a while because we simply can't find enough things to occupy our time while we're on the ship. But we're really looking forward to a vacation in the Keys and we're so glad we were able to spend this time together just the two of us before we become a big family of 3!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Pamper Mommy day!
So I'm going in today to get my nails did. LOL I'm getting a mani-pedi with my FAVORITE tech in the whole wide world this afternoon. Then I'm coming home and doing my hair (yes, I still dye my hair, I believe in the school that's it's fine since I don't have the dye on for hours at a time.)
It will be nice to not feel icky when I'm wearing sandals out. The weather has been wonderful lately and I have been avoiding the flip flops because my toes are so beat up. Plus, since we LEAVE ON FRIDAY for our exciting babymoon adventure I figure now's the perfect time to indulge in a mani pedi and be all ready for the yummy warm tropical weather. Speaking of which. I put on one of my one-pieces from the last couple of years and it will be just good enough for the cruise to fit over my belly. I'm not huge yet, but I'm showing so I was worried that I may not be able to wear it! I don't have any other suits that fit so it;s good that this one will get me through. Looks like I'm not QUITE set for summer. LOL
This pregnancy has been treating me much better in the last several weeks and I'm so glad. Rex is finally behaving himself. I hope he continues that trend for a while!
ALSO, we got a highchair from my mother in law yesterday. It's the same highchair that Andy and all of the boys used when they were young'ins. So now we have the same table and the same highchair that Daddy had growing up. It's so nice to be able to continue their lives!
This week has only started and IT'S AMAZING!!!
It will be nice to not feel icky when I'm wearing sandals out. The weather has been wonderful lately and I have been avoiding the flip flops because my toes are so beat up. Plus, since we LEAVE ON FRIDAY for our exciting babymoon adventure I figure now's the perfect time to indulge in a mani pedi and be all ready for the yummy warm tropical weather. Speaking of which. I put on one of my one-pieces from the last couple of years and it will be just good enough for the cruise to fit over my belly. I'm not huge yet, but I'm showing so I was worried that I may not be able to wear it! I don't have any other suits that fit so it;s good that this one will get me through. Looks like I'm not QUITE set for summer. LOL
This pregnancy has been treating me much better in the last several weeks and I'm so glad. Rex is finally behaving himself. I hope he continues that trend for a while!
ALSO, we got a highchair from my mother in law yesterday. It's the same highchair that Andy and all of the boys used when they were young'ins. So now we have the same table and the same highchair that Daddy had growing up. It's so nice to be able to continue their lives!
This week has only started and IT'S AMAZING!!!
Check out my links page
I have links to some interesting blogs, my totsite wich gives updates about my pregnancy and lots of pictures and my registries.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Half-baked!!
How far along? 20 WEEKS!!! HALFWAY THERE!!!!
Total weight gain/loss: sitting at a loss of about 13 pounds total. So in the last couple of weeks I've gained about 3 lbs.
Maternity clothes? I ordered a bunch from Old Navy that should be here this week. I have no clue if they'll fit yet, but I'll be prepared for the rest of the summer!!
Stretch marks? Nothing new that I've noticed.
Sleep: I'm up at least once a night to pee, but I'm sleeping well otherwise.
Best moment this week: I POPPED. I actually look pregnant instead of fat.
Movement: sporatic kicks and somersaults!
Food cravings: all kinds. But the Subway I was craving didn't agree with my tummy, so we're staying away from that from now on.
Gender: BOY BOY BOY
Labor Signs: Absolutely nothing, thank goodness!!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: my back and hips feeling normal. So I suppose I miss walking and sitting and standing.
What I am looking forward to: LEAVING FOR OUR CRUISE ON FRIDAY!!!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't eat subway. It makes the baby Angry.
Milestones: Half baked today!
Total weight gain/loss: sitting at a loss of about 13 pounds total. So in the last couple of weeks I've gained about 3 lbs.
Maternity clothes? I ordered a bunch from Old Navy that should be here this week. I have no clue if they'll fit yet, but I'll be prepared for the rest of the summer!!
Stretch marks? Nothing new that I've noticed.
Sleep: I'm up at least once a night to pee, but I'm sleeping well otherwise.
Best moment this week: I POPPED. I actually look pregnant instead of fat.
Movement: sporatic kicks and somersaults!
Food cravings: all kinds. But the Subway I was craving didn't agree with my tummy, so we're staying away from that from now on.
Gender: BOY BOY BOY
Labor Signs: Absolutely nothing, thank goodness!!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: my back and hips feeling normal. So I suppose I miss walking and sitting and standing.
What I am looking forward to: LEAVING FOR OUR CRUISE ON FRIDAY!!!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't eat subway. It makes the baby Angry.
Milestones: Half baked today!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sorry this is so long, but it's VERY important to us.
Alright all you people in internet-land!! We’ve made the decision. We’re sticking with this decision. And we’ll need your support to make this work! We’re cloth diapering our baby!
We have weighed the pros and cons with each other and have decided that the money saved would be enough to sell us on the idea. But, on top of that you add that it’s better for baby and for the environment and we’re hopping on the cloth train! WOO WOO!!!
First, let’s talk cost. It will be approximately $500 to keep a diaper on our child’s heiny from birth to potty training. It seems like “Oh $500 for a new parent, that’s a lot isn’t it?” but really that’s a considerable savings. Most parents who use disposable diapers on their children will spend between 1500-2000 on diapers between birth and potty training! So overall that’s a savings of 1000-1500 over the infancy of ONE child. NOW take into account that we plan to have several children, all of whom will be cloth diapered! We’ll probably have to re-invest about $75-100 for each child for things that have worn out or we’d prefer to replace. SO, if we have 3 children. We’ll spend about $800 total on diapers. That’s STILL a significant savings over putting just ONE baby in disposables. But when you consider disposables on three kids that could easily be almost 6000 dollars! OMG, right? I’d rather spend $800 than $6000.
Now, why is putting cloth on my child better than sticking plastic and petroleum by-product and recycled car tires and old bleached tree fluff next to my child’s skin? Good question. Since disposable diapers have been around babies have been getting diaper rashes more than ever. It’s because children’s skin is sensitive. You wouldn’t rub half the stuff in those diapers on your face, so why would you want it sitting right up against your baby’s skin for a couple of hours at a time? Not to mention disposables aren’t as breathable and so they will actually trap that moisture next to the skin as opposed to letting it out some. Also, parents who cloth-diaper are more likely to change a diaper that’s only a little bit wet than a disposable-using parent. A lot of parents who use “sposies” don’t want to throw away a diaper that hasn’t been used to its full extent so they will keep a child who’s only peed a little in the diaper. I’m sure the kids LOVE that, right? Whereas, as parent who cloth-diaper will take the diaper off, throw it or just the liner in the pail and re-diaper the kid in a fresh dry diaper. It doesn’t make the load of laundry any harder or more expensive, so why think twice about changing a barely soiled diaper?
Now, when a parent takes that disposable diaper off their child what happens to it? It gets folded up in a neat little package and stuck into a fancy, smell-reducing, individually wrapping, diaper trash can. Then what? To the landfill, to sit for hundreds of years until the plastic and petroleum by-products can break down. Not that they’ll break down into anything that’s good for the environment. They’ll break down into chemicals that will leach into the water table and HOPEFULLY be filtered out over a matter of years and years through gravel and sand and rock and then through city sanitation services (maybe, unless you have a well.) Then those chemicals are just hanging out in the Earth in a place where they weren’t supposed to be. WONDERFUL, right? There have been arguments that, because of extra water being used to wash and energy to dry, cloth diapers turn out to be just as harmful to the Earth as “sposies.” I don’t buy it. If I take one extra step (spraying them off with a diaper sprayer) with my diapers before tossing them in the pail (and only the poopy diapers, not the just wet ones) I will be able to put my diapers in a regular wash cycle with original Tide powder detergent. So, it’s the same as doing a load of towels. Then all summer long I can put my diapers on a clothes line to dry in the sun. Not only will they be using “solar” energy to dry, but the sun is also the best stain fighter there is. With my clothes, I can’t line dry them. They get stiff and scratchy, because they’re made of all kinds of fake stuff. But a 100% cotton baby diaper will be soft to the touch when you take it off the line. That’s the best thing you can do for the environment. And if you choose to use a “natural” detergent that is biodegradable, that’s just one more step closer to making cloth diapers more Earth friendly than disposables.
We’ve decided that we will refrain from putting disposables on our baby from day one. We will bring cloth to the hospital. We will leave cloth with family if they’re babysitting. We will use cloth at home and on the go. It’s good for us, it’s good for baby, and it’s good for the Earth.
We have weighed the pros and cons with each other and have decided that the money saved would be enough to sell us on the idea. But, on top of that you add that it’s better for baby and for the environment and we’re hopping on the cloth train! WOO WOO!!!
First, let’s talk cost. It will be approximately $500 to keep a diaper on our child’s heiny from birth to potty training. It seems like “Oh $500 for a new parent, that’s a lot isn’t it?” but really that’s a considerable savings. Most parents who use disposable diapers on their children will spend between 1500-2000 on diapers between birth and potty training! So overall that’s a savings of 1000-1500 over the infancy of ONE child. NOW take into account that we plan to have several children, all of whom will be cloth diapered! We’ll probably have to re-invest about $75-100 for each child for things that have worn out or we’d prefer to replace. SO, if we have 3 children. We’ll spend about $800 total on diapers. That’s STILL a significant savings over putting just ONE baby in disposables. But when you consider disposables on three kids that could easily be almost 6000 dollars! OMG, right? I’d rather spend $800 than $6000.
Now, why is putting cloth on my child better than sticking plastic and petroleum by-product and recycled car tires and old bleached tree fluff next to my child’s skin? Good question. Since disposable diapers have been around babies have been getting diaper rashes more than ever. It’s because children’s skin is sensitive. You wouldn’t rub half the stuff in those diapers on your face, so why would you want it sitting right up against your baby’s skin for a couple of hours at a time? Not to mention disposables aren’t as breathable and so they will actually trap that moisture next to the skin as opposed to letting it out some. Also, parents who cloth-diaper are more likely to change a diaper that’s only a little bit wet than a disposable-using parent. A lot of parents who use “sposies” don’t want to throw away a diaper that hasn’t been used to its full extent so they will keep a child who’s only peed a little in the diaper. I’m sure the kids LOVE that, right? Whereas, as parent who cloth-diaper will take the diaper off, throw it or just the liner in the pail and re-diaper the kid in a fresh dry diaper. It doesn’t make the load of laundry any harder or more expensive, so why think twice about changing a barely soiled diaper?
Now, when a parent takes that disposable diaper off their child what happens to it? It gets folded up in a neat little package and stuck into a fancy, smell-reducing, individually wrapping, diaper trash can. Then what? To the landfill, to sit for hundreds of years until the plastic and petroleum by-products can break down. Not that they’ll break down into anything that’s good for the environment. They’ll break down into chemicals that will leach into the water table and HOPEFULLY be filtered out over a matter of years and years through gravel and sand and rock and then through city sanitation services (maybe, unless you have a well.) Then those chemicals are just hanging out in the Earth in a place where they weren’t supposed to be. WONDERFUL, right? There have been arguments that, because of extra water being used to wash and energy to dry, cloth diapers turn out to be just as harmful to the Earth as “sposies.” I don’t buy it. If I take one extra step (spraying them off with a diaper sprayer) with my diapers before tossing them in the pail (and only the poopy diapers, not the just wet ones) I will be able to put my diapers in a regular wash cycle with original Tide powder detergent. So, it’s the same as doing a load of towels. Then all summer long I can put my diapers on a clothes line to dry in the sun. Not only will they be using “solar” energy to dry, but the sun is also the best stain fighter there is. With my clothes, I can’t line dry them. They get stiff and scratchy, because they’re made of all kinds of fake stuff. But a 100% cotton baby diaper will be soft to the touch when you take it off the line. That’s the best thing you can do for the environment. And if you choose to use a “natural” detergent that is biodegradable, that’s just one more step closer to making cloth diapers more Earth friendly than disposables.
We’ve decided that we will refrain from putting disposables on our baby from day one. We will bring cloth to the hospital. We will leave cloth with family if they’re babysitting. We will use cloth at home and on the go. It’s good for us, it’s good for baby, and it’s good for the Earth.
Monday, March 29, 2010
BOY BOY BOY
You definately could've guessed it by now, I'm having a boy! This little guy will be Rex Arthur Smith. We are so delighted! I knew it was a boy the whole time and Mother's Intuition is doing me well. We simply cannot wait until we get to meet him!
AND we will get another ultrasound in 4 weeks because they couldn't see all the detail they wanted to see in the brain. So I get a third Ultrasound and I'll get to see baby one more time!
AND we will get another ultrasound in 4 weeks because they couldn't see all the detail they wanted to see in the brain. So I get a third Ultrasound and I'll get to see baby one more time!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A great giveaway on a friends blog! CHECK IT OUT
So, an E-friend of mine is hosting a giveaway of a $50 gift card to The Spoiled Mama. Check out their amazing products and check out my friend's blog to see how to enter for this contest. I'll also put a button for her blog on the side of my site, so you can check it out anytime!
Our Babymoon is coming!!
So I don't think I've bragged about our babymoon yet! We had originally planned to try to cruise this November as a well deserved vacation from everyday life, but were holding off on booking until we got our tax returns in the new year. Well, we found out we were pregnant and that really threw that plan off track. We can't cruise with an infant younger than 6 months and I'm not allowed to cruise after 24 weeks, so we jujst decided that our "cruise money" would probably go to baby things. Well, as winter progressed and we started to get our taxes together I decided that I couldn't wait to take another vacation until the baby was old enough to travel. I asked Andy if we could use our tax refund to take an anniversary cruise. He thought that was a great idea and we started looking. Then we realized that for our ann. in the middle of May I'll be too far along to cruise. So we got a little downhearted. Luckily we both were able to agree that taking a cruise in the middle of April would be just as special as one last Hurragh before baby gets here!
So on to now, we are two weeks away from leaving and just over two weeks away from cruising and I am SO EXCITED! On Monday we get to figure out if this little baby inside of me is a boy or a girl and then two weeks later we get to go on a relaxing vacation to enjoy the two of us together "alone" for the last time for a long time!
Our cruise is leaving out of Miami and we're driving down again. We'll leave sometime on Friday the 9th and get to my sisters place sometime the next day. Saturday night we'll stay at Kelly's and enjoy some family time with the kids!! Then on Sunday we will drive down south. We'll meet up with my brother somewhere (Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, depending on his schedule) to visit for a while, then we'll head to our hotel to the night in Miami. We'll try to sleep then the next morning we'll grab some breakfast at Denny's (WOO HOO GRAND SLAM) and head off to the port to get on the ship! Then we're on vacation for a week!!! We'll be back on Friday and we'll leave right away and get home late-ish on Saturday, relax and unpack on Sunday and then back to normal life on Monday!!
So there, you can all just drool over our good fortune at getting to take a relaxing, romantic, fun-filled vacation. I've officially bragged!!!!
So on to now, we are two weeks away from leaving and just over two weeks away from cruising and I am SO EXCITED! On Monday we get to figure out if this little baby inside of me is a boy or a girl and then two weeks later we get to go on a relaxing vacation to enjoy the two of us together "alone" for the last time for a long time!
Our cruise is leaving out of Miami and we're driving down again. We'll leave sometime on Friday the 9th and get to my sisters place sometime the next day. Saturday night we'll stay at Kelly's and enjoy some family time with the kids!! Then on Sunday we will drive down south. We'll meet up with my brother somewhere (Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, depending on his schedule) to visit for a while, then we'll head to our hotel to the night in Miami. We'll try to sleep then the next morning we'll grab some breakfast at Denny's (WOO HOO GRAND SLAM) and head off to the port to get on the ship! Then we're on vacation for a week!!! We'll be back on Friday and we'll leave right away and get home late-ish on Saturday, relax and unpack on Sunday and then back to normal life on Monday!!
So there, you can all just drool over our good fortune at getting to take a relaxing, romantic, fun-filled vacation. I've officially bragged!!!!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
This weeks survey
How far along? 18 weeks yesterday
Total weight gain/loss: Loss of about 16 pounds, still sitting right there.
Maternity clothes? I'm actually losing even more body fat so there is NO way I'll be able to wear maternity clothes this week.
Stretch marks? still only ones I had before.
Sleep: jeez. I wake up a couple of times a night finding myself on my back, but I can usually turn over and fall back to sleep.
Best moment this week: Feeling Burger Kick me!!!
Movement: Almost consistent flutters in the evening and a kick yesterday.
Food cravings: cheese and sweet. Not chocolate though. That still grosses me out.
Gender: we'll be finding out in one week!
Labor Signs: Still WAYYYYY too early. Keep baking little burger!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: the fat roll that I pretended was a bump. Now my belly is getting flatter and I'm still not showing.
What I am looking forward to: The big U/S on March 29th, Leaving for our babymoon on April 10, SHOWING
Weekly Wisdom: if you want it, eat it. DRINK WATER!
Milestones: KICK KICK KICK!!!! YAY.
Total weight gain/loss: Loss of about 16 pounds, still sitting right there.
Maternity clothes? I'm actually losing even more body fat so there is NO way I'll be able to wear maternity clothes this week.
Stretch marks? still only ones I had before.
Sleep: jeez. I wake up a couple of times a night finding myself on my back, but I can usually turn over and fall back to sleep.
Best moment this week: Feeling Burger Kick me!!!
Movement: Almost consistent flutters in the evening and a kick yesterday.
Food cravings: cheese and sweet. Not chocolate though. That still grosses me out.
Gender: we'll be finding out in one week!
Labor Signs: Still WAYYYYY too early. Keep baking little burger!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: the fat roll that I pretended was a bump. Now my belly is getting flatter and I'm still not showing.
What I am looking forward to: The big U/S on March 29th, Leaving for our babymoon on April 10, SHOWING
Weekly Wisdom: if you want it, eat it. DRINK WATER!
Milestones: KICK KICK KICK!!!! YAY.
First Kick!
So, sometime last night I am pretty sure I felt The Burger kick me. It felt like a twitch in the left part of my uterus (which is about 3 and a half inches below my belly button right now). It was so exciting. I haven't felt anything today, but it's good to be feeling something finally!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Huston we have movement.
Finally. Last night I think I felt movement for the second time. And I didn't get all strung out on caffiene first! I was laying in bed and I just sort of felt little wiggly type feelings. It was really exciting! and then of course Andy got into bed and he was bouncing the mattress and every time he moved the whole bed shook so I couldn't feel anything anymore. I tried to tell him to lay silently in one position, but by then I couldn't feel it anymore. Hopefully I feel it again tonight. Or today during the day!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A little survey of my pregnancy so far!
How far along? 17 weeks yesterday
Total weight gain/loss: Loss of about 16 pounds
Maternity clothes? I bought some pants, but I'm not really wearing them.
Stretch marks? Nothing from the pregnancy yet.
Sleep: jeez. I sleep about 10-11 hours a night and still need a nap sometimes.
Best moment this week: not pregnancy related, relaxing in bed with Andy.
Movement: Once a week or so ago after a TON of caffeine.
Food cravings: Changes day to day. Mostly light things, nothing too heavy except pizza.
Gender: TBD
Labor Signs: None yet. And let's keep it that way!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: being able to eat a whole bunch in one sitting without throwing it all up.
What I am looking forward to: The big U/S on March 29th
Weekly Wisdom: Eat small bites.
Milestones: Nothing big this week. Baby is working on hearing and yawning a lot this week.
Total weight gain/loss: Loss of about 16 pounds
Maternity clothes? I bought some pants, but I'm not really wearing them.
Stretch marks? Nothing from the pregnancy yet.
Sleep: jeez. I sleep about 10-11 hours a night and still need a nap sometimes.
Best moment this week: not pregnancy related, relaxing in bed with Andy.
Movement: Once a week or so ago after a TON of caffeine.
Food cravings: Changes day to day. Mostly light things, nothing too heavy except pizza.
Gender: TBD
Labor Signs: None yet. And let's keep it that way!
Belly Button in or out? still in.
What I miss: being able to eat a whole bunch in one sitting without throwing it all up.
What I am looking forward to: The big U/S on March 29th
Weekly Wisdom: Eat small bites.
Milestones: Nothing big this week. Baby is working on hearing and yawning a lot this week.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
WELLLL, It has been a really long time
A lot has happened. Today I'm 16 weeks 3 days pregnant.
My first appointment was memorable. The phlebotomist (blood lady) was a fill-in for the regular one and she was kinda stupid. I had to have several vials drawn for testing and I told her I usually get pretty light headed when I have blood taken and she should recline the chair before she starts. Well, she didn't. So after all the vials had been taken I felt really sick and puked all over the floor of the little lab room. It was funny and embarassing. Then we met with the CNP who was an absolute bitch. I hated her. But she's not the doctor and I really won't have to see her at any other time, so I'm not worried about it. Then, we had an ultrasound to date the pregnancy and we were EXACTLY where we thought we were. 9 Week 6 Days. Baby's first heartbeat reading was 168 BPM. Andy was able to be there and it was a simply magical day.
My second appointment was pretty ho-hum. I went in and she asked if I had any questions I didn't really so she used a dopplar to find baby's hearbeat and it was at 150 BPM. Super healthy. We scheduled our big anatomy ultrasound for March 29. YAY!
I've lost about 16 pounds to date and my doctor is thrilled. I haven't felt much movement yet. A couple of days ago I think I felt somersaults that felt like rubbing against the inside of my uterus. I did have a lot of caffiene that evening so I think that made the burger hyper!! I don't like having that much caffiene so I haven't tried to make it happen again. I figure once he's big and strong enough I'll start feeling him.
We've decided that if the burger is a boy (Which mother's intuition is telling me it is) we'll name him Rex Arthur and if it's a girl she'll be Olivia Paige. We're so excited for the end of March.
I stopped working this week, so hopefully I'll find more time to update this little blog more often!!
My first appointment was memorable. The phlebotomist (blood lady) was a fill-in for the regular one and she was kinda stupid. I had to have several vials drawn for testing and I told her I usually get pretty light headed when I have blood taken and she should recline the chair before she starts. Well, she didn't. So after all the vials had been taken I felt really sick and puked all over the floor of the little lab room. It was funny and embarassing. Then we met with the CNP who was an absolute bitch. I hated her. But she's not the doctor and I really won't have to see her at any other time, so I'm not worried about it. Then, we had an ultrasound to date the pregnancy and we were EXACTLY where we thought we were. 9 Week 6 Days. Baby's first heartbeat reading was 168 BPM. Andy was able to be there and it was a simply magical day.
My second appointment was pretty ho-hum. I went in and she asked if I had any questions I didn't really so she used a dopplar to find baby's hearbeat and it was at 150 BPM. Super healthy. We scheduled our big anatomy ultrasound for March 29. YAY!
I've lost about 16 pounds to date and my doctor is thrilled. I haven't felt much movement yet. A couple of days ago I think I felt somersaults that felt like rubbing against the inside of my uterus. I did have a lot of caffiene that evening so I think that made the burger hyper!! I don't like having that much caffiene so I haven't tried to make it happen again. I figure once he's big and strong enough I'll start feeling him.
We've decided that if the burger is a boy (Which mother's intuition is telling me it is) we'll name him Rex Arthur and if it's a girl she'll be Olivia Paige. We're so excited for the end of March.
I stopped working this week, so hopefully I'll find more time to update this little blog more often!!
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