Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Another Silly Video
Just Parker being a little baby...
Don't know what I'm doing putting things online instead of sleeping while Lance takes parker and Rozo around the park. Soooooo tired but can't fall asleep. Kind of numb. Shoulders still aching. Oy.
Parker was smiling and giggling more today. She still only does it while sleeping or dozing off mid-breastfeeding session. I can't wait until she does it awake and on purpose!
Got the world's most beautiful birth announcements in the mail today from Aunt Barbara. Can't wait to send them out. Have fantasies of putting them in the mail on monday. Dare to dream. I also have fantasies about making the house habitable, so that I can invite people over without being horrified of the chaos we are living in. It's almost as if we just had a baby or something.
Am really looking forward to being able to use my arms without them hurting.
Have a few more things to babble about, but Lance just got home and I'm back on Parker duty. Video will have to come tomorrow. She's waking up.
xoxo
Don't know what I'm doing putting things online instead of sleeping while Lance takes parker and Rozo around the park. Soooooo tired but can't fall asleep. Kind of numb. Shoulders still aching. Oy.
Parker was smiling and giggling more today. She still only does it while sleeping or dozing off mid-breastfeeding session. I can't wait until she does it awake and on purpose!
Got the world's most beautiful birth announcements in the mail today from Aunt Barbara. Can't wait to send them out. Have fantasies of putting them in the mail on monday. Dare to dream. I also have fantasies about making the house habitable, so that I can invite people over without being horrified of the chaos we are living in. It's almost as if we just had a baby or something.
Am really looking forward to being able to use my arms without them hurting.
Have a few more things to babble about, but Lance just got home and I'm back on Parker duty. Video will have to come tomorrow. She's waking up.
xoxo
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
*More Pictures!
Here we have a few more pictures. I know the week's not over yet, but she's quiet in Lance's arms for a few minutes and I'm taking advantage of it.
We're trying to get some sleep over here, but it's not happening quite as much as I had fantasized about. The main problem is that my body is using its resources breastfeeding and healing from delivery, so when I don't get any sleep- I have nothing left to protect my body. I feel like my shoulders are almost out of their sockets and yesterday I couldn't really use my arms without insane pain. It's a lot better today, thanks to tigerbalm and some massage from Lance, but still... PLUS, I think they're better because Lance took care of Parker most of last night, which is good for me, but now HIS body is feeling the lack of sleep and he's teaching 3-5 yr olds all day. Everyone says that this first month is the worst and that her sleeping will even out as she develops, but man oh man, is it hard to take care of a baby when you can't use your arms and your husband is working.
Otherwise, everything about Parker is cute as hell. The smiling pictures are all from when she fell asleep nursing today. She only smiles when she's asleep because she's not old enough to do it consciously. SO CUTE. She also had a nice time in her first bath. Lance keeps wrapping her up in a polkadot burrito and taking her to the park with Rozo. Oh- the pictures of Rozo are from when Parker was crying and Rozo was desperately trying to kiss her to calm her down. Also very very CUTE.
Alright. Parker has noticed that both the pacifier and Lance's pinkie are not producing milk, so I'm back on duty. Moooooooooooooooooo.
xoxo
 |
| Parker's 2nd Week |
We're trying to get some sleep over here, but it's not happening quite as much as I had fantasized about. The main problem is that my body is using its resources breastfeeding and healing from delivery, so when I don't get any sleep- I have nothing left to protect my body. I feel like my shoulders are almost out of their sockets and yesterday I couldn't really use my arms without insane pain. It's a lot better today, thanks to tigerbalm and some massage from Lance, but still... PLUS, I think they're better because Lance took care of Parker most of last night, which is good for me, but now HIS body is feeling the lack of sleep and he's teaching 3-5 yr olds all day. Everyone says that this first month is the worst and that her sleeping will even out as she develops, but man oh man, is it hard to take care of a baby when you can't use your arms and your husband is working.
Otherwise, everything about Parker is cute as hell. The smiling pictures are all from when she fell asleep nursing today. She only smiles when she's asleep because she's not old enough to do it consciously. SO CUTE. She also had a nice time in her first bath. Lance keeps wrapping her up in a polkadot burrito and taking her to the park with Rozo. Oh- the pictures of Rozo are from when Parker was crying and Rozo was desperately trying to kiss her to calm her down. Also very very CUTE.
Alright. Parker has noticed that both the pacifier and Lance's pinkie are not producing milk, so I'm back on duty. Moooooooooooooooooo.
xoxo
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Mostly for Great Grandma...
but hopefully more of the family will like it too...
here's a video of parker squirming and squeaking. i wanted to catch her doing her silliest faces, but i guess we'll have to try again later for "the turtle" and "the shark." in the mean time, she's just a silly monkey.
xoxo
here's a video of parker squirming and squeaking. i wanted to catch her doing her silliest faces, but i guess we'll have to try again later for "the turtle" and "the shark." in the mean time, she's just a silly monkey.
xoxo
Thursday, June 19, 2008
*Pictures!
Here's a week's worth of shots. A lot of these are on facebook, but some people had a hard time accessing those...
No captions yet, but hey- it's hard to do anything on a computer while holding a baby.
xoxo
 |
| Parker's First Week |
No captions yet, but hey- it's hard to do anything on a computer while holding a baby.
xoxo
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Photo Album
I put some pictures up on Facebook. I don't think you need to be a member to see them...
Click here for Facebook Photo Albums
xoxo
Click here for Facebook Photo Albums
xoxo
*Happy Fathers' Day!
Parker got here just in time to ask me to pass that along for her... I'm going to try to put up a picture or two as frequently as I can in between booby-time, so here's at least one for today (or this week, depending on baby's demands...)
The Brand New Daddy!
Lance's Fathers' Day Dance:
ok. boob time.
xoxo
The Brand New Daddy!
Lance's Fathers' Day Dance:
ok. boob time.
xoxo
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The whole story (as near as I can recall)
Yahoo!!!! Lance is brushing his teeth; Parker's making cute snuggle noises in her sleep and I can't be happier. It is so wonderful and so SURREAL to know that from now on I am a mom and Lance is a dad.
Parker is such a beautiful gift and oh my god was it painful getting her here. I know women are supposed to have labor-amnesia on the sight of their newborn child, but I think it's fine knowing that Parker is well worth the extreme effort it took to bring her into this world.
As the previous posts said, contractions really started kicking in on wednesday afternoon, after a physical exam at the OB (which felt a little like an excavation). I squirmed and contracted through a lovely lunch with Pinkney and then 2 circus classes. I was a little worse for wear and tried to rest as much as I could that evening. By that night, I knew Parker was coming soon. The big issue was that Thursday morning was the dress rehearsal for the middle school kids' Julius Caesar, followed by a thursday night opening performance. I still had 23 costumes to make. At 2 am, the contractions were so bad that I couldn't lie down in bed any more; it hurt too much. Knowing that I was going to have to head to the hospital, I took advantage of the pain and stood up to finish all 23 costumes before it was too late. Lance insists that sewing from 2 am to 6am while in labor constitutes the "nesting" burst of energy, but I think it's more of a "the show must go on" type of thing; I knew I was going to miss the show and those kids needed to wear something on stage!
After the costumes were done, I managed to lie down and squeeze in about an hour's sleep (facilitated by a nice food rub from Mr. Windish). We called the dr. about 6 am and she recommended we stick it out at home (and take advantage of the pain relieving factors of the shower) until the office opened and we could get a physical, instead to heading straight to the hospital and waiting around uncomfortably for hours. Around 10 am, we packed up the costumes and the car, dropped off the Caesar stuff, and headed to the doctor's office for an update. I had apparently effaced another 20% and dilated to 3 cm overnight. The dr. recommended we walk around for a couple of hours to keep things moving and then head to the hospital. We were on the upper west side, so we got lunch at EJ's Diner and then spent a few hours walking up and down the air conditioned stairs and exhibits at the museum of natural history. At around 4 pm, I was in so much pain that I announced that we were done and it was time to head in.
We landed at the triage room at the hospital around 5pm and hung out there until they admitted up at about 7pm. I was SO happy to be in a private room with a shower I could jump into immediately. The shower was my main pain relief for HOURS. I was allowed off the monitor for 30 minutes at a time and that was the only time the contractions weren't agony, especially since the plan was to avoid an epidural if at all possible. I'm not against pain medication; it's just that all the literature I had read seemed to suggest that epidurals slow down labor, which made the dr;s need to speed things up with pitocin, which brings along stronger contractions, which makes labor more painful than before the damn epidural- a vicious cycle.
All that "natural" labor was all well and good, until around 2 am when I was in so much pain I couldn't function. I had made it to 6 cm, but 10 cm was still a long ways away. I hadn't eaten in 11 hours, wasn't allowed any water other than ice chips and my body was BEAT. I just didn't think I was going to make it. So, I thew in the towel (even though our AWESOME nurse Bekah and the fabulous residents insisted that I didn't think of it as giving up) and asked for an epidural. Thank god. Once it was inserted, I was finally able to lie down through a contraction (first time in 24 hours) and my body could start to build up some strength again. The nurse and doctors kept saying that I should try to get some sleep, but then they kept checking things every 3 - 5 minutes, so it's not like I could actually do that. But at least lying down helped a LOT.
The initial epidural medication lasted about 1.5 hours. We had been told this, but were still shocked when I was in so much pain I was screaming, couldn't breathe, and just WAILED through contractions again. They hurt SO MUCH. I thought I was going to die. My body and the baby's heart beat was happiest when I was either in a modified child's pose or on my hands and knees, so the doctor asked me to stay like that for as long as I could. An hour or two (or 3- who the hell knows?) later, choking on snot and ice chips while attempting to breathe in an oxygen mask, I was still only at 9 cm. I was BEGGING to push, but I wasn't allowed to yet. Thank god for years of Kegel exercises, because it is HARD to talk your body out of pushing when it REALLY wants to. They boosted the epidural a little. I still had a cm to go and the contractions were 3 minutes long and coming every 30 seconds. The dr's were saying it was crazy that it was this strong, as this is usually what pitocin brings. And I was worried about getting slowed down by the epidural. Good lord....
A second boost of epidural made it so that I could breathe enough to stop hyperventilating and even managed to lie down again for a little bit. The baby's heart rate still preferred the hands and knees, so I had to switch back to that as soon as my legs recovered enough to support me. Both the doctor and the nurse separately commented that it was sure lucky that I was Parker's mom, because she really preferred a position that most people couldn't sustain for that many hours at a time. I guess those handstand lessons did SOMETHING for my wrists.
Once the last cm dilated, it was FINALLY time to push. This would have been easier if I could actually feel which muscles were which, but the epidural was finally doing enough of a job that I really had to experiment to figure it out. Pushing ended up being the least painful part (again, thank you epidural). It was pretty fast too. My body had been wanting to do it for hours, so it was such a relief when they could turn down the epidural enough for me to feel a little and get on with it.
Since I was still pretty numb, Parker needed a little help with a vacuum extraction. The dr said she would have let me push by myself (and probably avoided most of the ripping that ended up happening), but Parker's heart rate was NOT happy once the pushing was so start and stop. So bang bang bang and out she came. Lance and I were so teared up looking at her. It makes me cry now just picturing it. It is just a happy, joyful, relief to have her here, in one piece, with us. It's a cliche, but it really feels like a miracle.
I'm sure there's lots more details that I may or may not remember. They broke my water at some point, since it wasn't breaking on its own. During the worst part ever, Lance was trying to coach me (which he did heroically and successfully all night long) by saying to breathe "slow and deep", but I told Lance that HE could go breathe slow and deep (while CLEARLY adding the subtext of "go fuck yourself.") Ummmm the rest will come with time. Maybe.
Parker's getting a final test before they let us go home from our swank recovery room (which we can't afford to stay in another day!). I am fried fried fried. There are 20 messges filling up my voicemail and I can't even begin to think about attempting to listen to them. It's time to pack up, go home, sit on some ice and take a LONG nap while taking advantage of grandma baby-sitting before we're on our own again.
Thank god the beautiful Miss Parker is here and we survivied and love each other and her more than we could ever possibly imagine. Let's hear it for the VERY LUCKY Friday the 13th.
xoxo
Parker is such a beautiful gift and oh my god was it painful getting her here. I know women are supposed to have labor-amnesia on the sight of their newborn child, but I think it's fine knowing that Parker is well worth the extreme effort it took to bring her into this world.
As the previous posts said, contractions really started kicking in on wednesday afternoon, after a physical exam at the OB (which felt a little like an excavation). I squirmed and contracted through a lovely lunch with Pinkney and then 2 circus classes. I was a little worse for wear and tried to rest as much as I could that evening. By that night, I knew Parker was coming soon. The big issue was that Thursday morning was the dress rehearsal for the middle school kids' Julius Caesar, followed by a thursday night opening performance. I still had 23 costumes to make. At 2 am, the contractions were so bad that I couldn't lie down in bed any more; it hurt too much. Knowing that I was going to have to head to the hospital, I took advantage of the pain and stood up to finish all 23 costumes before it was too late. Lance insists that sewing from 2 am to 6am while in labor constitutes the "nesting" burst of energy, but I think it's more of a "the show must go on" type of thing; I knew I was going to miss the show and those kids needed to wear something on stage!
After the costumes were done, I managed to lie down and squeeze in about an hour's sleep (facilitated by a nice food rub from Mr. Windish). We called the dr. about 6 am and she recommended we stick it out at home (and take advantage of the pain relieving factors of the shower) until the office opened and we could get a physical, instead to heading straight to the hospital and waiting around uncomfortably for hours. Around 10 am, we packed up the costumes and the car, dropped off the Caesar stuff, and headed to the doctor's office for an update. I had apparently effaced another 20% and dilated to 3 cm overnight. The dr. recommended we walk around for a couple of hours to keep things moving and then head to the hospital. We were on the upper west side, so we got lunch at EJ's Diner and then spent a few hours walking up and down the air conditioned stairs and exhibits at the museum of natural history. At around 4 pm, I was in so much pain that I announced that we were done and it was time to head in.
We landed at the triage room at the hospital around 5pm and hung out there until they admitted up at about 7pm. I was SO happy to be in a private room with a shower I could jump into immediately. The shower was my main pain relief for HOURS. I was allowed off the monitor for 30 minutes at a time and that was the only time the contractions weren't agony, especially since the plan was to avoid an epidural if at all possible. I'm not against pain medication; it's just that all the literature I had read seemed to suggest that epidurals slow down labor, which made the dr;s need to speed things up with pitocin, which brings along stronger contractions, which makes labor more painful than before the damn epidural- a vicious cycle.
All that "natural" labor was all well and good, until around 2 am when I was in so much pain I couldn't function. I had made it to 6 cm, but 10 cm was still a long ways away. I hadn't eaten in 11 hours, wasn't allowed any water other than ice chips and my body was BEAT. I just didn't think I was going to make it. So, I thew in the towel (even though our AWESOME nurse Bekah and the fabulous residents insisted that I didn't think of it as giving up) and asked for an epidural. Thank god. Once it was inserted, I was finally able to lie down through a contraction (first time in 24 hours) and my body could start to build up some strength again. The nurse and doctors kept saying that I should try to get some sleep, but then they kept checking things every 3 - 5 minutes, so it's not like I could actually do that. But at least lying down helped a LOT.
The initial epidural medication lasted about 1.5 hours. We had been told this, but were still shocked when I was in so much pain I was screaming, couldn't breathe, and just WAILED through contractions again. They hurt SO MUCH. I thought I was going to die. My body and the baby's heart beat was happiest when I was either in a modified child's pose or on my hands and knees, so the doctor asked me to stay like that for as long as I could. An hour or two (or 3- who the hell knows?) later, choking on snot and ice chips while attempting to breathe in an oxygen mask, I was still only at 9 cm. I was BEGGING to push, but I wasn't allowed to yet. Thank god for years of Kegel exercises, because it is HARD to talk your body out of pushing when it REALLY wants to. They boosted the epidural a little. I still had a cm to go and the contractions were 3 minutes long and coming every 30 seconds. The dr's were saying it was crazy that it was this strong, as this is usually what pitocin brings. And I was worried about getting slowed down by the epidural. Good lord....
A second boost of epidural made it so that I could breathe enough to stop hyperventilating and even managed to lie down again for a little bit. The baby's heart rate still preferred the hands and knees, so I had to switch back to that as soon as my legs recovered enough to support me. Both the doctor and the nurse separately commented that it was sure lucky that I was Parker's mom, because she really preferred a position that most people couldn't sustain for that many hours at a time. I guess those handstand lessons did SOMETHING for my wrists.
Once the last cm dilated, it was FINALLY time to push. This would have been easier if I could actually feel which muscles were which, but the epidural was finally doing enough of a job that I really had to experiment to figure it out. Pushing ended up being the least painful part (again, thank you epidural). It was pretty fast too. My body had been wanting to do it for hours, so it was such a relief when they could turn down the epidural enough for me to feel a little and get on with it.
Since I was still pretty numb, Parker needed a little help with a vacuum extraction. The dr said she would have let me push by myself (and probably avoided most of the ripping that ended up happening), but Parker's heart rate was NOT happy once the pushing was so start and stop. So bang bang bang and out she came. Lance and I were so teared up looking at her. It makes me cry now just picturing it. It is just a happy, joyful, relief to have her here, in one piece, with us. It's a cliche, but it really feels like a miracle.
I'm sure there's lots more details that I may or may not remember. They broke my water at some point, since it wasn't breaking on its own. During the worst part ever, Lance was trying to coach me (which he did heroically and successfully all night long) by saying to breathe "slow and deep", but I told Lance that HE could go breathe slow and deep (while CLEARLY adding the subtext of "go fuck yourself.") Ummmm the rest will come with time. Maybe.
Parker's getting a final test before they let us go home from our swank recovery room (which we can't afford to stay in another day!). I am fried fried fried. There are 20 messges filling up my voicemail and I can't even begin to think about attempting to listen to them. It's time to pack up, go home, sit on some ice and take a LONG nap while taking advantage of grandma baby-sitting before we're on our own again.
Thank god the beautiful Miss Parker is here and we survivied and love each other and her more than we could ever possibly imagine. Let's hear it for the VERY LUCKY Friday the 13th.
xoxo
Friday, June 13, 2008
voodoo child
Born under a bad sign (gemini) at 7:47 Friday the 13th, Parker Elizabeth Tarbox Windish is the world's newest redhead (or at least the cutest)! Weighing in at 7 pounds 4 ounces and weilding more mojo than the French Quarter on hurricane drops, our little love bug beats Herbie all the way to h-e-double hockeysticks and is a certified Kung-Fu Genius to boot. More details, and pics to come soon.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
i remember
Every one of us is a teacher. As my baby starts her journey out of the womb and into our world, the employment of each of us as an educator is emphatically etched on my brain. And for everyone out there, I wanted to say, I remember.
I remember the lessons you have taught me (though my actions don't always display this), and because of that, Parker will be blessed. Parker will be better off, because of you. From you I have learned to share, I have learned to laugh, I have learned to love. The amount of love I have received from you is overpowering. It knocks me to my knees and makes me cry at the same time as it lifts me in the air and makes me laugh and smile. I cannot rightly express the surge of gratitude I bear you for your lessons of love. I remember, and I will pass them on to Parker. I cannot state enough my overwhelming bliss, this dramatic and unabashed current flowing through me at the remembrance of your love. The love of family and friends first and foremost, but I do not discount the multitude of tiny kindnesses of every encounter with another. Small things that though unknown at the time, bespeak of the love we all bear and share with one another. Even injustices and hurts teach the lesson of love.True, My impending daddyhood has filled me with endorphins, and this great gush can in part be attributed to their giddy influence. But I have been observing the role of the teacher in all of us for a while (preparing for my greatest performance and the constant instruction I'll be imparting). And really the root of it all is love. Everyone of us is love, and gives love. To all and for all, my thanks. I love you, I remember.
I remember the lessons you have taught me (though my actions don't always display this), and because of that, Parker will be blessed. Parker will be better off, because of you. From you I have learned to share, I have learned to laugh, I have learned to love. The amount of love I have received from you is overpowering. It knocks me to my knees and makes me cry at the same time as it lifts me in the air and makes me laugh and smile. I cannot rightly express the surge of gratitude I bear you for your lessons of love. I remember, and I will pass them on to Parker. I cannot state enough my overwhelming bliss, this dramatic and unabashed current flowing through me at the remembrance of your love. The love of family and friends first and foremost, but I do not discount the multitude of tiny kindnesses of every encounter with another. Small things that though unknown at the time, bespeak of the love we all bear and share with one another. Even injustices and hurts teach the lesson of love.True, My impending daddyhood has filled me with endorphins, and this great gush can in part be attributed to their giddy influence. But I have been observing the role of the teacher in all of us for a while (preparing for my greatest performance and the constant instruction I'll be imparting). And really the root of it all is love. Everyone of us is love, and gives love. To all and for all, my thanks. I love you, I remember.
OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW
couldn't sleep at all. hurts more when i lie down. got up at 2am to finish the costumes for the kids' Julius Caesar, which opens today.
Gonna eat some oatmeal and see if anyone can tell me if these contractions are doing anything other than inflicting pain.
Gonna eat some oatmeal and see if anyone can tell me if these contractions are doing anything other than inflicting pain.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Soon...
Contractions are getting stronger and stronger. Cervix is thining and dilating. Now all she has to do is drop her damn head!
OB told me to try walking up some stairs, which happens to be the only physical thing I've been avoiding whenever possible. Coincidence? I think not. Also doing some yoga and stretches to loosen my pelvis.
Lance got to hear her heartbeat and see her on the monitor today. The heatbeat he could recognize, but thought that the Dr. and I were in on a female conspiracy as we said things like "There's the arm!" when it just looked like static-y mush to him. Oh well.
While things are sure moving along, the Dr. set a deadline today. If Parker doesn't come by the 25th, then we're inducing. So she's got 2 weeks from today. Goooooooooo Parker!
Yesterday was our 2 year wedding anniversary. Lance has been very good about researching what each anniversary is supposed to be. One year is paper, so he made a paper-mache vase (with a water-tight inside) last year. Year two is cotton, so he got a gorgeous cotton slip/dress/nightie from one of my favorite stores (which happens to be owened/run by my friend Jennifer, who has exquisite taste!) As usual, one or two words into the card and I was balling my eyes out. He just makes me melt.
OK. My body says no more computers- only stretching... My lower back is so sore. I can't even imagine what it's gonna be like once the hard-core contractions set in. Yowza.
xoxo
OB told me to try walking up some stairs, which happens to be the only physical thing I've been avoiding whenever possible. Coincidence? I think not. Also doing some yoga and stretches to loosen my pelvis.
Lance got to hear her heartbeat and see her on the monitor today. The heatbeat he could recognize, but thought that the Dr. and I were in on a female conspiracy as we said things like "There's the arm!" when it just looked like static-y mush to him. Oh well.
While things are sure moving along, the Dr. set a deadline today. If Parker doesn't come by the 25th, then we're inducing. So she's got 2 weeks from today. Goooooooooo Parker!
Yesterday was our 2 year wedding anniversary. Lance has been very good about researching what each anniversary is supposed to be. One year is paper, so he made a paper-mache vase (with a water-tight inside) last year. Year two is cotton, so he got a gorgeous cotton slip/dress/nightie from one of my favorite stores (which happens to be owened/run by my friend Jennifer, who has exquisite taste!) As usual, one or two words into the card and I was balling my eyes out. He just makes me melt.
OK. My body says no more computers- only stretching... My lower back is so sore. I can't even imagine what it's gonna be like once the hard-core contractions set in. Yowza.
xoxo
Monday, June 9, 2008
*Comparison
Oh what a difference 2 years make... These shots are both from memorial day weekend, 2006 and then 2008. Same exact outfit, same exact weekend. Wow...
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Antidote!
Who knew that the way to escape from hormones was a totally spontaneous trip to Coney Island?! I was lying in bed, crying, because Lance suggested that I just let myself cry even though nothing was wrong because apparently my body needed the release. But after a minute or two of that I decided that, at 8:30 pm, we should grab our stuff and head out the door immediately for what could potentially be our last spur-of-the-moment, out the door in a flash adventure for a decade or two. It was so nice and cheered me up so much.
Coney Island was a disaster zone. It had been hot all day, so people and trash were EVERYWHERE. But we waded through the debris and made it down to the water where it was SO NICE to just hug with our feet in the cool water. I really wanted to go swimming, but it was dark, lightning was off in the distance, and come on- it's Coney Island and it's sketchy enough swimming in that water when you can see. So, instead I got a little deeper while Lance watched me splash and jump in calf-deep water. For at least 30 minutes if not 60. It was EXACTLY what I needed.
Then we went up to the amusement parks just as it started to sprinkle. A whole bunch of people cheered and danced in the rain with their hands in the air. I could only enjoy it vicariously while desperately searching for a bathroom. Ah pregnancy...
We ate some ridiculously expensive funnel cake and then decided that we didn't need to spend 12 dollars to go on the ferris wheel. Lance also didn't know if he wanted to be that high in the air in a metal structure in a lightening storm. Details...
We went back to the car, which happily had not been towed or ticketed even though the parking space was slightly questionable. We drove home by way of staten island due to some confusing constuction detours, but hey, the view from the verrazano bridge is worth every penny of the TEN FREAKIN DOLLARS it cost to get off of it and do a u-turn. Oh well.
We avoided more construction traffic by being cool new yorkers who could take local roads and then found a parking space right in front of the house. The evening was complete as I fell asleep while Lance watched an episode of The Office, his latest obsession, while rubbing my feet. So nice.
All in all, a much better evening that I had anticipated while moping in bed.
xoxo
Coney Island was a disaster zone. It had been hot all day, so people and trash were EVERYWHERE. But we waded through the debris and made it down to the water where it was SO NICE to just hug with our feet in the cool water. I really wanted to go swimming, but it was dark, lightning was off in the distance, and come on- it's Coney Island and it's sketchy enough swimming in that water when you can see. So, instead I got a little deeper while Lance watched me splash and jump in calf-deep water. For at least 30 minutes if not 60. It was EXACTLY what I needed.
Then we went up to the amusement parks just as it started to sprinkle. A whole bunch of people cheered and danced in the rain with their hands in the air. I could only enjoy it vicariously while desperately searching for a bathroom. Ah pregnancy...
We ate some ridiculously expensive funnel cake and then decided that we didn't need to spend 12 dollars to go on the ferris wheel. Lance also didn't know if he wanted to be that high in the air in a metal structure in a lightening storm. Details...
We went back to the car, which happily had not been towed or ticketed even though the parking space was slightly questionable. We drove home by way of staten island due to some confusing constuction detours, but hey, the view from the verrazano bridge is worth every penny of the TEN FREAKIN DOLLARS it cost to get off of it and do a u-turn. Oh well.
We avoided more construction traffic by being cool new yorkers who could take local roads and then found a parking space right in front of the house. The evening was complete as I fell asleep while Lance watched an episode of The Office, his latest obsession, while rubbing my feet. So nice.
All in all, a much better evening that I had anticipated while moping in bed.
xoxo
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Hormones
Wow, are they strong. Lance said I had a big grimace on my face earlier and for the past couple of hours I have been on the verge of tears for no reason. Well, no reason but hormones...
My body keeps moving forward, getting ready for Parker. I keep on being able to check off new and exciting "pre-labor" symptoms off of the list. Contractions are getting stronger and stronger. However, at this rate, I don't think her birthday will be 060708. Ah well, she'll survive. And so will I.
Got the final tester pack of diapers. Now we have 4 types to try. Hopefully one of the cheaper, environmentally conscious ones won't leak. We'll see.
Had fun painting a little today, doing a concept sketch for the birth announcement that Aunt Barbie is making (thank God!). Watercolors are very pretty and very soothing. Now I just need to learn how to draw/paint anything that doesn't look like a 12 year old did it and I'll be set with a new hobby. In the mean time, I'm making a relaxing mess.
Mostly glad Parker hasn't come yet. Have 23 costumes to sew this weekend for the middle school production of Julius Caesar. That sounds like a lot, but they are VERY simple. Still, I can't honestly say they'd get done if Parker was here! I wonder if she's really going to wait until the 19th so that I can get through all the scheduled end-of-year performances. Who knows...
Gonna try a little belly dancing to loosen up the ol' pelvis for an easier birth. In the mean time, I think I'll take a nap.
xoxo
My body keeps moving forward, getting ready for Parker. I keep on being able to check off new and exciting "pre-labor" symptoms off of the list. Contractions are getting stronger and stronger. However, at this rate, I don't think her birthday will be 060708. Ah well, she'll survive. And so will I.
Got the final tester pack of diapers. Now we have 4 types to try. Hopefully one of the cheaper, environmentally conscious ones won't leak. We'll see.
Had fun painting a little today, doing a concept sketch for the birth announcement that Aunt Barbie is making (thank God!). Watercolors are very pretty and very soothing. Now I just need to learn how to draw/paint anything that doesn't look like a 12 year old did it and I'll be set with a new hobby. In the mean time, I'm making a relaxing mess.
Mostly glad Parker hasn't come yet. Have 23 costumes to sew this weekend for the middle school production of Julius Caesar. That sounds like a lot, but they are VERY simple. Still, I can't honestly say they'd get done if Parker was here! I wonder if she's really going to wait until the 19th so that I can get through all the scheduled end-of-year performances. Who knows...
Gonna try a little belly dancing to loosen up the ol' pelvis for an easier birth. In the mean time, I think I'll take a nap.
xoxo
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Zonked
That's the best way to describe how I feel. Thanks to my hormone overdrive, and my inability to get any rest even when I do manage to fall asleep, I feel like I'm in full meltdown mode. I'm trying to take it easy. My bloodpressure was up yesterday, but I think that was just because I was nervous about telling the doctor that I needed her to stop threatening a c-section like some sort of punishment everytime I gain more than a pound or two per week. Once I got to the hospital for follow-up labwork, my blood pressure was FINE. I really think I just needed to get out of her office! Meanwhile, 5 hours of bloodwork and monitoring later, the hospital staff agreed with me and got permission to let me go. This meant that I missed the afterschool kids' circus performance, which sucked both because I felt like I was letting the kids down AND because it meant Lance had to set-up, run, and take down a whole 20 kid circus by himself. He was a little zonked by the time he came home as well...
The cool thing about being monitored at the hospital was that I got to listen to parker's heartbeat for five hours (sounds good! kind of like a galloping horse) and watch my uterus contract every 5 minutes. These were just baby contractions, getting my body ready for the real ones, but it was nice to know that they were really regular for 5 hours, instead of sporadic like I had thought. It was also a nice dry-run for the real thing, because it was the same waiting room and triage evaluation room that I'll go to once Parker kicks into high gear. She's moving like a maniac today, and yesterday she did that whenever I had a contraction. Apparently she doesn't enjoy being squeezed.
I'm trying to take it easy to make sure that the bloodpressure thing was just because the doctor made me nervous. We went to the grocery store this morning since we had to do something with the car for alternate street parking, but missed and ended up at costco. this was good because we've had 2 tires give up on us in the last couple of months and needed to replace the other 2 before they blew as well. So, costco changed the tires while we stocked up on stuff to keep up afloat after the baby comes. But I don't know if it's possible to go to costco without getting numb even when you're NOT pregnant. The walking felt good. Everyone keeps saying that walking is the best thing to do because it loosens up the pelvis and lets gravity do its thing. But still... TOTAL sensory overload. I almost starting crying on the way home because a traffic light was taking too long to change and I wanted to go.
I think what this all really means is that it's time to eat something and take a nap. Assuming Parker will let me do either of those without having a meltdown of her own...
The cool thing about being monitored at the hospital was that I got to listen to parker's heartbeat for five hours (sounds good! kind of like a galloping horse) and watch my uterus contract every 5 minutes. These were just baby contractions, getting my body ready for the real ones, but it was nice to know that they were really regular for 5 hours, instead of sporadic like I had thought. It was also a nice dry-run for the real thing, because it was the same waiting room and triage evaluation room that I'll go to once Parker kicks into high gear. She's moving like a maniac today, and yesterday she did that whenever I had a contraction. Apparently she doesn't enjoy being squeezed.
I'm trying to take it easy to make sure that the bloodpressure thing was just because the doctor made me nervous. We went to the grocery store this morning since we had to do something with the car for alternate street parking, but missed and ended up at costco. this was good because we've had 2 tires give up on us in the last couple of months and needed to replace the other 2 before they blew as well. So, costco changed the tires while we stocked up on stuff to keep up afloat after the baby comes. But I don't know if it's possible to go to costco without getting numb even when you're NOT pregnant. The walking felt good. Everyone keeps saying that walking is the best thing to do because it loosens up the pelvis and lets gravity do its thing. But still... TOTAL sensory overload. I almost starting crying on the way home because a traffic light was taking too long to change and I wanted to go.
I think what this all really means is that it's time to eat something and take a nap. Assuming Parker will let me do either of those without having a meltdown of her own...
Monday, June 2, 2008
Split Peas and Strawberries
Those are the only thing I want to eat today. Oh, and milk. Luckily I have a very accommodating husband and a 24-hour deli around the corner.
I am so damn tired I can't even describe it.
I had a nice get-together with some girlfriends yesterday. It was WONDERFUL to hang out with them. Not only did they shower Parker with adorable presents, but we all got to decorate baby clothes with fabric paint. Park's gonna be the coolest kid ever, with original bad-ass designs all over her onsies.
Today I worked for ONE hour before Lance came to relieve me and could barely walk to the subway to get home. Soooooo tired. So silly. I keep thinking this is my body saying that Parker's about to come, but I thought I was supposed to get a huge burst of energy right before hand, so it can't be that soon. In the mean time, I'll keep taking it easy and see what the doctor says on wednesday.
Lance & I are finally going to tour the maternity ward at the hospital. We were there when his sister gave birth, but obviously not looking at it from anything but a visitor's point of view.
Got the official letter from oxford in the mail today. I know I already had a verbal confirmation, but it is VERY nice to see in writing that they are going to cover thee pregnancy. Once again, thank god.
We got a ton of books that our friends Mark & Laura's son Jack is done with. Lance read me to sleep with about 10 of them last night and there's still a ton for tonight if I need them.
Washed all the cradle linens and mattress and practiced making up the bed today. Everything fits. Parker will be very comfy and cozy. And cute. Now she just needs to get her butt here!
xoxo
I am so damn tired I can't even describe it.
I had a nice get-together with some girlfriends yesterday. It was WONDERFUL to hang out with them. Not only did they shower Parker with adorable presents, but we all got to decorate baby clothes with fabric paint. Park's gonna be the coolest kid ever, with original bad-ass designs all over her onsies.
Today I worked for ONE hour before Lance came to relieve me and could barely walk to the subway to get home. Soooooo tired. So silly. I keep thinking this is my body saying that Parker's about to come, but I thought I was supposed to get a huge burst of energy right before hand, so it can't be that soon. In the mean time, I'll keep taking it easy and see what the doctor says on wednesday.
Lance & I are finally going to tour the maternity ward at the hospital. We were there when his sister gave birth, but obviously not looking at it from anything but a visitor's point of view.
Got the official letter from oxford in the mail today. I know I already had a verbal confirmation, but it is VERY nice to see in writing that they are going to cover thee pregnancy. Once again, thank god.
We got a ton of books that our friends Mark & Laura's son Jack is done with. Lance read me to sleep with about 10 of them last night and there's still a ton for tonight if I need them.
Washed all the cradle linens and mattress and practiced making up the bed today. Everything fits. Parker will be very comfy and cozy. And cute. Now she just needs to get her butt here!
xoxo
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