8 months

Peyton turned eight months this week and he’s reached so many milestones.

He started crawling about two weeks ago and loves to try and pull himself up. His two bottom teeth are budding — leading to many days and nights of wailing and crankiness. (Motrin is our BFF right now.) He’s gumming Graduates Puffs and loving it. Best of all, he laughs quite easily, smiles a lot, claps his hands, loves bath time, and babbles constantly.

And amazingly, pregnancy amnesia has set in. While I remember that labor/recovery was painful and hard, the fun that I get from my son really does blur the memories of child birth. In fact, one day, as Peyton laughed and babbled, I said to the hub, “I think I can have another one.”

His jaw dropped. “Whaaaa–?” he said. “Did you hear that, Peyton? Maybe you’ll have a brother or sister!”

After the second, I’m pretty sure we’ll be done. I’m not crazy enough to have three, or EIGHT!

First New Year

We returned from our holiday trip intact and fairly untraumatized. We gave the little tyke some Benadryl before leaving DC and he slept for about an hour. Then we fed him and played, and he was in a very good mood. Just as we were preparing going down into Dallas, he fussed a little and fell asleep. He did have a hard time the first night sleeping at my sister’s because I suspect he didn’t know where he was. But we didn’t hold him to sleep, so he did some crying, which worked out great because he can pretty much fall asleep now on his own when we put him down to sleep. (Well, until the NEXT cold/illness.) On the return flight, we Benadryled him up again and he slept for an hour — quite soundly. He was in a pretty good mood when he woke up, but as we started to descend, he started screaming because of the pressure in the ears. I could feel it myself. Thankfully, there were three other babies on board, so we weren’t the only ones. Peyton fell asleep close to landing. That’s the good thing about letting him cry it out — he gets really tired!

The thing that traumatized us the most during our trip was the incessant whining emitted by my nephews. Not just one — but three! Man, if it wasn’t one thing, it was something else and someone always cried/fought/questioned. I asked the hub to get a vasectomy as soon as we returned home. (People always ask why it took us so long to have kids… this is why.)

I’ve never really been one to be big on New Year. I’ve never had resolutions. To me, it’s just another day.

But 2009 brings many new things. New President! (Big YAY!) Baby’s first new year. (He was in bed by 6:30 PM.) This is also first new year that the hub and I didn’t stay up to kiss each other when the clock struck midnight.  The hub wanted to try, but I said, “Sleep is so precious now.” He couldn’t argue with that. (Both in bed by 10:30 PM — even that’s a little late for us!)

And this morning, it appears that Peyton is cutting his first teeth (bottom front). He’s really growing up! (And cranky!)

Happy new year!

Thanks, Sis

A recent conversation with my sister:

“I noticed that your arms are still chunky in your photos,” she said. “You know, if you don’t lose your belly by the third month, you’ll probably have it forever.”

Um, thanks, sis. I’ll be sure to think of you when I go to my cardio kickboxing class.

Just Chillin’

Woke up this morning and didn’t have the cramping anymore. I had a couple of instances of shooting pain in my lower back this morning, but that was it.

Good news is my sister and nephew are leaving tomorrow. I still had to argue with her last night about not wanting to risk contaminating the baby. (“I won’t touch him!” she said.) But you just never know how careful you can be, right? Then she criticized the OB’s credentials saying, “I’m not contagious. How can she not know this? Makes me wonder about her… what kind of OB is that?” Uh, maybe the OB was just being cautious? BECAUSE IT’S A NEWBORN! But I digress… Plus I’d like to at least clean the house before the baby comes. It’s been a mess since they’ve arrived and I definitely can’t clean up after they leave once the baby’s here.

Last night, my sister AGAIN rambled on about the hooks in the baby’s bedroom. I seriously think she’s kinda crazy. Then this morning I had to hear her lecture me about using plastic containers, her horrible experiences with epidurals, how I don’t eat enough veggies and meat, and my choice with putting the baby in daycare when I go back to work. Plus she’ll give little jabs, like when I told her I had lost a pound and she said the scale must’ve been broken. I’ve gotten to the point where I want to shake her and tell her to shut-up!

I’m starting to realize that much of the stress she experiences, she puts on herself and that’s why she got shingles. She obsesses about the strangest things, but at the same time doesn’t mind creating clutter for me. I hate it when people use things and don’t put them back where they belong, and she keeps doing that!

Well, I’m glad they’re leaving tomorrow. The hub and I can enjoy ourselves one more time as DINKS before our lives are changed forever and ever.

Seriously…

So I went in for my non-stress test and to check the fluid… pretty routine, right? The hub was going to go back to work after the appointment and I was going to go home and do some work.

The dr (not my OB, but a specialist) checked the fluid on a sonogram and said it was normal, but on the lower end. Then he asked me if I had any contractions and if the baby had been moving. I said I had been getting the menstrual cramping pain since last night and I thought the baby had been moving fine. He pulled out the results from the non-stress test and said, “Well, it looks the baby’s heartbeat went down three times and as a precaution, you should go directly to labor and delivery.” “HUH?!” both the hub and I said. “Hahaha, yes, go get admitted and we’ll send over the paperwork. We don’t want to risk anything,” he told us. “But I’m being induced Monday,” I said. “Oh, well I guess it’s today! ” the dr said. He asked how far I was effaced and dilated and I told him. “Ah, you’re in good shape then!”

So the hub and I quickly walked to the hospital (which is right next to the dr’s office) and I was blubbering about all the things I had to do and whatnot. As we took the elevator up, we met another pregnant woman who was doing her labor breathing. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yeah, it’s not so bad,” she said. She told me she was also supposed to be induced on Monday but her water broke in the morning and the contractions started. She seemed remarkably calm. Then we all walked over to get registered and the staff were stunned that two pregnant women were being admitted at the same time. One of them asked, “Are you here together?”

Full Moon My *ss

I got excited again yesterday because I experienced the menstrual cramping twice and I thought maybe this full moon business had some truth to it! Each time, I went for a walk to get things going. But, nope, nothing happened.

We got a lot of calls from people yesterday asking about our status, including my mom. I told her, “Uh, I think the hub would give you a call!!”

Then, as I lay on the couch to rest my legs, my sister sat there and talked… and talked… and talked and before I knew it, it was 11 PM — which is way past my bed time nowadays. I got up to say I was going to bed and she followed me, still talking. Then I went to the kitchen to drink some water… still talking. Walked to the bathroom and said, “Uh, I’m going to bed.” Then she said, “Oh yeah, OK.” This is the ritual practically every night. Everyone keeps telling me to get my sleep now, but I can’t! My sister keeps me up!

I have my OB appointment this afternoon, so we’ll see what happens and when my induction will be scheduled. I’d like to take a couple of days off before it and relax… maybe sleep ALL day one day — with earplugs so I don’t have to hear my sister and nephew.

Due Date… Not

Today’s the baby’s due date… still nothing.

I had mild cramping pains last night and got all excited. They were very mild, but that’s still a good sign. I went for a walk hoping to jump start something, but when I got home, the pain went away.

Speaking of pain, my sister went to the dr today about her pains and “rash.” Turns out she has SHINGLES! She started having the pains before she arrived and the rash appeared on Saturday. The dr told her it’s triggered by stress and low immunity (that’s why old people often get them). Well, she’s not contagious other than if I touched the rash, which is on her abdomen. There’s nothing she can do or take at this point because she’s halfway through the process.

Maybe it’s better if the baby comes after she leaves…

Forty Weeks

Well… still waiting.

Yesterday, in the AM, I went in for my acupuncture appointment. My acupuncturist looked at me, shook his head, and said, “Man.” I gave him this look, like: “This crap doesn’t work!” He said if I don’t go into labor before my induction, I will be his first patient it’s ever happened to.

Then there was a thunderstorm in the afternoon and I was hopeful since the dr said thunderstorms sometimes trigger labor from the low pressure. I watched the storm at work from a window and patted the belly, “Come on out little one!” Nothing. There’s supposed to be a full moon tomorrow — another old wives tale — so maybe…?

Otherwise, everything is the same. I feel big, my legs swell and hurt, I’m tired… Right now, I’m not feeling optimistic that the baby will arrive this week, so I think I’ll probably be induced. I am concerned though that he’s running out of room. He doesn’t move as much and depending on how I lie down, the belly goes into these odd shapes and I’m sure he’s just squished.

My sister took it upon herself to show me the sagging skin she got from her pregnancies despite losing all the weight. She said hers happened after the second child. Great… another thing to look forward to.

Speaking of my sister, she supposedly came to help me, but I feel like she and my nephew have been more work for me! They sure use up a lot of dishes and then there’s all this food they need. I’ve been so tired since they arrived. Plus my sister has been getting these side pains and developed a strange rash (which, of course, she blames my house and dog). My sister also talks a lot… a lot about nothing. Her stories are long and unnecessarily detailed about people I don’t know or care about. And my nephew is so melodramatic! Everything that comes out his mouth is a whine. All he wants to do is sit in front of the TV and play video games. I definitely see elements of his dad and mom in him — the interrupting (dad), the loud shouting (mom). He’s definitely not as cute as he used to be. We were watching TV last night and the two of them were shouting at the TV or just shouting in general. The dog got so irritated, she got up and moved to another room.

Thirty-Eight Weeks

The swelling in the legs are terrible. I’ll put my feet up and the swelling will go down considerably. Then I get up for an hour or so to do stuff and they’ll get uncomfortably swollen again. My legs get tight and stiff, and it’s hard to move around — especially when bending. I read that exercise helps, but I don’t think that’s true because I took a walk this past weekend and it didn’t get any better. For some reason, my right leg is worse off than the left. It even gets really uncomfortable in my toes because my feet are so swollen, I can barely move them.

I got some compression socks this past weekend, but couldn’t find any in size small. They were all medium or larger, and the mediums are a little loose. I got them anyway, and I think they help a little — but it’s been getting warm and my feet get hot wearing socks.

I’m really feeling big and uncomfortable right now. My clothes barely fit. I can barely walk. I feel like an elephant! I can’t believe how big the belly grew over the weekend. I feel like either I or the baby has gained five pounds in two days.

The baby’s been moving quite a bit and very strong, and he’s been getting frequent hiccups, which makes my entire belly rumble. It’s very distracting and sometimes keeps me up when I’m trying to sleep. I am really afraid he’s running out of room because when he moves now, it’s like he’s trying to stretch, but is squished and seems frustrated.

My sister called me earlier this week in preparation for her visit. She asked if I wanted her to bring anything, like clothes for the baby and I said, “No more clothes. The kid has more clothes than the hub and I combined.” Then she asked if I wanted her postpartum clothes. Considering my experience with the maternity clothes, I said no. Then she said, “Your clothes won’t fit. You’ll need bigger clothes.” (This is very typical of my sister.) “No, I don’t want them. Don’t worry about what I’ll wear,” I said. “Oh, but you’ll want to go out. I have shorts! Nike shorts!” I wanted to scream that we have different styles — she of the ’80s and me of urban chic! Then I said, “Well, you’ll have to pay for checking in luggage. Just keep your clothes.” “Yeah, you’re right,” she said. I knew that would work — she’s quite frugal.

I talked to my boss about telecommuting one day a week before my due date and he said it’s fine. Yay!

There Oughta Be a Law Against In-Laws

Yesterday, we went to see my in-laws. The first thing my mother-in-law asked me was if I was having twins. Now, she knows we aren’t having twins. Why ask me that question? Because that’s her way of pointing out how big I am. Because that’s funny? There are plenty of flaws about her that I could point out to her — the majority of which are permanent, starting with her personality. But I digress.

But she couldn’t stop there. She had to tell me that I better work out after the baby to lose the weight. (This coming from a woman who couldn’t handle holding my 3-month-old niece.) I told her that I was actually still working out. Then she had to say, “Do you really think that’s wise? Do you think you should be doing that right now?”

Now, there is a reason why I don’t live near any of my family. Because they drove me crazy. So, I really don’t need another set to do the same. It’s bad enough that my mom nags me on the phone, but to bear this woman’s nagging in my face… I am beginning to think that there should be something besides a “babymoon” for pregnant women. More like “in-lawmoon” or “leave-me-the-f-alone-moon.”

The pregnant woman’s new mantra: SERENITY NOW!