Mara Lou is nearly 11 weeks old now! Unfortunately, she's battling her first big cold. She and Mommy are both sneezing a lot with congestion, runny noses, and sore throats. Luckily, I am able to stay at home and snuggle her and rest with her and wash the bazillion outfits and toys that are contaminated with her various ... secretions.. ;)
Yesterday it was over 70 degrees here in KC! Mara and I took our first trip to the KC zoo with some other mommies and babies and had a SPECTACULAR time! Not only was the company wonderful, but the zoo is really awesome! We saw elephants, gorillas, camels, cheetahs, lions, tigers (no bears), springboks, polar bears, rhinos, crocodiles... it was excellent. 4 1/2 hours well-spent on such a beautiful January 28th day.
Mara and the Elephant!
The weather here has really been the perfect version of crazy... relatively crummy during the week and nicer on the weekends! Last weekend was warm-ish (low 50s!), so we took a nice long stroll on Sunday in Loose Park, which is only a half mile from where we live. It was lovely!
Trying to predict what Mara will look like with hair...using my hair as we laid head-to-head! If her hair-growth follows in my footsteps, she'll probably have long hair on the sides and back before she grows much on top! :)
Cutest little Wicked Witch from the West impersonation I've ever seen <3
Making dinner together! Hopefully she learns to be a good cook early on!
Love being a mommy, but here's the reality - GIGANTIC bags under your eyes, almost as deep as your love for your baby...
We're Going on a Bear Hunt is one of Mara's favorites... well, one of the only books she doesn't cry through. That and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom...
Shermie turned 4! (And the bone picture turned upside down but I'm too lazy to go through the process of turning it...)
Mara is becoming more interested in her "gym" and interacting... this was a wonderful moment when we were talking about the different animals hanging from her gym and the sounds they make. She was SO excited (kicking arms and legs, cooing - cutest thing EVER) and seemed to be listening intently to my monkey sounds. :)
You might ask, "How can Lindsay possibly have any more poop stories???"
Let me rock your world...
4:30 a.m. ... Last night ... Mara had just finished nursing ... Time to change the diaper ...
I had just cleaned up the poopy diaper, removed it, and put her A+D ointment on her little booty. As I was thanking my stars for her not pooping while I applied the gel (which I do every time - I realize I'm not in the clear for that one until she's out of diapers), Mara was wiggling happily on her changing pad. Suddenly, she lifted her bottom and SQUIRTED poop out across the room. I sh*t you not. (Yes, I intended to make that pun.) Seriously, though, it was like she had loaded a squirt gun with her feces and pumped her little Super Soaker to achieve maximum pressure before releasing her ammo. I couldn't believe it. How is that feat even possible?!?! As it happened, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh my GOD!" and woke Mike up. ("Sorry, honey, didn't mean to wake you... but your daughter is a poop acrobat...a poopcrobat, if you will.")
I cleaned up as much as I could with limited light from the bathroom, but even with the Oxyclean, there was still discoloration on the floor that I saw this morning.. it's literally a line of stains. Unreal.
Always one to keep me on my toes, Mara decided to sneeze while I was changing her this morning when she woke up... along with the sneeze came more poop. Luckily, this extra little surprise didn't shoot across the room.. it just soaked her old diaper, new diaper (which was underneath/to the side of the old one), and her PJs (underneath/to the side of the new diaper). Unbelievable. Maybe I should contact the Guinness Book of World Records? Is there a category for Longest Poop Shot Out of a Baby's Butt??
Science of Rock 'n Roll
Mike, Mara, and I went to Union Station's current special exhibit, The Science of Rock 'n Roll. It was awesome! Lots of history, music, and interactive elements. You could play the guitar, piano, drums, or sing and record yourself...upload it using your "backstage pass"...and view it online later! So cool.. too bad Mara got hungry after just over an hour. I would have liked to have stayed longer and played more. :) I recommend the exhibit for anyone in the KC area! Educational and fun!
My terrible impression of Elvis... I was working hard on the legs, but Mike cut them off! At least Mara got to be part of the Hound Dog experience. :)
The Anderson Family Singers ... see our band behind us??
Big Girl @ 2 Months Old!
Mara was 2 months old on Monday, January 14th. I can't believe it! The sad part of her big day was that she had to get 3 shots at the pediatrician's office. SO, SO SAD. I knew it would be hard, but I can't erase the image of my sweet little trusting baby girl looking at me happily and then getting poked by a mean ol' sharp needle. Her eyes got huge, as she was startled, and then she just started screaming. I was holding her hands and she squeezed my fingers so tightly I thought she'd never let go. It was all I could do to not cry right along with her. I'm trying to figure out how to keep her from being traumatized by needles or the doctor, or thinking that her mommy causes her pain. :-/
A fun part of her growing up is that she's more interested in interacting. We have gone to a few Gymboree classes and she looooves looking at the other kids. She is also a fan of The Wheels on the Bus and the movements we do...although, she usually tries to eat my hands when I hold them to make circles with them... this kid is always hungry! (Maybe that's why she's a poopcrobat...) Books are a fun thing for us to enjoy, too! Here she is, reading Moo, Baa, Fa La La with me. :)
Also, reading The Giving Tree as a mommy gives an entirely new meaning to the relationship between the tree and the boy. I got choked up reading it to Mara Lou!
From an article on CNN.com: "You are more than an incubator and more than a parent. Sometimes that's hard to remember. Be true to YOU. Change is good. Change is a part of life. You will grow. You will change, but don't become what you 'think you should be' now that you are a mom." http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/living/pregnancy-advice-ireport/index.html?hpt=hp_bn11
From Mayo Clinic's Guide to Your Baby's First Year: "How you react to your child's temperament is a key part of parenting. Instead of looking at your child as a direct reflection of yourself or your parenting skills, try to look at him or her as a separate individual with his or her own unique perspective. This slight distance between yourself and your child allows you to look objectively at your child's needs and adapt your parenting style to meet those needs. Rather than trying to change your child's disposition, you can focus on creating the best possible environment in which your child can naturally thrive." p. 143
Both quotes are meaningful to me...I find myself sometimes stressed, wondering what other people are thinking as they watch me be a parent in public. There are so many books, parenting theories, and philosophies... and yet, they can easily make you feel like there is a right way to be a mom or dad.. which leads to you (me) questioning yourself, "Am I doing this the right way?" And as soon as there's a right way, there's a wrong way. And seeing something as a dichotomy means you have to be on one side or the other....being relatively self-critical, I typically find myself wondering if I really am on the "right-way-of-parenting" side. ......the CNN quote is a reminder to keep yourself in the daily rotation of care-taking...and the Mayo Clinic book's quote reminds me (and all moms, I suspect) that my baby is her own person, and I need to think, "What does she need?" and begin there...and be okay if she is not perfectly happy or quiet immediately following my actions.
Sorry for the rambling...but it's my blog, so I get to ramble. :)
Today, Mara and I set out to do some shopping at Trader Joe's and Target. She was adorable in her melon-colored fleece zip-up vest and ready to rock - didn't even fight me when I put her in her car seat! I threw on some actual clothes (I think my pajama pants could walk on their own by now), gave Shermie a treat, and off we went...
Ready for Trader Joe's!
Proof of her sweetness in stores...Sunday's trip to World Market :)
Mara was excellent in TJ's... she slept almost the entire time and I got to stock up on Almond Milk (YUM - Trader Joe's plain version is the only kind I like). By the way, I was the crazy label-reader during this trip...I probably could have cut my time there in half if I didn't have to read the labels, but milk proteins lurk EVERYWHERE! Ahhh, what I do for my baby to not have a hurty belly (and for me to get some rest). Anyway, as we checked out of Trader Joe's, she began to stir and as soon as we were in the car, she was crying. Luckily, Target is in the same shopping center, so our drive wasn't far. Well, Mara was quiet for about a minute once we were inside Target, and then she started crying with the full capacity of her lungs. The last time we were in Target together, she did the same thing... I don't know what she's got against Target, but it's a huge grudge, that's for sure! Fortunately, all I was buying was diapers and window shades for the car, so I was quick, but... Mara was still crying. The. Entire. Time.
She turned it up on the 12 minute drive home...I kid you not, she sounded like the alarm when they do the tests on the T.V. I didn't know human beings could even make that noise! Good God. Nothing consoled her; in fact, my voice made her cry harder, as if she was saying, "Mom, you jerk! I know you're here and you STILL won't help me!"
I'd like to say, here, that if you ever are angry with a driver for their actions on the road, consider that they may have a screaming child in their car. Maybe it will help you give the poor soul a break...Inconsolable screams can be quite frazzling.
Once to our apartment complex, I had to make the choice of whether to bring her up with the first load of groceries or keep her in the car (at the entrance to our building)... I felt like the worse mom ever as I closed the car door on my screaming baby and ran the first bags up to the apartment...
And THEN...what should I find upon entering the door????
Sweet little Shermie AND a poopy diaper on the floor!!!!!!!!
For the very first time, Shermie got into a dirty diaper and pulled it out into the living room. I was LIVID. Not only was I stressed with my screaming baby and the shame of leaving her for a second...now I was dealing with my little dog communicating that he was pissed about being left behind via stinky dipes?? Ugh.
At the end of it all, Mara got to eat, the groceries got put away, Shermie got a spank and a 1-minute time-out, and I even got some happy smiles and gurgles from my baby girl before she took a nap (which is what she is doing now...which is why I have the time to type this. ;)
I'm going to sleep SO hard tonight................................right Mara?
Eat, Sleep, and PooooooooooooooooooooooooooooP
I don't know about other children, but my little Mara is a fantastic pooper. And by this, I mean that she has dealt Daddy and me some very interesting diaper situations. Mike had a gagging experience the first time she pooped on him (though, now he's a pro at changing diapers....putting shirts/sleeper sacks on over her head? ...he's in training. :)). She's sharted on me more than I'd like to admit. I have come to accept the fact that I am currently on this blessed earth to feed my baby, change my baby, soothe my baby, and be puked/sharted on by my baby. It's fine. While taking Shermie out for a walk today, I found myself wishing I had quiet time to read a book (Mara takes naps, but that time is quickly used cleaning, cooking for myself, eating, and tending to things like bills...okay, and a bit of facebook time - I need some entertainment! :). Anyway, I caught myself craving some time for a book, and then I stopped and realized that Mara would be a big girl before I knew it...and even though I would like to fast-forward through the days/nights when she is crying from a hurty belly or times when she isn't satisfied being anywhere but in my arms, I am so happy to be her mommy and have the chance to snuggle her and kiss her until my lips tingle (it can happen, believe me!). So, that sentiment being offered, here are some sh*tty stories. ;)
Poop up the hair
Mara's first big super messy poop. She was wearing a sleeper sack (basically a long nightie - convenient for diaper-changing in the middle of the night). Before I continue, for those of you who haven't experienced Mara's poops, she is notorious for blowing out her diapers. Well, this was one for the books. She pooped out of the top of her diaper up her back. Now, this meant the sleeper sack was soaked. You know what sucks about that? The sleeper sack has to go over her head. O.M.G. - the poop was smeared up her back and even in her HAIR, people!! There was just no way around it. She was a mess. This led to her first bath (which will be discussed further in the "Mommy Fail" section...).
Chicago Poop
On our drive back to KC from Muskegon after Christmas, Mike and I made a last-minute decision to stop in Chicago. (Chicago friends who we didn't see, please forgive me - we were there for an afternoon and left the next morning at 6am.. I wish we could have seen everyone!) Our friend Laurnay was holding Mara Lou, who was wrapped in her favorite cozy pink blanky. She was fussing for a few minutes, and then... suddenly....BOOM. Long, wet, and I am sure quite a relief to Mara. We all froze and then laughed like crazy. I told Laurnay to wait a little bit, because like deer, where there's one, there's bound to be more. After 10 minutes, I tackled the diaper. Holy smokes. Thank God Mara was wearing a onesie, tights, and a cute sweatshirt-material dress (thanks Amber!).... it didn't make it through all of the layers to the blanket, so at least that was salvaged. I'm not kidding you, it took me a solid 15 minutes to change her. It's like the chicken and the egg dilemma- you need to clean her off, but as you lay her on her changing pad, it gets dirty...and as you lift her, you have to wipe her back and the pad before she relaxes back down...all the while trying to get the wipes in the dirty diaper and slip the new one under her before she pees all over the place (she flooded her changing pad at Papa Beck's house). I think she gave quite the poopy diaper initiation to some of our ChiTown Buddies. :)
Christmas Poop
Whereas Mara's layers of clothing protected her blanket in Chicago, they did not protect Mike on Christmas day. He had just opened Scottie's gift of a Notre Dame jersey and put it on when Mara let it rip while in Mike's arms. His laughing stopped when he felt warmth on his skin...and then a wetness....Suddenly, Mara was at arm's length as he held her out and realized his brand new jersey was moistened with poo. He immediately took it off, to realize his long-sleeved shirt underneath was wet, too. [Removes layer] Yes, folks, even his undershirt was stained an awesome tan color with Mara's poop spot. 3 layers. This girl has talent! Watching Mike change her on a pool table, shirtless, was almost as funny as watching her wet-poop all over Notre Dame. :)
Hobo's Poop
On our first full day in Michigan, I had plans to meet up with a friend at Hobo's. I was taking Mara and Mike was staying in GR to workout (ahem, overachiever). About 10 minutes from Hobo's (our lunch spot), Mara started screaming. I sang, spoke to her, tried the radio...nothing worked, so I let her cry it out. I figured she was hungry, since it was about that time, and told her I'd giver her a bottle upon our arrival. Well, I gave her a few ounces in the booth, and when I went to burp her, I realized her back was half-brown. Of course, I hadn't packed clothes in her diaper bag, so I had to run out to the car, grab an outfit from her suitcase, and run back in (while my dear friend held my sweet, stinky, poop-soaked baby- bless her). The changing experience was intense. I used the pull-down changing station for the first time, all the while thinking how unsanitary it was as I laid my poopy daughter on her tiny changing pad. She was pissed because it was cold and I was trying to NOT get poop in her hair as I removed her clothes. It took 10 minutes! Geez. I feel like I'm being hazed by my daughter into the Mommy Gang.
Mommy Fail
Think back to when Mara got poop in her hair...and I decided it was time for her first bath. Well, the little bath mats that my grandma got for us were still at my dad's house in Michigan, so I searched for a make-shift bath contraption. Mara's bassinet came with a little changing pad with mini stilts that support the mat when you put it on top of the bassinet. Perfect! thought me, since the stilts would keep the mat above the water in the tub so I could wash her and keep her safe. Soo, I got a clean diaper out and ready, brought in wipes in case she decided to go potty again (which, she did, but while laying on the mat as I did all this...I discovered my baby was laying in her own urine a couple minutes later...ew). I got her towel, a wash cloth, her shampoo, and a new outfit all ready... I was PREpared.
I filled up the tub, placed the mat in there, and dipped the washcloth in the water and gently wiped it over the back of her head to check her reaction. Well, she was laying on her belly with her head to the side, and her reaction was to turn her head so that her nose/mouth were facing downward. Suddenly, she wasn't breathing. The little bit of water from the washcloth was at the bottom of the mat and she had inhaled it. I picked her up and her eyes were huge, looking at me, shocked. Her arms were straight out. I threw her over my shoulder and began smacking her back, freaking out that she wasn't yet taking in air. This whole ordeal lasted maybe 8 to 10 seconds, but I swear to you, I lost years of my life in sheer panic. Finally, she coughed and took in a beautiful breath of air, which she expelled with screams as her body turned red. I immediately left the bathroom and didn't return for a day-and-a-half.
I wasn't sure if I'd share this story on here, but after talking to experienced moms, it seems we all have things like this happen to us. So, for posterity, here's my account of my personal mommy "oops." May it serve future mommies as a reassurance that everyone makes mistakes and they are still excellent mamas who are just learning the ropes one day at a time. Liam's Anatomy and Birds&Bees Lesson
Liam holding his favorite cousin :)
Ahhhh Liam... my 3 1/2 year old nephew stayed at my dad's house one night over our vacation. I had gone upstairs to nurse Mara in the guest room when Liam trotted up the stairs to see what Mara was up to (he expressed over and over to me: "I wuv her," while kissing her head - sweetest boy ever!). I wasn't wearing my nursing cover, but I decided that since all he could see was a bulge, I wouldn't scurry to cover anything up. He approached and asked what Mara was doing.
"Eating," I said...knowing there would be a follow-up...
"What's she eating?" questioned Liam.
"....milk." I replied.
"Milk?" he asked, curious...
I smiled...Oh God, I know where this is going to go....
"Is it in your belly?" he asked.
Okay, Linds, this is the fork in the road... you could reply with a yes and avert this conversation, or you can just be honest and he won't be confused when he finds out the truth later...
"No.......it's in my boobs." I said.
"Your booooooobs?!" cried Liam, giggling.
"Yep."
Liam then came around the other side of the bed, hopped up, pulled up his shirt, and said, "You be the baby - you want some milk?"
Shit.
"Well, Liam, only mommies have milk for their babies. Only mommies."
Liam looked over a minute later, glanced at my boob, and said, "You have big muscles!" HA. Well, at least I got to direct the conversation toward his muscles and not where my baby was drinking from...
About 5 minutes later, my stepmom and Liam's grandma came upstairs and sat on the bed. Liam promptly touched her arm and said, "Mimi, can I have some of your milk??" Lucy...you got some 'splaining to do....
Another moment that evening...Liam came into the room while I was changing Mara's diaper. He asked, "What's that??" pointing to her girl parts. "That's her vagina," I told him. "Does she have a peepee too?" he inquired. "No," I said, "she's a girl, so she has a vagina. Boys have peepees." Fast-forward a few hours when Mike is using the bathroom....Liam opens the door, peeks his head in, and informs him, "You have a peepee and I have a peepee because we're boys," and then leaves the room.
You're welcome, Justine. ;) When it's time for Liam to have the birds and the bees conversation, you can just call us...we're clearly experts. hahaha Parents' Night Out
For Mike's 28th birthday, I decided to give him a date night - dinner and a movie. We had asked his [awesome] co-worker to babysit Mara and we were off to Houlihan's (where I was THRILLED to try their mini martini flight - it's been 10 months since I've had a buzz...) and then were going to see Skyfall. Well, Mike had to buy dinner (that's what happens when your wife doesn't have an income) but I was excited to use a Visa gift card to buy movie tickets. We arrived to the theater to find that IT WAS SOLD OUT!!! What??? With all the new movies out, people bought all the tickets to Skyfall, which came out November 9th??? Ughhhh. So, you know what we did? We went to Blockbuster and came home early. 2 1/2 hours after we left. I felt bad for Mike's bday gift going awry, but I was also bummed we didn't get a full adult date night. This is the life of a parent, huh?
10:07 p.m.
Sweet Little Talker (video)
Here's a little clip of baby girl making noise, kicking, and being cute. (Please ignore my ridiculously high-pitched babble...she likes it best). :)
Belly Issues
Little Mara Lou still has some fussy evenings with her belly, but I have found that dairy is DEFINITELY the main culprit of her pain. We had to use some stored milk upon our homecoming after the holidays because I had taken Pepto Bismol on our ride home (mommy had some belly issues of her own) and there is something in that medicine that can be bad for babies. The stored milk was from before I knew dairy was the problem, and BOY was she in a lot of pain. Screaming. Not just crying. Screaming for a few hours. At one point, I was curled up on the bed, my head in my hands, crying right along with her as Mike took a turn bouncing her and patting her back. It was terrible. I am basically dairy-free (unless it's a tiny bit of milk or butter in a dinner recipe), and Mara's belly is significantly better.
The Surprise
Last blog post was November 13th, when I wished the doctor would just tell me, Oh, you can just have this baby now.... be careful what you wish for! While my wish came true, it was because I had developed preeclampsia. I got to my appointment and had to wait 40 minutes in the waiting room. I felt like poo. I was having a hard time breathing, my back hurt, and I felt especially exhausted. When the nurse tested my urine, it was at a +4 for protein (not a good sign)...I told her I'd had a lot of water and I didn't know why my proteins were so high, but she said my H20 intake had nothing to do with it.. then she asked how my blood pressure had been at previous appointments.."Great! Totally normal!" I responded.... only to have her take my blood pressure multiple times before informing me that it was very high. The Bish came in and checked the results of my 24 hour urine sample from the weekend (the ol' pee in the jug deal from the last post) and told me that my protein count was 3,000........and the norm was 200 for a day..... whoa. He walked over to me, smiled (as The Bish always does), and said, "I think we're going to have a baby."
WHAT?!
He told me to just walk over to the hospital (across the side street), go up to labor and delivery, and tell them he sent me. The Bish wanted to first see if my blood pressure would go down with a magnesium drip through an IV...if not, I would get induced and we'd be meeting Mara a little early!
"So, Doc, what are the chances I'm going to go home tonight?" I asked.
"Oh, I'd say about 2 percent," he replied.
"Um, what are the chances I'll have a baby in the next day?"
"About 75 percent."
Holy smokes!! I was shaking. I called Mike as I gathered my things.
"Hey babe, what are you up to?" I asked.
"I'm at the bike store about to buy a helmet," Mike said...
"Oh, that's nice... um, do you want to come to the hospital?"
"Why, what's going on?" he asked, panicked.
"Well, I have preeclampsia and we're probably going to have a baby in the next day or so."
"Are you serious?"
"Yep, I'm walking over now. Meet ya there....."
The Labor & Birth of Miss Mara Louise
I got to the hospital and, still in shock, informed the nurses that... "Doctor Bishop sent me..I have preeclampsia...and I think I'm going to be induced...?" Once in my cozy hospital gown, Mike arrived (whew) and the nurses took turns at finding my veins for the IV. Apparently, they move. Three nurses had a go at it, and after two blown veins and four attempts, they found my vein. Honestly, that may have been the most painful part of my labor experience. I even told one of the nurses in my nicest voice possible that I didn't like her (which I later apologized for, but she understood, given that she blew the two veins)...
The magnesium drip was not a success, as you probably guessed. My blood pressure stayed high. The Bish came in, broke my water (does anyone not giggle the first time this happens? It totally felt like I peed all over myself), and true labor began. At first, the contractions were absolutely bearable; I did the breathing I learned in labor class and felt like a champ....Then they gave me pitocin. The contractions were lasting 90 seconds and 2 minutes apart (that's a 30 second recovery time). Consistent with her positioning during my pregnancy, Mara had her little feet up against my ribs. While I didn't have back labor (which I hear I dodged a bullet on that one!), each contraction came with a pretty intense sensation in my ribs as everything squished down on baby girl. I lasted 2 hours, and then I asked for an epidural.
Side note: During this time, Mike was trying to juggle breathing with me, talking through a presentation with his coworker for the next day, and eating dinner. (He was truly a wonderful coach.) The only problem was...he ate Chinese for dinner...I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food, in general...well, when my sweet loving wonderful thoughtful coach of a husband came over to breathe through those intense 90sec/2min contractions with me, he breathed stinky Chinese food in my face. NOT really what I wanted. I finally said, "You need to go brush your teeth, your breath STINKS!" He laughed. I didn't. Seriously. Word to dads-to-be: If you have to eat while your wife is in labor, please keep a breath mint or gum or a toothbrush nearby. Thanks!
Back to the epidural... I am really not a fan of needles. I mean, who is? But I'm the type that has been working on not passing out while getting poked. I think it'll be a life-long crusade...anyway, I was super nervous about the epidural... oh my gosh! It was nothing! I was so happy that it was nothing, I couldn't even believe the anesthesiologist had already put it in when he announced that he was done! And ahhhhhh the relief after it took effect. I was happy and ready to meet my baby girl. I think it's amazing that women can go without the pain medication... I just am not one of those people. My goal for labor was to be happily present as I welcomed my daughter, and for me, the pain would have not made labor that experience for me.
When I began to push, I made the decision to have a mirror above me so I could watch Mara come into the world. That was the most amazing experience. Honestly, I kind-of liked labor. Now, don't get me wrong, I definitely still felt Mara come out..epidurals don't completely block the pain...but it was such an exciting thing, to watch your body work and literally produce a baby. Wow. Incredible. I didn't think I would want to see anything, but I highly recommend a mirror, for those of you ladies who think you might be interested.
The Aftermath
My stay at the hospital was a bit longer than we had planned. Instead of 2, I was there for 5 days... my preeclampsia developed into the HELP syndrome. I stayed on the magnesium drip because my blood pressure was still startlingly elevated. I was at a high risk for a blood clot that could travel to my heart and kill me. At the same time, my platelets were dropping by the day (which, contrary to the blood clot risk, could cause me to bleed out). So a blood transfusion was on the back-burner. I had to have my blood taken every 4 hours. Then, one evening, that same feeling of not being able to breathe came back (it had begun the Sunday before). It became more acute. I was stuck with another IV needle and rushed downstairs to the radiology room, where I had Xrays taken. In the middle of the night, I was sent down again for a scan of sorts (something like an MRI but it was a donut-shaped deal, not a full-body scanner). They thought I was having a blood clot. Luckily, I wasn't..but I got to wear super special (and supremely uncomfortable) compression socks that went halfway up my thighs as well as compression wraps to help prevent a clot from happening. On the bottom, I looked like a banged-up Little Bo Peep. On the top, I looked like a heroin addict. They were having a hard time finding places in my arms to draw blood because they were all bruised and the veins had been tapped out. Ugh. No fun at all. Not to mention, the magnesium drip made me feel groggy and caused me to lose my appetite. I had an EEG, an EKG, a couple X-rays, and constant monitoring. I knew all of the doctors at that hospital... people checking on my heart, my kidneys, my lungs, my liver..
The good news? My blood pressure began to go down [slightly]. And they gave me a diuretic in my IV to flush out all of the fluids, which made breathing easier because apparently, I had a ton of fluid not only built up in my limbs but around my organs. I lost 8 pounds overnight from all of the fluid leaving my body. What relief I felt! My liver and kidneys started to function normally, my platelet count began to increase...after going in on Tuesday evening, I finally got to leave on Sunday afternoon with pain med and blood pressure prescriptions. Yay!
Happy to be leaving the hospital soon!
Family time :)
The Homecoming and First Four Weeks
When we got home, I sat down with Mara and began to cry. I was SO happy to finally be home! As I cried with relief and Mike bent down to give me a sweet kiss, Mara farted really loudly! We all have our own ways of expressing our happiness, I guess. :)
Mara has completely changed our lives for the better and made us appreciate sleep like never before. She's a noisy little thing, grunting and cooing when she nurses or falls asleep. She also has a temperamental digestive system...even with gas drops, Mara still cries in pain with gas bubbles at times. I've cut out dairy milk and coffee (*tear) because they seem to be triggers... what's really funny, though, is when she does tummy time and toots. She likes to do little combos, like coughing & tooting, crying & tooting, or sneezing & tooting. Makes things more fun.
Ah, but the MOST fun is when she has explosive poops. Once, it was when she was wearing a sleeper sack (nightie) and it was all over the sack. Well, you can't just unbutton it and take it off... you have to go over the head... so she had poopy up her back and in her hair. .... That was her first bath day! Yesterday, I went to change her and said, "Please don't pee all over yourself when mommy reaches for the other diaper" (she's good at this...sometimes she pees 2 or 3 times before I get the next diaper on her...God save me if/when we have a boy!). Well, Mara respected the peepee request, but wet-pooped alllllll over her changing table. Of course, not before she sharted on my hand as I reached to wipe her. Ahh, you just have to laugh. I have been pooped on, peed on, and puked on....and showers aren't always in the cards during the day, so you can imagine how sexy I look when Mike gets home. ;)
Mara Lou is officially one month old today! I can't believe a whole month has gone by. Mike is excited for when she can walk around and play, but I look at her every day and plead with her to stop growing so fast. Time is already flying by and I don't like it! She makes the funniest faces and has the "Blue Steel" and grimace down to a T when she's awake. When she sleeps, she smiles and even laughs once in a while. I am looking forward to the day when she smiles or laughs in reaction to us!
Do your eyes hurt yet? I'll give them a break for now...next post will have some 'first-time mommy' stories about car seats and baths....and I'm sure there will be more to tell by then, too!
Apparently, I am now paying for having such a lovely pregnancy...starting Sunday night / Monday morning, I woke up with a really sore back.
Which gave way to soreness from Mara seeking solace under my ribs.
Which gave way to shortness of breath - felt like she was pressing on my diaphragm so I couldn't breathe deeply.
Basically, this all lasted consistently from about 3:30 am until noon. It was like having the flu. Ugh.
A call to The Bish (doctor) basically led me to understand that, unless the diaphragm pain worsened throughout the day, this was pretty typical discomfort related to the end of pregnancy. Well, I was able to breathe normally after a while, so I just had to deal with the pain.
Last night was SUPER fun, too... sore back, feeling like I needed to throw-up, baby under the ribs. Throw in the fact that my stomach is literally being squashed by the little human inside of me, and you get a weak mama who has to force herself to eat and drink.
Blah.
I am hoping that at my appointment with The Bish this afternoon ends with him exclaiming, "Hey, great news! You're going into labor and Mara will be here in no time!"
............. a girl can dream, can't she?? ;)
Let me end this positively with some thankfulness... I am thankful for heating pads, hot showers, the ability to stay home at this time, family members to turn to, Law&Order/Bones/Sex&theCity reruns, a healthy baby, and absolutely I am thankful for my awesome amazing wonderful husband Mike, who, at 4 am last night, woke to my tosses and turns to rub my back, get me a heating pad, and coax Mara away from my rib cage. I am so lucky. <3
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