Happy to be Home
Just a quick update. We have been home since Wednesday. I actually asked to be let out "early" since I was scheduled to go home Thursday. I am so happy we did that. I have to say this time around there is a little more to the recovery, which is expected. I am definitely sorer. My mom is here to help out and Chad has been home. Time has been flying by I forgot how much there is "to do" when you bring an infant home. Well when you think about it not a LOT....but just calling for follow up doctors appointments gets forgotten about (it doesn't help that when you do remember the doctors phones aren't working!). You forget what day is what or what time it is. However everything is going much more smoothly, I just move slower.
The biggest thing we are dealing with is getting Daniel adjusted. We were fortunate that he could stay with my in-laws Sunday night through Tuesday evening. However that meant on Wednesday he not only had to get used to a new baby in the house he was also going through Papa withdrawal. He loves his Papa more than anything so it’s hard to switch gears to this whole "sharing" thing. We are making sure to spend some one on one time with him. Today he and I made some cookies and painted. He is really good to Matthew and gives him kisses. He can't quite say Matthew and it comes out either like "Midnight" or "Manny" or "Mayo" or some combination of those. I know there will be more to come especially when it’s just the three of us while Daddy is at work next week.
Well I should get some sleep. We still haven't taken a full family picture; I will also post more on his birth story (although I think I have already hit the high points in the post from Monday).
More Pictures
I just wanted to post some more pictures. The one I posted yesterday (of the "brothers":-) is my favorite so far. Daniel was really cute last night with Matthew I think he is going to be a great big brother.....although I am sure there will be some adjustment when we all get home.
Yesterday was my mom's birthday, I had a choice to schedule the C-Section then or on Thursday. I figured what better gift for her than
grand baby 5.0! Enjoy the pictures below:
2.0 has arrived
Baby 2.0 is here,
introducing:
Matthew Jacob
born on:
01/28/2007 10:04 Am
Weighing in at:
8 lbs 4 oz
Length:
20 inches
More pictures when blogger lets me load them;-)
My doctor was extremely supportive of a
VBAC, but in the end it was decided best to go C-Section . We found out Friday, have spent the weekend with last minute details (there really wasn't any other than a showing). Daniel and Belle are with Grandma and Papa. Matthew actually wanted to come on the 28
th since I started to go into labor early this morning. However there was still no progress. I will post more later, in fact most of this post is being written as a draft Sunday night:-)
Happy Birthday Matthew AND Grandma G!
The "Home" stretch
Well from here on out I am working from home until the baby comes. The logistics of getting to the hospital (and Daniel out of daycare) if I were to go into labor there would be difficult. Since my company is actually great for working moms I decided to take advantage of working remotely
full time.
Of course yesterday was the "first" official day, but I have been working Mondays from home for a while. However yesterday was far from normal. Chad got sick Sunday night and stayed home on Monday. He doesn't get sick often and this was the worst I saw him. So not only did I have to work, I also had to try and keep Daniel from bugging Daddy. At first I had the bedroom door closed and it was all working out good. But of course SOMEONE had a problem with the door being closed...not Daniel, not the dog, not Chad....but the CAT. From the cats I have known this is common, closed doors are usually NOT allowed in their house. So Daniel discovered Daddy and wanted to play with him. We couldn't convince him that Daddy needed sleep. So later I took Daniel out for lunch and got him back for
nap time. Chad then had some hours of
uninterrupted much needed sleep. After Daniel got up from his nap he even seemed to finally understand Daddy was napping and left him alone.
We are in the final stages of getting the house "ready" for the baby. This time it is much easier of course with the house STILL being on the market and all. Daniel is going to change rooms and we are getting ready to change the computer room into his. The only thing holding us up at this point is waiting to do taxes, and we are waiting for all the forms. It seems like every year we have to wait until the last week of January to get a W2 or some other tax form. We hope to get a decent laptop with our refund and then we can store that out in the living room. We don't need to really move him in until after the baby is here anyway since the baby will be in a bassinet for a while. I still have some work things to get caught up before my leave but I am almost there.
Its weird because with the second baby you feel like you should "know" more. However for me ignorance was bliss I guess. If I wake up in the middle of the night regardless of the reason I automatically go through a mental checklist of "am I OK?"....no water didn't break, no contractions.....
ok felt the baby move.....All because Mr. Daniel decided that when he had to come early and start that process at 4:30 am!
The one thing I am looking forward to now is sleep. I know its weird to say because...duh... when the baby actually gets here I will be sleep deprived. However I will feel COMFORTABLE enough to sleep. Right now I want to sleep but finding a comfortable position is just about impossible. I am a belly sleeper and there is just no changing that. In fact taking just a 2 hour nap on my belly is what I am plan on using as my "special place" during labor, not a beach, not the woods, just imagining being covered up in a nice warm blanket and laying on my belly sounds heavenly:-)
I will try to keep the blog updated until the baby gets here, but right now we are just trying to pass the time.
Toddlers love to help
The thing I am learning about toddlers is that they LOVE to help. In Daniel's case he gets pretty agitated if you don't let him help. When we go to work, he insists on carrying my lunch. He even has to keep an eye on it during the ride in. It is a very serious job for him....very serious. Last night Chad started to wash some dishes up from dinner. When Daniel saw this he pushed his chair over to the sink....right where Chad wanted to stand. After he realized that Daniel was just trying to help do dishes he handed him a sponge and let him get to work:
Again this was serious work, not time for funny stuff.......I never thought it could take so long to wash 2 pots, and 3 plates....but what do I know I'm not a toddler.
Win a mixer
A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!
The Prize:
The winner will receive a brand new
Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pinapple Yellow
About the mixer:
From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.
2007 year in review
I don't really feel like making any resolutions for 2008 because I am anticipating so many life changes as it is. I reviewed the past year and I didn't do so bad.
How I did on my
resolutions for 20071. Eat healthier....
PassI did OK on this one. Considering I was pregnant for about 7 months of the year and my doctor has been happy with my small weight gain (at my size I don't need to gain to much when I am pregnant). My metabolism is good with this pregnancy, but not as well as it was with Daniel (but I am more relaxed about it this go around and probably ate more) so I hope I can lose like I did after having Daniel.
2. Buy only Fair Trade Coffee...
PassI did this fairly well. After I became pregnant I found out it is almost impossible to find Decaf fair trade. Trader Joe's just recently came out with decaf fair trade so I am back on track. I do slip when I buy coffee from coffee shops....however the places I go to do try and buy fair trade.
3. Use more earth friendly bags while shopping...
keep tryingStill trying on this one. Cashiers still get confused when you bring them to the store. I am going to keep trying to remember to bring them with me.
4.Establish a nighttime ritual with Daniel...
passOur routine changes as he gets older. Currently we have "quiet time" before bed, he is still trying to get back into the groove of things after the holidays. Before he was even asking to go to bed without quiet time.
5. Eat more legumes. I want to try and incorporate this into at least 5 days of the week. I didn't like beans much before, and I never made lentils. But now some of my best recipes have them both. This kind of goes with eating healthier. However even in my off weeks I would like to do this.
pass...sortaThis one comes and goes. It still all depends on if we have lots of showings or not. When we don't I can take time to prepare meals more. I didn't do 5 days of the week, but I did make them more than ever.
6. Sell our house. Ok hopefully this will be the easiest one:-)
Do we even want to go here?
7. Better attitude....
Pass
I would say I definitely passed on this one. It still took a while but on the whole I am much happier even though nothing has changed.....well other than 2.0 on the way (duh!). We have had what seems like even worse luck with the house and we truly want to give up, but can't until Chad finds a job closer to home. However I do know things will change and if not, 2.0 will be another neat freak just like Daniel is;-)
A Muppet Murder
Livonia, MI - Investigators are investigating a possible murder of a Muppet in Livonia Michigan. The suspects are a tow headed toddler named Daniel and his daddy. The incident occurred around 8:30 pm on Jan 1 2008. The mother explains:
"I knew they were playing in the bathtub, because our son refuses to take baths, so we just play 'splishy splashy" outside of the tub. Normally our little guy screams and cries at bath time. However last night there was lots of giggling. I thought they were just playing.....I saw him go in with sweatpants and a sweatshirt on, and that is how he came out. However I was horrified at what I saw covering the walls of the bathtub. That is when I realized Cookie Monster and Elmo were missing"
Apparently no bath was involved but the duo were clearly up to something, as the pictured evidence shows.
Later his father confessed to investigators:
"It was all the boy's doing, everything was normal then he got in the tub all on his own. Since he has never entered the tub on his own I called out to my wife to let her know. The next thing I knew the Muppet goo was all over the walls. I didn't even see Cookie Monster or Elmo in the bathroom, but the evidence was right there."
The toddler will not be charged with a crime; instead his parents have decided that this just may be a hazard of bath time. Muppets aren't living beings after all. The family dog has also been warned.
