August-how you doing? Pre-labor? [Archive] - Parenting Message Boards

alwaysAJ

07-08-2008, 01:54 PM

LMAO, our babies must be similar in size (mine is a monster, unfortunately--but all my babies have been huge, so I should be used to this). As I sit here, I too am constantly shifting or trying to put the leg rest up (which then somehow moves me a foot backward so I can no longer lean back, and then I'm flailing around like a turtle on his back trying to reach for the side pull thing to put the leg rest back down, and then I rock back and forth as hard as I can to get my chair to scoot forward.... I'm sure I will laugh about this someday, as it does look pretty funny). Or, I'm rubbing my hand over the top of my belly in a loosing attempt to massage my soar ribs. I'm surprised I haven't worn a hole in my shirts there.
He "dropped" into my pelvic area, so my hips are also sore and feel dislocated. But it doesn't seem like he's shifted any lower out of my lungs. It seems like overnight sometime last week, I was no longer able to get around. I cannot breathe, and I can't walk more than a few steps without needing to lean heavily on something or sit down--or I feel like I will pass out. Just to make lunch today, sandwiches no less!, I had to take several breaks. I feel rediculous. I went from fairly active to not active at all. I take baths every night just to float in the tub (it is one of those double person whirlpools, which is perfect, because it fits just me now). It is the only time I feel any kind of relief.
And then I remind myself that I still have several weeks to go! Yee-haw. Oh, and my almost 2 year old has figured me out. She knows I can't run, switch directions, or keep up with her, so she zig-zag runs several feet away from me and then stands stalk still while I lumber up to her and reach down for her. Then she shoots off another 4-5 feet and stands. She doesn't look at me, but I know she's listening for my hulking figure to approach. I can never catch her. One of these days, after the baby, she's going to try that and I'm going to get her... And when I do :). Nah, I wouldn't do anything but probably tickle her. As annoyed as it makes me (like, when we're already late to go somewhere important), I try to take a humorous approach. I know, I just know, that what I'm going through makes for some good laughs for other people.

myboysmom

07-08-2008, 10:00 PM

LOL I can just picture you trying to get up out of the recliner! I feel the same way when I try to get out of bed w/o pulling yet another lower ab muscle. Oh, the agony! :( This morning at about 4:30 am I started to have the "real" contraction. About 10 in 30 minutes, but they subsided like I figured they would. But it definitely made me get my butt in gear! I packed my bag this morning and finished folding most of the laundry that had taken over the kids' toy area. I called the dr. and she got me in tomorrow for my Group B test, so that is one of my biggest concerns out of the way. I let my almost 5 yo help pick the baby's clothes to pack for the hospital. He felt pretty important.
I also feel no relief in the rib area, but I do think he has dropped some. At least it looks like it to me. (Wishful thinking?) It is nice to have someone to commiserate with! We need to get lou in on this, though. She is due at the end of the month with her first, and I think she's planning on moving soon! I feel for her!

alwaysAJ

07-10-2008, 05:46 PM

Awe, moving this late in pregnancy!!!! Yikes!

I went to the doc today for my usual 2 week visit, and she (different doc, same clinic as the other) said I was actually 34 1/2 weeks along.... uh, apparently I have 2 due dates in my chart. The other doctor went by the August 27th due date, which was taken on a machine by one of the doctors who wasn't quite familiar with it. The second due date, 8/17 was taken at my 20 week ultrasound. So... who knows. My due dates have never been accurate for any of my children.

Anyway, so she says I'm 34 1/2 weeks along, and she does my measurements and her eyes popped. I'm measuring 38 weeks now. Hm... She's like "You need to have an ultrasound scheduled asap! Do you usually have such big babies?" I said yes, I have one scheduled for next week (ordered by the other doc) and yes, I always have big babies (me and dad were both big ones). I also had her check me, since I'd had a lot of contractions, though mostly not painful ones. I am dilated 1 cm, my station is -1, and my cervix still has a little ways to go for effacement (she didn't give me a percentage, just told me it was still "kinda" long... whatever that means). So, basically, I could go anytime between now and the end of August. Gotta love pregnancy, eh? My mom is like "Just get your stuff together now and plan for it, just in case." Considering I didn't have anything for the new baby until yesterday, I'm counting my blessings.

In the meantime, my husband was/is planning to travel for work at the end of July. Now I'm telling him "no", but he will do what he thinks he needs to do. He went to China when I was 36 weeks along with the last one, but I didn't have her until I was 38 weeks, so there was a slight break (he was only gone for 8 days). Still... scary! She was his first child, and I would have been really mad if he missed it and I went in to labor without my labor coach (him). I guess this is all part of the package of having a husband who runs a big business. Great perks, but really lousy hours.

myboysmom

07-10-2008, 09:57 PM

OMG, China!!?? That's not just the next town over on business! I would have been freaking a little, I think.
Well, I went in yesterday for my test, and she went ahead and checked me and told me "You're closed up tight". Just what I wanted to hear. ;) Actually, it's okay. My body feels totally ready to be done, but mentally and house-wise, I guess, I feel like I've still got a bit to do. But I am making progress! Laundry is caught up, dishes are caught up, and I think I finally got all the boys' clothes put away in the right containers until fall. Now I just need to center myself and get enough patience to handle three kids 5 and under! LOL How do you do it??

alwaysAJ

07-11-2008, 04:28 PM

Sorry it took so long to get back! My internet service provider has been rather sketchy these past few days. Anyway, how do I do it? Normally, I have a beer with my husband when he comes home (when I'm not pregnant). Pregnant? I more or less *itch at my husband when he comes in the door. LOL, poor guy! Seriously, though, it gets tough. I told him last night that I was trying to summon excitement about our latest family member, and I am having a hard time. Because all I think about is adding one more screaming child to the mix. I'm afraid I'm going to go nuts! I have a lot of fears about this upcoming birth, what he's going to be like (will he be easy going, or will he be colicky???). Dear God, please not another screamer. In the meantime, my older 2 fight ALL THE TIME about EVERYTHING and NOTHING. Constant, they are even fighting right now. Short of having them go to their rooms all day (which isn't fair), I'm stuck with listening to the bickering and trying to give them things to do (unfortunately, housekeeping is not on the list of things they comprehend without me standing over them and then doing it myself). So yes, by the time my husband comes home, I'm wound up so tight I snap. But I hear you, my body is ready to give out on me. I am just not prepared for the emotional impact. I'm torn between wanting this to "be over with" and being terrified of what's to come. Sigh. I guess I should go put something together for dinner. Today has been a very tiring and overanxious day. I'm in the middle of a phone call with a lady from church, and the phone goes dead. My phone doesn't work. And I realize my internet is booted off too (my phone and internet are tied together in one of those packaged deals). This is the third time in 2 days!!! Then my kids come running in to tell me there is a little turtle in the front yard. a "Huge little turtle." I'm like, it can't be both, and figured it was just a box turtle. Uh, no! It is this enormous snapping turtle! I actually had to call animal control to remove it because it was too big for me to handle, and I did not have any tree branches nearby that would have been able to handle the weight or bite. Not that I would have known what to do with it. It crawled back up to my front porch from where we found it, and dug up under a bush (darn near uprooted the whole thing) to lay eggs, I suppose. That is where Animal Control found it, and the first guy retreated and went and got "back up." LMAO, I wasn't kidding when I said the thing was huge. The second guy came and booted it up out of the ground and grabbed it by the tail. Better him than me, that sucker had to be heavy. I think they took it to a nearby creek and released it. It must've traveled through all kinds of yards before it located mine, but there is tons of ornamental landscaping to play in, so I'm sure it was in heaven. Lucky me.

alwaysAJ

07-11-2008, 04:34 PM

Here is a pic of that turtle (lol). He doesn't look so big in the picture, but let me tell you! It wasn't what I expected to find in the yard :). That, and I was worried if I lost track of him, he might hide somewhere in the bushes (there must be a half acre of landscaped mulched ornamental plants between my front and back yards). I was afraid if my kids went running through it or one of the neighborhood kids, or the dog, they might find him and (geeze) get bit. At least my older 2 knew enough to stay away from him, but I wouldn't trust my youngest one (almost 2). She touches everything, and routinely gets into thorny situations (if you know what I mean). The previous owners put all this stuff in, I'm still trying to grasp why they put rose bushes (with the most thorns I've ever seen) right next to the back patio, where kids play.... It looks beautiful, but it is a pain to maintain. Funny, when we did finally mulch it (we just moved in about 3 months ago--it had been vacant for a year, and overgrown), we had people driving by from all over to look at it. I felt kind of silly and giddy, because it did look really nice. But yes, it is a bit excessive. I would never have done it if we hadn't bought it that way already.

myboysmom

07-11-2008, 04:37 PM

LOL That is so funny!! Seriously, not a month ago we had a snapping turtle on our block, and we live in the middle of town. I hollered at the kids across the street to leave it alone, then called my uncle (my hero) to come get it. Well, by the time my boys and I went back outside to look for it and show it to my uncle, he was gone! I'm thinking, it's a turtle! How fast can it move?? But we never did see it again.
My boys are only 5 and 2.5, and they fight all the time too. I hate it! I tell them that Mommy doesn't like to be mad or yell, so let's just all get along and be nice, huh? That usually lasts all of 10 minutes. :) But, if we go to the swimming pool, they usually behave the whole time there, so I try really hard not to hold that over their heads as punishment, b/c it's the only relief I get! I have felt so stressed out lately, even crying when they push me over the edge. I know it's mostly me, and I hate that, and then feel guilty about it on top of that. But it feels like my 5 yo is regressing or something. That's probably not the accurate term. But it seems like he's acting up more, or doing things that aren't in his character. Like last night, I go in to tuck them in (Again) and find that he's been chewing/sucking on his stuffed dogs foot! WTH? I don't know what to do. I'm trying not to scream b/c it's stressing both of us out even more, but I'm lost. He's also all of a sudden this summer decided that everything is at his mercy. No toy is safe from being destroyed or at least defaced. I'm sure it's just him being a boy, and I don't think he's anxious about the new baby or anything, but I do worry about him. He's always been my sweetie. :) Well, I guess I've rambled enough! Good Luck with dinner, I haven't been in the mood to cook at all this last month!

lou

07-11-2008, 05:17 PM

Hello!!! nice to know I'm not the only one in misery right now!!!! I'm due august 26but at my last ultrasound he measured big (4lbs 5 ounces at 31 weeks) and she gave me a due date of Aug. 18th. yeah getting closer!!! though with my luck he'll be late and won't come till some time in sep. so AJ you and I could go on the same day, I didn't see though, boy or girl? and names? Myboysmom I can't remember if I read that you decided a name? must be an attack of the Prego brain!!! I forget everything nowadays. BTW thanks for thinking of me Myboysmom! moving sucks, though to be honest my fiance has done most everything. I mostly sit and point, he he he!!!!we still have to sell the house we're in now before we can officially move but we have started packing and moving things to the other house already that we don't use often, like pictures, nicnacs, etc. also the country house was damaged in a storm and is now missing 1/2 the shingles and as a result we got water damage, in the baby's room none the less. so we have to replace the shingles and the ceiling in the baby's room too. Arg! and the snapping turtles, they're everywhere out there and they get that size and bigger as the one you found AJ. there's a creek that runs right behind the house and leads to a pond. the pond is full of them and we see them in the driveway out there all the time. they leave the pond and go through the side and front yard, across the street to lay eggs in the feilds. after the farmers plow, the dirt is soft and easy to move. so basically we have a snapping turtle migration path through our yard out there. I worry about this alot as I've two stepsons 7 and 9 that love to play with snakes etc. I'm worried that despite our warnings and prohibiting them from the pond one will attempt to capture one of these and lose a finger. ah, the joys of having boys! with daughters you'd never have to worry about those things.
I'm 33 1/2 weeks now though according to the last Ultrasound I'm 34 1/2 weeks. I have all the same complaints as the two of you, god aren't the hips the worst!! sometimes I feel like my hip will pop and my legs will just give out right underneeth of me. and the lower back pain, my god:( it hurts. sometimes it almost feels like this pulsing throbing muscle ache. As far as contractions go before this week I didn't really feel anything, my stomache would just get really tight. but the last couple days every once and in a while I get this sort of cramping sensation that's sort of painful. unlike the two of you this is my first so I haven't a clue what to expect, so I'm going to assume these are contractions? my back is also killing me towards the middle under my shoulder blades. I'm assuming this is a result of the significant weight in my front that my posture compensates for. how about those feet?!!! mine are slightly swollen and ache all the time and my knees too. I hate having to walk anywhere. I considered going to work at night just so I could park right by the door and not have to walk all that way, especially in the heat though it has been a mild summer so far (I work in a state building and am allowed to pretty much make my own hours, but I'm not a state employee, federal contractor, though that's not much better!!!) what I can't believe though is that you two did this more than once! are you crazy?!!!!! I'm sure it's worth every ache and pain though, at least it better be!!! and aj, china? I think I would have flipped!
I'm starting to realize now that I should get a move on my preparations, like packing the hospital bag, washing the baby clothes, disinfecting all the used items I recieved, etc.. are you guys ready yet or am I the only slacker?

alwaysAJ

07-11-2008, 07:40 PM

Well, it was either I cook or we go out to eat and I pay the consequences later with acid reflux! I'm having contractions again, every few minutes, and they don't hurt--but it feels like they're pushing him further down in my crotch. That part hurts, as far as the pressure on my pelvic bone. Then I have this need to go to the bathroom, but I can't (#2). As I'm sitting here with my feet propped up, it feels like my left leg went numb because he turned his head (I think?). I dunno, this is getting annoying! And, yet again, my kids are fighting. My oldest is usually my sweetie, with my second being my "Devil Spawn". I call it Second Born Syndrome (I was #2, and I was a hellion, so I know I deserve it). Then my third is hitting the terrible twos, but she won't talk, so she just whines that "eh, eh, eh" all the time or screams at me or her siblings. I actually hid in the bathroom this afternoon to get a few peaceful moments on the phone. Otherwise, their noise echos through the house thanks to the wonderful hardwood floors (look great, but a pain on the eardrums and I hate cleaning them all the time!).
It sounds like your son is hitting the Terrible Five's. I don't know why people refer to only the terrible two's, because kids hit it every year--right when they realize they have a new "independant thinking" skill they need to take out on their parents. Also, if he's chewing on his animal, check his back molars. He may be teething. If so, give him some children's tylenol (esp at night) or even children's motrin (an anti-inflammatory). I think both my kids got molars around that age. The Captain Destructo behavior does sound a bit strange if he isn't normally like that. Seeing as how he isn't an only child, that bodes well, but he may still have a fear of slipping out of your favor now that you're having another child. I guess the only thing that might help is to sit him down and talk to him about his fears. He may be evasive at first, but just talk to him (such as telling him stories about you and siblings--if you have any--growing up together). He might open up then.
Oh crap, the baby just did something. It feels like the center of my pelvic bone is breaking in half, and the pressure isn't letting up. I'm almost afraid to stand up now. Wish me luck (on that). And good luck, yourself ;) (with the kids).
Don't worry about rambling, I'm long winded myself (so much to say, so few to hear).

alwaysAJ

07-11-2008, 08:31 PM

Hey Lou! I think I read in another thread about your moving preperations (my spelling sucks, sorry--I type too fast to care). Sounds a lot like what I did recently (point and grunt). I did do a lot of packing and moving of the small stuff, but that was about it. We "migrated" to the new house over a period of the last 3 months. Our other house sat vacant as of April 2nd (except for misc things stuffed in closets... all the furniture and major items were moved that day). Everything else, such as the basement things, got moved as we needed them. Then we had the contractors come in and finish the basement drywall (there was one wall my husband didn't finish because he intended to run plumbing for the wet bar), then we had the house cleaned, and the carpets cleaned, and then the AC broke (total, $2800), and the pool cover needed fixed (total $1000 for the pool cover to be sewn back onto its tracks, about $400 in chemicals to get the pool back in crystal clear condition after it sat with no cover and not running for three weeks, $200 to "open the pool".... sheesh). And the heater for the pool isn't working now, and the electric gate to the back is not opening (it was working when we moved, because my husband moved one of his Harleys to the new house and had to use it). God! Its just one thing after another with that house. Don't get me started on THIS one. They're both newer homes, but he was the first and only owner of that home (had everything made to his specific wants/needs--I just got all the perks because I moved in after everything had been completed). This home was owned by a couple, um... weirdos? Whatever we saved on the purchase (okay, we did get it for a steal, about $60,000 less than it is worth thanks to the cruddy housing market) we resank back into prepping it to our needs. And we still have another 2 motorcycles and a classic car to move (my husband's toys from BEFORE me and my kids. He doesn't get those anymore), and nowhere to put them. Anyway, getting the house on the market last weekend and getting 2 interested parties at the first open house? Priceless. Let's just see if they go anywhere.
Okay, 'nough about the darned house (its a sore spot with me sometimes). We're having a boy this time, named Jacob Alexander. This will be added to our almost 2 year old daughter Kodi, and then my 6 year old son Devin and 7 year old (almost 8! if you ask her) daughter Chloe from my previous marriage. My older 2 are only with me about half the time, the rest they spend with their father--so I get my breaks in between (although I lose their help, so it evens itself out). Kodi is with me full time, as I'm a stay at home mother.
You want to know something that I know will make you laugh? Earlier this evening, I was sitting in the half bathroom when Kodi knocked to come in (I get NO privacy). I let her in, and thought "hey, wouldn't it be a good idea to show her how to turn the bottom of her potty seat over to use as a step stool so she can use the sink?" Uh, why I thought at the time she needed to use the sink is beyond me. As I turned it over and she realized what it was, I immediately had this bad sense of foreboding, like maybe that was a mistake. Well, ladies, it was a mistake. While writing this long-winded tribute to nothing, I had to go to the bathroom (again). I go in there, and soon after she knocks on the door and wiggles the handle (hey, at least she knocks, right?). I unlocked the door and told her she could come in, but she wandered away (which is very strange, she likes to give me my toilet paper so much...). I should have known right then that something was up. So I finish in the bathroom and head into the kitchen to do something (can't recall what it was), and up comes Kodi.............holding the vast tub of petroleum jelly out to me as some sort of offering. There is PJ all over her from her hands up to her elbows, all over her stomach, on her chin, on her legs. And she has somehow put her swim shoes on. She is otherwise naked (except for her diaper) thanks to the spaghetti dinner. She was so adorable, but my eyes still popped out of my head as I'm thinking "Dear Lord! Don't touch anything, anything!" and I'm freaking out about where else the PJ is in the house (uh, my husband's italian leather couch, or maybe one of the suede lazyboys we just bought?). You can see where my train of thought is going. I walk her into my bathroom and ask her to stand still while I start the hot water (it is the furthest from the heater, so it takes forever to arrive) before running a bath. Then I try to somehow wipe the PJ that is now covering me off. Yeah, that wasn't easy. Then I turn on her and use the towel to wipe off all the excess and toss her in the tub with me standing in the water. In the meantime, she actually didn't touch anything! I was so proud of her (even if we were in this mess because of her). Thank God for my 7 year old, because she came in upon hearing all the commotion and hopped in the tub too (I had already cleaned Kodi off at this point). That bought me enough time to go and wipe off the bathroom door handle and figure out where else was covered in PJ. Apparently, she took the old nursing stool and used it as a step-stool to get into the top drawer of her changing table. Aren't I the smart one? At least there was only PJ on her, me, the door handle, the tub of PJ (and the sink that I set it in) and the outside of that drawer.
The moral to the story? Let your kids figure things out on their own!

myboysmom

07-11-2008, 10:25 PM

You are so right about the 2nd child syndrome!! Please tell that with the 3rd it gets better? I won't hold my breath. ;) You should have taken a picture of your shiny toddler! LOL I can laugh at all your stories, even though I have the same things going on at my house and they are not the least bit funny.

As far as the baby's name, we've got William, Dane, and this one will be Nicholas. I like Jacob Alexander, AJ. lou, have you picked out anything for your boy?

AJ, since you wrote another post, I'm going to assume the pelvis is still functioning? LOL Everything thing you've said about the contractions and the bathroom breaks and the numbness could have been taken from my mouth. Maybe we're closer together than first thought? This morning at about 6 am I woke screaming from the most painful charlie horse in the back of my calf I can remember from either of the first two pregnancies. Thank God my hubby was in bed, b/c I wouldn't have been able to bend or reach around to massage it very quickly! Then about 2 1/2 hours after that, my favorite, the ab muscle cramps started again. I had this at the very end of my 2nd preg. and didn't know what it was for sure. It was so painful, I ended up going to the er to make sure it wasn't appendicitis or anything. So I'm not worried about them this time, they just hurt like hell for no apparent reason! I had 2 more pretty good contractions this morning, too. The BH just feel like my stomach tightening, and it kind of takes my breath away. But the real thing starts way down lower and basically feels like a band of pain squeezing around my abs, hips, and back, which all already ache mildly most of the time. Since my last post, I have decided that I am more ready than not! :)

Lou, My first 2 preg.s weren't bad at all compared to this 3rd one. My body must be more out of shape or on strike or something. LOL I have had to spend more time sitting than standing and more time driving than walking. It's so frustrating, not just b/c of gas prices, but I feel like I"m letting my kids down since it's summer and mommy's not much fun. :( But, like my mom said, they'll get over it if they're not already and won't remember much of it. I'm hoping I can get around and take them to the beach in the morning. They can dig in the sand and splash around, and I can catch some sun and relaxation. (God Willing!)

We've been working pretty constantly on our farmhouse that we are renovating, at least I was until the last couple of days. My mom has been helping me paint the rooms. We've got 6 done and only. . . . 10 more rooms to go? I think that's right. Plus we still have to sand the floors (All Hardwood) and stain the windows. My dh has been working on the bathroom installations and it's actually going pretty good. Right now we are in this 2 bedroom and it's just not big enough anymore. By fall or early winter, we should be moved though! Then we, too, have to try to sell our house in town. Hopefully it will rather quickly! IDK, there are several houses for sale in town right now.

myboysmom

07-12-2008, 03:37 PM

I was also going to add last night, but was tired and forgot, my kids are really good at stressing me out, but also at making me smile!! :) Yesterday and today my 2 1/2 yo has been full of "I love you Mommy" and patting my arm and snuggling with me. Definitely makes me remember why I wanted a third!

Of course, it rained all morning today, so the beach idea was out. :( The boys were disappointed, but I told them tomorrow, hopefully!

Lou, weren't you the one having trouble with your fiancee's ex and the boys' schedules? How's that going?

alwaysAJ

07-13-2008, 06:56 PM

Wow, it feels like it's been forever since I posted last :P. Sorry, my internet has been spotty because they were upgrading the local service area (or so they say...).
How is everyone doing, survive the weekend okay? I have been cleaning all day, which is wierd. I can't be nesting (WAY too early for that, yet). I put the car seats in yesterday (all 4 of them woohoo!). Then I took them out and rearranged them and put them back in again. And then again, and then again. You know, trying to find the best fit without loosing all my cargo space. Sigh. Turned out nicely, though! I still have the ability to put 2 additional people in besides myself and my 4 kids. And I also managed to pull all the seats apart and clean all the pieces (Kodi's was smelling kinda funky, like spoiled milk). I am so glad we bought another car seat for the baby instead of reusing Kodi's old infant car seat. They seem to have upgraded their designs a little bit--like hers only had foam padding between the baby's head and the plastic. Now they have foam AND styrofoam padding. "Energy absorbing" I think they called it. It just seems to feel more comfortable. And the fabric seems to be different, like it will wipe clean better. Once I got everything in place, I realized how much happier I was buying the new one vs buying a new cover for the old one (hers is all pink... kind of demasculating for a baby boy, you think? My husband did.) And there was only a $7 or $9 price difference between the two (the cover was around $65 or something plus tax and shipping, and the new car seat was $79 with free shipping).
How are you guys and the whole swelling thing? I went to the doc on Wed and no swelling. I start swelling on Thursday, and it gets worse every day. I happened to wear shorts today, and I looked down at my legs and realized how fat my legs look. My blood pressure is still low, and everything else checks out fine (so no medical concerns).
Well, my house is clean, I've eaten dinner (thanks to my husband, who grilled an awesome meal at a reasonable time), and now I'm ready to just sit back and relax. And prowl the forums :)

myboysmom

07-14-2008, 10:19 PM

Yea, we made it to the beach! :) We went Sunday morning for an hour and the boys had a blast. And a bonus: My grandma fixed a noon dinner for everyone! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, greenbeans from the garden, homemade rolls. . . . And she is the BEST cook ever! (Sorry Mom!;)) For desert we had choc. cake and homemade ice cream. Mmmm. . . I felt even fatter, if that's possible!
I have over done it a bit today, though. It started last night. We got a new bagless vacuum b/c our other took a dump and me thinking about company in the next couple of weeks, well, it was driving me nuts to say the least! So I spent probably 45 min. playing with my new "toy" last night. Then this morning I spent more time on laundry and cleaning out under the kitchen sink (B/C it HAS to be done, right?) and was sore by the time I was through. So, I took it easy the rest of the afternoon. I took the boys to the pool tonite, but again, didn't get in with them. Bad Mommy! I am definitely to the point where I can't wait to feel "normal" again!

AJ, that sucks about the swelling!! Knock on wood, I've never had a problem with that. At least your bp is still low, that's awesome! You're really making me think about the carseat thing now, too. I still have my first son's seat from 5 years ago, and it has not expired yet. I had my Parents as Teachers home visitor check it out (she is certified for that sort of thing) and she said it was fine. But I have yet to try all three seats out. We have a 2002 Tahoe, so I know they will fit, but the order of the seats still has to be figured out. I think my 5 yo will have to sit in between the baby and the toddler. . . . b/c he can buckle himself in. . . But now that I think about it, the middle seat does not have a shoulder strap. I may have to put the 3rd row seats back in and have him sit back there, if he will. Who knew having 3 or more would be such a hassle? lol I'm sure my mom didn't worry too much about the 3 of us (me & my 2 younger bros) fitting in the car. Of course, I also remember times that all 5 of us would head into town in my dad's regular cab pickup with baby bro on Mom's lap. Not kosher now!
Well, I guess, my hips are starting to hurt again, so I'll close out for now. Hope all August mommies are doing well! BTW, don't you think it's strange that the three of us are all having boys in August? I wonder what the other moms are having.

myboysmom

07-16-2008, 05:50 PM

Well, I'm up to a dr. appt. every week! I'm 36 1/2 weeks and about a "fingertip dialated" is what she told me today. :) I have been extra achy the past two days around the hips and abdomen. And this morning I have noticed that I have definitely "dropped". I think it's wishful thinking, but I really think it will be a week or less. (Now that the words are out of my mouth, I'll go past my due date. ;)) How are your guys' dr. appt's going?

alwaysAJ

07-16-2008, 08:00 PM

My doctor appt went well, they did an ultrasound and determined he is 6 pounds 12 oz, and they moved my due date up to August 11th (because he will be too big to go full term, like over 10 pounds). At my next doc appt, they will schedule my induction (for around the 11th). This is a relief, because I never quite know when I'm in labor, since I can drop, dilate, and do all the contraction thing for weeks before they let me have the baby (because my water never breaks on it's own). I can't count how many times I went to the hospital, only to do the "walk of shame" back to the car. It is also a relief, because it gives me a specific date, and I can plan it around my older 2 kids' visitation schedule with their dad--so, hopefully, they will be with him when I give birth (rather than me have to send them off to a relative's home and loose my time with them). I'm darn near nuerotic about trying to plan my calander out (otherwise, my attention span wanders and nothing ever gets done). It is also a relief, because if they induce me around the 11th, he should only be around 9 pounds.

Anyway, I'm putting my money in the pot that you'll give birth in 9 days!!! I know, that isn't a week, but that is just the "feeling" I get :). Keep me posted!!!!

PS--I've also dropped and dilated some, effaced some, and the swelling is from him dropping (as well as my need to pee every 15 minutes). The nesting thing came and went, and I think I had my *itchiest day yesterday. Hopefully. I don't think anyone can take that from me much longer, or if it gets worse!

brittneeskidmore

07-17-2008, 02:35 PM

So I was intrigued after realizing that you were both so close and went to look for a forum where you both (AJ and myboysmom) said when you were due and happened to stumble on this one. I can't believe you're so close (I'm very sure you can believe it, though!).

I read this entire thing and have to say that I can't wait. I'm only 15 weeks (due beginning of January) but it's my first and, even though I know I'm going to go through a lot of pain, I just feel like it's such an exciting time and I can't wait to feel those things you all are feeling. I'm positive that when it actually does happen I'm going to complain like crazy, but I am so glad to have had the opportunity to read your all's thoughts about being "almost there".

Good luck to you both! I sure to heck hope my kid isn't 9 pounds! I know you've had them bigger than that, and I commend you!
When did you all find out if it was a boy or girl? I was looking on that week by week guide, and it doesn't really say when the sex is determinable, and my doctor hasn't said either.

alwaysAJ

07-17-2008, 03:02 PM

Hello, congratulations, and welcome! Is this your first child? If so, I can't explain anything more exciting than a first-time pregnancy (or the first time you hold your little baby). Yes, we complain, but we complain out of love (haha). You'll definately understand once you get to the end, and it is always nice to have a sympathetic ear to talk to (because your significant other never really understands what you're going through, nor do your friends unless they have kids). And it is always nice to have someone who is going through it at the same time, because you forget after a while (like, weeks)--which is, I think, God's way of ensuring we continue to have children even after we find out how much it sucks at the end!

I think MyBoysMom is due (by all technical terms) a few weeks before I *should* be due, so she may go any day now (woohoo!). My husband and I are currently "disagreeing" on what day I want to ask to be induced. I want Friday the 8th (which puts me at just slightly 38 weeks, but puts his weight at about 9 pounds). He wants me to wait until the 15th, his father's birthday (which puts the baby at closer to 9.5 or more)... I could push him down the stairs, he isn't the one stuck struggling to push out a 9-10 pound bowling ball with the fear that after all of that pushing, I won't be able to get him out, and they'll have to do a c-section. So yeah, it is my way or the highway as far as this is concerned. I also have some really good reasons (regarding my oldest children and visitation schedules) that the 8th would work and the 15th wouldn't.

Anyway, I'm off that soapbox for now. I will say, they can usually determine the sex of your baby at the 20 week ultrasound. I've heard that they can detect it as early as 14 weeks, but most ultrasound techs refuse to even try before 20 weeks--too high a risk of an accidental mis-diagnosis. So not too much further for you :). There is a blood test you can take, but it was expensive ($250+) and I'm not entirely sure how accurate it is. I did it with my last child when I was about 9 weeks, and it said I was having a girl. I did have a girl, but heck, that's a 50-50 guess for $250. We didn't do it this time along.

alwaysAJ

07-17-2008, 03:08 PM

BTW, I'm able to post so quickly because I've been online uploading photos and trying to "scrapbook" albums for the past few years, and for family trips. It has been quite the undertaking, but is fun. So I can see when a new post has been made (for now).

:)

brittneeskidmore

07-17-2008, 03:18 PM

My goodness! That sure is an expensive guess. I can wait until the 20 weeks, I suppose. =) It is our first. We've been married for two years and there are two granddaughters among my husband's siblings and absolutely no grandchildren on my side. SO... that's why we're hoping for a boy, to have something new. =)

Did you get the 3D ultrasound? They told us that we could get that (for additional dollars, of course) but also didn't say when. The whole time issue is obsolete in my OB's office, apparently. They're really good about answering questions if you ask them, but they don't just tell you things. Most of the time I can't think of any questions the whole few weeks I'm thinking about them, and then think of plenty I should have asked later. =/

I have one friend who has children recently. The rest either had them five or more years ago or has none at all. My husband is in the Air Force, so we have a wide age range for friends, but none of them are close to the point I am. My mom (bless her heart) tells me NOTHING unless I prod it out of her. For instance, I was telling her about a girl I work with who gave birth 2 whole months early, but the boy was healthy and is 5 now. She said, "oh yeah, well you were two months early, too." Well, heck. Why are you just now telling me this? And about the whole water breaking thing... I didn't realize that there's a "plug" too. I'm very much a planner and self proclaimed 'researcher'. I have to know what everything is, what it means, where it came from, why it happens, and who it happens to... otherwise I flip out about everything. I'm pretty sure that's going to be what gets me. There is GOING to be SOMETHING that I hadn't heard about or read about, and I won't know what to do.

I have a formal event this weekend (husband's grandparents' 50 wedding anniversary) and absolutely nothing to wear. I'm going to go stress about that now.
Maybe myboysmom is having the baby this week!

alwaysAJ

07-17-2008, 04:09 PM

LMAO, you sound JUST like me (my husband says he's not sure if that is a good thing... :) ). I have to know everything, at all times, so I read up on it all--which makes me a "self-proclaimed expert" at all that I have researched ;). And even after having 3 kids, like I said, you forget things. So here I am, constantly searching the internet for every last piece of information I can get about pregnancy and childbirth, as if I've never done this before. Because, whether you've had one or four, each birth is different. I obsess about these things, or I might just obsess about things in general. :P
My clinic doesn't tell us things either (I also think of great questions afterward, after freezing up when I'm in the office), but I read just about everything they have posted all over the walls (I'm a notorious for this, even in the bathrooms--I'll read the back of a cereal box if you leave it on your counter. I can't help it.) So I know that the best time for 3-D ultrasounds is between 28 and 32 weeks. They did one (without me asking) yesterday, so I don't think they're planning to charge me for it--I think the ultrasound tech might have been a little bored while waiting for the doctor. But she couldn't get a good view of his face because he was so low in my pelvis. It was neat, I suppose, but I don't think I had any attention span left at that point. After 20 minutes on the table, I started to loose interest (I ended up being on there for over an hour). All I really wanted to know was how big he was, when my new due date was, and what they planned to do about it. Other than that, my mind started to wander to the posters on the wall, lists of things I needed to do, did I tell the babysitter what time I'd be home, will I even be home on time.... stuff like that. The ultrasound tech talked for some time, and I'm sure I responded, but I wasn't "all there." When the doctor came in and said they would schedule me to be induced, I was afraid I might jump off the table and hug him. Scheduling this has got to be the best thing ever, because I do not deal well with surprises. They stress me out (surprises that I know are coming, anyways. Surprises that I don't know are coming, like gifts, are always welcomed :) ). I am that woman who agonizes over everything, and it has taken every ounce of self control to NOT agonize over every symptom (and get my hopes up) this time around.
I am hoping MyBoysMom does get to have her little one very soon. She sounds like she's gonna go any day! But then again, if it were me, I wouldn't go for several more weeks. Some Moms are SO lucky! They have "labor signs" and bam, they're in labor. Me? I have labor signs that go on and on and on and on and on... A lot like my posts :P.

myboysmom

07-17-2008, 08:28 PM

I wish I could get a second ultrasound done right now. I'm getting so curious!!

Congrats, brittnee! And yes, one of the priveleges of being pregnant is being able to complain about the joys and pains that go with it! :) And it must a rule or something that dr's don't share any info with you unless you ask. ARGH! I always have to ask what the difference in my weight is, or what my blood pressure is. Oh, well.
As far as researching goes, I'm the same way. I go through phases. I get really stuck on something and read about it, look it up, watch it, or listen to it to death. And then once I'm done, I don't want to hear about it for a while. ;)

AJ, I was laughing so hard reading about your hubby trying to tell you when to have the baby! That is so typically male. (shaking my head) This past week my dh was first on call at work which means he has a bit more responsibility than the rest of the month. So he keeps telling me everyday that this isn't a good week for him and that I can't go into labor. Yeah, he's joking to a point, but come on! And then tomorrow he's leaving first thing in the morning to head to Des Moines, which is about 90 minutes from where we live, to get some more supplies for our house we are redoing. I tried to express that I would rather he not go, but he doesn't seem too phased. So I just told him, all right, be ready to drop what ever you're doing/buying and get to the hospital in the next hour! We have a ton of family really close so I'm not worried about the kids or getting to the hospital, but if he's not there, I'm going to be livid!

I'm feeling pretty ready. I went grocery shopping today with my 2 yo and we had a good morning. I just need to do a bit more cleaning such as the bathroom for company and we'll be good. I've been making lists and worrying about silly things that aren't crucial. As far as labor signs, I've had more people tell me in the last 3 days that I've dropped really low. The pressure on my pelvis has been almost unbearable and I've been exhausted at the drop of a hat. My dh and I took the boys to the pool today, and I got in the water too. I'm sure I'll pay for that in the middle of the night. (Ab muscles and leg cramps)

Brittnee, that's funny that your mom didn't tell you that you were 2 months early till now. And I've never noticed what I would call a mucus plug with my first two, nor did my water break until I was on the table in labor at the hospital, so who knows. Good luck finding an outfit for this weekend! If we were close, I'd loan this outfit I have. It's the perfect dress-up outfit for being pregnant. I wore it last month, and my bff borrowed it while she was pregnant the month before that.

So, AJ, how much money you got riding on the 25th? ;) I'm thinking possibly even before Monday, but I'll eat those words, I'm sure! LOL

alwaysAJ

07-17-2008, 09:11 PM

I don't know, it just felt like that was the right time for you :). I'm usually pretty good at guessing these things (for other people). So please be sure and let me know how "off" I was :) Or if I was correct?

I went and bounced on the trampoline, it was so much fun. Don't worry, I was super careful! :P

brittneeskidmore

07-18-2008, 09:23 AM

I did find an outfit for this weekend. I'm in that weird stage where you look bigger, but not pregnant. I just look fatter than usual, so I needed an outfit to disguise that. =/ We're leaving today at noon.
My husband is in the AF, so we live in Mississippi, but none of our family lives here. AND we've only lived here about 6 month, so we don't have any close friends here. I told him that when it gets closer, he's not going ANYWHERE without me, except work. We bought a house kind of in the country, so we only have one neighbor. If they're not home, I'd be hosed. He's just as nervous as I am about me being alone when it happens, so he agreed! I drive 40 minutes to work everyday and the hospital where I'll deliver is between my house and work. So anyway--I know what you mean about your husband leaving town!!

Do you all have a changing table? I read in an article that they're a waste of space and money, so I'm not sure whether to get one or not. I'm sure y'all are just using what you already had since it's not your first, but I was wondering about your thoughts.

alwaysAJ

07-18-2008, 10:08 AM

I guess changing tables are nice if you have the room, because you get "cargo space" to store diapers and diaper-changing things on below it... But no, I've never owned one. I just have a changing pad (It has the sheep on it?) that has tht backing so it doesn't slip around, and I put a soft cover on it (which fits on it like a sheet, so the bottom still sticks to the top of the dresser). Which, it is on top of the dresser, and I have a diaper depot plastic thing next to it with diapers in it, and the wipe warmer (not a necessity, but we got it as a gift) on top. The only down side to using the dresser for a changing table is you loose the ability to put neat knick-knacks on it--you can't have too much on the table or your baby will soon be grabbing it while you change her. I also use the top drawer of the dresser to store all the baby changing stuff like rash creams, balms, lotions, stuff like that. On the plus side, you have all their clothes right there for easy access, in case you get poop on an outfit (it will happen). Then you don't have to worry about fussing to get the old outfit off, put the new diaper on, collect your child (can't leave them alone, after all) and go find an outfit, then go back to the changing table... you get the idea.

myboysmom

07-18-2008, 10:38 AM

The changing table is actually the one "big" item I wish that I would have invested in with my first son. Now that I'm on #3, I can't really justify getting one. But if I had it to do over, I would have asked for/bought one with my first.

I don't know how you military wives do it, seriously. I'm such an introvert in new/unfamiliar situations, it would be so scary for me to move away from family and have to just jump in there and make new friends. I applaud you who do it!

alwaysAJ

07-18-2008, 10:55 AM

Amen to that (about the military wives bit). My father was in the Navy for 12 years before he got out, because it was so hard on my mom. She was pregnant with me at the time (they'd only been married for 3 years, but she had my brother at a military hospital in Mississippi 2 years prior). Every generation in my family, other than mine, have all enlisted and served (even the women). I did not enlist, as I got pregnant quite young and have been pregnant ever since...--otherwise, I probably would have. My older brother isn't the "active" type, but my younger brother enlisted in the airforce about a year ago; and my youngest brothers (who are 12 and 13 now) do Naval training for kids, complete with "boot camp." They love it. I have the utmost respect for all the men and women, and their spouses and family, who have or are serving in the military. It does not seem like an easy job, and you don't get the best pay for the wonderful services you/they provide. :) So, a big fat Thank You!

As for the changing table, why do you wish you had it now? I guess I've never put a lot of thought into it. We have space for it (with my first two, I didn't), I just didn't really think of it as something I needed... but now I'm really thinking about it! I may buy one, you can always use it later to stack stuff (like toys) on. I've been trying to figure out what to do about a changing system for the new baby because my husband and I intend to room with him for the first 6 months (I don't want him interrupting my almost 2 year old in the nursery in the night...ugh, two screaming babies....). But the changing "table" is in her room/the nursery, and I'm going to need to change him in the middle of the night but I don't want to wake her up. So what do I do? I don't want to put a pad on MY dresser, I have stuff up there, and I don't want a bunch of diaper clutter on it. Sigh. I guess a changing table really is worth the investment. My husband will probably thank you now :). Just what he wanted, me to buy more stuff!

brittneeskidmore

07-18-2008, 10:59 AM

Well, thanks. I'm not going to pretend like it's easy, but I grew up in the military. My dad retired from the Air Force, my husband is in the Air Force. So pretty much I've lived in almost every southern state (and Alaksa) except Florida (the one that doesn't count). It is tough to be away from my family, because we're really close. One day we will live in the same state again! I just know it! =)
I think the hardest thing is when you CAN'T go home for a special time. It stinks. There are a lot of good things about the military, but usually they're hard to point out. ha. My husband is thinking about getting out when his enlistment is up, but he will have been in for 10 years. Who knows what he'll decide! He was in the Air Force when I married him, so I can't really complain about anything.

so anyday now, myboysmom? Does your husband have a lot of boys on his side? My step-aunt has 6 kids. All boys except one. At least she got her one. Weird time to ask, I know, but will you keep trying until you have a girl? Or are you sticking with the three?

I found a pre-owned changing table that matches the crib my parents bought us, so I think I'm going to go ahead and get it. If I don't use it, at least I didn't spend a million dollars on it! The room is getting kinda full, now. Hopefully we don't have to paint it pink. (When we bought the house, the room was already painted blue.)

brittneeskidmore

07-18-2008, 11:02 AM

Haha!
So i re-read that and realized that my point to the second sentence was left out. I'm not going to pretend it's easy, but it's not as hard as it seems.

alwaysAJ

07-18-2008, 11:39 AM

:) Looks like I'm getting a changing table too (haha, thanks MyBoysMom!).

If your baby does turn out to be a girl, don't worry about painting the room--just add pink and purple accents, like wall decals (Lowes and Home Depot have a lot of removable wall-stickers that are really cute for baby girls! They're in the wall-paper section). And you can do pink or purple curtains, anything other than paint the walls (you may regret it later, if you do have another and he turns out to be a boy ;)...) We painted the walls cream and pale green. 3 walls are creamy yellow/white, and one wall (the one with the window) is a pale green. Then I put up purple curtains, and found butterfly/flower wall stickers that I plastered all over the walls. I also used girlie bedding for the crib, and the changing pad cover is purple. Now that we're adding a boy, I'm simply adding some more blue and green to the mix (which should work if it all goes according to plan in my head!).

What do you think? Pink and blue and purlpe are adorable together, and you can do soft creamy colors as well to make it feminine. Or, if he's a boy, go crazy with the blue (blue and brown is hot right now)!

brittneeskidmore

07-18-2008, 12:10 PM

I thought ab the sticker idea, but my husband wants to change it to pink for a girl. Maybe he just thinks that is what I want. We'll go and look at them and maybe that'll convince him. hopefully it'll be a boy and we won't have to worry. (Of course I'll be happy with a girl!) I LOVE all the choices for boys. I've looked at some girl stuff, too. It's all so much fun. I'm going to love decorating!
Pink and blue and purple ARE cute together!
For some reason I just feel like it's going to be a girl. Even though we're wanting a boy, I feel like I'm going to have a girl. We'll see I guess. The GUT feeling isn't always right!

alwaysAJ

07-18-2008, 01:34 PM

:) No matter what you have, or what color you paint the wall, the baby won't mind (at least not until he/she gets older...). I almost painted the nursery pink, and I'm so glad we didn't because now we're having a boy--so we'll have both a girl and a boy in there until my daughter is old enough to go up and down the stairs without any problems, and follow an emergency escape plan (in case of a fire). We have the nursery and master suite on the main floor, so it works out well for me. There are 3 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, but I hate to put my 21 month old upstairs all on her own (since my older 2 are only here part time). So I'll probably wait until both little ones are old enough, and move them upstairs together. Then I'll turn the nursery into an office with a guest bed. The nuetral paint colors will work well for that, too. But who knows, my husband may want to "update" it later on, at least to get a fresh coat on the walls.

Make sure to let your husband know that putting pink over blue may be tricky (in case he didn't think about it). Even when the paint says "one coat coverage" it always takes *at least* two coats, and because the blue is darker, it may take more. You might be able to use a primer coat to cover the blue and give the pink a good base, so you don't get any show-through. When we painted the walls the creamy yellow, it was over a green paint (from the previous owners, reminded me of pea soup). I believe the painters ended up using 3 coats of a premium "one coat" paint because it kept showing through. There are still some spots around the edging that I can see when the light hits it just right, but I'm willing to let those slide ;). They aren't too noticeable.

Have you thought about painting just one wall pink, maybe? Of course, this is assuming you DO have a girl! lol, sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself! Just a thought. You guys will find something you both absolutely love, I don't expect you to actually listen to my unsolicited advice. :)

BTW, it will be interesting to find out if you are having a girl since you have that gut feeling. I had that gut feeling, and every time I was right (but again, there's only a 50-50 chance of picking the wrong sex to have a gut feeling on!). Moms are very intuitive when it comes to their children (and pregnancy), as you'll come to find out very soon. I am so excited for you, I remember that "first time joy," it wasn't that long ago that I was preggers with my first. It seemed the last trimester lasted FOREVER, I was so excited to hold her! I swear, I must've actually sat there and watched the clock tick by for the last few weeks :). But you'll get the same excitement with all of your babies. It just hit me a little later this time (I was so freaked out about having another baby in diapers, and the whole not-sleeping-through-the-night again thing... I've done this routine before, so I know what it is like to have 2 so close together... haha, my husband has NO idea what he's in for!). But now I'm excited. Phew, I'm out of breath, this post is so long-winded!

Anyone heard from Lou lately?

myboysmom

07-18-2008, 04:29 PM

My brother has been in the Army Reserves since just out of high school (6 years ago) and I'm pretty sure he loves it. He's done a tour in Afghanistan, and he's been wanting to go back. Is he nuts?? LOL

Now I might have to talk hubby into the changing table since you guys are. Peer pressure and all. ;) The reason I wish I had one is for a back saver. I've also watched kids in my home for the last 2 1/2 years until last month, so it would have helped then. The pack'n'play is just too low, it kills my back. I know, I need some cheese with my "whine".

AJ, my hubby was just reading over my shoulder and noticed that your profile said "skilled parent" and asked what that meant. I said once you get 100 posts you're a parenting pro. His consensus is that we're all just mouthy, not skilled. :)

brittnee, my dh has a brother and two male cousins on his mom's side, and one boy and one girl cousin on his dad's side. I've got 2 brothers, so I'm thinking we might be doomed for boys every time! My hubby was happy with our first kid, it's me who wants the litter. LOL I honestly don't know if we'll try for #4 or not. But if we do, it's going to be 4-5 years down the road, not just 2! We've got a lot on our plate right now it feels like.

As far as lou, lately her posts have been more sparse everywhere. They're in the process of moving, I think, so . . . .

alwaysAJ

07-18-2008, 08:42 PM

Ah, good to hear, I was worried she might be out there pushing out a baby somewhere! Well, not worried, I'd be happy for her--you know what I mean. :)

Your hubby and my hubby think alike. My husband just doesn't understand the whole forum thing. Haha, little does he know, we're actually planning to take over the world (one credit card at a time).

So, as I sit here, I've been having contractions for the past hour (at least) every 3 minutes. Not painful ones, just powerful BH... Arg, I hate this cruel trick my body plays on me! I know they've been going on longer than an hour, I just ignored them until I realized how close together they were. But seriously, they don't seem like the right type of contraction (although I've always had these prior to Labor, and it does dilate me up to 4 cm... Kinda nice, since they aren't painful--but then again, this can go on for weeks! ugh). I absolutely refuse to go to the hospital, so as long as my water doesn't break and the baby seems to move okay, I'm just going to continue to ignore them. Otherwise, I'll go through the whole stupid fuss of getting to the hospital, getting into the gown, etc... and then my contractions will stop, and I will look like a lying fool. And then there's the "walk of shame" I keep talking about, where I walk back out of the labor ward with my pillow, head hung low... And of course, everyone stares at you, wondering why you're going that way (to the parking lot) and not up to the labor ward. My body is so f'd up about labor, I end up in the hospital several times before they finally admit me and let me "go." But not THIS time! No, anything but the "walk of shame"...

I am trying to figure out what is causing them, other than my stupid, stubborn body. I was eating when I noticed them, my bladder may have been full, and I was sitting for awhile. But then I walked, and emptied my bladder, and so forth--they still come. >sigh< I'm going to go chew some ice now, to console myself (oh, I'm not dehydrated either). I hate my body sometimes... cruel Gods!

myboysmom

07-18-2008, 09:34 PM

That really sucks that you labor for so long!! I was going to ask you earlier, have you been induced before? Thankfully (not to rub your nose in it) when I start, that's it and I go. ;) As far as being full and the bladder thing, I've noticed my BH's are stronger then, too, but then they don't amount to much. But, when it's not true labor, mine don't last more than 30-40 minutes usually, but they are that close together. I feel for you, though. I can't imagine going on for days or weeks with symptoms but not having a baby!

myboysmom

07-18-2008, 10:43 PM

I just got done reading the boys "Marvin K. Mooney" by Dr. Seuss, one of my personal favorites. Hopefully tonight I held their bedtime off long enough I won't have to chase them back to bed!

Anyway, we just got back from a walk where we ran into my brother who happened to be back in town. He doesn't even say "hi", he just looks at me, looks down to my stomach and then grins. :P Then after a few minutes of conversation asks the dreaded question: "So, how much weight have you gained?" I'm not offended by him asking though. If you knew my brother, he means it in totally curious-about-the-human-body sort of way. When I was pregnant with my first, he was in Afghanistan, so we wrote all the time. He would always ask what my diet consisted of, was I getting enough protein, etc. But anyway, now I'm going to ask YOU. How much weight have you all gained? With each pregnancy? I put on 23-25 with my first two, and this one is only like 14 lb. I'm hoping that means he'll be around 6 lb. and just sort of slip out! LOL My other boys were 6#15oz and 7#3oz. And believe it or not, I did notice a difference of 4 oz! I know, AJ, you're telling me to shut up and count my blessings. ;)

alwaysAJ

07-19-2008, 09:43 PM

LMAO, no problem, I know I'm a freak of nature :).

I started out at 105# before I got pregnant with my first, and I shot up to 200#. Yeah, I know. I don't know how it got that way, I didn't eat anymore--if anything, I ate less (I ate like a pig before I got pregnant, all the wrong foods). But I blew up like a balloon. Then I lost most of it within a few weeks of giving birth, which is also another freak of nature thing. I believe most of it has to do with A: my metabolism goes from very high to almost stopped, and B: I retain an unnatural amount of water, which gets flushed out shortly after giving birth.

So, with my second, I started at a much healthier weight of about 120#, and...shot back up to 200#. I mean, I was exactly 200# with both of them the day I went in to give birth. Hm... I lost the weight again, but it took a few months this time (3 or 4).

Then I got on the shot for almost 3 years, and I gradually went from about 120# to 155#. It was so slowly, that I didn't really notice it--it would just seem that every season, my clothes from the year before were too tight. But it didn't seem like much (it was, though), and I would just go buy more clothes that fit. I believe it was the birth control, and it affected my metabolism. I got off the BC and dropped down to about 140# in less than 2 months, and then got pregnant (gasp....)

I shot right back up to 199 and 3/4#, and I gave birth that day. So, guess what? I am back up to 185-190 (depending on how much fluids I drank before being weighed). I don't seem to really show it, because it is evenly distributed. Oddly enough, I am still a size M. Hm... I *do* have a lot of lean muscle, though. My massage therapist said she's jealous because I don't have stretch marks or cellulite. On the flip side, the skin around my stomach never went back to being fully taught. THAT drives me nuts.

It is freakish how I can drop the weight so quickly, but that last 10# is always a bit harder to loose. Now, I've noticed I loose about 20 pounds within the first few days/week, and then about 6 weeks after giving birth, I loose a ton of weight over a few weeks. I believe that is when my metabolism kicks back in. But to get off the last few pounds, I have to work out. Not to mention the whole toning up part.

I'm planning to do a 5K run at the end of September for Progeria Awareness. My Mom's Club is helping to sponsor the event, and my husband's business is one of the corporate donors. I figured it would give me a reason to get my butt in gear and start warming up (provided my delivery goes well and my healing is fine).

And I'm extremely vain about my looks, so I can't stand looking in the mirror and seeing flab. I told my husband, since this is my last child, that I expect to get my "Mommy Makeover" in a year, two max (I plan to breastfeed for at least a year again). I want to make sure I'm down to a good weight before I ask to remove any extra skin/fat. I feel I deserve to feel good about myself when I look in the mirror. I'm only 26, my boobs should be above the equator! I don't want bigger boobs, heavens no. I just want them to be perky again. Anything over a size C on my frame would look bizarre. Besides, they get up past a D cup when I breastfeed, and I can't get comfortable or find clothes that fit nicely.

I'm sorry, I probably sound like such a vain maniac! I guess it comes from years of being an ugly duckling, and then suddenly waking up and everyone said I was beautiful (my mother said I would never be anything more than pretty)... I want to keep that feeling. Not that beauty should make me happy, I know there are some serious underlying psychological issues. But I enjoy looking nice, and I like the look of pride on my husband's face when he introduces me to important business clients/customers/employees. Sounds stupid probably, but I like being a trophy wife (albeit, a well educated trophy wife that can hold a conversation, crack witty jokes, and look good while doing it).

Does anyone else know what I mean, or did I just make a butt out of myself? If I did, I won't take offense if you think I'm nuts. :)

myboysmom

07-19-2008, 10:22 PM

Okay, I officially hate you. LOL I've never been a "skinny" girl. I was at 150 before I ever got pregnant, and probably was 15-20 lb overweight then. I breastfed my first, and if I would have been "good" and paid attention to diet and exercise, I would have lost most of my weight. But, food is awesome, and I didn't. (as I type, I'm eating some mint-chocolate ice cream, my favorite!) Then, I gained with my 2nd and didn't lose it. I started this 3rd pregnancy at 198, I think, and I'm up to 212, so I haven't gained near as much. I'm going to take that as a sign that after this one I have to really try hard to lose some weight just so I feel good and look healthy, you know? I don't even care what size jeans I'm in, just so long as I can look at myself in the mirror and smile, you know? I was going through some pictures the other day and found one of me around the time I got married, so about 6 years ago, and I almost cried! I looked so good compared to now. Oh well. Can only move forward from this point on. And I'm not even going to get into stretch-marks!! Those are now my "battle scars". ;)
BTW, I think you are gorgeous. You look really "fun" if you understand that. :)

alwaysAJ

07-20-2008, 02:41 PM

lol, have I told you lately that I love you MyBoysMom???? :P JK, but you know what I mean. That was a total ego boost! However, I would no longer refer to myself as a "skinny" one. I didn't even think I was thin back when I was. I look at those pictures now (from eight years ago) and wonder why I never saw how pretty I was. I tried very hard to manage a healthy weight in between pregnancies, but there was always this dark cloud of doom hanging over my right shoulder while I wasted away on the treadmill (feeling an awful lot like a caged hamster) going "Go ahead, run those miles! You'll put it all back on, just you wait!" Ugh.

I don't honestly know what my beginning weight was for this pregnancy, because I got pregnant while recovering from that Salmonella strain I picked up in Mexico. I was so malnurished afterward, and it took months to get my digestive tract back in order. I know I gained quite a bit of weight in Mexico on the margarita/guacamole diet (haha), and then I lost it all. But I'm sure my metabolism probably went into starvation mode since I couldn't digest anything for almost 3 months. Then...the weight came on like a freight train! And all of this constant weight fluctuating has really taken its toll on my back and joints. If you think about it, I've been pregnant the majority of my adult life... scary to think about.

I'm hoping, praying, the weight comes off as easily this time. I probably jinxed myself though. Crud. I asked my husband for a gym membership, so maybe that will also put a little whiper-snapper into my walk. :) I feel so sluggish right now.

firebabe

07-21-2008, 03:26 AM

i kinda feel quilty. i was 120 pounds when i got pregnant now im at 147. ive always been little both in height and weight. even thought ive gained so little my doctor says im healthy and that because of my frame and height that i wont gain a lot. but no matter how much baby weight any of us gain i think are all mothers or mothers to be and should embrace it. just because the media and magaizines all say we have to be a size 0 doesnt meanwe have to be and besides have you seen "Posh Spice" i dont find taht appealing, she is way to skinny

alwaysAJ

07-21-2008, 11:04 AM

That actually sounds like a healthy amount of weight gain so I wouldn't feel guilty about it, that's for sure! It is funny, what your doctor said. All of my friends figured I would be one of those tiny women with a basketball up front when I delivered....little did we know how much I blow up! Haha, but yes. The weight on a small frame is very difficult to carry around. I have to go to the chiropractor and clinical massage therapist every week.

I must admit, I am strangely fascinated with Victoria Beckham... part of me is horrified at how bizarre she looks, and part of me is envious that she can be so trim after 3 kids. Albeit, a bit overly trim. I'm not sure what draws my horror, maybe jealousy? I just wish she'd smile, then she wouldn't seem so overly opposing. Haha, maybe she has bad teeth? Perhaps she works so hard to stay as thin and trim as she is because of who she is married to. I'd be freaked out about my figure too if I were married to such a sex symbol.

Heck, my husband isn't a sex symbol but I still feel the need to look good... Women openly flirt with him in front of me (or give me dagger looks). Women are drawn to men in powerful positions with money, and you wouldn't believe how disrespectful they can be (regardless of a wedding ring). I like to believe my husband is completely faithful, but I don't trust women sometimes. Too many sharks in those waters.

brittneeskidmore

07-21-2008, 12:18 PM

So far I've lost 12 pounds. I'm only 16 weeks, though, so I'm sure there's plenty to come. I have been a bit overweight since I can remember. The stinky part is that I probably eat WAY better than most of the teeny people in the world. haha. Anyway, I was afraid I'd get the gestational diabetes, so I went ahead and went on the diet for the gestational diabetes to prevent it. Hence the weight loss. The doc says it's perfectly okay to lose SOME weight, since I had extra to begin with. =) I'm hoping to keep the weight gain at 15 pounds, even with the weight loss.
I am at a weird point right now. I worked so hard to graduate from college so i could get a good job. Now I sit here hating the fact that I'm going to have to leave my baby at some center where they probably lose kids for most of the day. I could stay home and me a stay at home mom, but then what did I go to college for? I'm at that place where what I want and what I know I SHOULD do are making me go insane.
So IF I decide to stay at home, we're going to try to get pregnant again within a year of having this baby. That way I can stay home with both of them for a few years, then maybe go back to work. My sister and I are 14 months apart, and she's my best friend and always a good person to play with. I want my kids to have that!
My point is, if I stay home, I'm not going to work super hard to lose the baby weight, since I'll just get pregnant again soon. However, if I keep working, I'm going to work my tootie off to get skinnier than I was before.

P.S. I'm open to advise on the staying home thing.

alwaysAJ

07-21-2008, 01:49 PM

:) I've done both (stay at home mother, and work). I had to work with my first two, although I juggled my hours around so I wouldn't have to leave my oldest with a sitter. At that point, she was my only. I had Devin 19 or 20 months later (can't do the math right now, brain is dead). Then I just wanted to go back to work to escape the madness I called home. Then again, I didn't have a very supportive (ex)husband... his idea of a day was to work, come home, play Playstation and go "clam bake" in his buddy's car. Uh, I was never big on that whole scene (I was kind of a geek in high school) and I hoped he would outgrow it. Alas, he didn't, and we're divorced. Anyway, Devin was up all night, Chloe was up all day, and I worked second shift at the hospital and started taking classes and doing my clincals. I think I went insane somewhere around that point.

Now, I no longer work (my current husband makes enough that I can afford to play at home, er, stay at home), and I don't regret it. I'll admit, there are days when you'll find me hiding in the bathroom with a magazine (not really using it, just hiding). Or, I'll tell my husband I "really have to go to the bathroom!" and then I go hide. That way, he can deal with the kids running around like heathens. Eventually, he'll come knocking on the door, and I'll say I'm really constipated (or whatever else I can blame on this pregnancy). Haha :P

Staying at home is hard though, but definately worth it. It is hard, because people naturally assume there isn't much to it. It is the most underrated job, and there isn't any instant gratification like a bonus or a paycheck, and it doesn't look great on a resume. There are times you will want to throttle your child (please refrain, though :) ), or pull your hair out because they keep screaming or fighting or hitting or putting pennies in your DVD-rom or God-knows-what-else... I get a sitter once a week for 3-5 hours in the afternoon for my "sane time" where I go to my doctor appts, run errands, get my nails done...or just wander around aimlessly. It isn't long before I'm missing my kids and just want to go back home. I do this while my husband is at work, so I'm not missing quality time we could spend as a family, and he isn't feeling resentful that I'm out pampering myself while he stays home.

Then there is the plus side--you're there to watch your little one take his first steps, or crawl, or roll over. Not someone else you paid to be there. You get to be there for every little thing, and every big thing, and everything in between. It doesn't sound like much when you put them side by side, but it is. It is *way* worth it. I think my husband is jealous sometimes, because he missed a lot of that. So when he does get to be the one to witness something, you'd think he should open a freakin bottle of champagne or something ;)--he rubs it in. Yup.

So if you can afford to, I definately recommend staying at home with your children, at least until they reach school age. Those years are a prime time for youngsters' development (both physically and emotionally), and I believe they benefit most from having a parent or another relative that loves them unconditionally in the house with them vs going to a daycare center. But if you cannot afford it, I don't think you should feel bad either. Your child still needs food and clothing and shelter, and provided you find a good sitter, I don't think your children will be scarred from it :). I won't go into sitters this time, I don't want to scare people. Just be very clear and sure you know who is watching your child, and "drop in" regularly, unannounced.

brittneeskidmore

07-21-2008, 02:00 PM

Thanks for the advice. My mom stayed home with me and my sister. I think that's the main reason I feel like I'm supposed to stay home. I'm not sure what I'll do. We can definitely afford for me to (being a loan officer, I'm very proficient with money) stay home since we don't have any debt. It will be a bit more of a pinch, but that's how it was before I finished school. Maybe I could work part-time so that I don't miss SO much. The only thing with that is that you have to usually pay the same amount whether they're there full time or part. Like I said before, we don't have any family here, or that would definitely be the first option. I have talked to my husband about it, and I think he would rather I worked. He would definitely support whatever I wanted to do, but I can tell he would rather I kept working. We'll see when it gets closer. Right now the plan is for me to keep working until maternity leave, take the maternity leave, then come back. If I still feel like I want to stay home, then I'm going to decide then.

alwaysAJ

07-21-2008, 02:32 PM

I just wrote this awesome cheat-sheet on home-heated meals that were super easy to make... and then I looked over at my youngest getting into my pineapple and I accidently hit the mouse on another screen, then pushed back space, and lost it all!!!! ARGGGGGGG! It was good too. Then again, I think all my posts are super-witty. :P

I can't possibly write it all again. I was just saying that my husband's mother stayed at home with her kids and was the perfect Leave It to Beaver mom. I am SO not her, although I think he's trying to push me into her mold. She cooked and cleaned and kept care of the kids. I think I do a good job, but my husband begs to differ at times. I just tell him to eat poop when he gets in those moods. I don't think the man has ever cleaned his own house, and God forbid he has to put his own clothes away (the horror!). And is there really a "softer" side of a towel????? He claims the towel side that *doesn't* have the tag on it is softer than the side that *does* have the tag. So, just to mess with him, I randomly fold the towels "inside out." Haha. I threatened to cut the tags off just to see if he could tell, but I don't think I could ever get all the remnants off . (rolling my eyes).

As for meals, I don't think I can say I am a great cook. Anything I try to make from scratch turns into a horrid scientific expirement gone awry. So I usually stick to things that are easy. I made Stouffers Skillet Stuff (in the freezer section, red bag) Steak/Veggies/Potatoes in a gravy sauce over a bed of steamed white (5 minute) rice. It was amazing, kids and husband loved it. Then there is Banquet's Meal Bake dishes (red box, usually somewhere near the hamburger helper) in the Chicken and Dumplings. Everything you need is in the box. 5 minutes to prep, half an hour in the oven, and ta-da! My pasta sauces are all Prego.... I cheat on everything. Even my meatloaf comes from a McCormick's s seasoning packet. Oh, and Chicken Kiev (those little breaded chicken breasts stuffed with butter and herbs that you buy frozen and then bake for half an hour) served with canned green beans and and a Lipton rice or pasta side dish. Then there is always my kids' favorite (and I like it too, sadly): Kraft Mac n' Cheese mixed up with sliced hot dogs and canned corn kernals. Makes them happy every time.

Okay, I am not sure what that had to do with anything, but now you know: I am a domestic cheater :P

brittneeskidmore

07-21-2008, 02:40 PM

ha ha ha. Good to know! I'm def. a cheater, too. I make a LOT of crockpot meals. Lucky for me, though, my husband and I share all the responsibilities. If I cook today, he cooks tomorrow. We just take turns. We both work all day, so it's not fair for me to do all the housework and him come home and sit like a bump on a log. I think he wouldn't mind me staying home in that sense (the whole, me doing all the housework sense). =)

what's going on with myboysmom?

alwaysAJ

07-21-2008, 03:30 PM

Good Q (about MyBoysMom)... if we haven't heard from her in the next 24 hours, I think we may be safe to assume she is either a)popping, or b)about to pop.

How is Lou doing with her move, anyone heard anything?

I just got done mopping the kitchen floor for the 4th time. My loving husband oversprayed Pam on the floor. I used the swiffer mop first, with an old pad and their wood floor cleaner (I was too lazy to change it--I hoped it would work). Then I replaced the pad and put their antibacterial kitchen floor cleaner. Then I did it again, dousing it. Then I pulled out the good-ol' bucket and mop (with Pine Sol and steaming hot water)... Okay, I did it 5 times, because then I sprayed a "miracle cleaner" on it and mopped the floor again. I swear. All it did was smooth an even layer of the pam all over to floor. If you are bare foot, it just feels slimy. If you're wearing shoes, you could slip.

That's what I get, I suppose. He invited some friends over to eat because they're moving to Az this week and won't have a kitchen (plus, they always have us over. And we wanted to show them our new house). So, he's cooking bacon-wrapped 2" thick filet, homemade mac and cheese, dinner rolls, and green beans with almonds. Can you tell who the chef in the house is? Haha, if he wasn't such a successful businessman, I think he'd have opened a restaruant somewhere. I would burn it all, or the macaroni would come out sopping. Heck, even when he caught the cedar plank on fire in the gas grill (cooking a crusted pork loin, no less), the pork turned out fabulous. I hate him sometimes. The worst part was it caught on fire because I forgot to watch the temperature while he took a shower. Oops.

lou

07-21-2008, 06:52 PM

My god there's alot of posts on here to catch up with!!! Don''t worry I haven't popped I've just been busy and sleeping, or trying to, when I'm not. love the names you've picked out jacob alexander and nicholas (middle name?). for our son we deceided on Lucien John Paul, but now I can't decide if he should have two middle names or if we should combine them Johnpaul, opinions? John is after my father and paul my grandfather.
myboysmom- glad to hear things are progressing on your housing. except for packing and moving unneccessary items we've pretty much put things on hold. my fiance is still trying to paint the outside of the town house, he works all the time so it's taking a long time to complete and he hasn't worked on it for a couple weeks now. then we still have painting to do on the inside of that house before we put it on the market. I think we're (ha, I use the term we :) loosely!!!) going to start on the inside this week as it's just to darn hot to work outside and we want to have that done before the baby gets here. luckily my dad is helping us take care of things at the country house, like the roof and the ceiling repairs. INS. is taking care of the costs and my dad is basically supervisor out there, thank god for that! we still have alot we'd like to do out there like new floors but I think we're just going to do a room at a time after we get moved, which could take some time now. I'd really like to get moved out there but with the amount of work still needed on the town house and the time it will sit on the market (hopefully not long, but I'm a realist) I don't think it will happen anytime soon. the market sucks right now.
I'll be checking back in to see if myboysmom has went!

I have a dr's app. tomorrow. I should be 35 weeks according to the dates, 36 weeks plus a day or two according to the last sonogram. I was told at my last appointment I may be induced at 38 weeks which would be like aug.12th as it seems I'll be having a large baby. It would be cool to have him on the 5th as that was (deceased) my grandfathers birthday and my son will carry his name. My grandfather was buried on my birthday 7 years ago so I think it would be cool for my first to be born on his birthday. My grandfather and I were very close. god I hope I get induced cause I'm just miserable right now. my hip, lower back, knees, and feet are killing me, and if they don't I'll likely die of fatigue!
I don't think he's dropped quite yet as it's still hard to breath and I get winded so easily. I read it gets easier to breath when they drop? My mom seems to think I'm definately in early labor as I've been having lower back pains, not just the normal achy feeling, and contractions though sporadically. last night I dreamed I lost my mucus plug and my water broke, wishful thinking that I incorporated into sleep I'm sure. anybody else have these dreams?

myboysmom

07-21-2008, 11:55 PM

*sigh* I'm still here. LOL I told you I'd be eating my words about going before Monday, AJ! This morning was the first morning that I woke up and was disappointed that nothing happened to cause me to go to the hospital. I don't know why I'm in such a hurry; I technically have 2 1/2 weeks left. Nothing in my body feels different, but it didn't with the first 2, either. But I think I'm "over ready" mentally. My house is all picked up, ready for whoever is coming to stay with the boys when we go, ready for company, etc. I've got all the baby blankets washed and folded, all the diapers and other baby necessities ready to go. And, for a warning this may be TMI: My dh and I haven't had sex for 2 weeks b/c the last time we did, I had contractions pretty regular later in the night. Now I'm thinking, bring it on, baby!! :)
lou, we (my hubby) decided Nicholas Raymond. Nick is the other name his parents had picked out for him, and Raymond is his stepgrandpa who passed away last October. He was an awesome guy, and even though my hubby was like 13 yo when his mom got remarried, he and his sg did quite a bit together. As far as your little boy's name, I wrote it out a few different ways to see how it would look, and I kind of like it hyphenated: Lucien John-Paul. Had you thought of doing it that way?
God, firebabe, don't feel guilty about how much weight you've gained or haven't gained! After reading some posts by other women, if your dr. says you're doing good I'd say that's amazing! My friend (who also happens to be my nurse) stopped by tonite and told me that since I look smaller than I did with my first 2 this one is probably going to be a 9# baby. WTH?? LOL I told her to be quiet!
brittnee, as far as being a SAHM, AJ's right, it's one of the hardest, underrated jobs you will ever do, yet I wouldn't change it. I agree with the having kids close together so that after a few years you can get back into the workplace. I'm thinking the same thing. Yet, my oldest son is starting at "the big school" this year and I am so not ready for that!! I've been ready to kill both boys when they've fought constantly for an entire day this summer, but I am NOT ready to let him go into the "big kid" world. My mom stayed home with us also, and I'm grateful for that.
I have my next dr. appt. on Wed; I'll be 37 1/2 weeks, and hopefully more dialated! But, now I'm getting bummed out. My due date is the earliest in the month, I think, and all you August moms will probably go before me! ;) You better not, or I'm not coming back to these forums. Ah, who am I kidding; I'm addicted to them! LOL
Well, I suppose, that's enough for now. I'll check back in sometime tomorrow. Oh, and if I do have the baby soon, don't worry. I'll let you know within a few days of his birth, so you won't have to wonder. :)

brittneeskidmore

07-23-2008, 12:40 PM

I felt the baby move for the first time last night. It's weird and amazing at the same time. I can't wait until my husband can feel it from the outside!

So, I'm a little confused about something. The due date is at 40 weeks? But "full term" is 38 weeks? Why do they make the due date later? Is it because most women don't actually go into labor as early as 38 weeks?

Did any of you try the old wives tales to see if it was a boy or girl? We tried some last night. haha. They're totally not reliable!

lou

07-24-2008, 02:39 AM

Myboysmom, I do like it hyphenated, great idea! I'll run it by my fiancee. I like the name you've picked! wow it really sounds like you're ready to go. I'm such a procrastinator. I still haven't packed my hospital bag. I also still have stuff to put together like the playpen and swing. I also have to get the carseats inspected and disinfect the used Items I have. I did manage to wash the baby clothes, towels, blankets, etc. Gosh, just writing this post is making me realize all the things that need to be done. it's so overwhelming. I still have so much to do at work too before I take off. I'm exhausted just thinking of it.

Well I had a Dr appointment yesterday and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. That explains the weight gain (40lbs so far). so it looks like i'll probably be induced at 38 weeks, which will be aug.12 though I won't know for sure for a couple weeks. it seems unbelievable that our son will be here in three weeks. How weird would it be if the three of us went on the same day!

brittneeskidmore- the two week difference is because they go from the first day of your last period, so you're technically not even pregnant yet. the only wives tale that worked for me is the ring over the belly one. Just wait till your getting kicked in the ribs, kinda takes teh amazing right out of the equation!!!

alwaysAJ

07-24-2008, 09:21 AM

I also like the hyphenated idea! It sounds so sophisticated.... John-Paul... :).

Lou, I'm sorry to hear about the GD diagnosis. I've always gained a lot, and they've checked me, but I've shown normal on the tests every time. What do they recommend for mothers who have GD? Perhaps I should follow some of those guidelines, just so I feel better and maybe don't gain so much weight? Oh, what am I talking about--there's only a few more weeks left, and I don't intend to have any more.

That would be funny if we all went on the same day! I won't know until next Wed when they will induce me. I'm so excited, I can barely wait. I just want to know a date, so I can stop this dreadful waiting game. I'm not sure what I hate more, the unbearable discomfort of being pregnant, or the whole "not knowing" when it will end. Like I'm on pins and needles with anticipation all the time, and then dissappointed because nothing happened, then excited, then mad... If I have a "sell-by" date, I think I will feel so much better about things. Then I don't have to worry about counting contractions and all that jazz (so long as fetal movements are ok and my water doesn't break...yeah, like it would...).

I have a feeling that MyBoysMom would like to pop a little sooner than the 12th, though--am I right? :P I don't blame you, it's almost a blast to the ego when other moms who are due later than you go before you. Or maybe I'm the only one who feels that way.

Brittneeskidmore, as you already heard, the due date discrepancy is because of the 2 week difference (in a normal 28 day cycle). It does not mean you'll go at 38 weeks, or even 40 :(. Some women ovulate much sooner during their cycle than others, so their turkey timers pop a little sooner. Then there is the flip side, and you go over 40 weeks. I do think they induce after 40 weeks (typically no later than 42) because the placenta starts to break down at about 42 weeks. 4 weeks is a pretty big window, eh? That is why I dislike the end of my pregnancy, I don't like sitting around wondering for 4 weeks (or however many).

With your first child, doctors typically won't induce or push things along before your 40 week mark (provided everything is healthy about your pregnancy) because they don't want to put the baby in harm's way in case you're one of those moms who ovulates later. Once you've had one healthy full-term pregnancy, they're a little more easy going. At least that is how it was in my experience (yours may be way different!). They wouldn't let me go early with my first, but they let me go 2 weeks early with my second. They tried to push me to 39 weeks with my 3rd, but I flipped out at the hospital and made a big scene. So I had #3 ten days early. I had been to the hospital SEVERAL times already...

Anyway, I need to go shower or bathe or something. Get my butt up out of this chair before I get too comfortable and sit here all day stalking the forums.

brittneeskidmore

07-24-2008, 10:00 AM

I've heard from other people that the only one that works is the ring, too. We'll see. Patience is a virtue, right?
I got you. I'm actually not hoping (as of right now!) to go early, because I don't want to have a baby on a holiday (Christmas, New Years). I think children like to have their own day to celebrate their birth! I was just wondering how likely it is. I guess it depends on the person.

lou

07-24-2008, 04:04 PM

well aj, they just reccomended to cut out sugar and complex carbs, which sucks because I love pasta. so you just try to eat alot of protein and eat meat, dairy, fruits, and veggies. Doesn't sound hard right? WRONG!!! everthing has sugar and carbs. I went shopping to stock up on good food and OMG it was depressing. No canned foods, sugar is a natural preservative so canned food tends to have a lot and so do boxed foods. I don't usually cook breakfast or lunch I just grab something fast like cereal so it was difficult trying to work around that. I thought frozen dinners like lean cuisine would be okay and they're not too bad as far as sugar and carbs go but they are lacking in the taste department. I'm not entirely sure how many sugars and carbs I'm allowed to have and my appointment with the nutritionist isn't until aug. 4th. so that's just great. I'll finally be eating as I should and will likely be induced a week later. Boy doesn't my Dr office have their **** together!!! until then I just try my best not to eat any but obviously that's just impossible. I figure if I go this drastic of a route I and our baby should be okay.

myboysmom- you previously asked about the boys schedule. Well lets just say bio mom's not happy!!!! my fiance finally told her we'd only be taking them every other weekend like the court papers say. she flipped!!! I don't know if you knew but she took my fiancée back to court to tack on extra expenses (daycare, back dr. bills that we never received but have asked for, and back daycare expenses) and cut back the visitation so she could get the child tax deduction (she claimed one and he the other as they had joint custody) and raise the amount of child support and because my fiancée was really sick he didn't show. Not a smart move but it couldn't be avoided. He then took her back to modify the agreement to get back his rights but to no avail. The judge took no pity despite notes from work and the Dr. anyway the agreement now states we're to have them every other weekend, pay for half of daycare which of course he gets no say in where they go so she sends them to the most expensive one in town and is retroactive starting in 2006, he's lost the child tax deduction, they raised the monthly amount of child support also retroactively from 2006. If we could have afforded a lawyer this probably wouldn't have happened but since we're now paying for her lawyer we can't afford one. We decided to give her EVERYTHING she asked for in court including us only having the boys every other weekend and as I said she flipped! I knew she would. She didn’t want the boys more she wants them less. She just wants the money that comes with having them. Well she dumps the boys on her sister all the time and her friends so she and her boyfriend can vacation together and they are getting damn sick of having her kids all the time. I’m certain this won’t be happening much longer. We told her that if she wants us to take the boys more that’s fine but she’s going to have to modify the agreement herself. This way we aren’t stuck with her lawyer bills and it should be no problem getting the original decree back. It does suck though that our marriage is on hold indefinitely, at least until the youngest turns 18, as they’ll take my income and assets into account and raise the support on that basis regardless of the fact that I’m having my own child. We simply can’t afford that and she only uses the money for vacations, 5 so far this year. Must be nice. doesn't matter to us though. in our minds we're already married,we don't need a peice of paper to tell us that. We did talk about maybe just having the ceremony and not signing the legal forms but I'd much rather spend the money on a nice getaway for the two of us. the ceremony and party is really for everyone else anyway and I never have liked being the center of attention.

brittneeskidmore

07-24-2008, 04:32 PM

lou, I think a nice getaway is a good idea. Why waste/spend the money on a ceremony to show everyone else that you're committed? You (and partner)know you are! Who else needs to know? A vacation will be much more fun!!

alwaysAJ

07-24-2008, 04:47 PM

Holy cow, Lou! Geeze, that is a lot to deal with :(. It sounds similar to my own situation, but reversed: I'm the biological mom who missed court while my ex did show up--told the judge I abandoned my kids, but in reality he took them from me and refused me any visitation, so we applied for a court date. I never got any notice of a court date until 2 days AFTER court had been held. I fought it, too, but the law sucks here. They treated me as if I were this horrible person. In reality, my kids live in a palace here and a shack at their dad's (with no ac, and windows that are broken and boarded up, no yard). Nothing I can do, he won't give them up because he knows it is the only way to get me back for leaving him. He also doesn't want to loose the support I have to pay him. Yeah, I'm unemployed and have (almost) 2 *additional* kids, and I still pay for daycare, hospital/medical/dental, and regular support costs in addition to what I provide them outside of that (they're here so much, I still have to provide things as if they were living with me full time). Nevermind that my husband has a great income, his income can't be factored into the equation (by Michigan law). Thank God for some things... But my husband does pay out the teeth for them, and I thank him so much. He pays for me to be able to drive them back and forth...gas is expensive, I drive an SUV, and they live half an hour away (at their Dad's), one way. I have to take them back and forth to school, too (Dad's school district). 3 times a day, every day I have them--one was in half day Kind., the other in first grade. Then throw a small infant in the mix (stuck in a car for 3 plus hours a day). And now I have another baby to stick in the car. Oh, yes, they're now in full-day school. But because of budget cuts, they're now in 2 different schools!!! WTH? K-1st in one school, 2-4th in another. Miles away from each other... I'm so upset, but there's nothing I can do. In the meantime, I live in an amazing school district (the one they're in is in such disrepair, and nobody will support the taxes because they're all retired or second home Chicago people). I am 2 overnights away from being joint physical (we share legal custody), but he won't give me those 2 days--I technically have them more days than that, but they don't count unless they're overnight. He made it impossible for me to take my children on vacation this year, out of spite (I took them to Disney last year, he was so jealous of his own children). And my husband and I provide all of my children's extraccuricular activities and bible camps, take them to church, etc. They don't do anything at their dad's except go to school and daycare, come home and eat and go to bed at 7:30--I'm not joking. When there is no school, they're in daycare from 7am to 5:30pm. I stay at home with my children, and when my older 2 are here (and I'm mobile) we go places like aquariums, zoos, children's museums, petting zoos, fairs, etc. And they have siblings here, they don't at their father's. They dress my daughter in long boy shorts (can we say Huck Finn?) and tell her the shorts I buy her are too short... I buy the same style shorts that are her size in the girl's dept. Nothing inappropriate! They cut all of her hair off and give her pixie bangs. My poor, beautiful daughter. I took my son to get his hair done at the barber, he came back with a whack-job buzz cut. I have my daughter's hair cut at a salon to try and style it, she comes back looking like she got in a fight with the lawn mower. The day I picked them up before taking them to Disney (it was the evening before), they had shaved half my son's head and dyed it "Electric Banana Blue." My daughter's hair was pinkish. Uh, he was 5 and she was 6. I was so horrified, but there wasn't much I could do. People gave me the strangest looks, and even his parents questioned what was going on (they live in Orlando and visited us while we were there). And the pictures looked awful. I'm sure that's why they did it. They tell my children stupid lies (I mean, they're really ignorant things to tell a child), and I am stuck trying to find the appropriate way to correct my kids without causing more confusion or making their Dad look bad. And every time their father comes to pick them up, he has some negative comment to make about their time with me... I am so sick of it. And my hands are completely tied. I have spent so much energy being angry, crying over it, depressed, getting angry again.

Can you believe he told my kids they couldn't go to Disney two Xmas' ago because they were spending Christmas with me? He knew months in advance what the schedule was, and he did that to my kids. They were heartbroken, and I looked like the bad guy because they thought it was somehow my fault. So, my husband and I took them to Disney that summer. Why I had to make up for something my ex told them is beyond me, but we all had fun. Next summer, its the US Virgin Islands. :P Doesn't require a passport, nothing he can do about it. I didn't know how badly he would screw me over this summer regarding my visitation time with them, but I now know how to beat him at his own game for next summer. He found a loophole, yes, but he played his cards too soon and now he can't surprise me again. I can't really travel this summer anyway, so I'm saving the fun for next summer :).

Ugh, I write too much. Sorry!

alwaysAJ

07-24-2008, 05:03 PM

OMG, by all means! Do go on vacation, don't worry about the wedding, just do a civil ceremony. Or, you could do an all-inclusive wedding package from Sandals or something like that if you want to do something nice. I know a lot of people tell me that the Sandals destinations are super nice, and great for the money you spend (not too expensive). I had looked into their all-inclusive family resorts (beaches.com), but they require passports :(.

If I could do it all over again, I would have foregon the wedding. We had a civil ceremony first, and then a wedding a year later (I just HAD to wear that stupid dress). We didn't go on our honeymoon until after the "wedding" and suddenly I understood why people always say they'd wished they'd eloped after going through a wedding. It is a huge pain in the rear, expensive, and nobody really remembers it--you spend all that money trying to impress people, and they couldn't care less what favors you got them, and they won't remember your dress or the beloved vows you wrote for each other. They're just there for the food and drink (exluding mothers, they sometimes actually want to be there).

Take that money and go somewhere nice!

lou

07-24-2008, 09:06 PM

wow aj- that's a lot to deal with. I'm glad that you do so much for your kids. they'll remember it later and unfortunately everything else too. I think the parents often forget how hard it is on them or in our case they just don't care. their mom tells them they're an inconveiniance, or at least they over hear her saying it. They'll realize someday how selfish their mother was in that she didn't want them she wanted the money and as a result she had to limit our time with them to get it. the great thing about this is they won't need us to tell them how it is, she'll show them her true colors. I'm not going to worry about it though. before too long she'll go back to the original agreement as she'll run out of people to dump them on and since we don't let her do that to us anymore she'll have no choice. I also wouldn't be surprised if she eventually gives us custody of them. that way she can vacation with her retired boyfriend to her hearts content. the boys say all the time they want to live with us and if we could afford the battle we'd attempt to get custody. however they're still very young and it may well be the case that they're doing the love the one you're with thing. so we can't afford to fight a losing battle. I don't know about the laws where you live but here the court has to take the kids opinions on where they want to live into consideration as young as 7 I beleive it was (I have to look again) and at 12 or 14 they can choose who to live with. When teh boys tell me they want to live with us I tell them that when they're older they get to choose. one time the oldest came back and said his mom said they don't get to choose who they want tehy just get to choose whether or not they see us period. I just repeated what I told him and let him know that's not true. I hate the things she tells them and how she puts them in the middle of things. Like last week the boys asked when we were getting married. I told them I didn't know and asked why they wanted to know. the oldest started to say something about his mom and then the youngest interupted and said we're just curious. hmmm. yeah right. I said so your mom wants to know huh? I just said I didn't know and left it at that. It was hard not to say next time your mother has a question concerning your father and I tell her to talk to me. of course she wants to know when we're wed so she can take us to court again. well surprise!!! We're not getting married and all of our assets will be in my name. Take that!! she also was having the kids ask about who owns the country house. I'm real sure a 7 year old wants to know about that. IT just pisses me off. why would you make things harder on your kids than they already are? It's hard enough as it is to bond with kids that aren't yours but then I have to really watch what I say around them too.

alwaysAJ

07-24-2008, 10:16 PM

It is nice to have someone who feels the same, that it should always be what's best for the children. As adults, we should know when to lay down our wants and needs and those spiteful emotions that drive us to want to hurt each other by using our children as pawns. This is not a game, right? I don't want my children being futher f'd up because of this :(. It is the most terrible pain that as their mother I cannot protect them from this. I can only stand by and watch their father twist them around until they can't see what is right and what is real. Sometimes I think he is truly an evil person. Who hurts their own children just to make a point?

But I hope for all of us and our children, that our kids grow up into normal healthy functioning adults. Cheers to that!

myboysmom

07-24-2008, 11:01 PM

It just seems so unfair that there are so many cases like this out here, and you think it would be painfully obvious to the judge that one parent is just out for themselves and not the kids. But I suppose, there are no laws or guidelines set for "bad" vs. "good" parenting for them, unless it is obvious physical abuse, b/c apparently the only way you can hurt a child is physically. :( I really feel for you guys and your kids. It's great that you do what you can; it's too bad that you don't have control over the rest of it.

Anyway, I'm here to tell you guys that I'm back, and there is an end in sight!!
I had Nicholas Ramond on Tuesday just before 4pm. I lost my mucous plug and my water broke at 7:30am just after eating breakfast with my boys. I've never had either happen until I was in labor at the hospital with the other 2 boys. Then, I wasn't having any contractions and was only dialated to 1, so they put me on pitocin; never done that before either. I had an intrathecal done, never had that before. I kind of wish I wouldn't have, it helped a little bit, but I don't know if I would do it again. After delivery, my face itched like crazy, which is a side-effect, and I wasn't able to hold anything down that night, another side-effect. But, all in all, it wasn't a bad experience. Once I was dialated to 6, it was like 15 minutes more and I was a 9 and the dr. was there ready to catch. Poor little guy, he shot down the birth canal, then was stuck there for a few minutes while I pushed. When he came out he was all purple and swollen. He looks much better now, thankfully. And, yeah, I hate to say it AJ, but my actual hard labor was actually maybe an hour. ;)

Well, I suppose, I should get some sleep tonight. Hubby goes back to work tomorrow afternoon and I'm going to have to figure our what I'm going to do with a baby and 2 monsters. :)

alwaysAJ

07-25-2008, 10:36 AM

OMG (clapping)! Congratulations on your new addition!!!!

I was lucky with my first two and hard labor didn't last but about 40 minutes to an hour (the labor I spoke of having for weeks was painless yet strong contractions, but they were regular and dilating me--the pain never comes until after my water breaks, and then it is intense). Third one was just horrible, and I think I freaked out on the pain and froze up (which probably explains why the moment my body relaxed, I went from 3 to 10). I was in "hard" labor before the epidural for....2 hours? I have a hard time remembering all the details because of the Stadol, but I think they broke my water around 9, and I finally got my epidural at 11 because I hadn't progressed at all. Whatever, it felt like eternity. I didn't have her until after 3am, most of that time was spent pushing. Sadly, that child was not "slipping" anywhere....:) Her shoulders were the hardest part, which was also wierd to me. The first two came easily once the head crowned and was out. She didn't. It took some manuevering on the doctor's part and several hard pushes on my part. Uh...I am so not looking forward to this again!

So, how far along were you, 37 weeks? This is all promising news:) Especially that you had new firsts. I keep hoping I will get to experience my water breaking on its own, without having to wait until my baby is a toddler inside me. And what was the intrathecal that you had done?

brittneeskidmore

07-25-2008, 11:07 AM

YAY!!
I sure hope things go that smoothly for everyone!
Congratulations on that teeny boy!

lou

07-25-2008, 04:53 PM

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you and glad things went okay! How did your 2 boys react? I too would like to know about the intrathecal , haven't heard about that. Sucks that your hubby has to go back to work so soon. Do you have people coming to help you out? How much did baby weigh? I'm so excited for you and here you thought he'd be like 2 weeks late!!!

myboysmom

07-26-2008, 12:21 AM

Okay, first, details. :) 7#1oz, 20 1/4" long. The older boys LOVE him, want to hold him all the time, give him his paci, etc. And I was 37 1/2 weeks when I had him, earliest baby yet.
AJ, you don't want your water to break before you are in labor at the hospital, I know that much! lol It was the strangest sensation! I went to the bathroom, lost my mucous plug. Then dh was in the bathroom, and I was like, "I need in there, NOW!" It was very unpleasant to have that leaky sensation all morning.
The intrathecal: It's similar to an epidural, but no tube in your back and no cathedar. It is a single shot with I think 3 different pain relievers that are like on time-release or something. I got mine a bit too early, and it had worn on mostly by the time it was time to deliver, that was kind of bad. The other bad part was that it went more to my left side than my right, but it did help the overall pain of the contractions in the meantime. I also had 2 side effects. After he was born, my face began to itch like crazy for about 4-5 hours off and on. Also, I vomitted later on a couple of times. But I think that was because the only thing I had eaten all day was a bowl of cereal at 7:30 am. Overall, it was a good experience.
BTW, in my opinion, 3 is harder than 2!!! I'm sure it will get better once we get a schedule figured out. I'm breastfeeding for now, and that makes it a bit harder. We'll see how it goes and play it by ear.
As far as all of you, I want to hear about all of your dr. appt's! lou, how's your gest. diabetes? Since you were diagnosed this far along, hopefully it won't be too hard on you. AJ, I hope you get your date you picked for your induction!

lou

07-26-2008, 01:31 AM

It's great that he was a healthy babe but born just a little early and not too big. I'm scared to death that I'm going to have a ten pounder since it took so long for me to be diagnosed. I'm glad you mentioned the intrathecal. I'm going to try to have a natural birth, but with the GD and the likelyhood of having a large baby I'm not quite as confident as I used to be. I just know that I definately don't want an epidural, so it's nice to know about other options. I was going to just get something through the IV if need be but that intrathecal sounds like it may be more effective, though the side effects sound like they pretty much just suck. The leaking sensation sounds very unpleasant. I can't imagine how busy and exhausted you must be with having three kids now. I really hope you're getting a lot of help from others since your hubby had to go back to work so soon.
As for me, so far so good with the blood sugar ranges. I don't have an appointment with the nutritionist till aug. 4th. at that point it seems futile as I may be induced the following week. I just eat lots of meat, fresh or frozen fruits and veggies, and dairy. I'm sure I'll be allowed a certain amount of carbs but since I don't yet know how many I just stick to this diet. I have an appointment on monday with my Dr. and he'll look at my blood sugar numbers for the week and decide whether I need medication or not. I really don't think I will. I hope he tells me whether I'll be induced or not then.
Well I'm going to get back to work. Today I just thought he could be here in two weeks and nothings set up! I have carseats to get inspected. clothes to put away, gear to set up, and I still haven't packed a hospital bag!!!! So far tonight I got the pack n play set up so I did make some progress. It was all really easy except the changin table. that was a pain in the ASS!!! you have to line up all these pegs with the holes and then push them down at the same time and it's about two feet long. I was on the verge of giving up and throwing it outside after about twenty minutes of Fing with the damn thing when all of a sudden snap, it went right together. You know how they say that if you read a book to your baby in the womb they'll respond to it when they come out? I just really hope my baby doesn't respond to cursing!!!

fuzzy

07-26-2008, 07:44 PM

myboysmom~congrats on the new edition!I'm glad to hear things went smoothly(as smooth as it can get I suppose:)I'm glad I checked this thread out,I was wondering when he was going to come?
Melissa

myboysmom

07-27-2008, 11:11 PM

Thanks fuzzy! I did finally get a general thread posted.

brittneeskidmore

07-29-2008, 10:05 AM

...haven't heard anything from AJ in quite a few days... I wonder if she's having her baby?

myboysmom

07-29-2008, 10:41 AM

I was just thinking the same thing last night, brittnee! She said she's always had to be induced before. . . . Do you think she may have went on her own? For her I hope so! How has your pregnancy been going?

brittneeskidmore

07-29-2008, 01:41 PM

It's been pretty good! I have been having a little bit of lower back pain this week, but that's about it. I hear that's pretty normal around this time (17 weeks). I've been trying to sleep on my side, but it's hard! I'm used to sleeping on my stomach. Two more weeks until my doctor appt.
Oh... and we found out that we're moving. We're not sure when yet. By my estimations, it will be around December. Hopefully we can either get it sooner or later... December is TOO close to the due date!

Do you have pictures of that new little baby anywhere? He's precious!

alwaysAJ

07-29-2008, 08:04 PM

Hi all! Nope. I didn't pop yet, I've just been busy trying to keep my house in one piece, entertaining my children, being taken for granted simulaneously by my husband and children... the usual. Kodi (the almost 2 year old) has gotten particularly pushy this past week. I'm about to tear my hair out. She's just too fast for me. I'm constantly following her around cleaning up little tornado spills, only to realize she's totally ruined something else or destroyed another room while I was busy making lunch or cleaning the last mess. I'm going insane. My anxiety levels are sky-rocketing, because I'm freaking about adding one more to the list (of children). My older two just fight, all the time. Or my son acts like he has no brain cells (he's way too much like his father). I know he's smart, which is why it makes me so angry when he purposely ignores me (yeah, I can tell that he hears me, his eyes shift and he'll pause for a second like he's trying to decide if he should listen or not, and then he'll keep doing what he's doing) or acts like an idiot. I'm serious, my son acts like an idiot sometimes (or most times). He's not, he just acts like it because he thinks he can get away with it (which usually ends up with me blowing my top and then feeling bad about it later). I'm sorry to complain so much, I'm just really really stressed. And I haven't slept in several days. I've had heartburn again, and because I swell so much I have to drink TONS of water, which makes me pee every 45 minutes to an hour at night, and then I have contractions so often. By morning, I'm haggard. I had to start wearing makeup again, just so I don't look so sickly and my eyes have these narly bags under them. I can't sleep during the day, and even my sleeping pills aren't doing anything. I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakdown, but it is probably just me being irritable because I don't feel well and I'm hormonal. I need to take a big fat chill pill, anyone got one? :P

Okay, at least I'm excited about tomorrow. I find out when they'll let me have Jacob. So there is some silver lining to this cloud of doom hanging over me... although I'm not sure another screaming infant who needs fed and changed is what I want right now (I just want SLEEP!). LOL, sleep is the LAST thing you get when you have a newborn! haha, God is cruel... must be a man!

Lou, how are you feeling? And NewMyBoysMom--baby sleeping through the night yet? ;) I'll be 37 weeks on Saturday (by my REAL due date). I'm thinking about making one of those little paper chains that you pull a chain off for every day that passes...

alwaysAJ

07-29-2008, 08:11 PM

BTW, I say Saturday I'll be 37 weeks according to my period due date, which is August 24th (leap year throws a loop, so it may actually be the 23rd...?). My cycle is always 28 days, I always ovulate exactly 14 days from the start of my period (I think I said this before, but I can feel it because I'll cramp slightly on one side of my abdomen, for about a day). We had sex on the day I figured I'd be ovulating, which was the only day we didn't use protection. And then I got pregnant, so that tells me I was correct. However, I'm not going to argue with the great patron saint doctors at the clinic who know everything and said I'm due the 27th (especially since the doctor who gave me the due date wasn't familiar with the machine she was using, and Jacob was less than 5 weeks along....). The next ultrasound, taken several weeks later, confirmed I was due August 24th. I like that due date better :).

Gotta go, Kodi is dragging the cat around by her head. Perhaps I shouldn't have declawed her.

myboysmom

07-29-2008, 09:38 PM

I just read your post and sigh, AJ. :) I totally know about the "idiot boy" syndrome. My almost 5 yo Will has it too. I told my mom the other day, "Well, Will is to the 'boy' stage of his life. Now I have to hate him." LOL I remember all too well my younger brothers and male cousins going through this phase, and it lasts till about 17-18 years of age. And I used to like Will so much! ;) He's just trying to find his personality, and unfortunately that consists of acting like an idiot and all the gross humor. Oh, well, I'll still love him, right?
Kodi sounds just like my 2 1/2 yo, Dane! I call him Curious George. He loves that cartoon and acts just like him! And he is either stubborn or dense. (I'm going with the first) You can tell him "no" a hundred times, or he can get hurt doing something, and he's right back at it. I'm hoping sometime during his 3rd year he'll start figuring it out. :)
As far as the new baby, Nick, he is actually doing really good sleeping, but I'm chalking that up to being so early. Really though, I can't complain about any of my kids in that dept. They were are good sleepers at an early age. The toughest thing so far has been the breastfeeding. The engorgement was enough to make me decide to quit bf on Sunday, but then he spit up the formula he had (he hadn't spit up any breastmilk) so I felt guilty and kept going. I ended up pumping each breast out and it's been going pretty well since, I guess. I did inform my husband in a very tearful way that if I was going to do this breastfeeding thing I was going to need a lot of support! He's been good about it; I just get too stressed out trying to be in control of everything and everyone in my house. You'd think by the 3rd kid I'd realize that they have control, not me! LOL
Let us know as soon as you find out your induction date and we'll do a countdown with you! :) Lou needs to get back on here and let us know how she is doing as well. I think I read something about her not getting back into the dr. until the 4th? Also, firebabe, how are your appt.s going?

alwaysAJ

07-30-2008, 09:15 AM

Good to hear he's sleeping well! My two girls slept well, my son slept (maybe) 6 hours a day. And that was all spread out. The rest of the time he just wanted to eat, eat, eat. Or cry. I felt like I was loosing my mind with lack of sleep, and the dr actually (gasp!) told me to switch him to formula and add so much benedryl in it to help him sleep. Which didn't work, but it was worth a try. The formula at least made it so I could eat, because I'd been omitting things from my diet in hopes it would make him less cranky--which meant that I was living on nothing after awhile! lol, but we ended up putting him on a soy formula, and he worked out whatever problems he was having. I feel bad now, because now there are ways to determine if maybe he had a GI problem (such as acid reflux) that was making him so fussy. Back then, they just assumed it was gas or colic. My how things change in so little time!

I didn't breastfeed with my first (she would fall asleep, and I'd never know how much she was ingesting so I ended up putting her on the bottle so I could keep an eye on her progress), and then I didn't with Devin (obviously). I did with Kodi, but I probably would have quit if she'd let me. She would NOT take a bottle whatsoever. I tried so many types to see if she'd like a different style nipple or whatever. Nope. She wanted the boob.

The worst times for me, being a full-time feeder for the first whole year (wow! I still can't believe I made it!) was right when my milk came in (my left breast clogged, so when it became engorged and I couldn't get it out, I thought I was going to die from the pain); then again at about 2-3 weeks (when the milk flow becomes established) because the left breast AGAIN developed a clog. But it was several months after that before I had any more issues again, usually about the time you start introducing solids and juices because it changes how much they ingest. The good news is, the pain is very temporary. I think most of the time, it only lasted a day or two. And I used a breast ointment for cracked nipples, and it worked (I think it was the Gerber brand...?). It came in a "stick" that I'd just rub on.

I can't say that you'll actually have any problems at 2-3 weeks because you may never experience a clogged milk duct. But if you do, try the warm and then cold and then warm compresses. I found it too painful to breastfeed from that breast during the time it was engorged, so I actually pumped--but the lactation coach will tell you to breastfeed because it gives a better suction action to pull the clog out. Whatever method works once you free it up, try and completely empty that breast (by pump) before continuing to feed your little guy. He may not have any problems, but I've heard the milk becomes very salty when it has been clogged. Some babies are fine, some don't like the taste.

I am trying to figure out if I'll breastfeed full-time this time. I intend to try, but not all babies favor it and it is a lot of work to get them attached if they don't want to. I will say that when I weaned Kodi, it was almost like I had to wean myself... It was heartbreaking to loose my special cuddle time. She would lie there and look at my face and touch my nose, or my cheek, or my hair (or pinch me...), and it was like time stood still. You don't really get that when you bottle feed, at least once they become mobile and can hold their own bottle. Then they want to move around and feed themselves (which, in a way, has its benefits!). But getting a 1 year old to quietly cuddle without squirming? Ah, I miss those days!

alwaysAJ

07-30-2008, 03:39 PM

Hmmm... no induction date was scheduled today. My doctor forgot he'd even told me that 2 weeks ago, let alone why. So, he said we'd schedule it next week. And he didn't check my cervix (which began dilating at about 33 weeks), he said he'd do that next week too. My blood pressure is up, I'm swelling, I have contractions that come every 3-4 minutes for HOURS, only to stall out and come back later... lots of pressure and pain in my lower back and pelvic region... no sleep (sleep? who needs sleep???)...

I wish it was a little cooler so I could take Kodi outside to play. Poor thing is going nuts being cooped up in the house all the time! It isn't just hot, it's humid.

Waaa! :P

lou

07-30-2008, 05:04 PM

Hey all, haven't been visiting as often. I'm just too tired. not sleeping well to say the least. It doesn't help either that I've had the beatles song "I'm so tired", playing through my head on a loop non stop for days now. I think I'm going bonkers. seriously. I toss and turn at night, carefully though as my muscles hurt in my abdomen and lower back, with that of all songs playing through my head which really sucks cause i don't even know all the words just "I'm so tired, I've hardly slept a wink, I'm so tired........" that's really the only words to the song I know the rest is just the music I hear. AHHHHHHH!!! this kid needs to come out like ysterday. Aj I can totally empathize with the pressure in the lower back and pelvic region. It sucks. brittneeskidmore, you think your back hurts now, just wait!!! And the heat/humidity, it just zaps what little energy you have right out of you doesn't it? I must say though that since I've gotten my blood sugar under control I've had slightly more energy than I had acouple weeks ago, though not much more. Thank god for sugar-free, decaff, lowfat, mocha java freezes with no whipcream and skim milk (sometimes I cheat though and get the caffine), it at least gives me the illusion of normalcy. I'm a coffee addict. in the winter I drink it hot and summer cold or frozen.
I see the nutritionist Aug. 4th and dr. aug 5th. last monday I had an appointment and they decided not to put me on meds as it seems under control with diet and excercise. hah, who am I trying to kid, excercise, what a joke! we all know that at this point in pregnancy walking from the bed to the toilet is as good as it gets!!! I was pretty upset though that my next appointment will be with someone totally different that I've never met, rather than my dr. granted they just check weight, swelling, blood pressure, fundel height, and heart beats, but still. also I'll be 37 weeks and he was supposed to let me know if I was to be induced. I should have left this office in favor of a small practice early on, but I liked this dr and up until now had no trouble getting in to see him.
Myboysmom, I'm so jealous that your son is out. I can't wait. I hate being pregnant. don't get me wrong, I love the fact that at the end I get a baby, I just hate the process and everything that goes with it. I think the women who say they enjoy being pregnant are the 4% of the population smoking crack or something.

myboysmom

07-30-2008, 11:02 PM

LOL Lou, I had the same song going through my head the last few weeks of my pregnancy! How funny. I promise I'm not on crack nor ever have been previously, but for the most part I generally enjoy my pregnancies! At least the first two I did. This 3rd one really did me in there at the end. Hopefully you'll be like me, though. The instant I had Nick I felt so much better! I was to the point where it hurt to walk even a block, I couldn't sit on the floor to read them a story, couldn't even bend over to tuck Dane in the bottom bunk bed. But I kept telling them, "as soon as the baby gets out of mommy's tummy I'll feel much better." And I do! We've already went for so many walks since I've been home, it's great.

AJ, I had to deal with mastitis (breast infection) twice when I breastfed Will. It was sooooo painful! And I dread when I go to wean Nick off, just b/c I know I'll have to go through the engorgement all over again. I never bf Dane, and he's 2 1/2 yo and I STILL feel guilty about that! So, like I told Nick today, this is all for him, b/c mommy doesn't want to do it! :)
I'm so sorry that your contractions go on forever! That's got to be so frustrating, especially with Kodi to chase. That's what I felt the worst about at the end, was not being able to be "supermom" for the boys. Oh, well, like my mom told me, they won't remember it.

Brittnee, how funny that you guys are moving! I said it before, maybe in a different post, it just seems like all of us pregnant women are getting ready to move before the end of the year. How ridiculous is that?

alwaysAJ

07-31-2008, 03:18 AM

Ah, I am so tired... it is past 3 am, and I haven't been able to sleep. Not for lack of trying, my eyes are so blood shot and I'm exhausted. But every time I fall asleep and my muscles relax, I get acid reflux and breath it in, only to be jolted awake choking. Nothing is making it go away, so I finally got up.

I agree, MyBoysMom--and a friend of mine was just saying the same thing this evening. I know I'll feel much better once Jacob is out. And 2 years from now, I will look back fondly on these times of pregnancy. But not fondly enough to want to do it again. No, that had better not happen!

It is funny that everyone has moved, or is moving now, or will be moving soon! We moved in April (or rather, that was when we started the big migration, with the final stuff being moved sometime in June). It was hard to get it all done, even though we had a moving company haul all the large appliances and furniture and everything--haha, a whole 1.3 miles away. I packed all the smaller stuff and began relocating it over the course of several weeks until I just couldn't do anymore (actually, I could, but I'd grabbed everything I needed for me and the kids--my husband could do his own stuff!). But I love the new home. I miss the pool at times, but ah well. You win some, you loose some. This home is more "me", and has the tub of my dreams (I'm a bath kinda girl, so tubs are always important to me). Plus, it is "our" house, not just his house that he'd bought with his ex-wife and then turned into "his" house when she left... it felt like I just lived there, but it was never really "ours." I picked out this house, picked out the wall colors, the curtains, picked out the furniture, determined who I wanted to go where. My husband was very liberal in giving me what I wanted (could you blame him, though? If he balked even once, he'd have lost his head!).

Lou, hang in there with me! This marathon is almost over... just not soon enough! Ah, another freakin contraction. I get the painful ones at night, the daytime ones usually aren't painful, they just create a lot of discomfort and pressure (and make it impossible for me to walk or drive because I can't turn my arms).

Well, I'm going to go pee--again--and try going back to sleep. Perhaps sitting upright for a few hours helped my digestion process enough. I hope! Fingers crossed--

lou

07-31-2008, 05:42 PM

Okay myboysmom, you must be the exception then!!! I just really don't like not having control over my own body and can't see how anyone would like it. I'm sure there are other exceptions out there but I'm definately not one of them. I really hope I'll instantly feel better too. I'm sure I'll be absolutely taken by our son so that will help if nothing else. I'm sure I will feel much better, at least that's what everyone tells me. Sorry that you're not having a good experience with the breast feeding. I hope to breast feed too but the infections sound horrible.
Aj do I have any other choice but to hang in there! I often joke with my fiance that "I QUIT, that's it i'm just done"!! unfortunately it just doesn't work that way.

Brittnee, good luck with the move. I suggest doing a little at a time starting ASAP. We jsut got done packing and moving everything we don't need, pictures, nicnacs, shelves they were on, party dishes, books, etc... that way when it comes time for the big move you're just left with the furniture and clothes and whatever else you use on a day to day basis.

alwaysAJ

07-31-2008, 09:31 PM

I quit 8 weeks ago, but apparently Baby Jacob missed that memo. >sigh<

This seems to be neverending, but then I think about it: I've been pregnant 4 times in 7 years. I'm only 26. I've spent the majority of my adult life being pregnant or breastfeeding. The good news, there will be no more!!! I'm not planning to get my tubes tied, but I'm researching birth control methods. We used condoms after Kodi was born, and that worked (we planned this one, so we didn't use a condom that ONE time...). But I want something that isn't such a hassle. But I also don't want any added hormones, because that seems to make it really difficult to loose the weight. So... I hear the copper IUD is back in town. I'm seriously considering it--that's 10 years of protection! Hubby will not even consider getting snipped, and I feel that I'm too young (a lot could happen in 10 years, God forbid it be anything bad). And even though I have 4, I only have my older 2 part time. It's wierd. I'm sure I don't want anymore provided things stay the way they are--I have 4 kids and a doting husband. But he is much older than me, which was something we both took in to consideration when deciding I wouldn't get "fixed."

If you don't mind me asking, what do you ladies plan on doing for BC? I'm curious to know what the options are, and what you like/dislike. I took the shot (gained a TON of weight, but spread out over several years) for around 3 years. I tried pills, but I forget to take them. The patch, I even forgot that--it would be 9 days later, and I'm like "Oh, crap!". And it made me sickly and I had these horrid headaches.

I'm hoping I get some sleep tonight. I called my doctor about the acid reflux, they gave me the same old song and dance (you can't eat or drink anything that tastes good--just cardboard), and then told me if it didn't clear up I should make an appt. Uh, excuse me! I was seen YESTERDAY! And I already HAVE an appt scheduled for next Wednesday. Don't these people ever read the charts before they make decisions concerning a patient's care???? Sadly, I hear the other OBGYN clinic is just as bad. There are no options here for good quality care, unless you're interested in being herded around like sheep. They can't even remember me from week to week, and I have very prominant features that tend to stick out (the bright red hair should be a BIG indication). God, at least PRETEND to remember me! Read the stupid chart, and you'd see what you wrote about me last week! (sorry, I'm venting).

Ba-a-a-a-a.

myboysmom

07-31-2008, 10:35 PM

I was just thinking about the bc thing yesterday and asked my hubby what he thought. Of course, it's the "I dunno" answer, but I kind of expected that. I absolutely HATED the shot. I bled all the time. I, too, forget to take the pill. But, I also haven't been on it in over 5 years. Maybe now I'm grown up enough to remember my medicine! ;) We've used condoms, the shot, and the good ole' pull-out method in that span of time. I really hate condoms, as of course does hubby. But really, if you're not having sex every night, they are the most cost-efficient way to go. I've never been a fan of the patch; my gf was on it and didn't care for it. My other gf was on Mirena, and I believe she got pregnant with her second. But, she is definitely an exception. She is a fertile-Myrtle! She got pregnant with her 1st while on the pill. I'm not sure what she's on now, but she has managed not to get preg. in 3 1/2 years! :)
So, I really don't know. We'll probably do either condoms or the pill.

Lou, bf is going pretty good right now. Except for the fact that I'm having a tooth infection that started to get me down today. (my whole entire body aches with the clammy skin and fever) One piece of advice on bf: To start is very hard. The first week is the worst. So if you really want to do it, just hang in there and it will get better. But, if you decide you don't want to, don't let anybody make you feel bad about it, either! And another word of advice, not all babies are automatically cute! I know that sounds awful, but I'm not one of those people that think every single baby in the world is adorable. There are not-so-cute babies out there. Case in point, my 1st was perfect. His head was perfectly round, his face wasn't scratched up or bruised, and he was bald except for this barely-there peach fuzz. My 2nd on the other hand came out looking like he'd been through a fist fight! He had black hair that stood straight up, his eyes were all squinty and his nose had a big scrape/gash on it that looked orange b/c of the jaundice. The scrape was from him fingernails. My mom trimmed them twice the first day he was born! Now, go from his 1 month picture to his 3 month picture, and he's a doll!! Now, that's not to say that my hubby and I weren't in love with him as soon as we saw him, we just weren't going to sugarcoat it. And Nick, whom I just had. He was completely covered in the cottage cheese, and once they wiped his face off, he was purple with swollen eyebrows, nose, and lips. He was facing up and had a fast descent into the birthcanal, so I bruised him when I pushed him out. Now, by day #3, he looked much better. But my first reaction when I saw him was "He looks like a little gorilla" to which my mom replied "I wasn't going to say anything". Now, tonight I was talking to him and he was awake and alert and he is one of the most beautiful babies. No baby zits, no scratches. But I just wanted to warn you that they don't all come out perfect.
Okay, sorry, I talked about that way more than intended! :)
Well, I'm going to bed early. Hope you guys sleep better tonight. I know that's damn near impossible, I was there not too long ago.

alwaysAJ

08-02-2008, 03:45 PM

I think I've slept much better the last 2 nights (compared to what I was getting, anyway). I started taking Prilosec OTC in the morning. It wasn't ok'd by the doc, but I've come to realize the nurses who call me back don't really seem to know what's going on--they act like they're reading from a script! It was recommended by several other mothers in my mom's group, so I figure it has got to be better than inhaling vomit.
I've been having really strong contractions today, but I don't know what to do. I know, I know. This is my fourth! I should be a pro! But alas, I am still as lost as I was the first time. It was odd, because I was mentioning to hubby last night that I didn't have very many BH contractions yesterday, and his movements were really low (still normal, just not as often as he used to be). I don't want to worry myself unecessarily, so I figured as long as he's still hitting the "normal" count, I was good.
And to top it off, I was walking in the kitchen and my leg gave out on me. Not like nerve related (although that hurts!). It was the wierdest thing. Whenever I put my weight on my leg, it feels like the muscles covering my whole abdomen and up to my chest, and my butt, tighten up in a painful manner--I must've pulled something on accident. So, I'm sitting down. Again. The story of my life!
Sadly, I can't bring myself to actually count the contractions or time them. When you have so many, so often, and then they stall--it just seems pointless anymore. And for me to go to the hospital just because I "think" I'm in labor is also an ordeal. I just realized that I'd have to pack all kinds of crap for my kids (sippy cups, diapers, clothes, etc), and leave my car (there is no way in hell I'm pulling those car seats out after I spent an entire afternoon installing them!), and all this other stuff. So... provided my water doesn't break, I think I'll just wait it out. Chances are, this is just another false alarm. Just like the rest of them.

Lou, how you doing? I hope that you have a smooth and swift labor, and you don't have to deal with any of this. MyBoysMom, did you have any problems like this (as far as repeated false labor)? I know it isn't uncommon, but geeze. And then they (the nurses or hospital staff) always ask how far apart my contractions are, and I'm like "uh, I don't know. they're close!" And by the time I get there, they start to get farther and farther apart, or they have stopped completely and I feel like a fool. Since my due date in my chart isn't until August 27th (yeah, freakin right...), I'm not quite 37 weeks, so they'll send me home--the hospital won't let them speed things up if I'm under 37. I *should* be 37 weeks today. But since I'm supposedly not, I'm screwed.
Gosh, I am just whining again. I really need to knock that off! I think I just want to hear from Lou how she's doing. Not that I want you to feel bad, Lou! I just want to know if I'm alone in this, or if I have a "co-miserator".
You ladies are awesome to talk to, helps keep me somewhat sane (hahaha, maniacle laughter there).

lou

08-03-2008, 04:12 PM

Well besides being tired and emotional and at the moment PISSED OFF, I'm not doing so bad. Why are men so freaking dumb? I'm at work right now because I felt that if I didn't leave I'd likely say something I didn't mean. Everything started out okay, I woke up in a decent mood, my fiancé was cleaning up the house and making us coffee. I thought let's have coffee in bed and just relax for awhile TOGETHER before we start the day. Apparently too much to fucking ask. We get up to bed and after say 5-10 minutes he's on the phone, as he usually is. Now had it been a quick call then back to me that would have been fine, but instead he's on the phone to his friend for 1/2 an hour or more, then still talking on the phone gets up to go downstairs to get a pen. Fine. I sit there thinking, well he'll be back up in just a minute I'll wait no biggy. But then he calls two or three other people back that had called earlier. So by now I'm pissed and throwing on my clothes (hah! well you know what I mean) as I decided to just go to work for awhile to cool off. I mean he was awake for a couple hours before me, what, do his fingers not work before a certain time so he couldn't call then? I mean what does that say to me? That I can't hold his attention long enough or something that he can sit and drink a fucking cup of coffee with me in bed and relax. Then to top it all off, while I'm sitting right next to him while he's talking to his friend he brings up a gig I don't want him to play on the 31 of august, and is basically (in my mind anyway) trying to make me look or feel bad for wanting him with me instead. I'm due August 26th and there's no way of knowing when the baby's actually going to show up so excuse me if I want him available for the birth of our child and there with us afterwards for awhile. WTF. Further we'd talked about this many times before and I finally had gotten him on the same page as me so he didn't plan gigs from the 18th-sep. 8th I think. Now granted it's just not any gig. A friend of ours passed away a month or so ago and the motorcycle club he was in is doing a benefit for the family. My stance is that I don't want him committing to something he likely is going to have to back out of as the baby will likely have just gotten there or we'll still be waiting so I told him to find other people that will be able to commit to it. Further how does it benefit the family if he has to back out at the last minute? If I knew whether or not I was to be induced early it would probably be fine, but guess what, I don't know and it's not looking like that will happen. So I can't say the baby will be here on this day, I'll have had time to recover and get used to actually being a mom so go ahead have fun. If I could say that I would. I'm just hurt as I want him to want to be with us and to be available, but now I'm just like fuck it, I don't want you there if that's not really where you want to be and if you’re just going to whine and complain about it just do whatever the fuck you want. Further just the idea of him hanging out with a bunch of bikers, drinking (of course in tribute to our pal), and playing or listening to music, meanwhile I'm at home recovering from the birth of our child just makes me absolutely fucking livid. I’m just sick to death of hearing about this **** and his attempts to make me feel bad about it so I’ll give in. I’m not asking him to miss a funeral or anything like that. I’m asking him not to plan on being at or playing for a party basically. Call it what you want but a party by any other name is still a fucking party. And I’ve told him if the baby is here by then and I’ve recovered then go. I just don’t want him committing to playing. I really don’t think that’s too much to fucking ask. So rather than take a chance saying something horrible I came to work to cool off. I just put my clothes on and left. I didn’t say anything, though he knew I was upset and more than likely knows why. I get really quiet when upset. Then he says as I leave, honey don’t be upset with me. I am upset and him telling me not to be just pissed me off more. I wanted to scream at him, how then should I react, should I be happy that you basically ignored me and then attempted to make me feel bad? Sorry I just can’t bring myself to do that. I realize I’m likely over reacting. I usually do at first that’s why I leave for awhile.

Sorry about the long vent, I feel better now though, and though he doesn’t know it he’ll appreciate that I got to let off some steam before going home. Aj thanks for the wishes for a swift labor, I hope it’s fast to. Just yesterday I started having some pretty painful contractions but they’re really sporadic. I hope it doesn’t do this for weeks. Sorry about the leg giving out. Mine hasn’t actually done it but it has sure felt that way a couple of times.
Myboysmom, sorry about the tooth ache, that sucks. Thanks for the BF advice. I agree that not all babies are automatically cute and some never are, physically anyways. My mother works for the NICU and some of the preemies look terrible, like little aliens. Also my nieces and especially my nephew all had cone heads and were kind of purplish when born.

As far as birth control I think I’m going to try the IUD. I too bled the whole nine months I was on the shot, and I hate needles anyway, so I’m not going that route again. We both hate condoms and I forget to take pills all the time too. Even my vitamins which I leave right next to my side of the bed on the table along with the glass of water I take with me every night. I don’t want to do anything permanent as I’m only 25 and having my first, even though right now I can say with certainty that he will also be my last. Well I guess since I’m at work I should probably do some actual work. Thanks for bearing with my hormonal outburst!

alwaysAJ

08-03-2008, 06:27 PM

Lou, I totally feel you. I'd be bent out of shape too (as I frequently am these days, when it comes to some stupid move my husband does). Don't feel bad venting, I actually got a kick out of it (sorry, I don't mean to laugh at your expense, it just sounded so much like myself venting!). My husband does stupid things, like yesterday telling me "Well, we aren't going to the hospital unless you're really in labor." Uh, excuse me? The doc said I should go, my contractions were 8 to 9 minutes apart (since its my fourth, they like you to go in earlier). But I didn't. Then today he makes some sort of offhand comment about only staying in the hospital for one night, so I shouldn't fuss about packing too much for my kids. Again, I'm like: where did you get your info from? One night? I'd said I planned on being gone at least two nights, and that was if all went well. He's like "well, normally, you only stay one night." God, it just moves me from zero to pissed when he acts like he knows everything. He has one freakin kid, and suddenly he's the expert. Oh, excuse me. *I* had the kid, he took credit for it. (as usual, he takes credit for everything I do). So I wouldn't make eye contact, because I was afraid if I did, I would snap (we were out to dinner in a public place, I didn't want it to get bloody). So he cranes his head over into my line of sight and smiles and asks why I'm upset. He's so dense, I swear. I looked him dead in the eye and said "sometimes, its a real pain in the ass to be married to someone who thinks they know everything all the time." I then pointed out that he'd had one kid, I'd had three, I think I know what I'm talking about, and if I don't know I'm in labor, its better safe than sorry--right? For God's sake, he actually argued with me about my period once! He insisted he knew when I had started, and I knew differently (I think I know my body, regardless of what he thinks.) So, yeah. Hubby is much older, acts like I don't know anything because I'm young and female. And he's bossy (which is great for running a successful company, not great for telling me what to do). Things that once attracted me to him, the whole "charming, sweet, funny, in-charge, on-top-of-things and successful with money" things are suddenly metamorphasing into an "over-bearing, annoying, heard-that-story-before-so-it-is-no-longer-funny, controlling, everything-is-always-his-because-I-don't-work-and-even-if-I-did-my-money-would-still-somehow-be-his" kind of relationship. Yes, I still love him. But he's such a pain in the ass, I now know why I'm his third wife. However, if I weigh things out, dealing with him is much better than being without him. I think I'm the smarter of his wives, because I know this. They made the mistake of leaving, figuring out life is a *****, and then tried to come crawling back--only then he wouldn't have them back. I, on the other hand, started out with a bitchy life, so I know what it is like to have nothing. So now, I'm living the high life (compared to what I was living). Even if I do have to share it with a know-it-all ass and his stupid neurotic dog that I can't stand (can't stand the dog, I mean).
So, Lou, you're not alone. And I love that you can swing the F word around like a sailor (so can I, and I do it regularly, along with every other curse word known to man!). I could make a navy-man blush when I'm mad. ;)
I hope you feel better, I always do after a long venting session. I should also note that my husband does have redeeming qualities in mass numbers, but those aren't as much fun to ***** about. lol
I'm still having contractions, had them all night, and all day--but I can't hold still long enough to count them. The moment I move around, they become constant. And now, they're in addition to a stabbing abdomonal pain. Oh, that little **** (Kodi). She just took my timer and threw it, and then grabbed my pencil and tossed it on the floor. She wants my attention, but she has really got to learn that throwing things I need is not going to get a good reaction. I'm going to sit here until her father comes back from buying diapers. She smells poopy, and he can deal with it (it will only be a few minutes, she'll live).

alwaysAJ

08-04-2008, 05:33 PM

So, I went to the doctor this morning to get checked. I'd dilated a hair more than I was (okay, a cm, but it seems like a hair when you think about how much more I need to dilate!). And my contractions were gone. I didn't sleep a wink last night, and I choked so much I threw up on myself :( Suprisingly, I'm in a good mood though. I haven't chewed anybody's heads off yet, although my kids are seriously trying to see my monster come out.
Anyway, Dr said I am scheduled to be induced next Monday (the 11th). I was glad to hear that, although he said there is a possibility I could go earlier naturally (isn't there always a possibility of that???) and they won't do anything to stop it since I'm so far along.
A friend sent me an email inviting me to a playdate, and I wrote back that I wouldn't likely be there because I was happy to say I'm going to be induced, and that there was finally an end in sight.
This was her response:
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU BEING INDUCED????????? No one is terminally prego hon. The baby will come when baby is done!"
It was all I could do to swallow any nasty retort and I simply wrote back that it was medically necessary. I'm still stung at her remark, but I realize she's just ignorant to the facts. Yes, I know nobody is terminally pregnant. My point wasn't that, it was that I was excited to no longer be pregnant.
Lou, how you doin over there? MyBoysMom, still BF'ing? Tooth still giving you problems?
BrittneysMom, your due date is my birthday :)

myboysmom

08-04-2008, 07:24 PM

Yeah, I'm still BF. I'm also still taking it day by day! :) And I went to the dentist today. A tooth that has already had a root canal done has to have it done again. Apparently there is either another canal that was missed, or he didn't go far enough the first time. *rolling eyes* Just what I want to do.
AJ, I was going to respond to your ? about false labor the other night, but Nick started crying for food, so I had to delete the whole 2 sentences I had started. No, I've never had the false labor, so I can't imagine how frustrated you must be, especially with your dh being a da(dumbass) about it. ;) You would think that they would realize that feeling awful with no sleep would be grounds to grovel at our feet or leave us the hell alone!! LOL I'm feeling that way today. Nick thinks he gets to sleep all day and eat all night, so it's tough if I don't get a nap during the day, and the last two days I haven't. Got stuff to look forward to lou!! Oh, by the way, you guys had me laughing so hard, but only b/c I've been there! I was reading some of Lou's to my hubby, and of course, being a man, his comment is "Her baby will be a few days old, he could go play the gig. Tell her to quit whining" Which is stuff he says to me when I complain that I need help from him, and thinks he's being funny and cute. Ha ha. Well, it's suppertime then pooltime, so I'll talk to you girls later. I'm thinking of you! One week to go, AJ!
BTW, Lou, how was your appt. today?

myboysmom

08-06-2008, 02:22 PM

Okay, so I waited a full day and then some. Where is everyone? Possibly having your babies, I hope, and doing well in general.

brittneeskidmore

08-07-2008, 10:02 AM

hmm... maybe Lou and AJ are having their babies! Either that, or they're so miserable they can't get move.

alwaysAJ

08-08-2008, 02:53 PM

OMG, so sorry to leave ya hangin! :) Nope, still pregnant... I think its "terminal!" Haha, just kidding (obviously). My internet and phone, which are both connected through the cable company, have been down for the past 2 days. I was able, once, to collect my emails--but then I couldn't do anything else.
I almost went to the hospital today to have my bloodpressure checked and my swelling monitored. The doctor's office closed at 1, and this was shortly after 1... so I call the Labor and Delivery ward and the nurse is obviously not wanting me to come in. Keep in mind, both my doctor and the nurse from the office said I needed to go in if my swelling didn't stop (and it didn't). So, Hospital Nurse is like "Uh, normally the doctor calls in an order for you to be admitted and requests labs and stuff like that." I inform her that I was told on two different ocassions to come in. She doesn't believe me, so she calls my doc. Sure enough, I get a call back saying "Okay, if you HAVE to come in, so be it. But nothing on your charts suggest you have any problems..." Alright, that's nice. My chart must speak volumes, because half the crap I tell my doc doesn't end up in the chart. She's like, your BP at your last appt was 138/72, so that looks nice (it does??? my BP is usually 100/50!), you have been positive for swelling since July, and you have a history of headaches (apparently she missed where I said it was intense pressure on my eyes and my eardrums, and different from my typical sinus headaches). I gave up and said F-it. Oh, and my favorite part: "If they scheduled to induce you on Monday, then they must figure that it is safe to put this off." What???? I wasn't swelling so much on Monday (I now mean swelling to the point that my ankles--which are normally prominent and bony--are gone, and my skin feels so stretched it will split, I can't put FLIP-FLOPS on (!) and it is painful to walk). She suggests that with 3 kids I must be busy (no ****, Sherlock) so I should kick back and put my feet up. I then decided to mention that although the swelling started (badly) last night, I was getting a massage (to try and aid my circulation) when it became bad again this afternoon... so I don't think I could relax or kick my feet up anymore than I already was.
Oh well. I decided I wasn't going to argue with her, and I went and ate Mexican food because I suddenly realized I was starving and craving a burrito. LOL, I'm my own worst enemy! I'll add here that I was totally intending to eat a healthy sandwich for lunch, and I'd had a bowl of cheerios with milk and a glass of water for breakfast. So... now I'm having contractions, but I think it is my stomach and not baby Jacob.

brittneeskidmore

08-08-2008, 04:40 PM

I'm so glad to hear from you! I was hoping you'd say you had the little one, but at least we know you're doing...well, okay.
Don't you hate when medical people think your chart knows you better than you know yourself? OR that you're lying about what the doctor told you? It's the most annoying thing I've experienced so far. I mean, you're about to pop a kid out and they're acting like you're a hypochondriact (sp) for being worried about legitimate concerns.
What sucks is that I can totally see this happening. I am glad that I read the August posts (mostly bc you're the most active group!) so I can know what to expect. Geez. After you have that kid, go beat 'em up. Shove a 9-10 pound kid in them and see how they like it. You did say 9-10 pounds is pretty normal, right?

alwaysAJ

08-08-2008, 05:00 PM

LMAO. No, I think 7-8 pounds is more normal than 9-10. At least I hope so! Probably more toward 7 pounds.

I remember her name is Holly, so when I go in and have my baby, I'm going to make sure I forget to buy her donuts. ;)

I should say, she was very nice about everything. I could just tell by the way she was so hesitant and dissuasive that she'd rather **** pins than have me come in there. That's okay, my burrito was amazing!

brittneeskidmore

08-08-2008, 05:39 PM

Mexican food always makes any situation better. =)

lou

08-11-2008, 03:31 PM

Aj I hope everything is going okay for you today and you end this day eith a beautiful baby boy! sorry about your swelling and troubles with your Drs. myboysmom and brittnee, I'm still huge and pregnant, uhhh! can't wait to be done! I just have been busy and really tired so I haven't been on the computer much lately. How's nick doing myboysmom? good I hope! Are managing to juggle the three of your boys okay?
I just cam from a Dr's appointment. I have a sonogram scheduled for Wed. to check his weight and should know by say friday if I'll be induced. I know, at this point it's hardly worth it. I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow. I'm totally dissappointed with my dr's office too. I realize that they're really busy and have a lot of patients but give me a break. I wasn't diagnosed with GD til 35 weeks and I was under the impression that you get induced at 38. At this point I just don't see the use in being induced. I've had the same dr throughout my pregnacy, excluding once, so you'd think he'd have at least a slight recognition of me from week to week. I just don't think they do a very thorough job there. Brittnee I hope all's well with your pregnancy and that you like your doctor! Good luck!

myboysmom

08-12-2008, 12:07 AM

Can't wait to hear from you, AJ, and how little Jacob is doing!

It really sucks that you guys have had such bad experiences with your dr. With my first two, I went to a bigger practice/hospital, and saw a dr. whom I'd never met before my first appt. and he managed to remember me. Didn't necessarily have the best bedside manner, but never made me feel . . . . invisible, or unmemorable. I don't care how many patients you have, make it a point to open the chart and look at their name at least before you walk in the room!
Anyway, Nick is doing just fine. He's given me a few nights of no sleep, but for the most part it hasn't been bad. I figured out yesterday morning at 6 A.M. that if I swaddle him really tight he sleeps for a stretch of about 4 hours! Yay me! :) I never swaddled my first 2 boys, always kind of thought it wasn't worth it. But, if this is how I can get some sleep (or in this case, computer time ;)) I'll do it. Breastfeeding is going pretty well, too. I only feel guilty b/c the other two boys want/need me sometimes. I'm not as invested in it as I was with my first. I keep wanting to give up, and he's only 3 weeks old! And, like I said, it's going pretty good, so I don't know what my problem is. Part of it is his diapers, they're poopy a lot, and it's making his bottom sore, and I think his tummy hurts, and I don't know why. I'm not eating anything terrible.
Enough baby talk for now, though. :) Lou, and Brittnee, prepare yourself for the bleeding afterwards. It just keeps going, and going,. . . . Okay, not really. But you get so excited to be done being pregnant, and then it just seems like it never ends! My breasts leak, I'm still bleeding. . . It feels like I'm padded everywhere! LOL I'm just ready, as is hubby, to get back to normal so we can feel normal together! :)

brittneeskidmore

08-12-2008, 09:28 AM

I've heard that the bleeding afterwards is terrible. I realized today that I'm almost halfway through. Part of me wishes it were closer, but the other part of me is thankful that it's still months away. I was talking to my mom last night after watching a "natural birth" video. I said her how long she was in labor. She says, "um, It was 36 minutes with Brandie (my older sister) and about two hours with you." So of course my immediate reaction was, "bull." She said she was serious. She said by the time they got to the hospital and in the room, Brandie was crowning. I asked how long she actually had contractions and she said she couldn't remember, but it wasn't as terrible as people make it seem.

So I've decided that it was too long ago for my mom to remember.

alwaysAJ

08-12-2008, 02:02 PM

You girls are never going to believe this, but I finally went into labor on Saturday (well, the contractions wouldn't go away--so I called and the doc told me to go to the hospital to be monitored). I honestly didn't think I'd be staying, but I was dilating. At 6 cm they decided to keep me (about 1am). But then I had to wait 5 hours to recieve two helpings of antibiotics before they would give me an epidural and push things along by breaking my water. I finally had Jacob at 12:12pm on August 10th. He was (get this) 11 pounds 4 oz, 23 inches long!!!!!

WTF?????? I had him naturally, no incisions or tears, and I only pushed for 22 minutes. Granted, I pushed so hard that I ended up with such an adrenalin rush that left me shaking for almost 2 hours afterward, then I threw up, and then I got really wierded out (I felt like I'd overdosed on Benadryl and was yelling when I talked because my ears had popped and I couldn't focus on anything...thought I was having a heart attack...I'd never felt like that before). I bled so much, over 800cc's during the delivery alone, so that might have also had something to do with my odd behavior afterward. I couldn't hold Jacob, let alone sit up or get up to go to the bathroom. I had absolutely no muscle control.

But, I'm fine now, he's doing great, and we just got home today! Another funny thing... He was born at 12:12 pm, and he went home August 12th at exactly 12pm! I blame this on my husband, who made the comment when I began pushing at 10 till 12 that I would have a noon baby, and he would be born 8/10 at 12 pm. Then I not only had a 12 in it, but TWO 12's! LOL. Sorry, I get funny about numbers :)

brittneeskidmore

08-12-2008, 02:45 PM

First of all... holy crap ELEVEN POUNDS?

Secondly... YAY! Congratulations.
I can NOT believe you had an eleven pound baby! I was so astonished. I'm at work and a girl walked in my office right when I read that and I said, "She had an eleven pound baby!" haha. She was a bit confused, but I explained. I commend you, girl. What I can't believe the most is that there was no tearing. You definitely deserve a BIG vacation now.

Again, congratulations. I'm glad things are going well. Did you see the thing about the baby born on 8/8/08 at 8:08am weighing 8 pounds 8 ounces? Man, if she were Chinese, they'd think she was some kind of good luck charm!

myboysmom

08-13-2008, 04:39 PM

I second brittnee: holy crap ELEVEN POUNDS? LOL
I can't believe that babies that big actually come out of people. But there have been several around my town that have them big, too.
Well, congratulations, definitely!! What does Kodi think of him?
My first son, Will was born at 6:15am and weighed 6lb15oz, and I always thought that was strange, too.
I'm so happy for you! I hope he's a good baby for you.

alwaysAJ

08-13-2008, 05:39 PM

Yes, he was by all definitions a Holy 11 pound Crap, if you want to be precise ;)

We had our first night home last night, I kept trying to make a post but every time I attempted, either someone called and knocked me offline (stupid phone and internet wireless run on the same channel, so if the phone is in use, it turns the internet off)... Arg. Or, someone needed something and I had to drop everything and rush to their aid. I am not sure if I mentioned earlier (I started several posts), but Dennis took this week off to help out. A lot of help he's been, he's been working the last two days. I mean, all day. He does nothing but talk on the phone in the kitchen. We went to breakfast and he got on the phone right before our food arrived. I could have shot him, he stayed on it for almost an entire hour! He didn't eat during this time, so Kodi and Jacob and I were forced to sit there through his conversation and then wait for him to eat his food when he was done. The people sitting at the booth next to us were really annoyed (who could blame them???) because Dennis doesn't just talk on the phone, he talks LOUDLY, like everyone wants to know what is going on with his business, because he's so big and important. Geeze. When we walked out, I told him he was extremely rude and nobody else gave a damn what was going down at work--he could have waited until AFTER breakfast to make that stupid call. Of course, he says it was absolutely dire that he made the call when he did. I hate the iPhone, because he checks his stupid emails and then has to call people about every stupid little detail. While we are at dinner, shopping, etc. That thing needs to be surgically removed from his head or his hands. He's either talking, or staring at it, or punching things into it.

Kodi is adjusting okay, although she's been especially full of spit and vinegar. I don't know why, because she gets all the attention she got before (Jacob pretty much sleeps all the time, so he doesn't require much maintenance right now). My favorite is when someone asks Dennis (inevitably, on the phone) how things are going, and he goes on and on about how much attention he's been able to give Kodi with his "vacation" because Mom is very busy with Jacob and can't give it all to her--but who can blame me, having a new baby and all. I'm like, What planet did he come from??? When has he spent time with his daughter? When have I not (I'm the only one paying attention to her). Hell, he went out on the trampoline with her last night (he told her they'd go outside, but then he made a phone call and stayed on it for almost 2 hours. I got angry about that, too). So, he goes out there, and I try to use the phone only to realize he's back on it... on the fucking trampoline! I see his ass out there, on the phone. God, does he ever give it a rest?????

He cannot figure out why I'm mad. I think he's rude, and irritating, and arrogant. And he can't even get the story right about me being in labor (hearing "his side" just about pisses me off more than him on the phone all the time...). I'm like, what, did you go out and get stoned or something in the parking lot so you missed what REALLY happened??? Granted, I am totally being sarcastic there about him getting stoned, I know he doesn't do that. But you get my point.

He did this crap while we were on our honeymoon in Mexico. MEXICO for Christ's Sake! We'd be out by the pool, and he'd "have to call [enter misc name here]" and then he'd sit there loudly talking on the phone for the next hour or two while I tried to read my book and ignore the angry stares from other pool patrons. I mean, is work really going to totally fall apart if he doesn't call everyone all day long every day?

Sorry to vent, but it is either I vent to you, or I see an attorney. LOL, the attorney is out of the question, so venting is the next best thing! Totally kidding about the lawyer bit, I don't want a divorce. I'm just highly annoyed right now. And my therapist costs a fortune, so I try to limit my visits :)

Oh crap, he went to pick up pizza for dinner, and guess what? He got back 10 minutes ago (pizza place is right around the corner) and he's out there sitting in his truck---on that Goddamned phone!

myboysmom

08-13-2008, 10:49 PM

Hey, at least he wasn't on the phone during labor and delivery! (was he?) ;) I know what you mean, though. TJ thinks that "quality time" w/ the boys is laying on the couch, sometimes napping, while they watch disney.

alwaysAJ

08-14-2008, 12:55 PM

You are absolutely correct :) Thanks for helping me see the positive side to all of this! Fortunately, work-related crap didn't hit the fan until Tuesday morning, so he was available (sort of) Sunday and Monday to help me out. He was on the phone a lot, but it was him calling and telling everyone about our latest addition--that, I could handle.

We ended up having a huge row because I finally snapped about an hour ago (he was on the phone until well after 10pm last night, and then back on--non-stop--from 9am this morning until...well...he's still on it). I told him to just go to work, it was pointless for him to be here. I understand he had no help over the timing on this venture, but if he isn't going to help or spend any time with us, he might as well just go to work so I don't have to hear him! He thought I was mad because he was on the phone. Yes, I was highly annoyed, but it was mostly because he was/is on the phone during what is supposed to be our vacation and family time together--time he took off to help me. The way I see it, he should just go to work and get this all sorted out and leave me to piddle around the way I usually do. I've been doing everything anyway, I could just do without the constant jabbering that echoes through this house (thank you hardwood floors...).

The good news is he conceded that he isn't going to call this vacation time since he's spent the whole time working from home, so he can take more time off later. I guess that is one positive side to being the boss. But that just means NEXT vacation time will be spent on the phone doing some other business venture ;). I need to find out where there isn't any cell phone or satellite or internet service... lol, yeah right.

I think I just need to get out of the house for a bit, unwind. I'm not sure when I'll get to do that, since I am working around 2 different "nap" times now. But I will, by golly, I will!

alwaysAJ

08-14-2008, 02:11 PM

Hey, I totally forgot to ask, has anyone heard from Lou lately???

I was lying in bed in the early am (BF-ing) and I realized she hadn't been on in awhile. Ooooh, I'm so excited for her!!!!

brittneeskidmore

08-14-2008, 02:56 PM

I can 100% say that I'd be pissed off, too. I told my husband that he can't even drink a beer since I can't. I said, "You wanted a kid. You have to pay the same consequences for 9 months that I have to pay." He's been waiting (since we got married) until the day I said, "Okay, we can have a baby now." He's 4 years older, so he was ready WAY before I was.
In fact, I think if I were you that I would've hidden his phone while he was sleeping. =)

I'm determined to find out the gender of my baby BEFORE my next doctor's appointment. Despite what the doctor thinks, that does NOT make me a terrible person. =)

How is Nick doing with the breastfeeding and all? I was reading someone else's thread earlier today. She's a new mom and she said she didn't realize a newborn ate so much. She thought something was wrong with her baby. It made me realize that I have absolutely No Idea what I'm about to get myself into here... how often do you feed Nick and Jacob?

myboysmom

08-15-2008, 11:09 PM

:( Okay, I'm a bad mom. I quit bf on Tuesday, when Nick was 3 weeks old. But it wasn't because it was too hard, persay. I was just ready to be back to "normal", and to be able to give my other 2 boys more attention. Also, it doesn't hurt that hubby can get up for at least one night feeding now! :) So, yes, I quit for mostly selfish reasons. And yes, they do eat quite often. Now, Nick started out at every 2 hours, and now is about every 3 hours, which I think might be quite a while for a 3 1/2 week old. Usually for that first month or so it's every 2 hours like clockwork, but every baby is different. I didn't/don't wake Nick up to feed him, and when I would try to, he wasn't going to wake up anyway! LOL
Just don't stress about it, brittnee, b/c every baby is different. You'll learn how often your baby wants to eat, or how often you need to feed him/her by listening to your body and to the baby. BTW, knowing your baby's sex does NOT make you terrible! :) I'm so glad I found out this time!

AJ, we just got back from a 2 day vacation with all three boys, and while I was on my phone twice, guess who was on his phone? With who? Guys from work. TJ isn't even their manager!!! Yet the guys call him, b/c he is reliable and knows pretty much what's going on with everything. I told him a few times to get off the phone, even told him when we left Thurs. morning that I would like for this to be a phone-free trip, but yeah right! Guys just don't get it. Or don't want us to think they do, I'm not sure.

lou

08-16-2008, 04:17 AM

Aj- First and foremost, congratulations! I can't believe I didn't say that last night, I'm virtually braindead though so I guess it shouldn't really surprise me.
sorry but I had to laugh about your venting. I was doing the same thing two pages ago about my fiance yacking on his damn phone! He's seriously on it all the time, it drives me insane! we go out to dinner and he's on it. I try to spend quality alone time with him, phone in ear. I try to call, can't get through, he's on the phone. He's driving down the street, a stick shift no less, on the phone. This I do have a major problem with. statistically speaking it puts you on the same level as a drunk driver. I told him today that if I ever caught him driving and talking with our baby in the car I would personally insert his phone in his ass. I told him the other day I'm restricting his phone time to one hour per day and I've started confiscating it at dinner and when we try to leave the house and I don't give it back till we're done. We're late for everything because of him. he'll be on the phone walking around the house while me and the two boys are waiting for him to leave. IT MAKES ME CRAZY! Most people have this idea in their head that phone bills run high because of gossiping women, totally untrue.

What makes me even crazier though is his one OCD friend who's in his band. he seriously calls all the time. if my fiance doesn't answer his cell phone he leaves a message, and immediately calls the house phone and leaves a message if no one answers, (we usually never do, that's for people calling to book shows, telemarketers, and apparently those who are OCD), and as if that's not enough he then calls me. AHHHHH! today he called all three phones twice within 5 minutes. so thinking that this time maybe it was actually important I answered my phone. He just wanted to let us know (5 messages and I answered the 6th call) that he had some sweet corn for us. I had three hours sleep and my fiance and I were napping. OMG I could have killed him. My dad will do the same thing minus the messages. he'll just keep calling and calling until someone answers, so by the time I do answer I'm pissed off and am short with him. If I don't answer my phone it's for a reason, leave a message and I'll call you back. I HATE it when those guys do that it gets on my nerves more than my fiance being glued to the phone.

As for baby related news, I'm convinced I'll be pregnant forever. I'm so miserable right now, swollen, can't sleep, can't get comfortable, baby's in my ribs totally not fun and even the most insignificant things have become a huge ordeal, shaving legs, or even getting in and out the bath for that matter. I'm so ready to be done. I had a sonogram wed. @ 38 weeks 1 day and they said he weighs 7 lbs 10 ounces give or take a pound (I'm hoping for take). So I'm not getting induced and though they said he'd be big (not what I want to hear) he wouldn't be huge. Yeah right! if he weighs 8 lbs 10 ounces and I go 1 week past my due date he could weigh 11'10 That's huge in my book! My god Aj I don't know how you did it. Even if I go on time he'll be like ten pounds or more OUCH! I may start reconsidering my stance on a natural birth. So basically I'm just stuck like this, Huge and miserable, indefinately. Good news is they won't stop my labor at this point. I was like well duh, no one in their right mind would unless they had a death wish.

Myboysmom- you are not a bad mom. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you having three boys, one being a new born, to care for. your older two require alot of attention and I'm sure that breastfeeding made that near impossible. In a perfect world we'd all breastfeed for a year, but then we'd also all have nannies and maids too!

Britnee- I tried that whole "I don't get to so you don't get to" thing with my fiance and it didn't work. not even close. However, I just had to keep in mind that though he does have a couple qualities that can irritate me to no end he has many more that you wouldn't find in your average guy, and that helps me to really appreciate him and cut him slack in that department. for instance, he does my laundry (better than I do too), he cooks (he's a chef), and has done pretty much all the cleaning since I've been pregnant, not to mention painting the house to get ready to be sold, and packing and moving stuff too. When I start getting jealous of him going out drinking and playing music or whatever I just think of all that and it puts things in perspective. Afterall, he's not out getting drunk off his ass, just a couple drinks, and him playing is his job, fun as it may be and after doing all of those things after putting in a 8-12 hour shift I think he deserves at least a couple of drinks. However that's not to say I don't still envy his freedom and that his body is just that, his! I think it will especially be hard though after the baby when we both are working (I'm still working even now) but then he goes off to play his gigs (sometimes 3-4 nights a week) and I'm home with the baby. granted yes he's working but it's still socializing, having a couple drinks, and just having fun, while I'm home with baby. I know I'll still get me time, the only thing is It will have to be scheduled around his gigs or I have to pay a sitter.
Basically he still has his freedom and I am anchored. that's not to say I'm not happy about having the baby ,I really am, I'm just so used to having MY life. coming and going as I please and doing what I please and now those days are gone. I know He'll be a great help and will give me My time when I need it, it's just that I'm mourning my freedom. Well, enough of this. I could type forever. LUCK and BEST WISHES to all!

brittneeskidmore

08-18-2008, 09:26 AM

Well, I found out this week that it's a GIRL!
We're very excited! Of course, we thought we wanted a boy, but a girl will be just as fun!!

peytonmom

08-20-2008, 02:41 PM

Hi

I am going crazy! I do not think my 2nd child wants to come out and meet her mommy and daddy. I am due tomorrow and there is no signs of labor...besides the BH. I really want to see her and can't wait. I always thought the 2nd one came early. Guess not...Anyone have ideas?

alwaysAJ

08-22-2008, 04:01 PM

Hola! OMG, I had no idea I hadn't posted in forever--I thought I'd clicked the link to take me to the post, so it would keep me up to date if anyone else posted. Must not've...

Lou, any baby yet???? And congrats Peytonmom! Sorry to hear about both of your discomforts, I totally understand. Lou, I think you may go very soon, it seems the last few days are especially bad. And sometimes the second babies come earlier, but did your first? Mine only came early because I seem to have a buzzer that says I'm done a few weeks earlier than most. If they make me go full term, it is as if my baby is overdue (first child they made me wait till my due date, and then she had all the signs and symptoms of being overdue by two weeks--but it was impossible that I was overdue because I knew exactly when I ovulated). Wierd, hard to explain, so I hope you understand what I'm saying. At 38 weeks, my kids come out like they're full-term 40 week-olds.

Everything is going okay on this end. Still BF'ing (haha, it sounds like I'm saying something vulgar there....) but I SO want to quit. I'm tired of being hunched over him 24/7, because I swear that's how often he eats. He is constantly attached to a breast all night long, as I've given up trying to put him back to bed. I value my sleep too much, so I just leave him there and fall back asleep. I'm sure that's bad, bad, bad... but what do you do? I need sleep so I can function for my other 3--who, by the way, seem to be ignored most of the time because BF'ing consumes so much time. He falls asleep, so I have to keep waking him every 2-3 sucks, and then change his diaper between breasts just to wake him back up. Otherwise he'll snack every hour or so, and then it takes me several minutes to get a burp, if I get one at all. And I swear, the kid poops like no kid has pooped before. He poops more than he pees.

My husband has been working so much, and has informed me he has to travel soon. Yay. Whatever. It pays the bills, I knew he was a work-aholic when I married him. But it still irks me because he has a family now, and he assured me that hiring his new VP of Sales would free him up some. But the same week he hires this guy is the same week his competitor goes under and now they're all scrambling to grab the business (sales wise)--it became a free-for-all and it got pretty bad. He had to work so much so he could secure the extra sales volume, which I know in a year or two I will enjoy the benefits of (extra sales means bigger paycheck and larger bonus). In the meantime, I've consigned myself to being extremely busy just trying to maintain the house and kids. That doesn't even touch any extra activities I'd like to do. So much for outtings, it takes 2 hours just to prep for something, and by then it's nap time for the 22month old. So yeah, not much going on outside of the house for me and my kids. Sucky, it is my last week of summer va-cay with my older 2, and they've spent it cooped up in the house. How boring is that??? At least the neighbor girl comes over every day to play with them (I paid her for assistance, and she's been a doll trying to keep them occupied for me). But Kodi still wants her mommy all the time. Bless her little heart, she's been so wonderful with Jacob. Brings me random bottles (usually a toy, but still cute), stuffed animals, binkies... And she's adopted this thing where she kisses him ALL the time. :)

Well, I'm sure I've just written alot again. Sigh, sorry. I'm a run-on poster.

As I'm wrapping this up, I'm getting yet another wierd call on my caller ID. I picked up one of them earlier, and they asked for me by my previously married name. I said they had the wrong person (I'm not that person anymore, in my mind :) ). Damn bill collectors. I haven't worked in 2.5 years, and I can't expect my husband to pay anymore of my ex-husbands bills. My current husband paid for my son's birth (my OLDER son, son of my ex-husband...), not to mention a number of his medical bills and other assorted things that I was being harassed about. Funny how they suddenly start, we've been living here with this new number since April. But I just got out of the hospital, makes me wonder if the hospital updated something on my credit record....? How else would these creditors find me, I don't have anything else in my name (everything is in my husband's name). And the timing is just odd. Another funny thing, I think the statute of limitations has run out on a lot of the bills. I don't know what to do about them, I can't pay them and I don't expect Dennis to keep paying them (they had nothing to do with him!), and I can't file bankruptcy or it screws my current husband over. So I guess I'll have to keep screening my damn calls.

Okay, I'm officially taking my leave! Write/post when you can!

brittneeskidmore

08-26-2008, 10:45 AM

Good to hear from you. All the desires to quit breastfeeding makes me wonder if I should even try. The only reason I really am planning to BF at all is because my MIL and Sister in law would ridicule me if I don't. They're ... "passionate" about what they believe in, and coincidentally expect others to agree.

I sure don't know much about being a mom, but I know a lot about Credit! Unfortunately, if the bills were sent to collections and were put on your credit report, you will be responsible for them until they're paid for... no matter how long from now that might be. I hate to be the bad news bear. If you co-signed with your former husband on anything, they're legally allowed to try to collect from you. One thing you might have going for you (hopefully) is if it's been years and years, some smaller companies will eventually write it off as "bad debt" and not worry with it anymore. On the other hand, some larger companies will just sell the collection to a collection agency, and they'll call you forever trying to get the money you owed the other place. The original company doesn't have to worry about it anymore because they've gotten back SOME of the money, but the new place wants to get what they paid.
So pretty much your caller ID is going to be your best friend.
Stupid ex-husbands.

alwaysAJ

08-26-2008, 08:01 PM

You're absolutely right about me still being responsible. Sigh, I feel bad shlupping it off, but if I were to agree to any sort of payment plan (which would severely piss my husband off, since he has no intention of paying anything else for my ex to get off the hook on--he feels he did more than his fair share of paying off my ex and my debts. And I understand why he'd be angry) it would re-set the 7 year Statute of Limitations set by Michigan Law. I think most of the credit problems are set to be dropped this year, as it is the 7 yr cut off limit--from my credit record. The companies can still send correspondence, but they have to word it a certain way, and they can no longer do certain tactics used for collection. I can't remember everything, its been awhile since I read the FTC laws for this state. But even after the 7 year limit, I'm still responsible (as well as my ex). It just ticks me off that Dennis paid over $8K in debt that originally belonged to my ex before he drew the line on what he wasn't going to pay anymore. It's so embarassing, and something I think a lot of my anxiety revolves around.

On the good side, it turned out that only one of those callers was a creditor. I eventually picked up the other calls and one was for someone who doesn't live here (that one was wierd, but this number is still kind of "new" for us, so it could just be a number on their old records). The others were telemarketers, companies requesting donations, and someone calling about a magazine subscription. It was just bizarre, because all of the calls began the same day, 2 days after I got home from the hospital. Good news is, once I picked up, the calls seem to have stopped. At least today they did.

Anyway, on to a better subject! Lou, how's that baby doing???? You've got to have had it by now! What was it my friend said, you can't be terminally pregnant? :)

And congrats, Brittnee on your upcoming little girl addition! Girls are so much fun, frillie things and pink stuff and shoes and little tiny handbags...sigh. I adore shopping with my little girls. It doesn't seem like shopping for my little guys is quite so much fun, they just don't get to have all the cute accessories that girls do. I guess I *could* put bows in Jacob's hair, but I think my husband would disown me. I have to be careful with Devin, he had a penchant for wearing my high heels for awhile ;) lol

brittneeskidmore

08-27-2008, 09:32 AM

When we first moved into our house and got a new number, they kept calling for donations and things like that, too. I swear the phone company sells the "new" numbers.

I'm excited about the shopping! We've already bought some clothes and the bedding. =)

Lou sure hasn't been here in awhile, but she was miserable before

myboysmom

08-27-2008, 03:36 PM

AJ, I don't know how you have 4! I feel like I'm never going to get the hang of this 3rd child-thing. He's 5 weeks old, and I just feel like everything/everyone needs me at once, so I only do what absolutely has to be done and let everything else slide. There's me, the boys, my hubby, the dog, this house, the farm house, Will started school. . . .*sigh* I know, I just need to take a step at a time, I'm just venting a bit. And after all that, I'm pretty sure we'll try to have another one in 4-5 years! :)
Brittnee, if you want to breastfeed, definitely try it! Especially with your first, it will seem so much smoother once you get the hang of it. I bf Will for 6 months, and loved it. Among the selfish reasons I listed earlier for not bf-ing Nick longer, is he wasn't comfortable. He was fussier, and his poop wasn't "right". After having him on Enfamil, he is a much happier baby. I even tried him on Similac, and that didn't settle well with him, he just wanted/needed Enfamil. But he is my only baby that has been so picky. :)
And since you're having this girl, you had better spoil her rotten with pink and purple and little dolls, that's all I have to say! I'm up to my ears in testosterone around here! LOL
Lou had a post on here a few days ago that said she was having major cramping pains, so hopefully the baby is here and everything is fine. I'm looking forward to hearing how everything went for her, since it is her first!
Oh, and AJ, I can totally relate on the never leaving the house thing! It is so frustrating, because you want to be able to whatever the other kids want/need you to do, but you hear yourself saying, "Not right now, the baby needs ____". Aargh! I've finally decided that the older boys get their bedtime story no matter what. Unless Nick is choking on his spitup (:)) I am going to read to them for bed! It's not fair to them, and to their credit, they understand most of the time why Mommy's busy. But you still feel bad, you know?
Anyway, sorry that I hadn't posted in forever, this is the first time In a week that I've had time to sit down for 15 minutes straight and type something this long!
Oh, AJ, if you'd want to, I'd love to see a picture of little Jacob!

alwaysAJ

08-29-2008, 04:25 PM

Haha, I saw my family doc yesterday and they decided to keep me on the Welbutrin XL, PLUS add Lexipro, AND Ativan as needed? lol, they must think I'm headed for a padded cell soon. I didn't think I had a crazed look in my eye, I was actually having a pretty good morning aside from my contacts were really dry so I kept opening my eyes really wide and then blinking to try and get them wet. :P Doc probably wrote something along the lines of "odd eye twitching" and "girl is headed for the insane asylum, keep a close eye on this one" in my records. I go back in a month to see how the new meds are fairing for me. I felt like the world's biggest b*itch. Not that my oldest son helps anything... Gr. I just needed something to calm me down, I tend to get anxious over the smallest things--and then I get anxiety attacks over bigger things. Talk about stressed out, all the time!

So I can no longer breastfeed, or I don't think I can. The doc didn't really say, I told her I was thinking of transitioning to full formula diet for Jacob because he eats ALL the freakin time. And when I put him on the breast, he falls asleep. Funny, he doesn't sleep through a regular bottle feeding. But if I give him one of those Adiri bottles (I call them the fake-boob bottle), he falls asleep after 2 sucks as well--just like he would on the breast. Little terd. My friend babysat the other night so we could go to Meet The Teacher Night, and I fed him right before we left. I make about 4-6 ounces a feeding. Well, the little monster ate another 4 ounces right after I left. My friend was like "WTF???" What 2-week-old drinks 8-10 ounces in a sitting? Kid is destined to be either a linebacker or a sumo wrestler! So yeah, I accidentaly fed him, not thinking about the new medication I'd taken yesterday and this morning... kid was up for 4 hours straight this morning. Duh, Lexipro's side affect is insomnia. NOT what I want him to have, I assure you!!!

Dennis is going to China next week, should be leaving Thursday. I'm so excited. Not. I'm freaked out, an entire week with all 4 kids by myself, no breaks.... I can see I will need that Ativan then. Bring on the duct tape! Wait, that isn't legal. Are velcro suits legal? :)

Let me see if I can find a good picture of Jacob and compress it so I can post it on here. He's got some cheeks!

PS--Brittnee, breastfeeding is totally worth it if you can do it. I feel so guilty about not doing it with Jacob. It was such a rewarding experience to breastfeed Kodi for a year, I think *I* had to be weaned--not her. But eventually bottle-fed babies can hold their own bottles, and then they want to roam while they suck. BF babies don't do that, they cuddle with you up till the day you cut em off... ah, I miss that quiet time with Kodi. Plus, it was nice to curl up in bed in the mornings and sleep in with her while she ate and then fell asleep.

...still no Lou. I hope she's alright!

myboysmom

08-30-2008, 12:01 AM

LOL, it's probably all the meds making your eyes dry in the first place! j/k Seriously, though, do you notice a difference in yourself? I don't know your whole story about the meds, obviously, but I have felt a much more impending sense of guilt, hopelessness, etc. since Nick has been born that I didn't feel with the first two. I don't know if it's something I should just wait out (which is what I would normally do). I will talk to my dr. at my 6 week checkup, but I just thought I'd ask if you think it helps or not.
You'll do fine with the kids (they have started school, right? Hopefully? :)). Okay, I don't know that for sure, but going in with a positive attitude has to help, right? lol Freaked out is how I've felt with my 3 boys for a few weeks now. I know I've GOT to get on some sort of schedule to spend time with each of them and all of them and myself. I've been working on it, but it's very slow progressing. Brittnee, relish this time with just one when you have her. (btw, I love the name you picked out! I was going to post on that thread the other nite, but ran out of time) Not that you won't enjoy your other kids if you decide to have more, but it is so much . . . . . quieter :) with just one. A slower pace, definitely!
All right, I've rambled enough.

alwaysAJ

08-31-2008, 02:18 PM

Sorry it took so long to respond, I actually started a post last night but got distracted. I know, big surpise there, right? Anyway, to answer your questions, yes--I have noticed a big difference for me on the medication vs me not on the medication. And I think it has made my family unit much stronger, since I'm not so irritable or argumentative, so my husband and I don't fight. And I don't feel the need to drink my anxiety away.

I started taking Zoloft almost 2 years ago after I started seeing a therapist about my anxiety issues. It was getting to be a problem, it interfered with my life and everyone else's life. I hadn't been able to hold down a job since having Chloe. I'd be doing fine, and then one day I wouldn't be fine. I wouldn't go to work because I'd be "sick". And then I started drinking like a fish. My therapist said I was "self medicating" because it was the only time I didn't suffer from the anxiety and depression. But after my buzz wore off, I felt even worse--I was not only depressed and anxious, but I felt like crap. My health went down the tubes, my family was falling apart. (This was before I met Dennis).

After I had Kodi I finally sought help, and I haven't regretted it one bit. Some people are able to "get through" their episodes of depression with diet, excersise, and other lifestyle changes. Alas, I'd tried most of those alternative paths over the years to no avail. My problems stem from years and years of psychological abuse from my father, as well as his physical abuse. And I also have mental issues in my family history, so my therapist thinks my problems may not only be environmental but hereditary as well. Either way, I hated myself and how I was, and I didn't want my children growing up and hating me because I yelled at them all the time and said things I didn't mean out of anger. I did not want to become my father.

I'm now on Welbutrin XL 300mg (which I took throughout my pregnancy, but was closely monitored), and they just added Lexipro 10mg to my daily regiment because the Welbutrin wasn't doing anything for the anxiety but it helped tremendously with the depression side. And for breakthrough anxiety (which I haven't had as of *yet*), I have .5mg of Ativan, which I can take 3-4 time daily as needed. I haven't had any anxiety issues since they added the Lexipro, but we have yet to see how I will hold up when Dennis is in China. Perhaps the lack of anxiety may be because I feel I have an "insurance policy" just in case, if I need it. I mean the Ativan. But like I said, I haven't taken the Ativan yet. I'd prefer not to, it is in the same family as Xanax, and I don't want to become dependant on taking it all the time since it is addictive. The Welbutrin and Lexipro are more maintenance meds, and they help me to be a functioning member of my family and in society. :)

I can't really guage how you are feeling with Nick, but if you feel like you need help, you probably do. As my OB and family doc and therapist have told me, your mental health is the first thing that should be addressed, because if you're unhealthy, it makes for an unhealthy baby/family atmosphere. I'd definately talk to your OB about it, and they may be able to better determine if it is really just the "blues", or something postpartum, or if it may be more severe. I was fine, mentally, before I had kids. Other than my father freaked me out all the time as a child and teenager, but once I moved out on my own, I was fine. Then Chloe came along, and I began to slide off the scale of normalcy. It was a slow descent, and embarassing to admit to (I wanted to be perfect and had a hard time coming to terms with my issues).

I also suggest that if you're not feeling "on top of it" right now, you should call your OB now rather than wait till your 6 week checkup--wait... How old is Nick now? Your 6 week is right around the corner, isn't it. I keep thinking of my own 6 week appt being so far away. Anyway, def bring it up with your doctor. And be sure to explain to them all of your feelings and concerns, it will better help them to determine what is going on. Even if you feel fine at your appt, don't hold back any details about what it is like when you are feeling an "episode".

Okay, I should sign off--I've def made my point here! Sorry to have gone on for so long, I just thought you'd like to know you aren't alone with feeling frustrated after having Nick. And although I don't advocate drugs for everyone, for some people it is necessary. It is a helluva lot better to be on the meds than for me to read about yet another mother harming her child because of postpartum or other mentally related issues. Medication is not a bad thing, just be sure to keep yourself educated on all your options! :) Hope this helps

alwaysAJ

08-31-2008, 02:48 PM

Here's the picture I said I'd find!

myboysmom

08-31-2008, 02:55 PM

Thanks for sharing all that information. . . . It just makes it all the more amazing that you have 4 kids and your life pulled together so great now.
I've always had self-confidence/self-image issues, even since elementary age. And depression/alcoholism runs in my family, too. I went through a period in high school where I was horribly depressed, but didn't know it at the time. I would stay in my room listening to not-so-happy music every night, never went out with friends, pretty much became an anti-social. When I look back at it now I think, why didn't anybody notice or say anything to me??? Which, possibly they could have, but I don't remember. Since then, it's been more of a come and go feeling. For no reason I'll have a few days of barely-functioning, leave me alone, depression, but not very often anymore, thank goodness. I was always one who bottled stuff up, and listened to everyone else's problems but never shared my own. I've learned it's a good thing to talk, now. I also had a bad relationship with my dad (if you can call it that) and not an open relationship with my mom until after I graduated. My dad has gotten better since I've had kids, but he's also gotten on Lexipro in that time period. The bad thing is he drinks every day with it. Somehow with all the alcoholics in my family, I've missed that gene. Either that or I've always been so determined not to be that way that I've stayed in control of it. I do go out to drink occasionally, but since when I do I don't keep track and end up getting stupidly fall-down drunk, I only do it about 4 times a year.
Wow, I've went on and on. Sorry if it's TMI, good therapy if nothing else, huh? :) Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for the info and I will definitely talk to my dr. Oh, want to hear a good one about pills? :) Yesterday I noticed a sinus infection building and getting worse, so I asked TJ if he had any of his penicillin leftover from his last prescription. He said yeah, it should be up there. I grabbed one of his bottles, glanced at the dr. name, and popped two of them. About 3 hours later I'm feeling really tired and out of it, and just can't figure out why. Then I started feeling sick to my stomach and made the comment, Gee, I hope I don't give this to the boys. I don't know what made me realize, but I went and looked CLOSER at the bottle and it said Hydrocodone. Whoops!! Two of those on an empty stomach was a baaaad thing. In my defense, I grabbed the only brown bottle, b/c my husband gets his rx's at Walmart, and I get mine at our local pharmacy, which hand out blue bottles. Only, turns out this time his rx was in a blue bottle, too. My mistake! lol I slept good last night, though! (BTW, so you don't all think I'm an addict, that's not something I've ever done before)
AJ, good luck when Dennis leaves for China, and remember we'll all be checking in if you need some moral support!

myboysmom

08-31-2008, 02:58 PM

Ohhhh, what a doll!!! His eyes look like they're shaped like yours. He is precious!

alwaysAJ

09-02-2008, 03:18 PM

Phew, what a holiday weekend! We had a cook-out yesterday and spent most of the day entertaining family and friends. Exhausting work, I tell ya!

Did everyone else have an enjoyable weekend?

MyBoysMom, you crack me up! My Lexipro, Ativan, and Ambien are in the same color/size bottles, and the Ambien and Lexipro both say (drug name, 10mg). The Lexipro isn't generic, but the other 2 are. And they're all little white round pills, all about the same size So I've had one heck of a time making sure I'm taking the RIGHT medication at the right time. There have been a few times I've grabbed a bottle thinking it was one thing, and thank GOD I double checked it again, because I'd grabbed the wrong one. I need to put them in different areas of the house, but then I will probably forget to take them. I have to put them where I'll be sure to see them.

I also had a phase in high school where I suffered. Made some great poetry in my self-pity stage, but nobody seemed to notice I was down. I guess people just assume all teenagers are hormonal and prone to down periods, but some are more extreme than others. I had a lot of self-destructive behaviors that should have been noticed and addressed, but I think my parents were too hung up on me needing to handle my problems on my own--they thought therapy and drugs were for loosers who should deal with it in other ways. I've told them I'm taking meds and seeing a therapist (I left out the part about needing it because of Dad), and other than my father saying it was a real shame I wasn't breastfeeding because formula wasn't as healthy, nothing else was said. My mother just asked how long I'd been not breastfeeding for.

Anyway, thanks for the compliment about Jacob :). I think he's a handsome little guy (well, he's smaller than the 2 year old!). Looks just like his daddy, but with my eyes. All of my kids look like their father but all of them have my eyes and super long eyelashes, and full lips. Thank God they have beautiful dark blonde hair and tan skin! Red hair can be such a curse as a child...

brittneeskidmore

09-03-2008, 11:28 AM

He IS a beautiful baby. =) I can hardly wait.

My mom has (what I call) depressive tendencies. She will go on meds for awhile, be fine without them for awhile, then need them again. Out of my whole life, I mostly remember her being "pissy". It's kind of sad, but now that I'm grown, I realize that she really had a lot to deal with, so I am much more understanding. I really don't think it's something she can control, so I just try to inquire as to whether or not she's on medicine right now. Usually if I have to ask, she's not and says she'll go see the doctor. She's a strong woman who has been through a whole lot in her life, so I can't blame her at all. I'm worried, though, that I will end up having the same tendencies. I discussed it with my doctor already, but hopefully it won't come up.

As far as taking the wrong pills -- I once took two muscle relaxers thinking they were tylenol when I was about 12. They were my dad's and I just didn't look at the bottle. It was the WEIRDEST feeling. So--- I think EVERYONE has had their screw up with medicine! =)

I sure hope Lou is doing all right. She's probably just relishing in the new addition.

So I'm 22 weeks now, and seem to be growing a bit. I've been waking up in the night a LOT! Right now I can go back to sleep fairly easily, but I sure don't want to think about what's to come when I'm uncomfortable!!

myboysmom

09-04-2008, 06:08 PM

Brittnee, you've passed the 1/2 way point, hooray! :) Sleep as much as you can, because it doesn't get any better. Are you still comfortable while you are sleeping? You're probably not too big to sleep yet. ;)
I'm sorry about your mom; I can't imagine what that's like for you. It's bad enough that my dad has problems, but my mom is one of my best friends, it would be so hard if she had depression problems.
How are things with your husband? Is he pretty excited? I also wondered if he was home or on leave somewhere. I found out the other day from my mom that my brother is going to Kuwait next fall. He's in the Reserves and was overseas for a year in 2003.
I wish Lou would sign in, too. She was in the process of moving, also, so she's had her hands full. Looks like we'll be moving within a month or two, whenever my hubby decides he's ready to finish our hardwood floors.

alwaysAJ

09-05-2008, 02:38 PM

ARG! (That is a growl of frustration for those of you unsure of what sound effect I'm making)

I totally don't mean to change the subject here, but I needed to vent--and nobody here would have the faintest clue who I'm talking about. So...I'm at my local Moms Club meeting this morning, and we had a new mom who is interested in joining. She's so very nice, and aside from a thick indian accent, we had a great conversation (I have a difficult time understanding thick accents of any type, but that is my fault, not theirs). Anyway, she's super nice and we get to talking about the area and how she just moved from an apartment and she and her husband got their first house, she has 2 kids... I am not sure, but I don't think I made any mention of my children as I talked to her. I had Jacob with me, Kodi was in the playroom with the other kids, and my older 2 were in school. We sit down as more moms join the room, her sitting next to me. Jacob's car seat was sitting in a stroller-thing so I could lie him down next to me and keep him close in case he needed attention. I'd been feeding him before she entered the room, but had stopped briefly because he seemed to be finished--however, as babies often do, he decided he wanted to eat again. From a bottle. She raised an eyebrow and inquires if I'm not breastfeeding. First strike. I kindly inform her that I do breastfeed on occassion (not an entire lie, I'm weaning) but I'd had a difficult time getting enough milk flow to feed him because of his appetite. I didn't think it was any of her business that I am stopping due to medication. Anyway, so she proceeds to tell me how to get my milk to come in adaquatly. I listen as she goes on, and then I drop the fact that he's my fourth child, and I enjoy the freedom that bottle feeding can give me to play with my other kids. Did I also mention at one point I'd started to stretch my back out and she made a comment about needing to have good posture while I feed him. I made a wisecrack about seeing my chiropractor, but kept it light.

So, the meeting starts and I eventually get Jacob to finish eating and I'm attempting to burp him, which can sometimes drag on for half an hour or more. I keep tapping him to no avail, so I set him down, and she cranes around to see if he's sleeping. He is not, and she keeps fussing that he isn't sleeping. Strike two. I pick him back up and tap his back some more thinking he may have gas. I set him back down, but not before I notice he has beads of sweat on his forehead. The room is unbearably hot with no air flow and all of us moms in there. I only had him in a t-shirt and socks with a blanket to keep him warm (if needed). But now I realize he's way too hot in just the shirt and socks, so after I lay him down I remove his socks to help cool him down. He immediately starts to fuss--not because I removed the socks, but because I'm bothering him as he's trying to sleep. She has again craned around to watch this entire process, and keeps making comments about what I should or shouldn't do, and that he's fussing because he wants the socks back on. I mutter that he's hot, but I guess she didn't hear me because she repeats it when he continues to fuss and I'm trying to give him his pacifier. I look at her and say he's hot and sweaty, he doesn't need the socks. I'm smiling, so I hope it doesn't offend her. I have a suspicion I showed a little too much teeth though, because she didn't say anything else. Either way, strike three.

I'm not a freakin idiot, I think I know after having 4 kids, how to read my child regarding their needs. And I know she was only trying to be nice and helpful, but it really started to grate on my nerves after several well-intended comments.

Anyway, I just had to get that off my chest in a confession-like manner. Now I can get over it and move on with my life :). And forgive her for her unknown transgression of stepping on my toes. I can be SO sensitive, and I know this, and I'm trying to cope with it without pushing down the other adults in this world who annoy me. And I'm also trying to get over my own narcisistic tendancy to think most other people are all idiots (not you ladies, I don't think that!)... But I swear, we have some real winners in this town. My father says its because its a lot of inbreeding, big fish in little pond syndrome. He's probably correct, there's a lot of old-family and old-money here, and money likes to marry money. They're probably all related in some fashion or another if you go back far enough. Then you bring in the tourists, and driving can get pretty darn interesting. This place is crawling with people who have no idea what the speed limits are, or where they're going, and oh! look, its a freakin lake, kids! let's slow down 20 miles under the posted speed limit so we can all ooh and aah over the lake while the townies stuck behind us hit their brakes and their steering wheels in frustration. Then we'll turn our turn signal on and brake at 18 different streets until we find the street we're supposed to turn on. Even better, we'll actually stop and begin to turn, and then quickly pull back in front of everyone once we realize we're taking the wrong turn.

I'm serious. That's what I get for living in a tourist trap on a beautiful lake with beaches galore. Tourists and construction in the warm weather, snow and ice in the winter. Yay.

I'm so ranting, sorry!

alwaysAJ

09-05-2008, 02:53 PM

Oh. And Fed Ex missed their drop-off guaranteed time of 10am with my husband's passport and visa for China, so he missed both flights he was trying to make. There aren't anymore until tomorrow, and that means he missed his Sunday 8:30am meeting in Guang Jo. Instead, he's flying out tomorrow to Shaing Hai (I'm totally spelling how it sounds, sorry!) because he has a meeting on Monday and then Tuesday he flies back, getting in on Wednesday sometime. He was so mad about the Fed Ex deal, his stuff didn't show up until after 1pm. He had it overnight expressed from the embassy, it should have been at the agent's office between 8 and 10am. Fed Ex couldn't locate their driver, and he wouldn't return their pages. I was annoyed because this totally interferes with my afternoon/evening plans. I was really looking forward to popping an anti-anxiety pill and taking all 4 kids grocery shopping/school shopping.

Now, since he isn't leaving till tomorrow, he has volunteered to go with us. Which means he's trying for damage control because he knows I have his credit card and money in my checking account. He knows I'm not as likely to impulse buy with him standing over my shoulder. I stupidly told him I was intending to shop after I got my kids from school but before he got off work, so now he's leaving early so he can go with me to pick my kids up from school. I really need to be a little smarter about these things, huh? :P

myboysmom

09-07-2008, 10:51 PM

LOL, But everyone else is an idiot, aren't they? At least that's what I've always thought.;) I'm proud of you for being nice to her and not ripping her head off and spitting down her neck, considering the stress you've been under lately.
Too bad about the shopping spree. . . . Next time, huh? I can't imagine what your household was like while waiting for Dennis' stuff!? How aggravating.
I actually had a pretty good weekend even though Dane (2yo) is on the warpath. Are all toddlers bipolar? j/k Really though, he can be the sweetest angel ever and in the next 2 minutes he is throwing the biggest tantrum you ever saw. I keep telling myself I only have 2 1/2 months till he's 3 and then it's done. After all, it's only the "terrible two's", right? ;)
We're getting a lot closer on our farmhouse. As soon as TJ decides to take a week off to redo the hardwood floors, we can move in. I only have to paint the boys' two bedrooms. My kitchen is half done as far as cabinets installed. It's so exciting watching it all change.
Well, back to this house. Dishes, laundry and toys, Oh my!

brittneeskidmore

09-08-2008, 02:18 PM

I sometimes wonder where people get their desires to tell us what to do with our own lives. You know I can't relate with children yet, but I sure can relate in other areas. People think that just because they know something, that means there's no POSSIBLE way that you know it, too. Or they think they know the only RIGHT way to do something or act. This isn't Math...there can be more than one right answer. =)

Well, while we're in the venting mood...
I know y'all aren't super familiar with the military, but you have some sort of background with it, so...
We moved here (mississippi) in january b/c my husband (was forced to) re-trained into Air Traffic Control from being a Crew Chief (glorified Aircraft Mechanic). Well, by the time March got here he was having such terrible dreams about planes crashing and him killing people that he hardly got any sleep and it effected his work. Well, he had to see a psychologist and they medically disqualified him from being an Air Traffic Controller anymore. This was in March.
Since then, we've been waiting to find out what they (the Air Force) intend to do with him now. The obvious solution is to just let him go back to doing his old job (that he had been doing for 7 years before they decided he had been stationed there too long) that he was good at (and loved). Here we are a quarter of the way into September and they STILL haven't finished "working on it" at the Air Force Personnel Center ("they" who make the decision).
Normally I'm quite patient with the *stupid* Air Force way, but I'm FED UP with it now. Not only did they force him to change his whole career, but they also have to make him wait for a year when the new job didn't work out? It's RIDICULOUS.
Not to mention, we have to sell our home, move into a temporary home, and then move to a new base. AND let's not forget that I'm 5.75 months pregnant! Knowing them, they will make us move two weeks before my freaking due date.
I keep thinking that THIS IS THE WEEK we'll find out when/where we're moving. It's NEVER the week!

lou

09-08-2008, 07:56 PM

so glad to be back home!!!! sorry it took so long to get on here. I've been healing and trying to get some sleep, then our computer went crazy. hope everyone is doing well. I haven't the time at the moment to catch up on the posts here.
Turns out all the cramping I was having were contractions. so technically I went into labor the 18th, was admitted into the hospital the 25th, after being sent home once with contractions every 7-10 minutes (as they had been since the evening before, I got no sleep) and 3 centimeters dialated at 6 in the evening. I told my fiancee it was too soon, of course he didn't listen to me though. I don't think he liked not being in control and having to watch me in pain and not be able to do anything for me. Of course as soon as I left they started coming 3-4 minutes apart and were really strong. I was determined not to be sent home again though so my sister and I went out to dinner and then to barnes and noble and walked for awhile and
i got lucien a "I love my mommy" book, he freakin better after this birth. After that we went into the hospital around 10:30pm where I continued contracting. I got drugs via IV at like 4 am. About 11am I was contracting so hard that the drugs were no help at all, though they were fun I felt completely wasted drunk, and I had been dialated at 5 cm for 12 hours with no progression! so I decided to go with the epideral, not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. then shortly after 1 pm all hell broke loose. I rolled over on to my side (with help of course, I was so numb) and Lucien's heart rate dropped to like 60 bpm. apparently the cord was wrapped around his body and his shoulder so that when I rolled over he laid on it and cut the circulation off. They had already broke my water so there was nothing there to cushion him. like 12 doctors and nurses rushed in the room, one had her hand inside me trying to get him off the cord. I was put on oxygen, at that point I was so scared I was hyperventilating. I don't think I've ever been that scared in all my life. I had to have an emergency c-section and I don't care what they say it's painful. they said I shouldn't feel any pain only pressure. well sorry to burst their bubble but I felt like I was being ripped apart. I'm so happy they put me to sleep afterwards, but tehn I woke up with the worst pain I've ever experienced. I can't beleive women actually volunteer for that procedure. it's going on two weeks and I'm still sore. Anyway Lucien was born at 1:39 pm, the 26th (he was born on his due date!), hw weighed 9lbs 5 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. He's a very good baby and just absolutely perfect, except he refuses to sleep in his own bed. Breastfeeding is going well but my god do my nipples hurt. speaking of the devil, got to go, time to feed again. hope all's well!

myboysmom

09-08-2008, 11:37 PM

Yay lou!!!!!!!! He was a big guy! I'm so sorry that you had to go through such a rough time to get him here. On the plus side it's wonderful that he's so good for you. What do his brothers think of him?

Brittnee that sucks! Since your husband's not an ATC, what has he been doing since March??

brittneeskidmore

09-09-2008, 09:19 AM

Oh, yay! Congrats, Lou. I am SO hoping not to have to have a c-section. I heard from someone else that it hurt her, too. She said, "they're all liars." haha. Either way, he's here now and you're still alive! =)

myboysmom -- he's been working in Command Post doing odd and end jobs. He's VERY ready to find out what the heck is going on, too.

alwaysAJ

09-09-2008, 10:38 AM

Yay, Lou! Congratulations :). I hope you're feeling better and healing well, I've heard mixed reports on c-sections--just glad I never had one. Some said it was no big deal, others said it was so much pain and the recovery was horrid. It sounds like your anesthesiologist didn't get your spinal block/epidural in the correct position, or it slipped. That happened with my first two, where it seemed to work for a short while, but then it never worked again. I later learned that it can shift if it isn't inserted correctly. Whatever, I'm just praying I never have to get another one after that last experience where he hit my vein.

Brittnee, what you're going through totally sucks. I can't imagine the anxiety you must be facing, just stuck in limbo and wondering when you'll have to move. Let alone moving while pregnant! It is one thing to move while pregnant when you KNOW when you're moving, and you're in control of it. I moved while pregnant with Devin (and painted and did all that jazz, which could explain a few things with him....haha, totally kidding. He's fine!) and I moved while pregnant with Jacob. Oh, that's right, I moved out of my parent's house and into my own plance while pregnant with Chloe too. I was never more than 5 months along with any of them when we moved. And I always knew about it ahead of time. I hope for both you and your husband that you find out ASAP where they're going to place him. And that they move you before you get too far along, or have your baby (moving with a newborn just sounds like a PIA).

Speaking of moving with a newborn, MyboysMom, you excited about your farmhouse? (duh, I already know you are!) It sounds like its really moving along--No pun intended. :) We didn't have to go through that much work to get this house ready (its only 5 years old), but it was still so interesting to watch it transform with the cosmetic work I had done, like painting the walls the colors I picked out, and having all my finishing touches put up. It is amazing how much this house has become an extension of me, of me and my husband and our family (Vs the old house, which was all my husband and hardly any me).

I have a Q... It has been a little over 4 weeks, and I'm still bleeding. I don't remember bleeding this long before, but I don't really remember much about my recoveries. The good news is I'm wearing all my pre-baby clothes (I just put them on today, and wow, I was surprised!). Not to brag, sorry. I'm just thrilled, because I've never bounced back so quickly before, I'm shocked. It's kinda wierd... But I still have this extra skin, that won't go away for awhile. In the meantime, I will use strategic clothing placement to hide it ;). And my hips still aren't back to their usual narrowness, as well as my ribcage. Those tend to take longer to go back to normal. And my butt has cellulite and my underarms are flabby. So those require some attention at the gym. But damnit, my jeans fit! I can hoorah about that, right? Anyway, I digress--back to my Q. Are you still bleeding, Myboysmom, and if not, how far along postpartum before you stopped? It is only trickling at random, with the very rare gush (usually from me lifting Kodi). Just enough to annoy the hell out of me because I'm forced to wear a stupid pad all the time. Can't I wear a freakin tampon yet???? I HATE pads, they make me feel dirty all the time.

Well, I'll wait for you ladies to post now. My household is holding up well despite Dennis being away. If anything, it has been very relaxed because I don't feel rushed to clean clean clean all the time. He'll be back tomorrow, so I'd better not let the house get TOO dirty! :)

brittneeskidmore

09-09-2008, 12:43 PM

I'm very glad you brought that up, AJ. My husband asked me about it two days ago (the bleeding) wondering how long it lasted. I have no idea. Of course (as you could've guessed) I'm absolutely NO help on any post-pregnancy topics, but I'm interested to know as well. =)
I'm glad your home is running smoothly. When Stephen is away on deployments, it's like I make up my own routines, so when he gets back I have to get used to him being there again. The only part about him being gone that I like is that I am forced to be more independent.
Hopefully before the end of the week the chief will have some answers for us. He's "determined" to find out what's taking a year (literally).
I sure as hell hope I don't have to move everytime I'm pregnant! =) I can't believe you're already in your old clothes. I thought you said you gained quite a bit while pregnant? You stinker. I'll probably gain twice as much and it'll take a year and a half to lose it. At least you have good genes. =)

myboysmom

09-10-2008, 01:44 PM

AJ, I think I bled for about 4-5 weeks regular/heavy, then light/spotty for a week after that. Sorry, got to go!

myboysmom

09-12-2008, 02:40 PM

I've had a hell of a week. It hasn't been bad persay, just busy/stressful. I've been watching my friend's 10 month old girl this week b/c her babysitter is on vacation. She's been wonderful, thank goodness, but on Wednesday, she threw up all over. She'd been having diarrhea before that, but she's also teething, so we all chalked it up to that. She continued to vomit through Wed. nite and Thurs. a.m., but she's quit now. Hopefully it wasn't anything contagious; I really don't want to deal with a sick house right now!
Monday I had my 6 (7) week checkup and everything looked good. It hurt worse than normal when she put her "tool" in me to get her swab, but I don't know if that was her or me. Also, I went to have a mammogram done Thurs. morning. I've had a lump in my right breast since I had Will 5 years ago, and with every pregnancy it grew a little bit. I've had a couple ultrasounds done on it and everyone said it was nothing. But of course you worry about something like that, so I went in for my first mamm. It was very Uncomfortable, but not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Anyway, after the mamm, they did an ultrasound, and the dr said between the two pictures and the history of it, he thought it was just a mass of breast tissue and nothing to worry about. If I wanted to have it removed I could, but it was up to me. So, after 3 dr.s telling me that I'm probably okay, I'll not worry about it for a while. :)
Next vent: I ahve been looking forward to scrapbooking next weekend for a month now, and asked my mom way in advance if she would take the boys overnight for me so I could work, and she said no problem. Well, you know about my dad; they were supposed to go on a motorcycle ride for 4-5 days starting on Monday. He kept saying "not today". Now it's Friday and raining for the next couple days, and they still haven't went. So probably next monday. So I said to mom, "I guess you're probably not going to keep the boys then, huh?" "No, sorry". Which I understand that she deserves to go on vacation and they need to go, but why does he have to do that???? errrrrr If they would have just left on Monday like she wanted, it would have been fine. But I suppose I'm just being a little selfish. (Even though now I have to find a babysitter b/c TJ works until 11pm or so)
And to top it off, TJ is leaving for a fire school this weekend and won't get back until Sunday night. So I have all three all by myself 24/7. . . . I know, I won't get any sympathy from you, AJ! ;)
Okay, I think I'm done with my rant. . . Oh, no, wait. In 20 minutes we are going to have the school's homecoming parade and all the attendants will have to ride in the back of pickups in the pouring down rain. My aunt just came to borrow my 2 umbrellas b/c my cousins are senior attendants. One of them was crowned Queen. :) On the bright side my house is on the route and I have a covered porch, so my whole family will be at my house shortly. . . I hope it will hold all the weight! :)

lou

09-16-2008, 11:56 PM

Thanks for the congrats! I dont know how you guys do it with more than one child. if he's not feeding I'm pumping, changing cloths (hs and mine) or diapers. I've only just begun getting some respite since I've styared supplementing with formula. He wouldn't let me put him down. I haven't been producing enough milk. Poor baby. I just thought he like to suck alot, but really he's been hungry still which baffled me cause he'd eat for an hour, I'd put him down and he immediately wake and want to suck/feed. I started pumping but I'd only get a 1/2 ounce after he fed (that's from both sides) and if I fed him a bottle and then pumped i only get 1-2 ounces. My breasts never really feel full. so I started bfing first, twenty minutes on each side, and then a bottle of formula, two ounces and he sucks it right down. I'm so happy he's finally getting satisfied. he no longer even wants his paci and he's stopped fussing during diaper and clothes changes, turns out those weren't the reasons he was fussing, god I felt horrible when I realized what was going on. he had enough dirty diapers and didn't seem overly fussy or anything, but at his dr's appointment he had only gained back 3 of the 12 ounces he lost. I feel bad not exclusively bfing but I'm not going to let him starve either. hope all's well with everyone. got to go.

myboysmom

09-19-2008, 09:33 PM

So, lou, after almost a month how is little Lucien adjusting? Are you still breastfeeding some, or did you switch over completely to formula? Don't feel bad about the bf. I did Nick for 3 weeks, and after seeing how much better he felt on formula, I decided not to feel guilty. (Although after almost 3 years I still feel guilty not giving it a better try with Dane)
Nick is doing great; we have his 2 month appt. on Monday, shots and everything. I don't have any idea how much he weighs, but he is still in 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers, so he can't be too big. :) I started a thread about WIC formula, they only do Similac here in Iowa now, so I've tried him on regular and sensitive, but he just gets so gassy and bloated on both. The poor baby just stretches out tight, and screams, so we switched back to Enfamil and he's doing fine.
AJ, you haven't been on in a while; hopefully you've just decided to take a break and everything is all right on the homefront. BTW, I started my period just 4 weeks after I quit nursing, and it was much heavier than normal, but hopefully that's just b/c it was my first; just thought I'd let you know when to expect it.
Brittnee, hope that you're hanging in there and that your pregnancy is going well.
Hope to hear from you soon!

lou

09-21-2008, 03:36 AM

He's doing just fine. gaining weight like a champ! We're using Enfamil too, I've heard that a lot about similac. I've heard that if you get a dr note wic will get what you're prescribed. my dr told us that if he likes it and does okay to stick with it. maybe you could get your dr to write you a note? I hope they do enfamil here. I bet my dr would write us a note though. I haven't been on wic before, I just wouldn't use anything but the milk and cereal and that I can afford, but formula is so expensive. I have a meeting next week to get signed on. I'm not ussually the type of person to ask for help but in this case I think I'll take advantage. hope everyone's doing okay. got to go, feeding time again.

myboysmom

09-21-2008, 09:08 AM

Yeah, my dr did write me a note, and in a couple of weeks is when I have my wic appt. So we've been buying formula in the interim, and it is horribly expensive. Sign up to enfamil.com, and they will send you $5 checks/coupons and free samples of formula, and that really helps. As far as the other stuff, the only thing I ever get every time is the milk, b/c it has just gotten so expensive!! I rarely get eggs or juice, b/c we just don't use it up fast enough. With 2 older boys in the house the cereal helps. I'm like you, I don't like to ask for assistance, but WIC is really nice to have, and I definitely don't take it for granted!
Glad everything is going good for you, how are the older boys doing? Do they like their little brother?

lou

09-22-2008, 01:25 AM

The boys just love him! I was kinda worried about that too as the youngest is a daddy's boy for sure. I had thought that anything or any one taking attention from him would be a problem, but he surprised me. He loves to hold and play with him. It was just too cute the first time they saw him. everyone kept saying how lucien looked like his oldest brother who we call booboo. well when gooby The 7 year old saw him he says to me, "my mom says she would like to know just how exactly it's possible for lucien to look like booboo because he looks just like her". (I really don't think he looks much like her, but hey whatever) to which I replied that they all share the same father and they all share alot of the same features, that he has his fathers eyes, nose, and mouth, and has the same skin tone as his brothers. well gooby just looks at lucien and says yes and he has my fingernails. I could hardly contain myself, it was just too cute. I don't know why exactly it would matter to their mother who he looks like or why she would have to say something like that to her sons. It sounds to me as though she may be a bit jealous or has realized what she gave up. too bad! Their fathers a great guy and I don't know what I'd do without him. he has been such an enormous help to me. he took two weeks off after lucien was born and took excellant care of me. I feel so bad for women who have to have c sections and don't have anyone there for them. I don't know how they do it.
I did sign up at both enfamil and similac. I did get samples from both companys but I've only recieved coupons/checks from similac. Maybe they'll be coming soon? I hope cause we're almost out of the samples and I'll end up buying a can or two before the appointment. I know what you mean about eating the stuff fast enough. I can't even remember the last time I ate an egg. and they give you a jar of peanut butter every other week or once a month. We have a jar of peanut butter I found in a cabinet last week thats been there at least a year (gross, i know). I just wouldn't use the stuff they give you and I wouldn't want to waste it either. I guess I can always give that stuff away to salvation army or something. at least then the stuff would go to people who really need and will use it. As for the parishable items however . . . .?

Let me know how nick's shots go. I'm dreading that appointment. I told my fiance that he has to take him to that appointment as I don't think I could stand to hear him cry/scream in pain without breaking down and crying myself. I don't know though. we had to take him to get some bloodwork done a couple weeks ago and he slept right through it. I made my fiance go back there with him then too. I expected to hear a cry, scream, or at least a whimper and I heard nothing at all. he didn't even wake up. maybe I'll get lucky again?

myboysmom

09-22-2008, 02:52 PM

He did great, even though we were in the dr. office for an hour total! :P He just laid there and watched the nurse while she listened to him, then he ate while we were waiting for the dr. She came in and checked his diaper area, looked in his ears and throat, listened to his chest. He was so calm during all of this. He even laid still on the scale. (He weighs 11#5oz now, has gained just over 4#) When it was time for the shots, there were 2 nurses, so they each put a shot in each leg at the same time, then he had one more. He cried while the needle was in his leg, and as soon as they had the bandaids on, he quit. It isn't until they get about 6 months old that they really start crying horrible, in my experience anyway. So all in all, it was a really successful dr. visit. I hope that Lucien's goes just as well, but you've got time to worry about that. :)
I did talk to the dr. about depression today. I haven't been able to snap out of this mood, where I'm overwhelmed be everything, like there's just too much to handle. I never felt this way with the first 2 boys, so I kept waiting for it to go away. Well, she put me on Lexapro, and told me that she'd like to keep me on it for 6 months, and see how things are. I really hope that I start to feel like me again, b/c I'm tired of this person who is constantly tired, irritable, and cries in the shower all the time. That's just not me! Anyway, I need to go get some stuff done before I pick Will up from school. Talk to you later!

lou

09-25-2008, 03:00 AM

glad everything went well with teh appointment. I can empathize with the feeling overwhelmed part, though likely not on the level your at with two young boys and a newborn. my god it just feels like i never get anything done. It takes FOREVER to leave the house anymore as I not only have to get myself ready but Lucien. he needs a bath, get dressed, bottle, changing, get dressed again cause he puked/peed/pooped (or all three or any combination of the three) on his outfit, pack the diaper bag, fight him into the car seat, change my shirt, then finally leave. then when we get to where we're going we have to do it all over again minus the bath of course. When we're just at home even I get nothing done. he's either eating, getting changed, or sleeping in my arms. He refuses to let me put him down. He'll fall asleep and I'll put him in his pack and play and 5 minutes later he's up crying. I pick him up after a couple minutes and he almost immediately falls asleep again. we do this all day. I have to where him in a sling to get anything done. Work has piled up, laundry right beside that, not to mention dishes. all in all it's been a productive day if I've gotten a shower (which he wakes up and cries half way through so I have to hurry) and sterilized his bottles. Thank god I get to make my own hours at work. it's going to be tough getting a routine down to get me ready for work and him for daycare. I've been bringing some work home to work on but I haven't gotten much done. I need to get it done by the end of the week and tomorrow is thursday (actually its technically already thursday). It's a coincidence (I was going to say funny but it really isn't) that you mentioned crying in the shower. I haven't done it often but when I'm particularly exausted and overwhelmed that's where I'm at too. I don't think I'm clinically depressed or anything like that, for the most part I'm in a pretty good mood, I'm just a new mom and this has been the hardest job I've ever had. I don't know how you do this with your two older boys. god that has to be utterly exhausting and mind boggling. I have to go, feeding time again. that reminds me, how long do I have to be up at midnight sterilizing bottles? I hope all goes well for you and things start looking up!

myboysmom

10-24-2008, 09:20 PM

Hey, lou, just wondered how you, Lucien, and the rest of your boys were getting along. We're doing okay here; Dane (2yo) is going through another defiance stage and it's OH-so much fun! :) I wonder about Always AJ, too. . . .

lou

10-27-2008, 01:36 PM

Everyone's doing well! Lucien has his shots today, I think it's going to be harder on me than him! we're starting to get a routine down, so that's helping. I'm back at work which sucks. I always thought I'd want to be a working mom but now that I am I'd rather be at home. No one's going to take care of my baby like I will! I'm still breastfeeding mostly but the boy eats so much he still gets 16-20 of formula a day. He's also getting to be so much fun. he smiles all the time, mostly when I'm singing to him which I don't think is a very good sign for me! he's "talking" now too which is so cute! the older boys just love him. They're doing okay but thier mom just pisses me off. She tells them that my dad isn't thier grandpa and stuff like that. In my family we treat them no different than any other grandchild. they are my family and hence my families family. It just makes me so mad that they miss out on things like my dad's BD party becuase thier mom is insecure. the boys really wanted to be there but when she found out that it was for MY family of course she said no. I also wanted the boys for halloween this year and didn't get them. I told my fiance to tell her WE want them and not let her know he has to work that night cause then she wouldn't let us have them. well the boys called and she must have been right there with them. they asked what we were going to do for halloween and my fiancee made the mistake of saying that he had to work but I was going to take them with me and thier aunt and cousin's trick or treating and then we were all going to have a sleep over. well last weekend when the boys were over they were really excited about doing this. I was going to dress up and take the baby to get them from school from their halloween party and my mom, their grandma, was going to go with me. they were really excited about this. well she found out that I and my family wanted to spend time with them so of course now they can't go. I told my fiancee that from now on just say we want them, she doesn't need to know what we do with them. it sucks that they're the ones suffering and missing out because she's an insecure *!%#*. My family is their family. we're not going any where. I'm the mother of their brother. she needs to get used to it. Of course when she wants to go on vacation with her boyfriend it's more than okay for me to have them. when we had been dating for two months she called and asked if my fiancee could keep them while she went to florida for 5 days. well he said he has to work and wouldn't be able to get them to school in the mornings and he had to work one night that week and couldn't keep them him self and she says "Well what about you're girlfriend". of course now it's not okay. when the boys are with us they call my mom grandma, of their own volition we never told them they had to do this (we told them they could call her by her first name or mrs..... or make up a nickname for her), but when we all went to their abseball game and their mom was there the boys avoided my family like the plague. oh and we never heard about another game either. sorry to rant on and on, it just makes me so mad! well I have to go get the baby now, time for shots!!!

myboysmom

11-02-2008, 01:13 AM

Your family/nonfamily situation just plain sucks! I'm so sorry that you have to deal with all that, especially right after the baby is born. His pic is so cute btw! Everything is really well here; Nick is smiling up a storm, with lots of cooing and some giggles, too. It makes it so much more fun! And, thankfully, he's a wonderful baby. Dane turns 3 at the end of the month, so I'm hoping that he'll get over his terrible 2's right then. LOL Yeah right!

lou

11-02-2008, 01:57 AM

Thanks! I think he's adorable. although at three in the morning his cuteness sort of wains a bit. he'll be kicking and talking and smiling at me but I'm just too tired to appreciate it. Is nick sleeping through the night yet? I can't remember, when was his birthady? I'm just wondering when I can expect Lucien to sleep through and start laughing out loud.
I'm glad he's a good baby for you. it would be so hard to have a super fussy/high maintenance baby with two older boys, as if it's not already hard. Lucien is pretty good too.although he flat out rufuses to sleep in his own bed. although I must admit I'm not very persistent in trying to keep him in there.
I'm watching all three of my neices tonight and keeping them through tomoorrow afternoon/evening. we get the boys tomorrow and they always ask about the girls and want to go see them and play and vise versa. the girls love them and love to play with them. I'm sure their mom will be pissed though when she gets here with the boys and their COUSINS are here to see them. too fing bad is all that I have to say. despite her efforts to do otherwise I'm going to ensure those boys know their family and feel at home here and with my family. IT's going to be hectic here though with the baby adn 5 kids. the boys and my oldest two neices, 5 & 8, are pretty well self maintained. I just have to have plenty to do. the girls want to rake the leaves in the yard and play in them. I'm sure the boys won't have a problem with that. it involves getting dirty. my youngest neice is two though and little handful. she's very good and listens so well, she's just active and will want to keep up with her sisters. I'm expecting a meltdown or two when she can't, so I have a stack of books for her to read to the baby. she absolutely loves him. she gets so worried when he cries and has actually started crying herself.
I hope for your sake dane does get over teh terrible two's. what's the plan for his BD. any themes picked out?