See isn't he cute...and he actually likes it!
Showing posts with label timmy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label timmy. Show all posts
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Why we never take gates down...
...Timmy is a climber!
If you take a gate down, he is on it like shrink wrap! He LOVES to climb...couches, stairs, playground stuff. He keeps me on my toes for sure!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
So...our baby boy has celiac disease
I have been holding off posting about our trials and travails with Timmy's health until we had definitive answers. Now that we have one -- celiac disease -- I can tell the story. Maybe someone else in my shoes will stumble across this and have an epiphany and maybe this will give family and friends a better understanding of what celiac disease entails.
Just short of 6 months, I decided to let Timmy experiment with food. Connor had lunged at my lentils at 5 months, 3 weeks...so why not let Timmy gnaw a teething biscuit while I fed Connor his breakfast? I got my answer a few hours later when Timmy was screaming in uncontrollable shrieking pain. He couldn't nurse; all he could do was draw his legs to his chest and suffer. It went on for HOURS. My parents and I took turns walking the floor with him. Mom and I alternated floating in a warm bath with him. The only relief he seemed to find was when mom stashed a warm heating pad under a blanket and cuddled him belly down on it. Even then, he sobbed quietly in his exhausted sleep. Finally at 930 pm after 8 hours of shrieking, I took him into the ER.
Prince William Hospital was great..they rushed him straight back and did tons of testing: CT scans, ultrasounds, blood cultures, stool testing, a full gamut. They weren't able to find much wrong, an elevated level there, a lower level there. They finally diagnosed him with a probable intussesception (bowels telescoping inside out, common in baby boys) and emergency transported him to Inova Fairfax for a pediatric surgery consult. As we walked in the building, he hiccuped and started smiling at everyone. It was eerie...like someone flipped a switch. The team was still prepped to cut into his belly but the radiologist decided to do one last ultrasound. Thank goodness he did because they didn't find the suspicious area this time. They chalked it up to a self resolving intussesception and sent us home at 7 am, weary but grateful. As we left, a doctor tossed over her shoulder that we might think about celiac. Um, what's that?
The next day he had some horrible poops. Anyone that has changed an exclusively breastfed baby knows that it really doesn't smell much. It wins the smell test hands down over a formula fed baby's waste. This smelled like a dead body rotting in the sun. It was eye watering. It was the strangest color too...white and green. Sorry if that's TMI, but it was definitely odd enough to make everyone ponder.
A couple days later, I gave Timmy a couple noodles to play with as I cooked dinner. A few hours later, we started in again on the cycle of misery and uncontrollable crying. It lasted for a shorter period...9 hours rather than 18...but still agonizing and obviously excruciating for him. Again the horrid diapers. Mom and I combed the days the incidents occurred to look for common factors and the only thing we could find was that on both occasions could isolate only gluten ingestion. I then started researching and figured that celiac disease was gluten intolerance on steroids.
We did a follow up appt with both the general physician and the military clinic to get a GI referral in the Tricare system. Our GP, Dr Buchinsky, admitted there was a good possibility that was a problem, though she noted the severity of the symptoms didn't match classic celiac disease. Most celiacs have a more sneaky pernicious onset...kids end up looking like they came out of an Ethiopian famine with a big belly and thin limbs, some diarrhea and discomfort, etc. It takes years to get diagnosed. This was not at all like that. Dr. B ran a celiac panel but warned us it would likely not be positive since he had been gluten free since the second incident and the test requires steady gluten ingestion. It was indeed negative, but I still wanted to pursue a diagnosis through a specialist.
After a HORRID experience with a GI NP at Walter Reed, I blew off all the torturous things she wanted to do instead of celiac testing. I ordered private DNA testing and the test came back two weeks later strongly positive for celiac disease. It's impossible to be more strongly celiac...with the gene combo he has, celiac is inevitable. And it apparently reared its head early. Celiac is NOT an allergy. It is not a sensitivity. It is an autoimmune disease where the body sees an otherwise innocuous piece of bread as a lump of poison and makes the body attack itself. The resulting damage to organs, GI tract and nervous system is cumulative and can lead to other AI disorders like lupus and diabetes or even cancer. You cannot outgrow it.
Luckily, there is a cure: maintain a completely gluten free diet for life. What is gluten in, you say? Oh good Lord. It's in barley, wheat, oats and rye. Guess what is in half the food on supermarket shelves? Oh yeah, barley, wheat, oats and rye and their derivatives. No pizza for Timmy! The more processed it is, the higher the likelihood is that there is gluten in it.
As I've done more reading, I am just floored by how underdiagnosed this disease is. University of Maryland has found evidence that 1 in 132 people in the US have it. It's more like 1 in 32 or 1 in 54 for certain populations like Finnish, Irish and British. That means that around 2 million people in this country have it with only 15,000 actually diagnosed. But those numbers are growing. People are finally recognizing the prevalence of it and the wide diversity of symptoms associated with it. You don't have to be a malnourished waif before you get diagnosed. Celiac disease can be anything from constipation alternating with diarrhea to extreme pain like Timmy to neurological issues like ataxia, behavioral problems, etc. This is not a problem for just babies, young kids or elderly people. In the US people go an average of 11 years before diagnosis. That's a long time to suffer damage to your system.
Now Connor is being screened. He has a 50-75% chance of also being a celiac. I'm taking the entire kitchen gluten free. Timmy is sensitive enough to have a reaction from a kiss from a parent post sandwich. It's daunting, challenging and exciting all in one to embark on gluten free baking and cooking. We're going to be focusing on simple organic recipes with alternative baked goods and focus on keeping as healthy as possible.
In a way Timmy's severe celiac symptoms have been a blessing. If they had not been so dramatic, if he had been a less smiley happy baby, if he hadn't reacted as instantly as he did when we could isolate everything he had eaten so easily, if, if, if...we could have had a child with severe malnutrition, neurological complications, and severe weight loss before drawing the dots together. Now we've had only three exposures, one accidental brother-feeding-granola-bars incident unfortunately, and hopefully we can minimize any future exposures.
I'm sure I'll be blogging about this quite a bit in the future...my mind is reeling with all the implications of this diagnosis. But for now...I'm so grateful we have an answer.
Just short of 6 months, I decided to let Timmy experiment with food. Connor had lunged at my lentils at 5 months, 3 weeks...so why not let Timmy gnaw a teething biscuit while I fed Connor his breakfast? I got my answer a few hours later when Timmy was screaming in uncontrollable shrieking pain. He couldn't nurse; all he could do was draw his legs to his chest and suffer. It went on for HOURS. My parents and I took turns walking the floor with him. Mom and I alternated floating in a warm bath with him. The only relief he seemed to find was when mom stashed a warm heating pad under a blanket and cuddled him belly down on it. Even then, he sobbed quietly in his exhausted sleep. Finally at 930 pm after 8 hours of shrieking, I took him into the ER.
Prince William Hospital was great..they rushed him straight back and did tons of testing: CT scans, ultrasounds, blood cultures, stool testing, a full gamut. They weren't able to find much wrong, an elevated level there, a lower level there. They finally diagnosed him with a probable intussesception (bowels telescoping inside out, common in baby boys) and emergency transported him to Inova Fairfax for a pediatric surgery consult. As we walked in the building, he hiccuped and started smiling at everyone. It was eerie...like someone flipped a switch. The team was still prepped to cut into his belly but the radiologist decided to do one last ultrasound. Thank goodness he did because they didn't find the suspicious area this time. They chalked it up to a self resolving intussesception and sent us home at 7 am, weary but grateful. As we left, a doctor tossed over her shoulder that we might think about celiac. Um, what's that?
The next day he had some horrible poops. Anyone that has changed an exclusively breastfed baby knows that it really doesn't smell much. It wins the smell test hands down over a formula fed baby's waste. This smelled like a dead body rotting in the sun. It was eye watering. It was the strangest color too...white and green. Sorry if that's TMI, but it was definitely odd enough to make everyone ponder.
A couple days later, I gave Timmy a couple noodles to play with as I cooked dinner. A few hours later, we started in again on the cycle of misery and uncontrollable crying. It lasted for a shorter period...9 hours rather than 18...but still agonizing and obviously excruciating for him. Again the horrid diapers. Mom and I combed the days the incidents occurred to look for common factors and the only thing we could find was that on both occasions could isolate only gluten ingestion. I then started researching and figured that celiac disease was gluten intolerance on steroids.
We did a follow up appt with both the general physician and the military clinic to get a GI referral in the Tricare system. Our GP, Dr Buchinsky, admitted there was a good possibility that was a problem, though she noted the severity of the symptoms didn't match classic celiac disease. Most celiacs have a more sneaky pernicious onset...kids end up looking like they came out of an Ethiopian famine with a big belly and thin limbs, some diarrhea and discomfort, etc. It takes years to get diagnosed. This was not at all like that. Dr. B ran a celiac panel but warned us it would likely not be positive since he had been gluten free since the second incident and the test requires steady gluten ingestion. It was indeed negative, but I still wanted to pursue a diagnosis through a specialist.
After a HORRID experience with a GI NP at Walter Reed, I blew off all the torturous things she wanted to do instead of celiac testing. I ordered private DNA testing and the test came back two weeks later strongly positive for celiac disease. It's impossible to be more strongly celiac...with the gene combo he has, celiac is inevitable. And it apparently reared its head early. Celiac is NOT an allergy. It is not a sensitivity. It is an autoimmune disease where the body sees an otherwise innocuous piece of bread as a lump of poison and makes the body attack itself. The resulting damage to organs, GI tract and nervous system is cumulative and can lead to other AI disorders like lupus and diabetes or even cancer. You cannot outgrow it.
Luckily, there is a cure: maintain a completely gluten free diet for life. What is gluten in, you say? Oh good Lord. It's in barley, wheat, oats and rye. Guess what is in half the food on supermarket shelves? Oh yeah, barley, wheat, oats and rye and their derivatives. No pizza for Timmy! The more processed it is, the higher the likelihood is that there is gluten in it.
As I've done more reading, I am just floored by how underdiagnosed this disease is. University of Maryland has found evidence that 1 in 132 people in the US have it. It's more like 1 in 32 or 1 in 54 for certain populations like Finnish, Irish and British. That means that around 2 million people in this country have it with only 15,000 actually diagnosed. But those numbers are growing. People are finally recognizing the prevalence of it and the wide diversity of symptoms associated with it. You don't have to be a malnourished waif before you get diagnosed. Celiac disease can be anything from constipation alternating with diarrhea to extreme pain like Timmy to neurological issues like ataxia, behavioral problems, etc. This is not a problem for just babies, young kids or elderly people. In the US people go an average of 11 years before diagnosis. That's a long time to suffer damage to your system.
Now Connor is being screened. He has a 50-75% chance of also being a celiac. I'm taking the entire kitchen gluten free. Timmy is sensitive enough to have a reaction from a kiss from a parent post sandwich. It's daunting, challenging and exciting all in one to embark on gluten free baking and cooking. We're going to be focusing on simple organic recipes with alternative baked goods and focus on keeping as healthy as possible.
In a way Timmy's severe celiac symptoms have been a blessing. If they had not been so dramatic, if he had been a less smiley happy baby, if he hadn't reacted as instantly as he did when we could isolate everything he had eaten so easily, if, if, if...we could have had a child with severe malnutrition, neurological complications, and severe weight loss before drawing the dots together. Now we've had only three exposures, one accidental brother-feeding-granola-bars incident unfortunately, and hopefully we can minimize any future exposures.
I'm sure I'll be blogging about this quite a bit in the future...my mind is reeling with all the implications of this diagnosis. But for now...I'm so grateful we have an answer.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Timmy LIKES hummus
Want to see proof?
Okay, so he looks a little hummus drunk. Sue me!
We found some gluten free apple and cinnamon flavored hummus, and smeared some on a sizeable chunk of apple. Timmy loves to chew on apples, and I figured it was a lovely taste and protein to boot. After a rocky start to solids, Timmy has followed eagerly in the footsteps of his big brother and tries to eat everything we eat. He loves cereal (Gorilla Munch is a big fave), apple chunks, carrots, peas, and oh good Lord, his love for steak! Unreal. Oh, and avocado! But hummus...that's another thing entirely. Not only can you eat it, you can smear it head to foot and make mothers and grandmothers shake in their boots at the sheer mess. No wonder he's grinning...
Okay, so he looks a little hummus drunk. Sue me!
We found some gluten free apple and cinnamon flavored hummus, and smeared some on a sizeable chunk of apple. Timmy loves to chew on apples, and I figured it was a lovely taste and protein to boot. After a rocky start to solids, Timmy has followed eagerly in the footsteps of his big brother and tries to eat everything we eat. He loves cereal (Gorilla Munch is a big fave), apple chunks, carrots, peas, and oh good Lord, his love for steak! Unreal. Oh, and avocado! But hummus...that's another thing entirely. Not only can you eat it, you can smear it head to foot and make mothers and grandmothers shake in their boots at the sheer mess. No wonder he's grinning...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Disney World, Day 3
On Day 3, we divided and conquered. Connor and Pop went off to enjoy Magic Kingdom and Nani and I took Timmy to Epcot. While the boys went off to Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Barnstormer, etc, we had a blast wandering around the International area at Epcot.
The Garden Festival was going on, and there were amazing topiaries everywhere. Here's Nani and Timmy near the Fantasia ostriches.
Here's mommy in front of the Simba scene from Lion King.
We enjoyed a long leisurely lunch at Cafe Marrakesh with mimosas and a baklava sampler. Timmy was hungry too, so here's mommy and Timmy enjoying a Timmy apertif.
We really loved Asia the most...China and Japan were really very interesting, and we fell in love with the gardens.
We decided to rest in Mexico for a little while and let Timmy have a taste of Nani's all fruit popsicle. We LIKE pops. Mommy had to buy a new shirt though because strawberry and beet juice just do not look great smeared across my chest.
We came back to the hotel for some swimming and dinner, and then Pop and Connor headed out to fireworks while Nani and mommy stayed with comatose Timmy and enjoyed some petit fours from the concierge service upstairs. Connor had a blast at the fireworks but the first loud volley had him running across the park to get away...Pop had to convince him he was not a target on an artillery range.
The Garden Festival was going on, and there were amazing topiaries everywhere. Here's Nani and Timmy near the Fantasia ostriches.
Here's mommy in front of the Simba scene from Lion King.
We enjoyed a long leisurely lunch at Cafe Marrakesh with mimosas and a baklava sampler. Timmy was hungry too, so here's mommy and Timmy enjoying a Timmy apertif.
We really loved Asia the most...China and Japan were really very interesting, and we fell in love with the gardens.
We decided to rest in Mexico for a little while and let Timmy have a taste of Nani's all fruit popsicle. We LIKE pops. Mommy had to buy a new shirt though because strawberry and beet juice just do not look great smeared across my chest.
We came back to the hotel for some swimming and dinner, and then Pop and Connor headed out to fireworks while Nani and mommy stayed with comatose Timmy and enjoyed some petit fours from the concierge service upstairs. Connor had a blast at the fireworks but the first loud volley had him running across the park to get away...Pop had to convince him he was not a target on an artillery range.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Disney World , Day 2
orry it's taken me so long to catch up! It's been a very busy week!
We woke up all refreshed on Monday and hied ourselves off to Animal Kingdom for the morning. We made lunch reservations for Rainforest Cafe, and so we enjoyed Dinoland in the meantime.
The place was relatively empty when we first showed so Nani and mommy took Connor on the dinosaur ride. I jumped out of my skin a couple times when the carnosaurs popped out of no where but Connor demonstrated great sangfroid...after all, they would eat the bigger people first right? His only comment was that "dinosores are LOUD."
He really enjoyed the flying dino ride and went three times before we had to go off to the cafe for lunch.
We stopped to see a few animals on the way out...
We ate lunch at the cafe, which Connor loved...he talked to all the animals on the walls...and then headed off to Epcot for the afternoon.
Connor loves trains of all sorts and we got to ride buses AND trains there. We got back at around 7 and put both kids to bed...they fell asleep near instantly. Too bad I can't always run them into the ground like that!
We woke up all refreshed on Monday and hied ourselves off to Animal Kingdom for the morning. We made lunch reservations for Rainforest Cafe, and so we enjoyed Dinoland in the meantime.
The place was relatively empty when we first showed so Nani and mommy took Connor on the dinosaur ride. I jumped out of my skin a couple times when the carnosaurs popped out of no where but Connor demonstrated great sangfroid...after all, they would eat the bigger people first right? His only comment was that "dinosores are LOUD."
He really enjoyed the flying dino ride and went three times before we had to go off to the cafe for lunch.
We stopped to see a few animals on the way out...
We ate lunch at the cafe, which Connor loved...he talked to all the animals on the walls...and then headed off to Epcot for the afternoon.
Connor loves trains of all sorts and we got to ride buses AND trains there. We got back at around 7 and put both kids to bed...they fell asleep near instantly. Too bad I can't always run them into the ground like that!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Disney World Adventures, Day 1
The Crean/Freel clan went off on a magical Disney World vacation this Sunday...in fact, I'm writing this now from the DW Animal Kingdom Lodge as the kids slumber peacefully in their beds. It has been a real blast so far...I'll write day by day, but one or two days delayed so I can catch everyone up and not miss anything.
We got up early Sunday morning and flew out of Dulles...Connor was extremely excited about the airplane ride and told everyone within hearing distance about tails and flaps and cambered wings. We arrived before 9 am, and we were whisked off to our lodge to check in and get our tickets and info. Our rooms weren't ready yet -- we were upgraded gratis to concierge services and two adjoining deluxe rooms -- so while dad got things straightened out with all that, the kids and I roamed the hotel. The hotel is beautiful, decorated with an African theme, and has a "savannah" in the courtyard. From our balcony we can see this:
The animals roam all day in a big protected paddock and Connor is learning all kinds of new animals like amkole and ibex.
While we waited for our rooms, we decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom. It was very busy by the time we got there, but Connor did manage to get on the Flying Dumbo ride he's anticipated for weeks, and discovered the wonder of the spinning teacup ride (one of mommy's faves!). Here he is modeling his new hat (his old one didn't fit) and waiting patiently in line.
Here he is on the teacups...
If you're wondering why there hasn't been any pics of Timmy featured yet, that is because the world's mellowest baby chose to sleep through most of all this action. He finally woke when pop and Connor braved Connor's first roller coaster, the Barnstormer. Here's Pop and Connor heading up the track -- zoom!
And here's the cheering section on the ground!
The rooms were soon ready so we headed back to the hotel on the bus (Connor asks about 40 million times day to ride the bus...we probably could have bought him a $20 bus pass and he'd have been almost as happy!) and rested. We were all pretty tired from the day's travels so as soon as the kids ate, we all hit the sheets to get an early jump on the Animal Kingdom the next day. The park had early opening hours we wanted to take advantage of. Stay tuned for Animal Kingdom and Epcot adventures!
We got up early Sunday morning and flew out of Dulles...Connor was extremely excited about the airplane ride and told everyone within hearing distance about tails and flaps and cambered wings. We arrived before 9 am, and we were whisked off to our lodge to check in and get our tickets and info. Our rooms weren't ready yet -- we were upgraded gratis to concierge services and two adjoining deluxe rooms -- so while dad got things straightened out with all that, the kids and I roamed the hotel. The hotel is beautiful, decorated with an African theme, and has a "savannah" in the courtyard. From our balcony we can see this:
The animals roam all day in a big protected paddock and Connor is learning all kinds of new animals like amkole and ibex.
While we waited for our rooms, we decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom. It was very busy by the time we got there, but Connor did manage to get on the Flying Dumbo ride he's anticipated for weeks, and discovered the wonder of the spinning teacup ride (one of mommy's faves!). Here he is modeling his new hat (his old one didn't fit) and waiting patiently in line.
Here he is on the teacups...
If you're wondering why there hasn't been any pics of Timmy featured yet, that is because the world's mellowest baby chose to sleep through most of all this action. He finally woke when pop and Connor braved Connor's first roller coaster, the Barnstormer. Here's Pop and Connor heading up the track -- zoom!
And here's the cheering section on the ground!
The rooms were soon ready so we headed back to the hotel on the bus (Connor asks about 40 million times day to ride the bus...we probably could have bought him a $20 bus pass and he'd have been almost as happy!) and rested. We were all pretty tired from the day's travels so as soon as the kids ate, we all hit the sheets to get an early jump on the Animal Kingdom the next day. The park had early opening hours we wanted to take advantage of. Stay tuned for Animal Kingdom and Epcot adventures!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Timmy Firsts
We got our shipment of toys and extra clothes from Alaska today and the boys ere very excited to see their stuff again. We got Timmy's bumbo and decided to let him sit in it during a bath with his brother. He had a good time until the water got deep and he started to float -- at that point we noticed the "do not use as bath seat" warning printed in bold letters on the back. Ooops, bad mommy!
But I got pics of Timmy's 1st bath with big brother. He so wants to be three and do everything his big brother does!
Timmy also loves his jumperoo. He loves his pop. He loves kitties. When you combine all three you get a million watt smile!
But I got pics of Timmy's 1st bath with big brother. He so wants to be three and do everything his big brother does!
Timmy also loves his jumperoo. He loves his pop. He loves kitties. When you combine all three you get a million watt smile!
Monday, January 26, 2009
My baby is a preschooler!
Connor went to his first day of preschool today. Such a bittersweet moment...he's so ready to spend time with kids his own age and do some learnin', but mommy had a hard time tearing herself away.
His day had mixed reviews...he seemed to have had fun; when I showed up to collect him, he was wearing a construction hat and assembling an airplane puzzle with his new little friend Sharya, but apparently he balked mightily at going to the toilet with his teacher Miss Betty. They encourage the children to potty themselves and her thought is that perhaps he would feel more comfortable if he could do it all himself and have some privacy. We know that potty time is a big privacy thing for him...he does NOT like to be watched...so we agreed and want to get him some stretchy waist pants to wear that will be easier for him to take up and down himself. Something to encourage at home as well. They are working on the five senses for the next two weeks so we did a lot of talking about eyes yesterday. No art projects that day...just a low key day of station play and snacks with other kids. The little stinker ate all his peas at lunch...usually he acts like I'm poisoning him if I serve him anything green! Never underestimate the value and the pitfalls of peer pressure, eh? He's not gung ho about school; he asked yesterday to go "tomorrow" but mommy said no, we go on Wednesday which he accepted very easily which means it couldn't have been that big of a deal.
We are missing daddy an awful lot. He gets to talk to daddy on the computer web cam every couple days depending on whether or not Charlie or Connor need more sleep and miss the chance. He loves to talk to daddy on the computer and gets so frustrated when he can't remember all he wants to tell daddy. His language development doesn't let him tell a story the way he wants, so he usually ends up just spewing phrases and words that make very little sense to someone who didn't go through his day. "Hey man, wet's pway...airpwane...flaps...up in the air! Comcricker (computer...game...I pway k...kangawoo! Book...penen (penguin)..." and so it goes on. From that you might have trouble guessing that he played this morning and read the airplane book. Pop taught him about flaps making the wing bigger and heling the plane fly through the air. He also played his computer game and played k, making the kangaroo sing his ABCs as a reward. He also got a new penguin book from Nani that is shaping up to be a favorite. Mommy has to translate some of the Connor patois for daddy. I'll be interested to see what being around all those children does for his speech. I think daddy is sad to be missing some of these firsts, but Skype is making it a great deal easier.
So here's a first day of preschool picture...he is remarkably uncooperative when a camera comes out. But he was too proud of his new tractor shirt to not get a pic. Note the tortured ambivalence.
Here's Connor's school. I blanked out the address for safety reasons. The school is attached to a day care and the structured school day is from 8-12. Connor arrives somewhere between 8-830, has a snack and playtime then they transition into school time and predetermined activities. he eats lunch around 11-1130 then mom comes and fetches him before the other kids' nap time. There's a nice big playground too but this VA kids are wusses and only venture outside if it's above 50. Since Alaska rules -20 for kids, we laugh at 50.
And here's a gratuitous Timmy pic. He is really loving unadulterated mommy time. He has to compete a lot with big brother for mommy's attention. We took a nap together and then played on the floor with another funky little doll he loves. It too has nubbly knobs for excellent baby teethers. Here he's trying yet again to eat his own hand.
Well, I guess we liked school more than I thought considering he's asked twice more to go today...this every other day thing is right out in his book! We'll have more Connor school adventures soon!
His day had mixed reviews...he seemed to have had fun; when I showed up to collect him, he was wearing a construction hat and assembling an airplane puzzle with his new little friend Sharya, but apparently he balked mightily at going to the toilet with his teacher Miss Betty. They encourage the children to potty themselves and her thought is that perhaps he would feel more comfortable if he could do it all himself and have some privacy. We know that potty time is a big privacy thing for him...he does NOT like to be watched...so we agreed and want to get him some stretchy waist pants to wear that will be easier for him to take up and down himself. Something to encourage at home as well. They are working on the five senses for the next two weeks so we did a lot of talking about eyes yesterday. No art projects that day...just a low key day of station play and snacks with other kids. The little stinker ate all his peas at lunch...usually he acts like I'm poisoning him if I serve him anything green! Never underestimate the value and the pitfalls of peer pressure, eh? He's not gung ho about school; he asked yesterday to go "tomorrow" but mommy said no, we go on Wednesday which he accepted very easily which means it couldn't have been that big of a deal.
We are missing daddy an awful lot. He gets to talk to daddy on the computer web cam every couple days depending on whether or not Charlie or Connor need more sleep and miss the chance. He loves to talk to daddy on the computer and gets so frustrated when he can't remember all he wants to tell daddy. His language development doesn't let him tell a story the way he wants, so he usually ends up just spewing phrases and words that make very little sense to someone who didn't go through his day. "Hey man, wet's pway...airpwane...flaps...up in the air! Comcricker (computer...game...I pway k...kangawoo! Book...penen (penguin)..." and so it goes on. From that you might have trouble guessing that he played this morning and read the airplane book. Pop taught him about flaps making the wing bigger and heling the plane fly through the air. He also played his computer game and played k, making the kangaroo sing his ABCs as a reward. He also got a new penguin book from Nani that is shaping up to be a favorite. Mommy has to translate some of the Connor patois for daddy. I'll be interested to see what being around all those children does for his speech. I think daddy is sad to be missing some of these firsts, but Skype is making it a great deal easier.
So here's a first day of preschool picture...he is remarkably uncooperative when a camera comes out. But he was too proud of his new tractor shirt to not get a pic. Note the tortured ambivalence.
Here's Connor's school. I blanked out the address for safety reasons. The school is attached to a day care and the structured school day is from 8-12. Connor arrives somewhere between 8-830, has a snack and playtime then they transition into school time and predetermined activities. he eats lunch around 11-1130 then mom comes and fetches him before the other kids' nap time. There's a nice big playground too but this VA kids are wusses and only venture outside if it's above 50. Since Alaska rules -20 for kids, we laugh at 50.
And here's a gratuitous Timmy pic. He is really loving unadulterated mommy time. He has to compete a lot with big brother for mommy's attention. We took a nap together and then played on the floor with another funky little doll he loves. It too has nubbly knobs for excellent baby teethers. Here he's trying yet again to eat his own hand.
Well, I guess we liked school more than I thought considering he's asked twice more to go today...this every other day thing is right out in his book! We'll have more Connor school adventures soon!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Timmy's 4 month stats and fun Timmy stuff
We did Timmy's 4 month well baby check today and had it confirmed, yet again, that we make big babies. What a newsflash eh?
Anyway, he's incredibly healthy and hitting even most of his six month milestones and his stats are as follows:
Weight: 16 lbs, 8 oz (74 percentile)
Height: 26.5 in (99 percentile)
Head: 17.5 in (97 percentile)
Big headed tall boy with a tendency toward lankiness. Shocker.
Because it's my blog and I can, I want to brag a bit about Timmy too. He has got to be the sweetest tempered child in existence, fussing only rarely -- usually when he's forced to go outside, but since that makes me want to whimper too I don't blame him. He sleeps like a dream barring his recent growth spurt and mommy loves all the sleep.
He is in love with his purple octopus ball and Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes. He has a serious crush on her, waving his arms and cooing to get her attention when she's on screen. He talks all day long...definitely more "verbal" than Connor was at his age and coos non stop to try to get everyone to love on him. He loves to bat at toys and arches hard in his seat to get a hold of things out of reach. He tries to stand and can push himself up on his arms...I think he'd be crawling if he got the coordination.
With his darker skin, I dress him in lots of dark blues and creams and he is just too cute for words...how handsome is this boy!? His daddy's awfully cute too!
Anyway, he's incredibly healthy and hitting even most of his six month milestones and his stats are as follows:
Weight: 16 lbs, 8 oz (74 percentile)
Height: 26.5 in (99 percentile)
Head: 17.5 in (97 percentile)
Big headed tall boy with a tendency toward lankiness. Shocker.
Because it's my blog and I can, I want to brag a bit about Timmy too. He has got to be the sweetest tempered child in existence, fussing only rarely -- usually when he's forced to go outside, but since that makes me want to whimper too I don't blame him. He sleeps like a dream barring his recent growth spurt and mommy loves all the sleep.
He is in love with his purple octopus ball and Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes. He has a serious crush on her, waving his arms and cooing to get her attention when she's on screen. He talks all day long...definitely more "verbal" than Connor was at his age and coos non stop to try to get everyone to love on him. He loves to bat at toys and arches hard in his seat to get a hold of things out of reach. He tries to stand and can push himself up on his arms...I think he'd be crawling if he got the coordination.
With his darker skin, I dress him in lots of dark blues and creams and he is just too cute for words...how handsome is this boy!? His daddy's awfully cute too!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Gratuitous Timmy Post
Timmy got to play in Connor's old jumperoo today...he can't bounce yet, but boy, he loved hanging and staring at the beads. We have to watch Connor so he doesn't launch Timmy into the stratosphere...
And he was so cute in his sleep sack Kellie bought him I had to snap a pic...
And he was so cute in his sleep sack Kellie bought him I had to snap a pic...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Timmy's Birth Story
I have been wanting to post this...I sometimes think that's there's not enough positive birth stories online and especially home births; they really tend to get bad press and I can't imagine why because once you stay home you almost never go back to the hospital! I've seen lots of births at homes and at hospitals and there was never any doubt as to which I was going to do with either of mine. So here's the story of my wonderful boy's birth!
I had a pretty bad night's sleep the night before...not hugely new, but the rushes keeping me awake felt slightly different this time. I got up with Connor at 715 am, and felt this crazy burst of energy. I cleaned the kitchen up and picked up toys, but kept getting interrupted by bathroom trips with an upset stomach.
I kept putting on shows and movies for Connor because I was having a hard time concentrating on playing with him. At 10, there was a rush that around the underside
of my pelvis and up into my back. That's when I started paying attention. They weren't hard at all, just definitely noticeable.
At 12 I noted they were ten minutes apart and a little more difficult to talk through. At 1230 I called Charlie and told him it was a baby day today! I have officially interrupted meetings twice in my entire life...once when Connor shredded the bottom of his feet with broken glass and needed stitches and now with baby news. He was glad because he and the DO were squabbling over who would take afternoon meetings and baby definitely trumped the DO's "I don't wanna" excuse! I called the midwives too, just to give them heads up, thinking I could always cancel baby alert if the contractions petered out. I was so restless, and just wanted to walk and walk...Connor and I strolled around the block once waiting for Charlie to get home. He arrived, changed and we headed out. He started timing the rushes, and
they were 5-7 minutes by the time we got home and I couldn't walk or talk...just tons
of pressure, no pain though.
We got home around 3 from walking all over the base (Connor played at the park for an
hour while I paced the perimeter), and even though the contractions were harder and
closer, I was sure I was wasting the midwives' time in calling them. Charlie started filling the birth tub while I fussed at him for jinxing it! They listened to me in the background as Charlie explained what was happening, and decided they'd come out.
Dana and Joy arrived at around 415 -- I was SOO glad it was Dana, she and I really clicked and Vanessa and I never really did -- and headed upstairs to check me out. I was running a slight fever with elevated pulse and blood pressure from the bouts of diarrhea so they made me drink two glasses of juice and water while they checked my cervix. I was so upset when they said it was only 3 cm...I felt like I was working too hard for just that! They confirmed though that I was indeed laboring, and Dana said she thought some hydration and peace was the best thing for me. I was handed a huge water bottle and told to drink it all in an hour while they went for a long walk to give me and Charlie privacy.
I sat and bounced on my big blue exercise ball while we watched the Return of the King -- just drinking water like mad. The rushes picked up, and by the time the midwives came back, everyone ate dinner except me (I heated up chicken noodle and toscana soup for everyone, and got out a loaf of French bread with cookies) I was REALLY ready to get in the tub...rushes were 2 minutes apart and really intense at 630.
I would NEVER labor without water again. I want to keep that tub and treat it kindly
the rest of its natural shelf life. I grew inordinately fond of it and named it Reliable Jane. I LOVE that tub. The contractions eased up a bit when I got in, and I just hung there, with my shoulders on the edge, free floating and rocking my body weightlessly through the water when rushes came. They spaced out, but got a little stronger; I could totally get ahead of them, moan a bit and talk to Timmy to cheer us both on.
Charlie was a total champ, sprinting up and down the stairs multiple times to fetch me things and keep Connor's videos going. Connor was happy as a clam watching videos and playing with his airplane toys, but he required some attention and mine was elsewhere for the most part. He would come up the stairs every 30 minutes or so, and call, "Mommy okay?" I would say "I'm okay baby doll, mommy's fine!" and he'd trot away happy again.
Dana came and sat in the doorway of the bedroom, then Joy, then Charlie. We'd chat and tell stories in between contractions...I was really needing to moan through them and it was so nice, having everyone just talking normally and chatting like nothing was happening. I got out once or twice to pee...I have a serious mental block about peeing in water, swimming pools gross me out like you read about because I know I'm floating in other people's bodily waste...and at 900 or so, I really needed to go, but hated being out of the water for contractions so I ran in and tried to hurry so I could beat it back. I was shaking and shivering really hard, and a really intense and for the first time painful rush hit. I cried out and the midwife came in and draped me with more towels and stroked my face to help me focus.
I got up and tried to hurry back to the tub, but Dana asked me to lay down first and try a couple out of the water. I scootched into bed on top of some chux pads and the next one hit...it was a DOOZY. That one was actually painful too and I drew up my whole body around it and just couldn't get ahead of it. I was still freezing and shaking, and Charlie walked in to hold my hand and try to help me focus again and vocalize well. I just kept saying loudly that I wanted the tub...Dana told me two rushes, then a check and I could get into the tub again. I said I didn't want a check because if I was only a 6 or 7, I would be discouraged. She said she thought I was in transition and the number didn't matter...it was just for her and she wouldn't tell me what it was. I gutted out one more of those mindblowing rushes still crying for the tub. (I would have sold Charlie to the gypsies for a dip in the tub at that point!) Charlie had to go hug Connor because he was worked up, hearing me cry out.
Dana flipped me over on my back as soon as it was over and checked. She announced, "Well, honey, no wonder you don't feel good, you're a ten!" She was withdrawing her hand when the water exploded out of me...it gushed about two feet away. That was honestly the worst moment -- we figured out later that when the waters broke, the cervix snapped tight around Timmy's head which accounted for the sharp dizzying pain. I yelled at her for breaking it (I think I said, "What the hell?? I don't like you at all right now!"), and she said she didn't over and over again, and said my treat for letting her feel was to get back in the tub.
I hustled to get back in, I tell ya. It was about 910 or so then. As I got in, the urge to push hit like a Mack truck. I never felt like that with Connor -- I think by the time I was ready to push with him, my uterus was already so tired from the powerful but short labor that the pushing contractions were never strong or helpful -- so it was really new and intense. The only way I could describe it was like throwing up downward, where you can't stop yourself and it's completely irresistible. I pushed a bit, but it took me a couple to get into a better rhythm and work with the rushes instead of against them. The only good part about them was the breaks in between. I just kept apologizing to everyone for being loud, for being mean, for bothering everyone. They laughed and told me how great I was doing and how impressed they all were with my vocals and control.
Charlie came in then and told me he got Connor down asleep on the couch, and his presence was like a huge boost. I grabbed his hands at the edge of tub and knelt with my legs spread far apart and pushed with all my might. I reached down and checked, and Timmy's head was only two knuckles' deep inside. I told everyone that and they were praising me big time. I pushed again and he came all the way down to one fingertip length away, but slipped back up. I kept my hand down there and pushed with all my might through two more til his head was right there and stinging like mad. The third one, I pushed harder than ever as I threw one leg up and balanced kneeling on the other and yelled for someone to help me. Charlie asked me what I wanted help with, which was really his only duh moment. I shot him a dirty look and didn't even bother saying, "Umm, the baby coming out of me?" He was my hero really, he just expected two more hours of pushing like with Connor, and didn't realize Timmy was nearly out!
Timmy's head popped out just then and the midwife got a hold of his neck and told me really firmly to push again. So I arched and pushed and his shoulders spun out of me really fast, giving me just a little side tear. The rest of him followed like a bullet and I saw her rolling him over and over in the water -- his cord had wrapped around his neck pretty tightly and he was a little purple. As soon as she had him disentangled, I pulled him up on my chest and just cried over him. That was 948 pm.
I'll spare you the gory afterbirth details but I did indeed bleed a little too much right after the birth so I got some meds to stem the tide.
Charlie went downstairs and laid down with Connor when he woke up at 11, and the midwives did the newborn check. Surprisingly, they said they thought he was not quite 40 weeks because he had so much vernix and a little lanugo left (according to my not so certain dates, he was 1-4 days overdue). He scored 7/9 on Apgars (the cord around his neck didn't help) and measured out 22 inches long, 15 inch head and 9 lbs 3 oz. We just laughed and chatted and had a good time...I was so glad Dana was there, it was like having a girlfriend, mom and real professional all in one to help me through.
I did so much better after Timmy's birth than Connor's until two weeks postpartum. I ended up hemorrhaging, had a course of methergine and ultimately needed a D&C at 4.5 weeks. It was sucky, but I had a wonderful MIL who flew to my rescue and both boys and I have thrived since we got my issues fixed up to some extent. Timmy is our last baby and I'm so grateful it was an ideal experience to remember fondly.
I had a pretty bad night's sleep the night before...not hugely new, but the rushes keeping me awake felt slightly different this time. I got up with Connor at 715 am, and felt this crazy burst of energy. I cleaned the kitchen up and picked up toys, but kept getting interrupted by bathroom trips with an upset stomach.
I kept putting on shows and movies for Connor because I was having a hard time concentrating on playing with him. At 10, there was a rush that around the underside
of my pelvis and up into my back. That's when I started paying attention. They weren't hard at all, just definitely noticeable.
At 12 I noted they were ten minutes apart and a little more difficult to talk through. At 1230 I called Charlie and told him it was a baby day today! I have officially interrupted meetings twice in my entire life...once when Connor shredded the bottom of his feet with broken glass and needed stitches and now with baby news. He was glad because he and the DO were squabbling over who would take afternoon meetings and baby definitely trumped the DO's "I don't wanna" excuse! I called the midwives too, just to give them heads up, thinking I could always cancel baby alert if the contractions petered out. I was so restless, and just wanted to walk and walk...Connor and I strolled around the block once waiting for Charlie to get home. He arrived, changed and we headed out. He started timing the rushes, and
they were 5-7 minutes by the time we got home and I couldn't walk or talk...just tons
of pressure, no pain though.
We got home around 3 from walking all over the base (Connor played at the park for an
hour while I paced the perimeter), and even though the contractions were harder and
closer, I was sure I was wasting the midwives' time in calling them. Charlie started filling the birth tub while I fussed at him for jinxing it! They listened to me in the background as Charlie explained what was happening, and decided they'd come out.
Dana and Joy arrived at around 415 -- I was SOO glad it was Dana, she and I really clicked and Vanessa and I never really did -- and headed upstairs to check me out. I was running a slight fever with elevated pulse and blood pressure from the bouts of diarrhea so they made me drink two glasses of juice and water while they checked my cervix. I was so upset when they said it was only 3 cm...I felt like I was working too hard for just that! They confirmed though that I was indeed laboring, and Dana said she thought some hydration and peace was the best thing for me. I was handed a huge water bottle and told to drink it all in an hour while they went for a long walk to give me and Charlie privacy.
I sat and bounced on my big blue exercise ball while we watched the Return of the King -- just drinking water like mad. The rushes picked up, and by the time the midwives came back, everyone ate dinner except me (I heated up chicken noodle and toscana soup for everyone, and got out a loaf of French bread with cookies) I was REALLY ready to get in the tub...rushes were 2 minutes apart and really intense at 630.
I would NEVER labor without water again. I want to keep that tub and treat it kindly
the rest of its natural shelf life. I grew inordinately fond of it and named it Reliable Jane. I LOVE that tub. The contractions eased up a bit when I got in, and I just hung there, with my shoulders on the edge, free floating and rocking my body weightlessly through the water when rushes came. They spaced out, but got a little stronger; I could totally get ahead of them, moan a bit and talk to Timmy to cheer us both on.
Charlie was a total champ, sprinting up and down the stairs multiple times to fetch me things and keep Connor's videos going. Connor was happy as a clam watching videos and playing with his airplane toys, but he required some attention and mine was elsewhere for the most part. He would come up the stairs every 30 minutes or so, and call, "Mommy okay?" I would say "I'm okay baby doll, mommy's fine!" and he'd trot away happy again.
Dana came and sat in the doorway of the bedroom, then Joy, then Charlie. We'd chat and tell stories in between contractions...I was really needing to moan through them and it was so nice, having everyone just talking normally and chatting like nothing was happening. I got out once or twice to pee...I have a serious mental block about peeing in water, swimming pools gross me out like you read about because I know I'm floating in other people's bodily waste...and at 900 or so, I really needed to go, but hated being out of the water for contractions so I ran in and tried to hurry so I could beat it back. I was shaking and shivering really hard, and a really intense and for the first time painful rush hit. I cried out and the midwife came in and draped me with more towels and stroked my face to help me focus.
I got up and tried to hurry back to the tub, but Dana asked me to lay down first and try a couple out of the water. I scootched into bed on top of some chux pads and the next one hit...it was a DOOZY. That one was actually painful too and I drew up my whole body around it and just couldn't get ahead of it. I was still freezing and shaking, and Charlie walked in to hold my hand and try to help me focus again and vocalize well. I just kept saying loudly that I wanted the tub...Dana told me two rushes, then a check and I could get into the tub again. I said I didn't want a check because if I was only a 6 or 7, I would be discouraged. She said she thought I was in transition and the number didn't matter...it was just for her and she wouldn't tell me what it was. I gutted out one more of those mindblowing rushes still crying for the tub. (I would have sold Charlie to the gypsies for a dip in the tub at that point!) Charlie had to go hug Connor because he was worked up, hearing me cry out.
Dana flipped me over on my back as soon as it was over and checked. She announced, "Well, honey, no wonder you don't feel good, you're a ten!" She was withdrawing her hand when the water exploded out of me...it gushed about two feet away. That was honestly the worst moment -- we figured out later that when the waters broke, the cervix snapped tight around Timmy's head which accounted for the sharp dizzying pain. I yelled at her for breaking it (I think I said, "What the hell?? I don't like you at all right now!"), and she said she didn't over and over again, and said my treat for letting her feel was to get back in the tub.
I hustled to get back in, I tell ya. It was about 910 or so then. As I got in, the urge to push hit like a Mack truck. I never felt like that with Connor -- I think by the time I was ready to push with him, my uterus was already so tired from the powerful but short labor that the pushing contractions were never strong or helpful -- so it was really new and intense. The only way I could describe it was like throwing up downward, where you can't stop yourself and it's completely irresistible. I pushed a bit, but it took me a couple to get into a better rhythm and work with the rushes instead of against them. The only good part about them was the breaks in between. I just kept apologizing to everyone for being loud, for being mean, for bothering everyone. They laughed and told me how great I was doing and how impressed they all were with my vocals and control.
Charlie came in then and told me he got Connor down asleep on the couch, and his presence was like a huge boost. I grabbed his hands at the edge of tub and knelt with my legs spread far apart and pushed with all my might. I reached down and checked, and Timmy's head was only two knuckles' deep inside. I told everyone that and they were praising me big time. I pushed again and he came all the way down to one fingertip length away, but slipped back up. I kept my hand down there and pushed with all my might through two more til his head was right there and stinging like mad. The third one, I pushed harder than ever as I threw one leg up and balanced kneeling on the other and yelled for someone to help me. Charlie asked me what I wanted help with, which was really his only duh moment. I shot him a dirty look and didn't even bother saying, "Umm, the baby coming out of me?" He was my hero really, he just expected two more hours of pushing like with Connor, and didn't realize Timmy was nearly out!
Timmy's head popped out just then and the midwife got a hold of his neck and told me really firmly to push again. So I arched and pushed and his shoulders spun out of me really fast, giving me just a little side tear. The rest of him followed like a bullet and I saw her rolling him over and over in the water -- his cord had wrapped around his neck pretty tightly and he was a little purple. As soon as she had him disentangled, I pulled him up on my chest and just cried over him. That was 948 pm.
I'll spare you the gory afterbirth details but I did indeed bleed a little too much right after the birth so I got some meds to stem the tide.
Charlie went downstairs and laid down with Connor when he woke up at 11, and the midwives did the newborn check. Surprisingly, they said they thought he was not quite 40 weeks because he had so much vernix and a little lanugo left (according to my not so certain dates, he was 1-4 days overdue). He scored 7/9 on Apgars (the cord around his neck didn't help) and measured out 22 inches long, 15 inch head and 9 lbs 3 oz. We just laughed and chatted and had a good time...I was so glad Dana was there, it was like having a girlfriend, mom and real professional all in one to help me through.
I did so much better after Timmy's birth than Connor's until two weeks postpartum. I ended up hemorrhaging, had a course of methergine and ultimately needed a D&C at 4.5 weeks. It was sucky, but I had a wonderful MIL who flew to my rescue and both boys and I have thrived since we got my issues fixed up to some extent. Timmy is our last baby and I'm so grateful it was an ideal experience to remember fondly.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Want a Timmy professional photo session sneak peek?
Go to www.photosbybreanne.typepad.com and check out the two blog entries with Timmy's photos!
I'm always amazed and impressed by my friends' talents. My good girlfriend Breanne launched a professional photography business, and I think if you look at her work you'll understand why she's going to be a resounding success. I'm just melting at these pics...I can't wait til she gets them all proofed and done so we can ooh and ahh, and get a great start on our Timmy Wall of Adoration. His brother has an almost three year head start on his display wall, so we have to help Timmy catch up!
If you're local, consider getting Breanne to do a photo session for you...she does families, kids, babies, newborns, seniors and even boudoir if you want a racy but fun gift to give your loved one (great deployment gift...why not remind him what he's got waiting at home??). Even if she wasn't the awesomest friend in the world, I would rate Breanne's patience, professionalism and photographic skills as absolutely top notch. Here's her link... www.breannekesslerphotography.com Check it out!
I'm always amazed and impressed by my friends' talents. My good girlfriend Breanne launched a professional photography business, and I think if you look at her work you'll understand why she's going to be a resounding success. I'm just melting at these pics...I can't wait til she gets them all proofed and done so we can ooh and ahh, and get a great start on our Timmy Wall of Adoration. His brother has an almost three year head start on his display wall, so we have to help Timmy catch up!
If you're local, consider getting Breanne to do a photo session for you...she does families, kids, babies, newborns, seniors and even boudoir if you want a racy but fun gift to give your loved one (great deployment gift...why not remind him what he's got waiting at home??). Even if she wasn't the awesomest friend in the world, I would rate Breanne's patience, professionalism and photographic skills as absolutely top notch. Here's her link... www.breannekesslerphotography.com Check it out!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Ummm, I don't want to be pregnant anymore
I know, I know...I've lectured many childbirth clients about the fact that the ninth month HAS to be uncomfortable, so you think that pushing a baby out of your bum is more attractive than staying pregnant. After all, if you went into labor when you felt as good as you do in the fifth and sixth month, there would be no motivation to go into labor!
Doesn't mean that I'm not doing a little external and a LOT of internal whining. I went to the midwife yesterday...we're now on weekly appointments...and it went well, but still you find yourself staring speculatively at her hoping that she can offer some magic bullet for hips hurting, painful Braxton Hicks, heartburn and weird hairs/stretchmarks/dark lines appearing on your body randomly. She can't other than having a baby, but you hope anyway! LOL
So I'm resolving to just try to enjoy having Timmy all to myself right now. I'm making him a bright quilt and Connor's memory quilt will need to get finished up now that I bought the backing and batting. I also ordered Timmy his bunting and warm car seat cover so he isn't the original newborn popsicle when winter hits in a few weeks. I love washing and folding all these sweet little baby clothes...makes me long to hold him on the outside!
I think Timmy might be a touch more mellow than Connor...he moves around a lot less and less aggressively than Connor ever did. Connor used to stretch and wiggle for hours and Timmy seems to be pretty content to just get comfy and settle in. He's hiccuping like mad a lot though, poor guy. I can tell he hates it when I lay on my right side because he prefers the left and the turning over makes him shift to a less comfortable position. I get my ribs kicked for moving on him.
I really wonder if he's going to go as late as Connor did...he might, but I've got some signs that things might go a little sooner with him than they did with Connor. Things that didn't happen until a few weeks from this point last time. We'll see! I have no idea what I would do if he did come before his due date because I'm booked up through then!
I need to go tackle cleaning up and getting Connor dressed and fed...I made a playdate for him this morning, completely forgetting that I was hosting a La Leche League meeting this morning, so I've got to walk over to Alyssa's and beg off today. I was really looking forward to it too. Sigh. Oh well, hopefully the weather will stay good tomorrow and we can do the park and walking tomorrow with our little ones. Okay, enough rambling! Gotta go!
Doesn't mean that I'm not doing a little external and a LOT of internal whining. I went to the midwife yesterday...we're now on weekly appointments...and it went well, but still you find yourself staring speculatively at her hoping that she can offer some magic bullet for hips hurting, painful Braxton Hicks, heartburn and weird hairs/stretchmarks/dark lines appearing on your body randomly. She can't other than having a baby, but you hope anyway! LOL
So I'm resolving to just try to enjoy having Timmy all to myself right now. I'm making him a bright quilt and Connor's memory quilt will need to get finished up now that I bought the backing and batting. I also ordered Timmy his bunting and warm car seat cover so he isn't the original newborn popsicle when winter hits in a few weeks. I love washing and folding all these sweet little baby clothes...makes me long to hold him on the outside!
I think Timmy might be a touch more mellow than Connor...he moves around a lot less and less aggressively than Connor ever did. Connor used to stretch and wiggle for hours and Timmy seems to be pretty content to just get comfy and settle in. He's hiccuping like mad a lot though, poor guy. I can tell he hates it when I lay on my right side because he prefers the left and the turning over makes him shift to a less comfortable position. I get my ribs kicked for moving on him.
I really wonder if he's going to go as late as Connor did...he might, but I've got some signs that things might go a little sooner with him than they did with Connor. Things that didn't happen until a few weeks from this point last time. We'll see! I have no idea what I would do if he did come before his due date because I'm booked up through then!
I need to go tackle cleaning up and getting Connor dressed and fed...I made a playdate for him this morning, completely forgetting that I was hosting a La Leche League meeting this morning, so I've got to walk over to Alyssa's and beg off today. I was really looking forward to it too. Sigh. Oh well, hopefully the weather will stay good tomorrow and we can do the park and walking tomorrow with our little ones. Okay, enough rambling! Gotta go!
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