The Epidural

Josie has arrived! It was a relatively quick labor, as we got to the hospital to induce at 12:30pm and had a baby at 10:51pm. We were able to induce by choice, not because of complications, so things went very smoothly and we're all doing really well.

For all the ladies who might one day have a baby, I would highly recommend getting the epidural. I was on the fence about whether to go natural or take anything for pain, so I labored for about 3 hours after my water broke without drugs. Good grief - I felt horrible. With every contraction during those 3 hours, I was LOW and kept getting lower. The pain was terrible and took a lot of energy out of me, especially considering the lack of sleep I was working with and the long process of delivering a baby. At my lowest point (aka highest pain), I was only dilated 5cm - half way to the necessary 10cm - so I decided for the epidural and received it about 10 minutes later. (Longest 10 minutes ever!) I did not feel another contraction the entire time. !!! GLORIOUS.

Let me stress that the difference between no epidural and epidural was like Jekyll and Hyde. I was a different girl once they had the medicine going. I was alert, had more energy, and only had to push 5 times before the whole thing was over. I had had concerns that the epidural might be bad for the baby, but the nurse explained that the epidural hardly affects the baby at all because it is a local anesthetic rather than the IV painkillers that go into your bloodstream, and thus into the baby's. With the IV drugs, the baby's heart rate decreases and makes an obvious impact on how the baby acts. Scary stuff! So my worries were calmed, and I delivered a healthy baby girl in less than 12 hours. And a lot of that time was just the inducing part...

I admire women who go the natural route, but there is no badge of courage I could earn that would make me feel another contraction ever again if I had the choice of getting an epidural. Next time, I will not hesitate! Please and thank you.

Have Patience, Have Patience

When we were growing up, my brother and I had a lot of Christian sing-a-long tapes, featuring songs about moral lessons and God's creation. One song that my dad still reminds us of is the "Have Patience, Have Patience" song:

Have patience
Have patience
Don't be in such a hurry...

No message could be more appropriate as I wait to meet my daughter. Usually, I'd say I'm a pretty patient person, but nothing could have prepared me for the last month of pregnancy - the longest of all 9 (or the more realistic 10) months. People tell me frequently that they're praying for me, and I can only hope that their prayers ask for patience. The suspense is killing me!

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

A list for late summer

Things I'm going to do postpartum:

1) Sleep on my back.
2) Go to Sapporo, best sushi in Louisville (or anywhere, for that matter), and gorge myself on raw fish and seaweed.
3) Buy new pants that actually have a number for a size. S, M, L elastic can only fit so well.
4) Kettlebell.
5) Breed Woody.
6) Drink a beer.
7) Join a moms' group.
8) Scrapbook, I guess.
9) Watch Ellen daily (hello, maternity leave).
10) Convince friends to make friends for Josie.

Words that end in "tip"

We're getting the house ready ("nesting") for Josie's big arrival, so all of our outlets now host either a plug or one of those plastic outlet covers. So when I found Woody chewing on something that looked like a frosted piece of plastic about the size of an outlet, I quickly freaked out and rushed to scold him so he would drop the darn thing. It turns out it was only a piece of ice, and I felt terribly guilty for yelling at him in my panicked state for merely enjoying a cool treat.

Once I figured out it was just a harmless piece of ice, I changed my tone and tried to coax him into eating it (mainly to make myself feel better for getting on his case). He wouldn't have any part of that, thank you very much. ("You just yelled at me, lady!") What a good dog he is, doing exactly as I told him. I saw this was going nowhere, so I took the piece of ice and encouraged him to eat it out of my hand.

Let me remind you this dog has had raccoons for dinner. Natural born killer, this one.

Anyway, he reluctantly took the ice and seemed to enjoy it thoroughly from my fingertips. Speaking of words that end in -tips, I caught Woody the Best Dog Ever eating a Q-tip yesterday, so my freak-out today wasn't completely out of turn. I only found half of the Q-tip, so here's hoping the rest makes it through his digestive system.

In other Woody news, I've started thinking about packing my bags for the hospital. At 32 weeks, you've gotta start thinking about the possibility of being early. I got an overnight bag from the basement last night, and put it by the bed for packing in the somewhat near future. Woody, however, had different plans for my bag, and has now claimed it as his bed. As a 25 lb. Jack Russell, he really likes being curled up in beds that are too small for him. Whatever floats your boat, Woods. Just lay off the Q-tips before I have a coronary next time you're chewing on anything but dog food.

Couch potato

As my pregnancy continues to progress (32 weeks now!), I spend more and more time on the couch. Fortunately, we found the best deal on an exceptional sectional from craigslist, the source of 95% of our furniture. (The other 5% was either a gift/discard from family or something we bought used - consignment, yard sale, etc. We proudly claim that we haven't purchased a single, new item from a furniture store. So thrifty, so nifty!)

During all this time on the couch, I have watched a considerable amount of television. Some of the shows I currently watch are featured to the right. A few sitcoms here and there, the occasional reality show - but I have most recently become nearly obsessed with the crime drama. I find that I schedule my evening around the Law & Order/CSI/Without a Trace/Cold Case programming. It doesn't help that some form of Law & Order is on most hours of the evening - I've started DVRing random epidsodes from 1997 and 2003 while I'm out of the room to make dinner or put laundry away.

I've been trying to put my finger on the reason behind my recent tv habits. I think I like the fact that the same show is available so often throughout the day, with very few repeats. Seems comfortable, in my generally uncomfortable [physical] state. I also seem to have somewhat of an addictive personality: Kristen and I watched many more episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" than your average college sophomore... On a subconscious level, it's also kind of nice to watch shows that are somewhat self-contained. In a few short weeks, I won't have time for nearly as much tv, so I don't want to get roped in to a continuing story that would require a weekly dedication postpardum. Makes sense, right? Or maybe my pregnancy cravings come in the form of crime dramas instead of strange food combinations...

Fettucine Update

Well I tried the Dairy Free Fettucine Alfredo again. When you don't use active yeast, it's pretty good! It's not exactly alfredo sauce, but how could it be 100% without the cheese? If you're wondering where to get nutritional yeast, it's in the protein powder aisle at Whole Foods, or you can bag it yourself in their bulk food aisle.

A bit about Whole Foods: this particular grocery store is known as "Whole Paychecks" around our house. Not to say that they don't have some great things - it's just unrealistic to buy your entire grocery list there. For instance, the Kroger avocados are NEVER ripe, no matter how many "RIPE NOW" stickers they put on each avocado. So if you need an avocado for tonight's dinner, better go to Whole Foods. Also the Whole Foods' clementines are to die for, according to Shelby's latest report. On my Whole Foods grocery list: ice cream (they definitely have the widest variety of dairy free ice cream), nitrate free bacon and hot dogs (the hot dogs WILL GO BAD in a very short period of time, so eat 'em quick!), bison, and SUSHI!! Well, no sushi until June. (I admit, I have gotten a couple funny looks buying the *vegetable only* sushi once or twice. Ok, it was twice.)

I also just found out that Whole Foods sells a natural tea tree oil that is good for on-the-spot blemish treatment. Thanks for the tip, Rube!

The Virginian

We went to a birthday party on Saturday night, and I was enlisted to help pick out Shelby's outfit for the occasion.  On a hunch that I might find another VA/KY transplant, I decided he should wear his t-shirt from The Virginian, the restaurant/pub on the Corner in Charlottesville, as bait to lure in other Virginians out there.  Sure enough, a girl from Waynesboro approached us at the party and commented on his shirt!  She moved to Kentucky 12 years ago when her dad was relocated for his job.  We were fast friends.  It turned out to be a good party - not only did I find another Virginian, but there was another pregnant girl there, too.  No t-shirt logo needed for the expectant mothers to find each other in a crowd... :)

George Strait sings about it

Most of the pictures I've taken recently have been from the shoulders down - aka a belly pic.  Of course I see my face in the mirror every day, but nothing could have prepared me for head shots taken 6 months into pregnancy.  I just don't look so great.  Not like I used to, anyway.  (Haha.)  It's apparent from the picture that:

- I don't sleep.

- I gave up wearing earrings several months ago.

- My posture has been compromised by my ever-growing midsection.

- I did not get the long, flowing pregnancy locks that everyone dreams about.

Cue the music:  All I can think about now is George Strait's song, "She Let Herself Go."  It's playing on repeat in my head.  Is this what motherhood will bring?  A constant disheveled look for the rest of my life?  What's a pregnant girl to do?  Some ideas:

- Not a lot I can do about the sleep deprivation.  I already feel lazy enough.  But what about concealer to hide those pesky dark circles under my eyes?

- Unless the holes have closed up (doubtful), I should really make an effort to throw on some earrings every once in awhile.  Especially for special occasions (as was the occasion for the above-mentioned picture taking).

- Slug every person who says, "You don't even look pregnant!"  This comment is the only comment I get as a pregnant woman, and it's really starting to get to me.  What do these people expect?  I do look pregnant - my appearance has definitely changed to pregnant-mode!!  1) belly, 2) slouching, 3) never standing for extended periods of time, 4) weight gain, 5) waddle, 6) boobs - come on, it's Obvious.

- Maybe I should switch shampoo.  Haircut is coming next week.

A reason to sufficiently discipline your child

My latest symptom of pregnancy revolves around seriously poor blood circulation throughout my body.  Not only have I gotten cold sweats, seen spots, and desperately needed to sit down before I (1) threw up or (2) passed out, I also have woken up with no feeling on one entire side of my body.  Or the left foot can be like ice, the right foot on fire.  The hands are a different story - the temperature range can differ even on one hand, with the pointer, middle, and pinky fingers at one temp and the ring finger totally opposite.

So as I think about why all of this is happening to my body, I fondly remember the baby girl I'm nurturing.  Then it occurs to me that this same little girl will attempt to defy me in a few years, whether it's over broccoli or boys.  And the circulation problems will come to mind, as I say, "yes, you absolutely have to eat your broccoli," or "no, you can't date HIM - on second thought, you can't DATE."  Sure, she'll have the sweetest "give me what I want" smile, but I will have my ammunition aimed and ready:  the pains of pregnancy that will likely last a lifetime, at least in memory.  Lose feeling in just your big toe, girly, after your husband remarks that you have lost all color in your face and you were seconds from unconsciousness.  Then we can talk about broccoli.  (Dates are generally always a no until age 35.)

Sugar and Spice

In all the excitement over the past couple weeks, I didn't post anything on the results of our ultrasound. So I'm happy to announce that we're having a girl!

Last night, she and I did a little shopping together - updating the registry online. Watch out, Dad!

The Ambitious Mom-To-Be

Our baby is due on June 16, 2009.  I found out I was pregnant fairly early, so I've had most of the past 17 weeks to really start thinking about what I'm going to be like as a parent.  I've already realized that no matter what you do, someone is going to think you're crazy.  Two examples of ideas I've toyed with:

1.  Cloth diapers

2.  Making our own baby food

Go ahead - call me crazy.  I'm still on the fence about the cloth diapers.  Doesn't quite seem worth it to deal with poop on such an intimate level.  Disposables seem much more user friendly.  The eco-friendly argument for cloth?  Not enough to persuade me, especially when washing the diapers uses a lot of water and energy (my energy and the power company's).  I heard about a diaper service in Louisville that takes care of it for you - but that could get expensive.  Also, did you know you can buy second-hand diapers? That means someone else used them!  Sorry, but some things you just buy new.  Sort of like buying brand name toilet paper - sometimes you have to splurge.  But if you do buy cloth and wash them yourself, you have to be saving money and the environment, right?

As for idea #2, I'm completely sold on making our own baby food.  I'm actually excited about it.  You can get a baby food maker that I've heard really helps makes it easier.  Then you freeze the mush into little servings!  Seems like it would save a ton of money, be better for baby, and could be fun for mom!  

I admit I may be slightly naive.  Did I mention this is our first baby?

Purse Burglar, Hamburglar

Over the past year, someone has robbed more than 50 homes in our subdivision and surrounding neighborhoods.  The MO:  he breaks into your home (usually by kicking open a door), walks in, takes your purse, and walks out.  He strikes at 9am, midnight, 6pm - even the safest daylight hours could leave you without your purse.  I have become slightly obsessed with the Purse Burglar, even dreaming that I caught the perpetrator, who turned out to be a middle school girl in my slumber.  Coming very close to sleeping with my purse, I take every precaution to limit my exposure.  I won't deny that I have slept with a light on, or that our entire house exterior is completely illuminated from dusk until dawn.  The police have been on at least one foot pursuit, but PB escaped through a system of drainage tunnels underneath the East End.  I wish they'd catch him so I could find something else to worry about.

In other news, my reoccurring absence from blogging is always multi-faceted, but this time I really have been up to something big...  MAKING A BABY!  It seems appropriate in the Purse Burglar post that I mention that pregnancy has completely turned me off to chicken, and my arteries must ache with how much red meat I've consumed in the past 4 months.  Purse Burglar's got nothing on my Hamburglar tendencies.   BEEF.  IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER.  AND LUNCH.  AND BREAKFAST.  AND A SNACK.  AND....