Big exciting news!

I am delighted to announce on Christy's behalf that at 7:48 AM EST her new baby boy Izzy was born! He was 9 lbs, 6 oz and 19 inches long (at a week early!) and was described as "a really cranky old man with a scrunched up, pissed-off face." Christy is recovering fine, though she's still feeling a little out of it, dizzy, and sweaty. Izzy is snoozing.

Unfortunately, when they took him to the nursery while Christy was in recovery, they fed him some formula without permission, and Christy's first attempts to get him to latch were frustrating, but I’m sure he’ll catch on.

He's here and he's healthy and they're both doing great! Christy will update once she’s home and settled.

(Posted by Eva).

Goodbye

This will be my last post until after Izzy is born. Although I am super excited, I am also a little blue. I am feeling melancholy for several reasons...

1. Izzy will no longer be all mine. I feel him kick and squirm, and only I can delight in these little joys. He is my sweet little baby - all mine. But after Friday, he will be our baby. Yes, I am selfish. I like having him all to myself.

2. I know that this will be my last pregnancy for at least 4 or 5 years. Although I am not eager to get pregnant anytime soon, I am going to miss the sensation of a baby moving in my womb.

3. My life is about to change drastically. I am a creature of habit, and change is always hard for me.

But I am happy too, for several reasons...

1. I get to meet my baby - my beautiful little boy.

2. I won't have to pee 782 times per day. YAY!!!

3. Porgie and I can start playing together again. At this point, we are just coexisting in the same house. I want to run and jump and laugh with her, without experiencing excruciating hip and back pain.

I know that I frequently whine and complain, but I really am an incredibly lucky person. I have so much to be thankful for.

My wonderful friend Eva will be updating my blog with information regarding Izzy's birth on Friday. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I will miss you!

Love,
Christy

Smelling the roses

I have a tendency to rush through things. I rarely take the time to enjoy what I have. Instead, I am always looking forward to the next big thing. This is especially true when it comes to Porgie's development. When she learned to roll over, I wanted her to sit up. When she began sitting up, I wanted her to crawl. When she started crawling, I wanted her to walk. Why can't I just appreciate what I have?

As Izzy's birth looms closer and closer, I have been trying to savor the moments with Porgie. We have been going for walks around the block, examining the leaves and playing in the grass. We have been watching videos and cuddling on the couch. We have been giving lots of kisses and hugs to one another.

As I look at my little girl, I can't help but feel a little sad. She isn't going to be the baby anymore. I want to go back in time, and savor every moment we spent together - just me and her.

2 under 2

I am always amazed by how many people are having their children very close in age. I have met two other women at story time who have children 17 months apart (Porgie and Izzy will be 17 months apart too). Both of these women have made it abundantly clear that having 2 children under the age of 2 is HARD. Each week, I watch them tirelessly chase after their toddlers, while simultaneously trying to hush a screaming baby. Honestly, I feel sorry of them.

But I am destined for the same fate as these poor women. I am going to be that crazy woman, lugging around two screaming babies. I am going to be that stressed out woman, with disheveled hair and dirty clothes. I am going to be that pitiful woman, who everyone feels sorry for. Yup, that is going to be me.

Many of my fellow bloggers also have children close in age, like Cagey and Dooney. These woman are much more graceful than me. They rarely complain, and are always optimistic. Although I want to be like these women, I am afraid that my whiny attitude will prevail. I am fairly confident that this blog is going to turn into a place where I come to bitch and moan about how hard my life is. And all of you will roll your eyes and become bored with my incessant whining.

I just wanted to give you a heads up - get ready for the complaints. Of course, I'll try to balance the negativity with adorable baby photos.

Question for all of you...

Why do people seem to stop writing posts on the weekends? I have never really understood this blogging phenomenon. I still have my computer on the weekends. Porgie still naps and sleeps on the weekend, thus freeing up some of my time. Yes, my husband is home, but we only have so much to talk about.

So, why do most bloggers stop writing on the weekends?

Of course, no one reads blogs on the weekends, so I probably won't receive any responses.

Christmas is coming!

John and I have decided to put up our Christmas tree this year (we're actually putting it up this weekend - YIKES!). I will probably regret this decision in a few weeks. However, I think Porgie will be fascinated by the tree and by ripping the wrapping paper off of her gifts. Christmas should be loads of fun this year, and I am looking forward to the festive holiday season.

I have already purchased a few gifts for Porgie. First, I bought her a Little People's Farm. She loves making animals sounds, and is genuinely fascinated with all barnyard animals. I expect that this gift will be a smash hit.Next, I bought her a little laptop computer. I was originally planning on buying her a fancier "computer", but she fell in love with this one while we were shopping at target one morning.
Finally, I bought her some puzzles - barnyard themed of course.

I plan on buying my baby girl a few more things. When Christmas finally rolls around, Porgie will be 18 months old. Do you have any suggestions for great, but reasonably price Christmas gift?

Whatever happened to wet nurses?

As many of you know, Porgie and I had a very difficult time with breastfeeding. After a month of breastfeeding exclusively, Porgie had failed to regain her birth weight, and I was an emotional wreck. Although I was tempted to switch to formula (which the pediatrician strongly recommended), I ultimately decided to primarily pump for the next 5 months (I still attempted to breastfeed Porgie when she was upset and during the night). Pumping was hard (I never had a very good supply), but it was totally worth it. Because of my pumping efforts, Porgie receive breast milk for the first 6 months of her life. Although it took a long time for me to come to terms with pumping, I am proud of my accomplishment.

Of course, I am going to give breastfeeding another try. I threw out all of the bottles, except for 4 small ones. I have my pump cleaned and ready to use (Thank you Amber!). And I already purchased a few nursing bras.

Even though I am ready to give breastfeeding another shot, I do not plan on pumping exclusively again. In fact, I am only giving breastfeeding a limited time span in my household. If things are not going smoothly after 2 months, I am going to give up on nursing.

Although many of you might not agree with this approach, I am not going to let breastfeeding dominate my life this time around. I spent WAY TOO MUCH time and energy trying to breastfed Porgie. By the end of the first month, I was still crying uncontrollably, calling the lactation consultant everyday, and waking Porgie up every two hours to nurse - even at night. Honestly, I feel like breastfeeding was hindering our relationship instead of helping it. I was so stressed out, and I think Porgie could sense my anxiety. After I made the decision to start pumping, life instantly got better. I stopped having emotional meltdowns, Porgie started gaining weight, and we all started getting a little more sleep.

With Porgie, I made the decision to pump. However, I will not have that luxury this time around. I am going to have a toddler and a newborn to care for. I will not have time to pump for 20-30 minutes, every two hours, ALL DAY LONG - in addition to cleaning all of the pumping supplies and then feeding Izzy from bottle. And of course, that would mean I would have bottles to clean too.

I am hopeful that things will go much smoother this time, and Izzy will be a champion nurser. But if breastfeeding begins to make me feel like I am spiraling towards depression, I am definitely going to stop.

The story of the poopy gym shoes

A few years ago, I owned this really cute pair of powder blue gym shoes. I am not much of a shoe person, so this was the only pair of sneakers in my closet. Needless to say, I wore them all the time.

One morning, John went outside to retrieve something from my car. He came back in and said, "What happened to your car?" Panicked, I ran outside. Some bastard had side swiped my car - and didn't leave a note. The paint was scrapped off the entire passenger side of my car. I was pissed. For some reason, I was convinced that one of our neighbors had damaged my car. Angry and ready to fight someone, I began walking up and down the streets, looking for another car with damage.

Unfortunately, I didn't find the bastard who hit my car. I began walking home, when I realized that I had stepped in dog shit. At this point, I was ready to kill someone. When I got home, I took my cute powder blue sneakers off, and I threw them in the trash. I should have cleaned them off, but I was so upset that I was doing irrational things.

Over the next two years, I never replaced my sneakers. I have no idea why I didn't buy new shoes, but I didn't.

Today I went shopping for new sneakers and somehow, I found the coolest shoes in the whole world...

I LOVE them.

Famous Footwear was having a buy one, get one 1/2 off sale, so Porgie got new shoes too...

co-sleeping

When I was pregnant with Porgie, I bought a cute bassinet. John assembled it, and I lovingly placed the little white slip cover over the frame. I put the bassinet next to my bed, and patiently waited for my little baby to sleep in it.

Then I actually gave birth, and reality began to sink in. After a few short weeks, I realized that Porgie didn't like sleeping in the bassinet. She wanted human contact. She wanted to be cuddled. She wanted to be right next to her mommy. Without much thought, I just started letting her sleep in our bed.

When I told other people about our sleeping arrangement, I began to realize how narrow-minded other people can be. People would make comments about me rolling on top of her, which would NEVER happen. I was always aware of her, even when I was sleeping. People would make comments about the risk of suffocation, which was very unlikely. I banned all comforters from the bed - we only used sheets. Additionally, I placed Porgie at level with my stomach, so pillows weren't really an issue either. People would also make comments about how I would never be able to get her out of our bed. This comment was the most ridiculous, because Porgie has been sleeping in her crib for about 9 months now.

I quickly learned to ignore other people's comments. I was doing what worked for me and my baby. Frankly, it was none of their damn business. With Izzy, I plan on trying the bassinet again, but I am not opposed to co-sleeping. I already know that Izzy will end up in our bed, at least some of the time. The bedrail is in the corner of our bedroom, ready to be installed.

Naps are weighing heavy on my mind

Do you remember the newborn stage? Of course, we all remember that it was tough, but do you really remember what it was like to have a newborn? All I really remember is that Porgie NEVER slept. NEVER. She was one of those strange babies who slept a total of about 10 hours per day - including nighttime sleep. When I would complain to family and friends, they would act like I was insane. Then they would proceed to tell me how their babies slept 16 hours per day.

When Porgie was about 4 months old, she finally settled into a more predictable sleeping schedule. She started taking a series of 45 minute naps throughout the day, but she would only sleep on my chest. After a few months of this, I began rolling her off of my chest and onto the bed. Even then, I didn't leave her alone. We cuddled and napped together. When Porgie turned 7 months old, I began letting her nap independently in our bed. At 8 months, I finally transitioned her to the crib.

As you can see, we struggled to establish a good nap schedule. My fear is that Izzy will be the same way. What if he doesn't nap? What if he wants to nap on my chest? What if he wants to cuddle up next to me during naps?

Obviously, I can not give little Izzy the same amount to time and attention that I devoted to Porgie. This makes me sad, but also sends a wave of fear down my spine. What am I going to do with a rambunctious toddler and a screaming newborn, who refuses to sleep?

Work Work Work

My husband works a lot. On average, he works a 60 hour work week. This completely sucks, and is a huge strain on our relationship. I know that I shouldn't, but when he calls to report that he is going to be late again, I get pissed off. We usually end up arguing, and I usually end up hanging up on his annoying ass. Of course, this does nothing to help the situation.

Because of the type of work John does, he is also on-call on the weekends. If a customer is having a problem, John has to go out and fix it. When John works on the weekends, I get extremely pissed. If he is working 60 hours during the week, I should be able to count on him during the weekend.

John received a call this morning, and is now working instead of spending time with me and Porgie. I am so frustrated and unhappy. Sometimes I think about what my life with two babies under the age of two will be like, and I want to cry. Its basically going to be all me, all the time. I really can't count on John to help with the children, because I never know when he is going to be home.

I need pictures!!

I am going insane. I can't post pictures of my beautiful baby girl, and its killing me! Apparently our picture program isn't compatible with Vista, so I can't download pictures onto my new laptop computer. Although I can download them to my old desktop computer, which has XP, we don't have Internet access in the basement. Therefore, I can't upload them to my blog. Grrr.

I also wanted to post a picture of my belly. I must be adding inches in girth everyday, because none of my clothes seem to fit correctly anymore. When I was getting dressed this morning, I noticed that my shirt wouldn't cover the bottom of my belly. I kept thinking, "Did this shirt shrink in the dryer?" But when I tried on another shirt and received the same results, I realized that my clothes aren't shrinking, I am just getting enormous. Since all of my clothes fit last week, I am thinking that Izzy must be packing on the pounds.

Anyways, we have to get this picture problem fixed before Izzy arrives. I HAVE to post pictures of Izzy for all of my loyal readers. Lets add this to John's list of projects...

Because I have no brain

For the last two months, Porgie has been extremely difficult at meal times. As soon as I strap her into her booster seat, she starts fussing and whining. She repeatedly says, "down," while pointing to the floor. Being the obsessive mother that I am, I refused to let her down without eating.

How do I get her to eat? Toys. Yes, toys. I started giving Porgie various little trinkets to play with - Pez dispensers, crayons, ink pens, books, etc. At first, it seemed like a fabulous idea. Porgie would eat whatever I placed in her mouth, with nary a peep. Life was good.

But somewhere over the past few weeks, things have gotten a little hairy. Porgie is now refusing to feed herself, which is fairly annoying. She is also requiring more and more toys at every meal, which is also fairly annoying. Additionally, she has started spitting out most of the food we place in her little mouth, which is incredibly annoying.

I know that her horrible eating habits are directly related to my behavior, but I am having a very difficult time reversing this tend. I want her to eat, so I end up catering to her. I seem to have forgotten that meal time should be about offering her food to eat, and not about tricking her into eating.

Honestly, I think most of our meal times problems would be solved if we ate dinner as a family. Porgie is usually always interested in eating whatever John and I are eating. However, John has an unpredictable work schedule, so a family dinner isn't a realistic option. Additionally, Porgie usually eats around 5:00 pm, and I am usually not hungry that early in the evening.

So, is anyone else having eating issues?

Its difficult to be married to me

I know I have mentioned this multiple times, but I really don't like to clean. Honestly, I could care less if my house is messy (unless people are coming over, then I go a little insane with the cleaning). I don't vacuum as often as I should. I don't clean the toilet as often as I should. I don't mop the floors as often as I should. When I read about other bloggers cleaning and obsessively organizing their belongings, I feel bad for them. It must be really hard to keep your house spotless and care for your baby too.

Fortunately, John is totally fine with my awful domestic skills. He rarely ever complains. And he is extremely appreciative when I do clean something - which is nice. However, I am afraid that John has spoiled me lazy during this pregnancy.

As you probably remember, I started this pregnancy with elevated liver enzymes and high blood pressure. Right away, John volunteered to vacuum the carpets very week. Then, he volunteered to do the laundry. Finally, he graciously volunteered to clean the bathroom. This is in addition to his normal chores of cooking dinner, doing lawn work, and taking out the garbage. The only chore I consistently do is the dishes - and we don't have a dishwasher, so this really is a chore. Oh, and I take care of Porgie, while gestating a baby.

All of this has been fine and dandy, until now. Suddenly, my husband has been overwhelmed with my demands. Not only is he doing nearly all of the household chores and earning all of the money, but I also expect him to move our home office to the basement, assemble the nursery furniture, hang curtains in Izzy's room, put up our Christmas tree, take our dogs to the groomer, and throughly clean the minivan. And I want all of this to be accomplished in 14 days. I would also like to have our carpets cleaned, get a new roof, and maybe even a new furnace. Do you think I can fit all of this into my already tight schedule?

What do I personally plan on doing during the last two weeks of this pregnancy? NOTHING. Because I am lazy.

The Saturday from hell

Saturday started out like any other day, but quickly turned sour. Around 10:00 am we went to Circuit City to purchase a new laptop (By the way, I am in LOVE with my new computer). On the way to the store, I began feeling lots of pressure in my vagina. Honestly, it felt like Izzy was trying to push his way out. When I got out of the car, the sensation got worst. Additionally, I was having horrible back pain. I told John that I didn't feel well, and encouraged him to hurry. Although we were only in the store for about 20 minutes, I felt like I was going to pass out. The pain was terrible.

When we got home I tried to rest, but my back hurt too badly. It hurt to lay down, it hurt to sit up, and it hurt to stand. Although I typically have to pee approximately 52 times per day, the extreme pressure in my vagina made me feel like I had to pee ALL the time.

As the day progressed, the pain persisted. It didn't really get worse, but it was constant. Around noon, I also developed a pretty bad case of diarrhea. I started worrying that I was going into premature labor. On several occasions, I considered going to the hospital. The thing that stopped me was the fact that I wasn't having contractions and that Izzy was being very active.

By 7:00 pm, I was laying on the couch in agony. I realized that I would not be able to sleep with all the pain I was experiencing. Obviously this wasn't normal - I needed to go to the hospital. I started trying to think of someone who could watch Porgie.

But as quickly as the pain started, it stopped. Out of nowhere, the back pain and vaginal pressure were gone. By 8:00 pm, I felt like my normal self again. The rest of the night was fairy uneventful. When I woke up on Sunday morning, I felt really good - better than I have felt in weeks.

I have no idea what happened, but I have a theory. I think Izzy moved into some weird position, that did not agree with my body. All I really know is that the thought of premature labor is scary shit, and I am glad my little guy decided not to make an early entrance.

I did it!

I can't believe it, but we actually purchased nursery furniture for Izzy. We ended up going to about 4 different stores before we finally found some nice and reasonably priced furniture. However, it was definitely worth the time and effort. We managed to purchase a crib, changing table, and chest for less than the price of some cribs we seen.

The price of baby furniture is really disturbing. I think companies and stores are capitalizing on the excitement of having a new baby. They are jacking up prices, in the hopes that new parents will shell out a ton of money for that new little baby.

Anyways, we ended up buying the furniture at Baby Depot. Although the sales people were incompetent and the selection was small, we got a great deal.

Here is a link to the furniture we purchased. Its hard to tell from the picture, but the color is a walnut cherry. I know I said I wanted white furniture, but I changed my mind at the last minute. I LOVE the new furniture.

Why yes, I am really boring

Porgie is on the mend. She is starting to eat solid foods again, she isn't crying nearly as much, and she is sleeping through the night. In all honesty, ear infections are a bitch. I have a new found sense of respect and admiration for the parents of toddlers with chronic ear problems. I hope we never have to experience this torture ever again.
__________

I am having a very difficult time getting my ass into gear these days. John and I can't seem to find any reasonably priced nursery furniture for Izzy. Realizing that we only have 19 days left, I have decided that we have to purchase furniture today - regardless of cost. Next week, I am going to work on finally purchasing a double stroller. And during the last week, I am going to find a bigger diaper bag for my babies. I already have a diaper bag, but it is very small. I tend to only bring the essentials - diapers, wipes, snacks, and water. But since I am now going to need to bring two different sized diapers, twice as many wipes, snacks, water, clothing (we all know how newborns love shitting all over their clothes), pacifiers, and maybe even bottles (I am planning on breastfeeding - but that is a whole other post), I think I'll need some more space. Wish me luck my dear friends - I think I am going to need it.
___________

I plan on doing a lot of posting this month. I really wanted to participate in NaBloPoMo, but I can't commit to such a huge undertaking this month - Izzy will be born in 19 days (I know I keep mentioning this, but it blows my mind. Where did all the time go?). I have lots of things I want to discuss and get your opinions on - premature labor, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, nap schedules, etc. So, I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my computer this month.

If you're clueless (like me), here are some helpful tips

Your baby might have a double ear infection if...

1. Baby cries excessively. And by excessively, I mean ALL THE FREAKING TIME!
2. Baby is very irritable and moody. Your baby might suddenly start winging books and cups at your head in fits of rage.
3. Baby refuses all food. Not only does she refuse the food, but she acts like you are a damn fool for offering it to her.
4. Baby wakes up at night screaming. Then, she proceeds to cry uncontrollably for hours.

Number 4 was definitely the most alarming and is what ultimately sent Porgie back to the doctor's office.

Although I felt incredibly bad for my baby, I was also incredibly irritated by her. She has been so unreasonable and cranky today. On more than one occasion, I secretly wanted to run away from her. I had visions of me hopping on the next bus and fleeing this horrible situation. But then I remembered that my baby needed me and was depending on me to make everything better.

Update on the illness

DOUBLE EAR INFECTION!