Everyone knows that babies aren't born with handbooks. However, second children come with a little bit more than the first: confidence... for the parents. With Ryan, I felt like every decision we made for him needed to be validated by at least 2 other people. I wanted to be the best of the best mommies for him. Of course I called the doctor's office for everything, but on top of that I made sure I followed "the rules" to the T. It was a must that Ryan slept on his back, had his diaper changed every 2 hours, had sterilized pacifiers, was never introduced to any sort of solid until 6 months of age, and had his clothes washed separately from mine and Brett's in baby detergent. I'm sure there were more requirements, but I can't think of them at the moment. As for Liam, well, I guess he's the typical second child. Of course we love him no less than Ryan, we're just more laid back and confident in our choices for him. He sleeps on his stomach for naps, *GASP!* and he's gone up to 4 hours without a diaper change. I dropped his bink on the ground at the park, picked it up, wiped it off and stuck it back in his mouth. I put rice cereal in his bottles and his clothes are washed with the rest of ours and not in baby detergent.
My babies are formula fed and I am in no way ashamed to say that. There is so much pressure put on mothers to breastfeed their babies. Point blank: I don't want to breast feed and I have no other reason than that. No one should be concerned with how Brett and I feed our children as long as they are being fed, are healthy and happy.
My children go to daycare (well, Liam will start on the 25th). Even if I wanted to and was financially able to, I could not be a stay at home mom. I am a better mother when I have the opportunity to exercise my mind outside of the home in a profession that I enjoy and Ryan is happier when he is able to go to school, play with his friends and learn from the preschool teachers who were trained to teach him. However, that doesn't mean the learning stops when he leaves school. We are forever teaching him at home about everything from cooking to colors to manners. I do my best to make everything he does a learning experience, but I am no teacher and could never offer him the education and socialization that his preschool does.
These are my confessions. I am far from the best of the best mommies that I set out to be when Ryan was born. However, I'm the best mommy for Ryan and Liam and that's good enough for me and I no longer need anyone to validate it for me. I am thankful for that!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Happy 1 Month to Liam!
It's hard to believe he's a whole month old. He's accomplished a lot so far! He's gained over 2 pounds (as stated in my previous post), he's really good at holding his head up for several seconds, he responds to sounds by moving his head towards them, he has mastered the bink and his thumb, he's drinking 4oz bottles every 4 hours, he's sleeping all night except to wake for eating and changing and believe it or not he rolled over from his belly to his back once... omg!
He's a chill kid. He's happy to hang out in the swing or in his bouncy seat. He's not interested in his baby gym yet, but he loves the fan, the lights on the ceiling and the sounds of the vacuum, hair dryer and shower. Thankfully he doesn't freak out over sudden noises made by Ryan or the dogs barking. He's not a fan of bath time or diaper changes. I'll have you know that Ryan NEVER peed on me during a diaper change... Liam has certainly made up for that! I wonder if that's a foreshadowing of the future?
As for special events and outings, Liam has been shopping on numorous occassions to Target, Babies R Us, the grocery store, the mall and of course Brett had to take him to Best Buy! He made sure to tell him that he would appreciate the store a lot more as he got older. :) He went with us out to eat to celebrate my brother, Michael's, birthday on September 17th. Brett, Ryan, Liam and I also went to the Museum of Life & Science on the 17th as well. He wasn't much into the exhibits though! :) He was the guest of honor at his own "Welcome Liam" baby shower given by Terry & Lindsey Dixon on September 26th and he also went to church that day. He accompanied Brett, Ryan, my mom and myself to Susan and Patrick's wedding on Oct 2. He's also been to Wilson for a birthday party. Needless to say, he's well traveled and socialized for a 1 month old!
Here's a few 1 month pictures. Enjoy!
Well, HELLO!
Good Morning Friends! No, I have not forgotten about you or my blog. The dynamic of the Dippolito circus has changed a bit (duh!), thus my blog has suffered. As crazy as it sounds, I'm hopeful that when I go back to work on the 25th it will allow me to establish some sort of new normalcy so I can function like a normal, working mother. Right now, I'm being lazy in the morning. By the time I get up, get both kids fed, feed myself, change both kids and get Ryan to school it's already 10:00am, sometimes later. That's half my day! Then there's a house to keep clean, diapers to change, laundry (oh, the laundry) to do, a baby to feed, more diapers to change, more laundry to do, dogs to let out to pee... oh, and dinner... Whoever came up with the new mommy tip, "sleep when the baby sleeps" is full of elephant dung. This may be true for FIRST TIME new mommies, but for second, third and so-on mommies, well... we're just S-O-L. Maybe if my chef, maid and nanny would ever show up for work I'd be able to get some shut eye.
Today was Liam's 1 month check up. I was guessing he'd be about 11lbs at this point. I wasn't far off. He's 10lbs 6oz, which is in the 75 percentile for growth...however, the doctor told me today that he's still not big enough. At his 1 week appointment he was down to 8lbs 14oz from 9lbs 4oz at birth. This was due to a milk-protein intolerance, so we switched him to soy formula. 1 week later he was back up to 9lbs 14oz; a whole pound in 1 week! Whoa! Then...thanks to Similac and their spontaneous choice to manufacture bug parts along with their formula, we switched formula AGAIN to Target brand soy. He's not tolerating the way I'd like him to. He's still spitting up with almost every feeding; not too much, but enough to be an issue. So now, we'll start adding cereal into his bottle to treat what is thought to be a bit of acid reflux. If that doesn't work, then we'll switch formulas again, but hopefully the cereal will work. Oh the joys of finding the right formula!
Both boys also got shots this morning. Ryan unexpectedly joined us at the doctor's office this morning. I was running late and didn't have time to drop him at school before we went. Since we were all there, I went ahead and had him get his flu shot. I think the last time Ryan got a shot was before he was two. Nonetheless, it's been a while. I'm one of those vaccine freaks. I totally go against the CDC's recommended schedule. I think it's bogus. I spaced all of Ryan's shots out to no more than 2 per month. I also denied the rotovirus, chicken pox and flu shots. Call me crazy, but then go take a mircobiology class and do some research and let me know where you stand when you find out what all those chemicals do to the developing brain when you shoot them up all at once. Anyway... I'll step off my soap box. Regardless, Ryan received his first flu shot and Liam got the first of his Hep B series. After a bit of screaming, a couple bandaids and some hugs & kisses all was well.
I'm down to 135lbs according to the scale at the ped's office. Ryan refused to step on the scale this morning, so I held him and weighed us together, then put him down and weighed myself. He's 31 lbs and I'm 135. Not bad for 1 month post-partum. I was at 152 when I delivered Liam. I have 9 more pounds to lose to get down to my pre-preggo weight. I'd like to be at my wedding weight, which was 124... so that's my goal.
In other news... Brett's business, 3D Golf Instruction, is kicking off well. For those of you who aren't clear about what it is, he teaches golf lessons indoors at Omni Health & Fitness here in Fayetteville. He uses motion analysis and video to teach as opposed to teaching out on a golf range. He still has his full time job at the country club, but we hope within 6 months to a year he can venture out and 3D will be a full time gig. Prayers are appreciated! :)
That's all I've got for now. I'm off to mix some rice cereal into a bottle and feed my little monster! :)
Today was Liam's 1 month check up. I was guessing he'd be about 11lbs at this point. I wasn't far off. He's 10lbs 6oz, which is in the 75 percentile for growth...however, the doctor told me today that he's still not big enough. At his 1 week appointment he was down to 8lbs 14oz from 9lbs 4oz at birth. This was due to a milk-protein intolerance, so we switched him to soy formula. 1 week later he was back up to 9lbs 14oz; a whole pound in 1 week! Whoa! Then...thanks to Similac and their spontaneous choice to manufacture bug parts along with their formula, we switched formula AGAIN to Target brand soy. He's not tolerating the way I'd like him to. He's still spitting up with almost every feeding; not too much, but enough to be an issue. So now, we'll start adding cereal into his bottle to treat what is thought to be a bit of acid reflux. If that doesn't work, then we'll switch formulas again, but hopefully the cereal will work. Oh the joys of finding the right formula!
Both boys also got shots this morning. Ryan unexpectedly joined us at the doctor's office this morning. I was running late and didn't have time to drop him at school before we went. Since we were all there, I went ahead and had him get his flu shot. I think the last time Ryan got a shot was before he was two. Nonetheless, it's been a while. I'm one of those vaccine freaks. I totally go against the CDC's recommended schedule. I think it's bogus. I spaced all of Ryan's shots out to no more than 2 per month. I also denied the rotovirus, chicken pox and flu shots. Call me crazy, but then go take a mircobiology class and do some research and let me know where you stand when you find out what all those chemicals do to the developing brain when you shoot them up all at once. Anyway... I'll step off my soap box. Regardless, Ryan received his first flu shot and Liam got the first of his Hep B series. After a bit of screaming, a couple bandaids and some hugs & kisses all was well.
I'm down to 135lbs according to the scale at the ped's office. Ryan refused to step on the scale this morning, so I held him and weighed us together, then put him down and weighed myself. He's 31 lbs and I'm 135. Not bad for 1 month post-partum. I was at 152 when I delivered Liam. I have 9 more pounds to lose to get down to my pre-preggo weight. I'd like to be at my wedding weight, which was 124... so that's my goal.
In other news... Brett's business, 3D Golf Instruction, is kicking off well. For those of you who aren't clear about what it is, he teaches golf lessons indoors at Omni Health & Fitness here in Fayetteville. He uses motion analysis and video to teach as opposed to teaching out on a golf range. He still has his full time job at the country club, but we hope within 6 months to a year he can venture out and 3D will be a full time gig. Prayers are appreciated! :)
That's all I've got for now. I'm off to mix some rice cereal into a bottle and feed my little monster! :)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
It's official...
I am a mother of TWO! If giving birth 6 days ago wasn't proof enough, tonight was! I successfully held a baby in one arm and with the other made a bottle, fed the baby, thawed chicken (I didn't touch it), rinsed off some grapes and fixed a drink for a two year old all at the same time. Damn, I'm good... and exhausted!
That was the beginning of tonight's circus performance! Dinner, baths for two, laundry, dishes, books, bottles, diaper changes, kisses and snuggles, spit up, poop, crying, laughing, football throwing and lego building were also acts in tonight's entertainment. Thankfully the dog didn't jump the fence... yet!
With all jokes aside, I am blessed. We are blessed. Brett and I have two wonderful boys and I couldn't have asked for more beautiful children. I cannot wait to see how their lives unfold and what kind of boys and men they become.
So, it's obviously been a while since I posted. Last Tuesday was my last post I believe, so let me catch you up...
Tuesday after my doctor's appointment I went back to work. My coworker entered our office into a contest with a local radio station to win free lunch for the entire office. Our office won and was announced on the Friday before labor day. Since we were closed on labor day, lunch was provided on Tuesday. So, I went back to the office, ate my free lunch (how could a preggo pass that up, right?) and finalized some things for the day. I had already made up my mind that I DID NOT want to be induced on Wednesday. I went home after lunch with the goal of putting myself into labor. I was already 3cm dilated. If I could do that on my own, then I could go into labor on my own. I "saddled up" my ginormous dogs and we went walking. We walked from 2:00pm until about 3:30pm. We walked so far and so long that Dakoda gave up and refused to continue about 5 blocks from the house. I seriously had to call Brett and have him come pick her up. Carter and I continued back to the house. I got back to the house and bounced and rocked on my ball while I rested my back and legs, did some a little cleaning, finalized my hospital bag and started dinner. All during this time I started having contractions, but they weren't very strong ones, but definitely more than just Braxton Hicks. At around 4:15 I walked the two blocks to Ryan's school pulling his wagon to pick him up, then walked back. Contractions were getting stronger! :) At this point, they had been going for more than an hour and I was really determined at that this was going to be it. We came home, and I continued dinner, Ryan and I played baseball in the living room while I bounced and rocked some more on my ball. Yes, we played baseball with a soft bat and rubber ball... quite common in our house!
Brett had gotten off work at 3:30 that afternoon but had a 5pm and 6pm golf lesson to teach. He asked me if I needed him home, but I felt comfortable that I'd be good to go until he got home, which I was. About the time he got home it was bath time and he took over. During the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I was so big that giving Ryan a bath was quite the chore and very uncomfortable, so he did a lot of the bath giving. While he was doing that, I kept moving. I literally walked in circles around the house and went up and down the stairs a few times just to keep the contractions going, only to stop and rock on the ball some more. I'm sure I was quite the sight. The contractions started getting closer, about 3-4 minutes apart and noticeably stronger. While Brett and I were discussing whether or not we should go ahead and call my parents, my mom called and asked how I was doing. I gave her my latest report and she promptly responded with "ok, so we'll see you in about 2 hours then?"... I guess that was our answer. :)
Mama and Deddy got here about 9:45pm and I was still walking, bouncing and rocking. Ryan had waited up for them and then we put him to bed. Afterwards Brett and I went walking around the block and up and down the street for about an hour or so. Contractions strengthened at that point and were about 2-3 minutes apart. We called my doctor's office at around 11:30 and they told us to come in!! I was stoked! This was finally happening and I wasn't going to have to be induced!
We checked in and I was sent to triage at about 11:45 for monitoring. I had made it to 4cm! Whoo hoo! Haha! All that and I was only to 4cm, but I was about 50% effaced, which was up from my 25% earlier that morning. They ended up giving me and Ambien (sleeping pill) and sent me home. My contractions were the right frequency for them to keep me, but they weren't strong enough. How bummed was I to walk my watermelon self out of there?!
We got home around 1:00 (I think) and the rest was a big blur... Ambien will do that to you. I'll NEVER take that mess again. My experience with Ambien was equivalent to drinking a fifth of liquor on an empty stomach. I never have tolerated heavy drugs well...
At about 2:15ish I woke up with very strong contractions that I couldn't talk through. We called triage back and they told me to come back. So back we go! I go back to triage and was there for about 30 minutes, and they send me to a room. Yay!!! And I'm still not totally sure of what followed because I was still drugged, thank you Ambien... *insert sarcasm*
At some point my mom got there and at another point in time Susan, my best friend here in Fayetteville got there. Susan helped bring Ryan into the world. Ryan is named after her and her family and I felt that it was only fitting for her to be with me to help bring Liam into the world too. At this point I was at 5cm and 80 or 90% effaced. I got an epidural at this point. I'm really not sure of the time but I think it was around 5:00am-ish. After the epidural the doctor came in to break my water...and I have to add here that Brett assisted him, then announced to the Facebook world that he did it! I jumped from 5 to 8cm by 8:00am and went from 8cm to 10 in less than an hour. By about 9:00am and after a few choice words (epidurals take pain away, not pressure...) I was ready to push. After about 15 minutes of pushing and some more choice words Mr. William "Liam" Earl Dippolito was born on 9.8.10 at 9:12am, weighing 9lbs 4oz and measuring 22 inches long.
That was the beginning of tonight's circus performance! Dinner, baths for two, laundry, dishes, books, bottles, diaper changes, kisses and snuggles, spit up, poop, crying, laughing, football throwing and lego building were also acts in tonight's entertainment. Thankfully the dog didn't jump the fence... yet!
With all jokes aside, I am blessed. We are blessed. Brett and I have two wonderful boys and I couldn't have asked for more beautiful children. I cannot wait to see how their lives unfold and what kind of boys and men they become.
So, it's obviously been a while since I posted. Last Tuesday was my last post I believe, so let me catch you up...
Tuesday after my doctor's appointment I went back to work. My coworker entered our office into a contest with a local radio station to win free lunch for the entire office. Our office won and was announced on the Friday before labor day. Since we were closed on labor day, lunch was provided on Tuesday. So, I went back to the office, ate my free lunch (how could a preggo pass that up, right?) and finalized some things for the day. I had already made up my mind that I DID NOT want to be induced on Wednesday. I went home after lunch with the goal of putting myself into labor. I was already 3cm dilated. If I could do that on my own, then I could go into labor on my own. I "saddled up" my ginormous dogs and we went walking. We walked from 2:00pm until about 3:30pm. We walked so far and so long that Dakoda gave up and refused to continue about 5 blocks from the house. I seriously had to call Brett and have him come pick her up. Carter and I continued back to the house. I got back to the house and bounced and rocked on my ball while I rested my back and legs, did some a little cleaning, finalized my hospital bag and started dinner. All during this time I started having contractions, but they weren't very strong ones, but definitely more than just Braxton Hicks. At around 4:15 I walked the two blocks to Ryan's school pulling his wagon to pick him up, then walked back. Contractions were getting stronger! :) At this point, they had been going for more than an hour and I was really determined at that this was going to be it. We came home, and I continued dinner, Ryan and I played baseball in the living room while I bounced and rocked some more on my ball. Yes, we played baseball with a soft bat and rubber ball... quite common in our house!
Brett had gotten off work at 3:30 that afternoon but had a 5pm and 6pm golf lesson to teach. He asked me if I needed him home, but I felt comfortable that I'd be good to go until he got home, which I was. About the time he got home it was bath time and he took over. During the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I was so big that giving Ryan a bath was quite the chore and very uncomfortable, so he did a lot of the bath giving. While he was doing that, I kept moving. I literally walked in circles around the house and went up and down the stairs a few times just to keep the contractions going, only to stop and rock on the ball some more. I'm sure I was quite the sight. The contractions started getting closer, about 3-4 minutes apart and noticeably stronger. While Brett and I were discussing whether or not we should go ahead and call my parents, my mom called and asked how I was doing. I gave her my latest report and she promptly responded with "ok, so we'll see you in about 2 hours then?"... I guess that was our answer. :)
Mama and Deddy got here about 9:45pm and I was still walking, bouncing and rocking. Ryan had waited up for them and then we put him to bed. Afterwards Brett and I went walking around the block and up and down the street for about an hour or so. Contractions strengthened at that point and were about 2-3 minutes apart. We called my doctor's office at around 11:30 and they told us to come in!! I was stoked! This was finally happening and I wasn't going to have to be induced!
We checked in and I was sent to triage at about 11:45 for monitoring. I had made it to 4cm! Whoo hoo! Haha! All that and I was only to 4cm, but I was about 50% effaced, which was up from my 25% earlier that morning. They ended up giving me and Ambien (sleeping pill) and sent me home. My contractions were the right frequency for them to keep me, but they weren't strong enough. How bummed was I to walk my watermelon self out of there?!
We got home around 1:00 (I think) and the rest was a big blur... Ambien will do that to you. I'll NEVER take that mess again. My experience with Ambien was equivalent to drinking a fifth of liquor on an empty stomach. I never have tolerated heavy drugs well...
At about 2:15ish I woke up with very strong contractions that I couldn't talk through. We called triage back and they told me to come back. So back we go! I go back to triage and was there for about 30 minutes, and they send me to a room. Yay!!! And I'm still not totally sure of what followed because I was still drugged, thank you Ambien... *insert sarcasm*
At some point my mom got there and at another point in time Susan, my best friend here in Fayetteville got there. Susan helped bring Ryan into the world. Ryan is named after her and her family and I felt that it was only fitting for her to be with me to help bring Liam into the world too. At this point I was at 5cm and 80 or 90% effaced. I got an epidural at this point. I'm really not sure of the time but I think it was around 5:00am-ish. After the epidural the doctor came in to break my water...and I have to add here that Brett assisted him, then announced to the Facebook world that he did it! I jumped from 5 to 8cm by 8:00am and went from 8cm to 10 in less than an hour. By about 9:00am and after a few choice words (epidurals take pain away, not pressure...) I was ready to push. After about 15 minutes of pushing and some more choice words Mr. William "Liam" Earl Dippolito was born on 9.8.10 at 9:12am, weighing 9lbs 4oz and measuring 22 inches long.
There you have it folks! My beautiful half-grown man! I will add more later, but for now I must sleep!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Appointment Update
I just had my 40 week appointment and unfortunately I'm still at 3cm, his head is still high, but I've effaced a little more to 50%. His heart rate was in the 140s and I've lost 1 pound since last week (totally normal). My doctor stripped my membranes again and instructed me to come back tomorrow morning at 8:30am with Brett and hospital bags in hand, if I haven't gone into labor by then. The hospital has a policy that they will not induce unless you reach 41 weeks or there is a medical reason to do so, however, doc seems to think that since I've been sitting at 3cm for 3 weeks that all I need is a little medical attention to get things going... i.e. pitocin (which is what I DON'T want). Anyway, she's going to strip membranes again in the morning, have me walk around and see if she can get me to 4. If she can get me to 4cm then she can send me over to L&D. If not, then she said "maybe your fluids will be a little low and we'll send you over."
So, looks like tomorrow could possibly be the day. That would be happy anniversary to my parents!
I'm still hopeful that Liam will have his own day and maybe he'll come today... we shall see. (and pray!)
So, if you can spare some prayers, please pray that I will go into labor on my own between now and 8:30am tomorrow. I REALLY (and I can't stress it enough) REALLY don't want to be induced.
So, looks like tomorrow could possibly be the day. That would be happy anniversary to my parents!
I'm still hopeful that Liam will have his own day and maybe he'll come today... we shall see. (and pray!)
So, if you can spare some prayers, please pray that I will go into labor on my own between now and 8:30am tomorrow. I REALLY (and I can't stress it enough) REALLY don't want to be induced.
40 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today is the day. The turkey is done. I have been pregnant for 280 days, or maybe you prefer to say 40 weeks, or 9 months. Regardless... Liam, my dear, it's time to vacate the premises. This is a direct order from your mother! Take it seriously, sir! :)
We had a great Labor Day weekend! Saturday was the first football game of the season for the Wolfpack! I was determined that we were all going to be there. Liam could either be born well before Saturday or he needed to wait to after the game was over. What was I thinking to even suggest he would be EARLY?! No one in my family is ever early. NEVER. Certainly not any of my offspring. So here are a few pictures from Saturday...
We had a great Labor Day weekend! Saturday was the first football game of the season for the Wolfpack! I was determined that we were all going to be there. Liam could either be born well before Saturday or he needed to wait to after the game was over. What was I thinking to even suggest he would be EARLY?! No one in my family is ever early. NEVER. Certainly not any of my offspring. So here are a few pictures from Saturday...
Here we are at 39 weeks and 4 days. I haven't posted a belly shot in a while, so here you go! 
Papa Earl graced us with his presence on Saturday! :) 
Apparently Brett and Ryan were having a serious conversation.
The band passes right by our tailgating spot... Ryan was happy to watch from a distance. It was too loud for him.
Saturday was also my Mama's birthday. Ryan was helping her open her gifts. Shhh... we got her a new Duke t-shirt, but she was instructed to not flash it around amongst all the red.
And to show his love for her, Deddy "slaved" over this beautiful birthday cake... lol! (He actually cut up part of the cake her employees bought for her on Friday and stuck it in this charming aluminum dish.)
CHEESE!!! Michael, Bubs & Mom... please excuse the horrible coloring of this pictures. We were standing under a red tent...
Deddy teaching Ryan the important things in life, like how to put a beer in a koozie.
Not really sure how he got her to wear a NCSU shirt... 
Another one of Brett & Ryan... discussing the ins and outs of Wolfpack tailgating, I'm sure. Of course, I spent a lot of time this weekend trying to encourage Liam to come. I ate A LOT of Italian food this weekend. Friday night I slaved over stuffed shells, salad & garlic bread all in an attempt to consume as much oregano and basil needed to jump start contractions. (Another old wives tale about inducing labor.) It may have worked. Saturday morning I woke up to contractions, but as soon as I got out of bed and started moving around, they stopped. Then, Ryan and I went walking around the mall to shop for Mom's birthday, I had a couple then too, but nothing with a pattern. So, the oregano/basil deal could actually be true... who knows. However, by the time I got to the game, all contractions had stopped. Good thing too. I love NCSU, but not enough to deliver a baby in the back of an ambulance at one of their football games. EEK!
Sunday was spent being extremely lazy. Ryan slept until 9:30, as did I and Brett had to work. We laid around until about 1:30 and then went to get his hair cut. No contractions at all the entire day. Not a one... however... I did eat more stuffed shells and bounced on my ball. Sunday night, Brett's parents came over and brought baked ziti... YES! REAL Italian baked ziti... sausage and everything. Obviously it didn't work. I'm still pregnant. Nonetheless, it was yummy. :)
Monday was spent really trying to go into labor. Ryan and I got up, ate breakfast and walked to the park. He played while I swung on the swing (another wives tale... swing to encourage contractions) and then we walked to the fire station so he could see the fire trucks; this is our normal routine. We got home, ate lunch (more ziti for me!) and then both of us laid down for a nap. Brett got home, I woke up, went to the grocery store to do some semi-major shopping... must have food for when Liam decides to show up, then we went for ice cream, came home and grilled burgers. Contractions started about 5:20!!! Intense ones. Definitely not Braxton Hicks. However, by 6:30 they were gone. After dinner I got desperate and took both dogs, 75lb Dakoda and 95lb Carter, for a walk by myself. Surely they would start again, and they did, but by the time I unleashed the dogs and sat on my ball they had stopped. I took the steps 2 by 2 a couple times, but all that led to was sore legs and a feelings of intense heaviness in my lady parts. So, no labor for me on Labor Day.
I can't speak for William, Brett's grandfather, but from everything I remember of my Papa Earl, he was always on time. Of course, this could have been a trait he acquired after I was born... but PERHAPS, he has indirectly passed "timeliness" on to his namesake and Liam will be born today, on his due date!
I have a doctor's appointment later this morning. I'll update then.
Friday, September 3, 2010
A lesson in patience
I'm pretty sure my previous prediction will be wrong. Way to go Liam... prove Mommy wrong! Little stinker! :) Look at me, bad mouthing my unborn son.
I predicted Hurricane Earl would come through yesterday, which he did and thankfully didn't harm anyone or anything, and that Liam would be born today and NCSU would win their game tomorrow. Now, unless Liam gets a move on, he's not coming today... otherwise I will have a very short labor and delivery. Presently, he has less than 9 hours to make his appearance. I've been bouncing and rocking all day without one single contraction. So I don't see it changing.
There are so many old wives tales that I have been told and/or read about that I've decided to try. Of course at 39 weeks & 3 days, I'm pretty ready for this to all be over. On the flip side, I know that, generally speaking, babies who are overdue and/or bigger at birth tend to sleep better and eat better, which of course equals happy baby and happy family. So... do I want to go through another 4 - 10 days of misery to have the chance to have a "good" baby? Hmmm... Depending on if that theory is true, then maybe. Realistic and logical Ashleigh is no where to be found at the moment. She went on vacation. In my current physical and psychological state, I'm stuck in the here and now and it seems as if I will be pregnant FOREVER and that's depressing to me. Therefore the drive to try almost every method known to man to try to naturally induce labor. So, here is the list of things I've tried so far and subsequently failed: (*disclaimer: I know the only sure fire way for labor to start is to let nature take its course and he will come when he is ready to come, but why not have fun trying??)
1. Walking - I really could probably do more of this, but it's so dang hot outside! Going to the mall would just end up being a power struggle between Ryan and I to get him to either hang with me or stay in the stroller.
2. Eating fresh pineapple - I've eaten a total of 3 whole pineapples since Friday, August 27.... You be the judge as to if this method works.
3. Climbing the stairs - I think my legs are going to fall off... but I keep doing it! Apparently if you climb the stairs by 2 it engages all the muscles necessary during labor and helps push the baby down into the pelvis.
4. The exercise ball - bouncing and rocking on the exercise/yoga ball is supposed to do the same as climbing the stairs. Even if it doesn't work, it feels better than sitting in any chair, so I'll keep doing it.
5. Eating fried chicken - that did nothing but send me to the bathroom.
6. Eating chili - that also did nothing but send me to the bathroom.
7. Eating baked ziti - back to the bathroom...
8. Have sex - I'll spare you the details since I know my father reads this regularly... it doesn't work.
9. Pray to God for a drop in barometric pressure - 2 people told me that a drop in the barometric pressure from Hurricane Earl will bring on labor. One of those people was a nurse. Both people were wrong. I watched the barometric pressure like a hawk for 24 hours. It dropped, yes, however, Liam did not.... method/theory failed.
10. Getting angry - there have been a couple times in the last couple weeks that I have been angry... one of them this morning... therefore, I can conclude that getting angry does not induce labor.
11. Stripping of the membranes - As mentioned previously in my blog, this was done on Tuesday. Today is Friday... I am indeed still pregnant.
12. Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea - I have not consumed this tea during this pregnancy. However, for the last 2.5 weeks of my pregnancy with Ryan, I drank this nasty stuff twice a day. I was induced at 41 weeks.... the tea did nothing for me except make me hate hot tea even worse than I did before. I will not be trying it again this time.
13. Cleaning or doing anything of the like - Let me assure that while my house is not spotless (I have 1 husband, 1 son and 2 dogs to mess it up while I clean) I clean regularly... and I deep clean regularly. Not to mention the house that we own and rent out that we've been getting ready for new renters to move in. I have done my fair share of cleaning, organizing, painting and moving... "hard labor" doesn't induce labor, but it will give you one hell of a back ache!
There are more things that I haven't tried yet. Tonight's objective is to consume oregano and basil (supposed to encourage contractions), climb the steps some more and spend the rest of the time bouncing and rocking on my ball. I think I will also go and purchase primrose oil. That is supposed to help with effacement, not actually induce... you can't birth a baby without effacement, so I figure why not try it too.
Nonetheless... God is once again teaching me a lesson in patience; the same lesson that I am taught time and time again. I seem to have trouble with retention.
I predicted Hurricane Earl would come through yesterday, which he did and thankfully didn't harm anyone or anything, and that Liam would be born today and NCSU would win their game tomorrow. Now, unless Liam gets a move on, he's not coming today... otherwise I will have a very short labor and delivery. Presently, he has less than 9 hours to make his appearance. I've been bouncing and rocking all day without one single contraction. So I don't see it changing.
There are so many old wives tales that I have been told and/or read about that I've decided to try. Of course at 39 weeks & 3 days, I'm pretty ready for this to all be over. On the flip side, I know that, generally speaking, babies who are overdue and/or bigger at birth tend to sleep better and eat better, which of course equals happy baby and happy family. So... do I want to go through another 4 - 10 days of misery to have the chance to have a "good" baby? Hmmm... Depending on if that theory is true, then maybe. Realistic and logical Ashleigh is no where to be found at the moment. She went on vacation. In my current physical and psychological state, I'm stuck in the here and now and it seems as if I will be pregnant FOREVER and that's depressing to me. Therefore the drive to try almost every method known to man to try to naturally induce labor. So, here is the list of things I've tried so far and subsequently failed: (*disclaimer: I know the only sure fire way for labor to start is to let nature take its course and he will come when he is ready to come, but why not have fun trying??)
1. Walking - I really could probably do more of this, but it's so dang hot outside! Going to the mall would just end up being a power struggle between Ryan and I to get him to either hang with me or stay in the stroller.
2. Eating fresh pineapple - I've eaten a total of 3 whole pineapples since Friday, August 27.... You be the judge as to if this method works.
3. Climbing the stairs - I think my legs are going to fall off... but I keep doing it! Apparently if you climb the stairs by 2 it engages all the muscles necessary during labor and helps push the baby down into the pelvis.
4. The exercise ball - bouncing and rocking on the exercise/yoga ball is supposed to do the same as climbing the stairs. Even if it doesn't work, it feels better than sitting in any chair, so I'll keep doing it.
5. Eating fried chicken - that did nothing but send me to the bathroom.
6. Eating chili - that also did nothing but send me to the bathroom.
7. Eating baked ziti - back to the bathroom...
8. Have sex - I'll spare you the details since I know my father reads this regularly... it doesn't work.
9. Pray to God for a drop in barometric pressure - 2 people told me that a drop in the barometric pressure from Hurricane Earl will bring on labor. One of those people was a nurse. Both people were wrong. I watched the barometric pressure like a hawk for 24 hours. It dropped, yes, however, Liam did not.... method/theory failed.
10. Getting angry - there have been a couple times in the last couple weeks that I have been angry... one of them this morning... therefore, I can conclude that getting angry does not induce labor.
11. Stripping of the membranes - As mentioned previously in my blog, this was done on Tuesday. Today is Friday... I am indeed still pregnant.
12. Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea - I have not consumed this tea during this pregnancy. However, for the last 2.5 weeks of my pregnancy with Ryan, I drank this nasty stuff twice a day. I was induced at 41 weeks.... the tea did nothing for me except make me hate hot tea even worse than I did before. I will not be trying it again this time.
13. Cleaning or doing anything of the like - Let me assure that while my house is not spotless (I have 1 husband, 1 son and 2 dogs to mess it up while I clean) I clean regularly... and I deep clean regularly. Not to mention the house that we own and rent out that we've been getting ready for new renters to move in. I have done my fair share of cleaning, organizing, painting and moving... "hard labor" doesn't induce labor, but it will give you one hell of a back ache!
There are more things that I haven't tried yet. Tonight's objective is to consume oregano and basil (supposed to encourage contractions), climb the steps some more and spend the rest of the time bouncing and rocking on my ball. I think I will also go and purchase primrose oil. That is supposed to help with effacement, not actually induce... you can't birth a baby without effacement, so I figure why not try it too.
Nonetheless... God is once again teaching me a lesson in patience; the same lesson that I am taught time and time again. I seem to have trouble with retention.
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