Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Dogs!
The dogs met a baby for the first time yesterday. It was interesting, and went better than I expected. Remmy curled up on the blanket near her and didn't pay her much attention at all. In his world, it seemed to be just another human who may or may not cuddle him... Beanie, on the other hand, was extremely confused. She stood back at a short distance, fussing and looking from me to the little girl (8 months old, sitting up). If the girl made a quick move, Beanie would growl a little. She got tapped for that. Eventually Beanie crawled forward, very slowly, to sniff the girl and poke at her with her nose. Everything was good until the little girl started waving her arms and her brightly coloured plushie cell phone thing around; then Beanie got freaked out, backed up and started growling and whining. I grabbed her collar and hauled her back, and made her sit with me. She kept fussing and fixated on the toy. She doesn't like when toys are out of place (i.e. not in her bed or the toy basket). Since we were in Harrisburg at a bonfire, I'm not sure where she would have actually taken the toy had she gotten it, but she wanted it anyway.
I was really very surprised that Remmy was so tolerant. Although, really, the baby didn't do anything to aggravate him. Her existance didn't bother him enough to even really acknowledge her, even when I was holding her. So that's good. Beanie, however... this is going to be interesting. I need baby gates. Possibly a playpen, which I'd never really thought about using before because I'd always thought "Why bother?", but now it seems like it might be a practical solution to letting the dogs and the kid be face to face, but with a barrier. Come to think of it, I would like the baby gates to have mesh... that wouldn't survive for long, though, I suppose. And I would like the baby gates to last beyond the use of the baby, because they're good for my business. Separating dogs is often necessary.
Still feeling heavy and done and sore and such. No change there. I would really like to be able to lie comfortably on my back again. Or on my belly. Sigh.
Soon.
I was really very surprised that Remmy was so tolerant. Although, really, the baby didn't do anything to aggravate him. Her existance didn't bother him enough to even really acknowledge her, even when I was holding her. So that's good. Beanie, however... this is going to be interesting. I need baby gates. Possibly a playpen, which I'd never really thought about using before because I'd always thought "Why bother?", but now it seems like it might be a practical solution to letting the dogs and the kid be face to face, but with a barrier. Come to think of it, I would like the baby gates to have mesh... that wouldn't survive for long, though, I suppose. And I would like the baby gates to last beyond the use of the baby, because they're good for my business. Separating dogs is often necessary.
Still feeling heavy and done and sore and such. No change there. I would really like to be able to lie comfortably on my back again. Or on my belly. Sigh.
Soon.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Pho, cravings, rain and toys.
Midwife Appointment
Today's appointment was with Karen, but Lisa happened instead, neither of whom are actually on the practice's website. Lisa was interesting, and nice, and seemed pleased by my choices. She said to me, "I'm so glad you're enamoured of this... a lot of women who come in here are scared." I told her that I am scared, very scared, and she said she didn't believe me.
She felt my belly and said she thinks the baby is petite. And she liked the sound of his heartbeat.
The only concern at the moment is that I tested positive for a strep infection, and that will require IV antibiotics every four hours during labour and delivery. This isn't a big deal, and will be administered via a Heperin lock rather than requiring me to be confined to a bed, which is definitely a good thing. I demand to be allowed to walk around... and stand in the shower if that's what I want to do.
Today
Aside from the midwife appointment, which happened after I slept all day, Brian and I spent a glorious hour and a half at the apartment complex's pool, swimming and floating and playing. It was wonderful, and needs to happen more often.
We also went grocery shopping, very briefly (I got chocolate cake, it's tasty), and then to a pho place not far away for pho and Vietnamese coffee. Vietnamese coffee is wonderful, and I was good and didn't drink very much ;p And I made six pages of notes on the restaurant... I really should start a food blog.
When we got home and walked into the apartment, rain started pouring down outside. As soon as we closed the door. I thought that was awesome.
It also rained in the pool, and the lifeguards did not make us get out of the pool. That made me so very happy.
Paraphernalia
I ordered a Moses basket yesterday. I hope to be able to hang it from the ceiling, but that may not be possible. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my dad to start work on a cradle ;p
I'm pondering a subscription to Wondertime, but that can probably wait for a while.
We're looking at the Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym for a little later on. I saw it in a store and love it; it makes noise but they're not the kind of noise that bothers me, and the noises can of course be turned off while the mat remains a fun toy. And it's got a giraffe!
The Baby Einstein series was recommended to me by a friend; I'm looking into that. And I've found that some of it has been released in Italian, which is just wonderful...
And just so it's known, ALL Taggies toys will be well-received and loved by Mama Coyote, whether Baby Coyote likes them or not ;)
Feelings
Physical: The weirdest thing right now is that there's a sort of joint in my pelvis that is separating from itself (to make the opening wide enough for the baby's head), and that hurts constantly. If I sit in certain positions and don't move, I don't feel it, but as soon as I move, in any way, it hurts. And it hurts when I walk.
I still have heartburn, but it's usually not so bad anymore.
Emotional: Done. I'm done being pregnant, I'm done not being able to lie on my belly or my back, or indeed breathe if I lie down at all (I have to sleep on an incline). I'm done with random aches and having to sleep all day. But I'm scared of what comes next, too...
However, I haven't had a migraine in three weeks. That's the first time since I was twelve that I can remember going more than three days without a migraine. It's incredible, and incredibly liberating. There's got to be an answer here. If the doctors can replicate my body/brain chemistry now without my being pregnant, it would improve my quality of life (and thus that of my family) tenfold.
Cravings
I used to crave grapefruit, raw beef, hummus (which I would eat with a spoon), vinegar, and salt.
These days, I crave: fruit juices, pho with lots of rare beef, hot ham sandwiches with cheddar cheese, very cold water, icecream if it isn't very sweet, Italian dressing, vinegar, cucumbers, and Vietnamese coffee.
Baby Weight/Length
Current guesses:
Me: 8lbs, 20"-24"
Dani: 8lbs 3oz, 18"
Nicole: 7.3lb, 18"
Beth: 7.6lbs, 20"
Marcy: 7lbs, 19"
Grandmere Lyn: 7lbs 7oz, 19"
Chris W: 8lbs, 1 oz, 23"
Kacy: Between 8lbs 3oz and 8lbs 6 oz, 20"
Sharaya: Around 6lbs
Midwife Lisa said she thinks he'll be "petite", "not really big", and "he'll be just right". So we'll see :)
Baby Book Update
Your ideas are all great, and I'll probably be incorporating them all. What I need right now is a large Moleskine notebook and a professionally-done baby album/memory book type thing to copy from, so that I can copy from it. I just hate to pay $15-$20 for something I'm not actually goign to fill out, but I guess I'll just do it. Maybe this one. I think that's the one I've seen in stores that had guidelines and information that I liked.
Today's appointment was with Karen, but Lisa happened instead, neither of whom are actually on the practice's website. Lisa was interesting, and nice, and seemed pleased by my choices. She said to me, "I'm so glad you're enamoured of this... a lot of women who come in here are scared." I told her that I am scared, very scared, and she said she didn't believe me.
She felt my belly and said she thinks the baby is petite. And she liked the sound of his heartbeat.
The only concern at the moment is that I tested positive for a strep infection, and that will require IV antibiotics every four hours during labour and delivery. This isn't a big deal, and will be administered via a Heperin lock rather than requiring me to be confined to a bed, which is definitely a good thing. I demand to be allowed to walk around... and stand in the shower if that's what I want to do.
Today
Aside from the midwife appointment, which happened after I slept all day, Brian and I spent a glorious hour and a half at the apartment complex's pool, swimming and floating and playing. It was wonderful, and needs to happen more often.
We also went grocery shopping, very briefly (I got chocolate cake, it's tasty), and then to a pho place not far away for pho and Vietnamese coffee. Vietnamese coffee is wonderful, and I was good and didn't drink very much ;p And I made six pages of notes on the restaurant... I really should start a food blog.
When we got home and walked into the apartment, rain started pouring down outside. As soon as we closed the door. I thought that was awesome.
It also rained in the pool, and the lifeguards did not make us get out of the pool. That made me so very happy.
Paraphernalia
I ordered a Moses basket yesterday. I hope to be able to hang it from the ceiling, but that may not be possible. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my dad to start work on a cradle ;p
I'm pondering a subscription to Wondertime, but that can probably wait for a while.
We're looking at the Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym for a little later on. I saw it in a store and love it; it makes noise but they're not the kind of noise that bothers me, and the noises can of course be turned off while the mat remains a fun toy. And it's got a giraffe!
The Baby Einstein series was recommended to me by a friend; I'm looking into that. And I've found that some of it has been released in Italian, which is just wonderful...
And just so it's known, ALL Taggies toys will be well-received and loved by Mama Coyote, whether Baby Coyote likes them or not ;)
Feelings
Physical: The weirdest thing right now is that there's a sort of joint in my pelvis that is separating from itself (to make the opening wide enough for the baby's head), and that hurts constantly. If I sit in certain positions and don't move, I don't feel it, but as soon as I move, in any way, it hurts. And it hurts when I walk.
I still have heartburn, but it's usually not so bad anymore.
Emotional: Done. I'm done being pregnant, I'm done not being able to lie on my belly or my back, or indeed breathe if I lie down at all (I have to sleep on an incline). I'm done with random aches and having to sleep all day. But I'm scared of what comes next, too...
However, I haven't had a migraine in three weeks. That's the first time since I was twelve that I can remember going more than three days without a migraine. It's incredible, and incredibly liberating. There's got to be an answer here. If the doctors can replicate my body/brain chemistry now without my being pregnant, it would improve my quality of life (and thus that of my family) tenfold.
Cravings
I used to crave grapefruit, raw beef, hummus (which I would eat with a spoon), vinegar, and salt.
These days, I crave: fruit juices, pho with lots of rare beef, hot ham sandwiches with cheddar cheese, very cold water, icecream if it isn't very sweet, Italian dressing, vinegar, cucumbers, and Vietnamese coffee.
Baby Weight/Length
Current guesses:
Me: 8lbs, 20"-24"
Dani: 8lbs 3oz, 18"
Nicole: 7.3lb, 18"
Beth: 7.6lbs, 20"
Marcy: 7lbs, 19"
Grandmere Lyn: 7lbs 7oz, 19"
Chris W: 8lbs, 1 oz, 23"
Kacy: Between 8lbs 3oz and 8lbs 6 oz, 20"
Sharaya: Around 6lbs
Midwife Lisa said she thinks he'll be "petite", "not really big", and "he'll be just right". So we'll see :)
Baby Book Update
Your ideas are all great, and I'll probably be incorporating them all. What I need right now is a large Moleskine notebook and a professionally-done baby album/memory book type thing to copy from, so that I can copy from it. I just hate to pay $15-$20 for something I'm not actually goign to fill out, but I guess I'll just do it. Maybe this one. I think that's the one I've seen in stores that had guidelines and information that I liked.
Friday, July 11, 2008
First Post, and Baby Book
Hi guys. This is Coyote, or MistaCat, or whatever you want to call me. I hope to be clever enough to keep this blog for at least a couple of years, as I think it will help me record important information, or at least information I'll be happy to have in another 20 years.
I'm not going to go over the details of my pregnancy up to now. At this point we should only have a couple of weeks to go, but could have as much as a month. Until the little boy is here, this will be a pregnancy blog--so expect to hear about cravings, muscle aches, emotions and such things.
I would like to direct your attention now to the little link at the bottom of the post which says "Comments". Please, click that, and post comments! I like comments and they're a good way to communicate with me if that is your goal :)
I plan to make a physical baby book. I've got the design and materials in mind, but I need help with the content. Please, using that wonderful comment button, let me know what you think would be good things to put into a baby book. I've looked online for guidelines, and no one seems to have any. I've looked at commercial baby books, and I like them, and would like to have one to copy from, but they're at least $17 and $17 will buy quite a few diapers. So! Help me out. What would you like to see in your own baby book, from when you were a baby? Or your baby's, if you have one?
I'm not going to go over the details of my pregnancy up to now. At this point we should only have a couple of weeks to go, but could have as much as a month. Until the little boy is here, this will be a pregnancy blog--so expect to hear about cravings, muscle aches, emotions and such things.
I would like to direct your attention now to the little link at the bottom of the post which says "Comments". Please, click that, and post comments! I like comments and they're a good way to communicate with me if that is your goal :)
I plan to make a physical baby book. I've got the design and materials in mind, but I need help with the content. Please, using that wonderful comment button, let me know what you think would be good things to put into a baby book. I've looked online for guidelines, and no one seems to have any. I've looked at commercial baby books, and I like them, and would like to have one to copy from, but they're at least $17 and $17 will buy quite a few diapers. So! Help me out. What would you like to see in your own baby book, from when you were a baby? Or your baby's, if you have one?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)