May 27, 2012
May 14, 2012
May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day!
We headed out to meet with the extended family today. It's so wonderful
to see my kids (plural!? still kinda amazes me) interacting with all the relatives.
I love my family, both little and big. I'm a lucky girl!
May 1, 2012
Smiles and frowns
unless Sophie is around.
I thought all babies loved Sophie!?
April 19, 2012
Her own crib
This past weekend we moved the crib out of Cameron's room and into Norah's room now that Cairo no longer needs the room for his recovery. (He is up and about, had the pins removed last week on April 10th...seems to be doing well though he does still limp around. Cameron still insists that he has a cast, but it's really just his shaved area where the fur hasn't grown back completely.)
So far we've had 3 successful naps in the crib! I rock her a bit (swaddled) and put her down drowsy; she's doing remarkably well at putting herself to sleep, which I'm grateful for.
Nighttime sleep is going well too. She will now consistently give us a 6-hour stretch at the beginning of the night (usually starts between 8-9pm), and then it's back to 3-4 hours. Last night we even got 8 hours out of her thanks to a few replacements of the pacifier in the mouth!
So far we've had 3 successful naps in the crib! I rock her a bit (swaddled) and put her down drowsy; she's doing remarkably well at putting herself to sleep, which I'm grateful for.
Nighttime sleep is going well too. She will now consistently give us a 6-hour stretch at the beginning of the night (usually starts between 8-9pm), and then it's back to 3-4 hours. Last night we even got 8 hours out of her thanks to a few replacements of the pacifier in the mouth!
April 14, 2012
April 7, 2012
Housing woes
We moved to the Sausalito house in late January, and here we are in April just getting the house ready to rent out as of May 1. I called my insurance company to talk about what I need to do in order to rent out the house, and they say I need to convert from a homeowner's policy to a rental dwelling policy. Okay, great, send me a quote. That was two days ago, on April 5th.
Yesterday, on April 6th, all hell breaks loose at the house. I got a call from my mom saying "your smoke detector is going off, water is spewing from the bathroom wall, and your ceiling has collapsed!" Holy smokes! I race over there and this is just a small portion of the damage I see:
The leak in the upstairs bathroom has saturated the ceiling in the dining area below it. The dry wall collapsed, the insulation was a soggy mess, and the paint peeled down in one big sheet (there on the left). Oy, what a headache! We had called a plumber out to disconnect the drain and pipes leading to the tub in order to have it refinished, and sometime after the refinishing occurred a leak started. Since we don't live there now, it went unnoticed.
The bummer of the situation regarding insurance is that if I had accepted the quote to make the policy a rental dwelling before this incident, we would be able to get some assistance for lost rent, but since it was still a homeowner's policy, all they would do would be to give us money for a hotel, which we don't need. Bah.
I really hope the contractors can push all the paperwork through in order to get the repairs done in May; I would really love to get our renter in there June 1! Wait and see...
Yesterday, on April 6th, all hell breaks loose at the house. I got a call from my mom saying "your smoke detector is going off, water is spewing from the bathroom wall, and your ceiling has collapsed!" Holy smokes! I race over there and this is just a small portion of the damage I see:
The leak in the upstairs bathroom has saturated the ceiling in the dining area below it. The dry wall collapsed, the insulation was a soggy mess, and the paint peeled down in one big sheet (there on the left). Oy, what a headache! We had called a plumber out to disconnect the drain and pipes leading to the tub in order to have it refinished, and sometime after the refinishing occurred a leak started. Since we don't live there now, it went unnoticed.
The bummer of the situation regarding insurance is that if I had accepted the quote to make the policy a rental dwelling before this incident, we would be able to get some assistance for lost rent, but since it was still a homeowner's policy, all they would do would be to give us money for a hotel, which we don't need. Bah.
I really hope the contractors can push all the paperwork through in order to get the repairs done in May; I would really love to get our renter in there June 1! Wait and see...
March 31, 2012
Moving on up
Norah is no longer a newborn. (Sniff!) She's now in size 1 diapers and has moved up to 0-3 month clothes.
Last night we got a 6-hour stretch of sleep out of her, but she is most often giving us 4-hour stretches at night before she's hungry again. Now I just need to figure out how to adjust my sleep schedule to match hers! (If only that were possible, right?)
So I have to say that I will definitely miss the squishiness of holding a newborn all the time, but I will not miss the sleep deprivation. I don't even want to think about what it will be like to go back to work feeling like this. Ugh. ::pushing that thought out of my head for a few more months::
Last night we got a 6-hour stretch of sleep out of her, but she is most often giving us 4-hour stretches at night before she's hungry again. Now I just need to figure out how to adjust my sleep schedule to match hers! (If only that were possible, right?)
So I have to say that I will definitely miss the squishiness of holding a newborn all the time, but I will not miss the sleep deprivation. I don't even want to think about what it will be like to go back to work feeling like this. Ugh. ::pushing that thought out of my head for a few more months::
March 28, 2012
6-week stats
Weight: 10 lb 8 oz (70th%)
Height: 21.5 inches (50th%)
Head circumference: 15 inches (70th%)
She's a growing girl, healthy and doing well. Typically babies at the 6-week visit will get one shot, and then another shot at 8 weeks. But I talked about it with our pedi and we decided to do both today so she wouldn't have to come back until 2 months.
So she got 2 shots and I have never in my life heard such an ear-piercing little scream. It was awful! :( She got all red in the face (but no tears) and just screamed until I nursed her. Yikes. At least I know she's never been in pain like that before! I sure do hope future vaccinations aren't quite so traumatic for her. Fortunately, she slept a lot after the appointment and was only a little grumpy when she woke up later.
Height: 21.5 inches (50th%)
Head circumference: 15 inches (70th%)
She's a growing girl, healthy and doing well. Typically babies at the 6-week visit will get one shot, and then another shot at 8 weeks. But I talked about it with our pedi and we decided to do both today so she wouldn't have to come back until 2 months.
So she got 2 shots and I have never in my life heard such an ear-piercing little scream. It was awful! :( She got all red in the face (but no tears) and just screamed until I nursed her. Yikes. At least I know she's never been in pain like that before! I sure do hope future vaccinations aren't quite so traumatic for her. Fortunately, she slept a lot after the appointment and was only a little grumpy when she woke up later.
March 25, 2012
Bye bye pacifier
We have been debating Cameron's use of the pacifier for awhile now, thinking about when would be the best time to get rid of it, and how to make it the least traumatic for him.
With his move to the big boy bed, the paci falls on the floor more often into spots where he can't necessarily see it or reach it. He'll occasionally call out for one of us, asking for help to find it.
So awhile ago this happened, and I went in looking for it. I looked and looked and honestly couldn't find it, and told him so. (Eventually I did spy it after poking around a bit more, but I didn't tell him this.)
He accepted the fact that we couldn't find it, and went back to sleep without it. Over the next few days of naps and nights of sleep, we stuck with the story that we couldn't find it and he was able to fall asleep and stay asleep without it. Success! Though, he did still ask for it periodically and question why we couldn't find it.
Realistically, I do feel a bit of mommy guilt over the way it happened, and in hindsight, I don't know if it was the best way to get rid of it. Should it have been more his choice, etc.? I have friends who told their kids about the paci fairy and when the fairy would come the kid would get a toy in exchange for all the pacis. Or, friends who took their kids to the build-a-bear workshop and had the paci dropped inside the bear's foot before it was filled with stuffing so the kid could still feel it, but not suck on it.
But, it is what it is, and even though I found the thing, I don't want to give it back and go through this withdrawal all over again.
It'll be interesting once he knows that Norah can have one and he can't, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it?
With his move to the big boy bed, the paci falls on the floor more often into spots where he can't necessarily see it or reach it. He'll occasionally call out for one of us, asking for help to find it.
So awhile ago this happened, and I went in looking for it. I looked and looked and honestly couldn't find it, and told him so. (Eventually I did spy it after poking around a bit more, but I didn't tell him this.)
He accepted the fact that we couldn't find it, and went back to sleep without it. Over the next few days of naps and nights of sleep, we stuck with the story that we couldn't find it and he was able to fall asleep and stay asleep without it. Success! Though, he did still ask for it periodically and question why we couldn't find it.
Realistically, I do feel a bit of mommy guilt over the way it happened, and in hindsight, I don't know if it was the best way to get rid of it. Should it have been more his choice, etc.? I have friends who told their kids about the paci fairy and when the fairy would come the kid would get a toy in exchange for all the pacis. Or, friends who took their kids to the build-a-bear workshop and had the paci dropped inside the bear's foot before it was filled with stuffing so the kid could still feel it, but not suck on it.
But, it is what it is, and even though I found the thing, I don't want to give it back and go through this withdrawal all over again.
It'll be interesting once he knows that Norah can have one and he can't, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it?
March 14, 2012
March 10, 2012
Big boy bed
Last night was Cameron's first night in his big boy bed. It's been set up for about a month now and he's been able to climb, sit, and bounce in it. Basically get comfortable. And since he's had a few successful naps in it, we figured he was ready for his first overnight.
We all gathered for his bedtime stories, and then it was lights out. Well, almost out. The crib is still in his room since Norah's room is still Cairo's room. So I hung his waterfall crib soother on the outside of the crib rails instead of the inside so he can reach over from his bed and push the button to get a little bit of light and music if he wants. We pushed the button for him before leaving the room.
Just like with all his other transitions lately, he did great. I'm so proud of him!
We all gathered for his bedtime stories, and then it was lights out. Well, almost out. The crib is still in his room since Norah's room is still Cairo's room. So I hung his waterfall crib soother on the outside of the crib rails instead of the inside so he can reach over from his bed and push the button to get a little bit of light and music if he wants. We pushed the button for him before leaving the room.
Just like with all his other transitions lately, he did great. I'm so proud of him!
March 2, 2012
2-week stats
Norah made her first trip to the pedi's office when she was 1 week old. We learned that though she had lost about 5% of her body weight after birth, she was already gaining weight well and was up to 7 lb 3 oz. We got the all clear to not wake her up at night to feed (which I wasn't doing anyway since she was waking regularly enough on her own) since she had already surpassed her birth weight. Hooray for that, because I remember the torture of setting my alarm and trying to wake a sleepy Cameron in the middle of the night just to eat. I am so glad we didn't have to repeat that process!
It wasn't until this 2-week visit that we learned how she was growing in other ways:
Weight: 8 lb (25th%)
Height: 20 inches (30th%)
And I don't remember her exact head circumference, but we were told it was in the 50th%.
A little big for her proportionally, but not big like Cameron. :)
It wasn't until this 2-week visit that we learned how she was growing in other ways:
Weight: 8 lb (25th%)
Height: 20 inches (30th%)
And I don't remember her exact head circumference, but we were told it was in the 50th%.
A little big for her proportionally, but not big like Cameron. :)
February 20, 2012
Cairo's plight
We've been home from the hospital for a few days now. In the evenings, after Cameron has gone to bed, Chris and I have been trading off holding a sleeping Norah until I take her down to bed with me. A few nights ago, I was holding her when Chris and I heard this weird "thuh-thunk, thuh-thunk" sound and Chris went to investigate.
One of our cats, Cairo, is limping up the stairs with what seems like a broken leg. S@(&%;*#$! Seriously?!?
Earlier in the evening, both cats had gotten all riled up when a neighbor cat had been spotted outside the house. In situations like that, they tend to take out their aggression on each other, and this time, Leo went tearing after Cairo (honestly more viciously than I've ever seen before) and chased him downstairs.
We humans were all downstairs putting Cameron to bed at the time it happened. We heard the ruckus start, and came out of Cameron's room in time to see the cats tear down the hall and into our bedroom. I tried to stop Leo, but he jumped over my leg and continued to pursue Cairo. They both disappeared under our bed, and got quiet, so we considered the matter over.
Until later, when Chris had to take Cairo to the emergency vet and pay for x-rays. Yep, broken rear leg. Pretty severe break, too. Our vet says they he will do surgery and put pins in. For less than $2,000. :-/ Juuuust what we needed!
And now I can't put Norah's nursery together because it has to be used as a post-surgery recuperation room for the dang cat. We're supposed to keep him isolated for several weeks so he doesn't jump on anything, and Norah's room is the only place we have that fits the bill. Poor cat. Heal quickly, Cairo!!
One of our cats, Cairo, is limping up the stairs with what seems like a broken leg. S@(&%;*#$! Seriously?!?
Earlier in the evening, both cats had gotten all riled up when a neighbor cat had been spotted outside the house. In situations like that, they tend to take out their aggression on each other, and this time, Leo went tearing after Cairo (honestly more viciously than I've ever seen before) and chased him downstairs.
We humans were all downstairs putting Cameron to bed at the time it happened. We heard the ruckus start, and came out of Cameron's room in time to see the cats tear down the hall and into our bedroom. I tried to stop Leo, but he jumped over my leg and continued to pursue Cairo. They both disappeared under our bed, and got quiet, so we considered the matter over.
Until later, when Chris had to take Cairo to the emergency vet and pay for x-rays. Yep, broken rear leg. Pretty severe break, too. Our vet says they he will do surgery and put pins in. For less than $2,000. :-/ Juuuust what we needed!
And now I can't put Norah's nursery together because it has to be used as a post-surgery recuperation room for the dang cat. We're supposed to keep him isolated for several weeks so he doesn't jump on anything, and Norah's room is the only place we have that fits the bill. Poor cat. Heal quickly, Cairo!!
February 16, 2012
Thoughts on labor
I won't go into details, but all-in-all, this labor and delivery was SO much better and easier than the first time.
Due to having GD, my doc told me that he wasn't comfortable with me going overdue this time around. I thought that meant an induction on my due date of February 11th if nothing had started on its own, but as that day approached, he told me that if I had a non-stress test (NST) and everything still looked okay, that he would let me go a few days overdue.
My NST on my due date was fine, and so I was allowed to wait. I really didn't want another induction and so I tried everything under the sun to get things moving, but apparently my body just doesn't know how to kick the babies out in a timely manner! So, I was told to report to the hospital in the early morning hours of the 14th.
The pitocin was started at 7:30 a.m., and she arrived just 10 hours later. I opted for an epidural again, and earlier in the process this time than with Cameron. I still didn't really want meds, but I left that door open and told the nurses I wanted to "see how I felt". And in hindsight, I'm glad I did it. It allowed me to relax and I progressed REALLY rapidly after the fact.
She was delivered in a matter of minutes instead of over an hour. (My doc didn't even make it there in time! He walked in about 3 minutes after she was born. I really liked the on-call doc, though, so it was fine.) My recovery this time has been significantly faster and easier too, thank goodness. I'm not sure how I would have been able to take care of a toddler and a newborn feeling like I did when I got home after having Cameron!
Norah checked out great; her APGAR scores were perfect as was her blood glucose level (it was 39, and they said they wouldn't have to test her again if her number was under 50). Though I knew I had been doing well controlling my sugars during pregnancy, to get confirmation that she was functioning well on her own was a big relief for me!
Due to having GD, my doc told me that he wasn't comfortable with me going overdue this time around. I thought that meant an induction on my due date of February 11th if nothing had started on its own, but as that day approached, he told me that if I had a non-stress test (NST) and everything still looked okay, that he would let me go a few days overdue.
My NST on my due date was fine, and so I was allowed to wait. I really didn't want another induction and so I tried everything under the sun to get things moving, but apparently my body just doesn't know how to kick the babies out in a timely manner! So, I was told to report to the hospital in the early morning hours of the 14th.
The pitocin was started at 7:30 a.m., and she arrived just 10 hours later. I opted for an epidural again, and earlier in the process this time than with Cameron. I still didn't really want meds, but I left that door open and told the nurses I wanted to "see how I felt". And in hindsight, I'm glad I did it. It allowed me to relax and I progressed REALLY rapidly after the fact.
She was delivered in a matter of minutes instead of over an hour. (My doc didn't even make it there in time! He walked in about 3 minutes after she was born. I really liked the on-call doc, though, so it was fine.) My recovery this time has been significantly faster and easier too, thank goodness. I'm not sure how I would have been able to take care of a toddler and a newborn feeling like I did when I got home after having Cameron!
Norah checked out great; her APGAR scores were perfect as was her blood glucose level (it was 39, and they said they wouldn't have to test her again if her number was under 50). Though I knew I had been doing well controlling my sugars during pregnancy, to get confirmation that she was functioning well on her own was a big relief for me!
February 14, 2012
Welcoming Norah Kathleen
Our little lady arrived today at 5:29 p.m.. She weighed 6 lb 15 oz and was 18.5 inches long. I'm so in love with my tiny peanut.
Welcome baby girl! We can't wait to get to know you.
Welcome baby girl! We can't wait to get to know you.
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