Stupid face

So apparently there is this guy. He has a blog where he tries to make the stupidest face he can. I think I can take him. I think I could WHOOP HIS STUPID FACE BUTT. I make AWESOME stupid faces. It is just a fact about me. I am not being full of myself either. It is a natural God given talent. Proof of that is that my baby is good at it too. Enclosed for your consideration are some examples of my stupid face prowess. Enjoy.

THANKSGIVING!!!

I am sooooo excited. Thanksgiving in my house and I am in charge of the food! It is just us this year, Mom and Jesse and the kids and I. Plus one more special guest! Our friend Sylvi who lives in NYC! We are having fresh green beans with caramelized onions, Turkey roulade with spinach, goat cheese and cranberries, Homemade buns, Twice baked garlic and chive potatoes, Vegitarian stuffing, spinach salad with balsamic vinagrette, spice cake and apple pie! Dude, feast ever??

Then Friday I am venturing out on black friday for the first time ever!! I think we will just go to target, oldnavy and khols. I don't really need anything. I would love some cute brown boots, and Jesse needs a new winter coat. Other than that, I don't think I will buy much.

On another note, Jesse may want to stop eating death...And after I saw the sarah palin video on you tube with the dying turkeys behind her, I may be willing to consider!

Birth story...

I posted this message to my online gal pals the day we brought Charlotte home.

I called my Ob Sunday afternoon I was having contraxtions ever 3-4 min and he said that if it kept up, I should come in in the next 45 min or so. So I walked around the house, putting a few extra things in the bag. Jesse grabbed a few things, and we were off. We came into triage, and the nurse checked me. She said I was nearly 3 cm but thinning out from my last check. I thought they would send me home. But she came back a few moments later with a midwife, who measured the baby on U/S and approximated the weight at 8 lbs and then gave me a gown and a personal item bag. She said, you are staying, lets go break you water. I got a little nervous, cause they said once they break my water I can't get out of bed! I was PISSED. But ready to be done, so I said whatever...when we got there and the triage nurse left, I asked the nurse who was checking me in if I would be allowed to move around, use a birthing ball all that, and she said OF COURSES. PHEW! Everything went really fast, and fun after that. I was still having good labor, contrax every 3-4 min. They broke my water, HUGE AMOUNTS OF WATER, and then we all sat around a chatted for a while, me and my nurse (jill, so nice!) and the 3rd year resident, also really sweet, and the nurse who was going off shift, she stuck around to set up the telemetry monitors so I could get up, use the birthing ball and use the bathroom on my own. After they left the first time, I got up to go to the bathroom, and dripped the whole way...I seriously couldn't walk anywhere without making puddles. The nurse came in and helped me clean up, and set the birthing ball up for me. Jesse and I chatted with Jill, laughed at each other a lot. Jesse kept saying he felt like it could still be next weekend somehow. He was playing funny songs like, Geogre W, because I got high, and we watched Simpsons and the family guy. A couple hours after they broke my water, I could feel the back labor coming on. My contraxtions were lasting a min, and then I would get 10-15 secs, and go into another one before a 2 min break. I decided that would be a good time for an epidural, but only if I was 5 cm or more. So the doc checked and sure enough, in 2 hours I went from not quite 3 to 5 and totally thin! The Epidural man was there really fast, and he was a crack up. We were bouncing jokes off each other and laughing really hard, I set off extra contractions I was laughing so hard. He got the meds in and I was feel much better. I still felt every contraction, but they were less painful by enough of a degree that I was able to nearly talk through them. I thought it would be a fun time to call my girlfriend Kerry and waste some time. I had only had the epidural for about 30 min. I called Kerry, and told her I was 5 cm. And I was saying that the epidural was helping me a lot, and that I was starting one, but that I felt I could still talk through it, and then everything got very pressured and full and burny down stairs. So I told Kerry, something was happening down there and I had to go. We maybe talked 3 min...it was funny really! My OB came in and said, lets wait for the next one and see what happens. I started getting one and BOY did my pooper hurt! I felt like I needed to poop out a watermelon. So I told her that, and we all laughed again. She checked me, and I was ready to go! We got to the hospital at 5, admited at 5:45, and pushing at 10:15!! I started pushing, I felt it all down there. That was a first for me. I was totally numb down there with the other girls! YOUCH! So after a lot of noisiness, And 3 pushes Charlotte came popping out! Jesse called out, "it's a girl!" And I laughed some more! It was such a fun birth. Probably the funnest part of the whole stay at the hospital. Charlie is SO cute. She has a LOUD cry, but she rarely uses it. She didn't open her eyes much yesterday, cause they are all swollen from the quick trip. She looked really asian the first day, Jesse was asking me if there was something I needed to share with him...

That night sucked. Charlotte and I just wanted to sleep, but they came in every five freaking seconds let me look at your ass, let me look at your vag, let me look at how much pee you can make. I HATE hospitals. She latched really well right away. But I feel like I could tell right away that things just still aren't right with my boobs. We started advocating right away to go home. So they picked up the pace (they usually make you wait at least 42 hours) My OB gave me the clear, cause I had no stitches and no big tears this time (my vag feels like I gave birth a couple weeks ago, not 2 days ago!) and my Pedi gave the same to Charlotte. Then the lactation consultant came in. We had a long talk. She thought our latch looked professional. And I told her about my troubles in the past, and my concern about glandular tissue. So she felt my breasts. She felt the "big" one first. She felt the very top, then the middle then the bottom. She said she only felt any glandular tissue in the middle. She felt the other side and said there was much less on the left. I said, I have often felt like I have like 50% less than what I should, and she agreed, even said that was probably an overstatement. We talked about it, and I am not going to do the whole routine trying to get my boobs to do something they simply aren't capable of doing. So no extra pumping, no fenugreek, no SNS, none of that. And they can't even give me a script for the domperidone...She says it wouldn't help anyway, my functioning glandular tissue will make what it can, I just have to feed her as often as possible. I am really sad. I cried a lot. But I am trying to be positive about it. At least this time, my poor baby won't have to starve for a couple weeks while I try to do something that can't be done.
Shortly after that, at 5:45 (exactly 24 hours after we were admitted to give birth) They let us go! We took our new baby girl to whole foods and picked up some formula. Came home, had white castle, and I BF then gave charlotte her first taste of formula. It was hard to do, but it feels more and more ok.

She will breast feed first, then we wait, change diapers, hold her off a bit to see if she needs it, and give her milk if she wants it. She takes about an ounce at a time. Sometimes an ounce and a half, and she has no trouble going between the two so far. Last night she fell asleep at 11:45, so I went to bed then too. I woke up at 3:30 with HORRIBLE cramps, totally forgot to take motrin before bed...DON'T DO THAT! I got up and got some meds, then went up and got back in bed. Charlie didn't wake up till 4:45!!! So I had a chance for the meds to kick in before we went down and had some bf and bonding time. I changed her diaper, and fed her some bottle. Then she pooped AGAIN! Wow...it was back to back, and a new thing for her. Clearly, she was hungry

We went back to bed at like 6:30, and we stayed in bed till 9:30! I am hoping that is the routine, cause that totally works for me! My girls both started doing that at 6 weeks ad 4 weeks, now I think about it, and that is when we started supplementing. Poor things, were probably awake before that cause they were hungry...

Anyway. We are home and happy. I have to make an appointment for her today. But other than that, we are gonna rest.

The girls LOVE her. And we are all fitting in well together. She is so mellow and easy to please. Her hair is so cute! She is finally able to open her eyes for more than a second and her face is cuter by the min cause she is getting less swollen. I will post some new pics soon.

As for me, the cramps are pretty hard, but I just have to stick to taking something every 4 hours! I feel so good otherwise. I told Jesse I feel like I went from look 24 months pregnant, to 4 months pregnant. It is a pretty big difference, and still somehow funny to look down and see a belly with nothing in it!



*Update- Charlotte remains a great baby! She is very easy. Such a happy easy to please little thing. We are still breastfeeding and supplementing. She is up to 2 oz after every feeding, and she is gaining weight well. She's now 9lb 15oz and in the 90th% for height. She sleeps pretty well, we all go to bed together around 10, she wakes up at 2 to breastfeed and we go back to sleep. She usually wakes up at 5 or 6 and I can usually get her to nurse herself back to sleep for an hour or so. She has a very strong neck, and a HUGE open mouth smile. I have yet to catch it on camera though.

She has a little case of the sniffles so the last 2 nights have been less fun. But I have only had a handful of bad nights with Char, so, I feel pretty blessed.

All in all it is moving way too fast. I put away her Newborn clothes (stuff I couldn't even use with JOE!) this week. That was hard. She fits in with the rest of my kids, makes me want to be that Dugar lady, all these kids are so nice, I wish I could have more! But this uterus is DONE. RETIRED. OUT!

Well...I suck at blogging

Last time I blogged I had a tiny baby in my uterus...now I have a big beautiful girl sitting on my lap! I was living in California, but now I am just outside of Detroit Mi. Crazy. Our new home is a really lovely rental in Birmingham Mi. We moved here at the end of August. With our baby due then end of October, it was altogether the worst and most perfect timing for a move that big. The worst because I couldn't really lift anything, I cried all the time and I spent a lot of time feeling really sweaty. But it was great timing because I had a VERY strong nesting impulse, I had been saving it up for a few months, because we really had no idea what our house would be like until we got there. We rented it having only seen pictures! So I nested myself crazy and we were mostly moved in by the time baby came.

It has been a productive last few months, and in the next few days I will do my best to get this page up to date.

For now I will leave you with a picture of my newest little girl, Charlotte, born Oct 19th at 10:26, at 8 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long.

Enjoy!

It's not easy being green...

Seriously...what MORE must I DO!!!! It seems like every day I add some new thing to my day to try to SAVE the PLANET. I have been beaten into a guilty submission...I think it helps that I am a naturally easy to guilt person. I have a home full of halogen light bulbs. I turn off lights and TV's everywhere I go. We keep the heat at 62 degrees in the winter (don't like it, wear a sweater!) and 76 in the summer. I switched to cloth diapers even though my youngest was nearly 2! I hadn't realized the impact I was making and I refused to make it ANY longer. I switched to organic milk, eggs that are from cage free veg fed farms. I try to buy fruits and veggies from local (I try for within 150 miles of where I live) farms. This last one is easy when you live in California the LAND of MILK and HONEY! Where you can get tomatoes nearly year round...But it will be tough when we get to detroit. I am going to have to learn how to cook with turnips I think...I also try to buy second hand first, use reusable bags, and try to NEVER BUY FROM CHINA. Or Walmart.

In any case. The point is not to toot my green horn. The POINT is this, WHAT MORE MUST I DO??? I am reading this new Green magazine put out by national geographic, and watching the Human Foot print (to be candid, I really made it through the first 15 min...ok 5 min before I had to turn it off cause I was so guilt ridden!) and I don't know if I can make the next steps people.
In order of maybe can do to LEAST appealing way to save the EARTH...
- Switch to Pthalate free Eco-friendly cosmetics, cleaners, and body/hair cleansers.
This one isn't so bad, I just really like the cheapo stuff I use, and shelling out the extra cash would be tough...Also they are tough to find sometimes!!
- Switch to BPA free plastics or glass.
Again, this is less of a huge hassle, and more of a financial issue. I have a good friend who is willing to sell me her glass bottles for baby number 3. Which will be really nice. And I guess when we move I will just sell the stuff I have a buy new better for us stuff when we get to detroit.
- Buy Eco friendly clothes
I half keep up with this by buying mostly second hand, but when I buy first hand...I have a hard time shelling out the cash for organic, re-purposed clothing and shoes.
- Become a VEGITARIAN!!!
WTH. No. No way. I can't. I love meat!! They are saying if you want to help save the PLANET the best move is to not eat MEAT! Particularly red meat. Which is fine cause I eat very little red meat. BUT this also includes products that come from cows, milk, cheese (PLEASE GOD!!! NOT CHEESE!!!) yogurt, the LIST GOES ON...Now every time I eat a piece of meat, I feel like I am eating a bit of the EARTHS heart!! EATING my CHILDRENS future EARTH AWAY!!!


Ok...this has all become very dramatic. I draw the line. I DRAW IT!!! I will not stop eating meat and DAIRY. But...I will try to buy meat that is from organic as close to local sources as possible. THERE HAPPY!!?? Who am I talking to?? THE EARTH??? I wish I could just live on a self sufficient farm.

MY FIRST BLOG!!!

Honest to BLOG. It's my first. I am 13 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Woohoo, welcome to the second trimester me! And I have to be honest, in some ways this has been a WAY easier pregnancy. The nausea has been much less debilitating than it was with the girls. I don't know it it was the b6 I was taking every night, or I am trying out growing some new type of genitalia, but it is actually something I can handle. Really that is what I was most scared of when we decided to get knocked up again, even more than LABOR! The only crappy thing is that I have a subchorionic hemorrhage. It led to a big scary bleed one Sunday and a trip to the ER. Little toughy baby in there is hanging in and looking GOOD! But I spent 2 weeks on restricted activities, and now I am up and about, but I am still on pelvic rest...which has be hard and lame. I have dreams of a (tmi coming here) sexual nature nearly every night. It has been tough. But I am mostly done bleeding and I am hoping after my appointment on May 1st I will be allowed to be *ahem* intimate with my dear husband again.
So that is that as for the pregnancy, for now...beside being pretty tired...

I had a moving company come today and give me a quote for moving to detroit...it is crazy spendy to move across the country...but what was really funny was that the guy heard that I was listening to Howard. You have to know, if you don't listen, or hate him, or whatever, that he has this sidekick, Artie Lang, who I love. Well he got in a big fight on the show a week and a half ago. He threw water at his assistant, and tried to punch him! Anyway, so he says that day that he isn't coming back. This to me would be a real problem for me. I love Howard, but I would miss Artie so much that I would have a hard time listening to some other douche try to be as funny as him. So today, Howard is finally back from a week off, and he says he will announce if Artie is back or not. Well, long story longer, he is back and will continue on the show, but it was a big day and I HAD to listen. I was pretty frustrated that I had to turn it off long enough to get this quote...silly I know. So the guy sits down to do the quote after looking at my pea pickin messy house, and I turn it back on. We ended up having a long conversation about Howard and all that has happened since he moved to Sirius. Then as he was leaving we were talking about other talk show people, and I brought up Dr Laura, I get crap all the time for liking either one of these people, I say, they both have plenty of good things to say, and you don't have to agree 100% with someone to think they are smart, or worth listening too. Anyway, I think it is a good combo really cause they agree sometimes...they both think you should have lots of sex with your man to make him happy...I am telling you it works...and I HATE PELVIC REST! That may be the only thing they have in common...Oh, heck they both piss people off...that is another thing. So moving guy and I bonded over Stern. Gotta love it. Howard Stern and Dr Laura, bringing people together!