More Baby Birthday Photos

Yes, I finally managed to get those photos uploaded to the computer. It was quite a task (you know, actually taking the memory card out of the camera and placing it into the little slot at the side of my computer) — I’m exhausted now…so you can forgive my delay, right?

Okay, enough with the sarcasm. On to the cuteness…

Baby’s first real experience with cake was priceless, but took place during her father’s and oldest sister’s absence, so we had to have a second birthday celebration a few days later (I told you she was the princess).

I think she loved her chocolate cake just as much the second time around!

We also waited until the whole family could participate for DeeDee to open her gifts. She *really* likes the drum set! You should see her rock out like Animal, from the Muppets.

And those soft blocks are wonderful! Big brother Rey can hurl them across the room without risking bodily injury to anyone.

Baby Meets Cake

Guess Who’s a Year Old?!!

Yes, ALREADY! I don’t know where the year went!

“DeeDee” went into the whole cake-thing with some confusion and even a little irritation…but she came out thinking chocolate cake is the best thing that ever happened to her (a girl after my own heart).

“What’s with this thing on my head? Get it off!”

REALLY not liking the party hat!

“Wait….what’s this?”

“Mmmmm….”

“Hmmm…there’s got to be a better way…”

Diving in…

Yeah, that works.

“Oh yeah…NOW you’re talking! This stuff is awesome!”

Pure delight!

Our Baby Girl – 8 Months

Baby “DeeDee” turned eight months old last Friday! I am constantly amazed by how quickly time flies!

By the time she was seven months old, Dee weighed in at 14 lbs. (yes, she lost a little weight, but the doctor isn’t concerned) and was 27 inches long! Tall and thin. By her seven month mark, she was also crawling and constantly pulling herself up to standing.

Learning to Crawl!
August 14, 2009 – 28 weeks, 5 days

Since that point she has started “cruising” around the furniture and has learned to wave. She is trying to learn to clap, but hasn’t quite gotten the hang of it yet.

Standing Up!
August 23, 2009 – 30 weeks

Someone always needs to be behind Dee when she stands up, because she will
use ANYTHING as a means of getting upright, no matter how flimsy.

Below: Don’t you just love her look of concentration?
When she’s REALLY focused on something, she sticks her little tongue out.

In the past month Dee has also been introduced to a sippy cup (although she prefers to sip out of a standard Zephyrhills water bottle), and, instead of sitting on her bottom, she has begun to sit on her knees. She loves to eat off our plates (and has quite the appetite!), and has added “Baba” (for “bottle”, when she wants a drink of water) and “Alla” (for Alex; aka “Gator”, her second favorite person) to her vocabulary, and she will now sit in a highchair (rather than just the Bumbo seat).

What a Great Big Brother!
August 23, 2009 – 30 weeks
(2 days shy of 7 months)

You may notice that “Gator” (14) is a recurring fixture in the baby photos.
That’s because he is the favorite; second only to Mama.
Baby Dee just adores her oldest brother!
Because Dee’s daddy is home so seldom, I believe she thinks Gator is her Daddy.

Just as particular as ever, Dee still hates the stroller and the front carrier, but isn’t quite sure what she thinks about the backpack yet. At least she doesn’t hate it. Being carried, however, is still her preferred means of transportation.

First Trip to the Zoo
September 4, 2009 – 31 weeks, 5 days

Asleep in big brother’s arms.

All Photos Below:
Baby’s First Trip to the Florida Aquarium
September 25, 2009 – 34 weeks, 5 days
8 months old!

Above:  A very rare shot of Baby Dee in the greatly detested stroller and actually SMILING!
It didn’t last for very long, but it DID happen!

Below: One of Dee’s favorite things to do — pull hair!

“Stop blogging and cuddle with me, Mommy. I have such a headache!”

Our Baby Girl – 6.5 Months

Another 6 weeks has gone by since I last posted about “DeeDee” (I know, tsk tsk).  Read further and you’ll see why I rarely have the time to post anymore…

She is now 6 and a half months old; a very busy little thing with huge brown eyes and some serious attitude will.

“DeeDee” enjoying her first 4th of July party
July 3, 2009 – 22 Weeks, 5 Days

You know, it’s kind of strange how I was so grounded with the older children, and yet I have allowed these youngest two to sort of “rule the roost”. DeeDee is just sooo spoiled particular…and, unlike with the olders, I just can’t stand to hear her cry. I guess I’m turning into a softy or something in my old age maturity, but the result is one very spoiled rotten particular child little princess.

“If Mama DeeDee ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”.  And DeeDee certainly “ain’t happy”…in the stroller, in the carseat, on the floor, on someone’s lap, in anyone’s arms other than mine (unless she can’t see or hear me)! She screams…and screams…and screams in any other situation. She wants to be held, standing up and walking, all the time. If anyone holds her other than me, she reaches for me and whines, “Mamamamama Mamamama.” Yep, her first word was Mama (insert proud grin), and I love that she loves her Mama so much, but she is exhausting. I don’t get a break!

Hanging out with her favorite person at MOSI
July 5, 2009 – 23 Weeks

What I wouldn’t give to be able to put her in a stroller and go for a nice little walk (reality: as I simply approach the stroller, she instantly arches her back and starts fussing), or put her on the floor with some toys and be able to run to the bathroom (no such luck). And if she only took a pacifier! (Oh yeah, that’s me. I’m her pacifier.) Needless to say, we don’t get out much — not to “quiet” places anyway. We make it to the neighborhood pool often, which she still loves, and where, after she tires of the water, I often bribe the older kids to take turns holding her for a bit so I can get some sun from time to time. If we do go out anywhere, it’s just known ahead of time that 1) somebody will have to carry the baby at all times, and 2) if that “somebody” is not the Mama, then they better not let the baby actually see or hear Mama. We’ve eaten many a restaurant meal while standing (don’t laugh).

DeeDee’s Fan Club – Her Sisters!
July 21, 2009 – 25 Weeks, 2 Days

Enjoying the Beach!
July 24, 2009 – 25 Weeks, 5 Days
(one day shy of 6 months)

In case you’re wondering (with all of my complaining), yes, I still adore DeeDee. She is demanding and frustrating and exhausting, but I’m absolutely crazy about her. Just do me a favor and reassure me that things will get better….eventually.

Mote Marine Aquarium (with Dinky)
July 24, 2009 – 25 Weeks, 5 Days
“DeeDee” is over 2 ft. tall and weighs just 15 lbs.
Very thin, but so tall that she wears 9 and 12 month clothes

Dee has changed so much in the last six weeks. By the time she hit the 6 month mark, she was saying “Mama”, scooting around everywhere, and very quickly!, pulling herself into a sitting position, and getting up on hands and knees in a crawling position and rocking back and forth. In the last couple of weeks, she has begun taking a few crawling “steps” at a time, pulling herself up and OUT of her co-sleeper and onto my bed!

Above and Below: “DeeDee” climbing out her co-sleeper
She’s not supposed to be able to do this already!
August 5, 2009 – 27 Weeks, 3 Days

She thinks the exersaucer (that she used to love so much) is passe. She gets really offended if we put her in it. She has outgrown sleeping in her Moses basket, and chews on everything!  Oh, and her new favorite food, the third one she has tried,  is pears.

And the biggest milestone so far occurred just today — she pulled herself up into a standing position against the couch! She was standing! How can my baby be growing up so quickly?!

She’s looks a bit surprised in this photo,
but I think she has the most stunning brown eyes!
August 6, 2009 – 27 Weeks, 4 Days

Our Baby Girl – 5 Months

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives …

No, I am not a fan of soap operas, but I find myself understanding those words more and more lately, as baby “Dee Dee” continues to grow up so rapidly, and as my oldest child quickly approaches her 18th birthday.

It has been an entire 6 weeks since I have composed one of my customary “Our Baby Girl” updates. 6 weeks! And boy, how she has changed in those 6 weeks!

This is what happens when you combine a 3-year-old, a package of stickers, and a baby sister
June 15, 2009 – 20 Weeks, 1 Day

Although she still thinks I am the coolest person in the world to hang out with (due in no small part to my ability to produce breastmilk), DeeDee is becoming much more of a “people person”. People fascinate her. She studies new faces with a deep intensity, before suddenly breaking out into one of her “whole-face” smiles.

She is also a water-baby…

“DeeDee” has always liked the water. She was born in the water. Her favorite time of day has always been bathtime, with Mama in the big bathtub. (She used to protest the baby bathtub, but over the last few weeks, has even come to accept that.) But now she loves the water.

Above: Baby “DeeDee” with big sister Audrey (17)
June 5, 2009 – 18 Weeks, 5 Days

Below: with big brother “Gator” (14)
June 25, 2009 - 5 months {21 Weeks, 4 Days}

“What do you mean ‘it’s time to get out of the pool’?”
June 25, 2009 – 5 months {21 Weeks, 4 Days}

We spend as much time as possible attempting to beat Florida’s bitter summer heat in our neighborhood pool — and DeeDee has discovered it. As soon as she sees the pool, she kicks her little legs in excitement and anticipation. She loves to be carried in the water, and to be lightly bounced up and down…and to make splashes. She really giggles if one of us bounces her up and down, into and out of the water, while another one of us mirrors this action in front of her. Big giggles.

Baby at Play

Although “DeeDee” still enjoys the light-up star of her Gymini, she has, for the most part, otherwise lost interest in this toy. She is no longer content to just lie on her back and bat at the suspended toys. She prefers to be on the go. She flips over, and rolls around, and creeps; trying in vain to crawl. (Diaper changes have thus become challenging).

Rolling
June 11, 2009 - 19 Weeks, 4 Days

And teething continues – with her first two teeth still resting just below the gumline, small white lines showing through; teasing her and causing her great discomfort. She cries in pain, and gnaws incessantly at anything and everything she can somehow manage to get into her mouth. This has given her a new appreciation for her exersaucer, with its various teething surfaces. The small curved toy bar with its brightly colored caterpillar and the standing starfish are her companions, as are the various teething toys and rattles that make their way into my cart during nearly every trip to Target (she especially loves the ones that make a crinkling sound).

The one “toy” that captivates her attention the most though, besides her own toes, is the clear plastic water bottle — Zephyrhills, Aquafina; the brand doesn’t matter…full or half full –  she eyes it, reaching for it, then, realizing it is out of her reach, creeps along after it — continuing to nudge it again, to just outside of her reach, every time she makes contact.

A look of delight!
May 29, 2009 – 17 Weeks, 5 Days

As for other common baby entertainers — she doesn’t like the bouncy seat that we recently purchased for her, secondhand. She doesn’t like the reclining position (any time she finds herself in a semi-reclined position, she fights it; pulling herself up to sitting) and it’s missing the toy bar. What fun is a seat without a toy bar? She has never tried a swing or a bouncer; things we once had but misplaced over the years and during multiple moves.

She doesn’t really need these things though. She has a built-in entertainment system, consisting of nine goofy siblings; playing with her, singing to her, dancing with her, reading to her, or otherwise entertaining her, each in his or her own way.  As far as DeeDee knows, she *is* the center of the universe.

Creeping
June 11. 2009 - 19 Weeks, 4 Days

Baby on the Go

DeeDee, although more tolerant than she previously was — even willing to endure the stroller for very brief periods — still will not tolerate the car seat. Never. She hates it. You would swear, to hear her reaction to the car seat, that we were enacting some horrible measure of torture on her. And she won’t give up. Whether we are taking a short 10 minute ride to the grocery store, or running errands for two hours, she screams…and screams…and screams… No lie; we were running errands with her in the van last night, on a trip to St. Petersburg and back, and she cried until we took her out of her carseat at home — almost two hours straight. She is hoarse today.

Despite the fact that getting her to a destination (peacefully) can be a problem, she is beginning to do better once she is there. Restaurants are an exception. She, as I mentioned before, likes to be on the go — and we typically prefer to eat while sitting down. She won’t have it. She will fuss and arch her back until we stand up with her. Shopping is fine, because we are carrying her…walking. Movies are even fine because, even though I am sitting with her, she finds the movies to be entertaining…or distracting. During a movie, she will alternate between sitting on my lap staring at the screen, and nursing, until she finally falls asleep.

Baby’s Diet

DeeDee continues to have quite the appetite. Until a few days ago, she was nursing exclusively. All day (or at least it would seem) and all night. Yes, I am still the human pacifier — and no, she will not take a real pacifier; we’ve tried. Although my milk supply is fine, I just can’t seem to satisfy DeeDee’s needs. I have recently begun to notice that her cheeks aren’t as plump as usual. She seems to be getting thinner. My scale seemed to confirm this, but we received final confirmation this week when we swung by the pediatrician’s office for a quick weight check. Sure enough, my once 14 1/2 lb. baby now weighs just 13 lbs., 10 oz. Time for the solid foods that we were hoping to be able to delay a bit longer.

Testing out the Bumbo
June 23, 2009 - 21 Weeks, 2 Days

So we bought, for the first time, a Bumbo.  I have successfully raised nine other babies without the use of the Bumbo seat, but succumbed to the hype after finding a nearly new pink Bumbo on Craigslist for only $10. A couple of days later, just shy of DeeDee turning 5 months old, we sat her down in her Bumbo and introduced her to her first “real” food: organic rice baby cereal, moistened with organic pear juice.

She was unimpressed. Very. I might venture to say she was irritated, or even…angry. At first, she displayed looks of disgust, and forced most of the food back out. When that didn’t work, she grabbed the spoon and razzed – sending cereal flying in all directions.

Above: “DeeDee” *not* enjoying her first taste of cereal
June 23, 2009 - 21 Weeks, 2 Days

Below: Mmmm…Avocado!
June 27, 2009 – 21 Weeks, 6 Days

Day two, we tried the same combination again, and she accepted it…almost even seemed to like it. But later that night I decided to try a suggestion that several of my facebook friends had had — mashed avocado. Oh.my.goodness! She LOVES it. She DEVOURED it, then begged for more…getting angry when we told her that that was “enough for now”. Today marks the third time she has had avocado, and she has certainly not lost her zeal for this fruit.

Avocado Face
June 26, 2009 – - 21 Weeks, 5 Days

Baby’s Sleep Habits

What would an update about a baby be without mentioning something about sleep? Yeah, well…while I have actually gotten used to sleep deprivation (if that’s possible), there have been some breakthroughs recently. While DeeDee still sleeps in my arms most of the night, she is now starting off the night in her own crib (or more specifically, in the Moses basket that is currently placed inside the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper attached to our bed). She has even put herself to sleep in it a couple of times (big milestone) — the key is to lay her down when she is utterly exhausted! This earns me a hands-free 2-3 hours usually before she wakes up to nurse for the first time! I’ll take it!

Our Baby Girl – 12 to 16 Weeks

It’s time again for my monthly “Baby Girl” post. Yes, little Dee is 16 weeks old already. She continues to consume most of my time (as you may have noticed, due to the infrequency of my posts), but I don’t mind. She is the absolute joy and love of my life!

“DeeDee” is losing some of that fussiness that defined her for so long. She still prefers to be carried, and still does not like to be separated from Mama, but she is becoming much more tolerant of situations for the most part (just not the car seat or the stroller, thankyouverymuch). She will enjoy some time on the Gymini or in the Exersaucer — at least long enough for me to get a quick bite to eat, or put on some much needed make-up.

This is Baby Dee when we first introduced her to the Exersaucer about 5 weeks ago (April 15).
(Yeah, these photos should have been on my last Baby post…
but they were temporarily lost on a missing memory card.)

First she was really confused…

Then she was mesmerized…

Then she was amused and delighted!

I haven’t gotten a recent photo of her in the exersaucer, but these days (as of a few days ago)
she has started to play with the toys on her own.
She is so cute, spinning the little toys and giggling! (I love that she now giggles!)

Notice the drooling problem in the photo above…yep, teething has begun!

Below: Teething “DeeDee”
April 21, 2009 – 12 weeks, 2 days

Below: Sunbathing Baby
April 30, 2009 – 13 weeks, 4 days

No, our baby doesn’t really sunbathe, but we spend a lot of time at the pool,
trying to survive the Florida heat…

and when I lay her down on the towel for a few minutes, and a sibling placed her sunglasses on her,
all I could think was, “Yup, she’s definitely a Floridian!”

Baby Dee with Big Brother Rey (3)
May 2, 2009 – 13 weeks, 6 days

Rey simply adores her. He always sings to her:
“Go to leep. Go to leep. Go to leep, my little one.”

Tummy Time!
May 6, 2009 – 14 weeks, 3 days

Smiling at “the Sun”
May 16, 2009 – 15 weeks, 6 days

Smiling IN the Sun
May 16, 2009 – 15 weeks, 6 days

And here’s Baby “DeeDee” at 16 Weeks.
14 1/2 pounds. Big brown eyes. My little angel.

I love you, Baby Girl!

Cricket’s Birthday

My little “Cricket” had a birthday this month. She turned 7!!!

Her puppy cake was lovingly made by her big brother, Gator (14). Didn’t he do a great job?!

The rest of these photos amuse me. I was loading photos off my camera when I noticed a series of photos that made me chuckle. Here are a few of them. Notice “Boo”, the sister to the right of Cricket. I think she was having a battle with the little green monster that day.  As they say, “a picture’s worth a thousand words”.

Happy Birthday, Cricket!

Our Baby Girl – 8 to 12 Weeks

Yes, Miss Persnickety is 12 weeks old already. Time flies!

Thankfully, she is having longer periods of happiness these days (we refer to it as her “happy time”).

March 23, 2009 – 8 Weeks, 1 Day

And she definitely has her “favorite” people now. There are certain siblings that she really doesn’t want to have hold her at all, or only for a very limited time. She strongly favors other siblings; in particular “Cricket” (7) and “Boo” (8).  And “Gator” (14) is her favorite entertainer. He speaks to her in funny voices and makes silly faces at her, always resulting in big toothless smiles!

Being carried by Cricket, her favored sibling

April 5, 2009 – 10 Weeks

First Trip to the Beach
April 18, 2009
11 Weeks, 6 days

While, not officially her first trip to the beach (she had briefly visited once before), this was baby’s first trip to the beach in which she was actually awake and alert.

When I dipped her feet into the ocean for the first time, and let her little toes feel the squishy wet sand, I expected some sort of response — a smile, a look of surprise, a whine of protest…but no, nothing.  Her expression didn’t change one bit!  So I don’t know if we have a another beach baby in the making or not.

As for baby “DeeDee’s” food allergies, I am certain, as I mentioned before, that we have found the culprit as far as the colic is concerned — casein (the protein found in cow’s milk products). When I eliminate everything containing casein from my diet, “DeeDee” is colic free.

Well, I *think* (crossing my fingers and being cautiously optimistic here) that we have found the culprit for the rashes — corn. I have noticed that, although she always seems to have a bit of a rash (which makes sense, as it seems everything contains as least trace amounts of corn, in the form of corn syrup or corn starch or corn oil), she tends to break out really really bad when I eat corn chips or popcorn. So now I have to be ever more diligent in reading food labels, and can have absolutely no processed or convenience foods.

Now we wait and see. If this (the elimination of corn) doesn’t solve the problem completely, it’s off to a total allergy elimination diet. (I still fear that wheat may play a part as well.)

Out of the Mouths of Babes

A Self-Chiropractic Adjustment

Since our car accident back in July, we’ve had to go to the chiropractor three days a week. Curly-Top (5) decided last week that she didn’t want to leave the pool to go to the chiropractor. She begged me not to make her go, stating that she’d give herself a chiropractic adjustment instead.

“I know how to pop my own neck, and to pop my back I’ll just lie down on my stomach and have one of the other kids jump on me.”

“Two”

I was eating some bagel crisps the other day when Rey (3) spied me and decided he wanted some.

Rey: “I want one!”
Me: “You didn’t ask properly.”
Rey: “I want TWO!”

World’s Longest Sentence

Lefty (9): “I am going to break the World’s Record for the longest sentence.”
Me: “Oh really? What will it say?”
Lefty: “I don’t know. I haven’t written it yet.”

Freezing to Death

Cricket (6): “Dad? If you freeze to death, could you die?”

(Huh?)

Frog Eyes

My oldest daughter is known for saying some off-the-wall things. We even have a name for these crazy sayings; we call them Audrey-isms. So tonight at supper when the topic of frogs came up, we all thought what she had to say was quite humorous…until I looked it up and found it to be true!

Audrey: “Frogs actually use their eyes to eat.”
The Siblings: Laughter
Audrey: “No, seriously. They push the food down their throats with their eyes.”
The Siblings: More Laughter
Me: “I’ll look it up.”

So I google “frog+eyes+food” and find:

Frogs’ eyes also play an important role in eating. Frogs don’t have the skull structure or the necessary muscles to chew their food. Instead, they have to swallow their prey in a couple of gulps. This is tricky since, unlike people, their tongues aren’t usually anchored in the back of their mouths. That means a frog can’t use its tongue to push food down its throat and toward its stomach. For this reason, when a frog swallows, its eyes sink down into its skull to help push the food along.

Wow. Who knew?

My Monthly Generic Update

Where does the time go? The year is already 1/4 of the way over. “DeeDee” is almost 10 weeks old!

March was a somewhat uneventful month. We’ve been celebrating the longer, milder, sunny days of spring with fun and activities. (I need to blog about some of the other things we’ve done, beyond days one and two, but I have spent the last couple of days trying to manage some nasty computer woes instead — more about that later.)

Baby “DeeDee” with an allergic reaction

Baby DeeDee is growing quickly, and is much more pleasant since my last update.  She is still “needy” — preferring to be constantly held, day and night, but she isn’t as grumpy. She smiles a lot and is trying to “talk”. I just love it.  Her change in demeanor probably has a lot to do with my becoming much stricter with her (my, rather) diet.

I have mentioned before that she seems to have a very strong reaction (colic) to cow’s milk products, so I gave them up. Or so I thought. In reality, I didn’t realize the vast degree to which cow’s milk products infiltrated our food supply, until I started reading labels. Yikes! Even things like bread crumbs contain milk! Once I started reading labels and being extremely careful with avoiding anything associated with milk, DeeDee’s colic disappeared. Her tummy no longer gurgles. She no longer draws her legs up in pain, and she is much more pleasant. There is still a hidden allergy that we haven’t identified, however. She is allergic to something that causes her face, head, and neck to spontaneously break out for several hours at a time. Sometimes it’s a faint rash, while other times it is similar to hives. If this breaking out persists for another week (giving adequate time to work all traces of casein out of her/my system), then I plan on going on a complete allergy elimination diet until I can figure out what the trigger is. (Not fun…but worth it in the long run; especially given the family history of auto-immune disorders. I will do anything I can to possibly prevent another child of mine from developing asthma or autism).

“DeeDee” with hives on her face, head, neck, and arms.
I *think* the culprit, in this case, was wheat, as I had eaten a “gluten-heavy” meal prior to the break-out –
But in my limited research I have found the reaction to an allergy could take hours or DAYS to present…
so I have no way of knowing for sure.

Speaking of autism, that’s Audrey in the photo above (holding DeeDee). Notice the pirate shirt that she is wearing. It was one of the giveaways she received for participating in her first 5K.

Audrey, who thinks SHE has an allergy — to exercise!  joined, under our coersion (we bribed her with money), a “couch to 5K” program. Twice a week, for (I think) 8 weeks, she trained with some other individuals from our neighborhood. They started by just walking, and worked their way up to running, until the day of the race. I didn’t expect Audrey to come close to winning, but she DID participate and finish (which was the goal), and we are very proud of her! She even lost close to 20 lbs. in the process!

The Team – Audrey is on the far left

Other than those things I have actually taken the time to blog about lately, we have been doing our best to spend as much time outdoors as possible, enjoying Florida’s very brief springtime.

The last couple of days I have barely been online, trying instead (as I mentioned before), to rescue our horrible computers.

I know I may sound like a broken record, but I HATE VISTA. I HATE MICROSOFT!!! How many times have I stated that here over the years? I have gone through four (or is it five) different laptops in the last five years. I know people who have been using the same Mac during that same duration. But I *still* haven’t been able to convince Rob that I need a Mac. He still hasn’t complied with my wishes in that regard, so I am preparing to bury yet another laptop. Aaaghh!!!

I have already been forced to restore to factory settings twice, and now, as of this week, my internal card reader has stopped working. That isn’t acceptable considering the number of pictures I take. I use it DAILY. So I have attempted to load my photos onto Audrey’s laptop instead and found her computer to be so corrupted that I had to restore IT to factory settings. To top it off, my tired old secondary drive has stopped functioning properly, my NOD32 has expired, and we haven’t installed Microsoft updates on either laptop (because I don’t trust them — they alwas mess up more than they fix), so we were wide-open for an attack from that conflicker virus…so I have been installing updates and running scans with software that I don’t have as much faith in as the NOD32. But…so far it appears that both systems are clean. I’m not sure about the aforementioned tired old external drive — it won’t even scan without locking up. Ugh!

So, with my card reader not functioning, I am currently using Audrey’s laptop with the sticky keys (namely the r and y), so if it seems like this former English major and exemplary speller has suddenly lost her mind — it’s not ME; I may be sleep-deprived, but I can still spell. Just ignore any missing “R”s and “Y”s for now.

Our Baby Girl – 6 to 8 Weeks

I believe I should start chronicling my days with our latest addition by titling and subtitling as follows:

Raising DeeDee: My Life with the World’s Grumpiest Human Being

Yup, that’s her. Now don’t get me wrong — I am still absolutely crazy about her! But she ain’t no picnic. She has an “intense” personality; very particular. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want — and she wants to make sure everyone else knows that as well.

Not a happy camper!
March 18, 2009 – 7 Weeks, 3 Days

Thankfully, having such a “high needs” baby isn’t new to me — so I’m not pulling my hair (completely) out. I can at least rest in the fact that I know there is a “light at the end of the tunnel”. Dinky was the same way. She would scream and scream, sometimes to the point of hoarseness or vomiting, for no apparent reason and despite our best efforts at calming her. As a toddler, once she could communicate, these seemingly nonsense screaming spells turned into tantrums over her socks not “feeling right” or her dress being tied too tightly or too loosely, or her ponytail not being perfectly straight. Now, at the age of 11, she has outgrown the screaming and tantrums (so I KNOW there is hope for her baby sister!), opting instead for whining about a tag in her shirt or her sleeves being too long. I can’t say that I blame her. I do understand, to a great degree, the frustration of something just not being “right” — I have OCD. But, it doesn’t make it any easier to live with.

And so there’s baby “DeeDee”. I suspected, from the time she was in utero, that she would probably have this type of personality. When I was expecting Dinky, over 11 years ago, I couldn’t wear anything with an elastic waist or she would kick frantically at it. DeeDee, likewise, would act in a similar fashion if I so much as crossed my arms over my belly. She let me know that she did not appreciate it.

Now she let’s me know that she does not appreciate the stroller, the car seat, the Gymini — or any other situation in which she is not being carried or held. Typically, unless she is nursing, she wants to be carried (sitting still with her is not an option). And if she is awake, she prefers to either be nursing or “swimming” in the bath tub (she will not tolerate the baby bath, but loves bathing with Mama). And if she’s asleep, forget about putting her down. Once there is no warm body against her, she will instantly wake up screaming.

Being carried by big sister “Cricket” – Don’t ya just love those big cheeks?
March 15, 2009 – 7 Weeks Old

I have attempted shopping or eating out with DeeDee a couple of times. It didn’t work out so well. I have been afraid to try going back to church. I doubt that the other folks from church would even recognize me; it’s been so long. No, for this season of DeeDee’s life, I find it easier to stick to outdoor venues where she can cry her little heart out, if the mood strikes her, without disturbing anyone.

Now don’t go lecturing me about how I’m “spoiling” her; how she needs to be trained by letting her “cry it out”. Like I’ve mentioned, I have raised one of these personalities before, and that type of parenting style just won’t work. In her mind something is really wrong. She has some sort of discomfort or fear that she can’t quite communicate yet, and if I ignore her demands, she will be left feeling abandoned…and is unable to simply settle herself. She would never give up the fight. I am very thankful for my new ErgoBaby carrier. It is a LIFE saver! (or at least a back saver).

It is because of DeeDee’s perpetual grumpiness that I cherish her happy, smiley times so much! When she finds contentment, she is utterly angelic, and when she smiles, her whole face lights up. She smiles so BIG, in fact, that it’s difficult to get a good photograph because she closes her eyes when she smiles!

Above: Smiley Time
March 20, 2009 – 7 Weeks, 5 Days

Below: A Rare Happy Time Under the Gymini
March 18, 2009 – 7 Weeks, 3 Days

Below: 10 Minutes in the Stroller – A Record!
March 15, 2009 – 7 Weeks Old

“DeeDee” Contented
Lying on the quilt that big sister Audrey made for her
March 17, 2009 – 7 Weeks, 2,Days
(See what I mean about angelic?)

Our Baby Girl – 2 to 6 Weeks

She’ll be 6 weeks old tomorrow.

Baby “DeeDee” is growing up very quickly! It’s been fun watching her develop her personality — especially now that she is full of smiles. (I was the recipient of her first REAL full-face smile on February 19th. While I was dressing her for the chiropractor she looked up at me, so I said, “Hi Beautiful.” She responded with that big precious heart-warming grin, and has been smiling at us ever since.)

Health-wise, DeeDee is doing great! She has been a bit colicky lately, but my giving up dairy (except for raw goat’s milk) has helped quite a bit, as well as having the chiropractor give her a colic release adjustment.

And she is so BIG!!! At just under 6 weeks old, DeeDee weighs in at 10 lbs, 12 ozs and is just shy of 23″ long! None of our other babies reached the ten pound mark until they were at least 4 or 5 months of age, not weeks. It’s been kind of saddening for me, packing away DeeDee’s outgrown newborn clothes already. She is now wearing 3-6 month clothes (and even some of those are too small). She’s even outgrown all of her precious *brand new* newborn cloth diapers. *sniff sniff*

“DeeDee” with Big Brother “Gator”
February 12, 2009
2 weeks, 5 days old

With Big Sister Audrey
February 22, 2009
4 weeks old

February 23, 2009
4 weeks, 1 day old

February 25, 2009
4 weeks, 3 days old

With Big Brother “Gator”
February 27, 2009
4 weeks, 5 days old

With Big Sister “Boo”
Boo seems to be DeeDee’s “favorite” – When she is really upset, NO ONE can calm her like Boo can!
March 1, 2009
5 weeks old

Boppy Time – Just Chillin’ Out
March 4, 2009
5 weeks, 3 days old

More Photos from March 4, 2009
These are photos of “DeeDee” with a blanket and hat that my grandmother (her great-grandmother) made

With Big Sister “Dinky”
March 5, 2009
5 weeks, 4 days old

February

It just flew right on by with only one tiny update from me, and yet February is always our busiest month!

(You guessed it; this is going to be one of those “I’m-making-up-for-not-posting-in-nearly-a-month-by-putting-updates-on-100-different-topics-in-one-post” entries. And, as expected, it will contain a whole bunch of photos…because I think my children are adorable!)

Besides adapting to life with a newborn in the house again, starting school back after a lengthy break…then Valentine’s Day and our 18th anniversary (which we chose to postpone for a month, but I know the husband will likely forget about…hmph!), there were also…

Three Birthdays!

“Boo”

Boo celebrated her 8th birthday in the neighborhood park/playground, with Hello Kitty cupcakes, games, several of her neighbor friends, and all of her siblings.

(Methinks she liked the Love Monkey)

“Gator”

For his 14th birthday, Gator opted for a trip to Romano’s for a private birthday dinner (yes, we did embarrass him by having the staff sing to him), and a family-only party, for which he chose a very um….interesting cake.

Leave it to the family comedian to choose a litter-box cake.

“Dinky”

Dinky Tumblina chose to celebrate her 11th birthday by hanging out with three of her closest friends.

Landscaping

We bought this house last summer. It was the UGLIEST house in the neighborhood — no joke. Drab gray in color; graced by a combination of no landscaping and dead landscaping. Dead grass (live weeds though.) UGLY. Just plain UGLY. But the price was too good to pass up. The bargain price finally allowed us the ability to buy a home in the state of Florida, the second most overinflated real estate market in the nation.

The home was, in fact “brand new” (as in “never lived in”). It had been built by an investor who hoped to flip it for a huge profit…just before the real-estate market tanked. It was subsequently foreclosed on and we bought it from the bank for a fraction of the original cost. This (price) was worth living with the effects of three years of neglect…until now.

We spent the last weekend of February re-landscaping the entire front of the house. (“We” meaning the boys…primarily Gator). I am pleased with the results. (Can’t wait for everything to “fill in” — the annuals and perennials we chose are all spreading plants).

BEFORE
The day we looked at the house: May 18, 2008

A Work In Progress

AFTER
February 23, 2009

A Visit from Grandpa

The day we were finishing up the landscaping, my dad and his girlfriend stopped in to visit for a few hours on their way from Florida back to Indiana. The children only see him once a year, so I took advantage of the photo op.

“Dee-Dee”

Any entry of mine just would not be complete without making mention of my sweet baby girl, who turned one month old in February…but I have enough mommy-brag in me to post an entire photo-filled entry just for her…so stay tuned! I’ll try to get the latest photos uploaded tonight.

Our Baby Girl – First Two Weeks

It’s been a couple of weeks since I have updated my blog – weeks spent enjoying my babymoon with my sweet baby girl.

Baby “DeeDee” is already two weeks old (as of last Sunday). On one hand, I can’t believe it’s been more than two weeks since her arrival. Time goes so fast! On the other hand, I can’t imagine life without her. It seems like she’s always been a part of our family.

I am completely smitten. It’s amazing how one can fall completely head-over-heels for a tiny, bald, toothless stranger — but I have, yet again. Having a new baby never “gets old”. Each one is unique and each one is such a miracle.

“DeeDee” is just precious. I love watching her sleep. While dreaming, she makes the cutest facial expressions, as well as little squeaks and grunts and groans. And she is doing very well, physically. The day after she was born, her weight was down from 8lb 7oz to 8lb 2oz. Two days later it had dropped to 7lb 12oz — but she regained that loss very quickly. On her last weight check, at 12 days old, she had regained, surpassing her birth weight by two ounces. And it’s little wonder — she eats almost constantly. I am the human pacifier! Anytime “DeeDee” is awake (and often when she is asleep), she thinks she has to be nursing — and anytime she is awake *or* asleep, she has to be held. If we try putting her down, she instantly wakes up screaming. (So yeah, she may end up being a little bit spoiled pampered at first, but I do have another child who was JUST like this — and she ended up growing into an awesome young lady!)

Photos from Baby’s First Week

“DeeDee’s” first outing – First trip to the pediatrician
1 Day Old

“DeeDee’s” second outing – With Mama during first trip to neighborhood park
3 Days Old

“DeeDee’s” second outing – With Mama during first trip to neighborhood park
3 Days Old

“DeeDee” with big sister “Curly Top” (5)
3 Days Old

“DeeDee” with big sisters “Cricket” (6)  and “Boo” (7)
3 Days Old

“DeeDee” with big sister “Boo” (7)
3 Days Old

“DeeDee” with big sister Audrey (17)
6 Days Old

One Week Old! – February 1st

I just love these photos!  Especially the two of “DeeDee” looking up at her admiring older sisters.
Can you tell that they are as crazy about her as I am?

Photos from Baby’s Second Week

8 Days Old

9 Days Old

I just love tiny baby feet!

Cuddling with big sister “Boo” on her 8th birthday
10 days old

11 Days Old

11 Days Old

Sweet Baby Hand
12 Days Old

12 Days Old

Two Weeks Old! – February 8th

Introducing Our Tenth Blessing

Praise the Lord! She has finally arrived! – safe and healthy.

More than ten days after labor began, then stalled, our baby girl finally joined us in the wee hours of Sunday, January 25th.

Introducing:

“DeeDee”* LeFebvre
8 lbs. 7 oz.
22 inches long
Born January 25, 2009
1:19 am

* not her “real” name. Children’s names have been changed on internet publications for their protection

If you prefer a brief, Reader’s Digest condensed version of events:

• ~ 8:15 pm – water broke
• ~10:30 pm – contractions began
• ~ 11:15 pm – midwife arrived
• 1:19 am – our tenth child and sixth daughter arrived
• 3:15 – midwife went home

If you prefer more of a Paul Harvey “The Rest of the Story” version, with all of the nitty gritty details, then here it is :

It wasn’t any one of the items on that list of failed labor induction methods that I had tried as of last Monday that finally kicked things into gear — nor was it the membrane sweeping, the labor herbs, the enema, or this disgusting food combination that I was desperate enough to try later in the week.

I had my own little theory of why our latest addition refused to emerge — that she is a Floridian baby and knew that for the last two weeks it was just plain TOO COLD to be born, with temps dipping down into the 20s. I half joked that she would arrive as soon as the thermometer reached the 70s again — and she DID, but that ultimately isn’t what gave her that final nudge.

Believe it or not, it was a serious case of heartburn that did it. Yeah. For the first time in my life I am thankful for acid reflux, and a resulting esophageal ulcer that occasionally sends me into violent coughing fits. After having not eaten right at all on Saturday, I topped the evening off with a Mexican meal, made by my children, that pushed me over the edge. About an hour after eating, while sitting down to an episode of Gone Country on CMT, I was in the middle of a full-blown coughing attack when I felt what I thought was my water suddenly breaking — but not a lot, just a small gush of fluid.

You would think, with this being my tenth child, I would *know*, but I didn’t. I mean, I didn’t think it could possibly be anything else — I had already emptied my bladder — but I just didn’t know. I would have thought there would be more of a “gush” than that, as there had been when my water had broken in previous pregnancies. (But then again, NOTHING about this entire pregnancy or labor had been “normal”). This (the small gush) happened at about 8:15pm, and we called the midwife to ask her advice. She said to put on a pad and lie down for 1/2 hour, then see if there was more fluid when I got up. I tried this, and there really wasn’t anything noticeable — but then again, it was a pretty absorbant type of pad, so I still didn’t know.

The night went on. I continued to cough. I placed a bit of toilet tissue inside the pad, just in case it happened again, so I would be able to tell. There was a bit later, and it definitely wasn’t urine (blood-tinged), but still just a trickle…until about 10pm when there was indeed a noticeable gush, and another, and another; with each coughing spell – enough of a pink-tinged gush that I soaked through two of those ultra-plus absorbancy pads and a couple pairs of panties, forcing me to put on a pair of those ridiculous diaper-looking disposable panties that I had bought just for the occasion. This was definitely *it*, but still no contractions.

Another call to the midwife. She said to get some rest while I could; while I still wasn’t having contractions. If the contractions didn’t start throughout the night, I was to give her a call first thing in the morning and we’d try castor oil. I guess my body didn’t want to hear the words “castor oil”, because within minutes, by about 10:30 pm, contractions had begun.  They weren’t in a “good” pattern though. Some were strong; some piddly. I was debating whether or not to continue to bother the midwife or not. Rob and I discussed it and decided it may be a good idea to call her anyway, if for no other reason than to just have her do a quick check to see if there was any progression. On the one hand, I didn’t want to send her out on another false alarm, but on the other hand, once I hit 7cm or so, I generally go very quickly, and Rob said he’d prefer to not have to deliver a baby unassisted.

It was a good thing we called. Bea (the midwife) showed up at about 11:15 and baby arrived 2 hours later.

When she arrived and checked me, she said I was still only at 6cm, but that the cervix was “very thin”. She also said the membranes had not completely ruptured, and were indeed bulging during contractions. This still puzzles me; how I was able to have all of that fluid loss, which was definitely amniotic fluid, and yet still have my membranes intact. She mentioned something about a “high leak” — that basically there could have been a leak up high, forcing fluid out when I coughed, while between coughs, with the baby’s head down so low, she was sealing off the leak (acting as a sort of cork).

Bea went ahead and ruptured my membranes the rest of the way, and I sat down to watch tv, along with Bea, Rob, and my oldest daughter Audrey until the contractions began to kick in REALLY hard and strong. I barely made it through the rest of the Monk episode we were watching – but I wanted to see the ending (I tend to be a Monk addict), so I persevered, with Bea putting counter-pressure on my lower back during the worst part of the contractions. When the episode was over, I got into the bathtub to labor.

Ahhhh. There is something to be said for a nice soak in warm water to help ease the pain. When I got into the tub, I was still just 6cm, but 100% effaced. Then things really began to kick in.

There wasn’t relief from that warm water for long. The contractions soon began coming right on top of one another, with barely any break in between. I began doubting my decision for a drug-free birth at home, and imagining how if I were in the hospital, I would certainly be demanding an epidural at this point. I really didn’t think I could do it this time…and voiced that several times, knowing it was too late to turn back now anyway.  I had never had contractions like that, with no break in between — barely even time to catch my breath. The midwife assured me that this was a good thing, that it meant it would all be over with more quickly.

Just minutes (seconds?) before “DeeDee” was born
I was trying to muster up a smile during the very brief interval between contractions

And it was. Those words had barely escaped her lips when I was pushing and Rob was calling the two oldest girls in to witness the birth (they both had requested to be there). After three pushes, “DeeDee” was born under the water (our first waterbirth) and promptly placed on my chest. I was in awe. She was BIG and pink and STRONG! Weighing in at almost a full two pounds more than most of her siblings, she was our first baby to ever sport those big chubby cheeks. It didn’t take me long to understand why this birth had been so much more intense and painful than the others! I am accustomed to delivering 6 lb. babies.

While on my chest, Baby “DeeDee” lifted her little head up and looked around, before falling peacefully asleep. (This reaffirmed my homebirth decision. The birth process at home is so much less traumatic for the baby, and ultimately it’s about her health; not my comfort level).  I cuddled with her in this position for about another 20 minutes while we waited for the cord to stop pulsing (“Dinky”, age 10, was thrilled to be allowed to have the honor of cutting the cord), and while the placenta was delivered.

Rob then woke up our oldest son, and he, Audrey, and “Dinky” took turns holding their newest baby sister while I showered and dressed for recovery.

Once I was back in the bed, the midwife weighed “DeeDee”and took her measurements and vitals.

Then the children delighted in dressing her for the first time.

By 3:15, everything was cleaned up, the children were back in bed, and “DeeDee” was cuddled up with me, nursing very well. We were both given a clean bill of health (miraculously, I hadn’t even required stitches or anything, and the ICP had not had any affect on the baby), and Bea was on her way out the door.

It was fun to see the looks on the faces of the children as they woke up one by one on Sunday morning and shuffled into my room — those looks of surprise to see that their baby sister had finally joined us. Sunday afternoon was a time spent passing our newest little bundle from one person to another. Everyone wants to hold the baby; nearing fighting over her. I can honestly say that there will be no lack of love in this little one’s life. She already has nine siblings who have all fallen head-over-heels for her, and she has the best kissed head in town.

One VERY proud first-time big brother

I just LOVE seeing these big teenage boys holding and loving their baby sister.

“DeeDee’s” number one fan and second Mommy.
Dinky absolutely adores our latest addition.

SeaWorld Called

They want their escaped whale back.

 

Shamu Janne-mu, the Frumpy Whale

Last seen wearing an oh-so-stylish red velour leisure suit, Birkenstocks, and a pair of Maui Jim’s
Quite large, and gaining an average of 4-5 lbs. per week
Warning – very grumpy and hormonal. Approach with extreme caution. May bite.

Ten Days After Labor Began

And still no baby.

This is so unbelievable…and exhausting…and frustrating…and…(I’m sure you get the idea).

During my last update I mentioned that I went into labor on Wednesday, January 14th. The pattern of contractions was great, and in a few short hours I progressed from 2cm to almost 6cm dilation, and from 20% to 50% effacement. Then everything stopped.

…And so it remains.

Yes, 10 days after going into labor and thinking I would get to finally hold my baby girl in my arms, I am still just over halfway there.

The risk of ICP, having been of great concern, led me to the midwife’s office on Monday, the day of my last update, where I had labwork done to check liver function. Thankfully (praise be to God!), my bloodwork came back normal, meaning the baby is not in immediate danger from the ICP. This makes things much less “urgent”. Regardless, due to my extreme discomfort, and the fact that my blood pressure has risen a little, and there are ketones and protein in my urine, the midwife did go ahead and sweep my membranes and prescribe an herbal tincture to try to kick start things. Neither worked.

I had another exam on Tuesday, in hopes that my water would break, driving me back into labor (it didn’t). Still 6 cm and 50%. With ICP no longer an immediate threat, the current concern is that the degree of my pelvic separation and the resulting pain is such that I fear (as it gets worse by the day), that if the pregnancy goes on much longer, I will not be able to deliver naturally, and will thus end up with a c-section. So for now, the midwife, as of Tuesday, put me on bedrest, to try to minimize the pain and further damage.

I would continue the herbs throughout Wednesday and Thursday before giving up on them, and on Wednesday, the chiropractor gave me an adjustment that he assured me would bring about this baby. It didn’t. Nor did another adjustment on Friday. *sigh*

I am to the point where I am just physically and emotionally drained. The pelvic pain is so bad that I am not sleeping at night, as I can’t even roll over without the stabbing pain. I have had a constant headache, which I believe is due to gritting my teeth while in pain (as my jaw is suddenly really tight). With the shift in baby’s position (having dropped low) my back has been spasming from my neck all the way to my hips. The pain and lack of sleep have led me to be very irritable, exhausted, stressed, unmotivated…I am in a total brain fog. I just wish I could crawl into bed and sleep as long as I can — until the baby emerges, if ever.

Everything I have read states that a stall in labor halfway through is generally either due to stress or malposition of the baby. Well, the baby is in perfect position for delivery, so the cause of this must be the former…and there isn’t a thing I can do about it. There is *constant* stress and chaos and noise and activity in this house — and it all begins before the sun even comes up. This morning, for example, there were six children already up before sunrise, and all nine were up before 7:30. If stress is the cause of this labor stall, and rest and relaxation are the only cures, then I believe I will be pregnant forever. I have begged Rob to get me a motel room for a couple of days. I am CERTAIN that a couple of days of *quiet* — complete quiet, with a couple of good books and naps when needed, would allow me to finish what was started ten days ago. But financially, that isn’t an option.

So, if you think about it, say a little prayer for me. I am breaking down, both physically and emotionally. Just totally drained at this point.

Went into Labor Five Days Ago — Still No Baby

It is all very frustrating. For many days, I had steady contractions for an hour at a time, only to have them fade away. But last Wednesday was different.

Wednesday was my regular appointment day, but it was also my home visit (in which the midwife visits the home to make sure you have the needed supplies, and to make sure she can find your house and such). Earlier that morning I had had a lot of “show”, so I figured today was “the day”, as the “show” is generally a good indicator. I was convinced enough that this was “it” that I even had Rob stay home from work.

The midwife came at 11, and checked me at around 11:15-11:30. I was still only 2cm and 20% effaced — about the same as the previous week. But almost immediately after the exam, contractions started. By 1:30, they were between 3-5 minutes apart, and over the next few hours they became progressively stronger. There was also enough blood to have to wear a pad, so I had little doubt that I was going to be holding my baby later in the evening. I went ahead and took a hot bath before calling the midwife, just to make sure (as a bath will cause contractions to cease if it isn’t the “real thing”.) After the bath, the contractions continued, in a nice regular pattern, so we called her sometime between 4:30 and 5:00.

At around 5:30, the midwife was at the house and checked me again. 5 cm and 50% effaced. It was baby day!!! She set up all of her supplies and we waited…and then 1/2 hour later contractions stopped — completely. They just stopped. That is NOT supposed to happen. I *still* can’t believe it. Another check at around 7pm confirmed very little progression. Effacement the same. Dilation, between 5 and 6cm. Labor, for all intents and purposes, had come to a screeching halt. The midwife left to get dinner and said to call if/when things picked up. They never did. She ended up spending the night at the birth center “just in case”, but nothing ever happened.

…and here we are, five days later. Still pregnant — and absolutely miserable.

With the baby now dropped so low, I can actually digest my food again, but she is putting so much pressure on my pelvis that my SPD is excruciating! Honestly, the worst pain I have ever felt. It honestly feels like my pelvis is broken. I can’t get around by myself. I can’t even get out of bed…or roll over in bed without help.

And now I am fearing for the baby’s life. I had previously mentioned about how dangerous the ICP is for babies (causing a high risk for stillbirth), but how my symptoms had cleared up with adequate sun exposure. Well, just like most of the rest of the nation, Florida had a nasty cold front. Last week was cold and miserable, with a couple days of rain thrown in. By the end of Friday, I had spent 5 full days without being exposed to direct sunlight…and the itching was getting worse and worse. By Saturday, it had spread to the bottoms of my feet (a bad sign — itching on the palms of hands or soles of feet are big warning signs). Of course, this is causing me to fear the safety of the baby. Any time she goes more than a few minutes without moving, I begin to panic.

Yesterday *may* have bought us a bit of a reprieve. It actually got warm — up to about 69 degrees, so I sat outside soaking up as much of the sun as possible. I have noticeably less itching today, praise God. But it isn’t going to last. There is another cold front coming through tomorrow, expected to bring rain and very cold temps again, so it is IMPERATIVE that the baby is born soon. We will speaking to the midwife about our options.

I have been looking online and listening to well-meaning advice from friends regarding natural labor induction/augmentation. So far nothing has worked. Here is what I have tried, or have tried to try:

• pineapple
• spicy foods (I didn’t figure it would work, as that’s about all I ever eat anyway. I LOVE spicy food!)
• walking – I can’t, with the incredible SPD pain
• n*pple stimulation – again, can’t…far too painful (I am extremely tender there)
• s*x – while normally high on my list of favorite things to do — not so much right now. EXTREMELY painful, because of the SPD.
• evening primrose oil
• eggplant parmesan
• Chinese food
• visualization — I don’t really understand self-hypnosis much, and the reality is that it is nearly impossible to relax enough in this household for anything of this sort to work. There is constant noise and activity.
• swinging in a swing — boy was THAT a sight!
• acupressure — kind of. I didn’t actually go to an acupressurist, but I did stimulate the Hoku and San-yin-chiao points with a TENS unit.
• castor oil — I tried a half dose (2 oz.), but it didn’t work. I mean it worked, but not to induce labor.

What I haven’t yet tried:

• a full dose of castor oil (shudder)
• enema (shudder again)
• reflexology
• cumin tea

Any other suggestions? I am desperate enough to try just about anything.

On a side note, for those wondering why I don’t have the midwife break my water — while that would *probably* do the trick, given my history, she (and I) are hesitant to have it done in the absense of contractions, because if it did NOT cause contractions to kick in, we’d be faced with pitocin, and a resulting epidural and hospital birth — something I’d like to avoid if at all possible.

So…that’s my update at 38 weeks and 3 days — five days after labor started. Please pray that the little peanut arrives very soon and is healthy.

37 Weeks

Getting close! (Thankfully! This body just isn’t big enough for the two of us anymore.) I can’t wait to hold my little one in my arms!

My midwife appointment on Thursday revealed:

• Weight:  153 lbs (30.5 lb. gain total)
• Blood Pressure: 96/68
• Blood Sugar: “Good” (didn’t ask for the numbers)
• Iron: Not so good. 30 — and it needs to be 32 for delivery.
  I can’t win. Although I am taking iron supplements, the calcium supplements that I am taking to cope with the SPD seem to be canceling them out. *SIGH*
• Baby: Heartbeat sounds good (again, I didn’t ask for the number.)
  Head down, anterior, and “very low” – in great position for birth!
• Cervix: 2 cm dilated and “very soft” – seems all those irritating contractions are doing some good after all!

Now we wait…and try to increase the iron level. Still waiting for the GBS results. Still nesting – trying to get the house organized and “perfect”. I think we have everything ready for the baby and the birth, except that we need to put the back row of seats in the van so we can fit everyone. (Van currently only seats 11. The back seat will turn it back into a 15-passenger.)

And when I say it looks like I swallowed a beach ball…

 

Yup, that’s me…with a 45 inch waistline!

Baby Game -

 I created a “baby pool” at ExpectNet.com, for my entertainment. Feel free to join in!

Just for a little background info:

• My previous babies were born at 36 (1), 37 (3), 38 (3), and 39 (2) weeks
• They ranged in weight from 5 lbs. 12 oz to 7 lbs. 12 oz. (the earliest was not the lightest, and there was almost a whole lb. difference between the two latest.)
• So far, 5 girls and 4 boys. The sonographer told us that this current baby is indeed a girl — but she originally told us the same thing with Rey, who is most certainly a BOY!

So…ready to enter your guesses?

A Generic January Update

Still hanging in there! (It’s kind of funny, just about everyone who crosses my path takes one look at my ginormous belly and asks, “You’re still hanging in there?” Uh…yup.) 36 weeks, 5 days — but who’s counting?

It’s been a rough couple of months, given the SPD. My activity has been severely limited, causing me to gain more weight than I had intended (30 lbs. so far). I haven’t been able to go to church or even attend a movie in months because I can’t sit upright for more than 1/2 hour (I have to stay in a semi-reclined position). I can’t shop or take walks — only the minimal amount of movement, or I am left in excruciating pain. THANKFULLY, I live in a one-story home, because stairs are nearly impossible for me! And THANKFULLY, I live in Florida, where I can enjoy the nice warm sunshine at the beach or at the pool on a regular basis, in a reclining lawn chair.

Which brings me to my next point — although the SPD has been a little rough, I have reached a breakthrough as far as the ICP is concerned. Not just a breakthrough — an absolute MIRACLE! If you haven’t read about or experienced ICP (intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy), the condensed explanation is that it is a liver condition (occuring during pregnancy) in which the normal flow of bile is impaired in a woman’s body resulting in severe itching, for which there is no relief. Intense, HORRIBLE itching. Maddening! Itching that keeps the victim awake all night. And because the itch is caused from a build-up of bile salts, the scratching doesn’t even help — but you can’t help but to scratch. As terrible as all of the itching is, however, the risks associated with it are the biggest concern. These risks include hemorrhaging and stillbirth.

This pregnancy is the second time I have had this condition (the first time being with my sixth pregnancy), so when I developed the tell-tale itching, I had no doubt what I was facing — and the fact that there would be no relief in sight until three months later when I would give birth. There is no treatment for this that actually works. Believe me, I have tried EVERYTHING that has ever even been suggested to possibly work. No relief. By the end of that sixth pregnancy, I was honestly having suicidal thoughts — THAT’S how miserable I was. And that’s what I had to look forward to — until that “breakthrough” in December.

Somewhere around the time of my birthday, we had a week of very nice weather (which, thankfully, has continued).  In order to combat cabin fever, I began spending as much time as possible outdoors, taking trips to the beach or the neighborhood pool. By my third day outdoors, I noticed that my itching was subsiding significantly. I was actually able to sleep at night (with the intense itching, I had only been able to sleep in 15-20 minutes stretches at a time). Nothing had changed at all, except for my spending time in the sun. I asked Rob if he thought it was possible that sunlight could cure this horrendous condition. He didn’t know, but reminded me that when Audrey had jaundice as a baby (another condition involving the liver), she was treated with UV lights, and we were advised to place her in the sunlight several times a day. Hmmm…

I began “googling” for ICP/cholestasis and sunlight, and could come up with nothing; no information anywhere stating a connection. BUT, I did find articles stating that ICP is most common in the months of November-January (the months when people tend to get the least amount of sunlight). I don’t think that is a coincidence.

Sunlight works! It really works! I am living proof! Why isn’t that information “out there”? And how do I get it out there? If the cure is something *this* simple, then everyone should know. I came upon it “accidentally” because I live in “the sunshine state” — but if the sunshine works, then shouldn’t the UV lightboxes also work, for those in colder climates? Obviously, I don’t have the resources to do any kind of “studies” or anything — but I wish someone would. How many tiny lives could be saved? How many women could stop the heartache of stillbirth?

So — although I have been struggling with the pelvic pain of SPD, I no longer have any effects of the ICP, except for the occasional mild itching. I want to thank everyone who prayed. Wow! (And please continue to pray that we have warm sunny skies until this baby decides to join us on the outside .)

This is why you will find me on any given day, lounging around the pool. I’m soaking up the sun’s rays and biding my time until baby comes (the kids sure aren’t complaining). Little school work is getting done (I think I may just take the month of January off and push the school year into June instead). I have a serious case of “nesting” — but the problem is, with the SPD, I can’t do much, physically, so Rob is having to “nest” for me — and his cleaning and organizing standards aren’t quite the same as mine.

I have my (home)birth kit almost completely put together. The diapers I own are washed and ready. I have additional ones on order. The new car seat (ours had expired) and stroller arrived last week. The co-sleeper is set up. Onesies and sleepers are washed and ready to go (I really hope that the sonographer wasn’t wrong when it comes to the gender of the baby! Otherwise I will have a little boy wearing lots of pink!) I think I’m about ready to go (although I keep having this nagging feeling that I’m forgetting something).

The only other news is that Audrey’s home, as of December 22nd (we’re climbing back on that roller-coaster ride again), and Rey is *finally* getting his speech evaluation (today, actually); we have been trying to get him in since July! (He has a stuttering problem that rivals Mel Tillis). Rob is back to the old grindstone after having 12 days off (spending most of it cleaning the garage). He continues to look for new work.

…I guess that’s about all to tell.

My apologies for slacking on blogging, emailing, facebooking, etc. I’ve been pretty out of touch the last few months, but the aches and pains and fatigue of pregnancy will soon be coming to an end. The end is now in sight, at least. Definitely no more than a few more weeks (and hopefully much sooner!)

I’ve missed y’all!
God bless!