Back In the Saddle Again...

Yes, I'm blogging again. I've been meaning to for a really long time and I just haven't made it a priority. Pregnancy made me really tired (lazy) and new motherhood has kind of kicked my butt, but no more excuses!!

Here's an update from the past 7-8 months or so...I was pregnant, had a baby, and now I'm learning about life with two girls. Elise Danielle was born July 26 at 7:05 am via C-section, just like her big sister. She weighed 7 pounds and was 20 1/4 inches long (though she was likely shorter than that--you try stretching out an hours-old baby to see how long she is).

We opted for another C-section because it was the safest way to go, but I was kind of bummed about it. As strange as it sounds, I wanted to experience labor pains, if only just a little. The idea of a totally scheduled C-section, which sounds ideal to many women, was a bit disappointing to me. I held out hope that I'd go into labor on my own, then we'd drive to the hospital for the C-section. I sort of got my wish. I did have a few very minor pains in the weeks before Elise was born, but nothing severe or consistent. So bright and early Thursday, July 26 (exactly one week prior to my due date) Eric and I checked in to the hospital. They quickly got me hooked up to all the machines and pumped me full of fluids (just to ensure I looked nice and plump in all our pictures), and lo and behold...we discovered I was in labor. I started feeling a few pretty intense pains during the two hours before our surgery. So as it turned out, I felt a few labor pains and Elise kind of came out on her own time. Maybe a few hours early. Here is our newest precious baby girl:

 

That was ten weeks ago. Here is a more recent picture:

As expected, her big sister just LOVES her. So much so that sometimes I have to make sure she naps in places where Lanna can't reach her. I'm just thankful she isn't jealous. Here they are together:

 

Anyway, she's a sweetie little baby and sleeps like a CHAMP!! I give her one last feeding around 10:30 pm and she sleeps until 6:30 am--and she has been doing this for more than a month now.

Lanna is back in school now as a totally new kid! Her teachers tell me that gone is the quiet, shy little girl from last year, replaced by a cute, outgoing little jokester. Who knew? I love it!

Okay, enough of this. I promise I'll be back to posting normal stuff again, not just kid stuff. It's hard not to mention the major changes in my life since my last post so long ago. Thanks for reading!

TMI

Don't worry, I have no intention of sharing TMI (too much information, for those of you not down with the lingo) in this post, but I want to talk about people who do. What is it about being pregnant that makes women--sometimes strangers--feel compelled to tell you every gory detail of their pregnancies and, more specifically, their deliveries? I know some pregnant women devour this information, wanting to be prepared for every scenario that might possibly come up during their pregnancy and delivery, but I am not one of them. I trust my doctor and I trust modern medicine, so I would have been perfectly happy going into the delivery room fairly (not completely) oblivious to many of the scary, gross things that may happen during delivery.

Having a baby is one of the most beautiful, natural things in the world (well, the way most people do it), but delivering a baby, that's a different story. It's not pretty. So why women want to tell others stories that include things like episiotomies and pooping on a table is beyond me. Oh, and if you don't know what an episiotomy is, I won't tell you. Honestly, I wish no one ever told me. Do yourself a favor and DON'T Google it. Also, for all you camcorder-happy parents out there, no one wants to see the video of your child's birth. Not even your momma. My poor mom had to sit through one of these experiences before (and this was 20 years ago!). She told me, "I've had four kids. I know what it's like to have a baby!"

The way I see it, extricating a baby from your body, however and wherever it comes from, is an amazing, natural miracle. Kudos to women who go for the no drugs, grin-and-bear-it delivery. You are tough stuff. But I have to say, opting to have a baby in a birthing center, which in some cases is just a house with one of those blood pressure monitors you find at a CVS, is just plain stupid. As far as I know, they allow midwives and doulas in the hospital. If I'm having a baby and something goes wrong, I like knowing there's a doctor in the next room, not some hairy-pitted lady calling 911. What? You say women have been having babies at home since the dawn of time? Yes, and women used to die in childbirth all the time.

Three cheers for women whose birthing stories are as simple as, "I went into labor in the afternoon. We drove to the hospital, I labored for about six hours and out came little Suzy. It was one of the best days of my life!" That's all people need to know. If you start using phrases like, "The doctor reached in..." or words like cervical anything, stop yourself. That is TMI. Let your friends ask for details like that. Don't offer them.

I do love a good, funny birth story. It's important to keep your sense of humor in tense situations, but keep it clean. I'll never forget the image of my husband walking in during my daughter's birth. I was having a C-section and they FORGOT to go get him before they started the surgery! There was my tough guy, who was terrified he'd pass out during the delivery (and there was a very real possibility he would, considering his history), having to enter the room mid-surgery and walk completely around the operating table. He managed to keep his hand up, shielding him from seeing anything he'd consider TMI, without tripping on any tubes, cords or anything else. He was so relieved when he made it to his safe place at my side, behind the drape.

See how I did that? No gory details at all.

Exciting News!

Most of you have probably already heard this or read it on Facebook, but Eric and I are expecting again! We are due August 2.

Most people hear that and go, "Oh poor thing! An August due date!" And after last summer I'm a little worried, but honestly, I don't mind. What we didn't want was another November or December birthday in the family. The three of us have our birthdays within eight days of each other...November 17 (me), 21 (Lanna) and 25 (Eric), add Thanksgiving and some other family birthdays in during that time period and things are pretty crazy. So with that said, a July or August birthday sounds just fine to me. And if when it's hot, I'll just stay inside in the air conditioning.

We're all very excited. Lanna is especially excited about becoming a big sister and is telling everyone our big news. Everyone. Her preschool class knew very early along that Lanna's mommy had a baby in her belly and Lanna was going to help change its diapers and feed it cereal. In her defense, it was Christmastime and they were talking about Mary giving birth to Baby Jesus in the manger, so it really did fit into the conversation. She is also quite sure we are having a girl. Eric also calls the baby a girl most of the time, but I think that's just his way of not getting his hopes of having a boy too high. I honestly don't care if we have a boy or girl. As cliche as it sounds, what's better than a healthy baby?

I've been feeling...okay. I've had about the same amount of first trimester ickiness that I had the first time around, but with different symptoms. During my first pregnancy I had nausea every morning and a weak stomach all day long. Mealtimes were never about what food sounded good, but what food could I stomach. This time around, I've had no problem with food but I've been completely exhausted. Like, can't-peel-my-butt-off-the-couch for hours at a time exhausted. I guess the fact that I'm not working right now has been a blessing.

So, now you all know and I can start posting funny pregnancy related stuff on my blog. Hooray! No more secrets!