Being Sara » pregnancy http://beingsara.com Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:13:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 One of “those” weeks… http://beingsara.com/story/one-of-those-weeks/ http://beingsara.com/story/one-of-those-weeks/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:15:52 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=410 Have you ever had one of those weeks were your list of things that go wrong hugely out numbers the list of things that go right?  Like when you’ve been awake since 3am because your kid with RSV keeps coughing and choking on phlem.  Then when you do finally get up, you watch you cat pee in the bathroom sink and stand there thinking “do I interrupt her and risk getting cat pee all over the bathroom, or do I let her finish her disguisting deed and then clean up?”  Then, when you’ve cleaned up that icky mess, and you’re on your way upstairs to pick up your sick kid to nurse him and give him a nebulizer treatment you almost step in cat vomit (yeah, ready to get rid of the cats that day…).  After finally getting that cleaned up, you realize that with all of the rain and the spring thaw, your basement has flooded (which is why the cat was peeing in the sink this morning).  When your toddler wakes up, you put on a cheery face, pick him up and make some chocolate milk.  Then you sit on the couch for a minute with the boy on your lap before you discover that his diaper has leaked – all over your shirt and pants…  After another outfit change for the two of you and lots of cajoling, you somehow manage to get out of the house on time (horay! )  You drop one of your kids off at day care (the baby is still too sick to go, so he’s home with dad).  Unfortunately, the co-worker that you’ve been commuting with is late (again).  He finally arrives 20 minutes later, and you make it to work 5 minutes late (instead of the much preferable 15 minutes early).  When the first 3 hours of your day go like this, do you smile because you know it can’t get worse, or do you sigh and wish you could crawl back into bed and hide under the covers until tomorrow?

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/one-of-those-weeks/feed/ 2 Post pregnancy weight loss http://beingsara.com/story/post-pregnancy-weight-loss/ http://beingsara.com/story/post-pregnancy-weight-loss/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:00:04 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=400 I rarely discuss weight on my blog – mostly because I’m not usually happy with mine.  With Xander, I gained about 30 pounds, and it took me a while to get back to my normal weight.  Even after I was back to “normal”, my body had shifted from pregnancy.  There was flab where there hadn’t been flab before.  Things seemed to have permanently shifted on me (like my belly button which will never be the same).  Since I knew I wanted another baby, and I didn’t want to wait too many years before having one, I didn’t feel overly motivated to work hard to lose weight knowing that I’d be doing it all over again in a few years.

With Parker, I only gained about 20 pounds.  I didn’t do much differently in this pregnancy, other than chase a 2 year old around of course ;-)   Somehow, I was back into pre-pregnancy clothes about 3 weeks after he was born.  When I went back for my 6 week checkup (I was rescheduled, so it was really 8 weeks), I had dropped 10 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  This was super encouraging!  Without any real effort, I had somehow shed 10 pounds!  Of course, I have no idea where those 10 pounds disappeared from, since I was still the same pant and shirt size as I was before.

Now, about a month later, I’ve lost another 9 pounds – almost 20 pounds less than what I was before I became pregnant.  This is definitely cause for celebration, but again, I haven’t dropped the weight anywhere I notice it – still in the same pants and shirts…  Still have that irritating baby flab (more so now that I’ve gone through 2 pregnancies).  Quite a few people have commented on my weight loss, but I still can’t see it.

So, in entirely a-typical fashion, I’ve dropped 40 pounds in 3 months, but other than the large baby bump that was Parker, I have no idea where the weight disappered from.  I also haven’t done anything differently – still drinking completely fatty soda, still eating an occasional chocolate, still putting lots of sugar in my tea…  I’m very excited to be loosing weight, and can only attribute it to breastfeeding and less eating out.  As the weather warms up, I’m hoping to get out more, take walks with the boys, etc. and hopefully continue my weightloss and maybe then I’ll start to notice the changes that everyone else is seeing…

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/post-pregnancy-weight-loss/feed/ 1 Xander Week 103 – Such A Good Big Brother! http://beingsara.com/story/xander-week-103-such-a-good-big-brother/ http://beingsara.com/story/xander-week-103-such-a-good-big-brother/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:08:26 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/story/xander-week-103-such-a-good-big-brother/
The boys

The boys

The most asked questions we’ve had since Parker was born (aside from how is the baby) is how is Xander doing with the baby. Well, Xander is doing great! He has been a wonderful big brother. He’s been patient with both Zach and me (and patience for a 2 year old is impressive!) He loves to bring things to Parker – blankets, pacifiers, toys, etc. It’s very cute. He thinks that anything he might want is something that Parker might want. Xander has been slightly insistent that Parker play with or hold a toy – he doesn’t quite understand the whole concept of babies not wanting toys, and also insistent that Parker wants/needs his pacifier even if he isn’t interested (like when he’s nursing…) Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised and pleased with Xander’s reaction to his new brother. I imagine at some point Parker will show an interest in a toy Xander doesn’t want to share, and this honeymoon period will end, but for now my super sweet and empathic son is a wonderful big brother!

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/xander-week-103-such-a-good-big-brother/feed/ 2 Parker Week 1 – We’re home! http://beingsara.com/story/parker-week-1-were-home/ http://beingsara.com/story/parker-week-1-were-home/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:06:43 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/story/parker-week-1-were-home/ Parker, Zach and I arrived home on the second. Our first night home was nice and relatively quiet, though Parker woke up 4 times in the night to eat… We definitely don’t have a schedule figured out yet. It was nice to sit on my furniture and sleep in my bed though. Aside from a headache that won’t quit (we think it’s leftover from the spinal injection during the surgery) we are all doing well. After the rough night Parker slept ’till 10am! We relaxed and hung out most of the day. Parker had his first sponge bath this afternoon – it’s never a fun experience, but he survived pretty well and was much happier after he was bundled and had a little dinner ;-) Thank you to everyone for the congrats and well wishes – it’s nice to hear from everyone!

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/parker-week-1-were-home/feed/ 3 Welcome To The World Parker Austin http://beingsara.com/story/welcome-to-the-world-parker-austin/ http://beingsara.com/story/welcome-to-the-world-parker-austin/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:58:54 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=308 Parker Austin TirrellShortly after 8am this morning Parker became the newest member of our family. He weighed in at 7 pounds and 6 ounces and is 20.5 inches long. Zach and I arrived at the hospital at 5:45 am. After some checking in and paperwork, they started me on an IV (fluids) and a fetal monitor. About 7 am I was taken down to the pre-surgery area. I met with the anesthesiologist and got hooked up with a spinal. Just before 8am they took me into the operating room. Zach came in shortly after that, and after some prep work, the operation began and at 8:09am Parker was finally on the outside instead of the inside! I’m of course sore and a bit tired, but recovering well, and very happy to be done with pregnancy. Parker is of course adorable and cuddly, and we’re having a wonderful time getting to know our new son! We’ll be home on January 2nd and I’ll hopefully have more to post shortly after that. See Flickr for more photos.

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/welcome-to-the-world-parker-austin/feed/ 6 Baby Week 35 – Ok, I’m done http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-35-ok-im-done/ http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-35-ok-im-done/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:00:40 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=305 Conveniently, my belly button popped out over Thanksgiving weekend.  That was also about the time I realized that I’ve had enough of being pregnant.  It took me a lot longer to reach the “I’m done” phase this time around – my first trimester was worse, but the rest has all been much more comfortable overall (a very pleasant surprise).  But now, I’m feeling huge, and most my my days and nights are spent searching for relief from discomfort.  I get sore if I sit too long, stand too long, lay in the same position too long, etc.  Then I find a comfortable position, and that lasts for 10-15 minutes before I’m uncomfortable again, and searching for a new position.  I’m certain it’s driving my husband nuts at night when I “sleep” (mostly roll from side to side all night long).  I toss and turn, waking him up, and more often than not, stealing the covers from his side of the bed (he hates that…)

So, I’m done.  I know I’ll miss some of the perks of pregnancy – everyone holding doors, the ability to have a huge gut without guilt, a built in conversational topic, etc.  On the other hand, I am so ready to have my body back – to be able to wash dishes without having to stand so far away from the sink, clothes that aren’t all stained on the belly, more comfortable positions for sitting/sleeping.

My belly button popped.  If I were a turkey, that would be a clear indication that I’ve been cooking long enough.  Unfortunately, I’ve still got 3+ weeks to go, and sooooo much Christmas stuff to squeeze into that time.  I want the 30th to arrive tomorrow, but I’m most definitely not ready for the 25th to arrive anytime soon – such a conundrum ;-)

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-35-ok-im-done/feed/ 0 Baby Week 33 – Memo To My Uterus http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-33-memo-to-my-uterus/ http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-33-memo-to-my-uterus/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:09:35 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=298 Re: Current Project

Hello Uterus, we are currently working on a project similar to the one we completed in September of 2006.  As you may recall, the final presentation for that project did not turn out as we had planned.  In light of the previous project, we have decided to take an alternate route for the upcoming presentation.  While I can appreciate the prep work you are doing for this current project, it is unnecessary.  Braxton Hicks are a great training exercise for women who plan to go through labor.  We however, will not be going through labor, so the Braxton Hicks contractions are not helpful this time – merely an uncomfortable distraction.  Please feel free to end your prep work at any time.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-33-memo-to-my-uterus/feed/ 1 Baby Week 32 – Feeling Those Feet! http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-32-feeling-those-feet/ http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-32-feeling-those-feet/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:49 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=290 Image from http://aconn73.wordpress.com/2006/12/09/pregnancy-is-a-wonderful-experience/

Image from http://aconn73.wordpress.com/2006/12/09/pregnancy-is-a-wonderful-experience/

At one of my recent doctor visits I mentioned that I was feeling significantly more movement from this baby than I had with the first.  It wasn’t really a complaint, more of an observation.  My doctor suggested that perhaps I was feeling more because my uterine wall had thinned after the first pregnancy, so I was able to feel movement more often than I had with Xander.  “Ok, I thought, that makes sense.”

After I left, I continued to ponder this theory, and it seemed to make even more sense – Xander’s kicks, while strong at times were never painful.  This little guy is able to take my breath away and stop me in my tracks with just one well placed foot or elbow.  I guess Xander really did do a good job thinning out that uterine wall, because I’m much more sensitive to movement this time around.

It’s sort of a double edged sword sort of situation – I love feeling the baby kick, knowing that he’s moving and doing well in there, and that I should enjoy these movements, because they are likely the last I will ever feel like this…  On the other hand, there are moments when I would love some peace and quiet, just a few minutes without hiccups or kicks, but it’s not like I can reason or plead with the kid yet.

The image here is not my belly – though there are times when you can see it rolling in a manner similar to Alien.  However, that little foot is an excellent portrayal of how I feel 45% of my day.

So, for the next few weeks I’m doing my best to enjoy the movement as much as possible and hope that the schedule he’s developed in the womb is vastly different from the one that we’ll have once he gets out ;-)

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-32-feeling-those-feet/feed/ 1 Baby Week 31 – Tired of the Crumb Catcher http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-31-tired-of-the-crumb-catcher/ http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-31-tired-of-the-crumb-catcher/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:50:55 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=287 From bibswithdignigy.com

From bibswithdignigy.com

Anyone who has had a sufficiently large belly can sympathize with me on this – it becomes a magnet for crumbs and other foods.  Lately I’ve noticed that there is one particular spot on my baby bump that is more “magnetic” than the rest slightly to the right and slightly above my former belly button (I say former, because these days it’s pretty much a flat spot that used to be an indentation once long ago).

The reason I’ve noticed this particular spot more than others is because almost every day for the past week I get to work, take off my coat, put on my ID badge, and discover a tiny, darkened stain in this exact spot.  Each morning I sigh in exasporation because I failed to notice the spot when I could have actually treated the stain and before I dried the shirt thus making it a permanent addition…

Additionally, I’ve got a very limited wardrobe this time around – I don’t have many long sleeve maternity shirts, and I refust to spend much money on any of them because in a little over a month I’ll never wear them again.  So now my entire winter weather maternity wardrobe is officially stained – I know it’s part of the pregnancy gig – maybe I should just give up and start wearing a bib ;-)

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]]> http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-31-tired-of-the-crumb-catcher/feed/ 1 Baby Week 30 – Crowded Maternity Ward? http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-30-crowded-maternity-ward/ http://beingsara.com/story/baby-week-30-crowded-maternity-ward/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:07:39 +0000 Sara http://beingsara.com/?p=281 At my last doctor’s visit, I learned that there are 6 women all scheduled for repeat c-sections within 1 week of me.  Apparently the end of December is a popular time of year to have a baby.  I don’t know if everyone is trying to get the tax write-off for 2008 (not the reason for our decision by the way).

When Xander was born, we had a wonderful experience with the hospital staff.  Our hospital is a relatively small regional one – only 4 post-delivery rooms, but that wing was entirely rebuilt (finished about 2 months before Xander was born) so everything is new and pretty high tech for our rural setting.  Aside from one nurse who was a little obsessive about rules on the maternity ward, they were all awesome.  The nurses were incredibly attentive.  One nurse who usually works in the ER spent the day with me while I was in labor (filling in a shift) and actually came up to check on me the next time she was working.  One of our doctors actually came in (with one of his kids) on his day off to check on me.  Overall, it was a great experience.  They were great with Xander – showed us everything a new parent might need to know, and they were always patient with us, never talked down to us, and truly seemed interested in our well-being.  It was such a great experience that a week or so later when I was feeling up to a walk, we bought them a gift basket of cookies and brought it to the hospital (I should mention that our house is less than a mile away from the hospital).

I think one of the factors in this positive experience was that we were the only ones in the maternity ward for 3 of the 4 days we were there.  The undivided attention was quite nice!  This time, if we’re lucky it’ll just be full and not over-full.

So now I’m nervous.  Not that I think the care will be any less amazing, but I don’t think that we’ll get the undivided attention that we got last time.  When they have the time, the nurses will keep the sleeping baby in the nursery, allowing mothers to get some much needed rest as well.  Again, this is only as time allows, so I suspect that this bonus feature will be offered far less during our upcoming stay.

I’m sure everything will work out just fine in the end – the baby will arrive, the doctors and nurses will give us great support, and we’ll go home a happy and slightly larger family.  But, that doesn’t stop me from wondering about what to expect when we arrive ;-)

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