Baby on a budget

Yesterday was my official due date and there's still no sign of this baby arriving any time soon.  Le sigh.  So since I don't have any cute baby photos or updates to give you, I decided that I'll regale you with what we've managed to set up for baby #2 once he decides to grace us with his presence.  The plan for right now is to have this kid set up in the master bedroom with me and Captain Husband for the first few months before we move him in with Sammy--hopefully giving everyone a chance to adapt to one another without too much pain and suffering involved.  So far I've managed to get just about everything I need for this baby second-hand (thanks to hand-me-downs from big brother Sammy and the generosity of family and friends), which translates to super savings that I then get to spend on fun things, like cloth diapers.  (Sorry for the cruddy photos, guys--the batteries in my speed light died last night and the lighting in my bedroom is just plain awful.)

I've owned the vintage wall lamp for a few years now and had been waiting for a reason to dig it out of the garage (it also helps that my mom was able to rewire it for me while she's been here); the shade is one that I thrifted and spray painted in Petrol Blue (using leftover paint from the chest of drawers in Sammy's room).   I found the wall hooks and vintage metal shelf at my favorite thrift store and painted them in Petrol Blue, too, just so everything was nice and cohesive.  My plan is to use the hooks to hang the baby's diaper covers to air out in between changes--plus it will also be a handy place to keep a spare outfit or two or a toy for distractions during diaper changes (like the vintage Fisher Price Happy Apple that I picked up for a song at an estate sale).  My friend gave us the awesome changing table as a gift, which meant all I had to do was outfit it with a changing pad--my mom sewed a few custom covers following this tutorial using jersey fabric and a sheet that I had thrifted earlier this summer.  All in all, I'd say that I spent around $50 for everything, including the changing pad, which isn't too shabby all things considered.  I've also made sure to run everything past quality control, too, just to be on the safe side:

I think if she had opposable thumbs, she'd be giving me two thumbs up.

Looking for something?

I'm going to try something a little different with the blog for the next few months...For the last two years, I've gotten into the habit of posting something every day during the regular work week.  But with baby #2 on the horizon (and no longer breech, hooray!), I think it would make the most sense if I start cutting back now rather than trying to keep up with the schedule that I'd established for myself.  So to that end, I'm only going to be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (unless something happens that's just so awesome that it can't wait until then).  Hopefully by scaling things back now before the baby arrives, I won't feel so pressured to keep up with everything while I'm juggling two kids at once.  I know I didn't really get into a true rhythm with Sammy until about two months after he was born, so I'm going into this whole second baby thing expecting more of the same.  Thanks for understanding!

Snooze fest

Hey everyone--guess who's back, off of bed rest and still pregnant?  This gal!  I've spent the last two weeks in my bed with a few visits to the kitchen for some goodies here and there and it appears that all of my good behavior has done the trick--no more surprise visits to the hospital since the Fourth of July, yay!  Now that I'm full term, my doctor has allowed me to take up some limited activity here and there, although I'm still trying to take it easy--I'm in no rush to go into labor after all.   All of this rest and and taking it easy means that there's not really all that much new and exciting going on around these parts, although I have managed to organize and prepare all of Sammy's baby clothing for his little brother.  So what have you been up to these past two weeks?

The best of all medicines is resting

Well, I'm home again and on strict doctor's orders to take it easy and stay in bed as much as possible for the next two weeks.  No one seems to know why this kid is so adamant about making an early arrival; granted, I don't have much longer to go before I'm considered full term at thirty-seven weeks, but I'd like to let baby #2 cook for as long as possible (and hopefully give him time to flip around from the breech position he seems to like so much).  Because I'm going to be limited to such fun activities like showering, using the bathroom and surfing the web, I think it's best if I take another impromptu blogcation, unless you guys really want to see a series of my feet artfully photographed from my recumbent position in bed for the next two weeks.  I'll definitely be using my down-time to catch up on all of your blogs, so you won't be rid of me entirely.  I'll also try to post updates on facebook and instagram from time to time because I'm hopelessly addicted to social media and can't go completely cold turkey for that long of a period.  Here's hoping that I'm still pregnant when I'm back in two weeks--see you then!

Hmmm, this seems familiar

I spent last night in the hospital again; early contractions were the culprit once more.  I was given injections to slow things down, as well as steroid shots to help the baby's lung development on the off chance that he decides to arrive before he's full term.  I don't know what triggered things this time around, as I've been taking it very easy the past week and staying well-hydrated, but I have the feeling that the double whammy of a full moon and a sizable thunderstorm late Tuesday night may have something to do with it.  I'm rather curious as to what the doctor will have to say when he comes to see me today and will do my best to keep you guys posted.  Thanks for keeping me and my family in your thoughts!

On my mind

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but it's a cute moment between Sammy and my mom that I wanted to share with you guys.  So, on to the post:

Last week's surprise visit to the hospital still has me somewhat rattled...I thought having had one kid already would make me a pro at this whole baby bit, but this go-round has been so completely different than from being pregnant with Sammy that I honestly don't know what to expect and that has me a bit scared.  I'm thirty five weeks and some change today and this baby is breech, which has me trying to come to terms with the fact that I may very well have to undergo a c-section if he doesn't flip around soon...especially if I find myself experiencing early labor issues again.

I've been trying to take things easy since Monday--my doctor gave me orders to stay on bed rest for a few days following my discharge from the hospital, which I did (even though all that rest seemed to do was make me feel tired all of the time).  I've got an appointment to see my doctor today and hopefully that will go well, although I'm afraid that he might tell me I need to really get serious about staying off of my feet for the next few weeks, but if that's what it takes to keep this baby happy and healthy, then I'll do it.  Thankfully my mom is here to help out with Sammy now that I'm no longer able to lift him or get him into his car seat.  He's been handling my diminished activity level pretty well, although it does break my heart a bit to have to tell him no every time he asks for me to pick him up for a quick hug.

I know things have a way of working out so I'm trying not to dwell too much on the what ifs surrounding this pregnancy, even though lying in bed for most of the day kind of gives a person a lot of time to think.  Phew--thanks for listening, everyone; it felt good to get some of this out.

Practice makes perfect

Both Sandy Cat and Sammy have been doing their parts to get ready for the new baby by using Sammy's baby doll as a proxy.  As you can see, Sandy Cat is always ready and willing to be a nap buddy/bed warmer at a moment's notice.

Sammy, on the other hand, has taken on more of an interest in making sure the baby has enough to eat and drink at all times and made the baby a gourmet breakfast of eggs, ketchup and sugar.  When I informed him that the baby might be thirsty after all of that yummy goodness, Sammy raced for the bottle and proceeded to give the baby some milk for the next fifteen minutes or so, which in toddler time is equivalent to approximately two and a half days.

I'm so glad to see Sammy taking on such a nurturing role, especially without having a real-life model from which to follow (although he did pick up quite a bit about the younger set while his cousin, Henry, was here in May).  I'm toying with the idea of maybe making his baby some pretend cloth diapers so Sammy can try his hand at changing him--I think he might enjoy that, or at least the act of velcroing something over and over again.

From the looks of it, I'd say Sammy's ready to be a big brother--hopefully his little brother will decide to wait it out a few more weeks before making an appearance!

An unexpected turn of events

I wrote this post from the confines of a hospital bed late last night; turns out I was having contractions, and, since I still have a good six weeks or so to go, this was not a good thing (other than that, the baby and I are doing just fine).  I was given medication to stop things from progressing and then prescribed twenty-four hours in the hospital for monitoring.  My doctor should be checking in later on this morning and will hopefully be able to let me know what the next step is--I have the feeling I'm going to be put on some sort of bed rest.  Thank goodness my mom is here to help out--I don't know what Captain Husband, Sammy or I would do without her right now.  With any luck I'll be home later tonight, so I'll be able to post the photos from Sammy's birthday party for tomorrow--can't keep you guys waiting too long! 

Foto Friday: Feathers or fur

Sandy Cat really likes the perches that I put up for her in Sammy's play room, especially as they give her a safe place where she can watch over Sammy without worrying about him getting too affectionate and check out the neighborhood birds that like to congregate around the bird feeder in our backyard.   She had apparently just spied a few tasty-looking ones when I snapped this photo.

In other news, this baby is kicking my butt, or rather, he's kicking my back.  My lower back is still a mess, so I finally broke down and called my doctor in the hopes the could recommend something, anything really, that might help.  He gave me the name and number of a local massage therapist and I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with her, so I hope that it will do the trick or at least give me some sort of relief.  Maybe if I play my cards right I can convince Captain Husband that this will need to become a weekly expense until this kid is born--I kind of like the sound of that!

Texture Thursday: Rub-a-dub-dub, two cousins in the tub

It's been so nice watching the relationship between Sammy and Henry grow with each passing day; it's progressed from Sammy being a bit too rough for Henry's liking (turns out babies don't enjoy bear hugs, complete with growling) to Sammy taking an active interest in Henry's emotional well-being.  The two boys are sharing a room (it's excellent practice for when baby #2 is here), so when Sammy awoke Tuesday morning and discovered Henry fast asleep in his former crib, Sammy frantically informed us all that the "baby" was "stuck" because Henry wasn't able to get up and leave the room on his own accord.  The biggest surprise to all of us, though, is just how nicely Sammy has been sharing with Henry--he's been letting Henry sit in his high chair, use his old crib, be held by HIS mommy, and play with his toys.  Sammy's even started taking toys over to Henry and saying "share" while handing him the toy in question.  I think Sammy's going to be a pretty awesome big brother thanks to all of the practice he's been getting with his little cousin.

Out of this world (and out of whack)

I hope you all got a chance to check out the biggest full moon of the year on Saturday night--it was a pretty spectacular sight here in El Paso, although my photo doesn't really do it justice as I'm awful at night photography and couldn't be bothered to take the time to set up the tripod to do things properly.

My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew are arriving in here this morning; it's the first time we've seen them since Thanksgiving last year, so you can imagine just how excited I am about their visit.  As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing worse than traveling half-way across the country only to spend your first day there tracking down the brand of diapers that you like, or scavenging for age-appropriate snacks for your nearly eight-month-old, so to that end I spent most of the weekend running to various stores and getting things set up for them.  Well, between that and attempting to clean up the house a bit (we're going to have a crawler in the house, eek!), I managed to mess up my lower back something awful.  Throw in a thirty-pound toddler that still needs to be picked up and put in his car seat several times a day and now I'm hobbling around like a pregnant octogenarian.  If anyone has some tried and true remedies for alleviating some of the discomfort, I'm all ears!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Preggo Pals

{My sweet, kind and loving mother arranged for my oldest and dearest friend, Aubree', to fly down to El Paso for a few days so that we could spend some quality time together before our respective spawn are due later this summer.  We're only a few weeks apart (she's winning) so we spent a good deal of time comparing our various symptoms and the realities of dealing with babies.  It also helped to have a walking, talking example of things to come in the house, too.}

{We've been friends since junior high and it's kind of amazing to have known someone for that long and to have remained such good friends regardless of the many changes our lives have undergone over the years--we're actually closing in on having known each other for two decades.  DECADES, people.}

{It sucks that we live so far apart, but our friendship is the kind that doesn't require close distance or even frequent contact to thrive.  We could probably go for a year without talking and get together and it would feel as though things never skipped a beat--although I would never want to abstain from Aubree' for that long.  Hopefully we'll be able get together over Thanksgiving if the stars can align for us to both be in Pennsylvania with our families at the same time.  Fingers crossed!}

Which cloth diaper should I choose for baby #2?

It should come as no surprise to those who know me that I'm planning to use cloth diapers on baby #2 when he makes his appearance this summer.  Sammy's been in cloth since the day he came home from the hospital and the experience has been great.  However, it's a bit of a double-edged sword; I know so much more about cloth now than I did two years ago, which means a whole new world of options is spread out before me.  Don't get me wrong--I really like our Fuzzi Bunz and couldn't be happier with how they've worked out for us, but I want to try something different this time around...you know, shake things up a bit.  Right now I'm toying around with the idea of using fitteds and covers, with me making some of the covers and possibly trying my hand at converting some prefolds into fitteds (known as "prefitteds") to cut down on costs a bit.  I figure by doing this I can keep both the baby's and Sammy's bum in cloth, with the majority of the Fuzzi Bunz being set aside for Sammy's use.  Then, once the baby has gotten a bit bigger and started to outgrow the fitteds, I can transition him into Sammy's diapers because hopefully Sammy will be using less of them and (fingers crossed) be on his way to potty training.   So my question for all of you cloth-diapering mamas out there is does this sound like a feasible plan?  Are there any other options I should consider?  Do you have a favorite kind of fitted diaper?  I'm all ears!

Unsolicited Uterus Update #2

May I have a drum roll, please?  Baby #2 is a boy!  According to the ultrasound technician, he's looking good and measuring right on target for an early August birthday.  This news all came as a welcome relief, especially as I haven't been feeling him move at all and I know I was definitely feeling Sammy by this point in my first pregnancy.  Turns out I've got an anterior placenta, which is keeping me from feeling all of the little flutters and whatnot.  I was pretty happy to see him kicking and punching on the screen, even though I couldn't feel a darn thing.

In somewhat related news, I've decided to make a switch in my insurance by going from TriCare Prime to TriCare Standard.  This means I'll be able to choose a doctor and will no longer be beholden to the military health care system.  I've been terribly unhappy with my experience so far and the stress of the situation was really keeping me from enjoying what should be a happy and exciting time in my life.  Of course this now means that I have to find a doctor that's accepting new patients, STAT, but I'm just so happy to be done with all of that other nonsense.

A loaded question

A few weeks ago my best friend, who is pregnant with her first child, wrote me an email regarding the transition from working full-time to being a full-time stay-at-home-mom and asked me if I ever planned to return to work.  This is a topic that is never far from my mind...adjusting from being a full-time member of the work force to being the slave of a tiny tyrant (I may be exaggerating slightly) is one that I still struggle with.  A lot.  I actually had a dream a few weeks ago about being back at work in the antiques gallery and helping to identify an unknown DC cabinetmaker...exciting stuff, I know.  

Would I like to go back to work?  Most definitely.  However, the sad fact remains that most military spouses face an uphill battle in the quest for employment regardless if children are in the picture or not.  There's not much call for someone with a masters degree in American Decorative Arts where most military posts are located, unless we happen to find ourselves back in northern Virginia, which is possible, but unlikely.  And now with number two on the way...well, that pushes the timeline for my possible re-entry into the workforce back a couple more years.

Ever since I made the difficult decision to not return to work there have been many times where I've felt as though I've lost just about everything by which I used to define myself.  This feeling has only intensified in the months since our move to El Paso; I think it's a direct result of the fact that no one down here knows the version of me that existed in my life before kids and that makes me feel very isolated and lonely sometimes.  Don't get me wrong--I love Sammy and our family and I've been privileged to make some very awesome friends since moving here--I know that I'm incredibly lucky that we can afford for me to stay home and raise our son.  I often get down on myself because I don't feel completely fulfilled by motherhood alone; I know many people who would give their right arm for the chance to be home full-time with their children and that makes me feel even more guilty.

I hope that I'm not the only out there that feels this way, so now the question is how should I go about dealing with these feelings; I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Foto Friday: Edited (and editing myself)

This is one of my favorite outtakes from the so-called Valentine photo session that I attempted with Sammy earlier in the week; I discovered that the only way to get him to look up from playing in the dirt was to count to three...once I hit "three," Sammy would quickly look my way and flash a goofy grin.
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So I know I promised a post in which actual brain power was used, but I just don't see that happening today.  I don't know what my deal is lately, but I've just been feeling really uninspired--like it's a chore to pick up the camera or to come up with something fun and exciting for Sammy and me to do with our days.  More and more I feel like the most boring person on earth and I often imagine that my readers would rather watch paint dry than read one more story or see one more photo of how Sammy and I spent our day in the backyard or how the highlight of my week was finishing up a round of antibiotics for a kidney infection (which coupled with the whole pregnancy thing may explain my general feelings of malaise this month).

What do you guys think--do you ever go through periods where you just feel totally uninspired?  If so, how do you get out of your funk?  I enjoy using my blog as a creative outlet for both my photography and writing (I'm convinced that without the blog I'd probably have forgotten how to write a grammatically-accurate sentence by now), but it's a lot easier for me to write about the things that I/my family do rather than how I'm feeling.  Maybe that's something I should work on...after all, it's so easy to choose the most flattering/pleasant aspects of my life to showcase on this blog but perhaps it's time to live life a little more unedited.

The artist at work

I had a bit of a draining morning yesterday (and I mean that literally--I had some twelve vials of blood drawn), so I needed a nice, laid-back activity that would keep Sammy happy and wouldn't have me running all over the place.  I remembered that I had some sidewalk chalk stashed away somewhere in the house, so I searched it out, put some shoes on Sammy and headed outdoors.

Sammy didn't take much prodding and eagerly dumped all of the chalk out on the ground and started doodling all over the patio.  I drew a few shapes for Sammy to identify (and hopefully copy) and then sat back and relaxed while I watched my little artist at work. 

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: I suck at keeping secrets

{I was going to try and keep this under wraps for at least a few more weeks, but I just can't keep my big mouth shut any longer: Sammy is going to be a big brother this summer!  Hopefully this new development explains my lackluster posting lately--I really feel as though I've been phoning it in over the last month or so and slacking off on visiting everyone's blogs.  So far I feel pretty good, although I have been incredibly tired, like going-to-bed-at-9-pm-every-night and taking-a-two-hour-nap-every-afternoon tired.  With any luck this symptom will pass as I enter the second trimester, but until then I'll synchronize my naps with Sammy's and prop my eyelids open with toothpicks or something.}

Invasion of the body snatchers

On the days that I actually manage to shower, I often find myself looking down at my body and wonder, just who's body is this anyway? My stomach, lower back and thighs are now criss-crossed by a network of angry red stretchmarks. My once adorable Edward Gorey tattoo on my hip now looks like a surrealist's dream. Consider the evidence; here is my tattoo shortly after it was completed back in 2003:



And here it is today:

Sigh.

I'm sure as time goes by I'll be more comfortable with all of the changes that have taken place with my body (don't even get me started on my boobs), but I still feel like I'm looking in a fun house mirror at someone else. Then I have to remind myself, oh yeah, you just had a baby. Duh.

Unsolicited Uterus Update

Sorry, no bebehs-only kittehs

First things first; No, I have not had the baby yet (but I did start my maternity leave today). As of right now, I am officially four days overdue, but with due dates being nothing more than an educated guess, it's really not that big of a deal. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. Captain Husband came home for a quick weekend visit, mostly because he could tell that I was reaching my breaking point after last week's disappointing doctor's visit in which I was informed that I was neither dilated nor effaced at all. LAME. We both hoped that his visit home would help me relax a bit (plus give my dad a break from all of the action-packed adventures that happen around here on a regular basis, ha). I think we were both secretly hoping that by some strange twist of fate, I would go into labor while he was home and then everything would be fine and dandy. Well, he got on a plane back to Oklahoma this afternoon so that didn't quite happen, but not all is for naught...

Since I'm officially overdue, I now have to go in to the hospital for fetal monitoring, in addition to my usual doctor's appointment, to ensure that my placenta is still doing well and that there's enough amniotic fluid surrounding the baby and so on and so forth. Today I had such a visit, which worked out well because CH was able to go with me. I was hooked up to a bunch of monitors and left to recline while a little machine recorded my heart rate, the baby's heart rate, and contractions, if I was in fact having any. Well, it turns out that I was having contractions, but I was just completely unaware of them. Ok, not totally unaware: I will spare you kind readers the details, but suffice it to say, they did not feel how I expected them to feel nor where I expected to feel them. The doctor did a quick internal and discovered that I was 1 1/2 centimeters dilated and about 25% effaced. Finally, some progress!

As the evening has progressed, my contractions have become more regular, so here's hoping that this little bambino will finally be making his debut some time in the near future (I've been monitoring them on my iPhone thanks to Labor Mate--of course there's an app for that). However, there is one small, minor problem--just where exactly I will be giving birth. Dewitt is no longer an option due to a freak gnat infestation in their surgical department; as a result, they are not admitting laboring patients due to the slim chance that they might need a c-section, which they wouldn't be able to do due the whole gnat situation. They expect it will take several days, or possibly a week, to get everything cleaned and sterilized and ready for use. This leaves me in a bit of lurch, but fortunately I live in Northern Virginia, where there are hospitals seemingly everywhere. Unfortunately the closest one is also the one with the worst reputation in the area, so obviously that's a no go. As of right now, Dad and I will probably head on down to Stafford Hospital, which is about a thirty-minute drive south of where I live; it's a small, brand-new hospital with great reviews, so I think it will be a good fit. Plus one of the nurses who was monitoring me this afternoon also works there, and she made a good case for delivering at Stafford now that Dewitt was no longer an option.

So that's all for now; thank you in advance for the well wishes and words of encouragement--I'll try to update as much as possible as things progress!