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Monday, February 28, 2011

BHAG

My friend Sarah Jolley has inspired me. For one of her classes she has to do a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) so she is running the SLC half marathon. I would link the post to her blog but sorry dude's her blog is private and only cool peeps like me get to read it :) But you can read about her running journey here. I think her running blog idea is super cute!

Since having a baby has done absolutely nothing good for my thighs and/or abdomen I need to get back in shape. So I have decided to do a BHAG of my own and run a 10k. I know, not quite as audacious as Sarah's half marathon, but I suppose I am not as audacious as Sarah. It seems I am in fact about 7 miles less audacious.

I start my 8 week training today! Today I run 1.5 miles and since I haven't ran at all in over a year... I'm a little nervous. I know it's going to suck.

I wish chubby was "in". But then again I'd have to buy a whole new wardrobe...

Thankful

I just had to publicly thank my Heavenly Father for always looking out for my little family. I don't really want to get in to all of the details here on the ol' blog. But I just wanted to let you know, that I know He knows who I am, He knows my needs and my struggles and I know He loves me. One of my favorite scriptures is D&C 25:12 Since I cannot always speak as eloquently as I would like to express my gratitude... This song will have to do.

My Shepherd will supply my need:
Jehovah is His Name;
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy's sake,
In paths of truth and grace.
When I walk through the shades of death,
Thy presence is my stay;
A word of Thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,
Doth still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thine oil anoints my head.
The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, nor a guest,
But like a child at home.


--My Shepherd Will Supply My Need, Isaac Watts

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

free time

My little munchkin is currently in the kitchen in her swing taking a nap looking like this....





So I thought... free time! I should blog. Now I'm here... blogging. I have nothing to even talk about. So for journaling purposes...


Isabel's Birth Story

The 11th was my due date and I was pretty depressed because I was convinced that I was going to have to be induced. Little did I know when I went to bed that night that I would go into labor. Troy had just started school and had 7:30am class so we had tried to go to bed early. I had a hard time going to sleep that night. I probably fell asleep sometime around midnight.
I woke up about 1:30am because I was uncomfortable. I thought I just had a really full bladder since lately if my bladder got too full it would start to be uncomfortable. I got up to go to the bathroom. I went pee and because I was so tired I just kinda sat there for a second afterward. All of a sudden I heard this gush of water or pee pour out of me. I thought "Did I just pee again?" I sat on the toilet really confused for a minute. I stood up to look in the toilet and all I could tell was that I had peed. I just stood there with my pants around my ankles trying to decide if my water had broken or if I no longer had control of my own bladder anymore. That's when I felt it again and pink tinged water dribbled down my leg. I was pretty sure my water had broken at that point but I was still not 100% sure, I wasn't having contractions. I decided to wake up Troy and call the doctor.

I called the doctor and they told me to come to the hospital. After I hung up I was pretty positive my water had broken for real. Troy and I tried to get everything we needed in disarray. We were tired and unprepared, we both had assumed I'd have to be induced. We drove to the hospital and I still wasn't having contractions. The hospital admitted me about 2am. I asked the nurse if I could take a shower. I hadn't showered all day and if people were going to be all up in my business I wanted to be clean. Of course I had forgotten shampoo and conditioner and the hospital only had conditioner. I ended up having to wash my hair with liquid hand soap. But it was better than greasy nasty hair.

My contractions started while I was in the shower. I have never been against an epidural or anything but I had always wanted to see how "tough" I was and to put off the epidural as long as possible. By 4am my contractions were pretty painful and while I could still breathe through them I knew I wouldn't be able to much longer. So the anesthesiologist came and gave me an epidural. My whole body was shaking because I was so nervous but according to Troy and the anesthesiologist I "took it like a champ." I had no adverse side effects from the epidural and after that everything was great. I tried to sleep but I had too much anxiety.

After 14 hours of labor I was fully dialated but Isabel's head still wasn't quite far down enough and she hadn't made any progress in several hours (I would find out later it was because she had a really big head). So I ended up having to push her down the birth canal. Pushing is some crazy hard work! It took me a little bit to figure out the whole pushing thing. I had a patient controlled epidural and was able to keep it pretty light. I was able to still feel my contractions and I still had some use of my legs. I was soo worried about pooping during delivery. The nurse finally told me that having a baby felt like if I was "constipated" and that it probably would feel like I was pooping my pants (or in my case lack of pants). I had to get over the fact that I might poop. And just in case you were wondering... I didn't!

I pushed for 2.5 hours and I got to a point where I was starting to be unsure if I would last much longer. The nurse finally told me it was time for the doctor to come and I was so relieved. I love love love my doctor. The doctor arrived about 5:30pm and Isabel was born at 5:59pm and 59 seconds. I had a mirror and was able to watch the whole process. It was the the coolest thing I've ever seen. That's when things went momentarily scary.

The nurse and my doctor kept telling me about how after I delivered they would put Isabel on my stomach and wipe her off and then they wanted me to have skin to skin contact with her. Isabel came out and they put her on my stomach. Troy cut the cord and my nurse and Dr. Holmes started wiping her off but she had yet to cry. They kept wiping and rubbing and saying things like "come on little girl." The pediatric nurse asked Dr. Holmes "Do you need me to take her?" There was a nod and someone flipped a switch and 4 other nurses came running in. Troy and I lost it. I honestly couldn't tell you how long it took for them to get her to breathe, it felt like forever. All I know is the second that she finally cried was the best feeling in the world. After that they took her to the special care nursery to be monitored. Troy went with her and after a half an hour they finally brought her to me and I was able to hold her for the first time.

The whole experience was so surreal. I still think it's insane that I have a baby but I'm pretty glad she is mine.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Isabel: one month

I've been missing from the blogging world. Newborn babies are time consuming, who'd have thought?



Izzie,
You turned one month on the 12th! It has definitely been the craziest month of my life. There was a lot of eating, pooping, hiccups and crying. A lot of crying on both of our parts. Figuring out a baby is hard and I think it's been hard for you to figure out this world. It's been amazing to watch you learn even the most simple of things.

You grunt every day, especially when you're hungry. You hate hiccups and your carseat. You hardly ever let me put you down. You prefer to be held so you're in a sitting position. Last week you started ooing and aahing. Not all the time but I've loved listening to you talk (and so has your dad and both grandmas). You have started to figure out how to smile. Especially these last couple days which I guess is technically your second month of life but either way I love it.

You're a pretty good sleeper. At two weeks you started sleeping about 5 hours a night. You have your nights of course like all babies do but you do pretty well. You also LOVE to eat and suck on everything. Since I'm breastfeeding you, I wanted to postpone giving you a binky for the first couple of weeks like all of the breastfeeding specialists recommend. Except you constantly have to suck so by day 3 I gave in. You and your binky have been best friends ever since. You are most certainly a cuddler just like me and I've enjoyed every second of cuddling you. You also got to meet your best friend Addie for the first time. You guys just layed there together but Lisa and I are pretty sure you'll be fast friends.

I'm looking forward to month two and what it will bring and just to watch you learn more. Please go easy on your old mom though... I'm still new at this :)

Love, Mom

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Initiated

Today is momentous.
In my opinion at least.
Today I feel like I was officially initiated in to motherhood.

Sure, in these last 3 weeks I've popped a baby out of me, been at my wits end with a screaming newborn, haven't gotten more than a solid 4 hours of sleep, been pooped on, peed on, puked on, etc... but none of that made me feel more like a mom than today.

After burping my sleepy babe just after a feeding there was puke... everywhere. So while I was cleaning up myself and her, I laid her down on my lap. The old familiar sound of a freshly soiled diaper rang through the air. I thought nothing of it, finished cleaning Izzie's face and picked her up to continue the burping. Only to discover her entire back was covered and I mean covered in poop. Her brand new white jammies, the color of mustard.

I took Izzie to the changing table trying my best not to contaminate the just washed cover (side note: I know it's a changing table cover and meant to be gross-i-fied but I had just washed it). All while doing this I must have jostled Izzie a little too much because she starts spitting up again. She starts to choke a little on her puke, so I have to pick up her naked only halfway clean body and have to pat her poop covered back all the while she was puking on me. I was literally waiting for her to pee on me.

No worries. I was laughing at myself the entire time.


So there you have it.


Official mom, signing off.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Help

Today I am blogging with a baby on my belly. I love that these days I can say ON and not in my belly. My poor little girl has not been feeling well. I can hear her stomach gurgle with gas and everything I've tried to help relieve it has not worked. The only way I can get to her to sleep is resting on my stomach. Which I love but really inhibits any ideas of productivity I may have had.

I'm mildly lactose intolerant, but a terrible lactose intolerant person. Dairy is definitely my favorite food group and I haven't given it up...ever. I think the uh...effects... bother my husband more than they do me.

Today I'm starting for one week (longer if it works) a completely dairy free diet. Which I'm completely and terribly depressed about. I'm just hoping (and also selfishly hoping dairy isn't the cause) this will help Izzie feel better. I literally eat cheese and yogurt every day. I really can't think of much of anything I eat that doesn't have dairy...

I need food ideas. Preferably easy to fix. Please?