Because not enough is going on

We bought this little item this weekend.



Not that we are really starting to potty train, but since he can now tell us when he is poopy (and sometimes tell us BEFORE he is poopy), I figured we could start spending a few minutes on the potty before bath time.

At first he was scared to sit on it. Now it is his preferred place for catching up on the classics.

Runway

I need a short runway.

I figured that out in the shower the other day. I don't make unresearched decisions, but once I set my mind on something I am quick to make a plan and to carry it out. I don't dawdle. If the plan doesn't work, I chart a new course and try again. But I am not one to need a lot of hand holding.

Rob took a week off when Ellie was born, and then my mom stayed last week. And as much as I loved having their help, I am anxious to figure out how I am going to make my life work. Maybe this "runway" into being a mom of two kids has been too long.

Tomorrow I am on my own. Rob is nearby and can come home if I drown, but I won't. I will set a plan and if it doesn't work, I will try something new on Tuesday. My kids will be fed and changed. If all works out, I may even get a shower. Someone might not be attended to as quickly as they would like, but no one is going to die.

I am not the first person to have two kids.

I can do this.




Right?

:)

Melt my heart

Ellie's Birth Story

A few days old.  10PM.  Not tired AT ALL.

Thursday morning I woke up having contractions that were about 12 minutes apart-  And then they stopped.  Totally.  Rob came home around 1 to watch Drew while I went to my regularly scheduled doctors appointment.

I told the nurse practitioner about the contractions that morning, and after she did an exam she told me she thought I would go into labor in the next 24 hours.  I.  Was.  Thrilled.  I called my parents on the way home and they decided to go ahead and drive up that afternoon so they would be here in case I went into labor in the middle of the night.

Meanwhile, I went home feeling nothing.   No contractions whatsoever.  She had said 24 hours, right?  Around 3:30 I noticed some sporadic contractions.  By 4:30 they were about 12 minutes apart again.  Anxious to not repeat the morning, Rob, Drew, Sophie and I packed up and went on a walk.  BOOM.  Contractions went from 12 minutes apart to 6 minutes apart instantly and HURT.  Not sure what happened to 11, 10, 9, 8, or 7 minutes.  Those warnings would have been useful. 

About 5:30 I called the doctor and told her what was going on.  She suggested that if I wanted an epidural I should start to head to the hospital. We called my parents, who had just gotten into Austin, but were stuck in rush hour traffic.  Vicki was driving from Westlake, also stuck in traffic.  Austin (Rob's brother) was coming from ACC and was actually the closest.  We were just waiting for someone to get her to keep Drew.  Meanwhile the contractions were coming faster and hurt more.  I think I looked at Rob at that point and said "we've missed the epidural."

Austin and my parents arrived at almost the same time, so after a hurried hello to them and goodbye to Drew, we ran out the door.  Rob jokes he was happy he didn't have to deliver a baby on the flyover to Mopac.  I am too.

We got to the hospital about 6:00.  Since I hadn't been seen by a doctor, they put me in a triage room to assess whether I was really in labor.  It felt like it took 3 hours for someone to come in and check, but I bet it was closer to 15 minutes.  I knew we were in trouble when she said "you didn't want an epidural, did you?"  When I responded I did, she said "we will see."  It was never mentioned again.

They went to move me to a labor and delivery room.  I told them I could walk, but once they saw what a slow process that was going to be they threw me in a wheelchair and ran me down into an open room.  A nurse was in there waiting for me, already wearing the hairnet they put on to be sterile when the baby was born.  She was having me answer questions at the speed of light (I was screaming answers at her between contractions) while another nurse started an IV, set up the baby portion of the room, and set up the sterile table. 

The nurse then let me know that the doctor who was on call that evening from my practice was in doing a c-section, and they weren't sure she would get here in time.  They were frantically looking for the "hospital doctor," which I think is just a jack-of-all-trades with an MD, since someone had to deliver this baby.  He came in and we were introduced, but he was quickly replaced by the bewildered on-call doctor.  She was shocked when she walked out of surgery and they told her the lady in room 10 was ready to push.  There wasn't a lady in room 10 when she went into surgery.

Dr. Colins came in, introduced herself, and sat on the end of my bed.  That was when I realized this was going to be 100x different than having Drew, and not just because of the lack of the epidural.  There were about 14 people buzzing around my room when Drew was born doing all sorts of things.  There were bright lights and they were ripping the bed apart before I delivered.  There was a doctor and two nurses (and Rob) in the room right now.  No one seemed rushed.  There were no bright lights and my bed stayed in tact.  I have NO IDEA why it was so different.  Maybe there just weren't 14 spare people around the hospital right then?  Maybe they were trying to keep the screaming banshee as calm as possible?  Maybe that is how Dr. Colins prefers to deliver?

Regardless, I told them I wanted to push.  After the first contraction they told me that I really needed to funnel the energy that was coming out of my mouth as a blood curdling scream into the push.  Ok. Done.  On the second push they broke my water (which made the contraction feel a lot better- why didn't we do that sooner?).  On the third push, she was out.  The quick pushing was a gift from God- I really don't know how I could have done that for much longer. 

She cried some, but Ellie came out completely alert (maybe she was wondering who this hollering woman was?).  They weighed her and wrapped her up, but no one was in any rush.  Rob held her and showed her to me for quite awhile (I was completely shaking,  which they say is normal and due the rush of hormones.  But I wasn't sure I could keep a grip on her). 

All in all, we walked into the hospital at 6:30 and she was born at 7:51.  By 10:00 I was in the postpartum wing.

friend, though. :)

So now she is here and is perfect and lovely.  I have a lot of posts to write, but seeing as this one took 3 days to compose between dealing with children, it may take some time!

Happy Birthday Ellie

Anneliese Corrinne Callegari. Born 4/5/2012. Accidental natural childbirth. :) Birth story to come.

An Open Letter to Ellie

Hey Ellie Belle!

It's me, your mama.  I'm the one that has been hosting you in my stomach for the better part of 10 months.  I thought we should have a quick chat.

The doctors say you are set and can come out any day that you wish.  Your current home is getting a bit snug, and I'm having some issues even just looking at my belly these days- it looks like it should hurt.  And I'm gonna be honest, mama is starting to really want some red wine and is starting to think about getting into the white jeans she bought last summer.

So I thought I would alleviate some of the concerns that might be keeping you in.

1. It's April 3rd.  You made it to April.  So your birthstone will now be the diamond, which has to be one of the best options out there.  I'm pretty sure you don't have a calendar in there, so I thought I would let you know the date.
2. Your brother has had an ear infection the last several days which has made him crankier than normal.  He is generally a very sweet, loving and fun boy.  I know your hearing has gotten a lot better in recent weeks, so don't let his crying scare you.
3. Your dad is really anxious to meet you.  I've never seen a grown man ooh and ahh over baby girl clothes like he is doing.  He'd like to meet you, please.
4. Speaking of clothes, you have a closet full of adorable stuff and a super cute bedroom made with love by your grandmother (who still will not pick a grandmother name).  You are set, baby girl!
5. The birthing process really isn't that bad.  I promise, I've never meet a single person who can remember their own birth.  It will be a little rougher on me (and I'll remember), but I'm willing to put that aside. 

So, Miss E, how about it?  Exit today?

With Love,
Mama

What I did......

I left him with the employee. And since I haven't posted about my missing son, everything was fine.

I really felt like I had 1 minute to make a decision. But he was on the curb with the lady (I could see him the whole time) and I wasn't getting any strange vibes from her. Plus, let's be honest, the population of people who DON'T take children is greater than the population who does. Thank God.

Plus (facts omitted from the original story) the other lady left her daughter with the woman to move her car also. That little girl was 4 or 5, so I figured she could protest for both of them if something were to go strange.

I guess sometimes you just have to trust people, even in a world where people seem to be getting generally less trustworthy.

Not that i plan to leave my child in the care of store employees in the future.

WWYHD?

Ok, I found myself in a pickle with no time to make a decision.... Wondered what others would do.

D and I finished grocery shopping at HEB when an employee asked if we were going right or left out the doors. I told her right, and she said there was a large bee hive with swarming bees in one of the trees to the right- she would walk out with me to show me where it was.

As luck would have it, my super close parking spot was right under what was a huge beehive with a black swarm of angry bees. I have a baby and 7 bags of groceries that need to go in my car before I can leave. Now what?

The employee offers to watch my cart (with D in it) so I can jump in my car and bring it to the doors to load and not risk D getting stung (this woman had been).

So what would you have done? Risk yourself and your child? Leave baby with a stranger on the curb? Some other option i didn't think quick enough to come up with? I will report back later with what I did. :)

The Waiting Game

Well, little miss is officially later than her brother, much to my chagrin (not that I really wanted an April Fools baby, but.....)

I am making progress and have had some pretty good contractions, so I am hopeful it may be this week. When I saw the doctor last Thursday she was reminding me about when to call, what to take to L&D and saying "we may not see you next appointment." Not sure if she was being nice or using her background to say her experience said I was on the right track.

Today's only plan is to go to the grocery store. Then I may throw D in the stroller and walk for as long as he will let me. I am not above (naturally) forcing this child out at this point!