Monday, October 17, 2011
Hospital Update #1
Well I'm here at the hospital to have a BABY! Last night, Poppyseed wasn't moving much and didn't move at all this morning. Since I had a dr's appt today, I just decided to go in a little early. They monitored her heart beat and movements. She moved a little after being hooked up. When Dr. L came in he simply said "Why don't we just have the baby today". There was nothing really wrong with her, but he said there really was no benefit to her staying there longer, incase her lack of movement might be something wrong. So he scheduled an inducement at 2 today. I'm up to 7ml of pitocin an hour now. and my contractions go to the top of the chart but they don't hurt and I haven't been checked yet to see if I'm dilating anymore. I can feel tension in my lower back, but my real complaint is--and you won't be really surprised by this considering my "lineage"--- I want to eat. I'm hungry and I only get to have jello.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Taking it easy...
...that's a new style for me, but change can be good. Earlier, before the semester started, I had made up a jam packed schedule of things I wanted to do before the baby came, but by the end of week 2 I was exhausted. I remembered the words of President Uchtdorf's talk to slow down and simplify and knew this was something I needed to follow. So now we've nixed the thorough scrub down fall cleaning I had planned for a more manageable 1 hour a day cleaning--that equates to ten minutes in each room and 20 min on a day chore like ironing or mopping the floor. My aim is progression not completion so if the room isnt spotless, at least its cleaner and you'd be surprised how much you can do in ten minutes.
Speaking of 10, that's how many hours of sleep I get each night (odd bc before I got pregnant I could easily power through the day with 5 hours of sleep and lots of water) But I found that those extra 2 hours dosing while Mr Baker is up and getting ready for work make all the difference in my body not feeling very spent and exhausted towards the end of the day.
Achy joints...there used to be a little voice in my head while in the shower reminding me not to linger too long, there were things to do--not anymore. I blast that hot water for all its worth onto my sore neck for about 20 min to 30 min and that does the trick. I know even without feeling major back pain that my body is overdue for a massage, but I'm leaving off consulting the Bakery's change jar until after the Poppyseed comes. Until then I'm making the best of the fact that the Hart Building's pool is heated swimming my laps doing my funny little frog kicks from fitpregnancy .
Ahh the joys of dinner. I love food, but dinner can often be a chore for American women "I'm tired and dinner needs to be ready in 30 min....ramen/peanut butter sandwiches/order pizza, sounds good I don't feel like cooking"---sound familiar. I try to avoid this by thinking about what I'd like to eat during the day or by simply kicking off my shoes when I get home at 4:30 and perusing a cookbook or cooking website for a few minutes until I find something I'd actually love to eat, not just what I can make. I find this makes a huge difference. Unwinding for just a little bit and then finding something that makes you want to cook rather than feeling forced to cook. I also like to shop the international section of allrecipes, when I find something I like, I flip over to pandora and find a music station playing music from the country of origin we're eating from. French : Edith Piaf, Italian: Pavoratti, American: Miles Davis-- you get the idea. This adds atmosphere to the kitchen making dinner becomes more an unwind than an ardous task. And international doesnt= complicated, the other night we had chedder bruschetta, a Mediterranean dish--basically three types of cheeses pureed with tomatoes and spread over bread, then baked in the oven for 10 minutes--do you know what that is?--it's cheese toast that took 30 min instead of 3 and is a little healthier because a vegetable went with it. EASY.
Speaking of atmosphere--do you know what a white linen cloth and lighting a few candles on a set table can do for dinner time?--You actually sit down and enjoy it and relax rather than hurriedly scarf down what you just made standing be the fridge in the kitchen. oh it's nice. Home comforts like that are well worth the little effort they take.
I'm glad that this last month of my pregnancy I have time to relax, because taking care of Poppyseed will be quite the change, but not impossible. I'm already used to waking up every couple of hours needing to go to the bathroom and eat something, that's been the schedule for the past 6 months--my body is already prepped for feedings every 2 or so hours. And hopefully I can set my alarm so I'll wake up before Poppyseed does for her next feeding. We're also making a temporary switch over to paper and plastic dinnerware--just to make things easier that first month or so.
I know that caring for a newborn is demanding but I'm not freaking out over it because I've already set it in my mind that I'm not going to try to work Poppyseed into my life, I'm going to work my life around Poppyseed. My goals will be to see that she is fed and clean, and then I'll do what I can in the time I have left. If it means I can't keep up with my artwork, I'll set it aside for a couple of months that's fine, if ten minute cleanings turn into five minute cleanings, it is ok. If I have to drop my german class and push back graduation to July and grad school til August, there is no shame in that (though I doubt it will get that bad unless something goes medically amiss). Perfect is doing my best and having my priorities straight. We don't have to do everything we want to do in our lives by the time we're 30--there's a lot of life to live. I have two goals right now enjoy and take care of my little family and get through my education. That is the season of life I am in and if I can get the other things done now, wonderful, but I'm not going to feel any less accomplished for not doing the extras. What is most important is Mr. Baker and Poppyseed, even my grad school education is because of and for them--my family will be so much the better for having a wife and mother with a master's degree than without.
Speaking of 10, that's how many hours of sleep I get each night (odd bc before I got pregnant I could easily power through the day with 5 hours of sleep and lots of water) But I found that those extra 2 hours dosing while Mr Baker is up and getting ready for work make all the difference in my body not feeling very spent and exhausted towards the end of the day.
Achy joints...there used to be a little voice in my head while in the shower reminding me not to linger too long, there were things to do--not anymore. I blast that hot water for all its worth onto my sore neck for about 20 min to 30 min and that does the trick. I know even without feeling major back pain that my body is overdue for a massage, but I'm leaving off consulting the Bakery's change jar until after the Poppyseed comes. Until then I'm making the best of the fact that the Hart Building's pool is heated swimming my laps doing my funny little frog kicks from fitpregnancy .
Ahh the joys of dinner. I love food, but dinner can often be a chore for American women "I'm tired and dinner needs to be ready in 30 min....ramen/peanut butter sandwiches/order pizza, sounds good I don't feel like cooking"---sound familiar. I try to avoid this by thinking about what I'd like to eat during the day or by simply kicking off my shoes when I get home at 4:30 and perusing a cookbook or cooking website for a few minutes until I find something I'd actually love to eat, not just what I can make. I find this makes a huge difference. Unwinding for just a little bit and then finding something that makes you want to cook rather than feeling forced to cook. I also like to shop the international section of allrecipes, when I find something I like, I flip over to pandora and find a music station playing music from the country of origin we're eating from. French : Edith Piaf, Italian: Pavoratti, American: Miles Davis-- you get the idea. This adds atmosphere to the kitchen making dinner becomes more an unwind than an ardous task. And international doesnt= complicated, the other night we had chedder bruschetta, a Mediterranean dish--basically three types of cheeses pureed with tomatoes and spread over bread, then baked in the oven for 10 minutes--do you know what that is?--it's cheese toast that took 30 min instead of 3 and is a little healthier because a vegetable went with it. EASY.
Speaking of atmosphere--do you know what a white linen cloth and lighting a few candles on a set table can do for dinner time?--You actually sit down and enjoy it and relax rather than hurriedly scarf down what you just made standing be the fridge in the kitchen. oh it's nice. Home comforts like that are well worth the little effort they take.
I'm glad that this last month of my pregnancy I have time to relax, because taking care of Poppyseed will be quite the change, but not impossible. I'm already used to waking up every couple of hours needing to go to the bathroom and eat something, that's been the schedule for the past 6 months--my body is already prepped for feedings every 2 or so hours. And hopefully I can set my alarm so I'll wake up before Poppyseed does for her next feeding. We're also making a temporary switch over to paper and plastic dinnerware--just to make things easier that first month or so.
I know that caring for a newborn is demanding but I'm not freaking out over it because I've already set it in my mind that I'm not going to try to work Poppyseed into my life, I'm going to work my life around Poppyseed. My goals will be to see that she is fed and clean, and then I'll do what I can in the time I have left. If it means I can't keep up with my artwork, I'll set it aside for a couple of months that's fine, if ten minute cleanings turn into five minute cleanings, it is ok. If I have to drop my german class and push back graduation to July and grad school til August, there is no shame in that (though I doubt it will get that bad unless something goes medically amiss). Perfect is doing my best and having my priorities straight. We don't have to do everything we want to do in our lives by the time we're 30--there's a lot of life to live. I have two goals right now enjoy and take care of my little family and get through my education. That is the season of life I am in and if I can get the other things done now, wonderful, but I'm not going to feel any less accomplished for not doing the extras. What is most important is Mr. Baker and Poppyseed, even my grad school education is because of and for them--my family will be so much the better for having a wife and mother with a master's degree than without.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)