I originally logged on to tell you about our day, but then I checked my voicemail and the tide turned. "By the end of next week" turned into today. Opelika City Schools called me back and offered me a job. All I have to do is call and give them a verbal confirmation of my interest and we're set for next year--the contract will be drawn up this week. The district is very good. The school is amazing. It's the opportunity of my teaching career. And yet...
I don't know.
Eli says that I deserve to have this awesome job, that I should get to experience a good teaching situation in a good school system. And I know he's right, but I had hoped to stay home next year (and for many years after), but realistically I know that I will probably drive myself crazy. Eli doesn't have a job for next year yet, so really it comes down to me right now. Some of the retired church ladies came over to visit (unannounced) yesterday and asked about my interview. I mentioned that I really didn't want to put Elsie in daycare for several reasons, and J offered to keep her. That is so funny how that just fell into my lap. I would, of course, do more research into J and her home, but the first word that comes to mind is godsend because Mom had mentioned to me that I should find an individual to keep her instead of a daycare. But the individual found me, unannounced.
I'm happy and sad, both. I will say yes and take this job, because it, too, is a godsend. But I will be sad about going back to work right as my baby can make eye contact and smile at me. I will be happy, though, knowing that it's not permanent. Once Eli gets settled and we know an approximate plan for the next few years, I will have the opportunity to be with my baby. After next year.
More about today's adventures and about the apartment in a later post.
Cheers.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sleep
Elsie slept for a 4.5 hour stretch this morning. It was about 5 hours between feeding times. I feel guilty. I slept and didn't wake her up to eat. I knew it was time to eat when I woke up slightly to my chest throbbing a little, but went back to sleep. She was making little noises in her sleep, but she didn't wake up. She hadn't slept that long at a stretch ever. I think I will attribute her sleep to a 15-minute feeding, and a really good burping session at 1:30 this morning accompanied by a dang good swaddle that kept her arms down, which really is trick, but I still feel uneasy about her only being 3 weeks and going that long between feedings.
Did I do the wrong thing?
Also, the feeding thing has stabilized. She's eating for about 10-15 minutes total and then not getting hungry again for about 2.5 to 3 hours. That's working out well for me, because then I burp her for about 10-15 minutes, and we've done the whole cycle in 30 minutes, and I get a guaranteed 2 hours of sleep at night, if not 3.
And the verdict on the relocation? Eli and I are going to sign the lease for another year on this apartment in just a few minutes. I will talk more about how we made our decision in a later post.
Finally, for all you new parents out there (or going to be new parents), I have really enjoyed reading The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, which talks about the 5 S's--techniques for soothing fussy babies. I feel very confident to calm my baby. Now, take that with a grain of salt because Elsie is a very good baby. I am so blessed. She doesn't need a whole lot of calming. But (for JT, especially) it would be a good read to check out from the library, and then to later purchase or register for. I read it a little bit at a time when I'm feeding Elsie.
Did I do the wrong thing?
Also, the feeding thing has stabilized. She's eating for about 10-15 minutes total and then not getting hungry again for about 2.5 to 3 hours. That's working out well for me, because then I burp her for about 10-15 minutes, and we've done the whole cycle in 30 minutes, and I get a guaranteed 2 hours of sleep at night, if not 3.
And the verdict on the relocation? Eli and I are going to sign the lease for another year on this apartment in just a few minutes. I will talk more about how we made our decision in a later post.
Finally, for all you new parents out there (or going to be new parents), I have really enjoyed reading The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, which talks about the 5 S's--techniques for soothing fussy babies. I feel very confident to calm my baby. Now, take that with a grain of salt because Elsie is a very good baby. I am so blessed. She doesn't need a whole lot of calming. But (for JT, especially) it would be a good read to check out from the library, and then to later purchase or register for. I read it a little bit at a time when I'm feeding Elsie.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
3 Weeks
Um. Didn't I just write my post about two weeks? Time flies when you're having fun! Or, more accurately, when you're not keeping track of which day is which. Haha. Elsie is just so cute, and she is a good baby. My incision is healing and I can finally cough without cringing. Eli is a good daddy, taking Elsie when he gets home so that I can get stuff done around the house. So far, so good.
Eli's little sister came through on Memorial Day to meet her niece. It was nice to have someone hold Elsie while I took a nap. Also, all the Beaver children are just good with babies. Period. It's weird for me, but only because I was one of the youngest children on both sides of my family and didn't readily have access to babies. I babysat a little bit, but I can only think of two babies that I cared for. The rest were toddlers to school age children. Anyway, we enjoyed having little sister here. She's working hard at PT school and we don't get to see her much anymore now that we don't live in the same town, let alone the same state.
Elsie made her debut at the courthouse on Tuesday. Eli took her around to all his coworkers while I went to my interview. She was well received by all. I, on the other hand, was extremely early for my interview. Like..24 hours early. Whoops. And it was pouring down rain and I looked like a drowned rat, so I think it worked out for the best.
Wednesday, a sunny, non-rainy day, I actually went to my interview with the assistant superintendant, and it was pretty much the same interview I had already had at the middle school, which struck me as strange. A couple of weird things--the woman's phone rang in the middle of the interview and she answered it. That sort of thing drives me crazy. Two, the woman is from Tuscaloosa so she knew all my past principals and all the gossip. And three, she kept looking right at me without breaking her gaze, which can make a girl uncomfortable. I kept having to avert my gaze to look at the bookshelf behind her where my eyes kept catching on her copy of Good to Great, since it's a bright red book. Overall, I think it went well. She said they would be able to tell me something by the end of next week.
And then, in the afternoon, our friends J & T came over to watch the Champions League finals (soccer, for you prolate spheroid lovers), and then Stacey and the kids came in from Texas for the week, and then Eli's Uncle M came over to visit for a while, so it was busy day. The kids just love, love, love their cousin Elsie, and she is being a good girl for her only cousins. And Stacey is just doting on her only niece. You should see her--it's almost like she wants to have a little baby again. Then again, they grow up to be teenagers. Haha.
We still have to decide whether or not we stay put in this apartment. Because we have no firm job plans, we're going to have to make a relatively blind decision by...tomorrow. Not a problem. Right? I'll let you know how it goes.
In the meantime, family is here! Cheers!
Eli's little sister came through on Memorial Day to meet her niece. It was nice to have someone hold Elsie while I took a nap. Also, all the Beaver children are just good with babies. Period. It's weird for me, but only because I was one of the youngest children on both sides of my family and didn't readily have access to babies. I babysat a little bit, but I can only think of two babies that I cared for. The rest were toddlers to school age children. Anyway, we enjoyed having little sister here. She's working hard at PT school and we don't get to see her much anymore now that we don't live in the same town, let alone the same state.
Elsie made her debut at the courthouse on Tuesday. Eli took her around to all his coworkers while I went to my interview. She was well received by all. I, on the other hand, was extremely early for my interview. Like..24 hours early. Whoops. And it was pouring down rain and I looked like a drowned rat, so I think it worked out for the best.
Wednesday, a sunny, non-rainy day, I actually went to my interview with the assistant superintendant, and it was pretty much the same interview I had already had at the middle school, which struck me as strange. A couple of weird things--the woman's phone rang in the middle of the interview and she answered it. That sort of thing drives me crazy. Two, the woman is from Tuscaloosa so she knew all my past principals and all the gossip. And three, she kept looking right at me without breaking her gaze, which can make a girl uncomfortable. I kept having to avert my gaze to look at the bookshelf behind her where my eyes kept catching on her copy of Good to Great, since it's a bright red book. Overall, I think it went well. She said they would be able to tell me something by the end of next week.
And then, in the afternoon, our friends J & T came over to watch the Champions League finals (soccer, for you prolate spheroid lovers), and then Stacey and the kids came in from Texas for the week, and then Eli's Uncle M came over to visit for a while, so it was busy day. The kids just love, love, love their cousin Elsie, and she is being a good girl for her only cousins. And Stacey is just doting on her only niece. You should see her--it's almost like she wants to have a little baby again. Then again, they grow up to be teenagers. Haha.
We still have to decide whether or not we stay put in this apartment. Because we have no firm job plans, we're going to have to make a relatively blind decision by...tomorrow. Not a problem. Right? I'll let you know how it goes.
In the meantime, family is here! Cheers!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day brain dump
Random thoughts are swimming around in my brain, so I'm going to dump them out here.
1. Eli has watched more baseball than I ever thought possible. After not having cable for...well, ever, I didn't realize how often baseball teams play! Goodness. They're on every night, it seems. It's to the point that I actually know some of the names of the Braves players. Eli swears he's been a Braves fan since he was a little boy, but we've been together for almost 9 years, and this is the first I'm hearing of it. Even though we're only two hours away, I have not yet been dragged to a game at Turner Field.
2. On that note, I also had no idea what WGN was until recently. It turns out that this is why there are so many Cubs fans, including Eli's best friend. How did they come to be broadcast nationwide? Recently, Eli has been turning to WGN to watch Newhart. No, I'm not kidding. And it's usually when I'm nursing on the couch, so I can't exactly get up and go to another room. I remember not really liking it the first time around, and I'm reminded why when the story line revolves around Stephanie and her boyfriend. Ugh.
3. Elsie is getting big. She has almost outgrown the newborn diapers. I challenged her last week to use up the five packs that we had before she outgrew them, and she rose to the challenge. Lots of dirty diapers. We had five packs total and a few that the hospital gave us--all gone now. And now we break into our huge stash of size 1 diapers.
4. Elsie's umbilical cord stump is still attached. I'm not really concerned, but it's been 18 days. Everything I read says that the average stay is 10-14 days. I guess the average gets that high because someone has to go long. Leave it to our Elsie to overachieve. I'm not really sure what to expect. Will is just fall off? I dont' know. Help?
5. My daughter is going to be a blonde. I know, I know. Looking at her pictures at birth, you would think we avoided this altogether, but as her hair is growing the roots are white. At first I thought silver, but I knew better once I realized what was going on. Eli's hair was white until he was 14-ish, when he hit puberty. And then it started darkening. I'm thinking that if we put off Elisie's first haircut, she's going to look like a punk rocker girl with blonde hair that is dark just on the ends. It could be a good look. Amazingly enough, I'm okay with the blonde hair thing. I think that God made her a brunette at birth so that we could bond, so that I could relate to her better (I openly admit that I tend to discriminate against blondes). It's a growing experience, I will grow as a person as Elsie grows as a blonde.
6. My in-laws were here this past weekend to spend some time with the baby. It was weird (but not in a bad way) on Saturday morning when MIL vacuumed, swept, and mopped my house. What was weird was how thorough she was. I think she spent more time doing that on a Saturday morning then I have spent all together since we moved into this apartment. It was nice, but made me feel inadequate as a house keeper. And I'm okay with that.
7. Elsie has a changing table. Mom bought it when she was here, and Eli thinks it's the best investment she could have made in our future parenting. I'm glad he's happy. Coco is also happy, as it give him another place to sleep.
8. Elsie has a rocking chair. MIL was going to bring one that belonged to her mother, Elsie, but they ended up buying a new one at Cracker Barrel. Shows how much I know. I didn't know the rocking chairs at Cracker Barrel were for sale. It's comfy, and Timmy especially loves to sleep on it. I think part of the attraction for him is leaving his white hair on the green cushions.
Okay. That's all I can think of for now. Thank you for letting me dump the contents of my brain. Happy Memorial Day!
1. Eli has watched more baseball than I ever thought possible. After not having cable for...well, ever, I didn't realize how often baseball teams play! Goodness. They're on every night, it seems. It's to the point that I actually know some of the names of the Braves players. Eli swears he's been a Braves fan since he was a little boy, but we've been together for almost 9 years, and this is the first I'm hearing of it. Even though we're only two hours away, I have not yet been dragged to a game at Turner Field.
2. On that note, I also had no idea what WGN was until recently. It turns out that this is why there are so many Cubs fans, including Eli's best friend. How did they come to be broadcast nationwide? Recently, Eli has been turning to WGN to watch Newhart. No, I'm not kidding. And it's usually when I'm nursing on the couch, so I can't exactly get up and go to another room. I remember not really liking it the first time around, and I'm reminded why when the story line revolves around Stephanie and her boyfriend. Ugh.
3. Elsie is getting big. She has almost outgrown the newborn diapers. I challenged her last week to use up the five packs that we had before she outgrew them, and she rose to the challenge. Lots of dirty diapers. We had five packs total and a few that the hospital gave us--all gone now. And now we break into our huge stash of size 1 diapers.
4. Elsie's umbilical cord stump is still attached. I'm not really concerned, but it's been 18 days. Everything I read says that the average stay is 10-14 days. I guess the average gets that high because someone has to go long. Leave it to our Elsie to overachieve. I'm not really sure what to expect. Will is just fall off? I dont' know. Help?
5. My daughter is going to be a blonde. I know, I know. Looking at her pictures at birth, you would think we avoided this altogether, but as her hair is growing the roots are white. At first I thought silver, but I knew better once I realized what was going on. Eli's hair was white until he was 14-ish, when he hit puberty. And then it started darkening. I'm thinking that if we put off Elisie's first haircut, she's going to look like a punk rocker girl with blonde hair that is dark just on the ends. It could be a good look. Amazingly enough, I'm okay with the blonde hair thing. I think that God made her a brunette at birth so that we could bond, so that I could relate to her better (I openly admit that I tend to discriminate against blondes). It's a growing experience, I will grow as a person as Elsie grows as a blonde.
6. My in-laws were here this past weekend to spend some time with the baby. It was weird (but not in a bad way) on Saturday morning when MIL vacuumed, swept, and mopped my house. What was weird was how thorough she was. I think she spent more time doing that on a Saturday morning then I have spent all together since we moved into this apartment. It was nice, but made me feel inadequate as a house keeper. And I'm okay with that.
7. Elsie has a changing table. Mom bought it when she was here, and Eli thinks it's the best investment she could have made in our future parenting. I'm glad he's happy. Coco is also happy, as it give him another place to sleep.
8. Elsie has a rocking chair. MIL was going to bring one that belonged to her mother, Elsie, but they ended up buying a new one at Cracker Barrel. Shows how much I know. I didn't know the rocking chairs at Cracker Barrel were for sale. It's comfy, and Timmy especially loves to sleep on it. I think part of the attraction for him is leaving his white hair on the green cushions.
Okay. That's all I can think of for now. Thank you for letting me dump the contents of my brain. Happy Memorial Day!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Two Weeks
Where does the time go?
Today, the first day that I have been allowed to drive since my major abdominal baby-removal surgery, Elsie and I headed out to go visit the cafeteria ladies at school and to drop off thank you notes to the rest of the school staff. Trying to stay ahead of things, I fed her before we left and she ate like a champ. Then, right as I was buckling her into her car seat, pretty much everything she ate spilled down her front side with no warning. So, we had to change clothes and mop up the seat a little bit and were a little late getting to LaFayette, but no matter. Miraculously, she wasn't immediately hungry again after that...
We also had a nurse's visit this morning because evidently the PKU test (heel stick) they did in the hospital was inconclusive. That is, they didn't get enough blood on the card, and so had to do it again. I was holding Elsie close as they stuck her again, and it was heartbreaking to see the realization of pain wash across her face and then be echoed through her cries. Actual pain. I let them do that to my baby! And they again had a hard time getting the five good drops of blood needed, so they may have to do it again at her 1-month appointment. Ugh. On the bright side, she calmed down quickly, though I had to give her a pacifier to distract her from the discomfort of the nurse milking her leg and toes for blood. Also, she was weighed and that came to 9 lbs. 3 oz. My little piglet is putting on weight!
Yesterday I ranted a little about why my shirts don't fit anymore, but today I'm going to celebrate that I was able to get into my pre-pregnancy jeans. I just decided to try them this morning and was resolved to wear them if I could get them zipped and if they didn't aggravate my incision. Both situations worked out, and though they were a *little* tight through the rump and thighs, I wore a long shirt to cover that up. And yes, I do have a little extra skin in my midriff area that I'm pretty sure wasn't there before (ha!), so the long shirt helped to keep the muffin-top effect at bay. I realize that I'm only two weeks out from having been huge, and that it may take a while (if ever) to get back to my comfortable body type that fits all my non-maternity clothes, but I must say that I think I look pretty darn good. I would post a picture to show you, but I'm afraid you may not agree, and since I am in no mood to deal with contrary persons, I'll let you just imagine me lookin' real good.
Happy Thursday! (And what would be my last day of school with students, were I not on maternity leave!)
Today, the first day that I have been allowed to drive since my major abdominal baby-removal surgery, Elsie and I headed out to go visit the cafeteria ladies at school and to drop off thank you notes to the rest of the school staff. Trying to stay ahead of things, I fed her before we left and she ate like a champ. Then, right as I was buckling her into her car seat, pretty much everything she ate spilled down her front side with no warning. So, we had to change clothes and mop up the seat a little bit and were a little late getting to LaFayette, but no matter. Miraculously, she wasn't immediately hungry again after that...
We also had a nurse's visit this morning because evidently the PKU test (heel stick) they did in the hospital was inconclusive. That is, they didn't get enough blood on the card, and so had to do it again. I was holding Elsie close as they stuck her again, and it was heartbreaking to see the realization of pain wash across her face and then be echoed through her cries. Actual pain. I let them do that to my baby! And they again had a hard time getting the five good drops of blood needed, so they may have to do it again at her 1-month appointment. Ugh. On the bright side, she calmed down quickly, though I had to give her a pacifier to distract her from the discomfort of the nurse milking her leg and toes for blood. Also, she was weighed and that came to 9 lbs. 3 oz. My little piglet is putting on weight!
Yesterday I ranted a little about why my shirts don't fit anymore, but today I'm going to celebrate that I was able to get into my pre-pregnancy jeans. I just decided to try them this morning and was resolved to wear them if I could get them zipped and if they didn't aggravate my incision. Both situations worked out, and though they were a *little* tight through the rump and thighs, I wore a long shirt to cover that up. And yes, I do have a little extra skin in my midriff area that I'm pretty sure wasn't there before (ha!), so the long shirt helped to keep the muffin-top effect at bay. I realize that I'm only two weeks out from having been huge, and that it may take a while (if ever) to get back to my comfortable body type that fits all my non-maternity clothes, but I must say that I think I look pretty darn good. I would post a picture to show you, but I'm afraid you may not agree, and since I am in no mood to deal with contrary persons, I'll let you just imagine me lookin' real good.
Happy Thursday! (And what would be my last day of school with students, were I not on maternity leave!)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Alphabet Soup
Okay, ladies. I'm only going to say this once. I don't know how you do it. For those of you whose chest registers on the cup scale, I don't envy you, nor have I ever, really. I always appreciated the fact that I could exercise without extra support and discomfort. But now, I am cursed with a milk-filled chest that is uncomfortable, and I'm pretty sure it's just a C cup (which some of you think of as small, for heaven's sake). It's annoying, and I want my body back! I want my clothes to fit through the chest! I want to be able to put my arms down to my side without anything getting in the way! Now, is that really too much to ask? :)
I know this is a silly post topic, but seeing as how my main lot in life these past weeks has been primary feeder, I thought I would get these feelings off my chest (pun intended).
Happy Wednesday to you!
I know this is a silly post topic, but seeing as how my main lot in life these past weeks has been primary feeder, I thought I would get these feelings off my chest (pun intended).
Happy Wednesday to you!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Part Human
I woke up this morning feeling halfway human. Elsie slept in three shifts last night. A 3-hour, a 2-hour, and then a 3-hour jaunt through dreamland. Wow. It's amazing how a little more consecutive sleep can change your outlook. I woke up several times within the three hours thinking she would wake up soon, but forced myself to go back to sleep, and I'm glad I did. I swaddled her last night for the first time, really, and I think that was the magic trick. Eli wanted to know how I got her to put her arms down in the swaddle, and I told him I didn't know. I was asleep when I did it. Haha. (She likes to have her arms free and sleep with them above her head, roller coaster "wheeeeee" style.)
The interview/meeting yesterday went well. Basically they told me they wanted to hire me, but that they couldn't do anything formal until they had interviewed other people for the job to make it a legitimate hiring process. They told me they called me first because they wanted me. So, that felt good. This morning, someone called from central office (I didn't know who because Elsie decided it was time to scream at that particular moment) to set up a follow-up interview with the assistant superintendent next week. So, this ball is a-rolling. We'll see where it rolls.
Today is our six-year anniversary. I can't believe it's already been that long! Well, add in the almost three years we dated before we got married, and it's been almost nine years! Unbelievable! Eli got me a strand of pearls. When M & S got married two years ago, she gave pearls as her bridesmaid gifts and I was jealous. Eli remembered that. We actually already went on our anniversary date this past Saturday. Mom watched Elsie while we went to go see the new Star Trek movie. It was awesome! And I didn't get very restless during the movie (okay, maybe during the last 30 minutes). I don't think I could leave Elsie in better hands than my mom's. Thanks, Mom!
I'm going to take it easy today, figure out how to use my Moby wrap, do some laundry, take a few naps. I never thought I would like Tuesdays this much.
The interview/meeting yesterday went well. Basically they told me they wanted to hire me, but that they couldn't do anything formal until they had interviewed other people for the job to make it a legitimate hiring process. They told me they called me first because they wanted me. So, that felt good. This morning, someone called from central office (I didn't know who because Elsie decided it was time to scream at that particular moment) to set up a follow-up interview with the assistant superintendent next week. So, this ball is a-rolling. We'll see where it rolls.
Today is our six-year anniversary. I can't believe it's already been that long! Well, add in the almost three years we dated before we got married, and it's been almost nine years! Unbelievable! Eli got me a strand of pearls. When M & S got married two years ago, she gave pearls as her bridesmaid gifts and I was jealous. Eli remembered that. We actually already went on our anniversary date this past Saturday. Mom watched Elsie while we went to go see the new Star Trek movie. It was awesome! And I didn't get very restless during the movie (okay, maybe during the last 30 minutes). I don't think I could leave Elsie in better hands than my mom's. Thanks, Mom!
I'm going to take it easy today, figure out how to use my Moby wrap, do some laundry, take a few naps. I never thought I would like Tuesdays this much.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Change
I kept having nightmares last night that I fell asleep with the baby in bed with me and that she got lost. I had my arms around something I thought was Elsie, but it turned out to be a pillow. I would wake up and thankfully she would be where she should be--asleep in the bassinet. Same dream, multiple times. I have a feeling this is the beginning of 18+ years of Elsie-related anxiety dreams.
Speaking of anxiety, Mom left yesterday, after an emotional week here in Alabama. Me thinks I would have crumpled this week without her help. Being sleep deprived makes me grouchy and annoyed at stupid little things. I then get frustrated with myself for being this crazy person. But Mom was there to encourage and reassure me that it's okay. I've heard from several sources that I may never be that same again, that I may never feel like myself, and that we'll just have to get used to the new me, the mother me. Another thing to look forward to.
Something else that will take getting used to is the cats vying for our attention. Coco has started meowing in a way that imitates Elsie's cry (to the point that it fools my mammary glands). Eli says it's just because he had freshly awakened and that his meow gets stronger and more cat-like when he is more awake, but I don't agree. He's done that cry just walking around the house. It is one of the most bizarre things I have encountered with this cat yet. Timmy is loving all the baby stuff packaging cardboard boxes that he can sleep in. However, any time Eli sits down, he's right there on his lap, sometimes trying to share space with Elsie (which is nice, because Coco just wants to sit on her--forget sharing).
And finally, another reminder that I'm not in control. (C'mon? Will I ever learn?) We have 12 days left to let our apartment complex know if we're staying or leaving at the end of our lease on June 30. Up to right now we have had no idea. And for the record, we still have no idea, so it's a leap of faith. Last week, Opelika City Schools called me and asked me to update my application for the next school year, as there would be a language arts opening soon. Yes, that's right. They called me. Because of their attentions, I reluctantly updated my application, as I'm still conflicted about this stay-at-home-mom thing. Last night a woman from the district called me on a Sunday night to ask me to come in this week for an interview with the principal at OMS. I've worked for him before, back in September when I served as a long-term sub for another teacher's maternity leave, before I was hired into my full-time position in Chambers County. She called this morning to ask me to come in this afternoon.
Eli and I had a heart-to-heart last night about what the future holds, about what we're going to do about this lease. He still has his heart on the Coast Guard, and if the Lord sees that one through, it would still be sometime during the next year before he would go to training--same with the National Guard, actually. He said he's resigned to be here for another year. But then he admitted that it wasn't really resignation. We both agreed that we are very happy here. I don't have the urge to move anywhere else, though I'd be willing if it came to that.
Anyway, I'm going this afternoon. I will come home with a job. We will move at the end of June to the Opelika side of town where the rent is cheaper and the church community is closer. And we will live off of one salary for a year (though hopefully will have two incomes) to try to pay down some of this student loan debt--maybe even pay mine off--and credit card debt.
Speaking of anxiety, Mom left yesterday, after an emotional week here in Alabama. Me thinks I would have crumpled this week without her help. Being sleep deprived makes me grouchy and annoyed at stupid little things. I then get frustrated with myself for being this crazy person. But Mom was there to encourage and reassure me that it's okay. I've heard from several sources that I may never be that same again, that I may never feel like myself, and that we'll just have to get used to the new me, the mother me. Another thing to look forward to.
Something else that will take getting used to is the cats vying for our attention. Coco has started meowing in a way that imitates Elsie's cry (to the point that it fools my mammary glands). Eli says it's just because he had freshly awakened and that his meow gets stronger and more cat-like when he is more awake, but I don't agree. He's done that cry just walking around the house. It is one of the most bizarre things I have encountered with this cat yet. Timmy is loving all the baby stuff packaging cardboard boxes that he can sleep in. However, any time Eli sits down, he's right there on his lap, sometimes trying to share space with Elsie (which is nice, because Coco just wants to sit on her--forget sharing).
And finally, another reminder that I'm not in control. (C'mon? Will I ever learn?) We have 12 days left to let our apartment complex know if we're staying or leaving at the end of our lease on June 30. Up to right now we have had no idea. And for the record, we still have no idea, so it's a leap of faith. Last week, Opelika City Schools called me and asked me to update my application for the next school year, as there would be a language arts opening soon. Yes, that's right. They called me. Because of their attentions, I reluctantly updated my application, as I'm still conflicted about this stay-at-home-mom thing. Last night a woman from the district called me on a Sunday night to ask me to come in this week for an interview with the principal at OMS. I've worked for him before, back in September when I served as a long-term sub for another teacher's maternity leave, before I was hired into my full-time position in Chambers County. She called this morning to ask me to come in this afternoon.
Eli and I had a heart-to-heart last night about what the future holds, about what we're going to do about this lease. He still has his heart on the Coast Guard, and if the Lord sees that one through, it would still be sometime during the next year before he would go to training--same with the National Guard, actually. He said he's resigned to be here for another year. But then he admitted that it wasn't really resignation. We both agreed that we are very happy here. I don't have the urge to move anywhere else, though I'd be willing if it came to that.
Anyway, I'm going this afternoon. I will come home with a job. We will move at the end of June to the Opelika side of town where the rent is cheaper and the church community is closer. And we will live off of one salary for a year (though hopefully will have two incomes) to try to pay down some of this student loan debt--maybe even pay mine off--and credit card debt.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Pictures, finally!
Elsie Jane being retrieved.
My cheesy baby.
Proud dad looks on as the nurses do their thing.
Eli shows me the baby for the first time.
Later, I get to hold Elsie for the first time.
Elsie and Dr. Litsey.
My cheesy baby.
Proud dad looks on as the nurses do their thing.
Eli shows me the baby for the first time.
Later, I get to hold Elsie for the first time.
Elsie and Dr. Litsey.
One Week
So, I have the "refrain" from the Barenaked Ladies' song "One Week" in my mind. I never realized how annoying it is. :)
Yesterday Elsie was one week old. Mom and I took her up to the pediatric clinic to have her one week weigh in, and....(drum roll)...
After 7 days, she weighed 8 lbs. 8 oz.! My, oh my!
Remember, her birth weight was 8 lbs. 1 oz. In actuality, we went to have her jaundice checked on Monday they went ahead and weighed her. She was already back up to 8 lbs. (from her discharge weight at 7 lbs. 14 oz.). I thought that must be a fluke since it had only been 4 days since her birth, but I guess not.
Today I follow up with the lactation counselors at the hospital. They're going to be plum pleased at her weight, but I'm wondering if it's normal for a one-week old baby to nurse for ONE HOUR at a time. Geez. This may be too much information, but I'm pretty tender.
So, a couple of things that have hit a nerve lately:
The pediatric clinic nurse called for her by calling for "Elise". I waited, and when she didn't say anything else, I said, "Elsie?" She just looked at me and said, "Okay." I may have come across a little harsh, but I wanted to make sure she was calling for us. Turns out that all the hand-written notes in her medical record have her name right, but the actual type-written label on the folder actually says Elise! I'm afraid this is something my dear daughter will have to contend with her whole life.
And then, a friend from church came over to bring dinner to us, for which we are very thankful, but when she sat down to chat for a while, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Please tell me you're going to call her Elle." Excuse me? This friend's a little rough around the edges to begin with, but I really wanted to slap her. You don't have to like my baby's name, and you also don't have to comment on it. We're starting a revolution, people! Single-handedly bringing back the old lady names, one baby at a time. They will be in vogue soon enough and you will scoff that you ever scoffed that Elsie is the name of the Borden cow.
Anyway, I'm trying to find my groove. I got the most sleep last night without keeping my mom up all night, so I felt good about that, though my emotions are all over the place. Sleep when baby sleeps. Cry when baby cries. That seems to be the way things are going down these days, but I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. At least until my mom goes back to Texas on Sunday, then I'm going to have a breakdown because I'll be all by myself with baby all day. I'll let you know how it goes when I have the wherewithall to blog about it.
Thanks for the prayers and moral support!
Yesterday Elsie was one week old. Mom and I took her up to the pediatric clinic to have her one week weigh in, and....(drum roll)...
After 7 days, she weighed 8 lbs. 8 oz.! My, oh my!
Remember, her birth weight was 8 lbs. 1 oz. In actuality, we went to have her jaundice checked on Monday they went ahead and weighed her. She was already back up to 8 lbs. (from her discharge weight at 7 lbs. 14 oz.). I thought that must be a fluke since it had only been 4 days since her birth, but I guess not.
Today I follow up with the lactation counselors at the hospital. They're going to be plum pleased at her weight, but I'm wondering if it's normal for a one-week old baby to nurse for ONE HOUR at a time. Geez. This may be too much information, but I'm pretty tender.
So, a couple of things that have hit a nerve lately:
The pediatric clinic nurse called for her by calling for "Elise". I waited, and when she didn't say anything else, I said, "Elsie?" She just looked at me and said, "Okay." I may have come across a little harsh, but I wanted to make sure she was calling for us. Turns out that all the hand-written notes in her medical record have her name right, but the actual type-written label on the folder actually says Elise! I'm afraid this is something my dear daughter will have to contend with her whole life.
And then, a friend from church came over to bring dinner to us, for which we are very thankful, but when she sat down to chat for a while, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Please tell me you're going to call her Elle." Excuse me? This friend's a little rough around the edges to begin with, but I really wanted to slap her. You don't have to like my baby's name, and you also don't have to comment on it. We're starting a revolution, people! Single-handedly bringing back the old lady names, one baby at a time. They will be in vogue soon enough and you will scoff that you ever scoffed that Elsie is the name of the Borden cow.
Anyway, I'm trying to find my groove. I got the most sleep last night without keeping my mom up all night, so I felt good about that, though my emotions are all over the place. Sleep when baby sleeps. Cry when baby cries. That seems to be the way things are going down these days, but I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. At least until my mom goes back to Texas on Sunday, then I'm going to have a breakdown because I'll be all by myself with baby all day. I'll let you know how it goes when I have the wherewithall to blog about it.
Thanks for the prayers and moral support!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Picture Teaser
I have yet to create my final exams for my classes. It was on my list of things to do before baby came, but all those things on my list went by the wayside. Except that the deadline is today, so I need to finish that before everything else. So, to keep you all at bay, here are some picture teasers from Elsie's first days in the hospital.
In standard hospital garb:
The two loves of my life:
Mother's point-of-view as she rested in my arms (a little blurry, yes, but so was I):
In standard hospital garb:
The two loves of my life:
Mother's point-of-view as she rested in my arms (a little blurry, yes, but so was I):
Monday, May 11, 2009
(8:43 p.m.) Baby Days and First Night
Elsie Jane is here, and I want to tell you all about it. But seeing how I'm a sleep-deprived first-time parent typing with one hand, it's going to take me all day to tell my stories. I will update the title of this post with the last time it was updated as I get around to it today...
But first a celebration that this blog is finally about the Beaver family.
Hooray! (Confetti drops from the ceiling! Party hats perfectly pointed! Strangers play kazoos!)
And now to try to sleep. :)
____________
8:43 p.m. Wishful Thinking
It turns out that I'm not the Wonder Woman I thought I was. Haha. This is the first time I've had to sit down, and that's only because my mom is holding Elsie. I've been sleeping on and off all day. Eli was back at work this morning but took a half day and spent the afternoon with us. He took his girls back to the hospital today to have Elsie's jaundice checked. I also had an impromptu meeting with the lactation counselor. Turns out everything is going splendidly. I told her I guess my milk is coming in because Elsie is spitting up (in very small quantities, mostly when she hiccups) more white stuff than yellow. I spoke too soon. We came home and I took a long nap (2 hours) and during the nap I got really cold and needed to cover up. When I woke up, my milk production machines were achy and hard. Baby woke up and you would have thought I had turned on a faucet! So weird. Enough about that. Here's the quick recap of Elsie's coming into the world:
On Wednesday morning, 5/6/09, I woke up at 4:45 a.m. already en route to the bathroom. My water had broken. Surprise! I had absolutely no labor signs and was a little confused because I wasn't actually experiencing labor. I did know, however, that the whole laboring at home thing was now not an option. We called Labor and Delivery at the hospital, and after reassuring the nurse that no, I had not peed on myself, and that yes, it was my water, we were told to come it. I didn't want to leave because I had a whole list of things that needed to be accomplished before we brought a baby home. Oh, well.
We got to the hospital, after Eli finally told me to chill about the state of the apartment, and were admitted around 6:30. It was my goal to give birth without pain medication, and I labored for many hours with little to no progress from my 1.5 cm that I came in with, and even bargained with the doctor for more time before we even talked Pitocin. I really did not want to augment labor because I knew in my heart where it would lead. And I was right. I got to 7 cm on the Pitocin and stopped. For hours. The contractions got more and more intense and painful but went nowhere. No. Where. Poor Eli didn't know what to do for me. So, we made the decision to take some Demerol and then an epidural -- at 11:30 p.m. I was exhausted. My husband was exhausted. But I wasn't going to give in. I still wanted to get that baby out in a non-surgical way. So, they let us sleep for a couple of hours.
When the nurse came in I was fully dilated and we decided it was time to start pushing. I could feel the contractions, but not the pushing sensation, so I had a really hard time. The baby descended but stopped right at my tailbone about 1 hour into our efforts. The doctor came in after 2 hours of pushing, and the approximate 24-hour mark since my water broke (5:15 a.m.), and told me that he wanted to see progress, but that it wasn't coming. My tailbone was in the way and that it looked like the baby's head was huge--two things that are difficult to work with. We agreed that I would give it two more hours until I had to make a decision about a C-section. I had to bargain for this, too, since the baby was not in distress, and I really, really, really, wanted to avoid surgery. So, I asked them to dial down the epidural so I could feel something and tried for two more hours with a different nurse (shift change) who was more open to my suggestions for more upright pushing positions. Unfortunately, two hours later baby had not moved, even with my being able to direct my efforts. It was time to get the baby out before infection set in. And that's how my c-section came to be, with Dr. Litsey presiding.
The doctors in the operating room also had difficulty getting her big head out of the small incision, prompting the question, "What did you feed this baby?" And the reluctant answer, "Chocolate chip cookies?" Eli and I both cried when we heard her crying. They lifted her over the curtain and she was all white with vernix. I had told Eli before that when they took the baby (no matter how she was born), he need to go with her, so he followed the cheesy baby over to the nurse's nook where they took measurements and wrapped her up tight to come show me.
Eli told me later that it just melted his heart that he was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. ::sigh:: I love him.
I went to recovery for an hour and druggily chatted with the nurse (the one open to my suggestions) about her faith and about the work God has done in our lives. Then they wheeled me to a room where Eli sat waiting for me. He choked up a little bit as he told me how proud of me he was. About an hour after that, I got to hold Elsie for the first time, and we started pondering her name. I was glad I got to meet her first. :) Then the lactation nurses came in and wanted me to focus, through the pain meds, on breastfeeding for the first time. That was the biggest mental challenge in the whole ordeal--luckily Elsie knew what to do and that made it easier for me. After that narcotic wore off, I insisted on only having ibuprofin. Evidently, after a C-section, that makes you some kind of rock star because all the nurses came in and knew how [unspoken: unnecessarily] long my labor was and how I was refusing narcotics. They kept telling me how impressed they were. I was still having mixed emotions about how things went down.
Dr. Litsey told me before I left the OR that I had gone "above and beyond the call of duty" and that I shouldn't let anyone tell me any differently. I had mixed emotions about that, even at the time. But the lesson here is that even though I wanted to have a "natural" childbirth (which for me meant med-free), it was just that--what I wanted. The Lord took care of that and made it so that it couldn't have happened the way I wanted anyway--it was physically impossible. That was when I knew I had to give up my stubborn will and let Him direct the arrival of His child. I thought I had been preparing for that, but turns out that I'm human and kept holding on to my sinful desire to control everything. Yes, I cried about it still (I just never learn, do I?), but I'm at peace with the way things happened. The biggest help was one of the lactation nurses who came in to check on me on Saturday while Eli was home cleaning the house for me as an early Mother's Day present. She let me cry on her shoulder and told me that yes, some people gloss over a woman's emotions and say, essentially, "Suck it up. You have a healthy baby. What more could you want?" But that it's important to acknowledge our true emotions because they are REAL. It's hard to know what that's like until you're wearing the shoes of disappointment. It was nice to have someone acknowledge that, especially since I had previously been of the "suck it up" camp when other people were in my situation.
Anyway, that's all I have time for now. Time to feed the baby. Again. :)
Funny ("strange" or "ha-ha") Stories:
I don't know if I wrote about this before, but it turns out that the other doctor (Dr. Golden) in the OR was the same OB who (jokingly) told me to suck my gut in as he tried to get by me to his seat at the NIT quarter finals, Auburn vs. Baylor. I told him I knew who he was and he distinctly remembered us--something about rooting for the wrong team and shouting that annoying cheer (B-B-B-A-Y, L-L-L-O-R, B-A-Y, L-O-R, BAYLOR BEARS FIGHT!). So funny.
I got my driver license renewed on Tuesday afternoon because I knew somewhere deep down that I wouldn't have the time to get it done before it expired at the end of the month. Turns out that it was the last day that I would have free to do so without lugging an infant around [externally]!
But first a celebration that this blog is finally about the Beaver family.
Hooray! (Confetti drops from the ceiling! Party hats perfectly pointed! Strangers play kazoos!)
And now to try to sleep. :)
____________
8:43 p.m. Wishful Thinking
It turns out that I'm not the Wonder Woman I thought I was. Haha. This is the first time I've had to sit down, and that's only because my mom is holding Elsie. I've been sleeping on and off all day. Eli was back at work this morning but took a half day and spent the afternoon with us. He took his girls back to the hospital today to have Elsie's jaundice checked. I also had an impromptu meeting with the lactation counselor. Turns out everything is going splendidly. I told her I guess my milk is coming in because Elsie is spitting up (in very small quantities, mostly when she hiccups) more white stuff than yellow. I spoke too soon. We came home and I took a long nap (2 hours) and during the nap I got really cold and needed to cover up. When I woke up, my milk production machines were achy and hard. Baby woke up and you would have thought I had turned on a faucet! So weird. Enough about that. Here's the quick recap of Elsie's coming into the world:
On Wednesday morning, 5/6/09, I woke up at 4:45 a.m. already en route to the bathroom. My water had broken. Surprise! I had absolutely no labor signs and was a little confused because I wasn't actually experiencing labor. I did know, however, that the whole laboring at home thing was now not an option. We called Labor and Delivery at the hospital, and after reassuring the nurse that no, I had not peed on myself, and that yes, it was my water, we were told to come it. I didn't want to leave because I had a whole list of things that needed to be accomplished before we brought a baby home. Oh, well.
We got to the hospital, after Eli finally told me to chill about the state of the apartment, and were admitted around 6:30. It was my goal to give birth without pain medication, and I labored for many hours with little to no progress from my 1.5 cm that I came in with, and even bargained with the doctor for more time before we even talked Pitocin. I really did not want to augment labor because I knew in my heart where it would lead. And I was right. I got to 7 cm on the Pitocin and stopped. For hours. The contractions got more and more intense and painful but went nowhere. No. Where. Poor Eli didn't know what to do for me. So, we made the decision to take some Demerol and then an epidural -- at 11:30 p.m. I was exhausted. My husband was exhausted. But I wasn't going to give in. I still wanted to get that baby out in a non-surgical way. So, they let us sleep for a couple of hours.
When the nurse came in I was fully dilated and we decided it was time to start pushing. I could feel the contractions, but not the pushing sensation, so I had a really hard time. The baby descended but stopped right at my tailbone about 1 hour into our efforts. The doctor came in after 2 hours of pushing, and the approximate 24-hour mark since my water broke (5:15 a.m.), and told me that he wanted to see progress, but that it wasn't coming. My tailbone was in the way and that it looked like the baby's head was huge--two things that are difficult to work with. We agreed that I would give it two more hours until I had to make a decision about a C-section. I had to bargain for this, too, since the baby was not in distress, and I really, really, really, wanted to avoid surgery. So, I asked them to dial down the epidural so I could feel something and tried for two more hours with a different nurse (shift change) who was more open to my suggestions for more upright pushing positions. Unfortunately, two hours later baby had not moved, even with my being able to direct my efforts. It was time to get the baby out before infection set in. And that's how my c-section came to be, with Dr. Litsey presiding.
The doctors in the operating room also had difficulty getting her big head out of the small incision, prompting the question, "What did you feed this baby?" And the reluctant answer, "Chocolate chip cookies?" Eli and I both cried when we heard her crying. They lifted her over the curtain and she was all white with vernix. I had told Eli before that when they took the baby (no matter how she was born), he need to go with her, so he followed the cheesy baby over to the nurse's nook where they took measurements and wrapped her up tight to come show me.
Eli told me later that it just melted his heart that he was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. ::sigh:: I love him.
I went to recovery for an hour and druggily chatted with the nurse (the one open to my suggestions) about her faith and about the work God has done in our lives. Then they wheeled me to a room where Eli sat waiting for me. He choked up a little bit as he told me how proud of me he was. About an hour after that, I got to hold Elsie for the first time, and we started pondering her name. I was glad I got to meet her first. :) Then the lactation nurses came in and wanted me to focus, through the pain meds, on breastfeeding for the first time. That was the biggest mental challenge in the whole ordeal--luckily Elsie knew what to do and that made it easier for me. After that narcotic wore off, I insisted on only having ibuprofin. Evidently, after a C-section, that makes you some kind of rock star because all the nurses came in and knew how [unspoken: unnecessarily] long my labor was and how I was refusing narcotics. They kept telling me how impressed they were. I was still having mixed emotions about how things went down.
Dr. Litsey told me before I left the OR that I had gone "above and beyond the call of duty" and that I shouldn't let anyone tell me any differently. I had mixed emotions about that, even at the time. But the lesson here is that even though I wanted to have a "natural" childbirth (which for me meant med-free), it was just that--what I wanted. The Lord took care of that and made it so that it couldn't have happened the way I wanted anyway--it was physically impossible. That was when I knew I had to give up my stubborn will and let Him direct the arrival of His child. I thought I had been preparing for that, but turns out that I'm human and kept holding on to my sinful desire to control everything. Yes, I cried about it still (I just never learn, do I?), but I'm at peace with the way things happened. The biggest help was one of the lactation nurses who came in to check on me on Saturday while Eli was home cleaning the house for me as an early Mother's Day present. She let me cry on her shoulder and told me that yes, some people gloss over a woman's emotions and say, essentially, "Suck it up. You have a healthy baby. What more could you want?" But that it's important to acknowledge our true emotions because they are REAL. It's hard to know what that's like until you're wearing the shoes of disappointment. It was nice to have someone acknowledge that, especially since I had previously been of the "suck it up" camp when other people were in my situation.
Anyway, that's all I have time for now. Time to feed the baby. Again. :)
Funny ("strange" or "ha-ha") Stories:
I don't know if I wrote about this before, but it turns out that the other doctor (Dr. Golden) in the OR was the same OB who (jokingly) told me to suck my gut in as he tried to get by me to his seat at the NIT quarter finals, Auburn vs. Baylor. I told him I knew who he was and he distinctly remembered us--something about rooting for the wrong team and shouting that annoying cheer (B-B-B-A-Y, L-L-L-O-R, B-A-Y, L-O-R, BAYLOR BEARS FIGHT!). So funny.
I got my driver license renewed on Tuesday afternoon because I knew somewhere deep down that I wouldn't have the time to get it done before it expired at the end of the month. Turns out that it was the last day that I would have free to do so without lugging an infant around [externally]!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Snap, Crackle, and Pop
Onomatopoeia.
Eli had Rice Crispies for breakfast this morning. It's probably the first time since we've been married that we've had this particular brand of cereal in stock, but since Kellogg's is running a special where you can collect Star Trek tokens and send them in and get a Starfleet t-shirt, we figured it was worth the sale price of this bland cereal. Haha. Eli wants a red shirt, you know, because the random red shirt guy always dies during the original Star Trek. He wishes we could have them in time to go see the movie opening this weekend. We had Star Trek costumes from Halloween a couple of years ago, but ended up getting rid of them when we moved because we hadn't used them in a few years. Oh, well.
Halloween 2006
Back to the cereal, Eli poured the milk over his cereal and Timmy jumped up on the counter with his ears back, looking suspiciously at the cereal bowl. It was such a weird reaction to a bowl of cereal. Then, Eli sat down on the couch and started eating, and Coco stopped what he was doing from across the living room and, ears back, came over to investigate what was making that weird sound. Basically both the cats flipped out when Snap, Crackle, and Pop made their debut. It was funny.
Anyway, I'm working on laundry today. And Coco's mad at me because I won't let him sit up on my bump and smell my neck the way he loves. I'm just tired of being so itchy.
Eli had Rice Crispies for breakfast this morning. It's probably the first time since we've been married that we've had this particular brand of cereal in stock, but since Kellogg's is running a special where you can collect Star Trek tokens and send them in and get a Starfleet t-shirt, we figured it was worth the sale price of this bland cereal. Haha. Eli wants a red shirt, you know, because the random red shirt guy always dies during the original Star Trek. He wishes we could have them in time to go see the movie opening this weekend. We had Star Trek costumes from Halloween a couple of years ago, but ended up getting rid of them when we moved because we hadn't used them in a few years. Oh, well.
Halloween 2006Back to the cereal, Eli poured the milk over his cereal and Timmy jumped up on the counter with his ears back, looking suspiciously at the cereal bowl. It was such a weird reaction to a bowl of cereal. Then, Eli sat down on the couch and started eating, and Coco stopped what he was doing from across the living room and, ears back, came over to investigate what was making that weird sound. Basically both the cats flipped out when Snap, Crackle, and Pop made their debut. It was funny.
Anyway, I'm working on laundry today. And Coco's mad at me because I won't let him sit up on my bump and smell my neck the way he loves. I'm just tired of being so itchy.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Weekend Update
Yesterday, after Eli took his defensive driving class, we took a field trip to Columbus, GA, which is 30 minutes away, to use the last of my Motherhood Maternity gift cards to purchase appropriate undergarments for impending use. I must say that that stuff is expensive, and that I probably have never spent that much on undergarments at one time in my entire life. But thanks to my mother and the couple of gift cards I received in the last 8 months, I only spent $7 out of pocket. So, now I just need to wash them and put some in my hospital bag. That's one of the last things to go in.
To reward Eli for his patience in the pregnancy store that has uncomfortable spousal waiting chairs, we went to Steak N Shake and got some cheese fries and milkshakes. It was my first Steak N Shake diner experience. The shakes are actually very good. :)
Today, Eli needed stamps, so he suggested we take a walk to the post office, which turned into an even longer walk when the machines at the post office didn't work. So, we made the "block" and went to Walgreens to buy stamps. Eli apologized for all the walking, but I reminded him that when I go into labor there will be a whole lot of walking going on. Practice is good. Plus, we got to check out the new RedBox machine outside Walgreen's. We had been using the DVDcube machine at Kroger, but they took it out last week. Before that, it was the DVDExpress machine at Bruno's, but then we moved. We're always on the lookout for cheap DVD rentals. And now we're watching Quantum Solace, the latest Bond flick. Very different from what I expected.
To reward Eli for his patience in the pregnancy store that has uncomfortable spousal waiting chairs, we went to Steak N Shake and got some cheese fries and milkshakes. It was my first Steak N Shake diner experience. The shakes are actually very good. :)
Today, Eli needed stamps, so he suggested we take a walk to the post office, which turned into an even longer walk when the machines at the post office didn't work. So, we made the "block" and went to Walgreens to buy stamps. Eli apologized for all the walking, but I reminded him that when I go into labor there will be a whole lot of walking going on. Practice is good. Plus, we got to check out the new RedBox machine outside Walgreen's. We had been using the DVDcube machine at Kroger, but they took it out last week. Before that, it was the DVDExpress machine at Bruno's, but then we moved. We're always on the lookout for cheap DVD rentals. And now we're watching Quantum Solace, the latest Bond flick. Very different from what I expected.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday Musings
This month marks that my student loans from undergraduate and graduate school will total less than $8000. Seems like a lot, I know, but it is less than 1/4 the total loans I had 5 years ago--I have been working my rear end off diligently making double payments so that I can pay them off before I retire. Two more on-time payments, and my interest rate will be reduced by 1% for the rest of the loan. That should save me a little cash in the long run and help me pay off my loans even faster! And then we can make some headway on Eli's loans in our quest to become debt-free.
On a different note, I still have my sewing stuff out, but haven't done anything with it in a couple of days. Perhaps this is the weekend I finish up and put it up. Eli has defensive driving on Saturday (ha!) for a ticket he got in B'ham a couple of weeks ago (running a red light). So, that means I have the entire morning to myself, which isn't really all that remarkable since I have most of every day all to myself, but I'm trying to get errands run while people are at work. Frankly, I'm a little bit bored being at home, but I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
And for those of you who are inquiring about the hospital bag--there are some important things in it, but I still have to do some laundry and find some clothes that I can wear home from the hospital that I won't miss between now and then. But, I have snacks, OJ, a paperwork folder, and our "short" list of baby names, as well as a bag of toiletries. Once laundry is done, I'll have a robe and some warm socks. The diaper bag is already packed, and that's the bag that has everything for baby in it, except for a "coming home" outfit. I'm going to have to find a couple of outfits in several sizes. The latest word from the doctor is that I'm going to have a "large" baby. He said he doesn't make guestimations as to pounds, just will say small, medium, or large, and while my belly is measuring at the high end of normal (which would make for a medium baby), he said I have more "side-to-side" than most--whatever that means--which is why he's saying large. Whatever.
And then, this weekend, we are going to install carseats and set up the Pack N Play. And then we'll be mostly ready. Riiiight.
On a different note, I still have my sewing stuff out, but haven't done anything with it in a couple of days. Perhaps this is the weekend I finish up and put it up. Eli has defensive driving on Saturday (ha!) for a ticket he got in B'ham a couple of weeks ago (running a red light). So, that means I have the entire morning to myself, which isn't really all that remarkable since I have most of every day all to myself, but I'm trying to get errands run while people are at work. Frankly, I'm a little bit bored being at home, but I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
And for those of you who are inquiring about the hospital bag--there are some important things in it, but I still have to do some laundry and find some clothes that I can wear home from the hospital that I won't miss between now and then. But, I have snacks, OJ, a paperwork folder, and our "short" list of baby names, as well as a bag of toiletries. Once laundry is done, I'll have a robe and some warm socks. The diaper bag is already packed, and that's the bag that has everything for baby in it, except for a "coming home" outfit. I'm going to have to find a couple of outfits in several sizes. The latest word from the doctor is that I'm going to have a "large" baby. He said he doesn't make guestimations as to pounds, just will say small, medium, or large, and while my belly is measuring at the high end of normal (which would make for a medium baby), he said I have more "side-to-side" than most--whatever that means--which is why he's saying large. Whatever.
And then, this weekend, we are going to install carseats and set up the Pack N Play. And then we'll be mostly ready. Riiiight.
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