Blast From The Past - Bug's Birth Story

So after posting my previous post about Bug's 3rd birthday, I got to thinking about his birth story. I remembered typing it up and posting in on my old LiveJournal, so I headed over there and dug it out of the archives. So, for those of you who never had the joy of hearing how Bug came into the world, here you go!

Originally posted on Live Journal, February 11, 2005 @ 2:17PM. It has been edited for spelling and names have been changed.

Well, Bug is finally here after one heck of a ride. If anyone wants to know how things went during delivery, here's the birth story (I actually have a moment to type it...he's sleeping in his swing after eating...yeah!)

Well, on Saturday January 29th, I woke up at 1am with minor contractions. They weren't too painful and were about 10 minutes apart or so. That lasted all morning. I ended up watching TV all morning in bed until around 6am when Darling Hubby finally got up. He had asked me on Friday to cut his hair so, while I was in early labor, I'm cutting his hair...lol We thought that labor would progress faster so we got up and milled around the house. By 6pm things had started to move along a little better. I was timing contractions all day long and they were finally consistently about 3-6 minutes apart. I called the doctor and she said that I could come in and get checked.

At the hospital, they checked me and I was only about a 2. They admitted me since I was so overdue and hooked me up to all these different machines and IV's. I could have slugged the nurse that put in my IV. She tried in 4 different places on my hands and arms until she found a place where she wasn't hurting me. A couple places actually started to bleed all over the place - the bed and the floor...that wasn't fun. I had so many wires and hoses coming out of me that it wasn't funny. There was the contraction monitor, Bug's heartbeat monitor, my IV with the tubes for the Pitocin, Glucose solution, and Penicillin (for the group B strep).

My friend Rachelle from back home arrived around 8 (I was talking to her on the phone before I went to the hospital and I was supposed to call her once they admitted me.) Her boyfriend told her just to come up because more than likely, he would be born within the next day or so. I was actually trying to call her on her cell when she was walking in the door.

They kept checking me and I was dilating pretty slowly, despite the pitocin. They broke my water, which wasn't clear...meaning that Bug had already had his first bowel movement. There was a risk that if he inhaled or swallowed some of the amniotic fluid that he could get pneumonia or have other breathing problems.

Around midnight, the contractions were coming closer together and were getting pretty painful. I was near tears most of the time and squeezing both Darling Hubby's and Rachelle's hands. I was actually afraid that I would hurt them. I ended up begging for the epidural. They made Darling Hubby and Shell leave the room - probably because if he heard the doctor say "oops" he probably would have decked him. The anesthesiologist who came in to do the job had no sense of humor and didn't make me feel all that comfortable. He actually scared me because he poked me in the back with a pen to mark my spine. I jumped and he was like "it was only a pen...you need to hold still." He never warned me...Can't be prepared for something if I don't know someone is going to stick me with something. Anyway, I felt much better after the epidural was put in. The only downside was that I couldn't get out of bed and walk around, much less go to the bathroom. They had to insert a catheter...luckily I couldn't feel it. So add to the previous list of wires, the epidural in my back, the catheter, and 3 cardiac monitors - to make sure that I was handling the epidural without heart problems. They also hooked me up to a blood pressure cuff that was programmed to check my pressure every 15 minutes. It was hard to get sleep when your arm is squeezed every 15 minutes. Plus, when they changed my positions (I couldn't move on my own) if they put me on the side with the cuff, it would register that my pressure was high causing a monitor to beep, annoyingly, until a nurse came in and turned it off...they had to keep doing that.

I was also starting to get really hot so they were giving me wet cloths to wipe my face with and the nurse even turned down the heat. Poor Darling Hubby and Shell were freezing. Rachelle had on 4 layers of clothing, plus she had one of the blankets from my bed.

By morning, I was starting to feel the contractions again because the epidural was starting to wear off. They kept changing my positions to see if they could get the pain to go away, but it wasn't working. They were going to give me more meds in my epidural, but there was an emergency c-section that required the anesthesiologist and all the nurses. Someone was having triplets...ouch!

Ok, so

Well, after the whole triplet chaos, they came in and gave me some more medication, but that was really all they could give me because after a few times, the medication would become toxic. It helped for about an hour and started to wear off again. My doctor came in and checked me...I was up to 7cm. They decided to up my pitocin and insert a monitor to see exactly how strong my contractions were...yet one more wire...I was actually begging them before they started all this for the c-section because I couldn't take it anymore. The doctor said they couldn't do that without a good medical reason. So I had another 1/2 hour-45 minutes of pain. It turns out that my contractions just weren't strong enough to keep me progressing and with the fact that Bug had already had his first bowel movement, it was necessary to get him out sooner rather the later.

They got me all set to go into the OR. Darling Hubby was given scrubs to change into. We called my parents just to let them know that I was going into surgery, in case something happened. I was pretty scared at the aspect of being gutted like a fish, but it was for the best. The new anesthesiologist was great and actually had a sense of humor. He made me numb from my chest down so I couldn't feel a thing. They wheeled me into the OR and moved me onto the operating table. I still had the cardiac monitors, the blood pressure cuff, the epidural, the catheter, the IV, and now these inflatable air casts that would breath to keep the blood flowing in my legs. I was shivering uncontrollably because at this point I was so cold and scared. They put this big plastic pillow across my arms and started blowing warm air through it. They covered it with a towel and it kept me nice and warm. I still felt bad for Darling Hubby once he got in there because he was only wearing thin little scrubs and it was pretty cold in the room.

They checked to make sure that I was completely numb. I guess they were pinching me pretty hard with some instrument. I could feel them rubbing my belly down with the orange liquid. I didn't feel them cut me open, but I could feel a ton of pressure as they were digging around in there. It was like a great weight was lifted out of me when they pulled Bug out. Darling Hubby got a couple pictures, but the doctor was in the way so you really can't tell where his head is and whatnot. Normally they show the mom the baby over the screen, but since there was the problem with the meconium, they whisked him off to the corner to check him and make sure his airways were clear. I, of course, started to cry the instant he started to cry. I was just happy that he was breathing and crying. It was another 45 mintues until they got me sewed back up. Darling Hubby snapped a couple of pictures of Bug after they cleaned him up. He did well on his apgar scores with and 8 and a 9.

He was born at exactly 12:12pm on January 30, 2005, weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 13oz, 21 inches long. He's doing great, except for the breastfeeding, but he's eating formula like mad and gaining weight. He lost a pound before being released from the hospital, but as of Monday the 7th, he was back up to 9lbs 11oz.

Well, I had better get going. Bug's going to wake up soon for his feeding and I'm sure he's going to be hungry. Later

Better Late Than Never Birthday Post

Ok, so this post is only nearly 2 weeks overdue, but hey, life keeps getting in the way of my blogging time. I think from now on things will get better in that department (and a lot of departments in my life), but first, here's my birthday boy, who turned 3 on January 30th!

The little girl, Baby Girl, that I babysat (I'm no longer watching her) and her parents bought Bug this little Lightning McQueen remote controlled race car. Bug loves it. It runs around in a backwards circle and when you push the button on the remote control (very 3 year old friendly) it goes forward. He zoomed it all over the house that day (except when it freaked out Baby Girl,) and for days after. He also got the book Philadelphia Chickens by Sandra Boynton. If you've never heard of Sandra Boynton or her books, you should go check them out! Bug's newest song addiction is the Belly Button Song. We also have the Belly Button Book which is where the song came from. Needless to say, it's stuck in my head right now...


For dinner, I made Bug's favorite meal...Spaghetti with homemade sauce. Here he was being goofy for the camera. Typical 3 year old...

After dinner we broke out the present. He was so excited to open it.

He got the DC Super Friends Green Lantern on a motorized scooter thingy...

He really wanted Daddy to open it...and fast...like the Flash!

Here is Green Lantern running around...veeerrrryyy slllloooowwwlllyy, I might add... around our living room with Bug in hot cold pursuit.

The only problem with the above toy is that it's very hard for a 3 year old to affix the Green Lantern to the scooter. I'm always being asked to help with it, which gets a little tedious when you've got your hands occupied with something else. Then, it gets placed on the floor to slowly run amok into the corners of the room until Mommy tells Bug to move him...But, at least he's happy and Green Lantern can now hang with his other super friends, Batman, Superman, and Flash, in the superhero bin under the TV.

All in all, I think his actual birthday was a good one. I can't believe that my baby is 3 now. He's come a long way from that little (I say little even though he was nearly 10lbs) baby that needed me to do everything for him to a head strong 3 year old who only wants me to do some things for him. I'm sad to see my little baby go, but I'm glad he's becoming self-sufficient and can do things for himself, tell me what he wants and needs and is just all around joy to be around.

We had a mini party for him on Sunday, the 3rd with just my parents. I'll post pics of that later on when I get the chance. That was when we had cake and ice cream, so fear not, I have pics of him blowing out the candles.

So Much To Do...So Little Time!

So, my mom and dad are coming up for a little "mini party" for Bug's 3rd birthday on Sunday. We are just having lunch and cake and ice cream...Nothing fancy. I decided that this year might be too much for him if we invited family and friends so we are keeping it small...super small. My mom and dad missed out on Bug's first 2 birthday parties so that's the reason I invited just them. Plus, they never come to visit so I figured if I could get them out of the house for a day it would be good for them. Let's hope they don't disappoint. I think Bug is looking forward to their visit.

I have a ton of stuff to accomplish before they arrive. You know, I have this thing where I have to clean pretty well before family comes to visit, esp my mom since she's a clean person...you could eat off her kitchen floor. I wouldn't recommend that in my house. My floor is clean and swept daily (and spot cleaned when those sticky spots start showing up), but not always mopped clean... Anyway, I'm a list maker so I figured I'd make a list of all the things I have to do here for all the public to see (and maybe hold me accountable) and that way I might be more apt to get it all done before they arrive Sunday morning, provided the temperature won't drop below 40 and it's not icing or snowing...

I'll update this post and cross things off as I get them done.

1. Bake Bug's birthday cake
   Bug helped me with that this morning...it's currently cooling.
2. Decorate Bug's birthday cake
3. Clean the kitchen (Empty dish drainer, wash dishes, empty dish drainer again, wipe down counters)
   
4. Clean the bathrooms. I even cleaned the tub...even though mom won't check there...at least I don't think she will!
5. Sweep and mop the bathrooms, kitchen, living room and dining room floors.
6. Vacuum the rugs in the office, living room and Bug's room. Although I'm sure I'll do this again Sunday morning.
   
7. Finish putting away all the dried laundry.
8. Sweep the front porch.
9. Clean out the cat and dog pans.
10. Make my bed. gasp!
11. Dust
12. Straighten up all the toys and put them away.
    

OK, let's see how much I can get done before Darling Hubby gets home. Provided it's not icy outside we plan to go out in search of a big boy mattress for Bug (A local Mom and Pop store is having a mattress sale so we'll go check them out) and then to Friendly's for a birthday treat. Bug LOVES Friendly's and he's got a coupon for a free kids meal. Then, I get up tomorrow and start tackling all the stuff I didn't get done today...on top of grocery shopping...ugg!

Food For Friday 2/4-2/8 & 2/11-2/15

OK, it's time for another edition of Food For Friday. I'm feeling rather disorganized with my menu this time around, although I've actually started prepping for it Thursday...and I'm not disorganized...really...it just feels that way.

Sunday 2/3 - My parents are coming for a visit for Bug's b-day. I'm making Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu. I made this last week and Darling Hubby just LOVED IT!! It's definitely something that's going in the recipe box!

Monday - Craft night - Sadaf's turn to cook. I will probably make Hamburger Helper before I leave.
Tuesday - Breakfast for Dinner - Bacon/sausage/SPAM and eggs with toast or maybe French Toast.
Wednesday - Pizza
Thursday - Game Night - Turkey Burgers and Homemade Fries
Friday - BBQ Spare Ribs, mashed potatoes and veggies

Monday - Craft Night - Rose's turn to cook. I'll probably make burgers/dogs and fries before I leave.
Tuesday - Rotisserie chicken breast, stuffing and veggies
Wednesday - Stuffed pork chops, rice-a-roni, and veggies
Thursday - Crockpot Beef Stew - Nothing says Happy Valentines Day like a beef stew! lol
Friday - Tacos

A Quirky Meme

My friend Annie over at Fried PorkChop has bestowed me (amongst other things that I will get to later) with the great task of a meme...well, here goes...

The directions:
(1) Link to the person that tagged you.
(2) Post the rules on your blog.
(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
(5) Let each random person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

(ONE) I once collected TY Beanie Babies...yes, I'll admit it...I was a beanie baby junkie...I was a member of their beanie board and stalked it on occasion. It was like a drug high (although I've never actually been high on drugs, so I really wouldn't know what feels like, but I can assume) when I came across some new ones in the store that I didn't have in my collection. I HAD THEM ALL for a while. Slowly that phase in my life petered out. I've boxed some of the ones that I really liked and put them away. I've sold a few and donated some. I've moved on to collecting Eeyores...although I haven't felt the need to buy EVERY SINGLE ONE I SEE in a while.

(TWO) I DVR my soaps so I can watch them later. I only watch All My Children and One Life to Live, but AMC falls right when I put Bug down for his nap so I'll watch OLTL and then go back and watch AMC. I need to know what's happening in Pine Valley and Llanview.

(THREE) Like Annie, I sometimes I wish I could go back and do some of my high school career over again. I wouldn't be as serious as I was all the time. I wouldn't always have my nose in a book or be teachers pet (come on, I really liked being the teachers pet). I think the one thing I wouldn't change would be my time spent in band. I really think that helped define me. My memories in band are the what remind me I was happy in HS.

(FOUR) I hate to be late to meetings or appointments so I'm always at least 10-15 minutes early. When I was in high school I'd always arrive to marching band practice at least 30 minutes early. I'm a clock watcher, too. If things aren't on time by my watch it drives me crazy.

(FIVE) I sometimes count my steps when I'm walking. I always count my steps when I'm going up or down the stairs, esp in the dark so I know where I am and I don't fall. I sometimes count to help me fall asleep.

(SIX) I hate when my grocery list isn't neat. If too many things have been written in badly (i.e. the handwriting is bad) or things have been crossed off, I have to rewrite the whole thing. I like pages to be neat and tidy.

Ok, there we have it...six random things no one should really know about me! lol Here are the people I'm tagging... Shannon, Corey, Stacie, Lori, Meghan and Keara

Goin' Old School Rocks

Thursday night was game night in our abode and it was one of the most fun game nights I've had in a long time. Despite not being completely up to snuff on how the rules worked, having switched gears completely, I did really well. My friend Bernie was a big help by printing out the entire list of spells I can cast, including a spell list for my daily spells, as well as a list of what creatures I can summon. We just have a few more lists to work out and I'll be home free.

Honestly, I have to say, being a magic wielding Druid really kicks mechanical butt...literally! Up to the midway point in the game I was pretty useless. The spells I had chosen weren't really things that could help us (being I'm a Druid, I need nature and we were, unfortunately, underground) so I was feeling quite useless, aside from being the note taker for the night. We finally got into a spot where my skills were useful. I can shape change into small, medium and large creatures that I'm familiar with. We ended up coming across some metal cables strung haphazardly about this passageway and they sent me in the form of a hawk, swooping down the tunnel. In passing, I brushed up against one of the cables and was in for a great surprise. Not only was I sticking fast where I touched it, but I had volts of electricity coursing through my feathery body. Thankfully our GM didn't feel the need to taser me for the real effect.

Cue the entrance of the giant mechanical spider...Have I mentioned in this blog before that I really hate spiders?

By the middle of the battle, our resident flying pixie, Tink (Bernie) was also caught in the mechanical spiders web and since the other party members were rather useless at freeing us from it's venomous bites and electric webs without getting caught themselves, it was up to me. For my last shape change of the day, I transformed into a large, hulking brown bear. My struggling against the webbing attracted the spider to my location where I proceeded to beat the living crap out of it. I was really impressed with myself. After its mechanical failure and demise, I was able to tear myself from the webbing, which was still sticky, but no longer electrified. I should say that I did take quite a beating from the webbing and the spiders bites and my hit points were nearing the zero mark rapidly when the battle subsided. Thankfully, our resident Cleric (Darling Hubby, otherwise known in the game as Skrewdat (simply because he couldn't use the name he'd used for his last character creation...the GM said, "no" and DH said, "Screw that!")) was able to heal me up and fast, before our next battle ensued...but I wasn't a part of that one. That was all Tink and some talking doors.

Oh, I should mention that Darling Hubby had a good night, too. He took out 4 ghouls in one swipe with a turn undead spell. It was pretty cool. They were there and suddenly, they were piles of dust on the floor.

Gotta love Old School!

100th Post = 100 Random Things About Me!

Huzzah! It's my 100th post! I can't believe I've actually had 100 different things to talk about. Well, in honoring the blogging world tradition of posting a list of 100 things, I'm posting a list of 100 things about me...they are in no particular order and some are VERY random. Happy reading!

1. I like to do laundry. I enjoy seeing the dirty, smell clothes go into the washer and come out smelling clean and fresh. I like hanging them out on the clothesline in the backyard in the summer and on drying racks in the winter. I like folding up those clean dry clothes and putting them away. It feels good to see the whole process through from start to finish.
2. On the other hand. I hate the act of washing dishes. I like the end result of having clean dishes and clear counters, but I hate actually washing and scrubbing.
3. I love chocolate, especially homemade hot chocolate in the winter.
4. Christmas is my favorite holiday...and not because of the presents.
5. Cats are my favorite animals.
6. I own 1 cat, 3 dogs and a tank full of tropical fish.
7. I enjoy cooking and eating.
8. I love to sleep.
9. I'm not a morning person.
10. I enjoy doing crafts (scrapbooking, quilting, crocheting and knitting)
11. I hate being cold
12. I have a blanket obsession...see 11
13. I watch too much tv. It's gotten worse since we had the DVR installed.
14. I really should listen to more music.
    
15. I love taking pictures.
16. I have a 14G hard drive on my computer that just for pictures. It has 10G full already.
    
17. I love to type and write things out by hand. I like my handwriting most days.
    
18. I love to read and have a whole bookshelf of books that have yet to be cracked.
19. I'm a good listener.
20. I can't stand following politics. Even the thought of it makes me go crazy.
21. I love sitting in front of the fireplace soaking up the warmth.
22. I'm scared of lighting matches, the ones in the little books. I can manage just fine if they are the stick matches. I'm afraid of burning my fingers.
    
23. Curling up under a nice warm blanket with a hot beverage and a good book is one of my favorite ways to pass the time
24. I don't drink coffee (yuck!) Tea for me, please.
25. I like to have a clean house, but sometimes hate the process to get there.
26. I never make my bed in the morning...it only gets made if I change the sheets.
27. I like getting mail in the hopes that something good will be waiting for me. I love getting packages...even if they are just little free samples of things I've requested online.
28. I'm nosy. I need to know what's going on outside my house if I see police, firetrucks, or ambulances.
    
29. I hate when people come around knocking on my door trying to preach their way of religion on me. Honestly, if I wanted religion, I'd find it myself.
30. I don't have a problem with religion...I can talk with others about their religion...I just hate when others feel the need to push their religion on me, trying to convert me.
31. I'm a gamer. Yep, I play Dungeons and Dragons.
32. I talk with my hands when I tell a story, even if I'm on the phone.
33. I believe in ghosts and enjoy a good spooky story during Halloween.
34. I've had my own paranormal experience.
35. I love watching Ghost Hunters on SciFi.
36. I really enjoy it when it's nap time in my house. I really can use the quiet time to myself to craft, blog or watch tv.
37. My favorite cartoon character is Eeyore.
38. I love the color purple.
39. My favorite movies are Elizabethtown, LOTR, Pirates of the Caribbean (1-3), Dirty Dancing & Serendipity.
40. I like my hair. It's long and straight and easy to manage.
41. I never blow dry my hair. I let it air dry.
42. I like to cut my hair once every couple years and donate it to Locks of Love to make wigs for kids who suffer from medical hair loss.
43. My favorite books are Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel and the Harry Potter series.
44. I hate drinking plain water. I prefer juice (cranberry, grapefruit and orange)
45. I'm sometimes bad about calling friends back. I usually think that I'll find a better time to call them back and I never do...
46. I used to bite my nails until I got engaged and my friend Shannon took me to get my nails done in acrylics. After that I try not to chew them off anymore. I've been successful at keeping them long.
47. I'm not looking forward to potty training Bug.
48. I once starved myself for a boy (not Darling Hubby). Lost 10 lbs in a week. It was a stupid thing to do.
49. I have 2 older brothers. One is 20 years older than me, the other 18 years older.
50. I gave away my oldest brothers wife during their wedding. I was 9 months old. The minister asked, "Who gives this woman?" and I answered in my loud wee voice, "ME!"
51. I was a Girl Scout from the age of 6-12.
52. I've sold so many magazine subscriptions and cookies, it's not even funny.
53. I've been to Girl Scout camp (Camp Amahami) on many occasions.
54. My parents built me a tree house when I was away at Girl Scout camp one year.
55. I played flute from 5th grade through 12th grade.
56. I started marching band when I was in 6th grade.
57. I never memorized the music that first year so I faked it in parades.
58. I learned the alto saxophone in 10th grade so I could join jazz band. I played flute in jazz band, too.
59. I taught myself the trumpet in 12th grade because we needed extra trumpets in marching band for our performance in The Disney Magic Music Days in Disney World.
    
60. Our band director said I was the loudest trumpet.
61. Darling Hubby chaperoned that Disney Trip. Keep in mind I was 17 and he was 25.
    
62. On school band trips, I've only ever roomed with C Shell. We always managed to get a room to ourselves. We weren't good at sharing with others.
63. I've been to band camp.
64. I was on Honor Roll in school.
65. I was a member of the Honor Society.
66. I graduated 4th in my class.
67. I never really felt close to many people in my graduating class. Most of those who I was friends with have fallen off the face of the planet.
68. I never went on my senior trip.
    
69. This year is my 10 year reunion...I'm scared!
    
70. I've never broken a bone (knock on wood)
71. I've fallen both up and down stairs.
72. I've had stitches and staples.
73. I was bitten in the face by my own dog (German shepherd) when I was 3 - resulting in the aforementioned stitches.
74. I've had a c-section. Hence the staples.
    
75. I hate calling doctor offices to schedule appointments.
76. I hate spiders.
77. Most of the stuff filling up our attic belongs to me. My mom saved everything.
78. I use canvas bags when I go grocery shopping.
79. I wear glasses and have since I was 6. I had contacts in high school, but they were to high maintenance for me.
80. When I have computer access, I check my emails a zillion times a day.
81. I'm dreading doing taxes this year.
82. I can't always bring myself to eat leftovers.
83. I like to paint miniatures, but don't always have time for it. Especially with all my other hobbies.
84. I like collecting sets of dice. See reason in # 31.
85. I CAN'T STAND Dora or Diego. I refuse to let Bug play with anything Dora or Diego or watch them on tv.
86. I go through spurts where I want to organize and purge. The problem is, I don't always have something to sort through when the urge hits me.
87. I love going to garage sales. I like looking at other peoples things.
    
88. I love finding a good book at a garage sale or library book sale. It makes me happy.
89. I've only hosted a garage sale twice in my life. They were both a pain in the butt.
90. The person I chat with online most often is Bernie. I'm chatting with him now about # 31.
91. The place I do the most thinking is when I'm in the shower.
92. I don't sing in the shower.
93. I enjoy taking long hot bubble baths. I like sinking down under the suds and reading a good book.
94. I don't mind changing diapers.
95. I've been a member of a small baby board since I was pregnant with Bug. I've met 2 of the members.
96. I'm also a member of a larger baby board. I've met several of the members of that group.
97. The farthest West I've been is Chicago, IL.
98. The farthest South I've been is the Bahamas (my honeymoon aboard a Disney Cruise Ship)
99. I'd like to take another cruise or go back to Disney World.
100. I'd love to visit Ireland and Scotland someday.

Whew! I made it!. There you have it, folks. That's 100 things about moi! Ah ha ha ha ha! [insert thunder and lightening here] Ok, I've been watching too much Sesame Street with Bug. I hope you made it to the end, but I'll understand if you don't...