tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33362015482823947172024-03-13T11:19:12.925-07:00Sand Dollars & SunflowersBrittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422992347394158061noreply@blogger.comBlogger330125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-4808441163196568092016-05-19T20:42:00.001-07:002016-05-19T20:42:59.410-07:00That Waitress Deserved a Bigger Tip...This blog has been pretty neglected... I don't mean to. I have intentions of writing more, but most days I just feel like everything is... ordinary and not particularly interesting. Plus, most evenings my brain just wants to shut off, watch some Grey's Anatomy and drink a glass a wine. <br />
<br />
Today is turning out not to be one of those days...<br />
<br />
Let me set the scene. I've been solo parenting this week, so I took today to be "kid free" and get some errands run and recharge a bit. I dropped the kids off at their old day care and did what needed to be done. Fast forward eight hours or so, I head back to pick them up. It's rush hour by that time, so I decided to take the kids out to dinner and wait out the traffic.<br />
<br />
We head over to Applebee's because I know that a) there is rarely a wait for a table, b) it's never too crowded so I doubt loud kids will annoy too many people, and c) they have "low cal" menu options for me... and d) I like to be waited on when I have the chance to be. =) <br />
<br />
Our waitress gave me a knowing smirk when we were seated and asked if I wanted a margarita.... really wish now that I would have taken her up on that.<br />
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We got our drinks, ordered our food, and everyone, for the most part, was doing a-okay. I was actually starting to pat myself on the back a bit at how smoothly the evening in a restaurant, with two kid, by myself was actually going. <br />
<br />
Our waitress brought us out our food, and Emily proceeded to pull the corn off her dog in her usual way, when Sam started to make a noise. I look over at him, not yet taking a bit of my own dinner, and see that he his puking. A lot. All over the place.<br />
<br />
His high chair, his clothes, the carpet beneath his chair... all covered in yogurt-y looking vomit. Tinged, I'm sure, but the milk that he was sipping on prior to the incident. Quickly I get a server's attention, tell her that we need to go containers and that he had just been sick. Containers and a wet rag swiftly appeared at our table. I sat there, trying to figure out how to get my son cleaned up, with his bile already on my hands, and somehow get our food packed up... thankfully I had a lot of hand sanitizer in the diaper bag, and a 4 year old that was willing to help (though her idea of packing up her yogurt also included stealing the serving dish that it was presented in. lol).<br />
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Finally I got the bill paid, both kids and food out to the car. Sam got a quick change of clothes, and a prayer that he wouldn't throw up on the way home. For the next 30+ minutes I sat in (not horrible, thank God) traffic with the scent of puke and Applebee's take out wafting through our car.<br />
<br />
Getting home, Emily had fallen asleep. She can be... challenging... to wake up, and tonight was no different. I finally got her on her feet, and when to get Sam and our food. Thankfully nothing extra had occurred. <br />
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Everyone got inside, I set our food down on the kitchen counter, and Sam started to heave again. I tried to hold him over the kitchen sink, but he wanted nothing to do with that... he wanted to bury his face in my warm sweater and empty his stomach. <br />
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When he was done, I asked Emily to get herself a spoon so that she could finish her dinner, and I took Sam upstairs to give him a quick bath. I got him in the tub (and sat there with him, topless, with my now-disgusting sweater thankfully removed) and he acted like nothing was amiss. Like, "yeah! I love baths!" I really don't understand kids sometimes. After a few minutes he stood up, said, "All Done", and I wrapped him up in a big towel, got him into his jammies, read him a book and put an almost-passed-out little man to bed.<br />
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I came downstairs to clean up and check on Emily, and found this...<br />
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She got the spoon that I told her to...<br />
<br />
So, I cleaned up some puke, got the gross clothes from the car (how do I get that smell out?) and started a load of laundry. Then I carried Emily upstairs and put her to bed. Generally, both kids in bed and asleep before 8:00 would be cause for celebration... but currently I'm just worried. Sam has already woken up once heaving. Not sure what the rest of the night is going to bring. <br />
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I've washed/sanitized my hands about a dozen times so far... I can't get sick. I'm photographing someone's wedding this weekend... I can NOT get sick...Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-6589962398641195142016-03-23T11:24:00.000-07:002016-03-23T11:24:01.735-07:00THE HouseI fully intended to blog more this year. I got my yearly Blogs2Print book, and was shocked at home tiny it was. My goal was to get a bigger book next year... but here it is, the end of March, and I've only written once. I'm hoping to catch up on that as the year goes on, and as my to-do list around the house starts to shrink... (yeah, right?).<br />
<br />
So, where did I leave off? Oh yes... the house. Our new, big, beautiful, "forever home" house! I've been meaning to write about it, but I know that the post is going to be long and I never seem to have enough time to myself. Today though, I'm sitting in a coffee shop after dropping the kids off with a sitter for a few hours, so, I'm going to try to tackle it. =)<br />
<br />
To start at the beginning... Jacob got a new job across the river in Vancouver back in July 2015. It is a good job, with a good salary. However, living and working in two different states caused a few problems. First, we were still paying income tax for our home state (if we lived in Washington, we would have avoided this) and second, it meant Jacob was driving 1.5-2 hours per day between home work and picking the kids up from daycare. When he got the job, we talked about moving over the river, but I was still working in Portland and our daycare provider (who we love and cuts us a SUPER deal) was also in Portland--and completely out of the way of what would be our new commute. Moving would mean that we'd either a) have to find--and pay twice as much for--a new daycare, or b) me quitting my job and staying home.<br />
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At that time, I was just a few months in to a new job that had the potential for some advancement opportunities. I really liked the company that I was working for, and was scared of the emotional and financial strain of being a stay at home parent. So, Jacob continued with the commute and we kept the status quot.<br />
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Fast forward to the middle of August... I applied for a promotion at my job, something that I REALLY thought that I was going to get. Something that I felt that I'd been kind of groomed to take on. They offered someone else the position. No ill will from me, really. They made the decision that they felt was best for their organization. However, I was then faced with making a decision that was best for ME. Since 2009, between two different organizations, I had basically been doing the same work. After 6 years as a direct service workforce development coach (and another 4 years before that in other direct service social service roles) I was feeling pretty burnt out... especially after being turned down for promotion opportunities twice.<br />
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One day in August I was driving home from out of town. It was a long drive and my mind started to wander. I started to think about our current situation, our desire to move, and how we could make that possible. I thought about my job situation and if I wanted to stay somewhere (that I liked) doing work that I didn't for who knows how long... again. I didn't. Jacob's new salary is equal to what both of us made combined the year before, and we lived quite comfortably then, so I didn't fear the finance issue too much. But could I be a stay at home mom? The more I thought about it, the more I felt a resounding HELL YES. After years of doing the working mom thing (it was exhausting and really emotionally draining for both me AND Jacob) and realized that I was ready for a new challenge.<br />
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When I got home, I talked to Jacob about my thoughts and decisions. Very shortly thereafter, we called our real estate agent.<br />
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After speaking with our agent (who helped us purchase our first home, and would be helping us sell it), reviewing the housing market, and looking at time lines, we decided to find a house first, and make a contingent offer before putting ours on the market. We didn't want to be stuck without a place to live. So, armed with a Washington agent referral, we started our hunt for new homes in Vancouver, WA.<br />
<br />
We looked at a handful of homes, and they were nice, but nothing was really taking our breath away. The one that we most liked already had an offer accepted before we left the viewing, so we had to move on. Since we were driving back and forth after work hours (during rush hour) and on the weekends to view homes (usually with 2 kids in tow), our WA agent decided to check into a few homes on her own and then let us know if she thought we should see them, too. She had a pretty good sense at that point of what we were looking for and what features we did and didn't like.<br />
<br />
One house in particular had one photo on their listing. The description sounded good, but the single photo (a bad one of the exterior) made us leery about it. Our agent went out with the intention of taking a look and sending us some additional photos. Later that evening, she sent us some images with her story... after being assured that the alarm had been turned off, she entered the home... to be greeted by a blaring alarm through the whole house. She waited for the police to arrive, explained who she was, and then ran through the house taking quick photos, covering her ears, waiting for the alarm to get shut off! lol Thankfully her aural discomfort was not for loss. We liked the photos and her description and decided to take a look at it ourselves. <br />
<br />
The house was HUGE. Jacob and I kept looking at each other with a "what the hell will we do with all this space" expressions. The asking price was a bit above our self-imposed budget. That and the space abundance were holding us up at first. But, after seeing other slightly smaller homes with postage stamp sized backyards, we decided to put in an offer. (<i>side note: when we looked at the house we "surprised" one of the residents who was hanging out in her bedroom upstairs and didn't know that someone was coming to take a look at the house. We should have taken note about the communication struggles at that point).</i><br />
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We made an offer, contingent on the sale of our home, for slightly under their asking price. The responded that they would not take anything under asking. After assessing our finances and what the likely monthly payments would be, we decided to accept the counter offer and pay asking. Then we called our Oregon agent and pulled the trigger to list our current home.<br />
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For the next two weeks we kept our house sparkling clean, and crossed our fingers that we would get an offer and not lose "our" house based on the contingency.<br />
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We did NOT get an offer in time. We prepared paperwork asking for an extension. Three days after the contingency period ended, we got an offer. As we had not heard anything back yet regarding our extension request, our agent contacted the sellers and asked to proceed. <br />
<br />
They increased the asking price for the home by 10k. And sure, we could proceed if we were willing to pay that. Our agent was flabbergasted. Our offer was the only offer that they'd received on the house. Why would they UP the price?? Jacob and I had already offered 15k over our "budget", tacking on another 10k made me very nervous... especially since we were going to be on one income after we moved. After some talk via agents, they lowered it to 5k. We told them that we could not do that, and that we would have to pass (at this point we were just pissed and thinking about principal rather than dollar signs). <br />
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Our agent then took us to view about 6 other homes. They all sucked in comparison to THE house. I had gone and gotten attached to that house... something that I told myself not to do. So much for that. We had already accepted the offer on our current house, so not only we were in the position that we didn't want to be (on a time line for finding a place or we'd be homeless), but I loved a house that was above our budget... which is the exact same thing that happened to us with our first home purchase.<br />
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We decided to take the 5k offer and wrote the sellers a letter pretty much asking them not to be jerks to a young family that really loved their home (a home that they had only been in for about 2 years). The deal was done and the inspection process started... on both homes.<br />
<br />
Our to-be home passed inspections with flying colors. The inspector even called me to tell me how gorgeous the house was. The inspection on our current home was not so good. There were wiring issues, and dry rot, some chimney structural concerns and (the one that grossed me out the most), rats. Rats?? Rats. Apparently we had rodents living under our house. Which surprised me completely. In the 5 years that we lived there, we saw a mouse... once. No other signs of any other varmints. So then negotiations for repairs starts. Back and forth. We'll fix this, but not this. Finally we agreed on the terms. And then the repairs started. <br />
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I feel like I should note at this point that during this whole process I was recovering from pneumonia. During the initial offer/up the price portion, I was actually e-signing documents from my ICU hospital bed. The inspections and repairs I was at home on bed rest.<br />
<br />
Anyway, we got the repairs done, and the inspector came out to take a look. They weren't done to his satisfaction. So we had to get more contractors in to do more things. Silver lining, because the repairs weren't done on time, we had to extend the closing date on our current home. Which actually meant that we could make a smooth, single day move from one house to the other... without that, we would have been "homeless" for three days between the two closing dates.<br />
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Finally everything was done, movers were booked, boxes were packed, and it was time to sign closing documents. Our house was sold! A couple days later we went in to sign for our new home. It was done!<br />
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We thought.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to later on signing day... our agent calls us with some bad news. One of the sellers is out of the country and can't sign his portion of the documents. Let me note that throughout the whole negotiation process we had to wait, several times, for the husband, a musician to be in town to sign documents. He was traveling constantly. Problem is, they didn't tell anyone, THEIR agent included, that he was going to be out of the country during the closing time period. Again, our agent was livid and so confused. The wife went in and signed her portion of the documents, and then paperwork was started to give her the proper power of attorney rights to sign for her husband. Problem is though that this was going to push the closing date out. And the problem with that is that the movers had already been scheduled and we needed to be out of our old house!<br />
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After more conversation via agents, we finally got paperwork that would make us no-charge "renters" of the home before closing was official, which would allow us to move in as scheduled. On moving day, I drove up to the new house to get the keys while Jacob stayed behind to help direct the movers. I prayed that nothing would go wrong. Our agent was there with the keys, and copies of all relevant documents... in case the alarm went off on us or there were any other concerns on our legitimacy to be there (she, as well, was having some trust issues at that point). She told me then that she'd made a bit of no-no, but that it had worked out in our favor...<br />
<br />
Apparently the sellers had wanted to charge us rent for being there before closing. Our agent sent a text message blasting the sellers and stating that the issue was their fault and not ours, and that they were being greedy and difficult. Fortunately/Unfortunately, she accidentally sent it to the sellers directly rather than the agent. They didn't respond, but we received the keys and rental agreement with no further financial discussion.<br />
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We got everything moved out/moved in that day. Aside from waiting for either a) international power of attorney paperwork to get processed or b) the husband to get back in town to sign papers so that would could finally close, we thought that things were done and over with.<br />
<br />
But then we realized that we didn't have a mail box key.<br />
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Via agents, we heard from the seller that they expected us to change the lock and get our own key like they had. I called the post office to inquire about this... $40, we needed to provide home purchase paperwork, and it could take a couple weeks. Plus, we were RENTERS at that point and didn't have the authority to change the locks anyway. It took us about a week to convince the sellers to give us the damn mailbox key! I couldn't believe it. Absolutely ridiculous. I had to buy a new Halloween costume last minute because my costume for my office party was in the box. It's petty, I know, but still soo soo annoying!<br />
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We closed on the house on Sam's birthday, October 30th. Four days after we moved in. After getting the mail situation figured out, I was so glad to be over with it and move on to the fun stuff. So far we have replaced some flooring, painted some walls, bought some furniture and changed the locks. ;)Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-5590333830657786602016-01-16T21:48:00.000-08:002016-01-16T21:48:05.885-08:00Beware of BronchitisThere were two thing that I had planned/hoped to write about before the end of 2015... the adventure of purchasing our second home (hoping to get to this soon!) and my 3-day stay in our local ICU. Unfortunately, neither of these got written and posted in time to make it into my 2015 <a href="http://www.blog2print.com/?utm_campaign=Branded&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=%2Bblog2print&utm_content=1480104x508671686359293165" target="_blank">blog book</a> (which I ordered today!), but better late than never, right?<br />
<br />
On September 13th I headed to the beach for a work related conference. I was SOO looking forward to three nights of "mommy vacation" in a quiet room and a bed to myself. Plus, this was my third trip to this conference, one that I have enjoyed every year, so I was pumped. <br />
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I arrived at the hotel, checked into my room, headed to the restaurant to grab some dinner and a glass of wine, and started to feel a bit "blah". Thought for sure that I'd just picked up another daycare cold and that I'd suffer through it. The next day, Monday, I felt awful. I made it through the day, but left the last session early to go rest. I ordered room service for dinner. A bowl of clam chowder and a roll... which would last me for the next two days of meals.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sick in my beautiful, coastal hotel room</td></tr>
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Tuesday I went down to the conference for breakfast, but had to leave about half an hour into the first keynote session... and spent the rest of the day in bed with what I'm assuming were chills and aches from a fever. Wednesday morning I didn't even try. I just got out of bed, packed up my stuff, and drove home... hoping that I could make it back safety. <br />
<br />
On Thursday I went to the doctor. He looked, listened, etc, etc. and told me that I had Bronchitis. He pretty much told me that I had to suffer through it and that it would go away eventually. BUT if I got symptom A, B, or C to come back. I never got any of these additional symptoms, but by Monday I was still feeling AWFUL. I could barely move, I had an awful cough, I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep all day. By this point I had been out of work for a week. My daughter was getting a bit scared (she cried one morning and told my husband how much she missed her mommy). So, that morning we dropped off the kids at daycare and I had Jacob take me to Urgent Care for a second opinion on this whole Bronchitis thing.<br />
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I don't know how long we waited in the waiting room. As I mentioned, I just wanted to sleep. I may have very well fallen asleep. Everything around this stage in the story is a bit foggy. When we were called back they did the usual scale, blood pressure, check oxygen level thing... but something wasn't right. They checked my oxygen twice (I think with two different devices) and then called an ambulance. With in minutes I was hooked up to an oxygen tank, in a hospital gown, on a gurney in the back of an ambulance headed to the ER.<br />
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Turns out that I had developed pneumonia and was in "respiratory failure" (this bit was not made clear to me until after I was released from the ICU). My oxygen levels were in the mid-80% range. Hospital staff refused to let me move for about 24 hours as every time I did my levels decreased. I had a nose tub oxygenation device AND a face mask for the first day/night. The doctor told me that if my levels didn't increase that they would have to intubate. I took LOTS of deep breaths after that point and thankfully it never came to that. But that first night was awful. I couldn't sleep with all of the oxygen being pumped into my nose and mouth. Plus I still had a horrible cough and "waking up" coughing in the middle of the night with a mask on your face leads to some real claustrophobic type of feelings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the ICU</td></tr>
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<br />
By the middle of the second day I was off of the face mask and finally walking around a little bit. My oxygen levels had reached the mid-90% range, but I still had to wear my nose tubing while they slowly decreased the amount of oxygen that was getting pumped into me to make sure that my lungs were fully capable of working on their own. The second night I only had to "sleep" with the nose tubes. I was thankful.<br />
<br />
Day three, I started walking up and down the halls with my nurse. The nose tubes were removed and I was steadily breathing on my own again. My oxygen levels stayed up there and so that doctors agreed that I could be discharged from the ICU and moved to a "regular" hospital room... where I spent my last night and got to take a shower (Hallelujah! I will never again to Urgent Care without taking a shower first!). <br />
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I was discharged the following day (Thursday) and was pretty much on bed rest for another week. In the end, I was out of work for 3 weeks... and probably should have stayed out longer. It took much more time than that for my lungs to strengthen up again (I had to skip another 5k that I'd signed up for, and put my workouts on hold for about 2 months while I recovered), plus, I lost about 15 pounds... in a week... and was really, really weak. I have also been told that now I am more susceptible to developing pneumonia in the future, so that I have to be extra careful and cautious when I get ill. I may end up buying myself one of those finger tip oxygen reader things... I don't want to ever repeat that experience again!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye hospital bed!</td></tr>
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<br />
I was so thankful for Jacob and our child care provider during this whole process. Jacob worked remotely from the hospital room in the mornings and then went to the office in the afternoons... and then came back in the evenings. Our daycare provider kept the kids for two overnights so that Jacob could be there with me. I was so thankful for that. It gets pretty lonely in the ICU, especially when you don't really know/understand what's happening to you or how bad of a situation you are in. <br />
<br />
When the nurse in my "regular" room told her colleague at shift change that I had been "admitted in respiratory failure" I'm sure that my heart skipped a beat. I hadn't known that things were that bad... seeing an 80% reading on an oxygen monitor doesn't mean anything to a lay-person... at least, not to this one.Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-5259297299586984152015-12-02T15:28:00.000-08:002015-12-02T15:28:01.231-08:00Facing My Fears!This is by far not the most important of blog posts in terms of the catch up that I'm trying to do, but I think it is definitely worth including...<br />
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I got a tattoo!<br />
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For some, this is no big deal, for me, it is a HUGE accomplishment and milestone of me facing some pretty big fears.<br />
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I have been terrified of (some) needles for a very, very long time... almost phobic (my doctor's have actually prescribed me anti-anxiety medications before to assist with the need for blood draws/testing). Ever since I was a kid, getting a blood draw (or other intrusive needle jabbing)--and sometimes just the THOUGHT of it--was usually accompanied by a fainting spell. Passing out in doctor's chairs, car passenger seats, my dentists chair, a pre-op hospital bed, health class (yup...), while watching medical shows on TV... it was definitely a "thing". One of my biggest concerns about ever getting pregnant was the sheer number of pre-natal blood tests and being connected to an IV in the hospital.<br />
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Over the years, I have figured out ways to combat my anxiety around this and have discovered different coping mechanisms that help. But getting in front of a needle is not exactly my idea of a good time (I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 25... AFTER getting my nose pierced as my quarter-century birthday-present-to-me/act of personal rebellion... I figured it was just one hole/needle rather than two! lol).<br />
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That being said, I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for YEARS. In fact, a few months before I made the consultation appointment with the artist I got a Timehop flashback from FOUR YEARS AGO saying something around the lines of "I really want to get a tattoo!" =) I figured that it was time. <br />
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I'd been thinking about what I wanted for a pretty long time, and had been searching around Yelp/Google/Reviews/etc for artists and shops in the area... but I just hadn't pulled the trigger. Then, a friend of mine got the name of an artist that she thought would do a good job... and Jacob said that he would finally get "his" tattoo, too! So, we made it a sort of 5-year wedding anniversary adventure and gave up our tattoo virginities at the same time. =)<br />
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I had a pretty good sense of what I wanted from my tattoo, but needed something designed. I am very happy with the results! The image is a floral "timeline". The first flower, the Morning Glory, is a birth month flower for September (both Jacob and I were born in September), the Sunflower was our wedding flower. The Sweet Pea ins April's flower (Emily's birth month) and the orange flower, a Cosmos (or could also double as a marigold, is for October, when Sam was born.<br />
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Jacob had a friend design his (based on line art that he had already created). The symbol signifies a childhood nickname. And also his online gaming persona. ;)<br />
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Overall, I am very happy with the final products. And am happy to report that I didn't pass out AT ALL! That is a HUGE win! It went so well (and didn't hurt nearly as much as I was expecting), that I'm already wondering what my next one will be. ;)<br />
<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-22662172930398441922015-12-02T15:19:00.000-08:002015-12-02T15:19:49.335-08:00My (Other) Baby Turns 1!OK, actually, he just turned 13 months... I'm a bit behind with my life recaps (we've been busy, I swear!) but here is a cute kid photo dump of Sam's first birthday party last month! His actual birthday double as CLOSING DAY for our new house, and so his birthday party the following week was kind of an open house for family and friends as well. =) Much to celebrate!<br />
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Sam was actually pretty tentative with the cake. We didn't get the traditional "smash" that we were hoping for. In fact, Jacob had to put Cheerios on it just to get Sam to put the frosting in his mouth! lol<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-67432219931087640012015-11-18T15:35:00.000-08:002015-11-18T15:35:19.410-08:00Hypocrite Much? ;)As I'm sitting here in a coffee shop eating a chocolate chip-raspberry muffin and drinking a brown sugar chai, I think this may be the appropriate time to talk about my weight loss and fitness progress and goals. ;)<br />
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I have battled with my weight for YEARS. I like to blame it on my kids/pregnancies, but that is by far not how/when it started. In all honesty, I think it started when I finally found myself feeling safe, comfortable and happy (ironic, huh?)... when I was in my mid 20s. (It may have started earlier than that, but thinking back and seeing myself in pictures in high school/college/graduation/etc, I didn't start to balloon until after I graduated from college). I have discovered that my body is REALLY good at gaining weight. But it's also pretty good at losing it... thus lots of fluctuation over the years (and lots of piles of pants that are either too big or two small in my closet).<br />
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When I got my first job post-grad school I was at my highest weight. I hated to admit the numbers on the scale and mostly just ignored them (and had been doing so for months--maybe years--I'm sure). My now-husband had also proposed to me just a few months prior to this point, and I knew that I wanted to drop some inches before my wedding day. So, I did. Between a counting calories routine and getting some exercise (though more of the former and less of latter, to be honest), I dropped 30 lbs in 8 months. My dress had to be altered a lot (and the seamstress even commented on the fact that I bought too big of a dress size... I told her it was my "fault" for dropping the weight).<br />
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When I got pregnant roughly a year later, I was only up about 5-10 lbs from wedding weight... but then I gained a TON during pregnancy (too many brownies) and my daughter wasn't nearly chubby enough to take the bulk of it with her. ;) About a year after she was born, I was at my NEW highest weight (by about 15 lbs, I think) and felt awful. So, I started the food diary/calorie counting routine again and started to (attempt to) work out again. I'll tell you though, working out with an infant/toddler at home after working 40 hours/week is REALLY difficult, both emotionally and physically). <br />
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By February 2014 I was down roughly 25 lbs, had just fit back into my pre-prego jeans, was 5-10 lbs away from pre-prego weight (and about 15-20 lbs away from wedding weight) and was feeling pretty awesome! And then, I found out that I was pregnant with my son. FANTASTIC news for my husband and I and our families, but terrible news for my body. As I mentioned before, my body is REALLY good at gaining weight.<br />
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With my son, I stopped paying attention to the scales at the doctor's office. I tried to be "good" with my eating and only had MAYBE one or two chocolate milkshakes the entire time! But, I still gained a lot of weight (much more than the "recommended" amount) and, after my son was born, I was right back to the beginning in terms of my post-prego weight loss with my daughter. Only, this time, I had a goal... by my son's 1st birthday, I wanted to have dropped the weight! So, I kicked my own ass into gear!<br />
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In May I joined a "Biggest Loser" challenge with a group of local moms. It was great to have the weekly food and exercise challenges, as well as the encouragement from others. In the 8ish weeks that the challenge occurred, I dropped roughly 13 lbs. <br />
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During the last 4 weeks of the challenge, the weather was started to get nicer, earlier so I started (again, for the third time) the Couch To 5k (C25k) running program. I would go in the mornings before work (hello 5:30 am) and go for runs... something that I was NEVER good at, and always HATED... before now, and before I saw the weight loss results that running could have! After the end of the Biggest Loser challenge I continued the C25k program and signed up for another 5k (I signed up for one with my sister in law at the beginning of the summer, but don't really count that one as I walked the majority of the course). <br />
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I had a new goal... no longer was my goal to "lose weight", but rather to RUN a 5k. And I was determined to do so by the race in August. <br />
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And I DID IT! Not only did a RUN the entire thing, but I took something like 11 minutes off my time from the first (walked) race... and finished in the middle of my age division. Did you hear that? The MIDDLE! Not the END! The amount of pride that I felt in myself was unbelievable. And, as an extra bonus, I'd lost another 10 lbs or so.<br />
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I decided to sign up for another 5k a couple months later, in early October. I continued to run with a goal to improve my time and do it for enjoyment (running on the beach is awesome!)<br />
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About a month in, something totally came in and ruined my plans... I got pneumonia. I was hospitalized for several days (more on this later) and it just completed kicked my butt and knocked me out. It was absolutely awful (more on this later) That being said... I lost about 15 lbs... in less than a week, and found myself at pre-prego weight before little man's 1st birthday. Silver lining? <br />
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Though I was down pounds-wise, I didn't feel strong anymore. I felt so, so weak.. <br />
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It's been almost 2 months since I was discharged from the hospital. I have gained back about 6 lbs (I am ok with that for now, as I know that my body wasn't ready to lose it), and just started running around last week. I have signed up for a 5k in March and am looking forward to the cold, wet asphalt and my ability to, once again, see my body in action and feel strong and accomplished. Also, hoping to get back down to pre-Sam weight, followed by pre-Emily weight, followed by (dare I say?) wedding weight. ;)Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-83792264599810813022015-11-12T14:16:00.000-08:002015-11-12T14:16:40.464-08:00Our New NormalThere is been a bit of radio silence on this blog recently... mostly it's because life's been nuts (in addition to the general nuttiness of having two small children). The Corey family has decided to change things up a bit... rather drastically. <div>
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The whole thing started this summer when Jacob was offered, accepted and started a new job in Vancouver, on the other side of the river, in another state, with different taxes. Jacob started talking about wanting to move as it would effect his take-home income, but my job and our (awesome) child care situation was holding us back. Then, in August, you may remember <a href="http://sanddollarsandsunflowers.blogspot.com/2015/08/taking-risks.html">my post about not getting a promotion</a> that I really thought I had a high chance of getting... and was really the carrot at the end of the stick in terms of my then-current position. </div>
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I had an epiphany at that point... I was, once again, "stuck" in a position that I didn't really want to do, for less than 1/3 of what Jacob was getting paid for a job that he loves (and would bring home more from if we moved to Vancouver due to the lack of income tax). I was spending about 3 hours per weekday with my kids, 2 hours of which was stressing everyone out by trying to get them out the door in time for Jacob and I to get to work or trying to get them to bed. I never had any energy on the weekends, was commuting roughly 1.5-2 hours per day (same for Jacob) between work and shuttling kids to daycare. It just didn't make sense anymore. I have always enjoyed my work and really cared about it's mission... which I still do. But I couldn't make the argument anymore that I was continuing to work for my family and for myself... it wasn't true anymore.</div>
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So, in August, we found a house that we loved in Vancouver and put in an offer. We put our house on the market. We got an offer in September, and moved in October, the week before Sam's birthday and in November I finished working to stay home, raise my children, and manage our household. </div>
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This post was going to be about the process of the home purchase/move and our stumbling blocks... that's what I intended to write about when I started. But the post has taken a different course, and I'm going to allow it to do so. I'll tell you all more about the move later, but for now let me just tell you how amazing it is not to have wake up a sleepy 3-year old when it's still dark outside (when she REALLY doesn't want to open her eyes), skip breakfast EVERY morning because there just isn't enough time to get everything done, not eat dinner until 7:00/7:30 because I can't actually start cooking until 6:00, spend more than an hour a day listening to my children laugh and play, go to the store on a Tuesday afternoon when there are no lines, take my kids to the library and week day play grounds. Jacob is loving it, too. He can sleep/leave a little later in the morning (and in a better mood!), can come home on his lunch breaks to hang out with us, and is home about an hour earlier every night than he has been for the last 3 years... it's only day 4 (and, truth be told, today is my "me/errands day" and they are actually with the sitter while I go grocery shopping and run other errands - while still taking a Starbucks break for some peppermint hot chocolate and blog catch ups) but so far I'm not regretting my decision at all, and believe that we made the best choice for our family. I am very much looking forward to seeing what our new "normal" is going to be like. =)</div>
Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-15583608625818239122015-11-12T13:51:00.001-08:002015-11-12T13:52:20.119-08:0012 Months!<b>Weight/Length- </b>Your dad took you to your 12 month appointment... and forgot to remember/write down your stats! So I had to call the doctor's office yesterday to get them. =) You are currently 23 lbs, 10 oz. and 30" "long" (I consider it "tall" now as you are walking around, but doctor still calls it "long"). Still mid-range with height (54 percentile) and above average with weight (80-something) and head circumference (70-something), but you are starting to even out a bit. ;)<br />
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<b>Eating-</b> Pretty much everything that I wrote for this category last month could be written again. Still a picky eater (we had to put cheerios ON YOUR BIRTHDAY CAKE just so you would taste it!). Trying to offer you more and more table foods, but still resorting to cheerios and baby snack food thingies to get SOMETHING in your stomach during meal times. Really hope that this stage passes soon!<br />
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<b>Teeth</b>- I *think* (hope!) that you are currently teething. You're moody, clingy, whiny and have a runny nose. I really hoping your first molars are the reason...<br />
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<b>Sleep</b>- You've been getting to bed a little earlier these days, around 7:30. Wake up is anywhere between 6:30 and 7:15 generally (more often closer to the 6:30).</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b>Can still fit in to most of your 9 months clothes, but since we are unpacking (just moved!) I decided to phase out all of the 9 months (except pants, you little shorty) and pull in all your 12 month stuff. You've got some cute, comfy sweats. I'm jealous.</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> See above... whiny, moody, clingy... and starting to through tantrums when you don't get what you want. Woo hoo to the toddler years! lol. Pretty much your fits break down to the fact hat you want to be eye level with mommy (and sometimes daddy). Which means that we either need to be down on the ground with you (at which point you tend to ignore us and play with whatever toy is down there, too, and check in every few minutes for a hug before you go on your way) or you want to be up in our arms so that you're up high, too. This is starting to get painful... you're a big guy and I can only do so much one handed! (And I can't cook dinner while sitting on the floor!)</div>
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<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
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<b>-</b>You like running around with/chasing your sister and LAUGHING hysterically when she "chases" you, too.<br />
- You like playing catch with a ball and rolling your cars/trucks across the floor.<br />
- You like opening and closing doors... I'm just so worried about your little fingers!<br />
- You like chasing the kitty around and "petting him"... he's not so much a fan of this new stage. ;)</div>
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-You don't like playing by yourself. You want someone with you, even if they are just sitting on the floor doing something else.<br />
- You don't like not being able to go up and down the stairs like your sister! <br />
- You don't like the fact that mom won't let you walk/run and eat at the same time. "Places to go, woman!"</div>
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<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
- First haircut! Check out the difference between weeks 51 and 52 below. ;)<br />
- First swim lessons! You got upset when I wouldn't let you lap up the water... off the deck floor. =P<br />
- First time moving! More to dome on this later! I think you like the new house... so much more room to run around with your sister!<br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-2360107997279964652015-09-30T14:22:00.000-07:002015-09-30T14:22:39.969-07:0010... and 11... Months<i>*These last couple of months have been nuts... and Sam's growth progression blog posts have suffered. =( I'm hoping to write more about it later, but in the last couple of months we've put our house on the market, started the process of buying a new house, had two work trips (one for Jacob and one for me) and two bouts of pneumonia (also one each), both ending up in hospital visits. So.. better late than never?</i><br />
<br /><b> </b><br />
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<b>Weight/Length- </b><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Not sure on current stats... I'm assuming not much different than your 9 month appt... seeing as you're STILL able to get squeezed into some of your 6 month clothes...</span><br />
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<b>Eating-</b> You are a goober when it comes to food. You'll put anything in your month... if it's not supposed to be there. Food though, you poke at, taste, and then throw on the floor (at which point you'll eat it, off the floor, at a later time). You're all about the cheerios and the goldfish... trying hard to introduce more a variety of foods, especially since you're getting so close to your first birthday!<br />
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<b>Teeth</b>- You JUST got a couple more teeth this month, bringing the total up to 8... 4 each on bottom and top!<br />
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<b>Sleep</b>- Go to bed at 8, wake up sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 (though usually closer to the 6:30 mark). The other morning though, you were up at 5:15! We were not having that, so I gave you a toy and you talked to yourself until 6:00.</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b>Primarily wearing 9 month clothes... with the occasional 12 (and 6) month item thrown in. You have several cute fall shirts and pants, so looking forward to the weather cooling down so that we can mix it up a bit. =)</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> This last month I went on a three day work trip, followed by being sick on the couch/in bed for four days, followed by 3 days in the hospital... by the time I came home you seemed to have gotten over the "only mommy" stage. I miss it sometimes... but I'm SOO grateful to be able to sit down and/or go to the bathroom by myself on occasion! You are still a very happy little guy, and very vocal! You talk to yourself a lot!</div>
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<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
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<b>-</b>You
like electronics... cell phones, tablets, remote controls... you are going to be your daddy's little side kick!<br />
- You LOVE your sister! You two are finally starting to be able to play together (though sometimes she gets a little rough and makes me nervous). You two giggle and roll around... it's so cute. I'm so happy that you'll have a sibling to love you!<br />
- You like cheerios... a lot. Sometimes I'll put you in your high chair with a handful of cheerios just so I can get stuff down in the kitchen... I'm sorry for any issues that may cause you later in life. ;)<br />
- You LOVE trucks/cars/anything with wheels. You will zip around the house pushing a toy car. It's so funny how gender conforming you and your sister both are... even though we definitely didn't push either of you in that way.</div>
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-You
don't like sitting still. You have to be moving around... even if you don't really know where you want to be/what you want to be doing.<br />
- You don't like trying new foods... you give them some pretty funny looks!<br />
- You don't like laying down long enough for a diaper change. It's getting a bit challenging to change your diaper, and I've had to resort to doing it on your bedroom floor a couple of times recently as I'm so afraid that you're going to fall off the changing table!</div>
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<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
-
First you stood by yourself for a few seconds without holding on to anything. Then you took a pivot step or two to get from couch to ottoman, etc. As of a couple of days ago though, you are WALKING! Toddling around all over the place (unless your dad is trying to get a video... and then you are quite uncooperative!). So, you started walking just before your 11 month mark!<br />
- First time visiting someone in the hospital (me... ugh).<br />
- First Powwow. I had to work, so your dad brought you and Emily to check it out.<br />
- First times being away from mom and dad over night... first so that we could go on a long weekend trip for our 5 year wedding anniversary in August (you stayed with Grandma and Grandpa), and then so dad could be with me in the hospital for a little while (you stayed at daycare over night).<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-15332949588930286672015-08-15T20:37:00.001-07:002015-08-15T20:37:18.831-07:00Taking RisksThis post is about 10 months in the making. I was waiting to write about it until it had an "end".... it still hasn't reached that point, so here I am, to write what I know, while I still remember it. =)<br />
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Toward the end of my pregnancy with Sam I was 95% certain that I wouldn't be returning to my job. I hadn't truly been happy there since Emily was born. I felt that the job (and the commute to get to the job) kept me away from my kids/family too much... and it was just generally a pain the ass anyway. Riding the max/bus for 2-3 hours each day for five years... I had had enough. I figured that maternity leave would give me a good chunk of time to look for a new job and get something lined up for when it was time to go back.<br />
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Of course, I didn't tell my current job that I wasn't planning to come back. They were already treating me differently with just their assumptions that I wouldn't be... and I didn't want to risk my benefits, etc., while I was out on leave.<br />
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Just a couple of weeks before my maternity leave started, a couple of directors from another, similar program met with boss to talk about how we ran our program and kept things on track in terms of federal required outcomes and such. My boss, calling me the "data guru" pulled me into the meeting so that I could help answer their questions. I left that meeting thing, "well... that was dumb" with the knowledge that a struggling program had just heard from my boss that I'm awesome and do a lot to keep the program on track.<br />
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Fast forward to December. I was on maternity leave, and was starting to look for jobs while Sam napped. I had put out several applications, and decided to e-mail the two directors that I had met with previously. I let them know that I was looking for something a bit more on a management track, and asked if they had decided to create a management position for their program. I didn't hear anything back from them, but I did get an interview at another agency as a housing case manager and personal finance instructor.<br />
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I nailed the interview. And the second interview. They offered me the position, and I accepted. I was set to start in the middle of January. I gave my job notice that I wouldn't be returning.<br />
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And then I got a phone call from the OTHER program. They wanted to bring me in for a "meeting". I agreed. We met. We talked about what types of things I'd done for my last job. They were surprised that I didn't have a more representative title based on the work that I was doing. They told me about their program and the challenges they were facing with staffing and structure. They told me that they were still trying to figure out the staffing structure for the program, that they planned to hire on a manager, and that I'd be a great candidate, but that they weren't quite "there" with budgets, etc. The asked me in what capacity (and for what wage) I'd be willing to work. They asked if I'd be interested in coming on as an independent contractor for a few months to get the program on track. I told them that it would be something that I'd consider, but also informed that that I'd already accepted another position so would need to know something/make a decision soon. They understood and said that they would get back to me the following week.<br />
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The "following week" would have been the week of Christmas, and I a week before I was set to start my new job. I didn't want to be the jerk that gives them less than a week's notice that, "surprise! The person that you hired for the position isn't going to be showing up on Monday after all!"... and I felt pretty good about the other meeting... and, as Jacob said, I was a lot more excited talking about the possibilities there than I was talking about the case management gig. So... I took a risk. Without even hearing back from the potential, short-term independent contractor gig, I turned down the new job... and crossed my fingers.<br />
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Thankfully, I was offered the contract position... and, of course, I accepted. I kicked ass. I got the program in order, helped them hire a new staff, redesigned the structure of the program and built an entire 3-week employment prep curriculum that has ultimately led to doubling program enrollments. My boss referred to me as a "God send" on several occasions. Our federal contract liaison congratulated them on getting me on board. After the three month stint, they offered me a permanent position as the program coordinator... still not a "manager", and still, really, doing the same work that I've been doing for the last several years, but at least the title and pay were more in line with the duties, so I accepted it. They continued to tell me that they were going to hire a manager (and that they hoped I'd apply), but that they needed to wait until the new funding year (July) when budgets would be refreshed. So, I waited.<br />
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Last month the manager position opened. Before I submitted my application I sat down with my boss and asked if she still thought I'd be a good fit for the position. She did. I applied. I interviewed. I waited. I didn't get it. The woman that did get the position has been with the agency for several years and is of the culture that the agency represents (it's a culturally specific organization). So, I wasn't completely surprised. My boss told me that it was a hard decision, and that she sees a lot of potential in my and room for growth within the agency. I was a bit disappointed... both about not getting the position, and also in the fact that it seems that my career has kind of plateaued at the program coordinator/direct service level.<br />
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I took many risks when I decided to leave my last position. And I don't regret a single one of them. This story hasn't ended the way I hoped or expected it to, but that just means that there are more stories, and more risks to come...Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-46213368123021554312015-08-09T15:02:00.000-07:002015-08-10T09:42:15.519-07:009 Months!<i>*What do I do when I get a babysitter and a couple of hours to myself on a Sunday afternoon? Go to Shari's, eat pie and catch up on week-late blog posts... such a wild life I lead... ;)</i><b> </b><br>
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OK... so Sam, you turned 9 months a week ago. This summer and been busy and exhausting... I'm sorry about being late, but I'm just happy that I remembered to take all of the photos. ;)<b> </b><br>
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<b>Weight/Length- </b><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">At your 9 month appointment you measured in at 27.75" and 21 lbs 10.5 oz... That puts you in the 81st percentile for weight and 23rd for height. My short, squat little man. ;)</span><div><font face="sans-serif"><br></font><div><div><div>
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<b>Eating-</b> Trying to introduce more table foods now. You love breads, your teething biscuits, blueberries (in your little mesh pouch thing), cereal, occasionally bananas... and anything on the floor. You still refuse to let mom or dad feed you, as you seem to be just as independent as your sister was at this age! <br>
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<b>Teeth</b>- We're up to 6! Four on top and two on the bottom.<br>
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<b>Sleep</b>- Sleeping through the night (for the most part!) Hip Hip Hooray!!! We did a few days of the dreaded 4 am night weaning, and now you're sleeping form 8ish to 6:30ish. I hate getting up at 6:30 on a Saturday, but at least I'm not up at 4 every morning for a bottle break!</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b> i don't know that you've changed much since last month... going back and forth between 6 and 9 month stuff. Your 6 month stuff may be getting a LITTLE snug, but more in girth than length. ;)</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> You have reached the dreaded "I don't want anyone else if mommy is in the room" stage. It's a big exhausting. I love that you love to love on me... but I'm tired and sometimes want to sit down with my feet up without having to hide in another room. ;)</div>
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<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
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<b>-</b>You
like to move. You want to be standing and "walking" (even though you can't walk on your own yet). You've started to find objects that move (plastic patio chairs) and will use them to "walk" around. I wonder how long it's going to be before you're running around with your sister...<br>
- You LOVE your sister. I'm so happy that the two of you get along so well. She loves her "baby" and will let you crawl all over her (and only gets upset with you pull her hair).<br>
- You like exploring and observing new surroundings. Watching cars go by, checking out the doctor's office... doesn't matter. You want to see what there is to see!</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
-You
don't like hanging out with other people if mom is in the room.<br>
- You don't like getting OUT of the bath tub. You have way too much fun playing in there!<br>
- You don't like laying still to get your diaper changed. We have to bribe you with some kind of a toy so that you don't heave yourself off the changing table or stick a hand in something disgusting.</div>
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<br></div>
<div>
<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
- First camping trip... and first trip to the beach! You loved wandering around the beach... but weren't too fond of mom and dad blocking you from eating the sand.<br>
- First Fourth of July.... didn't mean much to you though. You slept. ;)<br>
- First time eating at a food cart... I think. =) You shared your sister's quesadillas. <br>
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<br></div></div></div></div>Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-18899465688989126722015-07-03T21:43:00.001-07:002015-07-03T21:43:46.191-07:00Eight Months!<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Probably won't have anything to update here until next month when you have your 9 month doctor's appointment. I think you're starting to thin out a bit though, especially since you've been working out your legs so much this last month!</span></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Eating-</b> Exclusively formula at this point (not sure if I've mentioned that in previous posts yet). Starting to experiment with more solids. You really went to town with blue berries the other night, and seem to enjoy my sweet potato fries. =)<br />
<br />
<b>Teeth</b>- You currently have 4 teeth (two top, two bottom), but it looks like another top tooth is coming in right now!<br />
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<div>
<b>Sleep</b>- Sleep hasn't changed much since last month. Still going to bed around 8ish, waking up sometime between 3-5, having another bottle and then going back to sleep until around 7or so (depending on what time your mid-night wake up was). We got a couple of 8-12, 12-6 stretches this month, and I wasn't sure if I preferred sleeping for a longer stretch of time, or sleeping later. It was a toss up. =)</div>
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<div>
<b>Clothes-</b> We pulled out your 9 month clothes this month. You're still wearing most of your 6 month stuff, but you have some new pieces to add to your summer wardrobe. ;)</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> Still very happy, very observant, and very motivated to MOVE!</div>
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<div>
<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
<div>
<b>-</b>You
like to play in the water. I actually seem to enjoy putting your face in the path of the shower head when you're showering with Dad.<br />
- You like chasing the cat around the house.... I don't know that he likes it much though!<br />
- You like standing up. You want to stand up ALL THE TIME, and get annoyed when mom's back just can't handle the hunching any more. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
-You
don't like being stationary. You can move now, and that's all you want to do. Lying on your back to get your diaper changed is, like, the worst thing ever.<br />
- You don't like... hmm... I don't know. There isn't really anything else that I can think of!</div>
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<div>
<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
-So, in the last month you went from just figuring out how to get into a seated position to crawling, pulling yourself into a standing position, and cruising along the furniture. I kind of fear what the next month is going to bring! lol<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-6023463995359672892015-06-06T22:19:00.001-07:002015-06-06T22:19:54.261-07:00Seven Months!Well, I'm a couple weeks late, but better late than never, right? =)<br />
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<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">No idea. Still easily fitting in your 6 month clothes, so I'm guess you haven't grown too much since last month.</span></span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Eating-</b> Still trying to get you to eat some more solids. You seem to enjoy the feeling of cucumbers and sliced peppers... I think it's the nice, cool temperature over anything else though. You are not a fan of me putting anything in your mouth, so traditional baby food is out. I bought some little finger-food teething things that you seem to enjoy, but don't have quite the hand-eye coordination to get more than 50% of anything in your mouth. =)<br />
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<div>
<b>Sleep</b>- So, you're doing SOO much better with sleep. And I think I have the pediatrician to thank. You're going to bed at 8ish, waking up to eat around 4ish, and then going back to sleep until 7:30ish. When we went in for your 6 month check up, the doctor noticed that you had some dry skin and suggested giving you some Benadryl for a couple of nights in addition to putting lotion on to give the skin a chance to heal. She mentioned that the dry skin may be itching a lot at night which is waking you up. I don't know if that was it or not, but your skin is so much better and you're only waking up once at night so, I'm calling it a win. =)</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b>As I mentioned before, still in 6 month sizes.</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> You are a happy, curious little man who loves his sister and finds her absolutely hilarious!</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
<div>
<b>-</b>You
like to watch the world go by... ie cars driving down the street. We were out to eat at a food cart pod the other day and your dad positioned your car seat so that you were looking at the street. You fell asleep to your "favorite show". =)<br />
- You love your sister. Seeing the two of you together is pretty amazing. We lucked out. =)<br />
- You like standing up. You can't do it on your own yet, but you love it when we hold you up so that you can "stand". I bought you a walker at the consignment store the other day. Best purchase ever. My back thanks me!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-You
don't like getting your nose wiped. It's like the worst thing in the entire world apparently.<br />
- You don't like not being able to move around. You desperately want to move but you're not quite as mobile as you'd like to be.<br />
- You don't like face planting on the ground... not that I blame you, but you've got to figure out how to get those arms to work so that you can crawl and not just fall over when you try!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
-You can wiggle yourself into a seated position from a laying down position (and go in reverse). You surprised us all as I thought most babies crawled before they could do this! (Or, at the very least, could get themselves up on all fours!)<br />
- You can "army crawl". <br />
- First swimming pool experience. You weren't sure what to think, but seemed to enjoy it!<br />
- First overnight away from Mommy... I took a night to stay by myself in a hotel for Mother's Day. Still woke up several times throughout the night, so didn't get very good sleep, but the quite was awfully nice!<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-54524481765888011052015-05-06T21:51:00.001-07:002015-05-06T21:51:44.671-07:00Six Months!<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Had your 6 month check up today... 18 lbs 5 oz, and 26.5 inches long.... putting into the 36% for length, 63% for height and 80% for head. My short, squat, big headed little man. lol</span></span><br />
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<b>Eating-</b> Over the last month we've transitioned to 50/50 formula and breast milk. I'm enjoying the freedom that comes from not having to pump 3+ times per day. You've also started to munch on some solid foods... mostly cereals (Cheerios and Life). You also love pancakes. We've tried bananas and avocados, but I think you get more on your clothes than in your mouth!</div>
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<b>Sleep</b>-
Still kind of a crappy sleeper. You got to bed around 8, wake up around 10:30 (put yourself back to sleep), wake up around 1:30 (need comforting), again at 4:00 to eat, and up for day between 6:30 and 7:30. We're kind of at a loss of what to do at this point. </div>
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<b>Clothes-</b>Still wearing 6 month sizes... by the looks of your length, may be in them for awhile. ;)</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> Happy, happy, happy little guy... as long as you're being held or entertained. True story... at your doctor's appointment today the nurse gave you two shots. You gave her this look like, "What the hell was that?" And then you laughed! I commented to the nurse that I bet that was the first time she ever made a baby laugh with a shot! You're also quite the little flirt. Always making eyes/grins at everyone and doing the bashful face cover thing. =)</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
<div>
<b>-</b>You
like water. You're quite the splasher and love taking showers with dad.<br />
- You like Cheerios... a lot. You are doing really well eating them!<br />
- You like sitting up! You are finally able to sit up by yourself and you are so much happier not having to lay on your back and look up at the world.<br />
- You like watching the cars go by out the window. It's a good way to keep you occupied when I'm tired. ;)<br />
- You like standing up. You can't do it on your own yet, but you like us holding you so that you can stand and "walk". </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-You
don't like playing by yourself for very long. You want to be held/entertained frequently.<br />
- You don't like us wiping your nose... you've been suffering from/getting over a cold for the past week or so and you HATE it when we try to clean your nose up!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
-You can it up now! You do really good at not falling over until you reach too far for something or turn too quickly. =)<br />
- You have your two bottom teeth... curious when the others are going to come in!<br />
- You've started to eat solid foods.<br />
- You had your first cold (and subsequent pink eye).<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-70193354781093686692015-05-01T21:28:00.001-07:002015-05-06T21:53:09.298-07:003 Years old!<br />
Emily turned THREE years old on April 23rd. It's amazing how quickly time goes by. I think she's officially crossed over from "toddler" title to the "preschooler" title!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Weight/Height-</b>
We have your 3 year appointment next week, but at home you weight in at about 33 lbs. Not exactly sure how tall you are, but will try to update after your appointment!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Update: At your doctor's appointment you measured in at 39 1/4 inches tall and 34 l<span style="font-family: inherit;">bs... in the 92% for height and 7<span style="font-family: inherit;">6% for weight. =)</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Eating-</b>
When you're hungry, you can definitely put the food away (some mornings you'll eat 3 pancakes!), but you can also be a picky little goober and eat like a bird. You enjoy all things peanut butter, cereal and applesauce... and chocolate.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sleep</b>-You used to sleep SOO well. Now it's a fight to get you to go to/stay in bed. Bedtime starts around 8, and you're usually asleep around 9:30 after making several trips in and out of bed. You're kind of driving us nuts. You also seem to have a hard time staying asleep at night and often crawl into bed with us in the wee morning hours. Sometimes I don't even know that you're there until Sam cries... other times you come in and smack me to get me to scoot over! lol </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Clothes-</b> 3T and moving up to 4T. You are tall and skinny. Your clothes are too short, but sometimes it's a challenge to keep your pants up!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Personality-</b> You can be so sweet and caring. You can be really polite, a great sharer and a fantastic help. Notice I say "can"? You definitely have a bit of an attitude sometimes and can also be pretty obstinate either directly refusing to do something, or pretending that you do hear us, or hiding your face thinking that, if you can't see us, we must not be able to see you either. ;) For the most part, though, he are a pretty cool little kid and are constantly surprising us with your wit and intelligence!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You
like your brother... a lot. He's YOUR baby and I don't think I've really experienced any jealousy issues.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You like your "shows"... Daniel Tiger, My Little Ponies, Magic School Bus, Curious George to name a few.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You like watching music videos... and you LOVE to dance! Thinking about signing you up for a hip hop class as we think that you'd really love it!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You like being outside playing with bugs and digging in dirt.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You like wearing dresses and skirts and seeing how they twirl. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You like to talk... a lot. A LOT.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You like to clean. That trait must have skipped a generation. lol Tonight you had a spray bottle and a towel scrubbing the kitchen floor. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't like going to bed. It's a constant struggle.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't like "dinner"... I don't know what it is about the evening meal, but you tend to through a bit of a fit when it's time to eat (unless you're really hungry, and then you chow down).</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think that's all I've got in terms of the don't likes... aside from listening/doing something that you don't want to do. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Milestones-</b></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can count to 10.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your vocabulary is huge and you use it... a lot. lol You are quite the little talker!</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You are potty trained! Just this week you went 3 nights with a dry pull up so your dad decided to risk it on night 4 and you had another dry night in just undies!</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You know pretty much all of your colors (though you get black and white confused), and you know most shapes. You can pick out a few letters, too.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span>You are now a big sister... and you love it! =) And Sam loves you... a lot! </li>
</ul>
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-78334836023617480352015-05-01T21:01:00.002-07:002015-05-01T21:01:47.375-07:00My Week in ReviewA business colleague of mine asked me the other day how it was going with two kids. She said that when her second was born she realized that having two wasn't just a X2 situation, but rather a 2-squared type of deal. Most days, I would disagree. Having two has been challenging, but generally speaking not too bad. This week, however, was the exception to that rule. Here's the recap of the last week(ish) for our family...<br />
<br />
last Thursday: Emily crawled into bed with us Thursday night and was hot. She had a fever, even the bottoms of her little feet were radiating heat. Understandably, she was having a hard time sleeping... if you've ever been in bed with a tossing and turning toddler, you know that when she can't sleep, no one can. I got up with her and got her some Tylenol and managed to get her back to sleep, but then I had a hard time getting myself back to sleep. Long story short, that night I probably got in about 4 hours of sleep... total... NOT in a row.<br />
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Friday: Emily seemed to be doing better. Just some random fever thing I thought. Took the two kids to daycare thinking it was going to be a regular day. Got a text at about 4:00 PM letting me know that Emily had a fever and said that she felt like she was going to throw up. I cut out of a meeting early to go pick her up. Had to kind of chuckle to myself when I did the stereotypical "read an emergency text message and book it" sort of thing. ;) When I got to daycare, Emily was passed out on the couch, looking really flush. I packed her up and took her home (left Sam there for Jacob to pick up so that I could spend an hour or so coddling Emily. Within a couple of hours of being home, Emily appeared to be fine again (never vomited). By that time I was pretty confused. That night, she crawled into bed with us again. With another fever. This time we foregoed the Tylenol and rode it out. Her fever broke and she seemed to be a-ok.<br />
<br />
Saturday: Emily's birthday party at my parents place. Thankfully Emily was feeling better and everything went well.<br />
<br />
Sunday: Hung out with friends and then drove home. End of a nice weekend... thank God for that.<br />
<br />
Monday: Background info... our morning routine consists of Jacob taking all of the bags (diaper bag, pump, laptop if needed) out to my car on his way to work so that I just have to struggle with the kids about a half hour later. This time, however, I had forgotten to take my car keys out of the diaper bag after our weekend adventures. Which meant that they were in the car, all locked up, when I needed to leave. So, right as he was getting into the office, Jacob got a call to drive home to rescue us. Great start to a Monday. I got the kids to daycare and got to work. Around noon I get a call from daycare letting me know that Emily's eyes are really blood shot and there's a concern that she may have gotten pink eye (one of the other girls at daycare was diagnosed the week prior). With my schedule packed solid, I call Jacob to see if he can retrieve Emily. He does while I call the pediatrician to get her in for an appointment. Turns out that she has "viral pink eye" which apparently isn't contagious and is just how some kids react to a cold. They tell us to look out for "gunk" as that could mean that she's progressed to bacterial pink eye, which is contagious. Jacob spent 4 hours in the car that day, and only 3.5 at work.<br />
<br />
Tuesday: Jacob decides to stay home with Emily and give her a day to rest and try to get her eyes to go back to normal (they are still pretty blood shot). When I get home from work and am cuddling with Sam, I notice a little bit of sleepy type goo in his eye and wipe it away... three times. Crap.<br />
<br />
Wednesday: Sam's right eye is pretty wet and gunky, but not red at all. They don't seem to be bothering him, but I don't want to get another call from daycare, so we decide to drop Emily off and take Sam to his Nana's for the day. I decide to go ahead and take him to ZoomCare first thing to get him checked out. Turns out ZoomCare isn't covered by my insurance, so I end up paying way too much out of pocket only to hear that he also has viral pink eye. I was confused as the pediatrician had told us that it wasn't contagious. Turns out the pink eye isn't, but the cold that caused it is. We were told to look out for the red blood shot eyes as that could mean bacteria issues.<br />
<br />
Did you read that good? Emily was red with no goo, Sam was gooey with red. WTF?<br />
<br />
Thursday: After dropping Emily off at daycare, I bring Sam home with the plan to get some work done at home and run some work related errands with him in tow. Jacob is also working from home that day, so I figured we could tag team it. Sam BARELY sleeps all day. I have to get to the office in the afternoon so Jacob has to work with a baby (who refuses to sleep) on his lap for the last chunk of his day. Apparently he didn't get much done. Jacob calls me at about 5:15 telling me that Sam FINALLY fell asleep... and now he (Jacob) has to go pick up Emily. Instead of risking waking the baby, we call daycare and get a brief extension to pick up Emily. I leave work early to go get her. She's the last one there, but doesn't seem to mind. <br />
<br />
Today: Sam wakes up at about 5:30 with his eye sealed shut and NOT happy about it. Jacob and I both try several things and ultimately get the eye cleaned up. But he's (and me) are awake at that point. I cuddle him, feed him, and rock him and eventually, right after 6:00, he falls back asleep. My alarm goes off at 6:30, so there's no real point to going back to bed. Since it's my turn to stay home with a sick kid, I take the next hour to do some work and call in. I spend the day with a cuddly, snotty, feverish, gooey baby. Thankfully he wasn't too cranky, just physically gross.<br />
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Really hoping that we're all on the mend.Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-9255934180945664362015-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:002015-03-31T12:06:59.191-07:00Adventures in Sleep Training an Infant with a Sick Toddler in the Next RoomThe title kind of sums up my weekend.<br />
<br />
Sam is 5 months old... and was waking up regularly every 2-3 hours throughout the night. I would nurse him, but it was obvious that he wasn't really eating anything. For the last couple of weeks I have just been waiting for a mellow weekend with no plans so that we could dedicate some time to sleep training/night weaning. I just wasn't sure how to do it with a toddler in the next room...<br />
<br />
The plan that Jacob and I came up with was that we'd put everyone to bed as normal around 8:00 (Sam goes to bed just fine, it's the waking up that's the problem). If/when Sam woke Emily up, the plan was to move her to the couch in the living room at the end of the hall, hoping that would distance her enough from the noise and she could get some sleep. Here's what actually occurred:<br />
<br />
8:00 - Sam goes to bed with a little bit of whining, but is out within 5 minutes.<br />
8:15 - Emily goes to bed... and by "goes to bed", I mean that I leave her room and close the door... we never really know what she's going to do in there.<br />
8:45 - Emily comes up crying that she fell out of her bed. I put her back to bed and tuck her in.<br />
9:30 - I hear coughing, and then crying. Jacob goes to check on Emily, sure enough she's puked all over her room.<br />
9:32- Jacob takes Emily into the bathtub for a quick spray down while I try to clean partially digested hot dog out of a white shag rug.<br />
9:40- Jacob bundles Emily up in a blanket and helps me with clean up.<br />
10:00 - Put Emily back to bed, and tell her that, if she needs to throw up again, the toilet is an excellent place to do so.<br />
11:00 - I can't keep my eyes open any more... Sam should be up soon, but I'm fading fast. Jacob agrees to take the first "shift". I go to bed.<br />
11:45 - I hear Sam crying and Jacob going in to him... then I hear more coughing and crying... then I hear Jacob scurrying around... then I hear Sam crying... then I decide to get up and help.<br />
12:00 - Sam's gone back to sleep, I'm tucking Emily and Jacob in on the couch in the living room with a big bowl next to her head (Jacob decided to sleep on the couch with her in case she got sick again). This last time she threw up she must have heaved a few times... and ultimately ended up in the toilet (she listened! Just too bad she threw up twice on the way there.. lol).<br />
5:30 - Sam wakes up, I go in to feed him, he goes back to bed.<br />
7:30 - The day begins.<br />
<br />
Annnnddd... it just occurred to me that these were the events of Saturday night... we actually started on Friday. lol See? I'm exhausted! So... back tracking to Friday... I went to bed and Jacob did everything. He stays up super late any way, so he took care of "progressive waiting" until 2:30 when he came to bed... and it wasn't that bad. I think Sam was ready for it just as much as we were. He did wake Emily up, and she did end up sleeping on the couch.<br />
<br />
Sunday Sam slept until 3:30 and then decided that he didn't want to be asleep... or awake for that matter. He was just whining in his crib with his eye closed. I think it probably took about half an hour for him to fall back asleep, though, he was not really crying... just the whining.<br />
<br />
Monday morning I woke up feeling a little "off". My stomach was bothering me. I dropped the kids off at day care and then came home with the expectation that I'd work from home... that didn't happen. By 11:00 I was back in bed (between visits to the bathroom) and didn't really get horizontal again until Jacob and the kids got home around 6. Yay for day care germs. =(<br />
<br />
When Emily got home, though, she did ask me if I wanted a stuffed animal and then played a "song" on the piano to make me "feel happy". =)Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-73595588554381665112015-03-31T11:38:00.001-07:002015-03-31T11:38:41.058-07:00Five Months!<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">At your 4 month check a couple of weeks back you weighed in at a little over 17 lbs... but, of course, I can't remember the length now. I know that you were in the 55% for length, 72% for weight and 99% for head! My big-headed little man! =)</span></span><br />
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<div>
<b>Eating-</b> Still eating well, as is evident by the baby pudge. =) (for which I'm very excited as your sister never really got the pudge!). We've tried to offer you a couple of "people food" items, but you are still refusing. It's kind of funny as you'll put anything and everything else in your mouth... just nothing that is food like.</div>
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<b>Sleep</b>- Slowly improving... we did some sleep training this weekend (more to come in another post) and last night you slept for a 7.5 hour stretch... just which it hadn't started at 8 pm!</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b> Still wearing 6 month sizes... though we've had to discard some onesies that don't have a big enough head hole. ;)</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> Still quite a happy little man... unless you're being ignored. It seems like you need to be constantly engaged (I remember the same with your sister). </div>
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<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
<div>
<b>-</b>You
like your chew toy... I've thought that you were teething for the last month, but still no teeth! not sure what's going on!<br />
-You like, no LOVE, your sister! You laugh so hard at her and love to pull her hair and poke at her. ;)<br />
-You like to the roll over... even at bedtime when it's totally inconvenient... especially since you can only roll in one direction so end up getting stuck up against one side of the crib.<br />
-You like to sleep on your side... we're a family of side sleepers. =)</div>
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-You
don't like normal foods... you make some pretty interesting faces when we offer you something edible.<br />
-I can't think of anything else that you don't like right now...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
-You can roll from back to front now! But only to the left... lol<br />
- You went on your first family vacation to Bend. =) You did ok (I was pleasantly surprised at the mellow car ride), but refused to sleep in your pack and play... so, instead you spent too nights in your car seat. =P<br />
- You went to your first birthday party!<br />
- You went to your <a href="http://hopecitychurch.cc/#/code-orange-easter/2015-photos">first Easter egg hunt and saw your first helicopter</a>! <br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-79020612795414055832015-02-28T22:19:00.000-08:002015-02-28T22:19:49.290-08:00My Truth About BreastfeedingI have been lucky to be able to breast feed both of my babies. I know that not all women are able to do so for a variety of reasons. I also know that the social pressure and the "breast is best" motto has really got to hurt when you are unable to do so... and are unable to afford the high cost of donor milk (20-35k per year). Mommy guilt sucks. Mommy guilt also sucks, big time, if you don't WANT to breastfeed... which is the category that I fall into. I struggle daily with my desire to wean/supplement with formula and my guilt around giving my kids what's "best" and taking for granted something that other mothers would love to be able to do. But please, hear me out. Here's what I have heard (and continue to hear) about the positives of breast feeding... and my take on the situation:<br />
<br />
<b>"Breast is best"/Breast milk is better for your child than formula</b> -- I'm not going to argue to the science here. Breast milk has been shown time and time again to have more health benefits, both short and long term, than formula does. However, that being said, my children are not going to be mutated, fat, stupid and lazy if they are given formula. Jacob and I were both formula-fed babies, and we are both well-adjusted, intelligent adults living very happy lives.<br />
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<b>Breastfeeding is convenient.</b> HAHAHAHA. This one, in my mind, is truly laughable. Yes, it may be easier to whip out a boob than to put water in a bottle and mix it up with some formula, you don't have to carry as much around in your diaper bag and you don't have to do any sort of pre-planning in terms of feeding... HOWEVER (and please remember, as the title said, these are MY truths) it would be so much easier to bottle feed a baby while trying to grocery shop, while your partner is driving the car on a road trip, when you're at a social function with (non-nursing mom) friends and family (pulling my boob out in front of my father-in-law doesn't equal a good time in my book), etc. etc. Additionally, if you breastfeed you have to plan your wardrobe around the activity... I am constantly having to think about what shirt/outfit will allow me the easiest access to my chest. Want to wear a cute, high necked dress? Not going to happen unless you want to retreat to a private place and get undressed every time you need to feed the little one. Don't want the entire world to see your baby-flab tummy? Gotta wear multiple layers so you can pull one up and one down and keep your mid-drift covered. Final note on the "convenience" point, pumping breast milk at work is, like, the complete opposite of "convenient".<br />
<br />
Nope, actually, I have one more thing to say about this one... sleep. As a breastfeeding mother, when my baby has to eat. It's up to me... day or night. Sure, my husband could give the little one a pumped bottle, but guess who had to pump that bottle, and who will need to pump again in order to keep up supply/relieve the pressure from that missed feeding? Waking up every 2-3 hours for months at a time, I do not feel the lovey, dovey warmth that I am told that I should feel as I breastfeed my child... I feel tired, stressed and often resentful of my sweet child who needs the nourishment, my husband who's sawing logs in the next room (and well rested in the morning) and my toddler who has so much energy and just wants her mommy to play with her during the day. <br />
<br />
<b>Breastfeeding is cheaper that formula feeding.</b> OK, so this one is pretty legit. It's much cheaper to produce something for free than to hand over tens of dollars for cans of formula. However, there are expenses involved with breastfeeding... nipple pads so you don't leak out of the left boob while feeding from the right, creams and gel pads to soothe tender areas, nursing bras/tanks/shirts/etc., breast pump, and the 30 bottles you may have to purchase to figure out which one is the most shaped like your nipple so that you're little one will take a bottle while you're away at work (Dr. Brown's, if anyone is curious).<br />
<br />
<b>Breastfeeding is great bonding time for mom and baby</b>. So... if you don't breastfeed you don't bond? I call bull shit. I don't feel like my bonding with my children came during feeding times. I was too tired and had my eyes closed at 2 AM or they were asleep (though, of course, NOT at 2 AM when I wanted them to be) or staring off into space. My bonding came from rocking them in my arms, making funny faces and coo-y noises at them, dancing around the living room and just spending time together. I can also tell you, for a fact, that my husband did not bond with our children due to breastfeeding. ;)<br />
<br />
<b>If done correctly, breastfeeding doesn't hurt.</b> Again, BS. Breastfeeding, even when the latch is 100% correct can still hurt... just maybe in different ways. Even now, 4 months into my second kid, my let down still stings a bit. Ever since my first was a few months old, my chiropractor has become my best friend. I constantly feel physically drained, nutrient deficient and dehydrated... I'm constantly focusing on what I'm eating/drinking, how much and how often. Breast pumps are not exactly soft, pillow-y apparatuses either. But that's just the physical discomfort... there's the constant stress of: is s/he getting enough to eat? Is working outside the home killing my supply? When am I going to be able to pump today? Can I drink that? Can I eat that? Where, while I'm at this event/party/activity/date with my husband will I be able to pump? Crap, am I leaking through my shirt? Is this taco going to give the baby gas? Is this medication going to decrease my supply? Can I run all 20 errands in the 2 hours that I have between feedings or am I going to have to find a place in public (or retreat to my car) to feed my baby? Am I wearing appropriate clothing so that I can do so without flashing the old man sitting across from me at the restaurant?<br />
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<b>Pregnancy weight will just fall off!</b> Not much to say on this topic... just wanted to point out that this is NOT the case for everyone. I had to TRY to lose every pound after the initial birthing weight loss. <br />
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So, to sum it up, breastfeeding is a pain in my ass that I really don't like doing... but I continue to do it... because mommy guilt. I don't know how much longer I'll do it. My supply had pretty much kicked it by this time with my first, so we'll see what happens with the second...<br />
<br />
I can't be the only one, right? <a href="http://www.scarymommy.com/i-hated-breastfeeding/">I'm not alone?</a><br />
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P.S. That linked article pretty much could have been written by me, too.Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-54914948971796589162015-02-28T21:28:00.000-08:002015-02-28T21:28:05.335-08:00Four Months!I'm not really sure when to post Sam's 4-month post... as he won't actually have an official 4-month birthday... being born on the 30th kind of screws over the weird month of February. So, I guess the last day of the month will have to do. =)<br />
<br />
<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">You have your 4-month check with the doctor in a couple of weeks... I'll do my best to remember to update this post. You're getting big though... that's for sure!</span></span><br />
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<b>Eating-</b> Taking a bottle now just fine. Thank GOD! You're eating around the clock... literally. I'm exhausted. </div>
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<b>Sleep</b>- Awake every 2-3 hours... still. Like I said, I'm exhausted. I'm so looking forward to the point when you realize that sleep is good and mommy is happier with at least 6 hours of good solid sleep. We have managed to transition you out of needing to be swaddled to sleep... but we replaced the swaddle with a pacifier (only for bed). I figured that I'd rather deal with that later than constantly be worried about you rolling over while swaddled and not being able to roll back/push your head up, etc.</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b> Transitioned to 6 months clothes last weekend!</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> Still a happy, happy, smiley baby! And really a big sweet heart who loves to be engaged and talked to. You LOVE your big sister (who keeps you VERY entertained!) and it's so sweet to see the two of you together. I hope you continue to grow into best friends. </div>
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<div>
<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
<div>
<b>-</b>You like to be entertained. You love to watch your sister and the other kids at daycare playing and dancing. And, in the dislike pile... you don't like when you aren't entertained (or can't see someone else... I sweat we're not magically disappearing every time we walk down the hall).<br />
- You like to be held and up high (making us walk around with you)... a lot like your sister did at this age. We've started to put you in the high chair at meals hoping that that will suffice... but you'd still much rather be held by one of us... and grabbing for our plates/forks/napkins/etc.<br />
- You like to put things in your mouth... pretty sure that you're teething because you are drooling EVERYWHERE and chewing on everything you can fit in there.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
-You
don't like the Ergo... at least, not yet. I remember that Em didn't like it until she could see over the arm straps. I think that you may be right there with her.<br />
- You don't like waiting. We're definitely going to have to work on your patience as you get older!<br />
- You don't like to sleep through the night. Argh.</div>
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<div>
<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
-You can roll from front to back! You mastered that skill a week or two ago.<br />
- You are in the reach and grab stage... my hair stays up in a pony tail at home these days.<br />
- Celebrated your first Valentine's Day... thought that really just consisted of watching the rest of your family eat a heart shaped Papa Murphy's pizza. =)<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-16968040158993230562015-02-01T20:41:00.001-08:002015-02-01T20:41:31.657-08:00Three Months!<div>
A few days late... again. =) Sam's 3-monthiversary was on Jan. 30th. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Not really sure how much you weigh... I'm thinking it's around the 15 lbs mark. You'll have another official weigh in at your 4-month check up in about a month.</span></span></div>
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<b>Eating-</b> You are FINALLY getting better at taking a bottle. You've been at day care 4 full-days a week for about 3 weeks now and you don't fuss anymore when you have to drink out of a bottle. And you're drinking more, too. So, I am feeling MUCH better about this back to work thing!</div>
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<b>Sleep</b>-You WERE sleeping for 8-9 hour stretches at night about a week ago... now you're waking up 2-3 times per night. I really want that 0-1 back. =(</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b> Still in 3-month sizes, but I don't expect that to last very much longer.</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> Definitely a smiley, happy guy! You are very observant and like to watching your sister do a variety of things. You are also starting to grab at toys so have been not hating your car seat as much these days as there are dangley things for you to play with.</div>
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<div>
<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
<div>
<b>-</b>You love your sister. Sometimes you will just stop crying the moment that you see her. <br />
- You like having something to do. You tend to get bored if you're not actively engaged in some kind of activity, observation or interaction. You're starting to spend more time on your play mat swatting at things.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-You don't like being left along... even if you're not really alone. If you're sitting in your chair and can't see someone, you aren't a happy camper.<br />
-You don't like baths... at first. You aren't a fan of your body hitting the water... but after a few minutes (and some play time with your sister) you seem to enjoy kicking around in it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
- "Celebrated" your first new year... by sleeping through it. =)<br />
- First trip to a salon... to watch your sister get her hair cut.<br />
- First "full time" day care experience.<br />
- Discovered your fingers and toes. You have started to grab your feet when you're laying on your back, and have started to suck on your fingers (middle and index together).<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-26785446753395022182015-01-09T14:17:00.003-08:002015-01-09T14:17:47.640-08:00A Poop in the Hand is Worth...?Having two kids has been an adjustment... especially one being an infant and the other a 2 year old. They both have their own challenges! Several people have asked me if it's harder having two kids than one. I don't think that it's "harder" necessarily, but just requires more of you, your time and patience.<br />
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I would compare it to getting a new, large, responsibility at work. It doesn't exactly make the job itself harder, but you have to re-prioritize in order to get everything done and you have to figure out what's the most important thing to focus on at any given time... and then you go home and drink a big glass of wine. ;)<br />
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Case and point... my life today as a mom of two while Jacob's at work:<br />
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11:20... After sitting in a quiet room having an hour-long power struggle with an obstinate toddler who refuses to put away her play dough (baby is napping at this point), I decided that it's probably a good time to make lunch as I know that baby will be waking up soon. So, I clean up the play dough, put it away on a high shelf letting Emily know that she won't be able to play with it tomorrow either as she refused to put it away today. Then I make PB&J for Emily and I (with toasted frozen bread as, apparently, the stuff that's been out on the counter is now moldy).<br />
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Sandwiches are made, half of mine is eaten, Sam starts to scream. I go into the nursery and feed him, leaving Emily alone in the dining room to finish her lunch. After feeding Sam (who hasn't been feeling well and has been spitting up more than normal), I realize that he smells kind of gross and decide to give him a bath. I fill up his tub, get him undressed and into it, and give him a quick wipe down. Emily comes in with her face and hands covered in peanut butter and jelly. I tell her to go wash her hands and face with WATER (not just the dry napkin that she's holding). She goes into the other bathroom and, presumably, washes up (I have yet to check out that bathroom).<br />
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By the time she's done there, I'm getting a screaming Sam out of the tub. She decides that she wants to take a bath so, I empty out Sam's tub and fill up the bath tub for her to play around in. I take Sam into his room to get a diaper on and get him dressed (yelling questions to Emily so that, by her responses, I'll know that she hasn't drowned... I'm paranoid). Sam's still screaming. I think he's tired again, so I put him in his crib and swaddle him. He's still screaming, but sleepily so I leave to go check on Emily. <br />
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Sam falls asleep. I take the opportunity to grab my pump. Since Sam hasn't been feeling well, he hasn't been eating as much, which means that I've been a little, um, "full". I set up shop outside the bathroom door so I can keep an eye/ear on Emily and start to pump. I get a couple of ounces in when, almost simultaneously, I hear:<br />
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Sam: SCREAMING<br />
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Emily: Mom, I pooped in the bathtub! See??!<br />
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I quickly disconnect myself from the pump and make a quick assessment of the situation... screaming child or child in bathtub who is HOLDING her own feces. Hmm. Tough one? No. <br />
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I grab toilet paper, take the offending log out of her hand and put it in the toilet. Lift her up and put her on the potty so that she can finish, empty out the bathtub, grab some Clorox wipes to wipe down the interior and exterior of the tub (it got everywhere since she was passing it between both hands and then touching things), grab some paper towels so that she can wipe her hands off. Wipe her butt when she's done, take her to the sink so she can wash her hands with soap and then sanitize. The whole time Sam is screaming from his crib.<br />
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Once I'm pretty sure that all fecal matter has been addressed, I go in to get Sam and Emily heads to her room to get dressed.<br />
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Sam is pretty much inconsolable by this point so I'm walking, bouncing, shushing, anything that I can think of. I go into the dining room to get his vibrating bouncer chair and see my lunch sitting on the table. Oh yeah. I was eating lunch, wasn't I?<br />
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I take Sam and his chair into the master bedroom and manage to calm him down so that I can finish pumping. Emily comes in, all dressed. She sees a bottle of lotion on my nightstand and decides that she needs some. It's the pump bottle variety so, of course, it sprays the wall when she pushes down on it. I tell her to go grab a towel. She goes into the bathroom and comes back with a Clorox wipe. Oh yeah, I forgot to put those away. She takes the wipe and affixes it to the wall by means of lotion. And turns around to leave it there. I manage, somehow, to continue to rock Sam with my foot, while balancing my pumping bottles on my legs so they don't get detached, and reach over with one free hand to wipe off the wall and hand the wipe to Emily to throw away.<br />
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Pumping done, I manage to get myself detached, ask Emily to play with Sam for a minute and put the milk in the fridge. I think come back into the bedroom and have a few quiet moments with Emily and Sam before naptime. Phew. <br />
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Then it's time for Emily's nap... which coincides with Sam needing to eat. So, again, Sam's screaming and Emily needs to get down for a nap. Sam goes into his bouncer once again (getting red in the face and pretty pissed off) while I try to get Emily into bed. We get the correct water cup, and the correct blanket and try to go potty and FINALLY get her in bed. I grab Sam, go into the living room, feed him, and manage to get him to fall asleep, too.<br />
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1:30... I finish my lunch.Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-4854077606669822472015-01-02T21:24:00.001-08:002015-01-02T21:24:50.010-08:00Two Months!<div>
A few days late... Sam's 2-month mark was on Dec. 30th. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">You have your official 2-month appointment in a few days. If I remember to update, I will. =) I will say that a couple of weeks ago I went to an appointment with a lactation consultant and you were a little over 13 lbs with an empty tummy.</span></span></div>
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<b>Eating-</b> I have absolutely no concern with your eating when I'm feeding you, but you are NOT a fan of the bottle. After WEEKS of dealing with screaming and rejecting, your dad can finally get you to suck on a bottle, but you consistently only drink about an ounce. The couple of times that you've been to day care you've only had about an ounce in the SIX HOURS that you're there. You are one stubborn little guy!</div>
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<b>Sleep</b>-Sleeps going pretty good. You are only waking up about once per "night" (depending on who's definition of night we're talking about), and a couple of times you've slept through the night. Last night you were down for the night at about 11:30 and slept until 4:30 and then were awake (briefly) to eat again at 6:30 and then "up" at about 9:00. It's great when I'm able to catch the same long stretch of sleep that you do. =)</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b> We have you in 3 month sized clothes now. You're just too long for the 0-3 month onesies.</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> You are a smiley little man! For the most part you are pretty happy. When you're supper cranky it's usually because you're tired, need to burp, or just want to interact more with someone. Usually pretty easy to remedy. </div>
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<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
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<b>-</b>You like white noise. You won't really fall asleep without it.<br />
-You like interacting with people. Smiling, sticking out your tongue, "talking" with your coos.<br />
-You like your sister. You will watch her do pretty much anything. =)</div>
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-You don't like being tired. You fight sleep and it's a bit of a pain to get you to close your eyes sometimes.<br />
-You don't like drinking out of a bottle... you much prefer the real deal.<br />
-You don't like being ignored. If you're sitting in your seat/laying on the floor you need to be interacting with someone or you get grumpy.</div>
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<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
- Celebrated your first Christmas and "saw" your first Christmas lights (you slept through them all).<br />
- First trip to OMSI.<br />
- First overnight trip.... went down to Junction City for Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa<br />
- First days at day care. Sounds like you do well, but you barely eat anything. I don't like that. =P<br />
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<br />Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-33771957397961859832014-11-30T13:57:00.002-08:002014-11-30T13:57:39.543-08:00One month down!I can't believe that it's been a whole month already since Sam was born. I have a list of blogs that I intend to write about parenting two kids, have a newborn again, etc., etc... maybe I'll get to them some day. =) Aside from the sleep deprivation, life isn't too bad right now. I hope I find some time to write more about it soon. But, for now, a recap of Sam's first month. =)<br />
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<b>Weight/Length-</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">You haven't had a doctor's appointment since your 2 week check (and won't have another until January!). At the two week check you were weighing in at a little over 9 lbs and 22.25" long. Couple of things to note here. First off, at the two week check they are hoping to see that babies are back to their birth weight. You weight in at 8 lbs at birth... meaning not only did you get back to birth weight, but EXCEEDED by more than a full pound! Also, at the hospital you were measured at 18 inches. Pretty sure they screwed that one up, 'cause I'm guessing that you didn't grown more than 4 inches in two weeks! So, at 2 weeks you were in the 75th percentile for weight and 99th for height! Little big man! =)</span></span></div>
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<b>Eating-</b> You eat like a champ. Thankfully your 30-minute epic feedings are now down to about 15 minutes a piece. I much, MUCH prefer the short-and-quickness. It gets kind of boring sitting there waiting for you to finish. ;) We recently introduced you to bottles, and you don't really seem to mind them... I am VERY happy about this, as it means that I can leave the house for extended periods of time now! It's like getting a piece of my freedom back! =)</div>
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<b>Sleep</b>-Eh... leaving something to be desired in this category. At night you are sleeping anywhere from 2-4 hours stretches, but it takes a lot of work to get you to fall asleep sometimes... and to stay asleep when we put you down. Specifically during the daytime, if we aren't holding you, you really fight the sleep thing. You also need to be swaddled in order to sleep for extended periods of time as you tend to punch yourself in the face and wake yourself up. Problem is, you HATE to be swaddled, too... and I suck at actually successfully swaddling. Your dad is pretty good at it, and sometimes you'll fall asleep the moment he does it. With me, you just kick and punch and scream and make me feel horrible. I have a hard time dealing with that at 2 am, so sometimes your dad has to come to my rescue. =)</div>
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<b>Clothes-</b> I think that you're slowly starting to outgrow the newborn stuff. Your head has been too big for a couple of onesies this last week, and I think your length may be following suit. =)</div>
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<b>Personality-</b> This last week you have finally started to enjoy laying on the floor, kicking around and checking out your surroundings. Like your sister, you have "grunting baby syndrome" and are often times red in the face trying to figure out how to poop. There's not a lot that we can do for you, but you are super unhappy/cranky about the situation and, thus, we get super cranky/unhappy listening to/dealing with your discomfort. I'm hoping that this stage passes soon!</div>
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<b>Likes/Dislikes-</b></div>
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<b>-</b>You like to be held when you sleep.<br />
-You like to be bounced in our arms on our exercise ball.<br />
-You like white noise.<br />
-You don't actually mind tummy time.<br />
-You like to lay on the floor and kick around.</div>
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-You don't like being in your car seat.<br />
-You don't like being put down when your sleeping.<br />
-You don't like having the hiccups/having to poop.<br />
-You don't like sitting still.</div>
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<b>Milestones-</b> </div>
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-Everything has been a milestone this month because everything is new! Specifically though you:<br />
-Celebrated your first Halloween and Thanksgiving<br />
- Met your grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins<br />
-Made your first trip to the mall and the community center to watch your sister go swimming.<br />
-Tried out the Ergo for a couple of walks (you sleep, it seemed to work out well).<br />
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Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3336201548282394717.post-21715361921483703632014-11-05T21:39:00.000-08:002014-11-05T21:39:32.327-08:00The Story of SamI can't believe that it's been almost a full week since Sam was born and I haven't even made a "He's Here!" blog announcement! Well... he's here. =) Samuel (Sam) Joseph was born October 30th at 3:28 PM. 8 lbs, 18 inches.<br />
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Sam's birth story started LONG before his arrival however. You may all remember reading about the <a href="http://sanddollarsandsunflowers.blogspot.com/2014/10/false-alarm.html">false alarm</a> on the 24th, the day before his due date. After being sent home, I continued to have contractions off and on, though with no real regularity in frequency and they never really got much stronger. It seemed like every day I continued to experience other labor related symptoms (stop reading now if you don't want to hear gory details)....................................................... if it wasn't more contractions, it was soft bowel movements, loss of the mucus plug, increase in discharge... all kinds of wonderful stuff. Every day I would touch base with our doula, and every day nothing happened. I continued to go on walks, bounce and circle on my exercise ball, and try everything else that I could to get labor moving.<br />
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Finally, on Wednesday, Oct. 29th at about 7:00 PM, something extra weird happened. I was cleaning up dinner dishes and felt a weird "pop". It was like someone shoved a pin into a ping pong ball sized balloon in my "area"... a little water balloon to be exact. I said something along the lines of "well, that's weird" to Jacob and went to the bathroom to check it out. <br />
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My underwear and pants were both wet, but nothing else seemed to be going on (no additional "leakage"). I had had a similar wet incident a couple days prior (without the "pop" though), so thought it was just more of the same. I took of my bottoms and went into the bedroom to get some dry clothes. I got about two steps into the bedroom and another ping pong ball worth of water came out. At this point I went back to the bathroom and yelled to Jacob that something was definitely going on. I put on a maxi-pad and some clean clothes, Jacob called his mom. We then made calls to doctor, doula and my mom and waited for Jacob's mom to arrive to hang out with Emily. <br />
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At this point I think Emily sensed that something was going on and was acting out a bit so, I sat down on the couch with her to cuddle for a little bit, talk about what was about to happen, and take in the last few moments of being a mother of one with an amazing little girl. =) <br />
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A few minutes later, Jacob's mom showed up. I got up off the couch and started walking back to the bedroom to grab some last minute things to head out. Halfway to the bedroom a GUSH of water came out. I yelled for Jacob and hightailed it to the bathroom. I had him bring me a hand towel this time and another dry pair of pants.<br />
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Thankfully the hand towel was sufficient coverage to get us to the hospital without making more of a mess. ;)<br />
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We got to the hospital, got checked in, and myself undressed and into bed where I was once again hooked up to monitors and checked out... still having the occasional gush of fluids... weirdest feeling ever. <br />
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Since my water broke, there was no going home this time! I was told that the baby would be born, one way or another, in the next 24 hours. At that point I wasn't really having contractions and, when they checked me out, my cervix was still posterior (really high) and I was barely dilated. The nurses called the on-call OB who suggested that I try to get some sleep and that I be checked again at around 5:00 am and started on pitocin. I told the nurse that I was all for getting some sleep, but that I wanted to avoid the pitocin as long as possible. At this point we checked in with our doula, told her what was going on, and asked if she could be there for the 5 am check. Then Jacob and I tried to get comfortable and get some sleep.<br />
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Right around 3:00 am I woke up with contractions. They weren't overly strong at first, but they continued to increase in strength and frequency... to the point that I woke Jacob up and asked him to ask our doula, Kristin, if she could come earlier.<br />
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Kristin got there around 4:00 and, since I was awake and having contractions, they checked me out early. My cervix was still quite high, so Kristin encouraged me to start moving around. We walked up and down the halls for a little while, and then bounced/swayed on a birthing ball. The contractions continued to get stronger little by little. Around 8:00 am (I think, time is a bit fuzzy for me at this point), my OB came by to check in on me. I think I was dilated to about 3 cm at that point. She agreed to hold off on the pitocin as long as I was making progress on my own, and said that she'd be back during the lunch hour to check on me again. So, more walking, more bouncing. <br />
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By this point, bouncing on the ball was feeling great until I had a contraction, and then, something about the ball just intensified everything... and moved it to my back. Up until this point I was so grateful that I wasn't feeling pain in my back. After the intense back labor with Emily, I REALLY didn't want to experience that again. But, something about that damn ball just relocated the pain. Kristin was helpful with some massage/pressure during the contractions, but, ultimately I gave up on the ball and just walked around the room for a bit swaying my hips in circles trying to get the little guy to DROP already!<br />
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Somewhere around 11:00 am things started to change. The contractions were MUCH stronger now, and I was feeling most of the pain in my back, even not being on the ball. Heat didn't make much of a difference, pressure/massage still helped but not enough. There were suggestions that I get into the tub, but that just seemed like way too much work when I was in so much pain that I could barely even move. All I wanted to do was lie down. The nurses came in to check on me and decided to call my doctor, who advised them to check and see how dilated I was. By the time that they got back into the room, I was in so much pain (in my back) that I could barely move and, it was at that point, that I decided that I wanted the epidural.<br />
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My plan, with both births, was always to see how far I could get without pain meds as I knew that getting them could prolong/slow down the labor process. But, at the same time, I didn't feel the need to put myself through so much pain when relief was available. I think that I could have gone longer had the contractions not moved to my back... but that pain is like nothing else imaginable and I had had enough.<br />
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Since I was in so much pain and asked for the epidural, the nurses decided to wait on checking my cervix until about the drugs had been administered. So the anesthesiologist was called. I think she arrived pretty quickly and got me set up for the needle. Our doula had to leave (protocol apparently) until everything was said and done, but Jacob was able to stay there with me. It was really hard not to clench/move/yell in agony while sitting on that table and getting contractions while trying to also get a needle shoved in my back. The doc told me that I have some pretty strong back muscles... still not sure if that was a good/bad thing given the situation. =)<br />
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After the drugs kicked in, I got settled back into bed and the nurses checked me out... 7 cm. I was pissed. With all that pain, work that I'd gone through, I thought for sure that I'd be farther along then that! Shortly thereafter my OB came back up to check on me. It had been less than half an hour since the nurses checked me, so I wasn't expecting much... but THANK GOD I was at a 9! Two centimeters in less than 30 minutes! I was THRILLED. Since I was making so much progress on my own, pitocin was no longer on the table and my doctor advised the nurses to let me labor for awhile on my own. <br />
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It was now lunch time on the 30th. I joked with Kristin and Jacob that they could feel free to go grab lunch and bring it back into the room... as long as it wasn't a bacon cheese burger. =) Since I wasn't allowed to eat, I certainly didn't want to smell anything TOO good! <br />
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That's the last thing I really remember until "waking up" to a room full of people in blue scurrying around in what felt like a bit of a panicked state.<br />
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I didn't really know what was going on and what the problem was. All I knew is that I was shaking pretty uncontrollably. The anesthesiologist was back in the room, as was my nurses and one or two more, and my OB. I remembering hearing something about a "cord issue", having a hard time finding the heartbeat, and references to my blood pressure. Someone else put an oxygen mask on me. Needless to say, I was getting a little freaked out... which probably didn't help the shaking. However, I do remember the anesthesiologist telling me that the shaking was perfectly normal... so that helped a bit.<br />
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After things calmed down a little bit, I was able to determine that the "cord issue" was an issue with the blood pressure machine's cord (not the umbilical cord). They were having a hard time getting the heartbeat with the external monitors in the position that I was in, but once they put an internal monitor in there was no problem. I'm still unclear if I actually had a blood pressure spike, or if the machine was just malfunctioning. Either way... way to freak out a laboring mama for no apparently reason! (And without much communication during the process!).<br />
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After calming myself down and getting some explanations, I was able to relax and rest for a bit longer... getting checked ever so often to see about my dilation and cervix thinning. They also asked me constantly about any pressure that I may be feeling and if I was feeling a need to push. I was definitely feeling pressure (much like the pressure you feel when you need to have a bowel movement) but wasn't feeling the need to push. <br />
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At around 3:00 PM, my OB came up again to check on me, and decided to try a couple of "practice pushes". She explained what I was going to do and how (deep breath, push for 10 seconds during a contractions while pulling myself into my bent, raised legs... three times during each contractions). We then waited for a contraction to come (which I still knew was happening because that's when the "pressure" felt the strongest) and I "practiced" a push. After that one practice push, my doc was asking for a robe because the baby was coming!<br />
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By 3:23 PM a contraction came and we were set up and ready to start the "real" pushing. I pushed through 2 contractions (6 pushes) and the little guy was OUT... at 3:28 PM. That's right... only FIVE MINUTES of pushing. So, so happy that part went so quickly! (As opposed to 3 hours with Emily!).<br />
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I had no tearing. The placenta came out shortly thereafter. I got to hold my little guy while the nurses started clean up and checking him out. He even latched out for his first feeding without me even trying to get him there. I'm so, so thankful that everything went so smoothly and that we now have a healthy little guy with a head full of blonde hair (I'm glad the heart burn I had was due to something!) and, what appears to be, brown eyes (which is super weird as both his dad and I have blue eyes!).<br />
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Jacob's folks brought Emily by the hospital later that evening so that
she could meet her new brother. She was pretty excited about it and
wanted to hold him and "pet" him. She calls him her baby and gives him
kisses and cuddles up next to him. <br />
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We were able to get discharged on the 31st, in the evening. This was really important to me as I wanted to be there to see Emily off as she went trick-or-treating for, really, the first time. Her grandmother's took her to a few houses around the neighborhood. She was dressed up as a princess and had so much fun. <br />
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I love my family. And I love how "complete" I feel that we are now with Sam in our lives. I am so looking forward to seeing what the future brings for us!<br />
Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16844633539917410466noreply@blogger.com3