I'm not making any resolutions or anything, but I'll try to catch up on the last couple of months when I get a chance.
In the meantime...
This afternoon, Nora was looking at a book called Trick or Treat. Yeah, a Halloween book, on New Year's Eve. Every day's a holiday, right? Anyway, she was singing, "Trick or treat, smell my feet! Give me something good to eat!"
I said, "What if I don't give you something good to eat?"
"Well, it's only a song, Mommy."
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
November November
Guess what? I finally got another cord for my camera! My friend Jessie had an extra one sitting around her house, so when I got home with the cord I uploaded 380 pictures to my hard drive. Whew! A good number of those, going all the way back to Nora's birthday, ended up on Flickr. Here are a couple of fall pics for the blog, though.
Nora as Alice in Wonderland.
I don't know what's up with the look on her face here. Obviously not in the mood to pose. That was about a month ago, so 22 weeks maybe?
At the Naguchi Playscape at Piedmont Park.
First day of school.
There! Consider me as caught up as I'm going to get. I will try not to break my camera cable again, and continue my stellar record of updating at least once a month. :P
This week I started my Hypnobabies study. I am doing the home study. So far, so good? I have to admit that I have some major doubts that I will probably have to overcome if hypnosis going to work for me, but I'm really encouraged by the birth stories and videos I'm reading. So we'll see. I started insulin for my gestational diabetes a few weeks ago--not really good news, but I knew it was coming, and it is what it is. With just a little bit of medicine my fasting number is behaving really well and the other numbers continue to do well, so I feel pretty good about that. I also switched back to my specialist from my last pregnancy, which has been a good decision, I think. I still have a ton to do around here (as I sit in the "guest room," which should be Nora's by now, but so far it's untouched...) plus I have to get ready for the holidays, but I suppose it will all happen somehow. One of my friends is letting me borrow a ton of newborn cloth diapers (the one size I underbought last time). I picked them up today, so that's one thing I can cross off my list! My virtual list. I haven't gotten around to making an actual one yet; I think I'm scared to....
Nora as Alice in Wonderland.
I don't know what's up with the look on her face here. Obviously not in the mood to pose. That was about a month ago, so 22 weeks maybe?
At the Naguchi Playscape at Piedmont Park.
First day of school.
There! Consider me as caught up as I'm going to get. I will try not to break my camera cable again, and continue my stellar record of updating at least once a month. :P
This week I started my Hypnobabies study. I am doing the home study. So far, so good? I have to admit that I have some major doubts that I will probably have to overcome if hypnosis going to work for me, but I'm really encouraged by the birth stories and videos I'm reading. So we'll see. I started insulin for my gestational diabetes a few weeks ago--not really good news, but I knew it was coming, and it is what it is. With just a little bit of medicine my fasting number is behaving really well and the other numbers continue to do well, so I feel pretty good about that. I also switched back to my specialist from my last pregnancy, which has been a good decision, I think. I still have a ton to do around here (as I sit in the "guest room," which should be Nora's by now, but so far it's untouched...) plus I have to get ready for the holidays, but I suppose it will all happen somehow. One of my friends is letting me borrow a ton of newborn cloth diapers (the one size I underbought last time). I picked them up today, so that's one thing I can cross off my list! My virtual list. I haven't gotten around to making an actual one yet; I think I'm scared to....
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Our "sick day" turned into a sick week. I thought for sure that Nora would be in school on Thursday, but that day she started coughing pretty heavily. She's been having rough nights, too. She again had a low fever, so I kept her home that day. I have a little bit of a cough, myself, and on Saturday I didn't have much of a voice during the day. We're going a little bit stir-crazy, but everyone is in good spirits. Surely she'll be back in school next week? I don't know if we have the flu or not; if we do I guess it's a really, really mild version. Which, I guess if you have to have the flu it might as well be mild, right?
Last weekend, pre-quarantine, we went to the pumpkin patch. Good times--Nora enjoyed apple cider ("It's like apple juice, but it's hot!"), a hay ride, and picking out a pumpkin. I have a hilarious little video of her trying to roll a pumpkin. I really should get another camera cord so I can upload these things. The other day Nora said that she wanted to "cut a hole in my pumpkin and put a face on it and a candle inside," so we decided for the very first time to carve our pumpkin. When I was growing up, my mom always painted ours. Jason said he doesn't remember having pumpkins at his house. We decided to wait until the weekend to tackle it, so last night we got out our dollar store pumpkin-carving kit (we bought it on clearance last year) and decided to make a go of it. This is our result (cameraphone pic).
You'll notice it's toothless. That wasn't the original plan, but whatever, right? It was also supposed to have pupils, but that didn't work out, either. Still, we all worked on it and we all feel a sense of accomplishment. After we were done, I rinsed the seeds and now I'm drying them out so we can roast them later. I don't even like roasted pumpkin seeds very much, but they are a nutritious snack, and Nora and Jason will eat them. I'll nibble on a few. If I end up with more than one cookie sheet's worth, I will probably send a baggie to Nora's class on Tuesday. They could possibly use them for play or for a craft.
If you've ever been on a pregnancy or parenting message board, you may have seen a countdown "ticker." Many women add them to their signatures; you can use them to count just about anything (vacation countdowns, etc.) but pregnancy is the most common. Here's mine.
Is it just me or is 118 days not a long time?
Last weekend, pre-quarantine, we went to the pumpkin patch. Good times--Nora enjoyed apple cider ("It's like apple juice, but it's hot!"), a hay ride, and picking out a pumpkin. I have a hilarious little video of her trying to roll a pumpkin. I really should get another camera cord so I can upload these things. The other day Nora said that she wanted to "cut a hole in my pumpkin and put a face on it and a candle inside," so we decided for the very first time to carve our pumpkin. When I was growing up, my mom always painted ours. Jason said he doesn't remember having pumpkins at his house. We decided to wait until the weekend to tackle it, so last night we got out our dollar store pumpkin-carving kit (we bought it on clearance last year) and decided to make a go of it. This is our result (cameraphone pic).
You'll notice it's toothless. That wasn't the original plan, but whatever, right? It was also supposed to have pupils, but that didn't work out, either. Still, we all worked on it and we all feel a sense of accomplishment. After we were done, I rinsed the seeds and now I'm drying them out so we can roast them later. I don't even like roasted pumpkin seeds very much, but they are a nutritious snack, and Nora and Jason will eat them. I'll nibble on a few. If I end up with more than one cookie sheet's worth, I will probably send a baggie to Nora's class on Tuesday. They could possibly use them for play or for a craft.If you've ever been on a pregnancy or parenting message board, you may have seen a countdown "ticker." Many women add them to their signatures; you can use them to count just about anything (vacation countdowns, etc.) but pregnancy is the most common. Here's mine.
Is it just me or is 118 days not a long time?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sick day
Monday night, Nora woke up crying around 1:30. Jason went to check on her and she said, "Daddy, my brain hurts!" She didn't really need anything, though, so she went back to bed. 15 minutes later, Jason was asleep and I heard her whimpering. It wasn't even the type of whimpering I would necessarily check on normally (could have been just sleep noises), but for some reason I decided to go in there and see what was up. I went in and asked her what was wrong, and she said, "I want my daddy." So I picked her up to bring her to our bedroom, and in the hallway she puked on me, and on the floor. By the way, I'm looking forward to the day when puke goes in the toilet at least some of the time. I called for Jason and he took her into the bathroom and instructed her to try to puke into the toilet, but she was like, "What?! No! Why!?" And by that time she was done, anyway.
After we got everyone cleaned up, she was feeling a lot better. We got in my bed and she was in my lap and I told her she couldn't go to school the next day. She said, "But I'm all better! Or it will make me all better if I go to school!" I told her no, she needed to stay home, because she didn't want to get anyone else sick, did she? And she said, "Yes I do." Then she said, "But I can still go to gymnastics...?" Her head was in my lap and she was looking into my eyes. I said, "No, honey, probably not..." and her little eyes welled up with tears. Poor kiddo. Tuesday was the first day of class, and one of her favorite little friends is in the class with her. She was really looking forward to it.
Yesterday we stayed home all day, and Nora was her energetic self all day long. She watched too much TV (my bad), but she also nurtured her dolls and stuffed animals and wheeled them around the house in a stroller. She took them all to the "'Quarium," as she calls it. Late in the afternoon, I was debating letting her go to gymnastics since she was feeling better, but I asked a friend for advice about whether I should send her and warily decided that it was better safe than sorry, so she stayed home.
Today is another "better safe than sorry" day. She woke up with a cough and a fever of 99.9, but she apparently feels like a million bucks. She is bummed about missing school. We're both a little bit bored. I'm a bit of a homebody, so we've spent plenty of days at home in the past, but it's frustrated to feel like we can't leave, even if we wanted to. I'm not very inspired today, but I need to come up with something to do. I might actually have to clean something...
After we got everyone cleaned up, she was feeling a lot better. We got in my bed and she was in my lap and I told her she couldn't go to school the next day. She said, "But I'm all better! Or it will make me all better if I go to school!" I told her no, she needed to stay home, because she didn't want to get anyone else sick, did she? And she said, "Yes I do." Then she said, "But I can still go to gymnastics...?" Her head was in my lap and she was looking into my eyes. I said, "No, honey, probably not..." and her little eyes welled up with tears. Poor kiddo. Tuesday was the first day of class, and one of her favorite little friends is in the class with her. She was really looking forward to it.
Yesterday we stayed home all day, and Nora was her energetic self all day long. She watched too much TV (my bad), but she also nurtured her dolls and stuffed animals and wheeled them around the house in a stroller. She took them all to the "'Quarium," as she calls it. Late in the afternoon, I was debating letting her go to gymnastics since she was feeling better, but I asked a friend for advice about whether I should send her and warily decided that it was better safe than sorry, so she stayed home.
Today is another "better safe than sorry" day. She woke up with a cough and a fever of 99.9, but she apparently feels like a million bucks. She is bummed about missing school. We're both a little bit bored. I'm a bit of a homebody, so we've spent plenty of days at home in the past, but it's frustrated to feel like we can't leave, even if we wanted to. I'm not very inspired today, but I need to come up with something to do. I might actually have to clean something...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Twenty-one weeks...
...pregnant, that is, and approximately 17-21 weeks left, if all goes well. This time I'm trying not to focus so much on the "due date." One day at a time, yo.
What's been going on around here? I've been feeling the baby move more and more, which is so interesting. As I mentioned before, this is different for me since my placenta was in the front last time and I couldn't feel movement as well as I can this time. I had another ultrasound, and I might as well announce it, the baby is a girl. We think. The first ultrasound wasn't conclusive about the sex. The second one, the technician kept saying she didn't think she was going to get it because of the baby's position. Then, towards the end, she said flatly (she was lacking people skills), "Oh. Looks like a girl." She didn't say she was guessing, and all evidence so far points to girl, so we're just going with it. One of the few upsides to having a higher risk pregnancy (because of the diabetes) is that I will have more ultrasounds and I'm sure if they're wrong about it being a girl we'll find out at some point.
I finally got to meet with my maybe-doula, who is I guess my definite-doula now. We'd made plans to get together a few times, but illness and flooding kept getting in the way. Last week we met at the park and discussed a few things while the kids played. We haven't signed a contract yet, but we have a verbal agreement and plenty of times to work out the details. I'm also planning to take Hypnobabies classes (a friend is sending me the home study, plus I won a 6-week series of in person classes in a silent auction at the Atlanta BOLD event). I'm starting to think about the rest of the pregnancy and learning things I didn't know last time. For example, at our ICAN meeting yesterday we talked about optimal fetal positioning, which I didn't even consider last time. I know it sounds like a lot of learning, but I'm actually much more relaxed about pregnancy overall than I was last time. I enjoy learning more about how my body works, and at this point in my life find pregnancy, birth, and babies fascinating. So I'm really enjoying the mental work of being pregnant.
One thing that I'm not focusing on much these days is the more concrete aspects of bringing a new baby to our home, like the fact that we're going to have to rearrange almost all of our major living spaces in our home. To most people this probably wouldn't be daunting, but organization is not my strong suit, and it's not Jason's, either. We're also procrastinators. I know all of it doesn't have to be done immediately, but I will feel better once we start making some headway. Like, the baby won't be sleeping in the nursery the first few months anyway, so technically moving Nora into the other bedroom could wait until then. But I know myself well enough to know that I won't be in the mood to do any packing, painting, purging, or furniture moving (sorry for the break in alliteration!) when I have a newborn around. So, we'd better hop to it.
Enough about me.
I don't think I mentioned it, but Nora started Sunday School for the first time about a month ago. Our church uses a curriculum called Godly Play. Here's a YouTube video about Godly Play, if you're interested.
Jason and I taught Godly Play about five years ago, and this morning we assisted with Nora's class because the main teacher was out of town. We were a little--okay, very--rusty, but there was another teacher there and we mostly let her lead. The story for the day was Noah and the Ark. One thing that was great about assisting was that we got to observe Nora in Sunday School! I had been really curious about what it was like, and how she acts in class. It's like with her preschool, how I often wish that I could be a fly on the wall. I found that Nora knows the routine of the class very well. I was impressed with her comprehension, too. (I'm a proud parent, so I'm always impressed by Nora. ;) I didn't know how she would respond to us being in the class, if she would pay attention or if she would want to wallow in our lap and ignore the lesson, but she did very well. Yay, Nora!
Jason is asleep. Nora's ready to get up. I want to go for a walk in Piedmont Park this afternoon, so I'm going to get Nora and wake Jason up. There are other things that need to be done (groceries, anyone?), but this afternoon is too beautiful to be missed.
What's been going on around here? I've been feeling the baby move more and more, which is so interesting. As I mentioned before, this is different for me since my placenta was in the front last time and I couldn't feel movement as well as I can this time. I had another ultrasound, and I might as well announce it, the baby is a girl. We think. The first ultrasound wasn't conclusive about the sex. The second one, the technician kept saying she didn't think she was going to get it because of the baby's position. Then, towards the end, she said flatly (she was lacking people skills), "Oh. Looks like a girl." She didn't say she was guessing, and all evidence so far points to girl, so we're just going with it. One of the few upsides to having a higher risk pregnancy (because of the diabetes) is that I will have more ultrasounds and I'm sure if they're wrong about it being a girl we'll find out at some point.
I finally got to meet with my maybe-doula, who is I guess my definite-doula now. We'd made plans to get together a few times, but illness and flooding kept getting in the way. Last week we met at the park and discussed a few things while the kids played. We haven't signed a contract yet, but we have a verbal agreement and plenty of times to work out the details. I'm also planning to take Hypnobabies classes (a friend is sending me the home study, plus I won a 6-week series of in person classes in a silent auction at the Atlanta BOLD event). I'm starting to think about the rest of the pregnancy and learning things I didn't know last time. For example, at our ICAN meeting yesterday we talked about optimal fetal positioning, which I didn't even consider last time. I know it sounds like a lot of learning, but I'm actually much more relaxed about pregnancy overall than I was last time. I enjoy learning more about how my body works, and at this point in my life find pregnancy, birth, and babies fascinating. So I'm really enjoying the mental work of being pregnant.
One thing that I'm not focusing on much these days is the more concrete aspects of bringing a new baby to our home, like the fact that we're going to have to rearrange almost all of our major living spaces in our home. To most people this probably wouldn't be daunting, but organization is not my strong suit, and it's not Jason's, either. We're also procrastinators. I know all of it doesn't have to be done immediately, but I will feel better once we start making some headway. Like, the baby won't be sleeping in the nursery the first few months anyway, so technically moving Nora into the other bedroom could wait until then. But I know myself well enough to know that I won't be in the mood to do any packing, painting, purging, or furniture moving (sorry for the break in alliteration!) when I have a newborn around. So, we'd better hop to it.
Enough about me.
I don't think I mentioned it, but Nora started Sunday School for the first time about a month ago. Our church uses a curriculum called Godly Play. Here's a YouTube video about Godly Play, if you're interested.
Jason and I taught Godly Play about five years ago, and this morning we assisted with Nora's class because the main teacher was out of town. We were a little--okay, very--rusty, but there was another teacher there and we mostly let her lead. The story for the day was Noah and the Ark. One thing that was great about assisting was that we got to observe Nora in Sunday School! I had been really curious about what it was like, and how she acts in class. It's like with her preschool, how I often wish that I could be a fly on the wall. I found that Nora knows the routine of the class very well. I was impressed with her comprehension, too. (I'm a proud parent, so I'm always impressed by Nora. ;) I didn't know how she would respond to us being in the class, if she would pay attention or if she would want to wallow in our lap and ignore the lesson, but she did very well. Yay, Nora!
Jason is asleep. Nora's ready to get up. I want to go for a walk in Piedmont Park this afternoon, so I'm going to get Nora and wake Jason up. There are other things that need to be done (groceries, anyone?), but this afternoon is too beautiful to be missed.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
So, Nora told me where she got the lever thing. Apparently Tinkerbell has (? makes?) a lever in the direct-to-DVD Tinkerbell movie we own. Ah, okay. Now I know where she got the idea, but I'm still honestly impressed with her understanding of the concept.
Randomness: I went to the dentist today. I have two small cavities (boo) but the dentist recommended I wait until after the baby to get them filled. I went ahead and scheduled the appointment because if I didn't do it now, I would forget. SO, this means I have something on my calendar that's "after the baby." Whoa. I even had to send a calendar invite to Jason because I'll need for him to keep the baby while I have my appointment. That's so weird.
I think I've been having some ligament pains, and today I got a weird stitch in my side. It hurts and it won't go away. I think I'm finally starting to "feel" a little pregnant. Woohoo?
Randomness: I went to the dentist today. I have two small cavities (boo) but the dentist recommended I wait until after the baby to get them filled. I went ahead and scheduled the appointment because if I didn't do it now, I would forget. SO, this means I have something on my calendar that's "after the baby." Whoa. I even had to send a calendar invite to Jason because I'll need for him to keep the baby while I have my appointment. That's so weird.
I think I've been having some ligament pains, and today I got a weird stitch in my side. It hurts and it won't go away. I think I'm finally starting to "feel" a little pregnant. Woohoo?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
I've noticed that Nora's expressing herself in a more sophisticated way sometimes. When we're talking her answers are slower, more thoughtful. I can sometimes see the wheels turning in her head. One night last week, she woke up a couple of hours after bedtime with a slight temperature. She got in my bed with me and we read a few more stories and just talked about things for a little bit, until she was feeling better. We were talking about fruit--which types of fruits grow on trees, which ones grow on vines, that kind of thing. I asked her how blueberries grew and she knitted her forehead a little bit and said sleepily, "Umm... I think they grow on vines or something?" Wrong answer (I reminded her about the time we went blueberry picking with friends a while back), but in the past she would have shouted out an answer, right or wrong, without thinking about it first.
Couple of funny/interesting things she's done lately:
Couple of funny/interesting things she's done lately:
- She got a Cinderella Barbie for her birthday. She was playing with it and chattering about her glass slippers, when she realized that Cinderella's (painted-on) shoes were blue. She said, "Hey, how come her glass slippers are blue?" I said, "Umm, maybe they're blue glass?" "Or maybe her feet are just blue," Nora decided.
- She took two plastic Easter eggs and figured out a way to launch one out of the other. She called this her "lever." I observed that it was, in a crude sense, a lever. I don't know where she got this or if I'm understanding her correctly, but it's kind of cool.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Updating in little spurts as I think of things. I wanted to mention that I have been feeling the baby move! I had been feeling "flutters" for a while, the kind of thing that could be baby or it could be gas, but in the past week or so it's been very distinctly baby. I'm not feeling specific kicks yet, but what I'm feeling can't be compared to gas anymore. It's kind of like a washing machine in there. A washing machine on the gentle cycle. This is particularly exciting to me because my placenta was in the front last time and I didn't feel a whole lot of of movement.
Pregnancy is obviously the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a while, because I don't feel motivated to update about much of anything else.
Pregnancy is obviously the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a while, because I don't feel motivated to update about much of anything else.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I don't know what I was thinking when I said I didn't know what to do with myself while Nora was in preschool. Turns out, there's a lot to be done. After about three years of having Nora with me 24/7, it's like I just remembered that most things in life are easier to do without a baby/toddler hanging around. So now I find myself running errands, scheduling appointments, and scrambling to get things done around the house while she's at school. And 4 hours a day suddenly doesn't seem like such a long time. Eek!
I'm really going to bummed at the end of the pregnancy when I'm going to the doctor twice a week. That's two preschool mornings that will be eaten up by doctor's appointments., because somehow appointments always seem to take longer than they should.
I'm really going to bummed at the end of the pregnancy when I'm going to the doctor twice a week. That's two preschool mornings that will be eaten up by doctor's appointments., because somehow appointments always seem to take longer than they should.
Quick update
I had my "diabetes appointment" today. The treatment protocol seems to be very similar to my last practice's, which is good because I know what to expect. I just got my testing materials tonight and we'll see how my sugars are behaving. My numbers after a very carby dinner were fine, but it's the fasting blood sugar that's always been a challenge for me. I'm just going to have to wait and see.
I didn't really care for the doctor. He was professional and I think he gave good info, I just didn't care for his bedside manner. Normally I could get over that, but because the management is pretty intensive (I'll see this doctor as much or more as my regular OB) I would be working with him pretty closely. I'm considering trying to switch to my former perinatologist again. This may be a pain because certain peri groups like to work with certain OBs, but if I decide to do it I hope I can make it happen.
I did have an ultrasound today; thanks to a generous friend, Jason was able to be there! He was planning to be there, but Nora's preschool was canceled this morning because of the flooding in Atlanta (which, thankfully, has not directly affected us). If Nora had come with us to the appointment, she would not have been allowed back, but my friend Lindsay offered to watch her for a couple of hours while we went to the appointment, so that worked out well. Everything they saw looked great. It's really amazing what great detail they're able to view via ultrasound. The only thing they didn't see was one arm--the baby was lying on it. Also, the legs were closed so we didn't get to confirm the sex, although they did have a guess. I'll have more ultrasounds as part of my diabetes management, so we'll make an announcement when we know the sex with more certainty.
I didn't really care for the doctor. He was professional and I think he gave good info, I just didn't care for his bedside manner. Normally I could get over that, but because the management is pretty intensive (I'll see this doctor as much or more as my regular OB) I would be working with him pretty closely. I'm considering trying to switch to my former perinatologist again. This may be a pain because certain peri groups like to work with certain OBs, but if I decide to do it I hope I can make it happen.
I did have an ultrasound today; thanks to a generous friend, Jason was able to be there! He was planning to be there, but Nora's preschool was canceled this morning because of the flooding in Atlanta (which, thankfully, has not directly affected us). If Nora had come with us to the appointment, she would not have been allowed back, but my friend Lindsay offered to watch her for a couple of hours while we went to the appointment, so that worked out well. Everything they saw looked great. It's really amazing what great detail they're able to view via ultrasound. The only thing they didn't see was one arm--the baby was lying on it. Also, the legs were closed so we didn't get to confirm the sex, although they did have a guess. I'll have more ultrasounds as part of my diabetes management, so we'll make an announcement when we know the sex with more certainty.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
It's 12 am on Saturday. That means that I am officially 17 weeks pregnant! For whatever reason, I really like that number. It's no longer "just a little bit pregnant" (ha ha, I know), it's not quite halfway there, but it's a nice, substantial number, in my mind at least.
Other baby news. I have gestational diabetes again, boo. I've talked about that at length in other entries, so I'm sure you can guess how I feel about it. To recap, I feel displeased but resolved to accept it. I'm trying to schedule an appointment with a group to manage the diabetes, but they're not so good at returning phone calls. I'm also trying to schedule an anatomy scan with the Perinatal Diagnostic Center at Emory, but somehow the only person capable of making appointments in the office is out of town this week. I'm not kidding. One way or another, we will schedule this scan for sometime in the next three weeks or so. That's when we find out if we're having a boy or a girl, and of course more importantly they will check and make sure everything seems to be okay physically with the baby.
Good news: I think I'm found a doula. A doula is a birth attendant, not a doctor or midwife, but a professional labor support person to help guide the woman through childbirth. I was not very open to the idea of having a doula for Nora's birth, but knowing what I know now I'm downright enthusiastic about it. I'm involved in the local birth community here in Atlanta, which means that many of my friends are passionate, intelligent activists. I've learned a lot over the past couple of years, plus I have seen dozens of friends go through pregnancy and birth, something I had a lot less experience with 3-4 years ago. I have a friend who is a doula and we have talked briefly about me hiring her for my birth. In the next week or two, we'll get together and discuss it further, and if everything goes well, I will hire her. I'm feeling great about that!
One last thing about my pregnancy. I cried during an "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" commercial. It was the one with scenes from Bambi. This must be a pregnancy symptom, right?
The first week of preschool was exciting for all of us! Predictably, Nora loves it and didn't have any problem adjusting. The first day, she was so excited about some blocks that she barely stopped to say goodbye to me. She loves everything about it: her teachers, the other students, playing outside, and even the little symbol (hers is a flower) where she hangs her lunchbox every day. I don't exactly know what to do with myself during the day, but I have cleaned parts of my house that haven't been truly clean in... a while... I am also scheduling various appointments while she's in school.
I'm not sure what to think about her ballet class. I signed her up for a class at the Y as opposed to one as a studio because I thought it might be more laid-back for a child her age. I didn't want anything rigid. This class isn't exactly rigid, but Nora is still having trouble paying attention, especially when the teacher is going over drier aspects of ballet, like positions, in the last 15 minutes or so. I'm not sure exactly what is going on. It's possible she's tired since she usually naps that time of day, her attention span might just run out towards the end of class, or maybe ballet just isn't what she expected it to be. Or maybe that's just Nora, being 3. Yesterday I was watching through the window and the three other little girls were, for the most part, listening and following directions, and Nora was rolling around on the floor and doing her own thing. I saw the teacher gently try to draw her in (over and over and over) and it was almost painful to watch. After class she told me she had been in "time out," which didn't really seem to concern her, I guess because she had no interest in following the class, anyway. So I guess this is what you get when you put a 3 year old in a "class." In October she'll start gymnastics. Maybe that will suit her more. It's a lot of jumping around and acrobatics, which she seems to love! At this point in her life she just wants to do it all, and I am determined to let her try anything she's interested in within reason and affordability.
She's been asking about the baby a little bit more recently. This morning when she woke up she said, concerned, "Will the new baby sleep with Baby Lucy and Baby Jenna?" (her dolls) I said no, those were her dolls, and she could share them if she wanted to, but she didn't have to, and Baby Lucy and Baby Jenna could still sleep with Nora if that's what she wanted. Later she was talking about how babies cry a lot, and it turned out that she thought that babies cried because they were in pain. So we've been trying to explain to her that babies can't talk, so crying is the only way they have to communicate. It doesn't always mean they're hurting. Then this afternoon she asked if we had any diapers in the house. I said no, since she stopped wearing one to bed a while back. (They're actually put up for now. but since they're all cloth they're technically still here.) She got very concerned and said, "But what will the baby wear? The baby won't know how to pee pee or poo poo on the potty." I assured her that we would get some before the baby came. She seems to ask about the baby in spurts. Sometimes days will go by and she won't mention it. She talks a lot about being a "big girl" these days, but sometimes she wants to be reassured that she's still our baby. I do think she's a little bit anxious about a new baby coming, but of course it's still a long way off. She is excited about being a sister, though, and I think she will be a great one.
Tomorrow we have a fun birthday party to attend. I'm not sure what the rest of the weekend holds. Probably grocery shopping, some lawn mowing, and some bathroom cleaning. The excitement never ends, ya'll.
Other baby news. I have gestational diabetes again, boo. I've talked about that at length in other entries, so I'm sure you can guess how I feel about it. To recap, I feel displeased but resolved to accept it. I'm trying to schedule an appointment with a group to manage the diabetes, but they're not so good at returning phone calls. I'm also trying to schedule an anatomy scan with the Perinatal Diagnostic Center at Emory, but somehow the only person capable of making appointments in the office is out of town this week. I'm not kidding. One way or another, we will schedule this scan for sometime in the next three weeks or so. That's when we find out if we're having a boy or a girl, and of course more importantly they will check and make sure everything seems to be okay physically with the baby.
Good news: I think I'm found a doula. A doula is a birth attendant, not a doctor or midwife, but a professional labor support person to help guide the woman through childbirth. I was not very open to the idea of having a doula for Nora's birth, but knowing what I know now I'm downright enthusiastic about it. I'm involved in the local birth community here in Atlanta, which means that many of my friends are passionate, intelligent activists. I've learned a lot over the past couple of years, plus I have seen dozens of friends go through pregnancy and birth, something I had a lot less experience with 3-4 years ago. I have a friend who is a doula and we have talked briefly about me hiring her for my birth. In the next week or two, we'll get together and discuss it further, and if everything goes well, I will hire her. I'm feeling great about that!
One last thing about my pregnancy. I cried during an "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" commercial. It was the one with scenes from Bambi. This must be a pregnancy symptom, right?
The first week of preschool was exciting for all of us! Predictably, Nora loves it and didn't have any problem adjusting. The first day, she was so excited about some blocks that she barely stopped to say goodbye to me. She loves everything about it: her teachers, the other students, playing outside, and even the little symbol (hers is a flower) where she hangs her lunchbox every day. I don't exactly know what to do with myself during the day, but I have cleaned parts of my house that haven't been truly clean in... a while... I am also scheduling various appointments while she's in school.
I'm not sure what to think about her ballet class. I signed her up for a class at the Y as opposed to one as a studio because I thought it might be more laid-back for a child her age. I didn't want anything rigid. This class isn't exactly rigid, but Nora is still having trouble paying attention, especially when the teacher is going over drier aspects of ballet, like positions, in the last 15 minutes or so. I'm not sure exactly what is going on. It's possible she's tired since she usually naps that time of day, her attention span might just run out towards the end of class, or maybe ballet just isn't what she expected it to be. Or maybe that's just Nora, being 3. Yesterday I was watching through the window and the three other little girls were, for the most part, listening and following directions, and Nora was rolling around on the floor and doing her own thing. I saw the teacher gently try to draw her in (over and over and over) and it was almost painful to watch. After class she told me she had been in "time out," which didn't really seem to concern her, I guess because she had no interest in following the class, anyway. So I guess this is what you get when you put a 3 year old in a "class." In October she'll start gymnastics. Maybe that will suit her more. It's a lot of jumping around and acrobatics, which she seems to love! At this point in her life she just wants to do it all, and I am determined to let her try anything she's interested in within reason and affordability.
She's been asking about the baby a little bit more recently. This morning when she woke up she said, concerned, "Will the new baby sleep with Baby Lucy and Baby Jenna?" (her dolls) I said no, those were her dolls, and she could share them if she wanted to, but she didn't have to, and Baby Lucy and Baby Jenna could still sleep with Nora if that's what she wanted. Later she was talking about how babies cry a lot, and it turned out that she thought that babies cried because they were in pain. So we've been trying to explain to her that babies can't talk, so crying is the only way they have to communicate. It doesn't always mean they're hurting. Then this afternoon she asked if we had any diapers in the house. I said no, since she stopped wearing one to bed a while back. (They're actually put up for now. but since they're all cloth they're technically still here.) She got very concerned and said, "But what will the baby wear? The baby won't know how to pee pee or poo poo on the potty." I assured her that we would get some before the baby came. She seems to ask about the baby in spurts. Sometimes days will go by and she won't mention it. She talks a lot about being a "big girl" these days, but sometimes she wants to be reassured that she's still our baby. I do think she's a little bit anxious about a new baby coming, but of course it's still a long way off. She is excited about being a sister, though, and I think she will be a great one.
Tomorrow we have a fun birthday party to attend. I'm not sure what the rest of the weekend holds. Probably grocery shopping, some lawn mowing, and some bathroom cleaning. The excitement never ends, ya'll.
Friday, September 4, 2009
I have a feeling I am going to update this blog in embarrassing spurts, like how in this last week I've made quite a few posts. Then I'm going to abandon it for months on end.
Today was the preschool "meet and greet" that I mentioned before. We got up this morning, got dressed, had breakfast, and headed over to the preschool. We got there right on time and Nora was the first one in the classroom. I introduced her to her teachers, but she was much more interested in what the room had to offer. "Look, there's a kitchen!" she said, and within two minutes she had pulled out every last dish and was making "oatmeal" and "coffee," with sugar. As the other kids began to arrive, she started serving them, to the extent they were interested in being served, at least. I met some of the other moms and kids, but as the classroom got more and more full, I took a step back and sat on the edge of the classroom and just observed the chaos. Some of the kids were more reserved than others. I wished that Nora would talk to me a little bit about what was going on and show me what she was doing, but she was way too busy to slow down. Too much stuff to see!
Both of the teachers and a couple of the moms mentioned how outgoing she was. They were surprised she hadn't been in preschool before. I was like, "Yeah, she's really outgoing." It mystifies Jason and I because we're not that way, but it also amuses and touches us to see her sweet spirit. I've also observed a little bit of bossiness with Nora. I remember one day at church all the little kids were playing, and Nora announced, "Let's play Ring-Around-the-Rosie!" The other kids went on with what they were doing for a second, then Nora instructed, "Everybody get in a circle and hold hands." To my surprise, they all did! Other moments of bossiness have been more... hmm... teaching moments, I guess, when she has taken it a little too far and we have to talk about being polite and considerate. But in her personality I see some leadership qualities, which are fun and interesting to observe in a three year old.
My friend Kim posted in her blog the other day about her daughter's first few days of kindergarten. She mentioned how weird it was to have her daughter away for seven hours a day, where she as a mom couldn't see what she was doing or hang out with her. I'm totally feeling that! It's only four hours for us, three days a week, but still, this is something new. Nora has been my little shadow for three years now. We're together almost constantly--enough that I still get a little shiver of freedom when I go to the grocery store or the mall all by myself, which doesn't happen very often. I'm used to being right there with her for all of her experiences and her little adventures, and now she's going to be having some of them without me! It's just another way she's growing up, a little bit at a time. I have to admit, when I think about it too much it's a little bit harder to accept than I thought it would be, this "getting older" thing. Her, not me. ;) Now I get it!
Today was the preschool "meet and greet" that I mentioned before. We got up this morning, got dressed, had breakfast, and headed over to the preschool. We got there right on time and Nora was the first one in the classroom. I introduced her to her teachers, but she was much more interested in what the room had to offer. "Look, there's a kitchen!" she said, and within two minutes she had pulled out every last dish and was making "oatmeal" and "coffee," with sugar. As the other kids began to arrive, she started serving them, to the extent they were interested in being served, at least. I met some of the other moms and kids, but as the classroom got more and more full, I took a step back and sat on the edge of the classroom and just observed the chaos. Some of the kids were more reserved than others. I wished that Nora would talk to me a little bit about what was going on and show me what she was doing, but she was way too busy to slow down. Too much stuff to see!
Both of the teachers and a couple of the moms mentioned how outgoing she was. They were surprised she hadn't been in preschool before. I was like, "Yeah, she's really outgoing." It mystifies Jason and I because we're not that way, but it also amuses and touches us to see her sweet spirit. I've also observed a little bit of bossiness with Nora. I remember one day at church all the little kids were playing, and Nora announced, "Let's play Ring-Around-the-Rosie!" The other kids went on with what they were doing for a second, then Nora instructed, "Everybody get in a circle and hold hands." To my surprise, they all did! Other moments of bossiness have been more... hmm... teaching moments, I guess, when she has taken it a little too far and we have to talk about being polite and considerate. But in her personality I see some leadership qualities, which are fun and interesting to observe in a three year old.
My friend Kim posted in her blog the other day about her daughter's first few days of kindergarten. She mentioned how weird it was to have her daughter away for seven hours a day, where she as a mom couldn't see what she was doing or hang out with her. I'm totally feeling that! It's only four hours for us, three days a week, but still, this is something new. Nora has been my little shadow for three years now. We're together almost constantly--enough that I still get a little shiver of freedom when I go to the grocery store or the mall all by myself, which doesn't happen very often. I'm used to being right there with her for all of her experiences and her little adventures, and now she's going to be having some of them without me! It's just another way she's growing up, a little bit at a time. I have to admit, when I think about it too much it's a little bit harder to accept than I thought it would be, this "getting older" thing. Her, not me. ;) Now I get it!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Preschool: The Deets
I'm going to be lazy and post this from an email I wrote to Dara earlier. It says pretty much everything I want to say here, so why type it twice?
It was great! Brooke (babysitter) met us at the park so that Jason and I could both go to the meeting. Nora will get to go see everything on Friday. There was a part at the beginning where they introduced all the teachers and gave general announcements about drop-off, etc. Then we went in our classroom and the teacher told us more about the details about our class. I know one of the other moms already from ICAN. She was really sweet and sat next to us at the big meeting. I know someone else who has a child in the other 3 year old class, too, so I'll see her around but not in our class.
They have expanded the school 40% since last year, so we had seen a classroom like this before but not the exact one Nora would be in. They have a kitchen area, a "soft" area they call it (dolls and playsilks and other soft things) and an area with implements like puzzles, etc. for them to manipulate. The classroom seems tiny to me, but I bet it will be perfect for a group of 3 year olds. I am used to life on a larger scale! They make their own snacks as a group every day. For the fall it will be brown rice on Tues, applesauce on Weds (bring your own apple), and they will make bread on Thurs. Everyone is assigned something to bring for "communal snack supplies" and we are to bring two jars of organic jelly. We were also asked to sign up to do laundry for a month--it's a once-a-week thing, you take the cloth napkins home and wash them. I don't mind laundry and it's a 4 day "weekend" so I am sure it will be fine. I did sign up for Oct because I wanted it before the holidays and before the baby. They are really into "community" at this school so this is one way our family will contribute to the community of the classroom. Also, since they are a green school they use cloth napkins, have little glasses, plates and bowls for snack, etc.
The whole place is so cool! They have a nature table which they add to daily and change out every week (and seasonally, of course)--that is something Nora is especially interested in recently so I bet she will be excited. They're outside an hour a day, unless it rains. They will be learning to sew and all kinds of cool stuff. I think it sounds SO fun--I hope Nora agrees! I don't know what 3 year old Blair would think. :) I actually think Nora would enjoy almost any preschool, though, because she is so outgoing and loves activity so much.
I will add that I had my glucose test, it kind of sucked, and I don't know my results yet. I have taken a 3 hour GTT before, but it's been 5 or 6 years ago. I had to fast for 13 hours, the drink made me immediately ill (but not enough to ruin the test, thank goodness), and I felt sick on and off for the rest of the day. I totally understand why some low risk women elect not to take it--I do think that for me, though, it's important to know the results. We are conservative and do not take all of the prenatal tests offered, but we will have an anatomy ultrasound around 20 weeks, and if I do have gestational diabetes we will work with a specialist to decide if and when any extra testing is warranted.
It was great! Brooke (babysitter) met us at the park so that Jason and I could both go to the meeting. Nora will get to go see everything on Friday. There was a part at the beginning where they introduced all the teachers and gave general announcements about drop-off, etc. Then we went in our classroom and the teacher told us more about the details about our class. I know one of the other moms already from ICAN. She was really sweet and sat next to us at the big meeting. I know someone else who has a child in the other 3 year old class, too, so I'll see her around but not in our class.
They have expanded the school 40% since last year, so we had seen a classroom like this before but not the exact one Nora would be in. They have a kitchen area, a "soft" area they call it (dolls and playsilks and other soft things) and an area with implements like puzzles, etc. for them to manipulate. The classroom seems tiny to me, but I bet it will be perfect for a group of 3 year olds. I am used to life on a larger scale! They make their own snacks as a group every day. For the fall it will be brown rice on Tues, applesauce on Weds (bring your own apple), and they will make bread on Thurs. Everyone is assigned something to bring for "communal snack supplies" and we are to bring two jars of organic jelly. We were also asked to sign up to do laundry for a month--it's a once-a-week thing, you take the cloth napkins home and wash them. I don't mind laundry and it's a 4 day "weekend" so I am sure it will be fine. I did sign up for Oct because I wanted it before the holidays and before the baby. They are really into "community" at this school so this is one way our family will contribute to the community of the classroom. Also, since they are a green school they use cloth napkins, have little glasses, plates and bowls for snack, etc.
The whole place is so cool! They have a nature table which they add to daily and change out every week (and seasonally, of course)--that is something Nora is especially interested in recently so I bet she will be excited. They're outside an hour a day, unless it rains. They will be learning to sew and all kinds of cool stuff. I think it sounds SO fun--I hope Nora agrees! I don't know what 3 year old Blair would think. :) I actually think Nora would enjoy almost any preschool, though, because she is so outgoing and loves activity so much.
I will add that I had my glucose test, it kind of sucked, and I don't know my results yet. I have taken a 3 hour GTT before, but it's been 5 or 6 years ago. I had to fast for 13 hours, the drink made me immediately ill (but not enough to ruin the test, thank goodness), and I felt sick on and off for the rest of the day. I totally understand why some low risk women elect not to take it--I do think that for me, though, it's important to know the results. We are conservative and do not take all of the prenatal tests offered, but we will have an anatomy ultrasound around 20 weeks, and if I do have gestational diabetes we will work with a specialist to decide if and when any extra testing is warranted.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
As I mentioned, tomorrow is the parents' night for Nora's preschool. Friday she gets to go and check out the classroom, and Tuesday she starts school! This seems like such a long time coming. It's definitely been a long time since the cold Saturday morning in January when Jason got up early to stand in line, and the weeks afterward when we worried because we had been wait-listed for our first choice. Nora is more than half a year older now! That's a lot for a three year old. Public school and many other preschools started a month ago, but next week it's Nora's turn!
Tomorrow morning is my glucose test. Blah. My friend Dara asked me if I was nervous. I'm not nervous, just, I don't know. Annoyed? I want to get it over with. I'm not very confident about passing, so it seems futile. And if I pass this time, I'll just have to do it again later. Right now I'm fasting for tomorrow morning's test. I can't have anything by mouth. Not even water! It's going to be a long 12 hours until the test starts. They even told me to bring my toothbrush because I'm not supposed to brush my teeth in the morning. Yuck. I'm also feeling slightly hassled, because I have to get up extra early to bring Nora to the drop-off daycare where I take her for my appointments. I'm glad to have a place to take her, not so glad it's in Tucker. Starting next week, of course, I'll schedule as many of my appointments as possible while she's in school.
I'm excited about the weather getting cold. I don't know when it's going to happen for real, but they're selling Pumpkin Spice lattes at Starbucks, so it's got to be sooner or later! I'm thinking about how my baby will be coming when it's cold. It's still a long way away, but it's coming.
Tomorrow morning is my glucose test. Blah. My friend Dara asked me if I was nervous. I'm not nervous, just, I don't know. Annoyed? I want to get it over with. I'm not very confident about passing, so it seems futile. And if I pass this time, I'll just have to do it again later. Right now I'm fasting for tomorrow morning's test. I can't have anything by mouth. Not even water! It's going to be a long 12 hours until the test starts. They even told me to bring my toothbrush because I'm not supposed to brush my teeth in the morning. Yuck. I'm also feeling slightly hassled, because I have to get up extra early to bring Nora to the drop-off daycare where I take her for my appointments. I'm glad to have a place to take her, not so glad it's in Tucker. Starting next week, of course, I'll schedule as many of my appointments as possible while she's in school.
I'm excited about the weather getting cold. I don't know when it's going to happen for real, but they're selling Pumpkin Spice lattes at Starbucks, so it's got to be sooner or later! I'm thinking about how my baby will be coming when it's cold. It's still a long way away, but it's coming.
Monday, August 31, 2009
I'm trying to keep my resolution to update the blog more! No pictures for a while, though, because my camera cord broke. The other way of transferring photos isn't working, either. I'll have to see about that... one day.
Nora's birthday was great! I was a little worried about the informal playgroup I had planned. Many of our friends weren't able to make it for various reasons. A few people canceled at the last minute because of illness. Then it started raining right as we were beginning--and we were holding it outdoors, at a park! We moved it indoors to Leapin' Lizards, a few of our awesome friends were able to make it, and all was well. Nora had a fantastic time playing with the other kids. She had a great day. In fact, here's a picture from pre-camera cord loss.
This was taken after a long afternoon of play.
The weekend after her birthday, we went to Pensacola Beach and stayed in a condo for a few days. Woohoo! I lived in Pensacola for many years, but I've never seen it through a tourist's eyes before. It was awesome. The condo was a high-rise, which I didn't think I would like, but then we walked in and saw the view. Breathtaking! We had a few people over Saturday afternoon for presents, food, and cake, but spent the rest of the weekend in the pool or at the beach. Highlight? The calm, clear, beautiful Gulf. Lowlight? Jason lost his wedding ring in the calm, clear, beautiful Gulf. It just slid off of his finger. I posted a "Lost & Found" ad on Pensacola Craigslist, but I don't have high hopes.
On my actual day of birth, we got up and enjoyed the beach one last time. Then we packed up the car and started (slowly) heading back towards Atlanta. It took us a while to get packed, then we got deterred by a quest for gumbo. We found the gumbo at Sam's Seafood, but although it was delicious, they took forever serving us. Then we had to drive through town and drop some stuff off at my mom's, so it was pretty late when we hit the road for real. We stopped and ate dinner at Panera Bread in Montgomery, and I bought myself some maternity tops at Motherhood since I like short sleeves year-round and they were on sale. We got home really late that night.
Thursday was Nora's first ballet class. She love, love, loved it! I was so excited for her as we got settled in the classroom. I got her shoes on and within seconds she was joyfully running around with the other girls, waiting for the teacher to get there. I was a little bit surprised when we parents got kicked out right away, though! I'd been looking forward to having time to do other things while she was in class, but I would have liked to watch a little bit more closely, at least that first day. We could watch through a glass door, but that didn't provide much of a view, especially with a bunch of other parents jockeying for position. Next week they will be in another room, one with a glass wall, so we should be able to see more even if we can't hear anything.
This week we have preschool parents' night and open house. Next week, the first week of preschool! I'm not sure who is more excited, me or Nora. I'm excited because this is a big milestone for my confident, independent girl. Today at her 3 year check up, the doctor asked her what she was most looking forward to about school. She paused and then said decidedly, "I'm the most excited about going outside." All right, then! I'm excited about that for her. Woohoo!
Nora's birthday was great! I was a little worried about the informal playgroup I had planned. Many of our friends weren't able to make it for various reasons. A few people canceled at the last minute because of illness. Then it started raining right as we were beginning--and we were holding it outdoors, at a park! We moved it indoors to Leapin' Lizards, a few of our awesome friends were able to make it, and all was well. Nora had a fantastic time playing with the other kids. She had a great day. In fact, here's a picture from pre-camera cord loss.
This was taken after a long afternoon of play.
The weekend after her birthday, we went to Pensacola Beach and stayed in a condo for a few days. Woohoo! I lived in Pensacola for many years, but I've never seen it through a tourist's eyes before. It was awesome. The condo was a high-rise, which I didn't think I would like, but then we walked in and saw the view. Breathtaking! We had a few people over Saturday afternoon for presents, food, and cake, but spent the rest of the weekend in the pool or at the beach. Highlight? The calm, clear, beautiful Gulf. Lowlight? Jason lost his wedding ring in the calm, clear, beautiful Gulf. It just slid off of his finger. I posted a "Lost & Found" ad on Pensacola Craigslist, but I don't have high hopes.
On my actual day of birth, we got up and enjoyed the beach one last time. Then we packed up the car and started (slowly) heading back towards Atlanta. It took us a while to get packed, then we got deterred by a quest for gumbo. We found the gumbo at Sam's Seafood, but although it was delicious, they took forever serving us. Then we had to drive through town and drop some stuff off at my mom's, so it was pretty late when we hit the road for real. We stopped and ate dinner at Panera Bread in Montgomery, and I bought myself some maternity tops at Motherhood since I like short sleeves year-round and they were on sale. We got home really late that night.
Thursday was Nora's first ballet class. She love, love, loved it! I was so excited for her as we got settled in the classroom. I got her shoes on and within seconds she was joyfully running around with the other girls, waiting for the teacher to get there. I was a little bit surprised when we parents got kicked out right away, though! I'd been looking forward to having time to do other things while she was in class, but I would have liked to watch a little bit more closely, at least that first day. We could watch through a glass door, but that didn't provide much of a view, especially with a bunch of other parents jockeying for position. Next week they will be in another room, one with a glass wall, so we should be able to see more even if we can't hear anything.
This week we have preschool parents' night and open house. Next week, the first week of preschool! I'm not sure who is more excited, me or Nora. I'm excited because this is a big milestone for my confident, independent girl. Today at her 3 year check up, the doctor asked her what she was most looking forward to about school. She paused and then said decidedly, "I'm the most excited about going outside." All right, then! I'm excited about that for her. Woohoo!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Happy Birthday, Nora!
Tomorrow morning, I will wake up the mother of a three year old. (Actually this morning as it's already past midnight.) Awww... I didn't realize I would feel so emotional about her turning three. I've been referring to her as three or almost-three for a while now, and she's certainly very grown up lately in her speech and mannerisms. She's not the same girl she was a year ago. I love her independence, but I can't believe how quickly her babyhood is slipping away. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.
She's such a sweet girl, and she loves to cuddle, which is nice for Mommy - but I don't know how long that will last. We used to cuddle in my bed every single morning, it was kind of a routine for us, but a few months ago she started waking up saying, "Mommy, I don't want to cuddle!" She wanted to get right to breakfast and whatever else was awaiting her. We still cuddle a couple of times a day, but a lot of times she will want to wiggle in my arms for just a minute and then jump up and show me a trick (like her "ballet" or "gymnastics" moves, all made up at this point since she hasn't started classes), or play catch with her "balloony loon," or any number of things that an active three year old girl might want to do.
Recently she's been telling us that she plays tag with Scout, our cat. Jason and I find this hilarious. "I bet Scout's always 'it,'" I told him. "And somehow she always wins, too." So cute! Today Nora crawled under the bed after Scout, who is good natured but only to a point. Scout actually took off for the other room and had been gone a couple of minutes before Nora realized it. She told me, "I'm trying to give Scout a kiss." Later I heard, "Don't be mad, Scout! I'm just a sweet little monster!"
Happy birthday, sweet little monster!
She's such a sweet girl, and she loves to cuddle, which is nice for Mommy - but I don't know how long that will last. We used to cuddle in my bed every single morning, it was kind of a routine for us, but a few months ago she started waking up saying, "Mommy, I don't want to cuddle!" She wanted to get right to breakfast and whatever else was awaiting her. We still cuddle a couple of times a day, but a lot of times she will want to wiggle in my arms for just a minute and then jump up and show me a trick (like her "ballet" or "gymnastics" moves, all made up at this point since she hasn't started classes), or play catch with her "balloony loon," or any number of things that an active three year old girl might want to do.
Recently she's been telling us that she plays tag with Scout, our cat. Jason and I find this hilarious. "I bet Scout's always 'it,'" I told him. "And somehow she always wins, too." So cute! Today Nora crawled under the bed after Scout, who is good natured but only to a point. Scout actually took off for the other room and had been gone a couple of minutes before Nora realized it. She told me, "I'm trying to give Scout a kiss." Later I heard, "Don't be mad, Scout! I'm just a sweet little monster!"
Happy birthday, sweet little monster!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Word to your mother.
Nora: Mommy, sing the ice water song!
Me: I don't think I know that song.
Nora: But Daddy sings it every day! It goes, "Ice, ice, water--"
Me: I don't think I know that song.
Nora: But Daddy sings it every day! It goes, "Ice, ice, water--"
Update on previous post
I had my glucose screen. As I suspected, I had a high reading. I ate a protein breakfast and walked in between drinking the drink and getting my reading, but it wasn't enough to offset the way my body processes sugar. One thing that's different about this time, though, is that my reading was not as high as it was for the one hour test with Nora. This time I'll be taking the three hour test. The one hour is a "screening" and the three hour is diagnostic. I'm not that optimistic about the three hour test, mainly because it is a fasting test. They'll do multiple blood draws, but if my fasting draw is elevated then it doesn't matter what I get on the other draws. Fasting is the number I have had the most trouble with in the past, so... we'll see.
So if I have gestational diabetes again, what does it mean? It means that I will have to be more diligent with nutrition. I may have to take insulin, which I've done before and is not as bad as I thought it would be. I will receive more monitoring than a low risk patient, but probably not as much as I had for the last pregnancy. I've done some research since then and the extreme monitoring I had last time has not been shown to improve outcomes. In the grand scheme of things, it probably won't be a big deal. I'm glad I took the time to learn more about pregnancy and my particular complications before I got pregnant this second time. For me, it's easier to apply logic and reason when I'm not pregnant. I'm using a different OB this time and I met with him a couple of years ago and asked him what he thought about GD, how that would affect things, etc., so we're all on the same page. Good stuff!
I did get Nora signed up for ballet, which starts in about two weeks, and gymnastics later in the fall. She asks me every day when her ballet classes start. Today she was "doing her ballet" on my bed and she fell off - twice! I told her we needed to make a rule about not doing ballet on the bed because it was too dangerous and I didn't want her to get hurt. She was still upset at this point and wailed, "But I don't want to do it on the FLOOR!"
This weekend our good friends the Emersons are coming to visit us. (I have to pout a little bit because they're only staying about 24 hours.) We're going to a concert and our baby-sitter is going to keep Nora and her friend Penelope. We're not sure how that will go since P doesn't know the baby-sitter, but the concert is only a couple of hours long. I'm sure we'll enjoy the company!
So if I have gestational diabetes again, what does it mean? It means that I will have to be more diligent with nutrition. I may have to take insulin, which I've done before and is not as bad as I thought it would be. I will receive more monitoring than a low risk patient, but probably not as much as I had for the last pregnancy. I've done some research since then and the extreme monitoring I had last time has not been shown to improve outcomes. In the grand scheme of things, it probably won't be a big deal. I'm glad I took the time to learn more about pregnancy and my particular complications before I got pregnant this second time. For me, it's easier to apply logic and reason when I'm not pregnant. I'm using a different OB this time and I met with him a couple of years ago and asked him what he thought about GD, how that would affect things, etc., so we're all on the same page. Good stuff!
I did get Nora signed up for ballet, which starts in about two weeks, and gymnastics later in the fall. She asks me every day when her ballet classes start. Today she was "doing her ballet" on my bed and she fell off - twice! I told her we needed to make a rule about not doing ballet on the bed because it was too dangerous and I didn't want her to get hurt. She was still upset at this point and wailed, "But I don't want to do it on the FLOOR!"
This weekend our good friends the Emersons are coming to visit us. (I have to pout a little bit because they're only staying about 24 hours.) We're going to a concert and our baby-sitter is going to keep Nora and her friend Penelope. We're not sure how that will go since P doesn't know the baby-sitter, but the concert is only a couple of hours long. I'm sure we'll enjoy the company!
Monday, August 10, 2009
A little bit about me.
I usually keep things light in this blog. I mostly talk about Nora and what she's doing. Since I'm pregnant right now, I thought I would write a little bit about my pregnancy and how it's going so far.
As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot of symptoms as far as morning sickness, tiredness, etc. I am actually surprised about that because fatigue is something that strikes me from time to time when not pregnant, and I was pretty fatigued early in my last pregnancy. In any case, it hasn't bothered me until the last week or so, and now it is directly related to insomnia. Insomnia is frustrating and puzzling. I've always been a night owl, but I've never lain awake in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep even if I'm tired. I've been averaging about three hours of sleep a night, which is clearly not enough. I'm hoping that this is something temporary and not something I will be dealing with for the next 6+ months.
I have an appointment tomorrow morning. I'm 12 weeks pregnant now. I'm doing an early glucose screen for gestational diabetes. I'm getting screened early for a few reasons, not the least being that I had GD in my last pregnancy, also diagnosed early. I'm not exactly nervous because I feel like whatever happens will happen. I'm pretty resigned to dealing with GD again, and it wasn't really that bad. It does bring up some negative thoughts, though, mostly frustration with my body. There's also a small part of me that hopes I can avoid the early diagnosis this time, I'm just not sure how realistic that is in my situation. I'm not a diabetic when not pregnant, but my body does have some issues with insulin that are probably exacerbated by pregnancy. How annoying.
Other than that, everything's good. Our membership at the Y expired about two weeks ago, and tomorrow I need to renew so I can try to sign Nora up for ballet and gymnastics. She was all set on ballet, then one of our friends mentioned gymnastics. I think she would enjoy both. For a while I waffled about choosing one over the other, but I've decided to let her do both if there's room in the classes. We tried to renew our membership this weekend, but the membership desk was closed at our location when we stopped by. So I need to stop by East Lake tomorrow and then drive over to the Decatur-DeKalb Y and try to sign her up for classes there. The classes may have filled over the weekend, so I'm going to cross my fingers and hope something's open.
The other day I was looking at the picture at the bottom of this blog. It's of Nora at 22 months. Hard to believe that was just a little bit over a year ago! It's also hard to believe that she she was almost 2 and had so little hair. :) My hair was slow-growing as a baby/toddler, too, so I guess that's one thing she got from me. She's almost 3 and she still doesn't have enough for a real ponytail.
I'll leave you with a video I took last week. I think it's so funny because it's so Nora. At the end you can see her run up to a little girl and grab her hand as if they'd been friends forever, but that was the first time they met. My memory card on the camera filled up right after that moment, but the girl, who was older, seemed confused at first, then ran back into the fountain to play with Nora. They played for a while, holding hands. Then Jason showed up (we were meeting him after work) and we said goodbye and went to check out other parts of the park. An hour later, we passed the little girl who was having a picnic with her family. She said "Bye, Nora!" and waved like they really would be friends forever, even though we'll probably never see her again.
As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot of symptoms as far as morning sickness, tiredness, etc. I am actually surprised about that because fatigue is something that strikes me from time to time when not pregnant, and I was pretty fatigued early in my last pregnancy. In any case, it hasn't bothered me until the last week or so, and now it is directly related to insomnia. Insomnia is frustrating and puzzling. I've always been a night owl, but I've never lain awake in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep even if I'm tired. I've been averaging about three hours of sleep a night, which is clearly not enough. I'm hoping that this is something temporary and not something I will be dealing with for the next 6+ months.
I have an appointment tomorrow morning. I'm 12 weeks pregnant now. I'm doing an early glucose screen for gestational diabetes. I'm getting screened early for a few reasons, not the least being that I had GD in my last pregnancy, also diagnosed early. I'm not exactly nervous because I feel like whatever happens will happen. I'm pretty resigned to dealing with GD again, and it wasn't really that bad. It does bring up some negative thoughts, though, mostly frustration with my body. There's also a small part of me that hopes I can avoid the early diagnosis this time, I'm just not sure how realistic that is in my situation. I'm not a diabetic when not pregnant, but my body does have some issues with insulin that are probably exacerbated by pregnancy. How annoying.
Other than that, everything's good. Our membership at the Y expired about two weeks ago, and tomorrow I need to renew so I can try to sign Nora up for ballet and gymnastics. She was all set on ballet, then one of our friends mentioned gymnastics. I think she would enjoy both. For a while I waffled about choosing one over the other, but I've decided to let her do both if there's room in the classes. We tried to renew our membership this weekend, but the membership desk was closed at our location when we stopped by. So I need to stop by East Lake tomorrow and then drive over to the Decatur-DeKalb Y and try to sign her up for classes there. The classes may have filled over the weekend, so I'm going to cross my fingers and hope something's open.
The other day I was looking at the picture at the bottom of this blog. It's of Nora at 22 months. Hard to believe that was just a little bit over a year ago! It's also hard to believe that she she was almost 2 and had so little hair. :) My hair was slow-growing as a baby/toddler, too, so I guess that's one thing she got from me. She's almost 3 and she still doesn't have enough for a real ponytail.
I'll leave you with a video I took last week. I think it's so funny because it's so Nora. At the end you can see her run up to a little girl and grab her hand as if they'd been friends forever, but that was the first time they met. My memory card on the camera filled up right after that moment, but the girl, who was older, seemed confused at first, then ran back into the fountain to play with Nora. They played for a while, holding hands. Then Jason showed up (we were meeting him after work) and we said goodbye and went to check out other parts of the park. An hour later, we passed the little girl who was having a picnic with her family. She said "Bye, Nora!" and waved like they really would be friends forever, even though we'll probably never see her again.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Is it August already?
It's a cliche, but time flies when you're having fun. Recently I was trying to remember what Nora was doing and saying this time last year, and I realized that it was all becoming a blur. And I knew it had been a while since I updated here, but I didn't realize it had been since Easter.
I'm going to try to update every month from now on, for my own records as much as for my small handful of readers. :)
The big news for our family is that we are expecting another baby! The estimated due date is late February, which means I am about eleven weeks pregnant now. That's still early, I guess, but it seems like the time is going by quickly. February will probably be here before we know it. I had an early ultrasound so I was able to see a beating heart when I was about seven weeks along. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel, and so far I feel awesome. I don't have a lot of early symptoms; I felt similarly when I was pregnant with Nora. So, no complaints here. We were going to wait to Nora, but when we told people on Facebook and at our church some people assumed she already knew, so we just went ahead and filled her in. She's vaguely excited. She doesn't know what to expect and it seems so far off that she's not worried about it right now.
Since I last updated we've been a lot of places: South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Alabama again. We were pretty busy for a while there! We all enjoyed the travel, but by the last trip Nora was over it. She likes being home. Here in Atlanta, we've enjoyed the weather, the parks, the pools, at least one festival (the "Bluesberry" festival in Norcross) with more on the horizon. August will bring birthday cakes--one for Nora and one for me--and September will bring preschool! We talk about school all the time and Nora can't wait.
Here she is picking blueberries.
Getting down to business at the beach.
At the park back in May.
There's not a single day we don't laugh here. There's a lot of sweetness. Almost-three-year-olds come up with the most adorable bits of hyperbole. This morning, Nora told me, "Mommy, all I ever want is to make you happy, happy, happy!" I laughed and told her how much she already made me happy just being herself. She had a baby-sitter this evening ("I love Miss Brooke! I can't wait until she gets here!") and when we got home the baby-sitter showed me a block tower that she had built. "She said, 'Mommy and Daddy are going to be so happy when they see my block tower!'" Brooke explained. (Of course the cat knocked the tower over before we got to see it. Typical!) Nora reminds me of that old song - she's "Alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic!"
Guess that's about it from here. Blog time is brag time here on the Glass Fam blog. Obviously.
I'm going to try to update every month from now on, for my own records as much as for my small handful of readers. :)
The big news for our family is that we are expecting another baby! The estimated due date is late February, which means I am about eleven weeks pregnant now. That's still early, I guess, but it seems like the time is going by quickly. February will probably be here before we know it. I had an early ultrasound so I was able to see a beating heart when I was about seven weeks along. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel, and so far I feel awesome. I don't have a lot of early symptoms; I felt similarly when I was pregnant with Nora. So, no complaints here. We were going to wait to Nora, but when we told people on Facebook and at our church some people assumed she already knew, so we just went ahead and filled her in. She's vaguely excited. She doesn't know what to expect and it seems so far off that she's not worried about it right now.
Since I last updated we've been a lot of places: South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Alabama again. We were pretty busy for a while there! We all enjoyed the travel, but by the last trip Nora was over it. She likes being home. Here in Atlanta, we've enjoyed the weather, the parks, the pools, at least one festival (the "Bluesberry" festival in Norcross) with more on the horizon. August will bring birthday cakes--one for Nora and one for me--and September will bring preschool! We talk about school all the time and Nora can't wait.
Here she is picking blueberries.
Getting down to business at the beach.
At the park back in May.
There's not a single day we don't laugh here. There's a lot of sweetness. Almost-three-year-olds come up with the most adorable bits of hyperbole. This morning, Nora told me, "Mommy, all I ever want is to make you happy, happy, happy!" I laughed and told her how much she already made me happy just being herself. She had a baby-sitter this evening ("I love Miss Brooke! I can't wait until she gets here!") and when we got home the baby-sitter showed me a block tower that she had built. "She said, 'Mommy and Daddy are going to be so happy when they see my block tower!'" Brooke explained. (Of course the cat knocked the tower over before we got to see it. Typical!) Nora reminds me of that old song - she's "Alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic!"
Guess that's about it from here. Blog time is brag time here on the Glass Fam blog. Obviously.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Spring has sprung!
I know I don't update very often, but I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this. ;)
I hope that everyone is having a lovely spring. We are enjoying the weather, especially now that the rain has let up, and Nora is enjoying being two and a half. For Easter, we visited the Easter Bunny at a local candy shop
We went to an egg hunt by the lake in our neighborhood
And today after Easter services at our church, we attended a party at a gorgeous Druid Hills home. There was plenty of delicious food, and there was candy! Lots of it!
The little girl searching with Nora is named Julia, and she is just the sweetest thing. She loves younger children! She has been a friend to Nora ever since Nora was old enough to toddle around, and this year she totally took Nora under her wing and helped her find eggs.
My girl has so much personality. Today at the party, everyone commented on her energy and exuberance. It's so fun to see her blossom. She tells me that her favorite song is (still) "Johnny Giraffe," her favorite movie is The Jungle Book, and "Daddy's favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast." (Not sure how accurate that last one is.) Next time you see her, she may ask you what your favorite letter is. Today, hers was "B." She loves polka dots, Tinkerbell, soccer (well, kicking a ball, any ball - she calls that "soccer"), and her friends. We just finished reading A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and we're going to start the original Raggedy Ann this week. I love her so much!
I hope that everyone is having a lovely spring. We are enjoying the weather, especially now that the rain has let up, and Nora is enjoying being two and a half. For Easter, we visited the Easter Bunny at a local candy shop
We went to an egg hunt by the lake in our neighborhood
And today after Easter services at our church, we attended a party at a gorgeous Druid Hills home. There was plenty of delicious food, and there was candy! Lots of it!
The little girl searching with Nora is named Julia, and she is just the sweetest thing. She loves younger children! She has been a friend to Nora ever since Nora was old enough to toddle around, and this year she totally took Nora under her wing and helped her find eggs.
My girl has so much personality. Today at the party, everyone commented on her energy and exuberance. It's so fun to see her blossom. She tells me that her favorite song is (still) "Johnny Giraffe," her favorite movie is The Jungle Book, and "Daddy's favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast." (Not sure how accurate that last one is.) Next time you see her, she may ask you what your favorite letter is. Today, hers was "B." She loves polka dots, Tinkerbell, soccer (well, kicking a ball, any ball - she calls that "soccer"), and her friends. We just finished reading A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and we're going to start the original Raggedy Ann this week. I love her so much!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Speaking of music.
We listen to a lot of music in the car. Up until about four months ago, I don't think Nora quite realized I had control over the radio. She let me listen to "my" music as much as I wanted to. She has CDs of her own, but until then we had only listened to them at home. Then one day I wanted to hear a song from Music Class and I popped in the CD. The first song on the CD, "Johnny Giraffe," became an instant favorite and from there on out she wanted to listen to Music Class and only Music Class all the time. I can only take so much Music Class. Not that it's bad, but I have my own taste, too! We took turns picking the music, and slowly she grew to like some of my music.
I think it's really cool that Nora can now recognize singers and bands by their voices and musical stylings. The first Dar Williams song she took to was "The Baby-Sitter's Here," which is an obvious choice for a kid I guess. She used to tell me, "Turn it off! Play Music Class!" when I tried to listen to Dar, but I sang "Baby-Sitter" to her a few times lullaby-style and now she digs it. Now if she hears another Dar song, she says, "That's from 'The Baby-Sitter!'" Ben Folds is "That's from 'The Grinch!' (a song Folds sings on a Christmas compilation we played a lot in December). She has also taken to asking me, "What's that song about?" which is a pretty hilarious exercise. I do tend to like folky music, and many of the songs I like are "about" something, which is helpful, although that something is not always easy to explain succinctly and in two year old terms.
Now when "Trouble in the Fields" comes on, Nora shouts, "This song about people havin' a hard time, Mommy!"
I think I underestimated how difficult it would be to indoctrinate my child into my musical taste. I always assumed that she would like what I liked because it would be the only thing she ever heard. I thought parents who listened to Raffi 24-7 weren't trying hard enough. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. And by the way, Raffi isn't as bad as I used to think he was. I've heard worse.
I think it's really cool that Nora can now recognize singers and bands by their voices and musical stylings. The first Dar Williams song she took to was "The Baby-Sitter's Here," which is an obvious choice for a kid I guess. She used to tell me, "Turn it off! Play Music Class!" when I tried to listen to Dar, but I sang "Baby-Sitter" to her a few times lullaby-style and now she digs it. Now if she hears another Dar song, she says, "That's from 'The Baby-Sitter!'" Ben Folds is "That's from 'The Grinch!' (a song Folds sings on a Christmas compilation we played a lot in December). She has also taken to asking me, "What's that song about?" which is a pretty hilarious exercise. I do tend to like folky music, and many of the songs I like are "about" something, which is helpful, although that something is not always easy to explain succinctly and in two year old terms.
- "Diner" by Martin Sexton. That one's easy. "It's about a diner, which is a type of restaurant."
- "Two of Us," a John Lennon song covered by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn. "It's about friends."
- "This Is Not the House That Pain Built" by Dar Williams. "It's about... uh... a house."
- "Trouble In the Fields," covered by Sarah Harmer. "It's about people. Who are having a hard time."
Now when "Trouble in the Fields" comes on, Nora shouts, "This song about people havin' a hard time, Mommy!"
I think I underestimated how difficult it would be to indoctrinate my child into my musical taste. I always assumed that she would like what I liked because it would be the only thing she ever heard. I thought parents who listened to Raffi 24-7 weren't trying hard enough. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. And by the way, Raffi isn't as bad as I used to think he was. I've heard worse.
Hello, January.
Is January half gone already? Seriously?
Tonight while I was at the mall returning some things I'd bought for a holiday party that I didn't end up attending, Jason stayed home and bathed Nora and put her to bed. When I got home, he told me of a cute little exchange they had while I was gone. Part of their routine is singing songs before bed, and she had requested "Old MacDonald."
Jason: Old MacDonald had some cows--
Nora: No, one cow!
Jason: Well, okay. Old MacDonald had a cow. E-I-E-I-O! With a "moo moo"here--
Nora: No, that's two cows!
Jason: Oh. With a "MOO" here, and a "MOO" there...
Tonight while I was at the mall returning some things I'd bought for a holiday party that I didn't end up attending, Jason stayed home and bathed Nora and put her to bed. When I got home, he told me of a cute little exchange they had while I was gone. Part of their routine is singing songs before bed, and she had requested "Old MacDonald."
Jason: Old MacDonald had some cows--
Nora: No, one cow!
Jason: Well, okay. Old MacDonald had a cow. E-I-E-I-O! With a "moo moo"here--
Nora: No, that's two cows!
Jason: Oh. With a "MOO" here, and a "MOO" there...
