Settling in my New Role

Becoming a mother is an instant thing, but being a mommy is something you must learn. When we got home from the hospital I was a mother but gaining mommy status took some time. Learning the best way to change a diaper to exactly what that little cry means versus the big scream. Teaching your child to speak, crawl, walk, etc is crucial - which is why its not an immediate thing. It takes time. I love being a mom. It's awesome, not to mention that my wifey skills have improved. Funny how when you have more on your plate you are able to accomplish alot more than before. I think Kevin is really surprised. Lol Everything is going great and just as Kevin and I are rounding the 25-30 year corner, things couldn't be better. :-)

Life as a Mommy

Well I finally had Christian. One can not stay pregnant forever, although it sure felt like I would be. Christian was born October 5th at 8:30am. He weighed 8lbs 4oz and was 20.5 inches long. Today he is 5wks and 1 day. Crazy how time flies by. Being a mommy is definitely an experience of its own. Your entire life changes. From your role to your new family and your daily duties. You are needed 24/7 for something. And sleep... forget about it! I've been sleeping on the couch for comfort and convenience. It's been so long since I slept in the bed I forgot what it was like. Although lately in the mornings (between 4am-6am) I sneak into the bed with Kevin before he gets up for work. This usually lasts until Christian starts to cry for me again. But hey even 5min of snuggling with my husband is wonderful. I forgot what that was like too. Lol Luckily everyday is progress. Whether it be Christian cooing, sleeping in the swing, the amount of milk I'm able to pump, or how many meals I can eat without him in my arms. Every day is different. And even on the not so good days, there are good things. I mean look I'm able to get on here and actually write something worth reading... He's in the car seat looking around. I had to switch him from the swing to the car seat because he was getting sweaty from swinging back and forth. When things are peaceful in the house it feels like angels are singing. Although that could also be the Baby Einstein CD that I have playing in his room constantly throughout the day... Kevin has a late day today, so I'm fending for myself tonight. Looks like a mac-n-cheese with hotdogs night. Plus we are still trying to get the house clean and our bags packed before we leave next Saturday for our trip to MO. Can't wait!!! I'm So excited!!! Well that's all for now.

Stubborn Child

So the last few days have been overly eventful... Last Wednesday I went to my doctor's appointment for my weekly checkup. My OB said I was still thick and closed, but my blood pressure had been high the last few times I'd been in there. She told me it would be a good idea to go across the street to the hospital and get checked out. We went over there and stayed the night. I was monitored and had my blood pressure checked often. I felt fine but had to stay a full 24 hours so they could check my urine. (They needed a 24 hour sample) After we got the results back the nurse brought me my discharge papers and said I could leave. But before I signed them she checked my blood pressure and it was the highest it had been. I didn't understand why I was leaving if my blood pressure was still high. We had been getting mixed responses on what # to worry about on the blood pressure so we were completely confused. They ended up keeping me another night and had the ultrasound specialist check me the next morning. My OB had issued a induction order and the specialist approved it. So I went on the induction waiting list and stayed in the Antepartum til they had a room for me. Saturday at 2:30AM they came and got me and took me down to Labor/Delivery. I was immediately prepped for the induction process. But for those of you who know 100+ people who have been induced need to know that Pitocin is given only after the cervix is soft and dilated. I was still hard and closed. Therefore they started me on this lovely cervix softening agent called the Cervidil. The Cervidil is this strip/string looking thing that is loaded with softening agents. They insert it so that is sits right behind the cervix. It needs to stay put for 6-12 hours and you must lay in bed for the first 2 hours after insertion. Now I may have made this sound so medically wonderful but the truth is... It was the most painful medical application I have ever experienced. next to the fact that I had to get stuck with an I.V. twice because the nurse ignored my request for a arm iv and ended up blowing out the vein in my hand...Luckily after that she took my advice and stuck it in my arm. Back to the Cervidil, after having it in my body for about 12 hours my nurse removed it, but she had to check my cervix to see if it did its job... This is where my rough experience maxed out... The Cervidil makes your cervix and uterus extremely tender. So this woman is literally digging her fingers inside of me trying to #1 find my cervix and #2 see if I started to dilate. The pain from this was so horrible I was literally screaming and crying, begging her to stop. She finally stopped and quickly cleaned up to leave the room while Kevin comforted me from my baby bawling moment of excruciating pain. When I calmed down and the nurse returned she told me that I was dilated alittle more than a dimple but again it was hard to tell because I was in so much pain. She had talked to the on-call OB and they decided to give my body a break. I was to bathe (in the jacuzzi tub), eat dinner, and then they would put me back on the monitor for a hour and then the OB would decide if we needed to repeat the Cervidil. Luckily the OB decided that she did not want to continue forcing labor on me if it wasn't coming on its own so I was told to relax and get my rest and we would reevaluate my contractions again in the morning. By Sunday morning the news was that my blood pressure was no longer a concern, I wasn't dilating the way I needed to for a safe induction (c-section was the most likely outcome if we continued with the Cervidil), and they were considering sending me home. I had to wait for the ultrasound specialist to come and give the final say in my discharge. When he got there he was extremely honest. He said I needed to go home, sleep in my own bed, relax, and "get busy" to speed things up. He was alittle more blunt about it but that is actually his personality-which is hilarious. So we packed up, I got back into my clothes and signed discharge papers. It was SO nice to get home and relax. We got take out and then I took a hot bath/shower and we both fell in the bed around 9pm. Before I left the hospital the on-call OB told me to call first thing in the morning and schedule an appointment with my OB. My appointment wasn't until Wednesday and she didn't feel comfortable with me waiting that long for a cervical checkup. So I set the alarm for 7am so I could call at 8am. But being pregnant makes you go to the bathroom alot so when I went to the bathroom this morning around 7am I was presented with my mucous plug. Since my OB told me if I ever lost my plug, broke my water, had my bloody show, or had regular contractions 3-5min apart to report to the hospital, I called the doctor office and called the emergency line to let my OB know I was headed back to the hospital. When I got back to hospital Labor/Delivery was full so they sent me up to Antepartum to be evaluated. We spent 2 hours there. I got back into a gown, put on the monitor, and the nurse checked my cervix. I was dilated a fingertip but my contractions were still not regular. The nurse called my OB and she said for me to go home and she'd see me at my appointment on Wednesday. So here I am back at home waiting for something else to happen that sends me back to the hospital...or for Christian to continue being so stubborn that we have to schedule an induction again, except hopefully now that I am starting to dilate we can skip the Cervidil and go straight to the Pitocin. Ideally, my water will just break and Christian will come out on his own in good reasonable time. Only God knows... :-)

Note to those who don't have children: If you aren't comfortable getting naked for doctors or having 100 people feel you up, either never have kids or get used to it quick because childbirth is full of all of those things...Not to mention the many needles they will stick into you just so you can comfortably expel your child from the womb.

New Parent Jeeters

As my due date gets closer and closer, I can't stop thinking about how certain people will act around me and my child. Kevin and I have decided to drive up to MO for Thanksgiving. Doc told us to avoid airports and to make sure everyone is up to date on their vaccines...which with my family is impossible and that's like asking them to buy a suit/dress for our visit. It's not going to happen. In fact I never got flu shots in the past unless it was required or they were giving them out at school. Actually I'm not so worried about flu shots but I am concerned about one particular person being around my son. My sister. Over the past year and a half she has tried desperately to get pregnant and miscarried 3 times. It is unfortunate, but turned out better for her in the end, especially in her unstable emotional state and unstable relationship. My biggest concern is that her baby obsession will make her act in a way that could cause harm to my child. In addition, when I told her Kevin and I were going to be strict on who, when, and how people will be holding my son, she stated in a loud aggressive manner, that she was Christian's aunt and she holds every right to touch him and hold him. That she will hold him and that was that. I was speechless. I told Kevin about her aggressive comment in holding our son and he too was made even more uncomfortable with the idea of her holding him. I fear she will be the type of person to see him in his carrier and will walk right up to him and pick him up with asking a soul. I fear she will abuse her holding privileges by trying to get up and move around with him in her arms. My child is a human being not a baby doll toy to be played with. I do not want to show off my child like they do in the Lion King. What my sister wants to do with her children is her business but my son will not be treated this way. I know in general concern I am normal in having these feelings, but I fear, since not too many people know her emotional state, will think I am the one who is over reacting... I want some people to have the opportunity to hold Christian. I trust several of my family members, but I just can't find in my heart at this time to trust my sister with more than what most people give to a very small child when it comes to a new baby. The approved holding comes with 2 adults on both sides and the person must be sitting down. These holds usually last 1-3minutes tops. Now, my sister is 22yrs old. I can't act that ridiculous. But I want to. What should I do in this stressful and impossible to avoid situation?

Job Talk

As I come up on my 31 week of pregnancy (1 week shy of 8 months), I find myself extremely emotional. Kevin and I have been talking alot about future options for his career. Our current plan is for him to extend for 2 years and transfer to a new unit. However, lately he is really just wanting to get out of the military. I don't blame him one bit. His branch has offered several opportunities for enlisted members to get out early because of gov't budget cuts. But the problem with him doing that now is my pregnancy. Without a job, we have no insurance, and if anyone thinks I'm going to give birth in the backwoods with no drugs they are crazy!!! lol We agreed that we wouldn't make any serious life changes til after Christian is born. But then we also have an opportunity to leave enlisted and go reserves, which is in the end less pay and there's lots of things we'd have to do to maintain our living status. We've talked about heading back to Missouri, which is exciting for me. But at the same time it's frustrating. I will want a job too and well, I can't apply for anything now because school starts in 2-3 weeks and I'm still pregnant. No district would hire me being 8 months pregnant and ready to leave them in Sept-Oct. Not to mention, I still live in TX and I don't want to leave my doctor now. Even if we move to Missouri within the next few months, I'd still go mostly jobless for another year. Unless a district has mid-year openings and I had handle breastfeeding during school. There is so much to take into consideration now. Kevin said it best last night, if it was just the 2 of us, we'd have no problem making a decision, but with Christian, that changes everything... That pretty much sums it up. God has been showing us more signs lately on how to get started on the right path out of the military but we find ourselves stuck with the when is the best time to exit question... We need to make a decision soon in order to take advantage of certain benefits.

Father's Day

Yesterday was Kevin's first father's day. Unfortunately he is on deployment and isn't scheduled to be back til Jone 30-July 1st. I got him a card and a few gifts to receive when he gets home. Plus I plan to take him out to eat, which now since it will not be on a holiday will be easier to do. I can't wait for him to get home. Christian, even though he is in my belly, knows his daddy. He knows his voice and he knows when I am talking to him or texting him, because my heart rate changes and I giggle that in-love giggle. Every time Christian knows his daddy is around or talking to me he goes crazy with kicks. Right before Kevin left for deployment, Christian and him started this boop boop game. Kevin would tap on my belly and say boop boop and within a min or two, Christian would boop back. It's adorable!!! I mean they really play back and forth. lol I love it. :-)

Family Update

We went to the ultrasound Doc on Monday and everything was great. Christian is right on target with his growth. He may be one of the few that is born on his due date. He is kicking more and moving around. I feel the kicks and movements when I'm sitting still. He gets really crazy when I'm driving. lol He could be a rock star. :-)
Kevin has started his healthy eating and workout regimen. We haven't been eating the same things but I am really proud of him. It also gives us a less stressful evening. He gets home before me and can have his dinner done by the time I'm ready to start mine. It has been working out nicely.
 Work has been going good. We are almost done with our contract and the school year is coming to a close. I am excited for summer and to figure out what I will be doing this summer. I finally got around to eating sushi. After hearing about my mom and sister's lunches 100 times I decided it was time for me to get back into the sushi world. Pregnant or not, I can find something that I can eat. And I did, I had an avocado roll and California roll. But next time I am going to widen my horizons. I did my research on what I can and can't have. So I am hoping that Kevin and I get out to this sushi place on the Kemah boardwalk for Mother's Day. Oh and not that we have taken advantage of it, but Amanda told me that HEB had a sushi counter. Well we don't have the HEB Plus but we do have the sushi counter at our HEB. :-) Maybe not that my taste buds are fully back, I will look into what they have over there... :-) That's all for now, Kevin is on his way home.