July 20, 2009

• Checking In

  Once again, I have to apologize for dropping off the face of the blogosphere. I've sorely neglected my Xanga subs and the other blogs I frequent -- I promise to get back on track soon! But, since most of you guys are fellow mommies, I'm sure you understand and will give me a free pass this time (right?).

  I wanted to pop in quickly with a few updates, so here goes.

  Derek

  Derek turned two weeks old yesterday! He went for a pediatrician appointment Friday, when he was 12 days old. He had already surpassed his birth weight by an ounce (he weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces at the check up), and had gained three ounces since his first pediatrician appointment (at six days old). Worrywart that I am, I asked the doctor if it was OK that Derek had gained half an ounce a day, since it seemed so little to me! She reassured me that he was doing great, and that all she had been looking for was him getting back to birth weight by 14 days. Whew! Now, we go back when Derek is one month old.

  So far, Derek's been a fairly low-key baby (knock on wood that this continues!). He's either sleeping, eating, looking around, or crying. So far, we haven't heard that many cries, and when we do, he's either hungry or sleepy, so we'll count ourselves lucky! I guess I blocked out most of Jack's newborn days, because it seemed like Jack was very interactive, but Johnny reminds me that what I'm remembering is from when Jack was six or seven weeks old. Oh, how quickly we forget! I can't wait until Derek is a few months old. For me, that's when the real fun begins.

  And now, some pictures of our littlest man.

  Yes, I'm cute!

  

  We have a similar picture of Jack with this "Blue Steel" expression on his face

  

  My mom gave Derek his first hair washing at home

  

  Me

  Thanks to those of you who've asked me how I'm doing. Recovery has gone really well. I have to say, the 43 hours of labor for the VBAC were well worth the much easier recovery. Sure, the, uh, repairs down there caused a lot of discomfort, but even that had passed by the time I'd been home from the hospital for three days. Nothing beats being able to sit up and walk around right away. Plus, I just feel better physically than I did last time around. I'm also happy that so far, I've lost 20 of the 28 pounds I gained. Just eight more to go! But, toning up again so that my pre-pregnancy clothes fit right will be another matter. As soon as six weeks hits, I'm going running!

  Nursing is also going well this time. With Jack's tongue tie, breastfeeding was just impossibly painful, so I was tied to the pump for many months. I really wish I'd gotten Jack's tongue clipped, because with Derek's normal tongue, there's no pain (knock on wood), just a bit of sensitivity in the beginning. I'm hoping to exclusively breastfeed for as long as possible, although this time I don't have a set goal. Even though discomfort isn't an issue, it's still a major commitment. They say the first six to eight weeks are hardest, and it's true! I breastfeed at least eight times a day, for half an hour to 40 minutes at a time. Although Derek does do one 4- to 5-hour stretch of sleep at night, of course I still need to get up once or twice a night ... after being spoiled by uninterrupted nights of sleep for the past year and nine months (Jack started sleeping through the night pretty reliably at three months of age ... one of the advantages of bottle feeding!). Of course, as time goes on, the nursing sessions will naturally decrease and become shorter, but boy, is it a full-time job in the beginning! I'm lucky I have my mom to help with Jack when Johnny is at work. This experience is also fraught with anxiety, since I'm new at this. I constantly wonder if Derek's getting enough, and if he fusses, my first thought is that he's hungry. When he sleeps for a long stretch, I wonder if he's lethargic because he's underfed ... you get the idea.  As time goes on, I'm sure I'll gain more confidence. For now I'm hanging on to the fact that he is gaining weight, and taking it one day at a time.

  Aside from Derek's feeding needs, there are a few concerns keeping me up at night. I'm due to begin doing my part-time work-from-home thing again at the beginning of September. Even with my mom's help for the year, I wonder how I'm going to accomplish anything with two kids around. I used to get a lot done during the day while Jack napped or played, and occasionally I'd need to work after he went to bed. It wasn't a big deal because I knew Jack would sleep through the night. But now, I'll probably have to do most of my work after the kids go to bed at night, and for the next few months, I know I won't get to sleep through the night. I predict being exhausted, and I wonder how I'll have the brain power to do anything. Then there's the issue of potty training Jack ... will I ever have time to pick that up again? Or, as a matter of fact, to do any activities/classes with him that don't involve turning on the TV? I think I'll do as Johnny and my mom advise: Focus on myself for now, and trust that in a few weeks I'll feel mentally and physically strong enough to pick up these pieces of my life again. I do remember feeling this way after Jack was born -- questioning how I'd ever make it to anything on time, how I'd ever shower again, how I'd manage to do work, and I did do all those things and more (like train for and run a half-marathon!), so I'll take comfort in that.

  For fun, here's a self-taken pic of me, Johnny and Jack from this past weekend. Johnny and I don't look so hot in it, but Jack's cute!

  

  Long-Awaited Xanga Meetup

  Drumroll, please ... last Friday, Johnny and I finally got to meet Shelly, her husband Shaun and their adorable kids, Hannah and Aidan! Shelly and I have been friends for a long time -- we "met" on a Shiba forum, before either of our first kids were even anywhere in the picture. Then Shelly also started blogging on Xanga, and we've kept up with each other's major life events since then. Since Shelly had Hannah about a year before I did, and then Aidan arrived about six months before Derek, I frequently go to her with questions about pregnancy/baby care. Plus she's just fun and easy to talk to. We were supposed to meet up one time when Johnny and I were still on the East Coast, but that didn't work out, so when Shelly mentioned that she and her family would be coming to San Diego so that Shaun could attend a work conference, we jumped at the chance to arrange a meeting at last. Shelly and Shaun made the long drive from San Diego to see us and brought us so many nice gifts for Jack and Derek -- it was really sweet of them. I had been a little nervous about the meetup -- suppose it turned out that Shelly and I didn't get along in person? -- but I needn't have worried. It felt like we were seeing old friends!

  Group shot!

  

  Hannah and Aidan were so adorable. Hannah's three, and she was really patient with Jack. The two of them ran around together, and Jack was sorry to see her go. Aidan is the cutest (and biggest!) six-month-old ever.

  Hannah and Jack made a game of climbing on and off the guest bed in the den

  

  It was such a fun afternoon. Thanks again for driving up, Shelly!

  OK, time to get some rest while Derek and Jack are both napping. More later!

  • 4:21 pm
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