Monday, June 25, 2012
In case you think I've forgotten...
I promise I haven't. Forgotten to write that is. Just went through one of those periods when I have more to do than time to do it. And if you dear readers will be patient with me for just a couple more days, I will have plenty to share. I have cupcakes to share, as well as decorating stories (with pictures!). Just wanted to check in though and say I am still here and haven't abandoned this blog yet again.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
My Giant Little Baby
So today we had our 28-week appointment, and an ultrasound to get a size estimate. I love any opportunity to see my little guy, and today we had the added bonus of getting a 3D photo of Ben's face. We never had a 3D image of Will, so it was very exciting to see one of Ben. His little face is so cute! His eyes were closed and his little lips were all puckered up. He put on a bit of a show for the ultrasound tech, rolling and kicking whenever she would get a good shot. It seems he never stops moving!
For those of you who don't remember, Will was an exceptionally large baby. 10 lb, 7 oz at birth. Yes, I did type that correctly. There is a reason my son came through the sun roof. And before you ask me in your head, no, I did not have gestational diabetes, and Will had no blood sugar issues after birth. He was just a big baby. He has never been below the 99th percentile in height, though his weight percentile has been on a gentle decline throughout his life. All these factors are the reason I had an ultrasound today. My doctor, whom I love dearly, made an educated guess that our next child could likely be large. And since I was hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) delivery, keeping up with the size of this child is important.
So we got in the ultrasound room and our tech started getting measurements. Two pictures in she said, "Yeah Mom, he is going to be big". And I just sort of sighed and rolled with it. As she continued to take measurements we got to see our perfect little guy. She commented multiple times on how good everything looked, and when I asked she pointed out that there was no fat accumulated on the baby. She indicated several areas where fat pads develop later in pregnancy, and there was no fat to find, which was fabulous news. If there had been fat accumulation she would have been concerned about my blood sugar. She told me, "you have no control over this. It is genetic- you just make big babies". The best part was I knew she was telling me the truth. I love our ultrasound tech as much as our doctor, and while she is a lovely, kind woman, she would have no problem telling me if she thought something wasn't right.
So at this point Ben is measuring 4 weeks larger than he is. After the ultrasound I had my regular appointment, which also went well. We decided that unless something changes pretty significantly in the next month, we are going to have another c-section. I am a little sad about this, but I know that my safety and Ben's is most important. And the up side is that if we do have a c-section I can schedule it a week before my due date- makes things easier on me and gives Ben one less week to become giant-sized in my womb.
I am a little bummed about how things have turned out because I have been working so hard to exercise and control my weight-gain with this pregnancy, and ultimately it didn't change the outcome. I don't regret the work because of the health benefits we have both received, but it is frustrating not to be able to control this more. On the other hand, I do not feel guilty. When I found out Will was big, I was devastated, and felt so guilty. I transferred a lot of my unhappiness about my body image and weight to guilt that I was making Will unhealthy, which turned out to be completely wrong, but I couldn't see that until much later. This time I know I have done everything I could to be healthy, and I can hear what my doctors are telling me and know it to be the truth. Eli sat there today and kept smirking at me and wiggling his eyebrows and when I would ask him what he was doing he would crow about making big strapping boys and swelling with macho pride. I am taking my cue from him and will proudly tell anyone interested about my giant little baby.
For those of you who don't remember, Will was an exceptionally large baby. 10 lb, 7 oz at birth. Yes, I did type that correctly. There is a reason my son came through the sun roof. And before you ask me in your head, no, I did not have gestational diabetes, and Will had no blood sugar issues after birth. He was just a big baby. He has never been below the 99th percentile in height, though his weight percentile has been on a gentle decline throughout his life. All these factors are the reason I had an ultrasound today. My doctor, whom I love dearly, made an educated guess that our next child could likely be large. And since I was hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) delivery, keeping up with the size of this child is important.
So we got in the ultrasound room and our tech started getting measurements. Two pictures in she said, "Yeah Mom, he is going to be big". And I just sort of sighed and rolled with it. As she continued to take measurements we got to see our perfect little guy. She commented multiple times on how good everything looked, and when I asked she pointed out that there was no fat accumulated on the baby. She indicated several areas where fat pads develop later in pregnancy, and there was no fat to find, which was fabulous news. If there had been fat accumulation she would have been concerned about my blood sugar. She told me, "you have no control over this. It is genetic- you just make big babies". The best part was I knew she was telling me the truth. I love our ultrasound tech as much as our doctor, and while she is a lovely, kind woman, she would have no problem telling me if she thought something wasn't right.
So at this point Ben is measuring 4 weeks larger than he is. After the ultrasound I had my regular appointment, which also went well. We decided that unless something changes pretty significantly in the next month, we are going to have another c-section. I am a little sad about this, but I know that my safety and Ben's is most important. And the up side is that if we do have a c-section I can schedule it a week before my due date- makes things easier on me and gives Ben one less week to become giant-sized in my womb.
I am a little bummed about how things have turned out because I have been working so hard to exercise and control my weight-gain with this pregnancy, and ultimately it didn't change the outcome. I don't regret the work because of the health benefits we have both received, but it is frustrating not to be able to control this more. On the other hand, I do not feel guilty. When I found out Will was big, I was devastated, and felt so guilty. I transferred a lot of my unhappiness about my body image and weight to guilt that I was making Will unhealthy, which turned out to be completely wrong, but I couldn't see that until much later. This time I know I have done everything I could to be healthy, and I can hear what my doctors are telling me and know it to be the truth. Eli sat there today and kept smirking at me and wiggling his eyebrows and when I would ask him what he was doing he would crow about making big strapping boys and swelling with macho pride. I am taking my cue from him and will proudly tell anyone interested about my giant little baby.
Monday, June 4, 2012
A half a year gone, and look what happens
Two friends, one a long-time blogger and one just starting, have by example made it clear to me that I have neglected this blog for far too long. One friend decided to start a blog to remove herself from the Facebook craziness and share her family adventures with friends, and another has returned after a rough patch of dissatisfaction with her creative direction and loss of motivation. Both write for different reasons, but both have committed to writing consistently, which has inspired me to get back on the horse.
The last time I wrote, I was welcoming the beginning of a new decade of my life. What I did not mention in that post was that Eli and I were also beginning the journey to welcoming a new life into our lives. On my birthday I was just shy of 6 weeks pregnant, the tiny life so new that we had not yet been to our first prenatal checkup. My excitement about this pregnancy was and is beyond description. We had a long road of trying and disappointment leading to this new life, and the relief of success and joy following is such a gift.
Pregnancy has been good the second time around, though more different than I would have suspected. Unlike my first pregnancy, I have had a multitude of symptoms to deal with, including 3 months of morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. Yuck! Aside from said sickness, none of the other symptoms have been particularly bad, though my repressed immune system has made allergy season much, much worse than normal for me. I have such sympathy now for those who go deal with severe allergies every year. I don't know how I would cope.
One of the good differences about this pregnancy is my exercise routine. When pregnant with Will, there basically was no routine between working until 7 months along and then moving to a new city almost 1000 miles away from our apartment in Baltimore. This pregnancy I have been at the YMCA as much as possible. In the first 2 trimesters I was there 5 days a week more often then not. These last 3 weeks have not been as good because of travel and appointments, but I am back in gear this week and plan to continue this routine through the end of the pregnancy. I feel so much better and have not gotten nearly as big as I did the first time around. May I just ask, where has yoga been all my life? I scoffed at yoga for years but have now seen the light. I have a yoga class every day of the week and it is my favorite activity by far.
We found out in mid-March that our new bundle is a little boy! Will is going to have a baby brother, and I may apply for combat pay. :) In all seriousness though, I am delighted to have another little boy. Before we knew, when asked Eli and I would both say it would be nice to have a girl, to have one of each. And there was plenty of talk about how wonderful a little girl could be. When the ultrasound tech was taking the images, she initially thought we had a girl, only to correct herself two minutes later when the umbilical chord moved out of the way. If there was ever a sure-fire way to know if you truly had a preference, that would be it. Thankfully, I was just as happy to learn he was a boy as when I thought he was a girl.
Baby Boy at 21 weeks
Choosing a name for this little guy was a bit more of a process than with Will. Will's name had been decided upon long before he even existed. This time, we had plenty of girl names ready, but not another boy name. I went though one of those giant baby name books and made a list, then made Eli do the same thing without seeing my list. The list of common names between the two lists was depressingly short, so it sat untouched. The day we found out the gender, while we were waiting for the doctor, I asked Eli what he thought about Benjamin. Eli, in his customary way, thought for a quiet minute, then said he liked it just fine. A few weeks later, after learning that Benjamin happens to be a family name on Eli's mom's side of the family, we agreed on a middle name from my side of the family. Benjamin Armstrong Roberson is what we decided upon, and Will very gladly will tell you that "Baby Ben" is in my tummy.
Speaking of Will, good grief is he growing up fast. He is all boy, and such a talker! ( I know, big surprise he is a talker, he is my child.) He loves to play pretend and lines all his toy vehicles up to make them into one huge train. He is currently obsessed with the movie Cars, and runs around the house quoting lines from the movie. Potty training is happening slowly but surely, probably more slowly than necessary but that is totally on Momma and Daddy. He graduated to a toddler bed in early March, and has done much better than I could have hoped. We still find him sleeping under the bed fairly regularly, but he is staying out of things for the most part. He likes to tell stories and play at the park, and he absolutely knows how to turn up the cuteness factor to try to get what he wants. Will is also going through what I am told is the typical emotional, dramatic 2-year-old phase. Everything is either a huge joy or a huge tragedy. We get several mini-meltdowns on any given day. The funny thing is if you can get a word in edgewise to tell him what is going on, he normally calms right down. I will offer something and he will scream and moan " I don't WANT that!!", and if I can get through the noise enough to remind him he isn't being forced and ask him how to say it nicely, he will calm down immediately and say "no thanks, Momma."
In a couple of weeks my best friend will be coming to visit in order to paint the spare room to become Will's new room. We are going to decorate it with Thomas the Tank Engine decals and the walls will be painted sky blue and grass green. I think it is going to be great, and I know Will is going to love it. We will also be adding a waterfall to the murals in the nursery, along with a big turtle with Ben writing in the shell markings. Plans for these rooms have caused me to start nesting early, and I know I am driving Eli out of his mind. But I get so anxious worrying about all the things around the house that I want done before Ben arrives, because I know it will be months before we are really back to any kind of normal once he arrives. I got in such a tizzy Saturday that Eli let me have my way, but only once I promised that Sunday afternoon I would take a break and go see a movie in order to protect every one's mental health. I agreed, and as usual in these situations, Eli was right.
That is as much as i think goes in this particular blog. I have several entries under the topic of baking, and books I have read that I will share shortly, and if I am a slacker please feel free to call me on it. I truly want to be more consistent with this blog.
The last time I wrote, I was welcoming the beginning of a new decade of my life. What I did not mention in that post was that Eli and I were also beginning the journey to welcoming a new life into our lives. On my birthday I was just shy of 6 weeks pregnant, the tiny life so new that we had not yet been to our first prenatal checkup. My excitement about this pregnancy was and is beyond description. We had a long road of trying and disappointment leading to this new life, and the relief of success and joy following is such a gift.
Pregnancy has been good the second time around, though more different than I would have suspected. Unlike my first pregnancy, I have had a multitude of symptoms to deal with, including 3 months of morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. Yuck! Aside from said sickness, none of the other symptoms have been particularly bad, though my repressed immune system has made allergy season much, much worse than normal for me. I have such sympathy now for those who go deal with severe allergies every year. I don't know how I would cope.
One of the good differences about this pregnancy is my exercise routine. When pregnant with Will, there basically was no routine between working until 7 months along and then moving to a new city almost 1000 miles away from our apartment in Baltimore. This pregnancy I have been at the YMCA as much as possible. In the first 2 trimesters I was there 5 days a week more often then not. These last 3 weeks have not been as good because of travel and appointments, but I am back in gear this week and plan to continue this routine through the end of the pregnancy. I feel so much better and have not gotten nearly as big as I did the first time around. May I just ask, where has yoga been all my life? I scoffed at yoga for years but have now seen the light. I have a yoga class every day of the week and it is my favorite activity by far.
We found out in mid-March that our new bundle is a little boy! Will is going to have a baby brother, and I may apply for combat pay. :) In all seriousness though, I am delighted to have another little boy. Before we knew, when asked Eli and I would both say it would be nice to have a girl, to have one of each. And there was plenty of talk about how wonderful a little girl could be. When the ultrasound tech was taking the images, she initially thought we had a girl, only to correct herself two minutes later when the umbilical chord moved out of the way. If there was ever a sure-fire way to know if you truly had a preference, that would be it. Thankfully, I was just as happy to learn he was a boy as when I thought he was a girl.
Choosing a name for this little guy was a bit more of a process than with Will. Will's name had been decided upon long before he even existed. This time, we had plenty of girl names ready, but not another boy name. I went though one of those giant baby name books and made a list, then made Eli do the same thing without seeing my list. The list of common names between the two lists was depressingly short, so it sat untouched. The day we found out the gender, while we were waiting for the doctor, I asked Eli what he thought about Benjamin. Eli, in his customary way, thought for a quiet minute, then said he liked it just fine. A few weeks later, after learning that Benjamin happens to be a family name on Eli's mom's side of the family, we agreed on a middle name from my side of the family. Benjamin Armstrong Roberson is what we decided upon, and Will very gladly will tell you that "Baby Ben" is in my tummy.
Speaking of Will, good grief is he growing up fast. He is all boy, and such a talker! ( I know, big surprise he is a talker, he is my child.) He loves to play pretend and lines all his toy vehicles up to make them into one huge train. He is currently obsessed with the movie Cars, and runs around the house quoting lines from the movie. Potty training is happening slowly but surely, probably more slowly than necessary but that is totally on Momma and Daddy. He graduated to a toddler bed in early March, and has done much better than I could have hoped. We still find him sleeping under the bed fairly regularly, but he is staying out of things for the most part. He likes to tell stories and play at the park, and he absolutely knows how to turn up the cuteness factor to try to get what he wants. Will is also going through what I am told is the typical emotional, dramatic 2-year-old phase. Everything is either a huge joy or a huge tragedy. We get several mini-meltdowns on any given day. The funny thing is if you can get a word in edgewise to tell him what is going on, he normally calms right down. I will offer something and he will scream and moan " I don't WANT that!!", and if I can get through the noise enough to remind him he isn't being forced and ask him how to say it nicely, he will calm down immediately and say "no thanks, Momma."
In a couple of weeks my best friend will be coming to visit in order to paint the spare room to become Will's new room. We are going to decorate it with Thomas the Tank Engine decals and the walls will be painted sky blue and grass green. I think it is going to be great, and I know Will is going to love it. We will also be adding a waterfall to the murals in the nursery, along with a big turtle with Ben writing in the shell markings. Plans for these rooms have caused me to start nesting early, and I know I am driving Eli out of his mind. But I get so anxious worrying about all the things around the house that I want done before Ben arrives, because I know it will be months before we are really back to any kind of normal once he arrives. I got in such a tizzy Saturday that Eli let me have my way, but only once I promised that Sunday afternoon I would take a break and go see a movie in order to protect every one's mental health. I agreed, and as usual in these situations, Eli was right.
That is as much as i think goes in this particular blog. I have several entries under the topic of baking, and books I have read that I will share shortly, and if I am a slacker please feel free to call me on it. I truly want to be more consistent with this blog.
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