Overwhelmed

I know it's normal that I feel overwhelmed, but I didn't feel this weepy DURING pregnancy!  I thought the hormones would be easier to deal with after I gave birth, unfortunately I was wrong. On Christmas day, I couldn't not cry for about 2 hours.  I was sobbing for two straight hours!   In front of the step-kids to boot!  I've never done that in my life, not even through my worst breakup.  Today is not as bad, although I feel I need to control myself since my sister and her fiancee are here.  I don't want to explain myself to anyone...

All I need is for Barry to hold me and tell me that everything is going to be okay.  Is that too much to ask from a new mom???

Early Christmas Present

Last Tuesday, I went to the hospital for a regular check-up (my final one before being induced on the 28th).  My blood pressure was a little high (145/95), so the nurse didn't want to let me go until it went down a little.  Well, 2 hours later, it was still high (and getting higher by the minute because I really had lots to do).  4 hours later, the doctor on call came to see me and let me know politely that I was being induced THAT night!!!  Although I wasn't too upset that I was being induced early, I was upset that I couldn't go home and get my things (see, the baby's bag was packed, but mine wasn't).  Also I wanted to say bye to Blue.

So I was shown to my room around 5:00 pm and waited for Barry to arrive.  He was a little shocked when I called him at work to tell him that the baby was coming that night.  My doctor showed up around 8:30 pm and explained to me what was going to happen.  For those of you that have been induced, you know the details...  It wasn't painful at all (a little uncomfortable), but the first method to start induction (balloons), didn't work on me.  I popped both balloons inserted into me.  On to the next method...  A tiny thing that holds the power times ten of sperm.  The doctor said that within 6 hours labour was supposed to begin.  True to her word, around 2:30 am, the contractions began to really become painful.  But that wasn't the only thing.  Every time I would contract (about every 2 minutes), the baby's heart rate would go really low (75/80 bpm).  With nurses buzzing around me and an oxygen mask strapped to my face to help the baby, the doctor arrived and explained to me that the best thing to do was to have a cesarian.  She said that it would all be over with in an hour.  Barry and I looked at each other and it didn't seem like such a bad option.

(As an aside, I never put much thought into having a cesarian.  I am super glad that my baby's birth went that way.  I don't feel cheated in any way, after all the whole point is getting the baby, not actually giving birth.  Plus, my privates are intact and still pretty!!!)

Getting back on track...

I was given an epidural, which was THE BEST (I highly suggest them).  I was transfered to a gurney and wheeled into the operating room.  Barry was told to scrub up and when the doctors where ready, he would be able to join me for the birth of the baby.  He never did, things went too fast.  The baby was born on Wednesday, December 19th at 3:58 am.  It was a girl.  She had a quick visit with me on the operating table and then it was off to the nursery with dad.  Evelyn Ireland Sullivan got to spend her first hour out of the womb with her daddy.  I was in the recovery room, waiting for the epidural to wear off.  

There are many more details that I wrote down once my head cleared so that Evelyn knows how she came into the world.  Everything with her is great.  She weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 18 inches.  No jaundice.  No colic so far (knock on wood).  She is very cute and has my blond hair.  She had Barry's chin.  Stew and Jess are in love with her.  

I can't ask for anything more.  I had a great birth experience, my baby is healthy, she is a great eater and I really like breast feeding (I wasn't sure I would).  

2008 is going to be a great year!!! 

soooo tired....

I'm so tired...  I can't shake it.  This week has been particularly bad, I've had 3 doctor's appointments (all in the afternoon).  I usually nap in the afternoon, so I haven't been able to have my little siesta.  I'm getting to the point where I could sleep standing up.  Isn't this only suppose to happen AFTER the baby?

It's rare that I sleep through the night anymore.  I usually wake up and can't sleep for more than an hour.  The last two nights have been good, a little pee in the dead of night and straight back to sleep.  Yet, still the exhaustion.  

More news to follow (when I can actually string two thoughts together).

December 28th, baby!!!

I went in for my regular check-up today with an agenda.  I know, I should have an agenda every time I see the doctor, but I don't.  Anyways, on the agenda today was INDUCTION!!!  Every doctor I see (and I see many) says I am going to be induced due to my high blood pressure, but no one has told me any details about being induced.  So I figured I'd ask the doctor that will deliver my little place kicker (cause he/she always kicks me in the same spot).  If it doesn't happen naturally, I am planned to be induced on the 28th of December.  

I know to some people, scheduling takes the fun out of birth, but not for me.  I LIKE knowing when things are going to happen, so this sits nicely in my head.  I have over 3 weeks to keep plugging away at getting things ready for baby Sullivan.  I will go in the night of the 27th and baby kick-alot will come on the 28th! On top of that, I had to have this culture taken for strep (I think) and it came out negative, so I don't have to have an IV!!!  WOOHOO!!!  The idea of giving birth doesn't stress me out (yet) but the idea of having to potentially wear an IV for birth was NOT nice in my brain.  I HATE needles and the idea that I would have to walk around with one in my arm for an extended period of time not only grossed me out, but stressed me out.  I'm VERY happy about that piece of news.

So if the heavens above don't bring junior before the 28th, that's when he/she will be arriving!  

My snowshoes are a lifesaver

After yesterday's crappy walk with Blue, I decided last night that it would be easier (and safer) to get out my snowshoes and walk the dog at the golf course.  I'm glad I did.

First of all let me say that I am holding up my pants with an elastic band (I'll post a picture of my engineering skills later).  I have these pants that are lined with polar fleece that I wear all winter. My sister and I call them super-pants because you are never cold when you wear them. So I got to the golf course and of course it's difficult now to bend down...  I got the snowshoes on and then had to tuck all my layers back in or my skin would be exposed (think plumber's butt).  Thankfully someone had passed before me and made a little bit of a path that I could follow.  Blue was in heaven!  Despite the snow going up to his belly, he was jumping all through the snow and running as fast as he could.  I took my time walking and we were out in the snow for about 30 minutes. He had a blast and now I don't feel guilty!  His business came fast too so no worries about that this morning.

I'll do the same thing this afternoon, hopefully there will be people there to walk with this afternoon!

Snow Storm!!!

I woke up at 2 am to pee and the snow hadn't started yet.  I was thinking, were the weather people mistaken?  Obviously not...  When Barry got up at 6 am to go to work there was already 20 cm on the ground.  This was an immediate concern to me because I walk my dog Blue at the golf course every morning.  To get there I need to drive and driving this morning was OUT OF THE QUESTION!!!  So as silly as it was, I was stressed that my dog wouldn't be able to do his business this morning in the usual place...  Sounds stupid when I write it, but it's true.

Anyways...  I got dressed and brought him out in the back yard.  We played a little in the snow; I made a path for him with my feet by all the bushes in the yard, hoping that he would use it to pee and do his business.  Well no luck.  So half an hour later, we went in.  I decided to try again after breakfast.  So around 9 am, the plow had passed and I decided to take King Blue for a walk. What the hell was I thinking?  36 weeks pregnant and walking my dog in a snowstorm. Holy shit, I'm a dumbass...  Well, nothing bad happened and the dog STILL didn't do his business.  We got back to the yard and guess what he did?  His business...  

Needless to say, I am waiting for Barry to get home from work so that we can both walk the dog.  He can hold the leash and I can walk 4 paces behind.

Energy Level and Renovations

Well, at 35 weeks, I have good and bad days.  Some days I can't do anything and actually only eat two meals a day because that's all the energy I have.  Other days, I can do anything (this actually just started).  Is this normal?  Is this the beginning of the end of pregnancy?  I hope so!!!

We are in the process of re-doing the basement.  We really are on a timeline to get it finished. You may be wondering why take on such a big project at this time?  Well, we need a bedroom for the baby and Stew will be moving to the basement.  He is excited to have his own space; I am excited to have a finished basement and add another 500 square feet to the living space of the house.  As kids, my sister and I had the run of the basement.  I hope that all the Sullivan kids will have the same luck.  We finally got the laundry room finished last night around 10 p.m.; now I have about 12 loads of laundry to do, no joke!  The living room is full of clothes, it looks like an episode of Oprah where the people are hoarders and there are just paths through the house... Thankfully it's just short term.

Jess was entertaining herself with my computer last night.  I'll leave you with a picture that will hopefully make you laugh.  She and Stew were laughing their heads off while Barry and I were working our asses off in the basement.

P.S.  In real life the kids are quite good looking.  I'm not sure why they like to make themselves look like freaks!

Day 1

Why the Life of 6?  

Soon, we will be 6 in the family.  3 kids, 1 dog and 2 adults (right now it's actually 2 kids with one on the way).  

What is there to know about me?

 - I'm a phys. ed teacher to elementary age girls.

 - I have been married for a year and a half to Barry.

 - We live in the suburbs of Montreal (which I love, by the way).

 - Barry has two kids from a previous marriage, so that makes me a step-mom to Stew (17) and Jess (15).  None of us use the word step-mom though, it just doesn't seems right.  It's only with people we don't know that we use that word and it feels weird when it leaves any of our lips.

 - We have a dog.  We've had him for two and a half years.  He is the love of my life.  The kids joke that I would save Blue (the dog) over Barry if the chance came up.  Sincerely, I'm not sure who I would save first.  

- I am 35 weeks pregnant (can't wait for the darn thing to leave my body).  I don't know if it's a boy or a girl and will only find out at birth.  This is frustrating to everyone, especially Jess and my dad as they really want a girl.  

Why the blog?

This whole pregnancy thing is getting me down.  I am writing it in hopes that people in the same boat as me will be able to sympathize and offer support.  I am an active person.  I like to do anything and everything and since mid-October I haven't been able to do anything.  This is leaving me frustrated and feeling like a lazy slob.  It is no way has to do with the baby weight I've gained, I haven't gained that much.  It's the fact that the body that could do anything before can't do anything now.