After a couple of weeks of mommy worry related to Bennett's development, things are starting to progress. I was beginning to fear that he may have some delays. About three days ago he really started to discover his lower body. He has progressed quickly from the top of his pants, to his knees, and finally his feet. He does not hold on to them for long but is trying for them. The same day I found him on his tummy in his crib! He now rolls easily onto his tummy if he wants to get to a toy. About 6 weeks ago he was rolling off of his tummy but now he is back to yelling to get off of it. He rarely figures out how to do it himself. Overall I am so please to see that he is on track with his adjusted age. His sitting is even getting better. He loves to sit and can do it by himself for 5-10 seconds sometimes.
Our gardens are getting crazy around here. The squash plants are completely out of control and the corn plants actually have ears already. There are pictures/videos of both topics on the Flickr page.
Bernie is on a stretch of 7 midnight shifts...ewww. I will be glad when they are done on Friday morning, but not as happy as he will be I'm sure. We are going to Craig and Michaela's for a 4th of July get together. On Sunday, my family from Boulder are coming for dinner. So the weekend is shaping up to be busy. And it's less than a month until we go back to Great Falls.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Oregon
We returned to Colorado on Tuesday after spending a week in Portland. It was a great trip. Crystal and Jeremie were wonderful hosts. Even with three young children we managed to get out quite a bit. I went to Powell's Bookstore for the first time and discovered a place where I could possibly happily spend the rest of my life. The place takes up an entire city block. I only got to the sale shelves and still walked out with seven books for me and four for Bennett. I have never seen books on sale in a store like that. I didn't spend more than $6.95 for any of them (all new). Apparently books can be ordered online and shipping is free for orders over $50. They may be my new book source from now on.
Bernie and I took a side trip to Bend which is about three hours from Portland. We visited a couple of old friends from Great Falls which was fun. They just had a newborn baby boy five days before we got there. At 8 lbs, he seemed so tiny. I can't believe Bennett was half his size. Bennett had a HORRIBLE blow out on the way up which resulted in throwing away a onsie.
Bernie and Jeremie went fishing on the ocean for Father's Day. They caught a ton of fish, but Bernie was unfortunately very ill the entire time. He threw up about 20 times while on the boat. Bernie being Bernie claims he had fun despite all the retching. We were all in Lincoln City for the fishing trip and stayed in a hotel next to the ocean. It was beautiful, although a totally different beach experience than San Diego. It was very cool with hardly any people around. I think I prefer the less crowded beach even if there will be no suntanning. Bernie and I got to spend an our or so in the evening on the beach at sunset. It was beautiful and a moment I will never forget.
The rose garden was amazing. Emily had a great time running around taking pictures with my camera. She surprisingly got a few good ones.
We went to a winery on the day we left. We got a little tipsy in the middle of the afternoon. It would be great to return one day to see a few of the wineries, with a designated driver of course!
If you ever get a chance to eat fresh Mt. Hood strawberries, don't miss it. They are the most amazing strawberries I have ever eaten. I didn't know they could taste that good.
Seeing Emily and meeting Grant was fun. Emily is growing up so fast. She has a ton of energy and has a very cute personality. Grant is much more laid back and can entertain himself nicely. Hopefully Bennett learned something from him.
Bennett is doing well...nothing new to report on that front. He is enjoying his solids more and we are up to twice per day.
My mom's visit went well. We did some shopping and cooking, the normal things we do. We also went on the luxury home tour. We only got to see about six out of 27 houses, but the ones we saw were amazing. The most expensive was 6 million. I still enjoy getting out and seeing homes...especially those that cost millions of dollars.
Bernie and I took a side trip to Bend which is about three hours from Portland. We visited a couple of old friends from Great Falls which was fun. They just had a newborn baby boy five days before we got there. At 8 lbs, he seemed so tiny. I can't believe Bennett was half his size. Bennett had a HORRIBLE blow out on the way up which resulted in throwing away a onsie.
Bernie and Jeremie went fishing on the ocean for Father's Day. They caught a ton of fish, but Bernie was unfortunately very ill the entire time. He threw up about 20 times while on the boat. Bernie being Bernie claims he had fun despite all the retching. We were all in Lincoln City for the fishing trip and stayed in a hotel next to the ocean. It was beautiful, although a totally different beach experience than San Diego. It was very cool with hardly any people around. I think I prefer the less crowded beach even if there will be no suntanning. Bernie and I got to spend an our or so in the evening on the beach at sunset. It was beautiful and a moment I will never forget.
The rose garden was amazing. Emily had a great time running around taking pictures with my camera. She surprisingly got a few good ones.
We went to a winery on the day we left. We got a little tipsy in the middle of the afternoon. It would be great to return one day to see a few of the wineries, with a designated driver of course!
If you ever get a chance to eat fresh Mt. Hood strawberries, don't miss it. They are the most amazing strawberries I have ever eaten. I didn't know they could taste that good.
Seeing Emily and meeting Grant was fun. Emily is growing up so fast. She has a ton of energy and has a very cute personality. Grant is much more laid back and can entertain himself nicely. Hopefully Bennett learned something from him.
Bennett is doing well...nothing new to report on that front. He is enjoying his solids more and we are up to twice per day.
My mom's visit went well. We did some shopping and cooking, the normal things we do. We also went on the luxury home tour. We only got to see about six out of 27 houses, but the ones we saw were amazing. The most expensive was 6 million. I still enjoy getting out and seeing homes...especially those that cost millions of dollars.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Home for the moment
We returned from San Diego yesterday after a very nice trip. Bennett was an angel on the way down...other than the squealing. He discovered that recently and is also tending to be quite social. The people around us were very nice and smiled/talked with him. He would smile/laugh/squeal in return. The way back was a bit more sketchy. He screamed a couple of times for 30 seconds or so until I could get the bottle in his mouth. The other passengers were not nearly as friendly and did not socialize with Bennett when they tried to get his attention. All in all, not bad on the plane. I even got an aisle seat on both legs although we never left our seat.
It was so great to see and spend time with Kristen and her family. We hadn't really seen each other since our wedding. I enjoyed meeting Phil and Ava...nice to talk with some real other people for a couple of days. We went to a really great park in San Diego with the MOST BEAUTIFUL roses (see the flickr page). We also got to the beach and some yummy restaurants. Thanks for a wonderful weekend.
Bennett was very happy and good during the mornings/days of the trip. But he couldn't seem to get a decent nap in. He was too hyped up and by 5:00 a meltdown ensued until it was time to go to be. Sorry to Kristen and her neighbors for all the noise!
Bennett has started into solid foods. So far he is doing OK...eats about 10 bites and is ready to be done. He had pears today though and definitely seemed to like those quite a bit. We have appointments with the eye MD and physical therapist this week before my mom comes down on Friday. We are going to go on the "luxury home tour." All of the houses are between 1 and 6 million. Fun times for a realtor and her daughter.
Portland is upcoming next Tuesday, pending the outcome of Bernie's jury duty. Hope for us...we really want to get up there.
Tori Amos tickets are in hand. I got pretty good ones in the middle of the orchestra section. The theater only holds just over 1000 people so I imagine most of the seats are decent. Michaela will be joining me as will Marlena hopefully. She wants to make it down so the ticket is waiting.
I am in the process of reading Sara's book for the second time and enjoying it very much. I hope to have my comments ready for you by the end of the month...that's the goal anyway.
It was so great to see and spend time with Kristen and her family. We hadn't really seen each other since our wedding. I enjoyed meeting Phil and Ava...nice to talk with some real other people for a couple of days. We went to a really great park in San Diego with the MOST BEAUTIFUL roses (see the flickr page). We also got to the beach and some yummy restaurants. Thanks for a wonderful weekend.
Bennett was very happy and good during the mornings/days of the trip. But he couldn't seem to get a decent nap in. He was too hyped up and by 5:00 a meltdown ensued until it was time to go to be. Sorry to Kristen and her neighbors for all the noise!
Bennett has started into solid foods. So far he is doing OK...eats about 10 bites and is ready to be done. He had pears today though and definitely seemed to like those quite a bit. We have appointments with the eye MD and physical therapist this week before my mom comes down on Friday. We are going to go on the "luxury home tour." All of the houses are between 1 and 6 million. Fun times for a realtor and her daughter.
Portland is upcoming next Tuesday, pending the outcome of Bernie's jury duty. Hope for us...we really want to get up there.
Tori Amos tickets are in hand. I got pretty good ones in the middle of the orchestra section. The theater only holds just over 1000 people so I imagine most of the seats are decent. Michaela will be joining me as will Marlena hopefully. She wants to make it down so the ticket is waiting.
I am in the process of reading Sara's book for the second time and enjoying it very much. I hope to have my comments ready for you by the end of the month...that's the goal anyway.
Friday, May 22, 2009
I am happy to report that I got all of my flowers/veggies planted over the past couple of weeks. It feels good to have that done. Now I just have to keep up with all the maintenance. I will try to get some photos posted soon. I did not go nearly as crazy as I did last year, knowing how much work it can be to keep it all under control.
I sounds like my mom is planning to come down to visit the second weekend in June. It's going to be a busy month. Bennett and I are flying to San Diego to see Kristen and family in two weeks. Then my mom will be here. Then we are flying to Portland to visit Bernie's sister and family. Have I mentioned how nervous I am to fly with Bennett alone? I'm on Southwest which does not have seating assignments and does not allow "families" to board first. I hope I am lucky enough to get an aisle seat or someone willing to give one up. I'm sure he will need to be walked around a number of times to prevent meltdown.
I heard today that Tori Amos is going to be in Denver mid-July. I hope to go and have asked a local friend to join me. I can't see Bernie enjoying that concert. He already had to deal with me and Oasis, I will try to spare him this time.
Bennett had his 6 month check-up this week. He is up to 15 lbs. 4 oz. and 25 inches. The doctor was very happy with his growth. He has hit the 25th percentile for weight and 10th for height in his actual age group. Hopefully, by the time he is a year old he will be caught up. The doctor felt he was between a 4 and 5 month old developmentally which is right on target for the moment. Again, he should continue to close the gap as he gets older. He wanted us to start solids right away. I wasn't sure if Bennett was ready, but he is doing OK with them. Yesterday he spit most of the rice cereal out. Today he swallowed more of it but would not open his mouth after 4 bites or so. Oh well...he should still be getting all of his nutrition from breast milk/formula anyway. We're just practicing right now.
We went to a baby play date this week. An interesting group of women and lots of cute babies. I will definitely go again. I also am continuing with exercise classes at the rec center and Stroller Strides class. I try to get some exercise most days. I find it helps improve my mood.
I'm working two days in a row next week! Crazy! I should probably do something to justify my free gym membership.
I sounds like my mom is planning to come down to visit the second weekend in June. It's going to be a busy month. Bennett and I are flying to San Diego to see Kristen and family in two weeks. Then my mom will be here. Then we are flying to Portland to visit Bernie's sister and family. Have I mentioned how nervous I am to fly with Bennett alone? I'm on Southwest which does not have seating assignments and does not allow "families" to board first. I hope I am lucky enough to get an aisle seat or someone willing to give one up. I'm sure he will need to be walked around a number of times to prevent meltdown.
I heard today that Tori Amos is going to be in Denver mid-July. I hope to go and have asked a local friend to join me. I can't see Bernie enjoying that concert. He already had to deal with me and Oasis, I will try to spare him this time.
Bennett had his 6 month check-up this week. He is up to 15 lbs. 4 oz. and 25 inches. The doctor was very happy with his growth. He has hit the 25th percentile for weight and 10th for height in his actual age group. Hopefully, by the time he is a year old he will be caught up. The doctor felt he was between a 4 and 5 month old developmentally which is right on target for the moment. Again, he should continue to close the gap as he gets older. He wanted us to start solids right away. I wasn't sure if Bennett was ready, but he is doing OK with them. Yesterday he spit most of the rice cereal out. Today he swallowed more of it but would not open his mouth after 4 bites or so. Oh well...he should still be getting all of his nutrition from breast milk/formula anyway. We're just practicing right now.
We went to a baby play date this week. An interesting group of women and lots of cute babies. I will definitely go again. I also am continuing with exercise classes at the rec center and Stroller Strides class. I try to get some exercise most days. I find it helps improve my mood.
I'm working two days in a row next week! Crazy! I should probably do something to justify my free gym membership.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Specialist appointment
So, we had an appointment with the maternal-fetal specialist yesterday. It is recommended that any woman who had pre eclampsia see one before they get pregnant again. I decided to try to see the lady who actually delivered Bennett. I was expecting a battle with having to get a referral and other assorted medical hoops, but it was actually very easy. I just called and made the appointment. I spent quite a bit of time researching and preparing questions (thank you Pre-eclampsia Foundation Forms...I don't know if I would have made it through the last few months without you). She actually remembered us, which was comforting.
First, the news I have learned about my first pregnancy. I ordered my medical records (300+ pages) and have gone through them. I apparently had a hemorrhage after Bennett was born, which I don't remember. That must be why they were shoving a number of unknown pills down my throat. They took the placenta for a pathology report. There were problems with the blood vessels. It was also in the 20th percentile for size and partially abrupted. This means that it had started to separate from my uterus and if it would have continued, Bennett may have died. The blood vessel issues and size are hallmarks of pre-e. The problem is thought to occur at implantation. Something is screwy with mom's immune system which causes the placenta to implant too shallowly. This is fine until the baby gets too big. Then the need for blood etc outpaces the placenta's ability to provide and mom's system goes into overload and shutdown mode. Bennett was a good weight for his age, but if we had continued, he would have likely become growth restricted for lack of blood/nutrients.
Dr. Becker was positive about a second pregnancy, but also gave us fair warning. Since I had severe early onset pre-e, my chances are significantly higher of having it again in subsequent pregnancies. In most cases, women develop pre-e late in pregnancy (near labor/delivery) and only have it that one time. My own OB made it seem as though I was in the "only first pregnancy" group, but the specialist seemed to have more knowledge. She said the chances were between 25-60% Kind of scary at first glance. But since I am healthy overall and the first found tests for underlying disorders were negative she thinks my chances of having a normal pregnancy are greater than another bout of pre-e.
A second pregnancy would be considered "high risk." She would co-manage with my OB. I would have baseline labs and 24 hour urine test to find out what is normal for me. There are also a couple more of tests to run right when I get pregnant. If they were to be positive, it would be twice a day injectable blood thinners for me for the last two trimesters (fun!). I would have to take a daily aspirin when pregnant and prenatal vitamins for three months before I get pregnant. It sounds like I would have ultrasounds to check for growth every four weeks after week 12. Other interventions would come in as needed.
Whew...that was a lot of info. Sorry about that, but my brain is often occupied with these issues and I thought I would share!
First, the news I have learned about my first pregnancy. I ordered my medical records (300+ pages) and have gone through them. I apparently had a hemorrhage after Bennett was born, which I don't remember. That must be why they were shoving a number of unknown pills down my throat. They took the placenta for a pathology report. There were problems with the blood vessels. It was also in the 20th percentile for size and partially abrupted. This means that it had started to separate from my uterus and if it would have continued, Bennett may have died. The blood vessel issues and size are hallmarks of pre-e. The problem is thought to occur at implantation. Something is screwy with mom's immune system which causes the placenta to implant too shallowly. This is fine until the baby gets too big. Then the need for blood etc outpaces the placenta's ability to provide and mom's system goes into overload and shutdown mode. Bennett was a good weight for his age, but if we had continued, he would have likely become growth restricted for lack of blood/nutrients.
Dr. Becker was positive about a second pregnancy, but also gave us fair warning. Since I had severe early onset pre-e, my chances are significantly higher of having it again in subsequent pregnancies. In most cases, women develop pre-e late in pregnancy (near labor/delivery) and only have it that one time. My own OB made it seem as though I was in the "only first pregnancy" group, but the specialist seemed to have more knowledge. She said the chances were between 25-60% Kind of scary at first glance. But since I am healthy overall and the first found tests for underlying disorders were negative she thinks my chances of having a normal pregnancy are greater than another bout of pre-e.
A second pregnancy would be considered "high risk." She would co-manage with my OB. I would have baseline labs and 24 hour urine test to find out what is normal for me. There are also a couple more of tests to run right when I get pregnant. If they were to be positive, it would be twice a day injectable blood thinners for me for the last two trimesters (fun!). I would have to take a daily aspirin when pregnant and prenatal vitamins for three months before I get pregnant. It sounds like I would have ultrasounds to check for growth every four weeks after week 12. Other interventions would come in as needed.
Whew...that was a lot of info. Sorry about that, but my brain is often occupied with these issues and I thought I would share!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Warning
Photo dump on Bennett's page.
Also, he rolled from his back to his tummy today! He can get to his side from his back, but not totally over yet.
Also, he rolled from his back to his tummy today! He can get to his side from his back, but not totally over yet.
An update...finally
I just couldn't find the time on vacation to update. We got back on Monday and I have been trying to get the house in order since. We had a great time in both North Dakota and Montana. North Dakota was definitely more laid back. There was time to relax and enjoy Bernie's parents. Montana was much more hectic. Between my family and our friends that still live there, we were busy every day. The weather was shitty. There was a MASSIVE snow storm a couple of days after we got there and it was still melting when we left. I finally got to meet the first Fagg grandchild, Jadessa. She was born in August and a cutie. It's neat to see where Bennett will be in a few months. It was also nice to see Melanie and Heather again. I can't wait to find out if Melanie is having a boy or girl. Everyone seems to think girl, but we'll see on June 3rd.
Bennett was a great traveler overall. He slept most of the trip and only had one major meltdown. We took two days to get to ND and two days to get home, so I'm sure that helped his disposition. Speaking of sleep, he started to sleep through the night just before we left. Without me even trying he has got himself on a schedule. He goes to bed between 8 and 9, sleeps until between 7 and 8, and then eats every three hours during the day. His nap isn't quite worked out yet. He sometimes takes a long nap during the day. Other times, there are only cat naps. Whatever...sleeping through the night is the most important!
Still pumping here. I am down to four times a day now which is manageable at the moment. I may try to cut it down to two by the end of May and see how the supply goes. Right now he only needs about 4 ounces of formula per day out of 30. I'm hoping I can still get 15-20 ounces per day with two pumpings. I figure I can keep that up, even on vacation this summer. I have too much guilt about completely quitting.
I have joined a couple of mom's groups in the area. One of them is a Stroller Strides class. It has been a great way to get some exercise that includes Bennett. I also hope to meet and befriend some new moms. I need to get back to it since I got back. I was at my pre-pregnancy weight before we went on vacation, not so much anymore.
I am so excited to start my gardens this weekend!!! I keep seeing and drooling over all the flowers I see.
Bernie got a summons for jury duty today...ha! I should probably shut up or I'll be next.
Bennett was a great traveler overall. He slept most of the trip and only had one major meltdown. We took two days to get to ND and two days to get home, so I'm sure that helped his disposition. Speaking of sleep, he started to sleep through the night just before we left. Without me even trying he has got himself on a schedule. He goes to bed between 8 and 9, sleeps until between 7 and 8, and then eats every three hours during the day. His nap isn't quite worked out yet. He sometimes takes a long nap during the day. Other times, there are only cat naps. Whatever...sleeping through the night is the most important!
Still pumping here. I am down to four times a day now which is manageable at the moment. I may try to cut it down to two by the end of May and see how the supply goes. Right now he only needs about 4 ounces of formula per day out of 30. I'm hoping I can still get 15-20 ounces per day with two pumpings. I figure I can keep that up, even on vacation this summer. I have too much guilt about completely quitting.
I have joined a couple of mom's groups in the area. One of them is a Stroller Strides class. It has been a great way to get some exercise that includes Bennett. I also hope to meet and befriend some new moms. I need to get back to it since I got back. I was at my pre-pregnancy weight before we went on vacation, not so much anymore.
I am so excited to start my gardens this weekend!!! I keep seeing and drooling over all the flowers I see.
Bernie got a summons for jury duty today...ha! I should probably shut up or I'll be next.
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