Not a lot to report. Two weeks until the baby. It is both good and bad. It is god because the "end" is in sight. It is bad because there is still a ton of stuff to do before then. Work is going to be a bit crazy with me gone for so long, but we will see how it all works out.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
A blog post by Alice
After school I get to go trunk-or-treating.Do you think that is weird?IT IS ONLY FRIDAY!Do you
under stand?Just so you know I'm writing this my self.
under stand?Just so you know I'm writing this my self.
37 Weeks...almost there
[Quick chicken update: the day after I turned off the lights, there were FOUR eggs in the nest. Maybe the lights were bothering them? Then the next day, only one egg. Grrrr. Gotta figure something out here.]
Short version: all on track :), GBS-positive :(, and induction date scheduled :S
Long version:
I had my 37 week prenatal appointment today. Alice was born by now. Robert and James wouldn't be coming for another 3.5 weeks. It's the final countdown. The news since last week is I'm GBS-positive...again. Bummed, but not terrifically surprised. I'm feeling kinda "blah" about it, actually, because I freaked out last time and found a calm resolution. Looking back at my 38-week prenatal appointment with James, though, it's funny to see I was toying with the idea of an induction then, too. I had completely forgotten about that. And I was whining a lot at this point last time about being uncomfortable :) Sounds sooooooo familiar. Maybe I've had the exact same pregnancy experience four times in a row and I just THINK each one is new and different.
Anyway, I went ahead and scheduled an induction for the babe's due date. The convenience of a planned birth and the details of my specific birth history (i.e. my water always breaking first, precipitous/rapid labor following immediately) won over any reservations I had about unnecessary medical intervention. I'm a hippie, but not hard core :) A past version of me would chalk this decision up to weakness, and maybe a future version of me will declare the same verdict, but the me right now finds it an attractive, low-risk option worth taking seriously. We'll have to wait and see. It's only an illusion of control: Peek-A-Boo could always come early, or conditions might not be right for an induction when his due date finally comes. And I reserve the right to change my mind about this at any time :)
My uterus is measuring a bit large again (39cm when 37cm is expected), but not alarmingly so. The midwife tells me to expect a baby about as big as the last couple I've had. Okay. I asked about baby jaundice and the length of my hospital stay and which post-partum procedures I can reasonably decline without putting me or the baby in danger. I'm all for routine checkups on my healing and recording the baby's eating/excretion patterns. That's totally cool. I'd just like a little leeway on when those checks happen. Do they have to wake me up for it? Could I possibly give them a call when I'm awake and already nursing for them to come in and do all that stuff? But will I want to call them? Probably not. I talk a big game about wanting to take control of my hospital experience, but in the end I will probably just grin and bear it for the required minimum amount of time and check out as soon as possible. Again, we'll have to see how this plays out.
Short version: all on track :), GBS-positive :(, and induction date scheduled :S
Long version:
I had my 37 week prenatal appointment today. Alice was born by now. Robert and James wouldn't be coming for another 3.5 weeks. It's the final countdown. The news since last week is I'm GBS-positive...again. Bummed, but not terrifically surprised. I'm feeling kinda "blah" about it, actually, because I freaked out last time and found a calm resolution. Looking back at my 38-week prenatal appointment with James, though, it's funny to see I was toying with the idea of an induction then, too. I had completely forgotten about that. And I was whining a lot at this point last time about being uncomfortable :) Sounds sooooooo familiar. Maybe I've had the exact same pregnancy experience four times in a row and I just THINK each one is new and different.
Anyway, I went ahead and scheduled an induction for the babe's due date. The convenience of a planned birth and the details of my specific birth history (i.e. my water always breaking first, precipitous/rapid labor following immediately) won over any reservations I had about unnecessary medical intervention. I'm a hippie, but not hard core :) A past version of me would chalk this decision up to weakness, and maybe a future version of me will declare the same verdict, but the me right now finds it an attractive, low-risk option worth taking seriously. We'll have to wait and see. It's only an illusion of control: Peek-A-Boo could always come early, or conditions might not be right for an induction when his due date finally comes. And I reserve the right to change my mind about this at any time :)
My uterus is measuring a bit large again (39cm when 37cm is expected), but not alarmingly so. The midwife tells me to expect a baby about as big as the last couple I've had. Okay. I asked about baby jaundice and the length of my hospital stay and which post-partum procedures I can reasonably decline without putting me or the baby in danger. I'm all for routine checkups on my healing and recording the baby's eating/excretion patterns. That's totally cool. I'd just like a little leeway on when those checks happen. Do they have to wake me up for it? Could I possibly give them a call when I'm awake and already nursing for them to come in and do all that stuff? But will I want to call them? Probably not. I talk a big game about wanting to take control of my hospital experience, but in the end I will probably just grin and bear it for the required minimum amount of time and check out as soon as possible. Again, we'll have to see how this plays out.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Still no eggs
The 24-hour lighting has had no effect on the hens' laying. I think I started the lighting too late. Some of the stuff I read indicated you should supplement light before the biological shut down happens. Oh well.
Looks like we have a few outdoor pets to take care of all winter.
Dang.
There is one alternative...my friend Alison offered to take my "pet" hens to the livestock auction and give me a few of her pullets (young females, just starting to lay) to try instead. Her hens have had supplemental lighting all fall and not stopped laying. In fact, the pullets are just starting to lay right now.
I am sorely tempted.
Looks like we have a few outdoor pets to take care of all winter.
Dang.
There is one alternative...my friend Alison offered to take my "pet" hens to the livestock auction and give me a few of her pullets (young females, just starting to lay) to try instead. Her hens have had supplemental lighting all fall and not stopped laying. In fact, the pullets are just starting to lay right now.
I am sorely tempted.
Ghosting
Alice was "ghosted" yesterday...the unholy union of doorbell ditching and chain lettering. She insisted we follow the instructions to the letter or it wouldn't count. She got Robert REALLY psyched about it, too, so I agreed to try it this year. We rustled up some Halloween stickers, printed off the instructions, and selected a couple victims good friend neighbors.
Tonight was our delivery night. Alice and Robert dressed in all black or navy blue. I didn't know they had that much black and blue in their closet. We drove to the first house after dark. Alice was a little confused about which door was her friend's door, so I had to get super close to show her. We were 20 feet from the door when she FINALLY saw which door I meant. She and Robert immediately ran up, dropped the gift, and knocked. What?! I WAS RIGHT THERE! I almost swore at the girl as she bolted past me toward the appointed safe spot. I booked it too, 37 weeks prego and everything. Not comfortable. Not fun. I don't think we were detected, but I don't really care.
I hadn't intended on everything happening so fast, so James was still buckled in his car seat. He got screaming mad when the kids hopped in and buckled up...he had wanted to SEE!
The next house was much, much closer to home. I parked the car in the garage, turned off all the lights, and walked with James to a nice vantage point. Alice and Robert scoped out the front door and saw people in the front room...too risky for Alice. She threw the "rules" out the window and decided to leave the surprise at the front door WITHOUT knocking. She and Robert still ran away as if they were being chased. That startled James a bit and he started running away in terror, too. What would this kid be like without Alice and Robert as older siblings? I have no idea. His life seems to revolve around them :)
Alice just kept saying, "I can't believe I just ghosted someone! I ghosted!"
Tonight was our delivery night. Alice and Robert dressed in all black or navy blue. I didn't know they had that much black and blue in their closet. We drove to the first house after dark. Alice was a little confused about which door was her friend's door, so I had to get super close to show her. We were 20 feet from the door when she FINALLY saw which door I meant. She and Robert immediately ran up, dropped the gift, and knocked. What?! I WAS RIGHT THERE! I almost swore at the girl as she bolted past me toward the appointed safe spot. I booked it too, 37 weeks prego and everything. Not comfortable. Not fun. I don't think we were detected, but I don't really care.
I hadn't intended on everything happening so fast, so James was still buckled in his car seat. He got screaming mad when the kids hopped in and buckled up...he had wanted to SEE!
The next house was much, much closer to home. I parked the car in the garage, turned off all the lights, and walked with James to a nice vantage point. Alice and Robert scoped out the front door and saw people in the front room...too risky for Alice. She threw the "rules" out the window and decided to leave the surprise at the front door WITHOUT knocking. She and Robert still ran away as if they were being chased. That startled James a bit and he started running away in terror, too. What would this kid be like without Alice and Robert as older siblings? I have no idea. His life seems to revolve around them :)
Alice just kept saying, "I can't believe I just ghosted someone! I ghosted!"
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