Lately, I've dealt with a bit of drama and I don't like it. To make a long story short, about a month ago, I wrote some stuff on my blog about work that was slightly inappropriate. It wasn't about a specific customer. It really wasn't about a customer of our's at all. It wasn't mean nor did I use any foul language. It was just a little rude, I guess, which could potentially give our business a bad name. I definitely don't want to do that. I love our customers and want to help them in any way possible. At the time, I didn't think anything about what I wrote and still don't really see much wrong with the content but at the same time, I respect other people's opinions when they say that I went a little too far. Anyways, some nameless people told a nameless person I'm fairly close to, about what I had written and from there, it was made to be a bigger deal than it actually was. I still haven't and probably won't ever get complete details of what was said about me nor will I ever be told exactly who started this nonsense but that's OK.
Last night, I actually opened that particular blog post and deleted the inappropriate paragraph, just to save myself additional drama related to this subject. I just haven't had to deal with this kind of stuff since I was in high school. I especially wouldn't expect it from women that are twenty to thirty years older than me. I've gone ahead and deleted a select few people off of my Facebook to at least decrease my chances of any foolishness from these people again. The comments about me and my blog got so silly that the fact that I post my blogs late at night (usually around midnight) and write three to four paragraphs in one blog, was made into a big deal. Gasp (said sarcastically)! I'm not sure what's wrong with writing late at night and writing four paragraphs in one post. I tend to have my highest potential late at night. I actually made my blog private last night but it was going to be a huge pain for people to read it, while it was private. When it's private, a new link has to be emailed to each person, every time you have a new post. Then, they have to click on the link I emailed them, to be able to read my blog. I have no idea who all reads my blogs. I know a select few people that do read my blogs regularly though. Tonight, I decided it would be easier to just leave my blog public and monitor how I word things and what content I blog about.
As I've said in a previous post, I use my blog as a way to express my feelings. It's similar to people that use paperback journals at home to document their feelings. I choose a blog over a journal because with a blog, people can relate to my situations and how I'm feeling. They give such helpful advice and encouragement. I love being able to relate to others and them being able to relate to me. I know some people have negative opinions about blogs, which they are entitled to. For example, I've heard some people say it's a way of bragging and putting your whole life out there. Of course, it's a way of bragging for some people! It's not for me though. I recall talking about my son's circumcision in my last blog post...Am I bragging about that?! Obviously not. I received emails from two of my Facebook friends that made me feel much better about the situation, so I'm glad I made that blog post. One person had even gone through the same problem herself.
Speaking of people giving advice, I truely appreciate any of you that have given me feedback and some of you even helping me through really hard times. I remember about a month after giving birth to Barrett, I was in such a deep dark hole of anxiety and depression. It wasn't just the baby blues...it was severe Postpartum Depression, beyond measure. It was one of the most joyful times in my life and also the most miserable. I recall in December 2010, writing a blog post about how anxious and depressed I was. What's even worse is you feel so bad about yourself for feeling that way after being given this precious baby from God that I had hoped and prayed for for so long. But unfortunately, it's the way some women's bodies and brains handle the hormone changes after birth. Within an hour of sharing that blog post on Facebook, I had so many people email me, text me, and call me, saying they were praying for me, telling me they cared about me, and alot of you even told me your stories of how you got through similar situations. Again, I thank all of you that were there for me. It really meant alot.
Anyways, I've got to go to bed...It's 12:33am!!! Haha. I'm a night-owl. What can I say?! Good night and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Mine's going to be busy!
P.S. Say a special prayer for my best friend, Audrey. She was due this past Tuesday with her first little boy, Austin, so she's now three days past-due. I know she's uncomfortable and so ready to meet this sweet man.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Sick.to.my.Stomach. :(
Straight to the point...Barrett was circumcised when he was one day old. It was a "conservative" circumcision as a handful of doctors have described it, even though we wanted a normal circumcision. I haven't wanted to intervene medically since then because: A) We have consulted at least five doctors (a few pediatricians) and they all agreed that I shouldn't get it fixed because it was only cosmetic, B) I can't stand to put my son through pain if it's unnecessary, C) It has caused no bodily harm, and D) I was told that it would look completely normal after he went through puberty. I've had a lot of people nag me about getting it corrected but Ty and myself would carry the life-long guilt, if something were to go wrong during the procedure. So, Ty and I always decided against it. Until now, it has been simply cosmetic anyways.
Well, we had something medically wrong happen a few days ago so I took Barrett to Convenient Care. I'm not going to go into detail with "what" went wrong. There are just some things that I keep private, sorry. Anyways, the doctor referred me to a urologist at Jackson Clinic and we had that appointment today. I'm beyond relieved to hear the doctor doesn't think it's anything serious but he does want to do surgery, which was my ultimate fear. The whole thing just terrifies me. It's going to KILL me to stand there and watch Barrett be put to sleep using anesthesia. I'm sure many tears will be shed that day, haha. The appointment is scheduled for January 17th at 11:00 am. The doctor said it should only take about ten to twenty minutes so it's not that bad. It's ten to twenty minutes longer than I'd like, but that's OK. He said that if this current situation had not come up, he would not want to operate but with all considerations, it's better to do it sooner than later.
On a positive note, I had such a good time with Barrett today! We had his doctor's appointment then went to lunch with my mom (Granny) and Steve (Doo-Dah). Then, we did a little shopping, got my car cleaned, did a little more shopping, visited daddy at work for a bit, then came home and spent a little time just playing in the floor together. After Ty got home from work, the three of us went to dinner. So, today's been a great day for sure! Barrett went to bed like a pro tonight again. I laid him in his crib at 9:30 and he just laid there, not making a peep. It took him about ten minutes of rolling around with his stuffed animals and blankets, for him to actually fall asleep. I just love my mini best friend!
On a totally different note, I may have to make my blog private soon, sorry. I'm still trying to decide. I figured I would make it viewable only to people that have Google accounts and request to follow my blog. I really hate to do that so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Blogging is not a way for me to start drama. It's not my purpose to brag or show off. I never mean to send off a negative message in any way. It has just recently come to my attention that subjects from my blog are being passed onto others, in a different form, carrying a different report. To be honest, I'm not quite sure how this happens or why, but it obviously does. I use my blog as an outlet. I know some people don't believe in broadcasting their life over a blog but I'm not some people. I'm Ashlie. I don't really feel like I broadcast my entire life anyways. Trust me...there are TONS of things that I would never EVER put on here for everyone to see. I do keep a lot of things private. I always read through my blogs a handful of times before posting them, to make sure I don't mind any and every one reading it, because that's always a possibility. Some people use an old-fashioned pen and paper as their outlet. Some people don't use anything as an outlet. Some people use blogs. I'm a blogger and that's OK. If you do come back one day and see that it's private, you are welcome to add me on Google and you are more than welcome to read away!
Now, back to Barrett's upcoming procedure. If everyone will just keep Ty, Barrett, and myself in your prayers on January 17th, we would be much appreciative! I pray that Barrett does great with the procedure and heals quickly! I also pray that he does wonderful with the anesthesia and doesn't suffer from any side effects. I pray that I can make it through the procedure without losing my mind :/. I pray that Ty is blessed with lots of patience that day.
I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!
Well, we had something medically wrong happen a few days ago so I took Barrett to Convenient Care. I'm not going to go into detail with "what" went wrong. There are just some things that I keep private, sorry. Anyways, the doctor referred me to a urologist at Jackson Clinic and we had that appointment today. I'm beyond relieved to hear the doctor doesn't think it's anything serious but he does want to do surgery, which was my ultimate fear. The whole thing just terrifies me. It's going to KILL me to stand there and watch Barrett be put to sleep using anesthesia. I'm sure many tears will be shed that day, haha. The appointment is scheduled for January 17th at 11:00 am. The doctor said it should only take about ten to twenty minutes so it's not that bad. It's ten to twenty minutes longer than I'd like, but that's OK. He said that if this current situation had not come up, he would not want to operate but with all considerations, it's better to do it sooner than later.
On a positive note, I had such a good time with Barrett today! We had his doctor's appointment then went to lunch with my mom (Granny) and Steve (Doo-Dah). Then, we did a little shopping, got my car cleaned, did a little more shopping, visited daddy at work for a bit, then came home and spent a little time just playing in the floor together. After Ty got home from work, the three of us went to dinner. So, today's been a great day for sure! Barrett went to bed like a pro tonight again. I laid him in his crib at 9:30 and he just laid there, not making a peep. It took him about ten minutes of rolling around with his stuffed animals and blankets, for him to actually fall asleep. I just love my mini best friend!
On a totally different note, I may have to make my blog private soon, sorry. I'm still trying to decide. I figured I would make it viewable only to people that have Google accounts and request to follow my blog. I really hate to do that so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Blogging is not a way for me to start drama. It's not my purpose to brag or show off. I never mean to send off a negative message in any way. It has just recently come to my attention that subjects from my blog are being passed onto others, in a different form, carrying a different report. To be honest, I'm not quite sure how this happens or why, but it obviously does. I use my blog as an outlet. I know some people don't believe in broadcasting their life over a blog but I'm not some people. I'm Ashlie. I don't really feel like I broadcast my entire life anyways. Trust me...there are TONS of things that I would never EVER put on here for everyone to see. I do keep a lot of things private. I always read through my blogs a handful of times before posting them, to make sure I don't mind any and every one reading it, because that's always a possibility. Some people use an old-fashioned pen and paper as their outlet. Some people don't use anything as an outlet. Some people use blogs. I'm a blogger and that's OK. If you do come back one day and see that it's private, you are welcome to add me on Google and you are more than welcome to read away!
Now, back to Barrett's upcoming procedure. If everyone will just keep Ty, Barrett, and myself in your prayers on January 17th, we would be much appreciative! I pray that Barrett does great with the procedure and heals quickly! I also pray that he does wonderful with the anesthesia and doesn't suffer from any side effects. I pray that I can make it through the procedure without losing my mind :/. I pray that Ty is blessed with lots of patience that day.
I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
My baby's growing up :(
I mean, obviously all babies grow up but it's so hard/unbelievable when it's your own. This time a year ago, Barrett was SO different. He was six weeks old and weighed around 14 pounds. He wore size six months in clothing and size one in shoes. He woke up randomly during the night and was on no kind of schedule, whatsoever. He drank around four ounces of powdered formula every two to three hours. He enjoyed laying in his bouncy seat, playing with a few small toys. Now, Barrett's 58 weeks old and weighs around 26 pounds. He wears size 18-24 months in clothing and size five in shoes. He sleeps a solid ten hours a night, sometimes twelve hours, very rarely waking in the middle of the night. He's finally decided he'll take on a schedule. He moved on from formula to about twelve ounces of whole milk a day and eight ounces of water and juice. He eats four meals a day and one snack. He loves cheese, bananas, pasta, green beans, and ice cream. He's definitely my child ;p.
He is just such a wonderful baby...really. I'm not saying he's perfect. No one's perfect. He's still a one year old and a male one year old at that! But seriously, I couldn't imagine having a more cooperative baby. For the past week, Ty and I have been able to lay our thirteen month old in his crib at bedtime and he doesn't make a peep. Even if he's not sleepy, he'll lay there, quiet as a mouse, until he falls asleep. In the mornings, I'm able to turn on a Mickey Mouse DVD in his playroom (right beside my room for all of you worrying about how I'm able to see him) and he'll play with his toys and watch his movie while I get a shower and get ready for work. Also, he's a really good eater. He eats the same proportions that I eat at times, which seems like a lot for a one year old. He's reached the age where he strives to entertain strangers when we're in public and I love it! Most of the time, he makes many new friends and they'll talk and play with him, which he just eats up. Rarely, we'll have a grouch ignore him and it breaks my heart. You can see in his little innocent eyes that he just doesn't understand why they don't even smile at him. I mean, how can you not even smile at a sweet little baby gleaming at you?! If you don't want to have a conversation, I understand but at least smile at him :(.
He's really good about not getting into things like electrical cords and plants, etc. Of course I still watch to make sure he doesn't get into anything because I know that one day, he may decide that that electrical socket looks very interesting ;). The only things so far that we have to really keep an eye on with him are: A) Lilly's food and water dishes, and B) the toilets :/. I've caught him twice with Lilly's food in his mouth. She eats dry dog food which is a good and a bad thing. It's good because it doesn't seem as gross as wet dog food would be in his mouth but it's bad because he could easily choke on it. He loves to stick his whole hand in her water dish and splash it everywhere. He hasn't dumped the whole bowl yet...YET, I said. The toilet situation is just disgusting. He's done it twice now...that is, he's stuck his hand IN the toilet water. The first time, I was getting ready for work and it didn't take him thirty seconds to get out of my sight and hands-first in the toilet. After that incident, we've kept our toilet lids down and the bathroom doors shut. BUT...I came down with some kind of virus Saturday night and felt too bad to even think about shutting the toilet lid or the bathroom door. I was running 102 fever, chills, body aches, weak, and felt really nauseous but never actually got sick (thank goodness for Barrett's hands' sake). I just felt awful and came back to bed and crashed. Next thing I know, Ty's like, "Ashlie!!! You didn't shut the bathroom door and Barrett's been in here splashing in the toilet!" Dis.Gust.Ing. But, I feel like that's Ty's fault...he knew I was sick ;). He should have watched B closer, maybe!
I've been told a lot lately that Barrett's beginning to look more like me than he does Ty...FINALLY! His eyes seem to be turning green or brown though :( Not that brown are bad. It's just that my mother, two sisters, and myself, all got our blue eyes from my great grandfather that Barrett is named after, so it would be nice if he kept his blue eyes too. Charles Asa Walker was my great grandfather's name and Barrett's middle name is Asa. 'Daddy Charles' was a wonderful man. He treated my great grandmother like gold. They were what every loving couple should strive to be. They had an unconditional love that was explained by the way they treated and looked at eachother. They must have been special people because they have four great great grandchildren that are named after them. My nephews' names are WALKER Penn Ridgeway, Jackson CHARLES Ridgeway, and Colin BRADSHAW Davison. My great grandmother's maiden name was Bradshaw. Before I knew that Barrett was a boy, I had intentions of incorporating 'Nuna Mom's' first name, Evelyn, as either a girl's first or middle name. I just wish both great grandparents were still around to see how much they are loved and looked up to :).
Anyways, I've got to go to bed at a desent time. Barrett's got a doctor's appointment in the morning that I've been dreading but anxious for so we've got to be up early! I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week! Happy 2012!
He is just such a wonderful baby...really. I'm not saying he's perfect. No one's perfect. He's still a one year old and a male one year old at that! But seriously, I couldn't imagine having a more cooperative baby. For the past week, Ty and I have been able to lay our thirteen month old in his crib at bedtime and he doesn't make a peep. Even if he's not sleepy, he'll lay there, quiet as a mouse, until he falls asleep. In the mornings, I'm able to turn on a Mickey Mouse DVD in his playroom (right beside my room for all of you worrying about how I'm able to see him) and he'll play with his toys and watch his movie while I get a shower and get ready for work. Also, he's a really good eater. He eats the same proportions that I eat at times, which seems like a lot for a one year old. He's reached the age where he strives to entertain strangers when we're in public and I love it! Most of the time, he makes many new friends and they'll talk and play with him, which he just eats up. Rarely, we'll have a grouch ignore him and it breaks my heart. You can see in his little innocent eyes that he just doesn't understand why they don't even smile at him. I mean, how can you not even smile at a sweet little baby gleaming at you?! If you don't want to have a conversation, I understand but at least smile at him :(.
He's really good about not getting into things like electrical cords and plants, etc. Of course I still watch to make sure he doesn't get into anything because I know that one day, he may decide that that electrical socket looks very interesting ;). The only things so far that we have to really keep an eye on with him are: A) Lilly's food and water dishes, and B) the toilets :/. I've caught him twice with Lilly's food in his mouth. She eats dry dog food which is a good and a bad thing. It's good because it doesn't seem as gross as wet dog food would be in his mouth but it's bad because he could easily choke on it. He loves to stick his whole hand in her water dish and splash it everywhere. He hasn't dumped the whole bowl yet...YET, I said. The toilet situation is just disgusting. He's done it twice now...that is, he's stuck his hand IN the toilet water. The first time, I was getting ready for work and it didn't take him thirty seconds to get out of my sight and hands-first in the toilet. After that incident, we've kept our toilet lids down and the bathroom doors shut. BUT...I came down with some kind of virus Saturday night and felt too bad to even think about shutting the toilet lid or the bathroom door. I was running 102 fever, chills, body aches, weak, and felt really nauseous but never actually got sick (thank goodness for Barrett's hands' sake). I just felt awful and came back to bed and crashed. Next thing I know, Ty's like, "Ashlie!!! You didn't shut the bathroom door and Barrett's been in here splashing in the toilet!" Dis.Gust.Ing. But, I feel like that's Ty's fault...he knew I was sick ;). He should have watched B closer, maybe!
I've been told a lot lately that Barrett's beginning to look more like me than he does Ty...FINALLY! His eyes seem to be turning green or brown though :( Not that brown are bad. It's just that my mother, two sisters, and myself, all got our blue eyes from my great grandfather that Barrett is named after, so it would be nice if he kept his blue eyes too. Charles Asa Walker was my great grandfather's name and Barrett's middle name is Asa. 'Daddy Charles' was a wonderful man. He treated my great grandmother like gold. They were what every loving couple should strive to be. They had an unconditional love that was explained by the way they treated and looked at eachother. They must have been special people because they have four great great grandchildren that are named after them. My nephews' names are WALKER Penn Ridgeway, Jackson CHARLES Ridgeway, and Colin BRADSHAW Davison. My great grandmother's maiden name was Bradshaw. Before I knew that Barrett was a boy, I had intentions of incorporating 'Nuna Mom's' first name, Evelyn, as either a girl's first or middle name. I just wish both great grandparents were still around to see how much they are loved and looked up to :).
Anyways, I've got to go to bed at a desent time. Barrett's got a doctor's appointment in the morning that I've been dreading but anxious for so we've got to be up early! I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week! Happy 2012!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A Rant...Mostly...
As you're probably thinking, this blog is a total rant by yours truly. So, if you aren't in the mood to listen to me whine, then don't continue reading or at least skip about four paragraphs. Trust me, I understand. Christmas is in five days so I feel like I should be in such wonderful spirit. I'm not in a BAD MOOD necessarily. I'm just very moody. [CONTENT DELETED DUE TO SILLY DRAMA] I'm very excited for this break from work we're about to get! Ty and I are taking off on Friday and then we're closed Monday. Barrett's daycare is closed starting this Friday until January third so I'll be taking off a couple of days next week too. Ty's mom will be keeping him the other days, while day care is closed.
Another thing I've been having a problem with lately is people wanting to tell me what I'm doing wrong or what I SHOULD be doing with MY child. I've had one person that I see fairly often, make comments to Barrett about how "he needs shoes on" and "it's too cold outside for him to not have shoes on". For starters, my child HATES shoes. He's scared of them for some reason I have yet been able to figure out. I have made numerous attempts to put shoes on him and every time, he flops everywhere, screams and cries, shivers, and his face turns bright red. He'll continue to cry for a little while and can ruin a night. Obviously, he's going to have to wear shoes when he starts walking but right now, I don't want to fight that battle, when he's only crawling. I did buy some soft-sole shoes from Old Navy last weekend and he hasn't had as much of a problem wearing them, thank goodness. He pulls them off pretty often though.
I feel like I'm pretty laid-back about Barrett, which has made a few people comment on things I do. For example, he has recently started wanting to feed himself, refusing to let me feed him. He's still not good with a spoon or fork so if it's at all possible, I let him eat with his hands. My other choice is for me to shove food down his throat while he screams and flops around in his high chair. Yeah, I could "stand my ground" and make him let me feed him but then he just wouldn't eat. I feel like I did that for a month or so and that was also the same time that he stopped gaining weight. To the point of my story, tonight we went to T.G.I. Friday's with our best friends. I ordered Barrett macaroni and cheese and french fries. I cut the french fries into pieces, put them on the table, and also put a few spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese on the table. I put his spoon within his reach, in case he decided to try to use it. He started slinging cheese EVERYWHERE, which is when I decided to take the spoon from him. A waiter (not even ours) brought my food to the table and made the sarcastic comment of "it's a good thing it's not cold/flu season" and made a "yeah right" face. Seriously?! If he's so brave and opinionated, why didn't he just come out and say, "I can't believe you put your son's food on the table and let him eat with his hands, when he could catch a cold or the flu from the table"? Number one, he's gotten a flu shot so that's a minimal worry of mine. I know it's not sure-proof but it definitely helps. Number two, it's not the end of the world if he DOES indeed catch a cold. I'm not one of those parents that freaks out about germs. I've already got enough things to worry about. Ty worries enough about germs for the both of us, LOL! It's strange because I have slight O.C.D. but when it comes to stuff like that, I just don't care.
OK, I think I'm done ranting for the time being. On a totally different note, I am SO excited that my nephew, Austin will be born soon! Technically, he's my best friend's baby but he's a nephew in my eyes! She is due on January tenth but hit 37 weeks pregnant today, which is full-term, meaning if he was born today, he would most likely be healthy and completely normal. It's amazing how much changes in only a year with a baby. It's so hard for me to believe that this time last year, Barrett was a 13 pound itty-bitty thing that couldn't even hold his own head up. Now, he's a 25 pound professional crawler and soon-to-be walker. I'm so excited for my friend to be able to experience the miracle of motherhood! It's definitely a love that is indescribable and a magnificent one at that! And obviously, I'm excited to have a new baby around to love on but be able to give back to his mom and dad, LOL. I can't wait to meet him and hopefully it will be sooner than later!
In other news, Barrett's loving food right now. His favorite foods currently are bananas, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, green beans, Graduates Lil' Crunchies, and most any kind of pasta. He wakes up around 8:00 a.m. and gets infant mixed cereal combined with baby food fruit as well as eight ounces of whole milk in a bottle. He eats some kind of table food for lunch with whole milk in a sippy cup around 11:00 a.m. and then a snack, usually crackers or fruit, with water in a sippy cup, around 2:30 p.m.. He eats table food for dinner around 5:30 p.m. with water in a sippy cup. Then he gets infant mixed cereal again, combined with baby food fruit around 8:30 p.m. as well as eight ounces of whole milk in a bottle. His pediatrician said that baby/infant cereal and baby food are more nutritious anyways so as long as he'll eat it, continue feeding it to him. He's normally in bed (crib) by 9:45 p.m. lately, which has been WONDERFUL! He used to want to stay up until midnight, which took a toll on all three of us. Now, he's sleeping 10+ hours a night. He's been in a better mood, since getting more sleep. He goes to daycare Monday through Friday every week, except for Wednesdays, which is when Ty's mother gets to keep him at her house. He doesn't go to daycare until 11:00 a.m. every day and I pick him up between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., when I get off work. I LOVE getting an extra few hours with him in the mornings. I will say though, that it's a little difficult to get ready for work with him frequently hugging me and giving me sugar, while I'm flat-ironing my hair in the bedroom floor :). Trust me...I don't mind at all! He's such a sweet and loving baby and I just adore him.
I'm so extremely thankful for such a wonderful day care with teachers that I trust 100%, every time I drop him off. He has learned SO much since starting West Jackson Baptist Church's day care program. The last Mother's Day Out program he was in at a different church (not naming names) was of no benefit to him. Yes, it allowed me some free time and I was able to get some work done, but he learned NOTHING there. Keep in mind, he only went Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Almost every day that I picked him up, ALL of the babies were screaming and the teachers were sitting in the rockers by themselves and had a slight attitude. I thought this was normal because it was the only thing I had been exposed to. Barrett started West Jackson and it's NOTHING like that. Yes, the babies cry but the amount that I see at WJBC seems normal and the teachers always give the necessary attention to that child. They have gotten Barrett into a routine which I have so far been unable to successfully accomplish. He recently moved up classes and I was terrified because the teachers he had in his previous class weren't far from perfect. But I can now say, his new teachers are just as good as his last and I love them! I think he'll be in this class for at least 6 months if not a year longer.
Barrett's still in love with Mickey Mouse. He's his number one fan, I believe :). He's spanning out his vocabulary lately. He says, "ma-ma", "da-da", "hey", "hi-D", "bye", "yay", "I did it", and his most recent, "ball". He's even said "Doo-Dah" a few times, which is my stepfather's nickname. My stepfather, Steve, is known for getting my nephews donuts from Doo Dah's donuts, the mornings they stay with him and my mom, which is where the nickname comes from. Barrett can clap his hands, wave hello and bye, point, pull up, give five and give five "up high". He knows how to open and close Lilly's crate. He knows how to use a hair brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, television remote, and cell phone. If you ask him to point at some one's nose or a light, he will. He knows what his "cars" are. He has lots of toy cars that he loves. This morning, he decided to play with a wall outlet in mine and Ty's bedroom. I told him, "no" and pointed my finger at him. I was surprised when I got back a pointed finger at me. I couldn't help but laugh. Luckily, I had time to turn my face the other way so he didn't see me laughing. It was just too funny though, seeing that little bitty finger pointing back at me. He's definitely developed an attitude in his "old age". He still LOVES Lilly and she loves him. She has gotten a little distant from him lately though. She's learned that he's rougher with her than she cares for and knows when to steer clear. She's always under his high chair though, when it's dinner time!
Anyways, I've written more than any of you cared to read, I'm sure! Sorry! I haven't written in about three weeks though and this is a good outlet for me, even if no one was to read my blog. Everyone have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year if I don't post again or see any of you between now and then!
Another thing I've been having a problem with lately is people wanting to tell me what I'm doing wrong or what I SHOULD be doing with MY child. I've had one person that I see fairly often, make comments to Barrett about how "he needs shoes on" and "it's too cold outside for him to not have shoes on". For starters, my child HATES shoes. He's scared of them for some reason I have yet been able to figure out. I have made numerous attempts to put shoes on him and every time, he flops everywhere, screams and cries, shivers, and his face turns bright red. He'll continue to cry for a little while and can ruin a night. Obviously, he's going to have to wear shoes when he starts walking but right now, I don't want to fight that battle, when he's only crawling. I did buy some soft-sole shoes from Old Navy last weekend and he hasn't had as much of a problem wearing them, thank goodness. He pulls them off pretty often though.
I feel like I'm pretty laid-back about Barrett, which has made a few people comment on things I do. For example, he has recently started wanting to feed himself, refusing to let me feed him. He's still not good with a spoon or fork so if it's at all possible, I let him eat with his hands. My other choice is for me to shove food down his throat while he screams and flops around in his high chair. Yeah, I could "stand my ground" and make him let me feed him but then he just wouldn't eat. I feel like I did that for a month or so and that was also the same time that he stopped gaining weight. To the point of my story, tonight we went to T.G.I. Friday's with our best friends. I ordered Barrett macaroni and cheese and french fries. I cut the french fries into pieces, put them on the table, and also put a few spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese on the table. I put his spoon within his reach, in case he decided to try to use it. He started slinging cheese EVERYWHERE, which is when I decided to take the spoon from him. A waiter (not even ours) brought my food to the table and made the sarcastic comment of "it's a good thing it's not cold/flu season" and made a "yeah right" face. Seriously?! If he's so brave and opinionated, why didn't he just come out and say, "I can't believe you put your son's food on the table and let him eat with his hands, when he could catch a cold or the flu from the table"? Number one, he's gotten a flu shot so that's a minimal worry of mine. I know it's not sure-proof but it definitely helps. Number two, it's not the end of the world if he DOES indeed catch a cold. I'm not one of those parents that freaks out about germs. I've already got enough things to worry about. Ty worries enough about germs for the both of us, LOL! It's strange because I have slight O.C.D. but when it comes to stuff like that, I just don't care.
OK, I think I'm done ranting for the time being. On a totally different note, I am SO excited that my nephew, Austin will be born soon! Technically, he's my best friend's baby but he's a nephew in my eyes! She is due on January tenth but hit 37 weeks pregnant today, which is full-term, meaning if he was born today, he would most likely be healthy and completely normal. It's amazing how much changes in only a year with a baby. It's so hard for me to believe that this time last year, Barrett was a 13 pound itty-bitty thing that couldn't even hold his own head up. Now, he's a 25 pound professional crawler and soon-to-be walker. I'm so excited for my friend to be able to experience the miracle of motherhood! It's definitely a love that is indescribable and a magnificent one at that! And obviously, I'm excited to have a new baby around to love on but be able to give back to his mom and dad, LOL. I can't wait to meet him and hopefully it will be sooner than later!
In other news, Barrett's loving food right now. His favorite foods currently are bananas, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, green beans, Graduates Lil' Crunchies, and most any kind of pasta. He wakes up around 8:00 a.m. and gets infant mixed cereal combined with baby food fruit as well as eight ounces of whole milk in a bottle. He eats some kind of table food for lunch with whole milk in a sippy cup around 11:00 a.m. and then a snack, usually crackers or fruit, with water in a sippy cup, around 2:30 p.m.. He eats table food for dinner around 5:30 p.m. with water in a sippy cup. Then he gets infant mixed cereal again, combined with baby food fruit around 8:30 p.m. as well as eight ounces of whole milk in a bottle. His pediatrician said that baby/infant cereal and baby food are more nutritious anyways so as long as he'll eat it, continue feeding it to him. He's normally in bed (crib) by 9:45 p.m. lately, which has been WONDERFUL! He used to want to stay up until midnight, which took a toll on all three of us. Now, he's sleeping 10+ hours a night. He's been in a better mood, since getting more sleep. He goes to daycare Monday through Friday every week, except for Wednesdays, which is when Ty's mother gets to keep him at her house. He doesn't go to daycare until 11:00 a.m. every day and I pick him up between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., when I get off work. I LOVE getting an extra few hours with him in the mornings. I will say though, that it's a little difficult to get ready for work with him frequently hugging me and giving me sugar, while I'm flat-ironing my hair in the bedroom floor :). Trust me...I don't mind at all! He's such a sweet and loving baby and I just adore him.
I'm so extremely thankful for such a wonderful day care with teachers that I trust 100%, every time I drop him off. He has learned SO much since starting West Jackson Baptist Church's day care program. The last Mother's Day Out program he was in at a different church (not naming names) was of no benefit to him. Yes, it allowed me some free time and I was able to get some work done, but he learned NOTHING there. Keep in mind, he only went Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Almost every day that I picked him up, ALL of the babies were screaming and the teachers were sitting in the rockers by themselves and had a slight attitude. I thought this was normal because it was the only thing I had been exposed to. Barrett started West Jackson and it's NOTHING like that. Yes, the babies cry but the amount that I see at WJBC seems normal and the teachers always give the necessary attention to that child. They have gotten Barrett into a routine which I have so far been unable to successfully accomplish. He recently moved up classes and I was terrified because the teachers he had in his previous class weren't far from perfect. But I can now say, his new teachers are just as good as his last and I love them! I think he'll be in this class for at least 6 months if not a year longer.
Barrett's still in love with Mickey Mouse. He's his number one fan, I believe :). He's spanning out his vocabulary lately. He says, "ma-ma", "da-da", "hey", "hi-D", "bye", "yay", "I did it", and his most recent, "ball". He's even said "Doo-Dah" a few times, which is my stepfather's nickname. My stepfather, Steve, is known for getting my nephews donuts from Doo Dah's donuts, the mornings they stay with him and my mom, which is where the nickname comes from. Barrett can clap his hands, wave hello and bye, point, pull up, give five and give five "up high". He knows how to open and close Lilly's crate. He knows how to use a hair brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, television remote, and cell phone. If you ask him to point at some one's nose or a light, he will. He knows what his "cars" are. He has lots of toy cars that he loves. This morning, he decided to play with a wall outlet in mine and Ty's bedroom. I told him, "no" and pointed my finger at him. I was surprised when I got back a pointed finger at me. I couldn't help but laugh. Luckily, I had time to turn my face the other way so he didn't see me laughing. It was just too funny though, seeing that little bitty finger pointing back at me. He's definitely developed an attitude in his "old age". He still LOVES Lilly and she loves him. She has gotten a little distant from him lately though. She's learned that he's rougher with her than she cares for and knows when to steer clear. She's always under his high chair though, when it's dinner time!
Anyways, I've written more than any of you cared to read, I'm sure! Sorry! I haven't written in about three weeks though and this is a good outlet for me, even if no one was to read my blog. Everyone have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year if I don't post again or see any of you between now and then!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Barrett's 1 Year Checkup
Barrett had his 1 year checkup with Dr. Woods Tuesday afternoon. Everything went as expected. He weighs 24 pounds, 11 ounces and is 31 inches long. He's between the 50th and 75th percentile for his weight and 75th to 90th percentile for his height. His head is 18.5 inches around, which is also in the 75th to 90th percentile. I asked the doctor to look at his "infected" ear again. The antibiotic (Omnicef) was making him very sick so I wanted to see if he still had to take it or if he could to swap to a different one. Turns out, his ear isn't infected, really. He said it probably was slightly infected because it was still a little red but obviously, 2 days on the antibiotics helped it. So, we've stopped the medicine, thank goodness! He had so many "bad" diapers during the 2 days he was on the antibiotic and screamed like he was in pain. I'm thinking his stomach was just hurting that bad :(. Since he's quit, he's a completely different baby. He's back to sleeping normally and isn't as grumpy as he was.
He also got his 12 month shots Tuesday. I believe he got 4 vaccinations, one shot for each. He's always gotten 4 injections but they'll combine as much as they can. For example, his 6 month shots contained 7 or 8 vaccinations but they were able to put it all into 4 injections. I was hoping he'd only get 1 or 2 injections this time but I guess they couldn't combine these. One of the vaccinations was his flu shot. He has to go back in exactly a month and get a booster for it. Oddly enough, I can't even tell by the way he's acting, that he got shots. I did end up giving him Infant Tylenol last night because he was a tad bit fussy and I can imagine getting 2 shots in the same location in each thigh will leave you sore. He's a little trooper, though ;).
I have finally changed Barrett's meals completely, since he's turned a year old. He gets 8 ounces of lukewarm milk in the morning and at bedtime then eats 2-3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between. He's off of baby food for the most part. He does still get a fruit serving of baby food with his cereal at night but that's it. He drinks water during the day with his meals and snacks. We sometimes splurge and let him get some watered-down tea, juice, or soda but are only going to let that happen every now and then. Everything in moderation! We had a hard time in the beginning, getting him to eat ANY table food. It was almost overnight and he decided he liked table food. He moved up classes at daycare on Monday as well and I think that helped a ton. I think that him seeing the other babies eat table food and use a sippy cup, all while sitting in their highchairs, makes him more comfortable and accepting of the changes.
Well, that's all I have to say for now! Short, sweet, and to-the-point is always good! Everyone have a great week!
He also got his 12 month shots Tuesday. I believe he got 4 vaccinations, one shot for each. He's always gotten 4 injections but they'll combine as much as they can. For example, his 6 month shots contained 7 or 8 vaccinations but they were able to put it all into 4 injections. I was hoping he'd only get 1 or 2 injections this time but I guess they couldn't combine these. One of the vaccinations was his flu shot. He has to go back in exactly a month and get a booster for it. Oddly enough, I can't even tell by the way he's acting, that he got shots. I did end up giving him Infant Tylenol last night because he was a tad bit fussy and I can imagine getting 2 shots in the same location in each thigh will leave you sore. He's a little trooper, though ;).
I have finally changed Barrett's meals completely, since he's turned a year old. He gets 8 ounces of lukewarm milk in the morning and at bedtime then eats 2-3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between. He's off of baby food for the most part. He does still get a fruit serving of baby food with his cereal at night but that's it. He drinks water during the day with his meals and snacks. We sometimes splurge and let him get some watered-down tea, juice, or soda but are only going to let that happen every now and then. Everything in moderation! We had a hard time in the beginning, getting him to eat ANY table food. It was almost overnight and he decided he liked table food. He moved up classes at daycare on Monday as well and I think that helped a ton. I think that him seeing the other babies eat table food and use a sippy cup, all while sitting in their highchairs, makes him more comfortable and accepting of the changes.
Well, that's all I have to say for now! Short, sweet, and to-the-point is always good! Everyone have a great week!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thanksgiving weekend
So far, it's been a great Thanksgiving break. Technically, this is our second Thanksgiving with Barrett but it feels like our first because he was only 4 days old for Thanksgiving last year and we were still in the hospital. It was nice spending the day, just us 3, at home, on our "first" Thanksgiving, just being thankful for eachother! Thursday night, we went to Ty's grandfather's house in Beech Bluff for dinner. Everything went well. Ty's parents ended up keeping Barrett that night and half of the day Friday. Thursday night, after Ty and I got home, we put up the Christmas tree and decorations. It took me about 5 hours to get everything done so I didn't get in bed until about 2 am Thursday night (Friday morning).
Our Tree:
I picked up Barrett around 1:30 pm Friday afternoon. I was so excited to show him the Christmas tree and decorations! However, he's not cared a single bit about any of it! I guess that's a good thing, since he probably won't be pulling off ornaments, etc. Since I picked him up, he's cried pretty much non-stop. He doesn't want to eat. He doesn't want to sleep. He doesn't want to play. He doesn't want to do nothing, though. He whines constantly. I knew something was wrong because he's normally so happy and content with everything. I've put off taking him to the doctor though because a) I haven't had time and b) I was hoping it would go away on it's on. Friday, I spent the day taking care of Barrett. When you have a sick child, it pretty much consumes ALL of your time. He wants to be held 24/7 and when he feels bad, I always give in and hold him. He'll only be this little once and I'm going to take advantage of it when I can.
When I wasn't caring for B, I was catching up on my to-do list. I finally ordered our Christmas cards, which I've been trying to do for a few weeks now. I cleaned the house a little bit. I went through some cabinets that desperately needed organized. I put a bunch of stuff out that needs to be sold next time we have a Garage Sale. That's on the list for tomorrow: actually putting the garage-sale stuff in the attic! Barrett really put up a fight, going to bed, Friday night. He would fall asleep in our arms but wake up as soon as we laid him down in his crib. He did this 5 times before we had no choice but to let him cry it out for a bit. It was 1 am Friday night (Saturday morning) and there just wasn't another option. I refuse to fall back into the pattern of letting him sleep with us. I made the mistake of doing it when he was around 6 months old and it was an extremely hard pattern to break. He cried for about 20 minutes and finally fell asleep. He slept until 11 am this morning though :/.
I've spent today cooking for my mom's Thanksgiving dinner that we had tonight. I made macaroni & cheese and cinnamon chips & fruit salsa. Both were delicious! We had so much food tonight and it was all wonderful! We finally took B to Convenient Care, after dinner and it turns out, his right ear is infected. But, the doctor said we caught it early so his antibiotic should help it not get much worse. We started Ceftin tonight and he's got to take it twice a day for 10 days. I also gave him some Infant Advil tonight to help the pain and honestly, I think that's why he fell asleep much easier tonight. I've always heard it hurts a baby to lie down, when he/she has an ear infection. I hate it because there's nothing you can really do to help him. Even holding and rocking him, he still cries from the pain. He just doesn't know what he wants. I'm hoping he starts feeling better within a couple of days.
He starts his new class at daycare on Monday, which I'm a little nervous about. He'll have 3 new teachers and will be with other infants/toddlers around 1 year to 2 years old. One of his new teachers was actually his teacher when he was about 6 months old and we really liked her so that's a little bit of relief. I know he'll eventually get used to the change but he got so close to his old teachers and I'm sure we'll have a little difficulty getting used to the new ones. He has his 1 year checkup and shots on Tuesday afternoon. He'll also have some urine test done to check for diabetes, I believe. They tried to do it when he was 9 months old but he wouldn't urinate while we were there. Instead of making us sit around and wait, Dr. Woods said we could just do it at his 12 month visit. Barrett's gotten so tall and thin! I can't believe it! He was just so stocky when he was born, I never imagined him being tall and skinny at a year old! I'm relieved though. When they announced after my C-Section that he was almost 11 pounds, I was scared that he had a lifetime of obesity ahead of him. That's definitely not the case though!
On another note, I'm so looking forward to Christmas! I just love this time of year. It's busy yet peaceful for me. I'm also excited that my best friend is nearing her due date to have her little boy. I can't wait to meet him! OK, I've said everything I have to say. I might just get in bed by 2 am tonight! What an accomplishment! LOL. Good night everyone! I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was fabulous!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Do I really have a one year old?!
WARNING: This is a long post.
DOUBLE WARNING: Talk of my C-Section is in this entry.
I just can't believe it ... I have a one year old son?! It's starting to slowly sink in but it's just so weird. On November 21st, 2010, at 9:17 a.m., I was given the most amazing 10 pound 14 ounce, 21 inches long blessing I could ever dream of ... my son. I remember the whole thing and this is the story.
We started trying to get pregnant in June 2009. We did everything to a T for 8 months, using all the tests available to try and get pregnant with no results. I finally had Laparoscopy in February 2010 because I had had some lower abdominal pain. They found nothing wrong with my reproductive system but did find 2 Indirect Inguinal Hernias, which were repaired during the same procedure. I was instructed to NOT get pregnant for at least 3 months so that my body would have time to heal. Well, to our surprise, I found out on March 15, 2o10, that I was pregnant. I had been nauseous for a couple of days and decided to test that morning, thinking that it was impossible. I remember staring at that pregnancy test, seeing a line but not seeing a line, at the same time. I went out and bought a few more tests which showed a little better line. I immediately called Ty at work and told him the news. Yeah, I would have loved to have some dramatic story of how I told him but I was just too excited!
After talking to Ty, I called my doctor and made an appointment for the following day. I also called a few close family members and friend because I was too excited to not tell anyone! I went for my appointment the next day and was shocked when I was told, "you must have had an early miscarriage because your pregnancy test is negative". I remember tears coming to my eyes. Luckily, I had brought my 8 (yes, EIGHT) positive home tests with me. That gave Dr. Hammond enough reason to do a blood test. I had to wait 2 extremely anxious days to find out the results. I finally got the phone call! The nurse said I was pregnant but that my HCG (a pregnancy hormone) level was extremely low, coming in at 26. In pregnancy, HCG can get as high as 100,000-200,000, to give you a comparison. Most home pregnancy tests detect anything above 25. The nurse said that their office tests probably detect above 100. So, they had me come back in that afternoon to do another test. In early pregnancy, your HCG should double every 2 or 3 days so we were looking for that result to determine if my pregnancy was viable. I had to wait until the following Monday to get the results. All of this waiting was horrendous! I took a million home tests in that time and I was so glad when the lines started getting darker. I got the phone call Monday saying my HCG was at 75 so that meant everything was looking good!
I was scheduled for an ultrasound for some other problems I was having, when I should have been 9 weeks 2 days pregnant. Once again, I had another scare when the embryo only measured 6 weeks 0 days. The baby did at least have a heartbeat of 118 beats per minutes though. The doctor told me to be "cautiously optimistic". In other words, it doesn't look good but don't completely lose hope. I went for a follow up ultrasound a week later and the baby was measuring a week ahead, so things started looking up :). I got my gender/anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks 2 days and everything looked great! We found out "it" was a boy and decided on the name, Barrett Asa Jones. We just liked the name Barrett and Asa was my mother's mother's father's middle name. I made a list of 20 names for his first name and Barrett was the only one Ty would agree with ;). I thought a lot of my great-grandfather. He was like a second father to me when I was a child.
Anyways, I started measuring ahead around 28 weeks. I took my 1 hour glucose test at that time and passed with flying colors. At 28 weeks, I measured 32 weeks by ultrasound and fundal height. I continued to measure 3-5 weeks ahead until I gave birth. I remember at my 37 week ultrasound, Barrett measured almost 41 weeks, ha ha. Besides measuring large I didn't really have any other complications while I was pregnant. Around 35 weeks, I did start swelling really bad and got slightly high blood pressure. However, I wasn't diagnosed with Preeclampsia before birth because all of my lab work came back fine. At around 38 weeks, my blood pressure got pretty bad so I was scheduled a C Section for November 22, 2010. They also were expecting him to be large so it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and plan on the C Section.
Around 11 pm, November 20, 2010, I started having contractions but wasn't sure that's what was going on. They hurt but they weren't horrible nor were they less than 10 minutes apart. I told Ty that I felt weird but he convinced me to try and rest it off since I was scheduled for a C Section in about 36 hours. He of course, went to bed. I of course, did not LOL. I stayed up all night, sitting on the couch, pacing the floor, changing positions...pretty much trying anything that might help the pain go away. The contractions got more frequent, coming at least every 4 minutes but weren't intolerable yet. Around 3 am, they were at the point where I couldn't speak during them anymore. I finally woke Ty up around 6 am and told him we had to go to the hospital. I was only dilated half a centimeter and 50% effaced when we got there at 7 am. Thank goodness things moved along really fast. Dr. Ball was on call and did my C Section. I was cut open at 9:08 am and Barrett was born at 9:17 am. Very fast, to say the least! I'm just grateful he didn't make me wait all day to get it done.
We got there, I was checked in quick, I changed clothes and it all went extremely fast after that. I remember having to drink the acid reducing medicine then waiting about an hour. During that time, Ty called family and friends to let them know to come to the hospital. I wasn't sure I was going to stay at the hospital when we went so we called no one. I hated to wake everyone up at 7 am on a Sunday morning for nothing. That hour was probably the most stressful. You just have what seems like a ton of time to start worrying about the "what ifs". After that hour passed, I went back and got my spinal. I hated not being able to have Ty with me at that time. I was scared, to say the least. I had wonderful nurses in there with me though and I'm so thankful for them. I laid down, started getting numb within minutes, and I finally saw Ty come in. Me and Ty were speechless. I think he was just as nervous as I was. When I finally heard Barrett cry, I was so relieved. After he was born, Ty went to see him and I felt so alone. The nurse was there beside me but it's nice to be with someone you actually know, especially in such a nerve-wracking time.
Finally, Ty brought B to see me and I was instantly in love. I was able to quickly touch him and give him a kiss and he was taken away. It was around 9:45 am and they had me sewed up and took me to my room to recover, which is when I was started on my morphine pump. I was so eager to see my baby but I was told that he was breathing a little fast, so they needed to keep him in the nursery a little longer. They continued to tell me the same story every hour, for three hours. I was really worried something was wrong with him. Finally, they brought him in and said he was still breathing fast but they would go ahead and let me have him. He was just perfect! Such a stocky cute baby boy.
I was actually looking at our pictures from that time, recently, and saw a picture of him right after he was born. They had a tube down his throat with brown stuff in it. I asked his pediatrician about it and come to find out, he had swallowed meconium (practically poop) before he was born. I was never told that. I'm kind of glad to know that now though because a side effect of swallowing meconium is rapid breathing. Some serious issues can come about from swallowing meconium but thankfully, my little man hasn't suffered any other problems.
I was released from the hospital 3 days after he was born, with slightly high blood pressure. The night after returning home, I felt very light-headed, nauseous, and just not "right". I checked my blood pressure and it was 180/120. I returned to the hospital and they admitted me for another 3 days. The first 36 hours were spent on Magnesium which was not fun at all. It makes you feel like you have the flu times 10. I was finally released after 3 days, with still slightly high blood pressure, around 140/90. I was put on medication which helped within a week.
I got severe Postpartum Depression around 3 weeks postpartum. Thankfully, my parents, Ty's parents, and my sister were able to swap up keeping Barrett for quite a few nights just to let me get situated. I tried a couple of different antidepressants before getting on the right one and finally got better after about 2 months postpartum.
As many obstacles as I had after the birth of Barrett, I am so extremely thankful for him. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be having any more children because of the reasons stated above but I'm so glad I have Barrett. He's been a good baby from day 1. He's always ate well, slept good, and just been truly happy. Right now, he's crawling, pulling up, walking with his Dinosaur walker, and trying to stand on his own. He's still on formula and baby food, eating a few solids and some table food. He really likes potatoes as far as table food goes. He sleeps around 11 hours a night. He really loves his momma and daddy lately. He's as sweet and loving as he's ever been. I was told by his daycare teacher today, that he hugs and kisses the babies when they cry at daycare. That makes me so proud! He's moving to the next class at daycare on Monday, which I'm kind of bittersweet about. His class now has a lot of newborns in it so I feel like with him being a year old and almost walking, he may not be getting the attention/teaching like he needs. Not to mention, there's only about 2 other babies his age in there. Newborns just take a lot more time feeding, diapering, and comforting than a one year old does. So, that's the good thing about him moving up. However, he has 3 teachers right now that I absolutely LOVE. I can tell they adore Barrett and I know that he loves them. I haven't met his new teacher but I hope to before Monday. I'm hoping she will be just as good as his current ones but I don't know how they can be out-done;). His next class will be something like, 1 to 2 year olds. They don't really do classes solely based on age. They base it more on development but still like to put age into consideration.
I'm so sorry for the extremely long post! I should have updated sometime between Halloween and now but oh well! It's been an extremely busy time for me. Between hostessing my best friend's baby shower, organizing Barrett's 1st Birthday Party, and other family members and friends birthdays and events, I just haven't had the time to do anything else. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and rest of the week!
DOUBLE WARNING: Talk of my C-Section is in this entry.
I just can't believe it ... I have a one year old son?! It's starting to slowly sink in but it's just so weird. On November 21st, 2010, at 9:17 a.m., I was given the most amazing 10 pound 14 ounce, 21 inches long blessing I could ever dream of ... my son. I remember the whole thing and this is the story.
We started trying to get pregnant in June 2009. We did everything to a T for 8 months, using all the tests available to try and get pregnant with no results. I finally had Laparoscopy in February 2010 because I had had some lower abdominal pain. They found nothing wrong with my reproductive system but did find 2 Indirect Inguinal Hernias, which were repaired during the same procedure. I was instructed to NOT get pregnant for at least 3 months so that my body would have time to heal. Well, to our surprise, I found out on March 15, 2o10, that I was pregnant. I had been nauseous for a couple of days and decided to test that morning, thinking that it was impossible. I remember staring at that pregnancy test, seeing a line but not seeing a line, at the same time. I went out and bought a few more tests which showed a little better line. I immediately called Ty at work and told him the news. Yeah, I would have loved to have some dramatic story of how I told him but I was just too excited!
After talking to Ty, I called my doctor and made an appointment for the following day. I also called a few close family members and friend because I was too excited to not tell anyone! I went for my appointment the next day and was shocked when I was told, "you must have had an early miscarriage because your pregnancy test is negative". I remember tears coming to my eyes. Luckily, I had brought my 8 (yes, EIGHT) positive home tests with me. That gave Dr. Hammond enough reason to do a blood test. I had to wait 2 extremely anxious days to find out the results. I finally got the phone call! The nurse said I was pregnant but that my HCG (a pregnancy hormone) level was extremely low, coming in at 26. In pregnancy, HCG can get as high as 100,000-200,000, to give you a comparison. Most home pregnancy tests detect anything above 25. The nurse said that their office tests probably detect above 100. So, they had me come back in that afternoon to do another test. In early pregnancy, your HCG should double every 2 or 3 days so we were looking for that result to determine if my pregnancy was viable. I had to wait until the following Monday to get the results. All of this waiting was horrendous! I took a million home tests in that time and I was so glad when the lines started getting darker. I got the phone call Monday saying my HCG was at 75 so that meant everything was looking good!
I was scheduled for an ultrasound for some other problems I was having, when I should have been 9 weeks 2 days pregnant. Once again, I had another scare when the embryo only measured 6 weeks 0 days. The baby did at least have a heartbeat of 118 beats per minutes though. The doctor told me to be "cautiously optimistic". In other words, it doesn't look good but don't completely lose hope. I went for a follow up ultrasound a week later and the baby was measuring a week ahead, so things started looking up :). I got my gender/anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks 2 days and everything looked great! We found out "it" was a boy and decided on the name, Barrett Asa Jones. We just liked the name Barrett and Asa was my mother's mother's father's middle name. I made a list of 20 names for his first name and Barrett was the only one Ty would agree with ;). I thought a lot of my great-grandfather. He was like a second father to me when I was a child.
Anyways, I started measuring ahead around 28 weeks. I took my 1 hour glucose test at that time and passed with flying colors. At 28 weeks, I measured 32 weeks by ultrasound and fundal height. I continued to measure 3-5 weeks ahead until I gave birth. I remember at my 37 week ultrasound, Barrett measured almost 41 weeks, ha ha. Besides measuring large I didn't really have any other complications while I was pregnant. Around 35 weeks, I did start swelling really bad and got slightly high blood pressure. However, I wasn't diagnosed with Preeclampsia before birth because all of my lab work came back fine. At around 38 weeks, my blood pressure got pretty bad so I was scheduled a C Section for November 22, 2010. They also were expecting him to be large so it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and plan on the C Section.
Around 11 pm, November 20, 2010, I started having contractions but wasn't sure that's what was going on. They hurt but they weren't horrible nor were they less than 10 minutes apart. I told Ty that I felt weird but he convinced me to try and rest it off since I was scheduled for a C Section in about 36 hours. He of course, went to bed. I of course, did not LOL. I stayed up all night, sitting on the couch, pacing the floor, changing positions...pretty much trying anything that might help the pain go away. The contractions got more frequent, coming at least every 4 minutes but weren't intolerable yet. Around 3 am, they were at the point where I couldn't speak during them anymore. I finally woke Ty up around 6 am and told him we had to go to the hospital. I was only dilated half a centimeter and 50% effaced when we got there at 7 am. Thank goodness things moved along really fast. Dr. Ball was on call and did my C Section. I was cut open at 9:08 am and Barrett was born at 9:17 am. Very fast, to say the least! I'm just grateful he didn't make me wait all day to get it done.
We got there, I was checked in quick, I changed clothes and it all went extremely fast after that. I remember having to drink the acid reducing medicine then waiting about an hour. During that time, Ty called family and friends to let them know to come to the hospital. I wasn't sure I was going to stay at the hospital when we went so we called no one. I hated to wake everyone up at 7 am on a Sunday morning for nothing. That hour was probably the most stressful. You just have what seems like a ton of time to start worrying about the "what ifs". After that hour passed, I went back and got my spinal. I hated not being able to have Ty with me at that time. I was scared, to say the least. I had wonderful nurses in there with me though and I'm so thankful for them. I laid down, started getting numb within minutes, and I finally saw Ty come in. Me and Ty were speechless. I think he was just as nervous as I was. When I finally heard Barrett cry, I was so relieved. After he was born, Ty went to see him and I felt so alone. The nurse was there beside me but it's nice to be with someone you actually know, especially in such a nerve-wracking time.
Finally, Ty brought B to see me and I was instantly in love. I was able to quickly touch him and give him a kiss and he was taken away. It was around 9:45 am and they had me sewed up and took me to my room to recover, which is when I was started on my morphine pump. I was so eager to see my baby but I was told that he was breathing a little fast, so they needed to keep him in the nursery a little longer. They continued to tell me the same story every hour, for three hours. I was really worried something was wrong with him. Finally, they brought him in and said he was still breathing fast but they would go ahead and let me have him. He was just perfect! Such a stocky cute baby boy.
I was actually looking at our pictures from that time, recently, and saw a picture of him right after he was born. They had a tube down his throat with brown stuff in it. I asked his pediatrician about it and come to find out, he had swallowed meconium (practically poop) before he was born. I was never told that. I'm kind of glad to know that now though because a side effect of swallowing meconium is rapid breathing. Some serious issues can come about from swallowing meconium but thankfully, my little man hasn't suffered any other problems.
I was released from the hospital 3 days after he was born, with slightly high blood pressure. The night after returning home, I felt very light-headed, nauseous, and just not "right". I checked my blood pressure and it was 180/120. I returned to the hospital and they admitted me for another 3 days. The first 36 hours were spent on Magnesium which was not fun at all. It makes you feel like you have the flu times 10. I was finally released after 3 days, with still slightly high blood pressure, around 140/90. I was put on medication which helped within a week.
I got severe Postpartum Depression around 3 weeks postpartum. Thankfully, my parents, Ty's parents, and my sister were able to swap up keeping Barrett for quite a few nights just to let me get situated. I tried a couple of different antidepressants before getting on the right one and finally got better after about 2 months postpartum.
As many obstacles as I had after the birth of Barrett, I am so extremely thankful for him. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be having any more children because of the reasons stated above but I'm so glad I have Barrett. He's been a good baby from day 1. He's always ate well, slept good, and just been truly happy. Right now, he's crawling, pulling up, walking with his Dinosaur walker, and trying to stand on his own. He's still on formula and baby food, eating a few solids and some table food. He really likes potatoes as far as table food goes. He sleeps around 11 hours a night. He really loves his momma and daddy lately. He's as sweet and loving as he's ever been. I was told by his daycare teacher today, that he hugs and kisses the babies when they cry at daycare. That makes me so proud! He's moving to the next class at daycare on Monday, which I'm kind of bittersweet about. His class now has a lot of newborns in it so I feel like with him being a year old and almost walking, he may not be getting the attention/teaching like he needs. Not to mention, there's only about 2 other babies his age in there. Newborns just take a lot more time feeding, diapering, and comforting than a one year old does. So, that's the good thing about him moving up. However, he has 3 teachers right now that I absolutely LOVE. I can tell they adore Barrett and I know that he loves them. I haven't met his new teacher but I hope to before Monday. I'm hoping she will be just as good as his current ones but I don't know how they can be out-done;). His next class will be something like, 1 to 2 year olds. They don't really do classes solely based on age. They base it more on development but still like to put age into consideration.
I'm so sorry for the extremely long post! I should have updated sometime between Halloween and now but oh well! It's been an extremely busy time for me. Between hostessing my best friend's baby shower, organizing Barrett's 1st Birthday Party, and other family members and friends birthdays and events, I just haven't had the time to do anything else. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and rest of the week!
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