Learning the Ropes

Well, I have been in post-birth hideout for a couple weeks, and have had time to reflect on some very serious topics, like the nickname for the new baby. The Tiny Princess (okay, not super original), or "TP" as she will now be known, has officially reached her "birthweight". I suppose this is a serious milestone, but it hardly seems to make much of a difference with her tiny little frog legs that are kicking about when I change her diaper. I also have to admit that I like "TP" because it makes me think of toilet paper, and for some really juvenile reason it makes me giggle. Hopefully she will forgive me someday.

So we have all been adjusting to the TP (hehe) being here. Fortunately she is still a very good baby and not too fussy. I did have to check her temperature with one of these nifty contraptions (even more nifty for checking the temp on the LG, or anyone old enough to know where the old thermometers go).


The LG, who has a not so healthy aversion to anything getting near his ear canal, took one look and ran off to his room, only to be seen 5 minutes later coming back in with this offering to help check the TP's temperature.


Ahh, siblings. Here is the little bruiser with a little tatoo (when in Rome) from the local farmer's market. Grandmas! This seems like one of those things that only Grandmas or weekend dads are up for. I can't imagine why kids look forward to being away from mom ; 0



Otherwise, things have been relatively quiet, and we are even getting a fair amount of sleep thanks to Grandma and the TP's willingness to sleep most of the night. Below are a few more pics of the TP's first days on planet earth.

Love, Love, Love

She's here. We are absolutely thrilled, and she is the most beautiful little creature on the earth. Sorry to all of you who think yours are too ; ) I'm not planning to reveal the name here on the blog, and I haven't yet decided what her online Moniker will be either, so I am taking suggestions on that.

She was born Monday, May 18th, following the season finale of 24. I really can't complain too much about the whole labor process, except for the 30 minutes preceeding the birth that were, well, a bit intense ; ) She shot right out (literally), and my Dr. wasn't even able to be there. Once I started pushing, it only required 2 more pushes and a total of 9 minutes.

I decided to go this round sans epidural, and while I am quite impressed with myself and the BK, I'm not sure I could endure it again (give me a year or two and I will probably have forgotten). However, I will say this, the aftermath has been TOTALLY worth it. Recovery has been 200% better and while I won't be out running any marathons this week, I can at least walk. The best part (and the worst) is that I remember everything, and that moment when that little creature was placed on my body was the most incredible of my life. And to think that I didn't stop loving the LG, and was suddenly just able to love her as much is truly a miracle and a tender mercy from heaven.

Final product was a 7 lb, 20 inch miracle. Email me at megappod@gmail.com if you would like her name, and please don't mention it in the comments if you already do. Thanks! And thanks for all the well wishes!

Nesting

Poor LG. As I was working before I had him, I didn't have the time or energy to do any home crafted sewing projects (I'm sure he will actually thank me later). This time round, however, I have managed to sew a few little items that turned out quite to my liking. I sewed the crib bumper and a little quilt, and even a skirt (not pictured) thanks to the inspiration of my niece-in-law (nephew's wifey) my who is much more ambitious and creative than me. Anyway, here is the finished product already hooked up to the crib.



The universe is opening, the veil is thinning and momma is getting really grumpy. In other words, I am ready to go. My mother-in-law is being picked up from the train station as I speak, and that officially relieves me of any anxiety related to where the LG would be if I went into labor. It's time. I'm taking guesses for when, how big and how long the baby will be. I will figure out the prizes later. I feel I must level the playing field however and mention that the LG was 8lbs 9oz, 21 inches long and was 2 weeks early. The official due date is May 31st and the Dr. has assured me that she won't let me go over. This baby is coming this weekend if I can mentally will her into it ; ) Best of luck to myself, and I will keep y'all posted on her arrival. Ta ta till then.

DIY Lessons

I'm sure I have mentioned more than a few times the nature of the nature in our yard. I am happy to report that, with the exception of some minor landscaping details, all our hard work is paying off (this is assuming that the sod we planted actually takes - but this is Oregon, most everything does).

The pictures below give you a good idea of what we were dealing with when we started last year:




And from the front...


The list of shrubbery, trees, foliage, cement and whatnot that we have removed reads a lot like the 12 Days of Christmas (except that you probably wouldn't want any of these items as gifts): 12 dry and crusted bushes, 11 loads of concrete, 10 drug related items, 9 posts of fencing, 8 ivy bushes, 7 railroad ties, 6 square feet of decking, 5 metal posts with concrete, 4 tall evergreens, 3 rubber tires, 2 plastic pools, and one overgrown birdhouse. We had to rent 4 of the yellow bins you see above (one of which was double the size of the one above), and we still have enough debris to warrant another. Looking at the pictures above makes me feel feel a mixture of pride and insanity. I'm just surprised that all the rock moving I have done hasn't sent me into premature labor.






A Couple of Lessons Learned:

1 - Never buy a house in the jungle.

2 - Make sure you have a good health insurance policy.

3 - Don't send an over eager husband up on a ladder to start cutting willy nilly at all the foliage on the side of your house BEFORE checking for electrical wires.

4 - A wheelbarrow is worth every penny you might spend.

5 - Plan ahead so you only do each job once, like tilling a rock garden in preparation for planting sod.

6 - Go to school, get an education, work hard, and PAY someone else to do everything we have done.