tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87391108959012420042024-03-05T20:31:25.199-05:00Gardiner - it's with an "i"Chronicling our journey through newlywed life, pregnancy, natural birth, and becoming a familyThe Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-68087141570496986072012-05-16T10:02:00.001-04:002012-05-16T10:02:39.151-04:00Mother's Day and Time MagazineI told you all I was back and then didn't post until WEEKS later. RUDE!<br />
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About a week after I got back to work from maternity leave my boss hired a new person in the office, let's call her "Perky." Perky is from Georgia and left everyone and everything she knew for this job. This includes her family. For mother's day her mother and Godmother flew up from Georgia to see her. Seeing as this was also Mother's Day for me, she asked if I wanted to come over and hang out with them. I had heard so many stories about these 2 women, I could not say no. <br />
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I pulled into the parking space at 215 and at 216 I was asked if I was breastfeeding. Of course, I said yes. "oh, then she can't drink," Hollywood says. Hollywood is Perky's Godmother. Hollywood is already so drunk that her words run together so naturally I wonder where she's sneaking in her breaths. Maybe when you're that far gone you don't need to breathe. Hollywood then told me, repeatedly, that she only had one child still living and that she was "so glad I didn't breastfeed." "you know..."she'd lean into me "you can't drink when you breastfeed. I'm so glad I didn't breastfeed my son." The way she kept telling me she was glad she didn't breastfeed made me wonder if she regretted not breastfeeding and this was her way of trying to get me to believe her. or maybe she was just so drunk she had forgotten that she had already told me this five minutes before. Regardless, it got me thinking about the TIME magazine cover. <br />
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"Are you mom enough?" I breastfeed my child so...yes? Prior to that article had I given a thought to extended breastfeeding? Yes. Did this article help me in any way? No. In fact it pissed me off. Why? Because although I feel that society's attention needs to be called to the subject since THAT'S WHAT BREASTS ARE FOR, the comments such as "save your breasts for infants and men" INFURIATED me. It makes me have no hope for the children of the future and society as a whole. It saddens me. <br />
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And that's all I have to say about that. The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-88749815546935568642012-03-15T12:14:00.001-04:002012-03-28T13:22:12.920-04:00PPD (or something like that)I use the term "PPD" loosely because I think it's a diagnosis that is given wayyy to generously to perfectly normal postpartum women. I'm not going to lie though- it was rough there for a while. <br />
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I found myself with absolute horrid dreams and what I like to call "day terrors." dreams where boiling water was cascading down onto LO and I couldn't get to her. day dreams where while driving across the bridge we go over the side and LO doesn't know better to hold her breath and takes in lungfuls of water. <br />
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of course no mother wants to display the fact that she has such horrible thoughts so I let them to myself. until my other new mom friend disclosed that she also suffers from these I thought it was something I alone struggled with. <br />
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once I realized I was not alone I began asking all of my mommy friends, in which they all disclosed the same experiences. I can live with only 2 hour chunks of sleep. I can deal with the thrush that we just can't shake. I can deal with a messy house. but I can't deal with these terrifying scenarios constantly running through my head. I'm thankful for those who sat and listened. I'm thankful for the little girl who wakes me up screaming at night. <br />
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I'M BACKThe Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-5917033800726530372012-01-28T19:58:00.001-05:002012-01-28T19:58:27.195-05:005 breast pumps and countingIn the past 3 months, I have purchased 5 different breast pumps. Why? Apparently I'm as rough with them as I am with computers and cars because they all bit the dust.<br />
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I did the research by typing "double electric breast pump" into google, then reading all of the reviews about various ones. My first pump was a Simplisse double electric. The reviews said it was a great pump that mimicked baby's tongue and would drain both breasts at light speed. Retail price was $400; I got it for a steal on Amazon for under $200 - that should have been my first warning. Due to Annaliese's poor latch and her inability to feed correctly I had to use the pump exclusively for the first few days of her life. Day 3, the place where the bottle connects to the flange and filter broke on one side. Since it was a double pump,I was able to use the other side and just pump one breast at a time. Luckily, her feeding issues resolved and I was able to feed her directly from the breast and no longer needed to pump.<br />
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A few weeks later we took her on her first road trip, 7 hours away. I bought an evenflo manual pump so that I could pump on the way down and feed her via bottle - resulting in less stops. I loved so much I was able to pump and how well I was able to control the manual pump, but it too broke in 3 weeks. I was disappointed, but moved on to the next pump - another manual pump, the Medela Harmony. This pump features two-way pumping. It has a let-down feature which is pretty cool but I found that I don't really need. After a month this pump broke too. Now, it does say right on the box that it isn't meant for daily use - and I was using it 5 times a day.<br />
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At $40 a pump, I made the smart decision to order another double electric. Because of my first experience with an electric pump, I was wary. I asked my day-care provider, who breastfed all 3 of her children, and she strongly recommended Bailey's. This brand isn't very popular because while it is an electric, it requires the user to place their finger over a hole in the top of one pump to establish the rhythmic suction. Since the manual pumps worked so well for me, I figured the manual feature on the pump might actually work well for me. My first pump session with the Bailey's pump I pumped double what I usually do in one session.<br />
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Now, I've only mentioned 4 pumps and the title says 5 - so what's the 5th you ask? Well, I actually bought another manual Medela after the other one broke. Why? I pump on the way to work, while driving. It's actually perfect for me and our schedule. I get more sleep in the morning since I don't have to wake up half an hour earlier to feed her, and I'm able to get to work on time by asking the daycare provider to feed her the pumped milk for breakfast when we get there.<br />
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I also find that pumping while driving is the best way to do it. Driving provides the distractions I need to get a good, consistent let down. I can usually get a good 5 oz while driving.<br />
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TL;DR:<br />
I hated my first breast pump, went through 2 manuals in 6 weeks, got another electric which is half manual anyways, and bought a 5th manual to pump in the car while driving her to daycare.The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-40127679572909349812012-01-07T22:08:00.000-05:002012-01-07T23:14:52.505-05:00All that glitters is not goldI find that so many blogs of parents make their children to be these wonderful, perfect angels all the time. I'm here to call bullshit and tell the world our real life schedule.<br>
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5AM - wake-up call.<br>
6 - leave for work and pump her breakfast for daycare on the way<br>
645 - Drop her off and go to work<br>
4 - pick her up<br>
415-?? - she screams until she can't anymore.<br>
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<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2012/01/all-that-glitters-is-not-gold.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-4711308216480609522012-01-05T20:41:00.001-05:002012-01-05T20:43:11.501-05:00My Birth RegretsI had what many would call the "perfect birth." Short, simple and home 3 hours later.<br>
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Truth be told, looking back I have some regrets. In no way am I throwing a pity-party, just showing that even with your birth plan bring followed to the last period, there will always be things you wish you would have done / had.<br>
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My first regret is that I wish I would have had her somewhere where I could stay over night. While it was wonderful to be able to come home 3 hours after she was born; I would have enjoyed the extra help the nurses and lactation consultants could have offered - especially for the first child. Will this sway me towards a hospital birth for the second? Absolutely not. In fact, number 2 will probably a home birth.<br>
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<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-birth-regrets.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-46520159831415654002011-11-26T16:21:00.001-05:002011-12-07T16:40:29.598-05:00Our sleep: co-bedding and beyondWhen dealing with the eating issues at the very beginning Nick and I literally got <b>no</b> sleep for the first couple days. She would get to sleep, we would lay down and just as we would drift off she would start <i>screaming. </i><br>
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After we got over the feeding issues our sleep went from 0 to 3 hour stretches. I was getting far more sleep than I ever thought I would and it only got better. For every "bad night" where she was up every 1-2 hours, she had a "good night" where she'd sleep for 5-9 hours straight. You read that correctly. Now just because she was sleeping 9 hours straight doesn't mean I was... at about 4 hours straight my brain is going, "Oh my God, she's dead... go check to make sure she's breathing!"<br>
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The common belief is that if you keep your child awake during the day, they will sleep at night. This is simply not true. I noticed she was sleeping longer at night when I was letting her sleep during the day.<br>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-sleep-co-bedding-and-beyond.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-25635704026828952732011-11-15T19:01:00.001-05:002011-11-26T16:16:29.225-05:00ColicIt seems to just be one thing after another in our house these days.<br>
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Between a poor latch, thrush, an umbilical hernia that caused quite a scare, and now a colicky baby; Nick and I are losing our minds.<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://www.coliccalm.com/images/Colic-Causes-and-Symptoms.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="310"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.coliccalm.com/baby_infant_newborn_articles/baby_colic_treatment.htm">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/11/colic.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-77232014867854048182011-11-09T22:31:00.000-05:002011-11-09T22:33:03.476-05:00Dealing with thrush<div style="text-align: left;">
After I wrote <a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/10/breastfeeding-is-hard.html">this</a> post about overcoming our breastfeeding issues and having everything going so well, the universe decided I was being too cocky and hit both Annaliese and I with a pretty bad case of thrush.</div>
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Due to her poor latch at birth, she got blisters on the inside of her mouth - which I was assured was normal. So when it looked like she had some spit up residue on some of the blisters I didn't think anything of it. About a week and a half passed and I noticed it wasn't getting any better and her breath smelled really sour. I tried brushing the inside of her cheeks with an infant gum brush and when the white spots wouldn't brush away I realized what it was. At this point it had already spread to my nipples - explaining the pain I just thought was due to a latch regression.<br>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/11/dealing-with-thrush.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-27476271694948127502011-11-05T13:37:00.000-04:002011-11-05T13:40:23.024-04:00Cloth Diaper Snob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQLtZgV3BrsJ_gcEbWT7hUqfy30N4-a9lheZLmoPeaMWAs4YffyAgS2f-xRejSKea7PvdTrMSx9JdA7PVjjdk6DODfyD937WMSZHGnTiTo1EiJE1pG7sCMtbPfzk7Ihxwa0044SR5XcEc/s1600/100MEDIA_IMAG0155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQLtZgV3BrsJ_gcEbWT7hUqfy30N4-a9lheZLmoPeaMWAs4YffyAgS2f-xRejSKea7PvdTrMSx9JdA7PVjjdk6DODfyD937WMSZHGnTiTo1EiJE1pG7sCMtbPfzk7Ihxwa0044SR5XcEc/s320/100MEDIA_IMAG0155.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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I'm not afraid to admit it, I've become a cloth diaper snob. I haven't used a disposable in over a week and I'm loving it. Perhaps the newness will wear off, but I doubt it.<br>
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I promised you a post detailing exactly what kind of diapers I'm using, so here's the break down.<br>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/11/cloth-diaper-snob.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-81406428673389315462011-10-24T20:00:00.001-04:002011-10-24T20:01:04.090-04:00Breastfeeding is hard<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="http://maryameliacenter.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/breastfeeding1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://maryameliacenter.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/the-breastfeeding-battle/">LOL</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Every mammal does it, in fact that's where the word mammal comes from - the mammary gland is what produces the milk for the offspring. After the first few days of breastfeeding I had Nick go pick up<a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=10&gs_id=11&xhr=t&q=the+womanly+art+of+breastfeeding&qe=VEhFIFdPTUFOTA&qesig=bpsHupkBFSaGLSFWlI1BNw&pkc=AFgZ2tncTI9aQhnuLDtS4glzoXhByOp20NC-ngylTW4U8GBHfRiCqF2gbltkhs7q-g1IlskJMj-EuEB40XionBtjVm57SlFNcg&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=667&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1538799370685984865&sa=X&ei=yzCjTvHqLYjd0QHZ_sGIBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ8wIwAw"><i> The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding</i></a> by the<a href="http://www.llli.org/"> LLLI</a>. In the chapter titled "Latching and Attaching" a sentence reads, "Babies need to choose their own timing. We used to be told to 'latch the baby on' when her mouth was open wide. But mammal mothers never take that much control over a feeding, and babies don't expect it." Now, if you've followed my blog for any amount of time or even read my birth story, you probably know how gung-ho I am about doing things the "natural" way. So if it's so natural and supposed to come so easy... why isn't it?<br>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/10/breastfeeding-is-hard.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-61525894099085238612011-10-17T21:26:00.001-04:002011-10-17T21:26:40.950-04:00The Bradley Method & MeYou might remember <a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/07/talking-about-our-feelings-bradley.html">this post</a> where I basically dismissed the Bradley method as a bunch of cow poop but had spent the money for the class so figured I might as well finish what I'd started. After all, it couldn't hurt, right?<br>
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Well, I'm going to have to take back everything bad I said about it. All of the coping methods I used during my labor and delivery were learned from the Bradley classes we took. I never would have thought of vocalization had it not been for that class. I never would have thought to explore the positions I did throughout labor had it not been for that class. I probably would have been begging for drugs.<br>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/10/bradley-method-me.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-20096439598054313622011-10-14T20:17:00.003-04:002011-10-14T20:29:23.840-04:00Our Birth Story<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's taken a while to process exactly what happened surrounding
Annaliese's birth. Everything happened so fast, I'm not sure exactly where to
begin. If you ask my husband when labor began he would probably joke that I had
been in labor for the entire last half of the month of September.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the exciting stuff started to happen Saturday, October 8th. I woke
up around 9 to find I had lost my mucus plug, I texted my
doula and waited for Nick to wake up so I could share the news with him. I went to doctor google asking questions like, "how long after you
lose the mucus plug do you go into labor?" I got excited with answers like
"half an hour" and disappointed with the other answers like "2
weeks." We took Saturday to visit with family and attend another couple's
baby shower - trying to keep ourselves preoccupied with something other than
kick starting labor. I went to bed Saturday content and mentally prepared to be
pregnant for another 2 weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I woke up at 10:15 on Sunday morning, disappointed I had slept so
late since I was going to have to get up early for work the next day. I had
been having contractions all weekend so the ones I felt all day were nothing
that hinted to the start of labor. I spent the day in bed, watching 30 Rock on
Netflix and at about 6 o'clock Nick and I made a trip to the Urgent Care Center
because Nick had a pretty bad cough and was running a fever. He had some x-rays
done and was prescribed medicine for Bronchitis and we went on our way. Nick
went to bed at 9 but baby girl was so active I couldn't sleep. She kept me up
until almost 1am with non-stop powerful kicks and rolls. Dr Google told me that
movement slows down as labor approaches, so labor was the last thing on my
mind. I fell asleep thinking about what I was going to wear to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/10/our-birth-story.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-66853405578502365742011-10-10T11:25:00.004-04:002011-10-10T11:25:54.447-04:00She's here!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f3ffcc; font-family: tahoma, verdana; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<img alt="Baby Annaliese is here! : wedding 317083 10150485541269325 778284324 11156889 1947970054 N" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/317083_10150485541269325_778284324_11156889_1947970054_n.jpg" style="max-width: 510px;" /><br />
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Annaliese Marie came into the world on her due date: 10/10/2011 at 6lbs 9.5 oz and 19 inches.<br />
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I woke up with contractions and lots of blood at 2:34am, water broke at 4am and she was here by 7:10am! I was successful in fulfilling my hopes for a natural, medication free birth and we're all back home now just loving it up!<br />
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I'll post a more detailed birth story in the days to come :) Thanks everyone for your support and wonderful encouragement. It was the hardest and most fulfilling thing I've ever done.<br />
The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-75853254237753903102011-10-07T21:39:00.004-04:002011-10-07T21:41:44.852-04:00The power of the full moonSo.... there's supposed to be a full moon on Wednesday...<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="http://www.hoopgirl.com/blog/8.-Full-Moon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="312"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You know what they say about full moons right?<br>
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<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/10/power-of-full-moon.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-4133265079822971852011-10-02T14:07:00.001-04:002011-10-02T14:07:13.402-04:00On timelinessI live by the old saying, "If you're early you're on time; If you're on time you're late; If you're late you're fired." I start getting nervous if I'm not to my destination by fifteen minutes of the decided time, and this causes me to be usually fifteen minutes early for everything. Since apparently no one else lives by this rule and is always late to everything, I end up waiting by myself for a good half an hour. I'm usually frustrated an annoyed that the other person can't be responsible or manage their time well enough by 15 minutes into my waiting - so even if they truly were right on time I'd still be pissed that they didn't find our meeting to be important enough to be a few minutes early for.<br>
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You can see how this may present a problem as I wait for this labor show to get on the road. Going into labor at 38 weeks is my "on time," 40 weeks is "late" and 42 weeks is "I'm going to shoot myself." Right now I've been at the destination for a week already and the person I'm waiting on has not yet arrived. They still have another week until they're technically still "on time" but I'm already starting to tap my toe and wonder what the hell is keeping them.<br>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/10/on-timeliness.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-66213482776403019622011-09-27T18:42:00.001-04:002011-09-27T18:42:41.128-04:00No such luck12 days to go and still pregnant. While I've been having contractions, they're no where close to the consistency the ones on Saturday night and into Sunday morning were.<br />
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I have been experiencing some really strange pains all day, though. They only last for 1-2 seconds but feel exactly like the peak of a contraction. When I called about them I was told that it may just be the baby moving and hitting a nerve - sending a shooting pain. Either way, I'm just ready for it to be over. I know I'm only 38 weeks and therefore still possibly have another 4 weeks to go... but I don't want to think about that part.<br />
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That being said, I'm starting doses of Evening Primrose Oil in the form of capsules tonight. They say past 38 weeks it's safe to insert up to 4 a day, but I think to cut down on oily discharge during the day, I'll stick to one when I get home from work and one when I'm ready for bed.<br />
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We'll see how it works and I'll report back in a few days!The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-60399595450689197282011-09-25T16:10:00.001-04:002011-09-26T21:59:23.809-04:00Still here, still pregnant38 weeks! With 5 days left in the month of September I'm giving up my dreams for having a September baby and deleting all the beautiful sapphire birth stone jewelry I had bookmarked. Sorry kid, but it looks like you're going to have an ugly birthstone. (No offense to those born in October, opal just isn't my personal favorite).<br>
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We did have an interesting night last night, though. I started having contractions around 1:15am at 3-5 minutes apart. I fell asleep and they woke me up again around 4:45 - more intense and at 2-3 minutes apart. While I was contemplating calling the midwife / doula I fell asleep again, so it's safe to say I wasn't in labor. Throughout the day today I've been having mild contractions with no real consistency, so we'll see what comes of it.<br>
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<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/09/still-here-still-pregnant.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-69675150214747889662011-09-20T16:00:00.000-04:002011-09-20T16:40:13.446-04:00Foodie!We went to BJ's a few weeks ago, and while perusing the bakery / food section I came across this:<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosAKiJKyVrEtb6wkl6H3BDpYjb3f1F2L1uEuVviAEt-7mmSsmRMtpRJXM3GpDbZnP-jSAUSIw_QQl3qeGRbvqHegejap3eE4rsr4NXw3PG4_xYvjw9yJZ5oaGjXX0NgI9teZotpvsDIdl/s1600/100MEDIA_IMAG0137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosAKiJKyVrEtb6wkl6H3BDpYjb3f1F2L1uEuVviAEt-7mmSsmRMtpRJXM3GpDbZnP-jSAUSIw_QQl3qeGRbvqHegejap3eE4rsr4NXw3PG4_xYvjw9yJZ5oaGjXX0NgI9teZotpvsDIdl/s320/100MEDIA_IMAG0137.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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Go ahead an say it. Holy hell. Yeah, I know, doesn't it look delicious. I promise, it tastes 4589734593789 times better than it looks. It's called a "veggie crunch mix" and what I like the most about it is that the green beans look like green beans, the squash looks like squash, the carrots look like carrots, and the schnoz berries taste like schnoz berries. </div>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/09/foodie.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-58541853785861048662011-09-17T11:36:00.000-04:002011-09-17T11:40:08.663-04:00Full Term - Submit your guess!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Want to submit a guess of when baby girl will arrive? There's a prize for the winner! Scroll down to the end of the post for instructions!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRgWo4VdxPZ-RPCtmuVBfi0HKnTFevzqGLHa9VDPC6v75b9xlR_53ABoAgBPaAu2IdskATYwX5v1m5z5uJb90QhziiRfjhWBfuW0XUxIeuPgLTOYJXxDkqONMPHlGNh9S0pQyC5UXOcXN/s1600/100MEDIA_IMAG0138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRgWo4VdxPZ-RPCtmuVBfi0HKnTFevzqGLHa9VDPC6v75b9xlR_53ABoAgBPaAu2IdskATYwX5v1m5z5uJb90QhziiRfjhWBfuW0XUxIeuPgLTOYJXxDkqONMPHlGNh9S0pQyC5UXOcXN/s320/100MEDIA_IMAG0138.jpg" width="213"></a></div>
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37 weeks. As of today, if I go into labor I can go to the birth center rather than the hospital. As of today she is guaranteed to be here within 5 weeks...and we still don't have our bags packed. I'm quite large and I'm quite grumpy about it. When people ask when I'm due I tell them "Not soon enough." But I don't really mean it! While this is all uncomfortable, knowing that at the end there's another person I'm going to be responsible for is intimidating. But under all the cynicism (that passed spell check!) and sarcasm - I can't wait. I can't wait to feel her helping me and working with my body to come into this world, I can't wait to see what a pro she'll be at everything. I can't wait to see how much she's going to teach us, and I can't wait to see who she looks like. </div>
<a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/09/full-term-submit-your-guess.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-48500581605997164942011-09-14T21:20:00.002-04:002011-09-14T21:21:08.513-04:00On being sick for twoI am going to type this out. And I bet that at least one obnoxious person will think, "Oh, it's going to be worth it in the end!" Let me tell you something: throwing up while snot is dripping out of your nose and simultaneously pissing yourself because - well, you can't control it - is not worth it. For anything.<br />
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OK, I lie. That's passive aggressive and will probably put my kid in therapy forever if she finds out I said that. But seriously, it sucks.<br />
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Just thought I'd share that lovely mental picture with you. The end.The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-26682762776157309992011-09-10T15:29:00.001-04:002011-09-10T17:30:09.825-04:00Using a TENS unit during labor<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Straight from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_electrical_nerve_stimulation">Wikipedia</a>: "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><b>Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation</b> (acronym TENS) is the use of electric current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes."</span></span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Back when I was a swimmer I had some really bad rotator cuff issues. I was able to obtain a TENS unit and using it along with the physical therapy, I was able repair all the damaged tissues in my shoulder and it really helped with the pain. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Last night our Bradley instructor randomly brought up the use of a TENS unit to help with back labor / any other pain during labor. I immediately asked what the cons of using the device during labor are and she said that there's a lot of controversy regarding it. Obviously, this was not the answer I wanted and so I chose to do my own research. I was able to find that while certain uses of the TENS unit could be considered unsafe (like placed over your uterus), using it for other areas (feet, legs, back) is considered safe (read: there are no adverse side effects). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">But this makes me wonder - is using a TENS unit during labor still considered having a natural birth?</span></div>
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</div><a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/09/using-tens-unit-during-labor.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-15843509964658403092011-09-06T21:33:00.001-04:002011-09-06T21:33:02.608-04:00True Life: I'm a Control FreakThe main reason I chose to go the natural / midwifery / out of hospital birth is because simply put - I want to be in control. I did my research of local hospitals to see what they "allowed" when it came to labor and birth and it scared the crap out of me! I know assumption is the biggest error trap but I know that feeling out of control would make me tense and stressed, causing "failure to progress" which would ultimately lead to a c-section in our local hospital where the c-section rate is nearly 40%. <div>
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Truth be told: I'd rather lock myself in our bathroom and come out when the kid gets here than be surrounded by a bunch of people telling me what's best and what to do and putting their fingers / hands in places they would normally never be. But I don't think that's an option for us - as both first time parents and rational humans that realize something <i>may</i> just go horribly wrong with no warning. </div>
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</div><a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/09/true-life-im-control-freak.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-69484134998661320352011-09-03T11:31:00.002-04:002011-09-03T19:01:47.753-04:00Sometimes I forget...Sometimes I forget that there's things I can no longer do now that I'm pregnant. I'm not talking about forgetting the important things like not smoking or drinking, etc. But the SMALL things that I physically cannot do anymore. Like lay on my back for extended periods of time - which gives me awful back pain and makes me feel like I'm drowning, or move my legs too fast - which sends a shooting pain straight into my uterus. Even every day simple things you don't think twice about - like bending over to get dinner out of the oven. Yeah, you heard me right. Apparently I forgot just HOW humongous I really am and burned my belly on the oven while getting dinner out.<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N0nFfjeLAuM5HRskjzY1ZeHAUsbbHrmqP7KOPuCAZ-_QW7IlxV3CbVjmQNhkcDiPG2QWU4CzrScmucLQGqY15Uz1ykyY8immip3HVp4nRTCpb4pmBa3tjMazA2GGgS0KyjhCN7mKHeyD/s1600/100MEDIA_IMAG0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N0nFfjeLAuM5HRskjzY1ZeHAUsbbHrmqP7KOPuCAZ-_QW7IlxV3CbVjmQNhkcDiPG2QWU4CzrScmucLQGqY15Uz1ykyY8immip3HVp4nRTCpb4pmBa3tjMazA2GGgS0KyjhCN7mKHeyD/s320/100MEDIA_IMAG0134.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/09/sometimes-i-forget.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-46222123735672649082011-08-29T23:17:00.004-04:002011-08-30T21:29:43.860-04:00These are not your grandmother's cloth diapers.My mother: "So - I've been stocking up on diapers, when do you want to start taking some home?"<br>
Me: "Actually, Nick and I have decided to invest in cloth diapering."<br>
My mother: "Oh.................................................................................... well you're going to need waterproof pants and bloomers and pins and -"<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">MOM! Stop.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">This is the reaction we get from most people who have no idea what they're talking about when we tell them of our decision to invest in cloth diapering. Most people think of the piece of white cloth that isn't much bigger than a dinner napkin (or thicker, for that matter), wrapping your kid in it, sticking a few pins in for good measure, and praying there isn't a poo-splosion.</span><br>
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</div><a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/08/these-are-not-your-grandmothers-cloth.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8739110895901242004.post-51051938642631361822011-08-27T14:45:00.007-04:002011-08-27T14:58:09.114-04:00DIY Dresser: The Tutorial<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Continued from </span><a href="http://babyg32.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-save-ton-of-money-diy-dresser.html"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">this post</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, it's time to go step by step of what it took to refinish this amazing piece of furniture. With the help of my DIY savvy mother and my wonderful husband we turned this:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiah2F5LshkbmFg_jB3p_2ft4tIFRhHNeuUu3qv7O8DZbY5QNPKrN1gYDy9Nsvr_0c4lpVo69L5rxpN1dAbDV9y9EkaZMetsONVYiKSXvWreD5TLWE3s59fidrW_B1JsYLeWDJGgxUlhvXX/s1600/dresser.jpg"><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br>
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</div><a href="http://itswithaneye.blogspot.com/2011/08/diy-dresser-tutorial.html#more">Read more »</a>The Gardinershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03028427039415011686noreply@blogger.com0