It's amazing what a haircut will do. I found a stylist a year ago at one of the mall places, who actually listens, who is intelligent, and who is over 12 years old. I got the greatest bob, with a very light bang. MUCH better.
Of course, getting to go to the mall without any kids and having something done just for ME helped too.
5.12.2007
5.11.2007
Annual update
A LOT has changed since last time.
For one thing, we have a son named Max Jonathan, who will be 4 months old a week from today.
Actually that's the main thing that's changed.
We were still on the fence about whether to have another baby. I knew my history and knew that the infant/early toddler part is just not my favorite part of parenting. I also wasn't sure what I'd do if it was a boy.
So I got my period on Hannah's 8th birthday, which kind of stood out. It came and went; then I was a bit late the next month. We weren't trying, but since my PMS symptoms seem to be somewhat similar to early pg symptoms (fatigue, nausea) I decided to test, although I knew there was no way.
Way!
So I started off with the midwife, Tammy P., who turned out to be a controlling nutbar. After a while it was more than I could stand so I switched to her former backup OB, Joni Canby. I had asked Tammy if Dr. Canby was still her backup doc and she said "NO" rather abruptly and clearly did not want to discuss it. The more I got to know Tammy and how crazy she is, the more I realize there is probably a good reason why they don't work together any more.
I had gestational diabetes again, no big surprise. Managed by perinatologists. I also did the CVS again, but to my absolute horror, they did it via a large needle in the abdomen. To be honest I don't think they had a clue how to do it the "real" way. Had I known this, I would have gone out-of-network and just gone back to Ann Arbor for it. Anyway, the results were good, no genetic abnormalities... and it was a BOY.
That was a real blow, for a while. I didn't realize just how much I'd been counting on it being a girl until I found out. I was seriously disappointed, and in the back of my mind even contemplated terminating the pregnancy, although I knew if push came to shove I probably wouldn't want to. Luckily by then it was really too late to do so without it being a major procedure, so I just let the idea go.
Over time I came around to the idea of it being a boy. We were contemplating David or Daniel for a first name, Jonathan for the middle (I happen to like it for a first name, but Jon didn't want to do the "Jr." thing. I didn't either, frankly, but I do like the name). Out of nowhere, Emily said she liked the name Max and that we were going to name the baby Max. At first I thought it was ridiculous and completely pooh-poohed it, and then as time went on it seemed more and more appropriate. And now that he's here, he's definitely a Max.
I had a C-section, scheduled. Partly because they were concerned he was going to be too big for a vaginal delivery (he was 9lb 2oz, but I really think I could have pushed him out), and partly (as I discovered after the fact) because Dr. Canby was going out of town the weekend of the 21st (his due date) so she apparently induced and sectioned the vast majority of her patients that were due around that time. Aside from the fact that I didn't want a Csection to begin with, it also caused the maternity floor at Beeghly to be absolutely overflowing. The nursing staff was stretched as thin as possible, and it sucked.
So partly as a result of that, we got off to a rocky start with nursing, and he was extremely jaundiced; first just the physiologic and then the true breastmilk jaundice. Several thousand heel pricks, a bili-blanket rental, and doctor visits later, the jaundice went away. However, it caused his weight to drop a bit more than usual for newborns, so Dr. Bair (the teenage pediatrician) referred us to a ped. endocrinologist and a ped. GI, just to make sure there weren't any metabolic or GI issues. Also, we went to the lactation staff at Beeghly a few times and they got me on this grueling pumping routine to build up my supply. For a while we had to supplement, but at this point I'd say we're done doing that, and even though he only nurses from one breast, he's gaining weight like a champ -- I took him in Monday because he was fussy and I wanted them to check his ears, and he was 13lb 14 oz. I took him in again Thursday because he got sick (fever, throwing up) and he was 14lb 4 oz!
The GI thinks he has a bit of reflux, so he gets Zantac 2x/day. I can't tell if it makes a difference or not. He spits up a LOT, although it's getting a little better. The girls didn't spit up nearly this much.
Emily on the whole has handled this very well. She loves him, and he always smiles at her. When she is feeling jealous or ignored, which unfortunately is fairly often, she either just complains about it or pushes the limits with US, but does not direct it towards Max. I knew she'd be good. It does help that he was born right in the middle of the school year, so her day-to-day life wasn't disrupted quite as much as it could have been. However, summer yawns before us, and it will be a long one.
It sucks because like his sisters, Max wants to be held all.the.time and doesn't take kindly to being put down. He also wants to nurse almost constantly. So I don't get to do much with Emily and I really hate that. Also, he sleeps with us and that's getting old. I'm hoping that in the next few weeks we can start putting him in his crib for at least the first part of the night. As it is now I'm carrying/holding/sleeping next to him virtually 24/7, and it's taking its toll. Jon was so busy this semester -- it JUST ended this week -- so although he did way more than his share in terms of helping out, it still was brutal.
In other news:
Mom has moved to Orlando, FL. Good in a way; she's near her brother and I think she was ready for a change, but bad too, because now my Michigan "home base" is permanently gone. I mean, her phone number was the same one I grew up with. I always knew that if the shit really hit the fan, I could go there. I still can go to her, but it won't be "home" the way Michigan is.
Also Zoe moved to Charleston, SC, minus Gary -- they're getting a divorce. I won't bore you with the details, but clearly they shouldn't have married in the first place. She's still annoying, in fact more so, as time goes on. She and Mom are two peas in a pod, although she'd probably set me on fire if I said that to her.
Dad is in horrible, horrible shape. His short-term memory is GONE. I really don't think he's functioning at all on his own, which is scary now that he has nobody in town who really gives a damn (besides useless drinking buddies). So I'm trying to convince him to get going down to the Valley or even come here and find a retirement apartment somewhere. It would be incredibly difficult and stressful having him here, but I just can't bear the idea of him completely alone up there with literally nobody to check on him. He could be dead for a week in his apt. before anyone knew, the way it is now.
Emily is going to start kindergarten at Akiva next year (the Jewish private school, where Andrew goes). It's $$$$, but the reason we're doing it is that at Serendipity they want her to stay for the 5's class. In a way I don't think it would be a bad idea, but I don't think they're doing the academic stuff that she is clearly ready for. Since Akiva is more advanced academically but the classes are very small and intimate, this seems like a good balance. She won't get lost in the shuffle, but she'll be challenged as much as she needs to be.
Since she's going to be there, I have drafted a 2-year plan to get this house in top shape. In 2 years, one way or another, I think we'll need to move. Either Jon won't get tenure, in which case we'll leave the area (please, GOD, let him get tenure), or he will, but she'll still be at Akiva and I think we should find a less expensive house, to make more $ available (to say nothing of the burden should Max go there too). I don't know if we would want to leave the Boardman school district, since Emily still may go to middle and/or high school there, and Max may not be at Akiva at all. I do plan to send him to Serendipity when the time comes, unless we decide to move to another part of town.
I have seen a lot of cute, smaller houses in Boardman that are at least 1/3 less than this house. I think we bit off a little more than we could chew -- we can afford it, but it does take a chunk out. It's kind of big, and the neighborhood is a little snobby. I'd like to scale back a bit, find a house with a nice front porch and a neighborhood with sidewalks. We really don't need 4 bedrooms. We just aren't making good use of the space we have and we have too much space.
I had a job, briefly, doing the church newsletter, but once Max was born it was impossible. So I stepped down. I will either start up again this fall, or not at all. I hope I can stay with it -- it was nice to be part of that.
I think that's about it. Getting sleepy. Tomorrow at 9 I'm finally getting a haircut (for the first time since Max was born).
Well, more tomorrow. Hoping the haircut gives me a bit of a lift.
For one thing, we have a son named Max Jonathan, who will be 4 months old a week from today.
Actually that's the main thing that's changed.
We were still on the fence about whether to have another baby. I knew my history and knew that the infant/early toddler part is just not my favorite part of parenting. I also wasn't sure what I'd do if it was a boy.
So I got my period on Hannah's 8th birthday, which kind of stood out. It came and went; then I was a bit late the next month. We weren't trying, but since my PMS symptoms seem to be somewhat similar to early pg symptoms (fatigue, nausea) I decided to test, although I knew there was no way.
Way!
So I started off with the midwife, Tammy P., who turned out to be a controlling nutbar. After a while it was more than I could stand so I switched to her former backup OB, Joni Canby. I had asked Tammy if Dr. Canby was still her backup doc and she said "NO" rather abruptly and clearly did not want to discuss it. The more I got to know Tammy and how crazy she is, the more I realize there is probably a good reason why they don't work together any more.
I had gestational diabetes again, no big surprise. Managed by perinatologists. I also did the CVS again, but to my absolute horror, they did it via a large needle in the abdomen. To be honest I don't think they had a clue how to do it the "real" way. Had I known this, I would have gone out-of-network and just gone back to Ann Arbor for it. Anyway, the results were good, no genetic abnormalities... and it was a BOY.
That was a real blow, for a while. I didn't realize just how much I'd been counting on it being a girl until I found out. I was seriously disappointed, and in the back of my mind even contemplated terminating the pregnancy, although I knew if push came to shove I probably wouldn't want to. Luckily by then it was really too late to do so without it being a major procedure, so I just let the idea go.
Over time I came around to the idea of it being a boy. We were contemplating David or Daniel for a first name, Jonathan for the middle (I happen to like it for a first name, but Jon didn't want to do the "Jr." thing. I didn't either, frankly, but I do like the name). Out of nowhere, Emily said she liked the name Max and that we were going to name the baby Max. At first I thought it was ridiculous and completely pooh-poohed it, and then as time went on it seemed more and more appropriate. And now that he's here, he's definitely a Max.
I had a C-section, scheduled. Partly because they were concerned he was going to be too big for a vaginal delivery (he was 9lb 2oz, but I really think I could have pushed him out), and partly (as I discovered after the fact) because Dr. Canby was going out of town the weekend of the 21st (his due date) so she apparently induced and sectioned the vast majority of her patients that were due around that time. Aside from the fact that I didn't want a Csection to begin with, it also caused the maternity floor at Beeghly to be absolutely overflowing. The nursing staff was stretched as thin as possible, and it sucked.
So partly as a result of that, we got off to a rocky start with nursing, and he was extremely jaundiced; first just the physiologic and then the true breastmilk jaundice. Several thousand heel pricks, a bili-blanket rental, and doctor visits later, the jaundice went away. However, it caused his weight to drop a bit more than usual for newborns, so Dr. Bair (the teenage pediatrician) referred us to a ped. endocrinologist and a ped. GI, just to make sure there weren't any metabolic or GI issues. Also, we went to the lactation staff at Beeghly a few times and they got me on this grueling pumping routine to build up my supply. For a while we had to supplement, but at this point I'd say we're done doing that, and even though he only nurses from one breast, he's gaining weight like a champ -- I took him in Monday because he was fussy and I wanted them to check his ears, and he was 13lb 14 oz. I took him in again Thursday because he got sick (fever, throwing up) and he was 14lb 4 oz!
The GI thinks he has a bit of reflux, so he gets Zantac 2x/day. I can't tell if it makes a difference or not. He spits up a LOT, although it's getting a little better. The girls didn't spit up nearly this much.
Emily on the whole has handled this very well. She loves him, and he always smiles at her. When she is feeling jealous or ignored, which unfortunately is fairly often, she either just complains about it or pushes the limits with US, but does not direct it towards Max. I knew she'd be good. It does help that he was born right in the middle of the school year, so her day-to-day life wasn't disrupted quite as much as it could have been. However, summer yawns before us, and it will be a long one.
It sucks because like his sisters, Max wants to be held all.the.time and doesn't take kindly to being put down. He also wants to nurse almost constantly. So I don't get to do much with Emily and I really hate that. Also, he sleeps with us and that's getting old. I'm hoping that in the next few weeks we can start putting him in his crib for at least the first part of the night. As it is now I'm carrying/holding/sleeping next to him virtually 24/7, and it's taking its toll. Jon was so busy this semester -- it JUST ended this week -- so although he did way more than his share in terms of helping out, it still was brutal.
In other news:
Mom has moved to Orlando, FL. Good in a way; she's near her brother and I think she was ready for a change, but bad too, because now my Michigan "home base" is permanently gone. I mean, her phone number was the same one I grew up with. I always knew that if the shit really hit the fan, I could go there. I still can go to her, but it won't be "home" the way Michigan is.
Also Zoe moved to Charleston, SC, minus Gary -- they're getting a divorce. I won't bore you with the details, but clearly they shouldn't have married in the first place. She's still annoying, in fact more so, as time goes on. She and Mom are two peas in a pod, although she'd probably set me on fire if I said that to her.
Dad is in horrible, horrible shape. His short-term memory is GONE. I really don't think he's functioning at all on his own, which is scary now that he has nobody in town who really gives a damn (besides useless drinking buddies). So I'm trying to convince him to get going down to the Valley or even come here and find a retirement apartment somewhere. It would be incredibly difficult and stressful having him here, but I just can't bear the idea of him completely alone up there with literally nobody to check on him. He could be dead for a week in his apt. before anyone knew, the way it is now.
Emily is going to start kindergarten at Akiva next year (the Jewish private school, where Andrew goes). It's $$$$, but the reason we're doing it is that at Serendipity they want her to stay for the 5's class. In a way I don't think it would be a bad idea, but I don't think they're doing the academic stuff that she is clearly ready for. Since Akiva is more advanced academically but the classes are very small and intimate, this seems like a good balance. She won't get lost in the shuffle, but she'll be challenged as much as she needs to be.
Since she's going to be there, I have drafted a 2-year plan to get this house in top shape. In 2 years, one way or another, I think we'll need to move. Either Jon won't get tenure, in which case we'll leave the area (please, GOD, let him get tenure), or he will, but she'll still be at Akiva and I think we should find a less expensive house, to make more $ available (to say nothing of the burden should Max go there too). I don't know if we would want to leave the Boardman school district, since Emily still may go to middle and/or high school there, and Max may not be at Akiva at all. I do plan to send him to Serendipity when the time comes, unless we decide to move to another part of town.
I have seen a lot of cute, smaller houses in Boardman that are at least 1/3 less than this house. I think we bit off a little more than we could chew -- we can afford it, but it does take a chunk out. It's kind of big, and the neighborhood is a little snobby. I'd like to scale back a bit, find a house with a nice front porch and a neighborhood with sidewalks. We really don't need 4 bedrooms. We just aren't making good use of the space we have and we have too much space.
I had a job, briefly, doing the church newsletter, but once Max was born it was impossible. So I stepped down. I will either start up again this fall, or not at all. I hope I can stay with it -- it was nice to be part of that.
I think that's about it. Getting sleepy. Tomorrow at 9 I'm finally getting a haircut (for the first time since Max was born).
Well, more tomorrow. Hoping the haircut gives me a bit of a lift.
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