Ryan Joseph

8 lbs.  10 oz.  - 21.5 inches – born 5:00 PM  Tuesday February 21, 2012

 

Nothing New

Here I am – a day before my due date with nothing really new to report.   I’ve watched so many episodes of A Baby Story that I’m now seeing repeats on a regular basis.  

*gasp* Bravo is even starting to bore me.

Dave threw his back out – so at the moment he’s dozing on the couch.   Hopefully he’ll be in better shape over the next few days in case we have to…you know…go anywhere.

At this point I’m most worried he’ll hijack my epidural.

Since I’ve got nothing of any importance to share – please enjoy these pics (professional proofs) from the wedding.  

It already seems like forever ago.

 

     

Babywatch – Day 13

So titled because it’s 13 days since I started leave. :)

(not my baby.   This is my niece Cooper – circa Nov 2010)

 
I am doing laundry and stocking up on groceries but still no baby.    

I know walking is good for me so I find a few errands to do every day that make me get up and around a bit.    The issue lately is that my left knee (I don’t know why it’s always something with my left leg) hurts.   It’s not overly swollen so I’m not sure the cause but it does make walking uncomfortable.

The manager at Stop & Shop (I only know this as she is usually the one people call over to fix stuff at the register) was bagging in the lane I was in today and when I walked through to hand her my reusable bags she was like “Oh.  You’re pregnant?”

I’m not sure what gave her the clue.  Perhaps that I almost had to walk sideways to get there. :)

I’ve got to say – since I started obviously showing people have been really nice to me.  It’s going to be sort of a downer when the kid gets here.  Although I guess you still get some attention then with all the “Oohhhh!  How old is s/he?”  from people when you take the baby out.

I guess this is why I am drowning in a sea of blue clothing.  People are all paranoid about strangers calling their baby by the wrong pronoun.

Everything I have bought for myself is in a more neutral color.   Don’t get me wrong.  I like all the clothes we’ve been lucky enough to receive.   He’ll be going home in a baby blue number (unless he turns out to be a giant and the outfit doesn’t fit).  But he’s a BABY.  He doesn’t need to look like a miniature grown up right from the start.

We’re as ready as we’ll ever be I am guessing.    We did one of the smartest things ever – which was buy a small freezer to keep in the basement.  Not only do I think it’ll come in handy later for Costco runs – but it enabled Jen, my mom and me to make some trays of food so that there will be no worry about the rest of the household going hungry those first days home with the little one.

I’ve been reading a lot of ‘mommy blogs’ lately  - specifically some posts about what people find helpful those first few days home.  I’m in a strange position here.   I’ve been taking care of 4 other people for the better part of a year and a half – so it’s not like I don’t know what it takes to run a house.  But I’m also having my first baby.   So on one hand I am absolutely a first time mom.   On the other – not so much.

The nurse who ran our childbirth class mentioned things like putting a note on the door telling visitors to come back at a better time – or keeping a bathrobe in the downstairs closet to throw on when answering the door to keep visits short.   I don’t know where most people live where they have a ton of unexpected guests just stopping by to see a new baby.    Is this odd to anyone else?  There is no one I know who wouldn’t call first.   There is no one I can think of who would come over uninvited.    I don’t have any friends who would park themselves in my kitchen and expect me to serve them when I have a newborn.    And anyone who asked to stop by would be most welcome.   Maternity leave turns into a bit of a lonely existence.     Factor in that my immediate family lives a state away on either side and my friends all live in NY for the most part – it means I’m mostly here hanging with my friends on Bravo.

I’m looking forward for the social life the baby might afford me.   There’s a stroller fitness class at the PAL, there’s a Mom’s group I joined on Meetup.com.     I’ll be walking around the neighborhood a lot – all ways I think to find some new friends.

And yet – I miss my old friends.  The ones who live on Long Island and get to see each other often.    The ones who live and work in Manhattan and – though all of our lives have gotten increasingly complicated – can still meet for drinks after work.

I miss drinks after work.  

At the same time I am excited and nervous and a whole slew of things about this baby.   Having a child of my own was a dream I almost gave up on.   Right when I started to lose weight I also started to come to terms with the fact that my life might just be being an aunt to my three gorgeous nieces, living in New York and hanging out with my friends.    It’s amazing that not so long after I did that my life turned completely upside down.

I mean seriously.  COMPLETELY.   There is nothing about my life then that is the same now.

But I wouldn’t change a single thing.

PS:  Happy Valentine’s Day – whether you have someone to share it with or are hosting a “Cupid Can Kiss My Ass” party as I once did if nothing else a holiday founded almost exclusively on chocolate deserves to be celebrated.

Fast forward

So.  It’s been quite a while.  I get that.  I’ve been a little bit busy.  :)

After the wedding it was a lot of moving in and getting settled.  Adjusting to going from a teeny apartment alone to a huge house with 4 other people.

Even if you love the other people to pieces it’s quite an adjustment.

And factor in the fact that I was highly hormonal…well, I hope you can understand why I have been MIA.

But now – I am going on week 2 of maternity leave and the doctor said today the baby is still really high and I’m barely dilated.  So though I could go into labor tonight – he asked me to come back to the office on…Monday.

Monday as in – 4 days after my due date.

I’m getting a tad bored.

Being pregnant, minus the hormonal bit has been a breeze for the most part. I’ve been extremely lucky.    I was queasy but never sick until I picked up a stomach virus about a month ago.  Every test I’ve had (I’m high risk due to my age) has come back with zero issues.  (knock wood)  

I’ve only gained about 20 lbs total.  In fact I lost a pound last week.  

This is amazing given the fact that I could be the Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich spokesmodel.    Seriously.  I think the drive thru people know me by name.

I exercised (walking mostly – I ran/walked a 5K in August and gave up Zumba completely) up until the end of October.   I had some weird cramps in my right foot and then mid-November I got sciatica. 

It was horrible horrible horrible.   I truly believe labor will be easier.   It was like I had a cramp from my lower back down to mid thigh on the left side.  Then from the knee down I felt like my leg was numb.    It got so bad I was walking with a cane until the middle of January.   Then suddenly it got a bit better.  Now my left knee is achy and I waddle but I think that’s more my huge belly than anything else.

At the advice of my OB I tried a chiropractor to get some sort of relief from the back pain but left still in pain and unimpressed.   I also  started going for a pre-natal massage every week and left still in pain but relaxed.   I figured the relaxed part was well worth it.

I’m still trying to figure out a way to keep that up after the baby is born. :)

My hospital offers a post natal massage while I am there.  You bet your ass I’m taking advantage of that deal. :)

Foodwise (we’ve covered my Wendy’s obsession) I have eaten mostly the same things as always – except I’m off salads completely and should buy stock in Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.   There were months where it was all carbs all the time.  Anything beige was my friend.   It is quite amazing how your palate changes when you are pregnant.

When I found out the baby was a boy I must confess.  I had a tiny pity party as I had always envisioned pink and ribbons and bows.  But he will be my mom’s only grandson, and I’ll get to use my dad’s name as his middle name and all of that seems fitting now.

Also – boys clothes can be just as cute.

Dave’s kids are all very excited.    We’ve had to relocate a child and redecorate a few rooms but everything is 99.9% done now. 

I never thought it would happen but we are pretty much ready.    Dave promised me we would be and I’d be lying if I said I completely believed him but he did everything I wanted done and more.   I love that guy. <3 He’s the bestest ever.

So to catch you up…here are some pics from the last few weeks/months.   I sadly have very few pictures of my big old belly but I’ll share what I do have.

I’ll be blogging here and there as long as I’m not in labor - and then will be back with an update after this little guy gets here.

Oh – first of all, I want the internet to know I finally beat Dave at Words with Friends.   After about 300 games where he kicked my ass I beat him 3 times in a row.  He swears he didn’t let me win.  It was quite the occasion and I am still extremely happy about it.

 

Here’s me a few weeks ago.  Pretty right?   My belly is MUCH bigger today.

 

The nursery – with the cute lamb mobile Jenny gave me.

The bumper that my mom gave us.   Crib was on sale at Pottery Barn kids.

 

Aaand…here he is as of about 2 weeks ago.  All cozy in there with his hands in front of his face.

This is me yesterday.  Yes.  That is my stomach.  It needs its own zip code.

And that’s all the news for now!!   I hope to be back soon with another update.  

And I’m really sorry that I took so long to come back here but I appreciate anyone who has stuck around while I got my life together.  :)