Back at work

It's been an odd couple of weeks- I started working again after almost 4 years! It's a part time job (24 hours one week and 16 hours the second week, so it averages out to 20 hours a week). I'm working as a WIC breastfeeding councilor. I've been training the past 2 weeks (how to do my job) and the next 2 weeks will be doing my job with a supervisor in the room. Starting next month (when I'm on my own) my schedule is Week 1, I work M-W-F and week 2 I work T-Th. This month it is M-W- every other F.

I get to take JR to work with me (he's my breastfeeding aid/model) and Allison stays at home with the babysitter/nanny (I don't know what to call her but she's awesome!) Allison looks forward to being with someone different and having their sole attention and I look forward to some adult interaction. I hope this is a job that I stay at for a while, the hours are great, 3 day weekends every week, get to bring JR (so I don't have to pump!), and the possibility of moving up with the county.

Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of year! I love watching Allison's face light up when she sees a Santa Claus or tree full of decorations. The hard part was doing the shopping for presents. I loved going out with my mom Christmas shopping. We would go down every aisle looking for just the right gift for everyone on our lists. This year, my heart wasn't in it without Mom!

I knew I had to get presents for both kids. JR because it was his first Christmas and Allison because she was finally old enough to understand about Santa! I waited and waited, hoping I'd catch some of Allison's excitement. Finally, 10 days ago, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. Allison had been begging for a doctor kit (a booboo kit in her words) from Santa for the over a month and I was afraid if I waited too long I wouldn't be able to find one. As it was, I had to go to 3 stores to get it! I got each kid 4 presents, one thing they wanted, one thing they needed, one thing to read, and one thing to wear. Allison got her doctor kit, PJ's, a matching/memory game, and a shirt. JR got a set of cars, PJ's, a bedtime story, and a second set of PJ's (he really needed some that would go over his huge night time cloth diaper!).

On Christmas Eve, James got a bonus and went to the Cal Ranch Store (think Tractor Supply Company). He got the kids a pedal tractor, a wooden train set, and wooden Lincoln Logs. He also got me a 3 cookbook set of Crockpot meals and a play yard for JR. I love it and it will be well used!

Thanksgiving

The kids and I went to visit my dad for Thanksgiving. Since Mom passed away, my dad goes and lives where he wants (he spent most of the summer in Williams and headed south when the weather got too cold!). He's staying in Parker and loving it! We invited James but he was completely uninterested in going anywhere so we went on our own. It was my first time driving a long distance with the kids alone. I was worried because JR doesn't always like his car seat and Allison gets antsy being cooped up in the car for too long.

It was a lot of worry over nothing. The kids did great, I had fun, and we had a blast in Parker! We decided to stay at a motel for the 3 nights instead of cramming 2 adults, 2 kids, and a dog in Dad's travel trailer. They were in rare form- it was $75 a night for a Motel 6! I paid it though.

We went to the local casino to have a buffet Thanksgiving dinner! Lots of yummy food but lots of people too. I managed to get 3 plates of food (1 for me, 1 for Allison, and a small one for JR) back to the table in one piece :)

Daddy's 1965 TravelEze Trailer

Grandpa and JR

Allison eating

JR's Birth

I had lots of anxiety leading up to JR's birth. I was worried about how Allison would handle having a little brother. How I would handle being a mom of two. How his birth would go. How I would recover. The list went on with no end!

Here is the birth story, with great detail!

I had a repeat c-section scheduled for April 26th at 38w3d because my OB didn't want to take a chance I'd go into labor. I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am for my 7:30 surgery. After registering, DH and I were taken to our room (a LDRP room- the only room we'd need besides the OR), I put on the wonderful hospital gown, and I was hooked up to the monitors. Our nurse came in and did all of the paperwork that is associated with a hospital visit and delivering a baby. Another nurse came in to start my IV (one of the only "problems" with my entire stay). I warned her I was hard to stick, she told me they had a 2 tries per nurse policy at the hospital, so not to worry! She tried twice on my right arm (so I could have my dominant hand free) and missed both times. So she switched with the nurse doing the paperwork. The second nurse got the IV in on the first try, sadly, it was in my left hand! After this, we were left alone for a while. Finally, at 6:45, the nurse came in and told DH to get his scrubs on, gave me the nasty acid reducer, and hung my antibiotics.

Then, shift change happened (7 am). I met my new nurse, my OB came in, and the anesthesiologist came in. Finally, it was time to go to the OR and have a baby! I have a great OB- my nurse was having a hard time pushing my bed down to the OR so she grabbed the foot of the bed and away we went! I was quickly moved into the freezing cold OR, where I got my spinal (easy as pie and nothing like my epi from DD's birth!) and was given a nice warm blanket! Meanwhile, my OB is on the phone, in the OR, trying to find an assistant for my surgery because the one she had requested over 12 weeks ago had been pulled to assist another doctor! By the time my spinal was finished, we had a good assistant scrubbing in (OB was picky because DS was a bit early and this is a small community hospital without a NICU or even a staffed nursery). DH was brought in, the drape was hung in front of my face, and surgery was started! All was going well until my doctor said holy cow about 10 minutes into surgery.

I had an AFI and growth check ultrasound on Tuesday, 2 days before my c-section. DS was estimated to be 8lbs 14oz and was head down, facing my back. As my OB was getting ready to deliver the baby she was expecting to grab his head/neck and pull him out, what she found was his butt! My monster baby had turned breech! After she recovered from the shock of this, she welcomed James Robert into our family at 7:54 am. He measured 8lbs 9oz and 21.5 in long Not bad for a baby that was almost 2 weeks early...

He was taken over to the baby warmer to be cleaned off and looked over. The ped was amazed at how big he was. Junior did not give the loud cry that we all wanted to hear (he's not big on crying at all!). DH went and cut the cord and sat next to me with Junior while they finished my tubal and sewing me up! We were taken back to our room together about 15 minutes later.

As soon as we were back in our room he was put on my chest to BF for the first time. He was given his first bath by Daddy and the nurse while I watched. This was so much better than him going to the nursery and me going to the Recovery Room like when his sister was born. Since Junior was so big, his nurse kept taking his blood sugar (6 times in total) to make sure he was maintaining his blood sugar. My nurse kept watch on my vitals while I kept a watch on my baby boy! After the immediate checking up on us we were left to enjoy our new not so little boy. I was up and walking by 2 pm, to the amazement of the nurses.

My recovery has been awesome- I was let out of the hospital at 10 am on Saturday (at my request- I wanted to get home to Allison) and I have been going places and doing whatever I want!

Cloth Diapers

I cloth diapered Allison using some awesome fitted diapers my mom made while I was pregnant. They were fine- kept her dry, clean, and happy until the laundry got to be too much with Mama's chemo and doctors appointments. We kept it up part time until Allison was over a year old and was outgrowing the fitteds. I never thought I'd go back to cloth diapering with JR.

I have a few friends in real life that are/were pregnant and due around the same time I was. Amanda is one such friend. She is a wonderful mom to a beautiful sparkle goddess, Ivy. Amanda is an earth momma and spent much of her pregnancy researching natural parenting. She and I talked cloth diapers, breastfeeding, babywearing, and what baby items are truely useful :) Last week, she was looking to sell off some of her cloth diapers that were not even used. She and her husband had fallen in love with prefolds and covers for Ivy. She had spent a good bit of time and money getting multiple types of cloth diapers but they didn't go beyond the first ones she tried. It was too good a deal to pass up, 41 one size pocket diapers for $160, less than $4 each! After a bit of research of my own, I found this was a terrific price. There were pockets that were $20 or more each! I decided to take a chance on them.

I got the diapers yesterday and spent the day getting them washed and organized (got to love Allison's sensitive skin!) Today, I decided to give cloth another try on both of the kids. I'm in love! These have snaps to hold them on, no pins like I was used to with the fitteds from Allison. They fit both kids wonderfully even though they are dramatically different sizes.

Here are some pictures of the kids in cloth.

First, Allison in her first fitted cloth (ignore the date my camera was acting weird).

JR in his first cloth diaper

Allison in her first pocket diaper