minti, powered by parents Powered by Parents
First Visit?     Register     Login
 
muchmorethanamom



Blog Calendar
« October 2008 »
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31

Walking Member » muchmorethanamom » Blog » Archive » December 2007

07
Oct
 

Add a Blog Entry

31
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Shattered Dreams

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 19:1419:140 comments0 comments1 Visits1 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

That title is a little dramatic, but unless I go into labour now and it lasts less than 4 hours, I’m not having that New Year’s baby after all.

Oh well. January kids have the advantage in school and sports. It’s a small concession, but I’ll take it.

The BG’s grandma has been here for two weeks and leaves on the 2nd. I have another friend here that leaves tomorrow. Both were planning to meet this baby before going home.

Now please, start your voodoo labour dances already. I want to meet this baby.

29
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Still here and still fat.

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 21:3821:380 comments0 comments5 Visits5 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

In just over an hour, my due date will have come and gone with nary a contraction. Again.

Swollen purple feet, numb arms and a limp? Yes. Contractions? No.


No time to blog this week…you know how it is, right?

Will let you know when anything happens.

I’ve made it this far so I figure now I may as well go for the first baby in Canada for 2008 and win some stuff.

26
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Wow - What a Christmas!

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 22:0922:090 comments0 comments3 Visits3 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

No pics today…too tired to upload any and not enough time to take many! I was planning on “whoring my loot” with a bunch of of other great internet folks and I had big photoshopping plans, but instead you get a list. Later. Down at the bottom of this post because I’m too lazy to schedule it for tomorrow and I don’t want to turn the computer on again this week. Once is enough over Christmas week, don’t you think?

We, as you know, have a baby due in 3 days so the whole family came here for Christmas and it was, dare I say, fabulous? We had my parents, my husband’s grandma, sister, mom and husband, dad and wife, my brother and his two girls (his wife had to work…she’s a nurse and that’s the way it goes) and our house was lively, crazy and tons of fun. The boy has never had so many Grandpa’s and Grandma’s in the same room and he milked every second of it. And speaking of “whoring loot?” Holy crap, did that kid score. He’s still got 5 or 6 gifts under the tree that aren’t opened because he just didn’t need any more. We’re spreading them out over the week. Thank God we have a nice family and nobody’s offended and/or cares if they see him open his gifts or not. He’s loving opening a gift or two every few hours this week!

On with the whoring…

My darling big guy got me
*a new 70-300 lens for my DSLR
*an Extreme III 4 GB memory card
*the newest Harry Potter movie in HD so I can watch it (for the first time, what a pathetic fan I am…) on our brand spankin’ new huge high def TV in our newly almost finished basement.

We got money from my parents, both sets of in laws and my grandma-in-law (best gift ever!) with which we bought the boy a new dresser, a double stroller for the kidlets, and three dates (gift certificates for two dinners and one movie so we don’t have to have money to go out over the next few months when a Grandma comes for a sleepover). We split the leftover money to buy things for ourselves so I got a fancy schmancy new tripod today super cheap. And, being the mom, I spent the rest on other people. The boy got a Flames jersey, five outfits for next winter and a snowsuit for next winter with hat, scarf & mittens. I also got a few things for the BG for next Christmas and a whole crapload of batteries for all of the boy’s new toys. The BG, being the man, will get stuff that’s for him. ;-)

I got a beautiful silver locket from my sister in law. How do you get pictures small enough for those things? Anyone?

I also got a book full of stain removal techniques which is totally appropriate for me because I’m a slob. I got Paderno salad servers, a Paderno frying pan, a pewter spoon rest, a sports watch…hmmmmm…tons of my favourite athletic socks and some dress socks, lots of food, a pottery bowl, a scarf, a toque, some gloves, a bracelet, bath stuff…hmmmmmmm…I’m spoiled. Lots of this stuff was in my stocking, which is our family’s favourite part of the gift opening extravaganza.

I wonder if whoring other people’s stuff is allowed?

I especially love watching other people open gifts so I’ll tell you the main gifts we bought for some other folks, since this is my blog and I can do whatever I want…

My mom: a digital photo frame onto which I pre-loaded the internal memory with all pics of her family, a grandchild calendar that I made and had bound. The digital photo frame was the “peed on item.” Incidentally, I think it may have been our cat. We’re still working on the detective work. It’s a good thing we’re not actually detectives or we’d totally get fired.

My dad: a Slanket, a digital photo keychain, a grandchild calendar that I made and had bound.

My parents together: a “Grandkids” picture frame filled with pics of their 3.95 grandchildren that made my mom cry. It was a success. ;-)

I bought the BG a new housecoat (the luxuriously soft daydreamer robe), some leather moccasin style slippers, a digital photo keychain, several tools and a bunch of stocking stuffers to help out Santa.

We got the BG’s parents/spouses, sister and grandma cool stuff too but since this is my blog and not his I’m not going to list it all. Plus, I’m tired. Same goes for my brother’s family. Plus, I’m lazy. ;-)

The boy? Holy crap. As I mentioned, he’s still not done. To give you an idea though, he got a Little Tykes easel, several outfits and clothing items, cars (remote control, noisy and plain), a small town zipbin, Creanimauc, puzzles, cool leather bookends, about a hundred books, 4 sets of blocks/puzzles/toys from Melissa & Doug, a child size cleaning set (because he loves to sweep & mop but just about takes my eye out when he uses my big stuff), a drum filled with all sorts of instruments - a tambourine, a maraca, a xylophone etc. I could go on. It’s insanity. It’s a good thing I gave lots to charity before Christmas or we wouldn’t have an inch of floor space left. And it’s a good thing I donated so many gifts to local needy families this year or I’d feel like a huge piece of crap. Even baby already got spoiled with clothes and toys and s/he’s not even here yet.

I’m due in three days and there’s no sign of anything. Unless you count the purple legs, hugely fat feet & hands and the lovely varicose vein that exploded under my knee and left a nice bruise. I’m so sexy.

I hope you all had as amazing a Christmas as we did. It had nothing to do with the gifts. It’s all about the family and we are so fortunate to have a wonderful one.

I’m about to roll off to bed because with all the food I’ve eaten and the swelling on top of it, that’s the only way I can move.

Your next stop? Click below. (Don’t need one? Free baby gift!)

ModMum contest at Much More Than a Mom

23
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Swapping and Blessing and…Dish Soap?

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 09:0509:050 comments0 comments0 Visits0 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

swap gift 2007

At the end of last week I received my gift from Michelle in the Much More Christmas Swap and, just as in her blogging sweetness, she sure didn’t disappoint! Check out all of my new Christmas goodies in the pic above! Lots of ornaments, Christmas towels, a mug, a door hanger and a special book that Kayla picked out for the boy! She seemed to know that I really like snowmen. Thanks so much Michelle, and Merry Christmas! (She also blessed me with an easy delivery which y’all know how badly I really need this time!)



Nothing like cramming it all into the four minutes I have to blog…

Dawn Direct FoamI was recently sent a bottle of Dawn Direct Foam to review. The claim is that you pump just one pump of foam onto the included (or any) sponge and it washes your whole sink of dishes. Here’s what I thought…

*I received the fresh rapids scent and it was very light - hardly noticeable even - which I appreciated. I hate strong chemical smells and I really hate fake smells trying to cover up chemical smells. This was actually pleasant!
*A sponge? Gross.
*It did wash a lot of dishes with one pump on the sponge, so that claim was totally true. A sponge isn’t “scrubby” enough to get off the tough stuff, but for things that were just greasy it worked great.
*I need soap in my water to feel like the dishes are really getting clean. And, honestly, if it doesn’t fit in my dishwasher it usually sits long enough that it needs a really good soak in soapy water to come clean. The Dawn Direct Foam doesn’t work worth a crap in the dishwater. However, it doesn’t claim to so I suppose that’s okay! You’d need to have two bottles of soap though, which sounds like too much work for me.
*I won’t be buying it, but for those of you who wash your dishes promptly it seems like it works very well. Just remember to boil your sponge or toss it in the dishwasher daily because those are dirty little suckers.


ModMum contest at Much More Than a Mom

19
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

More than she asked for?

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 14:2114:210 comments0 comments0 Visits0 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

So, I bought my mom a really cool blankety blank for Christmas. (Sorry, she reads my blog so I’ll have to tell you after she opens it.) I wrapped it up all pretty with ribbons and the whole she-bang and propped it against the tv stand yesterday, and one of my butthead dogs PEED on it! Grrrr.

It dried out overnight and is now re-wrapped and safely hidden. The actual gift was never peed on - just the paper & the box. The gift is protected nicely inside by styrofoam.

I hope she likes it because I don’t know that the store is going to want it back now.

ETA: Just finished cleaning up three more pees. WTF? Bladder infection? Marking all of a sudden? These dogs have been trained for 4 years. That’s one of the reasons we didn’t put in any carpet when we finished our basement, but I expected it to be several years before I was so appreciative of that decision. Anyone know how to tell which of your two dogs is peeing? We have to leave the door open because the litter box is down in our laundry room.

ModMum contest at Much More Than a Mom

Have you entered yet?

14
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Slingin’ It For The Win

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 18:1718:170 comments0 comments2 Visits2 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.



Congratulations to commenter Dawn who left this comment. (Check out her post - it’s great!)

Being hugely pregnant I’m finding it a little difficult to carry the boy around like he often wants me to. I was recently send a gorgeous pouch sling (which, believe it or not, I didn’t already have, even though I’m a huge sling advocate. I have pretty much every other kind.) from ModMum to review and let me tell you…they’re not just for infants! I can tuck his little toddler butt in there just as easily and he sits nicely on my hip without putting horrible strain on the rest of my body. I can hardly wait to try it with a newborn in…hmmm…anywhere from 1 day to 2.5 weeks?

What struck me most about this sling is the beautiful fabric on both sides - it’s completely reversible and not in name only - and the solid construction. You know when you pick something up and can tell that it’s well made just by the feel of it? That’s what I felt. I feel completely secure about putting my soon to arrive little person in there. (I got the Camden. Isn’t it great?)

They come in 9 beautiful fabric choices and you can win one!

Want to know how?

If you’re a blogger, grab the code below and plop it into a post at your own site. Leave a comment with a link to the post where you placed the image & mentioned the contest and you’re entered.


ModMum contest at Much More Than a Mom

If you’re not a blogger, you can still enter! You have two choices:

1. Visit the MomMum site and leave a comment on this post with your favourite fabric pattern and/or who you’d give the sling to if you win and/or why you think everyone should sling their babes! So yeah, basically just leave a comment and you’re entered. But…you must leave a valid email address with your comment.

2. Email your friends and family (at least two people) about this contest (attach the above image if you’re so inclined) and cc: the email to me at muchmorethanamom at gmail dot com.

But? You should really just get a blog. All the cool kids are doing it, and isn’t the image pretty? In fact, if you start a blog just for this contest, let me know and you get TWO additional entries!

I was going to do a Mister Linky entry system but isn’t that the creepiest name ever? As in, “Wanna touch my mister linky?” I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Because I don’t know when I’m going to have a baby and be away from blogging for a while (time away tbd by the birthing process and recovery etc) I’m going to leave this post and the comments open at least until I get home from the hospital. The earliest the contest will close will be New Year’s Eve at midnight MST, but it could be later if I can’t get my crap together to close the comments.

Good luck! And thanks, MomMum, for an awesome sling!

13
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Pregnant?

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 13:1313:130 comments0 comments0 Visits0 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

My kid wakes up in the morning asking for pickles.

Think he’s picking up on my pregnant cravings?

11
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Mrs. Anti-TV is recommending a video game?

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 20:2720:270 comments0 comments5 Visits5 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

It’s not TV and there are no commercials so it’s all good.

jump start worldI was recently sent a review copy of the grade one (first grade…whatever…silly Americans…joking, of course!) JumpStart World game.

Since my own children are 19.5 months old and about to be born (soon-ish, please!) I, as usual, took my copy to school and had students review it for me at their computer center.


The short? It’s a hit! Highly recommended by the best darn group of 4, 5 & 6 year olds you’ll ever meet.

The long(er)?
Settle in to read a few of their comments…

*“Mrs MMTaM? This is SO COOL! Thanks!”

*Me: So, what do you think?
*Student: What the hell? (Yes. He said that. In school. Ha!) I can’t get this one right. Oooohhhhh, now I get it. This game rocks! (Lesson: Don’t interrupt the learning. Wait for them to figure out their mission and then tell you about it!)

*”The reading part is actually easy! I can read!!” (Note the fact that this child thought she couldn’t read prior to this game and felt successful at it!)

*“This is fun fun fun! Wanna see my character? He’s a…frog, I think. He’s cute! His name is Bandit. We’re going on a mission now!”

*”I love the math parts. I’m good at numbers so it’s fun!”

From a fellow teacher who helped me out with this since I’m on sick leave: “I love that the kids are never online so it’s totally safe, and it emails me progress reports if I want them. The best part is that the kids just think they’re “playing on the computer” and have no idea that they’re learning with every step!”

Each game package comes with two “adventure packs” which means over 80 learning games & missions and there are 10 more packs available for each grade level (K-2) via optional subscription for $7.99 each.

So yeah, I’ll be taking this one home and saving it for my kids when they’re older. Or maybe giving it to a parent I meet over Christmas vacation when they complain about the teachers getting so many holidays. You know, when we’re cleaning our classrooms, preparing lessons, marking, doing report cards, building classroom websites, researching different learning abilities and styles, spending our own money on stuff for their kids, attending professional development workshops and, once in a while, even hanging out with our own families trying to recover from the 80 hour weeks we worked while getting paid for only 35 the rest of the year. I’ll give them this game just to shut them up.

Use the code JSW5TR for $5 off every game! (That brings them down to $12.99. Totally worth it.)

You can try it free for 5 days. Hey - something to do when those darn teachers won’t take your kids over the holidays and you need to keep them busy yourself! Not that you’d complain about that, right? ;-)

10
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Wrapping It Up

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 11:4611:460 comments0 comments1 Visits1 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

Thanks to everyone who participated in my first “maybe annual but maybe just once” Much More Christmas Swap!

The gifts should have been mailed by the end of November and are starting to show up in mailboxes across North America. I’ll update this post as I hear about people sending/receiving/blogging about their gifts.

Bitsy Parker from http://valuewit.typepad.com/ bought for Deb at http://justacountrygirl.dakotablogs.com/. Gift mailed - thanks Bitsy!

Deb at http://justacountrygirl.dakotablogs.com/ bought for Janice at http://www.justjanice.ca/cosmogrrl/. Gift mailed and received - not blogged yet.

Janice at http://www.justjanice.ca/cosmogrrl/ bought for CPA Mom at http://cpamomva.blogspot.com/. Gift mailed & received but not blogged yet, as far as I know.

CPA Mom at http://cpamomva.blogspot.com/ bought for Emily at http://fenicle.com/ who blogged about it here. Thanks ladies!

Emily at http://fenicle.com/ bought for J.W. at http://youdamom.com/
who blogged about it here. Thanks ladies!

J.W. at http://youdamom.com/ bought for Amy at http://ashleyandaudrey.blogspot.com/. Gift received posted about here. Thanks!

Amy at
http://ashleyandaudrey.blogspot.com/ bought for Tsoniki at http://mebeingcrafty.com. Haven’t heard anything yet.

Tsoniki at http://mebeingcrafty.com bought for Rebecca at http://trenting.blogspot.com/. Haven’t heard anything yet.

Rebecca at http://trenting.blogspot.com/ bought for Michelle at
http://mdbeau.blogspot.com. Gift received & blogged about here. Thanks ladies!

Michelle at http://mdbeau.blogspot.com bought for me at
http://www.muchmorethanamom.com/. Gift received and blogged about here. Thanks Michelle!

Me at http://www.muchmorethanamom.com/ bought for Jacquie at
www.dealwithitgirlsrule.blogspot.com
who blogged about it here and put a pic here. Thanks Jacquie - glad you liked it!

Jacquie at www.dealwithitgirlsrule.blogspot.com
bought for Damselfly at http://growingalife.blogspot.com. Gift mailed. Thanks Jacquie!

Damselfly at http://growingalife.blogspot.com
bought for Gwen at http://leftcoastmama.net
. Gift mailed. Thanks Damselfly!

Gwen at http://leftcoastmama.net
bought for Chelle at http://soodz.com/blog
. Gift mailed. Thanks Gwen!

Chelle at http://soodz.com/blog
bought for Laura at http://www.lauralohr.com. Gift received but not blogged about yet as far as I know. Good luck finding your camera Laura!

Laura at http://www.lauralohr.com bought for Bitsy Parker from http://valuewit.typepad.com/. Gift received and blogged about here. Thanks ladies!

and that’s (almost) a wrap!

I hope you all enjoyed both shopping for and receiving your special gifts!

Merry Christmas!

(Speaking of Christmas, if you can’t see my new header please clear your cache…)

06
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Patience is a virtue

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 19:4619:460 comments0 comments3 Visits3 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

My poor kid. My hips are so sore now that I’m having trouble chasing him around so when he eats I leave him a few extra minutes when he’s done so I can rest or, you know, pee alone without worrying that he’s going to choke on his snack while I’m gone.

Apparently he’s noticing because when he asked to get out of his booster seat tonight he said “All done! Wait.”

Oops!

05
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

I want…

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 08:0308:030 comments0 comments1 Visits1 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

The birth plan is ready.

Once admitted

-Please no residents, students, trainees or other personnel in room.
(Ask me about last time if you think this is unreasonable. I’ve done my bit.)
-I’d like to eat when and what I want
-No IV – lots of liquids (I will have to have an IV access because they’re monitoring baby so carefully due to my incision.)
- Walk and move as I choose
-No continuous fetal monitoring – intermittent and a little as possible (…though I’ve been told if anything will tie me down this is it, again due to the incision. I’ll stay home as long as I can to try to avoid it all, but I did that last time and after 16 hours of labour was only 2 cm so I’m not counting on anything.)
-A squatting bar present

As long as my baby and I are doing fine, I’d like the pushing stage to be allowed to progress free of stringent time limits and to NOT be pushed into a repeat cesarean barring an actual emergency.

Pain Management

Please don’t offer me pain or sleeping medication. I’ll request it if I need it.
I will likely use massage, shower, hot-cold, acupressure/counter pressure & breathing techniques.
Please leave us alone as much as possible and let us be in tune with my labour.

Vaginal Birth (VBAC)

This is the goal!
-Room quiet and as few medical personnel as possible.
-Let my pushing be instinctive and un-timed.
-Risk a tear – no episiotomy.
-Shayne catch the baby if he wants to at the time.
-Baby skin to skin immediately and given the opportunity to nurse.
-Cord cut by dad and not clamped until it stops pulsating. Please don’t rush us.
-Weighing and measuring can wait until we all feel ready.
-No bath/drying/cleaning – we will swaddle in our own blankets and do our thing at our own pace.

Cesarean

-We don’t want this to be an option unless there’s a true emergency – we’d like to try everything else first.
-Dad present 100% of the time.
-Dad to cut the cord, and not clamped until it stops pulsating please.
- I do not want my baby to go to the NICU unless there is a health issue. The baby can either be with me in recovery to start nursing, with my husband or mother there if necessary, or can be with my husband in our room on mat-child skin to skin until I get there. (This won’t happen - it’s wishful thinking.)
-If my baby needs to be in the NICU for legitimate medical reasons and not just because of a cesarean birth, my husband would like to be in physical contact with him or her at all times and no bath is to be given. Nothing is to be done to the baby other than temperature monitoring without my consent. No supplemental feeding or soothing.

Post-Birth

-No medical contact with baby without my consent.
(not even routine procedures – please ask first)
-One of us will always be present for any procedure or test.
-Exclusive breastfeeding with no supplementation (We’d like a pump & finger feeding tube accessible for pain relief if necessary.)
-Private room if possible.
-Discharged as soon as possible – we have a lot of support at home and would rather be there.
-We will be wearing baby in the hospital as much as possible.
-No circumcision if baby is a boy.

04
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

More Pee Pee!

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 12:1912:190 comments0 comments0 Visits0 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

bear on pottyThe boy pees on the floor many nights before his bath so we’ve decided to put him on the toilet before tub time. We started last night.

I made a grunty face and told him to push.

He grunted.

He pushed.

He peed!

A full out pee - on the toilet - on purpose! It was freaking awesome!

This morning after breakfast he said “More pee pee” and went to the bathroom. So, I stripped him and sat him on the toilet.

I made a grunty face and told him to push.

He grunted.

He pushed.

He peed!

After lunch today when he was ready to go for his nap, he was gassy and I thought maybe we’d catch a poop.

We stripped him down and sat him on the toilet.

I made a grunty face and told him to push.

He grunted.

He pushed.

He peed!

No poop, but three pees in 24 hours. Not too shabby!

(And no, we’re not “potty training” yet but if he wants to go we’re sure as hell not going to stop him. Santa’s putting big boy underwear in his stocking but I don’t anticipate having a ton of time to spend on it with a newborn so we’re just going to do it whenever he feels like it and take it from there.)

Birth plan coming - this was way more important!

Update: We’re up to five pees and a tiny bit of poop in 24 hours. Who knew bodily functions could be so exciting?

03
Dec
2007
muchmorethanamom

Plans for the one thing you can never really plan.

by muchmorethanamomComment Published at 08:0908:090 comments0 comments1 Visits1 VisitsReport
This post is from from my other blog here

Thanks for your assistance with the list. It looks like we’ve got it covered with a few of your additions.

Now, on to the actual process…ouch.

We’ve got a birth plan written but first I’d like to mull over your thoughts for a day or two. Later this week I’ll share my plan and you can tell me I’m a moron or brilliant or somewhere in between.

If you had (or imagine having) a cesarean the first time, as I did, due to second stage obstruction after 28 hours of excruciating back labour and 2+ hours of pushing a baby who just bounced off my pubic bone with each push (because he was posterior), would you:

a) schedule a repeat C-section?
b) go all natural VBAC with no foreseeable alternatives barring a huge emergency?
c) some other option?

Bear in mind that my recovery was not easy and it nearly killed me to have the boy in the NICU (with his dad) as “standard policy” when there was nothing wrong with him, and to be held in recovery while strangers bathed and touched my baby in various ways. I was recovered long before they’d let me go - I don’t think they believed me when I told them I could feel my legs and was ready to go until I did a supine bridge for them. One of the nurses actually said “Holy shit - she’s ready” and then it still took them what seemed like forever to wheel me back to my room.

However, also bear in mind that I don’t have a torn/stretched/scarred baby hole at this point and if I have a C-section this time I still won’t have one - which would be kind of good, no?

What kind of things did you/would you include in your birth plan?
Not that they’ll necessarily listen to many of them, but I want to include everything so they know how I feel even if they can’t do everything my way.

Archives

October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006