Adjustments

My eldest son Luke is having a rough time adapting to new baby Zachary.  He loves Zachary and is very kind and gentle toward him.  It's Mom and Dad he is no longer kind and gentle to.  LOL!

I can tell he is having a rough time.  He is whining (more than the normal 3 1/2 year old whine) and pretty clingy.  I have been so ill, I don't have the energy or the health to play outside with him.  I know this is frustrating for him because we usually spend a lot of time playing outside.  He is also very defiant and mouthy.  "No." (In a hateful tone) is his new favorite saying. 

Darren and I are very frustrated with the whole thing.  We know he is just going through an adjustment period and we are REALLY trying to be patient with the whole process...but the defiance and disrespect just cannot be tolerated, regardless.

Any suggestions from you veteran parents of more than 1 child?   I am doing my best to be accommodating and loving through this process and yet not bend the rules.  I am not finding a good balance here and would appreciate any suggestions.

Preeclampsia Postpartum???

Did you know that one can have preeclampsia postpartum?  Yeah...me neither.  Well...it has come to my attention that women can have preeclampsia up to 6 weeks postpartum.  I was one of the unlucky few.

The last day I was in the hospital after giving birth to Zachary, my blood pressure was up higher than normal.  They watched it for a couple of hours and it didn't go up any further so they released me with no medication.

I have a blood pressure cuff at home and because of my history with high blood pressure during pregnancy (although I didn't have any trouble with it for THIS pregnancy) I decided to watch it.  Steadily over the last 2 weeks my blood pressure was going up.  Should I have called the Dr. sooner...perhaps.  But I didn't want to.  Last Wednesday I had a headache I couldn't get rid of.  I checked my blood pressure and sure enough...it was in the 170's over 90's.  NOT GOOD.

Friday morning I called my Dr.'s office and they told me to come right in that morning.  Darren took me to the Dr. and after taking my blood pressure (it was now 180's over 90's) and realizing that in my urine sample I spilled protein, they admitted me straight to the hospital at 10:00am for a day and a half.  They put me on Magnesium Sulfate (which is Epsom Salt delivered intraveniously) which is supposed to keep me from seizing.  They also gave me Lebatelol (oral pill) for my blood pressure.  I was to have no food or water for 24 hours.  UGH!

They put me on a catheter even after I asked if I could decline.  The Dr. said he wanted to watch my I's and O's (In's and Out's) closely.  The WHOLE TIME I was on the catheter not ONE nurse or Dr. checked my catheter bag to see what the level was.  I was LIVID!  Oooooooh.  I could go on and on about this, but will stop here for sanity sake.

Finally they got my pressure under control and I was allowed to leave the hospital at 7:00pm Saturday night.  With all the poking and prodding they did to me in the hospital, I felt worse after leaving the hospital than I did before I went in.  So ridiculous!!

It WAS a blessing however that my Dr. worked out with the charge nurse that I could have Zachary in my room during visiting hours so I could at least nurse him during the day.  I only had to pump at night.  This was REALLY helpful as the hospital policy is that NO CHILDREN under the age of 16 are allowed in the hospital.

So, I am back home now with my guys and very grateful.  Just another bump in the road I guess...SO GLAD it's over!!

Cloth diapering a newborn

Ok.  So Zachary is now 12 days old.  For the first couple of days (until his cord fell off) I did not use cloth diapers regularly.  I found that because they are a little bigger than the disposables I couldn't keep them off his cord.

After his cord fell off I have been using exclusively the workhorse diapers (link to see them here).  They are the only diapers I could find that actually fit a NEWBORN.  The prefolds are WAY too big (even the small ones) so I will try them again in the next couple of weeks.

I LOVE them!  I had forgotten how fast newborns go through diapers and I could almost FEEL my pocketbook shrinking every time I changed a disposable diaper!!  LOL!

I have been rinsing out and washing the cloth diapers, covers and cloth wipes every night (I have a total of 24 diapers and 4 covers).  I then have enough to 'bleach' the stained ones the next morning in the sun.

I will say to my diapering adventure...so far, so good!

Introducing...Zachariah Nathaniel Didreckson

Sorry it's taken me so long to post this.  Zachariah Nathaniel Didreckson (Zachary) was born Saturday, May 21st at 7:00 am straight up.  7 lbs. 9 oz and 20 inches long.  Mom and Zachary are doing well.


30 hours of labor and an unmedicated VBAC!!!  I feel like bragging...sorry!!  He is here and I am so happy!

 

Zachary

Luke and Zachary

Microwave Peanut Brittle with honey

I have used this recipe on two occasions and it comes out perfect EACH time so I thought I would share.

Normally I am not a proponent of using the microwave for cooking or even for warming food.  I use it VERY sparingly for multiple reasons I will not get into for this post.  If you are interested in some of the reasons, you can find them here. 

I also do not use corn syrup in any of my cooking or baking.  My family does not ingest corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup for again, a multitude of reasons but one of which is the following:  Most corn grown commercially is genetically modified to contain it's own pesticide within the corn itself.  So much so, that the FDA no longer categorizes it as food.  It is actually now under the category of pesticide.  I am NOT making this stuff up people...go look it up for yourself.  It is public record!  Crazy, huh??

Sooooo....the fact that I am posting a recipe for brittle and using the microwave is a very odd thing indeed.  However, I was able to find a recipe that at least did not use corn syrup, but used honey instead!!  It is a good tasting recipe, it sets up each time and my family loves it.  I use it for special occasions.  Today I made it for 2 special occasions.  #1 - Yesterday was my birthday and #2 - I am pregnant and CRAVING peanut brittle.  ; )

The recipe is as follows:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
1 c. peanuts
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

Combine sugar and honey in a 2 quart, microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high (100%) for 3 minutes.  Stir and microwave on high again for another 3 minutes.  Stir in peanuts.  Microwave again for 1 minute.  Stir in vanilla and butter.  Finally stir in the baking soda until light and foamy.

Spread onto lightly buttered jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.  Cool.  Break into pieces and store in an airtight container (if it lasts that long in your house).  YUM!

You can also find this recipe at cooks.com.  Use this link.

So I hope you try it one day.  If so...let me know what you think!

39 weeks...

Today I am 39 weeks pregnant.  I am excited and a little on the scared side too.  I have all the typical things running through my head:  "What if I can't handle 2 children?", "What if something goes wrong during labor?", "What if I never go into labor spontaneously and I have to have another C-Section?", "What if, what if, the sky starts falling?".  Blah, blah, blah.  *sigh*  It's tiring just thinking about it!  I know I need to just trust in God, I do.  I just need to trust a little bit more apparently.

I am tired.  I nap during the day during "quiet time" and I sleep at least 8 hours at night.  I feel like a lazy bum.  I know this is typical for end of pregnancy,  but I feel lazy none-the-less.

Little Zachary has found this cool new thing to do at the end of the day when he is most active.  He stomps or pulls or hits these nerves that run from my groin down the inside of my leg.  He will hit these nerves so hard it nearly knocks my feet out from under me.  I can no longer drive as I am not 100% certain when he will get the hankerin' to really get going on me.  It's VERY painful and frustrating because it makes it to where I can't walk around and get things done, on top of the not being able to drive thing.

Ok, ok, enough whining about pregnancy related issues.  I SWORE I would not do it...but, there it is.  I am done now. 

I am SO very excited to meet my little man.  I am so VERY blessed to have such a 'normal' pregnancy.  I am so VERY blessed to have such an wonderful and understanding, helpful and loving husband.  I need to focus more on THESE things.

38 Weeks!!!

Friends,
I have made it to 38 weeks gestation!  This is the most pregnant I have ever been!  LOL!  As I mentioned before, I have had to change OB's due to insurance reasons.  However, this has now afforded me the opportunity for a VBAC!

We are so excited!  The Dr. is ok with letting me go to 41 weeks gestation to see if I go into labor spontaneously.  If so, they will let me do a VBAC (or trial of labor).  If not, they will schedule a C-Section...and I am ok with that as I DO NOT want to be induced.

So for all my praying friends out there...please pray that I go into labor on my own (BEFORE 41 weeks) and have a safe VBAC experience. 

Now we just wait...