Friday, September 28, 2012

Belly, belly

Okay, first, my 38 week photo:


Also, I colored my hair.  Yay, red!  Chris is a little disappointed; he says I look like a ginger.  Whatever, I like it, and if you didn't want me to do it you should have said so when I asked your opinion a week ago instead of saying "Whatever, babe, it's your hair, do what you want."  Because of course my reaction was "Yeah, it is, and I will!"

Now for some possibly-exciting-but-also-meaningless-news:  I'm dilated to 3.5 cm!  Or I was as of yesterday afternoon when my doctor checked my cervix.  I've had a LOT of Braxton-Hicks contractions this last month, and on Wednesday this week I actually went home early because I had so many.  They were not consistent, ranging from 3 minutes apart to 12 minutes apart, but it went on ALL DAY LONG.  It was tiring.  It was uncomfortable.  I went home and laid down and finally fell asleep at 11:30.  When I woke up Thursday, they had stopped.  Then I got another dozen or so Thursday before my appointment.  I've had another dozen or so today.  I don't mind, really.  They're uncomfortable but not painful, and if they're helping with the dilation and effacement, keep 'em coming!

It's exciting to me because I only dilated to a 2 before starting "real" labor with Kawika and he was a week overdue.  To be dilated to 3.5 with a week (and a few days) until my due date... well... that's exciting!  It makes me think that this kiddo will make an early entrance.  I'd really like an October baby, though, so I hope he doesn't come quite yet.

I have it on relatively good authority that he will make his appearance on the 4th.  I will let you know, of course.

In the mean time, I'm getting everything finalized this weekend.  No more procrastinating.  After my Lovely Ladies Lunch, which is planned for this Saturday, I'm going to IKEA for more organizational-type things.  Then I'm getting a pedicure.  Then I'm going to supervise while Chris moves the 2nd dresser out of our room and sets up the pack n play.  Then I'll endlessly organize and reorganize the baby's diapers and pj's so we're ready.  It all sounds like a lovely plan; hopefully it works out that way.

In the mean time, I'm going to try to ignore this cycle of BHC/back pain/BHC/back pain.  It sucks.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Bunch of Sickos

The day care funk persists.  Kawika still has a runny nose, though it's not green any more.  He's also developed a chest cough now, as he's not able to blow his nose and I can't keep up with the snot-sucking when he's out of my care all day, so of course the drips made their way down.  The cough sounds awful and he whimpers a little after a hard cough like it hurts him.  Poor baby.

Saturday he was pretty miserable, so we hung out at home together all day.  Mostly he laid on me and whined.

Absolutely pathetic.
 When the baby Advil kicked in and the fever would recede a little, he'd play quietly with whatever was at hand. 

Just before our 2nd shirt change of the day.

I am also infected with what I presume is a modified version of the funk.  My nose is runny and I'm slightly feverish.  My throat has that awful swollen feeling during the day and the obnoxious tickle at night.  I went home early once this week and called in sick the day after.  As that day was already paid for and Kawika is acting normally, I took him to day care to avoid scheduling confusion.  It was nice to be home by myself for a while, but I kept thinking that I heard him down the hall and occasionally felt guilty for not keeping him with me.  I'm at home, why shouldn't I be watching my own kid?

Chris convinced me that it was fine; normal even, to have other people watch your kids while you take care of yourself for a little while.  I think it's karmic retribution that has him stuffed up, scratchy-throated, sweating, and puking today.  Either that or another case of the funk. 

Funk aside, Kawika seems to be getting used to daycare.  Just in time for me to yank him out again!  LOLz.  No really, he only gets upset when I drop him off now.  He's happy when I pick him up and the teachers say he spends less time needing to be held every day.  Yay!  He even made me some art yesterday:

Paint, marbles, bucket: toddler masterpiece
It's obviously pure genius.  I'm going to have to frame it.  I love how it was labeled "Ball," too.  Does it have to be a ball?  Why not an abstract representation of our planet?  Or Kawika's interpretation of a different planet?  Or perhaps an underwater scene?  The possibilities are endless!  Quit stifling my child's creative genius!  Har har.  Who am I kidding?  He probably sat on his teacher's lap and half-heartedly pushed the bucket away so she was forced to finish the project for him.  Stubborn little bug.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Craving

I was really, really craving some fresh fruits and veggies tonight and not really feeling 100% healthy, so I figured I'd hit up Jamba Juice.  They put fruits and veggies together, see, where you can't taste the veggies, and then they can add all kinds of amazing potions and powders to "boost" your smoothie into super-healthy realms.  I convinced Chris to come because he promised me a family outing and also, I'll buy you a damn smoothie, get in the car.

So we loaded up and drove to Jamba Juice.  It's not super close to home, but not super far, either.  I got a Cold Blaster (lots of C-vitamin fruits with Immunity and Antioxidant Boosters) and Chris got something purple that didn't taste as good as mine.  HaHA!  Anyway, it was totally worth it.  Just ask Kawika. 


Yes, chest clip, I know. We hadn't started driving yet.

I sat in the back seat with him on the way home because I just KNEW that if I didn't share he would screech the whole way home.  As it was I could barely pry the cup out of his hands to get some myself.  I think he gave himself a brain freeze though, so that was justified/entertaining.  =D

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Day Care Drama

The day care drama continues.

We had a screwy week last week what with the long weekend.  Kawika didn't go to my mom's on Monday, but he went to day care on Tuesday, and by Wednesday night he had green snot dripping out of his nose.  Mom was going out of town for the weekend and couldn't watch him Friday, so I shuffled his day care schedule, moving his usual Thursday to Friday.  He was still sick Friday morning though, so instead of returning him to the center to spread the funk to others, we kept him home.  When yesterday rolled around and we went to the center, he wasn't having any of it.  I couldn't even set him down to sign him in at the front desk; he immediately started to cry.  Poor sweet boy!

After talking to the director, it was determined that he'd likely adjust faster if his days at the center were back to back; since he's really too young to understand the Tues-Thurs pattern, it just seems like he's doing something different every day and it's probably pretty unsettling.  I know my mom needs her Thursdays, so instead of shuffling, I just added in Wednesdays for the next few weeks.  Now he will attend 3 days per week, in a row, and go to my mom's on Mondays and Fridays.  I really, really hope this is better for him and he has an easier time.  I hate picking him up at the end of the day and seeing his tear-stained face.  I just envision him crying all day long when nobody's holding him, which I know they can't do all the time. 

Part of it is his age; he's aware of mom and dad and grandma, and knows that "all the other people" are NOT mom, dad, and grandma, and that's just unacceptable (to him).  Part of it is the constant switching in his schedule.  I'm hoping the consistency of being at the center 3 days in a row will help.  I could tell my mom was disappointed when I told her last night that she wouldn't be watching Kawika today, but I think it's probably better for both of them.  I know she's tired and watching him tires her out faster.  I know he needs to adjust to the day care environment.

Still crossing my fingers for something awesome to happen later this year, like... I don't know.  Powerball?  I suppose in order to WIN the lottery you should PLAY the lottery, but a girl can dream.

Dream BIG

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Labor Day - no labor

Well, I didn't go into labor over Labor Day weekend (hooray! and boo! simultaneously).  We did get some quality family time while camping at the coast though.  For the last few years, we've gone to the same campground for Labor Day weekend.  It was Chris's uncle's tradition, really, but it seems he's passed the torch, as he didn't come this year.  Chris and I reserved (and paid for) two camp sites way back in January, which is when you have to reserve them for Labor Day if you actually want a spot.  We expected a few aunts and uncles or cousins to come with, but nobody seemed to be in the camping mood this year, except for us.  Luckily we were able to get a refund for the second site when we checked in.

The sites that we reserved were OK.  Well, one was OK, one was awesome.  We'd never camped at those specific sites before and we seemed to strike gold, since the one that we chose (out of the two we could pick from) was totally awesome. Last year's site sucked, and the year before was just OK, so Chris and I decided that V-9 would be our new spot from here on out.  It's in a great location within the park, decently sized, and you can't really see your neighbors. 


Sorry for the poor quality; it's a share of a share! Speaking of neighbors, though, we actually had some nice ones this year.  The group across from us (the only ones we could see consistently) caught a LOT of crab, more than they could eat, and they brought us a plate on our second night there.  I attribute that to the fact that Kawika was very charming.  Every time one of them would walk over the little hump between their site and the road to use the water faucet, he'd call out "Hi!" like they were long-lost friends.

 
Snuggling the belly

My budding photographer

Chris took a few good ones, too, that I should steal from him.  There's one of the three of us that's just hilarious; none of us is doing the same thing or looking in the same direction.  It's one of those crazy ones that just happen to work because you snapped it right when you did, not a second before or after.  Oh well, here are a few more that I took.





We got good use out of our hiking backpack-style baby carrier.  We took walks to the beach, me waddling along, Chris packing Kawika on his back.  Days were warm and sunny.  Nights were chilly but somehow the three of us fit on our queen-sized air mattress (and Wonton too!) and we were plenty cozy.  Kawika likes camping, as near as I can tell.  He seemed to have fun running around the site and getting into stuff, anyway.  I'm already looking forward to next year, when we'll have TWO little boys.  Oh my goodness, I'm going to have TWO KIDS.

I'd better pack my hospital bag; I still haven't gotten around to that!  ;)