One Year Ago

One year ago I was wondering just how pregnant I’d have to be before giving birth. Ashlyn had two due dates: 25 Jan and 04 Feb. The more accurate date, the date the doctors and midwives were using, was 04 Feb. I was measuring large for my pregnancy early on so we had an ultrasound done to measure the baby and try to guess its gestational age. That brought about the 25 January due date, which the medical staff never went by. I hoped for a February birth since we have many family members with Feb. birthdates. And knowing that Reagan came a day late I was pretty sure this would happen. However, once a woman gets so pregnant she doesn’t care when the baby comes, she just wants it out.

So, as 25 January came and went I wondered how long I’d have to wait. But, as her personality has proven to us over this past year, Ashlyn has a mind of her own. She decided to be born on 31 January. Thanks to lots of prayer, to a gracious God for answering those prayers, and to a good friend who gave me yoga breathing tips, I was able to labor at home and sleep in between contractions.

Yes, I was able to sleep in between my contractions. With my first pregnancy I went into labor the day after Reagan was due. The labor lasted forever. The contractions didn’t seem to do anything to help. So that’s what I assumed would happen this time as well. Now we all know what assuming does, and we all know pregnancies are rarely the same. But, when you’re pregnant half your brain is turned off. I had an appointment on Tuesday, Jan. 30, and I was 0cm dilated. I had called my mom that morning though and told her to go ahead and start the drive out here. She drove all day and got here around 9pm that night. And it’s a good thing.

I was having contractions, but they were few and far between. And thinking they would get me nowhere (like before), I decided that I would probably be contracting and in pain for days. So I went to bed. I had been praying throughout the pregnancy that God would allow me to labor mostly at home. I hated laboring in the hospital the first time. And He granted my request. Using those breathing techniques, thinking the contractions weren’t doing anything, and being very sleepy allowed me to sleep between the contractions.

I’ll spare you the gory details (things that only other mothers want to hear when it’s “war story” time–usually at baby showers). We got to the hospital at 0530 and Ashlyn was born at 0555 on 31 January 2007.

Happy Birthday Ashlyn!Ashlyn Born Ashlyn at one year

My first giveaway

THE CONTEST HAS ENDED! Please see the new post for the winner! 

In order to spread the word about Sew Petit, and to have a little fun while I’m at it, I’m participating in the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival this week. I will be giving away a set of burp cloths (value: $20). The winner will choose which set and will also get to choose their personalization. Go to the Sew Petit website to preview the merchandise and begin dreaming about which set you’ll choose if you win. Here are some examples:

BCSPaisleyPark

BCSCowboys

Here are my rules:
1. The winner will be chosen on Friday, 01 February 2008 and announced in a post at 8AM Central. This means the contest is open all week and closes on Thursday, 31 January at 11:59PM. I will use a random number generator to pick the winner.
2. To win you must leave a comment on this post…and only one comment please.
3. This giveaway is open to everyone reading this blog, bloggers and non-bloggers alike.
4. The winner will be contacted by email (along with being named in the winning post), so please type carefully!

Please note that I will get the winning burp cloths mailed out in the second two weeks of February…a girl’s entitled to a little winter vacay, right!

Photobucket    New Sew Petit Button

Hill-Billy

Thank you, Mom, for sending this! I’m still laughing. The email gave no credit to the photographer and master manipulator (although we all know who the master manipulator is in the picture). But, thank you to whomever you may be as well.

Is anyone else creeped out by this? And this is exactly what we’d see if she were elected president.

HillBilly

I need to play the lottery

Usually I NEVER win anything. I’m such “bad luck” that when we’re at functions we warn people sitting with us that they will be the last through the buffet line because I’m at the table. And it never fails.

Well, lately I’ve been on a roll! The OSS Christmas Party was a huge giveaway night. They were calling ticket numbers all night giving away prizes. Mine was the last number they called for the night. JACKPOT! $100!! In December I played with the neighborhood Bunco group, which cost $4, and I won my money back. Then I played with the group again in January and won the whole thing! $16!!! (I know this isn’t huge money, but when I’m used to winning nothing, you better believe I’ll take it!). This was great because I had to borrow from Du the $4 to actually play Bunco, and I needed $5 cash to go to the OSC meeting that was held tonight.

The OSC meeting was at the local day spa. I didn’t win any of the services they were giving away tonight, but I did get to book my future appointments (using gift cards I won at a limbo contest and a gift exchange before Christmas) for 15% off. BUT I did win one of the door prizes!

And, God is so good. We’re headed to Florida soon. It’s been as cold as Siberia here, and therefore I’m as white as a ghost. So what door prize did I win? Self Tanning Lotion!!!

God knows exactly what we need. Now, I might be stretching the fact that He thought of the self tanning lotion, but how cool was it! Oh, and the $100 won at the Christmas party was exactly the amount that Du was “encouraged” to give at the office to help with the Christmas party. Hehe.

btw, I don’t believe in luck, good or bad. God has everything under control and nothing happens by coincidence or chance.

Bronchiolitis, ear infections, nebulizers, OH MY!!!

Being the kind of mom that I am, I don’t take my kids to the doctor unless there’s a really good reason. Partly because that’s what my mom used to do and I think it’s the right thing to do. Partly because we see the military pediatrician. I’d rather get teeth pulled than to have to go through the steps required to make an appointment to see the ped. (For those of you in favor of universal health care talk to anyone in the armed services about the military system and you’ll end up thinking differently. We have socialized medicine now and it isn’t all the glory that it’s touted to be.)

Well, Ashlyn’s had a cough and runny nose, on and off, since Christmas. We hear a little rattling every now and then in her chest. Sometimes she coughs so much and so hard that she gags. I guess it was time to take her, no matter how painful it would be to schedule the appointment. (In defense of myself, her appetite, sleep and attitude haven’t been affected, so it’s not like she’s laying around gagging, gasping for air).

It turns out that poor baby has bronchiolitis, a double ear infection, and possibly a sinus infection. OMG!!! When did this happen? She hasn’t been pulling on her ears at all so that diagnosis came out of left field. The bronchiolitis was explained this way: the cold that was in her nose when down to her chest and is constricting her airways. The cold that is still in her nose could either be viral or bacterial and thus a sinus infection.

We left the ped. clinic with four different medicines and a nebulizer. Now, for someone who doesn’t even like to administer ibuprofin or acetomenafin unless there’s serious pain, this is going to be difficult for me. I have to give her meds so many different times throughout the day, with so many varying lengths between doses. And the nebulizer, I’m dreading attempting that. I have a hard time remembering when she got up from a nap to know when she should be getting ready to go down for another one. This will take a serious spreadsheet schematic type thing so I don’t end up under or overdosing her.

One good thing I’m finding in all this mess: at least we’re taking care of this before our Disney trip! She should be good to go for that nice Florida weather, which will be a nice change from the Siberian temps we’ve been weathering here.