Diary of An Irish Woman

musings of an irish lady now living in America.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

one of these photos is not like the other...

So from the magic of our digital camera you can set up a coupling shot and put baby on one half of frame and us in other. So who's nose does Fionn have and its pretty obvious he looks like Dad. I think he has my chin though!

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

sleeping




winnie the pooh and more photos





just to see how much he grows we want to try and take photos of Fionn beside his giant Winne Pooh friends every month. so far he's the smallest...













His hair isn't yellow but the camera can highlight a color and highlighted the yellow in his wee top and then the red/yellow in his hair. He may look bald but its so fine and white with hint ginger. This is Fionn in milk coma. His favorite state.
So far his eyes are dark dark blue - lets see what happens over next couple of weeks. This was last day in hospital - our 5 day boot camp. One of few advantages of c-sections is staying in 5 days instead of the two of normal births. So we got tons of help and advice from nurses and breast feeding specialists in our own personal baby boot camp. And its helped believe me! Now we swaddle with ease, latch on with confidence, burp with abandon and scoff in face of spit up and poopy diapers. The nurses in Mother and Baby unit at Good Sam rock and we brought in cakes, sweeties, brownies daily to say thanks. Also coming from a family with 4 siblings out of 5 nurses and my Mum I know who to curry up to in a hospital. Feed the nurses and you have friends in the right places in hospitals..

While the baby sleeps

So will post later because its been a hell of a ride last two weeks, new baby, being a new Mum, and some funny stories in between of course including flashing our pastor while breastfeeding... and the nurses getting mixed up re my hereditary spherecytosis and thinking I had sickle cell anemia and wondering who was black in my family (including asking me who tans well in my family in a round about way of asking who person who could have sickle cell.. Its been wierd, wonderful and above all bloody fantastic.


So because every new Mum thinks her baby is cute - heres some photos - enjoy !


Friday, August 24, 2007

i love being a Mum!


New proud Dad comparing noses..


Fionn - pronounced Fyun like Fjord

Fionn - pronounced Fyun like Fjord

email from excited Daddy says it all

We had a boy!!!!!

Good morning, folks. It's been a fantastic, wild, emotional, amazing 24-hours. I'm not sure when exactly the reality of it all hit S, but for me it was about four minutes after our son was born, as I stepped into the recovery area and saw a tiny little -- no, actually, a solid hunk of a little ME staring back at me, a little boy who actually calmed down as I cupped him in my hands. I've seen lots of newborns recently, but none has had my face.

He's a brick. And he's mostly bald, like his mom was. A little brush of blondish-red fuzz all over his head. The doctor had never seen a baby this bald! She said they weren't sure which end they were grabbing as they pulled him out. He's got a Mac head (it's big!) and we think he might have his mother's nose and chin. Truth be told, we're not completely sure about his nose ... Sinead said early in the day, "thank God its a boy with your nose, Jan!" Well, we're not about to settle this debate any time soon.

Here are the stats:

F1 M Gandalf
August 20  10:52 am
8 pounds, 8 ounces, 20 1/2 inches

Pics from the whole first morning. View them in order, with titles and descriptions, to capture the experience:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hikingviking/sets/72157601585743925/

Updates, as we get to computers:
http://www.mcviking.com

F1 - "the fair" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fionn_mac_Cumhaill
M - after his grandfather, and the line of B men who share the name
Gandalf - we kinda had to slip this on in there, as he's been "the hobbit" for so long. Two middle names worked for Tolkien, and hell, "Bilbo" wasn't going to cut it, so we went all the way.

We're here:

Good Samaritan Hospital, San Jose
http://www.goodsamsj.org
Room 282 in the Maternity Ward

Love you all,
-S, J, and Hobbit

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Mad Hatter's Tea Party


So wonderful day yesterday - myself and Ciara went to Lisa's Tea treasure for a lovely tea for two in afternoon. Its a http://www.lisastea.com/photogallery.aspx wonderful speciality cafe that serves tea as in olden England. So waitresses dress up Victorian style, you have china teapots and cups, cucumber sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam... Yummy. Here's the dessert - an almond pie with my afternoon Darjeeling tea.



So I wore a hat as lets face it when you live in Sunny California you don't get to wear one that often and its always nice to stick on a hat at the slightest excuse.
So we had a marvellous tea. That's quite a compliment from me as I'm fussy nah on snobbish about my tea. American tea like Lipton is well.. shite to be blunt so having a cup of tea where they gasp.. get the concept of boiling water before you serve it and serving it hot and not tepid is fantastic. Also there was nay any sign of any Lipton or other general orange pekoe black American disgusting tea here, there was a menu of teas and I had afternoon Darjeeeling with also a side of mint ice tea for quenching my thirst. Actually I had two pots of tea all to myself as Ciara had two pots of fruit passion tea as shes into that at moment.
Lisa's tea treasure is a perfect wee spot for preggers ladies actually as the small bites of different sandwiches is perfect this late in pregnancy. It was lovely just to sit and drink tea and do nothing but sit and drink tea. Soon be a Mummy and won't be able to just leave the house to do that without making sure someone has Hobbit and I have their next feed ready. Its all very exciting though. So enjoy your cup of tea where ever you are and have a great weekend.




Thursday, August 16, 2007

sorry cant talk with my mouth full of chocolate...

So another Mummy to be Yummy to be yesterday. Myself and Ciara went to Los Gatos Hotel Spa for a Divine manicure and pedicure. (She had tried to book us for massage but they didnt have any spots together, which is good as I havent got any idea how I would get onto a massage table, plus with the hard rock belly on me I'd end up rocking like a see-saw).


What was funny was that Ciara booked it letting them know we wanted to do it together, i.e. have a good auld chinwag while the ladies pampered us. and when we got there they put us in separate rooms. My lady started on my nails, in lovely surroundings but felt a bit weird as I was there basically to chat to Ciara when another lady came in all bothered and saying, she want together but there only one light, only one light. I realized she was talking about the lamp on the desk shining on my nails. Well we could share I said, realizing Ciara had kicked up a wee bit of a fuss and with that Ciara came in smiling.



I told them we are doing this together Ciara said. They wanted to do my feet and your nails and then swap us - sure we wouldn't see each other at all. The older Korean lady was still bitching, one light, I cannot see one light.. Now this room was a dark room by any means, it wasn't a cave, it was pretty bright and I said we can share this lamp again a bit louder.


She was still protesting when I commented - its not like shes Helen Keller that we cant share this one light (bad of me I know but you swear we had asked her to give us a kidney...) The wee girl doing my nails burst out laughing which probably didn't help matters. The front desk lady came then and informed her that we were doing it together and she would get us another lamp if needed. So finally we were all sat down and they were doing our nails when the older lady started speaking Korean to my wee girl obviously still bitching. So Ciara started talking in Gaelige (Irish) to me. It was hilarious as then the older lady stopped and looked at us shocked.

At this point I am giggling like a two year old and so is my wee girl who has a sense of humor it seems. So they gave us lovely sugar scrubs on our hands and massage and I picked out a gold nail polish color - very muted and neutral. Any bright ones are just making my fingers look like huge sausages..

Then Ciara who LOVES red nail polish and the brighter the better - picks out this shocking soda red nail polish. She can wear it as has super long thin fingers. Her lady starts saying this color be better and showing a more dark red color. Ciara laughs - nope this is the one I like. Then her lady starts on a rant on it being too bright too bright. Well at least we wont need the other lamp I said.




Then over to pedicure and they moved us for that. Lazyboy chairs with heated neck wraps and they put on special cream on our feet to wear down callus while they did a sugar scrub and a soak in hot stones and rose treated water. Then a lad came round saying it was happy hour at the spa and would we like a glass of champagne and chocolates. We unfortunately had to pass on champagne both being very very preggers but we managed to stuff a few chocolates into our gobs while they took a big file to soles of our feet to get off the dead skin. They were really working it and not to be gross but there was enough skin that looked like we could probably make a handbag if not a purse each. Myself and Ciara are chatting away telling stories and getting louder and louder.. Then the chap came back with chocolates and I think the spa folks thought right these two are rowdy so lets stuff their faces. So we did and quite happily then shut up while they massaged our feet and legs..


I think the folks at the spa are happy that we cant come back next week as I will be on maternity ward with Hobbit please God...


Another Mummy to be Yummy moment brought to you by the two large Irish pregger girls

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

well duh...

Again I dont make these up and too funny

******************************************
Week 39 Pregnancy Tip
Tips to Ease the Discomfort of Delivery

Hi sinead,

Labor can be sometimes uncomfortable. Here are some ideas to ease the pain when the time comes:
Try laboring while positioned on your hands and knees, to ease pressure on your back
Ask someone to massage your back
Apply heat to your back
Try soaking in a warm tub
Request pain medications or ask for an epidural

**************************************

Even my sister Fig who by time her 4th one came is super quick labor and needs someone there with a catchers mitt says labor is a bit more than uncomfortable.. So that part is just funny. And love that after all the tips - request pain med or epidural. This and by time some women get this email already in labor. (or like me having braxton hicks all morning and trying to talk the Hobbit into staying in rent free until next week so I finish my to do list!)

How Now Brown Cow...

Wee update, got a strange call on answering machine but I called the number back and turns out it was voice over folks. I got the telecom answering machine gig! Thankfully not till October but about 40-45 hours voice over work with 4 hours at a time recording for a telephone service for a company that wanted a British Isles kind of accent and I had done an audition tape and they picked mine. Yep I'm Irish not British but my accent is what they call educated Dublin accent so not the lucky charms, stage Irish that folks here think I should have being Irish. So I should start practicing my best BBC World Report voice... for Charles Winner press extension 516....

support group

So yesterday I took myself to the Good Sam hospital breast feeding support group. The teacher had said we were welcome to come pre-baby to get an idea of the group and how it could help. So I decided to go as I know my friend who's expecting will not be breast feeding so wanted to line up some support in advance as I heard makes a big difference in sticking with breastfeeding new baby. The group was lovely. Mums with babies from 3 weeks old to 7 months old and a great lactation specialist who was answering questions and giving hands on help. She also was updating us with news. Turns out that now you can fly on airlines with bottled breast milk without having to taste it in front of the security guards and also can bring it on without a baby in tow. I remember my poor brother in law having to taste the milk in London before getting on to show it was milk. It was more embarrassment than anything else so glad to see they relaxed that rule.
So I wheeled myself to the front and sat down behind a nice lady who immediately said hello and had a lovely wee 4 month old who I asked his name and she told me and it was an Irish name and we looked at each other hearing each others Irish accent and laughed. I sat down beside the one other Irish person in a room of 30 plus women... Her and her hubby live about 20 miles away but she comes down for the group and was great to talk to her. Shes coming to see me in hospital next week and gave me a Maya wrap to use! I know that when I can make it will be heading to the group - great way to ask questions, get support and also meet new Mummys so folks were swapping all kinds of advice re feeding, sleeping and where you could see a movie with a newborn ;-)
Afterwards went to the Y for a quick wee soak in the pool. Its a great center and they also have babysitting from 6 weeks on so I'll be taking advantage of that so I can get a wee swim in and start back in Pilate's which should help strengthen this pelvis and back.
Then came home all relaxed and made himself and myself some chicken sweet and sour and rice with pineapples and bell peppers. The shock was that I made enough for two, we didn't have any leftovers! I'm very proud - especially with my history of making dinner for two but serving too much like there was 8 eating. Himself still teases me about first dinner I ever made him where I served rack of lamb, 6 pork chops, 10 potatoes, risotto rice, apple and sage stuffing, red wine stuffing, gravy , sweetcorn and made a banoffee pie - just for the two of us. Poor bugger at one point was afraid he'd have to eat it all... (and old roommate from England reminded me of the shopping list I sent him and other guy to supermarket with where I had 5 chickens on list for the 3 of us... I blame the change coming from a family of 8 but I don't think anyone is buying that - I'm just one of those folks who hoard food like theres a siege coming..)
So to go from those extremes to two empty plates last night with no leftovers... I'm kinda proud folks..
Only 6 more sleeps to go!

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

hairy right side

So a while ago, I think at start of blogging about the strange things during pregnancy that no body tells you I mentioned that I did have more hair growth - on my head which is great but also just under my right arm pit. My left is still pretty much slow and non-growing. I'm quite happy about that as I'm one of those women who never needed to shave her legs and I have such fine fair hair on legs and arms you cant see it.

Some folks thought I was making it up that only my right arm pit started having more hair but now I have further proof of my one hairier side! Aha!

Yesterday morning before meeting Ciara for lunch and a wee shopping trip round Macys and Target in our mummy to be -yummy time that we are squeezing in, I went to the spa and got my eyebrows waxed and shaped. I only need it maybe once a year as the eyebrows are normally like my underarms - not hairy and very fine. That and I cant do it myself as I cry too much trying to pluck the odd hair. I'll be honest, I stream so many tears plucking one hair you think I was cutting onions for a world record or something.

So Tiffany was plucking away and waxing while I cried and mentioned that she didn't want to thin out my right eye brow but had to as it was so much thicker hair then the left eyebrow. She thought I had tried to pluck left eyebrow but I haven't. AHA! I said - I know why right eyebrow is so much thicker, its the pregnancy, my right side of body is hairier!

Further proof that I'm asymmetrical in hair growth!

I left with my two very pink eyebrows of surprise both now equally fine - thankfully that look of shock and surprise from getting eyebrows waxed went away in a couple of hours before I met Ciara.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Stars and Meteors....



So went for a wonderful nap Sunday afternoon after no sleep Saturday night and after that felt ready to go outside and see the world. So myself and himself went to see Stardust the new movie http://www.stardustmovie.com/ based on the book by Neil Gaiman http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/


There's no other way to say this but stop what you're doing and run and go see this movie. Your Granny will love it, your kids will love it and you will cheer at the end of it unlike any other movie you've seen in years. Its the kind of movie that makes you go - yes! they still make movies that I want to see again and again. That magic of the original Star Wars, the first time you saw The Princess Bride. (literally after movie I was in bathroom and this lovely older lady about 85 yrs young was saying how much she loved it and how it reminded her of the Princess Bride, and she was quoting that movie - you killed my father prepare to die while wheeling her walker and I thought - fantastic!)


Afterwards we went to Effies, had some dinner and then I remembered it was the night when you can see the best meteor showers. The Perseid meteor shower was best last night so we decided to sit on our patio under the stars and look for the shooting stars. It was such a beautiful night and we were on such a high from seeing such a brilliant movie.


Three years ago, himself brought me on such an amazing date where we drove into the Santa Cruz mountains to watch the same meteor showers under the night sky with a thermos of hot chocolate in his VW car. And here we were again under the night sky, a week and a bit to go for Hobbit to arrive, at our own wee house and so happy. Feel very blessed and 3 years ago I saw two shooting stars and last night saw 7 shooting stars from our wee patio having a shandy with Himself who is so amazing and thought this is what life is meant to be.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Riverdance the sequel..

So Friday morning myself and himself popped over to the Ob-Gyn office for our now weekly checkup.


Did well going into the office and himself has it down smooth his throwing me ontop of the table for the doctor to check me and Hobbit out since I cant climb on it with the separated pelvis. Doc asked me how it was going and I mentioned that Hobbit wasn't moving much last two days, I had used the doppler at home to listen to the baby's heart so knew all was OK but figured maybe the growing size meant couldn't move too much.


Doc asked us to go to Labor and Delivery at hospital to do a stress test and monitoring just to make sure all is OK. So we went straight from the doctors office and I kept saying, well Hobbit cant come now because I still have to finish my to do list and I want next week to relax some! I sat in the walker and himself pushed me to labor and delivery. Its kind of funny that the furthest elevator away and longest walk is labor and delivery so all these poor Mummys are panting and waddling to get there.


We checked in and they put us in a room and nurse told me to get into bed. They left a gown so we weren't sure was I supposed to get undressed or not. So himself went out to ask and he was a bit in shock really as the words labor and delivery are bringing home what is soon to happen. There's a couple outside that have been at some of our classes who asks himself with a big smile so are you guys having a boy or a girl? Jan answers that we don't know and the guy says well mozaltov anyway and hes beaming as his poor wife who is in real labor obviously is panting and huffing and giving her hubbie death looks. Himself finds out that I don't need to be naked and comes back and tells me. I climb onto the bed, who am I kidding, I take a running lumbering jump like a bear and throw myself onto the bed and then the lovely nurse comes and hooks me up with a belt around my tummy for Hobbits heartbeat and one for contractions/movement.


As soon as she did that then Hobbit didn't just kick some, the baby started kicking so hard the monitor was being kicked off me. We could all hear the heartbeat nice and loud and strong but even the nurse was laughing then as we watched my belly dance pretty much nonstop for 30 minutes. I felt bad for being there in first place and she said not to worry that its better to come in and check then not check and often baby starts moving around when hooked up but not usually this much. Its starting to look like Hobbit is doing their own version of Riverdance....


So all clear after 35 minutes I get up and we waddle out. Our wee practice run till D-Day. I was just happy that wasn't real thing as I had hairdresser booked and then was meeting Ciara for pedicure and manicure at Le Spa Campbell. We were both treating ourselves as rarely go and wanted to both spoil ourselves and be yummy to be Mummys.


So here's me in hospital with the belts on for test. (more flattering photo than the ones himself took from my feet looking up towards my belly which looked more like should be accompanied by an old man saying, and there be whales...
And now doing kick counts during the day and Hobbits up to 30 kicks in last hour. I'm telling you those fame legwarmers are going to come in handy...

Friday, August 10, 2007

from mouth of babes

So called my sister Fiona Thursday and got Rachel my 6 yr old niece and Godchild who answered the phone. They are just back from holiday in France and Rachel and her sisters had a ball. Then she started asking about Hobbit


Rachel - Do you have a name yet for your baby boy Auntie Sinead?
Me- I don't know if its a baby boy Rachel, we don't know if its a boy or a girl.
Rachel - Well Everyone says its a boy Auntie Sinead, like everyone. They cant see you with a baby girl and I cant either.
Me- Well we'll see when baby comes
Rachel - When is baby coming ?

I pause for a moment - my sister tells her kids events are going to be in so many 'sleeps' as time is a difficult concept so we always say 10 sleeps etc for 10 days time etc and then throw in some extra time just to make sure we're covered for the ever asked - is it here yet?, or is it time yet ?questions that always follows :-)

Me- Well Rachel its 17 sleeps so by the end of August.
Rachel - Boy I better tell Mammy is she wrong - she told us you're getting the new baby at Christmas, wont she be surprised its coming sooner...

I laughed out loud. I had tried to add some extra days on so my nieces wouldn't be plaguing their Mum with is it here yet and Fiona had done one better and added on nearly 4 months instead. Rachel was delighted that she knew something that her Mammy didn't and so I left it at that.

With my to do list to finish I could do with the extra sleeps ...

I can see clearly now the clothes are gone...

So not much to update except
drum roll
The bedroom is clean. I can now see not only the floor ladies and gentlemen but also the chair and all the clothes are put away neatly! I even cleared under the bathroom sink - huffing and puffing mind you but theres two big black plastic bags of recycled magazines to testify to that fact. We don't so much read in bathroom as have a library in there. Thankfully we have two bathrooms or there'd be out and out war. Growing up I was always frustrated that I couldn't read in the bathroom, jeez ya think the other 5 siblings and two parents and sometimes Granddad would figure out another bathroom to go to.. Oh wait we only had one ;-) Bath times were the worst as I love to read a good book in the bath. Especially as my Mum nearly killed me for bringing a TV set into the bathroom once when I was a teenager. My point that it was over far side of room so not near me and bathtub went unheeded... Nearly became a Darwin Award winner from that one.
And I slept 3 hours in a row last night - you can't see it but I'm doing the preggers happy dance. Which mainly involves gently swaying side to side and pumping of hands. OK done now. Off to Ob-Gyn again today where himself will demonstrate his WWF (wrestling skills) throwing his very pregnant 38 week wife on top of the doctors exam table as I cant get up on it with the large step and well lack of it moving down towards me. He's earning those brownie points I can tell you. Then off to hairdresser this afternoon and then meeting Ciara for manicure and pedicure where I can imagine the green tea is a lovely big glass of white wine with a french roll with melted brie and garlic on it.
Repacked my hospital bag last night as obviously I was insane when I first packed it having 5 wee hotel sample bottles of body lotion but no shampoo or conditioner... I also nearly forgot most important item (don't worry Tiara is packed) but my Irish Teabags! And my wonderful sister Orla had just sent me a box of Irish Lyon Teabags as well. Liquid gold folks. Now to wait on my new microwave kettle from stacks and stacks to see if I can make a real decent cup of tea with it and my teabags.. I don't pretend to be anything but a tea snob so we'll see ;-)
Happy Friday :-)

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Patio tastic..



So yesterday was a slow moving day in morning. I didn't sleep much night before (also himself told me funny story that two nights ago he had a dream for the night he was on cruise ship..) Ya think me tossing the bed left and right had anything to do with that.... You think with all the pillows I have would work. My HUGE u-shaped pillow, my 5 other pillows for trying to keep me upright and my special orthopedic one for my neck. No wonder I get hot - I'm insulated like the Michelin man but alas the pillows help but don't solve the separated pelvis.. No worries though as I know will get better. Also got some zz's last night as had bed to myself :-) Himself is a much happier camper after getting a good night rest in baby room.

I met my good mate Ciara for lunch at Hobees yesterday (nice local restaurant healthy food). She's also preggers and expecting Sept 7th PG. Although shes hoping to go earlier as its her 2nd(that and some comment about baby not having same star sign as her sister..;-). Had a lovely lunch and we're already booked for pamper Mammy to be day on Friday with manicures, pedicures and hairdressers. Very important for all those photos with your eyes bloodshot from labor.. So nice to go for lunch during what would normally be work. Felt very decadent..

Although fair enough during c-section my hair will be offset with my Wedding Tiara on my head in the operating room. I even put it in my birth plan that I get to wear my Tiara, much to the amusement of my sister Orla who's a midwife in Ireland who said she'd run like hell away from a pregnant lady like me with a birth plan like that.. No confidence these folks. Might as well feel like a princess on top even if bottom doesn't. I have Tiara packed in bag for hospital ready to go :-) Just feel like there's not enough places I get to wear the Tiara ;-)

Then came home after lunch did some work for my workmates for couple of hours and then went to town on the patio, replanting the new plants, cleaning up, did a load of laundry of new baby clothes (please note my family I need NO new baby clothes until Hobbits about a year old, seriously..), started on list for freecycle items, cooked a chicken curry for himself for later (which is amazing as I haven't been able to go near curry since becoming pregnant but he deserved it after all the kicking and tossing and pillow thumping he had to put up with trying to sleep with me in same bed..).


Also contacted the folks at http://www.magickitchen.com/ who Susan recommended. These folks cook and deliver a week full of meals to your door in dry ice. Nice cooked home meals. Very handy for us with c-section recovery on menu.. So booked and told them we'd call to let them know when to deliver as plan is need it week following home but have to see how long nice insurance folks let me stay in hospital for and also if mother nature will let us go to c-section date. Figure a week of precooked dinners that he just has to heat up will be good. Otherwise be pizza and Chinese on menu for week and I wont actually be able to fit through doors without buttering me either side... I love America for things like that. A company that cooks food for you and delivers for a week. They are also taking all things mushroom off the menu too as he is allergic to mushrooms. 6 days of dinner for two of us including some desserts for $89 though what a bargain. Have to be careful of not liking too much or I may never cook again ;-)

So by time himself was home I was fairly pooped from all that activity. So today is clean up bedroom day (be nice if I could see that chair), put away the clothes I got for breastfeeding from www.motherwear.com (handy tops that have hidden holes so you can breastfeed without taking whole tops of) and put away laundry that I also picked up yesterday and himself brought in from car this morning (nice laundry man put in car for me yesterday and gave me a hug as well, I love our town !).

Then I may even get to sit down and watch some TV or read a book. Well I can dream anyway about it... First thing before bedroom clean is a cup of tea..

Have a lovely Thursday folks.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

the great Irony

So great irony is that you know you are going to get little or no sleep at all when a baby comes. Its part of the package with baby coming, yet weeks coming up to D-Day your body doesn't let you sleep at night when you could do with those restful nights in preparation.
Mines a bit different from most women who find it uncomfortable with baby so big against lungs etc to try and sleep. Mines a my pelvis and hips are so sore in bed with pelvis being separated that I physically can't lay there more than 25 mins either side and of course cant roll over easily to try and get 25 min other side. So catching 20 mins of sleep with half hour of trying to roll over in between.
So bed time is normally where you go to rest, for me its most active part of my day in the tossing (well attempted tossing as I have to hold onto side night table or himself to try and turn while pelvis is separated and screaming at me). I feel like a piece of bacon... that's getting stuck to the pan..
Himself had to go to baby room last night to try and catch some sleep as even though we don't have springs in our be, me grabbing him to leverage myself to turn, or just me turning like a planet in the bed still shakes it. Also didn't help when I left the bed to try and sleep in chair and was getting some zzzs when the snoring of him who shall not be named woke me up. Gentle taps and calling his name didn't help so I hit out with a pillow. With love of course but still a heavy pillow of love.
So I'm off to try and clear out patio, write up list of freecycle items to give away, have a cup of tea and dream of a nap where I sleep more than 20 mins. Not in that order though and hoping I get so tired I just lay in bed asleep and sleep through the toss and turn my pelvis and hips want me to do.

Folks are telling me - wait till baby comes cause you wont get more than 2 hrs sleep at a time. I'm looking forward to getting 2 hrs of sleep in a row.....

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Green Thumbs...

So on the list, cause you know there's a list, is clean up patio (right now full of free-cycle items that I need to list and email out so we can get rid of). Also is get more plants.

Now if plants in the past had a lawyer, I'd be up for manslaughter. But in fairness tis me who has kept all the plants alive in our house last two years and some have even bloomed. The tomato plant that himselfs co-worker gave us actually has grown about 20 small cherry tomatoes and if we can stop the thieving bastard squirrel who keeps stealing them we may even taste more than two... However as us gardening folks can tell you (snicker loudly here) tomato plants are productive but well no easy way to put this - they're ugly plants. So I put on list get plants for patio in my list of stuff be nice to do in the last few weeks before Hobbit comes.


Now for all of you laughing that all my lists will be going out the window when Hobbit comes, this is I know already.. I'm not too worried about having too high expectations in first couple months, I have none and my expectations are at floor level so figure can only go up. I don't expect the Gerber baby, I expect hoping to shower every couple of days if I can and walking around pretty much like Kate Bush but not as sexy looking in a daze of sleep deprivation and wondering did I put my toothbrush in freezer with the breast milk by accident....




Anyway - first Monday off from work and I .. well I did work some, theres some outstanding stuff that would just be too mean to leave to my work partners who don't know it as well as I do but some gentle easy going emailing was all I did. Then I went to a freecyclers house and picked up a lovely bassinet, also brand new bath towel set she also gave me that was still in package, car seat mirror and sling. The towel is blue with green piping which is lovely and she was saying of Hobbit is a girl we can feel free to give away. I snickered and explained that I don't care if Hobbit is a girl or boy they use whatever coloured towel we have for them. Babies don't care and certainly I might not stick a poor wee lad in pink going outside but inside the house bring it on!


I let her know I got very cute leg warmers in the mail other day - rainbow and himself was saying that wouldn't be fair to a boy to wear. I told him sure we stick them on the baby, stick on soundtrack of Fame (insert humming here, Fame I'm gonna live forever.... ) and video tape same baby in legwarmers for evidence in future... Thankfully this freecycler is also same sense of humor and showed me great photo of her first wee boy 2 weeks old in a duck costume from build a bear where you can see that hes going to hate this photo so much when hes older. Loving meeting folks after my own heart. I blame my parents, my Dad loved to show the photo of me peeing on a beach age 4, coat still on me (Ireland folks) pee hitting ground of the pebble beach and my knickers in my hand.. Its artistic and would be a great photo if it wasn't me...


So came home, checked email briefly, finished up sorting my cards.. Yep I like buying cards and in last year got a lot better about seeing whose birthday, anniversary etc is coming up and sending a card before the date. My Mum made me a calender and then i found a birthday one just months and everlasting that I use and my outlook reminders on computer. So lot of times I end up buying cards and forgetting I have 4 dozen already. So sorted them out by category and then of course had to find envelopes for half of them but finished and now all ready to use. Even I'm a bit impressed by the fact I did this. Is color coding my knickers coming next...


So then went to post office drove by and dropped off cards and then went to the garden center http://www.summerwindsca.com/. Whats funny about the garden center is that its across road from Safeway which we are behind and have never been to visit in 3 yrs living here. Also that and my husband didn't even realize there was a garden center there. Being an engineer he misses small details and plants are right up there. He doesn't really see them so he bought a lot to try and be able to see them more. When I mentioned a year ago about wanting to drop into the garden center (which is about 3 blocks big so this is not some flower shack...) he said what garden center even though he drives by it twice at least daily... I think for the Hobbit may need to put flashing neon sign on kids back so he remembers to check on the baby ;-)


So off I went to garden center with my trusty walker. And luckily for me was a 30% sale and also nice folks were very helpful and found me plants that do well in very direct sunlight as our patio is a boiler and also ones that have a better chance of survival from someone who enjoys plants but hasn't a clue how to keep alive except water weekly/when remembers. The back of the SUV was filled with plants, bag of soil, some plant food that helps to avoid watering weekly and driven home.
Then off to Effies for dinner meeting Dev and Whitney to thank them for all the help they gave me last couple of months, especially being my legs so I didn't have to go see customers and we laughed about some of the crazy customers we have. Not too many thankfully but theres been times that being a behavioral psychologist in past came in handy (like when you have to remind a customer that shouting over phone is not the adult way to speak and if they stop then we can have a nice conversation where we can assist them, insert good choice customer name here and give cookie...) Himself joined us and we had a lovely meal served by our waiter Dan who knows us so well that he was able to order for himself who met us there after starting..
Himself unloaded the plants last night after dinner and our kitchen sink and table are now overflowing with plants and of course I'm thinking that's off the list. I haven't made it to part of list yet that means well now you have to clean up patio and put them in pots etc but hopefully will do by end of week. For now enjoying bright green and flowers mini jungle on our kitchen table and realizing that nesting probably doesn't mean bring more crap into the house but sure we all have our own style... right?

Sunday, August 05, 2007

nesting me?....

So a few years ago in a different apartment, I had a wonderful roommate Frankie, a lovely person but what was even better is that she LOVED to organize and so me being challenged in that direction when it came to closets etc she took over. I had left her half the bathroom space for her when she moved in with me and she asked if she could also organize my stuff as well while she was at it. Oh no Fox said Rabbit don't throw me into the Briar Patch.. that was my comment. Poor Frankie probably couldn't stand looking at my mess any more and was killing her. So she went and organized all my makeup into categories..., all my jewellery, all my toiletries. I'll be honest I cried some tears of happiness.

So being preggers - you hear about nesting. Up to now has mainly been me delegating to himself re storage and clearing out closets etc. He's gone off and bought easy to put together mini sheds for outside from OSH. Also we have now 4 more bookshelves and 3 more closet organizers and shelves in our apartment which were needed. Well I think its starting to happen now that I feel like organizing myself - I had carpets cleaned, cleaners coming again this week and I just finished shopping on http://www.stacksandstacks.com/ a site for gasp... organization.

Here's list of stuff that I got that I chalk up to nesting


  • I bought some lazy Susan's folks so I can organize my spices next week. Seriously.. I know grab up a chair in case you go faint.


  • As well bought a grocery cart (Irish folks read shopping trolley) that folds with wheels (all I need is a blue hair rinse) but will be handy for me wheeling laundry out (note to Americans, senior ladies in British Isles fond of dying their hair blue as got older),


  • Laptop desk with wheels as figure the trays i have been using wont cut it with me trying to feed Hobbit,


  • Vitamin organizer ( I know I feel so old!),


  • Under shelf platter holder (as now balances on fridge/freezer threatening to brain some poor Joe who tries to use it,


  • Dots for the bath so you don't slip on your arse,


  • Over the toilet tank magazine racks (yep I love to read in there),


  • Bathtub shelf (always had one of these growing up and was missing them in bath),


  • Clothesline for patio that can pull back and retract as its a bit silly with 90% sun that we use the dryer (OK we actually drop off at nice laundry folks but with me at home and baby clothes to wash more frequently we should use the washer on site here)


  • Microwave kettle - figure handy for hospital and also for taking with us away


  • Grocery cart liners - we use black plastic garbage bags right now and bit silly as waste of money and goes nicely in our wheelie grocery cart.

Also we were at Walgreens earlier where himself came in so I didn't go completely mental shopping where bought some plastic organizers with drawers like the ones dear Frankie organized my makeup in to clear up bathroom area and a larger one for that bathroom to put diapers in (nappies for the overseas folks) and a handheld spray for washing baby in the sink or bathtub.

Next thing you know I'll be clearing out the food pantry and getting that organized... Just call me Martha folks just call me Martha..

Friday, August 03, 2007

Last Day of Work whoo whoo.. well kinda...

So today is my last day of work.. Well kinda. I work mainly at home (last month pretty much 100% at home) and been training Whitney myself and Devs new fantastic sidekick on the wonderful world of work and how to jump over, go under and through the red tape we work with to actually sell a copier... (won't bore you but its pretty amazing that we sell any considering what we have to go through...)

As I'm the more customer orientated and paper person out of me and Dev (as a team the office calls us Denade) its up to me to pass on the torch. So Whit bless her has been coming round at 730am, 830am etc to learn what she can. Now the office calls us Dewade. Actually I came up that one and passed onto our boss who had started desinswite and we thought that was shite and knocked it down.

My boss is a funny boss. Outstanding sales and support for his staff. Has staff there with him over 13 yrs which is a world record for sales people. Hes not into micromanagement at all and very good for an adult to work for. If you need lots of handholding not the boss for you. But for me who I have discovered does really well when a manager lets me do my job well and just keeps them updated so I am my own boss but with the support when needed he's fantastic. Hes pretty challenged (read crap) though at communication sometimes and when you send him an email with say 5 questions bullet pointed his answer is thus
Yes

Which of course is maddening when you are trying to understand - well which one was a yes and how could answer to number three be a yes at all? I joke with him that he needs a magic 8 ball to answer questions - be at least a bit more constructive...


So anyhoo, today is my last day and I go on disability leave. My doc is kinda shocked I haven't been on leave already but explained boss let me sit at home and email and call folks but now harder to do. With the belly finally bigger than the boobs the auld laptop doesnt balance as well.... Only 19 more days and get to be a Mammy Please God.. gulp..

So my work partner is in a panic that I am leaving the planet or something (which I'm sure will be case for a couple of weeks after Hobbit is here but for meantime over next two weeks not the case at all). I explained a few times that they can still call me and email me and sure I'll be blogging away and checking email when I can. (had a dream that I wrote blogs and got himself to post while I'm in hospital.. lets see...)

Started sending out notices to customers last night telling them I would be out till January. Getting some nice notes back from customers which is always nice. Its not a sexy job but I like it a lot and my background of customer care works well here. That I get paid well for working smart instead of hard and no one is biting me so works all round really....

OK Soapbox time re maternity leave in USA. America has pretty much crap or nonexistent pregnancy leave (don't forget I'm from Ireland/Europe where not only do they have hospitals just for shock having babies with midwifes standard so surprise surprise c-sections are normal 5% of delivery compared to here in States where its nearly 30-50%...) but also they have nurses who come to your home yes your home for visits till your kids are 3 on a regular basis to check on development and see how Mammy and baby is doing. That and most Mums are paid off at least 6 months and sometimes more.

Here in states - some states have no leave at all and you need to use the two weeks vacation you have and that's it. Luckily I live in California which has 8 weeks for c-sections and 4 weeks before which I am only taking 2 of and then 6 weeks bonding leave you can take afterwards. I am taking more as with the SPD and all rest I should be able to take till mid January which I'm sure will still be very hard to do but I can go back to work part-time then.

So crossing fingers that Hobbit stays in till c-section so Mammy can finish up all the last wee items on her list. And of course I have a list. I have spreadsheets! Himself's co workers at a previous job told him that he needed a good project manager and when we got married Jan said in his speech that he had finally found his project manager. Although there was some teasing that maybe I had that excel spreadsheet ready to go for the wedding before I met him... I didn't but sure I had something like it..

So Happy Friday folks. This is my last work Friday well officially for a while. It will be longest planned break I take from work and I know full well its not a vacation coming but still, nice being an adult and thinking I can sleep in a wee bit come Monday morning (well if I could which being 37 weeks preggers seems to make impossible but if I could I would!)

We're off to stay tonight at a local hotel with a jacuzzi tub so I can have my wee dream of a bath I can fit in without needed butter or a crane to get out off...

Happy Friday and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Happy Face


So photo of me in school quite young. Seems I wasnt too happy with my photo been taken...

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

what kind of blogger are you

[
You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary.
If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.



thanks to http://homeworked.blogspot.com/
a fellow blogger :-)

Thats pretty true as well - I liked the thought of a diary but wasn't disciplined enough to write in one daily. That and my handwriting sucks. I could never read it back. Also this way my friends and family can drop in and see whats Sinead and himself up to. Also gives me an avenue for my wee stories. I have no artistic talent but I am a Seanachai at heart (Irish word for Storyteller). Have been since a wee girl. Now I tell my stories through the blog - hope you enjoy, drag up a chair and stay a while. Strangers are only friends we haven't met as yet...

I swear I dont make these up

from the emails I get for tips for pregnancy - here is my week 37 one...

Week 37 Pregnancy Tip
Keeping Hemorrhoids Quiet


(What are they loud- do they act up after 10pm. You know this has me thinking of Hemorrhoids talking to you saying thinks like eat more fibre, would it kill you to drink more water and show more love to me by buying softer toilet roll...)

Hi Sinead,

Many women experience hemorrhoids during pregnancy, to their great discomfort.
(again what a great sentence - do they imagine that folks like getting them...)

Probably TMI folks but thankfully I may have everything else a preggers women could get with my AMA, SPD and GD but not needing special H cream :-)