Who's Walking Who, Anyway?

Oh the Boots!

These boots once trod with another pair of feet nestled in them, many, many, years ago. You guessed it, me!

Charlotte loves her "new" boots, even if she doesn't want to wear them as part of the cowgirl costume I pulled together for her.  Actually, they don't seem to go with anything she's wanted to wear them with yet, but such is the joy of being a toddler.  They totally don't fit yet, but she'll grow :-). 

In fact, my earliest memory involves these very same boots.  They were then too big for my little feet and kept falling off my feet when my little legs couldn't reach the stirrups as I rode behind my mother on a trail ride long ago.  I remember trying so hard to keep them from falling off as we rode along!

Sitting on a Big Bouncy Ball

Last week a big blue exercise ball replaced the chair that usually sits in front of my computer.  I did the same thing in my first pregnancy, and I think it works out pretty well - especially because it is REALLY easy to just roll my big body off of the ball and into a standing position.   Much easier than, say, getting up off the couch or out of bed.  The only possible side effect that I'm trying to avoid this time around?  The temptation to bounce on the ball while I browse the internet.  Charlotte came into the world with a STRONG need to be bounced and rocked.  All. The. Time.  Babies who like motion love to ride in cars, right?  Wrong!  To keep her happy I had to keep the car moving AND use a hand to reach back and jiggle the car seat for extra vibration.  Even her swing didn't rock her world quite enough.  I'd use the vibrator on the bouncy seat and then bounce the seat to the point where she'd almost bounce out of it. While I know some babies just like to jiggle, I can't help but suspect the three months I spent sitting on an exercise ball.  This time, less bouncing.

The third trimester has brought this realization that I have a long time left to be uncomfortable, but not a long time left to prepare for this new little one.  This week I went through all of my newborn items (from clothes to blankets, to burp clothes) and washed the gender neutral items.  I didn't wash anything pink, since I would love another girl but can hardly dare to hope that this little bug is a girl (I haven't had a single person, myself included, this time suggest I'm having a girl).  Perhaps i will throw a few pink items into the wash as well, just in case ;-).

As I folded receiving blankets, MC came in to see what I was up to.  I showed her how to wrap her baby doll up like a burrito.  She was thrilled.  Of course, this means that she'll want me to swaddle all of her dolls and stuffed animals.  I think she's going to be a rock star at this big sister thing.

I did come across the most bumming piece of information last night, though.  The visitor policy at St. Luke's where I'll be delivering has changed due to H1N1.  Visitors are limited to 2 at a time and no children under the age of 10 are allowed.   Most of my visitors last time came in droves, so I'm a little bummed about the Fred + 1 that I'll be reduced to, but I'm really unhappy about the 10 year old age cut off.  I'm finding it really hard to let go of all of my daydreams of Charlotte meeting Little Bug in my hospital room (or delivery room if the timing worked well).  I briefly wondered if I could still switch to a midwife and have this baby at home or in a birthing center, but decided I need a better reason than to get around a single hospital policy!  Mostly, I think my frustration stems from the fact that since Charlotte already had swine flu, she isn't going to pass it on to another patient.  Unfortunately, I don't see anyone at the hospital giving a flip about this relevant little fact.

I keep trying to be rational and understanding about the policy, but every time I think about it I just get aggitated.  The website touts family-centered maternity care, which obviously doesn't apply to my whole family, so they should remove it, right?  Is it crazy to wonder how the best thing for my whole family would be to keep our young daughter from being part of such a wonderful and life changing occasion?  Will she transition just as easily to the new baby if we walk in the front door with our new little one as if she'd come up to the hospital to see where Mommy had the baby?  I am afraid that she'll just think that Mommy vanished suddenly for days on end and then feel resentful when I walk in with a new baby. 

While I know it will all be oaky, I'm still NOT okay with it yet.  I'll get there, only because I don't think I have much choice...

Babymoon

well, sort of.  Fred had a conference in Monterey, CA last week, so Charlotte packed a bag to stay with my parents and Fred's parents for the week while the two of us had a relaxing time by the Pacific.  Okay, so I did most of the relaxing while Fred worked, but it was great!  The weather was mostly beautiful, except for a large storm that came ashore Tuesday.  I've never seen more commotion over a few inches of rain!  I know they worry about things like mudslides that we don't get here, but it was amusing to see the fuss.

I had a prenatal massage, read my book in the sunshine, ate a lot of seafood, spent time at the Fisherman's Warf, walked along the ocean, bought a few souvenirs at Cannery Row, and took a drive to Carmel and Big Sur.  I must confess that the drive wasn't as long as would have been nice, but pregnant me has less ability to ward off motion sickness.  The roads wind crazily along the mountains and coast and even driving didn't help that much!

We were able to snag lunch along the coast and dine with a gorgeous view of the Pacific.

All in all it was a great last trip before the new Sanchez arrives.  Fred even let me use his first class upgrade on the flight home.  I don't like flying while pregnant (the swelling, the seeming lack of air in the plane, the climbing over people to get to the bathroom multiple times, the general body aches from not moving much...need I continue?) so the first class seat made a BIG difference.  He's a good hubby.

I missed Charlotte at lot, and worried about her spending so much time away from both of her parents, but she hardly seemed to notice our absence with all of the attention she received.  I did get to talk to her on the phone a few times, but she was more interested in coloring or playing than talking to me for more than a few moments.  It was wonderful to see her again when we came home on Saturday.  I thought she might be more clingy following our return, but she's been her usual, two-year-old self. 

On an aside Charlotte note - yesterday she said her longest sentence yet, "Look, Mommy, I found your sunglasses for you!" Crazy!  Tomorrow I'm pulling together the rest of her Halloween costume.  She's going as a cowgirl. The only thing left to do is swap out the straw cowboy hat with pink accents for a solid pink one.  Charlotte insists on a PINK cowgirl hat, and the one I bought just won't do.  After this, she'll be all set for the rodeo next March, too!

Dear Little Bug

Dear Little Bug,

I think there are a few things we need to clear up to make the next 3 months (or so) sail along smoothly.  For starters, let's talk about Mommy's bladder.  I know it feels nice and cushy like a pillow, but using it as such means that Mommy makes rush across the mall, pushing a complaining Charlotte past the desired water fountain, in search of a restroom, only to think, "THAT'S ALL that was in there?"  Surely there has to be another organ or placenta in there that would serve the same purpose. 

Also, please note that the very same bladder should NOT be confused with a soccer ball, or vollyball or any kind of ball.  Every time your tiny yet powerful little body thrusts out against it, I get quite nervous that I just might end up in a resulting embarrassing situation. 

Speaking of kicking and moving about in general; are you throwing a party in there?  Did you invite a friend over without asking permission, or what?  I don't remember your sister creating such crazy, total belly jiggling movements.  Don't get me wrong, she was a pretty active kiddo in utero, but I think you already have her antics beat! If you must know, that really scares me, because she's a pretty crazy kid.  I'm not sure my heart can handle two kiddos bouncing with reckless abandon across a narrow bridge high above a pit of foam at the gym.  I can only imagine that you must be a boy and my life will forever change as I know it once you figure out how to move from one place to the next.  Regardless (of your sex), I'm pretty sure the two of you are going to keep me on my toes!

The only other thing you might want to work on before you get here is sleeping.  Yes, I know you do a lot of that already, but I've noticed a slight tendency for you to bounce around in the middle of the night.  While that doesn't cause me much trouble for sleeping now (I can sleep though a lot, it seems), once you arrive it could really put a wrench in the continuous hours of sleep that I generally enjoy.  Except for the bathroom breaks of course.  Since, at 27 weeks gestation, you should be hearing all the excitement that goes on during the daytime, it shouldn't be so hard to distinguish night from day, even without the sunlight to clue you in.  If you don't hear anything, go ahead and feel free to fall right asleep, okay?  Good habits start early in life...

Daddy and I and even Charlotte are eagerly awaiting your arrival.  Maddie, not so much.  While I try to think of you as a mid-January babe, just so I'll keep my sanity if you take your sweet time like your sister, I can't help but wonder if we'll end '09 with you in our arms or start 2010 with a bang.  We just can't wait to meet you.  We wonder if you'll look a lot like your sister or all together different.  No matter who you look like, you'll be perfect.  See you when you get here...and keep in mind those few things I mentioned. 

Love Always,

Mommy

Remembering the Cooler Days

Okay, so cooler days around here just means Friday.  I can't believe how freaking hot and sticky it is today!  Friday morning was so nice; there was even a moment when I felt a slight bit chilled!  Just in case you are like me and missing walking to your car without sweating like a pig perspiring, here are some photos so you can remember cooler days... 

H1N1 - Finally an Answer!

So I'd asked BOTH my pediatrician and my OB about the swine flu vaccine.  Neither of them had a conclusive answer for me at the time as to whether or not Charlotte and I would still need the vaccine to be protected from the disease.  Both actually at first said they'd recommend the shot.  Yuck! 

Since those visits, I decided myself that our previous bout of swine flu was good enough immunity protection for me and decided not to mention it again at any doctor visit unless asked.  Well, today I didn't even have to ask, she actually simply stated that we were lucky to have such a mild case of it and now that we had better immunity than the shot would provide (for this specific strain).  SWEET! 

She does still want me to get the regular flu shot, and I might just do that...