Picnic at the Lake - a Photo Essay by Target Boy

Cloth Diapers

Awhile ago, we are talking more than a couple months (okay, six), I mentioned we had switched to cloth diapering. It was always something I never thought I would do. I mean, cloth diapers-you do what with that poop? Eww gross. Then came actually having children, and changing your own child's poop is definitely easier somehow, but still no thoughts of switching to cloth. Then came the kicker, potty training! While we were potty training Target Boy, we actually had to rinse out poopy undies, and it really wasn't as bad as I thought, so I started doing some research.

I was overwhelmed. Flats, prefold, fitteds, covers, soakers, pockets, PUL, AIOs...the diaper world jargon rivals military jargon. But slowly, (and discovering a great definition page link that I wish I could find again) I figured things out. It also helps that I know a couple of people who cloth diaper. Anyway, after probably three months of active research, I decided I was ready to jump into the cloth diaper world and try pockets, and so for my birthday (strange I know), I asked for cloth diapers.

Target Baby sporting his new look (back in September)

I got enough bum genius 3.0 diapers to start with a toddler, but I had to wash them everyday and a half, which didn't always happen, so we would use "sposies" (more jargon) as a back up for my slacker self. I had been meaning to buy some more, but they are dang expensive, 17.95 a piece. So I started looking a prefolds and covers, but just never bought any for a variety of reasons. Then I discovered a whole new world of cloth diapers...making them yourself.
So, again after much research, I am a nerd I know, I ordered 4 yards of PUL, diaper fleece, and a couple yards of Aplix all for 100 bucks and headed to my mom's.

The Result: 19 new pocket diapers, and 17 more still to be completed!

some of my stash

They are awesome and cost just under 3.00 per diaper.

and what did I learn from this post...I am not concise!

Wow, time flies

Target Girl is already a month old! At her check up she weighed in at 8 lb 9oz and a whopping 20.6 inches. I can't believe people regularly give birth to babies her size and larger, OWIE!

Target Baby loves his sister a little to much

Anyway, Target Man was able to bless her on Sunday March 1, with lots of family there to participate and witness (14 to be exact). Sadly, Target Man's mom was really sick and so his parents were not able to make it. His mom ended up having surgery the following Tuesday and is now doing much better.

For the blessing of the boys, my mother made a little suit out of her wedding dress. She has been waiting for a girl so she could smock a beautiful blessing "gown". About a month ago, we drove to Richmond to learn how to smock and pick out patterns. Well, the dress was finally finished the week before the blessing and turned out absolutely beautiful. She did an amazing job making all the puff strips, pin tucks, and smocking. Anyway, I just wanted to show off her work and my beautiful little girl.

Sporting a beautiful headband made by one of my sister's friends

I've been paid to say this is Target Girl's Favorite Aunt

The East Coast Sisters

We had a great time with all of the family that have been in and out since baby girl's birth, and are now actually settling back in to normal life.

The Rest of the Story

Okay, this is really long, and as a warning, is mostly for me, so that I have some record of the events surrounding my baby girl's birth. I figured if I put it here, I will remember where it is, and I will be able to find it. So, here it goes.

Three weeks ago today, February 1st, I was feeling really cruddy. I was getting progressively more itchy, crazy couldn't stop scratching my legs itchy, and having major gallbladder pain. By the time Target Man got home, I was feeling so itchy that I was starting to really stress about whether the baby was okay. At about 8:30, I finally decided I would feel better if I at least called my doctor and went to the hospital. So, we headed out and got there about 9. Being able to hear her heartbeat strong and steady was really reassuring. They took blood for labs, even though the test that really matters for ICP, bile acids, takes at least 3 days to get back. My regular liver function tests were still within normal and since the baby was tracing well (even with the regular contractions I was having), they decided to send me home. We got home around midnight (thank you to Emily who stayed with the boys) and at some point I was able to sleep.

Monday, was beautiful. Target Man was having a "Team Building" day for work-snow tubing and dinner-so he didn't leave home until about 1. We were able to play outside in the sunshine and take this "beautiful" 37 week pregnant picture of me.





Tuesday, Target Man's normal day off, we woke up to about 5 inches of snow. So, we bundled up the boys, and took them out to play. I started feeling really dizzy, so ended up just sitting down with Target Baby who wasn't really enjoying the snow anyway. Later, I went to my doctor's appointment and NST. In the waiting room, I started feeling so lightheaded, I almost called out to the receptionist people, but then the nurse came. I felt so off, icky, gross, etc. Turns out that my blood pressure was really high (for me), somewhere between 130-140 over 80, when its normally 110/60. The baby's heart rate sounded great, but it wasn't as variable as it normally was. Usually, with the NST, she had done everything she was supposed to in the first 5 minutes of being hooked up, even though we had to stay hooked up for 20 min regardless. This time they watched her for about 45 min. My doctor was in and out, and finally said, we should go ahead and schedule an induction for the following week, the 11th. Then they found my bile acid test results from Sunday and since they had gone up, he said he would feel more comfortable if we went in the next day, the 4th. So, we got everything set up, the nurse made sure I was okay to drive myself home, since I was still really dizzy and flushed, and I started making phone calls.

Target Man thought it was great timing, since he hadn't really worked that week and was ready for more "vacation". His parent's, in North Carolina, hopped in their RV and came up to watch the boys. My mom, dad, and cousin (who is staying with them for a couple months) drove the 2 1/2 hours down, so mom could be with us at the hospital. We cleaned the house as best we could, and actually packed a suitcase for the hospital. We ended up going grocery shopping too, cause I had already made my list and organized my coupons for the week.

Wednesday morning, we left for the hospital and got all signed in and set up by 8:30. The following is the rest of the day, broken down by my sister from the reports were were giving her:

Well Target Widow went into the hospital today to have her baby
#3. The docs say it is a girl but I am still saying it is a boy so we
will see. I am calling her every few hours to keep up to date and
see what is going on and the verdict is pretty much nothing. By the
way, Target Widow is planning on having this one OLE NATURAL!!!
8:45AM the Pitosin is started
1:15 PM the docs broke her water and said that there wasn't very much
water. She is still talking to me on the phone very calmly so it can not
be too intense. My job is to keep everyone posted on the baby delivery.
1:43 PM They just upped the Pitosin to 16. Mom is teasing Target Widow by eating one of her favorite cookies, EL Fudge, right in front of her very gluttonously.
3:15 PM the Pitosin as now going in at 20 units per hour???? I am not
quite sure but she is at 20. Mom says she still looks way to happy to be
having a baby and she is still smiling way too much. Target Man just snored through 2 whole Home Improvement episodes. Mom and Target Man took a cafeteria break.
4:13 PM She is now dilated to a 6 and her face is a little less happy. (They say that is a good thing)
4:24 PM the nurse now has the baby tray all sitting out and ready. There is a little baby blanket all waiting and ready for her to pop the baby out
already. Target Man is eating stinky peanuts. Target Widow is a little pale but still way too happy.
4:34 PM Target Widow stood up to go potty and all the fluid that
had not come out earlier just came out as she stood up to use the
bathroom. So now she knows what it would feel like to have her
water break for real.
5:26 PM Nothing is happening but Target Man has almost eaten
all of the sunchips.
5:43 PM Still at 6 stretchy, -2, 80% effaced need more water to come
out so the baby will drop more. Pit has been upped to 22!!! The
doctor wants her to have it by 8 so he can go to bed and the nurse says
she has to have it by 11 because that is when she goes home. Direct Target Widow Quote: GET IT OUT! Dad is going home, he gave up.
6:41 PM Dilated to 7.5. She is at -1. Is in a lot of pain and asked for an
epidural. During three or four of the contractions Target Widow said, "This has got to stop!" They gave her Staydol for the pain.
6:48 PM Too late for the epidural... we are going all natural!
6:54 PM I am on speakerphone unpronounced to Target Widow and I
hear lots of screaming
6:56 PM Break in contraction... Target Widow Asks "Is it out yet!?" "Is it out yet!!!
6:57 PM Baby is not out yet... Target Widow screams some more... Mom
tells her she is doing a good job!
6:59 PM Nurse and then Doctor announce "It is a girl"... and it is out! Target Man cut the cord!
7:00 PM Target Widow says, "It's 7 o'clock!" and mom says she is
crying!



7:25PM Baby has a name. She is 6lbs and 11ounces and 20 inches long
making her Target Widow's longest baby!



8:15 Target Baby and Target Boy visit their new sister for the first time. Target Boy didn't like the hospital. He started crying and saying that he just wants mom to come home now. He didn't like mom being in the bed and he didn't like the IV. Target Baby wanted to know how the bed worked, what was under the bed, what was in every drawer. Target Widow showed Target Baby the baby's feet and he said Tickle Tickle. Target Boy tried to sing a song to the baby, but she kept crying and he was done.


9:24 I am on the phone and I hear the baby crying in the background.
9:26 Baby Girl is in the warming tray preparing to take her first
bath. Target Man is really tired. So is Grandmommy but Target Widow won't let her go home.
9:32 Target Widow has her first shower as a mother of three!
9:34 Baby's doctor is here for a visit. Baby Girl is fine. She is a strong, healthy happy baby with no issues whatsoever. She was asleep for most of the appointment.
11:00ish Grandmommy finally gets to go home.



Wednesday from the time they started pitosin, till about 6:30 was really boring. I was having contractions, but they didn't start bothering me until probably about 5:30. I just didn't really want to talk through them anymore. But at 6:30, I decided I was done with the pain. I was shaking and it was bad. I asked for the epidural and then waiting for the anesthesiologist, kept telling myself I was really stupid for ever wanting to do this without drugs. By 6:59, Baby Girl was born. I still thought I was stupid for subjecting myself to that kind of pain on purpose, but was really proud of myself for doing it, especially with that much pitosin. I felt so much more in control. I was laying on my side, and the nurse wanted me to scoot up so they could drop the table down, and she made the mistake of phrasing it as a question. I said, "NO". They also didn't tell me when to push, there was no counting, I was completely in control. Pushing, thankfully, has always been short for me (12 minutes being the longest), but this was the fastest and I think being in control of the process made it worth not getting the epidural.

I am so thankful she is here and healthy. She is of course beautiful, but even better than that, she is calm. After Target Baby, Target Man and I really needed a healthy calm infant. I think having her here and only dealing with spit up/mild reflux, has made me appreciate how strong Target Man and I are. Target Baby's beginning (and middle) was not easy. I am so thankful, that at the nearly three week mark, she is peaceful and easy. We just pray that it stays this way, and for her sake, and ours, that she doesn't have to deal with the issues Target Baby did.

She's Here! We're Home!

"NONI"

Anona Renee

February 4, 2009

6 lbs 11 oz

20 in

Short Story: We were induced, she was born, we escaped from the hospital 24 hours and 20 min later. FREEDOM! More pictures and info later (and a preggo picture, just for you Jessica).

Change

In that lengthy update, I forgot to mention an important change happening. Target Man is changing jobs. No he is not leaving Target or anything like that (I mean what would happen to my blog title?), but he is switching positions. As of Monday, February 2, he will no longer be the HR manager for the store, instead he will be over the sales floor. After much thought and prayer, we have decided that this is the right move for him.
I'm a bit wary of him leaving HR, cause I know how to look for non retail HR jobs, but he really thinks that he will like the operations side of Target. My other fear is an increase in hours, but that is most likely PTSD left over from his first year at Target! He was on the sales floor his first year, and remembers very little of his life from that year. He had no set schedule, when he closed, at least two, usually three times a week, he was never home before 1 am, and he could never actually use his vacation. Yes he had all this time to take, but there was always something major going on, making it really inconvenient. If they were done setting Christmas, then Valentines was on its way. In the middle of the summer the "back to school" set made it impossible to leave. Anyway, these things that make me wary, but this store is different, so hopefully things will be different.
Target Man is excited about the change. He really doesn't enjoy paperwork, and this will be less, and he is ready for something different. We have moved and changed positions with Target, every 18 months or so, and this is right on schedule for him. Every time we have a baby, we change something with his job, so far this is normal. At least this time we aren't moving within 2 months of having a baby!
The other thing is, in all this talk about his career and where he wants to go, I think I have finally convinced him that now is as good as time as any to start working towards his MBA. Getting him to actually take the GMAT will be another story.

Christmas, Consitpation, and every other illness you can think of

Since I haven't written in a month, and as soon as the baby is born, I probably won't write for another month, I figured now would be a good time to play catch up.
We'll start with Christmas. Both my parents and Target Man's parents were able to come to our house this year, so the boys were in heaven. Target Baby is in love with my mother, which I think is pretty neat, because he still isn't really the most friendly kid out there and Target Boy loves Target Man's mother, since she will pretty much play with him 24 hours a day. So, I got a slight break from being highest priority on both their lists. Sadly, it didn't last too long, because Target Boy ended up getting pretty sick on Christmas.

He was so excited to come downstairs and see what Santa had left him, but the enthusiasm didn't last through opening presents. He received a bike from Target Man's parents, which he immediately gifted to Target Baby. Pretty much everything he opened, he gave to his brother. He kept climbing up on my lap, crying and saying him tummy hurt. Target Baby, on the other hand, was in heaven. Not only did he get to play with everything he opened, he got to play with all of Target Boy's stuff too.

We spent the rest of Christmas playing Rock Band (which we now own, thank you parents) in our jammies, doing a puzzle, I think we might have watched a movie at some point, and picking at the ham we made. I'm not really a huge fan of sit down dinner on Christmas Day, so we made a really yummy ham, some rolls, I think I made rice at one point, and we just kind of snacked all day long. It was really laid back and wonderful (minus the sick kid).
The Friday after Christmas, I drug my mother out of bed and got to Target when it opened. Its the first time I've ever hit the day after Christmas sales, and I will be back next year. I got about 40 rolls of bounty paper towels, Ziploc bags, and dishwasher detergent all half price because of Christmas themed boxes. I also did buy some lights, garland, cookie cutters, etc and stocking stuff for next year. It was fun, some may say crazy, but really fun and worth it.
After that, I took my lump of a sick child to the pediatrician's office and found out that not only did he have a severe ear infection (a secondary problem, not the one he was complaining about) but he was severely constipated to the point that his tummy was visibly distended from across the room. After being pretty much completely potty trained, he stopped pooping in the potty a few months ago. Apparently, he has been holding his stools (I know way to much info) and has what they call encopresis (warning this link does talk about poop and pretty much only about poop). Anyway, now with daily doses of Miralax, we are seeing some improvements and he is no longer in pain. And that pretty much wraps up Christmas.

For New Year's we did what we always do...take care of a sick Target Man. Last year, is the only year that Target Man has not been sick for New Year's. This year was probably the worst. For the first time since I have known him (seven years), he stayed home from work! I woke up the Tuesday before New Year's Eve to find him curled up in a ball on the shower floor (a fantastic feat considering our Master Bath shower is tiny). He got out and got all dressed for work, but never made it down the stairs. I think he had a temp of 104, was so weak, and hadn't slept or eaten, so I made him call work. He hunkered down in the darkness of the cave we call the boys bedroom and slept pretty much the entire day. He did go into work for New Year's eve, since he was the only one scheduled to close that night and didn't want to ruin anyone's plans, but just barely survived. Luckily, he was off the next day. I think it took him about a week and a half to fully recover, but Happy New Year's to us, he did get over the nastiness without anyone else getting it!

That brings us to January, which has been quite busy with both the boys in swim lessons at the YMCA (which we finally joined, which makes Target Man really happy), my Choir rehearsals every Tuesday night, Target Boy's first county gymnastics class on Saturdays, and my twice weekly trips to the OB for NSTs, blood work, and doctor's appointments. Throw in Target Man's work schedule, Church Meetings on Sundays and Wednesdays, a baby shower/girl's night out and this month has flown by. I'm glad I filled this month with stuff, because its defiantly not dragging like I was afraid it would.

We now have 4 1/2 weeks till my due date, but my OB has said he will induce at 39 weeks at the latest, because of the risk involved with ICP, so really 3 1/2 weeks. Right now I am itchy, not crying, going insane itchy like I was when diagnosed with ICP while pregnant with Target Baby, but itchy enough to search out the cold parts of the sheets in the middle of the night to make my feet feel better. My labs show that my bile acids are increasing, but they are still in the normal range, which makes me feel much more relaxed. Every Tuesday and Friday the baby has looked good on the non-stress tests, and I've been really happy with the care I am receiving from my OB.

The only other things to report are that I was released from my calling as nursery leader and now have been called to be the Relief Society Pianist. This means, no more crawling on the floor for my very pregnant body, but lots of piano practice, cause I really can't play. And since, this whole post seems to be a list of the various illnesses of our family, Target Boy was diagnosed with Fifths Disease yesterday. For him, no big deal, just a rash with a little itchiness. For me and the five other pregnant women he has been in contact with, a blood test to check for immunity. Because really, the lab people don't see me enough already! Oh, I also warned my OB, because I think at least 3 of those pregnant women are his patients.

So that's the update, hopefully it won't be as long before I post again. And if you actually read all of this, really I'm grateful and impressed!