Sick Saturday

This past Saturday, Kris worked at his old church during from 9A-3P and then at Outback from 4-midnight. So i didn't see him much. i was recovering from a horrible one-day scourge of sore throat/cold symptoms, and David seemed to have it on Saturday. And i was alone. All day.

Anyway, David woke up in the morning and his cries were like little squeaks. You know how when your throat is sore every sound you make hurts? That's what his little noises sounded like.
Then he coughed, and i could hear him gagging. He didn't throw up, but his little stomach was making him gag, just like mine was the day before. It was sad! He actually seemed quite a bit better after breakfast, though, and since i had a bunch of errands to run, we ran.

We went to CVS and bought toilet paper (again) and zip-top bags. Note to self: always buy zip-top bags from CVS, as they are incredibly cheap. i got them from the $1 bin, and they were 1/2 off. Awesome!

We went to Target to buy myself a Twins shirt for the home opener we're attending tonight. (P.S. There is supposed to be 9 inches of snow falling between today and tonight: awesome for traveling to the dome!) i really like the shirt. They only sell men's and boy's Twins apparel, but it's ok. i bought a men's ringer tee that is pretty cute, but will also fit me through all the summer games. i had to get a new one because the shirt i was wearing last year (a boy's size large) definitely no longer fits, thanks to my new baby Lime!

We went to Cub for food. Guys, Cub had great deals last week. It was awesome. They first of all had a huge "Buy one, get TWO free" sale, and you know what? Most of it was stuff we actually eat! So i got a lot of food and saved about $30 or 50% on my grocery bill! Speaking of which, i discontinued my trial of the Grocery Game. Too much of what was on sale and coupons was not stuff we eat, and then what we do eat is even cheaper if you buy the generic than with the coupons and all that. So i signed up for Coupon Mom like my friend Northern Cheapskate suggested, and will keep up with the sales but for free now.

Then we napped.

i slept for about 2 hours, and he slept for 3 1/2! Told ya we were sick. Anyway, i was reading Rocks in My Dryer, specifically her post about Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner. She loves it! i was thinking the similar thing she was:

"Really?" I thought. "Have we as a nation gotten so lazy we can't even scrub our own showers?"

And then I stopped to try and remember the last time I gave my shower a good scrubbing. And then I shut up.

Anyway, i decided to buy one. They were on sale at Target for $18, and i found a $7 coupon online. i also needed a new shower head. Our old shower head was a double one, which is very useful. i think most of the extra shower heads are used for hosing off dogs, but ours does a great job of hosing off Davids after poo emergencies. Anyway, our shower head had broken and now blasts both heads at full blast, wasting lots of water and making the water get cold about doubly as quickly. Plus, it takes forever for the water to get hot again, so basically, Kris showers during the morning and i shower afternoon/night, because we can't even shower in the same hemisphere of the day anymore.

i picked out a new shower head for $30. i got the Automatic Shower Cleaner, which i'm totally pumped about, and checked out. i got out to my car and looked at the receipt. i should pay more attention to the total when i'm ringing up, but at that point, the cashier is flirting with David and i'm being proud mommy. So anyway, i got out to my car and realized i only paid $38 for that stuff! She had rung the coupon through twice!

At first, i thought "Cool! i saved $14 instead of $7!" And then i realized i wouldn't be able to live with myself. So i got David out of his car seat and we went back into the store into customer service. It was nice, though, and they didn't make me pay them back the $7, though they looked at my receipt and seemed grim about it. i think they were about to go have a chat with the lady that rang me up. i made sure it was ok, and i left. So anyway, in the end, i got a $30 double shower head and a $20 shower cleaner for $38. Not bad!

i'm really excited to use the new shower stuff! i'll let you know how the cleaner works, but from all the ratings and reviews i've read, it is a miracle:)

Great new video

It's of Kris tickling baby David with his goatee: turn on your sound!

Good but lonely news

Hello everyone! The weather is getting better, right? That means i'm a happier momsicle.

Anyway, on to the big news! Remember how Kris got a job at Target a few weeks ago? There were a lot of problems with it: it had nothing to do with his ultimate career goal of being in the medical field, didn't pay well, had bad hours along with his Outback job. Then in the following weeks, he couldn't go to orientation because Week 1: his background check hadn't gone through yet, Week 2: they changed orientation to a different night he couldn't make, Week 3: the H.R. guy was on vacation and they didn't have orientation, Week 4: is right now and no one has called him since last Monday. This is obnoxious because he got this job, and was hoping to start earning money soon, you know? However, he was hoping for this Canterbury job, and guess what?

He got it!!!!

They called yesterday! He went in this morning for a drug test and a background check, and as soon as those things go through (somewhere between 2-7 days, they say) they will call him and he'll be able to be an EMT, with starting pay much better than Target, and hours much easier for his sleep schedule along with his Outback job. So yay! We'll be able to pay our bills, he'll be happier because he'll feel like 'the man of the house' again, and he will be working towards his career goal. This is Very Good News. It is considered a seasonal job, through the summer, but if they like him which is unavoidable, he'll be able to pick and choose his own hours in the fall for continuing to work there while he goes to paramedic school and works and has a new baby. So yay Kris!

In the meantime, however, i haven't gotten to see him much lately, which is a bit of a bummer. He's been working on helping gut his parents' basement for his brother's wedding, and then working at night. It just came kind of suddenly: the working during the day thing. i knew it would come eventually, but it was basically like yesterday his dad called and said "Kris, can you come work here today?" and then i pretty much haven't seen him since. But we need the money, and so David and i have been bored at home, but thankful for Kris being such a hard worker.

Speaking of being bored, my dad had pity on us this morning and took David and i to lunch at don Pablo's. Yum! i had chicken fajitas. i fed David some salsa and i'm pretty sure he'll never trust me again! But it was cute. He was really tired on the way home.

Then later this afternoon, my boss Paul and my friend Andy who is the youth pastor at my church called and had me meet them at Chipotle. It was a nice 45 minutes of talking to adults and as always, lots of laughing. My favorite joke my boss has ever said to me was this: (he is a Japanese man)

Paul: "You know jessica, once my wife and i were talking about adopting one of those little Caucasian babies."

i still laugh every time i think of it. i like having my boss be someone i can text after a couple cocktails:)

Speaking of cocktails, i don't get to have those, being pregnant. You know what else i don't get to have? Medicine. And my throat is very sore and scratchy. i hope i'm not getting the flu, but most likely it is just a cold. This is how they usually start for me. But all i can do is sit here and suck on my Hall's Fruit breezers and wish they more medicinal than candy. Nyquil would be my choice, but for Baby Fig's sake, i abstain.

Did you guys watch American Idol this week? i didn't think Chikezie should have been in it much longer, but i think Kristy Cook should have been booted before him.

Ok, have a good night! i've got sleepytime tea and local honey that is calling my name.

Try them out Thursday!

i have started a segment for my blog. Because i am not very inspired to write my own blog posts, i thought maybe i'd tell you what i like about blogs i read. So every Thursday, i'll give you an intro to one of my favorite blogs and you should go Try them out!

This week, you should try out my friend Kacie's blog, Sense to Save. It is my favorite of all (and there are a lot) of the frugal/save money blogs. Her posts are chock-full of tips and information on how to get the most out of your stuff and your money. She isn't a mommy yet, but she is great at coming up with tips for mommies, and poses interesting discussion questions, like this one about how much it takes to raise a child. She herself is on a frugal journey, and gives personal lessons she's learning along the way. In a world where many frugal bloggers are in their late 30's, are out of debt, and have forgotten what it's like to be younger and still be in horrifying debt, Kacie, (a fellow 22-year-old) is a fresh face for those of us just starting out our frugal lifestyles. She's really approachable and friendly and overall a fabulous blogger.

Here are some of her more popular posts:

Top 20 Web 2.0 sites for frugal living

Frugal Ways to Build Your Blog

A few budgeting tools to consider

How to ‘do’ the drug stores

Wasting food is so unfrugal

The Better Budget 2008 Challenge!

Must you buy Brand-X? Or are you fine with generic?

Go Try her out!

Easter, people

He is risen!


i am a church pianist. So it really can truthfully be assumed that i A. am a Christian and B. have had a very busy last week.


You know, i started playing at my church last June. i'd never routinely attended a Lutheran church before, so until this year, i hadn't ever attended an Ash Wednesday service, or Maundy Thursday, or midweek Lenten services. In fact, until probably January i wouldn't have understood the word "Lenten." But as i play at all of those things, i am really starting to understand where Lutherans are coming from. i try to pay attention to the different sermons and liturgy and rituals, and i really like them. My family says they are too "Catholic" and yes, i can see where some of these things i.e. receiving absolution and touching a cross on Good Friday seem Catholic and unnecessary. But the act of them is symbolic and confronts you in a different way than merely confessing your sins or looking at a cross. i, for one, don't think Catholics are that bad, either. (Sorry mom.) i mean, same God, right? If you believe in Him and work towards living for Him, i feel we're on the same side, even if our opinion on certain doctrines don't completely line up. Most of this will show up in various forms again in different posts. Bear with me. i'm trying to digest this.

i just feel grateful. This has been an incredible week. i've gotten to spend a bunch more time with people i absolutely love hanging out with, and have gotten to play piano for hours, but above all else i feel like God is revealing Himself to me in new ways that i might not have been exposed to had i not been in this situation.

i appreciate His sacrifice, and every day am more mind-boggled by it as my mind tries to grasp the concept.

In the meantime, however, i had SO much playing to do this week! We had Maundy Thursday service, which was neato, and then a rehearsal for Sunday directly afterwards, so i was at church playing almost constantly from 6-10 PM. Then Good Friday, also neato, was not so long and i was at church for only 2 hours. Then this morning i got to church at 7:30, rehearsed with the choir and then the band, then played 3 services. It was great! Granted, it was exhausting, but it was the good kind of exhausting: the tired you get when you get to spend hours doing something you love and feel great about doing. i'm already looking forward to rehearsing on Wednesday.

We had Easter with my parents and my aunt and uncle yesterday at my parent's house. Yum! It was ham and cheesy potatoes. My aunt always makes incredible desserts, and did not disappoint this time. She brought a cream cheese-filled pineapple upside-down cake, an apple crisp, and my favorite, an Oreo pie thing with cream cheese/whipped frosting layers alternating with chocolate pudding layers. What she does with that is use low fat and non sugar varieties of all those ingredients, and i swear you can't tell. It's still not good for you, but much better than regular fat and sugar.

Then this afternoon we had Easter with Kris' family, featuring ham and cheesy potatoes, which i can't get tired of, and also blue cheese chopped salad in the style of Outback, cream cheese corn, rolls, and i was in charge of dessert so i made these brownie skewers and lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting with strawberries on top. Unfortunately, being pregnant means that in general, any food i prepare completely loses its appeal to me, so i didn't try my desserts. People said they were good though.

David was so cute today! i didn't get any pictures of him myself, but my father-in-law did, so when i get them from him i'll post them. David was in a black pinstriped pants and vest, with white button-down complete with clip on black patterned tie. So cute. Plus, whenever he wears anything with a stiff collar like a button-down shirt, his cheeks look even chunkier. He was totally appetizing today. i really understand why old ladies squeeze cheeks. Cheeks are the best part of babies and little children!

i am very sleepy, and i'm sleeping for two, so i bid you a fond adieu, and hope you had a great Easter.

He is risen indeed!

Update

Hello! It's been a long time since i have written about the goings-on in the Sicle family:)

A few weeks ago, Kris was a finalist in the Diamond Service Awards Ceremony, an Oscar-esque ceremony awarding the top servers in Bloomington. It was complete with sit-down dinner, two free drinks with every ticket, and "celebrity" presenters, including the mayor of Bloomington and Herb Carneal, the voice of the Twins. We got dressed up, and it should have been serious and fun, but it was difficult not to laugh when Herb Carneal said "And now, for the finalists in the Best Busser category." Kris didn't win, but he is one of the top five servers in Bloomington. So if you're ever at Outback Bloomington (Off 494 and Portland) stop in any evening but Sunday or Wednesday, ask for Kris with a K, and you'll have a magical food adventure with one of the best servers in Bloomington, (not to mention the handsomest!)

The night after that, my brother-in-law's band, Epicurean, had their Metalblade cd release show at the Cabooze. It was fun! However, everyone had been drinking and smoking that night, and it was so loud in the venue that you had to shout in a person's face in order to be heard, so i was feeling nauseated from all the second-hand liquor and smoke smells right in my face:( It was still a really good show though, and i'm glad to be related to a rock star!

David has started walking with no hesitation in the last couple weeks. He had been able to walk before, but didn't seem that interested, preferring crawling. He started walking like a champ just recently and is really good at getting right up without whining after his many trip and falls.

Kris just got a job at Target. He needed a day job, so he will be working there from 4 AM-1 PM to unload their trucks. He won't be working Sundays, but i think almost every other day. i feel bad, because he will be getting home from Outback at midnight-1 in the morning, then having to get up 2 hours later for Target. He'll get home from Target, hopefully take a couple hour nap, then go to Outback again. Yuck. At least it will be a consistent paycheck. Living off tips is not good for us, making it impossible to budget or pay our bills regularly.

He also has an interview at Canterbury (a horse-racing and gambling sort of place) this afternoon. If he gets this job, he'd be a security guard/EMT, and would start with $1.50/hour more than Target. It depends on the time they'd need him. If they'd need him during the day, he'd not start work at Target, and if they need him at night, he'd quit Outback. That's my favorite option, so he'd work in two places a mile away from us, instead of having to leave an hour early during rush hour to get to work. However, if Canterbury needs him at odd days and nights, he won't be able to take the job at all. And this is if he gets offered the job. i hope it works out though.

i've been really exhausted lately. However, i need to figure out how to do my eye makeup in a way that makes me look awake. i'm tired of people telling me how tired i look! Does anyone have any tips? i already have naturally slouchy eyes, which doesn't help.

It is Kris' birthday on Wednesday. i got him a video game he wanted: The Original Halo for original XBox. He's playing it right now. He's got Halo 2 and 3, but had mentioned how he wanted Halo 1, and it was $10 at Best Buy. i also got him the sixth season of Scrubs, one of our favorite shows. This way we both can watch it, because we're running out of stuff to watch we can both agree on. (We own 600 dvds, but can't ever agree on what to watch!) We went to Best Buy yesterday to pick up his presents, and i once again got offered a job. 4/5 of the last times i've gone to Best Buy Shakopee i've been offered a job. But alas, i cannot work retail. For my mental health, i can't do it. Anyway, i will soon have two children, and the $10/hour i'd make at Best Buy would definitely not cover day care for two kids.

This was a very jumbly post, but i've had a very jumbly two weeks! Have a wonderful Holy Week everyone! Oh and happy St. Patrick's day!

Porn for women (G-rated, i promise!)

i read lots of blogs. A while ago, someone wrote a blog about this book, Porn for Women. It is a book full of decently-clothed men cleaning. And it made me laugh. If you read my blog, and you wrote the post about the book, let me know and i will link to you. Unfortunately it was so long ago that my Google reader can't find it and neither can i.

Anyway, on Saturday, i went out for lunch and shopping with my mom, and then i took David to a birthday party. When i got home, my husband had left me with my own porn for women, just minus a man.

He had cleaned the kitchen while i was gone! i was really grateful, because it was a mess, and we had people coming over the next day. i thought i'd have to clean for an hour before getting to go to bed on Saturday night, but instead i got to go to bed early and get a good night's sleep before church and company. Wasn't he sweet?

This post is about toilet paper.

Hello. i am writing about toilet paper, because unfortunately it is the topic on my mind, and i must blog about it before i (forgive me) crap a brick.

Once upon a time, in a little town called Shakopee, lived a man and his wife and their little boy. And the wife was in charge of paying for medical bills, groceries, with groceries usually encompassing all necessary home goods. Said wife was having to be creative to pay for those things, and all the little surprises that come up with her paycheck. She liked to buy things in bulk, because buying them that way generally produces savings. She also would buy generic brand items as much as possible.

The husband and wife's little boy was turning one year old! The day before his party, the household ran out of toilet paper. Wifey decided since they were having a party to buy name brand toilet paper that would be a party for the tushies of all their guests, provided they needed to use it. This was on February 15. She bought 12 rolls, in a package calling it 12 double rolls, but we all know they are just regular rolls and would rather have our packaging be up-front about it. Well, today the husband was looking around the linen closet and bathroom closet, finally calling out to the wife "We are on our last roll of toilet paper!"

This caused the wife to have feelings of mildly explosive rage, but she merely sang "i bought 12 rolls less than a month ago! There must be more in the closet!" But to no avail. The toilet paper she had bought was not enough to get two adults and two parties through one month.

i needed to write that story out because if i write in a cutesy manner, i will be less apt to use exaggeration words like "he always" and "if only i had a good lawyer."

But seriously, folks. Two adults. 12 rolls of toilet paper, and 3 1/2 weeks later we're out? i'm also going to say this. In my efforts to conserve, i have put forth an effort to reduce the use of everything. i mean everything. Not Sheryl Crow conservation, but a good amount. i really try to use as little as possible.

Not to be crude, but that leaves us with this question: how much is my husband using? He does use t.p. to blow his nose. He has a mild case of allergies that he hypochondriacally calls severe and blows his nose seemingly several (hundreds?) of times per day. Honestly, i'd rather have him using t.p. for it, since facial tissues are more expensive, plus he always has to double them up, and only uses one set per blow. (i've seen him go through a box of kleenexes on a day when he wasn't sick.)

i'm thinking, though, that maybe our toilet paper roll is also partly to blame. It rolls with such ease! It encourages one to keep rolling more and more out. It is anxious to please. i was at the doctor this morning, doling out yet another urine sample, and the toilet paper dispenser roll thingy was stuck, so it didn't swing around. i had to manually roll the toilet paper over the back of the roll and out again in order to get any. i am sure i used less than would i have had full swinging action from the roll. It makes sense: if you have to work harder to get the toilet paper, you'll take less, right?

i'm sitting here, figuring that if i continue at this rate, about $10/month, that is $120/year on toilet paper. Is it worth it? Should i rig my toilet paper roll to stick? Should i tell Kris to use a handkerchief for his nose? Really, $120 a year will buy $100,000 of life insurance. If you're brave enough, please let me know A: how much you think you spend on t.p. and B: what i should do about my t.p. touchy subject!

The Grocery Game

You all have probably heard of the Grocery Game, right? It is a very interesting way to grocery shop. From thegrocerygame.com:

The Grocery Game is a fun, easy way to save hundreds of dollars on groceries each month. TERI'S LIST reveals the "rock bottom" prices on hundreds of products each week and matches them up with manufacturers' coupons for the best possible savings at your local supermarket. The Grocery Game has exclusive databases that track manufacturers' coupons along with weekly sales and specials, both advertised and UN-advertised. With TERI'S LIST, the days of time consuming work required for effective coupon-ing are over. The Grocery Game does all the hard work and research, presented in a quick reference format on the internet each week, as TERI'S LIST. Members log in, spend a few minutes with a pair of scissors, and they're off to win The Grocery Game!

It's really quite nice. i just started using it two weeks ago, and i have really saved quite a bit. i'll clip all my coupons, but generally don't know how much is a good price for that item. The grocery game knows all the coupons i get in the Sunday paper, knows the prices in my grocery stores, and gives me lists of grocery store sales, and which coupons from which weeks will work for them. It also tells you how much percentage you save off the retail price for the item, and thus which are the best deals. There is a $1 first month trial, and then it is $10/8weeks of a store, plus $5/8 weeks of any additional stores. i've got the $1 trial for Cub, Walgreens, and CVS right now, but will probably only keep Cub and CVS once my trial period is over. You do, however, need a Sunday paper in order for it to work. i will also use the GG to help out my mom, too, because i know what groceries she buys and now that she has a full-time job she doesn't have a lot of time to clip. i have tried using other free coupon websites, but they are simply not as exhaustive or well-organized as GG. Plus, GG finds all my unadvertised in-store specials and also lets me know if they are actually good deals or if i should wait a few more weeks.

This is a shameless plug, but any three people that sign up for the trial using my email as a referral gets me 12 free weeks, so if you do sign up for this, jessica dot gensmer at yahoo dot com is a good thing to write in the referral:) But even if you don't sign up, i just wanted to let you know about it. It's definitely been working for me.

Have any of you been using the Grocery Game or other coupon-organizing websites? Do you find them to be worth it, or too much hassle?

An easier way to dry dishes

i found this post on goodyblog. It is a towely mitt you wear to dry your dishes. Basically, a glove made of terrycloth. It seems much easier than using a regular towel, but it got me thinking. Instead of paying $14.95 for them, you can make them yourself. i plan on doing this, but will have to borrow my mom's sewing machine. i'll let you know how it works out, but here's the initial plan.

1. Trace a large outline around my hand.
   
2. Take old towels (double them up if threadbare) and cut out my hand pattern.
   
3. Sew the "hands" around inside out.
   
4. Turn them right-side in.
   

Voila! Instant hand towels. (Get it? "Hand Towels"!)

The difference between mine and theirs is that theirs have inner linings, so your hands don't get wet. i'm not too concerned about getting my hands wet while drying dishes, because it's not like they would be immersed in water like when you wash dishes. Anyway, it was good inspiration. i like it when stuff like this comes out and i feel like a frugal hacker:)

It's also a good alternative way to go green. i like the idea of going green without having to buy new stuff to do it. Over packaging and too much consumerism are what has gotten us into this whole mindset that we need to do something different. So i've been trying to think of clever ways to repurpose my old stuff into more stuff more useful for my current needs. i'll let you know when i think of more.

David's birth story #2

Feb. 17- 7:30 We were in our room. We met our nurse, and were getting comfortable and getting all my stuff set up. Throughout the next hour or so, she kept checking my blood pressure and got me in my gown and all that stuff.

8:15 My doctor came in. Pretty sure he was glad to be done with me soon:) He broke my water, which took 4 tries with a very savage skewer-looking object, (ow), gave the nurse the ok to start pitocin, and said he'd see me later. He looked exactly like Dean Cain, by the way. It was odd, but during my pregnancy, every time Ripley's Believe it or not would come on tv, i'd feel this strange sense of closeness to Dean Cain. Weird. Anyway, the nurse started me on Pitocin, and i had mild contractions for about 1/2 hour, then she upped the dose.

9:30 i asked for my epidural. i had always known i'd want an epidural. i'm just that sort of person. i have no pain tolerance, and i really wanted to have a nice relaxing last day with just Kris and myself. People say that the epidural makes the baby sluggish, and you not remember stuff, and you not be able to feel the baby come out, and the baby not to be able to nurse right away, but i just believed in God that things would work out with the epidural. (And they did.) Anyway, there were three other women in the hospital in labor all asking for the epidural at the same time, with only one anesthesiologist. As the epidural is not necessarily a quick procedure, the nurse asked me if i wanted an hour of narcotic in my IV. It would be safe for the baby, and as my contractions were kind of a female dog as a result of the pitocin, i was more than ready to take the narcotic. First they put in a catheter, though, which was yucky, but with the epidural i'd have to stay in bed and not go to the bathroom. It was painful and i felt REALLY uncomfortable for a while. But then she gave me the narcotic.

Best hour of my life. It felt like when i woke up from having my wisdom teeth pulled, and i was warm and comfortable and loved everyone in the room. The room was spinning in a divine, dreamy sort of way, and everything was beautiful. That's how that hour went for me. Sometime while i was still all doped up, the anesthesiologist came in and gave me my epidural, which was great, too. He said because i was so relaxed, he was able to do a really good job giving it to me. It was one poke, and then i got to lie back down.

When the narcotic wore off, i had no more pain from contractions, and Kris and i tried to play Scrabble. It didn't work. i was too excited and starting to get really hungry. Plus it's hard to play that game without sitting at a table. Anyway, we watched Father of the Bride II (the one where the mom and the daughter have babies) and then watched the end of the 8th season of Friends, where Rachel has her baby and Joey accidentally proposes...and had a wonderful time. i was STARVING though. i was wishing i had eaten more than my rice cake for breakfast. i'm not sure why you can't eat while you're in labor, but i wasn't about to disobey. Kris, however, was starting to get faint, so i told him to go get some food. He was going to get McDonald's or something, but i asked him not to because if i smelled a cheeseburger without being able to eat, i'd probably kill him. So he got a PB+J from the cafeteria for the waiting daddies. Did you know that PB+J has a smell? It does. It smells incredible. i remember sitting there watching him eat all of that beautiful double-decker sandwich on wheat bread, with apple slices on the side. He offered to leave, but i didn't want him away from me! So i suffered not-so-silently while he ate, with my styrofoam cup of chicken broth looking feeble and gross. Occasionally, Kris would watch my contraction monitor and tell me when i was having a huge contraction, and i'd smile and say "Great!" It was a wonderful day. i tried napping, because i was getting a bit sleepy, but i couldn't get comfortable with my blood pressure cuff going every 5 minutes and needles poked in me from all different places.

3:45 The nurse came in and checked me, and i was at 10 cm! It was time to have a baby! God bless that epidural, i had no clue i was so far along. So the nurse went to go get other nurses and page my doctor. i realized that i'd read 10+ pregnancy books, and no baby books. i'd learned everything there was to know about pregnancy, but i suddenly realized i had no clue about what age babies should walk, or that i had never changed a poo diaper. After that initial fear, i got all excited again.

4:00 My delivery nurse, Judy, came in. She was this no-nonsense, friendly older lady who was a very take-charge type of person. She started to explain how to push and all that. i was glad she explained how to do it, as i wasn't able to take the birthing classes. But she caught me right up, and i was excited. Then i got nauseous and threw up. She said it had to do with my transitioning into labor and them changing the amount of pitocin. i felt way better after that and was ready to begin.

My belly never got gigantic during the pregnancy. It was big, yes, but then the nurse said "I think this is going to be a bigger baby than we expected. I'd say at least 7 lbs. 7 oz." Evidently, nurses and doctors like to bet on this stuff. 7 lbs 7 oz. seemed really big to me. It actually scared me a bit when she said that, but at that point, there's no going back. My doctor, (who had come in and was getting his stuff ready) said "No, I think it'll be more like 6 1/2 lbs. She's so tiny!"

Then Judy had me start doing "practice pushes." (They were real pushes.) She said i was a pro at them! The doctor was vague, as is his specialty, and so the nurse had me pushing, and i was going at it. i didn't pay attention to when they told me to push. i just pushed and would breath a couple seconds and push again. i had the doctor in the corner of my eye. He kept using his scissors, which was mildly concerning, but i couldn't feel it, so i just kept going.

In the middle of pushing, the room phone rang. The nurse answered it. It was Kris' mom. i got a little upset. Back story: i didn't want people knowing when i was giving birth. i wanted it to be a private nice day with Kris, and i wanted to be able to hold David as long as possible after he was born, and when i was ready, we'd call people, so i wouldn't have to feel guilty that others were outside waiting while i was holding him. So she called, and she was in the waiting room. The thing was, we were so overdue that we had told people that we were going in to be induced, instead of surprise! calling them after David was born. So she waited as long as she could that day and just...showed up. i understand why she was there. But it really stressed me out. So i had Kris call my mom and tell her to get there ASAP, because if Kris' mom was going to be there and not my mom, that would not be fair. This was just a really big deal to me. i just remember having the day i was giving birth feel like a really significant day in Kris' and my relationship. The last day of our being just two people, and then the first day with our brand-new son. i didn't want to share it with anyone else until i was ready. That kind of went out the window, but at least we got privacy during the day and the delivery. i really do understand that the family was excited. i'm not mad about it, but i was a bit disappointed that it didn't turn out quite how i'd hoped. Anyway, the next thing was wonderful!

i kept pushing, and the nurse said "Here's the head!" and told Kris to get down there and look. He and i had discussed this. Neither one of us wanted him to look. He's an EMT, so he doesn't get grossed out with stuff, but we didn't feel like he needed to see that...area while it was going through a profound change. But it was all for naught, as Judy grabbed him, pushed him up by my leg and said "Come on Dad, you gotta see this!" Kris has not said that seeing it bothered him, but he's never expressed gratitude for seeing it, either.

4:23 Then, in a last push, David came out! i just remember feeling this gush of relief, and seeing him emerge into the doctor's arms was incredible! i kept saying to him "i know you! i know you!" and crying and having this huge feeling of gratitude. They put him in my arms right away, and suctioned out his mouth and stuff while i was holding him. Then they took him to the little scale while we watched. David was 9 lbs, 9 oz. !?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Judy and my doctor were very surprised. They decided it was because he was so overdue, and i carried low which is why they couldn't tell. My doctor said "If I had known he would be that big, I'd have done a C-Section!" Thanks, doctor. It's a little late for that. He was 22" long, 15" head. i had a fifteen inch head come out of me. Trust me, it's not something you can just bounce back from.

The doctor, by the way, delivered my placenta and was glad we induced when we did, as the placenta was in pretty rough shape. i thought this was important to tell you, because my mom and i have always been convinced the dating on the ultrasounds were wrong and i delivered at 42 weeks and not 41. And i didn't get an ultrasound after my 20-week, so they had no clue how big he would be. Next time, i'm asking for a 36-week ultrasound. i'm not delivering a watermelon again!

My nurse brought Kris over and they washed David in the tub. He was so beautiful! He cried and cried, but she turned on the big beam light, which warmed him up. She taught Kris and i how to wash him.

Then she wrapped him up and had Kris hold him a while. (Have you noticed how Judy was the boss during this whole thing? i loved her.) It was incredible watching Kris hold our son. Our son.

Judy unwrapped David and put him in my gown so we could have skin contact while he nursed for the first time. His latch was immediately perfect. God bless him, he's always been an expert eater. After a few minutes, Judy said he was probably done and not to let him nurse for more than 15 minutes/side. She said he seemed like a greedy baby. This is so true! He's never stopped eating. i've always had to control the amount he eats, because he has never stopped on his own.

After that, i brushed my hair a little bit, got cleaned up, and we let people into the room. By that time, the whole family was there! And they came in and took pictures and were talking on their phones and were holding David, who basically screamed for 3 hours that evening. i had called my brother just a bit after he was born and asked him to bring me a specific sandwich, and it was the best thing ever. White bread, iceberg lettuce, deli turkey (not Cub brand), thick-sliced cheddar cheese, miracle whip, and a cherry coke. Have you ever gone through a huge life experience without food, and then gotten your exact craving afterwards? If you haven't, you should try it. It's wonderful!

This is a long post. i'll finish it up later, maybe after David's dinner. i was hoping to do this in one post, but it's too long. (i'm rambly.)

P.S. Did you notice how David was born very quickly after the nurse told me it was time? i pushed for under 10 minutes! People get mad at me, those who pushed for hours. And i really do feel sorry for them. But seriously, just remember, 15" head.

David's birth story #1

i was inspired to write out David's birth story by Stay at Home Mommy's series of posts about hers.

David has always done things a bit slowly. He's been the type of baby where he exhibits all sorts of signs of an upcoming phase, but it takes him FOREVER to get there. This was also true in utero. i was due on Feb 10, 2007. Starting around the early middle of January, my doctor noticed i was 1 cm dilated. i was pumped, because i was DONE being pregnant. Seriously. i was totally over it. So i started telling people! i stopped making plans to spend time with people, went on maternity leave early, and sat there and waited for the impending early arrival of my son.

January 15- At the next doctor's visit, i was still at 1, but the doctor said something else this time, something that gave me (false) hope. "I don't expect you to make it to next week's appointment." This was thrilling! i was very excited, but by the next appointment i was getting very impatient. i had read all my pregnancy books cover to cover, had watched all my movies, had my bag packed, and had meals frozen. My entire kitchen was clean, and i was starting to take David's newborn clothes out of his little dresser and just hug them, wishing he were wearing them right then!

January 22- The next appointment was the same.

January 29- So was the next. It was becoming a joke. "You're still at 1 cm! This time, I really don't think I'll see you next week!" my doctor would cheerfully sing.

February 3, i took a CPR training course taught by my husband and father-in-law, one i was hoping i wouldn't be able to attend. i played the part of the pregnant choker. (If you're doing the Heimlich maneuver on a pregnant lady, do it between the chest and the belly, not under the belly.) i am now CPR certified. i brought made-from-scratch cupcakes to the training, because i had been that bored.

February 6- The next appointment very exciting, because i was 4 cm dilated and David was due in 4 days! i had to have the baby by then, right?


February 10 *The Due Date*- i hadn't yet had contractions, but my stomach would occasionally tighten up for 10-20 sec. My mom told me these were contractions. (She was lying.) i couldn't feel them unless i put my hand on my stomach, but when she said i was having contractions, i got pretty excited, because this was happening quite a bit! That day, Kris and i were at Babies 'R Us at a clinic on how to install a car seat properly, and i noticed that every 5 minutes or so, i had one of my "contractions"! So we quietly went to the hospital and Kris called his work to let them know he wouldn't be there that night. After checking me out, the nurse left and came back about 4 hours 20 minutes later, with the news that my baby was not coming yet. She was nice and left for a bit, while i cried on Kris' shoulder. i was just so upset and miserable.

We left the hospital and started doing all those myths to get the baby out. We went to the mall and walked for a couple hours. We got castor oil, which ended up being funny because i didn't know of the effect it has on your digestive system! We had sex, ate spicy food, all of that.

February 13 *OVER DUE*- That appointment seemed to be encouraging. The doctor said "Well, are you very uncomfortable?" which was a silly question. Then he looked at his schedule and said "Do you want to induce on Thursday?" Another silly question. Of course we did! The nurse gave us the instructions that we were penciled into the system at Southdale, and they would call early Thursday (Feb 15) if they didn't have too many mommies actually going into labor. We were very excited. Finally something we could count on!

February 14- It was a lonely day. Kris was working, as he had been a lot, trying to get as much money before David came as possible. i sat there and watched my tivo'd episodes of Bringing Home Baby and A Baby Story.

February 15- 5:30 A.M. i was already awake, something i was used to since sleeping was so uncomfortable. i went downstairs and sat at the edge of the couch, clutching our home phone tightly. And i waited.
9:30 AM Kris came downstairs and told me i should call my nurse, something i was supposed to do if it was later in the morning and i hadn't heard from the hospital. i called her. And no, they could not fit me in for an induction, as i was pretty low on the priority list, not being quite one week overdue. Devastation surely followed. i don't ever remember crying that hard. Kris was great, and understood that in horrible situations, spending money will generally ease some of the pain. We went to Target and bought a baby monitor. Then we went to Olive Garden and had lunch. i felt horrible. i can't remember the rest of the day. It seems silly, but i remember that day feeling like one of the lowest points in my life. The baby would never come out, and i would be pregnant forever. All i wanted to do was meet my little guy!

February 16-i got a call from my nurse, my beautiful nurse Stacy! She had beautiful news for me: i was to be induced on the next day, Saturday! i was higher on the priority list as i was now one week overdue. Much more than that would mean the placenta would deteriorate and not provide adequate nutrition to li'l David. i was to call the hospital at 6:30 AM this time and make sure my "appointment" was still set. An appointment to have a baby!
That night i went to don Pablo's with my parents (yum! My fav restaurant) and visited my aunt, who had just had back surgery, in the hospital. My parents got me a Medela Pump 'N Save at Babies 'R Us.

February 17- 5:15 AM. i woke up, and was all nervous and butterfly-y. i was supposed to eat breakfast, but was too nervous and only ate an apple rice cake, which i would regret later.
5:45. Checked my watch.
6:00. Kris got out of the shower and joined my nervous couch-sitting. We watched something on t.v., not sure what.
6:15. Is it too early to call? Probably.
6:25. You know what? Screw it. i'm calling.
6:26. They answered, and yes, i was going to have a baby! i needed to get there as soon as possible, because they were waiting. They were waiting at the hospital for me to come so they could get my baby out!
6:30 i was showering and getting all that last minute stuff ready, like a toothbrush and my laptop, things i was too chicken to pack earlier in case i couldn't give birth that day.

More to follow!