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Month one – adjusting

This may sound awful but month one was so much better than labor and delivery!! Just to have him here is a huge relief. Although there are moments where it catches me by surprise. Breastfeeding started rough but has worked out into a nice routine. I think learning how to lay down and feed him at night has helped. I can get a little rest by laying prone and he still gets to nurse and enjoy extended “wolverine time”. Mile High started cluster feeding pretty early on and it seems we are now hitting a growth spurt where the cluster feedings manage to cluster more. Who knew that nursing would be more like raising a baby wolverine on the breast?! He also has a favorite breast… it’s somewhat depressing as it is now larger than the other one by quite a bit. I’ve dubbed it “Monster Breast” and know it will never go back to “normal” but isn’t that what having a little one is all about. Redefining normal and not looking back?

I finally have stopped bleeding and now only need to change diapers. It was harder than I thought having to change us both regularly. I do have to say that everything is easier with sleep!

 

Birthing advice… not asked for but given

We’ve hit day 25 and we are still surviving. I’ve had friends and family all comment on “see how hard it is…” and while it’s not easy it’s happening. One way or another. Certainly everything is better with sleep. Folks like to say “enjoy this time – it goes so fast.” AND on my end nothing feels like it’s moving fast with no sleep. Not a damn thing. But here we are on day 25 so we are moving along.

Having now gone through Infertility, Pregnancy, Labor and the first 3 weeks of a new born- the advice keeps on coming and friends who mean well keep piling it on. (I think people should NOT give sleep deprived new moms any advice at all… just smile and hold the baby – preferably without the gibbering not-really-words-baby talk).

What I’d say to anyone expecting is listen to everyone’s advice – don’t argue and just do what YOU want!!!!

The only thing you need with you at the hospital (and those first few days home – other than the pain meds of course) is stool softener – and my only piece of advice is whatever you do – DO NOT sneeze during any of the bowel movements after giving birth… trust me on this one – regardless of HOW you gave birth. There is no need to find out what I am talking about the hard way. Some things you’d rather never know how painful they can be…(this was not listed in the manual)

Mile High @ 48 hours old

Mile High arrived on 12/3 @ 3:49pm

With much drama and little fan fare – Mile High arrived on Wednesday December 3rd  3:49pm 8 lbs and 19.5 inches long (but he doesnt like to unfurl)

I wont get into the labor details but after roughly 39 hours of labor we ended with an emergency c-section.

He’s here. It’s unbelievable.

Still waiting on the world to change…

We are still in John Mayer land waiting on the world to change… A little tired. A little swollen and I need to pack my bag for the hospital. Out of everything you’d think I’d have this ready and waiting but no. The car seat is in and the huzz and mile high have bags both packed and loaded. They give you these nice little lists as if you are going off to camp with recommended items to bring. I even tracked down a pair of Baffin slippers – they are like sleeping bags for your feet from Canada! I love them and may just wear them in when its time.

But really what do I need to bring? I keep thinking about distracting media and what would make sense for short attention span theater. I was wondering about loading both season of Dave Chappelle on the iPad – will there be time for distracting humor?! Better to be prepared than unprepared. So the bag gets laid out tonight and packed tomorrow. The boy will arrive when he’s ready. I am just practicing patience. This journey has been so crazy long and hard what does it matter if there are a few more days!!

 

36 weeks – it’s all downhill

I can’t believe that it’s been over a month since the last post! Everything is moving along with this pregnancy. It’s still not a bucket of fun but we are down to the last few days of just being a couple… the boy is head down and still enjoying yoga twice a week with me 🙂

If he was part of the WWE his signature move would be “donkey kick to the ribs”. The rough estimate of his weight today is 8.67 lbs, which seems LARGE to me but until we get him on the scale we won’t really know. So now we’re waiting for labor to start. I am equal parts thrilled and terrified.

I can think back to the start of this when we were counting days to the start of the “firsts” and now I feel like we’re counting days down to the arrival. CRAZY but so blessed.

Cali in bloom

I think I have finally managed to move over everyone that I have been following to the new blog! Whew that wasnt as straight forward as I’d like! I will in no way be offended if anyone would prefer to not follow our journey on the new blog and I will still be reading through yours!

I joke about being a “recovering infertile” but without his arrival and getting to hold, touch, see, smell and believe that he has arrived – well it’s just hard. Good news is everything is still looking good and on track. He’s moving like crazy!!! Instead of having the huzz spend hours holding on to the boy in the belly I like to spoon behind him gently with the bump half on his bum and lower back. Then little mile high gets to go all bruce lee like he does me!! It makes the huzz laugh so hard. Although we did have to work on the “not jumping” back when mile high throws a donkey kick or two. I know not where the wee one thinks he is going but we are out of room and he is getting stronger!!!

Moving to a new blog

It’s time to move on from the crooked path of IVF and onto something that simply is more personal. I’ve been avoiding my blog here for a little bit and it’s taken some time to figure out what’s been bothering me. When we were charting our course through IVF it seemed important to share the blow-by-blow details of our struggle… the process and daily grind. Now with both the move and pregnancy the things I tend to want to share are simply more personal. I will update here and not leave you hanging on how this all works out. But it’s time to move onto another crooked path.

For those going through, starting or looking for information on IVF, CCRM and the whole shebang I feel that it is just as important to leave this blog up!! But not with the more personal details. 

Send me an email and I will happily send over the link to the new blog!! 

Human Aquarium

It’s official I am a human aquarium with a creature of one. I can feel the suspended in water creature moving quite a bit these days. I do not get to view the creature and or feed it. Being an aquarium is most certainly not as relaxing as watching one. Just being able to feel these new sensations is quite odd. I know for most they like to say being pregnant is the most “beautiful time” and to “enjoy it” because at least for some lucky ladies I have heard that pregnancy can be an “enjoyable” experience. If I am being honest when you compare pregnancy with all of the IVF stuff I willing did to get here then the actual pregnancy is much more “enjoyable” (when compared). But I can’t help but feel like a human aquarium. One of those old fashion round goldfish bowls. You can even tap on one side and feel him flee to the other side.  I can now feel him flip, flop, turn, spring, kick, hit, hiccup and flee… and not necessarily in that order. It’s a lot like having your own Sea Monkey growing and getting interesting without the complete colony. Feeling like an aquarium is a strong reminder that you have no control over whats happening with your body. You are just along for the ride. I’m looking forward to getting my body back without company on the inside. (And he does look LESS like a sea monkey these days…)