As promised, I've started a new blog. I won't be posting to this one any longer. Please continue to visit the new one dedicated to my sweet baby Greysen Jakes: www.sweetbabygrey.blogspot.com I'll post much more regularly there.
Adios!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
New Beginnings
Greysen Alexander Jakes was born March 22, 2010 at 5:38 a.m. by c-section after many many hours (days) of labor. We are blessed to have a happy, healthy baby boy that was 7 lbs 6.9 oz and was 20.5 inches long when born. He shrunk to 19.75 inches when he was discharged because of the cone head he sported from being stuck in my pelvic region for so long. And he's already gained a good 2 lbs since birth as he's a voracious eater. We think he's adorable and have decided to keep him.
I am starting a blog that will be dedicated to Greysen and the Jakes family and the milestones we reach in parenting, baby development, and just general daily life. I'm afraid it means that I will likely retire The Brief as I can't imagine keeping up with two blogs given that I can hardly keep up with one regularly. I'll post the name and location of my new blog when I figure out what to call it and write the first post.
Stay tuned ...
I am starting a blog that will be dedicated to Greysen and the Jakes family and the milestones we reach in parenting, baby development, and just general daily life. I'm afraid it means that I will likely retire The Brief as I can't imagine keeping up with two blogs given that I can hardly keep up with one regularly. I'll post the name and location of my new blog when I figure out what to call it and write the first post.
Stay tuned ...
Monday, February 22, 2010
What does this mean?
I dreamt that I was losing all my teeth one right after another the other night. And then I woke up with a really sore jaw.
And the next night I had a dream that I was in line at a buffet with three of my high school girlfriends at our 20-year reunion. We talked to a high school classmate while ordering drinks. I was visibly pregnant so he asked me why I was ordering a mojito and I told him that this kid has been in there for 2 years so he'd be fine to have a little rum deliciousness. And then he told me his wife couldn't join us because she was bowling.
RANDOM.
If I were a dream interpreter, I would tell myself that this just means that I'm going to give birth soon ... in approximately 4 weeks, give or take a few.
And the next night I had a dream that I was in line at a buffet with three of my high school girlfriends at our 20-year reunion. We talked to a high school classmate while ordering drinks. I was visibly pregnant so he asked me why I was ordering a mojito and I told him that this kid has been in there for 2 years so he'd be fine to have a little rum deliciousness. And then he told me his wife couldn't join us because she was bowling.
RANDOM.
If I were a dream interpreter, I would tell myself that this just means that I'm going to give birth soon ... in approximately 4 weeks, give or take a few.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Pilates
We were in the position yesterday at pilates where you lie on your back on the machine with your legs straight in the air at a 90 degree angle to your hips squeezing a ring between your ankles . It's never been my favorite position because of the exertion it takes just to be in the position - and THEN you begin the movement of your legs and arms and it becomes increasingly difficult. Now that I'm preggers, even the resting position is increasingly difficult so this one has fast become the bane of my existence during pilates. It was no shocker then, that the instructor pointed at me during class to admonish my slacking effort on maintaining the 90 degree angle I was certain my legs were NOT in.
Except she wasn't pointing at my legs. When I looked down to see what I was doing wrong, I noticed the real subject of her inquisition; my belly. It was protruding in a cone-shaped fashion from the very apex of my roundness. My guess is that the Little Man was trying to heed her instruction to extend his legs at a 90 degree angle to his body inside my belly. And it made a perfect point at the top of my round belly. I tried to push it back down and he pushed right back at me keeping the position much better than I could. I started to laugh and that was all I could take. Each time I would get up, I'd gain composure; lie back down, and he'd point his foot right out my belly again.
I think the Little Man is going to be good at pilates; certainly better than his Mama. And stubborn too; just like his Mama.
Except she wasn't pointing at my legs. When I looked down to see what I was doing wrong, I noticed the real subject of her inquisition; my belly. It was protruding in a cone-shaped fashion from the very apex of my roundness. My guess is that the Little Man was trying to heed her instruction to extend his legs at a 90 degree angle to his body inside my belly. And it made a perfect point at the top of my round belly. I tried to push it back down and he pushed right back at me keeping the position much better than I could. I started to laugh and that was all I could take. Each time I would get up, I'd gain composure; lie back down, and he'd point his foot right out my belly again.
I think the Little Man is going to be good at pilates; certainly better than his Mama. And stubborn too; just like his Mama.
Friday, January 22, 2010
No wonder ...
I'm visiting my midwife every two weeks now. But last week, in-between the regularly scheduled two-week visits, I had to visit my midwife during the off-week because of some unexpected and sharp pains that just appeared out of nowhere. Everything turned out fine but per usual, I had to be weighed. I'm supposed to be gaining a pound per week now. And since I didn't gain anything last time I was there (only a week before), I fully expected to have gained a good 2 pounds. I stepped on the scale and *gulp* FOUR MORE POUNDS.
Even in pregnancy, I can't condition myself to welcome all that weight. I can accept that I need to gain weight so that the Little Man can be nourished and develop at a healthy pace, but my mind canNOT get around weight gain at such a rapid pace. I've had 37 years of conditioning myself that rapid weight loss or gain is a BAAA-AAAD thing. Naturally, I exclaimed, "FOUR POUNDS in ONE WEEK. That can't be healthy." The nurse really paid no mind, probably accustomed to this response from new mothers, and put me in a room to ponder the meaning of life after news like that.
When midwife Carol joined me, I asked her about this four pounds. She calmly said, "Let me see your ankles." So, I pulled up my pant legs and sure enough, they were cankles. Swollen almost beyond recognition. And she said, "There's your explanation. You're retaining water." I was actually relieved. Swollen ankles don't hurt anyone.
So, I told this story to a co-worker yesterday while we were on our way back from a work trip in Missoula. I was eating my usual afternoon snack about 2 hours after I'd eaten a salad for lunch. It consisted of a fruit bar and a handful of nuts. This co-worker, when I offered her some nuts, said to me, "Now I see why you've gained 4 pounds in one week."
It's no WONDER women can't accept weight gain even in pregnancy ...
Even in pregnancy, I can't condition myself to welcome all that weight. I can accept that I need to gain weight so that the Little Man can be nourished and develop at a healthy pace, but my mind canNOT get around weight gain at such a rapid pace. I've had 37 years of conditioning myself that rapid weight loss or gain is a BAAA-AAAD thing. Naturally, I exclaimed, "FOUR POUNDS in ONE WEEK. That can't be healthy." The nurse really paid no mind, probably accustomed to this response from new mothers, and put me in a room to ponder the meaning of life after news like that.
When midwife Carol joined me, I asked her about this four pounds. She calmly said, "Let me see your ankles." So, I pulled up my pant legs and sure enough, they were cankles. Swollen almost beyond recognition. And she said, "There's your explanation. You're retaining water." I was actually relieved. Swollen ankles don't hurt anyone.
So, I told this story to a co-worker yesterday while we were on our way back from a work trip in Missoula. I was eating my usual afternoon snack about 2 hours after I'd eaten a salad for lunch. It consisted of a fruit bar and a handful of nuts. This co-worker, when I offered her some nuts, said to me, "Now I see why you've gained 4 pounds in one week."
It's no WONDER women can't accept weight gain even in pregnancy ...
Friday, January 15, 2010
This Sunday will be one year since my old friend passed on from this life. I've thought a lot about him and what he left behind and how much impact he's had on the world even since he's been gone. I had a dream last night that he picked me up on the star he's been riding (undoubtedly too fast and too crazy). And he took me on a ride to see the world and how really brilliant it is from up there in his perch in the sky. He was there to teach me the beauty in this world so that I could then teach my child in case I should ever forget. It was a sweet sweet dream and I was thankful to see him even if it was only in my dreams.
It was a lesson I sorely sorely needed right now ...
This past Tuesday was a tragedy of epic proportions in Haiti that has left so many people reeling. I have seen images and heard stories of their overwhelming grief and sadness. I close my eyes during yoga and can't get the image out of my head of a father holding his dead baby wrapped in a bloody cloth with a face of horror, grief, shock and sadness. My heart swells for this man I don't know and I'm desperate to find something I can do for these people.
And today I heard the news I've been dreading from my friend whose husband has been battling brain cancer like a champion for 8 years. He has very little time left to spend with his two young children and wife.
It was a lesson I sorely sorely needed right now ...
This past Tuesday was a tragedy of epic proportions in Haiti that has left so many people reeling. I have seen images and heard stories of their overwhelming grief and sadness. I close my eyes during yoga and can't get the image out of my head of a father holding his dead baby wrapped in a bloody cloth with a face of horror, grief, shock and sadness. My heart swells for this man I don't know and I'm desperate to find something I can do for these people.
And today I heard the news I've been dreading from my friend whose husband has been battling brain cancer like a champion for 8 years. He has very little time left to spend with his two young children and wife.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
After all that ...
I've been living in total and utter chaos for the past few weeks. And this week, it got a little better.
In October of last year, we purchased new countertops. Exciting, yes. But disruptive too. And it was this week that Paul, the countertop guy, FINALLY decided to install the counters. Because the "rebuild" of our basement has moved at glacial speed since the pipe burst in mid-December, I still have piles of our junk on every chair, floorspace and counter on the main and upper floor. And I get to look forward to this type of living for the next couple weeks (at least). The dogs have to stay in the smallest bathroom upstairs during the day because there isn't a place where they wouldn't be in the way (of the rebuild guys) or they wouldn't have their menu of tasty treats (probably even razors, another story) to chew if they were so inclined. And right now, I get to live and sleep with the delicious smell of drying primer on our basement walls.
So, this week, when Paul decided to bring in the countertops, I had to find a place to put all the counter items (toaster over, wine rack, etc) and the additional items from the basement temporarily taking refuge on the counters, somewhere else on the already-packed main and upper floors. I contemplated making him wait to install until the rebuild was done. But at the rate we'd be going, our child would be 2 before we got our new counters. Now the only place I don't have to worry about knocking something over is my bed. I'd take pictures to give you a really good idea of what I'm talking about, but frankly, I don't want to preserve any of this mess for posterity.
Luckily it only took Paul one day to finish the install and the plumber a couple days to re-install the sink. And now I have a shiny new kitchen ...
With ugly counters and the need of new paint color on the walls. Yeah, I'm serious. After all that ...
In October of last year, we purchased new countertops. Exciting, yes. But disruptive too. And it was this week that Paul, the countertop guy, FINALLY decided to install the counters. Because the "rebuild" of our basement has moved at glacial speed since the pipe burst in mid-December, I still have piles of our junk on every chair, floorspace and counter on the main and upper floor. And I get to look forward to this type of living for the next couple weeks (at least). The dogs have to stay in the smallest bathroom upstairs during the day because there isn't a place where they wouldn't be in the way (of the rebuild guys) or they wouldn't have their menu of tasty treats (probably even razors, another story) to chew if they were so inclined. And right now, I get to live and sleep with the delicious smell of drying primer on our basement walls.
So, this week, when Paul decided to bring in the countertops, I had to find a place to put all the counter items (toaster over, wine rack, etc) and the additional items from the basement temporarily taking refuge on the counters, somewhere else on the already-packed main and upper floors. I contemplated making him wait to install until the rebuild was done. But at the rate we'd be going, our child would be 2 before we got our new counters. Now the only place I don't have to worry about knocking something over is my bed. I'd take pictures to give you a really good idea of what I'm talking about, but frankly, I don't want to preserve any of this mess for posterity.
Luckily it only took Paul one day to finish the install and the plumber a couple days to re-install the sink. And now I have a shiny new kitchen ...
With ugly counters and the need of new paint color on the walls. Yeah, I'm serious. After all that ...
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