Consider yourselves warned.
After J was born, I went on Implanon, which is a handy dandy little rod that is inserted in my left upper arm. It was great for about the first year (well, ok, like 10 months). I never had any bleeding, only very rare spotting, and generally loved it. I was also either nursing or pumping about 5 or 6 times a day. Well, as you know, when J turned 1 I quit pumping, and suddenly dropped to nursing twice a day. Apparently my body interpreted that as a message to start spotting. A. Lot. I totally get that Implanon can cause bleeding and cysts and crap like that, but I figured that since I had no problems the first (almost) year, it would continue that way. Nope, I was evidently wrong. I have been spotting or bleeding for 18 of the last 28 days, and not necessarily all in one stretch. I would like to be able to have sex with my husband without getting everything all nasty (you were warned!). Ugh. This is not acceptable any more. I think I am going to have to talk to my midwives about getting this damn thing removed. That, however, means saving up for the $45 copay. Whopee.
Overall, I liked the Implanon while I was breastfeeding full time. Now I am really not such a fan. My grade would have to be an A turned into a C, so overall, I guess that's a B.
Perhaps I will be revisiting the whole FAM thing, or maybe going back on the pill. More to discuss with the MWs.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Happy Birthday to me.
Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 26. About 45 minutes before I had to leave, I discovered that somehow a database with all the data I have collected for one of our studies was messed up. Messed up as in the last 4 months of data are GONE (we have hard copies, but man is that a pain in the ass to re-enter). Panic for about 40 minutes, then realize that there is nothing in there after August 7, and come to the conclusion that somehow the file got switched with an old, backed-up version yesterday, and breathe a big sigh of relief. Hopefully I will be able to find the most recent version on Monday and not have to re-enter lots and lots of data. On the upside though, nobody forgot my birthday! Last year my mom didn't call me because she'd talked to me the day before, and my dad just plain forgot. Add some crazy fun 3 weeks postpartum hormones, and it made me pretty darn upset. This year though, everybody called me! It's the little things in life, really...C made me some fantastic potroast for dinner last night though, and it went very very well with the wine he got me for Christmas.
Onto today. I took today off from work, since I had to process sputum yesterday (if you don't know what sputum is, it's exactly what the word sounds like it should be). The plan: take the car to get the brakes done, take J to get his portrait done at Kiddie Kandids (free portraits for birthdays! You get a free 8x10, or if you're smooth like me you can finagle 2 5x7s instead), then go to the zoo with my big sisters and the kiddos.
Reality: Took the car in at 8:00am, they inspect the brakes, etc and return to tell us that the rotors had been machined down way too thin by the previous brake maintenance that had been done on the car (before we had it), so they wore out much faster than they should have, and that was why we were having the metal-on-metal grinding. Well, that and we waited a while before taking it in. Pricetag? $502. Yep. Bonus? Yeah, our timing belt should have been replaced 10K miles ago. Pricetag for that plus the water pump? $833, after tax. Yippee! Nothing like getting new brakes and a new timing belt for my birthday. So we're taking the car back tomorrow to get the timing belt done. By the time the brakes were done, it was 10:30, which was when the appointment at KK was for. J was getting hungry, and needed a clean diaper, and so I figured it was late enough I may as well take care of him. The family bathroom at the mall does not have a changing table, so I laid J on the counter and he promptly flips his legs into the sink. The automatic sink. Which promptly turned on and soaked his pants. Paper towels to the rescue! Nurse the toddler for a few minutes and off we went to the studio. Since we missed our appointment, we couldn't get in until 11:15. We were supposed to meet my sisters at 12:00, which ended up being 1:00. We did get some really great pictures and I got my 2 free 5x7s (no need to even buy a package).
Onward to the zoo! There were my sisters and I, plus two almost-4-year-olds plus an 18-month-old, plus J, and my sister N is pregnant with twins so she was more than a little worn out by the end. In all though it was lots of fun. We went through the Tropical Discovery, which was really cool. J liked looking at the fish and the turtles. I don't think he actually noticed the other stuff too much, other than maybe the giraffes. Plus we saw the Malaysian Tapir dancing and playing around, and making squeaky snorty noises. The older kids kept asking what would eat them or kill them (morbid, I know), and a peacock actually stole part of J's sandwich right out of his hand. The kid didn't even react, but the rest of us got a good laugh out of it.
And that was my busy, busy birthday celebration.
Onto today. I took today off from work, since I had to process sputum yesterday (if you don't know what sputum is, it's exactly what the word sounds like it should be). The plan: take the car to get the brakes done, take J to get his portrait done at Kiddie Kandids (free portraits for birthdays! You get a free 8x10, or if you're smooth like me you can finagle 2 5x7s instead), then go to the zoo with my big sisters and the kiddos.
Reality: Took the car in at 8:00am, they inspect the brakes, etc and return to tell us that the rotors had been machined down way too thin by the previous brake maintenance that had been done on the car (before we had it), so they wore out much faster than they should have, and that was why we were having the metal-on-metal grinding. Well, that and we waited a while before taking it in. Pricetag? $502. Yep. Bonus? Yeah, our timing belt should have been replaced 10K miles ago. Pricetag for that plus the water pump? $833, after tax. Yippee! Nothing like getting new brakes and a new timing belt for my birthday. So we're taking the car back tomorrow to get the timing belt done. By the time the brakes were done, it was 10:30, which was when the appointment at KK was for. J was getting hungry, and needed a clean diaper, and so I figured it was late enough I may as well take care of him. The family bathroom at the mall does not have a changing table, so I laid J on the counter and he promptly flips his legs into the sink. The automatic sink. Which promptly turned on and soaked his pants. Paper towels to the rescue! Nurse the toddler for a few minutes and off we went to the studio. Since we missed our appointment, we couldn't get in until 11:15. We were supposed to meet my sisters at 12:00, which ended up being 1:00. We did get some really great pictures and I got my 2 free 5x7s (no need to even buy a package).
Onward to the zoo! There were my sisters and I, plus two almost-4-year-olds plus an 18-month-old, plus J, and my sister N is pregnant with twins so she was more than a little worn out by the end. In all though it was lots of fun. We went through the Tropical Discovery, which was really cool. J liked looking at the fish and the turtles. I don't think he actually noticed the other stuff too much, other than maybe the giraffes. Plus we saw the Malaysian Tapir dancing and playing around, and making squeaky snorty noises. The older kids kept asking what would eat them or kill them (morbid, I know), and a peacock actually stole part of J's sandwich right out of his hand. The kid didn't even react, but the rest of us got a good laugh out of it.
And that was my busy, busy birthday celebration.
A Treat for Any Twilight Fans
I am one of those people who thoroughly enjoy a good trash novel when I can, and the Twilight series falls nicely into that category. Not the best quality, but completely addictive nonetheless. Anyway, if you are also a fan, and happen to have a sense of humor, this may be of interest.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Yakety-yak!
As of the week he turned 1, J seems to be genuinely attempting to learn to talk. He still says "dou" (=dog) and Mamam the most, but on Friday I was giving him a hug goodbye, and I told him I had to go to work, and I loved him, and goodbye, and he looked up and me and literally yelled "BAAAIIII" while waving at the kitchen. I am not sure he knew who was leaving, me, him, or the kitchen, but he knew somebody was. It just melted my heart. Today, while C was giving J his afternoon bottle, clever little J said "Oto" for bottle. This is just crazy but so friggin cute!
In other news, J loves all his birthday toys. He went through a period where he was afraid of one of them, a Playskool Busy Ball Popper, that my MIL got him. He likes it now though! Anything that can go into something else has gone in and back out again, and J loves to take apart all the duplo creations C and I make.
In other other news, one of my sisters-in-law is pregnant!! Just not the one I thought. Yay for babies! So this means that I currently have 3 gestating neices and/or nephews. Wow.
In other news, J loves all his birthday toys. He went through a period where he was afraid of one of them, a Playskool Busy Ball Popper, that my MIL got him. He likes it now though! Anything that can go into something else has gone in and back out again, and J loves to take apart all the duplo creations C and I make.
In other other news, one of my sisters-in-law is pregnant!! Just not the one I thought. Yay for babies! So this means that I currently have 3 gestating neices and/or nephews. Wow.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
I think I'm in love...
but it makes me kinda nervous to say so...
Don't tell C, but I have a little bitty crush on Scott Sigler. Not that I've become a "junkie" exactly. (The first step to a cure is admitting you have a problem, and I don't have a problem. Really.) I am certainly not a complete nut over him, but his books are soo effing addictive. They also make me swear a lot if I listen to them in a long stretch. He just writes the kind of horror that makes your guts ball up and at the same time leaves you unable to tear your ears away (they're all available as free audiobooks). The most deliciously fucked up kind of horror. If Nocturnal were a movie, I would have spent a large chunk of it with my hands over my eyes, but you really can't do that with an audiobook. Well you can, but you will look stupid and it really won't do you any good. Anyway, if you are interested there's a link to his blog in my blogs list.
I am taking a small break before I go back and listen to his other books, starting with the first, since it's really not appropriate for me to drop the f bomb at work with the frequency induced by Sigler's writing. Especially when I am calling the printer a mother fucker on a regular basis. Remember, no telling C!
Don't tell C, but I have a little bitty crush on Scott Sigler. Not that I've become a "junkie" exactly. (The first step to a cure is admitting you have a problem, and I don't have a problem. Really.) I am certainly not a complete nut over him, but his books are soo effing addictive. They also make me swear a lot if I listen to them in a long stretch. He just writes the kind of horror that makes your guts ball up and at the same time leaves you unable to tear your ears away (they're all available as free audiobooks). The most deliciously fucked up kind of horror. If Nocturnal were a movie, I would have spent a large chunk of it with my hands over my eyes, but you really can't do that with an audiobook. Well you can, but you will look stupid and it really won't do you any good. Anyway, if you are interested there's a link to his blog in my blogs list.
I am taking a small break before I go back and listen to his other books, starting with the first, since it's really not appropriate for me to drop the f bomb at work with the frequency induced by Sigler's writing. Especially when I am calling the printer a mother fucker on a regular basis. Remember, no telling C!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Hush little baby...
My baby is not a baby any more. As of 5:45 tonight, he is a toddler. A 1 year old. His inaugural act as a toddler? To lay in bed "reading" his book about farm animals and their babies instead of sleeping, for an hour after I put him to bed. I went to check on him to make sure he was ok, because I could hear him chattering and growling, and he looked up at me with the sweetest smile the instant the door opened. My little boy. My baby. I think of how much he's grown, physically, and how much he's grown developmentally. No longer the helpless newborn, he can make his desires known with the assistance of some creative guesswork, his delighted grin, his little happy dance that is almost always accompanied by clapping. He knows what a dog is, even if he doesn't quite get the concept of plurals yet (our two dogs are referred to as dog dog). He knows his name, his mama and dada. He pats his stuffed jaguar on the head. He's turning into a little boy and leaving babyhood behind.
Goodnight my baby.
Goodnight my baby.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Forays into the World of Revenge
(Yes, that's right, 2 posts in one night!! Apparently the juices are flowing! Hardeharhar.)
Some very unhappy facts have come to light about the husband of a friend of mine. This calls to mind some deliciously wicked tales of revenge that happened to a family friend (and were deserved, at least to some extent).
This person (let's call him E) had recently broken up with his girlfriend (X), and I believe cheating was involved. Somehow or another, he totally pissed her off. So she did the following:
1. Called 911 at about 1:00 in the morning, reporting in a panic that E was having a heart attack and was able to contact X but would not be able to get to the door. So, naturally, the ambulance and EMTs show up, bust down his door, come charging into the house to find E with his new woman, recently woken from a sound sleep. Some serious persuasion was required to convince the medical personnel that E was not, in fact, having a heart attack, and that they should stop trying to resuscitate him.
2. X posted E's car for sale in the local newspaper, mentioning in the ad that the owner of the car worked a weird shift, so calls would only be answered between 1:30 and 3:30 in the morning. I have no idea how long it was before E figured out what was going on and pulled the ad.
Other favorites of mine include mailing a favorite item of the intended recipient of revenge to that person, spread across several packages, preferably first smashed *almost* beyond recognition. Of course, this does require postage. However, if you of the mind to get creative with annoying your target, and money isn't really an object, this may be a worthwhile read: Postal Experiments. Of course, even if you aren't in the market for revenge, it is a pretty entertaining way to pass some time, especially since photographs are included! I also once heard a highly amusing podcast about experiments with the postal service, either through Podcastle or Escape Pod, I can't really remember which, that I think was somehow related to the above link, maybe just inspired by it.
Some very unhappy facts have come to light about the husband of a friend of mine. This calls to mind some deliciously wicked tales of revenge that happened to a family friend (and were deserved, at least to some extent).
This person (let's call him E) had recently broken up with his girlfriend (X), and I believe cheating was involved. Somehow or another, he totally pissed her off. So she did the following:
1. Called 911 at about 1:00 in the morning, reporting in a panic that E was having a heart attack and was able to contact X but would not be able to get to the door. So, naturally, the ambulance and EMTs show up, bust down his door, come charging into the house to find E with his new woman, recently woken from a sound sleep. Some serious persuasion was required to convince the medical personnel that E was not, in fact, having a heart attack, and that they should stop trying to resuscitate him.
2. X posted E's car for sale in the local newspaper, mentioning in the ad that the owner of the car worked a weird shift, so calls would only be answered between 1:30 and 3:30 in the morning. I have no idea how long it was before E figured out what was going on and pulled the ad.
Other favorites of mine include mailing a favorite item of the intended recipient of revenge to that person, spread across several packages, preferably first smashed *almost* beyond recognition. Of course, this does require postage. However, if you of the mind to get creative with annoying your target, and money isn't really an object, this may be a worthwhile read: Postal Experiments. Of course, even if you aren't in the market for revenge, it is a pretty entertaining way to pass some time, especially since photographs are included! I also once heard a highly amusing podcast about experiments with the postal service, either through Podcastle or Escape Pod, I can't really remember which, that I think was somehow related to the above link, maybe just inspired by it.
The Return of the Detested Aunt
Alas, my bloody auntie has once again deigned to make an appearance after an absence since March. It was so very nice... the Implanon of course helps to make her appearances consist more of spotting than anything else, but it would seem that suddenly dropping four pumping sessions during the day (WOOT for being done pumping!) was enough to bring her back. Sigh. I guess that, to paraphrase Claire Huxtable, without Aunt Flo, there would be no Uncles, so I should quit complaining.
I could do without the IBS flairup, though. Bleh. Ah well.
I could do without the IBS flairup, though. Bleh. Ah well.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Jumping on the Bandwagon
Here I am, the day after New Year's Day, 2009, taking a break between an RNA extraction and it's counterpart DNA extraction. I have pondered the last year a bit, and pondered the coming year. I have come to a number of conclusions. First of all, I am not going to do the 101 things in 1001 days. If you are doing them, great for you, more power to you. I, however, would rather approach them as a general "to-do" list and some resolutions, if you will. (Not NY resolutions, I think those are generally a bad idea. It's much better to come up with things about your life at various points that need reassessment or tweaking.) So, from here on out, the items in my list will not necessarily be quantifiable. Things will be added to the list as the mood strikes me, and come the end of 2009 I will re-evaluate and see where things stand.
J grows up more every day. He now reliably says "dog," a lot...a lot more, in fact, than anything else. He also says Mamam and once said "aboo" while covering his face with one hand, an indication that he wants to play peek-a-boo. He also loves to cruise around the coffee table, couch, and pretty much anything else he stands up and holds onto. In less than one week, he will be a year old. My goodness, how time flies.
I am desperately hoping to go shopping with one of my best friends this weekend. She's in town for the holidays on a break before her last semester of law school (yay!) and I only get to see her about once or twice a year. So hopefully we'll get to shop and I can get a new pair of jeans, a good sports bra (recs welcome!!) and a long sleeved Tshirt (boy, I'm so spendy...:-p). Speaking of shopping, and being spendy, have you looked at my other blog (yes, I know that the address is spelled wrong)? I haven't done terribly much with it yet, but I am working on trying to make a comprehensive guide to living well on a budget.
Here's to a prosperous and happy 2009, with safe deliveries and healthy babies to those who are expecting new little ones, and happy pregnancies to those who are wanting them, and new jobs to those who have lost them.
J grows up more every day. He now reliably says "dog," a lot...a lot more, in fact, than anything else. He also says Mamam and once said "aboo" while covering his face with one hand, an indication that he wants to play peek-a-boo. He also loves to cruise around the coffee table, couch, and pretty much anything else he stands up and holds onto. In less than one week, he will be a year old. My goodness, how time flies.
I am desperately hoping to go shopping with one of my best friends this weekend. She's in town for the holidays on a break before her last semester of law school (yay!) and I only get to see her about once or twice a year. So hopefully we'll get to shop and I can get a new pair of jeans, a good sports bra (recs welcome!!) and a long sleeved Tshirt (boy, I'm so spendy...:-p). Speaking of shopping, and being spendy, have you looked at my other blog (yes, I know that the address is spelled wrong)? I haven't done terribly much with it yet, but I am working on trying to make a comprehensive guide to living well on a budget.
Here's to a prosperous and happy 2009, with safe deliveries and healthy babies to those who are expecting new little ones, and happy pregnancies to those who are wanting them, and new jobs to those who have lost them.
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