Things I don't want to think about

1. My cousin Gail is in the hospital. She's been living with inflammatory breast cancer for a few years, but it looks like she's losing her battle. I don't want to think about it.
2. Money. Don't even want to think about it.
3. My baby not sleeping through the night, or even close. I am trying so hard not to hate resent all those people whose babies sleep and only wake up once or even twice a night. SO HARD.

Hey, I think I forgot my meds this morning. Whee.

Differences

J at 5 months:

L at 5 months:

Quite a difference in how well they sit up!! Also, WOW. He was sooo chubby compared to her! I can't believe he is so big now...*sniff*

What a Day!!

J is at the in-law's house for the weekend, so C and I are enjoying some couple time and the gorgeous weather we had today. My favorite consignment store was having a monster sale today, and since I didn't get many newborn sized clothes from my older sister (and who knows when I'll actually get them from her...) I figured it was a good idea to get some from the store. The sale was that everything 0-9 months was $1 (including 2 piece or 3 piece outfits/sets)! In all, I came home with 12 onesies, 4 more onesies that were part of outfits/came with pants, some overalls, a darling little green dressy jumper, a sweet 4th of July outfit, a very cute one-piece outfit (kind of onesie-like) and a jacket to match one of the outfits I got. My total? $14 for the lot. My receipt says I saved $39!!! Here's my loot, just because I am so proud of it.

After the shopping, C and I went to Historic Downtown Littleton and browsed the shops a bit, and had lunch at The Melting Pot (for which we had a certificate for a free lunch). After our fantastic lunch (fondue=YUM= Happy pregnant Tena!) we went to a local nursery/garden center and picked up things that I need for starting my garden. I even got to lay down (didn't fall asleep, but that's okay) when we got home and C was grilling dinner.

All in all, I'd say that today was just about perfect!

Yay for babies!!

Best of luck to my friend C over at Seeking a Sibling, whose twins have decided to enter the world today! Yay for babies! And yay for her (hopefully) being able to pee with abandon very soon.

Lots of Random and Baby-Related Musings

Three years ago tomorrow, I started the cycle that led to J.

During that cycle, I started my job. I got the flu and had a fever on my first day of work, but you can't call in sick your first day. Because I had the flu and other stresses, I didn't ovulate until CD28. You may notice (if you are familiar with Fertility Friend) that we had sex 5 and 3 days before ovulation, because I'd thought I ovulated already. When my temp dropped I turned to C and said, "Hmm. We may have made a baby this month." I was sort of joking, since the 3 cycles prior to that we'd had no luck with TTC. One month to the day after I started my job, I got this:

So much for taking a few months off from TTC (we were going to take a few months off so I'd qualify for FMLA). I am so glad we had J, even if he did arrive on his own timeline! He's the best kid I could have imagined. Even though I have a small bruise from the biting rampage he went on a few days ago. Grr.

Anyway. *If* C and I were going to TTC #2 this cycle, the timeline would be 2 weeks and 4 days off from my pregnancy with J. If we were successful. And if we were TTC, which we aren't. I refuse to be in my 3rd trimester at Christmas again. Deprive a pregnant woman of Christmas cookies? That's just mean.

We are planning to TTC this summer (HA! No more specific than that. I know it's just *killing* you, right? Okay, that's enough deluding myself). This gives us the following possible due dates, for all the potential cycles that I have estimated. Assuming ovulation on CD20 and an average of 32 day cycles.
4/11/2011
5/13/2011 (Yeah...as if we need more May babies in this family...Hmm.)
6/14/2011
7/16/2011 (Ooh, super pregnant in the summer with no A/C.)
8/17/2011 (Yeah. Same as above comment.)
9/18/2011 (Still super pregnant in the summer with no A/C. Let's hope one of the earlier cycles works, eh?)

Justice for Noah

Yesterday a breakthrough occurred in the way the legal system treats the perpetrators of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

That justice has been served lightens my heart, even as I feel sorrow for the family of the woman who did this.

http://www.noahsroad.com/?p=297#comments

Stay strong, little Noah, and keep on thriving.

Dream Babies

I had a dream last night that I was pregnant. With triplets. Two boys and a girl, I believe. Most of the dream I was in labor. Good times, that. It was a really strange future-dream too, where the world was very different and dark and weird. Of course, the dream faded very quickly after I woke up.

Remembering Those Too Beautiful for this Earth

Today, October 15th, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Take a moment to pray for and remember anyone who has lost a child. Many people around the country will be lighting candles tonight in honor of those babies too beautiful to live here on earth.

I am thinking today of my mother, of the sibling I never knew, of my sister and the niece or nephew I never knew. I am thinking of my sister-in-law D, and the two babies that she lost before she got her sticky baby that is currently kicking around in her womb.

I am thinking of EasJer and her perfect little Gabriel, born and gone before he was even physically able to breathe.

I hope that everyone who has lost a child can find some peace on this bittersweet day of remembrance.

Facts and Fiction about H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu)

In case you are totally clueless about H1N1, here's the CDC Fact Page.

I thought it would be a good idea to provide some information about the H1N1 flu, just because it's in the news, and unfortunately people are not always getting the right information. I'll do my best to debunk some of the myths and also to spread the knowledge. Most of this comes from a combination of my own background and what I've been told by immunologists and physicians at work, as well as some interviews I've heard on Science Friday, and also a lot from the CDC H1N1 page. I'll provide specific references in the form of links where I can.

Fiction: Hand sanitizer will keep you from getting the flu.

Fact: Influenza virus is not killed by alcohol-based sanitizers (according to Dr. J. Owen Hendley). The only surefire way to remove flu virus from your hands is to wash with soap and water, while rubbing hands together, for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer will kill most bacteria and some other viruses, but not H1N1. Regular hand washing is the best defense.

Fiction: Flu vaccine causes you to get the flu.

Fact: The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu, as it consists of pieces of a dead virus that only serves as "training" for your immune system so that your cells will recognize the strains against which the vaccine was developed, so that your body can more efficiently fight off the virus. You may experience soreness at the injection site (I do, anyway), and if you are allergic to eggs (albumin) you should not get the flu vaccine.

Fiction: I don't need to get the vaccine, I haven't gotten the flu in years.

Fact: In general, the flu shot is a good idea for people who take care of small children and the elderly, as well as individuals in both of those populations. However, as a novel virus, H1N1 is a cause for greater concern because most people don't have an immunity of any kind against it. This seems to be manifested best in the observation that people under 50 have presented more cases than those over 50. According to the CDC (via Science Friday), as of May 11: "the more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths are expected in the coming days and weeks."

Fiction: If I get the flu vaccine, I am protected against all kinds of flu virus.

Fact: The flu vaccine varies from year to year, and each year the developers of the vaccine target the predominant strains. This means that you are reasonably well protected, but you can still get a less common strain of the flu. This year, because of the H1N1 flu, there will be two separate vaccines. The first one, which is currently being shipped out and will be available very soon, is the one that comes out every year, geared toward the "old" flu viruses that make up the seasonal flu. The second vaccine is specifically for H1N1, and will not be available until later in the year and will come out sometime in October. The H1N1 vaccine will be given in two doses, about a month apart. If you have a small child, this is the same way that the regular flu vaccine is given the first time your child gets the vaccine. This is because the first shot may not provide complete immunity when your immune system has never seen the virus (dead or alive) before. The second shot gives your immune system a second chance to get things figured out so that you will be better protected. The only time you need to get the vaccine in two doses is the first year you get the vaccine.

Who should get the vaccine?

In the event of a limited vaccine supply, the following groups receive the vaccine before others: pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact, children 6 months through 4 years of age, and children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions. Once the demand for vaccine for these target groups has been met at the local level, programs and providers should begin vaccinating everyone from ages 25 through 64 years. (From the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm)

Here is the email that was sent out at work, by the Infection Control Officer of the hospital:

As there is growing concern regarding the upcoming influenza season and the current novel influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, I wanted to provide a brief update on the situation.

∙ The influenza season in the southern hemisphere appears to be winding down, with most countries having past the peak level of influenza activity. Novel influenza A H1N1 was and is the dominant circulating influenza strain, supplanting seasonal influenza A. The disease spectrum appears to be similar to what has been seen in North America.

∙ In the US, influenza activity has been stable over the summer, with most states currently reporting local or sporadic activity. Novel influenza A (H1N1) is causing the majority of influenza in the United States, and is expected to be the predominant cause of influenza this fall and winter.

∙ In the United States, most of the persons affected have been younger than 50 years old. Symptoms have included fever, cough, and sore throat in the majority. About 25% of infected persons have presented with diarrhea or vomiting. Most disease continues to be mild and self-limited.

∙ The rapid influenza test is an insensitive test for novel influenza A (H1N1). A negative test does NOT rule out infection.

∙ H1N1 PCR testing (in Colorad0) from the state health department is only being done for hospitalized patients, in order to better understand the epidemiology of the virus, rather than as a diagnostic tool.

What this means:

∙ A person with sudden onset of fever, cough, sore throat and other flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and headache should be considered to have novel influenza A (H1N1) if there is not another probable explanation.

∙ Every person suspected to have influenza should be treated as if they have influenza until proven otherwise, and be placed in the appropriate isolation precautions. If influenza testing is ordered, the person tested should be considered to have influenza until proven otherwise.

∙ Antiviral medications are available for treatment and chemoprophylaxis. However, most people with influenza do not require antiviral therapy. Antiviral prescription is appropriate for persons with severe illness and those at high-risk of complications of influenza (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm). If appropriate, antiviral therapy should be prescribed based on clinical suspicion, not on testing results. Healthcare providers with unintended, unprotected, close contact to a patient with influenza may be offered chemoprophylaxis to prevent infection.

I hope the email above was informative. Other random tips:

If you are coughing, cough into your elbow, not your hands. This applies whether you have the flu or not.

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

Don't spit on the ground if you cough up phlegm. This releases your personal "bugs" (viruses, bacteria, etc) into the environment around you and exposes your fellow citizens to your illness.

If you have the flu, stay home until you are well. It's best not to expose anyone else unnecessarily.

Use the sanitizing wipes on your grocery cart and hands before you start your shopping to minimize transmission of anything you may be carrying.

Update

Baby Andrew is home!

Prayers for Preemies

My nephew Andrew is not home yet, he's still in the NICU after being born at 35 weeks one week ago. Juju, prayers, anything to encourage him to eat lots and get to go home soon are appreciated.

Baby Gabriel entered the world far too soon and left his parents last night. Please pray for EAS at CottonSocks for a speedy physical recovery and that she and her husband are able to find some peace following this terrible tragedy. My heart is broken for her, I feel her loss as keenly as I did for my SIL D when she lost her babies.

The Hazards of Batteries

A little girl Elaina Redding died May 21, and I knew nothing about it until just now. She had swallowed a button battery, and even though her parents took her to the hospital and they took it out within about 10 hours of the toddler swallowing it, it was too late. Less than three weeks later, a coughing fit caused her to rupture her damaged esophagus and she bled to death.

The same thing happened to Hazel, but she was lucky. Hazel had the battery in her throat for six days, but she survived.

Please, please keep your batteries, any kind of battery, out of reach of your kids and pets. Lock them up if you have to. Don't put them in small trashcans that are easily raided.

Let's not allow any more senseless deaths from something so preventable darken our world.

Please keep the Redding family in your thoughts and prayers.

Never, Never Shake a Baby

There is a baby on the Nest/Bump who was shaken on April 20th by his daycare provider. His parents have set up a blog, Noah's Road, with more information. This little boy is coming home just in time for Mother's day, but he has a very long road to recovery ahead of him. I realize that I don't exactly have a big readership, but please, pray for this family.

I have said in the past that I am not religious, which is true. I do, however, believe in the power of positive prayer and I, too, will be praying for them in my own way.

Noah's story is so very tragic. To think that this could happen to J breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. One day, you have a happy, healthy child- the next, they are clinging to life. Babies may be hard to break (according to our pediatrician) but they are not unbreakable.

Please, please hug your babies, no matter how old they are, and make sure everyone that cares for them knows that they should never, ever shake a baby.

Yay for a New Mommy!!

A huge, gigantic happy CONGRATULATIONS for Fredalina and Alan, who have finally gotten the children they've been wanting for years. They are the proud foster parents of two toddlers as of today! What a wonderful blessing for them, and what wonderful timing to have it happen just before the holiday celebrating new life, rebirth, and new beginnings.

Sitting and Knitting

I am going to sit on the couch and work on my current knitting project this afternoon, while J is still asleep. Which will hopefully be until 4, since he is also sick and went down late. My current project is to make a blanket, hat, and booties for sister N's twin girls, ideally to be done by April since sister M is going to have a shower for her in April sometime. One set will be purple heathery, one set will be pink (although I haven't bought the pink yet, so i don't know what shade/texture exactly). I am currently working on making the purple blanket, modified from a pattern in a Debbie Bliss book. I've made the hooded blanket for J and for my nephew Ian, and a friend I TA'd with in grad school. I just realized I've only made it for boys...Hmm. Anyway, I am making it on 13 gauge needles and not putting on a hood for the ones for the twins, but they are great and stretchy because the blankets are done in seed stitch, so they are fantastic for swaddling. We use J's (which I actually only finished for his 1st Christmas...) after baths. He likes to play peek-a-boo with the hood. The hats and booties should go pretty fast. I may even experiment with knitting them in the round, which I haven't done before. My sister A gave me a neat gadget for making pompoms for Christmas, I will get to use it on this project!

I will try to update more on any knitting projects I do. Who knows, I may whip out a ton and a half of booties and sell them on Etsy. We'll just have to see!

2 Followers, Two Baby Girls, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Aww, I feel so special! I have 2 followers now. :-) Thanks for finding my ramblings interesting!

Oh, and my sister N is having twin GIRLS (due in June)! I swear there is nothing cuter than twin girls. One baby girl is cute, and you can dress her in cute girlie frilly clothes, and with twins there are two of them that you can dress in semi-matchy girlie frilly clothes!I guess triplet girls would technically be cuter than twins, but hey, I am excited. I am going to knit them booties and blankets, maybe hats (if I am so inclined); one pink set and one purple set. Don't take this to mean that I don't think J is cute, but boy stuff just isn't as cute as girl stuff.

Alas, no partridges, but it sounded neat. J tried to say "bath" yesterday, he was playing by the bathtub, trying to turn on the faucet (which he can't reach really, and I moved him away) and he kept saying "Ba! Ba!" I guess he wanted to take a bath. He didn't get one though. Then this morning he tried to say juice, and he said bottle (we gave him his juice in a "toddler sport bottle" which is basically a bottle). Juice came out as "jjjjoooo" but I thought that was a pretty good attempt! Also, here is my favorite picture of J currently. I have one of me at about 3 years old making a slightly less squinchy version of this face, and we look soo similar!

Babies and Maybes and Bears, Oh My!

You'd think that most of the women in my family were of childbearing age or something, but there seems to be a rash of babies over the last few years. Specifically the last 2...My sister N had her second baby in June 2007, J was born in January of 2008, then my sister M had her son in March of 2008. Now N is pregnant again, with twins. I strongly suspect that my newest sister-in-law, D, is pregnant but she is being understandably secretive about it if she is pregnant (see the Unfairness post below). However, given that she is not drinking coffee or alcohol, and her husband said something to the effect of "Yeah, she's not drinking but I'm not allowed to say why..." is a pretty good indication. May they (and any other ladies who jump on the baby train in the next couple months) have happy, easy, and healthy pregnancies and deliveries in the coming year!

As for bears, well...J likes his teddy bear. That's about it.