Fun Weekend

Last week I didn't do much on the crafty side and certainly didn't finish anything. I have been working on combing, spinning and knitting but all of it is in progress stuff. Basically I am saying no pics today (sorry Alexis).
On Thursday with Andrew's help we got the house clean, laundry folded and van cleaned and vacuumed. Got clothes packed and when Brian got home we headed to the hospital to meet our new neice Ryan. She was born on Thursday shortly after 4pm, 8lbs 10oz. She has two big sisters who are very excited to meet her. Jacob was pretty excited too. After leaving the hospital we hit the highway for Portland, OR to visit Andrew's family. We got in fairly late like 12 or so.
The next morning after having yummy crepes for breakfast the grownups all went paintballing at an outdoor course. It was a ton of fun and while I have a couple of lovely purple/green/pink/yellow bruises today I would still do it again. I was in more pain the next day from carrying the gun than from getting hit.
We all hung out and enjoyed the day, Jacob got to feed the cows and later we all played cards and got our drink on.
Another late night but it was fun. Saturday we puttered around and eventually headed for Amy's house (Andrew's sister). On the way we picked up some barley and hops and lunch too. They boys finally got to brew a batch of beer together and Andrew will go back down this weekend and bottle it. It was fun to hang out with Amy and get to see her new house. I taught her Mother in law and her nephews a few basics on spindle spinning and I think her MIL genuinely would like to continue with it. Amy is very much an animal person and they have a puppy, a fish tank (I can't even keep my common gold fish alive), a parrot, a parakeet? and a rat. Jake loved getting to see all of the animals.
We left there around midnight and after swinging through Taco Bell and a stop to trade drivers/get gas we made it home around 2am.
Sunday we stayed at home. I washed wool all day and made a couple of meals but other than that I did nothing.
Yesterday I did not get caught up on my housework since Jacob woke up and asked for his usual snack (grahm cracker and juice). He drank the juice but hadn't touched the grahm cracker when he wanted to sit in my lap. I thought he was just tired but then he started puking over my shoulder. Poor kid. I don't think he knew what was happening. Got him (and me) cleaned up and then we ditched the juice and just tried water. That came up too about 15 min later. Poor kid was hungry but I had to make him wait. Later we tried some saltines and water. Also came up. He was just so hungry I let him go ahead and eat some scrambled egss but alas those came up too (he made it to the bathroom though). Then a grahm cracker came up. The last thing I let him eat before heading to the store for some pedialite and chicken broth was saltines and water. At one point he heaved, but nothing came up and he did fine for the rest of the day. We ran to the store got some pedialite, chicken broth soup and a few other things. I made him soup and he wolfed it down and kept it down. I don't know what it was that he had - only him, no one else but today he is just fine. I had a full load of clothes to wash after that morning but everything seems to be back to normal.
Today I have been combing wool, doing laundry and now I am off to do dishes (the bane of my existance).

Drugged and House Stuff

So yesterday I finally went to see the doctor about my crazy itching...what I didn't tell ya'll that it came back and I just itch all day everyday? I guess cuz it is not nearly as bad as that first time...just a little itch on my arm, or leg, or back, or well, pretty much my whole body, but tolerable. I got sick of it and went on it (with two kids in tow, good thing I didn't have to get into a gown or something). Doc did a low tech scratch my skin with the back of his fingernail to see what my reaction was. It flamed up beyond what is normal so he said that I had some kind of Derma...something. Basically translates into "take these antihistimenes until it goes away because we don't know what it is." He gave me some office samples of a drug I had not yet heard of. Told me to take one once or twice a day...maybe half of one since I'm small...and at night because they can make you 'a little groggy.' I got home about 1pm (after the grocery store and taking my Sweetheart some lunch) and put Jake down for his nap. Then I discovered a message on my machine from an agent wanting to show the house between 1 and 2. Um...ok so now I have to bust ass to get the house in showing condition before 2. I called to tell her it was ok, but the end of her window was better for me. A guy answered...a coworker I guess...she had left her phone at the office. I kept cleaning anyway since I thought she might show anyway...at about 2pm just as I was finishing getting the house all done and turning on the tv to sit down for a few I see them pull up. I told them they were welcome to look at the house as long as they were ok with me sitting in the living room with Abby and didn't mind that Jake was asleep in his bed. They were fine with that and just then Andrew arrived and chatted with me while they looked at the house. Everyone took off and I finally sat down to watch my show. I took one of my new pills and cut it in half...took the slightly bigger half. This was right around 3:30pm. Shortly after that I got a call from another agent wanting to show my house again to a client that had seen it a couple of months ago (I am thinking maybe a sale fell through...we were #2 on a lot of people's lists and maybe now we'll be #1). Yeah! two for the price of one cleaning! Good thing too since they wanted to come either now or in an hour or so (right in the middle of dinner). I told her now would be fine. Of course I didn't realize they were like right around the corner...they pulled up while 1. I had no shoes on. 2. Jacob was running around naked from the waist down and 3. there was still littlle boy pee in the toddler potty. Thank goodness she was standing outside finishing up a phone call it gave me time to take care of all of those things. We drove around the block and parked out of sight until they were done (well I could see the house but I don't think they could see me.) I started dinner shortly after we got back and kept thinking about how dissapointed I was that the medication had not done a darned thing for my itching and maybe I should have taken the whole pill. I decided to take it shortly before bed. Once dinner was done and overwith (about 6 - 6:30) I started to feel tired. Really tired. Like fall asleep on the couch tired. I don't know how long I slept but it was reminicent of the tired I felt when I was pregnant. The crappy thing is...I still itched. When I woke up I still felt very groggy. Brian said I looked awful...like I was high. And that really is the best description...I was having all of the side effects of being high (like on vicoden or percocet) but not the high feeling - just the tired heaviness. I slept very very hard last night and only slightly itch this morning. I think I am going to try Claratin (or whatever the generic version is) since this stuff does not seem to be worth the trouble (even if it was free). I might give it one more shot but I will wait until bed time to take it. Maybe that is why it works...it doesn't stop the itching...it just knocks you out cold so you don't even know you itch (kinda like vicoden...you don't not feel pain...you just don't care about the pain).
So, here's to maybe getting an offer on the house and maybe the itching stops soon.

Mystery Itch

So on Wednesday evening I was cooking dinner and my back started to itch. I scratched it and then it REALLY itched. This went on for 20 minutes...I would resist scratching as long as humanly possible until I couldn't stand it any more and scratched. Eventually it went away but later my legs, then my arms, then my stomach, then my feet all would itch constantly and at random intervals. I went to bed hoping it would be gone in the morning. I scratched my feet all night long. When I got up I showered and that's when I noticed I had a fine rash all over my body. Not gross or bumpy but almost like a mild, mottled sunburn. I put some cortizone cream on my feet (they were what was itching at the time). That did little to help. I called the Nurse Hotline and they reccomended a baking soda bath and an antihistimene and to watch for more serious symptoms. I did ok for the day and by evening the rash was better but I still itched. I took an antihistimene before bed and I feel a little better this morning. There are still some really itchy spots (like the bottom's of my feet - weird) and the rash is mostly gone. I have no clue what could have caused this as I don't have any known allergies and I don't think I ate anything new that day. Didn't garden or get into anything unfamiliar. No new medication. I am sure it had to be an allergic reaction of some kind but to what I have no clue and I wish I did because I would like to avoid this feeling again at all costs. Whatever it was was not contagious as neither of the children or Brian has had the issue and we have hugged and snuggled eachother so I am sure I reacted to something but I don't know what.
Anyway, all is well, just had to share my little mystery.

Introducing Abigail

Well, she is finally here. Abigail Elizabeth Labrecque. 6lbs 11oz. 19 1/2 in. Born at 10:57am on Thursday, November 6th.Apparently she was ready too because she came very very fast.

Here is how our Thursday went. Shouldn't be too graphic but if you aren't sure about what you want to know, scan rather than read...

We went to the hospital and got registered at about 7am and then headed up to Labor and Delivery. They got me all settled, checked vitals on me and monitored the baby. When my midwife, Donna, arrived she checked my dilation (I was at 5cm) and broke my water at 8:45am.
They monitored for about 15-20 minutes and then I was free to walk around. It only took about another 10 minutes for contractions to begin on their own. They came in about 5 minute intervals right away and by the 4th or 5th I was definitely in 'real pain' they quickly dropped to 3 minutes apart and then 1 minute apart. I was very uncomfortable and hot. I decided I was at the top of my pain tolerance and knowing that I probably had several hours of labor left decided to ask for the epidural. When the nurse checked me she said that I was already at 7cm and that It would probably be at least an hour before I could get the epidural because there were 3 people ahead of me in 'line' and she didn't think I would have time because of how fast I was moving. I told her ok and asked to get into the birthing tub.

After getting into the water it was a little more bearable to have a contraction but not much. I guess it made it easier for me to relax the rest of my body and let my uterus do all of the work. I only got a few contractions in the tub before the urge to push came. I have never felt something so primal before. There is no force that could have stopped me from pushing. My midwife was not there yet either and it was rather interesting to see how many nursed and other midwife's who were there came out of the woodwork in the span of a few seconds. I guess I had dilated to complete in less than 10 minutes from the time she had checked me last. My midwife ran into the room just as I had another contraction and then it was time to 'let 'er rip' so to speak. I pushed 8 times and Abigail was born. Brian was going to catch her but her shoulder got stuck and Donna had to maneuver her a little but she handed her straight to Brian and I got to cut her cord while Brian held her.

Overall it was the experience I had hoped it would be both with Jacob and then, since I was not able to do things that way with him, I wanted to try with Abigail, and I am very happy I was able to do it. I was not absolutely set on having a natural birth this time because I knew how painful it would be but I wanted to at least try again and go until I knew I was at my maximum pain level - by the time I got there I didn't have a choice and I am kinda glad.

While the nurses cleaned her up I delivered the placenta (harder to get that out than the baby)and got dressed and was given medication to make sure I didn't have the bleeding problems I did last time. Then I got to nurse her and get into a gown. After proving I could pee we got moved to our postpartum room and got to rest for a while (except for the nurses pushing on my belly - that is the worst part of having a baby, let me tell ya.)

By that afternoon we were settled enough for visitors...Jake was wound up like a two dollar watch and pretty much ignored Abby but I did get at least a hug before he was up and running again.

Once everyone left we got dinner and then the three of us just hung out for a while.
Our night went pretty well as far as Abby sleeping and all of that. We did have the standard interruptions from the nurses checking vitals and giving me medication, but for the most part it was a pretty easy night.
On Friday Brian and I had breakfast and pretty much hung out until they discharged me at noon. Here is Brian and Abby having a little rest while I was eating breakfast.
When we got home Jake was very happy to see Mommy and Daddy but still was 'actively ignoring' Abby. I had no problem with that and I want him to warm up to her on his own schedule. And he did, by Saturday morning he decided he wanted to hold her.He has held her a couple of times since then and even got down on the floor to have his diaper changed at the same time she was having hers changed and held her hand when she started to fuss. It was adorable.
We are all doing well and I will post more pics a little later.

Closer than you think

No major events in the last few days. Wednesday was pretty much a non-eventful day but at least the house was clean.
Thursday I was in a lot of pain from my pelvis being out of alignment again...I mean I had a hard time walking. But I did get a bunch of laundry done (still have more to do but oh well). Took Jake over to his Grandpa and Grammy's and then headed to my physical therapy appointment (boy I needed it that day!). I felt a little better when I was done but not much. Went straight from there to my weekly appt. with Donna, my midwife. As usual she listened for heart tones (sounding good) and feeling for position, etc. The new stuff this week was I get exams now since I am in my last month. She looked up a little surprised and asked if I had Jake early. I said 'no, we induced, why?' She said 'because you are already at 2 to 3 cm dialated. I don't think we'll need to induce this one and I don't think she'll be too big.' So hopefully that means I will not have to wait until my due date, however I do realize I could walk around dialated this much for weeks too without further progress...we'll see. I would like to stay pregnant at least until I can finish getting my crap together to get ready for the baby (just need to put the carseat in, wash her clothes and get a few diapers). I liked the convienence of the induction last time because everything was nice and scheduled, but I would also like to know what it's like to go into labour on my own and see if a non-induced labour really is less painful than an induced one as I have heard from so many people. All in all I am encouraged because I wasn't expecting to hear that I have made as much progress as that...baby may just be closer to done cooking than I think.
From there Brian and I went and took a tour of the labour and delivery floor of the hospital - just as a bit of a refresher so we could be familiar with our surroundings when the time comes. Then we went and had dinner at the hospital cafeteria (pretty darned good food actually). Got home and relaxed for a while before the Grandparents brought Jake home...already fed...so we got to play for a little, then jammies and bed...It was kindof nice and I really needed it since by the time I went to bed I could barely stand on my own from the pelvic pain.
Friday I woke up with the pain mostly gone but still sore (oh and I got a flu shot too, so my arm was nice and sore too..no biggy but when your ribs are pushed out, your lungs up, your bladder down and your kidneys back any little added discomfort can really be compounded). Took it easy most of the day and went to Knitting at the yarn shop and really got to unwind. Today I have to clean my house because my mom is coming down (she doesn't care, but I do) for the baby shower my mother in law is throwing for me tomorrow.
Oh, and I finished the first sock in the pair of socks I am making for my Uncle for Christmas. I'll post a pic later.

Oh and I have decided that the Halloween bears I have made are for sale too so if you want, let me know...I have the spider web one pictured below and another one in the works (dark blue with jack-o-lanterns, witch hats, etc. on the fabric).