Coming out of the haze

My baby is 2 weeks old today, and although it doesn't quite feel real, I'm getting used to the whole mom thing. For those of you who haven't heard all the details, here's how it all happened...
My due date was October 12, and I was fortunate enough to have an OB who wrote me a note to take the last few days of work off before my due date. This was nice because I had tons to do around the house to get ready for the little one (and a visit from my mother-in-law the Friday before my due date). On the 11th, I started having new, more painful contractions. Still, they never got too close together or consistent, so I was able to sleep a little bit that night. On the 12th, I had my 40 week appointment, and my OB decided to strip my membranes to see if that moved things along. The husband and I went for a walk after I got home from the doctor, and I started having those delightful contractions again. They continued for the rest of the night, but still no consistent pattern. When I decided to go to bed at about 11, I had a tough time actually sleeping because I was trying not to wake my husband when the contractions got bad.
Then at 1am, my water broke! It was not a full-on break, but there was some serious leaking. I called the OB, changed, grabbed the last of my supplies, and we were off to the hospital. The whole way there, the contractions were coming very strong and close together.
After I was admitted, I tried to make it through the contractions as best as I could. I had seen all those childbirth prep videos that suggest that you rock in a chair, walk around, or sit on a birthing ball to help with the pain. Well, these contractions were so intense that all I wanted to do was lie in bed and try to breathe through them. Seeing that I had no desire to leave the bed, I decided to get an epidural. It was in by about 3:15, and at about 3:45, I was wonderfully numb. I was surprised by how the epidural didn't hurt at all when the doctor put it in, and also how I couldn't even tell that I was having contractions.
After the medicine kicked in, the husband and I decided to sleep. The nurse came in every hour or so to flip me over and check my progress, but it was so nice to feel comfortable and well-rested. I called my parents at 7 or so, and since they didn't work that day, they came down to the hospital. By about 9, I was ready to go, but my OB had 3 patients going into labor that morning, so they had to decide which of us would get to give birth first. I told them I was fine with waiting since I had no urge to push yet, and it would be good for the baby to drop on her own. At 11:15, with two nursing students helping out, I started pushing. At 12:02, my daughter Evelyn was born.
I couldn't believe how easy labor was with the epidural. I felt in good spirits and well-rested since we had plenty of time to sleep before things got moving. It was also surprising how very little pain I felt with the drugs. The husband agrees about how great it was, too, since he felt like he could relax when I wasn't in pain.
So now I'm at home with my munchkin until the end of January, and when it's difficult, I just have to remind myself that being a mom is my new job. When I'm feeling exhausted or frustrated, it's because of my kid, not other people's! It's nice to venture out of the house now; it makes me feel a bit more like a normal human being. As long as I time everything okay, we don't have any problem going to Target or grocery shopping. I look forward to trying out the Matinees for Moms at the Block E theater downtown, too. They show movies on Tuesday afternoons for nursing moms; they leave the lights on low, keep the sound down, and have stroller valet service.
Otherwise, it has been an amazing experience so far, and we'll see what the next few months bring!

Growing plants and baby

Pregnancy-wise, everything is going well. Last Monday, at 17 weeks, 0 days, I felt the little guy move for the first time. I could only feel baby in the evening when I had a chance to sit still, but now I am feeling the little one sporadically throughout the day. I was just reading my "Week 18" info on this pregnancy tracker website, and this week, my baby can recognize my voice. That's totally crazy to me. Does that mean I should stop cussing?
Coming up, we have The Ultrasound on the 21st, so my darling spouse has until then to decide if we're finding out the baby's sex. I ultimately left it up to him. My reasoning: I have lots of ways to bond with the baby because it is in me, so if finding out the sex will help him feel more connected with his daughter or son, then I say let's go for it. He's still mulling it over.

In non-baby news, this weekend included my second annual trip to the Friends School Plant Sale at the State Fairgrounds. Unlike last year, I knew what would (and wouldn't) be appearing in my garden this year, so I had a plan. Also unlike last year, I didn't have my dad to come with me, so I had to bring the husband who got to be my "cart boy."
First priority: Food
Second priority: Perennials for the mulched garden patch that has (almost) nothing in it.
So my food crops include:

• Tomatoes (Celebrity, Pineapple Black - accidentally grabbed those instead of the Persimmons that I enjoyed last year, and Mexico Midgets - the most delicious tiny tomatoes you've ever had)
• Shallots
• Leeks - first time trying these out
  
• Bell peppers
• Zucchini
• Basil (mine kind of keeled over last year)
• A bay laurel tree (to keep potted outdoors for the summer, and indoors in the winter)
  
• Rosemary
  
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
  
• Strawberries
• A grapevine (we'll see how this experiment goes)
• A raspberry bush
• A blueberry bush
• And left from last year: thyme, scallions, asparagus, chives, sage, and oregano

I feel like an urban farmer.
And in the flower category:

• Hollyhocks to help cover unsightly fences and walls
• Delphinium (which died last year - let's hope they stick this time!)
• Munstead lavender
  
• Bee balm
• Chamomile
• Coreopsis
• Astilbe
• Irish moss to fill in a flagstone path on the side of our house
• Marigolds to keep the bugs off my tomatoes and Russian sage

I still have plenty of space in my once-empty garden patch out back, but slowly, I am filling it in. Last year's perennials that I LOVE this spring are

• my clematis, which no longer looks anorexic
  
• my digitalis "Husker Red" (my favorite - the photo below does not do it justice)

• my creeping phlox which didn't bloom last year but is quite perky so far
• my weigela , so cute and bushy
• bulbs I planted last fall - allium, tulips, daffodils, etc.

There are a million other plants that the previous homeowner grew on all sides of our house. I'm so glad that I got to inherit such a mature garden space when we bought the house. Still, though, I don't know what some of the plants are! Sometime in the next couple weeks, I'll stock up on annuals for my patio pots. This year I'm going to be a bit more ambitious. Partly because I got a little sick of having 4 pots of purple and pink petunias. Oh well.

I just have four weeks of school left and then I can engage in all sorts of garden fun. And baby prep.

Sorry... I've been busy.

Here's my latest hobby:This is from early March (about 8 weeks). (B thinks the little guy looks like Casper the Friendly Ghost).
And below, this is from the other day when we decided to start tracking the belly progress. I've grown about 5 inches this week, I swear. Now I'm at 16 weeks.
Glad that the 24-hour nausea is over, but now it's time for the random aches and pains as the baby slowly takes over my entire abdomen. We will have the BIG ultrasound soon, but we're still determining whether or not to find out the gender. Your suggestions (with practical reasons one way or the other) are welcomed.
Here are the answers to all the questions (good and stupid) that everyone asks:
1. Yes, we're excited. We were planning this for a long time.
2. No, we don't have any names picked out. Haven't even discussed it.
3. October 13
4. Don't care if it's a girl or a boy. Just want 10 fingers and 10 toes.
5. I got very nauseous but didn't puke (until a week ago).
6. No cravings. I just like yummy food. No weird food aversions, except in the first tri- when I didn't want to eat anything. Ever.
7. As of 2 minutes ago, I've only gained about 2 or 3 pounds so far. But I am definitely bigger (can't button the jeans anymore).
8. Yes, I'm taking time off of work - probably until the end of second semester.
9. Don't think the cats are excited to have a new brother/sister. But the husband is. He already bought baby a replica MLS soccer ball.
10. This is the first grandchild for all our parents, and they are completely thrilled.

Bad blogger!

I have neglected this for a while, but I feel it is my duty to provide some amount of updating. I recently discovered this thing called Facebook, so that has hogged much of my allotted daily internet time.

Since the new year, school and my extracurricular duties have been all-consuming. My lovely service club held a "Mr. MHS" pageant this week which caused me much stress, lost sleep, but eventually joy. It was great that in a school with rich, white suburban kids, the winner, the boy whom our judges (and audience) felt was the best representative of our school, was a recent immigrant from Africa. He was so nervous backstage, but his talent and heart definitely won him the title. I felt like I was back at CSS organizing the Parents' Weekend talent show again. It was kind of the same thing, except that high schoolers need a lot more direction than college students. But the kids were awesome, and in the end, we raised a heap of school supplies for needy kids and $490 for our area foodshelf.
But now that it's over, I can devote more of my time to sleeping and recovering from this cold. At least I didn't get that horrible stomach virus that everyone in the metro area seems to have contracted.

In other news, husband and I have been working on a plan to remodel our only bathroom. It has what I believe to be the original sink from the (very) early 20th century, and a bathtub that has seen better days. The remodel will include spraying the tub, installing new tile throughout, new sink and toilet, new window, and adding some much-needed ventilation and electrical outlets. Right now, I have to plug my hairdryer and straightener into the light fixture over the medicine cabinet. Kind of awkward.

We're also thinking about trading in our 2007 Yaris for something with a little more room, and 4 doors. Any suggestions? I love the idea of a Matrix, but we'd probably go used on that so we could get more features for less $$. High on our list of priorities are gas mileage (since I drive 20 miles per day) and safety (AWD would be great for those slippery commutes in the winter). Our new car will also definitely not be American or German. Based on our combined past experiences, I think we will probably only ever buy Japanese cars. I hope some redneck doesn't come after me for saying that.

Finally, we are planning a fantastic trip to Dublin for my spring break. And it just so happens to be over St. Paddy's Day! It's my first trip back to Eire since 2000, so it will be cool to see how well I remember my way around. I know I can definitely navigate myself between Grafton St, Trinity College, Temple Bar, and the GPO. I am especially looking forward to going back to Kilmainham Gaol, although I doubt that the cast from A Prairie Home Companion will be there on the tour with us again. We have also booked a day trip to the Wicklow mountains since I told B that there was no way I was going to go back to Ireland and only visit the city. When he visited me back in 2000, he only really saw the countryside (and Galway), so it will be exciting for him to see all that Dublin has to offer.

Well that's all for now. Slainte!

Simple Pleasures

Things that make me happy:
Kicking slush clumps from my car wheels
When my kitties lie on their backs
Stepping on frozen puddles with those bubbles in them that crack underfoot
Seeing cardinals in the backyard
Petting my kitties just below their ears - where the fur is supersoft
Cheese
The smell of my Christmas-scented Glade plug-in
The sound that my stove makes when the gas catches fire
Sitting in bed and reading before I go to sleep
Thunderstorms
Finding kitty and bunny tracks in the snow when I leave for work
Hot beverages on a Sunday afternoon
Cracking the top of a creme brulee
Bacon

It's that time again

For the top albums of 2008!
I already voted on The Current's website, so here are the ones I chose. I have starred my top 3.
Adele: 19
*Atmosphere: When Life Gives You Lemons…
Cold War Kids: Loyalty To Loyalty
Coldplay: Viva La Vida
Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs
Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes
Gary Louris: Vagabonds
*Jeremy Messersmith: The Silver City
Kings Of Leon: Only By The Night
*Martha Wainwright: I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
Mates Of State: Re-Arrange Us
Nada Surf: Lucky
The Raconteurs: Consolers Of The lonely
Ray Lamontagne: Gossip In The Grain
She & Him: Volume One
Shearwater: Rook
The Submarines: Honeysuckle Weeks
Tapes 'n Tapes: Walk It Off
Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
Weezer: Weezer (Red Album)

These are definitely not the only albums I liked, but these have received the most airplay.
This year because I didn't go to Lollapalooza, I only saw 3 of these groups/artists live. But they weren't the only shows I went to. Maybe soon I will publish my Top Live Shows of 2008.

Back in the Saddle

Today was my first day teaching full-time after having my student teacher. He'll still be in for the next couple days, but he's wrapping up his grades and spending time observing some other teachers. We'll see how worn down I am in a couple weeks when I have a massive stack of AP essays to grade. Oh, well. I guess that's what I signed on for when I became an English teacher.

We just got back from our annual hockey weekend in Duluth, so it was good to be back on the lake. A bunch of us still go up for a Bulldog series each winter; this time it was vs. UND. Both games were really good (tied on Friday, UMD win on Saturday), and it was nice to see some of my Duluth friends. But the funny part is that as soon as we got to our seats on Friday night, I hear "Mrs. L!" coming from behind me. Yes, it was the entire boys hockey team. About 1/2 of them are current or former students, so I had to stop by and chat with them. They were on a trip to play against Hermantown for the weekend. A couple of them did ask me where I was for the entire second period, but I did not inform them that I was at the Curling Club. :)

So now it's in for the long holiday haul... We're going up to Two Harbors Thursday and doing dinner with my family on Saturday or Sunday. This will be the first time my sister has visited in at least 3 years, so it will be good to see her. Also, I have to meet the mysterious fiance of my youngest sister, while I try to be on my best behavior.

And I think it's about time to start making boozy truffles again. Mmmmm.