Yeah. I'm a little blissfully nervous.
I say blissfully, because the end of my pregnancy is nothing like what happend my first go-'round.
With Alexandra, I had to have an emergency c-section.
Back then at 37+ weeks, I went to a regular doctor's appointment for a checkup during my work break.
We all knew I'd have to have a c-section because Alex was breech; her butt was situated where he head should have been. :)
However, the nurse & doctor noticed during that checkup, that all my amniotic fluid had disappeared.
Not good.
I was told to go straight to the hospital because I was having the baby that day!
This time around, the baby is head down and has already 'dropped'... Funny- i happened to notice this week i could walk from my bedroom to the kitchen without becoming winded because the baby was no longer wedged up super high into my ribs. lol...
So now -- i guess i just wait, and enjoy being able to breathe normally for the first time in a few months.
The doctor told me I don't have to have another c-section, but there is a 1-percent chance of the old c-section cut ripping during labor. It's not a big percentage, but if it were to happen ... it could be deadly due to the loss of blood, among other things.
So, I think i'm opting for another "c"... but i'm not so sure what happens if i'm already in labor when i arrive at the hospital..
Gotta write that question down for the doctor. Next appointment- next week!
We have started the process, and just as i though -- Alexandra still hates her survival swim lessons. lol!
I have noticed some changes though.
The biggest change even surprised the instructor Ms. Suzi -- Alex can talk.
So accompanying Alex's screams and crying comes, "NO SWIM!!! I GET OUT!!!"
The up side- this time around Alex is understanding directions more ... and she's calming down the louder my cheers and praises to her are.
Alex seems to remember the flipping-onto-her-back.. and grabbing-the-wall routines... though she looks a little awkward now that she's a little bigger and stronger, fighting some of the moves more.
And as soon as the short lesson was over, she was totally fine -- 'talking' to Ms. Suzi like they were old friends, and watching the next student (victim) fussing during his lesson.
Poor thing- Alex's first refresher lesson wore her out. She fell asleep in the car on the way home.
Overall, I think she did very well. One lesson down, at least a dozen more to go!
I've gotten 2, totally different pieces of advice from friends about the same topic.
Do I warn Alexandra beforehand, what breast feeding is?
One friend of mine was adamant.
With her eyes opened as wide as someone just scared by a ghost during a funeral, Kim warned me -- "YES!! You NEED to tell Alex what breastfeeding is all about!!!"
Apparently, when her 2nd child was born, her older (but still very young) son FREAKED out when mom suddenly whipped out a breast and let baby #2 start suckling away.
Scarred him for a few months, actually.
Not sure how old her son was at the time ... but my best friend Karen just had her 2nd baby -- and gave me the opposite advice.
Karen has a 2-year-old daughter who saw, for the first time, her mother breastfeed over the weekend.
"What's that?" little Madison asked.
Karen said, referring to her own breasts, "There's milk in there for the baby."
Madison was satisfied with that answer, and went about her day ... until a little later, when Madison wanted some milk.
Karen caught Madison squeezing her own chest.
"What are you doing, Madison?"
"I want some milk."
"You don't have milk in there," Karen said while trying soo hard not to laugh out loud.
"Yes I do!" Madison insisted.
"Well, you only have milk in there if you have a baby in your tummy. Do you have a baby in your tummy?"
.........................pause............................
"No."
"Well then you don't have milk in there, Maddie."
And that was that. LOL... too freakin' funny.
So. Which piece of advice do I go with? Explain to Alexandra beforehand what breastfeeding is, or just wait for the questions to roll in?
I'm going to have to find a new pet name for Alexandra. lol....
Until yesterday, I never noticed how often I call Alex, "baby" .. or "my baby" --
"Are you all done eating, my baby?"
"Time to take a bath, my baby!"
Yesterday, as I was waiting for the other baby to move so Alex could feel it in my tummy, I said, "We need to find a name for the baby!"
Alexandra looked at me, and without missing a beat she said, "My name Alex."
Ooooooh, yeeeeeaaaaah...... about that........
And then -- during the same conversation, I asked Alex if she knew where the baby was.
I meant, on my body.
She says to me, "I right here, mama!"
Sooooo-- a little deprogramming is in order, though it sure will be hard to break the habit --
Ahem....
"HEAR YE, HEAR YE! I SHALL NOW ... HENCE-FORTH AND HERE WITHIN AND SO FORTH ... REFER TO ALEXANDRA AS MY 'BIG GIRL', AND THE NEW BABY AS 'BABY #2'!"
Wish me luck!
I was hoping to spare Alexandra the repeat torture, but i just don't see any way around it.
We took a dip in the pool over the weekend, and I checked to see if Alex remembered any of what she learned the summer before about floating on her back, and holding onto the side of the pool wall..
Nope.
The panic in Alex's eyes when I tried to hold her as she floated on her back -- too much ... for me to witness at least.
She's going to have to get refresher lessons on survival floating/swimming.
It was torture last summer, watching Alex FREAK OUT every day for 6 WEEKS of lessons with her instructor, Ms. Suzi.
In the end, despite all the dramatics -- Alex WAS able to flip onto her back and float ...
Flipping back and forth, Alex actually made it to the side of the pool wall, and could hang on -- while still screaming bloody murder. lol..
Fortunately, a refresher course means just a couple of weeks (hopefully) of torture ... but better that than the ultimate nightmare which could happen..
Swim Safe ISR with Suzi Taylor
I honestly don't know how I'da made it through this pregnancy without my little honey-bunny Alexandra.
At 2-years-old, she is keeping my spirits up and giving my abs a workout from laughing so hard.
For example, she thinks it's hysterical to yell back at those annoying TV commercials that feel like they're yelling at viewers.
"MIKE SHAD!!!" she screams when she hears that catchy, overplayed car lot theme music.
"BRANDON GETS UM.." she sings when she sees the dog on the bug-buster commercials.
I was waiting for Alex to start with the "MORGAN AND MORGAN, FOR THE PEOPLE" -- but apparently their presentation's a little too bland for her .. hahaha!
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Alexandra and I were sitting on the couch the other evening with my college-age stepdaughter -- just hanging out ...
But Alex was especially feisty, jumping around and slamming her body against her older sister...
I knew if it kept on Alex would hurt herself or something .. but before i could tell her for the ump-teenth time to "stop it please!" ... Alex had already flung her head back, hitting her sister in the glasses -- which were on her sister's face.
Oooooooouuuuuwwwwwwccchhhhh!
I'm frantically asking my stepdaughter if she's ok, as a red mark grows around her eye, and Alex yells out, "I'M OKAY! I'M OKAY!"
Great, thanks for letting us know .. lol.
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So there we are, Alexandra and I ... cruisin' down the road to run errands and for ONCE Alex is totally chillin' out in her car seat, enjoying looking out her window while munching on a snack.
Suddenly the silence is broken by Alex excitedly yelling, "COSS, MOMMY -- COSS!!!"
I had no clue what she was saying .. and she kept hitting her hands together, despite the fact she had her snack cup in one, and water bottle in the other.
"COSS, COSS! BACK THERE, COSS, MOMMY!"
I said, "I'm sorry baby, I don't understand what you're saying to me."
Alex finally says, "CHURCH!! COSS! COSS!"
A lightbulb went off in my head.
Alex was so excited she recognized a CROSS on a home we passed by.. and she was trying to signal to me with her hands, because I had shown her in church how to cross her fingers to look like a cross.
I wanted to cry as it hit me (again) -- what a HUGE responsibility, teaching a child.
My first pregnancy -- my hair couldn't have been more thick and luxurious.
I was like a commercial for some expensive shampoo and conditioner!
It grew soooo long.
This time?
Ppfft!
I try to get it under control. Forget it. Every day I'm forced to pin it up -- on TV .. running to the store .. doing chores ... yawner.
Not so thick ... not manageable at all.
The up side -- with all the luxuriousness the first time around, I had hair growing everywhere.
The worst was my sideburns -- ugh. If i had let them loose, i coulda braided them.
Not this time.
Hmmm. Sideburns, or manageable hair .... that's a toughie.
