Surviving Solo

I have now been a mom for 19 months. Unbelievable, to me, still  I went "solo" as a parent for the first time when Ginny, our first born, turned 3 weeks old.  I had no doubts I could handle it.  In fact, I looked forward to it.  Going solo after Grace arrived worried me.  This time I would not only have my 3 week old to care for, but also her 19-month-old sister. Eek!

 

A couple of months before I had Grace, I found myself getting nervous about her arrival for this reason alone.  Having a c-section? That was nothing. Getting no sleep? Been there, done that. Being left alone with 2 little ones all day? Terrifying!

Why was I worried? I was not sure how I could balance it all--taking care of a newborns needs as well as giving Ginny the attention she requires.  The thought was overwhelming. I knew Ginny would be jealous of the new baby and the attention she would get. My concern was in helping her see that she still has my love and attention. Additionally, I had developed a schedule with Ginny. Would that be thrown off because of Grace's needs? How would Ginny handle things when I nursed Grace? Lots of questions and concerns weighed on me.

On Tuesday, just 2 days ago, I went solo for the first time with Ginny and Grace.  I am surviving thus far, and so are the girls.  My schedule seems to mainly revolve around nursing Grace (she is exclusively breastfed); however, I have been able to balance that with Ginny's schedule.  Luckily, Ginny got past most of the jealousy issues by the time Grace was 2 weeks old.  When I nurse Grace, Ginny does seem to suddenly want attention from me. Usually, I can read her a book at those times and it is enough to satisfy her. 

The best thing about this week has been watching Ginny with Grace. She loves giving her hugs and kisses, especially when I nurse.  That can be a bit awkward, but worth it. Before Ginny can give Grace a hug, she points at me and says her newest word--boob. 

Right now, I am just trying to survive our days and schedules solo. The only other thing I work on is laundry, never ending when you have 2 little ones AND cloth diaper. Cleaning will have to wait until my DH has a day off. In a week or two, I will add it to our daily schedules, but I'm not ready for that now. My goal is just taking things one day at a time. So far, so good.

Introducing Grace Magdalen

A week ago, on November 5, 2012, at 8:03 a.m. I gave birth to our newest daughter, Grace Magdalen.  She was 9 lbs 6 oz and 21 inches long!

 Screaming soon after birth.

I finally get to hold Grace.

My lovely family

Under the blue lights

My c-section went well, even better than my last one. I swear it was quicker too.  Grace and I stayed in the hospital longer than anticipated though. On Thursday, we were dressed and ready to go home when a doctor and nurse came in to tell me that Grace's bilirubin level (jaundice levels) were too high and she would need to stay one more day, at least. Since insurance would cover me for 96 hours after a c-section, I decided we would both stay in the hospital. I was not leaving without my baby girl.  So, Grace was put under blue lights.  She was not thrilled with the experience, but she and I managed. The next morning, Grace's levels had dropped substantially and we were both released and headed home.

Home, sweet, home

Grace is a sweet, baby girl and HUNGRY nearly all the time. Her sister Ginny has decided that she likes her and enjoys giving her hugs.  Ginny is a bit jealous though of the attention Grace gets over her, especially when I'm feeding Grace.  However, I'm sure with time she will adjust to the new situation and the changes in her world.  I hope. :)

The Home Stretch

One week to go.

Yep, that's it. Just one week. Heck, even less by a few hours. Next Monday, at 7:30 a.m., I will be having my c-section to give birth to Lil' Miss Peanut, unless she decides to come a bit earlier, of course.

I can't begin to express how happy I am to be in this home stretch. To be honest, I'm done with it all at this point.  Pregnancy has been something I enjoy.  After all, my abs are never tighter than when I'm pregnant. LOL! I love feeling the baby moving inside of me and knowing that I have this little life depending on me.

However, this pregnancy has been tough in these last few weeks. Tougher than I faced with Ginny, for sure.

The major issue I have dealt with is a sciatic nerve that makes walking, on a good day, a challenge. Often times, I will suddenly be unable to walk across a room because one leg or the other tries to cave under me.  No fun.

In the last few days, I have dealt with a new issue, a pulsing spine.  I will sit down or be standing and suddenly it will feel as if my spine is pulsing from the lowest area of my back and goes up to my neck. Usually it lasts anywhere from 30-90 seconds.  Last night, I woke with that sensation on two different occasions. Of course, this leaves my DH and me a bit concerned.  I contacted my cousin this weekend (she is an Ob/Gyn nurse) to see if I should contact the telenurse. She said it was probably related to the sciatica and to just rest. This morning, after dealing with the issue in the middle of the night, I called my doctor. I figured that it was nothing to worry about, but that she should at least know what is going on.  I got a call back from her nurse who let me know that my doctor thinks the baby has just found a new nerve to lay on and it is nothing to worry about. She reminded me that we are in the homestretch. Thank goodness!

Beyond the physical discomforts, we are prepping for the arrival of Peanut in our home.  The house is pretty darn clean now. Dusting is done, windows washed (well, I did what I could and not well. LOL), rooms organized as well as closets, baby laundry complete, and any paperwork done.  Right now, my lovely husband is grocery shopping for the next week's food.  I wish I could go with him. I miss grocery shopping (strange, I know, but I love grocery shopping).

On Sunday, my parents should be arriving to spend the next 3 weeks with us as well. They will be helping out, and I'm thankful they can come and do just that.  I'm looking forward to seeing them soon! It has been a few months since I last saw them.  Of course, I now am trying to avoid calling my mother until they arrive so I don't give her a heart attack with every call since we are all on baby watch now. LOL!

It feels better knowing that all these little things are done and ready for my parents and Peanut to arrive.  The only one who doesn't fully understand what is going on is Ginny. At 18 months of age, she has no comprehension of what is about to happen. Hopefully, she accepts everything fairly quickly.

So, in less than 7 days from now, we will have a slightly larger family and all this pain I've dealt with will seem like nothing. I can't wait!