2 years later....

I didn't' do such a hot job of keeping up with a blog after Aery was born.  I've always been the person who wanted to live life instead of record it.  That's why I don't have many pictures unless Derek is around with his "annoying" shutterbug tendencies! LOL I'll breeze through many of the highlights from the last 2 years, and hopefully I'll be able to keep up a little better from here on out.  I was lucky enough to spend from the end of   March 2011 through August of 2011 home with my Angelfish.  My mom watched Aery during the 2011-2012 school year.

In April, Aery attended her first Jones/Rodriguez/Hyde family Parrothead Reunion and Jimmy Buffet concert.  She was perfect! We took Aery to Durango Colorado that May.  We had so much fun in the mountains!  She got to go to Albuquerque in June for my cousin's promotion to Captain in the Air Force.  She got to go the aquarium and LOVED it!
In October of that year, Aery contracted a very severe salmonella infection.  We spent 3 days in the BSA pediatric unit.  I NEVER want to go through anything like that again.  Other than that, Aery's first year was great!  We had her first birthday at our house.  That is another thing I will never do again until she is old enough for a slumber party!

In June of 2012, Aery and I went to Angelfire for a week with my mom.  In July, Aery's Uncle Bill  came to visit for a week.  Other than that, we had a very quiet summer.

This school year, a good friend of mine has been watching Aery at her in-home day care.  We've been blessed with such a great person watching Aery.  Aery and I also joined Victory Church in Amarillo.  We love our new church family!  Right before Christmas, Derek's grandfather passed away in Iowa.  In less than 24 hours, we planned and packed for a 5 day trip to Iowa.  With financial help from my dad, we were able to drive to Iowa, spend Christmas Day with Derek's brother, meet many members of Derek's family, attend the funeral, and race ahead of winter storms both going to and coming back from Iowa!  While the reason for the trip was very sad, it was a good family trip!  Aery and I enjoyed getting to know new family members!

That's they very brief synopsis of the last 2 years!  Hopefully I'll do better from here on out about blogging!  There should be many funny, exciting, mundane, and special moments to share!

Olive Oil

I love this stuff!  It has so many uses!  It's tasty and healthy to cook with.  It's a great alternative when you are allergic to the lanolin in lotions and creams.  (Breastfeeding with an allergy rash is not fun!)  It's also a safe and effective way to get rid of cradle cap.  Rub a little on the flaky skin, let it sit a few minutes then wash it off thoroughly with baby shampoo.  It completely removed Aery's patch of cradle cap without irritating her skin or leaving it raw and sensitive!

Just had to get my plug in there!

Website

Derek put together a website for Aery the day she was born.  He was doing great keeping it updated before he went back to work.  If we all keep showing interest in the updates, it will be great motivation to keep it going.  Aeryanna's Website has pictures and a blog to update everyone on her many adventures!

The first month

Amazing. That about sums it up.  I had some idea how much my life and identity would shift and change.  my daughter centers me.  When I start to stress, or hormones cause unexpected mood swings, just holding her in my arms instantly brings everything back into perspective.  Her slightest discomfort causes me to hurt.  Her contentment makes me feel happier than I can explain.

I can't believe how much she has changed.  It makes me alittle sad to see those changes, but I'm excited to see how she will develop and grow.  Thrush has been our biggest challenge.  The second round actually caused her pain when she ate.  We're luck to have Dr. Medford!  She is so thorough even when calling in medications for Aery!

One of my favorite things this last month has been watching Derek bond with Aery.  She already has dad wrapped around her little finger.  I love seeing her instant calm when she hears his voice and the way he has embraced being a daddy.  I am so proud and lucky to have such a wonderful family.  I can't wait to spend the next years growing together.  I just wish time wouldn't move quite so fast.  I'm already learning to cherish each moment and appreciate the little things that happen.  Smiles, tears, baths, quiet mornings, time with other family members have made this last month one of the most memorable in my life.

Amazing day

This week has been absolutely amazing.  I'm VERY glad I listened to the doctor when he advised that I not go to work last Monday!  I was in full blown nesting mode.  The only thing I still had to finish before I was satisfied was the floors.  I had an appointment at 2:30 and was determined to have the floors finished before I went to the appointment.  During the morning, I had what I thought was a baby sitting on my bladder.  She has done it in the past causing scares; it felt just the same this time.  I called the doctor after a couple of rounds of this.  They asked me to come in a little early.

Derek met me at the office for my appointment.  I won't go into details.  Let's just say it was amusing to watch the doctor get a little excited when it was in fact NOT my bladder this time.  From there it was straight to the hospital.  (Have I mentioned that I love having a doctor who is literally across the street from the hospital?)

At the hospital, they started pictosin and would not allow me to get up because my water had broken.  Back labor is definitely NOT fun in that situation.  One epidural and 8 hours labor we were ready to push! 45 minutes later on 3/22/11 at 2:23, Aeryanna was here!  Her birthdate and time will always be easy to remember! 32211223...kinda weird huh? But I like it!

Almost there!

Well, we made it to the last week.  The last week has been an eventful one!  Things have been very stop and go.  I had really good contractions a week ago.  The doctor on call gave me a Lortab, which pretty effectively stopped what contractions I was having.  Unfortunately, they never really picked up again after that.  I've had back pain and aches, but no real contractions and no real progress as of Wednesday.  I go back to the doctor tomorrow to see if anything new has happened in the last 5 days.

I've been lucky with this pregnancy really.  I had morning sickness, but it was manageable.  I didn't swell until 2 weeks ago, and I lost all of that water retention and swelling within a week.  I really didn't hurt or feel too miserable until 2 weeks ago.  I haven't gained much weight.  I know a lot of people who have had a much harder time with being pregnant, so I try not to complain too much.

I've had a harder time dealing with the last week than I have anything else that has happened.  I've never handled the unknown very well. (Maybe that's why I like teaching....I can plan ahead even if those plans have to change).  I like the unknown even less when there is no clear cut answer as to what I need to be watching for.

I understand that labor is different for everyone, but when it's your first time, that's kind of a crap answer.  I've had to work very hard this week to keep from second-guessing and becoming frustrated with myself and others.  I beat myself up wondering if I would already be holding my little Fish if I hadn't accepted the Lortab last weekend.  That has been the hardest thing for me to overcome.  If that choice stalled things, I am very frustrated with myself.

On the bright side, I've attempted to stay busy getting the house ready.  Through much stress, hard work, and a few tears, the house is pretty much ready.  I've had some great help from lots of people, and I REALLY appreciate them all!  Having the house clean and ready for a baby has been my biggest stressor throughout my pregnancy.  Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I am not the greatest of housekeepers.  It's a skill that I know I will have to maintain from this point forward.

I am also officially on maternity leave as of tomorrow.  My doctor gave me "the look" when I talked about coming back to work after Spring Break.  He didn't tell me I couldn't work, but you could tell he didn't approve either.  After much deliberation, I asked his opinion.  He advised that I stay home.  I think this is mostly for ease of getting to the hospital if something were to happen this week.  I'm a little nervous about having time on my hands.  I think part of my struggle last week was not having as much to occupy my mind.  Work has kept me focused on other things besides going into labor.

Hopefully things will pick up quickly this week, so I won't have much time on my hands to think about it!

The most amusing memories

Over the last few months, I've realized that the best reactions and comments I've gotten from people about my pregnancy have been from students at school, younger family members, and other friends' kids.  I just have to share/record the best of them here!  (I apologize in advance if i embarrass anyone, but I couldn't resist sharing!)

One of our friends' pre-teen daughters texts me off and on.  One morning a couple of weeks ago, she sent me a text that said "I'm so glad you are getting a baby".  I LOVE it!

When one of my students found out last semester his response was "I thought you were just getting fat!"  I know it sounds bad, but it cracked me up!  He said it more like he was relieved that there was a reason I was getting bigger, not as an insult.

Another student looked at me 2 weeks ago and said "Everyone says you're pregnant.  Are you?" Before I could even get over the "REALLY?!" reaction and respond another young man looks at him and said "NOoooo, the bump on her stomach is a tumor.  What did you think it was?!"  P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S!

And now, for one of my favorites!  I posted this week on Facebook that the doctor is still projecting 2-3 weeks until the big day.  My 10-year-old cousin's comment on my status was  "hope it comes out alright and no problems with it".... I laughed so long over that one!  I love how kids express things sometimes!