An Update

So, as you may have read, I've been in the hospital since Tuesday with 30 week pre-term labor.  After much effort, all contractions have stopped, but unfortunately the bleeding has not.  This is a tricky situation because bleeding usually means one thing: Placenta Abruption.  This is a very very bad thing.  
The doctor had given me a sliver of false hope today and said that if everything continued going well (while on drugs), they'd release me tomorrow to have bed rest at home.  I could already feel my little boy in my arms... I've missed him so much!  Then, I began bleeding more than I had in the past few days.  The only reasonable explanation is placental abruption.  Unfortunately, according to the doctor, only 30% of abruptions appear on ultra sound scans, so just because the scan proves to be ok doesn't actually mean it is ok.  And, the doctor revoked my going home hope. 
They have decided to stop ALL meds and see what my body does.  The fear is that my body is trying to release the baby because something greater is going on, but we're not allowing it to because we continue to control the contractions.  So, we're not going to control it any more.  Basically, if I begin to contract, they're not going to stop my labor.  And, if my cervix begins to open, they'll c-section me as soon as I'm at 4cm.  We're in a total waiting game.  What will my body do now?  Are these contractions going to come back once the drugs in my system wear out?  Will they EVER send me home?
Tomorrow, I'll have another ultra sound with a growth scan, so we'll get to see how big our little one is.  Tomorrow I also hit 31 weeks!  Yay!  I didn't think I'd make it.  It's been a rough week, but we're gonna keep on holding on.

Eager Beaver

That's it... my babies are officially too excited to meet their way awesome parents that they simply can not remain in utero as long as normally required.  In case you missed it... I've gone in to pre-term labor and have been in the hospital, fighting to keep this little one inside for 3 days now.
I began going into labor with Marco at 35 weeks, with bleeding, but we were able to hold off a bit and he was born at 36w0d.  The only reason he's a "36 weeker" is because he was born at 1am on the day of my week switch.  He was too early and had to go to the NICU for 6 days because his lungs were not yet mature enough.  Due to the fact that his labor was at an "almost ok" time, the doctors made no effort to stop the process, nor did they give him any steroids to mature his lungs.
I've been keeping positive this whole pregnancy, saying "I'm delivering ON my due date"!  I really really wanted to make it... but it's not gonna happen.  At 30w1d, I woke up with severe pain in my abdomen, followed by a gush of blood... not too comforting for a pregnant woman.  A few minutes after that, I noticed I was beginning to have contractions and by the time we made it to the hospital I was 1cm dilated and contracting ever 3-5 minutes.  That, ladies and gents, is what we call "active labor".  Not a good sign for a 30 weeker!  So, they had two choices, stop it or c-section me.
They considered the c-section because they were thinking that they reason I was bleeding was due to placental abrubtion.  After blood work and a super quick ultra sound, everything looked ok with the placenta, so they decided to stop the contractions.  I was put on a heavy dose of Magnesium for 48 hours.  I was also given steroid shots which help baby's lungs mature at a more rapid pace.  So, if and when he is born, he will have a little extra juice in him!
48 hours after my arrival, they took me off the Magnesium... which was nice.  The Mag makes you really drowsy, head-achy and you can't get up because they insist on putting in a cathetar.  I was feeling good and doing well for about 12 hours, and then the contractions started up again.  Since then, I've been given quite a cocktail of drugs which has made me feel hot, loopy, sluggish, and strange.  Unfortunately, not even this cocktail has stopped the contractions, so now I'm BACK on the Mag til tomorrow morning.  Basically, I was told that the Mag is the "BIGGEST gun we've got".  So, if that doesn't work, I don't think much else will.
I'm just praying to hold off as long as possible.  I've come to terms with the fact that I'll be having a c-section because the baby is breech.  I have come to terms that another one of my babies will be in the NICU for a while.  I have come to terms with the fact that the next few months will be rather difficult.
I know that God is in complete control.  I trust in His unfailing love and know that His hands are guiding me.  I can trust that what has happened and will happen are in His will and that His plan is the best one for me.
Please pray for me as well.

Beating the System

Notice, I said "Beating"... NOT "Cheating".  There was NO cheating involved.  But I do have to brag on this awesome bargain.

It's no shocker or mystery... I hate BabysRUs (BRU).  I think that they are a manipulating monopoly that leaves small town folk little or no option but to shop there.  Really, if you need a nipple shield, where else can you go?  Of course, Target has a minuscule baby section, with all of 3 whole aisles dedicated to baby gear... but how can that compare to a SUPERSTORE such as BRU?  It really can't.

The customer service at BRU is a huge joke.  No one knows a thing, and I feel like I have to do my own calculations just to be sure they don't mess it up.  There are absolutely no perks to doing your baby registry there... it's almost like it's expected... because again, where else is there?  This is not the case with wedding registries.  Companies are competing to get your wedding registry with all kinds of perks, customer service ploys, discounts and coupons.  Shouldn't it be the same with baby registries?  Sadly, it so is not.  In fact, if you have to return something to BRU, you'd better have the receipt.  Oh, it was a gift?  Where's the gift receipt?  It wasn't on your registry... oh well, no refund.  LAME-O!

Sure, BRU does offer coupons... that last for like 3 minutes and exclude everything you'd want to purchase with it.  Literally, the coupon says "20% off ANY baby item" and then goes on to list about 1,000 things that are excluded.  Uhh, since when are diapers and formula NOT baby items?  Oh, another funny and oh so BRU typical thing I saw at the store... a sign that read "All customers 85 years and older are given a 1% discount on sales tax for personal use items".  Really?! What can an 85 year old buy that's for PERSONAL USE at BRU?!  I know they sell diapers, but not adult sizes!  BRU, thanks, but keep your 4 cents.

So, anytime I get to take advantage of their system I do.  They currently have a promotion going on, called The Great Trade-In.  Basically, you take any old/used crib, car seat, pack n play, stroller or high chair and give it to them.  In return, you get 25% off of a NEW crib, car seat, pack n play, stroller or high chair.  This seems like a pretty good deal.  Problem was, we didn't have any old gear that we needed to get rid of.  In fact, all of Marco's old stuff is still in really good condition, so we're reusing it for #2.  But, we did need to buy a crib.  What to do, what to do?

Since the boys will be sharing a room, we wanted to get the same crib for #2 that Marco currently has.  He's not ready for a "big boy bed" yet, so we need a separate crib.  When we did our registry (at BRU, unfortunately), we noticed that our crib is discontinued.  They only had 50 in stock for the entire east coast!  The good side of this, was that the price was now reduced from $500 to $350.  But we still had to buy the rails to make it into a full, which was an additional $140.  Since the crib was discontinued, we HAD to buy the rails now, or else we wouldn't have them when we need them, in 2 years or so.

We were in a bind... we had to buy the crib now, or risk not getting it at all... but we didn't really have the money.  We HAD to take advantage of the trade-in promotion.

We went on to craigslist to see if we could buy some really cheap baby gear to make the trade-in.  We were able to find this car seat for just $5.  Note: I would NEVER buy a used car seat for my child... this was JUST for the trade-in.

Because we traded in this car seat, we got 25% off of the $350 crib.  There was also another promotion going on, that if you were purchasing baby furniture and spent more than $400, you were awarded $50 off!  So, all in all, we were supposed to have spent $500 for the crib and rails, but ended up getting 25% off the crib + $50 off the total and we ended up spending only $375!  

So in essence, because of a $5 crappy, used and gross car seat, we were able to purchase this BEAUTIFUL crib for baby #2! Oh yeah!  That's what I call, "Beating the System"! 

I swear my son does NOT have ADD

We've been going to free classes at the library since Marco was 2 months old.  Our main class has been "Bouncing Babies", which consists of babies ages 0-18 months.  In this class, there is story time, with two books, songs, dancing, instruments, bubbles, finger play and free play.  It's truly an awesome class and I'm so glad that our county offers it... and for FREE!

When we started going, Marco, being only 2 months old, was completely oblivious to everything going on around him.  In fact, he was usually fast asleep before the class was over.  It was fine with me because I got to go out and meet other moms and just be out of the house (for crying out loud!).  Little by little he became more observant and started to notice the music, and then the puppets and the bubbles and the other children.  He didn't mind doing his tummy time during the class because he could watch the other children and get inspired by their mobility.

Then he started to crawl, and things began changing.  Marco is such a confident boy... he's never met a stranger.  He hugs and kisses other babies (even against their will), he goes up to every person and talks (or screams) at them, he steals the puppets from the teacher and erases her board.  I swear he thinks he owns the place.  If he could talk, he'd probably be saying "Hey guys, thanks for coming to MY bouncing babies class".  


Now that he can walk, he knows he's big.  He is taking advantage of this by being a little bit aggressive.  I'm worried that when we go back to Bouncing Babies, he'll be too rough for the little ones.  I've decided to begin trying out some of the other classes offered to see if it'll be a better fit him.

Today, we visited a new class... Mother Goose on the Loose.  It's similar to the previous class, only most of the music is sung a capella and there is no free play time (which totally bums me out).  Marco was ON FIRE today.  All of the children were sitting with or standing near their mothers... not Marco.  He was running around, trying to open doors, talking/screaming at other children, stealing diapers from my purse, etc... basically anything and everything he WASN'T supposed to do, he did.  I was drenched in sweat by the time the class was over because I was trying to contain him... it didn't go so well.  And people wonder why I have only gained 2 pounds this entire pregnancy... uhhh, chasing around a toddler, that's how!

I was kinda shocked with the way he acted in comparison with other children in his age group.  He's NOT a bad boy... but he IS incredibly active, rambunctious, fearless, social and very outspoken.  He's going to be the child that learns by doing.  He's going to be the child that does not enjoy sitting at his desk but would benefit from centers and group work.  He's going to be the child who's favorite subject is RECESS!  And that's fine with me.

Come on, you've got to admit it... this is one COOL kid!

Booked

I've always been an avid reader, but have gone through phases.  If I'm very busy with work or school, I don't have much time to leisurely read.  I would usually wait till the summers and then read non-stop.  When I became a stay-at-home mom, I realized I had more time to read than ever before.  At first, I would read while feeding Marco... mostly in the middle of the night because I didn't want to make noise with other forms of entertainment.  If I would turn on the TV, the bright lights and noise would stimulate him too much and then it took me even longer to get back to bed.

 

Since I was on a reading high, I decided to be motivated and give myself a 2010 goal.  I declared that I would read 50 books during the course of 2010, so roughly one book per week.  I'm sad to say, I'm going to fail.  I did not foresee the fact that once Marco stopped feeding at night and dropped down to one nap a day, I just wouldn't have the time to read the way I used to.  But, I haven't given up.  I'm just going to try and read as many books as possible... even though I wont make my 50, it'll still be more than I've ever done in the past.  

I'm on book 26 right now, and to commemorate my half-way mark, I thought I'd write a little book review. Here are my TOP 5 picks of 2010.  

#5:  Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Usually it's safe to say that the book will always be better than the movie, but in this case, I felt that they were both pretty equal.  The movie was incredibly true to the book.  So, if you haven't seen the movie, pick up the book first.  And, if you're not a reader, then just watch the movie... it's really great!

#4:  The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I really loved this story.  It's told from three different women's points of view, and each one is written so dynamically that it's easy to visualize their circumstances.  This book made me laugh out loud, and cry.  It is a real page turner and gives you a good insight into the lives of black maids in the South during a segregated time.  

#3:  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Another great story, about a traveling circus in the 1930's.   There's suspense, violence, love and loss.  I was crying from the very first chapter, but it's not a sappy story.  The story is told by the perspective of the circus' veterinarian, who is recalling from where he is in present day; a 90 year old nursing home patient.  Beautiful story.  And, the movie should be coming out sometime next year, starring none other than hottie, Robert Pattinson.  Looks like a winner to me. 

#2:  The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

This is the first Young Adult (YA) fiction I write about.  I love YA and often read it, but usually it comes across as slightly shallow, although fun.  YA just isn't always something that hangs with you... that you remember weeks, months and years later.  But this story does!  The Book Thief takes place in Nazi Germany, and singles out the life of a girl who lives with an anti-Nazi family.  It helps us to remember that not ALL Germans were sucked into the propaganda, and sheds light on the danger they faced on a daily basis.  Because, what's worse than a Jew?... a German loving Jew.  The story is most interestingly told by the perspective of Death, (not the Grim-Reaper), who takes a harmless interest in this girls life and keeps a watchful eye on her.  This story is funny, heavy, beautiful an heart-breaking at once.  

#1:  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The truth is, this is a trilogy.  You WILL NOT be able to just read the first installment.  But, lucky for you, all 3 have already been released, so you wont have to wait.  I think all 3 parts of this trilogy are worthy to be on my TOP 5, however, I didn't want to leave out my other choices.  

This is another YA Fiction, but it's simply brilliant!  It's set in the future of America... where the USA no longer exists, but another country has taken it's place, Panem.  It's a dictatorship, where the Capitol exercises their control by keeping the people under their thumb.  Most of the population lives in poverty and are governed under strict authority.  Each year, the Capitol selects one boy and one girl from each district to take part in a "fight-to-the-death", called The Hunger Games.  These books will shock you.  This is definitely a story that will be admired and read for years to come.    

So, there you have it... my TOP 5 of 2010... so far.  I intend on updating my blog with 5 book reviews at a time.  If you're interested in reading any more of my reviews of the other 20 books I've read this year... the good, the bad and the horrific... become my friend on GoodReads.