I'm ready!

Get. this. child. out.

That is all.

A pregnant woman's instinctive answers

Every now and then I get to feeling a little ... less like myself ... and little more like a very sarcastic and frustrated person. I doubt it's a coincidence that timing of my current snarky self follows three ENTIRE nights of false labor, 24/7 heartburn, miserable sinus pressure, sciatica and upper back/neck pain. I've managed maybe an hour to two of sleep a night recently, and it's not doing much for my generally chipper attitude :/

This got me thinking about all of the comments that are regularly made to me that I would normally ignore or at most side-eye, but recently leaves me ready to attack or at the very least respond with an equally inappropriate or rude response.

If you feel inclined to say one of these things to me today, even if I manage to respond politely, you'll now know what I'm really thinking :)

(1) "Have you had the baby yet!?" -or- "You're *still* pregnant?!"
Yes! I gave birth 3 weeks ago, but we didn't want anyone to know so we've hidden the baby in the attic and I've strapped a watermelon inside my shirt. But I guess now you're in on the secret.

(2) "Are you dilated? Effaced? Ripened?" -or- "Have you lost your mucus plug yet?"
Remember all those other times I've discussed my private parts with you? Exactly.

(3) "When is the baby coming?"
Hang on, and let me ask.

(4) "I'm so impatient!!"
Really? You're 9 months pregnant, experiencing contractions for DAYS, exhausted, feeling miserable, and ready to put your body through a rather intense workout so that you can meet this little person? No? Oh. It must be hard going through your normal day, feeling fine and just wondering when you may get a message that a baby has been born. Sounds rather stressful.

(5) "Sleep while you still have the chance! Just wait."
I can't even think of a response to this because it just makes me so mad.

(6) "Don't be so impatient. Babies are easier when they're on the inside than outside."
Why is it that I've only heard this comment from MEN? or a handful of women with very easy pregnancies? Hmm. Sir, I bet it was a lot harder for you after the baby was born than while your wife was dealing with everything by herself. Too bad you can't put it back, huh?

(7) "You don't get a cervical check every week!? you should get a doctor that knows what they're doing" -or- "They aren't going to induce you until you're past 42 weeks?! how did you get such a cruel midwife?" -or- "They haven't swept your membranes yet!? what are they waiting for?"
Sounds like I really messed up picking prenatal care that I chose on purpose because I don't agree with all of these things. Gosh, I hope I do better next time. 

(8) "Med-free? Yeah, good luck with that."
Oh no! You don't think I can do it? I better get the pitocin/epidural after all!

(9) "Want to hear my whole pregnancy/labor/delivery story for the next 2 hours? No? Okay, I'll tell you."
That's exactly what I wanted to hear while pregnant and getting close to labor, thanks. Especially the part about your horrible tear/the emergency c-section/the trip to the NICU because your baby stopped breathing or had some other scary problem, or the fact that it took 6 weeks for you to feel better.

(10) "Have you guys had sex? I hear that helps."
I've talked to you about my sex life before? No? I guess now is a good time to start. 

(11) "Have you tried castor oil? spicy food? eating 4 large pineapples?"
Nope. Not a single person has ever mentioned any of these suggestions to me. How have I not heard of all these great ideas that end in diarrhea? What am I waiting for?

(12) "Have your boobs leaked yet? No? You won't make milk and won't be able to breastfeed. They have already? You're going to become engorged and not be able to breastfeed."
Good to know.

(13) "How are your bowel movements?"
Shoot, I should have taken a picture last time to show you.

(14) "You should really wait until *this date*, that's my birthday ... or my mom's birthday, or my second cousin twice removed's birthday."
I will try to accommodate you, especially as you are more than likely a complete a stranger.

(15) "How much weight have you gained?"
I was hoping you'd ask! It's your business too now that I'm pregnant. Don't forget to ask what size bra I wear now too.

Well, I feel better now. Even just saying these things to my blog :) Going to start channeling politically correct and polite Katy again ....

Is there a baby yet?

Doh! No :(

But I've been having lots of contractions and cramping, so I'm hoping SOON. Otherwise this could be a very laborious labor process (see what I did there? :). I keep reading these stories of first time moms that have all these irregular contractions for a week or more (yikes), and I'm hoping that will NOT be the case.

I've been doing lots of bouncing on the exercise ball, going to the chiropractor, walking Maverick, taking the (incredibly disgusting) L6W drops, and praying. God knows what the perfect birthday for this little one would be, but I'm hoping it's in time to celebrate the Memorial Weekend with her :) Yesterday evening/night I was having very regular and painful contractions and Bryan and I were starting to wonder if it would finally be time, when around 3AM they stopped. It was disappointing, but also a good dress rehearsal. We've had a lot of people express doubt in my ability to deliver med free at the birthing center, but I feel so empowered and capable. These practice rounds just make me more determined and more excited.

Grandma has also been transferred from Conroe Regional Hospital to HealthSouth Rehab Hospital - praise the Lord!! We were not sure when this would finally happen, but I kept hoping Baby E would wait until she was settled there before making her appearance, and now I feel like everything is ready to go. I think Grandma probably feels slightly like she's been enrolled in Boot Camp, but it'll be so good for her. Time to work those muscles, get some nutrition, and start interacting with folks again! I'm so thankful that this takes a huge amount of pressure off of my Mom's shoulders. 

Also, I don't know if I've said this yet, but our school is out for the summer. Our last day of school was last Wednesday, and all I had to do after that was get the finals graded. All done!! Although since I've had quite a bit of down time I've been developing my lesson plans for World Geography next year and I'm so excited :) This summer is probably going FLY by, so I'm glad I've got some prep work going in advance. 

Stay tuned, friends. Hopefully I'll be "introducing" you to someone soon!!

Letter to the Tiny One

Dear Littlest Evans,

It's been a while since I've written you a letter! You won't remember this, but we do have a fairly one-sided conversation every morning in the shower, unless you count the rolls and pushes you give me in return to my explanations about life and begging you to come out so I can meet you :)

You are 38 1/2 weeks developed, and as our midwives say, "really running out of room to grow!" When they measure my uterus, it's all the way up to my chest and way down low. You've dropped little one, so I hope that means you're thinking about exiting soon. Your Momma is having a hard time breathing these days, and my feet and hands are very swollen. My Mom doesn't remember if she was or not, so maybe in 25-30 years we'll see if it runs in families :) I am also incredibly grateful to our chiropractor for making sitting, standing, walking and laying down much more manageable. I've been eating applesauce by the gallon trying to keep the heartburn at bay, so who knows? That may end up being your favorite food! You have such violent pushes, kicks, and stretches now so I'm convinced you're going to be crazy tough like your Momma. Your Daddy agrees, although he insists your wit and smarts will come from him :)

The puppies are curious about all of your belongings. I caught Maverick sitting in the bouncer, so I'm sure the weight limit is plenty high enough for a wee one like you. Goose is fascinated by the cradle Grandpa Ronnie built you and has been trying to figure out how to nap inside. Both dogs love to doze on the glider, and so do I! Hopefully you find it as soothing and relaxing as we do.

Your parents have now attended a Birthing/Infant Class & Breastfeeding Class, so try to remember we've done our best to prepare for what to do, and try not to get too frustrated with us when we don't remember everything. Your Momma is very nervous about breastfeeding, so work with me until we get it right. We won't let you starve, I promise!

The nursery is decorated and organized, your clothes are washed and folded, we have a cabinet in the kitchen dedicated to just your baby items, the bathroom is full of baby soap and lotion and an itty bitty tub, our room is prepped and ready for you to camp out with us for about 6 weeks, the car seat is installed, and we have a diaper bag all packed and ready for you little one. I hope you will feel very welcome!! I'm sure you'll let us know if you want something else, although I have no idea what that could be.

Your grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, parents, and puppies are so ready to meet you! Feel free to come join us as soon as you're ready!!!

Love,
Your biggest fan

Springcroft Shower

I'm firmly convinced we live on the best street in Houston! If you are house hunting, you should be looking in Inverness Estates ... that's all I'm saying :)

Our sweet neighbors threw Bryan & I a block party baby shower style this weekend. It was fun!

One of our neighbors, Kristin, has crazy crafty skills and I will definitely use this idea at any future baby shower I throw. So cute! Watermelon baby:

Crazy, fun people :)

Games: Spin the "bottle" + word scramble + clips + decorate the onsie

So many generous (and practical!) gifts

We so enjoy all of these people :) Thanks for hosting, Heather!

Goofy ladies - and this is PRE-crawfish boil & shots, which I did not participate in :)

Yummy cake, mmm

It was so much fun! All the gents, ladies & kiddos had a great time. Thank you so much!
Oh, and we loved the onsies each family decorated!

Baby-Related Update

Because we have been SO generously showered with gifts for the baby, we've had a lot to set up and get ready! I've got the last load of tiny clothes in the wash, and finished washing little sheets and blankets earlier so that the cradle Ronnie built for us is made, and the crib in her bedroom is all made too. This child has no shortage of comfy places to sleep :)

While watching Captain America with Bryan this evening (he's ready to see the Avengers movie - do you think I could get through a whole movie at the theatre??) we set up the Rock'n'Play and Swing. Our home is starting to look invaded by a baby and she isn't even here yet!! 

Maverick finds all of this very interesting, and enjoys sniffing the new items in his territory and rolling on the soft blankets. We tried to explain to him that the incredibly soft lion mat does not go in his kennel for his sleeping enjoyment, it's for the baby. I think he remains unconvinced, but has reluctantly agreed to leave it in the nursery for now. I won't be shocked if he tries to find another home for it again in the future :) Thankfully he doesn't destroy or chew anything up! He just wants to sniff it out or lay on it. And who can blame him? Everything smells so good and feels so soft. 

I've been having lots of contractions, nothing too regular, so we're not ready yet, but I just feel better getting everything ready to go at home in case this little one does decide she's had enough of the cramped space and is ready to see the world. She's officially past full term, so I say we're ready for her whenever she wants to make her debut!

My achy breaky family?

The medical field has been making their money off of the Cunninghams/Meloys/Evans recently!!

As you may have just read, Goose just had her puppies. That involved one emergency vet trip pre-pups being born, when we found out she had inflamed tonsils and a bad allergy problem. After IV fluids & an antibiotic, she was as good as new. I did think it was funny the way the vet kept referring to all women with pregnancy as having a "debilitating disease" as both my dog and I were very clearly pregnant :)

Then Maverick somehow got a yeast infection in his ear, and NOW has a very badly torn pad on his paw and will need to go in tomorrow to get lots of stitches. Good grief. It looks like it hurts really bad though. I wish I knew how it happened?! (I can't believe I will one day be adding what happened to my child to this list of crazy accidents ...)

My Grandma (Jessica) has Stage IV Lymphoma, and Cervical & Uterine Cancers, and has been living with my parents for over 3 months now. Constantly rushing her to the ER, taking her to chemos, blood treatments, nutrionists, and all matter of other things is making life a little (a lot?) crazy. My Mom is carrying the hugest portion of this burden, but I've been trying to help out as much as I can on weekends and my days off. She is currently in the hospital again (since this past Wednesday) for blood clots in her legs (scary), a UTI, and pain caused by the Kidney stent they put in (which unfortunately developed an infection.) Many rounds of plasma, antibiotics, saline with magnesium, etc etc etc etc and she's starting to do better, but they don't anticipate her being discharged until Monday. Hopefully they'll still be able to get her chemo done on Wednesday so they can do CT scans to determine progress. Please, please pray for Grandma - for healing, for a positive attitude, increased appetite and increased drinking. Please also pray for my Mom - for patience, grace and fortitude. You rock Mom.

My sister-in-law, Marissa, developed a kidney stone, which was horribly painful for her and has thankfully passed. My brother developed an infection in his lymph-nodes - how is that going by the way, Grady? Are you feeling better?

And now I've got several signs of minor pre-eclampsia: swelling, elevated blood pressure (I usually have a below-average blood pressure), traces of protein in urine, crazy miserable headaches, light-headenedness and fatigue. Hey, baby, calm down! You've only got a teensy bit of time left to go. Let's finish up on a positive note, okay?

Our family needs to take a break from all this mess!! phew.

Mother Goose

Very pregnant Goose the night before the puppies were born

My sweet Goosey girl is a Mommy! Many of you already know that we are a "guardian home" for Miss Goose. When we originally got our first pup, Maverick, we fell in LOVE with Doodles - and especially Goldendoodles (Golden Retriever & Poodle Mix). These dogs enable people like me with truly severe allergies to be able to have a dog, and even one that lives in the house and functions as a member of the family. If you've met Maverick, you know he's an extra-special puppy :) You may even know that we jokingly refer to him as my personal therapist (which is not very far from the truth).

As friendly as Maverick is, he had a really hard time only having Bryan & I for his best friends. I take him to the dog park at least twice (many times more) a week, he gets daily walks, and we let him hang out with our neighbor dogs regularly, but there was still a lot of time when it was just him while we were at work, out of the house, or just hanging out at home when he really didn't have anyone to "play with." That's when we decided to get Pup #2. 

However, as soon as we made this decision, we found out we had a wee complication - I was pregnant! As enjoyable as Maverick was as a tiny puppy, there is much that isn't fun about potty training, teething, and all those other little things that come with getting a newborn puppy. Bryan & I decided that getting another tiny puppy was not the answer when we would have a newborn human in the house in the near-ish future. We knew we wanted another Doodle - so what were we doing to do?

I contacted Safari Doodles (where Maverick came from) and explained that we really wanted another Doodle, but would prefer one that was a little older, ideally already potty trained and with adult teeth (priorities!). I thought there may be a family that had one of their dogs for a while but either didn't have enough time or energy to keep up with it, and would be looking for a re-home situation. It turns out we didn't have to look very far because Alicia (one of the co-owners of Safari Doodles) had a almost-2-yr-old dog that she was wanting to use for breeding future puppies, but didn't have the space or time to keep her to do. She said we could have her for free if we would allow her to occasionally have a litter of puppies, and then after a few years we would spay her and she'd live permanently with us. Thus we became "Pink's" - now known as Goose - parents.

We love this little lady and Maverick LOVES his sister/best friend. Recently he's been very sad because we took her to Austin to live with someone else while she has her puppies. I DEFINITELY don't want a new Mommy dog and 6 brand new pups around while I'm a few weeks away from having a baby myself. Goose adjusted very easily, but Maverick really misses her.

Yesterday (Wednesday, May 9) Goose had her puppies!

First puppy out - a little boy!

Still coming; Goose did AWESOME

Almost all of them out now

 

4 hours later, Goose is worn out but almost done

 

"Mother Goose" with all of her puppies! 6 total: 4 boys, 2 girls

Way to go Goose! Everyone is happy and healthy. Apparently she's a "natural" and was a trooper through the whole thing. As much as she loves to lick, I'm sure she's having a ball with those little balls of fluff.

I think the thing that makes me laugh the most is those people that ask "did Goose & I plan to be pregnant at the same time?" .... Seriously? Did my dog and I PLAN to be pregnant and due around the same time? .... no. I can honestly say that our family planning had absolutely nothing to do with a dog's gestational period, but thanks for asking, haha. Thankfully both Maverick & Bryan have been troopers having TWO pregnant females in the house :)

Beth & Janie's Baby Shower

This past Saturday, April 28th, two of my dearest friends - Janie & Beth - threw me a baby shower. Janie even flew in from Denver to do so!! In fact, it was absolutely wonderful because Bryan & I got to have dinner and hang out with Janie & Tyler (who also flew in!) Friday night, Bryan & Tyler drove to College Station for the Maroon & White Game on Saturday while I saw Janie at the shower, and then Saturday evening Tyler came over to our house to visit some more. I miss these guys so much that it is SUCH a joy to be able to visit in person!

Margarita cupcakes, chocolate spice cake, light sandwiches & fruit - yummmmy

First things first, some munchies & visiting

Making sure everyone was introduced

Once folks arrived they filled out a card with advice for the new mommy (which I will treasure). Janie read them aloud (I am particularly adept at recognizing handwriting) and I was supposed to guess who gave what advice. It was fun to try to figure out who would give practical, who would give emotional, and who would give funny advice :) Nailed it most of the time! Although there were a few tricky ones :)

Beautiful blanket created by hand by Janie!  We were given so many sweet, thoughtful, and generous gifts. Thank you so much everyone!!

With my grandmothers - My Meemaw on the left, my Grandma in the chair, and Bryan's MeMaw standing by me. I love all three of these women so much. This is the 1st great-grandbaby for 2 of them, and Grandma's 15th!

With Cousin Emily and the ADORABLE elephant hamper.

The two fabulous hostesses. Thank you, THANK YOU!

Bryan's step-mom, Celina, his Aunt Lety, & MeMaw Evans

With my Momma - next photo we have together should be with 3 generations!

Two of our fabulous Aberdeen, Scotland friends - Nina & Debbie

My Papaw swung by at the end to pick Meemaw up right around the time Bryan showed up to see and thank everyone himself

Three of my FAVORITE people: Bryan, Janie & Tyler

This shower was so sweet!! Thank you so much everyone! This little baby has no idea how loved and celebrated she is yet!

Legacy Diapers

Today the fabulous staff at Legacy generously gifted Bryan & I with so many diapers!! (and wipes, shampoo, and a few cute monkey onesies with pants). Many of the givers were from our wonderful administrative team, fellow high school teachers, and other teachers I've had the chance to get to know and love this year. Some of it I'm not sure who it came from! 

The piles of diapers that showed up in my classroom this morning!

Bryan is going to be so excited and surprised when he comes home later :) How amazing is it that we both work at places where we feel respected, useful, and cared for as a person? Even more crazy, both places recognize how important family is too. We've both served time working for employers that didn't believe a person's family was (or should be) as important as their job, and viewed employees as a means to getting to the bottom line or as individuals that could be bullied and threatened into better performance. Now that we both have a job that we enjoy - thank you LPCA & Anadarko! - I realize how rare and special it is that we both like going to work and seeing our coworkers (and in my case my students and parents as well) in and outside of work.

I have been dragging for a few weeks because of the sinus infection, insane lack of sleep, and general discomfort I've been feeling, but even with all of that going on, I want to be at school with my students and I want to see my coworkers. There will be plenty of time this summer when it'll be just me, baby, puppies - yikes! :)

I'm so grateful for such a loving and generous gesture from the Legacy family!

If the Old Wives' Tale ...

... regarding insane heartburn and hair is true, this daughter of mine is going to look like a:

Highland "Coo"!

It's MAY, people! Get ready! Only 4 more weeks :)