Extreme Strollering

So Addy and I headed out of the house today for our weekly social interaction at the Farmers Market. I seems that walking the whole way just to eat a chocolate chip cookie and drink chocolate milk won't bring my pants size down but at least I'm not ingesting the same combination while watching the morning TNT line up.

The sidewalks of New Orleans were like no where else in the world before the storm due to neglect and forceful root systems. Now they are littered with downed wires, roofing materials and random debris. I ran into two moms on the way to the market who remarked that it was "extreme strollering". I was jealous that these two cool moms had each other and they obviously had better addresses 'cause of what block they were on so we kept walking.

Addy and I made our way to the market (which has grown substantially), bought strawberries and the aforementioned chocolate lunch when I spotted the same two moms I had passed on the way. I said hello and something about them making it to the market safely and found a shady spot to overdose on sugar. As I was leaving, I heard a "hey" and turned around to wave goodbye to the moms but they said, "no, wait!" And that was how I ended up at the park and met three new breastfeeding moms; one homebirther; one bi/poly/pagan/doula/lactation consultant; and one other pagan that I didn't get a chance to talk to much but the pentagram around the neck gave her away. I flaunted my street cred by breastfeeding in public and announcing my commitment to cloth diapers.

Tuesday is becoming my favorite day.

A Little About Me

Hello. My name is Adelaide and I like to pinch and pull hair - a lot. I just learned how to sit up and am quite happy doing so as long as mommy doesn't let me fall over onto my toys causing a giant crying and vomiting session - not that this has happened or anything.


I also like to sleep on the bed with my pal, Boudreaux.

Unsolicited Advice

For moms to be. Feel free to add on your own advice in the comments.

1. There is such a thing as too many receiving blankets.
2. There may be no such thing as too many bibs, however.
3. If you have to evacuate your home, bring your breast pump.
4. Don't buy anything until after your baby shower.
5. Register, register, register.
   
6. If you are in tight quarters, buy a Mini Co-Sleeper and wait to buy the crib until you know what your needs are.
7. This chair can entertain and restrain a child, rock them to sleep and hold them for their first feeding.
8. Spring for the infant carseat.
9. Wait to buy a stroller, you may get more use out of an infant carrier for the first few months.
   
10. Do not worry about the cats, everyone will be fine.
11. Solo travel with an infant is possible. There are a lot of helpful people out there.
    
12. Read customer reviews on Amazon.
13. Commit to breastfeeding - the pain will eventually go away.
14. No matter how cute the item is, do not buy any clothes for your child. Other people have it covered. If you want, set the money aside for his/her first pair of designer jeans.

Yesterday

Yesterday was lovely. We were granted a reprieve from the mugginess that has been plaguing us the past few days and it was almost "chilly". The skies were clear and the sun was out but best of all I had a playdate at the Farmer's Market where I met with another mom and was overwhelmed by a lot of questions from a mom-to-be. It was nice to be out. Addy and I walked from the house which is just under two miles but I went some ass-backwards way so I was sure that I was going to be late.

It is so good for me to get out and walk around Uptown. Addy and I run errands frequently but they're usually in Metairie which is a whole 'nother world. Walking around yesterday I saw kids playing, people chatting in the street and tons of new roofs being constructed. Lately I've been watching the news and feeling guilty that we have a home, that we had family to go to out of town and that we have settled with our insurance company for a generous amount of money.

But again, I remind myself that we all lost something. I miss my friends. I miss the people that I took for granted for years, a group of transplants from all over the country. They've all scattered and I'm happy for them because some of them are doing incredible things but as much as I had prepared for things to change once the baby was born, I wasn't prepared for this. I even miss you, Tex, if that is your real name.

I also still cry when I hear Soniat's My Home Town New Orleans and I can't blame the hormones for this one.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I need to make some girlfriends; girlfriends with kids and preferably Uptowners with guilt complexes. This leads me dangerously close to Junior League territory where I will be out diamond-ed. Even when those ladies are wearing sweats they're sporting some huge rocks.

Reflection

I never did write out a birth story. I can't tell you how many I read while I was pregnant, carefully crafting my own ideas of a perfect birth. I am smart enough to know that nothing goes as planned which is why after two days of failed inductions, I consented to a cesarean. To say that I really wanted a natural birth is an understatement. One week earlier I called my Bradley instructor crying because I was afraid that I would have to be induced and that the pain brought on by pitocin would be more than I could handle. I did a lot of crying those last couple of weeks.

Once my due date came and went I got very overwhelmed. People were excited for the baby but my body was being stubborn. I hid from people for the most part and The Husband was great support to me even if he was a little jumpy. The weekend before my two-week overdue date we went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Prytania Theater and it was so hard to get comfortable in those theater chairs at nearly forty-two weeks pregnant.

When Monday rolled around I was tired, swollen and it seemed that every movement was accompanied by pain emanating from my mid-section. I talked things over with The Husband and we agreed that I would be induced. I was admitted that day after my regular doctor appointment, given fluids and tried to sleep with an IV and monitors strapped to my belly. I just laid there all night watching the fetal monitor. I was also given Cervidil that night which did nothing to ripen my cervix so my first round of pitocin the next day was a bust. I just sat there on the bed smiling away waiting for something to happen. We tried Cytotec Tuesday night and on Wednesday after another failed attempt, I consented to surgery as I never progressed to more than one centameter dilated.

This was all very hard on me but probably more so on the people around me who had to endure the tears and my painful decision to not have a natural birth. My doctor assured me that once the baby was delivered that I would feel such relief that the process wouldn't seem as important and she was right. The moment that I heard Addy's cries I was, of course, euphoric. The moment that she was placed in my arms, the screaming stopped as we looked into each other's eyes. This moment can never be duplicated.

However moments like that are also scarred with images of blue drop cloths, the inability to feel anything below my chest, the utter sense of helplessness as I was wheeled around on a gurney into recovery and finally into my room. As Addy and The Husband went to the nursery for her post-birth checkup, I was left lying in an operating room while strangers packed my innards back into my body.

I hated my remaining stay in the hospital; the constant poking, the fact that I couldn't even shower alone. I was so grateful when the OBGYN on rounds let me go a day early. I'm even more thankful of that now that I've gotten the bill!

The biggest scar that I carry isn't the one across my abdomen it has to do with semantics. I have a problem saying that Adelaide was "born" or that I gave "birth". "Extraction" seems more fitting to our situation. I had more painful contractions as my uterus shrunk post-birth than I did anytime before delivery. In a sense I feel like I cheated and that I was cheated from a natural birth. I know that may sound crazy to people who have felt labor pains but I can't even give an opinion on the subject and if there's one thing I like to do, it's to give opinions.

Given the option to go back in time and be guaranteed to deliver a healthy, beautiful baby via cesarean versus waiting for labor to kick in on it's own while the baby was only getting bigger and a major hurricane was waiting to make landfall in twelve days, I would of course choose the course that I did. However, next time around I will probably stall as long as I can and eat a lot more spicy food. Of course since this kid brought a hurricane, there may not be a next time.

Best News Ever

Our Whole Foods re-opens on February 1st! This is only temporary though until us Uptowners are able to build the first three acre organic grocery store down in the "Lower Ninth" next to the new golf course and wave pool.

Dear Adelaide: Month Five

Dear Addykins,

You turned five months old two days ago. Between the problems with our computer and your increased need for constant companionship, I haven't had the time to write. You have had a very full month however and I hope to capture some of it.

Our days are generally filled by me trying to make you laugh. I have described your new cackle as the "best sound in the world" and it's true. Isn't it a baby's first laugh that creates a fairy? Now I know why. There is no better sound. The next best thing to hearing you laugh is hearing the funny noises that your dad comes up with to get you to giggle. He loves you a great deal.

You continued your world travels and once again rode in the backseat up to South Carolina for Christmas with your Dad's family. You then returned to New Orleans only to fly up to Vermont to meet the rest of my family. In Vermont we visited the Ben & Jerry's Factory. This is an important place for you since Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is undoubtedly part of your DNA due to the vast amounts that I ate while pregnant. We also went to The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory where Grammie and Grandpa bought you a teddy bear. We'll definitely have to visit again when you are older.


You will be so "over" the United States by age three. We'll have to start thinking about your first European Vacation.

I keep waiting for you take notice of the cats but as of yet, they don't hold your interest for long. You have started touching them intentionally when you all lie together on the bed. This has caused Boudreaux to give you a lot of dirty looks. They have no idea what they are in for.

About two weeks ago we started you on rice cereal. It's not a very excited first food but it's all that you are allowed as of yet. You are doing really well with it and did not spit it out at us which is a relief because you already spit on me enough.


You have a fabulous new crib with fancy Ikea bedding. You take naps in it and sleep part of the night there as well. You haven't been sleeping well as of late. We think that it's because your mouth hurts. We were so spoiled by your great sleep habits for the first four months that now we are learning what it's like to be sleep deprived - or rather I am learning; your father sleeps soundly.


You love any toys that make noise including your lullaby bear, dino and Spanish lullabies. Both of your hands are constantly in your mouth and your feet surprise you by doing the most marvelous things like moving. The Paw Paw Patch song can keep you from fussing for some time. You also appear to have an affinity for The Rolling Stones - we're not sure how this happened. Your hair is slowly coming in. We are unsure as to what color it will be. You make friends wherever you go whether it be the doctor's or the post office.

Speaking of the doctor, you had an appointment today and you got two shots and didn't even cry. You are 27" long and 21.1 lbs and over the 95%. There was a baby there who was six pounds and I couldn't take my eyes off her as you were never that small in my arms. It also seems like so long ago that Grammie and I took you in to be weighed when you were two weeks old. So much has happened since then.

Addy, as the city around you is changing daily and some days it seems like it's the last place that I want to be, you continue to wake every morning with a smile. I am so lucky to have you.

Love,
Mom

Walking into Doors

I have abandoned my child with The Husband and sought refuge in another part of the house. I do this on occasion when I want to do important things like check our bank balance or see what new fabrics have arrived at Happy Tushies. The Husband was still in bed which is where he will remain until, oh, 1PM? Addy was fussing then The Husband started singing his "Good Baby" song in English and Spanish. Now they are both silent which means that I can actually write a post.

On Saturday I dropped The Husband off at BJ's in the "Ninth Ward" to see Little Freddie King play for the first time since the hurricane (or "post Katrina"). This area of the "Ninth Ward" is not to be confused with the "Lower Ninth Ward" that they keep showing on the news. This part didn't get nearly as flooded and most everything is still in tact - just empty. Very few of the residents have moved back. In fact there were roaming packs of white college students wandering the streets after dark which was a very strange sight indeed.

Life with Addy has been tilting towards the difficult end of spectrum. If she wasn't normally such a good-natured baby I wouldn't even notice. Because of the teething she's up several times a night to nurse or rather to chomp. Her naps have been very brief and will only last for more than five minutes if she is being held on my lap which pretty much defeats the whole purpose of napping since Mama can't get nothin' done. The poor little munchkin. I really don't know what to do for her except smother her with kisses.

I am in a constant state of "Mission Organization" and have been since the first baby item arrived in the house. There was hardly enough room for the two of us and then I had to create space for The Baby. It's not that she takes up a lot of room, it's the amount of gear that she came with. I try to make the most of our 11 foot ceilings by going vertical but even then things sit in boxes for days. To make matters worse, I ordered Addy a crib that should be arriving any day now. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to make it fit or what pieces of furniture will be banished from the house to make room.

The crib that I ordered is one of the convertible types that "grows" with the child. I'll probably keep her in bed with us for a few more months off and on especially since she's so demanding while teething. I like co-sleeping but one day while reading Dr. Sears, I came across the following passage about weaning the child from the bed:

Weaning from your bed is like weaning from the breast. Do it gradually. Between two and three years, most children accept weaning from your bed.

Two to three years? Um, no. I'm already getting punched in the face at night and toddlers can pack a bigger wallop. I'm thinking that unless I want to start explaining my black eyes to strangers, Addy needs an alternative place to sleep.

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

Ok, maybe my plea on Monday wasn't pathetic enough so today I am posting a cute little graphic. I know who a lot of you are, don't make me come after you ...


Since I managed with my last post to bring people to tears (sorry!) I thought that today I would bore everyone with holiday tales.

Addy and I flew to Vermont after Christmas to meet my side of the family. It was crazy. It was fun. Addy got a little overstimulated at times (and so did I) but all in all she was a champ. I didn't bother with the stroller in the airport, only the Baby Bjorn and a backpack which was perfect and left my hands free for Starbucks. The only problem was that sometime in Vermont Addy discovered how much fun screeching can be. Consequently on my return trip I felt like I had a cockatiel strapped to my chest. She has not stopped screeching since.

Addy caught her first cold in Vermont and met my brother's first pediatrician who pumped her full of drugs to keep it from developing into an ear infection. She recovered quickly, I on the other hand am still recovering from the same cold as are my parents. We're blaming my brother for sharing the wealth.

Teething has become our number one focus with drool everywhere and frequent bowel movements (from every other day to three times a day - yippee!). We got Addy some numbing gel stuff but she didn't seem to like it past the first couple of times that I put it on her. I then tried it on myself. The stuff BURNS if it gets on the inside of your mouth and it numbs your tongue too. We're using it as a last resort. I have given her Tylenol a couple of times when she seemed especially fussy. I hate giving her drugs so mostly I just stick things in her mouth and hope they help. Last night it was a pickle. It's not in her diet but since she wasn't going to ingest it, I figured that it was fine. She definitely seemed to enjoy it.

Speaking of diets, Addy started rice cereal on Sunday. She has had a tablespoon every night since. She does well with it and consumes just about the whole thing. I don't love breastfeeding but I know that it will be hard to cease being the sole provider of her nourishment. At least now The Husband can finally feed her.

Alright, Crazy Pants is awake now and I think I have another messy diaper to change. The bright side of this is that our new washer and dryer arrived today (oh so sexy) so I am actually excited about washing the next load of diapers. How boring is that?

Ignorance is Bliss

When I was in Vermont a few people expressed to me that it was difficult for the rest of the country to get a grasp of the damage without seeing the Gulf Coast in person. It's hard for me to get a grasp of the damage and I live with daily reminders of the storm. It's actually more than reminders. Everything that I do has been effected by Katrina from what streets I take, what time and where I shop and even how I shower. But the thing is that I don't dwell on it, I can't. I wouldn't ever leave the house. I would only lock myself in the bathroom and stare at the ugly ceiling that needs to be replaced.

Perhaps it's because I can only take so much at once that I have put off looking up the fate of the Bed and Breakfast that The Husband and I went to last July. It was one month before Addy's due date and we treated ourselves to a last hoorah and early anniversary present. The Husband was terribly stressed out at work and even though we couldn't afford it, we booked a three night stay in Pass Christian, MS. The B&B was right on the ocean. It was not my first choice but everyone else in Bay St. Louis was booked. It did turn out to be the right choice; a quiet retreat with friendly owners, fluffy dogs and a social cat that I would pet as we sat on the patio furniture.

A Crab Festival was taking place that weekend and two of our friends drove up to meet us for the afternoon. We ate at a small cafe in Bay St. Louis and marveled that somewhere so beautiful and quiet could be so close to the craziness of New Orleans.

We had a really great weekend despite my growing list of pregnancy complaints. It was because of this that I hoped in vain that somehow the Inn had survived; that perhaps the news had made it all look worse than it actually was. I couldn't fathom how all of those mansions that had stood for nearly two centuries could be gone - just like that.

It turns out that the fate of the Harbor Oaks Inn and its owners was worse than expected. Today is just going to be one of those days.

Land of the Lost

I just wrote a nice long post about traveling and teething and colds (oh my!) but it was eaten by the great big monster in my computer. Given my limited amount of screech-free time when I have access to both of my hands, I am going to leave it up to your imagination until maybe later this week when I divulge how Addy and I ended up on the floor at three this morning.

I would like to pass on that Beth says that this week is delurking week and that means that you get to say something nice in my comments or I go on strike.

Hello Again

Sorry for the delay in posting. Apparently there are no computers in the state of Vermont. Who knew?

I'm back in New Orleans trying to get bills in order to be paid and find places for all of Addy's Christmas loot.

Our plane arrived early today so I took my time getting off because I knew that The Husband would be anything but early in picking us up. As I assembled our belongings and strapped Addy into her Baby Bjorn, a friendly face poked its head into our aisle. It was my OBGYN. She was back in town with her husband and boys to salvage what they could from their house and head back to Massachusetts where she will continue her practice. It was great to see her but I am sorry that I will not be able to continue on with her. At least our brief chat provided some closure to the whole doctor/patient relationship.