HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Apparently I decided to take a maternity leave from my blog! I'm back and full of stories. Andrew was born on October 13. It was supposed to be peaceful and easy going. When Isabelle was born there was stadium seating in my delivery room. Grandparents, friends and their boyfriends, etc. It was a madhouse. As I was pushing Isabelle out my Aunt was standing close by on the phone with Alana chatting to the nurse who was HOLDING MY LEG about how Alana is a dancer, Alana lives in NYC, blah blah blah, then Aunt Etta started to play the Kevin Bacon game with the nurse, as if my sister who lives in a city filled with BILLIONS of people would know the nurses friend who is also a dancer... AS IF! I swear the audience was doing the wave and passing popcorn while I poured my sweat, blood and tears into pushing that baby into the world. So when I got pregnant with Andrew I told Keith, "NOT THIS TIME!! No one is invited." Of course when the time came I needed a friendly face who knew what I was going through and asked Lauren to be there with us. To make a long story short, it was a dog and pony show despite my attempt at a quiet simple birth. Keith nearly fainted as the nurse inserted the needle in my arm to administer fluids. I looked up after she said, "ok - all done!" to see that Keith was about to keel over, all white and pasty and sweaty. I've never seen anything like it. My solid rock was confined to a chair with his head between his knees. Scary. I was beginning to think he might not make it through the birth. The epidural didn't work all day, I felt EVERY SINGLE CONTRACTION on the left side of my body all day until right before Andrew was born. Early in the evening the anesthesiologist came back to give me stronger meds and adjust the epidural. BINGO - pain free, but I paid the price, because by the time I was ready to push I had absolutely NO CONTROL over my legs, they were just flopping all over the place. Somewhere in the madness it was determined that I'd forgotten to put a Hi8 tape in the video camera, forcing Lauren to speed all over Countryside trying to find a tape. When she returned I was already in full on labor, crowning head and all, shortly after that, SHE FELL TO THE GROUND AND BEGAN TO SEIZE!!!! Nurses rushing in, trying to keep her still and breathing! NIGHTMARE!!! I kept asking the doctor is she ok? Is she breathing? and they just kept saying everything is fine, everything is fine, but they looked panicked. Ultimately, Andrew arrived, Lauren was taken to the ER and came back with a killer headache and a huge egg on her head and Keith managed to stay vertical for the entire birth.



Things haven't been easy for the past few months. I suffered from mastitis accompanied by high grade fevers - pure hell. Andrew has been diagnosed with severe G.I. issues and is on formula that better be made out of friggin diamonds, gold, and/or copper for the price we are having the pay. The Neocate (formula) seems to be doing the trick, the colic has greatly deteriorated and he is beginning to sleep for longer periods of time at night.



Even with the lack of sleep and crazy days with two kids I have managed to maintain my sense of humor. And I have so many things to blog about, but just not enough TIME IN THE DAY TO DO IT!!



I envision that this year will be great. I begin school on the 13th of January, I've been running at least 4 miles every morning with the kids in the jogging stroller and I've really never felt better. 2009 is the year I reclaim my body and health. It just feels like everything is coming together and its a very good feeling to have. I have my husband, two beautiful children, and it just doesn't get any better than this!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!