I haven't blogged in forever and a day. I think I put too much pressure on myself to be a "good" (creative, funny, witty) author, and my mind goes totally blank. So I don't write anything at all. Which stinks, because there's so much I'd love to keep track of and this blog is a great way to do that. Like the morning I pumped 18.5 ounces before turning off the pump. That was quite the morning.
Haley had her second Preemie Clinic appointment today and weighed in at 7 pounds 12.4 ounces. She is a little growing machine and it's bittersweet. People keep commenting how little she is - but she's so huge to me. She's an entire five pounds heavier than the first time I held her. She holds her head up, she smiles, she coos, she snores, she screams, she poops like a real champion - yet I remember and think about that day 11 weeks ago when I cradled her tiny body in my arms, and had to be careful not to get her tubes entangled with my IV. We were a mess, and now here we are - tube and wire free.
Yes, I said wire free! Haley was released from the confines of her apnea monitor!! We don't have to plug her in anymore or leave her wires dangling out of her clothes for people to ask, "What are these for?" We don't have to worry about being awoken in the wee hours of the morning by that incredibly loud alarm, or accidentally detaching the wires from the monitor and having it squeal at us until we could reconnect the lines. She was episode-free, and the only alarms that went off were due to faulty wire connections. Go, Haley, go!
This is my last week of maternity leave. Yesterday at church, one of my favorite people I've met since attending there asked me when I returned to work. My answer - tears. I just started crying. I know, it's hard to imagine me being emotional over anything. She put her hand on my shoulder and asked if she could pray for me. On one hand I'm thankful for the opportunity to return to work and feel productive and have that sense of routine back. On the other (bigger) hand, however, the last thing I want to do is leave my daughter to sit at a desk for eight hours a day. It's heart breaking. Keep me in your prayers next week - I'll need some special strength and comfort. And thank you, Deb, for your prayers and encouragement!
Two very dear friends of mine came from Wyoming for a visit the day after our first roadtrip with Haley. We went to Watford City to see the inlaws and introduce her to a few family members that hadn't met her yet. Then after our return, we had a houseful for four days. It was quite the week!! What a blast, though! Haley went to the zoo, had her first alien encounter (thanks to Space Aliens restaurant), had her first all-day shopping spree.....whew! I miss my friends so much and it was so great to have them here and share in time with my daughter.
During said shopping spree, I tried on 14 million items of clothing. Give or take. Nothing fits. Even the larger sized items don't fit. This was more than discouraging. I've lost 33 pounds since Haley came into this world, and I'm still too big for clothes. So today, I rifled through my Betty Crocker cookbook ("Healthy New Choices") and put together a menu for the next couple of weeks. The grocery store will be delivering my choice ingredients in the next three hours and I will commit myself to cooking healthier meals, and try to commit myself to some serious exercise. Brent and I have been taking frequent walks around the neighborhood, but I'm going to have to do more than that to get myself into clothes that fit. Otherwise it's cut-out appliance boxes for my wardrobe.
Haley got her first book from the Imagination Library in today's mail!! What an awesome program - you should see if it's available in your area. Haley will receive a book every month until she's five years old! Her first book is "The Little Engine That Could". I can't wait to see what each month brings for her, and to add these books to her bookshelf after reading them to her. What an awesome, awesome program. Thanks Dolly Parton!
I've been really inspired to knit these last couple of days - which I haven't been since Haley's coming home from the hospital (which is part of why I never found my checkbook......). I hope after I return to work next week, I have the time and the energy to be a great wife, a great mother, cook healthy meals, exercise, and knit. Lord, let it be so!
Since I'm all out of things to say, I'll leave you with some pictures from the previously mentioned events.
Hey girl,
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you try Zumba? It's a great workout and so much fun. Go to zumba.com and search for classes. Then put in your city and state and it will tell you where the classes are.