7.6.12 - Little Things: what's making me smile this week

 

 

 


 Daddy Daughter Time - Daddy's been taking Luau to the pool lately. Sometimes I go with them, but sometimes I stay home and rest. During the 15 minutes of adult swim per hour, they sit together and watch things. Adorable. They really love hanging out together.

Pick one for you and a friend - This is my neighbor. Very very cool. They're some of the nicest neighbors ever and never hesitate to come help us when we have a question about our newborn (wife is a former pediatric RN) or military retirement or gardening questions (husband is very handy and retired military).

Too cool for school - She insisted upon wearing the sweatshirt (you know, because it was a chilly 85 that morning). She's got a personality and plenty of it!

Hugs for Mama - After my OB appointment on Monday, we sat on a bench and had a snack. She kept coming over to me and giving me hugs. What a sweet girl!

'Merican Flag - Our girl loves to point out 'merican flags when on walks or driving through town. We made a few of these flags for decorations when we had people over for the 4th of July.

Rocky Road - my latest craving. Sorry for cheating on you, Ben & Jerry. I'll be back, I promise!

Hospital Bag Packing List

Hospital Bag Packing List

For Labor:

•  If you scrapbook or are planning on making a baby book, bring a sheet of paper or the book itself into labor and deliver and they can make the footprints right there in the delivery room!
• An extra outfit or two for your husband (I threw up a few times, so it was nice for hubby to have it – plus he didn’t have to go home then).
• Glasses, if you wear them 
• * * Chapstick – hospital air is pretty dry, I liked to have chapstick readily available during labor and afterwards. 
• Camera and/or video camera – plus chargers/batteries 
• Snacks – both for hubby if labor is long (I have friends who have had 36 hours+ labors), and for you both after labor. 
•  Magazines or a book or something to do in case labor is long. 
• Music – I think I’m just going to bring my phone or iPod 
• Headband or hairties to pull hair back 

For Mom:

• Lanolin ointment if you plan to nurse – use for a few weeks beforehand
• Nursing bra/camisole (NO underwires!) and (disposable) nursing pads. If your milk comes in, you’ll definitely want them. Also, if you’re using lanolin ointment, you’ll want to use nursing pads because the ointment seems to stain bras a bit.
• Small things of shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, and other toiletries – they provided basic ones (worse than hotel ones), but I wished I had my own.
• * *Extra absorbent overnight pads...with wings! They supply pads in the hospital but they’re huge and it’s nice to have a pack at home ready to go (your husband will thank you for not having to go out and get you some more!).
• * * Underwear that is a size or two too big. That way you can fit the bulky pads and ice packs and everything in. The ones they supply in the hospital are huge saggy mesh ones that don’t hold anything in place. I used these for a few weeks after the baby was born. That way, I didn’t ruin any of my “good” underwear with leaks.
• Pajama pants and a lightweight robe to wear with the hospital gowns. I liked having something that opened in the front (ie light cardigan or zip-up sweatshirt) to make nursing easier.
• A comfy outfit for you and baby to wear home (maternity clothes, because you’ll still have some extra weight – boo!)
• Comfy slippers/flip flops that you don’t mind getting dirty
• Cell phone charger
• Gift for nurses?

For Baby:

• Newborn diapers for the baby. They supply size 1's in the hospital which are too big on a brand new baby and they don't have the umbilical cut-out. You are allowed to take the ones they supply home with you. 
• Homecoming outfit
• Diaper bag with diapers, burp cloth(s), wipes
• Own swaddling blanket if desired
• Car seat (already installed)

Have at home:

• Nursing pads (disposable or reusable)
• Maxi pads with wings
• Hemorrhoid wipes
• Witch hazel pads
• Formula - even if you plan to breastfeed, have a little on hand in case your milk doesn't come in for a few days. Mine didn't and poor Lu'au didn't eat much until then.

General Tips:

• *Don’t bring anything that you wouldn’t mind getting a bit dirty – you’ll be surprised where fluids will leak!
• *Don't pack a ton more than you think you'll need. I didn't actually wear a lot of clothes while I was there, and I had packed 4 outfits! Pajamas are good - anything comfortable is good! 
• *Take home anything you can – especially the squirt water bottle they give you to cleanse, pads, ice packs, extra diapers, receiving blankets, anything!

The gift that keeps on giving

No, not a fruitcake.

So, back when we lived in DC the first time (6-ish years ago) I was a struggling grad student. I worked full-time, went to school full-time, and was dating this hottie Coastie long distance. I found the "Magic Bus" shortly after I moved into Virginia. The bus stopped at several stops, then outside my apartment building. (Score!) I rode it into DC, and exited at the first stop. I then walked three blocks to work. All for $1.25 each way. It was the bargain of the century. Plus, I met my friend "Jen-from-the-bus" there. We are still friends on facebook (though I'm not sure exactly what that says).

Anyway, one day, I realized they were having a contest for people riding the bus and using public transit. All I needed to do was to write my name and contact information on the entry paper and I'd get a free busride. Yadda, yadda, yadda and they had prizes too... yadda, yadda, yadda. All I was excited about was the free busride! A fare for one way. Not a free month, not a free year. One free ride. I was very excited.

A few weeks later, for my birthday or Christmas, or something, my boyfriend (or possibly fiance by that time), bought me an iPod. I was happy - it would make the rides on the Magic Bus better when Jen-from-the-bus wasn't there. 

A few days after that, I received a call from WMATA. I was one of 6 people who had one a free iPod! Apparently they couldn't get the old model, so I got one of the first models of the iPod nano. I promptly returned whatever boyfriend had bought. He loved this. He got credit for giving me an iPod, but still didn't have to actually buy one for me! I got a new iPod. It was definitely a win-win.

Fast forward six years - my iPod is kind of old. I don't really use it any more. We have a new, snazzy iPod and an iHome to listen to it. I don't get to use my iPod like I used to... but I got an email from Apple. Apparently the battery in the first nano is defective. AND SO THEY'RE SENDING ME A NEW iPOD if I send in my old one.

So, as it turns out, this potentially new iPod has given me great happiness in many forms over several years. I got a free ride on a bus, a gift from my (now) husband, and a now new iPod. And to think, what I really was excited about was the bus fare!

Today, as I was changing Lu'au's diaper, she started chatting about various things. She said something about "the Lion in the jungle", probably in reference to her favorite song, The Lion Sleeps Tonight. She then said something about Jesus and the jungle. She said "Jesus live in jungle?" I then told her that Jesus lives all over - he lives in heaven, he lives in the jungle, he lives in our house. He also lives in our hearts if we love him.

Then she said something that I hope I remember forever. "Lu'au loves Jesus. Dadda loves Jesus. Mama loves Jesus." Yes, baby girl, you're right.

Almost two, going on... 12?

Yesterday I took Lu'au to a park and she was on the swings. Another child was being pushed in the swing next to us by her mother. The mother asked Lu'au how old she is now. I waited for Lu'au's typical response - "1, 1, 1, 1, 1!" that is accompanied by her gesturing "1" and shaking that 1 up and down.

This time was different - Lu'au paused and said confidently, "almost two."

Perfect Timing

There are some things that I would argue cannot be attributed to anything else than God's timing.

First, I had been trying to figure out what to do about the due date... I wanted to do something to deliberately remember the baby, but not something huge or depressing. I decided to do my own version of a Hawaiian custom. Instead of throwing my lei into the ocean, I'd sprinkle some flowers on the Potomac River (the closest thing we have to an ocean where we live now). Baby Lu'au picked a bunch of marigolds from our front yard one morning, and I thought it the perfect time to sprinkle some flowers. As we walked to the river, I prayed silently about the baby and asked God to help me hope. I thought about Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

It was right then that I got a text from my brother in law saying "Romans 5:5 - and hope does not disappoint". That really struck me. He could have chosen any time to send that, or not to send it at all. But he chose right then, and it was perfect. There's no way he could have known that it was the day I chose or even that I was going to do something...

Thanks, Rich, for listening to God's prompting.

Today

Today we woke up and I was thankful that I am alive. That we have electricity. That we have running water. That things weren't as bad with the hurricane as they could have been.

Today I found out we lost a dear friend, and I am extremely saddened by it.

Today would have been 40 weeks pregnant with our second child. Unfortunately, we lost the baby at nearly 12 weeks. I can't figure out how to mourn appropriately. It's been a lot harder overall, than I thought it would be. I'm starting to get back to my normal self. But still, I don't trust my body. It's kind of hard to explain, but that's the best way I can describe it.

There isn't a specific way how to mourn the loss of an unborn baby. I'm sad because I thought I'd be pregnant again by the time this date came around, but I'm not. Way to set an unrealistic expectation for myself, and then have no way to really make sure it would happen. Thankfully, with all of the hurricane craziness lately, I haven't thought much about the due date being today. I'm just holding onto Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. I'm full of hope.