TTC and Beyond!

[wavescrash]

I finally got the packet of paperwork regarding my LOA and for some reason it says I'm expected to return to work January 26th... when I said I was taking off until after I have the baby in March. I even specified I wasn't sure if I'd be returning 6 weeks after the birth or longer. I got a voicemail from the case worker assigned to my case last night but missed the call. She said it wasn't of an urgent nature but that she'd try to contact me again this week so I'm going to wait to hear from her, tell her the plan was to return to work sometime after the baby's born and go from there. Still so confused how January 26th (only 1 month) is listed as my return to work date...

 

[clynn11]

That's so weird Amanda! Maybe it's a typo??? Hmmm. Interested to hear an update on that.

 

[TTCaWee1]

Are any of you into shadow boxes? I love them. I made one after I graduated and after our wedding. So today I found a nice white one for the baby. I'm so excited. I lined the inside of it with the polka dot scrapbook paper I used for her name.

 

[wavescrash]

I love shadow boxes though we don't have any done up. I wanted to do a white one for each girl with a picture from birth, their birth announcement, coming home outfit and hospital bracelets in it but haven't gotten around to it yet. I have all the stuff saved and set aside for Autumn & Hannah's and will do the same with Leah's until I get around to actually making up the shadow boxes though lol.

 

[asmcsm]

Rachel, I definitely am into shadow boxes, but I work in a custom frame shop / photography studio so it's hard not to be when I do it for a living lol.

 

[clynn11]

Happy 18 weeks ash!

 

[asmcsm]

Thanks Cass!

 

[asmcsm]

Hey Cass did you guys tell Kevin's mom yet?!

 

[jury3]

Ooohhh, good question Ashlee...well Cass?

Waves-that's weird, what a random date lol Like your spd is going to go away by then or something...

Rachel-I like shadow boxes although I haven't done any. We are horrible...we have this awesome frame for pictures and haven't put any wedding pics or anything up yet. Such procrastinators! I would love to see pics of your shadow boxes though!

Well, they cancelled school for tomorrow. That makes an entire week that we've been off. That means I am officially on maternity leave and I didn't even have to go in and deal with that b! Although now I'll have to go up there Monday to get some things sorted out, but I'm going to send an email tomorrow and call HR to get things in order. I'm so excited! I'm pretty sure the universe is working in my favor bc they know how horrible that woman is lol Thank you universe for taking pity on me!

 

[MrsAmk]

Okay quick update.. I've searched high and low and can't find the dress for sale online anywhere.. Looks like they sell at Nordstrom and Macy's and somehow TJMaxx got it.. But the brand is Fire Los Angeles, super cute stuff I saw on Nordstrom but just couldn't find the exact dress.. Glad I got so lucky though

https://firela.com

Marley is kicking so crazily that I can see it through my comforter.. She must have liked the celery and ranch dip, chicken n' dumplings (thanks Waves you've made me Rachael Ray to DH!), mashed potatoes, biscuits and apple butter, iced peach tea, and cherry cheesecake she just had..

Is it a one size fits all type dress? I found something similar online, but no idea how the sizing will fit. It looks elasticy though

 

[goldstns]

Nichole-thinking of u...u totally deserve a little one. I hate that its so hard for u!!

 

[asmcsm]

Yay Julie!!!! That turned out awesome for you!!

On another note, my butt is killing me! I can't bend at all or else I want to cry because I get a sharp pain in my sacrum and both butt cheeks, ouchie

 

[TTCaWee1]

Well Amanda and Julie, use your time off to nest and shadowbox!!! That's awesome that they cancelled school again Julie.

I have no idea what Ellie is doing right now but she is going crazy. She is burrowed down low and far back and it feels like she's kicking, punching and head butting my cervix and rectum. It's out of control. Maybe it's bc I just drank grape koolaid...

 

[wavescrash]

Waves-that's weird, what a random date lol Like your spd is going to go away by then or something...

It's basically 1 month from my last day of work so I get where the date came from but I don't know how the person taking my info/starting the claim got that as a 'return to work' date from me because I never said that nor did we agree on only 1 month off work lol. I remember her asking me when I planned to return to work and I said after I have the baby. She asked if I planned to take the standard 6 weeks off afterward or longer and I said I didn't know just yet. Oh well.

And so awesome school's done for the week. Definitely agree the universe must be working in your favor lol. Glad it worked out this way for you - much less stress for sure

Well Amanda and Julie, use your time off to nest and shadowbox!!! That's awesome that they cancelled school again Julie.

I have no idea what Ellie is doing right now but she is going crazy. She is burrowed down low and far back and it feels like she's kicking, punching and head butting my cervix and rectum. It's out of control. Maybe it's bc I just drank grape koolaid...

LOL you're funny I would kill for the motivation to do any of the projects or things I wanted to do before the baby gets here. I don't know what nesting is lol. Never had it with any of my pregnancies because I've always been way too drained and exhausted to nest. I do have another project I'm hoping to work on tonight or tomorrow. A little tissue paper pom pom & felt heart mobile to hang over Leah's dresser (where we'll also put a changing table pad on top of.)

It's so painfully annoying, isn't it? At least Leah is when she's like that... but then again, that's where she spends all her time. She has some strange obsession with my cervix, I swear. It makes me feel like I constantly have to pee and it hurts. And then earlier today when we were out shopping, she kept hitting me in both my cervix and rectum and it would make me stop & gasp each time because they were such strong hits. Hell, as I type this she's clawing (or kicking?) at my cervix still. I swear she's trying to find her way out lol.

 

[HWPG]

today, we received a card from OH's sister. somewhere in it, it said "hope 2014 brings you good things" - i said to him, "you should write back and say 'it's bringing you a niece!' " - it was weird that my brain went right to girl.... hm!?
omg, i am sooooo. so. amazingly. so much. very. a lot. exceedingly. tired today. 10 weeks + congestion has finally slowed me down - up til now i've been very fortunate! no complaints here, just tired. luckily, my bosses know and tease me about it, they dont just think i'm being a moron

 

[goldstns]

Must haves... Nipple cream and a hands free Brest pump bra...check amazon for it

 

[TTCaWee1]

Nikki I have one of those...do you just put it on when you go to pump? It looks like a support band with 2 holes...

 

[morganwhite7]

IDEA: I'm gonna MAKE one of those bras out of my stupid bella band when all is through! Thanks for giving me the idea! I don't know if I'd waste the money on an expensive one only bc I'm not sure how much I'll even be pumping since I want to exclusively BF for as long as I can.. hopefully up to a year. But yeah the pumps pretty much suction to your boobs so I assume 2 small holes in a bella band would do the trick! Lol #frugalmomprobz (and I DO NOT hashtag anything lol)

But YES you need the purple tube (Lansinoh?) of lanolin cream and something to hold the double pumps to you.. with Jaxon it SUCKED having to hold them to my chest (literally with your arms all contorted crazily for 40 mins... sucks) and if you need to like itch anything or you know- heaven forbid you need to use your hand for something- if you take one hand off the pump, milk ends up splattering everywhere and you have to wipe off and re-suction and OMG it's such a hassle. So yes, Nikki, I ttly 110% back up that claim of 2 MUST NEEDs if you plan to pump

 

[jury3]

Morgan-you may need to pump to keep your supply up or get it to increase, so you never know! I'm not sure the bella band is strong enough to hold it up...keep an eye out for deals though. I got one for $7 bc all I had to pay was shipping.

 

[morganwhite7]

Oh wow well I'll look into one then at that price! The ones at Target are like $50. I have one manual pump and it's just laughable to me to think last pregnancy I thought that would suffice.. Oh my what a hand workout that would be. But I hope to get the double electric off my registry.. and you are right I forgot that I did pump colostrum for a day or so before my milk came in.. I think that may have helped a lot.. seeing as I had a c-section and was FULL of milk 2 days later.

Does anyone know from experience or research maybe if baby even gets much at that first feed after birth? Or is it just to establish the BF bond? I pumped colostrum and it took 40 mins just to get an inch or two (dunno how many mL's that would be.. lol) so I can't imagine baby gets much? Even though I know their tummies are the size of a marble at birth.