How are you feeling Marisa? How's your family?

[jbowman]

Just checking! I hope that you are feeling better and that everything is going well!

[Marisa6826]

Hey Girlie-

Thanks for asking. We're slowly trying to put things back together. I haven't heard from Hydra, and honestly DO expect her to try and contact me. To that end, I changed around our phone service so that we now have call intercept and have blocked both her cell and home numbers. She tried to take off with one of our credit card numbers, so I need to get my butt in gear and cancel that card. I asked for it back and she threw it at me, but I can't be certain she didn't have it written down elsewhere. Like I have nothing else to do...

We have decided to just have a night baby doula that comes between 11pm and 7am. That way, we're both able to sleep at night, although Amelia (Mia) has only been getting up twice since I've been home. I am breastfeeding her all day long, but then have the doula give her formula at night (I haven't even started to try and begin to stash EBM). Mia goes about 4 hours between feeds at night, so it really isn't that bad. I just don't have the energy to do days AND nights right now.

The past two days the two of us (along with a pigdog or two) have stayed in bed and done nothing but bond and BF. She's able to latch without any nipple shield (to my amazement) and can go as long as 40 minutes on one side. I'm letting her feed on demand, although I'm not so sure that she's always feeding as much as just comfort sucking. Her favourite place (and admittedly, mine) to nap is curled up on my chest. I told Jonathan last night that I KNOW Sophie was this tiny and slept the same way, I just don't remember it.

Sophie is truly giving Jonathan a run for his money and he tells me every night that he has no idea how I stay home with her everyday. They both have cabin fever, but I just haven't had the energy to get dressed and take them anywhere. Add in that I just can't walk far and Mia can't go out in crowds yet, and there's not much of an option for him to take her anywhere. So yesterday and today he bundled Sophie up in her snowsuit and they went outside "squirrel hunting". Basically that entails nothing more than running up and down the street (we're on a long dead end).

We have to take both girls to the Ped on Monday for their respective checkups. Honestly, the thought of doing that terrifies me. Unfortunately, Willy (the older pigdog) is having a really terrible time with his back from the cold - he has a preexisting condition called hemivertebrae - and I need to get off my butt and pick up a prescription for him. I might try and do that Monday while we're all out.

Sophie's adjusting to being a good sister. She likes to rock the moses basket and shush Mia. She also brings me dipes. She's just a little rough with her, so we're working on that.

Jonathan had a bigtime run in with his Father and ended up having to send a two page fax apologising for some non-existent behaviour. The jist of it was that the ILs wanted to come over on Saturday when all the drama was going on at the house and Jonathan said no. His Father took offense and basically threatened to cut off an annual stipend we get. Whatever. Hopefully that's all behind us now. Some people seemingly have the inability to categorise priorities.

So that's about it. I'm still taking the Percocet, although not as much. Jonathan went above and beyond and made me brownies. They're currently cooling. Woo hoo!!!

Off to eat some chocolate crack ;) :P

love

-m

[aliceinwonderland]

OMG--you're really getting it from all sides, huh?? Geez...You should have told you FIL that you were doing them a favor by protecting them from Hydra's tentacles :):) They should be doubling your stipend just for that ;)

I had to chuckle at your comment about Sophie and Jonathan...Andrew has had to stay home with Erik a couple of times (without me), and when I come back, he says "I can NEVER do the stay at home parent!!" Neither can I, but he was entertaining that thought for a while, and now it's really out of the picture ;)

[deenass]

Marisa,

Welcome home. How amazing for you that Mia latched on and that breastfeeding is going well! It's wonderful that you were able to settle back in to that so quickly with everything else you've had to deal with!

Enjoy her sleeping in your arms! They grow up too quicl! Mine is 21 mos today and I miss that tiny babyness.

[jbowman]

Marisa,

It's so good to hear that things are going better! Enjoy your brownies!

[momma_boo]

Good to hear that things are going well for you, Jonathan and the girls.

Sorry to hear about the drama w/ the IL's. Hopefully, that will get resolved.

Yum! Freshly baked brownies sound awesome.

[cinrein]

Glad to hear you guys are settling in as a family of 4. I'm so relieved that Mia is doing well breastfeeding. And yes, after what you went through I think allowing yourself to sleep at night is very wise.

Tell Jonathan that some days me and Anna put our coats on and just play in the driveway. Toddlers don't need to go far to have a good time. :)

Hugs
Cindy and Anna February 2003

[McQ]

So glad you're enjoying this wonderful time with your family. Cuddling with Mia (in my head she's still Amelia) and daddy playing with Sophie sounds pretty darn perfect to me.

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[Marisa6826]

well. she IS amelia. mia is her nickname. kind of how sophie is really sophia. ;)

-m

[Melanie]

So how did hydra come out of joan? ;-)

[Marisa6826]

think tentacles and just horrid comic books. you will get the idea ;)

-m

[Melanie]

Um...ooooh.. GOTCHA.

http://www.marveldirectory.com/pics/teampics/hydra.jpg