MRS. SHORTCAKE | Friday, September 3, 2010 at 1:00AM This was shot two years ago, so perhaps it's not very fresh. However, since I've never seen it - and I LOVED it - I figured I might as well share it with you lovely people.
Watch it - and I challenge you not to grin and go away humming Queen!
MRS. SHORTCAKE | Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 1:00AM I have been blessed with the mythical "good baby." Baby Shortcake has been sleeping through the night (about 6-7 hours) since her second week. Unfortunately, I still don't sleep very well, because I am awake and alert every time she stirs or makes any sort of noise. Apparently this comes with motherhood, so there's nothing I can do about it. :)
Anyway, back to her sleep routine. Around 7-8 pm she has a bath, then she feeds, I read her a couple of children's books, and then she spends some quality time with Mr. Shortcake. After that, Baby Shortcake has two 'boobies' (as I call individual nursing feedings), six ounces of a formula/breast milk mix, and then conks out in her bassinette cradle around 11 pm-12 am. I wake up and pump around 4:30 am, and then around 6 am our sleeping beauty wakes up for two more 'boobies' and a 4oz bottle of formula. After that, we both retreat to the big bed and co-sleep for another couple of hours.
One part of her routine that we all really love is the use of the Sleep Sheep. It's a white noise/stuffed animal machine that plays 4 different noises: mother's heartbeat, rain, ocean waves, whale noises. We like the rain and ocean waves the best, but if our daughter ever gets really fussy, the heartbeat seems to soothe her very quickly (in conjunction with swaddling, shushing, cuddling, etc). It can be velcro strapped to a crib, and also comes in a stroller-friendly travel size. We put it on the 45 minute timer at the beginning of every night time nap, and it helps us all relax and fall asleep. This is especially great for Mr. Shortcake, who has always been a light sleeper - until now! ;) During the day we keep her sleeping environment bright and noisy, and consequently, Baby Shortcake can sleep through ANYTHING - I kid you not. For night however, it's dim and peaceful and quiet - except for our beloved Sleep Sheep!
You can find Sleep Sheep here!
~ This review is in no way paid for or otherwise endorsed by the product mentioned ~
MRS. SHORTCAKE | Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 12:00AM There are so many things I love about being a Mommy, I'd thought I start a new little post series!
Having a baby who sleeps 6-7 hours straight at night in her bassinette, wakes up for a feeding, and then goes back to the big bed with Mommy for another couple of hours of blissful slumber. Daddy is already up by this point, so it's just Baby Shortcake and me, cuddling and snoozing in each other's arms. (Note: this angle makes it look like she's buried her face in my chest, but she's actually farther away from me, along my arm, airways clear) Everyday I feel less and less like a boobie with legs, and more like her Very Special Human. I love it!
MRS. SHORTCAKE | Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 1:00AM { READ PART ONE, PART TWO }
It was 12:32 in the afternoon on July 28th, 2010. I had waddled my way up the the third floor maternity ward, and I had waddled my way over the threshold of pregnancy into the scary unknown land of labour and delivery.
I was greeted by the ultra-friendly staff, and put into the assessment room (the only non-private room in the ward!) for the time being. I gave a pee sample, changed into an ever-flattering open-back hospital gown, and put on a pair of even sexier mesh panties (which were surprisingly comfy - I recommend you all getting a pair just for kicks, seriously).
My first nurse of my stay, Azza, took my vitals and brought me the first ice water of many. They were DELICIOUS, and Mr. Shortcake would soon take over filling my order (ice-water ratio: fill the cup with crushed ice, then add ice cold water). I was addicted to sippin' on those sippy cups; I even took one home with me! There's something about straws that make ordinary drinks fun, huh?
At 2:30 my belly was strapped in and up to the fetal monitoring machines. As per her usual, Baby Shortcake sounded like a race horse. Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump.
Mr. Shortcake arrived with my mother and began doing a Kentucky Derby-style narration: "a-aand she's rounding the bend...baby shortcake pulling into the lead...look at her go!"
For the next half hour I was monitored, but no real contractions appeared. At 3:00 pm I was given an internal exam, and I hadn't dilated from the morning's exam, when I was 3 cm. Because my water had broken the day before, the decision was made to induce my labour, and a Cervadil suppository was inserted into my hoo-ha to help ripen my cervix. The nurses were amazed by my laughter and humming during the exam and insertion, but I was really just trying to keep from crying, as my pelvic separation made the pain quite intense.
Cervadil inserted (it was like a little tampon with rubber "string" so that the staff could pull it out if necessary), I was put back on the external fetal monitors.
Then, and throughout the night, the nurses would be amazed (and frustrated) by Baby's Shortcake refusal to stay still underneath the heart rate monitors. She kept trying to kick it off! Eventually, nurses had to take turns holding the heart rate paddle to my squirming baby belly.
I was so swollen in the last three weeks of my pregnancy, that you must excuse my appearance in any and all of these photos. Especially after they inserted the IV later on, my swelling increased so much that I looked like quite a toad, and had between 3 and a million chins. :D
This was my foot before the IV:
My feet are normally skeletal-skinny, so I hope you can see the difference. I couldn't even bend my toes!
I wasn't allowed to eat for an hour after the Cervadil was inserted, but at 4:30 pm, Mr. Shortcake ran out to get me something to eat. I was craving a chicken Caesar salad, but the 711 across the street didn't carry that, so my husband brought me chicken tenders and chocolate milk. Yummy!
Contractions began appearing sporadically.
According to my transportation pain rating system, they were around a 'car' or 'truck.' I was encouraged to walk around, so at around 5:30 pm, Mr. Shortcake and I took a leisurely stroll around the ward.
And then they started. Car. Truck. Train. Train. Train. OMG. CRUISE SHIP. I was doubled over in the hall, clutching onto the railing for support. A code was announced in the hallway, and nurses came running past us. We moved to the side as someone grabbed a initialed cart and rushed into one of the rooms. Post partum haemorrhage. OMG. I tried to stay calm and not think of worst case scenarios. Considering that my mother hemorrhaged after my birth, almost died, passed out and didn't come to for a couple of days, I already had ample fodder for my over active imagination. Mr. Shortcake saw a doctor came out of the room with blood all over his scrub pants, but thankfully I missed that. I was too busy waddling my way back to my room, trying to think happy thoughts.
