The way our day started today was not very noteworthy: errands and housework all day. After we were finished, Evan wanted to go to the park, so we packed a cooler full of cold drinks and off we went. Or so we thought...
He didn't want to go to the park in our neighborhood, but rather a large park where his school had their track and field day. Neither of us adults had ever been there, but he insisted he knew where it was and started to tell us how to get there. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about,and Evan is usually pretty good with these things, so we trusted him.
Somehow, we ended up on this narrow, roughly paved road that runs parallel to the Ohio River. And the houses we passed looked horribly unkempt, so we were hesitant to ask for directions from anyone. I thought of sure that we were going to plummet to our deaths as my new-ish car teetered on the edge of the road, at which point there was a violently steep drop. But Northern Kentucky is a hodge-podge of small communities, so we knew we would eventually find something that looked familiar, and kept going. Well, we ended up in the seediest looking area that had me reaching for the door locks by habit, forgetting that my car locks automatically when the spped picks up to 20 mph. So we kept making turns, hoping to end up in familiar territory, but instead kept ending up in this same little town. At some point, we even passed a waste water treatment facility that stank so badly that Evan exclaimed, "Is it a POOP factory??? I smell POOP!" Needless to say, by the time we ended up home again, we were all cracking up with laughter, having never been to this mystery park.
So other than NOT trusting my eldest with directions, what else have I learned this week?
Immunizations can be evil! At Zach's well-child appointment this past Friday, I asked about all of the pertussis stuff I have been hearing about lately. I haven't worked in some time, and wondered if there was something I had missed. The discussion turned to when I had my last pertussis vaccine. Well, other than flu shots (including H1N1), Hepatiitis B (Hmmmm I handle blood, so that one was work-related), and tetanus, I haven't had any vaccines since I was a teenager. Well it turns out that they actually recommend a dose of the equivalent of a DTaP vax for adults every so many years. And to protect Zach and Evan from this re-emergence of pertussis, considering the line of work I am in, our family doc wanted me to get one. Okay, no biggie. Ha!
I was fine. I didn't even flinch and was even actively involved in a convo with the doctor when I got the injection. The trouble wasn't until later that night. Violent chills. I just could not get warm. I was covered in every heavy blanket we have in the house. The next morning,I checked my temperature because I was starting to sweat like one does when a fever is breaking: 102.8. And that was while the fever was breaking. Then came the body aches all over. I wanted nothing more than to soak in a warm bath, but since my uterus still has a relatively large wound in it that is still in the stages of healing, I am not allowed to do anything that could get anything in the plumbing down there--no sex, tampon, baths, swimming, etc. So I had to suck it up without my bath. It took 2 days to return to normal, and I truthfully am still not there because I have this enormous knot in my arm that itches and is horribly sore. And the area gets bigger by the day. Oh well, such is life. But Iwill think long and hard before I ever let them give me that again.
Pregnancy cured my modesty! I was horribly modest. I went years and years without a Pap because I couldn't run the risk of running into a doctor at work who had seen my vajayjay. And through the ordeal of my pregnancy, I was terribly picky about the nurses I allowed to check my cervix. Nobody I worked with was allowed to do it, so basically, only day-shifters were permitted. Finally, one night, a night shifter had to. From that point on, she was the only one, because the damage had already been done with her. Then, when Zach was born, and I was breastfeeding, I came dangerously close to hurting a friend's feelings because I would turn down her help with breastfeeding because I couldn't stand the thought of a friend holding my boob for me as I maneauvered Zach around my incision and tried to get him latched on properly. Yet when the lactation consultant would check on me during her rounds, I would need all sorts of guidance and admitted that it was because my nurse was a friend that I was denying help. She actually went back to my friend and told her I needed a different nurse, and my friend came back to me, crushed. That is how bad it is.
So yesterday, I go back to the store to get my supply of nursing bras. I was having trouble finding ones with a good fit. My usual size just wasn't working. So there I am, in the fitting room in shorts and a bra. My belly looks like a deflated balloon from the pregnancy and c-section. And in walks the saleslady. And you know what? I didn't give a damn by this point. The result? I ended up leaving with 8 beautifully-fitting bras because I had the expertise of someone who does it for a living. I think my pregnancy did it. Because the old me would have shrieked in horror at the thought. Am I cured?
I am an Expert Babywearer! We went to Babies'R'Us yesterday for some Zach essentials. I also wanted to look at some non-essentials too, as they had some good deals advertised in their mailer. I really wanted a baby carrier. I was looking at the Baby Bjorn one, but have read all of the stuff about the versatility of other ones. So I see the Moby Wrap. And I had a 15% Off coupon. So I figured, eh, why not? I was kind of afraid to try it. I took it out of its cover to wash it and was dismayed to find the horrendously long strip of fabric and nothing else. No buckles, straps, snaps. And I am supposed to wrap this around myself in a way that will secure my baby? I doubted my skills, and pictured the trip to the ER for Zach's skull fracture that would undoubtedly result. But nope! I did it! And Zach loved it. There he was, curled up in a ball against my chest like he loves, and he actually fell asleep while I did laundry, washed dishes,vacuumed, and even ate lunch. So now I am feeling all smug about it. Ha!
Good friends are fabulous! Well, okay, this is not news. But as we were about to head to Babies'R'Us, I stopped by to drop something off for a friend, and I mentioned where we were headed. I also mentioned that we needed diapers and they had somegood deals going on, so I planned on stocking up for when we run out of newborn diapers or Zach outgrows them and is into a size 1. Well, this friend happens to be affiliated with a home for single moms. (She is nameless because I am not sure if she would be in hot water over what she did.) Apparently they were overrun with size 1 diapers. And wipes. I ended up leaving there with the equivalent of 4 cases of size 1 diapers and 2 cases (not refills! CASES! ) of baby wipes. And they are the brand we use, too! Thank You, Friend!
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