We went back to Wellwood Orchards a couple weeks ago to go apple picking and pet the animals. The day was glorious, peak fall colors, and a beautiful view of Mt. Ascutney. Despite the fact that we now have a gazillion apples we don’t have the time to bake with, it was worth the trip.
We were incredibly fortunate to have the help of my mother-in-law for about 11 days, starting a week after Winifred’s birth. Sue was so incredibly helpful–cleaning, taking care of Phare, making dinner, grocery shopping, spending time with Noah, you name it. I feel amazed by her generosity and kindness in ministering to our family. My children are so lucky to have her and so am I! Thank you Sue! I hope one day to do give to my kids what you have given to me. Unfortunately I only got this one shot of her during her stay, the back of her head. It will have to do:
Winifred and Grammie Sue
Front View! Phare and Grammie Sue in October of 2007
I feel terrible that it has taken me so long to write. Our little girl, Winifred Beth Deitrich, came into this world a week ago Friday, at 10:31pm. She was a big girl, weighing 8 lbs, 13 oz, and 19 and 3/4 in long. Overall the labor went smoothly, the worst of it lasting about five hours. She is beautiful, sweet, doesn’t cry much (yet) and seems fairly easy going overall. She’s eating well, gaining weight, and is fairly easy to soothe. I’m not getting much sleep right now, but Toby is home for awhile and has completely taken over the running of the house, and Phare and Noah. We have also had a lot of help from family and friends. My mom has been a total Godsend, along with my friends Jonica and Leah. I don’t know what we would do without them. Thank you!
We’ve also had some other adventures this past week. On Wednesday afternoon we got a call from school saying that Noah had probably dislocated his finger and would need to go to the ER. Toby left with Phare to pick him up, and not five minutes after he left I began experiencing terrible abdominal pain that quickly became unbearable. I couldn’t get up off the floor and started to panic about what I would do if Winifred woke up. Having just given birth five days earlier I was concerned that something was going terribly wrong, but I also thought it could be kidney stones again, since I felt like vomiting and had chills. I called Toby and told him to come pick me up and take me to the hospital too!
So, Toby dropped me off at the midwives section of the hospital and then took Phare, Winnie and Noah to the ER. Eventually I was taken to the birthing pavilion where they set up a cath and did some blood work. Meanwhile I was getting anxious about Winnie waking up and needing to eat so I called the ER and Toby delivered Winifred to me, Noah pushing the stroller all through the huge hospital with his broken finger and Toby carrying Phare. They then returned to the ER and got back in line for Noah! What a sight it all was!
We are all okay now but seriously could have done without all of that stress. Noah was such a big help and didn’t complain much. He is wearing a little cast now on his middle finger and has been told he can still play soccer. As for me, I find it quite ironic that we found out about this pregnancy in the ER, when I had kidney stones back in January, and now it has ended with kidney stones!
Hopefully we won’t have too many more adventures for awhile, and will somehow have the strength to get through these next few sleepless months. I feel hopeful, and so grateful for the help and love we have in our lives. Thanks for checking in and I will try to be better about writing in the future! Here’s my big guy, being very appropriate!
My father-in-law Wayne celebrated his birthday on September 13th. I won’t give away his age in case that makes him uncomfortable! To me he is younger than ever, still kickin’, in body and especially in spirit (oh, and in mouth too). I adore my father-in-law: he is like a second dad to me, gives great hugs, encourages me, and he makes me laugh. We do have a bit of an antagonistic relationship but it’s all in good fun and he is learning quickly that he must be able to “take it” if he is so willing to “dish it.” I do love him very much. I also love how much he loves our kids, how he wants to teach them things and wants to be invested in their lives. I’m even more grateful for his gift of Toby, an amazing man, father, and husband. Surely he gets some credit for that! I’m grateful for his generosity too–he is always willing to lend a helping hand and support us in any way he can. Thank you, Wayne, for being such a special part of my life, and a blessing to all of us.
Phare and Papa Wayne (July 08)
Our baby girl looks great. In fact, I must admit some shock at hearing that her estimated weight right now is 8lbs 3 oz!!!!! Holy cow!!! It would be nice NOT to give birth to a 10 pounder. Anyway, we are relieved and praising God that she seems healthy, strong, active, and is growing just fine. One of the explanations for this measurement issue is that as you have more kids, your uterus stretches and the baby can take on all kinds of funny positions that make it difficult to measure her vertically. I know they know this, but wanted to make sure. She is very far down in my pelvis, another contributing factor to inaccurate measurements. Thanks for praying with us, for us, and for thinking of us.
Today we are going in for an unexpected ultrasound, after our appointment this morning indicated no change in the growth of my uterus. Last week there was already some sign that my measurements seemed a little small given how far along I am. My fundal height (distance from pubic bone to top of uterus) should measure 38 weeks today (38cm), and in fact it has not changed at all since last week. Usually it’s normal to be off by two cm in either direction but today I am off by 4. So, as a result, they want to do an ultrasound to verify that the baby is small, and that she has moved far down into my pelvis (which I can tell you has happened given the intense sharp pressure and piercing pain I have been feeling down there). I don’t think there is anything wrong, but there is a possibility she is not growing the way she should be, or that the fluid in the amniotic sac is low, indicating a problem. So, obviously the not knowing is unhelpful, but she does move a lot and has a healthy heartbeat, so things look very good in a lot of ways.
Of course I keep quoting that Bible verse to myself, “Who by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” It’s not really helping right now, although intellectually I know it’s true. If you think of praying for us today please do, especially for the grace to handle whatever it is God has in store for us with this new little baby. I will keep you posted.
Today is Noah’s 12th birthday!!! The time has flown by, and as happy as I am to celebrate his birthday with joy, I feel a bit sad, like something has changed and there is no turning back. He truly is turning into a young man now with many opinions of his own and he needs me less and less. I’m so proud of who he is and so grateful that God has given him to me to enjoy for this long.
Noah returned last week from a leadership conference in Washington DC where he had many wonderful opportunities to see the sights and learn some leadership skills. This was a big honor for Noah, as each student was nominated by one of their teachers to attend the conference. He had a really fabulous time and I feel proud of him for venturing out to an experience that was completely unknown and far away.
One of the things I love most about Noah is his sense of humor–he is a jolly guy and I could learn a thing or two from his overall cheerful attitude. Yes, we do get plenty of other “attitude”, but I think we have it pretty good compared to some other adolescents I’ve had the “pleasure” of knowing. I also love his kind heart. He wants to do the right thing and he genuinely cares for others. He is incredibly helpful at times, without being asked, and he still wants to give kisses and hugs goodnight. I’m a lucky Mom! Happy Birthday Noah!
Another very special person celebrated her birthday yesterday, and that would be my mom! Happy Birthday Mom! Sorry this is a day late, but I’m so grateful for you, for your help, wisdom, and listening ear. You are an incredibly generous mother to me, and Nana to my children and we are all so blessed by your love. Thank you Mom, and Happy Birthday!
Whoa! Does that title make you want to run for the hills??!! I realize I haven’t said much about baby number three, mostly because it can be annoying when a pregnant woman always talks about her pregnancy, and also because it hasn’t been on my mind as much this time around. That may sound weird but we have plenty going on here. I ran into a woman at the post office the other day who I sort of know through Noah’s soccer club, and she took one good look at me holding my packages and Phare and said “Wow–you’re about to have your hands full!” I immediately responded that I already do! We both laughed, but inside I felt angry at her, for pointing out the obvious. One thing I’ve noticed is that men and women respond so differently to pregnancy. For example, the produce man at Price Chopper has to comment about the expected baby every week, and he never fails to be excited or to tell me his own stories, or to share with the deli man while I stand there and order turkey that “this lady was just pregnant and here she goes again!!” I mean, it’s flattering but weird at the same time. On the other hand, I find that women don’t even want to really acknowledge it. I’ve haven’t met a male stranger yet who did not ask the due date or even ask me how I’m feeling. A woman can easily pass it over as though you have stuffed your shirt. It doesn’t bother me, but I do find it a fascinating bit of psychology, and the brazenness of men is quite amusing.
Anyway, the time is close now, five weeks away, and it’s really sinking in. The heat is getting to me–Toby comes home wondering why I have the AC window units running when it’s 70. I’m uncomfortable at night now, waking up with lots of leg cramps and of course bladder issues. I finally went to Babies R Us (which around here is an all day event since it’s two hours away) and bought a crib and some other needed items. I’m starting to get really excited too, despite the discomfort and utter terror of managing two little beans and a 12 year old’s schedule. I’m excited to hold a tiny baby again, to experience those moments of sheer heaven a new baby brings, the newness of everything, the utter awe at the gift God has given us, and to meet our little girl!
I think my biggest fears right now are a.) a fast labor, like Phare. This sounds ridiculous, yes, but I do wish for it to be a little slower, as the speed created some real problems for me, like third degree tearing (sorry men) and a lot of blood loss resulting in anemia and leaving me very weak for a couple of months. I think it took about three months before I was no longer afraid to sit down. The midwife says there are ways to slow things down–I don’t believe her. Of course I am also more afraid of the pain this time, especially the end when the baby comes out. It’s so fresh in my mind, as though it happened yesterday. You are supposed to have more time to forget!
The next is b.) how to make it through the winter without going insane, becoming severely depressed, etc. I’m trying to get a plan in place to help with this but it’s inevitable that the snow will not help matters despite my best intentions. I’m seriously considering taking anti-depressants after the baby is born, which will perhaps also help with the sleep issues I continue to have. I even have a prescription filled, knowing how susceptible I am to depression and anxiety.
Lastly is c.) how to juggle babies so close in age, plus Noah, and not let him, especially, slip through the cracks. While this is overwhelming, there isn’t much I can do to be proactive about this other than prayer–just have to figure it out as we go. I believe we can do it, and we are lucky to have a lot of love and support in our lives to help us through. Also, I do have the fortunate perspective of Noah being so much older, and knowing that things really do get easier and the years just fly by. The hardship will not last forever.
All in all things have gone really well over these past several months and I don’t mean to complain too much. Sometimes I share these somber thoughts in hopes that someone will read them and feel less alone in their life, or be comforted knowing that others struggle too. That is comforting for me, and helps me come out of myself and my own self pity. I know God will give us the strength to make it in these “little years”/teenage years ahead, and I look forward to discovering and experiencing how we will grow and change and become closer as a family and closer in Him.
34 Weeks
On Sunday we took Phare to an orchard where you can also pick your own blueberries. They also have a petting zoo with goats, bunnies, calfs, chickens, peacocks, sheep, and piglets. It’s a free-for-all, and the animals are used to having a lot of visitors and have no fear. In fact, the goats make every attempt to follow you around and eat anything you might have, including your clothing or camera strap. It’s so much fun because you can pet whoever you want! Unfortunately it started raining shortly after we got there, so no luscious blueberries this time, but we will be back.
These pictures perfectly capture the general attitude at mealtime these days. I felt so proud of Phare when she was around 8 months old, because she would eat anything. I felt proud of myself for making all of her food, like I was really accomplishing healthy eating habits for my child. It’s all gone to pot. She won’t eat much of anything really, not even the standard kid favorites like hot dogs, macaroni, bread (well, toast sometimes works). Her favorite things right now are cottage cheese, watermelon, and pirate booty. Even yogurt doesn’t seem appealing anymore, and that was always a guaranteed protein calcium boost. She’s too young still to truly battle picky eating habits, so I am at a loss. Luckily she is gaining weight, although at her last appointment she apparently shrunk and inch and a half. Any suggestions in this department?
We are also still trying to figure out the mysterious cough Phare has had now for almost two full months. She only coughs during sleep, which of course ruins sleep, and the doctors seem at a loss. The latest recommendation is an inhaler, because chronic coughs in children are often associated with the beginnings or potential of asthma. We are pretty sure it isn’t allergies (bye bye expensive rice milk) because she is only bothered in sleep. We will see what happens.
Phare is also finally on the move, which happened about a month ago. She literally decided one day to just get up and go. You can’t call it crawling, but rather a spider type scoot on the butt. It’s a real riot. If you ask her to spin she will stop and do several 360’s for you–this is the advantage of living in a house with slippery wood floors and very little carpet. Anyway, I don’t have any regrets about being so ready for her to move. It’s been awesome. She is interested in so many more things and can really entertain herself for long periods of time. We are having a lot of fun!
