Working from home
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Changes, changes, changes
So many new things going on in the life of the Schuster's these days. For starters, as some of you may or may not know, we have decided to have this next little munchkin at home. It's a big decision but one we are very settled on. We had flirted with the idea when we first got pregnant with Mason but there were too many unknowns and we weren't ready for it. But my first birth went so well and was so amazing that I figure I can do it again, just at home. And I thank our dear friends Matthew and Eva for putting the seeds in our heads again.
I think a lot of people have trouble with the idea and wonder how we can not worry that something will go wrong, but we spent a lot of time thinking about it and think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I hate hospitals, I have always hated hospitals and I have spent enough time in them throughout my life to know that I would rather not have to go there again unless it were absolutely necessary. Don't get me wrong, our experience at Marin General was fantastic and the nurses were great, but we couldn't sleep in our own bed and Wolf had to sleep on that horrible fold out chair, we were in a strange, noisy and uncomfortable environment and nurses kept coming by at all hours of the night to check on us. I had an all natural birth with no drugs, despite 12 hours of hard labor, and my body dealt with it all far better than I ever could have imagined. Had that experience not been a good one, I would be far more reluctant to have this second one at home. This time I can relax in my bathtub, walk around my house naked if I choose, labor anywhere, give birth anywhere, and finally, sleep in our wonderfully luxurious king sized bed when all is said and done. Mason's life is about to change drastically and we would like to make the initial transition as smooth as possible. Of course it would be ideal to go into labor while he is sleeping and have him wake up to a new brother or sister, but as we know, things don't always go as planned. We will, of course, have a back up plan but the midwives we have chosen have well over a thousand births each and we feel comfortable that they will know what to do when the time comes, no matter what action is necessary.
Other news: Mason will be starting "school" in 2 weeks. I know myself well enough to know that I will literally be on the brink of insanity if I have to deal with both children every day, all day. So putting Mason in school 2 days a week seems a good way to balance everything. He will get to make a bunch of friends, have lots of adventures and get himself ready for preschool. We are on a bit of a tight schedule, though, because we really want to get him settled in somewhere before this next baby comes so that he doesn't feel like he is being abandoned or punished in any way.
March 1st will be his first day at The Kid's Place. It is a school that is based on a program called Reggio Emilia. I studied it in school when I was getting my degree in Early Childhood Education and I remember hoping that there would be such schools around when my kids were ready. He will be in the toddler, or tadpole, class until he is 30 months, then he will move into the preschool. He will not have to go to another school so the transiton should be a smooth one. The whole premise of this program is the teachers take ideas that the kids like and are interested in and incorporate learning with that. I know it isn't for all kids, just as Montessori or Waldorf isn't, but I am hoping that he will like it and have fun. I guess we'll just have to see.
Well, I guess those are the biggest events going on right now. We are all getting over sinus infections and colds but have managed to escape the ear infections and the flu (knock on wood). April 11th is fast approaching and I am getting bigger by the day...and more tired. Sleeping is becoming quite difficult and is not helped by the need to pee every 2 hours or the squirmy little being wedging itself up under my ribs. Ah, soon, soon, it will all be over and I will be done with pregnancy. Not that I really have anything to complain about but it sure takes its toll on your body.
Last note: We asked Mason the other day what we should name the baby if it is a boy and he told us Nemo. If it is a girl, she will be called Cookie. So there you have it, as decided by the big brother: Nemo or Cookie.
I think a lot of people have trouble with the idea and wonder how we can not worry that something will go wrong, but we spent a lot of time thinking about it and think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I hate hospitals, I have always hated hospitals and I have spent enough time in them throughout my life to know that I would rather not have to go there again unless it were absolutely necessary. Don't get me wrong, our experience at Marin General was fantastic and the nurses were great, but we couldn't sleep in our own bed and Wolf had to sleep on that horrible fold out chair, we were in a strange, noisy and uncomfortable environment and nurses kept coming by at all hours of the night to check on us. I had an all natural birth with no drugs, despite 12 hours of hard labor, and my body dealt with it all far better than I ever could have imagined. Had that experience not been a good one, I would be far more reluctant to have this second one at home. This time I can relax in my bathtub, walk around my house naked if I choose, labor anywhere, give birth anywhere, and finally, sleep in our wonderfully luxurious king sized bed when all is said and done. Mason's life is about to change drastically and we would like to make the initial transition as smooth as possible. Of course it would be ideal to go into labor while he is sleeping and have him wake up to a new brother or sister, but as we know, things don't always go as planned. We will, of course, have a back up plan but the midwives we have chosen have well over a thousand births each and we feel comfortable that they will know what to do when the time comes, no matter what action is necessary.
Other news: Mason will be starting "school" in 2 weeks. I know myself well enough to know that I will literally be on the brink of insanity if I have to deal with both children every day, all day. So putting Mason in school 2 days a week seems a good way to balance everything. He will get to make a bunch of friends, have lots of adventures and get himself ready for preschool. We are on a bit of a tight schedule, though, because we really want to get him settled in somewhere before this next baby comes so that he doesn't feel like he is being abandoned or punished in any way.
March 1st will be his first day at The Kid's Place. It is a school that is based on a program called Reggio Emilia. I studied it in school when I was getting my degree in Early Childhood Education and I remember hoping that there would be such schools around when my kids were ready. He will be in the toddler, or tadpole, class until he is 30 months, then he will move into the preschool. He will not have to go to another school so the transiton should be a smooth one. The whole premise of this program is the teachers take ideas that the kids like and are interested in and incorporate learning with that. I know it isn't for all kids, just as Montessori or Waldorf isn't, but I am hoping that he will like it and have fun. I guess we'll just have to see.
Well, I guess those are the biggest events going on right now. We are all getting over sinus infections and colds but have managed to escape the ear infections and the flu (knock on wood). April 11th is fast approaching and I am getting bigger by the day...and more tired. Sleeping is becoming quite difficult and is not helped by the need to pee every 2 hours or the squirmy little being wedging itself up under my ribs. Ah, soon, soon, it will all be over and I will be done with pregnancy. Not that I really have anything to complain about but it sure takes its toll on your body.
Last note: We asked Mason the other day what we should name the baby if it is a boy and he told us Nemo. If it is a girl, she will be called Cookie. So there you have it, as decided by the big brother: Nemo or Cookie.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
What a day....
what a day, what a day, what a day. And it's only noon.
Mason's new witching hour, or rather half hour, appears to be between 4 and 4:30 a.m. For some reason unknown to us, he wakes up out of a dead sleep crying, either for a book, TV or to eat. On Sunday night, it was so hard to put him down that the only way we could get him to sleep was to put him in our bed. That's never really happened before and for a darn good reason - the boy NEVER lies still. He doesn't sit still when he's awake and in his sleep he moves back and forth, up and down his crib. So why would things be any different in our bed? He kicks, pushes, cuddles, sweats and talks. And with me having to heave my huge bulk out of bed at least 3 times a night, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to stay. So to the couch I went, and to bed Daddy went, at 8:30. Mind you, we just bought a king size bed just for this purpose, not really realizing that the bigger size only allows him to lay across the bed with his feet in my belly and his head in daddy's chest. Needless to say, it was a long night for all of us.....except Mason.
Happily, Mason went down at his normal time last night, without a fuss or a fight but come 4:00, he was up ranting and raving. So I got up and we cuddled and read books and did all of the things that usually work, but he wasn't having it. He would not go back down. I was utterly exhausted but it felt so good to feel his warm little body curled up around my belly. We fell asleep in the chair in his room and I woke to find Daddy watching over us. Into the big bed we went, figuring that at least we could all be together. That lasted half an hour, then he wanted food, then he wanted mommy, then he wanted daddy, then he wanted both of us but didn't want to be in the bed. On and on it went, until finally I think we all fell asleep in the bed completely spent and got maybe an hour more sleep......at which point Mason woke up crying and sweating. Poor little guy. Maybe gas, maybe growing pains, maybe teeth. Who knows?
Wolf was a god send this morning. Normally I help him get ready in the morning and we drive to the ferry. This morning I could barely talk, let alone function. Wolf took care of everything and drove off to work on his own. It was nice that I didn't have to do anything but at the same time, we really like taking him and picking him up at the ferry.
An hour later, Mason and I are off running errands. We did our weekly, sometimes daily, run to Borders, having a muffin and some tea. We are friends with two of the women who work there, Stephanie and Silvia, and it's a treat for all of us to see each other. Today I was a little slower and less talkative but it was still wonderful to go. Towards the end of our visit, however, a gentleman or rather, an asshole, managed to break my calm. Mason and I are sitting in the CAFE portion of the store, eating and enjoying ourselves. I was checking in with my mom on the phone and Mason was cleaning the table, singing or yelling or talking loudly to himself, when this man in the magazine aisle turns to me and asks me to keep my child quiet. It took a minute for it to register. I felt my cheeks become enflamed and my heart began to race. "Excuse me?" was my reply. "This is not a library." "Yes, it is and I'm trying to read," was his baffling response. Flabbergasted, I could not go on. I shared my anger with my mom instead of with the asshole. Had I not been talking with her, I would have really lit into him. I spent the next hour or so coming up with all of the things I could have said if my pregnancy brain had not failed me. I think my favorite response is: "I'm sorry, I could tape my 2 year olds mouth shut, but since I inadvertantly left the tape at home today, I advise you to either move or actually PURCHASE your magazine, since this IS a bookstore and NOT a library. Asshole." Ahhh, I almost feel better. My shoulders are dropping down from around my ears and my jaw is unclenching.
Sigh. Now that I have that weight off of my chest, I think I will go take a nap and hope that my afternoon goes by quickly and painlessly. Hears to dreams!
Mason's new witching hour, or rather half hour, appears to be between 4 and 4:30 a.m. For some reason unknown to us, he wakes up out of a dead sleep crying, either for a book, TV or to eat. On Sunday night, it was so hard to put him down that the only way we could get him to sleep was to put him in our bed. That's never really happened before and for a darn good reason - the boy NEVER lies still. He doesn't sit still when he's awake and in his sleep he moves back and forth, up and down his crib. So why would things be any different in our bed? He kicks, pushes, cuddles, sweats and talks. And with me having to heave my huge bulk out of bed at least 3 times a night, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to stay. So to the couch I went, and to bed Daddy went, at 8:30. Mind you, we just bought a king size bed just for this purpose, not really realizing that the bigger size only allows him to lay across the bed with his feet in my belly and his head in daddy's chest. Needless to say, it was a long night for all of us.....except Mason.
Happily, Mason went down at his normal time last night, without a fuss or a fight but come 4:00, he was up ranting and raving. So I got up and we cuddled and read books and did all of the things that usually work, but he wasn't having it. He would not go back down. I was utterly exhausted but it felt so good to feel his warm little body curled up around my belly. We fell asleep in the chair in his room and I woke to find Daddy watching over us. Into the big bed we went, figuring that at least we could all be together. That lasted half an hour, then he wanted food, then he wanted mommy, then he wanted daddy, then he wanted both of us but didn't want to be in the bed. On and on it went, until finally I think we all fell asleep in the bed completely spent and got maybe an hour more sleep......at which point Mason woke up crying and sweating. Poor little guy. Maybe gas, maybe growing pains, maybe teeth. Who knows?
Wolf was a god send this morning. Normally I help him get ready in the morning and we drive to the ferry. This morning I could barely talk, let alone function. Wolf took care of everything and drove off to work on his own. It was nice that I didn't have to do anything but at the same time, we really like taking him and picking him up at the ferry.
An hour later, Mason and I are off running errands. We did our weekly, sometimes daily, run to Borders, having a muffin and some tea. We are friends with two of the women who work there, Stephanie and Silvia, and it's a treat for all of us to see each other. Today I was a little slower and less talkative but it was still wonderful to go. Towards the end of our visit, however, a gentleman or rather, an asshole, managed to break my calm. Mason and I are sitting in the CAFE portion of the store, eating and enjoying ourselves. I was checking in with my mom on the phone and Mason was cleaning the table, singing or yelling or talking loudly to himself, when this man in the magazine aisle turns to me and asks me to keep my child quiet. It took a minute for it to register. I felt my cheeks become enflamed and my heart began to race. "Excuse me?" was my reply. "This is not a library." "Yes, it is and I'm trying to read," was his baffling response. Flabbergasted, I could not go on. I shared my anger with my mom instead of with the asshole. Had I not been talking with her, I would have really lit into him. I spent the next hour or so coming up with all of the things I could have said if my pregnancy brain had not failed me. I think my favorite response is: "I'm sorry, I could tape my 2 year olds mouth shut, but since I inadvertantly left the tape at home today, I advise you to either move or actually PURCHASE your magazine, since this IS a bookstore and NOT a library. Asshole." Ahhh, I almost feel better. My shoulders are dropping down from around my ears and my jaw is unclenching.
Sigh. Now that I have that weight off of my chest, I think I will go take a nap and hope that my afternoon goes by quickly and painlessly. Hears to dreams!
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