the derdairs

I’ve had many requests for updates, so this is long delayed because I am busy as hell.  But now, on Labor Day, I can write for a bit about how the derning life is.

Keegan is getting so big!  Tommorrow is his 5 month birthday, so we’re pretty excited at all of the milestones he’s made.  He’s rolling over, babbling nonstop, playing with and grasping toys, and knows his name. I know that for those of you that don’t have children, that sounds kind of lame, but for those of you that do have kids, you’ll understand why we just sit around and freak out when he does any of these things.  Babies are awesome.  I wouldn’t say that I’m ready to be pregnant again, but it’s an awful lot of fun being a mom.

I have to share this, just to make myself feel better.

We have workers in the house today.

 I was feeding Keegan the old fashioned way.

They called me into the living room to ask a question.

I interrupted Keegan’s lunch and got up to answer the guys.

I, um, didn’t put away the lunch “equipment”.  Oops.

I’m still trying to figure out if they noticed, as Keegan was partly covering it up, or if they are just really polite people.

Well, he’s getting bigger and better, and I’m getting better at growing him! It’s early Monday morning and we had a vry nice first mother’s day.  Sat. night, Grandma and Boppa babysat so Sean and I could go out to dinner.  We went to Bravo Cucina, and it was OK.  The mojitos hit me like a wall but they were REALLY good. 

This week we’re working on the yard and getting HVAC estimates.  We’re really hoping not to break the bank there.  I have a good idea of what it should cost, but the first estimate was insane.  Sort of like our first  kitchen estimate.  WOW.  I’m also hoping to have lunch with my friends and maybe even get to the Replay one afternoon after Sean gets home.

I think Keegan is gaining weight, so I feel a lot better about our nursing schedule… we’re pros now.  Who knew really how hard it could be? 

I’m off to shower and go to my breastfeeding group.  Yes, to answer your question, we DO sit in a circle and breastfeed our kids.  But it’s really more of a Q&A thing with a nurse and lactation specialist at the local hospital.  I really enjoy the cameraderie and I like hearing other people’s issues.  I’ve learned a lot. 

So I guess I haven’t filled the blog with stories about the great and wonderful Keegan yet.  Well, he’s great and wonderful and smart and funny and three weeks old.  But I’m sure the smart and funny thing is true, he just can’t communicate it yet. 

We’re so happy, and very much in love.  We’re also very much tired at this point, but trying hard to maintain a normal life.  The kid loves to eat, which means most of my time is spent on the bed feeding the little one.  I enjoy that time so much and I’m so happy it was so easy for Keegan and I both.

Birth story is nothing much to tell… easy labor until the MAJOR contractions set in, they suck, they are horrific and terribly painful and I’ve never felt that kind of awful pain.  I even have a generally high tolerance, and seriously, they sucked.  But I made it to 7 cm before the lovely lovely lovely epidural doctor came in and rocked my world with the most wonderful pain relief EV-AR.  Once I had that juice of heaven coursing through a hole in my back, it was smooth sailing.  I had to have a little pitocin as my labor slowed after the epidural,  but that was no big deal, I felt nothing.  They finally asked me if I wanted to push, and I said yep, and we were rolling… I pushed for a very short time (this time is anywhere from 45 mins to 25 mins depending on who you ask) and Keegan was here!  Labor was really cool, actually, cause they put him on my stomach right after he came out.  He was all covered in the vernix, and screaming, but really was (and I hate to sound cheesy, but I can’t help it) the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

After he was born we had some jaundice issues so Keeg had to spend a couple of days under the bililights, but they did the trick and he has been a dream baby ever since.  He cries only when wet or hungry, and otherwise is a very alert little dude with a major interest in anything he can stare at.  Sean and I just love to watch him. He loves his swing and Sean will just put the swing in the living room and play video games, all the while talking to Keegan, and Keeg just sits there swinging, happy as can be.  It’s all very cute.

Recovery for me was a breeze, I guess it’s hell for most but for me it was a couple of days of being uncomfortable.  I was off the pain meds after the second day.  No dirtly details to share, but people ask, so I’ll keep it delicate… I didn’t have to get stitches, so my recovery was super easy. 

I miss work and my friends, but more than anything I’m thankful to stay home with my sweet boy.  I think quite often about if I could stay home full time, and although the idea is great, in all practicality, I’d go insane which would not be healthy for the boy.  I love what I do, my career is my hobby, so I think a healthy, happy, productive mother is much more in line with the kind of parent I want to be. 

I do kind of miss being pregnant… but not enough to have one for another few years.  If we have another, we’d like to do it soon, but I’m enjoying new parenthood right now.  That, and red wine with dinner (no worries, I pump milk for the little guy, he gets none of it!).

Plans for this summer include trying to get to Chicago to see Grandpa Jack Derning and that side of the fam, and also getting to Tennessee to introduce the boy to my extended family.  We can’t wait for everyone to meet him.

Well, I could go any minute now.  That’s about it!  We’re still getting ready for the wee one, but we’re close to being physically ready, and I know we’re emotionally ready- we’re already in parent mode. 

 I went into early labor on Friday night, and I don’t want to rehash the story, but if you’re pregnant, and you have contractions that hurt, you should try the stadol.  Seriously.  She said it would feel like I had three martinis instantly, and she was totally right.  It was NIIICE. 

 Another thing about Friday- my best friend Elizabeth told me that contractions felt like being poisoned and then shot.  And she was totally right!  The nurses thought that was a pretty funny and apt description.

maybe.  I’m what they call 2-3 centimeters and 50% effaced.  Translated, I could go into labor right now, or in a few weeks.  I’m so glad I’m armed with information that doesn’t help me at all.  I’m having contractions, but there is no reason, or need, or desire on my part to stop working or preparing or anything.  I’m just going to keep going until someone says stop, or a baby falls out.

So Sean and I get up this morning and we’re drinking our coffee and relaxing, and Sean’s phone rings.  He answers it and just sits there smiling, and says “Um, I’m pretty sure you have the wrong number”.  I ask what’s so funny, and he’s like “Um, someone just called to ask about the Spider Monkey we have in the paper.”

 We sit, confused, and I’m all “great, they must have mistyped the number.  That is funny.  Hahaha.”

 I RUN to the computer and look up the “Pets” ads, and there it is.  It took a moment to sink in.

Spider Monkey: FREE to good home, named Keegan, Please call 785-764-1546

I yell in my best Seinfeld “POTTEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!” and we call Clint.

I’m STILL laughing. 

UPDATE: The calls are coming in rapdily now.  Someome named Tanya just called.  “I’m calling about the monkey.”  These are going to be the best voicemails ever.

UPDATE:  The messages are HILARIOUS, but Clint has now broken many little children’s hearts.  They want this monkey so bad, and I just know that they sat around begging their parents alllll day to just CALL and find out about the monkey.  I can hear it now- “Mom, Dad, I’ll TOTALLY take care of it, seriously, and I’ll buy the monkey food and change the diapers and everything.  Oh PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!”

One guy left quite a sales pitch about how he could be a great owner for Keegan as he is a fromer bio teacher and an owner of exotic pets- seemed like a sincerely nice fellow.  One dude wanted to know if the monkey would be “habitable” with his two small dogs and wanted to know if he could make “the little monkey happy”.  I’ve never wished I actually owned a spider monkey so much. Damn you, Clint!!! Revenge is sweet! 

Sean made a terrible discovery last night.  I have cankles.  Now normally I would tell you that I have really cute ankles.  I have small, dainty feet and ankles, which are about the only thing you could describe as dainty on me.  Now I have the dreaded pregnancy cankles.  I’m drinking tons of water and propping them up as much as I can, but it turns out that can only help a bit, sometimes these things can’t be avoided.

Seriously.  Cankles.  God.

On a happy note, the shower saga is over and we had a working shower last night.

Which is a  good thing because now the bathroom sink doesn’t work, and I was glad to be able to brush my teeth in the bathtub.

I almost went off on the dude last night, but Sean’s cooler head prevailed, and a hot shower diffused my anger.   The tile looks great, by the way.

Same old same old here.  Contractions, work, tired, hungry, but happy all in all.  New bathroom and kitchen to come- I’m really excited about that!  Not so excited about the massive amounts of cash money that will be going out, but hey, what are you going to do, you know?  It’s gotta get done somehow.  I’m ready for Keegan to be here, but not ready to leave work.  I think I’ll miss it.    At least I’ll miss the peeps.

Cali was good but exhausting, I am more tired than I thought.  I’m also having some early “pre-labor” signs so I’m resting and drinking as much water as I can, that helps for sure.  I’m lucky I can work from home or I would be bored as hell.