My update

OK so now I'm totally confused. I went and saw the Doctor. She said that it could still be left over from the bladder infection (the symptoms, that is) or it could be a different infection (great). In any case she told me the solution was to rest. She quickly added "Can your husband watch her while you get some rest?"
My response?

"No, he's gone." (In hindsight, I realize this was worded poorly based on the poor doctor's face when I said it) "Wait! I mean he's in Tahoe for the weekend at a bachelor party. He'll be back on Sunday"

She also said that she would run a urine analysis and do some blood work. She said the pee would show if it's the bladder infection that's giving me problems and the blood work would show if there's an infection going on. She said the source of the infection could either be from the bladder or from something else. But, until more symptoms present themselves, she has no clue what's causing the fever. She did try to say that my symptoms could be from fatigue and stress, to which I asked her "a fever!?" She said, no, that wouldn't cause a fever, an infection would, however. Ugh... are you seeing the circular pattern?

So that was on Friday before Labor Day weekend. I was emailed the results (thank you Kaiser!) and the good news is both blood and urine are clean. No infection. The bad news? WTF is up with me!? She said to call the advice nurse once the labs were posted, but I feel like a flippin nut! "Hi, my labs are normal, I'm still not feeling so hot but as long as I take tylenol I feel OK" What will they say to that? "Keep up the tylenol until you feel better, don't take more than 8 in a day." Anyone wanna bet otherwise?

Meanwhile, I'm still super cold at night (when it's hot out!) and then when I bundle up, I wake up dripping with sweat! The sheets are soaked, I'm soaked but I don't regret bundling up as that's the only way I can fall asleep (or I get chills). I think I might just have to chalk this one up to pp hormones.

apparently it wasn't just a bladder infection

There will be an update later on this. I have a fever, chills, aches and pains and I just feel 'flu-like' minus the other symptoms. I essentially have some other type of infection brewing in me as the bladder symptoms have gone, but the 'infection' symptoms persist.

Which means I will probably be put on another type of antibiotic to take care of whatever this other one is, and I will still have to be diligent about treating the thrush (which has gotten a bit worse with the antibiotics. This sucks. A lot.

And, Nick's going out of town this weekend for a bachelor party. I really hope he enjoys his baby free sleep. I'm jealous.

One of those things no one tells you about...

I had always heard that it's physically difficult to hear your baby cry. That doesn't even begin to cover it. Today, in our attempts to beat the record breaking heat that was supposed to hit our area, we went off to our normal 'Wednesday' routine. I couldn't find my keys after searching EVERYWHERE for them, so I grabbed the spare set and manually set our house alarm (as to why we have a house alarm, that's an entirely different story... I hate the stupid thing).

In any case, we drive to WC, I park the car and I went to get Jenna out when Nick called. He said the alarm company called. The alarm's going off and the police have been dispatched. Then, he proceeds to tell me to call the house, check the vmail to get the phone number and call them back to see if we can avoid having the police come out.

Then, Jenna starts to cry which quickly progresses to a full blown scream. I knew she was hungry, as we were on our way to a breastfeeding group and I intended to feed her right when I got there. So, she's screaming, I'm calling the house to get the phone number, writing it down, then I have to call the company, remember the password (ugh) and THEN they say "We can't turn it off from here, you have to turn it off from your home". Again, Jenna's screaming. I feel terrible. A fellow Mom came and was trying to calm her (swinging the car seat) and I'm totally breaking down.

When she cries, or screams, or is generally in distress my body surges. I have a massive hot flash. Sweaty, I can't handle myself where is the nearest fan for my face kind of hot flash. Often, my milk lets down and if I can't soothe her immediately, I become a sobbing mess with her. I can't help any of this, it's terrible. Then, if this occurs and we both break down, I tend to proceed to cry the rest of the day over little (or not so little) things. Stupid hormones.

Jenna was calmed by the other Mom as I got a call back from the alarm company. Apparently the police are at the house. The back door is open. I know why. Nick went around and closed the windows and turned on the A/C because it was going to be such a hot day. Well, the blinds were covering the back sliding door. I set the alarm manually and it didn't warn me that the door was open (or, if it did, I couldn't hear because Jenna was fussin). In any case, I had to leave at that moment, as the police were expecting me.

Jenna goes back in the car. I go back in the car. Luckily by the end of the second block, she was out (thank goodness!) There's more, but I'll spare you the details. Long story short, let it be known that I will do my best to "tell you like it is"

Awww!

So, we went and got together with some friends today, and a good friend, Kelly, whom I've bragged about before took some beautiful shots of Jenna.

She's launched her new website and business and I'm such a fan! We'll be going to her for many a session in the future! :)

Mom's groups, Play Dates

So, we've been to meet up with plenty of other Mommy's, friends and babies... Here are a few pics! 

Here's Alison and Jenna. As you can see, Jenna's making for some fantastic conversation. 

Here's Suzanne, Everett and Garret. Little Everett is only 2.5 weeks old in this picture. What brave parents to take him out and about! 
And this is Dane! How cute is he? He's 3 weeks old here. Clearly, he was great for conversation, too! 

This leads me to the Mom's group: here's all the kiddos:
One more! In color! 

And, here's the Mom's with the babes:

Here's her *actual* 2 month shot

Isn't she cute? I couldn't decide what teddy bear to take her picture with, so I went with these two :) We'll see if I'm consistent with taking these shots on her monthly birthday. 

Apparently green poop is normal.

I've made about 5 calls to the advice nurses in the last 48 hours. Most are about me, as I've somehow gotten a bladder infection of e-coli (why they told me that, I don't know). Apparently, it's common.... funny, I thought it was toxic... whatever. It will be interesting once I start antibiotics as most (girls) know with antibiotics there is a chance you can get a yeast infection. AND, what is "thrush"? A yeast infection.

Anyway, after recognizing that my 'period' that I got earlier in the week was yielding some TERRIBLE cramps I finally woke up at a 3am feeding and realized it probably wasn't 'cramps' after all. I called the advice nurse and she said I probably had a UTI. A few more calls and a culture later, I have a bladder infection. Fantastic.

So, they said "Keep drinking liquids, flush it out, cranberry juice is good". If there's one thing I'm good at, it's overkill. I went out and bought 2 half gallons of cranberry juice and throughout yesterday, I drank one entire bottle. (they can't say I'm not taking in enough liquids!)

This morning, I went to change Jenna and low and behold: Green Poop. Seriously. I'm talking simple green color (though Nick begs to differ, he said it's clearly wheat grass in color). Either way, there wasn't a hint of her normal mustard yellow stuff in sight. (This is where I apologize to my dear childless friends, as I'm sorry for having you get this far if you didn't ignore the post based on the title alone).

In any case... holy cow. This has been one helluva adventure! Any bets on what we have coming up next?

2 Months!

Dear Jenna,

It's been an exciting month. The guests have filtered out (though plenty still come to visit, we don't have as many staying with us for long periods) and we're starting to feel like old pro's at this "parenting" thing. You and I have painted the town with the number of "mommy and baby" groups and get togethers we've been to. You're getting more and more beautiful every day and we really think those baby blue eyes will stick around for awhile, as they've lightened up quite a bit. 

This month, instead of the Grandma's and Grandpa's coming here, we went to visit with them. First, we went up to Nonie and Poppie's, also known as "mountain camp". You did fantastic with the travels, and enjoyed the fresh mountain air during a nice long walk. Nonie and Mom also took you on your first (of many, trust me!) wine tasting adventure. Again, you did fantastic :)

The following weekend, we went to meet Grandma and Pop up in Reno for Hot August Nights. We stayed at Grandma's "second home". I promise, you'll get to see Grandma & Pop's house in Arizona at some point, but we're not up to taking you on an airplane just yet. In any case, you got to enjoy the special "Grandma snuggle blanket" shown below. Mom liked it so much at night while nursing, she thought about sneaking it away in her bag, but knew she'd be in big trouble with Grandma if she tried to bring it home. I'll make sure Dad knows that I like it a whole bunch, so maybe I'll get one for Christmas ;)


I'm absolutely fascinated by your hands and feet. I know they're so small now, and they'll quickly get much bigger. Though, this month your grip has improved quite a bit, particularly when you've got a hold of a big chunk of my hair. You won't let go! So, pony tails for me, at least for now. 

This month, you've really started smiling. For whatever reason, you love your changing table. I really don't know why, nor do I care, as if you're happy, I'm happy. The fussiness really came out and about, and with the colic and reflux, we've been having a ball. But, that being said, I continue to remind myself you're never, ever going to be like this again. You'll never be this small, this needy, this adorable (OK, OK, I'm sure you'll continue to be adorable but I wanted to throw that out there). So, back to the smiling. We love to make you smile, you're even giggling. It's really, really cute. Also, the cooing. You love to talk, which doesn't surprise your Dad or I, as you're a gemini girl, just like Nonie and I. If there's one thing we know how to do, it's talk! 

You're also trying to figure out how to suck your thumb. Unfortunately, you haven't figured this out, but in your attempts you get your hand to your mouth just enough to knock the pacifier out and you cry. It's a "game" and we are getting a little too good at chasing the pacifier. 

 

As for current events this month, the Olympics have begun. The most exciting part is that Michael Phelps has won 8 straight gold medals. In all honesty, once that was complete, we stopped being glued to our TV's. Which is a good thing, because staying up late to watch the Olympics + you waking up 2 times a night and always at 6am = one tired Mommy!

Now that we've just started to get a glimpse of your personality, we're even more intrigued as to what type of toddler you'll become, what type of young child you'll be. We're not even thinking about you as a teenager, as that scares the living daylights out of us, but we're so in awe as to the little person you're going to be. It's amazing the changes 2 months will make. I'm trying to soak as much of you in as possible before I have to return to work. 

Love,

Mom

Our first date night as parents :)

So, Nick and I celebrated 3 years of marriage this past weekend. How quickly time flies by! We went out to Nopa in San Francisco as one of Nick's dear friends is a chef there. Our dinner was fantastic!

I had a yummy glass of Pinot Noir:

And the pork chop (not a normal selection for me! Normally I'd go for the fish, but the grilled peaches and endive sounded too good to pass up!)

Nick got a side of corn. This stuff was yummy! (he also had corn with his main entree and the server said "Unless you just really like corn, in that case, go for it!") I had a side of french fries.
Here's Nick, enjoying his Halibut with a corn succotash.
Sorry for the random shots, the iphone allows me to document my life in a whole new way! In any case, we had a great meal. The food was fantastic! Also, while driving away from the house I said to Nick "Is it bad that I'm excited to step away from her? That I'm looking forward to tonight?" He said "Of course not!". When we got to the restaurant (and found rock star parking after driving around ~ 15 blocks or so) and sat down, I realized it felt good. It was good to know that Jenna was in capable hands (Thanks Aunt Heidi!) and thanks to texting, we knew she was asleep within 30 minutes of our departure.

While eating, I saw a brief glimpse of myself, as me, not as a Mom. I know that sounds weird, but I realized that being a Mom isn't my only title. I'm not "Mom". I'm Janessa. Before having Jenna, I tried to rationalize my "new life" as a Mom. Now, I recognize I'm multifaceted. The Mom facet is just the newest one to my "life experiences". Not only am I a Mom, but I'm also a wife, daughter, sister, foodie, wine snob and employee. I have many different sides to me, and just because Jenna's here, doesn't mean that I'm no longer "me".

In any case, the dinner was fantastic, we weren't stressed at all. Jenna did great and didn't wake up from the time she was put down at 9 until 3:30 am. When we did get home, of course we rushed right over to her crib to take a peek. She was there, sleeping peacefully as if we hadn't left the house at all.

I really hope Nick and I are able to continue with monthly date nights because the only thing better than getting a few hours just between Nick and I is coming home to this:
8weeks, 2 days!

There's nothing more beautiful...

than watching her sleep on my chest. So peaceful, so much love.

Just when I thought...

So, the good news is Jenna blessed us with a solid 6 hour block of sleep the night before last... the bad news? Last night she went back to her original 'schedule' of waking at~ 1:30 then again at 4 am, followed by waking up for the day at 6 am (the other times vary, the 6 am time remains so consistent, it's scary!) 

Then, today, fussy. But it's ok, I think we're just working this out. I think she was fussy today because she really didn't nap much. She also wouldn't calm down enough to nap unless I put her in the Moby. I'm still wearing that thing right now... just.in.case. 

I am, however, very excited as tomorrow is Nick and I's first date night since Jenna's arrival. We'll be going out to SF for dinner at the restaurant that Richie's the chef at. I'm super excited. I'm only thinking good thoughts for Heidi, as she'll be watching her. I'll take her being fussy today should she be super good for her Aunt Heidi. 

7 wks. 6 days 

What?!?! I can't hear you over the screaming!

In the last week, Jenna's officially been diagnosed as being colicky with reflux (which we're treating). The picture above gives you a small taste of what it's like when she goes off on a fit. It's difficult. We try to feed her, make sure she's been changed, and really attempt to try to decipher any sort of schedule so we just know when she's going to be tired and try to course her to sleep. We're getting better at soothing her, but the fits do persist... the worst is after she's had a couple of good days and then just melt down. But anyway, I know it will get better, as I'm taking EVERYONE's word for it.  

Just a few days after being diagnosed with the colic and reflux, I was asking about her first diaper rash (which was super stubborn!) in one of my Mom's groups and we found out she has thrush, as do I. So, it's been an exciting week in our household. The treatment for thrush can be as easy to explain as she gets a medicine orally, and a cream for her diaper rash. I get a cream for my nipples. But the problem is that anything that touches the 3 'hot spots' must be either sterilized or put through a deep cleaning, exposed to sunlight or air dried out. I won't go into more details because it's exhausting to think about, let alone type out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can remedy this relatively quickly. 

In any case, that's the un-fun update. 

7w,2d

Jenna got us kicked out!

This weekend, while visiting Grandma, Pop and Uncle Jon in Reno for Hot August Nights, we were escorted off the casino floor because our sweet, sleeping baby girl was under 21. She was strapped to my chest with the moby, so I have no clue how we could've corrupted her into a lifetime habit of gambling, but apparently the casino employee didn't care.

Clearly we have a 'rule-breaker' on our hands.

7w,1d

Ah! You're famous! Oh, wait...

So, Jenna's been more and more fussy. I haven't written in a long, long time and the fussiness is only one of the reasons. I've been out and about to Mom's groups, as she does better when we're not in the house. She just kind of konks out... well, most of the time.

That leads me to her TV debut.

She's officially been labeled as colicky and has reflux. Though that's tough to take, I know that she's not as bad as she 'could' be and she will grow out of a large part of it, thank goodness. So, we're hanging in there. Burp rags follow us everywhere and when she screams we've gotten pretty good about calming her down... most of the time. Then, there are the times she just cries. I've learned to accept that I can't always make it better and I just try to continue to soothe her and hope she feels some love and comforting support.

But, with all that, I'm doing well. I love getting out of the house and it's been great to meet a ton of Mom's with babies Jenna's age, as well as meet up with other Mom's too! (and, of course, anyone else that happens to have their lunch hour free). Going out in the evening is virtually impossible, so we avoid that if we can.

6w, 5d