The Sound of Silence

[jd] 23 July 2007

I realize there have been very few posts lately. Two weeks ago I developed some really gnarly post-partum anxiety. I shot awake just as I was drifting to sleep with a true, emotional understanding that I was going to die. This sparked an fantastic panic attack which kept me up half of the night. The panic attacks continued, slowly decreasing in intensity for about five days. Then it hit again with renewed vigor, making me too sick to eat for a couple days last week. I am a very hormonal creature, and any stressor (anxiety, too much booze, every flu, dehydration, etc.) sets off the same physiological reaction. I get a numbness in my chest, tingling in my arms, severe nausea, etc. These attacks haven't been my garden variety anxiety, which Ty and I are adept at handling. They have been sheer, unreasoning terror. Understanding they are hormonal helps, and our discussions / attempts to deal with them have led to some pretty entertaining asides.

Last week, Ty was researching tinting the windows on our station wagon to prevent the whole thing from heating up to 130F when parked for ten minutes at the store. He came home and told me everything that he found out, then our conversation drifted to what we are going to do about my recent 'problem'. We were having a very earnest and productive discusion about options when he looked me straight in the eye and said, "I am not completely againt tinting, I just want us to exhaust the other options first". When I burst out laughing, he looked a little offended until I told him he had said 'tinting' not 'drugs'.

In my research to look at dietary aides for anxiety, a couple sites recommended B vitatins. I was intrigued by this, because in the process of getting diagnosed with gastroparesis (the stomach disorder I had from 2003-2005), the first time I went to see the gasteroenterologist he had me tested for a vitamin B defficiency after hearing the above symptoms. I have been very lax about taking my vitamins since I had Cayden, so I went out and purchased a B100 supplement. Two days later I was pumping at work and this happened:


Now I always get yellow pee within 12 hours of taking a B vitamin (although it took almost 2 days this time), but this was completely unexpected. I called the lactation consultant at our delivery hospital. She told me to throw out the milk and stop taking the supplements (I am not supposed to imbibe more than 100% B6, and that supplement had 5000%), but gave me the number of a post-partum depression support group. The people that run it are really sweet and it is totally free. I will be going Wednesday night at six, and have high hopes that it will help. Other than that I am eating lots of eggs (the lactation consultant said DHA helps), sleeping a bunch, and leaning on my incredibly supportive hubby. So, sorry about the silence and thanks for listening.

Blog comment spam is funny AND grammatically correct

wow ur sprayberry..this is ur best friend from school akeem McGruder... what was my nick name

5 Nights and Counting

[jd - 13 July]

This morning marked the fifth time in a row that Cayden slept through the night! Granted it was only 7 hours, the previous 4 nights he had slept 8 to 8 1/2 hours. Even so, I'll take it! I haev two friends with babies who are 4-6 weeks older than Cayden. Each of them told me that the first time their babies (Ian and Lilly) slept 8 hours they woke up in a panic. I laughed at them, thinking they should be grateful for how much sleep they got. Of course, I woke up Monday morning leaking milk everywhere and ran into Cayden's room convinced he was dead. However, on the second night I was grateful for the extra sleep. Cayden is also sleeping in his big boy crib (I'll add a picture to this post when I get the camera to talk to my laptop) as af 5 days ago. Apparently all he needed to sleep longer was to stop kicking the sides of his bassinet, go figure.

Cactus Babies

[ty] 5 July '07

Once the sun had set yesterday and the ambient temperature had fallen below aluminum's melting point we went out to PCC's campus with our baby buddies to watch some fireworks.



It was beautiful out there and to commemorate their existence our sleeping babies assumed the likeness of a cactus. Very strange. But very cute.

Our friend Kristin and her baby boy Ian

Ian's papi, Jamie

The world famous cactus babies

So we had a BBQ, watched some fireworks, and then sat in traffic for an hour trying to get home. Part of the problem is that the city of Tucson parks a peace officer at every major intersection throughout the city on the fourth of July. They sit, kind of hidden, waiting for drunken fools to weave their vehicle unsteadily through a red light and then pull them over in the middle of the intersection. Brilliant. Luckily the entire city is engulfed in a massive traffic construction project presently so there are only a few roads to choose from.

Extra! Extra! Tucson Baby Looks Left and Right!

[jd] 5 july 2007

Cayden has become a master of head control in the last couple days. He has been able to hold his head up in wobbly spurts for an increasing length of time over the last month. Today he was sitting in the lazy boy, lifted his head, then turned it left and right several times looking around the room. I like to think he was looking for me (Hey! Where did that boob go! Some of us are hungry here lady.). As brandy new parents we find this development vastly entertaining and exciting.

We also found out at his doctor's appointment on July 3rd that he is 13 lbs 14 oz, and 24 1/2 inches long. His weight gain appears to be slowing down but he is getting long! He is going from Monster Baby to String Bean Baby. Although I doubt many string beans have quarter inch deep creases at their wrists.

Stealth bumps

[jd] 5 July 07

Tyson and I have many words we could use to describe traffic planning in Tucson. All of them kind, I swear. For example, they are widening the highway and decided to close every exit through the main portion of the city. Every exit. For three years. BECAUSE THEY ARE SMART. Today on my way to work, brashly speeding along at 25 miles per hour, I practically destroyed my undercarraige on a speed bump. A speed bump with no signs and no paint. Just sitting there in its plain asphalt form waiting to spring on unsuspecting volvos. Because the point of speed bumps isn't to slow people down, it's to scare the crap out of them.

The Palo Verde Boring Beetle

[ty] 2 July '07

I found a bug in my tub today.

For those of you not in the know I'm home with my son all July until the school year starts back up again in August. This gives me lots of time to take care of Cayden and occasionally get some housework done. Our friend Gaspar is coming into town tonight so I was cleaning out the plants we stashed in the tub during our trip home. As I picked up one of the smaller pots I noticed a very still bug on the floor of the tub. A big bug. So being a trained biologist I fell back on my wealth of knowledge and experience and reached out and poked it. For the record I didn't actually scream like a little girl when it counter attacked, it was more of a war cry.

Anyway, I ran into the kitchen, grabbed a pyrex bowl and trapped it in my tub. And there it sits. Until my wife gets home and congratulates me on my conquest.

Here is a picture of the bug. Now, before you say to yourself "Well, maybe I'm no ninja but at least I'm not afraid of bugs", this picture is ACTUAL SIZE. I'm not kidding. Put your thumb and forefinger up to your monitor. This bug (whom I have named Sergei) is gigantic. I'm going to start riding him around town to do errands. According to the Infallible Internet he is one of the largest insects in North America. Sergei in particular. Did you check out his spiked collar of doom? His gnarly pincers? He and Cayden will grow up together and be best friends. Nobody will mess with my kid when he shows up on the first day of school riding this beast.



Here's to you Sergei.

We Have Returned to Hades

[ty] - Thur 28 June 07

It's always nice to return home after a long trip but some of the glee is melted away when home is 108 degrees and rising. Seriously, it is 108 today and headed for record highs of 110 by Sunday. That's not ok. I got in my car to drive back from visiting JD for lunch yesterday and almost got in 2 accidents because my steering wheel was too hot to touch. It's difficult to drive without your steering wheel.

Anyway, we had a wonderful trip. Everyone was so hospitable and loving and lavished affection on Cayden nonstop.

As promised by JD I've retooled our photo page and put up pics from our trip. Let me know if anything is broken.

Once again, a huge shout-out and thank you to Uncle Rusty and Allie, Molly, Missy, The Henry/Haytmanek/Wardak clan, J. Glatz, LewFam, Hotel Benson, The Jamaica Plain Pookie Palace, and of course the Sunkids. We have the biggest and best family in the multiverse and we are ever grateful.

Lots more pics to come (xoxo Walshies!)

Mysteries of the human mind

[jordanna]

Why oh why do I have Paula Abdul stuck in my head? (nasty, nasty boys, don't mean a thing) Mind you, I can't remember what I did with my work keyes two months ago, but bad music from 16 years ago? That stuck.

CORRECTION: As Gail Anna Rahn Frederick kindly pointed out in the comments, Nasty Boys was apparently a Janet Jackson song. Here's to Gail, queen of bad pop.

Tidbits

[jordanna]

We are back! Tomorrow Tyson is going to upload the mega ton of pictures from the trip. I am trying to get him to completely reorganize all of our photos on the website, we will see if it works. Later this week we will put together a more comprehensive post on the trip, but in the meantime I have a tip for all you postpartum-ladies:
beware trampolines.

Also, Kevin and Erin exhibited their typical generosity and bought us a digital camera as a thank you present for our help with the wedding. We would have happily done it for free, but the camera is appreciated. As Erin said, it is really a present for all the long distance family and friends (including them) that want Cayden pics on a regular basis. So, the regular photo-journaling of Caydens growth will continue.

Temporarily out of service

Just so you know, we are on vaction. We will post extensively when we return, and update the official picture portion of our website with massive quantities of photos.

To the whirring of a breast pump

[jordanna]

Well, I am back in lab. Yesterday marked my first day away from Cayden, and my first day lactating into a machine at my office. And by 'office' I mean 'small public cubicle in between two other people'. While I am completely comfortable nursing in public, something about hooking myself up to this machine in the presence of two people trying to type and get work done makes me incredibly self conscious. Not enough to dissuade me from pumping, because if I don't we will need to supplement breast feeding with formula, but enough that I dread it. I imagine this will go away.

Leaving Cayden yesterday stunk. I kissed him goodbye and he started wailing ('You noticed me, but you're not going to pick me up!?!'), and I almost cried on the way to work. At least I am leaving him with Ty, which is so much easier than day care. Hopefully by the time August rolls around, I will be less traumatized. Then it will be Tyson's turn to go through withdrawal. Because he understands my pain. Tyson brought Cayden (and Jeff) for a mid-day picnic today. After my baby fix, I am working much more efficiently. (except for a brief break to write this)

Monster Baby Revisited

[jordanna]

Today we took Cayden to the doctor and found out that the produce scale was a *little* off. Turns out he is 13 lbs. 4 oz., and 23 inches long! All this adds up to one healthy baby. Unfortunately today's excitement also included vaccinations. While he took the actual shots like a champ (stopped crying as soon as Tyson picked him up!), the aftermath has been less than pretty. This afternoon saw the longest and hardest crying of his ENTIRE LIFE! I sat in a rocking chair singing to him for 30 minutes before he wailed himself to sleep. Happily all effects of the shots should wear off after 2 or 3 days. I don't know how parents of collic babies handle it, it is so hard to hear them wail in pain.

sad baby

tired baby

Monster Baby!

[jordanna]

We don't have a scale to keep track of Cayden's weight gain, but why buy one when the grocery store has so many?

5 weeks old, 11 pounds!
(he has gained 3 lbs 2 oz since birth)

Easier access to Cayden's First Swim

Our friend and video-ographer Kate also provided us with this blog friendly version of Cayden's first swim, cause she is wicked nice to us: http://vimeo.com/196068

You know you are a Mom when...

you find yourself rocking back and forth on the toilet while peeing to sooth the baby that is strapped to your chest.

Grampa Spray's Visit

[ty]

My father came to visit last weekend from Las Vegas and so we spent the weekend roaming around Tucson, playing with the baby, and spending some quality family time. Luckily my dad has a nice working camera so we finally have some more pics to put up.

This is my last week at school (im actually giving a final *right now*) and so Friday will be the official commencement of the Mr. Mom summer.

We took Cayden swimming for the first time (in-utero time notwithstanding) at the local therapy pool. He absolutely loved it and a video of the experience (courtesy of our friend and camerawoman Kate) is up on our website at www.sprayberries.com/Movies/swim.wmv

In answer to all the questions, the hold I have the boy in here is a Football Hold. We found it in our baby's owners manual. Apparently it puts pressure on his stomach in a comfortable manner after eating, his head is supported, and despite his expression he really does enjoy it.

3 generations of Sprayberry men

Again with the timing

[jordanna]

Our friend Kate made us the cutest cloth diaper, with organic cotton velour and organic earth day fabric. Cayden decided to break it in with style, taking an enormous poo less than 5 minutes after I put it on him for the first time. On the plus side, I discovered that the diaper rash cream I made (recipe in 'Better Basics for the Home', best book EVER) not only clears up any small rashed he has, it makes wiping off poo much much easier.

And again with the pictures. These are getting a bit obsolete, as he has had a major growth spurt since my parents left. Hopefully the camera will be fixed soon:

Cayden expresses his opinion about the hot ride in the car seat

Cayden's first trip to Frankies, home of the best Mexican style budget breakfasts in Tucson. For classic american diner fare, we recommend the Broadway Cafe.

Chillest baby ever (when he's not screaming)

[jordanna]

After three days of unexplained crankiness, including frantic nursing then peeling off and screaming like someone was pulling out his toenails, we may have found a cause. We were both diagnosed with thrush yesterday (albeit a minor case), which has caused a small cluster of sores at the back of his throat. He is still having a hard time sleeping during the day (his only naps have been in the sling on me). But, this morning he spent 40 minutes in his chair calming staring at a toy and listening to classical music. Dude, this parenting thing isn't that hard...

By the way...

The pictures we are doling out from my parents' visit were taken on my Mom's crazy pro Nikon digital and we have really high quality copies. If you want some for printing, let us know and we will email you the original files.