So, things are still mostly great around here. Thanksgiving was delicious, Baby Lulu is sweet and squishy and sleepy. But also, there was barfing. Some on Thanksgiving, but most waited until Friday. About half of the people in this house, including some of the people who came here intending to be helpful and bringing toddlers of their own . . . were barfing.
Betty, Bobby, and Frankie got sick, and my mom and my sister. Whatever it is seems to be quick and just the tummy. But, not ideal. Fortunately, it seems like a quick illness and everyone's been fine all day today.
I guess whatever it is, it's probably not the flu. But just in case it is, I will share the results of my highly scientific survey of flu shot effectiveness.
In the interest of the furthering of scientific knowledge and/or because I only had some of the kids with me the last time we went to the pediatrician, half of my kids got the flu shot: Bobby, Gus, and Frankie. Of the kids who have barfed, two had the flu shot, one didn't.
I am a supporter of vaccines, but I'm not convinced about the flu shot. And this little bout is making me less convinced all the time.
Update: thank you to the nurses who have commented, it's definitely not the flu (and I'm really glad we don't have the flu, it sounds awful).
Lulu and I haven't gotten the stomach thing so far (fingers crossed), so we're just focused on regular old recovering from giving birth/being born. It's been interesting to me how my recoveries have been as different from each other as the labors and births have been. Some babies I've had terrible cramping, but that really hasn't been so bad this time. And very little clotting either. But I don't remember having much pain associated with nursing (aside from the milk coming in part) with the last couple, and, whew, that's really been socking it to me this time around.
It's fine overall, milk's in, she's latching, but I'm having to fight her a bit on keeping her mouth open wide enough, and I had a very unfortunate incident of sticking to the inside of my nursing tank on one side and now I've got some bleeding and getting her latched on is bringing back all those first-time nursing memories. Ouch.
I know it will all sort itself out soon. But in the meantime, ouch. Just, ouch.
We decided to go ahead and baptize Louise right away. Our baptisms have gotten earlier and earlier as we have come to focus more on the removal of original sin part and less on the cake part (but we do always have cake!).
And this time around, it happened that we have family in town and our dear friend Scott was ordained a Deacon just last week and is around town for the holidays before heading back out to the seminary, so this weekend seemed like perfect timing.
Until I realized that I hadn't mentioned the plan to my mom, and she had the girl's baptismal gown, which she and I and my other daughters have all worn, down at her house in San Diego. Oops.
That was Friday around 10am. So the reasonable choices were to a) borrow one, or b) go out on black Friday and buy one, or c) just relax and make do with something we have around the house.
Well, a) everyone I called had lent theirs out as well, and b) the one we've used before seemed special and i hated the idea of just grabbing whatever was cheapest and also the idea of shopping on black Friday, and c) Have you MET me?
So we moved on to the UNreasonable choices of a) driving a total of five hours down to San Diego and back to get it, or b) make one.
And then a) people were barfing, so b) I made one.
I grabbed some white fabric from my stash, cut out a gown shape and sewed it together. Lulu slept on daddy for an hour, and I was able to put something white and gown-shaped together in that amount of time.
Then I spent the rest of the day sitting in the glider with the baby embroidering it over her head!
So, the baptism was today, it was Deacon Scott's first one, and we're pretty sure it took.
My parents and cousins and sister and her kids were here to join us, plus our friends and Lulu's Godparents the Soejotos, some lovely neighbors and friends, and live on Facetime, Jim's parents and sister and her family!
I'm not sure if I'll be doing this again tomorrow, so here's what Lulu and I wore!
So, does anyone want a slightly rustic homemade baptismal gown? Only used once! Leave a comment if you'd like to be the next owner of Lulu's custom baptism dress. I'll ship it anywhere, to you or to the baby of your choice from you.
Update: Okay, so my lack of sentimentality is proving troubling to many of you. I just generally hate the idea of holding on to something for years and years and maybe she'll be a nun or won't have any daughters and then it's been sitting about for twenty-five years when it could have been being used.
Lulu and I haven't gotten the stomach thing so far (fingers crossed), so we're just focused on regular old recovering from giving birth/being born. It's been interesting to me how my recoveries have been as different from each other as the labors and births have been. Some babies I've had terrible cramping, but that really hasn't been so bad this time. And very little clotting either. But I don't remember having much pain associated with nursing (aside from the milk coming in part) with the last couple, and, whew, that's really been socking it to me this time around.
It's fine overall, milk's in, she's latching, but I'm having to fight her a bit on keeping her mouth open wide enough, and I had a very unfortunate incident of sticking to the inside of my nursing tank on one side and now I've got some bleeding and getting her latched on is bringing back all those first-time nursing memories. Ouch.
I know it will all sort itself out soon. But in the meantime, ouch. Just, ouch.
We decided to go ahead and baptize Louise right away. Our baptisms have gotten earlier and earlier as we have come to focus more on the removal of original sin part and less on the cake part (but we do always have cake!).
And this time around, it happened that we have family in town and our dear friend Scott was ordained a Deacon just last week and is around town for the holidays before heading back out to the seminary, so this weekend seemed like perfect timing.
Until I realized that I hadn't mentioned the plan to my mom, and she had the girl's baptismal gown, which she and I and my other daughters have all worn, down at her house in San Diego. Oops.
That was Friday around 10am. So the reasonable choices were to a) borrow one, or b) go out on black Friday and buy one, or c) just relax and make do with something we have around the house.
Well, a) everyone I called had lent theirs out as well, and b) the one we've used before seemed special and i hated the idea of just grabbing whatever was cheapest and also the idea of shopping on black Friday, and c) Have you MET me?
So we moved on to the UNreasonable choices of a) driving a total of five hours down to San Diego and back to get it, or b) make one.
And then a) people were barfing, so b) I made one.
I grabbed some white fabric from my stash, cut out a gown shape and sewed it together. Lulu slept on daddy for an hour, and I was able to put something white and gown-shaped together in that amount of time.
Then I spent the rest of the day sitting in the glider with the baby embroidering it over her head!
So, the baptism was today, it was Deacon Scott's first one, and we're pretty sure it took.
My parents and cousins and sister and her kids were here to join us, plus our friends and Lulu's Godparents the Soejotos, some lovely neighbors and friends, and live on Facetime, Jim's parents and sister and her family!
I'm not sure if I'll be doing this again tomorrow, so here's what Lulu and I wore!
Fascinator: Amazon
Shoes: Zappos
Skirt (stretchy!) and sweater: Modcloth
Lulu's dress: scrap pile
Here's the look we were going for, how do you think we did?
So, does anyone want a slightly rustic homemade baptismal gown? Only used once! Leave a comment if you'd like to be the next owner of Lulu's custom baptism dress. I'll ship it anywhere, to you or to the baby of your choice from you.
Update: Okay, so my lack of sentimentality is proving troubling to many of you. I just generally hate the idea of holding on to something for years and years and maybe she'll be a nun or won't have any daughters and then it's been sitting about for twenty-five years when it could have been being used.
I saved Betty's baby clothes for six years, then Anita was born in summer instead of winter and so I still couldn't use most of it!
But, I think I have a solution that will work for everyone . . . A friend from our homeschool group who is expecting would like the baptism gown. So, I'll give it to her to use, and then it will be local, so if I have second thoughts maybe I can get it back.
So, giveaway rescinded I guess. Thanks to those of you who were interested. Give me ten or fifteen years and I'll open an etsy shop and sell 'em cheap.