Just in Case You Don't Know....

Just in case you didn't know...the latest about the Roth Girls can be found here:


www.mollyandharriette.blogspot.com


Thank you and Happy New Year!

Visit www.harrietteroth.com & www.mollyroth.com!

Harriette is almost 2 months old. I'll be doing most of my updating on www.harrietteroth.com and www.mollyroth.com (both link to the same site). We are getting used to having 2 - it's challenging for sure. We have good and bad days.

Harriette starting smiling last week. It's so cute! And she has been sleeping through the night which I am really happy about. Thank goodness for swaddling - Brian has figured out a different method to wrap her up otherwise she Houdini. This week I started swaddling her during the day too so she'll nap. She doesn't seem to sleep during the day much and just wants us to carry her around.

Molly has been getting a little bit jealous so I'm trying to make time some time just for her (last night we went to the park and to Costco just the two of us). Molly overall has been good but she is 2 1/2 so there are some issues - No's, not wanting to eat, flopping down and crying because she can't do something.

Baby blues are coming and going for me. I can't wait to start yoga again. I miss it. This week I'm cleared for exercise and I'm really looking forward to it. Want to get this baby weight off (weight from BOTH babies!) The hospital bills aren't making me any happier but that's life.

That all aside, it's going to be so much fun (and heartache). I love the girls and I love being a family.

Later gators.

Harriette is 3 Weeks Old Today!

Harriette is 3 weeks old today (Wed 5/28). Can you believe it? I sure can't. My sister went back home on Sunday (Terry is graduating from police academy this week - Congrats Terry!) My mom and dad left this morning for the graduation up in the Sacramento area. Today is my first real day alone with the girls. I've made it out of the house once by myself (the park for about 10 minutes) and yesterday my mom and I took the girls to Molly's last "Dance for Fun" class.



So I got out of the hospital on Sat May 10. We had the first well baby check up on Tuesday May 13 - everything was fine. Dr. Fukamura - very nice dude - really liked him. Harriette had only lost about 3.5oz since she was born (totally normal). I got my staples out on the same day. Around 3 or 4 am on Wed the 14th I started having some pretty intense stomach pain. Brian took me to the emergency room (LB Memorial). We brought Harriette but called my sister to pick her up later because fortunately they didn't want her in the ER and fortunately my sister and mom were around to watch the girls We were in the ER for 12 hours and then they finally admitted me for endometritis (uterine infection). I had antibotics through an IV and was there for 5 days. Fortunately Harriette was able to visit so I could nurse a little bit. Brian's mom was able to come that weekend to help with watching the girls and giving Brian some rest (poor guy!)

As for the c-section, it went very well - good surgery staff. Dr. Spieser is an excellent surgeon. We had to wait for the assisting surgeon. The epidural hurt quite a bit and Brian couldn't be in there for that. He had to wait down the hall and once they were ready to go, they brought him in. Brian took the photo in the operating room (pretty nice, eh? This photographer was impressed).

I was in recovery for about 7 hours due to some heavy bleeding and for some reason due to the fact that the nurse wasn't very good at the computer program where she had to log my status. I was fine until they brought in another new mom who got sick so I started feeling sick and then I threw up a lot and for the rest of the night. I didn't really get to see Harriette until after I was in my room (but I was pretty out of it).

They finally got me into a room. I was supposed to get the "suite" because there were not many women delivering that day but the nurses had one of their own occuping that room. I ended up in a room right across from the nurses station. That was not fun because they were loud and for some reason eventhough I was right across from the station - I couldn't get a nurse to help me when I needed it right away. Brian was there with me and Harriette the entire time. We let Harriette go for baths and tests but that was it. We didn't trust the nursery staff to take her very long so therefore we didn't really get any rest.

I was NOT happy with the nursing staff overall. There were a few good ones but overall, especially when I needed it the most, nobody was around. They were supposed to check on me every hour and the worst nurse (Grace) filled in the log at the end of the day saying she came in every hour when in fact she did not. My doctor filled a complaint and I will do the same soon.

I did however get pretty good treatment at Long Beach Memorial when I was hospitalized for the infection. I had a really nice and CLEAN private room and good nurses. My only complaints were that in the ER they couldn't get me a breast pump for 12 hours (ouch!) and that one nurse put one of the many IVs into my hand too close to a bone and it hurt a lot (again, ouch), and that on one day the on call doctor forgot to check in on me. My doctor only saw me once and of course I couldn't get ahold of him to ask him any questions (that is my medical group - Harriman Jone's fault though). Dr. Spieser is leaving that group at the end of this month. I have a follow up with him tomorrow then he's out of there. I'm not sure if I should follow him or just go with someone else.

OK I've written quite a lot. I'm very very tired. Harriette is up every 2-3 hours at night. I forgot how much time is spent nursing and changing diapers. I've spent quite a lot of time falling asleep on the couch. Then Molly wakes up and I can't nap until she does. I know it will get easier.

Anyway...I'll write more as I remember it. I think I'm going to combine websites for the girls. It will be hard to maintain 2 sites for each plus my photo website. I'll let you know when I have it up and what the site will be called.

Hope everyone is well. Lots of love to you all! Harriette is crying again - gotta go.
C

Announcing Harriette Elizabeth Roth

Molly is now big sister to Harriette Elizabeth Roth. She was born on Wednesday May 7, 2008 at 12:22pm. She was 7lbs, 2oz, 19" long. Thank you so much for all our family especially Gramma Bev, Gramma Ata, Cappy and Auntie Bo. Thanks for to our visitors: Auntie Awie, Mike, John & Leigh, Sandy & Sean - sorry some of you saw me throw up. Terry - thank you for sending the beautiful flowers.

It was a very interesting experience. I'll write more later. Tonight I just will show you some photos and tell you, it's very very nice to be home.

Happy Birthday Brian & Esperanza (AKA Auntie Bo).

Auntie Bo earns a special award as BEST Auntie/Sister/Sister-in-Law and Friend - she went above and beyond her auntie duties like bringing Jamba Juice, In&Out Burgers, a bottle of scotch, helping us pack up to go home, etc, etc.

Love you all!

Baby Roth #2 will be here TODAY!!!

Well my friends - today is the day. A 2nd girl will be added to the Roth Family. We will be a family of four! I now have two car seats in our "van". I washed some of Molly's old baby clothes. I can't remember her being that small. Of course this baby should be a lot smaller than Molly (she was 9lbs, 11oz and 22" long). I can't believe we'll be holding a teeny tiny baby that will fit into those teeny tiny socks in about 7 hours.

Yesterday my sister and I took Molly to dance class (where she does not like to participate in a group situation but still enjoys going). We played at the park (photo above). I talked to lots of mommies about birth. I ran into my friend (and very talented photographer) Suzanne with her sweet baby Diego.

Here's a photo of the girls' room (ocean themed) and one of me after I got my hair done. It was very nice day yesterday. I stayed pretty calm for the most part.

I'm listening to Interpol "Obstacle 1" right now - Brian's i-tune library is on party shuffle.

It's almost 5:30 am. I go into the hospital for surgery prep at 10am and baby should be here sometime around 12:00ish.

Oh lovely MAY babies: Brian & Esperanza's b-day is on Saturday! We will still be the hospital. My mom's b-day is on Monday. Who else - Happy Birthday to Liz and Annie and Seamus! And Shirlene's b-day was last week too! I hope I didn't forget anybody. Love you all!

Well since I'm extending birthday wishes... Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there!

Thank you all so much for all your support, love, and friendship. I can't tell you how much you all mean to me. I'm so lucky to have so many people who love us and care about us.

It's now almost 6am. Vampire Weekend "M79" just came on. Good tune. Not sure what I'm going to do for the next 3 hours. I can't eat or drink before surgery and I for sure can't go back to sleep. Maybe watch Beauty & the Geek, take a shower and breathe.

Love,

Cielo

Ready, OK!

So it's Sunday night around 9pm. This weekend was wonderful - super relaxing which was MUCH needed. Only 2 full days to go! I'm so excited and nervous and anxious and just plain crazy. I'm nesting big time. I cleaned out the linen closet, have to make sure the dishes are done and bed is made and things are straightened up (at least as much as is possible since there is still so much to do to get this house the way we want it). The girls' room is the closest to being done - it's painted (needs some touch ups) and has curtains and is underwater themed. Molly has Little Mermaid sheets on her big girl bed and the baby's crib has sea themed bedding. It's quite lovely in there.

I bought some nursing shirts today. I actually am looking forward to nursing. Even though it was really really hard to do with Molly, hopefully this time it will be easier. And if it isn't, I'll still enjoy it. I know kinda weird but its true. I know this baby is going to be completely different - a new personality. I'm very excited to meet her. Brian is excited too. He loves his girls and he is an amazing dad. I could not do this without him. He's unbelievable and we are so lucky to have him. Mushy!

OK well I'd better wind down my brain a little bit. Hopefully I'll write a few more times before Wed.

Love you all and thank you for your good thoughts and well wishes. Good night!

4 More Days to Go!

We went to the pre-op appointment yesterday. The baby is still pretty high up (not really into position yet) and I have not dialated much. So unless something crazy happens this weekend, I have to be at St. Mary's at 10am on Wednesday (for blood work/drugs) and surgery is at noon. I can't eat the night before so it's going to be a rough morning with no food but I'm sure I'll be too nervous to care.

My Dr. wasn't too happy with the advice not to go to hospital on Tuesday when I was having all those contractions. He didn't even know I called and with all the staff I talked to (including his assistant). He is just as disappointed with this medical group as I am. Even though he's great, I don't think I'll be coming back here. Which means we'll have to find a new pediatrician too.

I have been having contractions every day now but they are are not regular.

My sister will be here on Monday. My mom and Brian's mom will be here on Tuesday. Everyone is very excited. I am too but I'm more nervous than anything.

More later...