So, my parents came for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, and left this morning. And I have to say, it was the best Thanksgiving we've had in several years, even though Luca and I had to do all the work. Actually, I think one of the reasons it was so awesome is BECAUSE we had to do all the work.
One of my favorite things to do with my husband is to cook with him. He is a great partner. This time, he picked out the recipes for all of the side dishes, while I figured out how to roast a turkey and make gravy (it even came out not-lumpy). We did the grocery shopping together, and I figured out how we should stagger the cooking of each dish so that we could have everything made by 4:30. He made for an excellent sous chef and also kept up with the dishes so that we actually had pots and pans to use for each stage. And he cleaned up afterwards when I had beached myself on the couch. I'm telling you, the man is a saint.
It turned out AWESOME.
The turkey was actually moist. The meat thermometer that my parents gave me for Christmas last year was instrumental in this.
The sweet potatoes with pecans were my favorite dish, probably because they tasted a bit like pie.... I think this was Luca's favorite too.
My mother liked the stuffing recipe so much (Silver Palate -- Cornbread, sausage, and apple stuffing) that she actually requested it. (Hint: we added a bunch of chicken stock to it before we baked it, which is why it came out moist.)
We also had garlic mashed potatoes (instant -- what can I say, I was raised on instant mashed potatoes and have always preferred them to homemade. I know, blasphemy.)
And then there were the Brussels sprouts with pancetta, though if you must know, we just used regular bacon and they tasted great anyway.
We had cranberry sauce out of the can -- YUM!!
We were going to make rolls, but had so much cornbread left over that we just had that instead.
The only flop was peas au gratin. It was an Emeril recipe, and it was so spicy, you couldn't actually taste the peas. In fact, you could barely eat it, and it clashed with the other food. We didn't even keep the leftovers.
We were so full after consuming dinner that we didn't even have space for pie. Which is fine, since I got to consume some today instead. :-)
Miss Boo behaved impeccably. She even refrained from jumping up on my mother, which was a minor miracle. My mother refrained from feeding the dog off her plate (that's my job), and we therefore avoided diarrhea today. Luca and I showed my parents the trick repertoire we make her do before she can get her dinner, and they were very impressed. Hopefully the next time we visit them in CT, and the Boo decides to attack William (their standard poodle), they will recall that the Boo IS in fact very highly trained, and that she is just a bitch to other dogs. There is a difference, people!
And most importantly, we all got along. We didn't yell at each other once, which really is a holiday miracle. Haha. My parents even gave me what I consider to be very useful advice regarding things we will need for the baby. My mom also told me that I was sleeping through the night by 3 months, and that she had no trouble breastfeeding. Which is really a relief. If you read the internet, I think it's possible to come to the conclusion that breastfeeding is the most difficult thing in the world to do, and it was nice to hear at least ONE story of someone who didn't have problems. The sleeping through the night part was a relief too. Maybe Luca and I will get lucky and end up with a similarly inclined baby.
Fingers crossed!
Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks, so only 5-9 weeks of this pregnancy to go. The countdown begins. Up until a week or so ago, it really wasn't so bad. Now however, I am beginning to feel really large and encumbered. The baby is expected to add 3-5 more POUNDS before it comes out, and I can only imagine how difficult that will make putting on my socks and getting out of chairs.
I'm sure it will be tough, but Luca and are are still really excited!
3 Pearls of Wisdom:
Hello new OMDG,
What have you done to the old OMDG? :)
I am glad you had an awesome Thanksgiving. I loved-loved this post.
Hear from someone else who thinks breastfeeding isn't difficult - and I had both babies spend 6 weeks in the NICU because one weighed in at 1300g and the other at 1090g (sure you can work those out ;-)) and had to wait a bit. Both were breastfed for a year, plus or minus a bit. The older one also breastfed both her babies (normal gestation).
But note I say "not difficult" rather than "easy". Like everything else there is a learning phase to it - on both sides. It may be a natural process but you need to take time for each other and not try to rush it, do something else at the same time at first or panic. Comfort and time are both essential for a few weeks and once your milk supply is established you're on a roll!
I fed on demand once I had the girls home - and that means their demand and your demand. You need to go somewhere or you are dripping milk? Your demand. They are fussing? I always tried offering the breast first - then looked for other reasons afterwards if they were still fussy. Really no point changing a nappy (sorry, diaper ;-)) before a feed unless you have a baby who just won't settle in a dirty one - they'll almost certainly fill it during the feed so you'll just have to change it again! And there are some really perverse small people who LIKE their dirty diaper - like a comfort blanket!
So, take time to learn their habits and your preferences. Some people (like me) just curl up in bed or on the sofa and use knees and arms suitably positioned to cradle their baby. Others (like my SIL) have to have a pillow or cushion to support theirs. That is personal preference. Have a drink of some sort handy within reach - lots of people get really thirsty whilst feeding and it's a pain getting up in the middle.
Above all? Enjoy the experience because it is something only you can do and is a very special sort of feeling. Babies focus after birth is at about 30cm - nipple to face distance - for a good reason. That's my mum up there :-)
You're further on than I ever got with No 1, No 2 was 35 weeks, just stopped growing at 27 weeks and 1090g. I put on 50lbs with No 1 - lost 25lbs in 3 days post partum - I pee'd for Britain! Losing the rest was rather harder though.
I also found that breastfeeding was not difficult (though not necessarily easy). My baby was 7 lbs 11 oz at birth and 9 lbs 6 oz 10 days later - solely breastfeeding. There is definitely a learning curve for both mother and child, but here is another voice saying it is possible to not have any obstacles. After 8 months, I only have had 1 plugged duct that resolved pretty easily. (Watch out for the prone sleeping -smooshes the ladies, very painful.)
Things that help to this end:
1) Ask advice from every postpartum nurse who walks in the room. Am I doing this right? How is his latch? Can you help me position him, etc? You will get 10 different answers to the same question, but from all the data you can pull out what works for you. (Ditto for asking every nurse how to swaddle the baby - every nurse does it slightly different, but by the time you walk out of the hospital, you will be confident.)
2) Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins. It's better organized than the Ina May Gaskin book.
3) Motherlove nipple cream every.single.time. you nurse for like the first month at least. I had a jar in every room I breastfed in, plus one in the diaper bag, so I wouldn't have to go hunting for it. Plus you can use it for baby's chapped lips. Generally not sold in chain stores like Target or BRU, but can probably be found in specialty neighborhood "mom" stores. Also, Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Motherlove-Herbal-Company-10011-Nipple/dp/B0007CQ726/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322702416&sr=1-1-catcorr
The thing I found difficult wasn't the physical act, it was the mental part. While I was on maternity leave and the baby had no real schedule yet, the lack of predictability felt like a leash and I definitely had some resentful feelings before I figured out how to leave the house without the baby. Get to know your pump (and get a hands-free halter thing - Medela sells them), which some medical plans may cover because it's durable medical equipment. I have BCBS and mine ended up being covered at 100% because I had met the annual out-of-pocket maximum. You may have to fight for it. But you have to get it through an insurance-approved place... I don't think you can buy it and then get reimbursed. I got mine through http://www.pacificmsi.com/ and I never saw a bill, not even for shipping. They billed BCBS directly.
Post a Comment