18th November 2009

 It is a beautiful day here. The rains have backed off after days of gloom and I woke to sunny skies this morning. After heading to the store this afternoon, Sweet Pea, "Cyrus" and I may just go for a walk. Nothing too extreme since I am not supposed to actually do much, but the fresh air will be nice and I know "Cyrus" will enjoy getting out. I have to get some things from the store as I cannot access my storage unit to get some of the things I need, such as my stored toothpaste tubes, Q-tips, and other personal shower items, like a razor blade!! I am also starving for fruit. Something like pineapple or guava. I am so thirsty too.

Yesterday and last weekend we looked at a couple other houses. Nothing too exciting. One had NO yard, was 0.69 acres and I think the only thing which was flat was where the house was. The bank ran steeply down to the Willamette River from the back of the house and the highway ran directly in front of the home. There was nice old pear trees there however.

Another one mom really wanted me to get, but when we drove by again a day later, it had been sold. It would have worked for awhile (like the winter), but I would be wanting to sell that ASAP as it is right IN the city, although it had a large lot and I could have had a very large garden there. Even though it was on the quiet part of town and no traffic to speak of, I think I would have felt caged there.

The bank still has not come down on the 1940's one I am interested in and I am still not budging that last $5,000. I hope with the high winds that came in from the coast the other day, the roof patch did not come off and do any damage to the upstairs (or roof).

When Sweet Pea wakes up (she is laying right next to me), I will change her into her pretty pink dress/white socks and take some photos for her birth announcements. She got all clean with a warm bath this morning after a fiasco with a ink stamp pad and the hand/feet prints we tried to put onto a plaque. We never did accomplish the hands/feet thing. We are buying a new stamp pad while we are out as well. She likes her baths and I am going to enjoy taking her to the hot springs next Spring or Summer. I have seen other babies there and they loved it up.

I contacted a midwife/family nurse practitioner yesterday to have someone down here for health care and to weight Sweet Pea to send her weight/s to her doctor up north. The nurse is on vacation right now, so we ended up weighing Sweet Pea on a turkey platter and a postage scale. She is now back to her birth weight. It is not unusual for babies to drop weight after they are born, but due to her having issues with eating/nursing, she dropped 10% of her body weight. Her doctor was not going to be concerned until she had not regained it by "X" day after her birth and she regained it way before that day. I am happy.

With nursing her, I have lost 22 pounds in 14 days. I should have weighed myself the day before she was born and the day after, but I didn't until I got home to Oregon. I am excited to have a belly button again, that I can see my real ankles and not only can see my toes, but my knees as well. I am slathering lavender lotion on my body as my tummy area skin feels like it has been sunburnt. I am no longer itchy from P.U.P.P.P's (from which I have been scratching like a hound since May), no more heartburn, and I can almost sleep on my stomach but not quite due to my incision. I can get my jeans on again and I really like my new nursing tops. Life is good.