Category Archives: Uncategorized
Seven Months Old -The 411
My little wee one turned 7 months last Friday! Time is going by too fast !
Sixteen Weeks Post Partum – The 411
16 weeks ago, God gifted me the most precious gift, my baby girl. She is hands down the love of my life and I could not imagine how I lived or loved before her.
She is such a good baby and has the most pleasant disposition ! She is incredible.
She has amped up her conversation when she is spoken to or if you sing or read to her. She laughs and giggles and smiles so… Her latest milestone or developmental fete is that she completely rolls over and back. She enjoys tummy time and she is not as cranky in her carseat anymore. She travels a lot better ! Thank goodness.
This week, we are headed to NYC, as she has her 4 month well baby checkup and vaccines. I hated watching her get vaccinated last time, but realize it is necessary to keep her healthy. She did not cry long and she slept a lot after she got her vaccines. I had given her Tylenol and Motrin before we went to help offset a fever.
In other news, our mother retired on Friday and also won her EEO complaint she filed against the new Director who started targeting female employees. She is so happy to be a full time Grandmother now ! She says she and baby girl will be hitting the road and traveling the globe.
I am still losing weight… just a pound or two every few weeks. I feel great. I assume it is because I am nursing. I have to see my doctor this week because the front of my left leg is numb. My sister thinks I have a pinched nerve. We shall see…
I am trying to pull myself out of the dumps. My make up artist / dear friend died on December 2nd and last week, my friend, comedian/ actor Ricky Harris passed away of a sudden heart attack. I had just communicated with him two days prior. I am labeling 2016 a serial killer ! I went to church this morning with my mom and the baby and it was announced at the end of service that one of our Ministers, Karen Hampton passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was in the choir with me when I was there full time. I am so sick of hearing about death, I do not know what to do !
Anyway, Happy New Year to you all ! I am spending the day with my family and my sister and I are cooking a fabulous meal.
13 Days Post Partum – The 411
It has been a whirlwind these past thirteen days ! I had a planned / unplanned cesarean and emergency hysterectomy, my mother took ill the day we were released from the hospital and the same day she arrived in NYC. I have been in the emergency room five times since my release from Lenox Hill Hospital on 9/14 !
My Mother has developed a staph infection due to fluid pooling near surgical sites from her reconstructive surgery on 9/2; fluid that didn’t find a way out until two weeks later. Thank goodness, the infection is not bloodborne. She has been in the hospital for a week and we are not sure which day she will be able to come home. She is currently hooked up to a machine which drains the fluid out of her body. Skilled nursing will have to come to my sister’s house to clean and replace the drain under her skin.
My incision which opened in two places is healing. I have to go to the ER for woundcare until my slow behind insurance gets home health in place for me.
My baby is doing well. We had a slight hiccup when I changed her formula we are using for supplementing from Enfamil NB to Holle Goat Milk formula. The baby’s poop became very hard little balls so I called the nurses line and was told to put her back on Enfamil NB since she is not tolerating the Holle- supposedly the best stuff on the market !
In other news, I am still struggling with peripheral edema and pain in my legs and feet. Yesterday, the ER doc gave me Lasix to drain some of the fluid and give some relief. I am currently down 27 pounds since giving birth.
I have to say, having this gorgeous girl seems so surreal. I feel like I am in the middle of a dream and I will awaken to find it all just a dream. She is beyond perfect and so very chill ! She is also bossy and picky. She let’s you know right away what she likes and doesn’t like !
I am so blessed to be her Mommy !
ER visit #4
On our way to the hotel from the hospital in Uber Black Car Service
My nieces welcome baby girl home !
Basket of baby girl’s clothing my nieces set up for our arrival
34 Weeks 4 Days & In Labor and Delivery -The 411
This morning at 6:45 am, I awoke to the feeling of a slight gush. I get up, rush to the bathroom and realize it’s BLOOD. A whole lot of blood! I sat on the toilet and let it gush. It gushed three times and finally stopped. I called my mom and told her I was bleeding and that we needed to get to Reston to the hospital. Of course, I am in Northern VA and not at home in NYC. I attempted to call my OB, who is on call at the NYC Hospital today but they could not reach him.
I went upstairs and threw my packed bags in the trunk and alerted my sister as to what was going on and my mom came up and we left for the hospital, which is about a 40 minute drive away.
I got to L&D and was checked in and placed in a room. The OB on call is a young, black female doctor. I was placed on a monitor, they ordered labs and a sono. After her vaginal exam, I started contracting.
The lab came and drew several vials of blood and then they tried to start an iv but kept blowing my veins. I was sent down to do the sonograms and then sent back up and was placed in a private suite.
The Anesthesiologist was summoned to get an iv started and the results of the sono were all normal. They have no idea yet what caused the bleeding. The sono looks normal so the blood work should let them know if there is an abruption.
I have been admitted overnight at least for monitoring and the blood work ordered won’t be in until tonight or tomorrow because it had to be sent out.
The baby is fine so I am glad I don’t have deliver her today. It is possible I may have to tomorrow if there is an abruption. Otherwise, they are ordering complete bedrest and delivery at 37 weeks.
Update: contractions have stopped. I was able to eat at 7pm, finally. The doc ordered a repeat HIV test and the vaginal/ rectal strep swab.
We are resting comfortably and stuck here overnight.
Diamonds & Diapers Baby Shower
Make My Cake, NYC
My sisters and I
Custom diamond and diaper cookies from @Bananabakery_cookies of Dallas Tx
My besties from acting class
Floral arrangements by Starbright NYC
Cake by celebrity baker Make My Cake & Cupcakes by Sprinkles
I’m the pregnant one.. she is showing her rings ! Lol
My best friend, J and my godson. (She is having a girl in November)
Irene won a game gift !
#diamondsanddiapers
My mom and I going over games
Setting up…
Happy Birthday To Me !!
Godparent Gift Boxes – #delivert
Repeat Late Anatomy Scan -The 411
Today, we had to travel back home to NYC for a repeat late anatomy scan. Last week, the baby would not cooperate and they could not see her heart nor her head. Today, she was face down and it took some prodding plus a transvaginal sono, but the MFM doc, Dr. Borenstein at Lenox Hill -Black Hall Maternal Fetal Medicine, was able to get what they needed. The baby is perfect !!
Here are pics:
We are all good until our next scan for size, weight and placenta check in three weeks. The placenta is still low lying posterior.
Hospital Tour Arranged – The 411
Today, I spoke with the Nurse Coordinator at Lenox Hill Hospital about my delivery / birth plans and because the tours were full on the days I am in the city, she graciously offered to arrange a private tour for me at my convenience as well as set up a meeting with Media Relations/ Legal to get the proper authorizations in place for the film crew to come in to film my procedure and stay in the hospital. I spoke with the Executive Suite Director and got the rates for my stay in the Executive Suite. I learned that the suite is the same one Beyonce gave birth in and several other noted persons. The Executive Suites are $800-2000 per night. A private room is $700 per night so either way, I am going to have to pay out of pocket for my five day stay unless I want a semi private room, which I don’t. Yay ! Another ridiculous expense! I want my mom to be able to stay over night but hell, a room at the Waldorf Astoria only costs me $299 a night !
While it was interesting, I could really care less. I am concerned with MY comfort, care, and the safety of my child and family while I am there. I refuse to let them take my baby out of my sight ! lol. I am paranoid about her being switched at birth LOL… I am terrible.
Given my anxiety about being comfortable at the hospital and getting five star treatment, I arranged to do the tour early. I am not going to take any of the class offerings, as I have hired a Doula and she will provide me with class sessions on topics I feel I need.
I am excited to be able to do the tour while I am in New York week after next. My mom and I are leaving for Las Vegas for a whole week on Monday. While I am there, I have arranged to tour the city and prominent neighborhoods to look for a property and see if I even like it there. There are two neighborhoods that I am really interested in seeing. It should be a fun day touring homes.
Plan B Chronicles 