Tuesday, October 27, 2009

I AM STILL PREGNANT!

I haven't been slacking and holding out on you, I've just been gestating for a very, very long time.

In fact, I'm getting ready to live-blog the birth any second now!

...
...

Alright, FINE.

I am not still pregnant.

I am actually de-pregnant. I have been de-pregnatized.

See?


(I have also been heavily Photoshopped. In real life I do not actually glow, and I have an additional chin.)

(Or two.)

The baby made his appearance on 09-09-09 - NOT on the 14th as I'd been promised.

Since I was not quite finished with my maternity leave preparations I was quite put out.

(I highly intend to write a strongly worded letter.)

At about 2:00 in the morning on the 9th I woke up out of a dead sleep. Usually when I wake up from a dead sleep it's either due to a) imaginary spider bites, or b) imaginary noises in the house, but on this occasion it was imaginary contractions. At least I was fairly sure they were probably imaginary. I mean - on the one hand there was freakishly painful pain every seven minutes or so. On the other hand - blood clot.

My husband was groggily convinced that I was just being dramatic. This is probably why he went along with me, when after about an hour-and-a-half, still feeling certain this would all be a false alarm, I decided to drive myself to the hospital. I told him that I would call him if it turned out to be real labor, which I doubted it was, because a) it's me we're talking about here, and b) I was giving birth on the 14th, and it wasn't the 14th yet, dammit.

At 4:00 AM I arrived at the hospital. At 4:30AM the nurses established that I was having actual, non-imaginary contractions. At 4:45 they finally believed my "story" (about labor = danger/exploding uterus) and called my doctor, who flipped out and scheduled a 6AM c-section.

I called my husband, feeling slightly hysterical. “Come down here now! They’re operating in an hour. AN HOUR! Call Karen, she’ll watch the kids until my mom can get there!”

He told me not to worry – he would be there in twenty minutes – twenty-five tops. I wept, feeling sure my husband was going to miss the birth of his fourth child. THE TRAGEDY.

Of course, then I pictured my immaculate neighbor seeing the condition of our kitchen floor and called my husband back. “Wait! Don’t call Karen! Do the dishes first, then call Karen. And sweep the floor under the table. And wipe off the table. Do that and THEN call Karen.” I figured if he missed the first part of the operation, no big deal. After all, you’ve seen one c-section, you’ve seen ‘em all. Small price to pay.

I texted him seven times with various instructions – all related to making sure he cleaned the house before calling Karen. I was texting him about wiping down the outside of the fridge when he walked in the door. He swears he “picked up a little” before Karen got there. (I am sure he is lying.)

Our baby boy was born at 6:07 AM on 9-9-09.

Internet, I give you...

FERNANDO THE BREASTMILK VAMPIRE!


Fernando likes to NURSE. He likes to nurse, and nurse, and nurse. Also? He likes to nurse. His sole mission in life is to chew off my left nipple. I feel like my brain juices have all melted and been sucked right out of my milk ducts. (That spot on the front of my t-shirt? That's not breastmilk, it's what was left of my frontal lobe.)

(Man, I hate breastfeeding. The La Leche League folks can suck on it.)

("It" meaning - something that is not my nipple. That's already being utilized.)

(I wonder how many times I can say nipple in this post? Nipple, nipple, NIPPLE.)

(Am I making you uncomfortable?)

(Let's talk about something else, shall we?)

In honor of having the baby, I am having a GIVEAWAY! I am giving away:

A Fussy Six Week Old Who Is
Suffering from Reflux and a Double Ear Infection!

(To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment letting me know how soon you could get here.) (I'm really tired.)

I MEAN - WHO COULD RESIST THAT FACE??!
AND THE SCREAMING?!?

THE CONSTANT, CONSTANT, SCREAMING.

...
...

O.k., FINE.

I am not giving him away. I would never in a million BILLION years give him away.

...
...


I'd SELL him.


...
...


OK, FINE, I won't sell him either. The children would revolt. They sort of like him. He has them under his vampire mind control, obviously. See that satisfied little smile? That's the smile of a baby vampire who is plotting to destroy his evil human overlords.



I am trying very hard to recapture normal - to get back into some semblance of a routine. But this baby does not recognize routine, he spits upon our routine, he POOPS upon our routine. Routines are for mortals, not breastmilk vampires, he says.

He is a very sweet, dear baby when he is not feeling horrible. He's had a really rough start here on planet earth. He celebrated his two week old anniversary by coming down with a cold, double ear infection, and a nasty case of reflux. He's been in so much pain - for weeks, if he was awake, he was crying. His little baby voice is hoarse from stomach acid washing up and down his throat. (Ever heard a newborn with laryngitis? It's the most pathetic sound in the world.)



When he isn't in pain, he is an above average baby in every way - sweet and round and adorable and wonderful and ours. And of course, he is our last baby, so everything he does has special significance - sure, we are up walking the floor with him, but we are doing it for the Last Time, with our Last Baby Ever. Somehow that makes it all a little easier. It's amazing how much love you can feel for someone you've known so briefly.

He has the same medical issues his sister just had surgery for (the condition runs in sibling groups) and has a test scheduled for next week at Primary Children's Hospital. We're hoping to hear his condition is less severe than his sister's, and that he'll grow out of it with no surgery necessary. We'd appreciate your thoughts and if you are so inclined, your prayers. My little one could use a very large break.

I was hoping for a more clever ending for this post, but alas, the baby is crying so I must sign off.

(Somehow that seems fitting.)

Off I go.

PS: Please ignore that creaking noise you may hear as you read this post. My blogging chops are a bit rusty.

101 comments:

  1. Beautiful baby. I'm so sorry the two of you have had it so rough. I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.

    And I really think that you didn't emphasis nipples quite enough. Have you ever noticed how the word nipple contains the root word nip?

    OK, that's enough 2am babble from me. TTFN.

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  2. He is beautiful. I hope everything turns out well with his tests. Enjoy every moment. (Even the vampire part)

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  3. Yay for you! My toughest baby has been my sweetest toddler. (He is horribly destructive, though, so it's still not a walk in the park. At least I don't want to give him away anymore.)

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  4. Anonymous5:13 AM

    Woo-hoo! I was just thinking about you, mostly because I am reading Twilight for my daughter's sake and I HATE it, it's so DRIPPY and it SUCKS (ha! Joke for you), and I remembered that you were hilarious in your hatred of it so I'm about to go search your archives to read that post again. So I'm happy to hear about you and your own little sparkly vampire and I hope that soon he gets his break and CONGRATS! to you all :) He's adorable! How's THAT for a rambling comment?

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  5. He IS adorable! CONGRATS!! So glad there was no exploding and we'll say a prayer for him (and you) that his next few months are MUCH more pleasant than his first two and that he considers giving up vampirism.

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  6. I've been wondering about you and starting to look for your name in Guiness books for longest pregnancy. Glad all went well with the delivery. He's a cutie!

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  7. Congratulations!!! He is a very cute baby breastmilk vampire. :)

    And I have a feeling that I had the same issue as your kids with the whole bladder/kidney thing. I grew out of it. But only after having to take antibiotics every day for just about forever. To this day I hate taking pills. Hopefully it's something they both grow out of - and quickly!

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  8. Congratulations! So relieved to hear all is okay!

    Sometimes, the reflux is an allergic reaction to what you are eating. If there are any types of food allergies in the family, try cutting that particular food out of your diet.

    Also? Because you are just dying for advice from a person you never met, you can try taking digestive enzymes (you can find them at Whole Foods or any such place). If you aren't breaking down your food sufficiently, the undigested proteins can get into the breastmilk and bother the baby.

    At least, that's what I heard. Let's face it, you're willing to try anything to stop that baby from crying. My fourth one was like that. He has grown into one of the most pleasant, amenable, cheerful 9-year-olds on Earth.

    I sort of like him.

    But he didn't get pleasant until I weaned him...

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  9. Despite allll of that... Congratulations!

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  10. You did it. See? You can still blog! Now do it again tomorrow, and then again the next day.

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  11. Beautiful!!!
    Congratulations! And what a great birthday. 09-09-09.

    :-)

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  12. I was wondering if you were ever going to get around to having that baby! Congrats, he's just a doll! I'm sorry to hear about the bladder/kidney issue. I hope all goes well with the Dr. appt. and that your little one feels better soon!

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  13. So glad to hear that you had the baby!! And what a cutie I might add!

    We just recently found out that we are preggo with our third. Very unexpected, but we are happy now that we have made our way past the shock of it all.

    Congrats to you and your family - keep the blog posts coming!!

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  14. Oh, what a sweet, sweet face. Oh, and the baby is cute, too. ;-)

    Prayers and good thoughts on the way for Fernando and the whole family.

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  15. So sweet! Lots of prayers that all will be well, both for him and you!

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  16. Congratulations!! (On the baby that is...) He is A-DORABLE! HOT MAMMA pic of you too btw. Woot-whoo!

    I'm sorry the little guy is having such a rough time :( My fourth had reflux and it was so hard! I hope things get better soon!

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  17. Hooray and congrats again! Your adorable baby was born on my (baby's) duedate, isn't that fun? He'll have no problem remembering his birthday. I'm jealous. Since I can't remember any of my own kids' birthdates to save my life.

    I'm so glad your uterus didn't erupt and I'm so sorry the baby is in so much pain. Here's prayers coming his way.

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  18. Sue, He is so cute! Congrats! Hope things go well at Primary Childrens!

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  19. darling. congrats. i knew you weren't still pregnant, but i love the pics and the words and i love the word "depregnatize."

    compulsive writer

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  20. He is beautiful and I am praying that everything is mild and that he feels MUCH MUCH BETTER.
    Congratulations! THere is nothing harder in the whole world than a new baby, but he's pretty sweet.

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  21. I was honestly JUST thinking about you yesterday. Wondering if we'd ever hear from you in the throws of newbornhood.

    I've heard that that reflux is sometimes caused by misalignment of the spine. I know a FANTASTIC chiropractor up your way. He adjusted my 6-week-old and turned him into a happy baby. Randy Hayes. I highly, highly recommend him.

    Congrats and good luck!

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  22. I can totaly sympathise with the nipple falling off! One of my kids actually sucked so hard there was a 1/4 inch gash in my nipple. My Husband wanted to know if I needed stitches, can you imagine stitches on your nipple! While brestfeeding??? My last baby was the best breast feeder, unfortunately my milk didn't really come in so I had to do bottles. But I was never sore or anything with him, probably from nerve damage from the previous baby! Anyway, CONGRATS! He is Beautiful!!

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  23. Congratulations! And here's hoping for no (or maybe possibly just one) catheter. The Tongginator had four catheters and it is NOT an experience I would like to repeat. Even though I didn't receive the catheter... nope, I was just one of the Evil Ones holding her down. Ugh.

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  24. Congrats, all around! What a beautiful addition to your family. :)

    My friend's baby has really bad reflux-- she uses Milk of Magnesia (on advice from the pediatrician), and it works like a charm.

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  25. Wonderful! A 9-9-9 baby, that is so cool.

    I'd gladly take him for you if you need a break :) Because of health issues I was done after one, so I'm a little baby crazy. I mean, nevermind.

    Ear infections are my worst nightmare. I went through a double infection during pregnancy and live in absolute terror that it will happen again. Poor baby, not fair that he has to suffer that so early in life :(

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  26. Congrats Sue! Hope your baby feels better, and doesn't require surgery. Hope your kids keep loving him and he realized what a lucky guy he is to be living at your house.

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  27. Congratulations! And my sympathy.

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  28. he is simply adorable.

    his kidneys are in my prayers.

    and we'll pray you get a nice nap.

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  29. Oh my word! He DOES have vampire-baby mind control powers. I felt myself starting to CRAVE another baby.

    Luckily I carry garlic with me... just for these types of situations! I mean, baby-mind-controlling-vampires can totally wreak havoc on women!

    Whew. I narrowly escaped with my sanity still in-tact!

    He is delish, though. I'd hold him for you. If you'd let me.

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  30. Gorgeous baby! You do good work. Congratulations.

    Acid reflux is the pits!! Our second had GERD (gastro-esophogeal reflux disorder). Which meant projectile vomiting every time she nursed. Every time. And acid reflux every time she was lying down. It was a nightmare. I remember the non-stop screaming, the back arching, the pitiful hoarse voice. She was on Zantac from the time she was a couple of weeks old until she was 16 months. It didn't stop the vomiting, but it did stop the acid burning in her throat. Our pediatrician had us put her to sleep reclining in her carseat for the first four months of her life. It helped keep her from aspirating any stuff that came up in her sleep. She screamed constantly, neither of us slept for that first year. Honestly, the baby from Hades (there's a reason it took me 3 years to dare to get pregnant again). BUT, she is the best 9-year old ever, wouldn't trade her for the world.

    Hope the tests turn out with the results you're hoping for - he'll be in my prayers.

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  31. yay!!! ouch, i had a reflux baby and that is no fun. i hope you are getting at least some sleep. congratulations!

    and there is nothing rusty about it, man you are funny!!

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  32. Congratulations on your beautiful little vampire.

    My breasts feel your pain. They have endured bleeding, plugged ducts, mastitis, the works. And now they've retreated. I don't blame them.

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  33. Anonymous9:49 AM

    I had to double-check I wasn't reading Dooce, with all the talk of nipples.

    How frustrating that the nurses took so long to believe you about the possibility of rupture. Eeeksh.

    What a very cool birthdate. (But couldn't you have held off on the surgery until 9:09 AM? Yeah, yeah, rupture, I know.)

    Babies are about the best present you can give your other kids. I think this means you're off the hook for Christmas. "Santa's skipping our house, because he already gave you a new baby brother to play with."

    Sorry he's having a rough start (and thus so are you.) My 2nd was our colicky one and you get so you think you hear them crying even when they're not.

    That's a beautiful photo of you with him.

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  34. Great to see you back again.
    I'd forgotten how funny you are.
    And...I will be praying for your little guy to have a less severe case of whatever it is your daughter had.

    Best to all of you!

    =)

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  35. i was starting to wonder if you were secretly an elephant. but you have completed four gestations, and not one of them has lasted 7 years despite what it may have seemed like.

    i don't see any rust. like ridin' a bike baby, you've still got it.

    congrats!!!
    ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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  36. (and by "seemed like", i meant that it seemed like it's been 7 years since your last post. missed you!!)
    ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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  37. Not that you've asked for any advie on the reflux thing, but Suburban is right - food allergies might be the culprit. Namely dairy. Try cutting it out of your diet for 6 weeks and see if his symptoms improve.

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  38. Anonymous10:25 AM

    Wah-hoo! Wondering if that baby was ever going to come. That kinda sucks about the reflux. My nephew had kidney reflux but did eventually outgrow it. He was about 13 or 14. But @ least they were able to avoid surgery.

    *shudder* breast milk vampire. Easy way to solve that is not to nurse for 1 month (pump the whole time) when you come back to actual nursing? It's amazing. Of course I don't recommend this version since it involves nicu stays but... Easiest & fastest nurser ever! lol

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  39. I laughed aloud in the nipple talk.

    I did not like it at all when you mentioned "blood clot." I fear them. One day, I will have one, and my fears will be justified.

    No more blood clots.
    More nipple!

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  40. I can't imagine anything more fantastic than if you had ACTUALLY live blogged the birth. I'm going to always be sad now that that didn't happen.

    I'm so sorry your little man feels so poorly, but it will eventually go away. And Fernando is just so cute I completely understand why you forgive him anyway.

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  41. So glad you're back.
    May email everyone I know to read this. Breastmilk Vampire Baby = funnny blog.
    p.s. glad your uterus didn't explode. That's probably a good thing, right?

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  42. YEAH, I've missed you. Congrats! So glad your uterus didn't explode. He is cute. Definitely in my prayers.

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  43. Well, at least he's cute!

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  44. I can't wait to meet our little one but oh how I dread the nursing. It has never been the lovely, warm, idyllic scene that dreamy eyed women have painted for me. It's always been pain and anguish and smug women telling me I must not be doing it right. So helpful, that.

    Hope that a rough start swiftly morphs into smooth sailing...the poor little guy (and you, the poor sleep-deprived mama).

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  45. Congratulations! No idea what to suggest for reflux. Colic? Catnip and fennel drops worked great for my kids.

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  46. Photoshop = awesome.

    Multiple uses of the word nipple = even more awesome.

    Sick baby = sucky.

    You finally back to blogging = wonderful.

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  47. Oh, Sue. Oh, golly, he's BEAUTIFUL. But really, it is my considered opinion that the first three weeks of life are just AWFUL for EVERYONE. Maybe the first three MONTHS. I'm praying for you guys but so happy he's here officially. I mean once you blog about him, he must really be here!

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  48. That is seriously the cutest breastmilk vampire I have ever seen. (Please tell me he has a little cape for Halloween.)

    Congratulations to you and yours. Truly. And condolences to your nipples. Even more truly.

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  49. Congrats Sue!!!!!! He is so cute!

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  50. Awww, Sue, he's an absolute doll...and so are you. Love that smile on his face with his siblings all around him. Sooooo cute! And so glad you're feeling up to blogging again. You've been missed!

    I SO agree with the the dairy in your diet comments. Our friend went through that with her 2nd baby, and between nixing the dairy products for a while and then propping the baby up to sleep on a special foam pillow wedge the doctor gave her, it helped her little one's disposition to completely turn around for the better.

    Prayers going up for your sanity and your little guy's good health.

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  51. Sooo excited for you! And thanks for the update. My prayers are with your little one. No. Scratch that. There are probably hundreds of millions praying for him since you (finally) posted. My prayers are with you, since my boy, too, screamed all of his waking hours FOR FOUR BLESSED MONTHS. Never had another. Never. Ever. Never.

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  52. Anonymous1:35 PM

    Since others have mentioned it, I'll weigh in on the dairy thing, but I don't have happy things to say about it. My first (a calm, cheerful guy) projectile vomited for his first several months, all the time. Even after he outgrew that, he would puke if he would even cough. Then, when we started him on formula we discovered he had a milk allergy, which probably explained the puking--I should have gone off dairy while nursing him.

    So, with baby #2 (the colicky one) I did go off dairy, and it did cure her colic. She was never spit-uppy, but every time I'd try eating dairy again, she'd get a bad diaper rash, so I stayed off dairy the whole time I nursed her (a year.) She doesn't have a milk allergy, and my abstinence might have helped. But I've never gone off dairy while nursing my other babies, even though I maybe should have, because I've had health issues to contend with and going off dairy is HARD: you have to off it completely; no butter, no products with whey in them, nothing at all, or it won't work. And in case you didn't know, most of the best foods God has given us on this earth involve some form dairy product. (One hint: Asian foods typically don't use dairy, so I tended to eat Chinese food a lot.) Also, you have to be completely off dairy for about two weeks before you'll be able to see whether it makes a difference for your baby.

    So I guess my point is: Yes, you might want to try going off dairy, but it's a big deal and you'll need to be prepared to hate your life. (Still, a happy baby and getting some sleep might go a long way towards offsetting the dietary misery.)

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  53. I can't remember how I got linked to you, but you're hilarious! Love this post...and that is how I felt about #4...it's the last time I have to do this...I can do it!!

    Breastmilk Vampire...way, WAY too funny.

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  54. Congratulations, I'm glad the birth was rupture free because I couldn't count how many few less laughs there would be in this world if you didn't blog anymore. And I concur, La Leche League can indeed suck it (heh, heh). And I recommend ear plugs to immediately remedy the reflux...

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  55. Oh sooo lovely :) Congratulations and it's so good to see you back in blogland. Now that you've had the baby you'll be able to post at least weekly, right?

    ;)

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  56. Congratulations!!!! He's a handsome one.

    I love "the breastmilk vampire". My 15-month-old is doing his darnedest to live up to that, too. drat it all, i am not ready for the newborn stage again yet! blast.

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  57. Yea for you! I'm so happy for you. Babies are so sweet...except of course when they're not!
    I'll be sending all sorts of happy thoughts/good vibes/prayers your way.
    Also, it seems very fitting that I was nursing while reading this post. :)

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  58. Congratulations. What a gorgeous child. Ours is 8 months old, and I (crazily) miss that newborn thing.

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  59. Your baby is beautiful and you are hilarious.

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  60. Glad to see you in this weird internet world again. We welcome you and your nipples back. Congratulations on your adorable little dude, he is so cute! hope things go well with the tests and docs.

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  61. Uggghhh the nursing, I do not look forward to doing that again anytime soon praise the LAWD!

    Lady I've missed you. And also count me in for baby snuggling. I'll call you (I mean text, let's be real I don't call anyone).

    LOVE HIM!

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  62. That kid needs a piñata.

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  63. Holy scariness. So glad it all worked out.

    And just for you, one more time:

    Nipple.

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  64. Congratulations! What a cute baby! Hopefully, everything will be fine with his tests.

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  65. Yay! A post about the new baby. You have lurkers (me) that have been anxiously waiting and walking the floors at night waiting for news!!! Any news!

    Congratulations! He is beautiful.
    Even though this has been a rough six weeks, know that this lurker is very envious, even of all the breastfeeding! Hope you (and your boobs) can hang in there. If I did not live 700 miles away (and, also if we were BFF like I secretly know we're supposed to be) I would be over to help you out everyday!
    At any rate, you and your little man will be in my thoughts and prayers. Take care you!

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  66. I'm new 'round these parts. I jumped on your blog-wagon while you were away "de-pregnatizing." I've been dying for you to stop paying attention to that screaming kid of yours and pay attention to what really matters --- your blog. You're back, all is right in the world. phew.
    Oh, and BTW, I've got a baby-buying stash of money, so--- name your price.
    Hoping you have nipple peace soon. (ouch.)

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  67. Good to see you still have your sense of humor! I hear that can leak out via nipples so watch that.

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  68. "It's amazing how much love you can feel for someone you've known so briefly."

    You destroyed me with that one.

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  69. As I read you, I hear again the bitter sweet tone - rejoicing in pain. How interesting mortal life is. If they had sent me a brochure that had been at all detailed and frank, I'm not sure I would have come. And yet - and yet - would I, in a million eternities, choose even one without my kids? These kids? These four kids. Whatever the cost.

    Of course not. Without them, there really is no me. Everything I had, I gave them. And would do it again in a heartbeat. Even knowing.

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  70. Yay! Welcome Fernando.

    A baby with laryngitis screaming? Isn't that kind of like a baby mime? Yikes. You've birthed a baby mime.

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  71. Anonymous11:25 AM

    Oh my goodness, Sue. All the signs were there from the beginning: 9-9-9 is simply 6-6-6 upside down; and then you failed to give him his true name, which Grandma has known all along is actually "Joey." Now his karma is all misaligned or something. But I'm truly sorry. All those years ago, when I walked the floor with you for the 3-millionth time when you screamed with colic and my nipples were falling off and I prayed you would someday have your just desserts, I really meant brownies with ice cream, not this.

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  72. Nice to hear from you!

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  73. Congrats on your precious little vampire baby! I was getting worried about you--thanks for letting us know! Hugs and prayers!

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  74. Congratulations!! He looks adoreable, hope things improve soon.

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  75. NOt sure how I haven't heard of your blog before. You're hilarious! I'm pregnant and absolutely LOVE your descriptions of being pregnant and birthing babies. It blows! Thanks for the good laugh in the middle of the night.

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  76. Best birth story post EVER.

    Congrats, lady!

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  77. Oh this was hilarious, I mean, not hilarious that he's continually screaming, just hilariously written.

    I, too, had a baby that screamed and screamed and screamed some more. I wish I'd have thought to call him a breastmilk vampire.

    Hope this stage passes quickly or that he miraculously wakes up tomorrow and only cries when he's got a poopy diaper.

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  78. Gorgeous boy, free or not.

    Enjoy your baby moon. Relish it and all the well-meant over-heard advice pouring into your ears from friends family neighbors. And remember this: your blog friends are always here.

    Congrats!

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  79. This rough. This is so rough. A crying baby...
    NOTHING like it. NOTHING. The reflux...oh the reflux. I HATE YOU REFLUX!!! YOU ARE MEAN! LEAVE THE POOR PRECIOUS ADORABLE BABY ALONE! (and his mother too!!!)

    He's absolutely so positively stinking cute...really. I hope all the terribly sleepless and screaming days pass really quickly.

    Congratulations, Sue.

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  80. Yea, you're back! I mean, I know I I've seen you and you're awesome, but I love your blogs too. Baby is a doll and I was so excited about the giveaway. Tate would love a playmate! Any time you want to give him away for a few hours bring him on down!

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  81. I get my email notification of a comment and I think Sue? Who's Sue? Then I realized it was you, and my stomach flipped and I freaked.

    What's on my blog right now? Is it Sue worthy?

    I almost barfed.

    Am I closing in on idol worship yet?

    But seriously, how do you return all your well wishes? I have thank you cards from a year ago I haven't even sent. Just one more thing to admire I suppose.

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  82. Congrats. Yay. He is beautiful. And I too hated breastfeeding.

    I do love little vampires they are so sweet ... even if they do sleep during the day and awake and HUNGRY all NIGHT LONG.

    Best wishes to you all.

    Kiss him and the others for me.

    SNIFF ... I can almost smell baby.

    Damn I miss that baby smell.

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  83. oh ... and saying prayers for the little guy ... lots of them.

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  84. Congrats! I'm glad it's over, even if it didn't happen on the 14th.

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  85. I have been lurking on your blog for forever it seems and just wanted to tell you congratulations on your new vampire (just in time for Halloween) and for making me laugh. Love reading your blog.

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  86. What is he being tested for? Two of my babies had Pyloric Stenosis - we figured it out because of projectile vomiting. The value in their stomachs was closed, so everything came back up. Weird when it happened with the first one - SUPER WEIRD when it happened again with the 3rd one. I hope he gets better soon - nothing worse than a sweet little baby who is unhappy and in pain.

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  87. I meant that the "valve" in their stomachs was closed, not "value". :-) Sorry.

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  88. Congratulations Sue & prayers for Fernando's quick recovery!

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  89. Better you than me.

    Congratulations.

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  90. Wow! congratulations!
    I had a daughter with severe reflux, so I feel your pain (Fernando's pain?) on that one. Hopefully it won't be long-lived and you can get back to your regular blogging self (who is sorely missed).

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  91. Cute, so very very cute I would even come running to get him while he is screaming with double ear infections and reflux. But maybe it's just the vampire mind control. We'll keep him in our prayers. SO glad for you the pregnancy is over. Since he's the last, you will indeed get back to a routine again someday...

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  92. It's about time. I really need to get myself a google reader. Must stop relying on my weekly "check to see if Sue blogged yet" scheduled internet appointment.

    And he's way cute.

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  93. I just had to come over and "meet" you and your post made me laugh out loud (particularly the part about the La Leche League sucking it!) Laughing has been in short supply, so thanks :-)

    Congratulations on your beautiful little boy. I love the newborn phase almost more than anything else (it helps that my kids were all fairly easy babies!) It's a different story now that they can walk and talk back.

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  94. One of my very favorite baby story posts of all time.
    Congrats on your little vampire. He's totally in vogue right now.

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  95. Congratulations, he is just beautiful. Sending wishes & prayers your way for his health and some rest for you (& the nipples).

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  96. Congrats on you little vampire! And thanks for making me laugh hysterically...oh, boy, did I need that!

    (Have the La Leche League members burned a giant formula bottle on your front lawn yet? I refer to them a Nipple Nazis.)

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  97. Beautiful, beautiful! Reminds me how much I miss having a baby around...and how much I DON'T miss having a reflux-y baby around! :( My daughter screamed constantly until I cut out all dairy and chocolate...she slept only on my chest until she was 6 weeks...then in a car seat until she was 12 weeks...man. She's 14 months now... your little vampire is adorable :)

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