Asheville Browncoats and Sick Toddler

Thanks to a shout out from the Fanaticon Facebook page, the Asheville Browncoats have over 30 people on its Facebook page. The first shindig is scheduled for the middle of June! I hope there is a big turnout.

In mommy news, my toddler is sick. She has been vomiting, but she does keep a lot of things down, plus right after she vomits she is back to normal, playing and the like. I have no idea what is wrong, but I'm watching her like a hawk to see if anything changes.

Fanaticon 2010 and the Asheville Browncoats

Fanaticon was awesome! For a first year con, it was so well run, and it had over 3,000 attendees!

I was working the Charlotte Browncoat table, talking up CSTS and the Browncoat Ball. I got to meet a lot of shiny people.

I also participated in the Costume Parade, where I got a Wonder Woman doll for participating. I gave it to Emily.

Todd and Emily came down and Todd got a Fanaticon poster, and since he was one of the first hundred people to buy one, he got a poster carrier that has a strap. It's going to be great for Dragon*Con.

I also met a lot of local Browncoats - I had made an Asheville Browncoat yahoo group, but after the interest I got at Fanaticon I started an Asheville Browncoat Facebook page. I'm really hoping it takes off!

Fanaticon!

Tomorrow is Fanaticon, a local comic book, sci-fi, and fantasy con. I'm looking forward to it for 2 reasons.

1) It's an opportunity to geek out, which includes dressing in a costume.

2) It's a whole day away from my toddler

I feel a little guilty about #2, but I need time away from her sometimes. And she'll be with her daddy all day, and he may bring her down to the con for a little bit.

Happy Mother's Day

For Mother's Day, my dear husband got us annual passes to the Biltmore House, which is less than 20 minutes away from our house. We had a lovely day walking around the House and the Gardens.

A kind lady took this picture of us - I'm not thrilled with how I look, but I love the smile on Emily's face.

Her smiles are one of the reasons being a mother is so worthwhile!

To Cover or not to Cover

It seems that if there is any article about nursing in public, someone always posts "I'm okay with it as long as the mom covers up". Usually they mean with a nursing cover or a blanket.

I tried using a blanket once, when Emily was 2 months old. My dad was coming into town and I felt a little odd nursing uncovered in front of him. I got over that really quick since Emily is a warm kid, and she was not comfortable under the blanket.

Especially before she started solids, we nursed in public a lot. And I never covered up. Usually Emily would pull my shirt down so I wouldn't show any boob once she latched on. I'm sure I've flashed some people when she unlatches, but I'm usually pretty quick at covering myself.

Nursing in public is a great thing, but I feel bad for those moms who are given a hard time.

Mother's Day Mania - Birth Stories

I haven't posted Emily's birth story here, so here it is!

Emily had a two vessel cord - which means she had one vein and one artery, instead of two veins and one artery. So I had to have extra ultrasounds to make sure she was okay.

A couple of weeks before my EDD, I had my last ultrasound. Throughout my pregnancy, Emily was measuring a bit small, but all of a sudden at my last one she was estimated to be 8 lbs.

My ob was concerned about letting me go past my due date due to complications that can arise from the two vessel cord, so my induction date was set for my due date, October 17th.

Todd and I got to the hospital very early in the morning. They set me up in a room, and started me on pitocen. This started my contractions really going (I don't think I had any real contractions on my own).

I never wanted to do a natural birth, so I had requested an epidural as soon as I could get one. I was only 3 or 4 cm dilated, so my ob broke my water. This really made the contractions come, and the person who did the epidurals was backed up.

So I labored through the contractions for what seemed like forever (though I think it was only an hour or so). I was in so much pain that I was in tears by the time I got the epidural.

I felt so much better once I had the epidural, and I managed to get some sleep. I was in labor for 14 hours when my ob came in (he had been checking on me all day), checked me and I was still only at 4 cm.

At that point, he recommended a c-section because I was just not progressing. Todd and I agreed, and I got taken off to the OR (pretty fast too, especially since it wasn't really an emergency).

I had been cold in the regular laboring room, but I was so freezing when we got into the OR. I was pretty nervous, and I was a little freaked out since I was given more drugs in my epidural for the section. The part that really freaked me out was that I couldn't feel / move my feet.

We got going, and Todd held my hand. But halfway through, I started feeling a very sharp pain. The drugs weren't doing their job. It really, really hurt (as much as those awful contractions from earlier in the day).

I remember squeezing Todd's hand hard, and my ob telling me it was almost over, that my baby was nearly here. And then I heard Emily cry!

They knocked me out for a couple minutes to finish up. Todd didn't get to cut the cord since he was still holding my hand, but he took some pictures while they were checking her out.

We went off to the recovery room, where they piled on heated blankets because I was so cold I was trembling. They waited until some feeling came back, then Emily was put to my breast. She didn't latch on my left, but when she was put on my left, she latched right on.

It wasn't the most ideal birth since it sucked for me, but Emily was fine. She was 7 lbs, 15 ounces. She has a big head (and I'm not very big) so she was a bit stuck in the birth canal (which gave her her folded elf ear).

Busy, Busy, Busy

Life has been pretty busy as of late, and it's about to get busier!

Next weekend, I'm working the Charlotte Browncoat booth at a local con here in Asheville - it will be a shiny time!

Then Memorial Day weekend, I have a wedding to go to (Two fellow Browncoats are getting married!), and the first weekend in June is ConCarolinas, which I'm really looking forward to.

I have a few weeks off after that, since I won't have anything until Charlotte's CSTS showing (with the rough cut of Browncoats: Redemption!), at the end of June.

Then the first week in July we are driving up to Michigan to visit family.

Along with all of this extra stuff, I'll be taking classes, working my at-home jobs, and of course focusing on my main job of being mommy.

Shiny Space Bazaar

My part of the Browncoat Ball is the Shiny Space Bazaar - it's kind of like a dealer's room full of Browncoat-related goodies.

This came out of my volunteering my time and because my big talent is painting Kaylee parasols.

Right now, I'm trying to find vendors - I have maybe 3 tables sold right now (including my own half table for my parasols) so I need to find vendors for 5 more (or 10 half tables).

If you know anyone who is planning on coming to the Ball and is crafty, send them my way!