Cath scheduled

Magnus's cardiac catheterization will be on Friday, November 5th. I'm not sure exactly when because the case order doesn't get decided until the last minute. We definitely hope to be the first case of the day, because he'll have to be fasted for several hours beforehand, and it's easiest to do that while he's asleep. Also, the last time he had a cath, he was first case and actually got to go home from the hospital the same day. However, that cath was a more straightforward procedure just to check things out in preparation for his Glenn, so I'm not sure if avoiding an overnight stay is a possibility again this time, but it would be awfully nice.

In preparation for the cath, I had to bring Magnus in for a flu shot last week. Magnus's pediatrician wanted him to get it well in advance of his going into the hospital. He's pretty amazing; he screamed when the needle went in, of course, but in less than a minute, he was over it and was smiling and happy when we went to go visit some friends who work at the hospital afterward, showing off his TWO new teeth. Yes, he went for more than 10 months with nary a tooth, and then just one week after the first one popped through, another one started to come in, too!

Tuesday is going to be Magnus's 11-month birthday, which means that his real birthday is coming up soon! As you may recall, we never had a baby shower for him, so we're excited to finally have a real party to celebrate, although actually planning a party seems totally overwhelming to me right now, since I continue to be incredibly busy at work. Somehow, we'll get it done, though.

It's obviously a huge milestone for Magnus to celebrate a birthday. I don't like to dwell too much on how grim things seemed at this time last year, but suffice it to say that Magnus has brought tremendous joy to our lives and we have a lot to celebrate. And yet, perhaps the most exciting thing for me about Magnus turning one is the prospect of weaning!

I breastfed Magnus for a few weeks initially, but when we stopped using his NG tube, I switched to exclusive pumping so that he could take fortified breastmilk with formula powder mixed into it. Yes, I have been exclusively pumping for almost a year! When you count setup and cleanup time, I spend about 2 hours every day pumping breastmilk. But beyond the time committment, the hardest part of pumping has really been the feeling of being shackled to the breastpump! Every few hours, I have to find a private place to pump, which for the most part has meant that I haven't ventured too far from home. Then there's the physical discomfort, and the, uh, anatomical changes that mean that although I now fit into my pre-pregnancy pants again, I still can't wear most of my pre-pregnancy shirts. And I've had to deal with fun situations like students knocking and knocking on my office door while I pump before a 4-hour lab class, knowing that I am inside, and wondering why I won't open the door! So as you can tell, I'm pretty excited to finally feel like I have my life and my body back!