tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76746035625299506022024-02-18T18:47:03.739-08:00The Main PageLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-10789530087089310282015-05-14T16:55:00.001-07:002015-05-14T16:55:02.709-07:00Vacation Without the KiddosWhen Andrew was just about two months old, Dave was asked to attend a conference in Vegas in May. We learned that I could go with him, and I jumped at the chance! I knew that it would be SO hard to leave our babies, but I also knew that I would probably be in desperate need of a break. Fast forward a few months and we are in Vegas!! And I was right about both statements. I needed this break more than I had even imagined that I would. Surviving that long winter with a newborn and a toddler sucked the life right out of me. I haven't felt like my old fun-loving self in a LONG time. But now that we are here in Vegas and I'm getting that break that I so desperately wanted? I miss our babies!!! I miss them so much that my heart feels like it's going to explode. They are in the best hands, our parents are doting on them and loving on them and Abby, especially, is probably in heaven with all of the extra attention. I know that this break is so, so good for both Dave and myself, and I'm trying to just enjoy the time away because I know that I won't get another opportunity like this one for a very long time!! I just really didn't expect to miss them this much. And yet, I read an entire book in a day and a half, and I've spent hours and hours at the pool soaking up the sunshine and having cocktails in the middle of the day. I took a bath AND a shower today, plus I got to blow dry my hair and leisurely put on my makeup. This time that I have all to myself, it feels so foreign now and almost selfish, in a way. I love being a mom more than anything in the world, but this break is refreshing. I feel like me again, and yet I feel lonely too, without my littles constantly by my side. A few more days and we will be home again, where two pieces of my heart beat outside of my chest. For now, though, viva Las Vegas! Time for a cocktail :)Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-82437063977695892602014-11-17T02:48:00.001-08:002014-11-17T03:34:29.462-08:00Andrew's Birth Story<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUgZfHVqdjbKYgujSqIXcR91vKKSqtBGjseaoHJk54wPC_361E95Zq4IZQQxsBVrfdPyb-28MQnQx4bzoMexkeDOJuU6d3VTC2Q8BWC7De-w53UrDnPsoQNXfw7yf14hNOGcVR5uJyqI/s640/blogger-image-1398353493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUgZfHVqdjbKYgujSqIXcR91vKKSqtBGjseaoHJk54wPC_361E95Zq4IZQQxsBVrfdPyb-28MQnQx4bzoMexkeDOJuU6d3VTC2Q8BWC7De-w53UrDnPsoQNXfw7yf14hNOGcVR5uJyqI/s640/blogger-image-1398353493.jpg"></a></div></div><br></span></div>I<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">t's crazy to think that Andrew will already be 4 weeks old this week!! Time really is just flying by. I went in for my scheduled c-section at 39 weeks and 1 day pregnant. It was such a surreal feeling going into the hospital and knowing that we would have a baby in a few hours! We had taken Abby to my mom and dad's house the night before, and then Dave and I went and had one last dinner out together at DeLuca's. We went home and tried to get a good night's sleep, and then we were up bright and early to shower and be on our way. Checking into the hospital didn't take too long, and by around 6:30am I was in a gown in a recovery room getting my IV in. At that point I started to panic a little - more about the surgery than anything! I felt hot and nauseous, but once the IV was in I was able to calm down a bit. Our doctor was running a little late, so finally at 8:30am we went over to surgery. Dave waited outside while I walked into the room and got up on the operating table. I had been most nervous about the spinal block, but everything went very smoothly! I did end up getting sick a few times, most likely as a reaction to the pain medicine that was administered in my spinal block. Dave finally joined me and by that time I was feeling much better. I do remember that one of the nurses had a very strongly scented lotion on! I actually had to ask her to step back for a few minutes because it was making me feel so ill! Once I was completely numb from about the shoulders down, Dr. Tucker came in and started the surgery. It seemed like no time at all before they were pulling Andrew out! He came out crying and sucking his thumb! </span><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ0k_0d-p6s6uav4Bf60JG5wCZCjTCgsUoYUljyjySup5ed1zsLxBiZl7mYJEslH-Zt8IeZ1M2gPaRwV2HFMFxpLmGeGnOAVvr7SlCotXNZzOxfNF8gx4JV6Xncukw9aWTDXCfs5w_wU/s640/blogger-image-1682077934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ0k_0d-p6s6uav4Bf60JG5wCZCjTCgsUoYUljyjySup5ed1zsLxBiZl7mYJEslH-Zt8IeZ1M2gPaRwV2HFMFxpLmGeGnOAVvr7SlCotXNZzOxfNF8gx4JV6Xncukw9aWTDXCfs5w_wU/s640/blogger-image-1682077934.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iiJKrpLEck64aIMrqrSJ1DHvgXaZ0lZlyURZN9HCE5pwuG6w97muD_waMUSlcu4i8d8J0eGvGjbMdsOFA6schyphenhyphen_RzH2LvdDYavRys2aHP-fRgK4gHFXvnx8XU_q3sZyC-eSHYTv-WXc/s640/blogger-image--1491793704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iiJKrpLEck64aIMrqrSJ1DHvgXaZ0lZlyURZN9HCE5pwuG6w97muD_waMUSlcu4i8d8J0eGvGjbMdsOFA6schyphenhyphen_RzH2LvdDYavRys2aHP-fRgK4gHFXvnx8XU_q3sZyC-eSHYTv-WXc/s640/blogger-image--1491793704.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2GJk9DSsnwJOyccv1YRdxlgOcxYIQLoywErNu-0MX_XKT-8WBZ_zcMp1VPtnfziu6hT5bZftTqI6WLhWPUnMelI0QfPO3kgk0AwCERUPlQRVquJ7sIzTSl1mM3gFKimNz3otLaSCXvc/s640/blogger-image--359447296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2GJk9DSsnwJOyccv1YRdxlgOcxYIQLoywErNu-0MX_XKT-8WBZ_zcMp1VPtnfziu6hT5bZftTqI6WLhWPUnMelI0QfPO3kgk0AwCERUPlQRVquJ7sIzTSl1mM3gFKimNz3otLaSCXvc/s640/blogger-image--359447296.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zRpCjpFkhAZSZUcHSmnbvlmp91IgD3GtMc1MEPBC51yXVgL5jnHL3l8r8kE0-5Xogje-HjZnmTAv5v_LlX3NFyFRvlIS2Z_dtKjiH7MhqUNW7SG7TNVS-8mWvd0U1S30pFGci1xt5a4/s640/blogger-image--1538509240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zRpCjpFkhAZSZUcHSmnbvlmp91IgD3GtMc1MEPBC51yXVgL5jnHL3l8r8kE0-5Xogje-HjZnmTAv5v_LlX3NFyFRvlIS2Z_dtKjiH7MhqUNW7SG7TNVS-8mWvd0U1S30pFGci1xt5a4/s640/blogger-image--1538509240.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQedy1USSjMDD1-x5tv1LiJxLDYvybjolWGDH-E9DfbtYPAzzccPV4cq4WUc5kMbyZkwsGrHT4_qMjYoLZc3HQVBTrV9Pyu2FWxPRo5wx3U0v4qIySE11b_8_IbbGgmqgmLiz5M1UWYc/s640/blogger-image-1523877962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQedy1USSjMDD1-x5tv1LiJxLDYvybjolWGDH-E9DfbtYPAzzccPV4cq4WUc5kMbyZkwsGrHT4_qMjYoLZc3HQVBTrV9Pyu2FWxPRo5wx3U0v4qIySE11b_8_IbbGgmqgmLiz5M1UWYc/s640/blogger-image-1523877962.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>They brought him right to me and I got to touch him and hold him while he was all covered in goo! Then after getting him cleaned up and weighed the nurses pulled my gown down and I was able to hold him right against my skin while the doctors finished sewing me up. It was so different in every way from my birth experience with Abigail. I was just so AWARE this time around, which was so wonderful. When Abby was born I was so drugged up that I felt completely out of it. After surgery was over we got wheeled into recovery, where I was able to nurse Andrew right away. He latched right on and it just felt so natural. Dave and I spent a couple hours in recovery sending pictures and texts and chatting with our families. We finally moved into our hospital room and had our first visitors (Dave's parents!) not too long after. I felt pretty good because of the spinal block and medicine that had been administered through that, so I wasn't really having much pain, which was nice. My mom and dad brought Abby to visit later that afternoon. She was tentative and a bit shy, but she was excited to meet her baby brother! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNxl3IvN561yVE_qzbUT5y7Fya7NTF9lLp9MIaIHAOTSLGd683xzr-l-EHSNWcBurEYrFdsdScqLfFBlGCi5tIBaZ65x_Q0LXs-MtfYpIX53QHZ3Ns3gNSzWwJDvdDHYF4garH3XFCJk/s640/blogger-image--1295610176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNxl3IvN561yVE_qzbUT5y7Fya7NTF9lLp9MIaIHAOTSLGd683xzr-l-EHSNWcBurEYrFdsdScqLfFBlGCi5tIBaZ65x_Q0LXs-MtfYpIX53QHZ3Ns3gNSzWwJDvdDHYF4garH3XFCJk/s640/blogger-image--1295610176.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJTa7JSB3HIHBEyBG8ybFyHJjYq7368EOezfe1IJLvBJVpYCzN7XDsebOfQyVAiZ059bLXsf499S7CoXgbWEo9hk_OM_Hk7Dg8yOXt3VqiGgdvT8Wb5RfDX7RaCx_ug1rmVfiFF7IfOQ/s640/blogger-image-590192758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJTa7JSB3HIHBEyBG8ybFyHJjYq7368EOezfe1IJLvBJVpYCzN7XDsebOfQyVAiZ059bLXsf499S7CoXgbWEo9hk_OM_Hk7Dg8yOXt3VqiGgdvT8Wb5RfDX7RaCx_ug1rmVfiFF7IfOQ/s640/blogger-image-590192758.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We were able to go home after just two nights in the hospital, which was really great. I had originally thought that I would want to stay a third night, but we were so ready to get home to our bed! Abby stayed an extra night with my parents, and then we all got settled in at home together the day after that. So far, things have been going really well!! Andrew is a very content baby, and as long as he is able to nurse every 2-3 hours he rarely cries. The sleep deprivation is definitely not fun, and Abby has had a few tough moments adjusting, but that's all to be expected. Dave stayed home with us for a week and a half before heading back to work, and having him home was wonderful. I've been trying to find my "new normal" now that I have two kids to care for alone during the day, and so far we've been doing all right for the most part! We are pretty confident that Andrew will be our last child, so I'm trying to savor all of the sweet baby moments and when things feel extra hard I remind myself that he will only be this little once. Before long we will have two toddlers running around! But for now, we have this sweetness to snuggle with...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaU_H9bnYUkMtDGTzd7vDVDDo_nNf_mUVguTYf0-PXn6KH9k3k_IqA1MM2cvixSjz3lE1P4zgKH78yH6FS1OL4FydNam0ZqycLxf4FA8dUocATtuBiV9HWidcjAULb1vnic40rLaK3hmI/s640/blogger-image-748952360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaU_H9bnYUkMtDGTzd7vDVDDo_nNf_mUVguTYf0-PXn6KH9k3k_IqA1MM2cvixSjz3lE1P4zgKH78yH6FS1OL4FydNam0ZqycLxf4FA8dUocATtuBiV9HWidcjAULb1vnic40rLaK3hmI/s640/blogger-image-748952360.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAzPwCRd1X8_b1Z0m8zY1Xqqrki5F1N5xKI-p3VxSh0arHn3olfez-eDRc-6a15mwncgxW_wfRP0XqPLxTo5Xd0fh2W1L8C_R9EgqqON0YNIl7JYhM8iLWfJ068e15Ap3F-f59Cjifb4/s640/blogger-image--216910857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAzPwCRd1X8_b1Z0m8zY1Xqqrki5F1N5xKI-p3VxSh0arHn3olfez-eDRc-6a15mwncgxW_wfRP0XqPLxTo5Xd0fh2W1L8C_R9EgqqON0YNIl7JYhM8iLWfJ068e15Ap3F-f59Cjifb4/s640/blogger-image--216910857.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGmK1NgGts97hReEqsSwifVm0hYjPU4jCgwC8ZU4ncywMTmFTCtZesuaPeJU3syXvm-woJKLkQ8VM913dWHSsiKp6qP_jTBLitRuAarUs63q5Rbat5DvLwsSVnBE802vTmO52abghbzc/s640/blogger-image-2113606523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGmK1NgGts97hReEqsSwifVm0hYjPU4jCgwC8ZU4ncywMTmFTCtZesuaPeJU3syXvm-woJKLkQ8VM913dWHSsiKp6qP_jTBLitRuAarUs63q5Rbat5DvLwsSVnBE802vTmO52abghbzc/s640/blogger-image-2113606523.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEk8IZWQNeCesFwgaAU8W68-QcrUrwAqnwkjytSx7e4g2BByU71L5qQaLa67-uasQ6Nd-xOZTdO8g5JckuTlQIOjAOwJnwOrXoL34cqTEdvaRKC9tNWOKSjK7JWOfG6L5EarZVG8NDHM/s640/blogger-image-767445496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEk8IZWQNeCesFwgaAU8W68-QcrUrwAqnwkjytSx7e4g2BByU71L5qQaLa67-uasQ6Nd-xOZTdO8g5JckuTlQIOjAOwJnwOrXoL34cqTEdvaRKC9tNWOKSjK7JWOfG6L5EarZVG8NDHM/s640/blogger-image-767445496.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bQO8dd8r8aIQuoSl_-REqrSSV0HHwFuWI3kYZl96rKP4LBNBCP3iN9CjiQdVZN_O1ypCeo7W5lW1UQuT5-JJayZ0S3Yl0GmO4VEgZ5rZ7_Dzqq47F3Rrobk4upA-g-ag-7Ll0MhOPmA/s640/blogger-image--1402629384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bQO8dd8r8aIQuoSl_-REqrSSV0HHwFuWI3kYZl96rKP4LBNBCP3iN9CjiQdVZN_O1ypCeo7W5lW1UQuT5-JJayZ0S3Yl0GmO4VEgZ5rZ7_Dzqq47F3Rrobk4upA-g-ag-7Ll0MhOPmA/s640/blogger-image--1402629384.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></span></div></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-42783919449351768942014-09-01T18:12:00.001-07:002014-09-01T18:12:30.730-07:00Lake City 2014<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8aRzYwLCW4ZARmTjowVS6iLZcK2OutycPpg0y5e3F-a9NZ6MQuN8IZOgcFWazX0agDqOYGSHjEME1uyFHmtkR5ezZOCII2KM8791fvqNn51Wkkozl_VcBm6BTWqSIXHVvhwm8KFQZ7M/s640/blogger-image--1619636029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8aRzYwLCW4ZARmTjowVS6iLZcK2OutycPpg0y5e3F-a9NZ6MQuN8IZOgcFWazX0agDqOYGSHjEME1uyFHmtkR5ezZOCII2KM8791fvqNn51Wkkozl_VcBm6BTWqSIXHVvhwm8KFQZ7M/s640/blogger-image--1619636029.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>Over Labor Day weekend we went up to Lake City with our friends for our annual end-of-summer vacation. Last year Abby was just sitting up on her own, so this year was quite a change! She had a great time playing with Elliott and Hannah, although she took quite a while to warm up to the sandy beach! There were 8 adults and 3 kids in a small two bedroom (plus sunroom!) cabin. Thankfully we made it work! Dave and I luckily got one of the bedrooms, and Abby's pack 'n play fit perfectly in the closet. I brought a curtain rod and a curtain from home and we were able to make her a little makeshift "bedroom". She slept pretty great for the most part! The forecast wasn't looking too great before we left, but the weather ended up turning out pretty nice, which was a great surprise! We headed up to the cottage Friday morning, and we spent the rest of<div>Friday just hanging out and letting the kids play outside. Saturday morning the sun came out so we all headed down to the beach. The cottage that we rent on Lake Missaukee has the most amazing sandy-bottom beach with clear, shallow water. Abby really didn't like putting her feet in the sand, but she eventually warmed up enough to sit in the water and play with her toys! Dave, Abby, and I went into town later that evening for an ice cream treat. Abby is used to being on the go a lot at home and she wasn't a huge fan of staying at the cottage all day. By Saturday evening she kept asking over and over again to go bye-bye, so we obliged! We ended up getting caught in a quick downpour and came back to the house soaked! Sunday the skies were a bit more cloudy, so we had a pretty low key day and put the kiddos down for early naps. After nap time we enjoyed more time at the beach before taking the pontoon out to this awesome sandbar in the late afternoon. Once again, Abby was NOT a fan of the sand, but she had fun hanging out on the boat having snacks and dancing. We all decided that next year we will definitely spend more time out at the sand bar because it was so beautiful and the perfect place to hang out for the day. At almost 32 weeks pregnant, the weekend definitely exhausted me! I'm so glad that we went though. We are already trying to figure out how we can swing things next year, since our crew will no doubt be growing by at least one and possibly more than that. We may need to find a bigger cottage! At least next year I'll be able to enjoy some adult beverages again :)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJh2w7hxpgs0TQNefAbI-_Wa4qxHY359ImzysTjmeknMAlpHqXdBaLF3B1lhpukiNbuEvYY-wNBJXLmHsDJ0AHCyZlZSelk2Wrn6YjssGWAUnWojaFNXiIawseeZMUNOSYbzrUH5bJM0/s640/blogger-image-892286289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJh2w7hxpgs0TQNefAbI-_Wa4qxHY359ImzysTjmeknMAlpHqXdBaLF3B1lhpukiNbuEvYY-wNBJXLmHsDJ0AHCyZlZSelk2Wrn6YjssGWAUnWojaFNXiIawseeZMUNOSYbzrUH5bJM0/s640/blogger-image-892286289.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrxCwrNAX5RtMv6tF5t5fcYTJpew6OCLN7rgYapa7tkkzM7uwBIw5KvKMRTQmisRxqZku9H41nnDyWY11O5OlhnsamC-FlIox7dyYtFT-eRPOnldnWjpMMuvX7XmAxC4fhPR7_U9Om0s/s640/blogger-image--293397141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cUm2TmtySlTQcnI1hWgh53G_g1koc9MziqFQpNMqNKwg6kiCTusAuiiyvH6D9Wokl1yRDNUs8niKcwDO71Cp3khWfS0mB9-9N3zi-ZBkLsML3HArYASJwOLrGq_uiWGyut-0Ikhlpu4/s640/blogger-image--1578276437.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-69979793980287887332014-08-07T17:09:00.001-07:002014-08-07T17:09:26.253-07:0028 Weeks - AndrewI've been such a bad blogger lately!! I have been meaning to post for ages but just never seem to sit down and do it. So, here we go...<div><br></div><div>Pregnancy is going fine. I'm a little over 28 weeks, so if I deliver at 39 weeks 1 day like I'm hoping for, baby Andrew will be here in exactly 11 weeks. It still feels really, really far away! And yet when I think about having two kids I am so insanely terrified. This pregnancy continues to be very different than my first. I've gained 14 pounds so far (yuck) and feel absolutely enormous. Nothing fits right, not even some of the maternity clothes I bought specifically for this pregnancy. I'm hoping the weight gain stops soon!! Laying off the ice cream would probably help...</div><div>I was recently having a lot of horrible lower back pain. Basically, every step I took with my right foot sent shooting pains down my butt and leg. Most likely, it was because Andrew was breech and irritating my sciatic nerve. I started seeing a chiropractor last week and it has helped immensely!! I am feeling so much better, and wouldn't you know, after just three visits Andrew is no longer breech! I actually am pretty sure that he flipped after the second visit, but an ultrasound this week confirmed my suspicions for sure. It has made things much more comfortable for me. My blood pressure was perfect at my last appointment and I passed my one hour glucose test, plus he is measuring right on target. All great news! Here he is around 24 weeks:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3mrLIU0byF2dB4iZX1JeRbtUp3oXhka95L2lrFf5GkIAqEuu2jwRVBC5ZDM-3KEDwcjE4pwmr1MHsy8TWZ6eZe9J8xLsMJ6XXSva_AYBz_zcph9VAT865pOOlf_B0b7dJJpk6Vtvjwg/s640/blogger-image--424228030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3mrLIU0byF2dB4iZX1JeRbtUp3oXhka95L2lrFf5GkIAqEuu2jwRVBC5ZDM-3KEDwcjE4pwmr1MHsy8TWZ6eZe9J8xLsMJ6XXSva_AYBz_zcph9VAT865pOOlf_B0b7dJJpk6Vtvjwg/s640/blogger-image--424228030.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm feeling better mentally than I was the last time I wrote. It's been nice to enjoy the summer weather and get out and about a lot with Abby. She is doing great these days and it's so much fun to see her learn every day. She is currently teething and we are really hoping to at least see some molar points poke through soon. Some people claim that teething doesn't affect their kids - I wish!!! Abby is a monster for weeks before she cuts teeth. Combine that with newfound independence and assertiveness and some days are pretty rough for us both. But, we power through and I remind myself that tomorrow is a new day. Nap time also helps!! I'm still really scared and overwhelmed when I think about what life will be like with two. Abby is just such a mama's girl, and she is still very clingy. I'm trying to encourage her to play more on her own, but most days she just wants to be stuck to my side no matter what I'm doing. I have a feeling that Andrew is going to be doing more than his fair share of waiting in those first few months! I know it will all work out though. I'm so excited to meet him and also to know that our family will be complete. I'm also very ready to be done being pregnant!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here are a few summer pics of miss Abigail: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uS-lvaEGV8ci_hyphenhyphenFKlnl6xuSIyX8R29O3bItQ9WNWauN-N4IoP8Fp_J3s-wF_VtUbGp_49XB6MqKRik_ginJVFD1MeEHbDOv_88KoqTdUDmUSjGTy0vI6cHczeaH-R-faVG7e7WP30g/s640/blogger-image-1888724940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uS-lvaEGV8ci_hyphenhyphenFKlnl6xuSIyX8R29O3bItQ9WNWauN-N4IoP8Fp_J3s-wF_VtUbGp_49XB6MqKRik_ginJVFD1MeEHbDOv_88KoqTdUDmUSjGTy0vI6cHczeaH-R-faVG7e7WP30g/s640/blogger-image-1888724940.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia43YgLvSmdfIWScAQZfT_zYEpJxGLHBxZKBUwbQ8a38E57XPSZ-9UgA3e4EYME_vyAeKYEn8pMl_FVAJG25NrTFf0j9-6TFd9m_9E4v3p4fgYOi2MRtbXaNNN9vr_dkH0FAIa1abUtZQ/s640/blogger-image--846313405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmnqHt_Av0KHxnlJH1UhCtvp52bj-mURbRhECDGTWeI3XA57ANTyDN1_eF7dibOnubmSxPjzxaupz5gQOE1JAvpkMnLOXKfO254wYTvshF3b8s21zaAv97wtx_-fJE93sp_PnMF9a84M/s640/blogger-image--673319484.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div></div></div>I haven't taken a belly pic in ages but plan to at 30 weeks so I'll post it once I take it!</div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div> </div><br></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-51595853229419152032014-06-15T17:49:00.000-07:002014-06-15T17:49:57.987-07:0016-20 Weeks - Baby #2Well, obviously I've been absent from the blog lately! I've been having major computer problems, plus I just honestly haven't felt much like writing lately. Here are the pics from week 16 and week 20. I didn't take any for 17, 18, or 19 :(<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoNjmlWxSjlq5iEZTQ1XHUDA1OjCyLRj7IZBNy1Wi9cJ2UAhtK-YwZlqHMBBop4DuCHHdZ7JDC0dxseKckTdDvdhhXTgCGlLke0vJtLkaV1PtsOUDoxx-UV7xHAvMNR5dFiws97h9mvo/s1600/16weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoNjmlWxSjlq5iEZTQ1XHUDA1OjCyLRj7IZBNy1Wi9cJ2UAhtK-YwZlqHMBBop4DuCHHdZ7JDC0dxseKckTdDvdhhXTgCGlLke0vJtLkaV1PtsOUDoxx-UV7xHAvMNR5dFiws97h9mvo/s1600/16weeks.jpg" height="400" width="242" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnd_fe_UFGcVAtxAwl8dkP1Sx64SYCJ3_iGx4Jxr9QZtkSEk0xGhG3kjBcglhesgGJ3aKj54od_V-CrLeySIEA5fJH1RHRy54YLpbmbZYkUmDvNX9G-iE8JbrdWBGSWJUotiVxnO3PeQ/s1600/20weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnd_fe_UFGcVAtxAwl8dkP1Sx64SYCJ3_iGx4Jxr9QZtkSEk0xGhG3kjBcglhesgGJ3aKj54od_V-CrLeySIEA5fJH1RHRy54YLpbmbZYkUmDvNX9G-iE8JbrdWBGSWJUotiVxnO3PeQ/s1600/20weeks.jpg" height="400" width="243" /></a></div>
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What's funny is that I feel absolutely ENORMOUS, but I don't really see much change in the pics. I guess I've just been big for a while now! We had our anatomy scan last week and that went really well. Andrew is doing great and was measuring a few days ahead of schedule. All of his organs, etc looked good too, so that was quite a relief. My blood pressure was great and I hadn't gained any weight on their scale. All great news! I found out that I have an anterior placenta, which basically means that the placenta attached at the front of my uterus and is blocking me from feeling much movement at all. I started feeling flutters from Andrew early on (around 11 weeks!), but the past few weeks I barely feel any movement at all. It makes me really sad because that's the part of pregnancy that I love the most! The tech told me that he is quite an active baby - she could barely get all of her measurements because he was moving like crazy! She also said that maybe it's a good thing that I don't feel all of his moving because I would just be kicked like crazy all day :) Still, I'm really looking forward to feeling bigger movements hopefully in the next few weeks. If anything, just for the reassurance that all is well!!</div>
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I've been struggling the last few weeks. This pregnancy has been physically easy on me, but more difficult emotionally. Abby is going through a very whiny, clingy phase and it just drains me. We've transitioned to one nap, and by naptime I am just completely and utterly spent. I catch up on house stuff and then usually end up napping myself because I'm so exhausted. I've also just been feeling really lonely lately...even a bit disconnected from Dave. It's not a great feeling. I can't pinpoint why I even feel this way, I just do. Pregnancy is so isolating. Everything about this time around just feels so different. Not that I'm not happy to be pregnant, because I truly am. I think it just partially stems from the fact that we tried for so long to get pregnant the first time and I wanted to be pregnant SO badly. This pregnancy was really quite a surprise to us both...and that same initial excitement just isn't there. I'm mostly terrified of what life alone all day with two kids will be like, when some days it feels like I'm barely surviving with just one!! It sounds terrible to say, but it's true. And yet, I know that I'll survive and we'll be just fine. Abby really is such a good girl, I'm just struggling these days with her new found attitude and defiance. Hopefully she'll go back at least a little bit to her sunny self soon. I know that I need to put myself out there more and really foster my female friendships. That just feels hard right now, for some reason. Even playdates with other mom friends are mostly spent chasing our own kids around, plus most of the other stay at home moms I know already have two kids and have their hands very full. I keep reminding myself (daily, it seems, lately) that this stage of life doesn't last forever. It's really such a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things. Abby won't always need me or want me as much, and then I'll miss her baby days. I know all this. Tonight I would just love nothing more than to sit out on my back patio with my sister and a bottle of wine and chat and gossip until the sun is long gone. Or go rollerblading with my friend Jessica and talk about everything and nothing like we used to in the old days. Of course, none of that will be happening tonight! I know that I need to take care of myself, physically and mentally. I keep going back and forth about whether I would benefit from signing up for a prenatal yoga class or something like that. We'll see. In the meantime, it's time to stop feeling down and keep my chin up. I want to enjoy this summer and the last few months I have alone with my baby girl during the day. </div>
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In other news, I'm nearly finished with Andrew's nursery! As soon as we found out we were having a boy, I got right to work. I just knew that I wanted to get it done before I got any bigger or more uncomfortable. So, we consolidated closets and got rid of a lot of stuff. Then Dave's desk and bookcase went into the guest bedroom, and my desk and sewing stuff went down into the basement. I repainted the whole room and closet, and caulked and painted all of the trim. It was quite a job! After that, we went to Ikea and got all the furniture, plus pulled the changing table and glider from Abby's room. I found some blackout curtains and sewed some cute window valences and then found a ton of decorations to go with some stuff we already had. The theme is a sports nursery and I really love how it turned out!! I just have to make a mobile with some craft supplies I found and finish sewing his quilt and then it will be completely done and ready for baby! We still need to get a few things, like a sound machine for his room and another camera for the video monitor system, but I'm trying to keep things pretty sparse this time around. I'm hoping to borrow lots of clothes from friends of ours who have an older boy as well. The less we have to buy, the better! Here are a few pictures of the nursery (poor quality pics from my iPhone but they will have to do because editing pics on my computer right now is a total nightmare!):</div>
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I think that's all for now. I'll have to do a very belated 16 month post for Abigail next!</div>
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-59927364010936851242014-05-18T10:33:00.001-07:002014-05-18T10:33:32.378-07:00Elective Ultrasound!I have my 16 week bump picture on my camera and need to download and edit it still. That post will hopefully come later today! But first, we found out yesterday that baby #2 is a BOY!! For a little while now, I've been wanting to book an elective early gender ultrasound. I just couldn't seem to justify the cost knowing that our anatomy scan is only a few more weeks away. In the end, though, my impatience won out. I haven't felt as connected to this pregnancy as I did with Abby's, so I am hoping that knowing the gender now and being able to really get started on things will help with that connection. <div><br></div><div>Saturday, Granny and Grandad came to watch Abigail and Dave and I set off for our appointment. When we had our early ultrasound with Abby, we had to drive to Brighton. Luckily, the same place we went to in Brighton (Baby Envision) opened an office here in Lansing a few months ago! We stopped to get some orange juice for me to drink to make sure that baby wasn't sleeping, and got to the ultrasound place early. When it was our turn, we went back and I got ready for the goo on my belly. The tech we had wasn't very friendly or talkative, which was kind of a bummer. Also, the equipment at this office wasn't nearly as new as the equipment at the Brighton office, which was also not great. But, we still got to see baby and that was very nice. After a while of showing us the face and profile, she moved on to looking for the sex. I could tell after just a few passes of the ultrasound wand that there was definitely a penis there! The tech said, "Well, I know what your baby is," and I told her that I also knew and that it was a boy! She said I was right and showed us on the screen. She wasn't able to get a super clear picture of a "potty shot" without cord interference. After that, we tried looking at baby in 4D for a while. Nothing was very clear, which was disappointing because with Abigail it was very clear, but it was still nice to see our son! Of course I cried :) After the appointment, the woman working at the desk printed out some pictures for us and said that she wasn't very happy with how they turned out. She offered for us to come back next Saturday for free to try to get some better pictures (with a different tech!) and I happily agreed! I'll probably go by myself since we don't want to have to find someone to watch Abby again. Dave seemed fine with that. So, we will be welcoming Andrew David Main into our family in October! Some people seemed surprised that we shared the name on Facebook, but I really love sharing the name early. It's so much better than just calling him "baby boy" for the next 5 months! Hopefully we are able to keep the nicknames at bay for now, because Dave and I both prefer Andrew over any common nicknames. We have our full anatomy scan on June 9th, so it will be great to see him again then too and also get confirmation that he is healthy and everything looks good! We are so, so excited for Abigail to have a little brother!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyEJVuw6JnFO9vSi_8eBs2v_Zcj5sLjVjk2IctmAA7VU4x4ngPVfPG0b9Yy4qLX7ImYL0jN_BL9R-IFzR6vVf2rh40Q8YxxfIlwSmokq72xkQX2Xd5BvvK4vFW8NnsQ5e1Q-44p2XrnQ/s640/blogger-image--725217783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyEJVuw6JnFO9vSi_8eBs2v_Zcj5sLjVjk2IctmAA7VU4x4ngPVfPG0b9Yy4qLX7ImYL0jN_BL9R-IFzR6vVf2rh40Q8YxxfIlwSmokq72xkQX2Xd5BvvK4vFW8NnsQ5e1Q-44p2XrnQ/s640/blogger-image--725217783.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-38094393658697781542014-05-08T09:53:00.003-07:002014-05-08T09:53:49.324-07:0015 Weeks - Baby #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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15 weeks and a few days! I'm not doing well posting these on time, but at least they are getting posted at all! :) We are flying to Denver tonight to visit Abigail's newest cousin, baby Audrey (plus Melissa and Matt too!). I am excited and yet also very nervous to fly with Abby! Hopefully it will all go smoothly! I have an OB appointment the day after we get back, so I'm excited to check in on baby and see how things are going. I'll update once we are home!</div>
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-253738972989360102014-05-03T11:39:00.002-07:002014-05-03T11:39:57.540-07:0014 Weeks - Baby #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so late on this post! I was 14 weeks this past Wednesday. Still feeling great! Just tired. It was a long week because Dave was in Vegas for work for 4 days. Abby is still working on teeth or something and was just clingy and cranky and generally unhappy this week. It also rained and was cold and gloomy, not a good combo for this mama! I can't wait for warm weather and sunshine. We are headed to Denver later this week to meet our new niece. I'm pretty nervous about taking Abby on a plane for the first time!! I'm just trying not to over-think things. I went to a mom-2- mom sale this morning and was able to find a ton of great summer stuff for miss Abigail! I ended up leaving with 9 whole outfits, 2 pairs of leggings, 2 pairs of shoes, and a winter coat for next year all for $25. Not too shabby!! I think she is now all set on clothes for the summer, which is wonderful. Dave's parents are on their way here right now to babysit and Dave and I will be headed out for a date night - I can't wait!</div>
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-77465139240494283842014-04-24T10:37:00.000-07:002014-04-24T10:37:21.458-07:0015 Months!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Miss Abigail is 15 months old! She's finally walking all over the place and that has been SO fun. It's still kind of funny to see her toddling around, because she seems so small to me! But I really love that she can walk now, and she is becoming more and more independent. That independence has also brought some tantrums too, because sometimes what she wants to do isn't what Dave and I want her to do! She has become very decisive lately and tries very hard to communicate her desires with us. It's funny but can also be frustrating all around when we don't understand what she's asking for. Hopefully more language will come soon. She has said night-night a few times, and she says mama very clearly, although not always in the right context. She is learning the word flower, and she tries to say light and cat. She can say dada, but hasn't said it in a while and signs dada instead. It will be really interesting to see how her vocabulary develops and changes in the coming months now that the BIG walking milestone is completed. She uses the sign for "more" to indicate when she wants something. She learned how to sign "please" so we are working on that. She LOVES waving hi to absolutely everyone, especially any kids she sees. It is so cute! We are still working on transitioning to one nap, and every day I just play things by ear depending on what time she wakes up in the morning. I have a feeling that this transition will still take a few more months. Abby loves her sleep! Night sleep has been good, although some nights it takes her a while to fall asleep. She still goes to bed easily though and just talks and plays in her crib until she drifts off. I love having such a good sleeper! I think that's it on updates for now! </div>
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-17714688801943782382014-04-24T10:28:00.001-07:002014-04-24T10:28:19.770-07:0013 Weeks - Baby #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm officially a third of the way there!! Well, assuming that I deliver at 39 weeks, and it's looking like that will be the plan. So, only 2/3 of the pregnancy left to go. Has this pregnancy felt like an eternity to anyone else? I feel like I've been pregnant for eons. All for a good cause though!</div>
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I'm still feeling great. Mostly just tired. I've gained a total of 2 pounds so far. Not great but not terrible either. Especially considering that I've been eating my weight in cookies and candy lately...not good! I still can't wait to find out if this baby will be Andrew or Rosalie. Still 6.5 weeks until the anatomy scan. Hopefully the time flies by!</div>
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-31585658969156410522014-04-16T06:20:00.000-07:002014-04-16T06:20:29.584-07:0012 Weeks - Baby #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ubdDDsTocRmE6HhQ7bd9rAfip0Ur6jPoEWUdAet2WyEjjKZrmawe2CqZbwM5reIRU6tJ3qe3m8DEUoM8X43yreTKLoN-dELnS2tlBVOcGTuZIHZOPgajUMQ-avFdyvY1g4PfaL-1MKI/s1600/12weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ubdDDsTocRmE6HhQ7bd9rAfip0Ur6jPoEWUdAet2WyEjjKZrmawe2CqZbwM5reIRU6tJ3qe3m8DEUoM8X43yreTKLoN-dELnS2tlBVOcGTuZIHZOPgajUMQ-avFdyvY1g4PfaL-1MKI/s1600/12weeks.jpg" height="400" width="260" /></a></div>
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I've been so bad about taking weekly pictures this time around! Also, I can't for the life of me seem to get a clear picture with the self-timer these days. Oh well! 12 weeks today and feeling great. I battled a sinus infection a few weeks ago, and I'm still dealing with that a little bit, mostly in the form of congestion, coughing, and some headaches. But, in terms of pregnancy symptoms, I'm still feeling pretty great! Mostly, I'm just really tired. I'm hoping that falling asleep on the couch at 8pm will be over soon! I feel very lucky that I haven't had any real morning sickness, nausea, food aversions, or anything of the sort. Also, I've felt a few baby nudges! I thought it might happen soon, because I felt Abby very early too. I usually feel the baby when I'm sitting cross-legged on the floor and bent over. I love it and can't wait for the bigger movements in a few weeks!!</div>
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We had an OB checkup last Friday and ended up getting an ultrasound. Two different nurses couldn't find the heartbeat on the Doppler...while I laid there having a panic attack! Thank goodness Dave left work early to come with me, because it was pretty much my worst nightmare come true. I've just been SO worried that something is wrong with this pregnancy, mostly because I haven't had many symptoms. When they couldn't find the heartbeat, I feared the absolute worst. Thankfully, we were able to get right into an ultrasound room and as soon as the tech put the wand on my belly there was baby clear as day. Heart rate was 154 and baby was moving so much that the tech could barely get measurements, let alone a clear picture! She remarked that once I can feel this baby moving I'll never stop feeling it :) After that, the rest of the appointment was pretty standard. I thought that I was going to have a full pelvic exam and pap, but Dr. Thomas said that it wasn't necessary, which was nice! Of course my blood pressure was high, but I honestly attribute that to nerves! The nurse took it one more time at the very end of the appointment and it was 122/80, which is great for me. So, I'm just going to keep monitoring it at home for now and we'll see where we go from here. I'm opting for a repeat c-section, so that will most likely be scheduled for sometime during my 39th week. Dr. Thomas did mention that if my blood pressure is out of control she would like to deliver between 37-38 weeks instead, but I don't even want to worry about that for now. Hopefully baby will be here around October 24th or so :) </div>
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We were able to schedule our anatomy scan for June 9th - it feels so far away! I'm hoping that time will fly by, because I know that I will be able to connect with this pregnancy a little more once I know if baby is a boy or a girl. I think we have *finally* decided on our name choices, after lots of back and forth. So, if baby is a boy he will be Andrew David Main. If baby is a girl she will be Rosalie Ann Main. Can't wait to find out!</div>
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-24164016385357174772014-04-03T07:34:00.000-07:002014-04-03T07:36:05.841-07:0010 Weeks - Baby #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90D11VRsMz31-cjofGcFWX5SVANYCxIHmFRDwX3DrKL9uUxMGsdtGrIVYQz2ghvKrr2f5ks_sP8qqB_4ymlkzX1vyX6zx-xOq-LsiPRSih52EwO57yhRomadkmpJL0Bt569_cKrnon0A/s1600/10weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90D11VRsMz31-cjofGcFWX5SVANYCxIHmFRDwX3DrKL9uUxMGsdtGrIVYQz2ghvKrr2f5ks_sP8qqB_4ymlkzX1vyX6zx-xOq-LsiPRSih52EwO57yhRomadkmpJL0Bt569_cKrnon0A/s1600/10weeks.jpg" height="320" width="183" /></a></div>
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I missed 9 weeks! I've had a bad sinus infection/cold/cough all week and haven't had much energy. I hope I can keep up and not skip another week!</div>
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I cannot possibly describe how huge I feel these days. How is that even possible at only ten weeks pregnant!?! The baby is the size of a kumquat (only an inch long!) so why on earth do I look so enormously pregnant?? It is so bizarre to me. I know that some of my belly is obviously fluff, but I'm only a few pounds off from what I weighed when I was pregnant with Abby, so it's pretty crazy. For comparison's sake, here is me at 10 weeks pregnant with Abby (although this dress doesn't give a great representation of my bump):</div>
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And here is me wearing the same outfit that I wore for my ten week picture with Baby #2 at 27 weeks with Abigail:</div>
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And a side by side just because:</div>
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Ahh! Kind of scary. Anyway, other than my sinus infection, which I am now taking antibiotics for, I'm feeling great. It makes me incredibly anxious, because I still don't really feel pregnant at all. I'm getting a little concerned about what my weight gain might be with this pregnancy as well. I was SO lucky when I was pregnant with Abby. I already weigh exactly what I did the day I delivered Abigail! I've gained about three pounds since finding out I was pregnant. At this rate, I'll be Shamu by delivery time. Not cool!! As opposed to constant morning sickness, I'm basically a ravenous pig all day long. I'm ALWAYS hungry. And I only want carbs. Hopefully that changes soon because I can't continue like this!</div>
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I think that's all for now. We have our next OB appointment next Friday and I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I feel like the baby has to be fine, because I keep growing and getting bigger. But I worry every day that something is just off with this pregnancy, because it feels so very different than the last one. My gut says this baby is a BOY all the way!! The funny thing is that I would really love another little girl, and especially for Abby to have a sister. I would love a boy too, though, so either way it's wonderful news. I can't wait to make sure that baby is doing great and the heart beat is still strong. I'll be better next week about posting on time!</div>
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-64028779399450939782014-03-25T11:54:00.001-07:002014-03-26T06:15:50.337-07:00A Day In the Life - 14 MonthsIt's been quite a while since I've done a day in the life post! Here's a recent day:<div><br></div><div>4am - I'm awake. Ever since getting pregnant again I've struggled with middle-of-the-night insomnia. I end up reading on my phone and drift off around 5am. </div><div><br></div><div>5:45am - My alarm goes off. I check the video monitor and Abby is already awake and chatting. I hop in the shower so that Dave can use the bathroom after me. The joys of only having one full bath! I get back in bed for a little emailing and internet on my phone while Abby plays in her crib for a bit. We are VERY lucky that she will happily play in her crib in the mornings!</div><div><br></div><div>6:45am - I finally drag myself out of bed and get Abby. After a diaper change we head down for breakfast and to say a quick goodbye to Daddy who is on his way out the door. </div><div><br></div><div>7:15am - Abigail is done with breakfast. I let her watch half of a Superwhy episode while I clean up and get my own coffee and breakfast. Then we spend time playing for a while. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRCwfbx7HREQzpt-pBZDnFOwO1LG9Zu9XTbVU_yCLNtHpwHEHBB4woSgPLy9x512VZ3uaEh5ycNE6GoB7adrIQtKjvKtgmq_4ZYkD-QQ4GjV1e0D8wqgzxcM4wnSC2vXfr1wRdjCL4QM/s640/blogger-image--715998285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRCwfbx7HREQzpt-pBZDnFOwO1LG9Zu9XTbVU_yCLNtHpwHEHBB4woSgPLy9x512VZ3uaEh5ycNE6GoB7adrIQtKjvKtgmq_4ZYkD-QQ4GjV1e0D8wqgzxcM4wnSC2vXfr1wRdjCL4QM/s640/blogger-image--715998285.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">8:30am - Nap time! Abby is still taking two naps. We brush teeth and she goes down in her crib. She's asleep within minutes without making a peep. While she naps I get myself ready for the day, sweep the floors, unload the dishwasher, and relax for a bit. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVXQwf3PisiD0aL92EHjt8AdrpChs5_hQgUL1ZMpxT-bZxCYdpTgGuZYoVpCwNTuAKEsEdRfh90V_0VWRzzg7j4tlNOVJ16M__ou1If7FPKunssn_BZTdg7i8AJGZhHkBsnsTMxdRlz8/s640/blogger-image--2098262048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVXQwf3PisiD0aL92EHjt8AdrpChs5_hQgUL1ZMpxT-bZxCYdpTgGuZYoVpCwNTuAKEsEdRfh90V_0VWRzzg7j4tlNOVJ16M__ou1If7FPKunssn_BZTdg7i8AJGZhHkBsnsTMxdRlz8/s640/blogger-image--2098262048.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>10:30am - Abby is still sleeping! I wake her up and get her dressed. She has a quick snack and then we walk down the street to playgroup at our neighbor's house. Abby plays and chases the other kids around while I chat with the moms. </div><div><br></div><div>12:30pm - We walk home (while I chat on the phone with my sister!) and Abigail plays some more while I make us a quick lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches. Abby gets an apple/banana pouch and some milk too. </div><div><br></div><div>1pm - I clean up our lunch and get started making some banana muffins. Abby wanders around the whole first floor dragging her baby dolls, pushing her stroller, and playing with her dump truck. She joins me in the kitchen wanting to play in the trash can (yuck!) so I give her an empty kosher salt canister to play with. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXgBy8T53vtIEkak_1-vmBfI2JD8_9ZvkcJaF_8KOjP79omMOB-L2Sr-g3RLR7uzVGOKmamguAKzcl08saHwzT2eG5rHIfAjZm_Xonqa3yti4mkcy80Y7YVWfGRXoExqsV0mePF_Ss_s/s640/blogger-image-1684376733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXgBy8T53vtIEkak_1-vmBfI2JD8_9ZvkcJaF_8KOjP79omMOB-L2Sr-g3RLR7uzVGOKmamguAKzcl08saHwzT2eG5rHIfAjZm_Xonqa3yti4mkcy80Y7YVWfGRXoExqsV0mePF_Ss_s/s640/blogger-image-1684376733.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKrooNsqBzD6Yyjihq7quVN44We2ItkOGZEuu-LlWYNdeZse8SUhWPDy46j2fIGIUEz4y9Z9GoUUtpb96kGL6ghUflnVwzZ5_0v-G_Uf65OpKshgha2I7sp34oIV3Tqdauf7CvBp8VLk/s640/blogger-image--715516945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKrooNsqBzD6Yyjihq7quVN44We2ItkOGZEuu-LlWYNdeZse8SUhWPDy46j2fIGIUEz4y9Z9GoUUtpb96kGL6ghUflnVwzZ5_0v-G_Uf65OpKshgha2I7sp34oIV3Tqdauf7CvBp8VLk/s640/blogger-image--715516945.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>1:30pm - Time for another nap! It takes Abby about 10 minutes to fall asleep. I watch her play with her stuffed animals on the monitor while finishing the muffins and making meatloaf for dinner. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">3pm - Naptime is over! Time for another snack and then we read books for a bit and play with blocks. </span></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CuVG7tVNfAFJUpSC2ZNzXVDacEw-SXewnnf4pwpOH42hDgT6o8iuLWSDOfjAU24-fMk37RXusuupLWGqHIXIRUrkyouXwCawxAIxJU-xJhKuGoqAIfbTKoOAdF4aZpsDpKkQF1Ixo_k/s640/blogger-image-825364822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CuVG7tVNfAFJUpSC2ZNzXVDacEw-SXewnnf4pwpOH42hDgT6o8iuLWSDOfjAU24-fMk37RXusuupLWGqHIXIRUrkyouXwCawxAIxJU-xJhKuGoqAIfbTKoOAdF4aZpsDpKkQF1Ixo_k/s640/blogger-image-825364822.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycH3W-xgTNFsSI9KQlGG0a8pvIcUR5HmR8rOsyiKtgj1kKIJkAh_Bnp2SP1bwudh-DL2VTdKC9V_Go8FnRuiITA3AZFn9G-3ZE4Yao3dUhtZUMxRuEOws46ag9g5qSTKGbXIxCIMssZo/s640/blogger-image-142575807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycH3W-xgTNFsSI9KQlGG0a8pvIcUR5HmR8rOsyiKtgj1kKIJkAh_Bnp2SP1bwudh-DL2VTdKC9V_Go8FnRuiITA3AZFn9G-3ZE4Yao3dUhtZUMxRuEOws46ag9g5qSTKGbXIxCIMssZo/s640/blogger-image-142575807.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>4pm - I get the rest of dinner ready quickly. Roasted potatoes and steamed cauliflower to go with the meatloaf. </div><div><br></div><div>4:40pm - Dad is home!! He used to come home a little earlier but has been working later since getting a promotion in December. We're still so lucky that he is home before 5!</div><div><br></div><div>5pm - Dinner time! After dinner I clean up while Abby plays with Dave (a nightly ritual so that they get some one on one play/roughhouse time). After that we watch recorded episodes of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Abby loves to clap and dance to the Jeopardy song!</div><div><br></div><div>6:45pm - Time for a last sip of milk and then we all head upstairs to put Abigail to bed. Brush teeth, jammies, sleep sack, and kisses. Dave and I trade off nights putting Abby to sleep and it's my turn. We read her favorite bedtime book "Princess Baby Night-Night" and she goes to bed with her favorite stuffed doll and owl lovey. It actually takes her about thirty minutes of chatting to fall asleep, which is a little unusual for her! I think it's time to find some darker window coverings to help block the late day sun from coming in her room. </div><div><br></div><div>7pm - Dave and I do our own thing and relax! I have plans to go see a movie with some girls from my book club, so I leave at 8:15pm to head to the theater. It's a later night than usual for me!</div><div><br></div><div>11:30am - Home and off to bed! Dave and Abby are both fast asleep. </div><div><br></div><div>5:45am - A new day starts! </div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-84017474514046162932014-03-23T06:44:00.001-07:002014-03-23T06:44:36.302-07:0014 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_68unkWUywVl9ggUN2wL0HdBm0Y-k_QOKUgoDgnZbwRey31Q7IKNKE-PvsL9YgezTYo_sY_3Fts-VFt4Oru_PrRoxERS4o0_uyPPqpZ-tzMrltZz1CVxhbSFgRzdVyj5cAVb1hJhyphenhyphenU7E/s640/blogger-image--1690945856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_68unkWUywVl9ggUN2wL0HdBm0Y-k_QOKUgoDgnZbwRey31Q7IKNKE-PvsL9YgezTYo_sY_3Fts-VFt4Oru_PrRoxERS4o0_uyPPqpZ-tzMrltZz1CVxhbSFgRzdVyj5cAVb1hJhyphenhyphenU7E/s640/blogger-image--1690945856.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm late on this post yet again! Last week Abby got a double ear infection and we are finally getting back to normal around here after a few days of antibiotics. I can't imagine what I would do if I had a child who was sick all the time! This is the first time Abby has been sick, other than a runny nose in the week before her ear infection. Seeing my poor baby in so much pain was horrible! Thankfully, we were able to get into the pediatrician quickly and I'm glad that she was able to get a prescription and is on the mend :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At 14 months, Abby is doing great! They weighed her at the doctor and she weighs 21.3 pounds. She hasn't gained much since her 12 month checkup, but that's to be expected with how active she is these days. She's still not walking. I really hope she does soon!! We are so ready for it, especially with nice weather on the horizon. I can't wait to take her to the park to play and to the lake this summer. She has been very vocal lately and babbles all day long. She still signs quite a bit, and made up her own sign for help, which was been very useful. Her favorite word to say is "dada" and her favorite animal sound is barking like a dog! It's hilarious and she learned how to do it because our neighbor leaves her 6 dogs outside all the time (not cool!!). Abby also loves to watch the birds at the feeder now that they have returned. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We've tried doing one nap a handful of times. Some days go great and others she is miserable (and then so am I), so for the most part she is still happily taking two naps. She had a few nights of restless sleep last week, which we thought was teeth-related but now know was probably a combination of teething and her ears bothering her. Abby still sleeps 11-12 hours straight most nights, which is wonderful. We really are so lucky to have a child that is so easy to put down for naps and bedtime. I just hope that the next baby loves sleep as much as she does!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Abby weaned herself completely from bottles a few weeks ago, so that was a pleasant surprise. I thought that it would be a long and drawn out process, but she made it quite simple! She was only having one bottle a day before bedtime, so we started reducing the amount of milk in the bottle by one ounce per week. By the time we got down to 3 ounces she started refusing the bottle. After she refused it for three nights in a row, we just stopped offering. How great! Now we just offer Abby her sippy of milk before heading upstairs to bed. She usually has a few sips and then it's time for brushing teeth and jammies and a story. I worried so much about stopping the bottle so I'm glad that it went so smoothly! I put them all away until the next baby arrives :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I think that's all for now. Here are a few recent pictures!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iXNQ2M9pPoIVYjeN32sD0AhX4WlJTbosTEAOYpRnM4Nu1XLlMelhXIA7VJyXr_X3Inknfdej_TCItzN0bAMsBKICl_XBg8h9zYUMTz6M_1qo704J7uNEPZo-DrA5yHJpwbMfU_BZnYE/s640/blogger-image-1413016909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iXNQ2M9pPoIVYjeN32sD0AhX4WlJTbosTEAOYpRnM4Nu1XLlMelhXIA7VJyXr_X3Inknfdej_TCItzN0bAMsBKICl_XBg8h9zYUMTz6M_1qo704J7uNEPZo-DrA5yHJpwbMfU_BZnYE/s640/blogger-image-1413016909.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgxRr9X6rH0LGZXFMGuFkM4WB30HAz5G-YjcJk7WBEmzzGHdiGkGodlsw789XZv5OaDWIph-WEfsX_138q1T5x6jVcjttb771EJ4QyenD3sHmWe9YDPw02M3D0YpXVZTHMm6-F1sEQpM/s640/blogger-image-1467374103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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I have no idea why that picture is so blurry! I could have sworn that I had a clear one on my camera. I don't feel like retaking it though, so that's as good as it's going to get. I feel HUGE. And not in a pregnant way, just in a fat way. Other than feeling as bloated as the Goodyear Blimp, I've really been feeling fine this past week. I had a few nauseous moments, but nothing that I could even really call morning sickness. It's more like I feel hungry but nothing sounds good. I've been super tired too, but that's nothing new! We still have a little over three weeks until my next OB appointment, so I'm trying to stay positive and have faith that everything with the baby is progressing like it should, despite my lack of symptoms. We announced on Facebook a few days ago...which felt really early to me but I was also ready to share. This might sound silly, or self-absorbed, but I mostly worried that people would judge us for announcing publicly so early. Especially people who have experienced losses and wouldn't dream of telling anyone except close family before the end of the first trimester. But, we've seen the baby and the heartbeat, and even if something terrible were to happen, I wouldn't want to keep that a secret. So, I'm happy that we shared our news. Abigail turns 14 months tomorrow, so I'll be back then with another blog post all about her!</div>
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-29377634462752188512014-03-12T06:28:00.000-07:002014-03-12T06:28:17.671-07:007 Weeks - Baby #2I published a post yesterday with a picture saying that I was 8 weeks pregnant...and then I went to my OB appointment that afternoon and found out that my doctor DOES want to change my due date after all! So, in actuality, my new due date of October 29th makes me exactly 7 weeks along today. I think this pregnancy might feel very, very long when all is said and done! That's ok though, it's all for a good cause :) So, here is my 7 week picture!<br />
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The really crazy thing is how HUGE I already look and feel. I wasn't this big until I was about 17 weeks with Abigail! And I'm very close to the same weight that I was at this stage with her, so that's interesting to me. I've heard that the body remembers what to do much sooner with subsequent pregnancies, and I guess that's true! I'm feeling really good lately and barely feel pregnant at all. I'm just having some mild breast tenderness, and of course I'm tired, but other than that I feel pretty great. I had one slight wave of nausea yesterday, and I did get sick once a few weeks ago, but no real morning sickness to speak of, which feels VERY different than my first pregnancy! I know that every pregnancy is different, but my lack of symptoms makes me inclined to think that this baby might be a boy. We'll see in about 13 weeks or so! My OB intake appointment went pretty well yesterday, although they want me to do a one hour glucose test right now at the beginning of my pregnancy. The nurse claimed it's new policy for any patient with a history of PCOS...but for some reason I feel more like this has to do with my weight. At any rate, I'll be doing that and getting all my bloodwork done later this week. I had to change my next appointment so that I will be far enough along to hear the baby's heartbeat on the doppler, so that isn't until April 11th, which feels like a very long time to wait! Hopefully when we go for that appointment all will be well. In the meantime I just need to have faith that baby is growing well and I can stop worrying :) I am hoping to keep doing weekly pictures like I did with Abigail. I love having it as a way to document my pregnancy. This will most likely be my last pregnancy so I want to enjoy it and have lots of pictures to remember this time!</div>
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-64476696722191371882014-03-05T11:57:00.001-08:002014-03-05T11:57:38.238-08:00First Ultrasound - Baby #2First of all, in exciting news, Dave and I have a new niece! His sister and her husband welcomed their daughter Audrey Marie last night and she is just beautiful! We are going out to Denver in May and cannot wait to meet her!!<div><br></div><div>So, I had my first ultrasound for the new baby today! I had some pretty intense abdominal pain a while ago and it started to localize on my left side, so my doctor was concerned. I've had five blood tests to check my hcg levels, and while they have continued to rise appropriately, the levels were not as high as they should be for being as far along as I am. Hence the ultrasound. Dave met me and Abby at the OB today and we went back in the ultrasound room. The tech started the ultrasound and right away I could see the gestational sac...but it appeared to be empty. In that moment I felt like all of my worst fears were coming true! Even worse, Abby was not cooperating and Dave ended up needing to take her out to the lobby, so I was left alone. The tech searched and searched and told me that she could see the sac but couldn't find a fetal pole. I literally felt like I couldn't breath. But then she thought that she saw something, so she kept searching around and was finally able to find the baby! I'm measuring over a week behind, so that puts me at exactly 6 weeks today, which is still so very early! I was able to see the heart beating too, so I am definitely feeling much less anxious about everything! I ended up not seeing a doctor because there was a wait and everything on the ultrasound looked normal. The tech didn't give me a new due date, but I have an appointment next week so I will talk to the nurse about that then. Technically, my new due date would be October 29th. Here is the first picture of our new baby!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrQxzju4EWjIEez8a-L8gh8eDTSQtVZFunld7Dg51P9DSFkTCGPb-0mYXdoyGwRPiuVMnCQeesmYO5r529VOU2-DDlQJ_YJO1uftjkRl0aUCGTQ3C-XtDh34wjQz064NJgr-DaYbPfxk/s640/blogger-image--1246911130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrQxzju4EWjIEez8a-L8gh8eDTSQtVZFunld7Dg51P9DSFkTCGPb-0mYXdoyGwRPiuVMnCQeesmYO5r529VOU2-DDlQJ_YJO1uftjkRl0aUCGTQ3C-XtDh34wjQz064NJgr-DaYbPfxk/s640/blogger-image--1246911130.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-81802491662216949922014-03-01T16:35:00.001-08:002014-03-01T16:35:13.137-08:0013 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoRO-TGlrXyJl-er7vpXFDaa-eckqZSVb0ENzWJltWRMhbOtkgM0zj1uzj6h4b6DsP3b8GdRxBk7RFwfGuFqxgJBe7oZVWkFq8B8EYXV3PmGbf8sX2JTZc-KnM58_VTLWeru-YHgcI3A/s640/blogger-image-293492968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoRO-TGlrXyJl-er7vpXFDaa-eckqZSVb0ENzWJltWRMhbOtkgM0zj1uzj6h4b6DsP3b8GdRxBk7RFwfGuFqxgJBe7oZVWkFq8B8EYXV3PmGbf8sX2JTZc-KnM58_VTLWeru-YHgcI3A/s640/blogger-image-293492968.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm not sure where the time went, but our cutie is already thirteen months! She is doing great these days. She is saying a few more words, although nothing very consistently. She can say mama, dada, cat, out, all done, and I did it (or at least we both swear that's what it sounds like she is saying!). She is signing more these days too and can wave hi and bye, in addition to signing all done, more, milk, bath, and her version of help, which has become incredibly useful because it really reduces her frustration level. It is so nice to see her signing for help instead of whining and getting upset. I really want to work on more signs with her soon too, because verbally she isn't ready to speak the words but she understands SO much. She follows many requests easily and it still takes my breath away when I watch her learn something new! Just tonight she put some pieces in a puzzle that she's never done before and I was just so proud! I'm wanting to soak up all of these moments even more nowadays because I know that my time alone with just her is limited. Abby is babbling a ton these days, and has very long conversations with herself where it seems like she is narrating everything she does. It's interesting and hilarious at the same time. I wish I knew what she's saying, and yet I know the day will come soon enough when we won't be able to get her to stop talking! :) She's still not walking, but she is finally getting brave enough to let go and stand alone, so that's a huge step in the right direction! I'm really hoping that walking isn't too far off, because as I get further along I won't want to carry her as much as I do these days. I've been trying to carry her less and make her crawl or wall-walk to follow me around. Sometimes she'll oblige and other times she will pitch a fit, but it's helping her understand that she needs to get around on her own more. We put a removable gate at the bottom of the stairs and that has really helped put my mind at ease. Now she can roam the whole first floor, and then we also have the family room gated off as a playroom for her, so I can close that gate if I need to run upstairs or to the basement. So far it's working out! I think that's all on the uldate front for now. Here are some recent pics!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTvCd1MqbYhUnhI8uNtp6LVfaEFJb_2vixKF77XeZGRlRNebbF1HqBQUGp4uPd7CvBYbcApQbjjX65z7P4Ua40Btk_XBsDoZhOhKQml7GcbCEBFGSuk8bS6Vo7QeqMC0B79uBxI6kv_I/s640/blogger-image--1326185145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTvCd1MqbYhUnhI8uNtp6LVfaEFJb_2vixKF77XeZGRlRNebbF1HqBQUGp4uPd7CvBYbcApQbjjX65z7P4Ua40Btk_XBsDoZhOhKQml7GcbCEBFGSuk8bS6Vo7QeqMC0B79uBxI6kv_I/s640/blogger-image--1326185145.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8M90258Jl_NgVRe6jJW4o9mfm-qUKrEwAFBfTDlvsR0NEnp6eQqLAN2sz0lwb30ysl20i1-zVjTOU9UcU9JU-DrU8Tloeizaag8pZENPlFzV24I8YR0iPe8hBBBmBLJBkOEcGtGSIG0A/s640/blogger-image-1245864759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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I even missed posting about Abby turning 13 months! We've been busy as usual, of course, but the main reason that I haven't been blogging isn't because of that. We have some big news in the Main family...but we're not quite ready to go "Facebook" public with it just yet. Thankfully, I'm pretty certain that most of the people who read this blog already know our news, so I feel comfortable sharing it here.<br />
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Dave and I are expecting Baby Main 2.0! Due to our fertility struggles the first time around, we decided to stop preventing pregnancy back in October. I was not having regular cycles at all, and they were lasting between 50-60 days, so I knew I probably was not ovulating. We had decided quite a while ago that we would just let nature take its course until June, and then we would head back to The Fertility Center in Grand Rapids to try another IUI. I had also made up my mind that I wanted to wean Abby when she turned one so that I could start taking Metformin again and hopefully regulate my cycles. So, I nursed Abigail for the last time on the morning of her first birthday, and I started taking Metformin. I got really lax about it though and only ended up taking it for about a week before just kind of forgetting. The day before Valentine's Day I realized it was cycle day 31 so I randomly decided to take one of my cheap internet dip stick pregnancy tests. It had a super, super faint line once it dried, but I honestly didn't give it much thought. The next day, on Valentine's Day, I casually mentioned to a friend that I had a super faint line on a test the day before and she immediately told me to retest. So, that afternoon while Abby was napping I took another test, and a faint line popped up. A really, really faint line. Then I took a different brand of test, and a slightly darker line came up. I started to get really excited!! Abby was napping but I wanted to go get a First Response. I finally ended up waking her after two hours because I was so impatient. And of course, the First Response was positive as well!! Dave had absolutely no idea about any of it at that point, so I put the positive test in a plastic bag and then in a gift bag and gave it to him when he got home. He freaked out and was so surprised and excited too!!! To say that we were shocked is the understatement of the century. Obviously it was always a possibility, but we really didn't think that we would be able to get pregnant on our own. I'm still in shock even now!</div>
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Unfortunately, everything hasn't been super smooth sailing. I started having some very bad cramping a few days after we found out. It turned into some really intense abdominal pain, so my doctor had me go get a blood test to check my hcg levels. The good news is that the blood test did confirm my pregnancy, but my level was much lower than it should have been for how far along I was. The reasonable explanation is that I ovulated late and found out that I was pregnant super early, which makes sense because my tests were so faint in the beginning. The pain could be a cyst like I had with Abby. I went back and had my blood drawn two more times to make sure that my hcg was doubling appropriately, and it was, so that's great news! My doctor wanted me to go back one more time this week just to check again, and by that time my level was over 6,000 so I am thrilled. I have yet to talk to the doctor after my last blood draw, but the hope is that on Monday she will be thrilled with the number too and we can schedule an early dating ultrasound. I will feel much better once we see the baby and hear the heartbeat!!</div>
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So, that is our exciting news! So far I've been feeling really good, and have just had some very mild breast tenderness and some slight nausea. It's been absolutely nothing like my first pregnancy, which makes me happy and worried that something is wrong all at the same time. I'm trying to stay positive that all is well and baby is happily growing in my belly! I'm honestly a little terrified about having another baby when Abby is only 21 months, but of course we'll make it work. We've been thinking of names and are getting really excited. I'm due somewhere around the end of October, and hopefully we will have a more specific date soon. I told Abby that there's a baby in my tummy tonight, and she lifted up my shirt and looked for a baby! Then she went and got her baby doll and brought it over to me. What a smartie pants. I hope that she will love having a sibling and that they'll grow up playing together and will be the best of friends!</div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-34305355210838159092014-01-20T11:51:00.001-08:002014-01-20T11:51:57.930-08:00One Year Old!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uRJaB7qyL7JJD2SEi_OEeY179QQEgZ2vDFU0H3F74Rs5e6cQS6j0BysZ-5d4r1RSwvrBmhFSwaBbUEGGnefl6eWo2U6JUIOmnTZ0cI_FwAtrnKmFSE_OaxSfcUkkgdh7VNeavflcca4/s640/blogger-image--280676999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uRJaB7qyL7JJD2SEi_OEeY179QQEgZ2vDFU0H3F74Rs5e6cQS6j0BysZ-5d4r1RSwvrBmhFSwaBbUEGGnefl6eWo2U6JUIOmnTZ0cI_FwAtrnKmFSE_OaxSfcUkkgdh7VNeavflcca4/s640/blogger-image--280676999.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Abigail is officially one year old!! Wow, that's crazy to believe! This year has honestly flown by. It feels like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. She is still such a wonderful baby. We've got a great schedule going and (knock on wood!!) she is still napping and sleeping great. The schedule makes our days easy to plan! Ever since she started sleeping through the night again around ten months (after we finally night-weaned!), Abby has been waking up earlier. Most days she is up between 6-6:30am. Then we are still loosely following a 2-3-4 schedule, although most days look more like 2.5-3-3.5, or something similar. So, that means that nap #1 is around 8:30am and she usually sleeps for an hour and a half. Then nap #2 is around 1-1:30pm and she sleeps for about 2 hours. Bedtime is between 6:30-7pm, depending on her mood. It's a schedule that still works great for us, since we go to storytime at the library at 10:30am twice a week, and also have a neighborhood playgroup at 10:30am on another day. I know that sometime in the near future she'll transition to one nap, but for now I'm really enjoying her consistency!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We've been slowly working on weaning from breastfeeding over the last few months, and for several weeks now we have just been down to one nursing session a day while we introduced cows milk a little bit at a time. It's very bittersweet for me, but Abby and I had our last nursing session this morning, on her first birthday. I'm so thankful that I was able to breastfeed this long, and I'm also very glad to be done until we have another baby. Hopefully she won't mind not nursing tomorrow! She still loves food and is liking cows milk more and more. Favorite foods include bananas, pears, cheese, eggs, green beans, pasta, and graham crackers. Her one year checkup isn't for a few weeks, but I'm guessing that she weighs about 21 pounds. She is wearing mostly size 12 month clothes, although it really depends on the brand. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Abby is cruising everywhere these days, and today she let go with both hands while standing up a few times. I would love to see her walking soon! She isn't talking much yet at all. She will sometimes say "cat" and "light", and the word she says the most and actually means is "dada". For the most part, though, she just babbles all day long. She signs "all done" very consistently and without being prompted, which is great. I'd love for her to learn more signs but so far nothing else has caught on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I hope to continue to blog about parenting and our family life, but I'll probably stop doing the monthly updates for the most part. I haven't blogged as much as I had planned over the last year, but it's still so nice to look back and see exactly what Abby was up to at a certain age. Hopefully sometime in the near future we can add to our family and get to do it all over again!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYx9gAnFgilnBQRimxxPTVnQ-Y8T4U2VHfNAeVQacvhU5ojEKrCFQYaVKbs577m05DnGzZ0H7_v2d3e3PqQRtaz7-5cdohuAuBLyijn1GkQa4uAZ-gEp7BJV9lYVf8ak3hlh8KBHxGhiI/s640/blogger-image-647632080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYx9gAnFgilnBQRimxxPTVnQ-Y8T4U2VHfNAeVQacvhU5ojEKrCFQYaVKbs577m05DnGzZ0H7_v2d3e3PqQRtaz7-5cdohuAuBLyijn1GkQa4uAZ-gEp7BJV9lYVf8ak3hlh8KBHxGhiI/s640/blogger-image-647632080.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-55467106916401625212014-01-19T17:56:00.001-08:002014-01-19T17:59:19.407-08:00I Love You Because You're You<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of my favorite books to read to Abby is called I Love You Because You're You, by Liza Baker. It's a book about a fox mama and her son, and how she loves him no matter what. As Abigail's first birthday approaches (tomorrow!), reading the book makes me even more emotional than usual because my baby isn't such a baby anymore! Here is my own little twist on the book... </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're happy,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and grinning ear to ear.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're sleepy,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and want to snuggle near.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're silly,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and dancing 'round and 'round.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're frightened,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and hear a scary sound.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uRkaeEnR5gC3R8jOOKdvaVfgNiUm1J9TaXlpUaVGX-57HQZAYhN5P2O99CGnWTG61FZ2muyGwHSOxnTbDGanGZfGynIDEMgnZaAoMDs7Sn-EZhTOIznmp598s9YofC3TSbZkT38iuYU/s640/blogger-image-872381204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uRkaeEnR5gC3R8jOOKdvaVfgNiUm1J9TaXlpUaVGX-57HQZAYhN5P2O99CGnWTG61FZ2muyGwHSOxnTbDGanGZfGynIDEMgnZaAoMDs7Sn-EZhTOIznmp598s9YofC3TSbZkT38iuYU/s640/blogger-image-872381204.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're bashful,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and hide behind my knee.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m0WdtzfpEP4dzd8bdjtF5gEohEGoXO4VJQHDxJlYhbHBfLreEnXNmH1fKim57KF_7sQzBDDNrgPQER0vd564c74CQgq3js9J2jseNFP3T-HXej0Q3x20611utWyoGjT7Zd1Crs16wQE/s640/blogger-image--331195804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m0WdtzfpEP4dzd8bdjtF5gEohEGoXO4VJQHDxJlYhbHBfLreEnXNmH1fKim57KF_7sQzBDDNrgPQER0vd564c74CQgq3js9J2jseNFP3T-HXej0Q3x20611utWyoGjT7Zd1Crs16wQE/s640/blogger-image--331195804.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're brave,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and from my arms you flee.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're curious,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and searching here and there.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pyLU6-CUk1fqK7sRzIxySuJLXvNod-ACTt1rW61iuVVwWB4ocPRVCZMNrfN9k-ffn7X7GT8oFpRfqOKSoS6M6v2R97ULQe3J_Mhc6FEAGQEhi3ggZ1W-QJ6o7K5dzz2Eh4a579TAUOA/s640/blogger-image--2029547825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pyLU6-CUk1fqK7sRzIxySuJLXvNod-ACTt1rW61iuVVwWB4ocPRVCZMNrfN9k-ffn7X7GT8oFpRfqOKSoS6M6v2R97ULQe3J_Mhc6FEAGQEhi3ggZ1W-QJ6o7K5dzz2Eh4a579TAUOA/s400/blogger-image--2029547825.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're proud,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">you're head held in the air.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're sick,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and need to rest in bed.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDXthql8cLPUgVF7H2tvP8zepmXwnVS1OdPURJI7kxf7dbuQwGjAulStnuDQgteXbpZ8JXpgVLpgvz7-J7m9p9U1dg6gSHdksD5vavN6d6ufTE9G4v_5QfSibH9Ck-2YoBErxjGzWYY4/s640/blogger-image-1877062761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDXthql8cLPUgVF7H2tvP8zepmXwnVS1OdPURJI7kxf7dbuQwGjAulStnuDQgteXbpZ8JXpgVLpgvz7-J7m9p9U1dg6gSHdksD5vavN6d6ufTE9G4v_5QfSibH9Ck-2YoBErxjGzWYY4/s640/blogger-image-1877062761.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're frisky,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and standing on you're head.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKaqQypqCcs-ZiRU83YZFT9qY06QGUJCA8vmJOw57DAkqim7OngajC8quL-nVAba0hgedoJHOwncdB1edsB6IZecQCOLMWTT6M2itGArBl7MP3sg64NzWIgWsWUG7HdFZg_AAZoz14Rk/s640/blogger-image-2102012602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKaqQypqCcs-ZiRU83YZFT9qY06QGUJCA8vmJOw57DAkqim7OngajC8quL-nVAba0hgedoJHOwncdB1edsB6IZecQCOLMWTT6M2itGArBl7MP3sg64NzWIgWsWUG7HdFZg_AAZoz14Rk/s640/blogger-image-2102012602.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're sad,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and need a kiss and hug.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're playful,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and rolling on the rug.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're angry,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and cross your arms and pout.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you when you're wild,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and yell and scream and shout.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMjf78zce_xT_fKWtSH1jkYeY18BU44RT73R3Vkj0nqeTW7zhiksDz0kx1aE-FNzapNT9bRRrb0xvtnJUklebERmGvGa_-c_jgECGOCdJrBXZiBuqZrOopEa-DnYvG8v7IJlF7MZBBLs/s640/blogger-image--1614085975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMjf78zce_xT_fKWtSH1jkYeY18BU44RT73R3Vkj0nqeTW7zhiksDz0kx1aE-FNzapNT9bRRrb0xvtnJUklebERmGvGa_-c_jgECGOCdJrBXZiBuqZrOopEa-DnYvG8v7IJlF7MZBBLs/s640/blogger-image--1614085975.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you any way you feel,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">no matter what you do.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you any way you are,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love you because you're you.</span></div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-65633560730844061052014-01-07T06:35:00.001-08:002014-01-19T18:02:06.907-08:00Thoughts On My First Year of ParenthoodBefore we got pregnant and had Abigail, I spent years wanting and yearning for a child. We put off trying to get pregnant time and again, finding some excuse as to why we weren't ready...but I was always ready in that way that a woman knows she wants to be a mother. When we finally decided that we were, in fact, "ready", my body decided that it didn't want to be pregnant, and so we started our journey through countless medications, ultrasounds, procedures, accupuncture needles, and the like. Then we got pregnant, and our daughter was born, and I realized shortly after her birth that I knew absolutely nothing about being a parent. I was so fixated on getting pregnant that I hadn't thought much about what parenting an infant would be like. Before having a child, I would hear veteran parents joke about how they were perfect parents until they actually had kids, and I'd laugh but I never really got it. You see, before you have a child, you really are the "perfect" parent. Or at least I thought I was.<br />
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This year I've done SO many things that I swore I would never do. I was never going to let our child watch tv, or give her formula, or feed her fast food (or junk of any kind, really). I was going to love breastfeeding and do it as long as possible. I was never going to raise my voice or get frustrated, never going to let her cry. But this year has taught me so much too. It's taught me what true unconditional love is. I could never have imagined what this kind of love felt like before having Abigail. I've never known love like this in my life, and it honestly takes my breath away. I've learned what, and who, is important to me. I've learned that it's ok to not be "perfect" all the time. I've learned that it's important to take care of myself, and if that means that my daughter watches ten minutes of tv so that I can use the bathroom in peace then so be it. I've learned that our families are even more important than I ever realized before. My relationship with my sister in particular became so much stronger this past year - I honestly would not have gotten through the hard times without her. I've learned that breastfeeding isn't the magical experience that I dreamed it would be, but that I'm lucky to be doing it anyway. We're on the way to being done, and I can't be happier about that, but for nearly twelve months I've nourished our baby with my own milk and that's something I am incredibly proud of. I've learned that I can be an extremely judgmental person, and that it's not a good quality to have. I have thin skin and hate being judged myself, so why is it fair for me to judge others? It's something to work on, for sure. I learned that post-partum depression is NO joke. The things my body went through to have a child were nothing compared to the havoc pregnancy and childbirth wreaked on my emotional state. I've learned that having a child changes the dynamics of a marriage. I didn't think it would...who was I kidding? Thankfully we have a strong bond and we made it through, but not without some hard times. </div>
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I've heard people say that having a child doesn't have to change your whole life...but isn't that the point?? Having Abigail DID change my whole life, in the very best possible way. I can't even remember life without her now. Some days are hard and long, but most are filled with snuggles and smiles and so much love. She makes my heart happy. Staying home and raising her gives me an enormous sense of purpose. This past year has been fast and crazy and full of highs and lows, but it's been absolutely amazing. My only hope is that we get to do it all over again soon!</div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-2974902031480195972013-12-21T17:57:00.001-08:002013-12-21T17:57:32.991-08:0011 Months Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXljo7gSeuEhNNNMAZIOONM1-RL3qNspm06kHVQt7-tgAjhrG1VmHu10FHOj2VQ0v8oFICD65K9eTrgpKj-IbPsiZ6h0fajHAtql9vnAZqOVn7321YDxfDDWi3VBs9r0e7RnbIM_TDkI/s640/blogger-image-1141232010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXljo7gSeuEhNNNMAZIOONM1-RL3qNspm06kHVQt7-tgAjhrG1VmHu10FHOj2VQ0v8oFICD65K9eTrgpKj-IbPsiZ6h0fajHAtql9vnAZqOVn7321YDxfDDWi3VBs9r0e7RnbIM_TDkI/s640/blogger-image-1141232010.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Better late than never! Little Miss Abigail is 11 months old already! This has been a big month for our girl. She's now pulling herself up, cruising, pointing, waving, making lots of new sounds, and following simple requests. It's so amazing to see her change and learn! She understands so much and I know she gets frustrated when she isn't able to communicate her wants with us. Abby has started signing "milk" and "all done", although not consistently. It's fun to see her do the signs though, especially when she does them on her own without me or Dave signing to her first. She has started sucking her thumb a lot more. It used to be something that she only did in her crib, but she learned that it makes her feel better and so whenever she's upset she grabs the nearest stuffed animal and has a little cuddle. It's absolutely adorable, but at the same time I wonder if she will be a thumb sucker well past babyhood! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0i-TUEBqHc8xWAW9nfbmrRAP-o7FiWiQLE7lo5Mqa54a_E1iZriU0Y5SBYiBrqTwVt60KRQnZ9Ng7ELnIlH_weXFJVNguVOWEJt9-3nxPycEr4bycZq-9yeyrUlXUrW2o_mFKmhqIMI/s640/blogger-image--1405146271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0i-TUEBqHc8xWAW9nfbmrRAP-o7FiWiQLE7lo5Mqa54a_E1iZriU0Y5SBYiBrqTwVt60KRQnZ9Ng7ELnIlH_weXFJVNguVOWEJt9-3nxPycEr4bycZq-9yeyrUlXUrW2o_mFKmhqIMI/s640/blogger-image--1405146271.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qwp65jGZGbkN3GbPGkiNvXjumv-2GvZxMOQdLvbqHSq6vZ1ypdrjD64amqtYbCLkp3mX4HWZ8Q54nfzFZDSSGDtTdQse00IVhNznimcKxQs4JGa1DV9NU11003nWK4WqIqEBhjpWAMI/s640/blogger-image--762253381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qwp65jGZGbkN3GbPGkiNvXjumv-2GvZxMOQdLvbqHSq6vZ1ypdrjD64amqtYbCLkp3mX4HWZ8Q54nfzFZDSSGDtTdQse00IVhNznimcKxQs4JGa1DV9NU11003nWK4WqIqEBhjpWAMI/s640/blogger-image--762253381.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ea2AxniDOMYV-YQLZR1Ph54huyNpAvfMs7QP3Kh9N89c-vh-3D7psnE7xqmkdAPPoj5MK8-sawf6KcfeuDgqyuBQaUTpN-orpzUgrJCBBdnsRJaKmC3RRCduqPx7Vmg2e_Rt-ev8sRM/s640/blogger-image--272917549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ea2AxniDOMYV-YQLZR1Ph54huyNpAvfMs7QP3Kh9N89c-vh-3D7psnE7xqmkdAPPoj5MK8-sawf6KcfeuDgqyuBQaUTpN-orpzUgrJCBBdnsRJaKmC3RRCduqPx7Vmg2e_Rt-ev8sRM/s640/blogger-image--272917549.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Another very big change for Abby is that she is finally night-weaned! A few weeks ago I decided that I was exhausted and tired of nursing in the middle of the night. I knew that physically she did not need to eat in the middle of the night, but in the end I always gave in and ended up nursing her because it was the easiest thing to do. So, one night Dave and I just decided to be strong and resist any night feeding. Dave went in to comfort her and then it took her a looong time to settle back to sleep. She didn't really cry though, so we let her be and eventually she did fall back asleep. That was a few weeks ago and since that first night we have never gone back in her room! She occasionally wakes up and chats or fusses a little, but she settles and goes back to sleep on her own. It has been great!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We are really looking forward to Abby's first Christmas and then next month we will celebrate her first birthday! This year has really flown by!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHToX2K2VLsYxDMYn8G3w1puwJaEqTOxLeTSJGtXlbR8gYu3ZaM3oiWAZb0ZXya8_Nffqa9wDM2vO6hd1YjX2TklknUjFmmmvkDhC9BFHX_2YP88W6ahu2NEmWMyvdeYeiSdjC72TDRLY/s640/blogger-image-1777666571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHToX2K2VLsYxDMYn8G3w1puwJaEqTOxLeTSJGtXlbR8gYu3ZaM3oiWAZb0ZXya8_Nffqa9wDM2vO6hd1YjX2TklknUjFmmmvkDhC9BFHX_2YP88W6ahu2NEmWMyvdeYeiSdjC72TDRLY/s640/blogger-image-1777666571.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsXyA3bDI-RcTJUvM45hlJdElAbqziqG9_w0Q2zwBoZ73sUC-dRfT-DUmO0eznkRmZ918Lb48mZSSRi8j0_TGic9YYxOpUMBt7KkpqjrWyWeMDda_J7CH2O8SY2q761IIS8MUrqlkgGs/s640/blogger-image--819443128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsXyA3bDI-RcTJUvM45hlJdElAbqziqG9_w0Q2zwBoZ73sUC-dRfT-DUmO0eznkRmZ918Lb48mZSSRi8j0_TGic9YYxOpUMBt7KkpqjrWyWeMDda_J7CH2O8SY2q761IIS8MUrqlkgGs/s640/blogger-image--819443128.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH163ox7jvoRbFoVCbHSzFhSgvYkIcFMJIL45vCfJhCZE411DxkhontyullvLUtktUb5kEIx36gQUilv7cCX8pbFbYrF5oMqGl-6ghd4QRBthWh7kBgA_b0DY6yB7z-OsIzWIVEzQFQE/s640/blogger-image--838817937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH163ox7jvoRbFoVCbHSzFhSgvYkIcFMJIL45vCfJhCZE411DxkhontyullvLUtktUb5kEIx36gQUilv7cCX8pbFbYrF5oMqGl-6ghd4QRBthWh7kBgA_b0DY6yB7z-OsIzWIVEzQFQE/s640/blogger-image--838817937.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3h9Lg-C1pQZE-YVKvDX-c7WhFObwzXcmWDxLMgRBjhoQqbU_h2EL8tD5JTtkH-dmdRSbhgLBReTxlvL6O2IPHsxQj8z3NHb1121_i5UwwJysiN90N4LJLK3VZMJjOOu9ABtUI9tqgAc8/s640/blogger-image-2045950235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3h9Lg-C1pQZE-YVKvDX-c7WhFObwzXcmWDxLMgRBjhoQqbU_h2EL8tD5JTtkH-dmdRSbhgLBReTxlvL6O2IPHsxQj8z3NHb1121_i5UwwJysiN90N4LJLK3VZMJjOOu9ABtUI9tqgAc8/s640/blogger-image-2045950235.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwLkJydysotS0sRdUZt5eVcN1L8G4t5Vef_i3-WKHRFc1ruRhi3fVk5A-bOJyl_AbreWhL4eDcA_i70B4vRBu42ym6wkeQA0THLxYFzZvQyQ6QL8-axAl5SMOr4VDc6OO4vgHWw-YhD8/s640/blogger-image-1797630609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwLkJydysotS0sRdUZt5eVcN1L8G4t5Vef_i3-WKHRFc1ruRhi3fVk5A-bOJyl_AbreWhL4eDcA_i70B4vRBu42ym6wkeQA0THLxYFzZvQyQ6QL8-axAl5SMOr4VDc6OO4vgHWw-YhD8/s640/blogger-image-1797630609.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-41808672764383485312013-11-20T11:42:00.001-08:002013-11-20T11:42:39.020-08:0010 Months Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwop6G90zyFAyaT20n8BtVtwdY2hYxX6WLWzy1YOUMpESO5vd5sAgXLBt6oh_mTfH0egVLd_95KfAHwimX4KbO2Xq5s8NlgZlcamEqxqMbReF6IPr0ZzfO-fDT-kDh0ciP1xs1kOM9LqU/s640/blogger-image--100600708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwop6G90zyFAyaT20n8BtVtwdY2hYxX6WLWzy1YOUMpESO5vd5sAgXLBt6oh_mTfH0egVLd_95KfAHwimX4KbO2Xq5s8NlgZlcamEqxqMbReF6IPr0ZzfO-fDT-kDh0ciP1xs1kOM9LqU/s640/blogger-image--100600708.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Today Abigail is 10 months old! She has finally learned to crawl around a bit and really likes testing boundaries. She can't quite get up on all fours yet, so she sort of drags her body around using her arms and pushing off with her feet. A few weeks ago she had a (late) 9 month well check and she was almost 20 pounds, so we're pretty sure she is over that now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Abby still loves food and enjoys trying all sorts of new things, especially if they come from Mama and Dada's plates! Favorite foods right now include banana, peaches, mandarin oranges, eggs, cheese, peas, pasta, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and raisins. Occasionally she will refuse a food, but it's not often! She's gotten so great at self-feeding that most days we don't even use a bib anymore. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvzIYK-X2Xp2tYXwwjeqSSDLTLzc-aKLEgZiT4QweEYUrqpYNmtH8ZT-4Odk-2R6iVGSJvge2ycyEqkKJXBAv1HEIHv2laNFJz1NpWCacHjyR1nWSzkJLCf1Q-pW4oVnLaEJmazVR0Iw/s640/blogger-image--733822692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvzIYK-X2Xp2tYXwwjeqSSDLTLzc-aKLEgZiT4QweEYUrqpYNmtH8ZT-4Odk-2R6iVGSJvge2ycyEqkKJXBAv1HEIHv2laNFJz1NpWCacHjyR1nWSzkJLCf1Q-pW4oVnLaEJmazVR0Iw/s640/blogger-image--733822692.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qlq9ojF9_NiDg2B3MCUFFJWa6PFxz0yCI2JsItAdfjnuqzdc9jjzL7RmOrGam9IXknti8gXvcBsUBxkqx-wO7AMvowJW-jFEVYNWQEeD1lvT1Vaov9aGf3wZjC25wQ9TAKA-TJ1dFrU/s640/blogger-image-528757280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qlq9ojF9_NiDg2B3MCUFFJWa6PFxz0yCI2JsItAdfjnuqzdc9jjzL7RmOrGam9IXknti8gXvcBsUBxkqx-wO7AMvowJW-jFEVYNWQEeD1lvT1Vaov9aGf3wZjC25wQ9TAKA-TJ1dFrU/s640/blogger-image-528757280.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We worked past a three day long nursing strike last week and thankfully Abigail is nursing again, although the number of times per day varies. One thing that does NOT vary is that she is still waking in the middle of the night to nurse :-/. She usually wakes up around 3am and starts fussing. I try to let her be and see if she will settle, but her fussing always gets louder and louder until I can tell the tears are about to come. Sometimes we send Dave in to comfort her instead, but that pretty much guarantees a total baby meltdown. She wants to nurse and nothing else. So, almost every night I give in and nurse her, as much as I want to night wean her and get her sleeping through the night like she used to back in her pre-teething days! Thankfully, she nurses and goes right back to sleep, so I can't complain too much. Abby has been taking great naps lately and we follow a really consistent 2-3-4 schedule which works great for us. She usually wakes up at 7am, then naps for about an hour and a half at 9am and again at 1:30pm. Bedtime is at 7pm. It's a schedule I like a lot, and apparently so does she! </div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Abby is experimenting with lots of sounds, and sometimes we are pretty sure that she is saying the word "cat". Still no "Mama" yet :( The most amazing thing is her word comprehension these days. If you ask her where Dada, cat, or Mama is, she will look right at the person in question. When we read books I can ask her to turn the page and she knows what that means. She most definitely understands being told no, and she doesn't like it one bit! It's really incredible to watch her learn everyday. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's hard to believe that Abby's first Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up. Then our little girl will be one year old before we know it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlauEHqn-Xp_sMsVgT3U2uBKI3wgDxuxdbCA9eaffvv1OE8_N6W8WBpjoT_zZYEbOzS6FshdSpMod13mbWQZUB7j33xkyEL9SZmqq9LiBx58QBW2-AXTUqMQ5nFocMsFPYVPCb0zTXTA/s640/blogger-image-2020745072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlauEHqn-Xp_sMsVgT3U2uBKI3wgDxuxdbCA9eaffvv1OE8_N6W8WBpjoT_zZYEbOzS6FshdSpMod13mbWQZUB7j33xkyEL9SZmqq9LiBx58QBW2-AXTUqMQ5nFocMsFPYVPCb0zTXTA/s640/blogger-image-2020745072.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMoijGsBY6PcrKz6k02UaeKUomRDK-lbqxxUvPvvB2jnbe-iTAZPr92Y3c52fkcqQdDTsqKBMxelapAz-V1lCcccW3znEd7wFJi2C3wzF3NbxwgXhuJjotn7ov0TrUC_wXj36Vap2ffk/s640/blogger-image--921466887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMoijGsBY6PcrKz6k02UaeKUomRDK-lbqxxUvPvvB2jnbe-iTAZPr92Y3c52fkcqQdDTsqKBMxelapAz-V1lCcccW3znEd7wFJi2C3wzF3NbxwgXhuJjotn7ov0TrUC_wXj36Vap2ffk/s640/blogger-image--921466887.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3axqvYcDuCmYDej4emULDUdhsp2ov5ORn-9_v13oAE5QfpMcjLGhYI8SPb83s5u9W1E-uLkMrYdVGl8bQ7A5m3saWC0cJtTD4aSVmGX6_bgE8DxqKmHs5mARevV7_SFu6sZDz_l6DbY/s640/blogger-image--307661954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3axqvYcDuCmYDej4emULDUdhsp2ov5ORn-9_v13oAE5QfpMcjLGhYI8SPb83s5u9W1E-uLkMrYdVGl8bQ7A5m3saWC0cJtTD4aSVmGX6_bgE8DxqKmHs5mARevV7_SFu6sZDz_l6DbY/s640/blogger-image--307661954.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjxxXheTuInnvx5vdp3l3VkiFBMgBz_6P45ZQsURbOJTdceoLbY2bDiUhenPv3LbRE2-GNAcwijPQ8BmiVHVqunXCun12bbg3aO3bmPXKmU13U8PhMj77CATLPYC97yDGhCxfDz1pwaI/s640/blogger-image--435213951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjxxXheTuInnvx5vdp3l3VkiFBMgBz_6P45ZQsURbOJTdceoLbY2bDiUhenPv3LbRE2-GNAcwijPQ8BmiVHVqunXCun12bbg3aO3bmPXKmU13U8PhMj77CATLPYC97yDGhCxfDz1pwaI/s640/blogger-image--435213951.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickQ7sL7bVBTGWoq_Z_ou7RcY9FUAyi8IB89cKODjasbFU45CN5xTbpphEg2eLlwkJQ5gUxuhdgSt6XDOES0f3zR3D3tg4xULBbFobX0OuFXPra3iAQfpIvgfF1MSofimhAHVuFLHi-a8/s640/blogger-image--1678538074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickQ7sL7bVBTGWoq_Z_ou7RcY9FUAyi8IB89cKODjasbFU45CN5xTbpphEg2eLlwkJQ5gUxuhdgSt6XDOES0f3zR3D3tg4xULBbFobX0OuFXPra3iAQfpIvgfF1MSofimhAHVuFLHi-a8/s640/blogger-image--1678538074.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyyKncORevnPEcz2CkGxx69ySLZ78JfeK00AihvHe2JaxVq_PyNyb5XdMO8wqo5LERkpnB4351KLCVpDHxRsEFSbuww-luhkZBTnLcLvGcuuTpIlQbHmHfFGSK0ySVL5JOze7YsDJqEg/s640/blogger-image--883966022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyyKncORevnPEcz2CkGxx69ySLZ78JfeK00AihvHe2JaxVq_PyNyb5XdMO8wqo5LERkpnB4351KLCVpDHxRsEFSbuww-luhkZBTnLcLvGcuuTpIlQbHmHfFGSK0ySVL5JOze7YsDJqEg/s640/blogger-image--883966022.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674603562529950602.post-77564036166327151042013-10-30T12:17:00.001-07:002013-10-30T12:17:47.964-07:00Supplementing and the Road to WeaningWhen Abigail was about 6 weeks old, she started refusing to nurse at night before bed. For a few nights we let it be, and then we tried even harder to get her to nurse. It only ended with a screaming, writhing baby and tears from me. So, I pumped and we gave her a bottle of breast milk. Problem solved. Abby loved her nightly bottle. Dave and I took turns putting her to bed every night, so she never got used to the way that only one person did it. It worked like a dream. There was a catch, though. I had to pump that milk. In the beginning, it was so easy to do. I dealt with oversupply issues and could obtain her nightly bottle in just a few minutes. Fast forward a few months and my milk supply had regulated. I was spending more and more time pumping every night after she went to bed. When she started drinking 6 ounces in her bottle every night, I couldn't keep up. I pumped at night and in the morning, and sometimes had to add another session as well, just to get those precious 6 ounces. When Abigail turned 9 monthly old (exactly), I told Dave that I didn't want to do it any more. I was so tired of being a slave to my pump. I didn't want to go back to nursing before bed either, though, so I brought up the idea of supplementing. In my mind, I thought that he would object to giving Abby formula. But of course he didn't, he supported me and understood my desire to be done pumping. I felt guilty that I wanted to stop pumping her bedtime bottle, but I also knew that I was done with that aspect of breastfeeding. So, we went out and bought formula. I thought that she would hate it, or refuse it, or something of the sort. I wanted to try anyway. The first night we mixed 2 ounces of prepared formula with 4 ounces of breast milk. She drank the whole thing and went right to bed! So we upped the formula, and she still drank the bottle without a problem. We gave her an all-formula bottle (the ultimate test!) and she didn't seem to notice the slightest difference. I started pumping less and less, and last night I didn't pump at all. What a HUGE RELIEF it's been. I'm still nursing her 4 times a day and 1-2 times at night, so our breastfeeding journey is no where near over. But not having to spend an hour or so pumping every day has been wonderful!! Formula is EXPENSIVE, so I don't see me stopping nursing any time soon, but I'm honestly looking forward to Abigail turning 1 so we can introduce whole milk and begin the road to weaning. We are hoping to have another baby soon, and I've read that pregnancy can either dry your milk up or change the taste so much that a baby will self-wean. We will just have to see what happens in the next few months. Until then, I'm quite happy to no longer be a slave to my pump!!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118331895851125871noreply@blogger.com0