Croup
So Gianna has been in daycare now for almost 3 months. So far she has had a cold, stomach bugs (both times she had this I got the stomach flu and had to go to the ER), and now Croup!!
Croup is breathing difficulty accompanied by a “barking” cough. Croup, which is swelling around the vocal cords, is common in infants and children and can have a variety of causes.
She is also teething right now, so needless to say come bed time, she is not a happy camper. Croup worsens at night, so hopefully when it passes she will be able to sleep again.
We definitely are looking forward to July 1 to start with our full time nanny- aka our new employee…grandma!!
Viva Las Vegas…and 1st time leaving my baby!
So, this weekend we are heading to Las Vegas to celebrate our anniversary. One side of me is super excited to get away from work which is super stressful right now and I am even more excited for my hubby b/c he has never been there, but I am also super sad and nervous to leave my baby girl. I know my mom will take great care of her and she is even staying at our place so she will have the comfort of home, but I just love her so much and this is our first time leaving her overnight. Geez, is it this hard for everyone??
Being a better wife
I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning and almost thought it was a post straight from my mouth. It was a moment of self reflection. This morning the husband and I had a little spat. He was looking for something, which isn’t unusual b/c he tends to misplace things and started going through drawwers and leaving them dishoveled. It didn’t bother me until he did it the second time and then I snapped. Sometimes as Khloe K would say, “a bitch snaps!” and I did. I know I over reacted as when I react I typically do, so it was ok, we have already moved on, but I immediately started saying hurtful things when I snapped and this is something I hate about myself.
I know and he knows (I hope) that I do not mean these things and I always end up feeling even worse afterwards b/c I am disappointed in myself, but in the heat of the moment I just say them. I keep telling myself to do better and I am working on it, but it is definitely still a work in progress. It isn’t just my role as a wife either, it is in all my roles EXCEPT being a mommy. I had a moment of self reflection while reading this blog post this morning and I know this is something I need to do better at. I need to be a better wife, to love him more and hurt him less, to think about what I say and don’t say it if I don’t mean it. Boy, easier said than done!
Please support Childrens Healthcare and our family! Vote today!
http://danceoff.primroseschools.com/videos/meet-changars
Our daughter’s school is having a family dance off video contest. Not only will it support the children’s healthcare of Atlanta, but it will also support our family. Having her was not only difficult physically and emotionally, but it was challenging financially as well. We would love to support Children’s Healthcare and be able to put the winning funds towards providing her with a sibling someday soon. Thanks for all your love and support!
A year since we started IVF
It is so hard to believe that 1 year ago we were prepping for our egg retrieval. My last cycle was Jan 25th and then the shots began! We did our egg retrieval on Feb 15th, 22 eggs were retrieved and 5 days later we transferred 1 beautiful, perfect embryo. 10 of our eggs fertilized and 7 made it to a day 5 blastocyst stage. We almost transferred 2 embryos and more than likely if we would have, we would have twins right now. Then, we found out we were pregnant! It has been the hardest, most amazing journey that we have ever experienced and we are so much more grateful for our baby girl and eachother because of it. The progesterone shots were so extremely painful and the emotional journey was exhausting, but Thank you God, we now have the most adorable, sweet baby girl!
I know we will have to experience a large part of this journey again for #2 and we are excited about that, because we know together we can get through anything. We pray that our FET journey (when we decide to begin) will be just as successful!
2012 is almost here!
It is almost time to ring in the new year and while I am a little sad to see 2011 go, I am looking forward to what 2012 has in store for us. 2011 has not been all roses and rainbows, it started out rocky with our dog needing some very expensive surgeries, then the pain and cost of the IVF, but it was all worth it in the end. I spent most of the year pregnant and on October 28th we welcomed our beautiful little princess into this world. We are so very blessed and this will definitely be a year we will never forget. Now- cheers to the year that is almost behind us and to the one we are about to begin! Let’s make the best of 2012. God Bless!
6 weeks old!
Wow, time flies. I cannot believe my baby girl is 6 weeks old already. I am a little sad to think my maternity leave is halfway over, but I know it is for “our best”. Meaning- to each is own, but for me and Allan the most important thing for us is that our children have all the opportunities in the world. We want to provide them with a beautiful, loving home, the best schools and if they want to play sports, take acting classes, play an instrument or go to Harvard some day- we want to be able to provide that to them.
Some things I have learned from mommy hood are:
- It is AMAZING! You never can imagine how much you could love someone- and seeing your husband with your baby is the best feeling in the world
- You can never have enough bibs- spit up happens A LOT!
- You think you didn’t sleep while you were pregnant with the frequent pees, but ha, now you really don’t sleep! (Well, maybe not everyone, I am just a really light sleeper and it takes me a long time to fall asleep)
- Trust your instincts- if you think something is wrong with your baby, you are probably right
- You will co-sleep- maybe not for long, but we did it for a few hours every night the first month
- cutting babies nails is super duper frightening- do it at their first nap after bath time while the nails are soft
- Only the socks that are tight around the ankles will stay on- you are wasting money on the rest
- Losing the baby weight is HARD! my whole body still aches from the 9 months of pregnancy and the laboring. I am down 18 and have about 24 more to go, but they are not budging, the 18 came off after the first week just from fluid
Our girl is here- 10.28.11
OMG, these past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. Our little girl arrived 10/28/2011 at 12:32 pm. She weighed 6lbs15oz and was 19 inches long. She is absolutely perfect in every single way.
5 days till due date!
OMG, I cannot believe we are to the 5 day countdown and our little girl is not here yet. I am begining to feel so discouraged, which I know is ridiculous and totally normal at the same time. She is sooo big and they have been saying this whole time she would be early, but so far, nothing. I have been soooo uncomfortable, having braxton hicks, horrible painful swelling and this EXTREME pressure on my cervix since she is sitting so low. I am about 70% effaced, but barely (1cm or less) dilated. Doc says for first time moms it is completely normal to not dilate much at all before labor begins, so I am hoping that is the case, but if she hasn’t come on her own by Monday we are scheduling a date sometime before next Thursday to get induced. It is super exciting to know that one way or another she will be here in a week, but scary too!!
At my appt on Monday they will of course check my progress and get a date (either Wed or Thurs) on the calendar to get induced. They will also be doing a growth ultrasound to check her approximate size and my fluid levels one last time.
I hope she will decide to come on her own. I would love sooner than later, b/c I am STRUGGLING! But…whatever happens, I feel confident we will have a happy, healthy baby by next weekend! 
38 weeks this weekend!
So as of Sunday I was full term! All week I have been hoping Gianna would decide she was ready, but not yet…I am trying to be patient and really don’t have a choice, but I am so ready for her to be here and to begin the road to feeling semi normal. My hands are swelling out of control, she has dropped and is putting so much pressure on my cervix it is insane and between all the other lovely pregnancy stuff (45 pound weight gain, constipation, no sleep, pain, pain, pain) I am just ready. I know, I know, it is not up to me. The doc thinks she is about 7-7.5 pounds right now, so that is perfect. If she makes it the full 2 weeks we are looking at 8 plus (if they are right). I can’t believe we are almost to the end of this pregnancy journey and about to embark on the journey of parenthood. I am sooo excited, nervous and just completely overwhelmed.