Bringing Home Baby

Time to start browsing for my bringing home the little princess outfit.....And Chris is going to HATE what I am leaning towards.....

But seriously, who can resist a baby in a tutu and big flower headband....soooo cute! Besides, he better get used to it now because you know I am going to push ballet lessons on her with all my power (just like he is going to pressure Braeden into doing football).....

Addendum: I showed Chris the above outfits, and he is vehemently opposed to putting our newborn daughter in a tutu....He thinks it is an inappropriate look for such a young baby. Well, daddy better get used to it....you are going to have a daughter in a couple months, and I can assure you that once she can dress herself, you will never approve of her clothing choices. Wait until she is 12 years old trying to leave for middle school in a belly shirt and mini skirt....

Designer Hospital Gowns

I have been seriously considering bringing my own gown to Labor and Delivery lately. There are a bunch of sites online that sell designer overprized hospital gowns....I know you only will wear it once and ruin it when the baby is born. It is not at all about being stylish to me either....really, I am not that vain! When I had Braeden I sucked it up and wore the hospital issue gown. I understand that I will look like hell after going through labor and delivery no matter what I am wearing.

So why am I so serious about spending $50+ on a trendy gown? Working in a hospital, I see the nasty things those hospital gowns go through....Bodily fluids you don't want to hear about (urine, stool, vomit, bile, blood, sputum...yeah that is what being a nurse is really all about!). Lately I have noticed linen coming back from the laundry room soiled and stained (I bet they switched detergents to be more cost effective). And I know it will be just my luck that I get the hospital gown that the elderly incontinent patient with c-diff demolished before putting it in the dirty linen hamper....

So please don't call me a princess if my L&D pics show I am wearing an overprized ridiculous designer gown....It is solely for hygiene reasons (okay, maybe part of me wants to look a little cute for my post delivery pics)!

T Minus 70 Days?

Yikes...I just noticed my ticker at the end of this blog says that I have less than 70 days until Ashlyn's due date! When did that happen?! I am 30 weeks today, and I cannot believe it. With Braeden I was counting down the seconds until he was due to arrive. For my second pregnancy, I am just trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy the pregnancy because it will be over before we know it! I know we don't have too much preparation to do the second time around...but I still am not ready for d-day. Two babies under 15 months, how will I be able to handle that?!

Night From Hell....

I had the worst night at work....Usually I don't mind having a very acutely sick patient. Usually, I like the pace and challenges at hand. But last night was not fun, but score one my me....the patient was alive when I left! I did not get a chance to eat in the entire 13 hours I was at work. I finally had to force myself to drink because I was starting to get dehydrated and having contractions (lesson I learned when I was pregnant with Braeden...dehydration and contractions go hand in hand). I was on my feet for over 7 hours until they called another nurse in and made my patient at 1:1 assignment. But the night didn't get any better from there as I still had tons of documentation and patient care to catch up on. I felt so behind and flustered. I was dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out by the end of the night.

This pregnancy is making the hard nights at work almost impossible. I just need to be more comfortable admitting I need more help and not be super nurse. And hopefully I don't have too many more stressful nights like these before I deliver....goodness knows I don't need any more stress or complications. At least I am happy to say that I did not go into preterm labor today, and the irregular contractions have stopped.

Part of me thinks it might be in my best interest to slow down at work. Cut back hours or something like my midwives always recommended if I felt too overwhelmed. But I also want to conserve my vacation and short term disability days until the baby is here. I want to have the entire summer with her. Plus, I want to be able to work a little extra now while I can and save for the future. I guess I shouldn't make any rash decisions based on just one unbearable night. But after last night, I think I am ready for D-Day to be here and now! Working while under the influence of pregnancy can be dangerous afterall!

Hiccups!

Ashlyn had hiccups today! I was getting worried because she has yet to really get a good case of the hiccups. To me, I think hiccups are a reassuring thing to feel because it means that she has been practice breathing in there!

TGIF

What a good day! I had a lazy day as is my usual Friday routine. I finished reading my book instead of taking a nap before work....but so glad I did because work put me on call tonight. Chris bought me a bouquet of calla lilies on the way home from work for no reason at all (awwww). And he made one of my favorite dinners....chicken parm soup. Because I didn't have to go to work, we ran some errands, and I got the next Twilight book and the DVD (obsessive, much?!). I wanted to get ice cream, but instead Chris took me to Starbucks....so I got a venti chocolaty chip frappacino instead, the next best thing to ice cream. I got brain freeze, but it was so worth it! Now I am off to do a little housework and watch my new movie....and pray that I will not be called in to work tonight!

Damn the Economy!

I am finally going to start bitching about the economy....Not because my 401K is in the toilet (the benefits of not having one yet...) or because the whole AIG controversy angers me....Because The Little Gym in Greece is closing its doors!

Luckily, there is one in Fairport that we will be able to swtich to. Plus, for the inconvinence, the owner is throwing in 10 weeks free this summer! Chris is pissed because it means he will have to get up 20 minutes earlier on Saturday, but for 10 free weeks, I am not going to complain! So damn you economy...but thanks for sucking so Braeden can get the summer at the Little Gym for free!

Twilight Fever

"About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him-and I didn't know how dominant that part might be-that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."

So I am (finally) jumping on the Twilight bandwagon. I had been avoiding it all along....afraid it would be Harry Potter all over again (those books are an easy read but freaking long!)....nevertheless I couldn't resist. I am reading the first novel and almost done with it already. It is quite an intriguing book....I could barely drag myself away to check my facebook page (that is usually a priority for me!). I cannot wait to finish, then watch the DVD, then read the next books in the series, and then wait impatiently for the next installment of the Twilight movies to come out.

At U of R, I took the "Popular Monsters" English course (mainly because the one with fairy tales was all filled up), and we did a lot of reading on vampires. So Twilight is interesting when you compare it to other authors interpretations of vampires. But really I just like the book because it is weirdly romantic to me.

OK, I've got to get back to my book!

Preceptoring

So apparently I must know what I am doing at work....I precepted for the first time last night. Granted I precepted an experienced nurse with ICU experience, but it felt great to take a step forward in my career. Next thing, I will be expected to work as charge nurse, which I secretly kind of look forward to. I have a review book for the CCRN exam, which I am planning on wiping the dusk off and opening for the first time in over a year! Precepting last night has given me incentive to get moving on my career advancements. I feel like I was at a standstill because of being a new mommy and now a pregnant mommy....but I don't want to be waiting for years and years to get to where I want to be in my career. To be honest right now I am toying with various ideas of what interests me....I definitely want to stay in critical care....but in what capacity? Management....NP.....Nurse educator....who knows but in the meantime I will get my butt moving in the right direction.....I feel so motivated and career driven and grown up!

My Mommy Haircut

Here is my new do....It is growing on me, and styling it is getting easier.

Ugh, my face is getting so fat....Gross!

Specialist...Not So Special Afterall....

I am irritated....So we went for our first visit with the high risk perinatal group. They will be taking over complete control of my care. When we were told we would have to go in today at 3pm for our first appointment, we were told to block off at least 2 hours of time because the first visit would be lengthy. Good, I thought, we will finally get information and not feel rushed when discussing Ashlyn's situation. They said we would meet with various providers in the practice and get an ultrasound.

Well, we were driving home by 3:35pm.....No ultrasound (they never scheduled one). We met with an NP and MD who both had no new news for us. The NP took a brief medical history. The MD listened to Ashlyn's fetal heart tones...nice and strong HR. They never measured my fundal height like my midwives always would do at this point in pregnancy (I know I know...it is not the most scientific measurement out there...but it is better than nothing). My BP was elevated 161/88, but no proteins in my urine. They are having me do a 24 hour urine screen just to get a baseline in case the high BP starts causing problems. I also will have to do the 3 hour glucose tolerance test, but the NP said that a BG of 157 on the 1 hour is "not too bad."

The next ultrasound we have will not be until April 13th....that feels like forever away.....Oh well, back to the waiting game....

Mom Hair Cut

I think I just got a mom hair cut.....I'll post pics when I feel brave....

Coincidence?

How coincidental....today is American Diabetes Alert Day!

By the time that plane landed, I had diabetes....

I got a call this morning from the midwife's office....They received the results of my glucose screen instead of the new doctors. But they needed to give me a call because my BG was elevated at 157! So now I will have to get the 3 hour test. 3 hours?! I don't have 3 hours to wait around and get my blood drawn every hour....

I kind of just want to tell the doctors (I see them tomorrow) that I will go on the diabetes diet and check my blood glucose readings religiously....just don't make me do the 3 hour screen! I know GD is nothing to fool around with so I would rather treat it prematurely than wait around for more results. After all, already have dealt with so much, what is one more issue to add to this pregnancy. I feel so unprepared for this though...I always skip the pregnancy book diabetes sections thinking it will not apply to me. After talking to my mom though, it turns out quite a few family members have experience GD....Now I know! I don't feel like typing out all the information regarding GD....here is a link though for anyone interested: http://www.diabetes.org/gestational-diabetes.jsp

On a lighter note....check out this video clip of Lewis Black in which he talks about diabetes (toward the middle of the clip)....my title for this post will make much more sense! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCDZMWVWuc

Multiple Mommies Updates

So it looks like according to CNN (yes, I don't just rely on UsWeekly for my celebrity news!), that Octopussy(AKA Nadya Suleman) has fired a free nursing service. What a dumbass....Free is free, and you have 14 children to raise. She worries that the nurses were spying and going to report her to CPS. So now she plans to pay nurses for helping....but in reality, they are just as likely to report her if need be. It sounds like me that Octopussy just wants help in the form of money....not actual baby help after all. She will be milking this for all it's worth.....

In other news of multiple mommies....the season finale of Jon and Kate Plus 8 was on. The previews hyped up the finale....alluding to divorce bells? But after 55 minutes of constant reminders that Jon's mother was injured and needed him to briefly abandon his family to help her out, it turns out that Jon is not convinced there will be a Season 5 because he can't be Jon...he has to always be Jon and Kate Plus 8. He wants his privacy....I guess he doesn't like to be called out on his immature behavior. Did his mom really need his help by playing beer pong with college girls?

Well, Jon, this is the simple truth....you are living a pretty good life because of the show. That new million dollar house is not too bad.....You got free hair plugs....Your wife got plastic surgery and a nice makeover.....The kids get too go on tons of free vacations....Not too shabby life you got. And surprisingly the kids seem pretty well adjusted for being in the public eye. But what it all boils down to is who wears the pants in that family (Katezilla!)....rest assured there will be a Season 5.

Finally, there is a new multiple family on the TLC block....Table for 12 premiered last night. They have an extra set of twins...take that Gosselin family! I actually like this family for some reason....not sure why exactly. I only watched the first 10 minutes because it was on at 10pm...but I will finish the rest of the episode today if it doesn't interfere with naptime.... One of the children has cerebral palsy so I definitely give those parents credit not just for raising 10 children...but for raising a special needs child. I guess the fact that they have a disabled child hits close to home considering we are not sure how Ashlyn will be developmental because of her condition.

Britney's Newest Backup Dancer?

Uh oh....do we have another K-Fed on our hands? Braeden could be the next Britney backup dancer! Check out his latest video! I have no idea how he has learned some of his "moves"....

Too Funny

(Cartoon courtesy of www.baby-gaga.com)

I will be pleading the 5th on this one....No comment!

Michelin Mama?

Ugh....My wedding ring is getting tight. Okay, so I am not the Michelin man quite yet and most likely the swellling will go down (I had Chinese food overnight at work so I am blaming the high sodium meal), but I think I should to do a preemptive strike and take them off now before I have to cut them off in desperation.

With Braeden, I never really experienced edema. I did take off my rings and wore them on a necklace, but that was only because I was paranoid and everyone likes to tell first time moms horror stories including the one where every pregnant lady inevitably will swell up twice their normal size (total lie...usually).

Sweating with the Babies

Another fun Saturday at The Little Gym!

"Super" News!

According to the D&C website (because I am too "modern" to actually read an actual paper newspaper), Greece residents protesting a Walmart at the Northgate Plaza have once again been dismissed. This means that most likely a SuperWalmart will be resurrected about 3 minutes from my house.

Part of me is secretly excited....to be honest I am "Super" excited!! Come on....a Walmart in walking distance from my house is pretty convenient. Plus, then I will not have to travel to the "ghetto" to shop at the Hudson Titus SuperWalmart where the employees act like it is an inconvinence to check out your purchases or God forbid actually assist you in anyway (come on....be grateful to actually have a job in this economy!). I often will travel all the way to Macedon to visit the new Walmart....that store is pretty nice for being Walmart and the workers have always been "Super" pleasant!

While, I understand the controversy with Walmart and would prefer to shop American whenever possible, I have a family to raise and would like to budget my money in a responsible way. I got a huge amount of groceries this week plus other non-grocery purchases and spent $130...my previous Wegmans shopping bill for just groceries was well over $200! I must admit, I love a bargain! Just don't tell Chris his wife shops at *gasp* Walmart! Damn, Wegmans loyalist! Why should I support Danny's tacky suit jacket and alleged blow habits anyway?! Seriously though, I do respect the Wegmans family and their business....I just need shopping options!

Happy Spring!

It might still feel like Winter in Rochester, NY....but HAPPY SPRING!! It will be warm in a couple of months.....

99 Balloons

Why do I do such things? I googled the 99 Balloons video on YouTube today.....of course I bawled like a baby before I even hit the play button. If you have never seen the video, I recommend viewing it...with a box of tissues and waterproof mascara and probably not if you have a slew of pregnancy hormones on board.

The slideshow video is about a baby born with Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder thought to be incompatible with life. This video is particularly relevant to me because at that 17 week ultrasound, the perinatologist touched on chromosomal abnormalities such as Trisomy 13 or 18 being a possibility. While everything is looking reassuring that the aqueductal stenosis is isolated, we declined an amnio so we can't be 100% certain there is no genetic problem. As we get closer to D-Day, I cannot help but worry that things have been overlooked or that the situation is more serious than it currently appears. I am feeling like I need to be prepared just in case....I am seriously considering asking for an amnio at my next doctor's appointment.....

It is such an inspirational story that I feel I need to share a link to the video. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

Happy Birthday Braeden!

Braeden's Favorite Things #3

This week we will explore Braeden's favorite animals.

Cats: Braeden loves cats. He loves to stalk Ginger Pumpkin whenever we visit my parents. Back in December while Christmas shopping at Kohls, he said his first "real" word...CAT (we had been looking at Cat in the Hat stuffed animals). If he sees a picture of a cat, his face will light up....Cats definitely make Braeden happy. We are still waiting for the day that daddy (who is terrified of cats...what a p*ssy...pun intended!!) caves and lets us get a kitten....

Birds: Apparently Braeden loves birds. At the park last week, forget the swings and slides....All Braeden was interested in were the damn sea gulls and pigeons...or "rats with wings" as I like to say. He kept pointing at them and watching them fly away. He also enjoys checking out the birds at Petco...he just doesn't like when they get squawking too loudly.

Fish: Of course, Braeden loves fish! After all, his "big brother" is our goldfish, Dwight. Our fish tank is covered in fingerprints because Braeden is always touching the glass and waving to Dwight. Whenever we go the doctor's office, we have to check out the tropical fish tank on the way out. We had fish centerpieces for his pirate party because I knew how much he loves fish. Here is a picture of him checking out a tank of fish at a restaurant we recently visited:

Let Him Eat Cake

Braeden officially turn 1 year old today! Since we had the big party yesterday, we just did a mini celebration today. Chris's parents and sister came over (my parents couldn't make it...) for dinner (Chris cooked so it was delicious) and leftover cake. Braeden better not get used to all this cake!

I think this past weekend was overwhelming and tiring for Braeden....he fell asleep at 7pm tonight (he tends to be more of a night owl....bedtime is usually after 9pm).

Since Braeden went to bed early tonight, he missed his official birthday at 8:05pm. Chris and I were on the couch cuddling and watching tv (first time in a long time we have had that luxury!) when I glanced at the clock and noticed the time...8:05pm! I pointed the time out to Chris and tears proceeded to well up in my eyes. Before I knew it, I was bawling like a baby...with happy tears of course.

The past year flashed before my eyes, and I took a moment to think about how truly blessed my life is now. I cannot even put in words the emotions I felt tonight....What a bad blogger I am! All I can say is that this past year has flown by, but I know that the years to come will bring us even more joy!

20 Weeks VS 28 Weeks

This is 20 Weeks

And 2 months later

Pirate Party!

I love this picture of Braeden chugging out of his party cup....a glimpse into his future college days perhaps?!

I have decided that children's birthday parties are way too stressful for the mommies involved! The party preparation was ridiculous, and I know I spent way more money than I should have. We had goldfish for centerpieces, and Braeden wore a Halloween costume for goodness sakes! I felt like I was planning my wedding again...not a 1 year old's birthday party. But seriously...you turn one only once (an argument I will surely make for each one of my babies birthday celebrations) so I needed to go above and beyond.

For the last couple of months, I have been planning, Braeden's Pirate Party (a theme daddy picked out when he was about 2 days old!)...I think all the planning was worth it as the party was a success! Family and friends came and celebrated at Powder Mills Park (what a risk having a March party at a park lodge...but it actually was a sunny and mild day!) with us from 1-4pm. There was lots of yummy food to eat (my pita platter was a hit...and Chris scoffed at the idea of having pitas and pizza!) and an overabundant amount of gifts for Braeden to "open" (ie, caress while mommy or daddy did the actual unwrapping). The "cake demolition" was great until Braeden managed to shove a handful of frosting up my nose causing me to inhale some....all I need...aspiration pneumonia!

I have a ton of pictures that I need to go through, but I will be sure to post them when I get around to it...give me time, I need to recuperate from all this party hoopla!

Strong National Museum of Play

Here are pictures from the Strong National Museum of Play....Sorry no witty comments today. But I will say that the grown up guys seemed to have too much fun...and definitely were not acting like adults!

Sick

I have been not feeling very well so I am behind in blogging. I will update when I am feeling better....

It's Starting Already....

Braeden is a germy baby who is infecting his parents with his cooties. Come on....he's not even in daycare! Although, he does like to lick every inch of The Little Gym! Braeden got sick and now I have swollen lymph nodes. Ugh...and this is the worst timing. I have to work this weekend, and it's Braeden's birthday party on Sunday.....so much too do, and I all I want is to stay in bed all day.....

Baby Einstein

My baby's a genius....and I have the video to prove it (albeit not the best quality video...sorry!) His new favorite trick is pointing out where to find his belly. He even lifts up his or my shirt to point to the belly. What a smart baby!

Another Baby Einstein moment today....At the doctors, there was a picture with kittens on it. I pointed it out and said "look at the kitties Braeden." 10 minutes later after the doctor came and went, he looked at the picture, pointed, and said "kitty." Braeden's first real word back in December was "cat," and he always follows Ginger Pumpkin around when we are visiting Meme and Papa. I really think we need to get him a kitten....Unfortunately, Chris is not convinced and has an irrational fear of felines.

Braeden's Favorite Things #2

For week #2, I decided to do Braeden's Favorite Toys (that are not really toys).

1) Car keys.....In particular, my car keys because he has discovered that when he pushes the lock button that the horn beeps. Our neighbors must love it when he pushes the button for 15 minutes straight!


2) Remote Controlls....Typical guy always hogging the remote. Luckily, he isn't tuning the tv to ESPN 24/7. In fact, we have discovered some interesting channels we never knew existed before!

3) Cellphones....From birth, Braeden has been fascinated with cellphones. He has done some pretty interesting things with it too....He has taken a picture of mommy's foot, added a # (like the actual # symbol) to my contact list, and enabled bluetooth mode all on his own! Next thing you know, he will be calling China and texting my ex-boyfriends. Allowing a baby to play with your cellphone is almost as bad as drunk dialing I think...4) Wii Controller....When Daddy plays Wii, Braeden will grab the other controller and pretend he is the one playing. So cute....but heaven forbid if a second person wants to play!

Baby Daddy is in the Doghouse!

So Chris is officially downgraded from hubby to baby daddy. Why you ask? Let's take a look at the evidence shall we....

Exhibit A:

My husband yet again left the house with a bare ring finger....Give him the benefit of the doubt you say. He is allowed to forget every once and awhile. Well, unfortunately, this is a nearly daily occurrence. This leads us to the rest of our evidence....

Exhibit B:

The aforementioned post it note has been hanging right next to the bathroom mirror kindly (well....playfully?) reminding my baby daddy to wear his ring...after all it is a symbol of our love and commitment! What did I expect from someone who requested we invest in flesh colored wedding bands!