baby ivy

marni holding baby ivy simone in the hospital. cant you see how happy it makes me to hold a little baby!!!!!
isnt she beautiful????

baby kisses

i want a baby!!!!

jeff, levi, and i went over to visit ivy simone last night. we brought dinner and hung out, talked, ate. i got to hold ivy for a while, even change a couple diapers....she is so perfect! so beautiful! it seems like so long ago that levi was that little, that cuddly.....holding ivy last night made me want another little one....

josie is exhausted, as expected. that is the one thing i dont miss about a brand new baby. feeding every 2-3 hours, sometimes every 1 hour it seems, problems with breast feeding- which i know ALL about, and constant diaper changing- dirtying a diaper literally 2 seconds after it is put on, or while it is being put on. i used to feel that there was no more exhausted a person could be. being in residency when i had levi, people at work seemed to think they understood about being tired because of residents 30 hour shifts.....but with having a baby, those 30 hour shifts are constant without rest between....without the guaranteed 10 hours off between shifts to catch up on sleep....but that sleepless stage passes quickly, sleep returns, and becomes that much more precious!

i cant (wont) go to india pregnant....but im leaving for india in 2 weeks so that means the clock can start ticking soon.....

new baby in ohio city

announcing IVY SIMONE born to Josie and Conor early this afternoon!!!!!
I cant wait to meet her.....7#, 20.5"....
Congrats to the new mom and dad!!!!!

I have to say

Life DEFINITELY changes when you have kids.......
BUT
it is for the better by an immeasurable amount!!!!
so maybe we need to pick and choose which restaurants we go to sometimes, and we may need a babysitter here and there when we want to do "adult" things, but i have to say that I think we have a pretty decent social life and I LOVE BEING A MOMMY more than anything in the world!!!!!
You will all be great MOMMIES too and you will all have similar, if not the same, social lives when your little ones arrive.....

I'M.............................

NOT pregnant! YEAH! What? Did I really just say I'm happy to NOT be pregnant? Yes, when Flo arrived today I let out a huge sigh of relief. And Abby for the reasons you mentioned - vomit (hopefully not because we're all "mature" drinkers), cigars, others being drunk from fabulous wine and me sitting on the sidelines was not going to be my idea of an awesome vacation.

June sounds like a good month to start. July and August sound good as well. At this point who knows with my cycles being messed up maybe June will be the next possibility. Are we having cold feet? Marni you've already taken the leap and Cara you're having chills - it sucks to be in limbo! Let's be honest - will we ever be truly ready? I'm guessing not. It seems like so many parents of little ones say "wait as long as you can - they're great but life is SO different". What am I supposed to do with that information. Obviously life will be different but it's enhanced because you're enlightening a new life and molding a new person to be someone wonderful - right? Marni and Jeff still have a great social life. I think the scary, hard part to think about is having to grow this little person INSIDE my body. Everything I do with my body during those months could have an effect on the outcome of this little one. Jami+ type 1 diabetes+ pregnancy= anxiety.

The Pros, The Cons, and the What the F*%$s!

Before I launch into my own tale of woe, let me just say YIKES!  Alright, I will just be straight up.  Jami, if you are pregnant I will be really happy and very excited for you.  But, if you are not, I will do a selfish little dance of joy (in my head only, of course, I am not weird) because the SF trip just won't be the same without you participating all in.  Enough said on that, it seems pretty clear from your post what your preference is.  It's just that, if Joey and Bobby start throwing up from having too much wine and then sucking on cigars it will be a lot easier to tolerate if we were both drunk too.  But still, if you have a bun in the oven we'll throw you a party.

I am in major flux right now.  For anyone who had to deal with me the last two weeks you probably noticed that I was out of my mind.  A little problem with a prescription left me with bad side effects.  It is straightened out for now, but it is going to take a visit to another doctor to figure out a permanent solution.  As a result, however, I don't think May is going to work for us now.  Looks like it might be June.

I have to say, while I am slightly bummed about the situation, I couldn't help feeling a bit relieved as well.  Oddly, I felt sort of like I got a little reprieve from a sentence.  I know it sounds terrible, but I am having a hard time coming to grips with closing a chapter.  I think things might be simpler if I just had an "oops" pregnancy.  Then at least life would push me over that fear of just doing it.

In any event, it is going to have to happen soon because Bobby keeps cradling our smaller dog like a baby.  More and more, in fact.  Last night, it sort of gave me the creeps and I had to tell him to stop.  I think he has baby fever - if it is possible for men to have it.  Then again, he doesn't have to grow a person or get fat or push one through a sensitive orifice.  Lucky.

better late for now

I stopped taking birth control pills in August because I had the "fever" and wanted to be ready whenever I got the "OK" from Joey. No OK yet but hoping for it sometime soon! Since then I have had my cycle every 28 days - which reiterates my thoughts that I am fertile myrtle. I have this idea that the first time we try to make a baby it will happen. SO, you can see my surprise that I am 6 days late. I've taken 2 pregnancy tests - NEGATIVE whew!
This causes problems for a few reasons
1. We are actively NOT trying to have a baby right now (2 forms of birth control) because we are taking at second honeymoon trip to wine country next month and partake in tasting those delicious wines while we're there
2. I want to actively be trying to have a baby when we do conceive
3. I have diabetes and I need to have my blood sugars in near perfect control prior to conception - they are good right now but could and will be better once we're trying
4. Now, I will most likely have my period while we're on our trip in San Francisco - bummer!

The fever definitely has been waxing and waning for me recently. I think it may be because I know we're not going to try until we get back from our trip so no need to think about it now. I totally agree with what Abby wrote about having to "leave behind" the reality that we've been a part of and thinking about how different things will be. In some ways I want to try in May but in others I want to wait until August or September because then I can enjoy one last summer of my current life. Life will be even more amazing I'm sure once we're enjoying a little person we created together but not sure if when I want to begin that journey yet. Concerts, cook outs, bachelorette parties, weddings, all of those things will be different pregnant - enjoyable in a different way so when do I want to start that new way?
Let's hope I haven't already.......

exciting news

did i fool you with this title?
nope, no exciting news yet.....
BUT, maybe this blog thing will get tons more fun when ONE or TWO or THREE (probably not FOUR) of us gets pregnant....
In other news, Josie was admitted to the hospital a few days ago and we all thought maybe we would get to meet her beautiful little boy or girl this weekend, BUT, the baby is still comfortable in its home in her belly....Hopefully we'll get to meet the little one soon!!!!! (due date is May 4th).

Baby Fever Ebbs and Flows

Have no fear Marni, you are not alone.  After a brief respite from baby fever madness, I have returned to feeling ready and excited (and scared) to embark on the baby train.  Recently, though, I did have some moments of panic about the prospect of pregnancy.  I was visiting with a friend when she asked me if I wanted to do a bike race for charity with her this summer.  Being someone who loves to bike, I said sure. Then I realized that I will probably not be able to participate, and this made me sad. I mean, I don't even have a child yet and already I am beginning to feel like my life and my choices are not entirely my own.  And as if that weren't enough, I had a conversation with that same friend later that same day about a mutual friend's upcoming wedding.  She was pondering the idea of appointing a designated driver for the reception when she turned to me and asked if I would take that role since I will probably be pregnant and all.  Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind giving up my cherished glasses of wine to bring a child into this world, its just that her comment made me feel really isolated and sad.  It was the first time I really felt like I would have to say goodbye to a chapter of my life - like my childless friends are going to get to live on in this reality that I have always been a part of, but where I can no longer stay.  This really throws me out of whack. 

Today, I am feeling better and more exited about starting on a path towards motherhood. Only, my baby fever has become less rabid and blinding and now feels a little more calm and well-reasoned.  I am really looking forward to having this person to teach how to do things and to watch it grow and turn from a blob of a baby into a teeny person.  Although, it is me, so I will probably go back and forth a few more times before I actually pull the trigger . . . I have already decided to bring some condoms on vacation, just in case I chicken out.

anyone?

all right ladies....
am i the only one who still has baby fever? i am the only one who already has a baby!!!!! and i cant wait for another one.
our neighbors across the street (rich/adele) yesterday told me that any of our neighbors who have baby fever can come over and watch their children (tony 4, and eddie 2) and they will cure them of their "disease".....
im happy to report that it seems levi does not cure anyone....he invites more and more fever!!!!! bobby and joey were so cute the other night playing with levi and his car. i know they'll both be great dads.....
so get moving ladies!!!!