Stretch Marks are Yucky

Need I say more?

A Busy Week, A Busy Baby

I love going to the dentist. No, really. I procrastinate about it forever and then when I go I feel so responsible and proud of myself for taking care of my teeth! Having said that, I now need a small fortune worth of dental work before the year is out - a root canal, 3 cavities, 2 crowns, and 3 wisdom teeth removed. And before you ask, yes, I brush and floss regularly. I just lost the genetic lottery and got horribly crappy teeth. That was my medical adventure. But Elliot felt like he was missing out so I took him for an H1N1 shot (and have had no luck finding a place to get him his second shot next month). Then, he really missed Dr. Sender's fantastic treehouse in his waiting room so he came down with a cold that led to an ear infection. So now we shoot hot pink goo into his mouth twice a day, which, incidentally, stains everything it touches instantly (why hot pink, anyway?). Ahh, I can tell you that it looks and smells exactly like it did when I knew it as "bubblegum medicine" back in the day.

In other news, it seems Elliot is extremely impatient about this whole crawling thing, and just won't listen when I tell him he can't stand or walk on his own yet. He's already been slithering on his belly for about a month, and started to pull up on my legs when sit on the floor with him a few weeks ago. But now, he has learned that he can pull up using lots of stuff, like his box of diapers, the dog, table legs, my shirt collars, you name it. And he loves to stand more than anything, and often forgets that he has to hold on and can't let go yet to go over to something that looks interesting. He was a wiggle-worm in utero, and I never sat still as a child so I am not totally surprised, but I am also not totally prepared for him to start moving so much yet. The past few days he even started to stand on his own for 1-2 seconds if you let him, and has tried cruising using the edge of the bathtub. I am proud of his independant spirit, but exhausted thinking about his non-stop activity once he really figures out how to move about. Maybe I'll just bubble wrap him . . . .

It's Not About Babies, But It's Life Anyway

Did you ever have one of those days where you get ready for work and you feel like your outfit is put together well? Your top looks cute, your pants look nice and complimentary from the front AND the side, and you feel like you look pretty professional and adult-like? Pretty great huh? That's how my day started today.

And did you ever have one of those same days, but somehow, during the 25-minute car ride to work something goes terribly wrong and you get out of your car and all of the sudden the outfit you left the house in just doesn't seem the same anymore? Your pants suddenly seem too short for your shoes, your top is riding up and you need to keep pulling it down so that it doesn't show off the pantyhose you had to hike up in order to hold in that extra little bulge, and now your right bra strap suddenly keeps making special appearances inside the neckline of that sweater that sat just right 25 minutes earlier? Pretty crappy huh? That's how my day continued. I subsequently got to spend the rest of my day pulling down my top and pulling in my neckline so that my boss didn't have to see that I mistakenly wore the brown bra with the black top. Not to mention that after missing my last pumping while preparing for depositions that I developed monstrous and offensive cleavage, causing the development of the double-hump boob over the edge of my bra that was readily apparent for all to see.

Awesome day.

eaton road brunch and photoshoot

Here are some pictures of the Eaton Road children....

Nana for Nanny

We just got the best news.........my parents are moving to Cleveland and my mom will be Jackson's nanny! I can't begin to tell you how excited we are and my mom is equally excited. Now if I could only get excited about having to go back to work..........

and then there were four

people keep asking us if we are done having children or if we want more. and perhaps, we've happened upon that decision rather unexpectedly.

NO- im not pregnant.

Rather, we had an experience this past weekend that changed our outlook a little, and gave us some perspective on what it would be like to have more kids...

Early Saturday morning, I received a call from a friend in need. She and her husband had to go somewhere urgently and had no place to leave the children. Without question, i told her to drop them off....i figured it would be fun! a baby to cuddle with (only 2 weeks old!!!!), and a playmate for levi (another 3 year old).

I was right, it was a LOT of fun!!!!
BUT- it was also A LOT of work!!

Jeff had been on call Friday night, so he did not get home until 10:30am, was awake for an hour, and then took a nap himself. So essentially, I was taking care of all four children alone from 7:30am onward....

The older ones occupied themselves really well, but it seemed that whenever one of the babies needed something, one of the older kids would start crying and need me to help fix the disassembled train track or negotiate the terms of toy sharing or read a book to them.
And when one baby wanted to eat, of course the other one needed to eat too! I found myself feeding the baby cradled in my right arm holding the bottle in my right hand and feeding Tali baby food with the spoon in my left hand. Needless to say, we were all a bit messy in the end.

i describe the situation as semi-organized chaos.

we even took a walk down the street (when jeff was home AND awake) to easily occupy all four children at the same time, since we strapped each and everyone into their own seat in our two double strollers so there was no escaping...

My biggest accomplishment of the day was getting ALL FOUR CHILDREN (PLUS MY HUSBAND) to nap at the SAME TIME!!!!

I put the boys in bed together and told them to go to sleep. I heard them giggling on the monitor a few minutes later and went back into the room to tell them that if they did not go to sleep right NOW, that i would have to end the "sleepover" and take Levi's friend home (yah right, home to an empty house- but they didnt know that!).....and then, i did not hear another peep for over 2.5 hours!!!!!

I nursed tali and put her in her crib, where she slept soundly for almost 3 hours....and then I brought the baby to the basement, fed her a big bottle, and swaddled her and put her in the bouncer we keep downstairs, where she slept for 2 hours also!!!! I relaxed watching TV on the LCD in the basement- well deserved peace and quiet.....

Once the afternoon came and my friend came to pick up the kids, I realized how crazy the day actually was and how hard it was to take care of four children. It was more like 2 sets of twins (although tali and the baby are six months apart, they both need to be fed and carried and entertained).
I had a ton of fun while I was doing it, but also experienced a lot of relief when it was over! Having 4 kids would be hard work!

I know that if we choose to have another child, they would be spaced adequately so it wouldnt be like taking care of twins, but still- kids of all ages have needs and who knows how complicated and difficult it would be to fulfill all those needs at the same time!

And what happens if we get pregnant with twins???? i think chaos would be an understatement.

We are still up in the air about the decision, but more and more things are coming together to maybe say we're leaning towards keeping our perfect family of four a family of four.

Look Out World - We Have Our FIrst Forward Movement!

Elliot's been very active for a while now, and he has several tricks down pat. He can roll. He can sit up. He can spin 360 degrees on his belly, and he can grab all kinds of stuff and waive them around. And now added to the portfolio - moving forward. I don't say crawling because I am not sure it technically was. But, this evening after his bath he really REALLY wanted the baby vitamin bottle nearby. He wanted it so badly that he tucked his knees up under him and pushed forward. Then, when he still wasn't quite close enough to grab it, he repeated the steps again until he could finally swing his arm out and reach it. Of course, after we got over our shock we immediately set up the scenario again and he repeated the whole exercise twice.

Guess we better get our child-proofing done asap!

Aye, A Stressful Dream

Dreaming of giving birth is awesome. No, actually it is the opposite of awesome - nawsome I guess. I had a dream the other night that I was giving birth to baby number two - and Elliot was still only 6 months old. I was so stressed out in the dream and I kept asking Bobby why we were doing this so soon. I could feel the contractions. It sucked. I think this whole teething thing has me out of whack.

Now, to go tend to the screech owl upstairs. Don't let that scare you Cara, it's still awesome to be a mom.

mommy necklace

When Levi was born, Jeff bought me a beautiful David Yurman necklace with a big heart on it (Levi means "my heart" in Hebrew).

So, when Tali was born, he wanted to out-do himself and he bought me the fanciest charriol bracelet i could have ever imagined. While it was absolutely beautiful, gorgeous, and perfect, i had to return it because it was something i would only wear once in a long while, and we could use that $$$$ to do a LOT more useful things around the house and in our lives.

Jeff was on a quest to get something nice for me in honor of tali's birth (that didnt cost the same as a small car).

I have always loved the "mommy necklaces" that ive seen on people and in stores- little delicate charms with the names of the children hanging on a silver chain. im not a "delicate" sort of person, but i really liked that style of necklace.

but i wanted something slightly different than the normal ones ive seen....

we searched for months and couldnt come up with the perfect thing, until a couple weeks ago when jeff ordered THIS:



It arrived today.
a delicate silver charm necklace with levi and tali in hebrew.

i love it!!!!

the woman does great work. her stuff can be found here.

Halloween's A'Comin'

We debated back and forth. Do we buy a halloween costume for Elliot this year? Do we just dress him in black and orange? Or do we do nothing? I think we initially made a tacit decision to skip the costume because we would be spending the money, really, just to amuse ourselves. But then we were at Old Navy over the weekend and we both locked our eyes on a dragon and decided we just had to put him in it - hell, why shouldn't we be entitled to a little amusement. Besides, aren't we really just creating wonderful memories (and photos, and video) that we'll have for years to come? So, this year, for his very first halloween, Elliot is going to be a dragon. We've already tried it on him and he looks super awesome. So, if you find yourself on Eaton road this year, stop on by and see our little guy.

Jackson Ari

We are so in love with him and its hard to remember life without him even though he's not even 1 month old. He loves to snuggle, listen to books being read to him, listen to music (current fave is B is for Bob - a kids Bob Marley CD my sister got him) and bath time. Being his mom is the most amazing thing I have ever done and I'm loving every second I spend getting to know him.

A quick version of the birth.....

I went to Hillcrest on Tuesday night to be induced and pitocin was started at 645am on Wednesday morning. Pitocin was incredibly effective and I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes that were lasting 60-90 seconds. We had a doula who was fabulous and I highly recommend it if you're considering going natural. I was able to get to 5cm through some rough contractions but as the pitocin was turned up again at that point I could no longer hold off. I had an epidural and immediately I was able to relax. The doctor broke my water and I tried to get some much needed rest. After a few hours I was at 8cm but the doctor said he thought my pelvic opening seemed small. Not really what you want to hear when you're thinking a baby has to come out. After another 2 hours I was still only 8cm and the baby was starting to have some decels. After laboring for 14 hours I was on my way to the OR for a c-section. AT 8pm on 9-9-09 Jackson Ari arrived weighing 6 pounds 8 ounces and he was perfect. I was in love from the moment I heard him cry. I LOVE being a mom. Joey has been incredible and I couldn't ask for a more loving husband and father to our son.

First Tooth!

We've been waiting and now finally it has arrived! For a number of weeks, Elliot has been biting hard on everything he can get his hands on. And about a week ago it looked like something was going on. Then on Friday I felt a sharp little nubbin starting to poke through. How exciting!

Six Months of Elliot

Loves:

• The dogs
• Sleeping on his knees with his tush up in the air and his arms tucked under him
• Dancing
• When people (or the dogs) sneeze - nothing makes him laugh harder
• Books
• Bananas
• Mommy (super nice for me)

Doesn't Love:

• To be hot
• Ending up in the corner of the crib
• Grandpa Chuck's beard (it scares him I think)
• Being in his swing while mom and dad get ready for work
• Pearl Jam (but dad is working really hard to change that)
• Not being able to crawl to his toys or the dogs

Hobbies:

• Rolling
• Grabbing at everything mommy tries to carry along with him
• Flailing wildly when trying to get to a toy or dog just out or reach
• Making lots of (adorable) of noises
• Sitting up and playing
• Sleeping

Hard to believe it was already half a year ago that we welcomed a tiny little Elliot into the world. He started like a tightly folded piece of paper, and now is slowling opening to reveal all kinds of facets and information. I swear he just gets more fun every day.

Here's to you Elliot, happy half birthday!

happy half birthday

6 months.
it is unbelievable to me that my little girl is already SIX MONTHS OLD.
it seems like yesterday that i was waddling around with this big belly, unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time without having this terrible urge to pee or move or adjust my whale of a body.
it seems like yesterday i was shaking in the operating room as they cut me open to pull out a screaming little baby girl.
it seems like yesterday that i was nursing a little bobble head every hour or so, only to finally get her to sleep and find it was time to wake her and feed her again.
it seems like yesterday that levi found out he was a big brother to a beautiful baby sister.

and then again,

i feel like i know her so well, how has it only been 6 months?
i know that she likes to watch levi play with his cars. i know she likes to be tickled on her neck. i know she loves green beans and pears, but doesnt care too much for peas or peaches. i know she loves reading books and singing songs and watching people. I know she loves toys that play music and she has learned how to get the music to turn on over and over again. i know that she loves rolling from her back to her belly, but sometimes just cant figure out how to get back over again. and i know she loves to sit up and stand up and jump, because then it is easier for her to see the world around her.
i know every little inch of her tiny body, every little fold (after fold after fold) of her chunky legs and arms.

being a mommy is the best thing that has ever happened to me. i savor each moment with my kids, crave for more time with them at each stage, and stare at them both in wonder and amazement about how i helped create such perfect little people.

Full Time Lawyer, Part Time Mom?

Can we really do it all? Some days, it feels like I can - at least I feel hopeful that I can. But most days I feel like I am barely getting by - fitting in a full days work before picking up the baby and trying to get dinner ready. Then, if I am lucky, the baby isn't too tired to play for a bit before its time for a bath and bed. After that, I fall into bed myself, usually passing out quickly, only so that I can get up and do it all again. I work towards the weekend, where it whizzes by in an instant and I barely catch my breath before the new week begins. "Boo hoo", right? Aren't we all in the same boat? Maybe so, but why? I have found myself thinking a lot about this lately, and it dawned on me today that I feel like I am only a part-time mom. Don't get me wrong, Elliot is never far from my mind, but I don't feel like I am allowing myself a large enough chunk of my day or my life to commit to being just a mom.

Work is challenging and I love the intellectual workout in debating finer points of law or strategizing our moves on a case. And honestly, I think I would really miss the mental stimulation if it were gone. But I want to be able to have the ability to spend as much time researching and implementing my mothering goals and skills as I do my lawyering goals and skills. I want to be able to still have enough energy during the day to think of fun and creative things to do with Elliot, and the time to carry them out. He is really developing and it is so exciting, but I feel like so much of what is going on with him is being fostered by someone else. Ms. Sharon is making sure he spends more time on his tummy, and Ms. Sharon is feeding him cereal and bananas and trying to interest him in solids, and Ms. Sharon is working on moving him into nap time without a pacifier. Shouldn't it be me? I mean, I find myself saying, "oh, Elliot has to take a nap at x time today because that is what Ms. Sharon has established with him." Thank goodness we have a loving and caring day care environment, but shouldn't I be doing all of these things, and not taking her lead?

Working, not working, working part time. It's not about luxury or playing tennis or manicures to me. I just want to be able to have the time and energy to treat motherhood like the serious and full time job that it is. Right now, I feel like everything is all out of balance and I can't help but wonder why we do this to ourselves and what, ultimately, is the effect it has on our kids?

All of this just makes me feel a little bit sad. And as much as I loathe the thought of it, maybe there is something to the traditional way of running a family . . .

Induction tonight

I just got off the phone with my OB's office and I will be going to the hospital tonight at 7pm for induction. YEAH!! I can't wait to meet this baby (and to be able to breath again and see my ankles and hands without swelling).

I also talked to our doula to let her know the plan. She will be joining us tomorrow at 6am when they start pitocin. (Tonight will be cervadil to soften my cervix) I will be trying to go natural but we'll see how things end up. If the pain tolerance I had during the amnio this morning is any indication I may end up with an epidural.....we will see. My goal is a healthy baby and however we need to get there is fine.

Please think thoughts of quick and easy labor..........

Tuesday is labor day???

SO - things have changed a bit in the last few days. I'll save all the drawn out details but here is the short version.

I went for my normal NST (non stress test) on Friday which lead to an ultrasound which showed my amniotic fluid is cloudy which lead to me being scheduled for an amniocentesis tomorrow morning at 730am which will lead to me being induced tomorrow night at 8pm if the baby's lungs are mature.

I am feeling so many emotions right now but mostly excitement. Of course anxiety about the big needle in my belly tomorrow morning but also about labor. I know women have been doing this for years and our bodies are made for delivering a baby but I just have fear of the unknown. I can hear everyone tell me what their experience during labor and delivery was but until I feel it myself I will be anxious about how its going to feel. I can't wait to meet beyonce!!

Sorry if this is just rambling but I am totally sleep deprived right now and not making alot of sense.

We will post details when we have them.........

Take a deep breath....

that was what Joey told me to do at 2am when I suddenly woke up gasping for air and light headed. I'm guessing the girth of my belly and minimal room for my lungs was the culprit. After sitting in front of a fan and taking some deep breaths I started to feel better. I asked Joey to call the doctor and let him know he needs to get this baby out so I can breath. He didn't and I'm breathing slightly more comfortably now - definitely not looking forward to trying to sleep tonight.

In some ways I no longer know what it means to get a full nights sleep. I am up a minimum of 2 times having to pee - most nights I'm up 3-4 times. At this point I can no longer lay flat on my side so the mountain of pillows surrounding me has expanded in order to support me and my big belly. I know this is all a ploy to get me so frustrated that I would do anything to push this baby out when the time comes. Also, to get me ready for sleepless nights coming up with feedings and diaper changes. What I wouldn't give to sleep through the night just one more night before Beyonce arrives.

A lovely side effect to lack of sleep is that I have a hard time functioning mentally throughout the day. I forget words, special occasions, tasks I need to complete......ugh!

I had to get the complaining out of the way but I have to tell you that I'm so excited to meet the little kick boxer in my belly. I will miss the jabs and pokes (I still think its the coolest feeling ever) but I'm so looking forward to holding and kissing the chubby cheeks of this baby. I want to see the person Joey and I created. I want to find out the personality. I want to snuggle and smell that amazing baby smell. I can't believe I will experiencing all of that in less than 16 days.......

Elliot in Retrograde

Sleeping rules. It. Is. Awesome. And since the heavens have decided to bless me with a child who sleeps - which I believe is in reparation for the stretch marks (we're not even yet, by the way) - I get to enjoy my fair share. So how pissed was I when about a week ago I was woken up not once, not twice, but three and sometimes FOUR times a night for several nights in a row by a child screaming bloody murder. My first thought was, "gee, maybe his bedroom is haunted by spirits and they wake him up." My first rational thought was "gee, could he be teething already?." It goes without saying that, either way, I was none too pleased, but at least the "haunted room" track gave me the creepy/cool factor in telling the story.

But after the fourth or fifth night it stopped. On a dime. Then something else happened. I was getting him ready for a bath and he was laying there being all cute and grabbing his toes and babbling to me when he just rolled over. Just like that. No fanfare, no "hey mom, look what I can do!" Just a matter-of-fact action like it was old hat. So, for now, the screaming has stopped. But a whole new era has begun - that of a semi-mobile baby. Now, when I put him on a blanket with some toys and step briefly out of the room there is no guarantee that he will be where I left him when I return. In fact, it is a much better bet that I will find him flipped over and spun 180 degrees around.

Hey, I am pleased he is developing, don't get me wrong. But his new skills can scare the crap out of me. Take, for instance, the day I put him down for an afternoon nap and noticed 10 minutes in that he was awfully talkative. When I went into his room to investigate, the first thing I saw were two chubby legs dangling though the crib bars. Here, he had flipped over and turned sideways and was propped up talking to himself in the mirror. Cute as hell, sure, but all I could imagine was him trying to turn back over and wrenching one of those knees between the bars. Then, a near heart attack occurred when I went to get him one morning and found him asleep on his stomach. What made my heart skip was that, thanks to some early morning shadows and a seriously overactive imagination, his face appeared to be a dusky purple. It freaked me out so bad I yelled his name and startled the poor thing from a sound sleep.

The moral of this story for me is that my son regresses with his sleep when something big is about to happen. He has done it with his most recent growth spurts and now this. I guess we better hold on to our butts, this could be a bumpy ride.

Bigger, Bigger, and Bigger

Elliot is four months old now, and officially out of the larvae stage during which he spent 90% of his time wrapped like a baby burrito. And while I miss part of the burrito days, like being able to run errands and have him sleep quietly the whole time, I really love that he is developing into a little person. But I guess he is not that little. At his four month checkup today, the nurse said "gee, he looks really big to be only four months old." That's right. I lied. He's really two, I just think four months sounds cuter. The nerve. But, as big as he seems (I think he's just right, by the way) he is very "average" for everything - height, head, and weight.

What gets me is his diaper size. See, he has these really chubby legs, so even though he can still technically fit in a size two, I have to yank the tabs to fasten them. Then, they leave red marks on his cute michelin man thighs. So. Today I did it. I bought size threes. No big deal, right? I mean, it's just a size. But it's not! It means he is getting bigger and bigger and soon he'll be telling me I am being "ridiculous" when I tell him he can't go on a road trip with his friends at 16. Ok I exaggerate, but it really seems to be going fast!

Earlier today, I took him to my office because I had to do a few things. Of course, he was a hit. More than one person threatened to eat him. But he loved my boss' office best because he has fun things to grab on his desk like a business card holder and a paperweight. Everything he saw he reached for with this facial expression like "I. Want. That. IT MUST GO IN MY MOUTH" But tonight, we got to put him to bed and then listen to him babble to himself for about ten minutes before he fell asleep. I should be tape recording it because it is so freaking cute. He likes to say ooooooh oooooooh ooooooh and then go AH! really loud. Fun times.

Meanwhile, he gets to see his cousin Betty tomorrow. And since she is only two and a half weeks old, that makes him older and able to give advice. He has already demonstrated how fun it is to try and grab a baby's face - she did not enjoy that lesson.

Happy Weekend to All!

Aching back + prenatal massage = happy preggo

Hi. My name is Jami and I am terrible about posting my pregnancy thoughts, joys and complaints on our blog. Sorry!

Seriously though - the prenatal massage I had at Ladies and Gentlemen was one of the best hours of this pregnancy. It was heaven and I HIGHLY recommend all the preggos out there make an appointment. Samantha was the massage therapist I had. The massage starts out with a lovely warm foot soak while you sit in a candlelite lounge and sip on water or tea. You get a choose a scent for aroma therapy during the massage. When I walked in the room there was quite the pillow contraption awaiting - this was the item that made this massage so wonderful because I was able to lay on my stomach and my back during the massage. I want that pillow for my bed. (sleep, what is sleep? I've been missing it for awhile!) I can't say enough about this massage and it is well worth the $$$$.

On to pregnancy news. First of all the feeling of the baby doing gymnastics, running around my uterus and I think practicing martial arts is AMAZING. It is surreal and I am loving every movement. I feel bad for Joey because almost everytime I say the baby is really moving alot and he puts his hand on my belly, the movement stops. He did feel a few good kicks last night though. Secondly, I have been going for weekly appointments the past few weeks and the baby looks perfect. I get to have NST (non stress tests) weekly which checks out the well being of the baby. I am hooked up to a monitor for about 20 minutes and I push a button when I feel the baby move. Every other week I get to see the baby during a BPP (biophysical profile). This is an ultrasound that checks to see my amniotic fluid level (uncontrolled diabetes causes levels to get too high - mine is great thank G-d!), checks to see if the baby is practicing breathing, moving around and the size. As of Tuesday we're at 4 pounds 3 ounces - amazing! I get these extra tests due to diabetes because the placenta can mature more quickly than those without blood sugar issues. I'm enjoying the extra peaks at the baby and I can't wait to meet this little one!

According to my last appointment, the latest I will deliver is September 15. I will be induced if I have not started labor on my own. I've had mixed feelings about this because if I didn't have a high risk pregnancy I would probably choose to labor at home as long as possible and try alternate methods such as a birthing ball and meditation in the beginning stages. Unfortunately, that will not be the case but I've come to terms that as long as the baby is happy and healthy I'll be okay with the birthing process being more medical. That being said - I'm not thrilled with either option for how this baby will arrive - we'll see if its slot or chute!

We are starting on the nursery this weekend and I'm excited to have this finished. The crib will be delivered next week. I can't believe only about 5 weeks left!

Hi, remember me?

I'm the Baby Fever slacker. I don't post, I don't have babies and I don't have baby fever. It's been a very exciting several months with the arrivals of the new babies and watching them grow. It's been fun to watch Levi interact with the babies and take on his new role as big brother. It has been exciting to watch Abby grow into her role as new mom and to watch Marni adjust to life with two children. It's extra exciting because Jami's arrival is right around the corner and it will be triple the fun! I love that I always have a baby to hold and play with and don't have to worry about sharing since there are so many babies. I was afraid that with the arrival of all the babies that I would catch the fever. No fever yet, but the good news is that all the babies didn't make me want to run the other way and never have children!!

tali's eating cereal!!!

today, tali turned 4 months old....and, as i practice what i preach, i decided to give her some rice cereal tonight....her 4 month check up is on thursday, but i got it in my head that we should do this today, so i picked up a box of rice cereal from whole foods, put her in her highchair when we were eating dinner, and let her chow down.
she was a little unsure of the whole thing, but in the end ate about 20 bites before she started to cry....and then she fell asleep in the high chair, so im not sure she was crying because she didnt like the food- i think she was crying because she was tired!
here is a little video of our food adventure this evening.

jami's shower

i figured i would post some pictures from the fun shower we had for jami today.

we got to celebrate baby "beyonce" and shower jami with lots of fun gifts.

we had a lot of great food and drinks, and some yummy cake and cupcakes!

here is jami with diane (joey's mom), who had tons of fun hanging out with all of us at her first baby shower ever!

our shower activity was onesie painting.

Each guest was given a white onesie to decorate with fabric paint and then jami will have lots of newborn onesies to dress the baby in (or perhaps wear to bed or wear under other clothes if they arent the most fashionable clothing!).

picture this

im rounding this week so i cant just sit at my desk and pump at my scheduled times. i am out all morning, so i have to pump in my car.
i got a car adapter for my pump so i dont have to worry about batteries. I brought my book with me so i could just pull to the back of the parking lot so nobody would notice and i could read while im milked.

that was the plan at least.

when i finished my rounds at one hospital, i got back in my car to prepare, but i was frustrated that i couldnt just drive to the other hospital. i didnt want to sit in the car for 15 minutes to pump, then clean up, then drive 20 minutes to the other hospital. it just seemed like it would take so long to do all of that!
in my boldness, or craziness, or timeliness, or whatever you want to call it- i took a risk- all to save a few minutes.

i got my pump bra on, set up the pump, put my seatbelt on, and off i went. as the milk was pumped out of me, i drove down the HIGHWAY to the other hospital.

I set my cruise control because i had these images of driving too fast and getting pulled over and having the police man take one look at me and burst out laughing. i had visions of the police blotter in the newspaper with a report on this crazy woman who caused an accident because she was busy pumping while driving. i wondered if there was a law against doing this. no texting while driving. no pumping while driving?

well, i made it there safe and sound....saved myself about 20 minutes....and had absolutely no problems. i think i'll do the same thing again tomorrow. am i crazy?

I'm Back, and I LOVE Being a Mom!

Here I am, finally stumbling out of my new mom stupor and ready to rejoin the real world, sort of. The past three months have been full of ups and a few downs, but mostly a lot of happiness and amazement at the transformation being undertaken in our house.

The labor was long because of the induction, and my body didn't decided to get with the program until about the 24th hour. But a short and relatively painless delivery followed thanks to an epidural (the cure for what ails) and a mere 30 minutes of pushing (I AM thankful for my wide hips - you always said I would be mom!). After a first degree tear (ouch) and an injured urethra (double ouch) out slid baby Botnick into the world and into our lives forever. I immediately noticed that his head was perfect and, of course, that he was a HE. Then I got to hold him close and notice details like his luxuriously long eyelashes, the little mark on his nose, how he has Bobby's toenails (sorry, kiddo), and how he looked just like I had imagined he would. It all went by so fast that before I knew it I was trying to breastfeed for the first time without any assistance while my nurse went for what I can only imagine was a ciggy break. It wasn't perfect by any means and even though I had read books and taken a class I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. It wasn't until an hour later that the exhaustion set in and I felt the full toll of the labor. And MAN, was I STARVING!!! My first meal? A whopper. I am not proud to admit it, but I felt I had earned it.

Unfortunately, after arriving home and suffering the great milk arrival of 2009 ,(I was not at all prepared for the burning, tingling, rock hard hot mess that was my boobs), things took a turn for the worse. The baby was fine - dare I say perfect. He slept well, ate well, hardly cried, and was very tolerant of all of the staring, cooing, and oogling from our relatives and friends. But I was a wreck, which is putting it very lightly. I didn't want to get out of bed, felt panicked all of the time, cried incessantly, and felt oppressive grief over the loss of "my life." I was hoping it was just the blues, but rolling onto week 2 it was still there. So, thanks to a very loving husband who called my doctor in spite of my embarrassment and my "I don't want to be that annoying person that overreacts and calls the doctor for no reason" I ended up in my OB's office. I was promptly diagnosed with the super-technical "more than baby blues but not quite crazy enough to hurt yourself or the baby anxiety/depression thingamajig." Long story short, I promptly got on meds and feel much much MUCH better. The moral here? Don't be embarrassed about getting help, and, if you feel like jumping off your roof or running out on your marriage because you feel like you can't take the anxiety anymore, you're probably not just overreacting.

Fast forward three months and I feel like making Elliot was the best thing Bobby and I ever did together. As someone who always wanted to be a "business lady" growing up and never a mom, I have totally shocked myself with the feelings I have for that little boy. Honestly, if I could I I would stay home and play with him all day, every day. He has these big blue eyes that smile when he smiles just like his dad. And he is a wiggly busy guy who likes to hear himself "talk", just like his mama. We're now at the stage where he is emerging from this larvae-like condition into a real baby. He's even reaching for things, trying to get them in his mouth, and trying to roll over (if only he could coordinate his top and lower halves to move at the same time!). It's like all of the sudden this little thing is interactive!

But the three month mark is not without heartbreak, and today was a difficult day for me - probably the saddest day I have had in a long time (not counting hormone-induced post partum ickies). I returned to work. For those of you aware of my quandry (shout out to my book club girls) you know how I felt about this step. All in all it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I watched the clock all day long and kept looking at the picture of him that I had with me. And then I raced to pick him up. As I approached the front door I could hear him fussing around, but as soon as I walked in the room he stopped on a dime and that was the best feeling in the world.

For those of you who are moms, I now understand. I get it. And I love it. For those of you on the fence, take it from a former fence-sitter (and man, was I ever) it is so much more worth it than you can imagine.

every mama (and dada) NEEDS one of these

abby and i were at a friends house about a month ago and discovered an israeli baby wrap. it was this long piece of stretchy cotton/spandex material that you wrapped around your body in a seemingly very complicated way that allowed you to insert your baby close to your body.

it looked cool, so we both tried it on, and even though it appeared to be extremely difficult to figure out, it wasnt so bad....and once having the babies inside the wrap up against our bodies (separately, of course), the babies loved it, and our backs were supported, and we had our hands free to do whatever we wanted.

So, we decided to go on an internet mission to figure out how to get one of these amazing israeli wraps. The one our friend had was direct from israel and they dont sell it here anywhere. the wrap is very similar to the moby, but the moby doesnt have spandex in it so it stretches out and the baby sags.

so, in the end after multiple emails back and forth and web sites checked and reviews read, we decided on "the sleepy wrap".
i ordered orange.
abby ordered grey.

and i know im speaking for both of us when i say "IT IS AMAZING, FABULOUS, AND WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! EVERY PARENT SHOULD HAVE ONE!!!".
we get questions and comments wherever we go and we only have good things to say.

I promise we'll post a picture of tali AND elliot enjoying their new "ride" at the same time....(abby, we need to take one of those pictures!).

It's about time......

I update this blog! Where to begin..............

Last Tuesday I went to OB for my monthly check up and everything was great. The baby's heart rate was in the 150s (I love that sound!), I was measuring at 25 weeks and all my labs were fantastic. My next appointment is in 3 weeks and that is for an ultrasound and BPP - this is when the extra testing starts since I'm high risk due to type 1 diabetes. The bad news is I will have appointments every 2 weeks then once a week then twice a week for the last few weeks but the good news is I get to see the baby at each of those appointments. I can't wait to see that little baby!

Oh, the soccer practice in my belly has begun. I always hear people mention feeling a little flutter or little kicks - there is nothing subtle about the kicking going on right now. It is the absolute coolest feeling ever and so amazing there is a baby in there! I love the kicks and can't wait to meet the little one who is doing them.

FINALLY we started registering and thinking about how to decorate the nursery. I have been avoiding this because I wanted to be sure everything was okay. I'm feeling excited and we have so much to do! There is a ton of stuff you need for a baby and its all really fun to pick out.

For now I will enjoy figuring out how to decorate the nursery and feeling good - I'm at the point where my belly is big but not big enough to be really uncomfortable.

Tali and Elliot: friends forever

yes- they are holding hands...

they are still holding hands...

they're both awake and happy...

she has her eye on him...

"im not letting you out of my sight"...

tali is "dressed to impress" her friend elliot on the day of his bris...

dating at a young age

tali and elliot officially had their first movie date today. and according to tali, it was a success. i think elliot would also agree!
good thing they were chaperoned- we wouldnt have wanted anything crazy to happen!

abby and i took a big risk today and went to see "ghosts of girlfriends past" at severance. we chose the earliest movie time (11:25am), and the theater least likely to care about screaming babies. when we pulled up, there were probably two cars in the parking lot (sigh of relief for both of us)....and there were only two other people in the movie with us and they made no rude comments or gestures about the fact that tali and elliot were present.

there were a few squeeks and grunts, and a couple of whimpers, but no all out crying or meltdowns....each baby was cuddled up against his/her respective mommy, cozy and happy as can be...

tali saw her first movie before levi!!!! and we're not stopping here. now that we know its possible, we're arranging for more dates in the near future. (and maybe, next time, we can do shaker square or cedar lee on a monday so we can have free popcorn too! or perhaps we should not mess with a good thing when we have it and stick with severance).

expression

how come i didnt buy one of these when i pumped breast milk for 1 year for levi? it would have made life a LOT easier...

so, this time, before tali was even born, i ordered one.
and it is the BEST invention ever!!!!
now, i can wear this absolutely gorgeous and sexy contraption to keep the pump attachments tight against me while i am feeling very much like a cow, so that as i am collecting the food source for my beautiful darling daughter, i can use my hands for much more entertaining things- such as blogging (no mental image needed), reading, and wasting time on the internet....and when im back at work (which im dreading and would love to stay home with my babies forever!), i can sit at my desk while im "milked" and play on my computer. PERFECT!!!!

they're not that expensive. every mommy who plans on pumping should definitely invest in one of these....

Half way!

Can you believe it?! I was officially 20 weeks yesterday and I have only posted once since finding out I was preg.....I'll work on that.

Last week we had the big ultrasound and much to the dismay of my mother we did not find out if we're having a boy or a girl. I think it will be such a fun surprise to see if we're having a daughter or son at the time s/he is born. We did find out that all looks great anatomy wise. As many of you know I worked in peds cardiology before and my big concern was seeing the heart had formed correctly - there were 4 chambers, a nice aortic arch, etc and the tech was very reassuring that everything looked great. Whew!

I have to tell you the best thing so far is seeing the baby at the ultrasound and hearing the heartbeat - it is the best sound I've ever heard! When Joey saw the ultrasound and what actually looked like a baby he was amazed and I think he really started to get excited at that point. I'm looking forward to feeling the kicks - remind me I said this when I'm complaining about elbows/feet in my ribs in a few months.

I'm feeling fantastic - a little tired but overall I feel really good now. The 24 hour a day hangover feeling subsided around 14 weeks and since then I've felt like a real person again. I'm trying to work out a little bit more, mostly walking but its something.

My biggest complaint is I'm having a hard time finding maternity clothes. I really didn't like the maternity store at the mall but maybe I just need someone to help me navigate through it. I've had a little luck at Gap and Old Navy online. Anyone that has any suggestions, it would be most appreciated. I'm also thinking about getting a pregnancy pillow to help me sleep - anyone use one of those that they loved?

A Sign From Who?

Matt and I know that we would someday like to have children, we are just not that sure when that someday may be. Apparently someone out there thinks that that someday should be now! I opened the front door yesterday to find a teething ring, neatly placed, in the center of my front porch. What the !?!? This certainly does not belong to us and after running through a brief list of our friends with children, I can not seem to think of who may have 'dropped' this on our front porch. None of our friends have children of teething age, not that I know when that age is anyway! So, who left the teething ring (TR) on our porch? I do not mean to excite anyone, the TR is not a message to all that I am pregnant. I do think the TR is a (funny and clever) message from someone who thinks that I should get pregnant...anyone want to claim it!?!

she loves her bath

It has been a while since I posted here. Life has been busy. Two is a million times harder than one, and finding time for myself is a bit complicated...BUT, im getting used to things now, and I am trying to get back into my groove.
Long story short- tali was in the hospital for a couple days last week because she had a fever, and now everything is fine, but it was stressful and just when i thought i was getting back to myself, this threw me for a loop (and levi too, which is a whole other story).
but now i have the two most beautiful and perfect children in the world, and i couldnt be happier.
im discovering many things as i get to know my baby girl. she absolutely LOVES to be held, but she's starting to sleep better as the days and weeks pass. she only likes the pacifiers they give out at the hospital (the ugly turquoise soothie ones) even though ive tried just about every single other brand out there...and, she loves the swing (which levi HATED).
i wanted to post a couple pictures below of tali's favorite time of day- the bath. she LOVES the bath- loves the water swishing over her little body, loves looking at herself in the mirror, and could stay in there forever without fussing!!!!

On the Mom Side of Life

Well, it's here.  Or I suppose I should now say that he is here, making it very official - I am now a mom.  It's weird how in a matter of minutes, between the baby being in you and then out of you, you go from being the person you've been all along - a friend, sister, wife, professional, to a whole new version of you.  Even though it comes at you for months, the moment it all changes seems to happen all of a sudden.

After a slow beginning to my labor induction - it took about 16 hours to go from 0 to 2cm - things went pretty quickly.  By late afternoon on delivery day I had made it to 4cm.  By early evening I was 5 and in active labor.  My doctor predicted that I would move along at about 1cm an hour, probably starting delivery at about 11pm.  Well, within an hour and a half I was 8cm.  Then, after two additional contractions I was 10cm and Elliot was ready to go.  My doctor had a patient all ready for her c-section but ended up delivering me first because my pushing went so well.  After just a few contractions worth of pushing for a total of about 30 minutes, Elliot just popped right out.  I guess my mom was right - I would be thankful for my "good birthing hips" one day.

Now we're home, and my hormones are going nuts and I feel like a crazy person at times.   I think we have now established breastfeeding, just tweaking certain things.  Although, that didn't happen without a lot of tears, conversations with lactation consultants, and some emergency pumping.  Man, I thought reading books and taking a class would prepare me for the challenge, but there were definitely unexpected hurdles. 

While my body and my mind return to normal we are just trying to figure out how to take care of this new little person.  Luckily, he seems to be a very peaceful and easily contented baby.  Hopefully this will last.  If you can see early signs of personality at this stage, I would have to guess that Elliot will take after Bobby in his laid back manner- thank goodness for us and for Elliot.  

I look forward to what is ahead - and I also look forward to my hormones returning to normal because I feel like a blubbering crazy person a good deal of the time.

Elliot looks forward to playing with all his new friends on the street like Levi, Tali, and baby Klein!!!  

Introducing Elliot Isaac

Our son, Elliot Isaac, was born on March 31,2009 at 8:05pm weighing 7lbs 10oz and measuring 20 inches in length. He is absolutely lovely and we are so thrilled to finally meet him! Pictures will come soon!!!

All Eyes on Me

I had to sit through a conference call this afternoon with corporate HR on new FMLA regulations. I felt extremely uncomfortable throughout the call. Every time someone said 'maternity leave' all eyes were on me. How embarrassing!?! It also made me mad. Just because I am the only married woman under the age of 40 in the HR department of my office does not mean that everyone should look at me. Do they know something I do not?

Getting Closer

Only 10 days left to my due date, and likely less than that until we finally get to meet our baby!

We had another trip to labor & delivery on Sunday - I think they are getting to know us. This one lasted four hours and was prompted by my BP going up up up. We got to visit Marni and baby Tali Sunday morning, then we met up with Bobby's dad in the afternoon who was nice enough to get us a camcorder in honor of the new addition. I noticed that my hands were starting to swell. I have been wearing one of Bobby's rings for about a month now, and it is big on me so when it started to get tight I knew something was up. I had Bobby check my BP and it was about 142/94. So I took a nap for about an hour and woke up, checked it again, and found it to be 144/96. This made me a little concerned. We decided to go for a walk in the sunshine, then made dinner. I checked it after dinner and it was 148/100. We waited, checked again and it was 150/98. At this point, it was 8:30 and we decided to call the OB's office. I didn't want to only because I dreaded going to the hospital and having to get naked just to be hooked up to a BP monitor for hours. But, the numbers were alarming me, especially since I had not had a stressful day at all. So we called and, sure enough, we were sent in. Only, this time we were told to pack a bag because I was either going to be sent home or having a baby. Of course, I didn't have my bag packed already

After 4 hours in the hospital we were finally sent home when my BP came down and my blood work came back normal. The horrible part was having to lay on my left side for 4 hours - talk about muscle cramps!

Luckily, I still get to wait a little while longer, I just have to work part time and rest in the afternoons. I can't believe how soon we'll have a third person living in our house!!!

tali ariel

welcome to the world

tali ariel
born at 8:41am, 3/20/09....welcome to spring!!!
6#6oz, 18"
beautiful, perfect.....
pictures will come soon

Mixed News

So I had an ultrasound today and everything looked "perfect" with the baby, which I am happy to hear. Unfortunately, it was with Dr. you-know-who. The woman who does the ultrasound is fantastic and very nice to talk to. Then the Dr. comes in. Talk about lack of any bedside manner. First off, he barges in finishing a snack or something (clearly chewing) and says "See, I told you that you would go past your due date." Now, this is strange for two reasons. First, I never had this conversation with him. Second, I am still two weeks away from my due date. I pointed out to him that I still had two weeks left and he just blew me off. He clearly must have thought I was someone else. So much for even bothering to look at a chart before coming in. Then, without looking at anything he said "the baby is perfect, should be 7.5 pounds when you deliver." Then he said have a nice day and left. After this whirlwind I just looked at Bobby and said "what the hell?!?" First the illogical comment about my due date and then the illogical comment about the baby being 7.5 pounds when I deliver. The second comment is illogical because they told me the baby is 7lbs 4oz TODAY. That means that in two weeks it will likely be 8 or more pounds. Again, he clearly didn't bother to even look at the results of the ultrasound, which had both the weight and my due date. Heaven help the women whose babies he delivers.

In other news, my OB set an induction date of 3/30. Well, just before midnight on 3/30 anyway. Unfortunately for me, however, my body just isn't ready for labor yet because my cervix is still long and the baby hasn't dropped. Hopefully things will change in the next 10 days because I don't want to end up being forced into a c-section. Keep your fingers crossed for me! My OB won't be at the hospital until 5pm on 3/31 and if things go quickly she won't be there to deliver me (though, luckily, it won't be Dr. you-know-who either). Although, she has predicted a long and slow labor for me. Evil woman. This truly was a mixed bag kind of day.

crazy week

i was fine until last thursday....my endo kind of freaked out on me and was unhappy with how much water i was retaining, my dropping blood sugars, and my elevated blood pressure. he called my OB and told him to deliver me....
so, i went to my doctor for a non-stress test after that and everything looked fine, and he reassured me that i could continue to gestate. BUT, he wanted to have my monitored on monday just to make sure things were still fine.

i went to my doctor's partner monday for another non-stress test. my doctor was working in the hospital all that day, so i saw his partner instead.
im all hooked up to the machine, they have a hard time finding the heart beat, and finally, they found it so i relaxed....BUT, the non-stress test was non-reactive, which means the baby was not moving well and the heart rate was very steady instead of moving up and down....AND my blood pressure was pretty high....AND with all that combined with my low blood sugars, my OB's partner told me i should have the baby that day or the next, and sent me down to the hospital.

SO I PANICKED!!!

i found someone to pick levi up from school (thanks laura), and cancelled my afternoon plans, and called jeff and told him to meet me at labor and delivery, and called my mom and told her to get in the car and come to cleveland....i called work and told them to cancel all my patients from that point on- i was DONE working.
and i stopped home to get my bag and drove myself to the hospital.

after being monitored for three hours, the baby "woke up" and my blood pressure came down, and everything looked fine....

SO, long story short- i was sent home, baby still inside....

i felt bad that i had my mom rush to get here, but at the same time, i have peace of mind that she is here since if i do happen to go into labor, i dont have to worry about someone watching levi.....

and i AM CONTRACTING! even though it is not regular, they are real contractions that occur with any movement, walking, etc. they stop (mostly) when im lying down, although i was up for a couple hours last night with them- but now theyve stopped again.

i had to have another ultrasound today to make sure the baby still looks good, and the baby looks great....
and the estimated fetal weight is 7 pounds 3 ounces....
im still on the schedule for friday morning, 8am....yippee!!!!!!
we all cant wait to meet FIFFY-FIFFY!!!!

Full Term!!!

I have finally reached full term today! Guess this means that Baby B could pop out any day, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that it holds on. Things are lightening up at work, mostly because I am just moving slowly, doing what I can, and advising my boss on what he'll have to take overwhile I am gone - when he left today he told me to "hang on over the weekend and little while longer."

All I have left to do is get a good nursing bra and do some baby laundry!!!!

names

when i was pregnant with levi, we needed an "S" name after jeff's father stanley. hence, Levi Simon. at least once or twice a day for MONTHS, i would get emails from my mother filled with names that started with "S". she didnt like the names we were choosing and wanted to make sure we knew our options....including LISTS and LISTS of indian "S" names since she was living in India at the time.

Now, here I am 1 week from having a baby, and im surprised at how little input my mother has tried to have on the names. We have our names chosen (and for the most part they are secret), and we need an "A" name after jeff's grandma anna. My mother probably only once or twice in the last few months sent an email with names that start with "A" that she likes....(of course, all ones we would not even consider- sorry mom!).

Today, i got another email about a name from my mother. The subject of the email was "perhaps you could name her...."
HER?
is there something she knows that we dont know yet?

Nine Months Pregnant and Feeling It

Up until two weeks ago, I have been feeling so good that I thought I could stay pregnant forever. I had energy, my acid reflux was manageable, and my aches and pains were at a minimum. Then, I hit a wall. Now, I look forward to having this over. I am in pain and uncomfortable all of the time. I am now swelling. I am up to 2 Zantac a day and it still doesn't really work. I can't move quickly in any way. Sitting makes me stiff. Standing makes me stiff. Sleeping is not restful and I wake up with an aching back, hips, and butt. And the exhaustion has returned in full force. I basically have to nap at my desk every afternoon just to make it to 5pm. I used to love getting on a roll in late afternoon and going until 6. Now, I keep watching the clock and try to find a reason to leave at 4:30 so I can go lay down.

And I am so sick of wearing the same 6 damn outfits that I could die. I don't even want to get dressed for work anymore and basically don't care what I look like - not even my maternity tops fit me now. My hair is not cooperating, my face is breaking out, and I just look puffy and gross. Ugh, I feel like I need a break. Thankfully, I am really in the home stretch now.

And another thing. I went shopping for nursing bras this weekend. I decided to start with motherhood maternity because they seem to have a ton of bras and I don't know what I like yet so I wanted to spend as little as possible to try out some styles. Unfortunately, unlike any other time I have been in there, the sales clerks were totally unhelpful. They took turns measuring me and got different results each time (is it really that hard?). Then, they told me that they don't have any bras in my size. That is ridiculous and outrageous. It is no secret that women's boobs and rib cages get bigger in pregnancy, and that boobs get even bigger at the start of nursing. This should not be a shock to the buyers at Motherhood maternity. So I want to know why it is that there is no bra that will fit a D+ cup, or a DD, or an E even! I mean, even non-"plus size" ladies can get giant boobs so what's the deal?!?! My only option is to order stuff online, which is a pain in the ass.

The bottom line is that I am just plain tired and cranky at this point and I can't wait to move on to the next phase.

and we finally have a baby room

it took a LONG time and much stress by little old me to actually accomplish this big task, but as of 9pm last night, we finally have a room for the baby!!!

jeff kept reminding me that the baby will be sleeping in our room in the pack-n-play until he/she is about a month old anyhow, but that didnt make my stress level go down.....conversely, it probably increased it because it meant jeff didnt have the motivation to get the room finished!

well, yesterday, we put levi to nap in our bed, so his room was empty, and jeff's friend came over to help jeff empty out the study and put all of the baby furniture previously in levi's room into fiffy-fiffy's room....the crib needed to be taken apart to actually get it out of levi's room, which was something we did not realize had to be done....and instead of taking 3-4 hours like we originally thought, the process took about 8 hours....BUT- who cares. its done now!
and the great thing is that jeff's friend needed a ton of stuff for his apartment, so we were able to just give it to him instead of trying to figure out what to do with it, list it on craig's list, or where to keep it temporarily....(including the old TV and entertainment center from the basement! i think it was definitely a fair trade for helping us with this crazy 8 hour task!).

There is nothing on the walls, and it probably could use a fresh coat of paint, but we're not worrying about it right now. at least the room looks decent and its set up. the crib, changing table, dresser, bookshelf, rocking chair, AND queen size bed all fit nicely. the closet is emptied, and all of the baby clothes are neatly arranged in the drawers already (my job done well today!). and i feel ready. finally.

one of the little roadbumps i hit with this furniture move was realizing that ummm- now that levi's dresser and changing table are not in his room, where do i put his diapers/wipes AND his pajamas and stuff i kept in the dresser??? initially i ended up with the furniture in the baby's room filled with levi's clothes, so when i went to get him dressed this morning, i realized i needed to go in there to get socks and pants....not too convenient...
so, i went to target, bought a hanging shelf thingy for levi's closet, and voila! problem fixed now!!!

when levi woke up from his nap yesterday and he went into his room, he looked around and said- where is levi's changing table? where is the crib? so i showed him fiffy-fiffy's room and he seemed to understand. now he has been talking about the crib for fiffy-fiffy and that levi is a big boy so he doesnt need it anymore....i hope he doesnt panic when the baby actually arrives and he realizes that the crib really is not for levi anymore but for the new baby.

now my next step is to look for some cute decorations for the walls....perhaps we'll wait until we see if fiffy is a boy or a girl to decide what exactly we should put up.

levi is absolutely sure that the baby is a girl. he has told me many times that fiffy-fiffy is a girl- NOT a boy. he is going to have a "yittle sister", not a "yittle brother"....so, i guess we'll see if he's right....

Congrats!!

Congratulations to Jami and Joey!!! I couldn't be happier for the two of you! I'm so excited to hold and play with all the new babies on Eaton Road. I won't have to share with anyone!!!

On a side note, does this mean Matt & I have to get a dog?

my office throws a good party, too bad my BP is so high

my office decided to throw me a baby shower, and did all this planning behind my back, but last week told me about it so i didnt make plans during lunch today....
all of the offices blocked time at lunch, and came out to the new office where i work and brought lunch and presents!

it was so nice having everyone together, although its sometimes hard for me being the center of attention- i get uncomfortable. and i also felt a tiny bit uncomfortable since i already have levi and i think its funny to have a shower for a second baby....BUT, im not complaining. it was VERY VERY nice of everyone.

the food was fabulous (i didnt eat enough because i was so overwhelmed, and i ended up with a blood sugar of 63 AFTER lunch- so i just ate more cake!), and the cake was delicious, moist, half chocolate, half white.....

now that its over, the office is cleaned up, i just want to go to my car and re-inspect all the gifts! my friends were nice to bring everything to my car so i didnt have to do it after work today, but i just want to look at everything again now and enjoy my new stuff!!!!!

In other news, last night, after lying on the couch watching american idol in HD on my new awesome TV, i went upstairs to get changed into PJs and took one look at my legs and almost cried- elephant feet again, but this time, to the 10th degree.....i immediately took my BP and it was 140/100 (AFTER relaxing for 2 hours watching american idol no-less- not like i was running around, cleaning, or cooking)....i also weighed myself....so, after being up all night peeing out 7 pounds of water- literally, i took my blood pressure upon waking this AM and it was 140/90. CRAP!!!! normally, if i take it in the morning, its around 110/60, but it goes up after moving around a bit.

this is bad news...

jeff and i had a little talk with fiffy-fiffy saying that we want the baby to stay inside for a couple more weeks, and to relax a bit....and then we made a plan- im working today, all day (especially since i had this shower today at work and i didnt want to miss my own party!). and check my BP multiple times today, and also work tomorrow morning. My OB appt is tomorrow afternoon and I guess we'll have to wait and see what my Dr says then....

can i still work? could i possibly work half days until my c-section? do i have to go on bedrest? do we have to deliver the baby now? all of these questions are running through my head and im sure the stress is not helping my blood pressure....

3rd time is a charm?!

We're saying the first two rounds were practice and the 3rd time is the real deal! I can't tell you how excited I am to announce that I'm 11 weeks pregnant! I'm due on 9/22/09.

Yesterday was my 11 week ultrasound - we saw a great heartbeat and a growing baby - it was such a relief and I finally feel like I can relax a little bit. Joey is getting excited too - I think it was great for him to see the heartbeat and know there really is a baby in my belly!

We have a good record for getting pregnant - 3/4 months we've tried has resulted in a pregnancy - now I think we have the medications right to keep me preggo! The day we found out this time I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and decided to take a digital test - to my suprise it said PREGNANT - I was giddy! I left the test on the sink in the bathroom and went back to bed. Joey went to the bathroom to get ready for the day and walked back into the bedroom with wide eyes saying "Seriously?!" It was exciting and nerve wracking all at once.

I hesitantly called the doctors office and he ordered labs to be drawn - I had a good starting number. 3 days later another level and it had tripled. Whew! The following week I had it drawn again just to make sure it was still heading in the right direction and it was. I still wasn't letting myself get excited even though the levels were good and I was further along than I had been yet because I was scared. Then the nausea kicked in. Not the best time to be on a cruise ship!

I do not deal well with nausea and I DO NOT vomit. I think that is the reason I have yet to vomit - I just try to deal with it (though I don't do a very good job at times - Joey is sick of hearing me say "I think this time I'm really going to puke") I do A LOT of gagging/dry heaving but no vomit. Zofran is my life saver at times. I lost 3 pounds at my first appointment but I've gained 4 in the last month. I'm attributing it to my diet of carbs with a side of carbs because veggies make me want to gag. I'm hoping to get back to my healthy diet soon!

I'm really wanting to relax and enjoy the pregnancy - meeting the new members of Eaton Road in the next few weeks will be a good distraction!

Marni - can you put up a baby Klein ticker now? Thanks!

How I'm not ready for a baby, let me count the ways

Aside from the 'horror' stories that my pregnant friends share, I have several reasons why I am not ready for a baby:
I like my sleep
I like wine, a lot
I like meeting up with friends after work for catching up and a quick bite to eat
I like working out at the gym
I like not feeling sick to my stomach
I like the clothes I own
I'm trying to lose weight, not gain
It's hard enough keeping the house clean after my husband (let alone children)
I like to travel
It's hard enough getting myself out the door in the morning (or any other time)
I like cheese, a lot
I could go on and on but didnt want to take up too much of our time. Please feel free to add to the list (or counter, if you wish)!

Induction Seduction

Looks like Baby B may be arriving sooner than we thought. At my doctor's appointment today I learned that so long as my blood pressure stays elevated I will not be making it to my due date. Translation: looks like I will probably be getting induced at 39 weeks (sooner if the BP keeps going up and staying up). Now, this only shaves a week off my due date, but the thought of having the baby this month has sent me into a tizzy. Here, I have been planning to just wait it out, probably several days to a week past the due date (given my extensive family history of going way late). But now, faced with the prospect of bumping it up I am all nervous. April 3rd feels a lot farther away than March 27th. Yikes! On the other hand, my mother couldn't be more thrilled. In fact, she said she hopes it comes even sooner - so long as the baby is safe (gee, thanks mom). She was all giddy with excitement when I told her she will probably have a grandchild this month.

The major downside to this is the extreme pressure I am under at work to get a ton of things accomoplished or sufficiently wrangled to hand off to my boss for three months. Shaving a week off my time to complete my "to do" list is a big blow. What's even more pressure is that I still keep getting projects assigned to me. And not just little things either - big, brief writing projects that will take me hours and hours to complete. Those types of projects I usually do on evenings and weekends because I couldn't otherwise complete my regular work. The problem is, I just can't work those hours anymore because I am simply exhausted. My doctor has given me persmission to tell my boss that as a result of my blood pressure, which is significantly affected by stress levels, I will need to deliver early, and that could mean as early as next week if things don't change a bit. We'll see how that works. Keep your fingers crossed - my boss is an understanding and sensitive individual, but he would still much rather have me continue to do all of the briefwriting.

Under the Weather Again

Sometime in my first trimester, I came down with a nasty headcold that just wouldn't quit and kept me at home for several days. Now, as I am coming into the home stretch I am hit with another nasty head cold. I figured it would be a nice way to come full circle with the pregnancy. Unfortunately, due to my impending leave and the tons of things to accomplish, I haven't been able to stay home. Although, I have to admit that I have not been really productive at work - mostly just holding the warm tea mug to my cheeks and wishing the time to go faster. I hate colds. They suck. They just hang around and there is nothing you can do to make them go away. Blah.

But, even in the midst of this temporary misery, I am feeling really good about our preparations for the baby. The nursery is ready with a month to spare and there are only a few more immediate necessities to pick up - like diapers. I still can't believe how soon this baby will be here, though. I have been making plans for things to do in March and it is dawning on me how little time there is left. And I have been having silly thoughts lately, like, 'the next time I buy toothpaste I will be somebody's mom.' At this point, it's just a waiting game to ride out the last weeks of pregnancy.

Parental Advisory

The other day I had the joy of riding shot gun with Marni. I was even luckier to be serenaded with some of Levi's favorite songs. I browsed the CD cases to educate myself on the music. To my surprise (and joy!) there were several selections by some of my favorite artists. O.A.R., Cake and Bare Naked Ladies, just to name a few. These are groups I've been listening to for years. Listening to these voices brought back visions of various concerts and college memories. Had you told me 10 years ago that I'd be listening to Cake on a children's CD, I would have laughed in your face. These are life's little surprises. What is even more surprising? I actually enjoyed the songs! I'm going to have to keep these CD's in mind for future baby gifts, perhaps. Check 'em out for yourself, 'For the Kids' and there are a few volumes, maybe more. Don't worry though, you can still catch the grown up versions in my ride!

jealous already

this morning, i was wrapping a baby gift for a friend, and levi was sitting next to me watching.

he picked up an article of clothing and said "i want this".
and had big wet tears when i told him it was not for him, it was for a baby.

then he saw a stuffed animal for fiffy-fiffy given to us by a friend, and he took that and held on, saying "this is mine".
again, i explained the stuffed animal was for fiffy-fiffy and that fiffy-fiffy will be getting some news toys and books and clothes.
I also told him that when levi was a baby, he got a lot of new toys and clothes too.
but he did not like that answer. he just cried and cried and cried.

now jeff and i are starting to realize what we are in for....

its hard to make a two year old understand what is going on, and although we are trying really hard to prepare him as much as possible, there is definitely going to be some jealousy....

i guess we're going to have to go out and get levi a whole bunch of new stuff too to help him get over all the gifts for the baby....

any suggestions/thoughts from people out there that have more than one child?

hiccups

i never felt hiccups when i was pregnant with levi.....

and today- hiccups! lots of them! little rhythmic blips that lasted about 15 minutes this afternoon, and started again before dinner....

its cute!

now all i picture is a little drunken sailor hiccupping away in my belly....

I feel like all I do is complain....

I have to change that!!! Why do I complain so much???
So, I should start with the good stuff. My friend vanessa came to visit a few weeks ago and gave me a wonderful birthday present of "shea cashmere bath products" from bath and body works....ever since I told her I was having a problem with keeping clean and taking showers, she has been laughing and thinking it is really funny, and gave me this gift as kind of an incentive to "be clean".
well, it worked!!!! the stuff smells like butterscotch or burnt sugar and smells so yummy i want to eat it or lick it! and im taking a shower everyday (mostly!).
I also indulged a little and bought archipelago "morning mint" lotion from joseph beth and moisturize my skin in the morning after my shower, and i feel lady like and girly and clean and happy!!!! what happened???? im liking my new girliness.....now i just have to get up the energy to actually shave my legs....
now the other stuff.....my legs are one to start- they look like elephants. im really swollen with pitting edema (when you press your finger in, an indentation stays there) up to my knees....this is what happened last time when my blood pressure started to rise....so, off to the OB i went, and yep- i was right- blood pressure is up....so, now im taking my blood pressure a couple times per day, and when it gets too high, that means im done working....
so, ive made some changes at work to allow myself more sitting time and less movement....and hopefully the changes allow me to work up until the baby arrives.....but we'll see!!!! im keeping march 20th on my calendar...and i want to make it all the way there....
we have lots to do before the baby comes and i feel like time is running out. and jeff just realized (i hadnt even thought about it either!) that there are still some things we need to get before the new baby comes.....like a diaper bin and a double stroller and some other little things...and we need to figure out who we lent all of our bouncers to and get all levi's old baby stuff out of the basement....
ok, marni, stop thinking.....the thinking and thinking and thinking is causing stressing and stressing and stressing which is causing my blood pressure to rise. i think it would be nice to go to sleep and wake up having it all done for me! what i would do for a genie in a bottle right now.

Baby Head and Baby Feet

I got to meet with my OB yesterday and after some pushing around, she was able to determine that the baby is definitely sideways. And, the reason for all the pain I have been having is that there is a hard little head pusing on the ligament on my left side. So, the aches and pains that have come with the stretching of the ligament are just seriously intensified because there is extra pressure on it. I just have to keep changing position when it gets bad. But something else is that baby B does not like to stay curled up all the time. I have been feeling kicks so far to the right side that they are practically in my back. The OB says the baby is just stretching out (gee, thanks).

All in all the doctor was pleased because the baby is starting to move in the right direction for delivery!

Baby Furniture Has Arrived!!

Friday moring, right on time, our baby furniture was delivered. It was a really exciting moment because, even though we painted and had our area rug down, the baby's room still just felt like "a room". Now, the furniture is in and looks fantastic. Now, we have "a nursery." Although the only thing "baby" about it at this point is the crib, that's fine with me. It feels low key and relaxing and that is exactly what we were going for. The dogs caught the relaxed vibe too, I think. We let them in yesterday and they just sniffed around and then stretched out on the rug. We have a crib, a dresser/changing table, and SUPER comfy gliding/swivelling stuffed chair and ottoman. We picked up a floor lamp and small table lamp and now all we have to do is put up the artwork. Future plans include putting up shelves that we have, and cubby-type book/toy shelves but those won't be needed right away.

In other news, this baby is still laying SIDEWAYS and, let me tell you, there really isn't sufficient room left to be in that position. Most of the time I have a hard little head in my side. I have been in particularly "uncomfortable" pain since last Friday that goes down to my knees. Luckily, I see the doctor today and while she probably won't do anything to fix the situation, I can at least bring it to her attention to make sure there isn't a problem. At this point, I am starting to look forward to the finish line because things are beginning to get pretty uncomfortable on a regular basis.

Less than 7 weeks left at this point!

Funny Story...

Several weeks ago Matt and I were out and about running errands. At Lowe's they had a display at the end of one aisle with some type of construction worker toy set, complete with hard hat, tool belt and all the necessary construction worker tools. This would be awesome for Levi! I pointed my find out to Matt who looked at the set, looked back at me and said, 'Levi is way too young for that' I looked at Matt, looked back at the toy set, 'Get out of here, it's perfect for Levi'. I marched right over to the display and plucked a package from the grouping. There on the back, in big letters, 'Ages 7+' I obviously have no idea what is age appropriate. Maybe I should leave the toy selections to Matt from now on.

Two Big Projects Down

Today was a very busy day in the Botnick house. We finally got to tackle two big projects we really needed to get to before baby B arrives. Thanks to my mom and her husband, we were able to accomplish both of them in a single day.

The first project was painting the baby's room. I am very meticulous about painting, so I carefully tape all of the woodwork off and the ceiling edge against the wall so that we have nice clean lines. As I did that, Bobby moved all of the furniture out of the room. Then my mom arrived, we put down the drop cloths and got to work. I got edge out the room (which I love to do) while Bobby and my mom's husband rolled the walls. And lucky for us it was plenty warm enough to open and window and let the fumes out. After two coats of paint, I pulled down the tape and pulled up the drop clothes. Then, I got to test out my awesome new floor scrubber (which I LOVE) and cleaned the nursery floor with my magic mix of white vinegar and hot water. The room looks fantastic. I also put the crib mattress in there to air out and tomorrow we'll lay out the new area rug to do the same. Our furniture gets delivered in a week and we'll be practically set! I am psyched to see it finished!

While all of this was going on we were actually able to multi-task a second project - removing the shower doors in our guest bathroom. We plan on using this bathroom with the baby because it is bigger and has a tub while our master bath only has a shower. The only problem is that it had these big doors that just weren't going to work if I plan on bathing a child in there. The doors were framed with 2x4s with tile facade, and this really ugly scalloped border. We were able to get all of that down, scrape off the leftover apoxy, fill and sand problems areas and paint. Then, we hung a really nice curved curtain rod and a nice new shower curtain. It looks great and seems to really open up the bathroom. Plus, the major eyesore of the scalloped border is blissfully behind us.

I feel so relieved that these projects are complete because I knew they were going to be the most time intensive and I was worried they just weren't going to get done. And it was REALLY nice to have my mom and her husband help us out - they seem to know how to do absolutely any household project, so Bobby and I always try to learn new things from them when they come over. Now, we only have little projects left, including finishing the art project for the baby's room.

We're getting closer!!!