Updates on the madness...and Ellie is 13 months!

Life is certainly nothing but insane these days. But I definitely need to update things on this blog. So here we go:

Ellie-
Ellie is awesome, as usual. She has now been officially walking for about 2 weeks, and it is seriously the cutest thing ever. She has just started to walk almost exclusively, preferring that over crawling. The bad news? It is even harder to keep up with her. Yikes!

Here is a very early video of her walking. Now she's going up and down the hall like a pro!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2WC3IrjH3o

We had her 1-year doctor's appointment a couple weeks ago, too. She hit 18lbs! Considering the rule of thumb is to triple the birth weight at a year, she isn't far off. I attribute it to the fact that the girl LOVES to EAT. She still can fit into her 0-3 month snowsuit from last year, which is good, as it has been pretty chilly a couple times this past week when we've taken our morning walks.

No teeth have broken through yet, although there are a couple that are PRETTY darn close. And she's sure been acting like she's teething. Maybe this means we will be lucky enough to get all of them in at once? Who knows!

She is still just the most fun ever. I love spending time with her and taking her new places. She is so curious and observant. Seeing her reactions to new things is just awesome!

Pregnancy-
I'm almost 22 weeks. And I've got to say, this pregnancy is KICKING MY BUTT. I feel like such a whiner this time. I'm just really tired all the time, and I feel about as big as I was in the 3rd trimester last time. Maybe because my body has 'been there, done that'? And I am already in the "nothing sounds good to eat" phase. Arg. I do love the movement, though. I can feel the little one pretty frequently these days. Definitely the best part of pregnancy!!!

So far, everything is behaving. Both the antigen titers and the thyroid levels are nicely under control. And I haven't had to do my second gestational diabetes test yet. I am NOT looking forward to that!




Ready for 2 under 2? -
Uh, no. First of all, for the little one, we've done just about nothing. I guess such is life being the dreaded second child, huh?

Well, I guess I shouldn't say that. We bought a stroller. We got a KILLER deal. So I officially have a double stroller in my house. Yes, I had an all-out MELTDOWN when that came. If you would have told me 2 years ago that this would be hanging out in my living room, I would have told you that you were NUTS. And probably broke down sobbing.

Just. so. crazy. 

I also started a couple registries to track things we need to buy (and get the completion discounts, woot woot!). While there isn't a LOT, there still is, you know? Based upon the advice from a much-respected friend who is the mommy of 17-month-apart boys, we are not trying to rush Ellie out of her baby stuff, and instead just buying new stuff for the new baby. 

We do need to do an Ikea run somewhat soon. Like I said, Thursday marks 22 weeks, and we had all of Ellie's furniture at 25 week. Yikes. And I do not necessarily want to run into all the holiday shopping madness. Doing a roadtrip and Ikea in peak shopping season with a curious, overactive 1 year old sounds like a legitimate version of hell. 

I did pick material so that I can start on the color scheme of her room. It will be similar to Ellie's, but in purples. I also email my pillow lady so that I can get a pillow ordered for her. You now, as soon as we fully commit to a name. We are 99 percent sure on her first name. We just need to finalize the middle name. That has been totally painstaking for me. I just KNEW, for years, what my first girl's name would be. Then girlie number 2 comes along and...uh...I feel caught a little off guard. 

That's about it for now. I need to be better about updating. It is so fun to go back and read things from this time in my pregnancy with Ellie!

What happens when you have the best baby in the world?

...You just can't wait to have another!

Well it has taken it a couple days to sink in, and I feel like I should officially blog about this. Are you sitting down? Good. Here it is:

I am pregnant.

Ellie is going to be a big sister.

I am going to have 2 under 2 (17 months apart, to be exact.)

See why it took a bit for it to sink in? Yeah, for us too.

Of course, if you are reading it here, it is MUCH later...but just like with Ellie, I wanted to start from the beginning. So here is the GIANT post that I will be adding to weekly until be officially make an announcement.

6/6/13:

We found out Thursday 5/30 (interesting, I found out I was pregnant with Ellie on 12/30). I was late, but still breastfeeding my cycle is pretty wonky. I took a test for the heck of it. After a minute or two, it looked negative. I went back to bed. Ellie woke up a bit later and I got up to feed her. I checked the test and BAM...2 lines. What? I got back in bed and woke Ryan up to tell him. He had the same reaction I did. A big cheesy grin and eyes as big as saucers.

This is unexpected. We prepared ourselves to have to visit the RE again to try for number 2. And we had talked about how our level of acceptable interventions had gone way down, so number 2 might not be a possibility. We are just blown away that this happened the natural (and free!) way.

I didn't actually call the doctor on Thursday. I waited until the test got darker on Friday and called. He wanted me to do a beta and progesterone right away. So at 12dpo, I had a beta of 80 and progesterone of 44 (was 46 with Ellie, so really close). I was pretty shocked by those numbers! Honestly, I was preparing myself for much worse news. I continued to test at home and tests were getting darker and darker until...Monday morning, it got lighter. Like, a lot lighter. I was SURE it was bad news. So sure, I prepped Ryan and made plans in my head for how to cheer myself up the next day.

Then I got the beta back...312 at 15dpo. Ellie was only 261 at 15dpo. What??? This. is. crazy. I just can't wrap my head around this. I am equal parts ecstatic and freaked. But I just feel SO incredibly blessed.

We have an ultrasound scheduled for the 17th. Ellie's first ultrasound was on the 16th. So crazy.

For now, we're just praying like crazy for this little peanut, and hoping that s/he continues to grow!

6/12/13

Well this is going to get a bit confusing! Today I am officially 5 weeks 3 days pregnant with number two. Wow. It still doesn't feel completely real.

This weekend, being at competition, was quite the challenge. I was tired, and not feeling well, but I managed to pull through mostly unscathed. I did not even come close to eating like I needed to, though. I need to eat like crazy since I am not only pregnant but also breastfeeding. Like, an extra 800ish calories a day. I feel like that is all I do most days!

The exhaustion has set in big time. I am so tired all the time. When Ellie is up more than a time or two a night, I am pretty much a zombie. This part is much harder than it was last time, because it is not like I really can rest all that much.

I did have a beta done on Monday to give me some reassurance. It came back 3691. Waaaay higher than it was with Ellie.

This is insane. I hope that after the ultrasound Monday it starts to feel a little more real. Crossing my fingers we can hear a heartbeat!

6/16/13

Well it is Father's Day. Ryan's first with an outside, 2-legged baby. Yup, still hasn't sunk in that God-willing, we'll be a family of four and a fuzzball this time next year. Crazy.

I am getting SO nervous for tomorrow. With Ellie I was SO busy the weekend before, I didn't really have time to get nervous. But right now, I am a ball of nerves!

In good (I guess) news, I feel like complete crap. Nauseous, tired, the whole gamut. That's got to be a good sign, right?

6/17/13

Well, this morning was the ultrasound. I was SO. FREAKING. NERVOUS. I could barely function that morning. Dropped Ellie off at Aunt Lori's house, met Ryan at the OB/GYN office, and it wasn't long before Laurie, the u/s tech came out to get us. She said she was wondering why my name was doing on her schedule again....uh...about that...*blush*

Anyways, we got started and bam! Right away I saw a gestational sack, a yolk sac, and...the BEST little flicker of a heartbeat on the screen. Yup, Baby Mason #2 is doing great so far, and has a rockin' heartbeat of 115 and is measuring 6 weeks 2 days (I'm 6 weeks 1 day). We even got to listen to the heartbeat for a moment before it squirmed off the screen. BEST. SOUND. EVER.

We got to talk to my doctor about some of our concerns with breastfeeding, and my gestational diabetes, etc. He was really great and supportive of everything, which was good.

He did get in an "I told you so!" Yes, I know. "See, the first is usually drama and then you look at each other and get pregnant with number 2 and 3 and ...." Uh, hey there Raj, slow your roll...

This is still so surreal. Wow. Ryan and I went out to lunch at both admitted we are oscillating between being ridiculously excited, and freaking the heck out. We're not sure how in the world we are going to handle it, but are excited to meet the new little sweet pea!

6/25/13

I'm officially 7 weeks 2 days today. This already seems to be going SO much faster than when I was pregnant with Ellie. I am trying REALLY hard to enjoy it more and be a bit more relaxed.

I had another appointment last week...my official "ob history" appointment. Ugh. Now I remember why I hate that office. I got in a fight with the nurse when I told her I was breastfeeding. "Um, you have to wean like NOW." Uh, no I don't. I've spoken to both Ellie's pedi and my OB and both are JUST fine with me continuing to breastfeed. I LOVE that she took my blood pressure not 5 minutes after this exchange and couldn't figure out why it was elevated....uh....duh.

We also got in a fight about when I was going to do my first glucose test. I am just so annoyed with these nurses. But what's new.

I did find out that with my scheduled C-section I get to choose my doctor. Phew! That means I can avoid the she-devil ob that will not be named and I can have Raj do it. Considering the last time he sliced me open I was doing laundry within 12 hours, I am pretty happy with his skills.

So how am I feeling? Crampy. Oh sooooo tired. The exhaustion is HARD to deal with. And the nausea is pretty bad. I went from eating everything (like a LOT of food) last week to really having to work to get anything down this week. :(

And I am of course still in disbelief.

7/6/13

So Baby 2 is already getting the short end of the stick. I haven't updated in awhile. And LOTS has been gong on. As my BFF put it: "I'm convinced this is a girl, because she is SO drama..."

So first...last week. I got my first set of labs back. My TSH is out of whack. Of course this caused a massive panic. You do NOT want thyroid issues while you are pregnant. Not only does it quadruple the risk for miscarriage, it also can cause a host of other problems. So I spent the better part of last Friday mediating a fight between my OB and endo to see who in the heck was going to prescribe me meds. Like NOW.

Oh, and I also begged for an ultrasound. I needed to know my little peanut was okay, even with my crazy numbers. Of course, Laurie wasn't in. Grrrr.

So, I got meds, and started those. Which is FUUUUUUN. Yup, here, take this pill. On an empty stomach. And don't eat anything for a half hour afterward. Yeah, that is like first tri torture.

In good news, though, this does explain some of my exhaustion. I mean I have the trifecta going on: chasing a 10 month old, underactive thyroid, and first tri of pregnancy. I have a feeling this is prepping me for 2 under 2.

Anyways, I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. The good news is our little peanut looks great, and they officially moved my due date to February 6th. Ha...Ellie was due September 6th. Irony at it's best folks. And we got a peak of that sweet little heart beating away at 171bpm.

 Oh, but then Wednesday came with more drama. Apparently, I have some kind of antibody issue that showed up in my bloodwork too, that basically causes my cells to attack the fetal cells and could lead to anemia. This is a good explanation: http://childrens.memorialhermann.org/services/fetal-anemia/

The good news is right now the levels are okay. But Ryan had to get bloodwork done, and I will have to get monthly bloodwork done to see how things are progressing. I am also being referred to a maternal fetal medicine specialist. So, already with this pregnancy, I have racked up a team of an endo, OB, and MFM. Lovely. And we were joking that this was going to be the CHEAP kid since it cost much less to GET pregnant. Sigh.

However, yesterday I was able to find that little heartbeat on my doppler. I've got to say...still...best. sound. ever. Not bad at 9 weeks 1 day!

7/10/13:

I had my first MFM appointment today. I was SUPER nervous. The good news is, I LOVE the office. We are not sure right now if they are going to co-manage my care with my OB, or if I will be referred completely to them. Honestly, I loved the office today, so I wouldn't mind either.

I went in, talked to a nurse and did a little more history, then met with the u/s tech to get a peek at the peanut. S/he is measuring exactly at 9 weeks 6 days, and looking perfect.

Regarding the antibody issues, Ryan does have the antibody, so that is likely where this issue came from. The good news is that my levels are 1:1, and they need to be 1:16 before we start to get concerned. So for right now, it is just looking like we'll be doing the monthly blood tests and then another in-depth u/s at about 18 weeks to start to monitor blood flow to the baby.

Had a funny encounter with the doctor too, as she was explaining all this to me. I was nodding her on through some of the basics when she stopped and asked if I was a nurse. I told her no, but I'm a chemist, so I understand all this stuff. She told me how she loved educated people. I giggled and told her just wait...I'm pretty sure my OB office HATES the fact I am educated ;)

8/7/13:
See, baby number 2 is still getting gypped since I haven't written in a month. So, I am catching up. I will officially be 14 week tomorrow. Ugh, how did that happen?

Since I last wrote, I had another OB appt on the 17th. The peanut looks great, measuring right on track with a heartbeat of 167. Ellie went to the appointment and got to see her sibling!

More good news too...my TSH level is down into normal territory (yay) my titers are still 1:1 (yay) AND I passed my 1-hour glucose test, so I am gestational diabetes free for another 13 weeks! Yay!!!

We're starting to tell more people, and it is starting to sink in a little. Still totally hard to believe though. And it is CRAZY that it is going so FAST. I recently read this blog post, and it sums it up perfectly: http://www.harpershappenings.com/2013/06/05/second-timer/

I was so worried about getting everything together last time. This time? Double stroller, Baby K'tan carrier, lots of snacks and a pedicure (CANNOT FORGET THE PEDICURE!), and I am good to go! Oh, and a chest freezer. We totally need a chest freezer. Yup, my wish list is TOTALLY different!

How am I feeling? Generally less nauseous, more energy...just better. I'm hoping for a good 2nd trimester. I need all the energy I can get.

Just this week, though, I have started to feel movement. Yes, it is slightly earlier than last time (I didn't feel E until 15.5 weeks, so about a week earlier with this peanut) but that is to be expected. Oh, and it has to be under very specific circumstances (tight waist band or full bladder...something fun to kick!) That is definitely making it feel real.

Oh, and funny thing...Ryan's co-worker announced that his wife is expecting, and is currently 16 weeks along. With the fact that I will likely be scheduled for a c-section early, and many first time moms go late, that means they could be out at the same time. I hope that is a slow engineering month!

9/18/13:

It has been another month, and I am just now getting around to writing. Yikes. Life is just too crazy!

I am *almost* halfway there. 19 weeks 6 days today. Wow. This is going SOOOO fast.

So this was a big week. last Tuesday we had our anatomy scan. Squee! I was a wreck. Laurie came out to get me and she was so excited though, it made some of that disappear. She asked us if we wanted to know the sex. Uh, yes. Like, I expect you to show me the heartbeat, and then go between the legs. I'm a little anxious! And that is exactly what she did. Right away she asked us if we were ready to know. I squealed a little and Ryan teared up as soon as she said it was a little girl! I am so excited for Ellie to have a sister that close in age. She continued the scan, and the good news is that everything looks perfect with little princess number 2! We finished the scan and she went to get the doctor. He was with another patient, so she came back in the room and we decided to play. I guess that is one benefit of knowing the tech so well. So I left with an entire ROLL of pictures. The funniest one, though, is that we caught her with her mouth wide open. Barking orders already????

Then Wednesday, I had an MFM appointment for another ultrasound. This one wasn't nearly as fun, but the good news is that the baby looks great. MCAs are all normal right now. They were a bit worried about some mild placenta previa, but since the OB didn't mention it, I am wondering if it was just due to my very overfull bladder. Oh, and I got more cute pics of the peanut.

Oh, and in other news, we are "out" on facebook. We decided that we didn't want to drag it out telling everyone individually, so we ripped the bandaid off, even though I am typically very anti-facebook announcement. It worked, I guess. 

And with that, I guess I am caught up. And I guess it is time to rip off this bandaid and hit post...finally! 

The Birthday Party

So, we decided that Miss Ellorie's birthday party was going to be quite the to-do. I know, she's never going to remember it. But that's okay. It sets the stage for making each and every one of her birthdays a BIG DEAL, something I feel really strongly about doing.

The invites:
Yes, I designed them myself. I was really happy with how they came out, actually.

And yes, because I am crazy OCD-Mom, I had to change her dress color from the original picture (blue) to match the invite theme (purple). Yay for new photoshop tricks!

My crafting:

Yes, I went a little crazy with craft ideas for this party. First, I made a chalk board sign. This is a tradition I kind of want to keep up all year, to give an idea of her at this point in time. 

I also made a wreath for the door with birds and pansies, and, of course, an E! It turned out fairly nice too.

Probably one of my favorite things that I did though, is make photo timelines to hang around the tents. I printed out pics from the last year, and glued them to ribbon. It was so cool to go back and see how much she'd changed over time.

Oh, and I made her a party hat. She never wore it. Stinker. It was darn pretty, though. 

The party: 

We had about 30 people there. We tried to keep it pretty small. We had a station where the older kids could design their own birdhouses and we had cornhole, played with birds trying to get into their nests.

The presents: 

Girl now officially has more toys than she knows what to do with! 

She loved helping open the presents! I think her favorite part, though, was playing with her BFF Lily. Those two are something else!

The cake smash:
Of course, the princess's first cake was from West End. And yes, I was loony enough to make a bird cake topper for it. It turned out super cute!

She LOVED the cake. The progression, in pictures:

Hmmm, what is this?

Mom, Dad, why have you been hiding this cake stuff from me all my life???

Oh, I LOVE it! Get in my mouth!

Cake Drunk.

Yes, she had a horrible sugar buzz afterward. Of course, she picked her party day to have crappy naps, so she was overtired and on a sugar high. It was actually pretty funny!

The thank yous:
We took some 'thank you' pics the next day. I am incredibly happy with how they turned out. She is such a ham!

All in all, a good time was had by all, and I can't believe my little one is ONE YEAR OLD!!! 

To my one year old...

Dear Ellie,

I cannot believe that you are officially one year old now. To be honest, I've been an emotional basket case all weekend. Thinking about this time last year is just so surreal. I can't believe that it was a year ago that I heard those little squeaky cries for the first time. Or that it was a year ago that you first gave me your "baby bird" face because you wanted to nurse. Or a year ago that you made me and Daddy the happiest people on the entire planet.

Over the past year, it has been amazing to see you grow and change and learn so many new things. I love your curiosity. I love seeing your little personality develop (although some days the battle of the wills that we have already makes me awfully scared for your teenage years.). And I love seeing you interact with others.

Sure, the year had a lot of challenges, with Daddy and I being first time parents. We had a lot to learn! Luckily, you were pretty patient with us, most of the time, and we were all able to figure it out together. But all those challenging times are just absolutely erased by one of your adorable toothy grins, or one simple sweet snuggle.

This year and every year, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I hope you know how incredibly loved you are. I hope you know that Daddy and I are your biggest fans ever, and that we think that everything you do is just absolutely amazing. I hope you understand that you are an incredibly special little girl, and that I just could not feel more blessed that I get to be your Mommy.

I love you, Ellie-bean. Happy birthday!
Mommy