It's a Baltimore Life

Bathroom Beginnings

2012-02-16T07:27:00.000-05:00

So I know I havent given yall a proper introduction to my bathroom, but it's gonna have to wait. This weekend I got busy with the bathroom while the hubs was on Adelynn duty. Remember a few weeks ago when I shared the potential paint colors? Well we chose #7 which is Martha Stewart's Heavy Goose. I really love the color. It is the perfect shade and has just a slight hint of blue. It's not too light and not too dark. However, I didnt realize until we got to the paint counter at Depot that Martha's paint line has been discontinued so we color matched to Glidden. I picked a semi-gloss finish. I also used some white paint I already had on hand as my base coat. Why base coat you ask??? This is why...

Yes I am doing stripes!! Exciting...I KNOW!!! Wanna see more?? Well it is still a mess and the guest bedroom looks like this...

Sorry for the tease but Gam-maw is coming to visit this weekend and that's where she sleeps. So I gotta get to cleaning up that room and putting my bathroom back together! I"ll be back with a before tour of the bathroom and hopefully some after pictures of those stripes :)

Adelynn - 34 weeks

2012-02-14T07:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day! Over the weekend, the little girl and I made daddy some devil's food cupcakes for Valentines Day. He loved them! Adelynn has another cold but this time it is a little bit worse than a few weeks ago. I stayed home with her Monday because Sunday we were pretty sure she had pink eye. She also has a nasty congested wet sounding cough so I wanted to call the doctor just to make sure I didnt need to bring her in. The doc said something is going around and to keep an eye on it. We are treating her pink eye with some drops and she should be better in no time! Eventhough it was a "sick day" we had a good time being home together :) We played, ate and took some naps. She seems pretty happy and content despite her little cold! So here is 34 weeks and Adelynn sends lot of hugs and kisses XOXOXO

Our Birth Story Part 2

2012-02-13T10:55:00.001-05:00

Click here for Part 1 in case you are just tuning in :)

Only 4cm?? Is this some kinda joke? At this point it was 1am and I had been in labor for almost 24 hours. Sure the first part wasn’t too bad but the past couple hours were pretty intense. Ha, I would later learn what pretty intense really felt like. My doula tried to talk me into going back home but I just couldn’t do the car ride again. So they went ahead and admitted me and took me into a nice, big suite in the labor and delivery wing of the hospital. It was quiet, the lights were dim and I had plenty of space to wonder. They brought me a labor ball (aka an abs ball) which was too deflated to be of much use but still helped a bit. Over the next couple of hours I labored on the ball, in the bed, on the toilet, in the bathroom. Stretching, lunging, squatting and moaning with each contraction. Hospital policy required me to be monitored for 20 minutes every hour but I was allowed to be in or around the bed. Just as long as they could monitor the baby’s heart rate. I started out wearing two gowns. One in the front and one in the back but after a while I got hot. Labor was becoming quite the workout. Dr. Weinreb showed up around 4am. It was quite the scene when he walked into the room. Since I was getting hot I was down to one gown which at the point he walked in the room was hanging around my neck as I was squatting through a contraction. He walked in the room and the first thing he saw was my butt. He said “Well Good Morning!” We all laughed at that point. He did an internal exam and told us I was 5cm dilated and almost 100% effaced.

Over the next couple of hours things progressed slowly. The doctor would come check me every hour or so and by 11, I was 8cm and 100% effaced. Baby’s heartbeat was fine and she was in the Left Occiput anterior position. LOA is the optimum position for a baby to be in, helping the baby be in the smallest diameter to fit through the pelvis. Unbeknownst to me my water had also broken. It was just leaking out not the “gush” you hear about and not to get to graphic here but there is so much going on down there during labor you really don’t notice a little bit of fluid now and again. There was another mom-to-be in the room next door also going natural. Less than 3% of births in the country are natural so I was shocked that my neighbor was doing the same thing! Yay, but we were in a race to have our babies. The doctor kept bouncing from room to room checking our progress. A little before noon I heard that precious yet frustrating sound of a newborn baby crying. The contractions were so painful and I was so tired and exhausted. I was falling asleep between each contraction. Little did I know the disappointment wouldn’t end there.

A little before 1pm the doctor came back in to check me. Not only was I still at 8cm but the baby had rotated and she was now transverse and facing my right hip. I was devastated. In this position you cannot deliver a baby vaginally because the largest diameter of the head is presented to the pelvis and it will not fit. This is an automatic c-section. Not only was I not progressing, but now the baby wasn’t cooperating either. Thank god I had a fabulous doctor who never even mentioned the word “cesarian” but this is when he started talking about the contractions not being strong enough, blah blah blah, pitocin, blah blah blah, internal monitor, blah blah blah. He wanted to insert an internal catheter that would be positioned inside my uterus to directly monitor the contractions. He also told me that once they inserted the catheter the baby would have to be monitored constantly which meant I would be confined to in and around the bed. If the contractions were indeed not strong enough we would talk about pitocin. At this point I just didn’t think I could handle any more pain so I asked him about pain management options. He told me at this point my ONLY option was an epidural. I felt defeated. I asked him to leave the room so we could discuss our options. As soon as he left the room I started to breakdown.

I was holding Jeremy and sobbing telling him that I was so tired, I couldn’t do it anymore and I think I want an epidural. He just held me and told me it was going to be ok. He kept telling me how strong I was and how good I was doing. Jessica told him it’s totally normal for me to be feeling this way at this point in labor. I was in the thick of active labor, close to transitioning and starting to doubt myself. This is when Jessica recommended walking the halls. She said to me “lets try to get this baby moving.” No one ever told me “you don’t need an epidural” which I think really helped. I think if they had said “no, you don’t need that” the rebellious side of me would have insisted. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Jessica and my husband. Throughout the entire process they both knew what to say and do but it was at this critical time that they really shined. We told the doc I wanted to walk first and see what happened. He really was supportive of our decision and told me that as long as the baby’s heartbeat was ok we could do this as long as I needed. So I spend the next 30 minutes slowly walking the halls. Every 2-3 minutes I would stop to work through a contraction. I also got on the floor and did some stretches. I did hands and knees and the child's pose. The nurses and doctors were really good and left me alone to do my thing. I returned to my room and had the doctor check me again. I was still 8cm but the baby had rotated back to LOA. Yes! That little bit of information was enough to keep me going and helped me get my second wind. I knew I had helped move her back and knew I could do this.

The next couple of hours went by really fast. They got me all set up with the catheter. It was so tiny I couldn’t even feel it. The catheter helped confirm that my contractions were indeed not strong enough to keep progressing my labor. The doctor recommended we start Pitocin and this time I quickly agreed. I thought to myself, “Let’s get this show on the road!” I knew it was going to be painful but I also knew it would hopefully be over soon. I started the pitocin drip around 2pm. Oh My GOSH…I didn’t know what contractions were until that stuff started flowing through my veins. I had fooled myself into thinking it couldn’t get any worse but boy was I wrong. Now I know why most women get an epidural if they have to be induced. Each contraction was almost twice as intense (I know this for a fact because I could see them on the monitor thanks to that catheter). They were also closer together and longer. Every 15-20 minutes the nurse would come in and increase the dosage. The only thing that got me through those next couple hours was being able to see when each contraction was coming and when I was peaking so I knew it would be ending soon. It was brutal. Those hours were a blur and before I knew it I was dilated to 9.5cm. The doctor manually dilated me to 10cm. Yes you are reading that correctly. Betcha never heard that one before…yeah me either.

By 5pm I was ready to push. The labor and delivery nurse started to get everything ready for me to start pushing. She lowered the end of the bed and attached the squatting bar I had requested. The doctor checked me again and broke my second bag of waters. Evidently you can have more than one bag of water. I had learned about it in childbirth class. Looking back I think I started pushing a little bit too early but I knew I was fully dilated and getting impatient. I also quickly learned that being able to push through each contraction made them so much more bearable. I was still having intense back labor so as I pushed with each contraction Jeremy or Jessica would apply counter pressure on my lower back to help. It felt like someone was sticking a knife in my lower back each time I got a contraction. I know that sounds like a cliche but that is really what it felt like. A sharp, piercing pain shot through my back with each and every single contraction. For days after the birth my back was bruised and sore from the counter pressure but that was the only thing that got me through each contraction. That first hour of pushing felt like it lasted forever. With every push I kept asking, “Can you see anything? Is anything happening?” I started out pushing on my back, then got into a squatting position on the bed, then flipped over and got on my hands and knees. Then when I got tired of that I flipped back over and used the squatting bar as leverage to push against. Jeremy held one end of a towel and I pulled on the other end. Then I got out of the bed and did a standing squat through a couple contractions. Unfortunately my heart rate got way too high in that position so they made me get back in the bed. The doctor would pop in and out every 15 minutes or so and check my progress. After about 2 hours of pushing he decided that something was blocking her from coming out so they decided to see how full my bladder was. As part of my birth plan I had requested to have at minimum clear liquids during labor and luckily the doctor was good with that. Plus with the pitocin they were giving me fluids so I was peeing a lot. The nurse asked me when the last time I had emptied my bladder. I honestly had no idea so they decided to empty it for me. During a contraction they inserted a catheter and emptied my bladder. I think they emptied something like 500cc’s of urine. By the way, remember when I said once you can start pushing it makes the contractions so much more bearable? Well I wasn’t allowed to push through that contraction while they emptied my bladder and that was no fun, at all. But once that was over her head started moving down.

The next half an hour flew by. The labor and delivery nurses worked 7 to 7 shifts. The nurse who had been there with me all night was back so she came in and the nurse who had been there all day knew I was so close that she decided to stay to see my baby being born. The doctor was staying put at this point and checking me constantly. He was working on stretching and helping to thin my perineum. He was really annoying me and making me more uncomfortable. So I yelled “get your hand out of there”. I didn’t know it at the time, but he had torn my perineum while he was stretching it. I don’t know if it was intentional or not since I had specifically told him I did not want an episiotomy. Episiotomies can cause you to tear even more, no bueno! My doula later told me that sometimes doctors will do that on purpose. If they think you might tear they just help it along. So I had a second degree tear not from her head coming out, but from the doctor. When I had yelled at him to get out of there he was evidently cleaning off the blood from the tear. However, I didn’t feel a thing, it was just making me uncomfortable. I had so much adrenaline flowing through my veins. With every push they kept yelling that the head was coming. The nurse asked me if I wanted a mirror so I could see the head. I responded with “NO! I just want to get her out and then I can see her head.” The baby nurse had arrived and was also there cheering me on. Jessica was at the foot of the bed next to the doctor taking pictures. Jeremy was up next to me holding my right leg and the night time LandD nurse was holding my left leg. I still had that internal monitor but I could feel when a contraction was coming so I would get ready. With each contraction I would push to the count of 10 three times. Then I would rest in between and catch my breath. I would get about 60 to 90 seconds before preparing to push again. Another contraction would come and I would take a deep breath, bear down and push with all my might.

After a couple good, strong pushes the doctor said to me “ok her heartrate is starting to drop so if you don’t push her out here within the next couple of contractions I am going to use the vacuum to pull her out. In my head I thought, “like hell you are.” I was born via forceps and received a black eye from it but luckily sustained no permanent damage. I know lots of babies are born this way but I had heard some cases where things went bad and I wanted to avoid any interventions at all cost. I didn’t say a word but exchanged knowing glances with my doula and looked at Jeremy. The next contraction was coming so I got ready. I held my breath and pushed hard. “Keep pushing, her head is coming out” they yelled to me. After the count of 10 I gulped a new breath and bared down again. “Keep going” they all yelled to cheer me on. Big breath again and P-U-S-H. “Her head is almost out” they yelled. This is when I dug deep within myself for the strength, took another big breath and pushed with all my might. That’s when her head came out. I took one more big breath and bared down one last time and pushed that little body out. That was the best feeling in the world. After the head came out, pushing out the body feels like nothing. Ahhh, sweet relief.

“IT’S A GIRL!” I had been waiting for almost 39 weeks to hear those words. They immediately put her on my chest. I had pushed so hard that last contraction I had double vision for a few minutes after she was born. I could feel her but not see her that well. She was really blue but started crying within a few seconds and pinked right up. I looked up at Jeremy and he had tears in his eyes. She had a little cone head, was covered in blood and mucus but she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her cries were strong and she was big and healthy.

Once the doctor determined that she was ok he left the cord intact so she could get all that good blood. Then he went to work sewing me up. I was so happy and pumped up from all the adrenaline I didn’t feel a thing. Once the cord had stopped pulsing and was completely white, Jeremy got to cut it. Then I delivered the placenta. Thanks to the pitocin it came out quickly and in one piece. After that Adelynn nursed for the first time. It wasn’t very long and neither one of us knew what to do but Jessica helped get her latched. Those first few moments were incredible. She was wide awake and staring up at me with those big blue eyes.

Reluctantly after about 20 minutes I handed her over to the baby nurse to get weighed and measured. She was 8 pound, 9 inches and 21 inches long. The only thing we allowed them to give her during those first few moments of life was the Vitamin K shot. We had discussed everything with our OBGYN and pediatrician and had decided everything else could wait. After that Jeremy held her for a bit and helped the labor and delivery nurse give Adelynn her first bath. I got up and very slowly walked to the bathroom. They wouldn’t let me leave labor and delivery until I completed those two tasks. While they finished paperwork I quickly woofed down two deli turkey sandwiches. I remember asking Jeremy, “Am I just really hungry or is this the best sandwich you have ever had?” His response, “Ummm it is turkey and bread, I think you are just really hungry.” Me, “It’s delicious!” I later requested another one of those sandwiches again around 2 am!

We finally moved to a nice big suite in the postpartum wing just down the hall around 11pm. I cant even begin to describe how those first few moments as a family of three felt. They were amazing. Despite being in labor for almost 40 hours I had this surge of energy that is indescribable. Jeremy was exhausted and fell asleep before the nurse could even come give us the run down. But I was wide awake. I hadn’t slept in almost two days but I couldn’t stop holding and staring at my little baby girl. Our lives had forever changed and I couldn’t have been happier.

Adelynn - 33 weeks

2012-02-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

According to the hubs this is the thirty-third straight week as the #1 ranked cutest baby in America. He is a bit of a sports fanatic with the rankings but I tend to agree with him :) New this week...she said "Da-da!" We thought we heard her say it this weekend but weren't sure. When I picked her up Monday they told me she had been saying it all day. Love it! She thinks it is hilarious when you quack like a duck and is infatuated with Mocha. She gets super excited when she sees her, stretches out her hands towards her and will sometimes squeal. She also shares her puffs and cheerios with Mocha and Dandy every night during dinner. Dandy is too little so she is forced to be the scavenger. Mocha is more the hunter type. Since she is taller, she is the perfect height for licking puffs directly from her hand, bib, etc. Adelynn thinks it is wonderful, I'm not so amused ;) So welcome to 33 weeks!

Our Birth Story

2012-02-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

Just a word of caution before reading on. Adelynn's birth was the most amazing day of our lives. I wanted to remember every single detail possible so this birth story is long, very long. I added some pictures to help break it up a bit and it is divided up into two post. Also like I said I wanted to remember everything so there are lots of details...some may be a little too much information. But hey...that's our birth story!

It is pretty common for first time moms to be late, sometimes up to two weeks past their due date. In fact, I found out that less than 5% of babies are born on their actual due date. My due date was June 20th and I was secretly hoping that I would break the first time mom norm for a multitude of reasons. First, I really wanted to have a natural, intervention free birth. My doctors wouldn’t let me go much past 40 weeks before they would start talking about induction. Therefore, I was really hoping my baby would arrive on time or shortly thereafter. Second, I was really uncomfortable. Like ALL the time. Summer was starting to arrive and it was getting hot. There was no air conditioning at work and by the end of the day my ankles and feet were so swollen I headed straight home to elevate them. I had some compression stockings but those last few weeks I was so swollen all I could wear were flip flops. The baby had also dropped and I had this constant, sharp pain on my left pubic bone every time I stood up. I would pull up on my huge belly every time I stood to help relieve the pressure. I was seeing the chiropractor 2-3 times per week to help with the discomfort. I was hardly getting any sleep at night. My poor little bladder was like a pancake so once I got comfortable at night I was only sleeping about an hour before I was up again. Those last couple weeks I think I was up every hour, sometimes more. I had gained 50 pounds, was huge, and totally done being pregnant.

Thursday June 16^th Jeremy and I nervously headed to my weekly doctor’s appointment. I say nervously because I was 38 weeks and this week was my first internal exam. I was also meeting the fourth doctor in my practice for the first time. We talked with Dr. Weinreb for a long time and discussed our birth plan. He did the internal exam and said I was about 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. He wanted to strip my membranes but the internal was painful enough I said “No, thank you.” He said ok if you are back next week we can discuss doing it then but I don’t think you will last that long. I took what he said with a grain of salt. I was barely dilated. No contractions yet, although the Braxton hicks had picked up over those last couple of weeks. I hadn’t started to loose my mucus plug yet. No signs of impending labor at all. So I kissed Jeremy goodbye and headed to work.

I had also been working my Friday’s off for months to help stockpile some comp time. That afternoon after my doc appointment I talked with my boss and decided to take my day off and relax. Get some things done around the house and generally just enjoy the air conditioning. Little did I know it was the calm before the storm.

That next morning (Friday June 17^th) around 4am, I woke with sharp stomach pains. They felt like what I thought contractions would be but I wasn’t sure since it felt similar to a bad stomach ache. Of course I had envisioned waking up in a puddle of fluid or getting up to go to the bathroom and having my water breaking. As far as I knew, my water was still intact and I hadn’t lost my mucus plug either. So I wasn’t sure but after timing a few of them I quickly realized they were consistent and this had to be early labor. I got up to go to the bathroom and when I came back to bed Jeremy rolled over and sleepily said “hello.” I responded with “Hi there, umm I think I am in labor.” He sat straight up in bed and said “Are you going to have a baby today?” I laughed and said “I have no idea.”

We tried to go back to sleep for a bit but eventually got up around 6am. The combination of excitement, anxiety and growing discomfort got me out of bed. Jeremy decided to go into work for about an hour to get his stuff together and tie up some loose ends. He left around 7ish and I tried to go back to sleep. I had heard plenty of stories about first time moms being in labor for a long time and how important it was to get rest while you can. The contractions were about 12-15 minutes apart and making me uncomfortable enough that sleep was hard. I wasn’t in pain but still too excited/uncomfortable to sleep. Typical to my Type A style, I also kept thinking of everything I wanted to get done before the baby arrived.

Around 8am I decided to get up and get dressed. I had a few plants I needed to plant and some prints I had ordered that I needed to frame. I headed out back and started planting. I kept consistently contracting but just breathed through each contraction and kept myself busy. By the time I went back inside Jeremy was in a total panic because he had been calling me and I hadn’t answered the phone. I called him back and told him everything was fine. He arrived home around 11. For the next couple hours we just hung out, ate some lunch. I painted my nails, framed my pictures. I stood and walked a lot because that seemed to make the contractions more tolerable. Around 2pm I called our doula, Jessica to let her know what was going on. I told her I was thinking about going to the Chiropractor to get things moving along and she thought that was a great idea. So we grabbed some towels and a bucket just in case my water broke or I got sick in the car. It was Friday and getting close to rush hour so it took almost an hour to get up to my chiropractor. Once there she adjusted me and showed Jeremy some massages and stretches he could do to help relieve some of the pain. By now, I was starting to have some back labor. She showed him how to apply counter pressure with each contraction to ease the pain in my lower back. We left the Chiropractor and grabbed some frozen yogurt before heading home.

By 7pm the contractions were 5-7 minutes apart. I was finding it harder to talk during the contractions and becoming quieter in between them. Jeremy called Jessica to update her on the status. During the contractions I stood, squatted and rocked back and forth to help with the pain. Around 8pm Jeremy filled up the bath tub with hot water and convinced me to get in. It felt wonderful and so relaxing. It also slowed my contractions way down. I noticed though when I did have a contraction they were getting much more intense but further apart. I got in and out of the tub a couple of times over the span of about an hour. Contractions were still about 5 minutes apart but were becoming more intense. Jessica got to our house a little after 9pm and immediately asked when my last meal was. I hadn’t eaten since lunch time. She said to me, “You need to eat to help keep your energy up during labor. We have no idea how long this could last.” So I ate some pizza and leftover chicken. I tried to stick with things that wouldn’t be too bad if they came back up since some women get sick during labor but I was hungry. There is never a bad time for pizza in my opinion and it was delicious. Jessica asked me some more questions and we listened to the baby’s heartbeat. Nice and strong. She wasn’t stressed at all and neither was I. I remember feeling so relaxed and at ease. Everything was going great, slower than I would have liked but so far so good.

Earlier in the week, I had contacted our wedding photographer to take our maternity photos. We were supposed to be driving up to PA the next day for my maternity photo shoot, but clearly our baby was not waiting for that. I was a little bummed I wasn’t going to get professional pictures but so excited I WAS HAVING A BABY! Next pregnancy I will not wait until the last minute. Jessica took some maternity pictures and some belly shots for us. I was freaking huge!

Around midnight Jessica suggested that I get in the bathtub again. I was worried about my contractions slowing down again. I had been obsessively timing them all day. She convinced me otherwise though and said it was ok and that is was my body’s way of letting me relax. So back in the tub I went. Once again the contractions slowed down but they were starting to get really intense. We all three thought I had to be at least 7 or 8 cm. I had been in labor for 20 hours and was starting to get a little tired. So Jeremy called the doctor on call. Throughout my pregnancy I had seen all four doctors in my practice because you never know who might be on call. Eventhough we were very adamant on having a natural, medication-free and intervention free birth if possible, we had also decided to have a hospital birth. I say “If possible” because I had to come to terms with the fact that I had no control over what happens during birth. If a c-section was the safest way for my baby to enter this world then so be it. Reluctantly I had even added a “If I need a c-seciton” paragraph to my birth plan. That same birth plan we had discussed in length with Dr Weinreb at our appointment yesterday. Well lucky us because he was the doctor on call that weekend. We packed up and got in the car. Jessica followed us and Jeremy drove my car while I sat in the back. Let me just say, the car ride to the hospital sucked. It was the longest, bumpiest 10 minutes of my life. I had three contractions in that short time we were in the car and two of them were back to back. The back labor was getting worse. I just hugged the pillows and rocked back and forth. I was so happy when we pulled in to the parking lot. The place was dead so we parked right up front and marched on in. We went up to the front desk and proudly announced that we were in labor. They got our info, gave us our hospital bracelets, had me sign some forms between contractions then took me back to triage. They wouldn’t let Jeremy or Jessica go with me. I had to be back there alone. They took me into a little room and asked me for a urine sample. Of course while I was trying to pee in that little cup I started having a contraction. That was not fun.

Then the nurse took all my vitals, asked me a bunch of questions and then Jeremy and Jessica were allowed to come back. The OB on call came in to do an internal to see how dilated I was. Like I said, we were sure I was at least 7 or 8 and this baby was coming in no time. You can imagine my shock when she stood up, started to take off her gloves and said “Ok we can admit you, you are 4 cm.” WHAT?!?! 4cm? Are you serious?

Adelynn - 32 weeks

2012-02-03T07:43:00.000-05:00

Yowza this girl can talk. She has been gibbering it up lately. She has very serious conversations with me, daddy, dandy and mocha, her friends on her carseat, her friends in her crib and just about anything else that grabs her attention. We keep trying to video it but she is super shy when we turn that thing on. She is fine with the camera so I cant say she is camera shy. Video shy? Dont worry we will keep trying...to precious to miss!! She is finally sleeping again. Halleluiah! I am sure as soon as I hit the publish button on this post she will wake up screaming but she has actually been sleeping through the night (most nights) for over a week now. It is so nice to get some sleep again. You know me and sleep...my drug of choice :) Ok honestly I cant imagine where she gets the nonstop talking from...welcome to 32 weeks!

Deep Breath

2012-02-01T21:43:00.001-05:00

Phew its been a crazy week and its only Wednesday! The hubs was up all night Monday night with a nasty stomach bug. Spent the entire day Tuesday in bed and half of Wednesday. He went into work for a bit this afternoon but he has been pretty spent. Usually he does drop off from daycare and I do pick up but I've been doing both the past two days. Not to mention Adelynn has been super clingy. The second I put her down she starts screaming and will not stop until I pick her up. That being said I havent had much time to do anything. I did get her weekly pictures done this weekend but havent had time to upload and edit them. In the meantime I wanted to post these pictures I took this weekend with my new lens. I LOVE it!

Dont bother me mom! I'm very busy!

Ahh that little girl makes my heart melt ♥

Adelynn - 31 weeks

2012-01-26T07:31:00.000-05:00

I havent said this in a while so I think its about due...my baby is growing up way too fast! I cannot believe she is already 31 weeks. She started sleeping through the night again randomly. I say randomly because she will sleep one night then the next be up 2 or 3 times. Oh well at least we are headed in the right direction! She is now eating solids three times a day and loving it. She doesnt like peas, carrots, green beans and over ripe avocado :) As long as it isnt super ripe she will gobble up the Avocado. Pears are her favorite. When you feed her something she doesnt like she sticks her tongue out and holds the food in her mouth. She wont swallow or close her mouth but just waits for whatever you just fed her to drip off her tongue. It is pretty comical! She will also grunt at me to hurry up if I take to long between bites while feeding her. She is becoming more and more animated everyday. She gets so excited in the evenings when daddy gets home and she sees him for the first time. However when it gets close to bedtime she is mommy's girl all the way. She still loves peek-a-boo and is starting to show interest in where mommy goes during the peek-a-boo. She is very curious and loves to investigate everything. Something will catch her eye and she will concentrate real hard on trying to grab it or pick it up. I have a mole in the middle of my chest and she tries to grab it all the time! It is such a joy watching her personality develop and grow each and every day. Welcome to 31 weeks!

Bathroom Paint

2012-01-23T13:39:00.000-05:00

In my welcome to 2012 post I said one of the things I was looking forward to this year was giving our only full bath a little face lift. She did get a bigger, new and improved shower ring before Adelynn arrived. I thought I had posted that but looking at the dates on the pictures we did it the weekend before her birth so I guess the post didnt make it on here! Ooops I'll have to share that. We also had the clawfoot tub re-glazed a few years back and installed a semi-custom vanity. I wasnt real good at documenting things before the blog but I am going to dig back through my pictures and see what I can find. Other than those three things this room has remained the most "untouched" in our house. Which is kinda funny considering how much we use it. It is the ONLY room that has not been painted. Everything is white except for the floors. They are pink tile with pink grout. Yup. The hubs hates them. They arent an in-your-face-I'm-a-princess-pink or anything but nonetheless they are pink. I keep telling him that once I work my magic and get some color on the wall (and in the room) you wont even notice those floors. He isnt buying what I'm selling :) But he is willing to give me a chance. Oh boy do I have big visions for this room. I have a plan all in my head so we shall see if it comes to fruition like I am hoping. So we have to start somewhere and for me that's paint. Here are the colors we are considering. Sorry for the horrible picture...lighting stinks in there but I'm gonna fix that too :)

Usually I am much more rash with my paint color decisions but since these days I seem to have nothing but time I decided to put the colors up and let them marinate.

However, right out the gate we decided that 4 is too blue, 5 is too tan, 6 is too dark, 8 is too purple and 10 is too dark. We have it narrowed down to 1, 2, 3, 7 and 9. Now out of those five I think I have picked my favorite. Dont get too excited though because it could take me months to buy the paint and get it on the walls :) But I DO have a plan!

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Adelynn - 30 weeks

2012-01-17T19:25:00.000-05:00

Well its official...Adelynn and mommy are no longer in their 20s :) Saturday was 30 weeks for my baby girl. We had a nice long weekend (Friday was my day off and Monday was a Holiday) so we got to spend lots of quality time as a family! We even had a visit from Gramma and Grandpa. Still not a lot of progress on the sleep front but I think the hubs and I are starting to get used to it. We did have one glorious night where she slept through but it was a one time wonder unfortunately. We also are experiencing our first cold. She started getting stuffy a few days ago with a runny nose and a mild fever. I bought a humidifier for her room and we used it last night. It definitely seemed to help. New for 30 weeks, she rolled over! We practiced over the weekend and last night she rolled from back to front. Evidently at daycare today she was showing off her new skill. She still doesnt love being on her tummy though and hasnt figured out how to roll back so you have to flip her over before she gets too upset. I put her in her crib on her back and went to the bathroom to rinse out her diaper. When I came back she was on her tummy! So without further adieu welcome to 30 weeks!

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Happy New Year

2012-01-12T08:12:00.000-05:00

Well I cannot believe another year has come and gone. That went by fast!

2011 was certainly an exciting year for us as we welcomed our baby girl, Adelynn into this world. On June 18th our lives forever changed. It has been a whirlwind adventure with some ups and downs but I wouldnt change it for anything. One of the biggest changes for me is that I just dont have much free time (if any). Some weeks I barely have enough time to post her weekly photos let alone get anything else done that doesnt involve feeding a baby, bathing a baby, changing a baby, entertaining a baby, washing diapers, washing laundry, washing bottles, ~~cleaning the house~~ yeah who are we kidding...that doesnt get done anymore :)

So I thought about giving up the blog. But I love this blog. I am sure there are days when I dont get a single visitor but it's ok. I put so much effort into everything I do and I just love sharing my projects and my life with people. I love it when a friend says to me "I saw on your blog the other day..." or leaves me a comment or sends an email. And everytime I get a new follower I get SUPER excited. I'm just a big nerd like that. I have such a stuffy governement job that really doesnt leave any room for creativity so this is my passion. This blog keeps me motivated and inspired. Plus it is a great way for our family to stay in touch since everyone but us is in the dirty south. Not really, just Richmond, but the dirty south sounds way cooler :) So that being said I took my blog one step further in this new year and purchased (yes my now free hobby is costing me a small fee) additional storage for more posts, more pictures and more videos. I maxed out my free google storage and couldnt even update my profile picture on the main page. Wuh-wuh. It was sad. I just couldnt have that, so I upgraded and now have tons of space. Yippy. So if you do happen to stop by on a regularly basis say hello or better yet follow me! It's the little things like followers, comments and emails that keep me going :)

So back to the blog...Our biggest changes to our humble abode in 2011 were the basement and the nursery. We were busy! We ripped up all that yucky carpet and put in pretty, pergo flooring. You can read all about those changes here, here, here and here. We also turned what was once a walk-in closet back into a bedroom or actually a nursery for Adelynn. I just realized as I am writing this post that I never did a final nursery reveal (I'll have to get right on that!) but I installed molding, made her a changing table, made a mobile, made a mirror, gushed about our awesome rocking chair, made some curtains and a few other projects here, here and here. I also shared updates of my growing belly (click on "Baby" in the "find more here..." section) and once Adelynn arrived started doing her weekly pictures (click on "Weekly Photos" in the "find more here..." section). There were also lots of little projects along the way to keep us busy! Eventhough Miss Adelynn Elise has definitely slowed us down she hasnt stopped us! I told the hubs just last week "I can't wait to get started on some new projects!" Adelynn feels the same way...see her below with her hammer compliments of Tim, Nikki and Emerson!

And first up is the full bath upstairs. Oh I got lots of ideas for that one...want to see my ideas? You can follow my "Bathroom Inpiration" board on Pinterest. But dont worry when things start rolling I"ll be posting here! The hubs is eager to re-do the basement stairs. That is the only remaining carpet in this entire house. What was once a house full of carpet except for the kitchen, dining room and bathrooms is now just a small bit left on the basement stairs. Why you ask? Because those stairs beneath are a trainwreck. I mean they are one hot mess, fo sho! Uneven, crooked, ugly, busted boards. They arent even bull-nosed treads. They are going to be A LOT OF WORK. I didnt think it was worth the effort but the hubs really wants to do it. Knock yourself out hunny :) Oh yeah and the other thing I want to try to do this year is start to document the things we already did before I started blogging. We have been in this house since 2005 and I just started blogging less than 2 years ago. I got years (literally years) of stuff to share :)

So 2012 BRING IT ON!

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Adelynn - 29 weeks

2012-01-11T07:53:00.001-05:00

Oh my sweet little baby girl...will you ever sleep through the night again? Just in case you were wondering the not sleeping through the night trend is evidently still in style. Boo! We had a shot only appointment Friday (bad reaction to her first set of shots so we space them out now) but when I told the doc about her not sleeping through the night he went ahead and checked her out. She is perfectly healthy...just likes to party like a rockstar between the hours of 11pm and 5am. People keep telling me that maybe she is hungry and eating solids will help. Oh I wish that were the case. She has been getting solids consistently twice a day now for almost a week and no changes...if anything the not sleeping is getting worse. However the eating part is going really well. So far she has had sweet potatoes, bananas, puffs, squash, prunes and mum mums. She really likes the puffs and can pick them up and feed herself. I'll put a few on the table and it keeps her occupied while I get everything else ready. New with 29 weeks are her pelvic thrusts. When she gets mad she arches her back and rocks her pelvis back and forth while screaming. It is quite entertaining. She has quite the little temper...this girl is gonna give us a run for our money! Welcome to 29 weeks!

Oh and remember a few weeks ago when I said she gets mad when I take the rattle away?? Dr. Jekyll above and Mr. Hyde below :)

Bahhhhahah how ya like that? At least we know her lungs are healthy :)

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A Christmas Graduation

2012-01-09T07:59:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Janey!!! Just a few weeks before Christmas my baby sister, aka Puddy graduated from college. She got a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She really wants to be a doctor so her plans are to apply to med school this spring. She is a very smart cookie that one :) So we decided to have a little graduation party for her while the hubs, Adelynn and I were in town for the holidays. Friends and family came to celebrate and we had a great time. Here is the graduate with her main squeeze, John.

John's family came to celebrate too!

Puddy has a great group of girlfriends that she has known for years. Some since elementary school. I have some hilarious memories of those girls and I always love seeing them!! They are pretty much part of our family. Macee was one of the photographers for Nina's wedding and Rachel did our hair! Love you girls ♥

Melissa, Puddy and Macee

Puddy and Rachel

Some of Puddy's VCU friends also came to celebrate. They were super nice as well and I loved meeting them. ALL of Puddy friends are so pretty :)

How would it be a party without the little girl and Uncle Marty??

The sistas :)

Congrats Puddy...I am so proud of you!!

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Adelynn - 28 weeks

2012-01-05T08:37:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! First of all we want to wish everyone a year full of peace, love and happiness! Hence the peace blanket Adelynn's gramma made her in the photos below! We rang in the New Year here at home with the little girl. I think we were in bed asleep by 10:30 but have no fear we were probably up again around midnight. Adelynn hasnt slept through the night since Christmas Eve. Ugh! It is funny how sleep works. When you first bring that little bundle of joy home from the hospital there is no sleep. You walk around in a haze not really sure what is going on but somehow your body adjusts and you function on little to no sleep. But sleep is like a drug because the minute you get some, you want more. The more you get, the more you want. Then amazingly one day when you never thought it would happen again, they decide to sleep through the night and you get your first full night of sleep. It is the best ~~high~~ sleep you ever got. It feels awesome! Then for some unknown reason, they stop sleeping through the night. And. It. Sucks. A. Lot. So that's where we are. She is waking up multiple times a night. Usually she can be rocked back to sleep within 10-15 minutes but then she is up an hour later. The hubs and I take turns so it isnt too brutal but man...if I dont see some teeth soon I am gonna go crazy. The drool has been out of control so I am convinced that is the culprit of the nocturnal fits. On a happier note, she can now sit unassisted for quite a while before she topples over. We ordered her high chair a few weeks ago (I'll have to do a separate post on that one!) and she loves sitting in it. We surround her with her toys and she plays and plays. She loves toys that light up and play music. She is also into different textures and likes to feel things. She is constantly grabbing whatever she can reach. So without further adieu welcome to 28 weeks!

Ho, Ho, Ho

2011-12-29T18:17:00.002-05:00

On Christmas Eve we braved the crowds and headed to the mall to see Santa. I was worried since we went close to naptime but she did really good. We even had to wait in line for about 20 minutes but she was all smiles when we got up there. Well she was until she saw who was holding her anyway :)

Look at me...I'm so cute!

Well hello there...

Yikes...get me outta here!

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Adelynn - 27 weeks

2011-12-28T20:50:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve marked 27 weeks for the little girl. New this week she is starting to babble a lot. Like all the time. If she isnt crying, sleeping or eating she is constantly babbling. We are pretty sure we have heard ma-ma, ba-ba and maybe even da-da a few times. She has also gotten super clingy to mommy. Forget grandparents, other family or strangers...she wont even go to daddy sometimes. One day she screamed hysterically if anyone held her except for me...exhausting! I've heard they get clingy to mommy but I thought I had a couple more months before that started. She is also starting to sit on her own really well. She can't pull herself up yet but if you sit her up she can stay sitting unassisted for a bit before she starts to topple! Photo shoots are still a challenge but this one was especially entertaining...welcome to 27 weeks!

Hey mom...I'm getting restless...

Maybe I'll sit up for a bit...

Hello there...are we done yet?

Yup we're done :)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T15:01:00.008-05:00

Just a few days late! Spoiler alert for those of you who havent received our Christmas card yet...proceed no further! Evidently when you choose overnight shipping from Snapfish what they really mean is 4 days. I am so late sharing these photos because I used them for our Christmas cards which did not arrive until last Thursday and therefore were not mailed until Christmas Eve! I did get them out before Christmas but just barely. Few! Now onto the more important matter at hand...our Christmas pictures. I have no idea why but I have been looking forward to family Christmas pictures way before Adelynn even existed. Christmas is without a doubt my most favorite holiday so I really wanted some professional pictures for our first family of 3 Christmas :) A friend recommended a local photographer, Ashely Reherman and boy let me tell you...she did not disappoint! Ashley is a natural light photographer who captures candid shots and the best part was she came to us. Check out her website here and her blog here. We got to take our Christmas photos in front of our tree! The hubs and I were really worried because the night before Adelynn was up every hour (not a good night) but believe it or not she did really good. She was all smiles and giggles for Ashley and her fancy camera. I eagerly awaited for her to finish editing the photos and when she sent them to me I thought I was going to die. They were perfect and I really couldnt have asked for more! So get ready for a whole lotta cuteness!

The back of her outfit says "Adelynn's First Christmas"

This one is my favorite :)

Dont worry Dandy and Mocha got in on the action too!

She even got some pictures of my Christmas Decor :)

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year

♥ Anne, Jeremy, Adelynn, Dandy and Mocha

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Lady in Red

2011-12-22T09:21:00.002-05:00

This post has nothing to do with a lady or a red dress but it does involve red spray paint :) A few years ago we visited Maine and I found these awesome lanterns for the backyard. You can see them in the far corner of the patio in this picture from Em's baby shower.

Well after being left outside in the elements for a few years...

The pretty bronze hammered finished had turned into something like this...

Faded, cracked and covered in bird poop. Not very pretty at all! So two weeks before Adelynn was born (yeah just getting around to posting but you will see why in a few short seconds) my mom helped me clean them up and give them a facelift with a fresh coat of red spray paint. We used Valspar cherry red paint in a gloss finish.

She did multiple coats but kept each one thin and allowed it to dry in between.

I had grand plans for those lanterns on my patio this summer but then I had a baby. So when Christmas time rolled around I got so excited...the red was perfect. I put them on my front porch and loaded them up with plain white candles. I also used a silver lantern I got a few years back from Ikea to help balance everything.

Here is the entire scene all lit up at night...so pretty!

Oh and the following morning after I took these pictures the following converstation took place:

Hubs: "Ummm hunny did you know you left the candles burning on the porch all night?"

Me: "Huh, what are you talking about?"

Hubs: "Front Porch? Lanterns? Candles? You also left a lighter out there??"

Adelynn had fallen asleep on the way home from daycare. I've gotten pretty good at carrying her inside very quietly so she gets a little bit longer nap and I can get a few things done when I get home. While she kept sleeping in her carseat I slipped outside, lit the candles and took these pictures. Either she woke up midway through the photo shoot or mommy brain took over!! This is my life these days :) Luckily the candles hadnt burned down that much and barely any wax had dripped onto the bottom of the lanters! Yay for Ikea candles that burn slow!

Adelynn - 26 weeks

2011-12-21T07:59:00.000-05:00

Six months! Holy Cow!!! Wow everyone wasnt kidding when they said it would go by fast. I can still vividly remember the day two new parents fumbled with the carseat to bring our brand new baby girl home. At the time it felt so surreal that we were parents and responsible for this new life. Now I cant imagine life without her and it seems as though she has always been here. These past 6 months definitely have not been easy but oh-so wonderful and amazing. Happy half-birthday to my blue-eyed little girl...I love you so much more than words could ever describe.

Ok, ok enough with the gushy stuff and onto the fun stuff...Nikki...Stop crying ;) So we had our 6 month checkup with the doc this past Friday and Adelynn is 17lbs, 4oz and 27.5 inches long. We are still squeezing into some 6 months clothes but mostly 9 months and some 12 months now. Up until now she has been exclusively breastfed so we are also starting solids for real now. About a month ago we dabbled with some cereal and green beans but only a couple times. Last night we had some cereal and avocado. Tonight will probably be the same. She still isnt too sure about it but I can tell a difference between now and when we tried a month ago. New this week she is blowing raspberries! The hubs leaned in to give her a kiss one morning and got sprayed as she tried to blow him a raspberry. It is super cute. She is also starting to babble A LOT. I keep trying to capture on video but the minute we turn that thing on she gets camera shy. Her weekly photo shoota are also becoming quite the challenge. Even if I dont hand her the rattle she finds it and it ends up like this...

Then I take it away and we get this...

Which by the way is also new this week. When I take something away that she wants to stick in her mouth she gets pissed! But as soon as she found her feet she was happy again...

And so that is how our photo shoot goes...about 90% of our pictures each week are comprised of the these.

I take a couple hundred pictures to get ones like this...

and this...

Christmas Party Time!

2011-12-19T14:55:00.001-05:00

Every year the hubs and I throw a big Holiday bash at our house. I make tons of food, everyone brings drinks to share and we have a great time catching up with all our friends. Eventhough my plate is super full these days I still wanted to have the party this year. Since the hubs and I are both from Virginia we have lots of friends in VA and MD and our Christmas party is the one time each year we can all get together. It is very special to me. However, I knew I couldnt do it alone this year so I enlisted the help of my sisters. So last weekend, Mary, Janey and Mary's BF Corey came up to clean, babysit and party hard! Mary cleaned from top to bottom (my house is still somewhat clean a week later!) and got a little Adelynn time inbetween.

Janey was on baby duty and helped me in the kitchen and Corey entertained Adelynn when Janey was helping me.

It was defintely a group effort for sure and quite a sucess thanks to their help! Here's what the dining room looked like just hours before the party.

Of course I got busy and forgot to take pictures but here are a few. I stick to just about the same menu every year to make things easy on myself. We have ham, rolls, mini baked potatoes, meatballs, crab dip, baked brie, cheese pies, veggies and hummus, and fresh fruit.

The little girl did really good...here she is with Jenny.

There are also lots of desserts...what's the holidays without overindulging :) I do switch up the desserts from year to year so this year we had burger cookies, shortbread cookies with ginger cream cheese icing, peppermint bark, cranberry swirl cheesecake, pecan pie, key lime pie and fresh whipped cream of course!

I did a super easy and quick centerpiece this year that cost less than $10. I had the hubs pick up a fresh poinsettia the morning of (I told him red or white...didnt matter so he chose red). Then I clipped a few branches from our Christmas tree and placed around the poinsettia. Then I used some leftover feathers from the wreath I made last year. I had about 12 inches of boa left so I cut it into 4 chunks and placed around the branches to hide the clipped ends. Lastly I nestled a few silver ornaments in the feathers and placed two silver votives at each end with tea lights. It was so simple and pretty!

I also jazzed up the front porch a bit with some candles, lanterns I already had and red spray paint but this post is long enough so I'll save that for another day :)

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Adelynn - 25 weeks

2011-12-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

This past weekend marked 25 weeks for my little monkey. This week has been so much fun with some new and exciting things. Adelynn is starting to recognize her name and will turn in your direction when you say it. She also started puckering her lips and sticking out her tongue. She will copy you if you stick your tongue out and she also does it when she gets really excited. A friend reminded me that I wont think it is so cute in a few years but right now it is priceless! She is also starting to explore a lot more with her hands. She wants to reach out to touch and feel everything. She loves petting the dogs and grabbing our faces while we hold her. She is quite the little explorer!

Oh and remember a few weeks ago when I said she was pulling up like she wants to sit up? Check this out...

These days...

2011-12-14T19:27:00.000-05:00

Having a baby has definitely slowed things down around here but we havent stopped yet. Here's how I get things done these days...

I do have a little bit of blue paint on the front of my Ergo now but hey better there than on the baby right?!!? Thanks to my carriers (I have three...she loves being with me) I am able to do a lot more than I thought I would...that's how I walk the dogs, cook dinner and yes sometimes go to the bathroom. Shameful. I know...but oh so true:)

Adelynn - 24 weeks

2011-12-06T19:58:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we took our Christmas photos! I had a local photographer come to the house and shoot some pictures of the little girl and the fam. She did great and I cant wait to see (and share) all the pictures!! She did much better for Ashley than for me with the weekly pictures. It is getting harder and harder to keep that rattle and the numbers out of her mouth. (PS...Viraj - that rattle belonged to my dad when he was a baby so it is a bit of an antique :) She also grabs her feet and rolls from side to side so our weekly pictures are becoming quite the challenge for mommy. But no worries...I am committed to this project and AM NOT giving up!! We are still trying to figure out the sleeping thing. I think her acid reflux has been acting up making it hard for her to sleep at night. I elevated her mattress this week and got her med dose increased. It will take a few days to take effect but hopefully we will all get some relief. Other than that my little girl is healthy, weighing in at a whopping 18lbs now! Here's my chunky little monkey!!

Her facial expression in this picture cracks me up...look at that attitude!

Let the games begin...

2011-12-02T09:49:00.001-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us it is officially CHRISTMAS SEASON!!! Every year the hubs and I pull out all the Christmas decor Thanksgiving weekend and get r done! This time it was nice having Nina and Marty around to help entertain the little girl while we tackled the craziness. We managed to get a big chunk done last weekend including picked up a fresh tree. We had fun perusing the trees with the little girl in tow! She was most excited as you can see below :)

We actually have two trees this year! A real one upstairs and little fake one in the basement. Other than that, most of the decorations this year are same as last since I havent really had time to be super creative. I did however finally decorate those shelves I made for the basement. Remember these? Yeah they have virtually sat naked since being installed in April...shameful I know! Anyway they are filled now!

I filled them with pictures, the wood block votive I made a while back, silver and bronze ball ornaments, white lights and a DIY NOEL sign. I got the idea from this PB sign.

Not exactly the same since I didnt have room to stack my letters. So I picked up the letters from Jo Ann and spray painted them a hammered bronze color. I love the way it turned out! Plus I think this sign was $150 and my letters cost me about $5 with coupons :)

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Adelynn - 23 weeks

2011-12-01T07:29:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend marked 23 weeks for our baby girl. We spend a low-key Turkey day with just he three of us and although the little girl couldnt eat the normal holiday fare she did eat some green beans. We started solids a few weeks ago and so far she has had cereal and green beans. She definitely like the cereal better than the green beans! The day after Thanksgiving Auntie Nina and Uncle Marty came to visit. Adelynn had so much fun hanging out with them.

Adelynn was watching the Hokies teach the Wahoos how to play football with Daddy and Uncle Marty :) Uncle Marty was tickling her and had her laughing on her playmat!

Adelynn's newest trick for 23 weeks is pulling her socks off and mainly her right one. She grabs her foot, pulls the sock off and in her mouth it goes. She is super quick and as soon as I put it back on her foot she will pull it off again. It is quite comical! So here she is at 23 weeks!