QponFairy is... Having a Baby!?!

12 months...ONE YEAR OLD?! (2.23.15)

2015-03-13T14:06:00.002-07:00

O.M.G. ....

How did this happen?! My baby is now a toddler.. *sniff*.. ok he will always be my baby, but it is crazy how fast this year has flown by! He is such a little boy now!!!

We celebrated by taking him on a little overnight trip to UCLA and we took lots of photos and walked down memory lane! It was a really special trip that I will never forget.. I know he will.. BUT we have many photos and videos to remind him one day :)

We also threw him a big Bruin Bear UCLA birthday bash! It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed decorating and planning for it over the past year. I think my favorite decorative element was my 365 day photo wall where I actually had one photo every day of the whole year of him displayed! It was quite a project, but one I will always cherish. It's so neat to be able to see him grow and change so much day by day! What to do with all those photos now?! I decided to put them in an album so I can look back on them... I hope to be able to do the same thing for any future children if we are blessed to have more!

He is one lucky and very loved little guy.. it was so nice to see so many family and friends and to just enjoy good food and celebrate his milestone! We did do a cash smash.. but it was more of a calm low-kay eating of the frosting..

He is not walked yet.. but he has tried to take a step or 2 and then will plop down. He is such a fast crawler now though... and is cruising all around the couch and whatever other things he can climb up on! He is also babbling SO much now.. he has his own adorable language that I so wish I could understand.. it sounds like alien gibberish! He still says ma-ma and da-da.. DOE has been his new word.. whatever that means.. and he tries to say kitty and dog.. ALMOST! :)

He is eating more of what we eat now.. so that has been fun.. and I am weaning him from breastmilk so he has been enjoying whole organic milk over the past week. He LOVED menchies.. my favorite frozen yogurt chain.. and of course loved the frosting on his cake.. but those were special bday treats... so it's back to eating healthy! He has been getting pickier tho.. he always wants what mommy is eating if I am having something different haha.. He also didn't mind a lemon slice we gave him at a restaurant!!! SOUR! Crazy lil guy!

We are still cloth diapering when at home and it has been going great! I'm really proud that I stuck with it for over a year now.

He is such a spunky lil guy.. he has been dancing and singing so much this past month. I never noticed him realllllly start to get into dancing until recently.. he will wiggle his little booty or shimmy his shoulders to the music. He bobs his head and just smiles and laughs...

He still is loving touch and feel books, bathtime, his little people toys (has to have one in each hand and carry them everywhere!), music, and animals!

I'm just so proud of everything he does. He has brought us so much joy and so many laughs.. We feel so lucky and blessed to have him. I can't say that enough.. with all my heart I just LOVE him!!!

Here are a few pics from his b-day celebrations!! :)

2:34AM -he was actually up on his exact bday! :)

Digging his new bday shirt!

UCLA

New Bday Bruin Hat!

Noah's First Bday Party! 3/1/15

Party Favors!

Our lil Family of 3!

Happy and on a sugar high after his bday cake!! (or frosting!)

365 day photo wall (part of it!)

Mommy and Noah

Cake Smash ROUND 2! :) He got the hang of it!

11 months! (1.23.15)

2015-01-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

11 MONTHS!!

1/23/15

Happy New Year!

It is so hard to believe that Noah is 11 months old now.. only ONE more short month until he turns ONE! Ahhh!! My lil baby is growing up too too toooooo fast!! *tear*

This past month has been a BIG one for him! I feel like so much has changed.. he has really grown before our eyes and he is learning new things everyday!

He is pulling himself up on everything now.. and coasting along the side of the couch (always trying to get to the kitties! -which he understands... when I ask where are the kitties he looks all around the couch trying to spot one since they tend to sleep there the most!) He is almost standing on his own.. I caught him doing it for a few seconds a few times in his crib.. but he is still pretty wobbly!

He is also CRAWLING! Finally!!! No more scooting or dragging around.. this boy is a pro-crawler now! He also has gotten pretty fast.. and he wants to explore the whole house and get into all the trouble he can!

He is starting to respond to NO as well.. sometimes he will whine when I tell him NO.. because he's like but whyyyy moooom?! haha.. it's pretty cute..

He is also finally sleeping in his crib full time now.. naps and all! AND doing much much better.. He even had a 10.5 hour stretch once!.. Yes once.. but that was something! Usually he is up a few times throughout the night.. but its SO much better than before!

He also was chewing his crib.. so I had to tie his bumper around it to prevent that! He is a chewing machine! Teething and drooling! He got his second bottom tooth at the very end of December.. and that's it so far.. but he is always chewing on his fingers and toys so I am thinking more are not too far off!

He loves peek-a-boo.. and his touch and feel books.. and he's also loving cruising around in his walker! He has gotten good at maneuvering that thing and getting all around the house!

He has clapped a few times... and also said and waved Bye-Bye once when I was leaving to go to the dentist.. That's what daddy says anyway.. I missed it! But he tries to wave or clap if we show and help him!

He also started dancing!! It was the cutest funnies thing! He played his little scooter's music and started rocking out.. and wiggling back and forth.. I have some super cute videos I was lucky to capture.. so so cute!

I've been getting crafty and have been planning for his 1st Bday.. it's right around the corner.. I still can't believe it!

He had his first trip to the snow.. which was quick but fun! He was fascinated by it all!! Even didn't seem to mind touching the cold snow.. it was so new and exciting to him and he just kicked about with joy!

His first Christmas was also very special! We celebrated with family and he opened some presents and met SANTA!! He wasn't a fan of him yet.. but I'm sure that will change.. I thought it was the cutest classic first santa photo!

This month he has tried many new foods.. He loves kiwi and chicken.. watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, mango, and more! I now tear food up into small pieces and he enjoys trying to pick it up and eat it. We are still working on the sippy-cup! I'm still breastfeeding and plan to start weaning after his first birthday.. I was nervous about him getting teeth with breastfeeding but so far it hasn't been an issue at all.

He's such a sweet cutie pie.. he is pretty whinny when he doesn't sleep well or because of his teething.. but I can't blame him.. so am I :)

1st SNOW DAY!!!

10 Months! (12.23.14)

2015-01-05T11:44:00.002-08:00

We are in double digit months! 10.. TEN! ahhh!!

He really is growing up so so fast now and really turning into this little person!

He has been trying to crawl.. he gets up on his knees and will rock and rock.. anyway now! He is also pulling himself into my lap.. all the tiiiiime! He is getting stronger and more and more stable every day.

He is saying mama a lot.. and also will say dada when daddy is around.

He has been enjoying green beans lately.. as long as they are mixed with a little applesauce. Puffs are a necessity. He is still really loving them! I don't know how we would survive without them if we are out to eat! They keep him very entertained and he gets most of them in his mouth :)

He had his first turkey day and tried the turkey daddy cooked..and liked it!! We hosted for the first time this year and it was so special to have all our family here. We are so so thankful this year for our little turkey!

His first tooth finally popped!!!!! on 12/15 :) FINALLY!! All that fussiness and drooling and chewing.. and finallllllly a tooth! It's his lower right.. (lower left if you are looking right at him).. it's barely there.. but coming in!

On 12/19 he got into a sitting position from laying down all on his own! He surprised me.. we were getting ready for bath time and I put him down on his back.. turned around to turn the water on.. and when I looked back at him he was sitting up! He has been sitting for awhile now.. just hadn't caught him making the transition til that moment!

We took another plane ride to visit the in-laws for christmas and he did really well! He is getting so long now that he can really kick the seat in front of us tho! While we were there he even met "Santa".. Great Uncle Tommy was amazing! Noah wasn't too sure of Santa.. but at least we got a classic photo on the lap!

He also went to his first professional soccer game and basketball game! He doesn't seem to mind the noise.. and actually seemed really amused watching all the people and excitement!

AND we went to the aquarium for the first time too! He loved that!!!!! Altho after about 30 minutes he was over it.. a lot of stimulation for a lil guy! :)

Sleeping still is so so.. but he did sleep one night for 8 hours in a row! He's still in our room.. we tried the crib and it was going alright, but our heater broke and it was too cold in his nursery so he came back in our room. It's fixed now tho!.. and after the 1st of the year we are going to put him back in his room tho.. hopefully that will help us all get a little more sleep!

So so so thankful for these past 10 months.. he is my everything!

9 Months! (11.23.14)

2014-12-01T18:18:00.001-08:00

My lil guy is growing up SO SO FAST! Where has this year gone? 9 months has been so much fun! We now have a scooter on our hands! He is FAST! He scoots around all over the place! Still not full on crawling, but he gets around!

He tried turkey on Thanksgiving and enjoyed it! I need to start introducing new foods!

He has his 9 month check up this week.. I need to be sure and update those stats!

He laughs and smiles all the time.. and is babbling mama and dada a lot! It's so cute… altho he usually whines mama when he wants something!

He is sitting up really well now too.. doesn't topple over like he did before.. at least not often!

He also loves to give kisses and throw toys and spoons off the table.

We just finally transitioned him into his crib.. we are on night 3 tonight! It has been a little rocky, but he's doing alright! Hopefully in time we can all sleep better this way! Altho I do miss having him right next to me!!! I cried in the shower the first night he was in his own room.. I missed him! :)

He also LOVES puffs.. you know.. those cheerio type baby snacks. He still doesn't have teeth so I have to break them up or else he will shove them all in his mouth. He also has been drinking a little water mixed with apple juice which he enjoys.. altho he doesn't get much out of the cup -he's learning!

I love his kisses and snuggles.. I will always cherish every second with this lil miracle!!

Getting ready for the holiday season ahead!

Happy 1st Thanksgiving sweet baby Noah!!

XOXO

8 Months! (10.23.14)

2014-10-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

8 months old today!!

Time is flying by.. I can't believe 8 months ago I first held this lil pumpkin in my arms and became a mommy! It has been so amazing…

This past month he has officially started to sit on his own without assistance.. altho he will still topple over so it's nice to have pillows around to catch him! He is also getting stronger and is up on his arms on his tummy a lot more now. He used to always roll to his back when he played, but now he actually holds himself up on his elbows and will play that way! He scoots a little bit.. but mainly rolls to get around. He is a champion roller! No crawling yet.. but that's ok! He is getting close… sticking his lil bootay up and getting up on his knees bouncing about.. He is starting to figure it out!! Baby proofing here were come!!!

He has been babbling a lot.. ma-ma, da-da, na-na, etc! I love when he talks! He also "sings" when I sing "Shake it off" by Taylor swift and bounce him around he starts smiling and singing along haha.. it's so so cute..

He LOVES bouncing.. when I take him up or down the stairs he just lights up! He also LOVES his big stuffed bear animals.. he giggles and laughs with such delight when he sees them! He is still chewing on everything and drooling.. but no teeth!!

He's tried apple, pear, zucchini, and green beans.. and altho he isn't a green bean fan, I can mix them with anything sweet and he will eat them! He still LOVES to eat.. and eats a LOT!!

He loves reading with Daddy every night.. he looks at all the pictures and grabs at the books..

He is on a 2 nap schedule.. and has been going to be around 7:30… much earlier than he originally was.. so that has been nice! Still up a few times throughout the night.. some nights better than others!

Overall he's a happy lil guy with some cranky bits! :-p

7 Months!! (9.23.14)

2014-09-26T22:09:00.002-07:00

I can't believe he is growing SO fast.. I say this every month.. but it's TRUE! Where is the time going?!

I just was watching old videos of him and I can't believe how much he has changed in such a short period of time! He is such a blessing.. and I feel SO incredibly lucky to be his mommy!

OK! So this past month he has really grown! He had his 6 month check up and he is on track and things are all healthy and looking good. He can sit up now pretty well(still need to be there to support him in case he decides to topple over tho!) He is also rolling all over to get from one spot to the next. He will scoot sometimes.. but he prefers to roll! He LOVES sleeping on his side or tummy.. but would rather play on his back. He is really focusing on and examining his toys. Of course everything must go in the mouth! Still showing signs of teething... but the one tooth we saw is gone?! mystery! So no teeth yet.. but drooling and chewing A LOT!

He started solids!!!! He is such a good eater too.. It has been SO easy!

1st food: Butternut Squash -LOVE
2nd: Sweet Potato -LOVE
3rd: Avocado -HATE!!
4th: Carrots -LOVE
5th: Peas -LOOOOOOOOVE
5th: Banana -LOVE *altho a little unsure of the texture!

SO far SO GOOD!

It has been really fun making his baby food from scratch! I love watching his reaction to new foods.. he makes the cutest faces and noises! He gets very worked up and excited when it's time to eat!!!

He is full on babbling like craaaaaazy.. and also blowing raspberries and making farting noises haha.. It's so funny.. he has a lot to say! Mama baba nana! He is also laughing and smiling at silly faces and LOVES to be tickled.. he is SOOOO ticklish! It's adorable.. I can't get sick of that little laugh! It is sooo contagious!

Still sleeping the same.. up every 2-3 hours.. but he's on a 2 nap schedule.. with one later cat nap when we take our family walk. Some days he is such a good napper and other days he fights it! Babies are so inconsistent and unpredictable! :)

He is really growing WAY too fast.. It makes me excited and sad all at the same time! I love love LOVE this little cutie pie!

6 Months Old! 1/2 a year! 08.23.14

2014-08-25T14:47:00.002-07:00

1/2 a year old! I can't believe how fast he is growing up!
I gotta say though, I am looooving this age.. he is so cute and fun!

The past month he has really mastered rolling all over the place! He will also scoot and roll to get around on the floor or to get to certain toys that he wants. He also will look at his binkie now.. grab it.. and successfully put it in his mouth! Sometimes he still puts it in backwards haha and he will chew away on it. Speaking of chewing.. he is teething like crazy! He had a tooth pop out a couple weeks ago, but now the gums are hiding it! I'm sure teeth will be coming in soon! He LOVES the frozen teething ring and will hold it himself.. it's too cute!

He loves when you say "boing" and hop his toys up and down and make them fly around..
I also distract him by singing a pretty snazzy version of the ABCs.. he will learn those quickly!
He is getting really good at standing and sitting up (with support of course!)
He loves jumping in his jumper and we all still go on a nightly walk to the park.. he loves watching our dog bella run around and do tricks.. sometimes he will start cracking up!

I've started FINALLY putting him on a stricter schedule.. We are trying the sleep eat play.. and so far so good! I have read his signals when it came to naps etc.. and we had a loose schedule, but now we are trying to really get more of a real schedule going in hopes that it will help him sleep better at night.

Yeeeahhhh still not sleeping through the night.. I used to feed him throughout the night whenever he wanted.. and now we are doing night feedings every 3+ hours. He has been fine with the change.. but he keeps rolling over and knocking out his binkie which wakes him up. It's so hard for him to get back down.. he gets himself all worked up! It's getting a little better each night, but not much sleep for me! I know that one day I will sleep again.. right? :-p It was so much worse.. he was up every hour for a few weeks.. Every 3 hours is much much better... we are getting there.. just takes time!

We also started SOLIDS! We started at exactly 6 months.. and made him butternut squash. We held up a squash and a sweet potato and let him pick. He reached for the squash.. decision made! It was SO easy to make baby food.. and I am so excited to make all different types! He was such a good lil eater too! He was reaching for the spoon and most all the food actually made it in his mouth hah. We are starting off small.. just once a day (2 table spoons) and we will up it from there!

OH and how could I forget??!!! He said MAMA! hah.. I don't think he knows what he is saying haha but I still love to hear it :) He also will babble na na.. those are his two favorites at the moment!

5 months old! (7.23.14)

2014-07-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Noah is 5 months old! What?!

I can't believe he's almost 1/2 a year old! This month has been an exciting one!

He rolled over finallllllly from his back to his tummy! He has been close for awhile, but his arm kept getting in the way! @ 5 months exactly he rolled! 3 times that day!

He has been enjoying his bouncer that a dear friend gave us... altho he still barely touches the floor with his toes! His head control is much much better.. so he plays around with all the toys and enjoys sitting up!

He naps 2-3 times a day and still isn't sleeping great (some weeks are better than others, but the past week he has been up every 1-2 hours!) I think he is still teething and maybe there are some growing pains waking him up too... he wakes himself up by kicking around in bed. He is waaay too strong to be swaddled and he never liked it, so I am hoping he gets used to putting himself back to sleep soon... mommy is TIRED! Buuuut I know everything is just a phase and one day we will both sleep through the night :) The transition to the pack n play was better than I thought it would be... but still not easy! He sleeps SO much better all snuggled up in the rocker, but I know he's just too big for that now and he has to learn how to sleep in his crib... It means less sleep for mommy but I know it's best for him!

All 3 of us were sick last week with a nasty summer cold, luckily that's over! He had a bad cough but was still in good spirits! I hate when he's sick tho :( I'd give anything to make him feel better faster!

He is still soooo happy and smiles and giggles all the time! This past month we went on another airplane ride to visit friends in New Mexico and he did really well! :)

He's also loving toys finally! He really grabs at them and of course is always putting everything in his mouth hah!

We also took him to the beach for the 1st time and put his feet in the ocean. He was tired, cranky, and coming down with that cold.. so he was pretty much not feeling it haha but it was still adorable and a lot of fun!

It has been a fun month! Just loving this lil dude and trying to cherish each moment!

XOXO

4 months old! (6.23.14)

2014-07-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

4 months old!!!

Another month has passed and Noah is just changing so so much!

This past month he is still obsessed with his hands.. wants them in his mouth at all times! He is pretty good at finding his thumb and the past few days he has really been sucking on it. He's also drooling a toooon... and may be starting to teethe!

He is really holding his head up now and "talking" like craaaaaaaazy! Today he has been going on and on! It's so so cute.. I love all the little sounds he makes! He has a lot to say.. wish I knew what he was saying (but soon enough I know I will!)

He's almost out of his rock n play sleeper.. We are going to transition him to the pack-n-play this week! I'm still not ready for him to be in his crib since he isn't sleeping through the whole night. It's a lot easier having him right next to me for the middle of the night feedings. Plus let's be honest, I want him close to me too! He's only this small for so long! I am trying to enjoy every moment but it's already going by way too fast!

He's like a little person now and starting to have this lil personality... he's so cute!

Father's Day was fun! Since it was my husbands first I tried to make it special and wrote him a book about our lil family. We went to lunch with my Dad and family.. and then just had a family dinner with the 3 of us that evening. It was relaxing and fun! I think my husband had a good time with his lil boy! :)

Overall he has been a happy baby.. but he does have his freakout fits!!! He usually fights sleep.. why why why! as my husband jokes.. it's just not logical! :) He is waking up 1-2 times over the course of the night.. so not bad... I plan to put him on a better napping schedule to see if that helps!

He's just so smiley and sweet and we love him SO SO SO much!
Happy 4 months my sweet baby boy!

3 months old! (5.23.14)

2014-06-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

3 months?! He's really growing and changing sooo quickly!

This month he has been OBSESSED with his hands. They are always in his mouth and he is always drooling all over the place! It's kinda cute to just see the bubbles and bubbles that form at his mouth hah. He is smiling all the time and actually laughing! He normally will giggle.. but sometimes we can get a good laugh outta him! He loves when I bark at him and when daddy turns away and then at him and says "what's goin on?!" He will just smile and laugh! He does get scared sometimes tho.. and will make the cutest pouty face! Sometimes when he is sleeping and hears a bark or a loud noise it will startle him and he will start to scream!

He can see soooo much better now and really follows objects with his eyes. He is studying everything and loves to smile at mommy and himself in the mirror. He is also starting to really hold his head up on his own now. Every now and then he will lose control and plop it against your chest... but for the most part he is actually holding it up now! He also loves to sit up with you on your lap (such a big boy!)

Cloth diapering is going well! We have been using disposables when traveling... but love cloth! They are harder to get clean smelling tho since we have the hardest water.. but I am experimenting with different things!

We flew on an airplane to visit my in-laws and Noah did great! He basically slept the whole time! It sure is a lot harder flying with a baby tho... all the stuff!!!!

He is cooing a lot more too.. and really trying to talk! It's so so cute.. he makes the sweetest lil sounds!

He is also grabbing the toys now on his play mat! He will grab a ring and hold on tightly.. and just swing the toy around. Today he even brought the toy to his mouth and started to chew on it!

He tends to be super happy in the mornings and then will get very cranky and fussy in the evenings... but usually walking around outside will help to calm him down!

He also still LOVES bathtime.. I mean LOVES it!!!!!! It's so fun to watch him now kick and splash around a bit! He loves the warm water :)

I love love LOVE him so much! He is the cutest and sweetest! :) Trying to enjoy each moment.. I know I will blink and one day he will be off to college!

I really love seeing him grow and learn and do new things.. I'm excited for the future.. but at the same time want him to stay my sweet lil baby forever.. I'm sure that's a normal feeling :)

Some pics from the big month 3!

Loving his Grandma!

Such a cutie pie!

Grabbing his toy and bringing it to his mouth! yum?!

SO in LOVE with this handsome lil guy!!!!

Happy 3 months Noah!

XOXO

First Mother's Day! 11 Weeks old! 5.11.14

2014-05-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mommies out there!

I had the most amazingly perfect day and I feel so lucky to finally be a mommy and celebrate my 1st mother's day with my lil baby!

My husband was pretty amazing and took diaper patrol all day... let me sleep in a bit... and spoiled me in so many ways! I got this adorable mom necklace that I had been wanting, a spa gift card, and a beautiful orchid (my favorite!) These were all such sweet gifts, but my favorite was the card that he and Noah made for me :) It was so adorable and creative and he even used Noah's hand to write out some pretty sweet things! I am so so sooooo lucky!

We ended up going out to breakfast (just the 3 of us) which was really fun! My sister came up to visit later in the day and we went and got pedicures, did some shopping, and enjoyed dinner and fro-yo (my FAV!) The night was spent snuggling baby and watching Disney movies. It was just perfect! Such a relaxing and fun day! It was really nice to get a little "me" pampering time and also get to spend time smiling and snuggling with my lil guy!

Feeling so lucky and loved and never will forget how great today was! Being a new mom has been so exciting and I feel so blessed to finally be a mom! It was quite a journey to get here... but so worth the wait! Love love LOVE being his mommy!!!

Woke up to this smiling face on Mother's Day morning!

LOVE him more!!

XOXO

2 months old! (4.23.14)

2014-04-30T21:48:00.001-07:00

I can't believe another month has passed! 2 months!!!

He has grown and changed so much! He is SMILING all the time now! Especially when he is on his changing table.. he just will look up at you and smile away! He also smiles a lot in his little rock n play sleeper! It's so fun to smile and talk to him and have him smile back.. sometimes even giggle! That has been one of the cutest milestones this past month.. he is starting to laugh! I have only caught him a couple times.. once when I was singing a song I made up about buttons.. yeah.. hah. But it was sooooo adorable! He really is getting a little personality now!

He looks at things so much more now! He realllllly focuses on all the details and seems to be studying your face when he looks at you. He loves looking at the pictures that we have throughout the house. It helps calm him down to just walk around the house looking at everything! He also will turn his head and look at you if he hears you talking. He's just soooo much more alert now! He barely sleeps during the day!!

Speaking of sleep.. he sleeps soooo much better at night! He even has slept up to 6 hours at once!!! Normally it's about 5.. but 5 or 6 is great! It has really helped mommy :)

He just got his 2 month shots on Monday :( poor lil guy! It has disrupted his sleep a little bit.. and he has had a fever/been more fussy... but it's been 2 days now and I can tell he is doing much better!

Week 6-8 were TOUGH! He was a fussy lil guy!! I really hope that was just a "phase"... He has gotten a little better, but he had a cold around week 8 so that didn't help things! Luckily it was just a tiny bug and no fever... he just sounded very congested and had a tiny cough when he cried.

He is getting stronger! Starting to "stand" when you hold him up. He's also lifting his head around like crazy!

He also LOVES bath time! I MEAN LOVES!!!! He smiles and just lights up! We both look forward to that time of the night :)

I also just looooove the times when we "talk" to one another.. and smile back and forth. The little coos he makes are the sweetest little sounds... and his smiles just melt my heart! I love him so so much!

A part of me can't wait til he gets older.. while the other part of me wishes he would stay this small and precious for forever! Just trying to cherish these moments while they are here and look forward to future milestones!

Doc Apt Stats:
Weight - 12.8lbs
Height: 23.5 inches

Doc said he is looking very happy and healthy and is right on track!

5 Weeks Old! (3.30.14)

2014-04-01T14:03:00.001-07:00

5 weeks! He is getting so big! He's over 10 lbs! I know that is still "small"... but he is just growing and growing before my eyes! I love when he tries to make "coo" noises.. he is really trying to communicate! It is beyond adorable! I love this lil guy SO much.. even if he does keep me up all night sometimes :0p... so WORTH IT!

He is doing great! :) He has been a little fussier this week.. I think it's gas! Oh how fun to be a baby right?! BUT he also gave me his first "social" non-gassy smile this week! @ least I think it was :) (on 3/28) I had been making funny faces at him and he was very alert and watching me closely.. all of a sudden cracked open the biiiiigest smile :) It melted my heart!!!!!

I don't think I will post evvvvvvery week, but definitely every month and I also want to try and document any big milestones on here too :)

XOXO

Just loving this lil guy!!

4 Weeks! ONE month old!!! (3.23.14)

2014-03-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

HAPPY ONE MONTH NOAH!!

WOW. Time does fly by!

I can't believe my lil newborn is officially ONE month old! He's growing so much and soooo fast! It's been so much fun seeing him change day to day.. and I just fall more and more in love with him!

Highlight: He has ROLLED OVER!!! At about 3 1/2 weeks I had him on his tummy for "tummy time" on his play mat. Within minutes he rolled onto his back! I thought it was just a random accident at first.. so I put him on his stomach again.. sure enough he did it several more times! He has done it since too! Maybe he is just advanced ;) our lil genius baby... It was so special tho! I am SO glad I captured it on video! (lucky!)

He also has started to mimic faces that you make at him! He will stick his tounge out, open his eyes wide, make a "kiss face"... it's so fun! He doesn't do it all the time.. but when he is real focused and alert he will! It's so cute :)

We also took our first road trip to visit my family... It was SO nice to see them and visit with some friends. It was exciting to introduce him to everyone :)
I was pretty nervous driving on the freeway with him in the back, but we made it!!

He has been a better baby.. crying less (altho he is screaming at this moment of course!).. and letting us get a little more sleep!! He is SO much more alert and I love talking to him and just staring into his deep blue eyes!

It's been an amazing month! We looooove him so much and are trying to really enjoy every second!

PS -His doc apt went really well last week! He was looking very healthy!

8lbs 12oz, 20.8 inches long! (3/17/14)

XOXO

3 Weeks Old! (03.16.14)

2014-03-16T21:22:00.002-07:00

I can't believe my little baby is 3 weeks old today! These days are flying by!!! I am trying to enjoy each and every moment because I know they grow up so fast.. he already has grown and changed a lot since day 1!

He has a pediatrician appointment tomorrow morning so hopefully everything is looking good and he is healthy and growing! I really wanted my husband to make it to the 1st appointment, but sadly his 3 weeks of paternity leave are over and his first day back and work will be tomorrow :(... I can't believe he finally has to go back to work! These weeks having him here have been so helpful.. we will miss him so much while he's at work!!! We will adjust tho and be just fine :)

He has been eating A LOT lately.. it seems like he is never happy unless he's eating... growth spurt? I'm just trying to keep him content and keep the crying to a minimum! It's not as "hard" as it was the first week... when he would just cry and cry and nothing seemed to soothe him. I feel like we are learning his patterns and behaviors a little better.. and figuring him out! There are still moments where he will kick and punch and cry and look so unhappy, but with another feeding or changing or rocking he usually will calm down or fall asleep.

He has also been alert much more during the day. He will look around with his deep blue eyes (they may change I know!).. and make the cutest sounds as he wiggles and squirms about!

I also love the funny little "duck face" he makes after he finishes feeding. I pick him up to burp him and he makes this adorable lil face each time.. kissy face! It's the cutest thing in the world..

Kick kick kick squirm squirm squirm... little Noah is a worm! (just a random song I sing as he wiggles about! haha)

We also did a mini photoshoot this week with him! We decided to take our own photos since we got newborn shots taken at the hospital. I think some of them turned out really cute.. I'll put some below. You definitely need a lot of patience and time to take baby photos!!!

How is mommy?! I'm doing so much better. I feel almost totally back to normal! I am still tiiiiiiired... but thats to be expected! I love my lil baby for letting me get some 3 hour chunks of sleep! Those are the beeeest!!! :) I know it will get better and better!

I still can't believe we have a baby! What?!? and that he is almost 1 month old!!! It is SO hard for me to believe that a year ago we were still trying so hard to get pregnant.. and now he is HERE! I just love him so so soooo much.. he really is my everything and I feel so so lucky to be his mommy :)

Here are some photos from the past week..

Snuggles w/Mommy!

Going on a walk!!

Sun Bathing!

Scrabble Baby!!

Love how his hand wrapped around my thumb.... not how the photo was planned, but it makes it more special :)

I'll love you forever book..

Daddy loves his lil feet!

Stretch! Blankie time!

Resting in the shade..

Looking around in his swing!

XOXO

2 Weeks Old! (03.09.14)

2014-03-11T19:50:00.003-07:00

Today is March 11th, 2014.. which was his "Due Date"... crazy to think he has been here a little over 2 weeks now! I know due dates are just estimates anyway, but I am so glad we got to meet him a little early and that he is happy and healthy!

This week he has really gotten stronger! He is lifting his head around more and spends more time with his eyes open looking around. His eyes are still changing.. some days they look very deep blue, while other days they appear to be more brown!

He also has learned how to get his mittens off!! He will scratch up his face if he doesn't wear them. We tried to file his nails down, but couldn't get them short enough apparently! We will have to try and use the nail clippers next time..

He still spends most of the day sleeping and eating... while he's a bit more "wild" at night. Some nights are harder than others. I think he has his days and nights mixed up tho!!

His umbilical cord stump fell off at day 7!

We took him on his first walk to the park, which was really fun! We have been trying to go every day to get some exercise and fresh air as a lil family :)

We also gave him a soothie for the first time this week to help him soothe himself. I know that many recommended to wait 4 weeks if breastfeeding, but so far we have had no problems or confusions and it has really helped him calm down at times where he just wanted to suck on something!!

Still so so SO in love.. taking lots of pics and videos!!!

Looking around @ the world!

Sleeping on Mommy!

Ole ole ole OLE!

Sweet Dreamin!

Our first walk!!!

Snuggled up in the stroller!

Nursery Tour!

2014-03-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

Baby Noah is here... and I was filming the nursery tour the day before I ended up being induced, so I will need to work a bit more on that video (stay turned for that on my YouTube Channel -QponFairy), but I did want to upload some photos of how it all turned out!

Here it is...

We love how it turned out! :)

Hope he loves it too!

Baby Noah -Week 1 (03.02.14)

2014-03-02T11:19:00.003-08:00

Happy ONE week baby Noah!

This week has FLOWN by!! Life has forever changed for the better.

Sure, it hasn't been "easy" and we have definitely been making adjustments, but having our lil baby here is the best feeling in the world.

It's been a week of: little sleep, lots of photo taking, diapers diapers and more diapers, sweet cuddles, soft tickles, kisses and snuggles, crying, burping, gassy smiles, open eyes exploring, soft skin, and baby kicks!

At the end of this week he started actually lifting his head around (we call this movement giraffe neck)... and he is getting stronger and stronger!! He has been eating like a champ and sleeping a lot! He's a very good baby :)

He hates: sponge baths and cold wipes!

He loves: milk! ...and snuggles with mommy and daddy

HAPPY ONE WEEK BABY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOAH! He's here!!!! :)

2014-03-02T11:05:00.002-08:00

So no week 38-40 updates for this pregnancy! He is HERE!!! :) It was quite a surprise and I really didn't expect him to be here this early, but all is well... he is perfect in every way and I couldn't be more in love!

Nursery tour will be a little delayed due to all this excitement, but I will get it up as soon as I can!

I don't even know where to begin.. so much has happened over the past week-ish!

On Friday February 21st, I had a scheduled appointment with my OBGYN (I was about 37 1/2 weeks). The morning started out as every morning does... I was feeling fine and headed to my appointment. I was in the waiting room waiting for the doctor to come in and all of a sudden I started to feel dizzy and clammy. I really wasn't feeling "right" at all... so when she came in I expressed how I was feeling and she seemed concerned because I also had protein in my urine for the first time. I was sent to L&D just to be checked out and got some blood work done stat. I started feeling fine and figured that everything would be fine and that this would all be good "practice" for when I actually go into labor... boy was I wrong! My doctor had set my induction date for his due date, which was March 11th, so in the back of my mind I really thought that would be the day and that being in L&D was just a precaution to check everything out!

I got all hooked up and they started to monitor his heart rate and my contractions (basically what I had been doing at my non-stress tests every week). Everything was looking great, except for one small period of time.. his heart rate had dropped pretty low for about 20 seconds. That along with the protein in the urine concerned the doctors enough to keep me there and begin an induction! WHAT?! Today? Right now?! I was really in shock. Not expecting any of this to happen today! I felt a little better knowing he was almost 38 weeks and that everything was looking good, but at the same time I was freaking out inside. I had this long to-do list still that I wanted to work on!! I was ready for him, but at the same time still wanted to do more before he arrived! Life is full of surprises! All I really cared about was to have him here and healthy... nothing else mattered.

My husband arrived as soon as he got home from work. He had to pick up our hospital bags (which I am SO glad were already packed! It paid to be organized!) at home first, but then he was right there with me! We were so excited! I was a little nervous, but overall just in shock still and very very eager to meet our lil miracle!!

The induction process was a PROCESS! It took awhiiiiiiile.. I went into the hospital @ only 1cm, so clearly my body wasn't quite ready for all of this. Ideally I would have loved to go into labor naturally on my own, but sometimes you have to go with the flow and be flexible and really trust your doctors.

They started out giving me Cytotec.. which didn't seem to do much. After hours I was a 1.5 "maybe".. so the new doctor on staff suggested a Foley bulb. I wish I had NOT had this. I was open to trying another approach since the Cytotec wasn't really working, but I didn't realize it would be SO painful. I really think it was the most painful part of the whole labor! (or at least up there!) After all the pain and discomfort, it was taken out a few hours later... and the results...... NOTHING. All that for NOTHING!! He said I may be at a 2, but it really didn't help. Awesooooooooome... so glad I had to experience that! (not bitter at all). A new doctor had come in at this point and wanted to try more Cytotec. He measured me back at 1... and I was starting to lose in emotionally. It had been almost 24 hours at this point and I was basically where I had started?! GAH! They assured me that inductions can be a process and take days, so just to hang in there.

Oh, and let me tell you... those hospital beds = SO uncomfortable. I was basically stuck to this bed. I couldn't eat or drink for the first several hours, then it was water and jello, and I was hooked up to the monitors and an IV for fluids so I couldn't walk around or labor out of bed like I had planned to. Being stuck in this bad and SO pregnant made me very uncomfortable. I was getting so sore from the stupid bed.. it was worse than the contractions (in the beginning that is!) Ok, enough complaining.. it was "fine"....

After hours and hours I finally got to a 3. This was around 6:30 PM on Saturday 2/22/14, so I had already been at the hospital now for 31 hours. My doctor decided it was time for the Pitocin, which was supposed to speed things up and make the contractions much more intense. The contractions up to this point were tolerable. They had gotten more intense as time progressed, but they were tolerable. Right before we started the Pitocin, I was really in a lot of pain... especially in my lower back. I was really exhausted and ready for my epidural. I had little to no sleep in over 31 hours and no food.. and was just drained. We started Pitocin and things got intense. I asked for my epidural right away and within an hour or so was given it.

I was a little nervous about getting the epidural, but I knew I had wanted one when I really felt I needed it. It was a scary experience for me because once given then shot my right leg spasmed and I felt this cold tingly feeling run through it. I'm not going to lie.. it really scared me at the time, but the anesthesiologist said that can happen sometimes. I am SO glad I got it though... what a relief! I could feel the tightening of the contractions, but no pain. It was amazing. I finally was able to get some sleep!

A little before midnight the nurse called the doctor in because there were some variables in his heart rate which was causing some concern. They decided it was important to monitor him internally and to do this they had to break my water. I never really knew if you could tell when your water breaks.. but in my case it was clear when they broke it!! It's crazy how much fluid there is! The doctor at this point said that I'd have my baby today! (it was just after midnight on Sunday 2/23/14)

I was able to get some more sleep, but around 1:30 I started feeling A LOT of pressure. I thought my epidural was wearing off and I told my nurse that I really needed to push. She checked things out and said I was at a 9 3/4! WOW... I had made a lot of progress since starting the Pitocin and breaking the waters. From this moment it was all a little fuzzy..

I pushed for about an hour (it felt like so much less to me). The doctor and delivery staff were then called in... I pushed a few more minutes and our sweet baby Noah was born! The cord was actually tied around his left ankle, which could have explained the variables in his monitoring. The nurse said he was jumping rope in there! He had been such an active lil guy up til the end haha. Thankfully the doctor was able to get him loose and my husband cut the cord, but he had to be cleaned up and checked before I could hold him skin to skin to make sure he was doing ok! I heard his first cry and my heart just melted. I was so relived he was ok... and finally here after this 39+ hour induction!!! He was so cute :) I loved watching my husband stand with him and take pictures... and just look at him with such love and excitement. It was such a special moment that I will never forget. Our hearts were filled with so much love... I can't even explain it. Our dream come true!

I was able to hold him skin to skin for an hour and then we had our parents and my sister visit briefly before we got cleaned up and taken to our recovery room. It was a long unexpected process... but I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I still can't believe he is here.. and that I am a mother. We created this amazing little person and he is such a blessing.

Our baby Noah is finally here! :)

Noah

February 23rd, 2014

2:34 AM

7 lbs 6 oz

20.3 inches

Apgar score -9

He is so perfect! We are so in LOVE!!!

Our new lil family!

37 Weeks! (2.18.14)

2014-02-17T15:01:00.002-08:00

37 weeks! Full term... kind of?!

I know the definition used to be that 37 weeks was full term and now it has been pushed back to 39 weeks? But regardless.. being 37 weeks feels SO good! I feel like he is basically ready to arrive at any moment he chooses! I have a feeling he will need some convincing... possibly will need an induction, but I can't wait when he does decide to arrive!!!! :) SO SOON now!! I thought that the pregnancy would really drag along the last few weeks, but it really hasn't! I am in shock that another week is over and we are another week closer to meeting our lil miracle :)

I am finally posting my nursery tour later this evening.. everything really turned out so cute! I'm excited to share photos and details in my next post!

He has been SOOOOO active lately! Especially today! It feels like he is trying to jump out of my stomach! I keep telling him he can come out now and meet us officially! :-p

Nothing else new this week.. just sore and still finding it a challenge to get comfy and get enough sleep! Just really trying to take it easy, get things organized/cleaned/ready for him, and to wait as patiently as I can :)

36 Weeks! (2.11.14)

2014-02-13T16:43:00.002-08:00

We have hit the final stretch! ONE month to go! Give or take of course!

I did have an appointment with my doctor yesterday and everything is looking good! She did say that I may need to be induced (March 6th OR 11th) just depending on how my blood pressures are looking. Since I am higher risk she said she wouldn't want me to go past my due date (which is the 11th) SO... it's looking like he will be here for sure by then! :) I can't wait!!!! If he decides to come sooner than that is all up to him! I am ready! :)

Apparently I haven't really progressed and he is still high up (kicking my ribs OUCH! it really hurts!)... so time will tell. I know since this is the first baby that it normally takes longer! I'm very excited tho... and can only hope and pray everything goes as smoothly as possible!

The nursery is FINALLY DONE! I will be taking pictures and getting a nursery tour video up hopefully by the weekend. It has turned out soooo adorable! Cuter than I had even imagined :) LOVE it!

I've been trying to get the rest of the house as clean and organized as I can! I am so big now and it is so hard to do the simplest things, so I really need my husbands help with a lot! Luckily he has been working on the to-do lists that I have thought up and been a big help! We still have a lot to accomplish, but we are getting there day by day! Today I sterilized and washed all the bottles/nipples and just finished organizing and putting away some baby things to help get ready.

I'm excited because my mom is coming up to visit me soon and maybe I can get her to help me make some more freezer meals so we will be all stocked up and ready! We are also planning on walking around and doing some shopping.. and of course getting my FAVORITE.. frozen yogurt! It has been my biggest craving by far! It should be fun to hang out and just relax a little bit! :)

My husband and I are also going on a mini baby moon trip soon! Can't wait! It will be so nice just to get away for an evening and have one last romantic trip before baby arrives!

I've been feeling pretty good.. just tiiiired! Also sore.. and I have been waddling around. Not sleeping much because he is kicking SO much and SO high! It really does hurt now.. he has gotten strong in there!! My last growth ultrasound showed that he weighs approx 6.65ish lbs? Crazy! I still can't believe something.. someONE has grown so much. He is almost ready to meet the world! I can't wait!! Have I mentioned that??? :)

Here are a few photos from the past week or so!

Belly shot from last week!!

Baby Shower Shadow box I put together to hang in his nursery!

Penny got all snuggled up on his changing pad.. guess she wants a diaper change!?

She knows someONE is in there!

Also loving his crib! She is excited!! :)

Baby Shower! 1.26.14

2014-02-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

My Baby Shower was AMAZING!! It was so perfect and beautiful! I loved every second! My mom and my sister did such a great job throwing it... it really took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes!

The theme was hot air balloons w/animals (gotta have animals for a "Noah" right!?) I loved the idea of having animals in the hot air balloons... so when I had my invitations designed I had this done! I chose hot air balloons because that is where my husband proposed and we had also used some in our wedding decor (it just made sense!) Now a baby.. so add some cute animals and wa-la! instant cuteness!

I was the one to get the invitations and make all the prizes and favors, which I loved! I have some videos on my YouTube Channel -QponFairy of the different things I made, mainly using products from my stockpile! But that was all I did..because I HAD to be involved (the party planning lover in me just HAD to do things haha, so they were kind enough to give me some jobs)... everything else was a total surprise.. from the food to the games to the decorations! It was such a special day! I will forever cherish the memories! They did SO much work and spent SO much time! They really put a lot of love into this shower and it really meant the world to me!

Noah is one verrrrrrrry lucky and blessed little boy already! There was so much love! It was so great to see all my family and friends and to be able to celebrate this miracle!

The most AMAZING spinach & artichoke dip (one of my favs) and look @ the adorable little waffle bowls for the fruit! Plus the confetti actually says his name.. NOAH!

Here are the favors and displays I made for guests to take as they left! Little jars with assorted blue candies and a blue oreo popcorn ball on top as the "balloon". We all jokingly called them blue cheese balls because that's kind how they looked -and boy was it a challenge to get them to stick up straight!

The crown I wore as I opened my gifts!

How cute is this toy?!

My friend made me this diaper cake! Isn't is ADORABLE! I wanted to set it up in the nursery, but it fell apart transporting it back home. Guess it is supposed to be used right?! Its sooooo cute! She was so so sweet to make this for me! XOXO

Diaper Jokes! I still haven't peeked at these yet....

Baby clothes were displayed all over the house! I love how they color coordinated them :)

Entry way decorations!

Our "Guestbook"! LOVE!!! I already have a window frame to have this displayed in his nursery!

More adorable decorations!

Hot air balloon cuteness everywhere!!

Cupcake liners and "Noah" confetti!!!!

Cupcake edible frosting! So cute!

Punch w/lil duckies!!! It was soooo good!

Hot air balloon prizes for the games :)

More adorable baby clothes!

PERFECT SHOWER... in every way!!

Feeling SO loved!

XOXO

35 WEEKS down, 35 DAYS to go! (2.4.14)

2014-02-06T08:36:00.001-08:00

Almost full term!

These weekly updates are less exciting because nothing new is really going on! I'm just getting bigger and feeling SO ready to have this baby already!

I know everyone means well when they say get sleep now! ...but it really doesnt work like that anyway! You can't save up on sleep.. I guess you can try and enjoy it more now? But at this point I don't enjoy it now anyway! He's kicking me so hard up in my ribs and I'm waking up to pee.. etc! No more nights of peaceful sleep for me anyway! haha.. I know it will just get 100000x worse, but it will all be worth it to finally have him in my arms.

I am getting more and more antsy, can you tell?! Time is still going by pretty quickly for me... but maybe not quickly enough haha. I washed all of his cloth diapers and put them away yesterday, which was exciting. It's nice to see everything "ready-ish"?! I'm almost done! I feel organized and ready, but at the same time not at all because we have so many projects around the house to do, and we really need to CLEAN!

Gahhh another contraction as I type this update! I know that these practice ones will be NOTHING in comparison to the REAL deal, but they sure do take my breath away and are getting more and more uncomfy! I think he is still head down (HOPE!) because I feel kicks very high up in my ribs which has been interesting..... I also feel hiccups very very low!

I have 4 doctors apts next week.. MTWF.. Monday is a growth ultrasound and Wednesday is my actual OBGYN apt where she will review the results. I pray he is growing and looking healthy!

Guess that's all for this week! 35 weeks down, 35 days to go!!

Penny is loving the new baby gear!

Caught Izzy in the crib this morning! I knew she was sneaking in the nursery!!

Don't worry, bedding will be rewashed and she won't be allowed in the crib when he actually is using it!

34 Weeks Pregnant! (1.28.14)

2014-01-31T10:34:00.001-08:00

24 weeks! 6 more to go! CRAZY! I thought it would slow down this final trimester but it has really flown by! (I'm sure the last few weeks will be the slowest tho haha)

Not much to report in terms of symptoms.. more of the same! Braxton Hicks contractions have become more uncomfortable -they take my breath away! I've been feeling tiiiiired and sore and just BIG!

There is some GOOD news this week.. baby Noah is no longer BREECH! He is head down! :) I was shocked! week 34 was the magical week I guess! I have been noticing a lot more movement but I didn't think he turned! I know there is still plenty of time for him to turn again, but I have my fingers crossed he will stay head down! It's reassuring to know he can at least get into the right position :)

I started NST (non stress testing) this week, where they check amniotic fluid (which was good) and also monitor the baby and me (heart rates, movement, etc.) It was a little nerve wracking at first because I didn't know what to expect being all hooked up (pulse, blood pressure, and 2 machines on my belly), but it's easy. I go in twice a week to be monitored and I have to push a button every time I feel him move. It's fascinating to hear his lil heart beat going and getting faster with each movement I feel! So far everything has been looking great! Hoping it stays this way! My blood pressure has also been good, which is a relief!! That was the main reason I am in all this high risk testing... just in case! It's reassuring to me to know he is doing well, so I can't complain about the extra trips to see the doctor!

I have another growth ultrasound scheduled for Feb 10th and my 36 week check up with my doctor on the 12th so she can review the results with me! Til them just more NST (2x a week)

His nursery is ALMOST done! I just want to organize and set up a couple more things and then I will have some photos and a tour that I will likely post on my YouTube channel.

I also had my baby shower this past weekend and it was AMAZING! I will write up a separate post and include some pictures!

33 Weeks! (1.21.14)

2014-01-24T05:07:00.002-08:00

I am having a lot more trouble sleeping.. guess I should start to get used to that right?! haha...

Nothing too new this week other than the usual... I am so ready for him to be here at this point! Some of my friends who are also pregnant have been having their babies or will very soon and I am so jealous! I wish he was here too... but at the same time I hope he waits a few more weeks and gets stronger and bigger in the meantime :)

My last growth scan showed his weight was approx 4.321 lbs (I know these are rough estimates, but I thought it was a fun number hah).. and this was at roughly 32 weeks making him in the 46th percentile for his size? So he is right on track and looking good according to the doctor! He is still BREECH tho! Ahhhhh! stubborn lil baby! I wish he'd turn! I keep looking up spinning babies tricks to try and my cousin gave me some great tips too (she's a doula).. but no luck yet! I know there is still some time, and I am not really worrying about it too much, just still hoping he will finally turn!

My baby shower is this weekend! I am SO excited :) I had dreams that no one showed up and that my sister only served flan (which sorry, but I hate) haha.. I have a feeling it won't be quite the same!

My sister and mom are throwing it, which I couldn't be more thankful for! I know it will be so special! I also am grateful that it will be 75 degrees and beautiful! Apparently next weekend it is supposed to rain, so this weekend is really going to be perfect! I'll be sure to do a shower update and put some pics :)

I wanted to help as much as I could, so they had me get the invitations and make prizes/favors. I had so much fun putting everything together! I can't wait til my little sister gets married and has babies so I can return the favor and throw her all these fun parties :). I don't know what it is, but I just love love love the details and the themes and just making everything cute!

I have 3 doctor's appointments next week so I'm sure I will have more to update then! Due to higher blood pressure my doctor has ordered non-stress tests just to keep an eye on things! Dang this baby is going crazy right now! Sometimes he really is having a party in there!!!

I'm going to post a baby shower update and then a nursery tour most likely next week too! Just a few more weeks and I want to try and have everything as ready as it can be :)

Here are a few shots from our maternity photo shoot! I love my friend and how amazingly talented she is!!! We went to our wedding venue to have them taken and it was so special to capture these moments there!

We love lil Noah so much already! I never imagined how much joy this pregnancy would bring us!