End of Quarantine

Today was officially my last day of working from home.  After 9 weeks of working in the middle of my living room, I will be reporting back to the office starting on Tuesday next week. This is only possible as Declan is going back to preschool starting on Tuesday and I have to say it is all very bittersweet.
At times it's been extremely hard to work from home.  Some days I couldn't concentrate and just wanted to do something fun with my son.  Other days, I put my headphones in and went to town with little to no distraction as was able to get twice as much work done as I would have in the office and other days, was a combination of work craziness and home craziness.  I wouldn't change anything about the last 9 weeks...well, maybe besides my level of patience and cutting myself a break when I felt like I was failing at everything.
But, the silver lining is that I got to spend more time with my son and watch him grow up so much! Each day he's learning and absorbing more and more and I'm just so happy I got to be a part of it every day.  I loved having him come up to me while I've been working and hugging me and saying "mama work" or making animal noises at me.  I loved hearing about the tractors and lawnmowers he saw while out on his daily walk and checking in on him while he napped.  I've loved getting the extra time with him on my furlough days and while we haven't had any extravagant plans, we've been able take walks or play in the rocks or stop by Nana and Papa's to check on the construction progress at their new house.

One thing I'm really proud to have done during this quarantine is a project at my mom and Michael's new house.  My mom wanted ship lap in her bathroom and I thought it would be fun to help make it happen.  I bought the ship lap supplies from Home Depot (Michael picked it up curbside) and helped Michael install it one afternoon when I was off of work.  I learned how to use a nail gun and how to install ship lap properly.

I'm a bit nervous to go back to work in the office. It reminds me of how I felt when my Maternity Leave was over and I had to drop Declan off at school for the first time. This time will be a bit different though as there still are health and safety precautions the school will be taking to ensure the kids stay safe so I'll be unable to come in and spend extra time with him when I drop him off.  I'm sure it will be harder on me than on him but I can't help but worry a bit.  I plan on getting as many extra cuddles as he will allow over this long weekend.

Mother's Day Recap

Another week home during self-quarantine and we're getting by.  Today has been another furlough day for me and besides answering a few emails, I'm trying to stay off of my work computer and enjoy the warmer weather with my boy. (He's napping right now so I thought it would be good to update the blog.)

We celebrated Mother's Day this past Sunday and even though we weren't able to go out like we have in years past, we had a good day.  D and my step-dad planned and made me and my mom brunch.  We had a variety of breakfast treats and a few drinks to enjoy the day.  I was also able to take a much needed nap while Declan napped.  Mama naps are few and far between as there always seems to be something that needs to done here at home so it was very nice to get some extra zzzzz's.

I got some really sweet gifts from Declan, D and my mom and Michael.  Declan even handmade me some picture frames out of shaving cream paint for cute pictures of him and Kinny.

We still haven't really ventured out over the last 8 weeks besides going hiking a few weekends ago but we may start to loosen up a bit so that we can focus on the new normal. Obviously we won't be going all over the place, but I don't know how much longer we can stay cooped up at home without going insane.  The weather is finally looking up so we may just take a few more walks and play outside.  Declan's school is thinking about reopening late May or early June and he will be going back.  He's flourished here at home but I know he needs the social interaction with other toddlers to keep growing. 
When Declan's back in school, I'll head back to the office.  I have realized over these weeks, that I need to be in the office in order to manage my team.  Being offsite for this long is difficult and I've overcompensated by working more, which is not good for my mental health.  I haven't gotten the break I need to remain successful at home and at work since my "office" is in the middle of my living room. 
I know we're facing a "new normal" and I think we're about ready to see what it is all about.

19 months old and no where to go

We're 7 weeks or so into our quarantine and my how different things are.  With the weather getting nicer, we're all getting the itch to go out and do things but we've been pretty strict and have stayed put.

Declan and I did make one trip to the doctor for his 18 month checkup a few weeks ago and while it was a bit scary with everyone in masks and gowns, I was glad we were able to keep up with his schedule and see the doctor.
He's on schedule growth-wise at 25lbs and 32 inches tall and is going to be smarter than his mama in no time.  Even though this has been hard working from home and having him here and on the go, I am very glad to have the extra time with him.  He absorbs everything going on around him and is so smart at such a young age. I truly feel like he's blossomed during these weeks at home.  He's talking up a storm now and some of his favorite words are:
Mama
Dada
Papa
Nana
Hot
Purple
Yellow
Blue
Hi
Bye Bye
Night Night
All Gone
More
Ball
Truck
Uh-oh
Clock
Shark
Bubbles
Tractor
Outside
No
Yeah
Thank You
Cracker
Ipad (we've had to resort to using the iPad for learning, reading and keeping Declan occupied but we've limited this usage)
Poop (we're somewhat happy about this as we hope it leads to potty training!)
And everyday he seems to add more words to his vocabulary.

He can sign "Please", "More", "All Done" and "Thank You" too.

His smile and laugh are infectious and he's become a love bug lately by giving us hugs and kisses.  He also knows when he's doing something wrong and will come over and hug your leg and say "hi" in the sweetest little voice.

In the month of April, my company enforced a 5 day furlough for all employees and they've extended the furlough for May.  These extra days have helped us and allowed me to be more present with Declan during this crazy time.  Sure, my patience is tested on a daily basis....who's wouldn't be with a toddler, but I'm lucky to be working from home and able to see Declan's growth through all of the uncertainty.

Decorating Cookies with Mom

Cheese!

Learning Trucking Sales with Dad

Mom's Accounting Assistant -- he looks thrilled, right?!?

Pandemic update

Things continue to change by the minute here and we went from a halfway normal life to nothing being normal is a span of a few days. Monday I went to work and again warned my team about social distancing and being aware of the seriousness of what is happening worldwide.  We postponed meetings and started a lot more texting, emailing and phone calls rather than in person contact.  By mid-morning on Monday, my boss informed me that we would be sending people home with computers to more effectively social distance ourselves from each other.  By 4:30 Monday afternoon, I was packing up my desktop computer and monitors and necessary files in order to work from home for an undetermined period of time.

D had already been working from home for week and had commandeered our office in the basement so I set up shop in our living room using a utility table we bought to use for gatherings at home.  Declan usually has a small play area in the living room that had to be relocated to the basement for the time being. Here's my current "work from home" setup.

Tuesday morning I started work similar to the same way I work when I'm in the office.  Throughout the day, I was notified that more of my staff and my boss had also been ordered to work from home and they would all start the transition over the next few days.  Of course, we still need people in the office so only half of my team would be working offsite.
I really have been productive working from home. It is way different considering I'm so used to interacting with my employees, other departments and management in person but I'm finding ways to make this work.  I know for sure I'm home for at least one more week but we'll see what our Executive Management team decides beyond that.

Even with D and I working at home, we tried to keep Declan's schedule the same as it has been. He loves school and we want him to be able to interact with his friends and teachers, so we kept him enrolled.  We found out Thursday afternoon that school would be closing for an indefinite amount of time starting this Monday. I love my son dearly but being a toddler now that I have to keep eyes on him 99.9% of the time and he doesn't know to sit in one place for longer than 1 minute, so we've had to figure what we're going to do to keep him busy at home until the pandemic subsides. I'm so lucky we've got my mom as she's offered to watch him for us.  My mom has also been quarantined at home so we feel safe having her come out and watch him until everything gets back to somewhat normal.

Our lives have truly changed over the past few weeks.  I never thought I'd be one to use home delivery for much of anything and now we've found ourselves using Instacart to buy our groceries and using the occasional drive through for a quick meal out.  Last night D and I had date night in and played Uno once we got Declan to bed.  Unfortunately for me, I lost 5 out of 6 games even after Dustin said he didn't even remember how to play when we started. *eyeroll*

The one positive side of all of this is that we've been able to lessen the "go go go" and finally can take a minute to enjoy the calmer side of life.  I don't know what to expect when we're finally out of self-quarantine mode but my hope is that we can still enjoy some down time now and again.

Hope everyone is staying safe and remember to wash your hands!

Quarantine and Self-Distancing

Who would have thought we'd be in lock down mode at this point of 2020? Definitely not me and honestly this is all a bit frightening as this pandemic grows.

As of right now, both my job and D's have not shut down but we don't know what to expect over the next week as the surrounding cities and counties have enacted "stay home" orders.  Unfortunately for us with both of our positions in the transportation industry, trucking to be specific, we are considered essential and will probably continue pushing through each day until given orders to stay put.  Thankfully through all of this, Declan's preschool has not shut down but they have put strict precautions into place to keep everyone there safe in the meantime.  I will say the "mom guilt" is setting in and I just want to be able to be with him and protect him throughout all of this unknown but I am grateful that his preschool is trying to keep a sense of normalcy for him and the other kiddos still attending.

Before we started focusing on quarantining, we had a pretty busy weekend schedule.  Declan started swim lessons at the end of February (now on hold) and we found out he wasn't as thrilled with the pool as he is with the bathtub.  He had 3 lessons before it shut down and finally by week 3, he seemed to be getting the hang of it and only cried for a few minutes rather than during the entire 40 minute class.  My guess is that we will start over once life gets back to normal and hopefully he will do better the second time and like swimming in the pool this summer.

We've also been trying to lend a hand to my mom and Michael as they continue to build their house out by us.  Taping, mudding and sanding drywall and lending a hand wherever needed so that they can get moved out here sooner.  We are looking forward to when they are just a few miles from us, which hopefully will be a few months from now.

With everything else cancelled and limited options for going out as the weather has not cooperated, we've spent a lot of time home in the basement playing hockey, driving Declan around in his cozy coupe and "fixing" everything with Declan's tool bench and tools.

Hopefully everyone will listen to the guidelines set by the officials and we can get back to normal soon enough. Stay safe out there!

This is 37

Today is my 37th birthday!  I'm off of work today celebrating, actually, no I'm just home trying to catch up on chores here (and writing a 2nd blog post for 2020!).

I wasn't planning to taking the day off but it's one of the perks of having 10 years of service in at my company -- you get your birthday off of work.
It was up in the air until yesterday if I was even going to get the day off.  We have our auditors in this week reviewing financials for 2019 and of course, my birthday would happen to fall during the visit. Thankfully I worked my butt off to get enough done ahead of time and the auditor was confident that I wouldn't be needed today....so here I am.

So what can I say about turning 37 --
I never imagined being at this point in my life.  I started this blog back in 2005 at the age of 22 and had no idea of what was in store for me. I went back and read old posts over the weekend of the birthdays in my 20s -- what a difference life is now.

My 23rd birthday I was a single gal all about going out dancing with my girlfriends from work.

I dreaded my 24th birthday because I thought I was old *eyeroll* and hadn't accomplished enough in my short life.

My 25th birthday was on the heels of being promoted and being happy my car insurance was going down because I hit a milestone being in my mid-20s.

26 was another birthday extravaganza where I spent a lot of time enjoying karaoke and a night out with friends and was excited for a home-cooked pork steak dinner with my family.

10 years I celebrated my 27th birthday and checked off pole dancing lessons from my bucket list.

My 28th birthday was memorable with our girls dinner at Kobe and night out in Westport dancing and celebrating life.

I celebrated my golden (29th) birthday having a blast with both my family and friends with a happy hour and more karaoke and while I was going through one of the harder years of my life, I was glad to have such a great group of friends and family to celebrate with.

In 2013 I turned 30.  I have to say my 30th birthday is one I will soon not forget. My work fam decorated my desk and this was the year I introduced my family to D.  We had been dating about a month and I thought it was the best time for them to get to know him. I remember being nervous that they would grill him but he was so genuine and personable they couldn't help but love him.

My 31st birthday was another memorable one but for all of the wrong reasons. This was the year I was stranded in NOLA because of the ice storm that hit the south.  I remember just wanting to get home after a 1 day work trip turned into 3 days in a city that was shut down because ice just isn't something that happens there. We found a flight out the night of my birthday and my brother graciously picked me up at the airport and we all had a home-cooked dinner and dessert at the loft prepared by Chef D Flay.

For birthday number 32, D again made me dinner and we had gumbo (reliving my 31st birthday in NOLA) and unlike my 20s, this was another low-key birthday at home with D and Kinny.

My 33rd birthday was the first in our new house and I decided to have a fun night out with my coworkers listening to one of my favorite cover bands.

34 hit me that I was starting to get old but I did get my mechanical pencils that I asked for from D.

Birthday #35 will be etched into my mind until I'm no longer on this earth. Just 6 days before my 35th birthday, we had the embryos implanted from our IVF cycle. I was in the middle of my two week wait praying that I would be pregnant. I remember going out to lunch with my family and celebrating but not being able to tell them about all of the stuff (stims, retrieval, implantation) we had gone through in the month of January and hoping that we could tell them in 13 weeks that we were having a baby.

My 36th birthday passed in a blur. It was 4 short weeks after going back to work full time after maternity leave. I was either sleep deprived or in over my head at work (or both!). Looking back at Declan's first year calendar, I do know that D had to take off of work and take Declan to the doctor as daycare illnesses started setting in.

And that brings us back up to today -- at 37, I am married, living in the 'burbs with my husband, almost 16 month old son and 12 year old kitty. Unlike my 23/24 year old self, I do know I've accomplished a lot in my life. Right now, I'm a successful Senior Accountant with a future ahead of her.  I've managed to move up with hard work, perseverance and dedication.

I may not always be the best wife, but I try my hardest to support my husband in all of his endeavors and try to keep my nagging down to a minimum.
As a mom, I'm learning every single day what it takes to raise a smart, caring, successful son. I know he doesn't quite understand but everything I do each day is out of love and to make his life better.

At 37, I know now I don't have to be the best at everything in life but I will always give what I can for those who mean the most to me. I've realized what is important and what can wait until tomorrow. I'm trying hard to live in the moment and enjoy the little things life has to offer. I have no crazy bucket list I need to complete just taking life and experiences as they come.

So here's to 37 -- I hope I can make it my best year yet.

Time to Dust Off the Blog

One whole post in 2019, what a slacker I am.  Actually, I'm just a tired mama with a lot on her plate, but I can say, we're all thriving.  My baby boy is growing by the minute and is the best little guy. At 15.5 months, he's walking and always on the go and giving mama a run for her money all the time.

So let's see....I'll try to give the Cliff Notes version of the last 8 months.

After Mother's Day, Declan went to his first Cardinals baseball game and we celebrated the Blues winning the Stanley Cup and attended the Championship Parade as a family on Father's Day weekend.  My brother also got married in June so there was an abundance of excitement throughout the month.

In August, Dustin and I celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary while on our family vacation to the Upper Peninsula. Declan got to experience the Soo Locks for the first time and see the Point Iroquois Lighthouse.

In September, we went apple picking and started planning Declan's 1st Birthday Party.  It was the first and maybe only time I tried to be the "Pinterest Mom."  We planned a St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup Championship party and it was a huge success!  We invited our immediate family and planned it for a day the Blues had a game so everyone could wear their Blues gear.  It was really symbolic for us to have this party for 2 reasons -- 1) I went into labor opening night of the 2018-2019 season and 2) the Blues won the Stanley Cup for the first time ever.  For me, it had an extra special meaning. Declan is such a special boy and he is definitely loved by everyone!

Declan officially finished taking bottles at his first birthday too.  It's was so hard to believe that this little guy was considered a toddler and we transitioned to food and regular milk 100% of the time.

Later in October, Declan celebrated Halloween with Kinny.  Both went as pumpkins and they were the cutest pumpkins around. It was a brutally cold night so he and Dustin only visited a few of our closer neighbors but he also got to go to a Trunk or Treat at my work earlier in the month so he didn't totally miss out on the Halloween experience.

In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving.  Declan has the cutest Thanksgiving Feast at school one afternoon and Dustin and I were lucky enough to attend with him.  Also, as his shirt suggests, he was all about the pie!  :)  Dustin took Declan Black Friday shopping as I had to work and they had a lot of fun hanging out.  Dustin even splurged for breakfast before shopping and that probably was Declan's favorite part of the day.

December brought the first snow of the season along with the holidays and a lot of travel for us.  We visited everyone in Michigan and also had multiple Christmases here at home.  Declan also met Santa at Breakfast with Santa at his school and we're happy to say he did not cry when meeting the jolly old man.

At the end of December, I officially lost my baby to the toddler years when Declan got his first haircut and let's just say there were a lot of tears from both Declan and mommy. Declan didn't want to sit in the chair and get his hair cut and mommy saw her baby grow up in a blink of an eye.

So far the New Year has been unbelievably busy for us.  I'm in my extremely busy time at work so juggling parenting, home life and work has been a whirlwind. We're surviving but we're taking advantage of a few minutes of downtime when we can.

I celebrated my 10 year anniversary at work (prior service and current service) last week and was celebrated by our Owner and VPs.  It was nice to hear their comments about my role in the Company.  I went to dinner at a REALLY fancy restaurant with them and our Director of Operations that evening and was given some promising news about my future. I hope I can continue to impress them and be successful in my position while trying to be the best mom and wife I can be.

That Cliff Notes version actually was pretty long!  As I continue to juggle what life throws as me, I hope to be able to update more regularly, but I won't make any promises so I'll just say...until next time!

My First Mother's Day

I know it's been forever since I've updated and life has passed us in a blur over these last 5 months!  My sweet little boy is now 7 months old and growing up too fast for my liking. Every day I think back to how small he was and it's so hard to believe just how far we've come.

So over the last 5 months, Declan has:
- Started school
- Started solid food
- Learned to roll over
- Gone to his first Blues hockey game
- Celebrated Easter and met the Easter Bunny
- Started sitting up on his own
- Spent a whole weekend without Mommy

And I'm sure there is so much more I'm missing!

Yesterday, I celebrated my first Mother's Day and it was truly an emotional day for me. Exactly one year ago (05/12/18), I felt Declan kick for the first time.  This year I got to hold my boy and celebrate how lucky I am to be his mama.
We had a great day! I made french toast for breakfast and then cuddled with my little guy while he napped. We had a late lunch with my mom and Michael at this cute little pizza place in Cottleville and stopped at Home Depot for potting soil so we could plant the new perennials I got for Mother's Day. Afterwards, we came back to our house, planted the flowers and had cupcakes and overall just enjoyed the afternoon and the time together.

I got the cutest gift ever from Declan. At school they helped him with painting his hand prints on a canvas and added a picture of him. It was the sweetest gift I could have gotten and he was so proud to give it to me. I also got a chocolate bar and a cute card.

I had to get a picture of us to celebrate the day too.

I just love this boy so much! He's the sweetest, happiest little guy! Along with the flowers, my mom and Michael got me a bracelet with the coordinates of the exact location where Declan was born. I truly feel blessed and I'm so grateful for my family.

Speaking of which, we're happy to announce that my mom and Michael will be moving closer to us. About a month ago they closed on a house about 3 miles from us. It's a fixer upper that needs ALOT of work but hopefully by the end of the year they will be moved in and we'll get to spend more time with them. I was so lucky to have my grandparents close by growing up and I'm so glad Declan will be able to do the same.

Merry Christmas!!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

A few weeks ago we took Declan to visit Santa and it was so adorable! Santa knows he's been a good boy this year and is on the nice list.

After a week of traveling to Michigan to celebrate the holidays, we are celebrating at home today with a low key dinner. Declan is not quite old enough to understand the wonder and magic of Christmas so we will just enjoy our time together. We hope you have a wonderful holiday however you celebrate.

Ten weeks!!!

It is beyond hard to believe my little boy is already 10 weeks old! I'm pinching myself daily at how lucky I am and I'm enjoying every minute of watching him grow!

He had his two month check up last week and he's a healthy boy!
Here are his stats:
Weight - 11 lbs 13.6 oz (37%)
Length - 23.75 in (81%)
Head circumference - 38.9 cm (41%)

We did have a minor scare when his pediatrician thought she heard a hip click and sent us to the Children's Hospital for a hip ultrasound. A hip click could be the sign of hip displaysia and this mom went crazy thinking about it. Thankfully after the ultrasound on Wednesday we were told that Declan is growing perfectly and he doesn't have any hip issues. It was such a relief!!

This week Declan has also started mostly sleeping through the night. While getting him to nap during the daytime has been quite a task (the boy is too busy to nap!), at night he's sleeping between 6 and 8 hours at once. It's been great at nighttime but D and I are still waking up to check on him multiple times because we are *those* parents. He's going to think we're so lame when he gets older. :)

Mom, you're so lame!

Last night we had my company Christmas party. D and I attended and got to catch up with quite a few of my coworkers. Seems like there are many people awaiting my comeback and honestly I am looking forward to jumping back in 3 weeks from now. I never knew how much I'd miss my responsibilities and my role at work. I had a meeting with my bosses last week and told them I'd be back on January 3rd and they want me to take back on the responsibility of managing our entire department again. While it was extremely stressful early in my pregnancy, I'm up for the challenge now and can't wait to make a difference at work again.

Besides that, we're just getting ready for Christmas. I've finished all of the shopping and just need to finish wrapping the last few gifts. We've got multiple family gatherings to get ready for but it will be an exciting time for us celebrating with our little miracle!

I can never get enough of this smile!

Almost six weeks!!!

I completely missed out on a 4 weeks/one month post but we've had a lot going on and I've spent no time near a computer over the last few weeks. Who knew such a little person could keep me on my toes nearly 24 hours a day?!?
In any case, we're all doing well and I'm happy to report that Kinny is finally starting to become more comfortable around her brother. I think she realizes now he's not a toy and he's here to stay. She's become more protective around him and every so often will let me know when he needs something by finding me and meowing quite loudly until I stop what I'm doing to go check on him. She also sits by him intently when he's playing on his play mat each day.

Speaking of the play mat, this is Declan's absolute favorite toy right now. He loves the lights and music and has a blast swinging his arms and kicking his legs. Our days are spent with quite a bit of time on the mat, along with listening to other tunes and reading.
We've not ventured out a whole lot due to the ugly cold weather we've experienced along with the fact that we're heading into flu season but we did take a trip to visit daycare centers and to PetSmart to shop for Kinny and also doctor's appointments for both Declan and Mommy. After contacting multiple daycare and learning centers for availability we finally registered Declan at a great facility. He won't start until I go back to work in January but I'm glad we've got him locked in. I had no idea it would be so difficult to find a spot for him. Our area is so populated that out of the 10 places we contacted only 2 had spots in January. One place even told me they wouldn't have any openings until November 2019! With that I just laughed....I guess I should have checked into daycare centers before I was even pregnant!
Declan had his one month checkup and is growing like crazy!
His one month stats:
Weight - 8 lbs 14.6 oz (22%)
Length - 22.75 inches (94%)
Head circumference - 36.75 cm (32%)

I went to the doctor for my postpartum checkup and have healed since childbirth. I've been cleared to get back to my regular workouts (yes!) and the doctor even suggested I have the occasional beer in order to help my milk production. Crazy that I need to drink in order to breastfeed but I've struggled with my milk production and beer seems to help increase it. I'm still hoping I am able to get my supply up before I head back to work. I'm also working diligently to get off the last 11 lbs I gained while pregnant.

Speaking more about the weather, we've had a strange fall so far. We've had a couple of small snows this November and today takes the cake. We have about 6 inches on the ground as I type this with more coming. It's enough snow that Daddy took a "snow day" and is working from home in his office. While Declan isn't old enough to appreciate a snow day, we're going to take a few pics inside with the snow behind him later on to note the occasion. He does look adorably cute in his hat and mittens!

Other than that, we're getting ready for Thanksgiving and decorating the house for Christmas. I'm so excited to share the holidays with our sweet bundle of joy!

Three Weeks!!

Declan turned three weeks old yesterday and I keep thinking to myself, how is this little boy three weeks old already!?! He's so sweet and so lovable and just melts my heart every single day. We had his two week old checkup on Monday and it was the first time Declan and I attempted an outing by ourselves. I may have driven like an old lady going to and from the pediatrician but we made it with no issues. At our visit, Declan was still underweight and hadn't gotten back to his birth weight so the doctor suggested more feedings and more ounces of formula and a follow up visit for Friday.

It was a bit disheartening that my little guy still hadn't gotten back up to birth weight. I've tried very hard to breastfeed and it still wasn't enough to help put the pounds on our boy. Even in my few short weeks as a mom, I want to do everything I can for my son. I haven't given up breastfeeding but I know now that he needs more than just me so I'm pumping as I can and feeding mostly formula bottles and then breast milk when I get enough pumped out. Thankfully, my pediatrician has been extremely helpful and supportive which has made me feel like less of a breastfeeding failure. I'm also still keeping out hope that my supply will pick up with eating more calories and drinking more water. Breastfeeding is best according to the experts and I agree, but I also had to accept that I have to do whatever it takes to make sure my baby thrives and sometimes that means more than just breastfeeding.

We had our follow up pediatrician appointment on Friday morning and I'm happy to report that Declan finally got over the hump and got back to his birth weight and then some! Declan weighed 7 lbs 7.8 oz on Friday morning and that was even with a few urgent diaper changes at the doctor's office. Other than the weight issue, he's a perfectly happy and healthy little boy, which makes me so happy! Our next appointment will be for his one month checkup.

Thursday evening D's mom and step-dad came to town to visit and meet Declan. They are staying through the weekend and have helped us with a few unexpected things that have popped up around our house. Tonight my mom and step-dad are coming out and we're having a dinner here at our house. I was lucky to have everyone here yesterday so that I could also get out to grocery shop without having to take Declan out in the cold, rainy weather.

Other than that, our week was filled with playing on the new play mat we set up, reading books, listening to music and taking some much needed naps.

Two Weeks!!

Declan is two weeks old today and an absolute joy!! I know I can't say it enough but I am so in love with this little boy! I don't know where the last two weeks have gone but time needs to slow down so I can savor all of these sweet moments with my baby a bit more!

This week, he's taken a greater interest in breastfeeding and has latched better with each passing day. We're still supplementing with formula here and there but not as much as we had to the first week.

We were a bit nervous with his umbilical cord stub which was just handing and smelling pretty foul so we ended up going back to the pediatrician on Saturday. Thankfully, everything was fine and it was normal and the doctor ended up removing it to let his belly button heal. Declan had his first bath on Sunday evening, which lasted all of 30 seconds because he absolutely hated it but it was another milestone for our little guy. We'll have to work on getting him to like the water!

This week was also the week that D went back to work and Declan and I have started to settle into a little bit of a routine. We're not completely set yet but we're starting somewhere. On Sunday, Kathy and Nicole visited and brought us a bunch of meals Steve made for us. We had my mom over for a few hours on Tuesday, Kahla came to spend Thursday and a good part of today with us and my dad also visited for a few hours this afternoon. Everyone just loves this boy so much and we're so lucky to have everyone visiting and helping us.

Declan and I have been bonding all week and along with napping and eating, we've been reading books, listening to music and starting to work on Declan's baby book.

I also started working out this week and while I've been out of the gym for almost two weeks, it was good to get back in there and do something. I haven't been cleared for much (no heavy weights, extensive cardio, etc) but I decided to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes just to help me get back into shape. It was a bit rough but I'm hopeful I'll be back on track soon!

Today we took Kinny to the vet for her two week checkup since she's been out of quarantine. She had her levels checked again and we are so grateful that everything came back normal on her Renal Panel. We're still waiting for the T4 results which should be back in a few days but at least her heart, electrolytes, temperature are back to normal. She's also gained a pound since her Labor Day visit to our family vet, which is also promising for the Radiocat Iodine I-131 treatment.

This weekend we do not have much planned, probably just taking it easy and staying around the house. I'm still a bit hesitant to take Declan out with the weather not super warm and heading into flu season. While I've had my flu shot and D getting his next week, Declan can't get his until he's at least 6 months old and this mama is a bit nervous of her baby catching something and getting sick. Also, we have D's mom and step-dad coming to town next week and we should be getting the house ready for their visit.

Here are a few pics from our week:

Kinny helping her dad care for her little brother.

One Week!!!

Our little boy is one week old today and it is so hard to believe.  I keep thinking back to last week and all of the pain and pressure I faced through labor and delivery and you know what....it was all so worth it!!!
I am absolutely in love with this little guy!  He's brought so much joy and happiness to us in such a short amount of time. Since coming home Sunday evening, we're starting to settle in at home. Sunday night my dad and step-mom stayed with us. They picked up dinner for us and helped us unload all of our hospital goodies at home.
Monday we had an appointment with the pediatrician. While our boy is perfect, he did end up losing more weight from his birth weight (down from 7 lbs 3 oz to 6 lbs 13 oz to 6 lbs 6 oz) and our pediatrician suggested supplementing his feedings with formula. We started that with each feeding and were then told to follow up with another appointment to check his weight on Tuesday.

My mom came out to help and stay with us on Monday and most of Tuesday. It was really good to have her here to help. With being in the hospital last weekend we were behind on laundry and cleaning and she jumped in to help with those chores and also help us with taking care of Declan. She also went with us to the follow up pediatrician appointment and thankfully Declan gained a bit of weight back (up to 6 lbs 10.8 oz). After the appointment, we took Declan out for pizza. Ok, not so much pizza for him but it was lunchtime and there was a Mod Pizza close by so we stopped for lunch. He was so good sitting in his carrier and just looking around and occasionally dozing off.

Wednesday we just stayed home and tried to enjoy a family day together, catching up on rest when we could and decompressing after an eventful few days.
Thursday we had a day similar to Wednesday but we did have a few visitors in the evening. One of my friends and her boyfriend stopped by to see us and drop off one of the cutest outfits I've ever seen. It was nice to get to catch up and show off our pride and joy. Similar to last Thursday night we watched the Blues game and I reminisced about the week before and the "gush" that started it all. What was even funnier is that at about the same time I felt my amniotic sac rupture last week, I had another "gush" this week. This time, I knew for sure it wasn't me, but I had a little fella on my lap that somehow peed outside of his diaper and it landed all on his mama. I had to laugh and it was such a full circle moment for me.
Today we had another fairly low key day. D took my FMLA and Disability paperwork back to work and my mom came out again to help us. D and I were both in need of some sleep so she watched our sweet boy and let us both take some time to nap. I've been used to getting up multiple times during the middle of the night during my pregnancy so it's not been as hard to get used to getting up every few hours to feed Declan but I did need a couple of hours to get back to feeling a bit more normal.

We don't have a whole lot planned for this weekend. More of just getting used to our new normal and enjoying family time together before D goes back to work on Tuesday.

Right now a few tidbits about our little guy at one week old:
- Declan loves to sleep. If given the choice to wake up and eat or stay sleeping, Declan would choose sleep.
- Declan is a night owl, just like his daddy.
- Declan hates having his arms swaddled and finds a way to get his arms loose and out of the swaddle every time.
- Declan has a strong grip and will hold is own pacifier if you're not holding it exactly the way he wants it.

We're just so in love with our miracle and are ecstatic that he is here.

Just going for a ride to the pediatrician

Kinny wondering why we turned her brother into a purrito.

Kinny babysitting her little brother

He's Here!!!

My induction was scheduled for this evening but we won't be keeping that appointment. Declan decided to make his entrance into the world on Friday night at 11:40 pm after 6 or so hours of labor.  While my labor was considered short, it was extremely eventful and a truly emotional experience.

So, let's start at the beginning.....I had my last doctor's appointment and ultrasound on Wednesday afternoon. At the ultrasound Declan passed all of the biophysical profile requirements and was right on target for his gestational age of 38 weeks and 6 days. We didn't get any ultrasound pics because he was so low in my pelvis and most of the pics would be mostly unidentifiable. The ultrasound tech told us that while we didn't get any pics, we'd see our boy soon enough since I really only had 8 days until my due date. After my ultrasound, I saw my doctor and she did a cervical check and determined I was still 1 cm dilated but I was nearly completely thinned out. My belly was measuring 39 weeks, which was also on track. We talked about my scheduled induction and went over a few things before leaving the office. The last thing my doctor said to me before leaving the room was that if Declan decided to come early, she was on call all weekend at the hospital and would be the one delivering Declan.  I just laughed it off and told her I'd see her at my induction.

Thursday started out like any other day and weeknight. We got home from work and D and I went to workout for 30 or so minutes. After our workout we made dinner and sat down to watch the Blues season opening game. We talked about the upcoming weekend and were planning one last date night on Saturday before Declan's arrival.  Our date night was going to consist of dinner at Olive Garden because I was craving soup and salad and D wanted the never ending pasta bowl....I know, we're wild and crazy! Around 9:30 pm, as we were watching the 3rd period of the Blues game, I felt a gush of something.  I thought I accidentally went to the bathroom on myself and ran down the hall to take care of that. It was a strange feeling but I didn't think my water broke.  I spent another 15-20 minutes in both bathrooms dealing with a few more gushes. I just thought it was my mucous plug and decided to just put on a sanitary pad and head to bed for the night.

I got up multiple times during the night and was soaked each time I got up. It was starting worry me some but I wasn't sure what to expect so I tried to research it a bit in the middle of the night.  Still not convinced it was my bag of water, I got up the next morning, showered and went to work, still feeling the small gushes every 20-30 minutes.

I had quite a bit to work to finish up and a conference call with our biggest customer but still wasn't feeling 100% right. I thought about coming home in the afternoon and just trying to take it easy but D convinced me to call the doctor to see if I needed to come in, in case it was something major. I called the doctor's office at lunchtime and they told me given the fact I was 39 weeks and 1 day along, I should probably go to Labor and Delivery to be checked out, so I sent a quick email to my boss to let him know I was leaving for the day and off to the hospital I went.

They set me up in Triage, put the monitors on me and started a few tests to determine if I was leaking amniotic fluid or if it was just mucous.  After 3 hours in Triage, they determine I had a ruptured amniotic sac and I was going to be admitted into the hospital and I would be having a baby sooner rather than later!

I was moved to a room around 4 pm on Friday where they hooked me back up to monitors and started my IV of fluids.  Around 4:30 pm, they started the Pitocin and we were off! I texted all of my family to let them know what was going on and everyone was crazy excited. My mom, step-dad, dad and step-mom all started heading toward the hospital to be there for support.

Each half an hour they increased my Pitocin and I was feeling alright and my contractions were bearable until around 8:30 pm. At that point, I hit a wall and my contractions became super strong. I asked for my epidural and was set to get it when all hell broke loose in Labor and Delivery and the Anesthesiologists headed towards the OR for other emergency C-sections. I was still only dilated to 1 cm but the contractions were extremely intense and the nurses explained that I'd get my epidural as soon as everything slowed down. Unfortunately things did not slow down in Labor and Delivery for quite some time and at 10 pm, I still hadn't received my epidural and I felt like I was dying from the pain of the contractions. At that point, they again checked to see how dilated I was, which was still 1 cm so they offered me an IV pain medication, Stadol. This made me extremely tired when I wasn't in the middle of a contraction but it did help take the edge off and allowed me to rest. Around 10:30 pm, the Anesthesiologist finally arrived to administer my epidural. I was in such pain that it made it difficult to sit still for them to insert the catheter into my back and I had to rely heavily on the nurses as they made my family leave the room.  About 10:45 pm, they finally had the epidural set.  I was hoping this would be the answers to my laboring prayers but unfortunately it was too little too late for me.  I, somehow, went from 1 cm to 10 cm in less than an hour and once I hit 10, it was time for me to push. The epidural did not have time to work through my system and I virtually had to deliver via a natural birth.  At 11 pm, I started pushing and began the final descent into motherhood.  It was an unbelievable amount of pain and pressure and with each contraction and push, I felt weaker and weaker and just wanted for it all to be over. Between breathing, pushing, resting, breathing, pushing, resting, I was exhausted. I remember yelling at one point, "just get him out of me!"

At 11:40 pm after only 40 minutes of pushing, Declan James arrived weighing 7 lbs 3 ozs and measuring 20 inches long.

I have never felt such happiness and joy and it was an unbelievable miracle! They laid him on my chest as soon as he was born for immediate skin to skin and I couldn't stop crying. I was so overjoyed and couldn't believe that after 9 months, I finally had my baby boy! It truly was the most amazing experience I've ever faced even if it was scary and quite painful.

We spent a good part of Saturday being checked out by the doctors and trying to get acclimated to our new life. The hospital completed his assessments late Saturday night as soon as Declan was 24 hours old and he passed with flying colors. Sunday was much of the same and we were released around 4:30 that afternoon to head home and start our new life together as a family.

We're slowly adjusting to life with a newborn but I can tell you, I have never felt this much love for a human being. He's the most perfect, sweetest little boy and I'm so happy to have him here with us. I pinch myself daily at how lucky I am to be able to be this little guy's mama and I can't wait to see what our future holds.

Baby R -- week 38 update and our quarantined Kinny

In less than 2 weeks we will be meeting our little boy!  It is so hard to believe that one year ago we were trying to figure out what we were going to do when we found out from the fertility doc that I had very few follicles and ultimately was diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve.  I still am pinching myself with how lucky I've been throughout these 9 months and I'm so glad we made the decision to pursue IVF even if it was a scary thought at first.

So what's been up the last two weeks....
Kinny had her Radiocat Iodine I-131 treatment and came through like a champ. She's been quarantined in our guest bedroom and we've had very little interaction with her. It's been hard but I know that it is best and she's on the road to recovery. We'll take her back to the vet on Thursday to have a 2 week Geiger check and then she'll have to see her regular vet in 2 more weeks for T4 bloodwork and renal panels.  She's been eating and taking her meds and overall seems to be back to normal. *fingers crossed*

As for baby Declan, I had my 37 week appointment on Wednesday, September 19th and we had an ultrasound scheduled along with my normal prenatal appointment to check on his weight and stats. Having gone through IVF and being of Advanced Maternal Age, my doctor wanted to make sure everything was on track. The ultrasound went well as did the Biophysical profile. Declan's estimated weight was 6 lbs 2 ounces and he was mostly on track for all of his measurements.
I was only scheduled to have the ultrasound at noon and then was supposed to come back at 5 pm for my actual prenatal appointment but the doctor was able to fit me in before I had to head back to work.  Everything seemed fine with the ultrasound and the appointment but after I left, the doctor reviewed all of the results and saw Declan's heartbeat all over the place from the multiple times they checked it and as I was on my way back to work, she called and ordered me to go to the hospital for a Non-Stress test to ensure the baby wasn't in distress. Let me tell you, that was one of the scariest calls I've endured. I turned my car around and headed to the hospital where they hooked me up to monitor the baby's heartbeat for 30 minutes. Thankfully Declan's heartbeat settled and was as perfect as it could be according to the L&D nurse taking care of me. Turns out that my lack of eating most likely caused the erratic heartbeats. Work was absolutely insane that day and I missed out on my morning snack and then had to leave for the doctor at lunchtime so I hadn't eaten since 6:30 in the morning. I learned my lesson and I've been making sure that no matter how busy it is, I need to take the time to eat my snacks and lunch on time so that we do not have any problems these last few weeks.  It also helps that the Ultrasound tech was able to change my remaining ultrasounds to 4:30 pm rather than at lunchtime.

On Friday, September 21st, D's office threw him a surprise baby shower in the office and I was lucky enough to get to join in on the surprise.  We got so many great gifts from all of his co-workers and they had a cute cupcake cake for us. D was definitely surprised! It was so hard keeping the secret from him because I tell him everything but I am super happy I was able be there for the celebration and not ruin it for him!

This week I had my 38 week appointment and had another ultrasound and prenatal appointment. D was able to go with me this week and see Declan on the ultrasound. My doctor also scheduled my induction date -- October 10th at 6 pm. My doctor expects that I'll come in and get prepped and I'll most likely be in labor for most of the 11th. While I'm a bit anxious about labor and delivery, I'm more worried about taking care of my little boy once we bring him home. In the hospital we will have a crew of nurses helping us and when we get home, we'll have to get acclimated to a newborn and figuring out a schedule that works for all of us.

This past week I also turned in my final work schedule to my boss. My official last day will be the 10th at noon and I'll return on January 3rd. I'm hoping to have everything set at work so that I can take off with little to no issue and enjoy every minute with Declan and Kinny.  Work has been so crazy that I don't know what to expect but I can only hope for the best.

I have one more ultrasound and prenatal appointment scheduled for this upcoming week before the big day!  Hopefully we'll have everything ready in time for D day!