A Whole New World

Angelo- 32 Months

2011-03-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted an entry on Angelo's blog. My 'lil Bubbas is now 32 mos old and it's been an incredible journey from infant to toddler. I can't even believe he'll be 3 yrs old at the end of July this year!

Angelo has been in preschool 2 days a week since September. He's the youngest in his class since his birthday falls in the Summer, but it's been good for him. He's learned so much there. We will have him at this school until Pre-K, which makes me very happy. I've already got him enrolled for the 2011-2012 school year.

Right now we're working on potty tranining. He understands everything about going on the big boy potty, BUT actually going, LOL. One time he has an accident ON the potty and freaked out, but that's been it so far. It is very frustrating. Actually, this has been the only thing I've found to be super challenging with him. Unfortunately, he's a big boy for his age so we have to get a bigger seat since his butt is too big for normal trainer pottys.

Bubs is also going through his "terrible 2's" with screaming and hitting us when he doesn't get his way. Man that sucks, but I was prepped for it. I just hope that 3 will be better, but remember what Halle was like at 3, I'm guessing that it's just wishful thinking on my part. He has a time-out chair and knows the drill when he's being bad.

I'm so proud of my son. He's so smart and his speech is getting clearer every day. He knows all his primary colors and can count to 13 without help. We're working on his ABC's. He associates certain letters with people he knows. For example: A is for Angelo, M is for Mommy, T is for Trenity etc... He says his name clearly now too. Angelo LOVES to color with markers and crayons, but refuses to use the "baby crayons" so now we have to make sure he doesn't lose our school supplies, amongst other things.

Angelo's new nickname is "The Destroyer". This little buddy gets everything sticky or worse. We can't keep anything nice in this house anymore. He's figured out how to start and play the Wii and DVR. If he finds a way to get his hands on our cell phones, he can work those as well. He knows EXACTLY what he's doing too. For example, if he wants to play Mommy's Saber Ultimate, he knows which app to click. He's a climber so us hiding our electronics is out of the questions. All he needs to do is grab a chair and climb. It's been crazy!

Most of the time he follows directions, but I know we're phasing out of it soon. He gets very jealous when the girls are here. If Halle is sitting on my lap he tries to push her off me. We've been working with him on sharing Mommy's time and the stuff around the house. He gets it, but doesn't like it! He does a great job sharing with the kids at school though.

Now that we're getting close to Spring, Dave and I will be training him on his Hot Wheels bike. He rides in the gym at school, but can't seem to get the peddling down like the other boys. He loves being outside and it's been difficult bringing him in the house when he's playing. Big fits occur when we're at the park and it's time to go home.

I'm getting ready to schedule his 2 1/2 yr appointment and then I'll find out his current height and weight. I can tell you he's about 34lbs or so. He now wearts 4T shirts and 3T pants. Halle is small, but he's about 3 inches shorter. I haven't measured her in a while though. Such a big boy!

I have to say that being a mother to this boy has changed me. It's not as difficult as I thought, but I have made so many sacrifices since being single. It's funny how easy it is to completely change your life in order to take care of another full time. I never believed it, but now I feel like I truly have "the mommy gene", not just with Angelo, but with my stepdaughters as well. I guess I was made to be a mother, amongst other things, and I actually love it.

19 Months

2010-03-05T10:44:00.006-05:00

My 'lil Bubs is 19 mos old now. It's been such a wonderful experience for me to see his growth, physically and emotionally. He's such a big boy now. A true toddler, though his features are still so baby like. The picture is his first haircut certificate. That was a great experience.

It's been so crazy around here since Dave and I are preparing to move into a much bigger home. So much to do, but so little time it seems. Our son is everywhere now and getting into everything. Baby gates piss him off and when someone goes outside, even for a moment, he throws a fit because his new thing is going "buh bye". He's connecting much more with Dave these days. Everything is dada. The garage door opens, it must be dada and he runs to greet him. It's actually starting to annoy me a little and now I know how Dave felt when everything was mama. I'll get over it though.

Angelo is very good with commands and complies without a problem, unless we're trying to take something away from him that he's not supposed to play with. We're in a great routine and sometimes I wonder if he's a little robot, LOL. Any time we go "buh bye", he knows to get his coat, shoes, let me put them on and then he runs to the door. He loves zippers and likes to unzip. I'm teaching him to zip his coat up before we go. When we come home I say, "coat off" and he proceeds to take it off and throw it on the floor. Now I'm teaching him to take it off, but give it to me so I can hang it up. He's been doing that for a couple of days now.

His nap schedule is jacked these days, but that's because he's transitioning to being an afternoon napper. Sometimes he'll go down in the morning, but that's not often anymore. He only takes about 2 hour naps. Angelo has been in a toddler bed for 4 months now and is doing great. Unfortunately though, he recently figured out how to open his bedroom door and lock it. We tried using those door knob protector things, but he found a way to remove it and break it apart. Now we have to put a baby gate outside his door in case he does open it, he can't go anywhere.

Bubbas can walk up and down the stairs on his own using the rails and he loves it. Every time he does it on his own, his face lights up with so much pride and accomplishment. Now we have to purchase a gate that will work with our stairs and rails to prevent him from going up and down without us being around. He's tried that quite a few times and is very sneaky about it. I placed a mirror on the wall in front of the staircase so I can watch him when he doesn't think I'm paying attention. I'm trying to give him a little freedom to explore.

He's talking A LOT more now. His new words in the last week are, "why, when, where, what, do, you, me, we (weeee) and but (also butt). He answers when you call him with "what". When you tell him to come or do something, he says, "why?". I'm teaching him please and thank you. He kind of breathes the word please and his way of saying thank you is "youuuuu!". I've been trying to get him to link his words into short phrases like, "hi dada" when he sees Dave and he's doing it well. I've also been trying to get him to say the girls' names. He's managed to get out Halle's name, but Trenity's is obviously much more difficult.

This child LOVES his food. When it's time to eat I say, "Angelo, are you hungry?" He then runs to the kitchen and tries to open the refrigerator. When the microwave beeps, he thinks it's for him. When he's thirsty, he shoves the sippy cup in my face and says, "do!" Angelo hates his booster seat now. He wants to sit on a regular chair with the family all the time. He's especially annoying when Trenity is trying to do her homework and he climbs on the chair next to her. Dave caught him climbing on the table too and it's been very difficult to control. The new house will be better since our layout has more rooms and privacy for the girls to do their work without interruption.

Bubs has 8 teeth. 4 on top and 4 on bottom. He's getting more though and his fits are getting worse as he's in so much pain. I have to give him children's Tylenol periodically and that seems to work. He loves the stuff too. I believe he thinks it's candy or something, LOL! He's in the most pain when he wakes up from his naps. I can't wait until this phase is over.

I can't believe we're approaching age 2 already! 5 more months to go. I'm putting Angelo in flag football this Fall as they have a P Squad for kids 2-4 years old. You'll never know how excited I am to be able to enroll him in sports. Dave is excited as well. Basketball and soccer won't start for him until he's 3. I'm bummed he has a summer birthday because we can't enroll him in anything at age 3 until the following Fall season.

That's about it for now! Gotta get back to cleaning and packing, UGH.

Cristin

17 Months Old & Crazy!

2010-01-10T11:11:00.003-05:00

Christmas Day and Nana & Poppi's house

Christmas Day opening gifts. His face was finally clearing up

Trenity gave Angelo a cold sore and it spread. He had to take antibiotics. I was so bummed since it happened right before Christmas

My baby boy is getting so big. He's 17 mos old and growing so fast. He has 8 teeth now. 4 on top, 4 on the bottom and cutting 2 more. Angelo wants to eat ALL the time! Whenever we have food around, he goes, "Na Na, Na Na!". He associates all food with bananas and that's his way of saying, "Give me some right now, damnit!" He's starting to get picky about his food as well. When given vegetables, he'll take it out of his mouth and throw it on the floor, unless I cleverly disguise them with pasta sauce or something else. I gave him lettuce the other day and the look on his face was priceless.

Bubbas still walks on his toes sometimes. I'm trying to keep him on his flat feet, but he's not ready for that yet. It's odd because he was doing it for a few months and this tippy toe thing is rather new. He's SO active. He attempts to climb up on the couches, ottoman and one of our recliners. Sometimes he makes it, other times he doesn't.

Angelo is obsessed with opening and closing doors, drawers and cabinets. Now he'll open a cabinet just to put his toy inside and later he'll go back for it. He likes to hide our remote controls in the vents too. Somehow he figured out a way to pull the register out of the floor, dump the remote and put it back in, LOL. One day it took us over and hour to figure out where he put our stuff.

I'm trying to get him to dance. He'll throw is arms up and stomp around when he sees people dancing on TV or when I've got music playing and dancing as well. It's really cute to watch. He LOVES his musical toys, especially his Yo Gabba Gabba guitar. When the music stops, he runs back to push the button. Can't have any quiet time with this 'lil booger, LOL!

He's doing well with his words. He's saying Hi, Bye, Bubba, What, Dada, Mama, Boo, Up, tries to say Mine, but it's a hit or miss, More (also hit or miss) and Weeeee! He's been trying to say ending syllables to words. If I say "couch" he can say "ch". If I say "up" he'll either yell the word or make the "p" sound with breath, etc... I caught him trying to say No yesterday. Here we go!

I'm also teaching him the names to his body parts. If I say, "Angelo, show me your teeth", he opens his mouth and pushes on his teeth or he go to my face, open my mouth and point to mine. Too cute! He knows his feet as well. When I say, "Gimme those feet", he raises his legs and kicks his feet. Right now I'm working on having him point to his nose.

His comprehension is incredible, at least I think so. He's really understanding commands quite well. If we say, "Shut the door", he looks for the nearest open door and closes it. Now he can reach the doorknob and can shut the door using it. He has to get up on his toes still, though. He knows where his room is so when I say, "Angelo, go to your room", he runs right to it, waits until we're both inside, then shuts the door. When I say, "Go to bed", he runs to his new toddler bed and gets in. There's much more.

Speaking of the toddler bed, Angelo went and busted his crib a week ago. That's right folks, he was DONE with being caged in, LOL! We can fix it, but at that point, he would throw fits and hit his head on the bars so I was done with that thing too. We put the mattress on the floor for a few days to get Angelo situated and he LOVED the freedom, of course! Dave and I bought him a cherry colored sleigh bed and he was super stoked. He kept climbing in and out of it so it took us a while to get him to sleep the first night. He's been perfect ever since.

Now we're having slight issues with nap time. He will play around in his room for a while, but when he gets tired, he climbs up and sleeps in his bed. Sometimes he'll take 2 naps a day and other times he won't. He's a real cranky Bubs when he doesn't get his rest. Much like his Mama and Dada. Putting him to bed at night has been a real dream though and I'm grateful for that.

Angelo LOVES to be tossed in the air as "Super Bubbas". He also likes to play the Boo game. It's his version of Peek-a-Boo. He'll walk up to you, grab your hands, cover your eyes and yell, Boo! He tries to cover his eyes, but somehow ends up covering his ears instead. His other favorite is the "I'm gonna getcha" game. I yell, "Gonna getcha" then he giggles and runs away.

I know I'm forgetting a ton of stuff, but that's all I have time for today. Every day is a new adventure with my son and still, I can't believe I have one! He's the light and love of my life and I'm so grateful for this little wonder.

Cristin

Bubbas on the Move

2009-11-03T09:57:00.006-05:00

Making a mess at 13 mos

14 mos - He won't give up the Wii remote!

First mini hamburger! 14 mos

Dirty Bubs - 14 mos - Halloween fun night at home

The Incredible Hulk! 15 mos - Halloween 2009

Life with Dave, Angelo and the girls keeps me super busy, as I'm sure you can tell since I haven't updated in 3 months. School started for the girls at the end of August and I've had to change my schedule a couple of times due to that, our situation with Dave's ex-wife and Angelo going to daycare. He goes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1-3:30pm. Just long enough for Dave and I to run errands and for me to take a few appointments. Bubbas is doing really well there. There's a little boy 2 months older he plays with and a couple of 2yr-olds as well. The first month he started pulling that baby manipulation thing when I dropped him off. You know, the crying and holding on to me for dear life. Well, that's gone now and he's adjusted beautifully!

My child eats everything now and I mean EVERYTHING. Anything he can get his little hand on goes straight into his mouth, be it shoes, toys, stuff in my purse and of course, real food. He's been off formula since 11mos and we're finally done with bottles. He's graduated from the beginner to intermediate sippy cup. No handles! I knew he was ready because I had him in the living room playing one day, locked in by the baby gates. I was in the kitchen. I accidentally left a small glass of apple cider on an end table. I heard slurping so I ran over to the living room and there he was...holding the glass with two hands, drinking the cider. As soon as he saw me, he knew he did wrong and threw the glass on the carpet, LOL! Two wrongs don't make a right, buddy.

Bubs still only has his 4 teeth, but is cutting the 2 eye teeth. They'll be in any time now. Unfortunately, the teething has been pretty bad lately so it wakes him up in the middle of the night unless I give him baby Tylenol before bed. I've been up at 3, 4 and 5am a lot and of course, could never go back to sleep. His attitude has been really go throughout this teething process, so I feel we're really lucky.

As for his motor skills..well, he's an animal! He runs around the house chasing his sisters, climbs up the stairs by himself (we're always behind him though) and sometimes walks on the tips of his toes. He tries really hard to climb on the couch by himself, but it's still a little high for him. He's a little hellion when it comes to taking our stuff and running away with it all, LOL. I need to get more videos of him doing that. When we say "No!" he just laughs and runs away like it's a game. Too cute for words...right now. We really need a bigger yard so he can run around to his heart's desire because that's all he wants to do anymore. I took him to the bus stop without the stroller and he was super excited, but I had to hold on to the hood of his coat or else I would've lost him, LOL. He only likes to hold our hands when he's in unfamiliar territory.

His language skills are developing much quicker now. He mumbles like nobody's business and says "Hi, Mama, Dada, Bubba, Up, Oh & More" very clearly. He's trying other words, but it's still slurred. He understands commands well too, but sometimes he just chooses to ignore us. He does well with them when he wants to though. He very clearly knows the people around him and when asked, "where's so and so" he looks for them and goes to the right person. Bubbas points at people's faces in pictures and giggles a lot and it's very cool to watch. He doesn't point at something he wants, however, he just goes and gets it. This kid waits for NO man!

As for clothing..well, let me just tell you that this kid is not only going to make us broke with his eating habits, he's wearing some 18 month, 24 month and 2T sizes! Good Lord, son! He's only 15 mos old, which kills me. He wears the bigger sizes in shirts and jammies. He's in a size 5 shoe now, but will be in a 6 pretty soon.

I'm taking him to the DR. on the 19th so we'll find out his weight, length and get his chicken pox vaccine. At his 12 month appointment he was 31 inches long so I'm guessing he's about 35 now. I could be off on this one again. Weight wise? I have no clue. He only gained one pound from 9 to 12 mos so we'll see.

I have to say that I'm extremely excited to have a toddler vs. a newborn. Life is so much easier even though my particular toddler won't sit still, makes a huge mess and does whatever the hell he wants most of the time, LOL! I HATED carrying that infant seat around with me everywhere. I love the idea of this kid getting out of the car and walking into the store. The cost of formula and bottle liners wasn't as bad as I thought, but now I don't have to worry about that stuff anymore.

We're going to start potty training him at 18 months. He's already grabbing his diaper when he goes and I can tell that he's got more control with his potty muscles. We've also been looking at toddler beds because this kid attempts to climb out of his crib almost every day. I don't think he's ready yet, but I'm going to see how he is around January when he turns 18 mos. I'm just so afraid that one day he'll be successful in escaping and really hurt himself. He can already reach the door knobs and has opened a door so we're going to start taking precautions with that as well.

My brother-in-law told me that they let 2 yr olds in flag football, so we're going to check that out next summer. I can't BELIEVE I'm talking about this ALREADY, but I'm stoked. I can't wait until my 'lil Bubs can play sports. He's getting a tricycle for Christmas so we're hoping by late Spring he'll be able to ride it.

My Angelo Is A Toddler!

2009-08-24T11:44:00.002-04:00

Angelo's 1st birthday party. He had a sugar free cupcake!

It’s official…Angelo is 1 and now considered a toddler. I can’t effing believe it! My little guy is just tremendous in every way. Though I’m very happy about my son’s achievements, I can’t help but feel very sad today. My best friend Dawn had a son a year ago today. He passed away a month later. I’m so proud of how she has been able to carry on through her grief.

Earlier in the month I traveled to Michigan to visit everyone and went to Bradly’s grave. I told Dawn how proud I was of her and I couldn’t understand how she has been able to be around Angelo this whole time. We were pregnant together. We planned to raise our kids as the best of friends. I can’t believe it’s been a year already. Bradly, we love you. Happy Birthday, dear angel.

Now on to the Bubs…

Angelo is walking really well, yay! The only time he stumbles is when he tries to run and/or is outside and doesn’t see a step. We’re always right there, hovering just in case. He’s throwing his toy balls everywhere and still making a huge mess in the living room when he’s pulling stuff out of our drawers, LOL. Angelo is not interested in holding our hands, he just wants to walk everywhere…especially outside. He just loves that!

We took him off formula and he’s drinking whole milk now. He’s done with baby food as well. This kid will eat ANYTHING, I swear to God. He has four teeth, but I can tell there are a few more coming in and I think they’ll be in all at the same time. He’s obsessed with pasta. He’ll take it in every form and with every flavor. That’s the Italian in him I suppose.

Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten him away from his bottle completely yet. He only takes the sippy cup in small doses. He throws a fit if his liquids aren’t in his ba ba. It’s awful! I only give him stuff in his bottle twice a day and we’re hoping he’ll be done soon.

Angelo says “Mama” all the time. He used to say “Dada”, but now he could care less, LOL. Dave says I sabotaged him this whole year. Bubbas also says “OH, Hi, Up” and babbles like crazy. He knows who everyone is. When I say, “Angelo, where’s Dada?” he looks at Dave’s chair and if he isn’t there, starts looking around the room. When I say, “Angelo, come see Mama”, he drops everything, holds his arms out and starts running over to me to give me a hug.

He still has some separation anxiety with me, but only me. If I leave him alone with Dave and the girls, he’s fine until he notices I’m there, but behind the baby gate. He’s been throwing fits lately too when he’s tired, wants his bottle or gets something taken away from him. He literally throws himself around the living room and that scares the living shit out of me. I worry that he’ll throw himself onto something sharp and really hurt himself.

The Bubs has a strange nap schedule. Most of the time he takes his nap from 10am-12:30pm and an afternoon nap that lasts about an hour and a half. Lately he’s been having trouble going down for both naps and he’s been skipping one a day. My schedule is changing due to the girls going back to school and I’ve been thinking about taking Angelo to daycare for a couple of hours, 3 times a week. It’s my step-daughter’s friend’s mom and she watches babies in her home, which makes me feel better. I want Angelo to get social with kids his own age and this would be perfect, I’m just waiting to find out if she can fit us in.

We took Angelo to the doctor not too long ago. He’s 23 pounds and 31 inches long. He’s only gained 1 pound and 1 inch since his 9 month appointment. I swear he’s much bigger than that, LOL!

Anyway, he’s doing just fine and we’re so very proud of him. There’s a lot of other little things to add, but I just don’t have enough time.

Almost Time for the Big Birthday!

2009-07-10T11:41:00.006-04:00

Angelo at the beach in Hilton Head - May 09 (9/10 mos)

In the pool for the first time in Hilton Head with daddy!

Getting ready to cruise the wardrobe at home - July 09 (11 mos)

Chillin' at the Dublin Fireworks

In three weeks my darling son, Angelo, will be a year old. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I’m stunned we’re approaching the big birthday already. Watching the Bubs learn and grow has been my favorite part of being a mother so far.

I scheduled his 1-year appointment for next week so we’ll see how much he’s changed physically since his last one at 9 months. His regular doctor is taking a 6 month leave of absence so we’ll be seeing someone different this time. I believe next Wednesday Angelo gets his last set of shots for a while. I’m guessing he’ll be around 24lbs and about 30 inches long.

My ’lil guy is really developing well and as it seems, on time. He cruises around, barely holding on and walking quite fast. He’s walked across the room without assistance a few times and we’re working hard to get him consistent. He’s been quite lazy about it though. He’s got tremendous speed with crawling and I think he prefers that right now.

Angelo is getting into EVERYTHING. That started about 2 months ago, but now it’s really bad. He’s been into the “open and close” stage, where all he wants to do is open drawers and cabinets then take everything out. He makes a huge mess, LOL and it drives Dave crazy. Especially since he’s messing with our Wii games and remotes. He also LOVES Daddy’s laptop. When you try to take something away from him and replace it with one of HIS toys, he throws a fit. Damn…and I thought I wouldn’t have to go through that stage since normally he’s a perfect child. I guess he still is, since I’m hearing that this is common at his age.

Bubbas has 3 teeth! Two on the bottom center and now he’s gotten his first front tooth in. I noticed him grinding his teeth so I’m trying to get him to chew on his teething toys instead. I’ll let you know how that goes because right now it’s not doing much good. Due to the teething, he’s still taking 2 naps a day.

He’s eating normal food now. Bubs prefers that to baby food any day of the week and quite frankly, I can’t blame him. His favorite stuff is rice, pasta (with sauce), garlic bread, mashed potatoes, veggies and beef. I mash everything up real good for him and he’s the best eater in the family…for NOW. LOL! I wonder what he’ll be like at this time next year. I’m going to wean him off the bottle soon because I don’t want him on it passed his 1st birthday. He does OKAY with a sippy cup, but we need to be more consistent with him so he’ll forget about his precious bottle.

Angelo talks a bit, but is still babbling for the most part. He can say Mama, Dada, up, oh, hey, hi and me. I was changing the pictures around my home and found some of Angelo when he was first born. I cannot BELIEVE how much he’s changed. He doesn’t even look like the same kid, it’s crazy! He has light brown hair, lighter skin and is starting to take on more of Dave’s features. He has A LOT of hair and it’s pretty long so I’m thinking it may be time for his first hair cut.

I also have to schedule his 1 year pictures, but I’m not sure where I’m going to take him yet. We’re having his birthday party on August 1st, a few days after his actual b-day because the girls will be coming home from vacation with their mother and need a few days to adjust.

As for me…

I’ve lost all my pregnancy weight, yay! I can’t remember when I actually hit the milestone, but I think it was about 2 or 3 months ago. I haven’t been as active as I would like, but I’m getting back into the swing of things. I still have some stuff to work on, my stomach for example, but I’m sure I’ll get there eventually.

My latest project is re-decorating the house. I’m SO sick and tired of the same old crap. I don’t feel like spending a ton of money so instead of buying new furniture, I got a couch cover with new throw pillows. I also moved the recliner that was in my office to the living room. Now all I need is a cover for Dave’s chair. It’s looking God-awful. I plan to paint my home office pretty soon and I’m DYING to paint the rest of the place, however, we plan to buy a new home within the year and I don’t feel like re-painting this town house when we move. So who knows what I’ll ending up doing with that.

Dave and I rearranged the girls’ room and bought them new beds. It’s looking quite organized now and they have more space to romp around. I’m also dying to get new bedding for my room and add new colors. I need to do something with it as it’s quite bland and I don’t want that energy bleeding into my sex life, LOL. Bland is BAD. Right now I’m just on the new energy wave and desperate for simple change. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve made major changes to my life in general (getting married, Angelo turning 1, etc…) and I want the design of my home to reflect that.

New Pics of the Bubbas!

2009-05-11T10:09:00.008-04:00

"See my teeth Mommy? I've got 2!"

"Shhh...don't tell Mommy"

"I love electronics!"

"Gimme that Wii!"

"I've got a pee pee diaper. Hurry up Mom!"

Angelo and Mommy - May 9th

9 Months Old!

2009-04-30T08:37:00.003-04:00

Angelo is 9 months old today and doing all sorts of great things! In the last entry I said that the Bubs pulled himself up and now that's ALL he wants to do. Yesterday I caught him walking while pushing a box of diapers. We're still trying to get him to balance himself with his walker toy, but he gets distracted by all the gadgets on that thing. He takes good steps just by holding our fingers and when I say "flat feet", he gets off his toes. It's awesome! It looks like I'll be ready to get him his first pair of shoes soon.

Our goal is to get him walking better by the end of next month. He's also in cruise mode with the couch and anything that appears to be stable. This child is everywhere, I tell ya! When we have to put him in his Pack 'N Play or Jumperoo for a few minutes, he throws a fit because he wants to cruise and crawl. He doesn't like being confined, that's for sure. I caught him lifting his leg to climb out of his crib the other day so Dave lowered his mattress.

Angelo has said "Mama" at random times in the last few months, but yesterday he crawled over to me, looked up and said, "Dada" very clearly. About 2 minutes later he started rambling "Mama Mama Mama". The other day I swear I heard "Up!" I can't wait until this kid can verbally communicate. A lot of people tell me not to wish that too soon, but I can't help it.

Now, on to the best news ever!

Angelo has finally cut his first tooth!

I'm going to have a hard time getting a picture of it since every time I try to get him to smile, he sticks his tongue out. His tooth is at the bottom center. The one next to it looks like it'll be popping soon, along with his two front teeth.

The Bubs is sleeping through the night most days, but he has moments of waking up around 3am. That hasn't happened in a week or so and only occurs when he's slept too long during the day. We've been keeping a good schedule.

He's now wearing size 12 mos, but they're just fitting him. Now I have to try and find 12-18 months, but that's been difficult. I have a lot of hand-me-down clothes that are 18 months, which I believe have shrunk so that's what I'm going to try next in effort to save a little cash.

That's about all for now. I'm sure I missed a few things, but I'll be posting another entry soon.

Cristin

Lots of Growth!

2009-04-09T08:47:00.003-04:00

Angelo and Mommy (8 mos)

Dave and I - After the ceremony

Hey everyone!

As most of you know, Dave and I got married on Saturday, April 4th. It was quite an eventful day even though we had a very short ceremony. I'm so glad it was short because I was terrified that I would flub my words and sound like an idiot. The wedding was great! We rolled in, got married and rolled out. Nice, eh? Once the weekend was over we had to get back to normal with the kids, school, work and everything else.

Angelo has been doing a lot of new things this week. First, he's picked up a lot of speed with the scoot-crawl and yesterday he started crawling using his knees. He's been pulling himself on to his knees as well and is able to stand on his own while holding something stable. He's also starting to get off his tip toes and stand flat on his feet. Yesterday afternoon Dave went to get Angelo from his crib and found him standing on the mattress while holding the crib bars. I can't believe I missed that! He was screaming pretty loudly because he couldn't find his way back down, LOL!

The Bubs is into discovery mode big time now. If it looks new, he wants it and goes after it. We were looking at baby gates yesterday, but I decided against it because I really feel that Angelo needs to explore the house. I'll just designate certain times for him to do so under my or Dave's supervision. We did get those outlet plugs because I caught him trying to put his fingers in the holes. We bought a new Baby Einstein video. It teaches them terms for items around the home and uses sign language.

Finally, I got this walker toy that the babies push around and it's supposed to help them learn to walk. Angelo was able to stand while holding it and he took a few steps and pushed it on his own. Right now he gets distracted by all the neat toys on it, but I'm guessing he will be moving with it soon enough. We took all 3 kids to the park by our house the other day. I put Angelo in the baby swing and he giggled the entire time. It's still a little big for him, but he leans forward and holds on to the chains just fine. I'm mad at myself because I forgot my camera. I will get a shot of him the next time we go.

Dave and I took him to his 9 month appointment yesterday. He weighed in at 22 pounds and was 29 inches long. He's still coming in the 90th percentile for weight and length, but he's cemetric and doing just fine. Our doctor told us that we can start transitioning him off baby food to mashed table foods such as potatoes and veggies. He suggested that Angelo get more consistent with his sippy cup and be off of formula by his 1st birthday. We can also be done with baby food by then, YAY! His first birthday is less than 4 months away. Can you believe it? I can't...

Now, on to me...

I haven't been working out much lately due to all the excitement with the wedding and Halle's 5th birthday. I've been able to maintain my weight and not gain, which I'm happy about. I feel like I'm just now able to get back to my normal schedule so when Angelo goes down for his nap today, I'll be able to get a work-out in.

We have had some crappy weather lately and I'm DYING to get out of the house for walks with Angelo and the girls. Cabin fever and I just don't get along. The other thing I'm dying to do for some reason is buy new clothes. I feel like frump girl again and it's pissing me off. Other than that, things are going really well.

8 Months Old!

2009-03-30T20:18:00.001-04:00

Angelo is 8 months old and so much has happened since my last update! First of all, Dave and I got engaged on our anniversary, March 17th. We will be getting married on April 4th. We’re having a very cheap and simple ceremony, thank God! After having to go to the mall for dresses, I cannot imagine what it would be like for me have a big wedding that takes about a year to plan. No thank you! Dave’s ring came in early, but mine aren’t here yet so I’m a bit nervous. I don’t want to be rushing around at the last minute.

Angelo has been fantastic. His scoot-crawl is almost an all-fours crawl now. He can pull himself up to a kneeling position when he’s found something to keep his arms stable like his wipes box or crib bars. He can also balance for a few minutes while standing and leaning his back against the couch. He goes back and forth from standing on his toes to flat feet. We’ve noticed that he’s really getting into his toys, especially his penguin roller coaster. He also found his way up over the step from the living room to the dining room. Now it’s time for baby gates!

The Bubs is showing some disinterest in his bottle and formula lately, so we’re giving him solids about 3 times a day now. He hasn’t been eating much in the last couple of days due to his teething and he’s been taking more naps. We’re anxiously awaiting his teeth as his gums are still very swollen.

This child is now into size 9 months for clothing. Only a few 6-9 months still fit him so pretty soon I’ll need to do some shopping. I have some stuff, but not nearly enough. I weighed him on my Wii Fit and he’s coming up 24.4 pounds. He has a doctor’s appointment on April 8th, so we will find out exactly how heavy and long he is. After me coming up short a few inches last time, I’m guessing that he’s about 30-32 inches long. We shall see.

We haven’t gotten him to say “Da Da” yet, but we’re working on it. I’m getting ready to buy him another Baby Einstein video. There are a few choices, but I’m going to get him something to teach him his first words. We’re almost done with “Baby’s First Moves”.

Now, on to me…

I’ve lost almost 20 pounds since the beginning of February. Dave told me that he’s been checking me out lately…nice! I still have another 20 pounds to go before I reach my pre-Dave weight, but so far, so good! I wanna reach my goal weight by the time we take our family vacation to Hilton Head at the end of May.

New Stuff

2009-03-09T23:28:00.001-04:00

The ‘lil Bubs is no longer little. He’s a big boy now! We got back from Vegas on Wednesday and he caught a cold. Dave’s mom took him all over God’s country to show him off and I’m guessing someone had it and passed it right along to him. The poor kid is snotting all over the place, ewww!

I mentioned in my last entry that he started the scoot-crawl before I left for Vegas and that made me very happy. Now Angelo is rolling over from his back to his tummy and then popping up in the crawing position and off he goes! He’s picked up a lot of speed since we returned from vacation. He’s still doing the scoot-crawl, but is trying really hard to go full throttle with the natural crawl. While he’s on a roll, he grunts until he’s reached his destination. Too cute!

We also got him a new car seat. His feet and ankels were hanging out the end of the infant seat and it was time. He seems a lot happier in the upright position while in the car. I was really happy because the one we wanted was $55, but it rang up $39 so YAY for us, woo hoo! Ya gotta love Walmart.

Angelo has got the bottle holding thing down pat now, but only on his back. We’re trying hard to get him to do it sitting up and I’m using the new car seat as a teaching tool. Once he gets the hang of that, he’ll do better in the play pen/Pack ‘N Play. We put that back together so that he can play with his toys and I won’t have to chase after him all the time. Once he’s on the floor he’s off and scooting and that makes it hard for me to get stuff done while he’s awake.

He’s been sleeping through the night consistently again. The earliest he wakes up is 6am, which has been real nice. Now that he’s sick, his naps are about 2-3 hours and he needs about 3 of them to feel good. Hopefully he’ll feel better soon.

I heard “Mama” again today and this time he wasn’t crying, he just wanted up from his crawling position. Now he mumbles and throws his hands up when he wants to be held. Yesterday, the girls and I were having and indoor picnic and Angelo was giving hugs. It was absolutely ADORABLE!

I’m going to try and get some new pics and video in the next day or two. He’s changed physically so much, it’s unreal.

Now on to me…

Vegas was a blast and we did a lot of walking. I did the best I could with eating healthy, but honestly, there isn’t a whole lot available for a reasonable rate. We saw the Criss Angel Believe show and that was good. If you’ve seen his reality show then you won’t be surprised.

I didn’t gain any weight while in Vegas, but I haven’t lost much since then either. I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things with my work outs, however, I’m sick again and I’ve been exhausted. Dave and I are on a new visitation schedule with the girls and we have them more now. I’m still trying to adjust to that. This time though, we have every other full weekend off so now we can plan more stuff for when we do get them on full weekends.

That’s about all for now. I’ll be back soon with more updates on Angelo and hopefully he’ll be doing more cool stuff.

Milestones

2009-02-24T06:44:00.014-05:00

"Good morning to you!"

"Get me out of this pee pee diaper, please!"

I was trying to capture his morning smile, but he got distracted

"Hi Mama!"

Bubbas in the big boy bath.

Angelo is turning 7 months old in a few days and is crawling now, YAY! Apparently he's been doing it for a while, but only with Dave when I'm busy working...go figure. Last week, however, I happened to be in between calls and off he went! I let out a HUGE "Gasp and Oh my God, woooo hoooo!" which scared the living crap out of my child, LOL. His crawling technique is hilarious. He gets up on all fours, sways back and forth and starts pulling himself forward with his hands. Then he hops with his legs for a couple of paces. When he realizes that doesn't get him where he needs to go fast enough, he gets on his tummy and does the "army crawl". The Bubs will go between the hop and the army crawl to reach his destination.

The other night Dave and I were watching TV. Angelo was done crawling for the moment and was messing around with his play gym. For some reason he got pissed off and the next thing we hear is a really loud, "MAMA!" Dave and I whipped our heads around in shock and I said, "Did you hear that?" He just nodded in total disbelief. It was a very clear and distinct "Mama", thank you very much! Now I am comfortable moving forward with "Dada" since I got what I wanted and all of it happened before our trip to Vegas. I was so worried that Angelo would do all the cool stuff for Dave's parents and I'd miss out.

I think I mentioned this before, but the Bubs is going through a major bout of "mommy separation anxiety." I feel like I have to sneak around once he's occupied or else he'll throw a fit. For example, when Dave has him at night and I'm working he's okay at first. After a while he's totally done with Daddy. When I come upstairs and Angelo sees me, he starts whining and wants me to get him. It's gotten so bad that sometimes Dave brings him down while I'm working so that Angelo knows I'm still here.

Angelo is holding his bottle really well now while I'm holding him. I am going to try and get him to do it on his own while he's sitting up. Once he's got that down, we're going to the sippy cup. Dave's mom gave him a top to a sippy cup the other day and it looked as though he had no trouble getting it into his mouth the right way. It was on the bigger side, so I'll try to find one that's smaller and we'll see how he does. It's not time yet, but we're getting close. He's doing great with the solids and we will be transitioning him to meats in the next month. My doctor told me that he should be on them by 9 months, but we'll see how it goes.

His sleep schedule isn't so bad these days. Most of the time he sleeps throughout the night (bedtime is around 10 or 11pm), but he'll still get up around 6am and want to go back to bed until about 10/10:30am. I'm thinking about keeping him up when he does that because I'm not going back to bed at 6am anymore. I've decided that staying up helps me get more accomplished during the day.

Now, on to me!

I've lost 15 pounds this month so far and I'm reallllly excited! I have 5 more left to lose and I'll be at my pre-preggo weight. 25 more to go for pre-Dave weight, sweet! Dave's parents complimented us on our weight loss and yet Dave and I haven't noticed a significant change in our bodies yet. That's probably because we see ourselves every day and they don't.

I'm still having a bit of trouble with my calorie intake. I need about 1,200 per day to keep losing weight. I have to adjust it every week when I do lose though. The hardest part is remembering to eat breakfast. I'm great with lunch, snack and dinner though. This is why I'm changing my schedule. If I'm up at 6am, I have plenty of time to eat, but if I wake up at 8 or 9am, I get carried away with the baby, chores, errands and work.

I've been doing this 6am thing for the last two days and it's also giving me time for my exercise routine. I do the Wii Fit 6 days a week and my "wild dancing" 4 days a week. Wild dancing is me bopping around in my basement, doing random stuff. I know it sounds silly, but it's working out great. Once I master everything on the Wii Fit, I'm going to look into an Aerobics class and maybe adult soccer. When the weather breaks I'll be buying a bike and start running. I've already looked into a jogger stroller for Angelo. By that time, he'll be big enough for it.

Sorry about the spacing of the last few entries. This blog won't update properly when I try to fix it.

Changes, changes!

2009-02-14T12:56:00.006-05:00

Hello all!

There isn't a whole lot to say about Angelo right now. He's doing pretty much the same things as I described in my last entry. Dave and I are going to Las Vegas from March 1st to the 4th and my fear is that Angelo will start crawling while I'm out of town. He's getting really close, I can feel it! At this point, he's able to prop himself up in the crawling position without assistance, but he still can't coordinate his hands and knees to get a move on. He's very good at turning himself around while on his tummy though and that's great!

His sleep habits are changing a bit, but he's still waking up a couple of times a week. Instead of it being 3:30am, it's around 6am. We'll put him down around 10pm, he'll sleep for about an hour, wake up and then go back to bed around 12-12:30am. Odd, huh? The other days he just goes to bed between 11pm and 12am, then wake up around 9 or 10am. I love those days. That gives me time to eat breakfast and work out for about 20 minutes.

The Bubs is getting some separation anxiety now. I noticed it a bit last month, but now he can't stand it when I go into another room, even for a minute. He'll start crying and it's oh so sad. If he's in his jumperoo and has his back turned toward me, he doesn't notice me moving around from room to room. Once he's bored, however, it's a whole new ballgame. He's sitting up on his own and not tipping over anymore, which is way cool. So if he gets bored of his jumperoo, I can plop him on his butt with a toy and clean or work out while in the same room.

Angelo is holding his bottle more steadily these days, thank God! He still needs a bit of work because he's easily distracted. When Dave is feeding him Angelo grabs his chin, trying to figure out what Dave's stubble is all about, LOL. Bubbas has also started grabbing my lips when I speak to him. It's too cute! I've also noticed that the Bubs is getting really attached to Trenity and Halle when they're here. If they're in the living room with him, he wants to play and when they leave, he cries.

That's about all for the Bubs at the moment, now on to me!

I mentioned before that we got a Wii Fit. I didn't realize how out of shape I actually was until I started the program. Yoga was always a pain in the ass, but now I can do it! I've been using the Wii Fit for 21 days now and guess what? I've lost 11 pounds!!! It took me about 3 days to get used to the exercises and I'm not a pro yet, but I'm getting there quickly.

I was a bit down the first couple of weeks because I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing much weight, but then we bought The Biggest Loser cookbook and it turns out that I wasn't eating enough calories. Can you believe that? My dumb ass was skipping breakfast and eating my meals way too late in the day as well. Not a great combo if you want to drop some pounds. The other great thing about that cookbook is that we're learning how to make family meals in less than 30 minutes. This has saved my life, big time! Now we can't make up excuses as to why we're not eating right anymore, which is lovely.

So last week Dave and I upped our calories and adjusted our eating schedule. We're seeing amazing results and I'm VERY happy! I only have 9 more pounds to lose until I hit my pre-preggo weight and then I have 20 more to lose to get back to my pre-Dave weight, LOL. I'm hoping to achieve my 140 pound goal by the end of April.

Now, here's the best thing about me working out...I have more time in my day!

I know..sounds crazy right? Well, it's actually happening. I think it's a combination between me having more physical energy due to working out and Angelo being able to occupy himself more. What I found to be most interesting is that I'm motivated on a much higher level. I'm happier when I'm exercising and not just because I'm losing the weight. Even if I wasn't, my body chemistry is different, which has caused me to see things from a completely different perspective. I feel as though I'm ready and available to do the things I really want to do in my life. This is so exciting!

6 Months Old...officially!

2009-01-30T04:55:00.004-05:00

Hey guys!

Angelo is 6 months old today...officially. It's been a crazy ride thus far and it's hard to believe that I was about 13/14 weeks pregnant at this time last year. I'm turning 30 tomorrow, which is a huge milestone for me. I've been thinking a lot about life and what I want for my son's future. I feel as though God has bestowed this gift of motherhood upon me for a reason. Apparently I have something specific to offer and I fully intend on finding out what that is.

Okay, enough of that sappy crap. On to the cuteness!

The Bubs is cutting his first tooth and it should pop any day now. His gums are swollen REALLY bad and I'm guessing that he may have a couple show up around the same time. He's a little fussy when he's in pain, but it's not that bad. I actually thought it would be way worse. I believe he's inconsistent with his sleep due to the teething and moving around in his crib. I used to sleep walk when I was a child and it's quite possible that Angelo may take after me in that regard. I sure hope not!

Angelo is all about reaching for stuff now. He'll go for anything, but mostly toy balls, draw strings on clothes, hair, food, his stuffed dinosaur or the hanging toys on his jumperoo. It's quite amazing to see him react when he gets what he wants and when he doesn't. He's now reaching for me when he's sitting on Dave's lap and I walk into the room. That's just adorable!

The crawling lessons are going fairly well. He can finally get up on all fours and stay there for a while. Then he'll try and make his knees jump, but hasn't figured out how to use his hands to move himself forward quite yet. He gets frustrated easily in that position and I feel bad for the boy. He just wants his stuff, damnit!

He's eating his solids about twice a day now, depending on how much time we have or what we're doing, but he still desires his bottle in a big way. It's as though the solids aren't enough, which is fine. I just don't want to make him fat. He's been trying hard to hold his bottle consistently, but gets easily distracted by our clothes for some reason. When I feed him, he's always trying to grab my glasses and hair, of course.

Now, on to me...

Dave and I bought a Nintendo Wii last week and we're officially in love. He got me the Wii Fit, which has allowed me to work out more during the day. I'm not into video games, but this thing is not only fun, but really gives me a great work-out and it's really convenient! It's also good for giving me something to do while the Bubs is awake, besides cleaning and laundry. He loves the colors and animation as well. Now I don't have to cram everything I need to get done while Angelo is taking his naps. I feel like I have more time to do the important stuff, thank God! So I'm losing weight and managing my time better...all because of a video game, LOL!

I've lost 3 pounds so far and I've only been doing this for a week. I'm soooo exited! I also received a good lesson in buying the right size jeans from my friend Nikki yesterday. Can you believe I was buying clothes that were too BIG? Yeah... I'm not really a 14/16, I'm a 12! Geeze, you'd think I would know this stuff, but when I was pregnant, I got used to buying super size clothing. I feel stupid...in a good way!

Big Boy Bubbas

2009-01-09T12:25:00.008-05:00

"I think I need to be changed Mom, but please...don't take away the food!"

"Okay, I'm done with the camera!"

"Awww man!"

Bubbas at 24 weeks with his new truck

Angelo is now 24 weeks old! That’s 6 months since I’ve given birth to him. I can’t believe we’re here already. My son was 8lbs, 11 oz and 22 inches long. Next week we go in for his 6 month check-up and last round of shots until he turns 1. I’m guessing that he’ll weigh in at around 21 lbs and 26-26.5 inches long. I’ve been right so far when guessing his weight and length and we’ll see if I do it again this time!

As you know, we’ve got him sitting up on his own, rolling over and standing with assistance. Now we’re working on “the scoot” and crawling. He can get into position, but can’t keep it for very long. He can, however, use his arms to turn 180 degrees to either side when he spots something he’d like to grab. He’s not only doing this on the floor, but in his crib as well. Due to my child’s habit of rolling over and turning himself around in that thing, I decided to weave his crib bumper through every other bar so that he doesn’t get stuck or pull it over his head. It’s working out beautifully!

Bubbas is really into his solids now. He eats his stage one veggies and fruits within 10 minutes, without a problem. I found these rice wafers for babies that he absolutely LOVES. I give it to him as a little snack every other day or so. He’s eating one in the pics I posted. It’s so funny to see him self-feed. He gets all excited and once he’s gotten the wafer mashed up enough, he shoves it in his mouth like it’s candy.

I wish I had more to report, but that’s about all for now. I’ll be updating about every 2 weeks, as new things happen or when I want to share cute moments.

Happy New Year - Bubbas Update

2009-01-01T21:03:00.010-05:00

Daddy and Santa Bubbas

The new toy box

Angelo's favorite toy from Mommy and Daddy

Bouncing around this morning

Mommy and Angelo on New Year's Eve!

"I can sit up on my own now!"

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year's Eve! Angelo is now 23 weeks old and has grown a great deal physically and developmentally in the last two weeks. First of all, we've got him sitting up on his own and that has helped him find his feet! Yes folks, he sits up and then reaches down to grab his toes. From behind he looks like a Butterball turkey, I swear to God!

Second, he has graduated from the newborn bather to being able to take a bath in the tub with a little assistance. I put him in for the first time a couple of days ago and he went crazy. I used a little bit of his baby wash to conjure up some bubbles and he splashed around happily. It was so cool to see his eyes gleam with wonder as he popped the bubbles. I should've had my camera on hand because it really was a Kodak moment. Next time, I promise!

Christmas time was pretty busy with going to Michigan for a short weekend and then having Christmas #2 at Dave's parents' house. The kids got a lot of stuff and now I have to find room for it all. Time to purge the house of all our unnecessary crap! Angelo got some toys and since we didn't have anywhere to put them, Dave and I bought him a baseball toy box yesterday. It's really cute! I wish his room was bigger so we could put it in there, but it's sitting in our living room for now.

Bubbas is eating his solids really well. He eats the entire thing in about 10 minutes, which makes me wonder if level 1 baby food is big enough to fill him up. I don't want to give him level 2 yet because it may be too much and we'll have a lot left over, so we'll see how it goes. Formula alone isn't cutting it. This past week I noticed that a tooth is starting to break through his bottom gum. Right now it just looks like a little dot, but I know it's gonna pop up soon.

We went to my friend Nikki's house for New Year's Eve and had a blast. Angelo did really well with all the excitement and was able to fall asleep in his Pack 'N Play around 11pm. He must have been real pooped because yesterday he slept from 11am to 2pm for his first nap, didn't take his afternoon one and then went to bed at 8pm.

The Bubs is learning so much from those Baby Einstein videos. Right now we've got him watching the one that teaches babies their first movements, which includes everything from sitting up to dancing. I'm trying to get him familiar with the names of his movements so when I say it, he'll do it. For example, when I say "reach", he puts his arms out toward me. It's adorable! This latest video is really interactive between the mother and child so it makes learning a lot easier.

I was going through Angelo's clothes the other day and realized that he barely wore the outfits he had in size 3-6 months. Now he's in 6 and 6-9 months. We have a lot of stuff that's just 6 months so it looks like I'll have to go shopping again. Most of the "hand-me-down" clothes shrunk big time and aren't their actual size, which means that he's already grown out of them.

After separating everything, I noticed that he has A LOT of stuff and now I have to find a place to store it all. I guess I'll have to buy a tote or just put everything in a garbage bag in the basement. His closet is too small and because it sits on the stairway, there isn't a spot for storage, just a silly looking shoe rack we'll never use.

That's all for now! See you next week...

Cristin

5 Months Old!

2008-12-22T09:17:00.001-05:00

My 'lil Bubs is 5 mos old now and I can't believe it! I say that every month that passes, but I can't help it. I'm so amazed at how time flies in the blink of an eye. I'm starting to lose track of how many weeks has passed since I gave birth to him because life is taking over.

Dave, the girls, Angelo and I went to Michigan for Christmas with my side of the family. Angelo helped open his gifts and then stuck the wrapping paper right in his mouth, LOL! It was adorable. I'm waiting on pictures from my mom and sister since I forgot my camera. He had a hard time sleeping at my mom's house since it's a strange environment and there was so much excitement. We just got home yesterday (Sunday the 21st) so hopefully he'll get back on track today.

Angelo is back to sleeping through the night so I'm hoping he sticks with it. He goes to bed by 11pm and wakes up between 6 and 7am, eats and then goes back to sleep until about 9 or 10am. It's like he's sleeping all night and taking his morning nap at the same time, which works just fine for me. I can get a lot done in that time. He still takes an afternoon nap around 3pm and that nap has proven to be a necessity.

The Bubs is on solids more now, although we haven't been consistent with twice a day yet. He's had green beans, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, applesauce, pears and rice cereal. He likes the squash, sweet potatoes, pears and applesauce the best. Due to the solids, I'm trying to keep him on 6 ounces of formula, but he's not happy unless he gets 8, so I'm still trying to adjust things a bit. He's also struggling with eating every 4 hours instead of 2 1/2 or 3. I don't want to over feed him since he's already reached 19 lbs and in size 3 diapers. He gets a good work out with his Jumperoo though, so I'm guessing he burns a ton of calories with that thing. Angelo tries to hold his bottle during feedings, but ends up either pushing it in too far, or accidentally swatting it away. When he's done eating, he does this baby curl-up to try and sit up straight. It's really precious to watch.

Angelo is teething pretty bad now. I can feel the grooves in his bottom gums and can see the little teeth trying to break through. Hopefully they'll come in soon. I think he's doing pretty well though. He's not a huge whiner, but you can tell when his gums are hurting. That damn Baby Orajel doesn't do jack for him though. He hates the taste and the numbing doesn't last long due to all the drooling. He isn't taking to teething rings either. He still prefers chewing on his and our clothes and his blankets/burp cloths.

On the development side, the Bubs can stand on his tippy toes with us holding his hands and he's pretty steady. He rolls over just fine, but only from his tummy to his back. We're trying to help him sit up on his own, but all he does his reach over to touch his feet. I'm hoping that next month he'll be able to do it better. Bubbas likes to take his toys and shove them in his mouth. My God-Mother's daughter bought him some balls (yeah, that sounded good) that have different designs in them. If he's on his tummy, he can reach for them, tries to hold them and shoves them in his mouth, LOL. Although he can't understand why he can't chew on them, LOL. He still loves the Baby Einstein videos and we just got a new one from my sister. He's testing it out now, but so far so good.

Like I said earlier, Angelo is now about 19 pounds and in size 3 diapers. You know what really bugs me? It seems like everyone in town had a child when I did because I can NEVER find the brand of diapers in the size I want. I favor Pampers Swaddlers, but am now using the Pampers Cruisers. This time I had to settle for Luvs because nothing else was available and I refuse to buy store brand. They suck, BIG TIME! At least I got off cheap this time though. Luvs are decent and pretty affordable. I really wish the store brand diapers were good because I hate spending a lot of money. Oh and Sam's club doesn't have my brand in bulk either....Damnit!

I'm waiting for the Bubs to start the "Army Crawl". It looks like he's getting ready to start that pretty soon. As for talking, his "O's" are very clear and I've got him forming his mouth to say "Mmmm" for "Mama". Sometimes he does the "Ohhh Mmmm" as if to say, "Oh Mama!", which is something I've been playing around with as well. He hasn't blurted out "Dada" yet, thank God! I'll be damned if he says that first!

Dave, the girls, Angelo and I went for our family pictures last week and we'll be picking them up tomorrow afternoon. I was able to get the Bubs to smile big a few times and the pictures of all 3 kids turned out beautifully. Dave and I, on the other hand, look like we've been smoking a lot of weed. It's too bad that we take such awful pictures! I'll be scanning them Tuesday night and will post them as soon as I can. We got them done at Target because there's a 20% off in-store discount and no sitting fees. We ended up paying $70 for 2- 8x10's, 4- 5x7's, 4- 3.5 x 5's and 8 wallets. They did a really great job too, so if any of you are looking to do this, Target may be the way to go.

Now, on to me...

I've been working out twice a day and eating right consistently, with the exception of this past weekend at my Mom's. If I can lost a pound a week, I'd be very happy. So I've lost 43 out of the 54 pounds I gained during pregnancy. Only 11 pounds to go and then another 20 to get back to my weight before I met Dave. My mom sent me a 10-day diet, which didn't do jack for me. Dave lost 14 pounds though. That really pisses me off, LOL, but I'm happy for him at the same time. Sometimes I feel like a failure because I haven't lost all my weight by now. My son is 5 mos old and my baby belly should be gone, but Nooooooooo, not me!

I can't wait until the holidays are over so I can get my life back in order. It's utter chaos around here, especially with the girls. We're having behavioral issues with Dave's 8 yr-old and her mother isn't help one bit. She gets spoiled at her mom's and acts like a brat at our house. We've tried everything but giving her a tour of the police station, which we may end up doing. I'm terrified that if she doesn't clean up her act, Angelo will turn out the same way so I have to work over-time to make sure that doesn't happen.

Anyway, that's all for now. I you enjoy your holidays!

"Mmmmm"

2008-12-15T20:59:00.003-05:00

Angelo is almost 20 weeks old! That puts him just shy of 5 months. I remember when I was 20 weeks pregnant and that's when I received confirmation that my baby was indeed a boy. It's been a year and 3 weeks since I found out I was pregnant and a year since my first ultrasound. The Bubs wasn't a bubs, he was just a little grain of rice. Isn't it amazing how quickly they grow in and out of the womb? I got on the scale with Angelo today. He's 19 pounds and in size 3 diapers. His 2's didn't even last a whole month!

Angelo is eating about 8 ounces of formula per feeding and we're trying to transition him to solids. Like I said before, our doctor told us he needed to be on solids twice a day, but the Bubs isn't allowing it yet. He's been real cranky due to teething and I can't feed him when he's upset. We're going to try and get him consistent with his rice cereal every night first and then get him on his fruit in the mornings. He is very good with eating the solids when he wants to, though. His tongue reflex is gone and he swallows without a problem.

A couple of weeks ago the Bubs found his hands and now he's found his ears. It's so cute to see him grabbing them and the look of wonder on his face is absolutely priceless. He's only able to roll over from his tummy, but not his back at this time. He bounces like crazy in his Jumperoo and I think we'll be able to put it on the #2 setting soon.

His "O's" are super clear now. It's so awesome! Today, after 4 months of me pounding it into his head (not literally, of course!) he put out a big "MMMMMM" to try and say "Mama". I'm so excited because I know he's going to just blurt it out soon. I caught Dave going behind my back, trying to teach Angelo "Dada" last night and I ran right in there to stop the madness, LOL! This child will say "Mama" first, if it kills me!

Unfortunately Angelo is still waking up in the middle of the night for some reason and we can't figure out why. He slept throughout the night from the very beginning and now I feel like I've got a 2 week old baby on my hands. He must be going through a lot of changes right now. What's odd though is that yesterday he was really tired. It's as if his two naps weren't enough, but I couldn't let him have a third or else he won't fall asleep well. Last week Dave came down with a cold and passed it along to the Bubs. My poor baby is snotting all over the place, but he's getting better. This could also be part of the reason he's not been sleeping through the night lately.

Now, on to me...

Dave and I went on this 10-day diet in effort to lose some of our "congratulations, you just had a baby" weight. He lost 14 lbs and I lost 2. That really sucks, but I guess I should be happy because something is better than nothing. I decided that dieting doesn't work for me so I'm going back to just eating healthy and working out. When I'm supposed to lose the weight, I will.

We're going to Michigan for Christmas #1 and we're bringing all 3 kids. I just hope we have enough room in the car for all our stuff. My sister is lending us some of her baby stuff so we don't have to bring all of Angelo's crap with us. Laura she just found out that she's pregnant with baby #2 and she'll be due about a week after Angelo's first birthday. Dave and I are going to try and get Angelo to meet Santa this Wednesday, if we can muster up some time. I really want to get a picture of his first time with the Claus.

By the way, the pictures in this entry were taken this past Saturday at the Wild Lights exhibit at the Columbus Zoo.

17/18 Week Update

2008-12-02T09:02:00.005-05:00

17 weeks - Bouncing in the Jumperoo

17 weeks - After rolling over

16 weeks- "Look Mommy, I found my hands!"

Hey everyone! Sorry I missed last week's update. I've been extremely busy due to Thanksgiving and having to watch the girls while Dave was at work. I've also been working my ass off because I ran a sale, but now that it's over, I have some time to get caught up on the updates.

Angelo will be 18 weeks old tomorrow and is doing really well. He is getting fussy a lot and that's due to him teething. The drool in unbelievable and he's chewing on every little thing he gets his hands on. We've been using Baby Orajel and although he hates the taste, I think it's working for him a bit.

He's back to sleeping throughout the night and is going to bed a bit earlier these days. The poor 'lil guy is just exhausted by 9:30pm and clunks out on us. He is still moving around a lot in his sleep, but isn't rolling on to his back anymore. He may start that up again, who knows, but for now it's looking pretty good. I had to remove the bumper from the crib because he was pulling it over his head and getting caught in it.

Now I'm finding his arms hanging out of the crib when he wakes in the morning. That freaks me out, but no damage has been done. The Bubs has been waking up pretty happy lately too! I'll hear him mumbling to himself. I go in there to start our day and he's pushed his chest up and looking around for me. Then I start singing my "Good morning to you" song and he flashes me a series of beautiful smiles that just melt my heart. I'm going to leave my camera on his dresser for those moments.

I think the holiday spoiled him a bit because everyone was holding him and now he wants Dave and I to do the same thing ALL the time. It's so exhausting! Angelo is getting better with playing by himself in the Jumperoo while his video is on. He'll watch it twice in a row and then he's done. He's finally taken to the swing as well. I had him in it the other day and he fell asleep. I have to replace the batteries in his bouncy seat and I'm going to see if he likes that now.

I think I said it before, but he's a lot happier in the car now. When we're stopped at the light, however, he gets fussy, LOL! I think our trip to Michigan at Christmas will be very different this time because we're taking the freeway, the girls will be with us and he'll probably get more sleep. Last time he screamed bloody murder the whole way, to and from which killed me! It was absolutely AWFUL.

My 'lil Bubs is full of smiles these days, which makes me very happy. He laughs a lot more now too. He's doing some funny things as well. When it's time for a diaper change, he puts his legs up and pushes his butt up. When it's time for a bottle, he opens his mouth then tries to grab it. When he's done eating, he tries to push himself into a sitting position, but he hasn't been able to get there yet. I try to pull him up to make him sit, but he just stands up like a board, LOL. So from laying on his back to standing, nice.

It looks like I'm getting Angelo back to his regular nap schedule and that has been comforting. I'm pretty sure he's going through a growth spurt and clearly needs his rest.

Now, on to me!

Things are crazy in my house. I'm so glad I got my Christmas decorations up early this year. I started my Christmas shopping last week and I'm hoping to be done with most of it by the end of next week. We're going to Michigan from the 19th-21st, which is NOT enough time, but I can't stay longer because we're bringing Dave's girls with us. I think I'm going to go back in January because there are a lot of people I need to see and they haven't met Angelo yet. He'll be six months old by the time I can make that happen, sheesh!

I lost 2 more pounds, but that's not enough so Dave and I are starting a 10-day diet that my mother suggested. My first day is today so we'll see how it goes. I still have the "baby belly" in a major way. I thought most of it would be gone by now, but nope! I also still have that dark line on my stomach and I thought that would've faded by now, but nope! I was taking a bath the other day and thought, "My God, I still look pregnant! This is ridiculous."

Now that Angelo is 4 1/2 months old, I feel like I've finally got it together in the motherhood department. The biggest concern I had was my work and down time schedule. I think that things are beginning to balance out now and that will decrease my stress, which I've needed in the worst way.

That's about it for now. I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Cristin

4 Months and Ready for Change!

2008-11-22T16:45:00.001-05:00

Angelo turned 16 weeks old this past Wednesday. He went to the doctor for his 4 month check-up and shots. He weighed in at 16 lbs, 1 ounce and he's 25 inches long, which is exactly what I thought he'd be. He's average for his weight and length and I'm just fine with that. The doctor told us that he needs to be on solids twice a day now, but Angelo isn't taking to it just yet. I'm going to let Angelo guide me as I have been and I think that will make for a smooth transition. Right now he's eating 6-8 ounces of formula about 5 times a day and taking solids about once a day.

Bubbas can roll over from his stomach to both sides and is doing this in his sleep still. He's been waking up in the middle of the night, anywhere from 3:30-6:30am still. He slept until 8 a couple of mornings this week though. I'm trying to get him on a better nap schedule during the day and it's trial and error at the moment. If he's not ready to go down, he'll flip over to his back and cry for a bit. He's been falling asleep on my chest the last couple of days and I think it's due to the residual effects of the shots.

Dave bought the Bubs a few new outfits and a booster seat so he can sit with us at dinner time. That seems to be working out quite well. I feel like we don't have enough clothes for his age, but that's probably because he's constantly leaking through them and spitting up. I'm still doing laundry like mad crazy and I've accepted that it won't end until he's old enough to do his own.

Angelo is still reacting poorly to his car seat, but has grown out of screaming while in the car. He falls asleep when we're driving and that's been wonderful! I can't wait until he can sit up on his own so I won't have to drag the carrier around everywhere I go. He is still showing a great interest in the Baby Einstein video I bought him. I hear him whining when it's over and then he needs something else to do. It's kind of funny.

That's about it for the Bubs. Now on to me...

This is placebo week for me with "the pill" and I started my period. Yay! This means that my body has taken to it and everything seems to be on track. I'm going to make my OB/GYN appointment for next month and get my prescription for a year.

I bought a digital scale this week because I want to know my actual weight. There's an interpretation error with the one I have. I did get confirmation that I've lost 3 pounds, so I'm glad about that. I still have a long way to go, but I'm starting to get motivated again. I'm taking the time to cook more now and I think that will help keep my family healthy. Dave is a bit of a challenge since he's not into veggies and practically LIVES on pizza.

Right now I'm working on a natural body detox because my physical energy level is quite low. I'm drinking a lot more water and organic tea, but I can't seem to give up my coffee just yet. I have to get rid of my fatty coffee creamer and go back to soy. I'm also going to stop eating so much red meat. That stuff just plugs me up. I went Vegetarian for about a year the last time I was over weight and I lost 40 lbs, but I'm not quite ready for that type of change. My eating habits are awful. I have been skipping breakfast and only eating a small lunch and normal dinner so that's got to change now.

My household has been upside down and chaotic for a while and I'm working on a new plan. I changed the girls' chore day to Fridays and I'm doing a massive sweep for the rest of the house. One room a day and then we can all maintain it better. Dave and I haven't had a lot of time to do stuff so I'm going to come up with a way to change that as well.

15 Week Update

2008-11-12T10:06:00.002-05:00

Angelo and I by the Christmas stuff!

The Bubs taking a snooze on daddy. Nice pajama pants, eh?

Angelo is now 15 weeks old and so much is going on.

First of all, his sleep schedule has gotten so messed up and I have no idea why. He's been waking up around 6:30am every day now and I'm guessing it's due to him having a diaper loaded with urine. Yes, he's still peeing like a champ! It's either that or he's waking up due to hunger. So I get up at 6:30am, change his diaper, feed him and then he sleeps until 8:30/9am. He's been staying up, but only until about 1pm and then he's exhausted. Usually he doesn't get his afternoon nap until 3pm, but that seems to be a thing of the past.

Yesterday he took his nap from 1pm-4:15pm and then stayed awake until about 8:30pm. During his awake hours, he was really cranky. Then he dozed off for about 20 minutes and we tried to get him off to bed around 10pm. It took him a while, but he finally fell back asleep around 10:30pm. This morning he woke up around 6:30am again, but it's Dave's day so I got to sleep in until 8am.

The Bubs is rolling over now. It's so funny to watch because he starts to roll, stays on his side for a bit and then ends up on his back. He grunts the entire time because he gets frustrated that he can't do it quickly. It's about 10:30am now and I just checked on him. He's in his Pack 'N Play, laying on his side, eyes wide open and mumbling to himself. He's not crying to get out because he doesn't see me. Any time Dave is taking care of him alone, he's real quiet. When I'm around, he has to interact and hates it when I leave the area, even for a few seconds. I honestly think Dave bores him, LOL!

Speaking of baby entertainment, I just bought Angelo's first "Baby Einstein" video. He watches it and I think gets into it, but only if I'm out of sight. I tried using the Bumbo for his comfort, however, he's trying to push himself out of it. I think the Bumbo days are officially over. So I lay a blanket down on the floor and put him on his stomach to watch the video and that seems to be working well. He still only lasts about 15-20 mins in one position.

Now Angelo can push his stomach off the floor for a few mins at a time. He is also trying to scoot and it's hilarious watching him. Poor Bubs gets so frustrated because he has places to go, but can't seem to get there! While trying to scoot, his legs start flailing and his little butt sticks way up in the air, LOL! He holds his head up for long periods during tummy time.

We are transitioning him to solids more consistently now. We have him on rice cereal and Gerber 1st foods once a week. I think we're going to increase it to 2-3 times a week soon. He LOVES the 1st foods. He's had green beans and bananas so far. Obviously, he prefers the bananas. Seeing his face with the green beans cracks me up. We're going to try carrots and hopefully he'll like that better so we can keep him on one thing for a while. I don't wanna mix things too much, too quickly.

Angelo's 4 month check-up with the doctor is next week. He's also getting his second round of shots. I'm excited because I'll get to see how much he's grown in the last 2 months. Bubs is now in size 2 diapers. We went to Sam's Club today hoping to find that size in bulk, but nooooo. They have every other size. That ticked me off pretty good today, plus I was hungry and I think going through the PMS. I'm on the pill and I don't feel a thing, so who knows. I have to go back to Walmart tomorrow and get his diapers and that kills me because I KNOW that I'll be spending more money than I would have if Sam's had what I needed. Damn!

As for me...

It looks like I've lost around 2 or 3 pounds, but I'm no so sure. I think I need to invest in a digital scale. My friend Nikki told me that she's noticed a bit of weight loss and some of my shirts and jeans are getting loose, thank GOD! I have the rest of the month to bust my ass before the scale humiliation at my next OB/GYN appointment. I have to go for my yearly PAP and have a post baby check-up. I'm also going to have a talk with Tiffany about my birth control pills. If I bleed on the placebos this month, then I will continue on the Kariva, if I bleed early, which I'm due any day now, then we'll have to make adjustments.

I put up my Christmas tree and decorations this past weekend. I decided to do it early because I'd like to actually enjoy the season this year. Usually I keep my decorations up until Spring, mostly because I'm lazy, but also because I always do stuff last minute. Not this year, yay! I'm going to have to do something with my office because I'm finding that I would rather stay upstairs by the tree instead of working there.

That's it for now. I'll be posting more pictures of the Bubs later on this week!

Teething Hell

2008-11-05T07:34:00.008-05:00

13 weeks - trying to get out of the Bumbo already!

Bubs at 13 weeks

14 weeks - I FINALLY got a pic of Angelo's big smile!

Here he is, getting ready to chew on his hand again

Well folks, Angelo is now 14 weeks old and I've officially entered teething hell. That's right. He's drooling all over the place, chewing everything he can find and whining all the time. I bought him a teething ring, but he's not taking to it. He'd rather stick to his hands and the nipple from his bottle. Oh well. Every baby is different. The unfortunate thing about him teething at the moment is him waking up earlier. He usually sleeps from 10pm-8:30am, but lately he's been getting up anywhere from 4:30-6am, which sucks big time! His gums are really swollen, but he's not cutting any teeth just yet. Man, this could take a while. Poor 'lil Bubs!

The Bubs is adjusting to the time change. That's taken a few days, but it looks like we're getting back on track. I'm trying to keep his nap schedule the same for as long as I can. He's starting to grow out of the morning nap, but his afternoon time is still going strong. Thank God because I need to work at some point during the day and the afternoon is my best bet!

Dave and I were playing with him the other day and we saw him roll over, yay! It was really cute. When we put him down for "tummy time", he tries to scoot and gets real frustrated if he isn't moving. It's kind of funny to see him try. We are starting to stand him up, supporting his upper body and he can push his feet on the floor. He's really strong and loves it! He still isn't able to sit upright on his own though. I'm hoping that will start next month.

Angelo turns his head and follows me with his eyes whenever I'm walking around him. If someone else is holding him and I'm around, he stares at me with the "what the hell are you thinking allowing someone else to feed me" look. He's great with people he's familiar with, but once he hears my voice, all bets are off! LOL He loves when I sing my good morning and good afternoon songs. They're silly, yes, but it calms him down if he starts to get fussy.

Angelo is finally taking to his toys a bit. He loves this plush bug my friend Dawn gave me at my baby shower. It's in a couple of the pictures posted above. He grabs it all the time. He can now touch the ground completely while in his Jumperoo and is also messing with the toys on it. Dave's mom bought him this farm thing where he can push or kick it, then it plays music and makes the sounds of the animals. While on the floor, he's starting to push them on his own.

I've noticed that the Bubs is getting sick of his Bumbo chair now. I caught him trying to get out of it the other day. I think it may be too confining for him. He's also in the "carry me" phase and it's been real frustrating for me. We have this "strap-on the body" carrier (I don't know what they're called) and he's in love with it. So now I'm thinking that I should use it when I'm out shopping since he HATES his car seat carrier. He's getting way too big for it anyway, plus it's a pain in the ass to drag around these days. We're going to get him a convertible car seat soon. I think he'll like that much better. I can't wait for the day when he can sit in the shopping cart without tipping over.

Now, on to me...

I finally got my hair done, woo hoo! I feel like a whole new woman! Unfotunately it cost me an arm and a leg, but it was worth it. My friend Nikki and I went together and we were there for 4 hours. I got my hair cut, thinned and slightly highlighted.

No more weight loss for me in the last 2 weeks, but at least I'm not gaining. I'm going to give the pill a couple more months and if my body doesn't shape up then I'll consider going off of it and finding another method for birth control. The pill is wonderful in the sense that I don't feel anything during PMS or my menstral cycle, but now my periods are lasting about 10 days and I hate that. They are lighter though, but before baby, they only lasted about 4 days. It's turning into a huge inconvenience!

Okay, I think that's all for now. I'll see you guys next week and hopefully I'll have a lot to report!

Super Bubbas!

2008-10-30T23:12:00.009-04:00

Getting ready to save the world!

The kids at their Nana and Poppy's house

Halle, Trenity and Caitlynn

Dave, me and Super Bubbas!

Angelo is now 13 weeks old. Some people are telling me that he's only 3 mos old today since he was born on the 30th, but I disagree. I gave birth to him on a Wednesday and that was 13 weeks ago, damnit! Anyway, he's around 14/15lbs and 24/25 inches long. I have to wait about another month before I get his official weight at his next doctor's appointment.

He's now sleeping from 10pm to about 8:30 or 9am. Once in a while he gets up early to eat and then goes right back to sleep. This is usually because he didn't finish his bottle the night before, which is fine since he passes right out. We still have him on 6 ounces of formula, but sometimes he goes to 8. Bubbas is taking about 3 naps a day now and I think that's because he's going through a growth spurt..God help me! We have him in 3-6 mos size clothes now since the 3 mos are just fitting him. One more week and that'll be finito!

Angelo's development is going well. He's still mimicking me and making very clear "O" and "AH" sounds. When he wants my attention, he yells "OHHHHH". It's hilarious! He's been a bit cranky lately and I think it's due to early teething. He's chewing on anything he can get his mouth on, especially clothes and burp cloths. I don't know what it is about that material, but he's all over that shit. LOL! He's drooling like mad and just loves it when I take his burp cloth and pat his lips. His eyes get wide and he gives me the most grand smile you'd ever see. Then he starts to laugh. Nuts, eh?

The Bubs has got the tummy time down. The minute I put him on his stomach he pushes himself up and looks around the room. I think he's hoping for something cool to happen, but no such luck. Sorry buddy! The only disturbing thing about his development is that he's rolling on to his back from his stomach at random times. Though I have him in a sleep positioner, which has been a life save (literally), I'm finding him in strange positions in the crib. He also does it in the Pack 'N Play. Once he's on his back, he wakes up and has a shit fit. "OMG, I'm on my back, I'M ON MY BACK! HELP!" I swear to God, that's exactly what he's thinking. He will only lay on his back if someone is hovering over and talking to him, otherwise, forget it!

Even though tomorrow is Halloween, the city in which I reside has a rule to do Trick or Treating the day before from 6-8pm. Unfortunately, it's a school night so it was absolute chaos when it was all over. Trenity went as Gabriella from High School Musical, Halle was Hannah Montana and Angelo was Superman! We couldn't find an infant Batman costume, but Dave was still happy. It was nice to have the best of both words, doing the girly stuff and the guy thing for Halloween. I'm so glad I had a boy because I'm terribly sick of PINK.

While I was in the middle of basking in my holiday joy, I started to think about my friend Dawn who lost her 4 week old son not too long ago. I feel so sad because I get to experience the baby's first everything and she doesn't. It makes me so honored and grateful to have these memories, not only with my son, but with the girls as well. I think I'll be in this mode for a while, especially during the holidays.

Yesterday we had to attend Parent-Teacher conferences for Trenity, who is now in the 2nd grade. Apparently she's improved a lot in the last couple of weeks, which makes us very happy. There's always room for improvement and we're right on top of that. She started doing tutoring sessions at one of the high schools and that is every Saturday. Dave takes her to that so I get a morning break from doing all the kiddie stuff, YAY!

Now on to me...

I don't believe I've lost any more weight, however, I'm avoiding the scale at the moment. I don't need to experience depression. I did buy a new pair of regular (not maternity) jeans a week ago and now they're way too big. That's either a great sign of weight loss or I was just a moron and bought the wrong size. I was so desperate to wear regular jeans that I didn't care if it's a nasty double digit size. So now I'm thinking that I need to just stick to my first pair of maternity jeans (which finally fit me again) until I can fit into my "skinny jeans".

Shirts are a pain in the ass. They don't carry any cute ones that work well with big busted bitches with rolls like myself. Nice. So I'm stuck with stuff that less than fashionable until I can get rid of a cup size. I so regret being too afraid to work out regularly while I was pregnant.

Now here's the great news. I'm getting my hair done on Saturday, FINALLY! I'm not too sure what I'm going to do with it yet, just that it'll be cut and highlighted. I can't take being frump mommy anymore. I'm not 30 until January and I refuse to look 40 so there. I'm gonna do it and I'm SO excited!

Angelo Is 3 Months Old, Holy Crap!

2008-10-21T23:26:00.003-04:00

Angelo and Mommy - 3 mos later

Bubs smiling

Tomorrow marks 3 months since I gave birth to my beautiful son, Angelo. This whole experience for me has been a bit surreal. Next month is the anniversary of my positive pregnancy tests, LOL! Time flies and it's so unbelievable! Every day I think to myself, "Oh my God I'm a mother. I have a child. Wow, I sure am blessed."

To be honest, a year ago I wasn't saying those things or even thinking them. I was too busy dealing with the fact that I was falling in love, for real, with a divorced guy who has 2 children. I know it sounds silly, but for the type of person I was back then, it was a difficult adjustment. Then I found out I was pregnant and I swear it felt like I had absolutely NO control over my life at all. I went from being single, doing whatever I wanted and whenever to changing my lifestyle completely. Now I'm in love with motherhood and am responsible for raising a human life to be healthy and happy. My priorities are completely different, with Angelo being #1...forever. What a difference a year makes, eh?

Okay, so moving on to the Bubs...

I weighed myself then weighed Angelo and it looks like he's around 14/15lbs already. Damn, that child is eating like a pig and growing like a weed! His facial features are changing as well as his coloring. His eyes are clearly brown now. He has medium brown hair and his skin has gotten a lot lighter since birth. He's peeing like a champ too, leaking through his diapers like mad. I'm using Pampers Swadlers, which I found to be the best, but still there's leakage. I'm spending a lot more time doing laundry these days.

My bubs is smiling so much now and starting to laugh often. I'm waiting for the giggle still, though. He knows when I want to take a picture and plays games. He waits until the flashes go off and then shines me a big grin. He practically cheers when I say "Mama" and I just melt. He's really taking to his Jumperoo, however, he hates the music and quite frankly, so do I. We got the Fisher Price one with the jungle animals. He's playing with the toys on it and bouncing around since his feet can touch the carpet now. About 5 minutes after we turn on the music he makes it known to us that he's in hell, LOL.

Angelo has been a bit fussy lately when I leave the room for a second or put him down when he wants to play with me. He's very particular about having me around when other people are holding him. Although he's not a whiner, if someone else is feeding him or trying to play, he's checking the room to make sure I'm there. If I get up, he follows me by turning his head and once he makes eye contact, he stares me down. He doesn't cry when others hold him and that's a good thing. He can tell the difference between mommy/daddy, other family members and strangers now. He makes these confused faces when he's with someone he's not familiar with.

Finally, the bubs is drooling a lot and chewing on everything he can reach, even his clothes. It's so funny because he's chew on his collar, then realizes that it tastes like crap and makes the "eww gross" look. I'm waiting for him to start fussing because I swear he's teething. I'm praying that he's not too fussy though.

As for me...

I've lost 40 out of the 54 lbs I've gained during pregnancy. I only lost 5 lbs in the last 6 weeks, which is really disheartening. I think the pill has everything to do with that one and that pisses me off big time! I know I could probably work out a little harder, however, having an infant to care for makes it difficult. It seems like everytime I get into the work out, Angelo wakes up from his nap. Let's not forget that I'm self-employed so I'm trying get work done as well. I have 14lbs left before reaching my pre-preggo weight, but I've got another 20 to go before I get out of minor obesity. That's what I'm calling it these days because it's true.

I haven't been getting enough sleep because Angelo has been waking up an hour and a half early this past week. He hasn't been eating his entire bottle before bed so maybe he's just hungry. I'm going to focus on getting him back to his normal sleep schedule so I can get back to mine. Dave is on baby duty tomorrow morning so hopefully my body clock won't wake me up. I'm going to try and re-adjust that tonight.

11 Week Old Bubbas!

2008-10-15T11:37:00.005-04:00

His new thing: drooling and chewing

"I'm trying to smile for ya mommy, really!"

Tummy Time

Dave and I came back from our trip to West Virginia Sunday afternoon. We went white water rafting and camping. We had a great time, but were very sore from the excursion Saturday and Sunday. Leaving Angelo was hard for me at first, but I was okay once we got on the road. Dave's parents said that he was very good and got his afternoon naps in. I didn't have much trouble getting him back on schedule when we got home.

The bubs is now sleeping longer at night. He goes to bed around 10pm and is now waking up at 8:30am. I have to delay his morning nap an hour in order to adjust to his new night time schedule. His morning naps are becoming pretty inconsistent. Sometimes he sleeps for an hour and other times he goes for 2-4 hours. His afternoon naps are still the same, about 2-3 hours. I think he's going to start rejecting his morning naps soon.

I think Angelo is playing mind games with me, LOL! He knows what the camera is and doesn't smile until after the flash goes off. Man, I really want to show you guys how cute he can be. Maybe I'll get some good pictures after he turns 3 months, which is next week already! Bubs has a new habit, sticking his tongue out like crazy. I came home from my trip and that's what I got. I was only gone less than 2 days!

He's doing really well with tummy time these days. I can put him on the floor and he immediately pushes himself up without assistance. Maybe now he'll start getting into the play gym we got him. I've also noticed that Angelo is becoming pretty needy. He prefers human contact to toys, which I'm happy about. He still gets bored every 20 minutes or so, no matter what he's doing. I'm hoping that this human contact thing will give me the opportunity to teach him more stuff and perhaps develop his skills faster.

Bubs tries to pull himself up once we're done with a feeding so that he can sit upright. It's really cute! He likes to stand on my legs too now and he's really strong. It's funny because he stands on the tips of his toes. The other new development is his excessive urination. This child pees like a champ and is starting to leak through his diapers in less than an hour's time. He's soaking wet when he wakes up in the morning. I've had to do laundry a lot more this week, that's for sure!

Now, on to me...

I've been on the pill for almost 2 months now and I'm getting my periods a week earlier than I should. This worries me because I'm bleeding the week before I take the placebos, which is when I'm supposed to start. I wonder if I could get pregnant during that time, if something happens to the condom. Yes folks, I'm I'm using 2 methods of birth control because I definitely don't need to get pregnant again. I just want to enjoy my life the way it is. If we ever decide to have another child, we want it to be planned. I don't really see myself doing it again, even though my pregnancy and birth was flawless.

I've lost 40 out of the 54 pounds I gained while I was pregnant. I'm a little bummed because I have monthly goals and I'm not reaching them. I'm guessing the pill may have something to do with that. After I lose the preggo weight, I have 20 more to go in order to get back to the weight I was when Dave and I met. Our work-out equipment finally came last week and Dave's almost done putting the weight bench together. Our bike is done and I'm using that every day since it's getting colder outside and I can't take the bubs out.

Also, I'm noticing that I'm getting motivated again, YAY! I'm almost done with my home office. All I have to do is paint and decorate the walls. I think I'll start that project this Saturday since Dave will be able to watch the kids while I work. Next on my agenda is a new website for work. I'm very excited about it and I can't wait to get started!

That's all for now. I hope everyone is doing well and I wish you all a great recovery from the retrograde!

Cristin

10 Weeks Old!

2008-10-10T12:39:00.008-04:00

10/9/08 - Chillin' in the jumperoo

"Are we done here?"

"I'm too quick for your camera, haha!"

Talking to the toys

Angelo is 10 weeks old already, wow! He's a big boy, eating an easy 6 ounces of formula every feeding and rice cereal a few times a week. He doesn't go back to the doctor until November 19th, so next week I'm going to get on the scale with him again. I want to get an idea of how much he's grown since his last appointment.

My 'lil bubs is displaying quite the personality and loves to "talk". It's funny because he seems to be a morning guy, whereas Dave and I most certainly aren't morning people. He eats, gets a diaper change then wants to chat, LOL! He mumbles stuff only God understands, but it's cute anyway. I do, however, have him saying his "O's" clearly and when I say, "Mama", he smiles BIG and tries to form the "M" with his lips. I'm gonna get his to say it before "Dada" if it kills me, damnit!

He still gets bored every 20 minutes or so and still prefers to be in the upright position, unless he wants to sleep. Speaking of sleep, this child sure loves his! He takes morning and afternoon naps then goes to bed from 10pm to 7am. If he doesn't get his naps in he's a bit cranky, but then again, I'm that way too.

Dave and I are going away this weekend and it's the first time I have to leave Angelo with someone over night. This is really going to kill me, I'm sure. He's staying with Dave's parents, brother and sister-in-law from tonight until Sunday afternoon. I know he'll be just fine, but I'll be calling there fairly often. This will be the second trip Dave and I have taken (for fun) alone since we started dating. I spent the majority of our relationship being pregnant so this trip is definitely necessary.

Pictures - 9 Weeks - Bath Time!

2008-10-05T08:50:00.005-04:00

Mommy and Angelo after the bath

I love this picture

His favorite part

Bubbas taking a bath at Grandma's house!
First time in the sink.

Scroll down for more pictures from MI and my 9 week update

Pictures - 9 Weeks

2008-10-05T08:41:00.008-04:00

Trip to MI: Me, my sister Laura, my Niece Sienna and Angelo

Us plus my mom!

Mom being goofy with the bubs

Aunt Laura couldn't get enough of her nephew

Mom's bf Mike with the bubs

Tummy time at Grandma's in MI

Aunt Aimee with the bubs

Aimee took all these wonderful pictures, so thanks!! I love them.

Letting Go - 9 Weeks

2008-10-04T23:12:00.003-04:00

I just got back from Michigan after attending a baby's funeral. My friend Dawn, who I wrote about back when I was about 21/22 weeks pregnant, lost her son Bradly on Friday, September 26th. He was only 4 weeks old. The showing was on Monday, the funeral was Tuesday and it was AWFUL. I am heartbroken for Dawn, Brian and their family.

We found out that he had a major issue back when she was 17 weeks pregnant, but had hope for his survival after he would have surgery and time in the NICU. He was born 4 weeks after Angelo and weighed 8lbs, 14 ounces. His surgery was a few days later and went well, however, he was stuck on ventilators the entire time. He passed away in his mother's arms 25 minutes after removing him from the machines. That was the only time she could hold her son.

I came back from Michigan on Wednesday very depressed. Every time I looked at Angelo I would tear up. I'm so grateful that my son is healthy and growing beautifully every day, but angry that my friend, who would've been an excellent mother to Bradly, was denied physical motherhood not once, but TWICE. She had a miscarriage at 9 weeks when she was married back in 2004. I'm angry because there are so many mothers out there who could care less about their children and treat them poorly. I had a friend who is like that and of course, she's no longer in my life. It makes me sick. I'm working on letting go of my pain and anger so that Angelo doesn't pick up on it.

Angelo is now 9 weeks old. He's the love of my life and I am making sure he knows it every day. He's getting so big and now he's wearing mostly 3 month size outfits. He can still wear some 0-3 mos, but only if they run big. He's still eating, farting and sleeping like a champ! He's also doing well in the mimicking department and he's got the "O's" down. I'm working on the "Ah's" now. He's smiling a lot, but I still can't get him to giggle enough.

My bubbas is eating rice cereal a few times a week and a 6 ounce bottle every couple of hours. My doctor told me that I can give him the cereal whenever I want, so I think I will increase it to once a day. I don't want to overwhelm his little digestive system with solids too quickly. He LOVES the cereal, man. It's funny to watch him eat it up.

The only problem we're having at this time is that Angelo doesn't like his car seat anymore. He is fine for the first 5-10 mins in the car, but starts screaming soon after. Once we get him out of it, he's a happy camper. I'm really bummed about that. My 4 hr drive (one way) to Michigan was hell. He only slept for 30 mins. I wish there was a way I could change that. I knew eventually I'd have an issue with something since he's been so perfect for 7 1/2 weeks.

Angelo's sleep schedule got messed up due to the trip and he wasn't able to take all his naps. He gets a morning nap around 9am-12pm, an afternoon nap from 2pm-4/5pm and goes to bed around 10pm then wakes up at 7am. He's been going to bed earlier since I came home and that was around 8:30/9pm and still slept until 7am. I'm hoping that he'll be back to his old ways tomorrow.

That's all for now. I'll be posting new pictures soon!

Pictures - 8 weeks

2008-09-26T09:50:00.007-04:00

"Whoah..look at the blue froggy!"

"I love this jumperoo thingy!"

Angelo and his teddy

Nerdy mommy and the bubs

Trenity trying to make Angelo laugh

First thing in the morning

The Bubs Is 8 Weeks Old!

2008-09-24T16:23:00.003-04:00

Angelo is now 8 weeks old today and I can’t believe it! He’s getting so big, it’s not even funny. Dave and I took him to the doctor for his shots and 2 month check-up. He only cried when the nurse gave the shots and was calm almost immediately. He weighed in at 12 pounds, 4 ounces and 24.5 inches long. The doctor told us that we can give him rice cereal whenever we want as long as he continues to eat properly, meaning no choking or barfing it up. Due to Angelo being in the 97th percentile for weight and length, coupled with his need to eat A LOT, we’ll probably have him on solids sooner than most children his age, which is fine by me.

I had to buy the bubs a few new items of clothing, even though my sister is bringing me some this weekend when she comes to visit. I can only get 0-3 months if it runs big because he’s wearing 3 months consistently now. Isn’t that something? What a monster child I’m going to have, LOL! I still can’t believe I pushed him out without getting cut or ripping on the outside. I think about that and go, “Damn. First it’s the miracle pregnancy and then it was the easiest birth known to man…what’s next? Oh wait! I have the most easy going baby on Earth!” His doctor even commented on that one and he‘s not the only one.

It’s days like these that make me so thankful to have the life I do. Motherhood for me has been like a dream so far. I hear many stories about mothers who have to deal with their babies’ colic, restlessness, rage and other sorted problems. I haven’t seen one thing to be worried about with Angelo. Dave’s mom had told me while I was pregnant that you can tell what a child will be like when he gets older by observing how he is in the womb and as a baby. So I guess Angelo will be just like Dave. All he will care about is food, farting, sleep and not disturbing the peace.

Our doctor confirmed what I had believed all along about children and their behavior. It’s either in their DNA, their environment or a little of both. Since both Dave and I are pretty relaxed and easy going most of the time, our child was born with that personality. Our relationship is really fun and stable so hopefully Angelo will pick up on that and react favorably. Unfortunately we’re not good at keeping the house clean and organized all the time so we may have a lazy bum on our hands when it comes to that stuff, LOL. I communicate well and Dave is a great listener so hopefully the bubs will be both. I’m looking forward to finding that out.

Angelo is making great progress in the mimicking department. I get right up in his face and do the “O” and “AH” sounds, then he does it right back. It’s so friggen adorable to see him trying with all his might to get his lips the right way and make the sound. I’m trying to get him to recognize his name, but he only answers to Bubbas, LOL. That’s my fault. I’ll say something like, “Bubbas, Mama’s Bubbas” then he turns his head and makes clear eye contact with me. When I repeat “Mama”, he smiles big. Anytime I say his name, he looks at me like I’m nuts. He responds well to my vowel song too. “A-E-I-O-UUUUUUU!“ Don’t ask me why I decided to do that one because I couldn’t tell you. It just came out of my mouth one day.

That’s about it for the bubs. I should have new 8 week pictures in the next few days. Dave and I are still purging the house of unnecessary crap. He’s already ordered our work-out equipment and he’s trying to get that room ready. I bought a few things to help me shed this unwanted baby fat so wish me luck. 20 more pounds to go before I hit my pre-pregnancy weight!

Germ Fest

2008-09-22T10:18:00.002-04:00

So Angelo will be 8 weeks on Wednesday and he's got a cold. I'm thinking that Halle (the 4 yr old) was sick and she didn't wash her hands as she slimed all over my 'lil bubs. Yes that sounds gross, but that's how kids are. Now I'm sick and I haven't been able to work for a few days, which really bums me out. Angelo has a doctor's appointment for routine shots and now I have to consult him about how to take care of the bubs if his cold gets worse. I'm not giving him anything right now because I don't believe in meds unless it's really necessary. He doesn't have a fever or anything, but has been sleeping A LOT.

The bubs is getting pretty big now. I can't wait to find out how much he's grown and how much weighs. I've got him wearing some 0-3 months outfits, but mostly he's in a solid 3 months. Can you believe that? He's been smiling a lot more now when I speak to him. It's adorable and I love this part of being a mommy SO much! He's been using his jumperoo more lately. He's pretty long and can touch the carpet. It would be a little better for him if he were wider, but it's not time for that yet. The Bumbo chair is still going strong for Angelo...he loves it! That thing has turned out to be a lifesaver for me. When he gets bored and I need to be in my office in the basement, I can have him with me and he's happy.

His sleep schedule is going very well. He usually goes to bed around 10pm and wakes up at 7am. Then he takes his morning nap from 9am to about 11:30am/12pm. He gets another nap around 2 and usually wakes up around 4 or 5pm, depending on his morning nap or if he was disturbed at that time. With him being sick, he hasn't been getting his daytime naps in like normal. He'll take a bunch of cat naps, but still sleeps well at night and doesn't wake up at all.

Angelo is still eating 6 ounces of formula consistently with 1 ounce snacks in between. I'm going to ask my doctor about feeding him rice cereal at night more to give him an alternative and keep him happy. The bubs goes absolutely nuts (in a good way) when he sees that spoon coming in his direction. It's really funny. He's hungriest the most at night so we need to do something about that.

As for me, I feel fatter than ever! I'm not losing any more weight and it's really bothering me. I'm also bloated a bit due to being on my period. My symptoms were almost non-existant. That and it's been a pretty light flow. This cycle has been very pleasant for me. I used to get the worst PMS known to man and my period wasn't much better. The cramps I would get were the same strength as my contractions while being in labor. Isn't that something? I'm hoping it's the pill that's making this happen for me. If not, then perhaps giving birth changed things. As long as it stays this way, I'm going to be golden and beaming with joy.

I'm still working on purging my home of unnecessary crap. It's taking a while. Dave just ordered some work-out equipment and that should be arriving at our doorstep this week. Woo Hoo! He got a bike so I plan to use that every single day. It's more convenient for me anyway since we cleared out the girls' playroom and have transformed the area to suit our needs...YES! Dave also ordered a weight bench, but I'm not sure how often I'll be using that. I need to get a yoga mat or something because the carpet in my office and the work-out room isn't plush.

Anyway, I hope you're all doing well.

xoxo,
Cristin

7 Weeks - Pictures

2008-09-18T17:45:00.007-04:00

7 weeks- "Wow weeeee!"

"Whoah, what a trip! This is sweet!"

"I love my new jumperoo"

"WTF is going on? I want attention, damnit!"

He's wearing a 3 month outfit in these pictures. The 7 weeks update blog has been posted. Scroll down.

7 Weeks - Life Is Grand

2008-09-18T09:02:00.002-04:00

My 'lil bubs is 7 weeks old today, wow. Almost 2 months. It's amazing how time flies. I say this in almost every blog, but it's very very true! Angelo is smiling a lot more now and starting to mimick my facial expressions. Every time I make a noise, he tries to make the same one. It's sooo cute! This part of being a mommy is so special to me.

He's getting a little picky about being in the car seat now. A couple of days ago, Dave's mom and I went to visit his sister an hour away and he wasn't having it. Then this morning I put him in the stroller and he wasn't feeling that either. Hmph! I can tell that Angelo's legs are getting stronger. When I'm holding him, he tries to stand up on my legs and he can keep them straight for a few seconds. He pushes his feet down on my legs HARD.

We lost power in our home this past Sunday and just got it back consistently today. I had to stay at the in laws' house for the last few days and Angelo seemed out of sorts. He hasn't been taking his daytime naps due to the strange environment, but is catching up now. Nothing like sleeping in your own crib, eh bubs? I thought so. Due to the power outage, I had to have him sleep in the bassinet next to me since we couldn't use the video monitor. I was quite surprised that he actually slept throughout the night in that thing. I think he was really tired though.

As for me, I swear I've started my first period since being pregnant. I was getting dark, brownish blood (sorry if TMI) and I wasn't sure if this was really IT. I have most of the symptoms, minus the cramps right now. I'm on the pill so it got delayed by about 3 weeks. It's very strange and different from what I remember, but I think that's due to the pill and birth. My PMS hasn't been nearly as severe as it used to be. I'll know for sure how my body is reacting to the pill by next month, but so far, so good and I can't believe I never tried it before!! Although, had I been on the pill, that leaky condom wouldn't have produced Angelo and for that, I'm grateful.

Now for the "I Feel Pretty" update...

I went and got an eye exam then bought new glasses and contact lenses. Now I don't have to be 4 eyes every day. My hair is dyed, so no more gray, yay! Dave and I cleaned out the girls' playroom and are going to turn it into a workout room. It's going to be sweet. I changed my home office and I have a few more design things to take care of, then it'll be finished.

I'm doing great with my to-do list for September and I'm finding the time to work more. That's been a real source of pain and unhappiness for me lately. I asked Dave to help me out and he is...thank God! My job used to be my life...now it's Angelo, but I need my job to make his life great. I'm really motivated and standing up for what I want at home. No more doing things that aren't my responsibility and no more doing all the work. This is going to work out for me, I can feel it!

Dave has signed up for mixed martial arts classes and he's getting his butt kicked hard. He goes Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. I have him take Halle with him on Thursday so that I'm not stuck with 2 children who will fight all night long. Plus that gives the girls alone time with each of us. It's been working out well so far.

One of the goals I have listed for the month of October is finding a new sport, hobby or club I can join. I'm going to the annual Universal Light Expo next month and I'm going to try to find more spiritual centers in my area. The one I've been going to is way too far of a drive since I've moved into this home.

More Pictures!

2008-09-13T10:29:00.005-04:00

The Weight Comparison:
Pic #1 - 38 weeks preggo
Pic #2 - 10 days post partum
Pic #3 - 6 weeks post partum

See how much my niece Sienna (born May 06) and Angelo look alike?
You can definitely tell they're related...

Just amazing!

Picture Time Again - 5 & 6 Weeks

2008-09-10T10:56:00.004-04:00

Aunt Nikki and Angelo - 5 weeks

Nikki's daughter Caitlynn and Angelo

Chillin' in the Pack 'N Play
(a client sent me this outfit, I just love it!)

Angelo in his new Bumbo chair - 6 weeks

6 Weeks Later

2008-09-10T10:51:00.003-04:00

I wanted to post a little update about Angelo. He's 6 weeks old today! Strangers come up to me and ask his age. When I tell them, they always reply with, "Oh my! He looks like he's about 3 or 4 months!" I can't believe how time flies. He's such a good, calm baby. He only cries when he's bored and when he's hungry. What kills me is that he's perfectly happy chillin' out in a loaded diaper. I don't let him, of course.

The last time he went to the doctor he weighed in at 9lbs, 12 ounces (22.5 inches long) and that was 3 weeks ago. I did the good 'ole, weigh myself, then get on the scale with the child and it looks like he's close to 11 lbs now. Wow. He eats like a little piggy so I shouldn't be too surprised, which is now 6 ounces of formula per feeding and a 1/4 cup of rice cereal at night ( only a couple of days a week). Last night he took 8 ounces before bed. I haven't measured him since his last doctor's appointment, but I can tell he's grown in length.

Bubs is sleeping throughout the night consistently now, from about 11pm to 7:30am. He takes a couple of naps during the day and I'm working on timing it better. Dave and I changed to an "every other night" rotation (him one night, me the next) for feedings and diaper changes, but it looks like we don't need it anymore. Last week he had a diaper rash and woke up around 3:30am only once per night until it went away.

Angelo has been smiling a lot, but yesterday he gave us a few BIG grins and started "talking". He's making the "ahhh, oooh and oh" sounds. While we're doing tummy time, he can push up his chest and hold his head up for long periods of time. When he's up, he's looking around and it seems like his vision is getting clearer. The bubs is facinated with Dave while he's on the laptop. He makes noises, grins and tries to push his way toward him, as if to get his attention, LOL. One of these days I'll be able to get a good picture of Angelo's smile.

Being a mommy is such a joy for me. I can't believe I was so against it. I can't imagine my life without Angelo in it. It's really been an incridible experience so far and I'm looking forward to the rest of it. He's going to be so much fun, I can feel it!

I Feel Pretty...NOT!

2008-09-07T20:25:00.003-04:00

"This is hideous, just hideous!"

Okay...so we all know that pregnancy can sometimes give a woman permission to let herself go a bit. That was the one thing I swore I wouldn't do when I found out I had a bun in the oven, but guess what? I fell into the trap. It's just now hitting me, but I've gained way too much weight in my last trimester. I can't believe I fell off the wagon, man. I was doing great until the last 3 months. I blame it on the fun times of summer and the fact that I didn't give myself any time off from work or taking care of Dave's kids after the baby was born.

I took a bath this afternoon when Dave came home from work. Afterward, I made my way toward the mirror, saying to myself, "I feel pretty, I feel pretty." So I proceeded and the face staring back at me was anything BUT pretty. My skin is starting to break out, my hair is frizzy, I'm in desperate need of an eyebrow wax and I'm so tired that I could've fallen over. Ugh. Behind me lies the scale and all I could think was, "Whatever you do Cristin, don't step on that thing. It's the Devil...THE DEVIL, I tell ya!" and so I didn't. My spirit had already taken a hit from the mirror and I didn't need another whack. Here's the silver lining though: when I gazed into that wretched mirror, I did see myself as good mother who feels blessed to have her son. Yes, I am a good mother. Thank God for that! I still wanna feel pretty though, LOL.

Since I am a new mother, I decided that the best way to go in effort to reclaim my physical self, or what I believe is acceptable, is to take "baby steps". I gained 54 lbs during my pregnancy and lost 32 within the first 3 weeks. My son is now 5 weeks and though I've been eating right and working out, I believe I've reached my first plateu. Not cool. So I will keep up with that and start saying, "I am pretty, I am pretty" until the shit actually happens. Here are the "baby steps" I've decided to take to get me where I need to go:

* Work out regularly
* Stay on my "real food" diet
* Get my hair done like a normal woman does (not every 6 mos like I do)
* Wax those brows often
* Give myself regular facials
* Get a mani/pedi once a month
* Take my mystical baths everyday
* Take one short nap a day until I no longer need it
* Meditate for at least 30 minutes a day
* Keep my house clean (no matter what the kids do to it afterward)
* Spend at least 4 hours a day (5 days a week) working
* Start a new hobby

With the help of my boyfriend, I know I can do it all! I did everything on the above list consistently before I got knocked up and I was a very happy woman. I think being happy on the inside contributes to at least 70% of how you look on the outside. If you feel like shit, you look like shit. If you don't believe you're pretty, you aren't. That's me right about now and I'm already sick of myself. Thank God, because you really aren't open to change unless you've hit your rock bottom...and I've hit mine.

What is a real food diet?
I don't believe in man made religions, so why would I trust in a man made diet? I know my body and what food it responds favorably to. I call my method a real food diet because I just spend more time at the grocery store buying real, fresh (mostly organic) food. I spend time cooking instead of going for the Lean Cousine. That's processed and isn't as good for you as "they" want you to believe. So it's 3 balanced meals coupled with 3 small, healthy snacks per day and not eating after 8pm. I allow myself treats once in a while because I'm not psychotic.

What is a mystical bath?
Technically, it's not really mystical, I just believe it is. I use candles, oils and bath salts I get from the mystical store. My bathroom is lit up with a million candles as I soak in the tub with the oils or bath salts and listen to new age music for about 30 minutes. During this time I'm usually drowning out my boyfriend who is yelling at the TV because his Chicago Bears aren't scoring touchdowns. I consider this my alone time and I try my best to care about nothing except staying connected to my higher self.

I don't know if I should give credit to the mirror or if it's just my time, but I'm completely motivated and not just with sprucing up my physical appearance. I'm so ready to polish up my career path, re-decorate my condo and finally get my home office looking the way I had dreamed prior to moving in here. I let my pregnancy slow me down so much, which I'm sure is perfectly normal, but now I'm ready to move into the next phase of my life. There may never be a day when everything will go exactly according to plan so I figured that I should take the bull by the horns and just do it now.

Transition To Sleep

2008-09-06T06:40:00.009-04:00

"Thanks for the food and diaper change. Gonna go back to sleep now"

"What's that, a camera?"

"Ugh, it's 5am, lady! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep here?"

"ZzZzZz...finally!"

I swear to God, he looks just like my sister Laura and my niece, Sienna when they were babies in these pics. Too funny!

5 Weeks and Adjustments

2008-09-03T12:13:00.002-04:00

The "stop taking pictures of me, damnit!" face

My ‘lil bubs is doing great. His diaper rash is almost gone and bowel movements are back to normal. There’s still a bit of baby acne going on, but that should be gone soon. He’s been able to lift his head for weeks, but now he can hold it up for a long time without much support. I posted pictures of this in the last entry, just scroll down to see.

It’s funny to see my baby trying to scoot. He gets real frustrated when he can’t move the way he wants. He’s also starting to smile often and no, it’s not gas…yippee! It’s so damn cute. I just wish I could get good pictures of his many faces. The “smile“, the “I’m pushing out a poop” and the “stop taking pictures of me, damnit!” are my favorites.

Dave put bubs in the “big boy bather” last night. He reacted much better, no crying. We used to put him on a newborn sponge thing, but that keeps him flat on his back and he hates it. I thought he was too little for the bather and it wasn’t soft enough, but I guess I was wrong. Now bath time will be a lot easier for us and better for the bubs.

Angelo is more visually aware of his surroundings. He’s finally taking to the swing and staring up at the mobile attached to it. He still gets bored fairly easily though so we can only keep him in the swing for about 30 minutes or less. I met my friend Nikki’s friend who works as a maternity nurse at children’s hospital in Columbus the other night. She was testing Angelo’s reflexes and giving me all sorts of useful information. She said that he can tell me apart from everyone else due to my “scent” and shape. He can also see in color now. Black, white and red.

Dave and I are getting a lot more sleep now. Last night was the best ever! We put Angelo to bed at 10:30pm, he woke up at 5am and I woke him up at 9am for a feeding and diaper change. He was starting to stir a bit anyway. Speaking of feedings, my bubs takes 5-6 ounces of formula per feeding now. Sometimes he’ll go for 4 ounces, takes a break and uses the last 2 ounces as a snack.

Post Partum Recovery:
For the last week, my digestive system has been acting up. I’ve been a bit uncomfortable and experiencing the need to use the restroom often, but I’m not sick. I started my birth control pills on Sunday, but I had my tummy issues before that. I think my body is back to rejecting red meat. I only craved it during my pregnancy, so it’s back to the basics for me.

I’m done with the bleeding for good now and everything down there appears to be normal. The stitches aren’t bothering me either, which is great. I’m taking power walks and going to start my other excersize routine this week. I’m also revamping my diet and going to spend a lot more time at Whole Foods, like I used to. I’ve lost 32 lbs, but I still have a ways to go..

I’m doing pretty well emotionally, with the exception of dealing with household chores and everyone’s crap laying around. I’m making adjustments to the chores and rules so that I don’t lose my mind. I’ve given up a lot of the stuff I’ve taken on that wasn’t my responsibility and that’s helped me a great deal. Changing standards that was set ages ago takes time to be consistent. Wish me luck!

Tummy Time

2008-08-30T22:55:00.007-04:00

Angelo, "I think I can, I think I can".

"Yay, I did it!"

Angelo can push himself to the upright position and keep his head up for a long time. I'm so excited! He's going to be a lot of fun when he gets older. He's a strong 'lil bubs and has been since he was born. I'm already dreaming about all the sporting events we'll be attending in his honor.

Angelo Is A Month Old!

2008-08-30T09:26:00.005-04:00

Angelo is now a month old and I think I'm doing really well with this new mommy business. Dave, on the other hand, is showing his lack of experience with caring for a boy. Not that I'm perfect, but he is just funny to watch. A lot goes into protecting yourself with a normal changing session. Dave has had his fair share getting peed on. You'd think by now that he would've figured out a way to avoid it like I have, but nooo, lol. Everytime this happens, Dave still backs away and lets the fountain of pee land on my carpet, grrr! It's like it's happening in slow motion and I can't get over there to help fast enough.

My 'lil bubs hasn't been feeling well this past week. Dave gave him some baby applesauce and he started getting "the runs". He's got a diaper rash because Dave didn't keep up with changing him every time he got up in the middle of the night. I was really pissed about that. The rash is starting to get better, but my poor baby is having a hard time with diaper changes.

Speaking of which, I have a funny to share with you...

Yesterday I was changing Angelo and because he has that rash, I'm having to go about it in a different way. They say to avoid baby wipes and just use water, which I am. Unfortunately, every time I get the rash cream on the way I want it, bubs decides it's safe to push out some more poop. Not only that, but with that particular session, he felt ok to not just poop, but pee as well! I didn't get shot with it, but I had to start all over again. Needless to say, I've been very frustrated. I just want his little bottom to feel better fast, but at this rate, he's going to have this rash a few more days than necessary!

Angelo is a super piggy! He's now eating between 4 and 6 ounces per feeding and is eating more often than I'd like. Dave said that at this rate, we'll be broke by the time he's a teenager, lol. Last time we took him to the doctor he was 9lbs, 12 ounces. He goes back at the end of September and I can't even imagine how big he'll be then!

I had my post partum check-up yesterday. Thank God because my stitches are starting to come out and they're bugging the shit out of my coochie. TMI, I know, but whatever. I think after the pregnancy we're passed that, lol. Anyway, my midwife went in there and trimmed them. They're supposed to dissolve, but she told me that they could just fall out as well. I'm pretty much healed up and I got the green light for REAL sex, woo hoo!!! She also gave me samples of the pill and a prescription. I have to go back for my annual PAP in December and they will see how my body is handling everything.

Unfortunately, I have to wait 2 weeks before I'm protected, but I plan to use condoms as well. Like Tiffany said, I don't need to be back in the office with a positive pregnancy test this soon. The good news is that my period will be delayed another month due to the birth control, YES! Let's just hope that happens. I will be a very happy woman if it does. Dave isn't so happy though. He thought that since I'll be on the pill that condoms are now a thing of the past. Um, NO! I got pregnant using a condom, so what makes him think that the pill is any safer? Nice try buddy, but I don't think so. 3 children in the house is plenty, thank you very much!

Since I've been given the green light to work out, I'm going to come up with a plan. I've been power walking with the baby, but now I can add more to my work-outs. I've lost 32 lbs so far and I need to lose about 20 more before I get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Then I need to lose another 20 to go back to the weight I was when Dave and I met. That's a lot of poundage, I tell ya! My diet has been really good and I've been sticking with it, yay!

3 Weeks Old, 3 Weeks To Go!

2008-08-21T20:51:00.003-04:00

Angelo is now 3 weeks old and I have 3 weeks until I can have sex again. I know that sounds stupid coming from someone who just had a baby and was pregnant for 10 months, but Dave has been a little too hot to handle lately. It's like the minute I gave birth he was ready to go and quite honestly, so was I.

My post baby check-up is a week from tomorrow. I've decided that I'm going to use the pill and condoms (yes, together) as my methods of birth control. I have to do everything in my power to make sure I do NOT get pregnant again. I've never been on the pill before so I'm hoping that my body will react favorably. I'm really hoping that it makes my pms and periods much easier to deal with since it always seems to knock me on my ass.

I feel like I'm still recovering nicely, except that I'm really stressed out having 3 kids in my house. School starts again on Monday so that'll be my salvation. Our schedule with the girls changes again. Instead of getting them Tuesday through Saturday, we have them Wednesday after school through Saturday. I love the girls, but this schedule will give me a much needed break. This past week Dave has been on vacation and he kept the girls home so I haven't had much privacy. That's been killing me. I could barely function yesterday because I was SO exhausted.

As for my physical self, well that's going great. My libido is back in full force, which is also killing me, lol. No more inflammation, but I can still feel those damn stitches! I'm guessing these aren't the kind that dissolve, unless it takes longer than 3 1/2 weeks. I'm still bleeding, but very little and it's starting to change color, woo hoo! I'm so not looking forward to my first real period though, ugh. My boobs feel just fine, but are still big for my taste. Dave isn't complaining though.

I still have a bit of a tummy and I can't wait until that goes away. I've lost 30 lbs since giving birth, yay for Cristin! I'm sticking to my real food diet and completely resisting temptation. I've replaced ice cream with caramel rice cake snacks. Dave is looking for a replacement for cookies, but hasn't found anything yet. I've also cut down my smoking again. I think having the baby around really helps since I refuse to smoke anywhere near him, including the car. I don't have as much time as I did before so I can't get outside to smoke as much. Now I'm under a half pack per day, which is amazing for me. I started this journey out at 2 packs a day, damn.

I took the clan with me to Angelo's second doctor's appointment on Wednesday and he's doing really well. He's still 22 inches long, but now he weighs 9lbs, 12 ounces. They told me that he's in the 90th percentile for size. He gets some shots done at the end of September and I'm not looking forward to that. His sleeping habits are mad crazy. Some days he's wide awake most of the time and other days he's dead to the world unless I wake him up. At night he's been consistently waking up twice for food. The last couple of nights he's woken up once and sleeping until 7 and 8am. It's been really nice.

Now football is starting and Dave wants me to dress Angelo up in his Chicago Bears gear for all the games, lol, and only the pre-season games are on right now! Clearly having a boy excites him. It's really cute to watch, actually. I'm just thrilled that I don't have to buy any pink. God, I HATE that color! Sorry, it's just that the girls always show up to my house in pink and that drives me absolutely insane.

I cleaned most of my house today and I finally went through all the paperwork that's been piling up. My God that was pure craziness. Most of the crap laying around my house belongs to Dave and the girls. I decided to let everyone know that this isn't a hotel and I'm not a maid. Man, I sound just like my mother. Go figure. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I went from a complete slob to a normal mother who just wants to organization and cleanliness at home. Keep in mind, I still have strange hormones running wild through my body.

Anyway, that's it for now. I should have new pictures of my little man pretty soon. I just need to catch him while his eye are wide open.

'Til next time,
Cristin

My Two Week Old Angel-o

2008-08-14T20:26:00.004-04:00

Trenity & Halle meeting their brother for the first time

My sleepy 'lil pumpkin butt

2 weeks old already!

Please scroll down for the 2 week update blog!

Two Weeks Later

2008-08-14T14:56:00.006-04:00

Hey guys,

I'm back with my update. I can't believe that it's already been 2 weeks since I've given birth. It is said that a woman quickly forgets the pain of the birthing process shortly after it's over. I didn't think that would be true for me until now. I kind of remember how it felt, but it's slipping away. I don't ever want to forget what it felt like because it's an incredible experience. To be honest, it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as the pregnancy so I guess that's what I should remember.

My sweet 'lil guy is gaining weight and I'm guessing he will reach 10lbs by the time his next pediatrician appointment on August 20th. He's eating like a pig now, drinking 3 ounces of formula ALL the time. It seems like all I do is feed him and change his diapers, lol. This kid is never satisfied.

He's been sleeping almost all day long, only breaking for food, diaper changes and baths. I've never seen a kid want to sleep in his own poop before. I have to constantly check his diaper to make sure he's clean or else I won't hear a peep from him. Baths are a different story, however. He absolutely hates them. He screams as if we're really hurting him. Perhaps it's been that ring they put around his pee pee after the circumcision. That's off now, by the way. It's was just hanging there and the nurses told me that it has to fall off on its own. His little belly button is now fully exposed and it's looking like he's got an "outtie".

So now back to the sleep issue...

We finally got Angelo off of the every hour and strange in between snacking feeding schedule. He's still inconsistent though, but I've heard that's common with newborns this age. Dave and I had figured out a shared schedule for midnight feedings, but it hasn't been working out. We are going to change it up so instead of me taking 12am-4am, I'll be going to 4am-7am. Dave gets real cranky with being awake a few hours before he has to be at work. The way it's been going, I've taken the entire time, leaving me with absolutely no sleep and the inability to nap during the day. Here's hoping that the new midnight schedule will allow us both to function better.

Other than the sleeping crap, being a mother has been absolutely fabulous. Sometimes I catch myself wondering how the hell this life of mine happened, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Seeing Dave with his son is quite touching. The girls finally came home to us last night after being on vacation with their mother for 2 weeks. They met their brother and are quite the little helpers, especially Trenity. I'm going to try and get some good family pictures soon. I have empty photo frames just waiting to be filled with the sunshine of my little guy's presence.

Post Partum Recovery:

With the exception of my night time madness, I'm feeling great physically. I'm still bleeding, but it's not heavy and I'm down to regular size pads, which I'm not fully saturating, thank God! No more diapers for Cristin, lol. The inflammation is pretty much gone at this point. I swear I can still feel the stitches a bit and that's really annoying. It doesn't hurt to pee anymore and I'm good to take nice, long walks around the neighborhood. Pretty soon I'll get the green light to start working out again, which will be nice since I feel like I'm wasting a lot of good energy right now.

Anyway, I'm going to try and take a nap now, though it's very difficult with all 3 kids. 2 of which fight over everything, lol. Wish me luck!

xoxo,
Cristin

10 Days Later

2008-08-09T13:21:00.001-04:00

10 Days Post Partum Boddess

So my dear son is now 10 days old. It’s already going by so fast. Dave and I are both back to work. There’s no paid maternity leave for us self-employed folks, so getting back to the old grind is a must for me and I‘m loving it. Dave is back to work as well due to the training for his new position in the company. I’m a little bummed that I can’t have him for 2 weeks straight, but it’s working out for the best. He will be off the week before the girls go back to school and that will save us a ton of money in daycare for Trenity. Speaking of the girls, they’re coming home to us on August 12th. Now I’ll have to balance my life with three children in the house, instead of just one.

Dave and I have worked out a feeding schedule for Angelo during for the night time hours. I get the first 4 hours and he gets the last 4. I have the luxury of taking a nap with the baby during the day and he doesn’t, so we agreed on that system. At first it really sucked because the hospital had Angelo on an hourly feeding schedule that just put us out of our minds. Before I gave birth, the idea of waking up every 2 hours sounded like pure hell. I didn’t know what hell was like until this every hour bit started. Damn that NICU!

Angelo hates the bassinet, the swing and the bouncy seat right now. So much for those so-called “life saver” toys. Last night we put him in his crib and guess what? That boy slept for the first 3 hours and then woke up every 2 after that. THANK GOD. I thought all hope was lost, man! I didn’t think I’d be able to do every 2 hours. Not only can I do it, but I don’t really need much more sleep than what I’m getting. Sweet! That video monitor my God-Mother bought us is absolutely fabulous. It picks up everything without being annoying. Now THAT is a life saver.

On Wednesday the 6th, I took Angelo to his first pediatrician appointment. He left the hospital at 8lbs, 8 oz and is now at an even 9lbs. Everything is perfectly normal and he’s doing extremely well. I have to take him back on the 20th to start his cycle of shots. Ugh, I hate the thought of my son getting poked so I just won’t look.

So now on to my post partum updates…

I weighed myself this morning and I’ve lost 24 pounds, wow! I was absolutely HUGE the last 2 weeks of the pregnancy and I’m not just talking about my tummy. My ankles are now back to normal and my feet aren’t in any pain. Dave is happy about that because I’m not asking him to rub them anymore, lol. I’m under the 200 mark, which makes me feel really good. My uterus still hasn’t gone back to it’s normal size yet and apparently I’ve got a few more weeks before that can happen. I’m not physically able to start working out yet, but when I am, watch out America! I vow to not only get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but lose 20 more since I was a bit over weight to begin with.

I have to make my follow up appointment with my midwife for about 3 weeks from now. Hopefully I’ll be all healed up and done with the maxi pads. I’m really not bleeding that badly, but it’s still uncomfortable down there. I’ve gotten passed the whole burning pee pee issue and the inflammation has gone down quite a bit. Now my big problem is Dave. I find this man so attractive and I can’t do a damn thing about it! You can’t stimulate the nipples or else the milk won’t dry up and if anything else is stimulated, the only sensation I experience is pain and believe me, it’s not fun. The poor guy just can’t touch me right now. Not even a nice and long kiss. What a bummer!

The Baby Is Here, Finally!

2008-08-06T08:36:00.005-04:00

Week 40

Hey everyone!

I haven't had much time to be on the internet since I went into labor last Tuesday. Well, hard labor, that is. Now that my little man is sleeping and I'm not dragging ass, I figured now would be a good time to post my birth story so here it goes...

I went to the doctor Monday the 28th for my 40 week appointment. I was dialated to 4 and the doctor decided to give me a membrane sweep to help jump start labor. An hour later I was cramping big time, but I didn't think much of it since that's what usually happens after the sweep. A few hours go by and now I'm starting to feel like I'm getting contractions, although they felt fairly mild to me. The doctor had told me that by 10:30pm I should be feeling hard contractions and to go to the hospital. He said that they would probably give me Pitocin, my Epidural and I'd have my baby.

At midnight I decided to go into the hospital because I was in a lot of pain. They checked me and I was still only at 4 cm so they told me to take an hour long walk. I did and it made the pain and contractions worse. They checked me again and because I didn't progress, I was sent home. Keep in mind that the contractions registered 5-8 mins apart and I was still at 4 cm. The doctor on call told them to give me Ambien, which really pissed me off. Who give a pregnant woman a drug that has been known to be addictive? So Dave and I got home at 4am that morning and he decided to start his vacation a day early.

That same day, now the 29th (2 days after my due date), Dave and I decided to walk around the mall all day hoping to get things rolling. That was really painful as the contractions hadn't subsided one little bit. We were gone until about 4:30pm. By 5:30 I was timing the contractions at 3-5 minutes apart. The pain was still fairly tolerable so I chose to wait until 8pm to leave for the hospital again. My water still hadn't broken so I figured that if I was admitted that night, they'd have to break it for me.

We get to the hospital at 8:30 pm and now I've progressed to 5 centimeters. This whole pregnancy I was hoping to get my faveorite midwife to deliver the baby and I got my wish. Tiffany was on call that night and chose to admit me. They hooked me up to my IV (ugh, I hated that shit) and got me in my room. I decided to get the Epidural because my water hadn't broken and the pain from the contractions were really bad. I figured it would only get worse. About 15 mins later I got my drugs and all was well with the world. After the Epidural kicked in, they sent in a resident to break my water. My skin itched bad due to the Epidural so they gave me a bit of Benedryl as well. At that time they checked my cervix (around 9pm) and I was at 6/7.

The nurses checked me every hour. At 10pm I was at 8. At 11 I was at 8/9. It took until about 1am to get me at a solid 9. Then we waited. An hour and a half later I didn't progress so I was given the Pitocin. It took until 5am to get me to 10. Finally it was time to push. Of course, when I needed it the most, the Epidural ran out and I felt every contraction and everything else that went along with delivering this baby.

At 5:59am Angelo Kristian was born, thank God!! He came out at 8lbs, 11 oz and 22 inches long. No wonder I had such a hell of a time sleeping, damn! I didn't feel that instant reflief people say you get when the baby comes out. That happened when I passed the placenta. I got to see Angelo for a few seconds on my belly and then they cleaned him up. The midwife didn't have to cut me and I didn't rip much so I only got 4 small stitches. As I'm getting stitched up, I heard the nurses whispering and finally they told me that Angelo had swallowed some fluid and they couldn't suck it all out of his lungs. They took him to the NICU for oxygen, antibiotics and X-Rays. Dave ran after them and I was flipping out.

Everything turned out ok with the baby, but they kept him in the NICU due to the antibiotics. They wanted him on for 48 hours and also wanted to get him eating well. We brought him home on Saturday, August 2nd. I left the hospital on Thursday because I couldn't take it anymore. My mom and sister were coming into town that night as well. I felt really good and the NICU wouldn't let me spend more than an hour with Angelo, with 5 hours in between. He was the biggest baby in that whole unit.

Since I'm a smoker, I figured this child would be on the smaller side. Nope! I also figured that my placenta would've matured faster, since that's what I was told. Nope! Tiffany told me that there were no traces of me being a smoker in the baby's size, lungs and organ development or the placenta. How weird is that? Yes I cut down my intake immesely during the pregnancy, but since I didn't quit, I always felt extremely guilty. That and of course there were people judging me and trying to make me feel like shit about it. The NICU bit had nothing to do with me being a smoker. It had everything to do with the fact that my son couldn't keep his mouth shut, lol. One last gulp before entering the real world...

Baby Watch 2008

2008-07-24T09:47:00.001-04:00

Week 39

So here I am, week 39 and still pregnant. Why am I not surprised? I had an OB appointment Tuesday and got one of my favorite doctors. Unfortunately she didn’t have anything real exciting to tell me. I walked in with hope, but the minute she came into the room I just knew that I shouldn’t have had such high expectations.

Apparently my cervix is still thick and hard, which is the opposite of what I was told last week by the asshole doctor. I’m only 1cm dilated and the baby’s head is at a -2 station. The good news is that he’s definitely dropped a bit, but not enough for me to think that I’ll be in labor in the next 24 hours. Damnit! If I’m early, it would only be by a day or two. She had me schedule my 40 week appointment, which falls 2 days after my due date. Let’s hope I don’t have to show up for that one.

The baby and I have been a bit sluggish lately. I’m really tired and he’s not moving much, but at night or after I eat. The doctor told me that since he’s dropped I should be able to breathe and function better. Um, nope! I haven’t had trouble breathing throughout the pregnancy and I’m even more uncomfortable now. The only thing that’s better for me these days is sex. It’s very well deserved and about damn time! At least that’s something, right?

I believe that getting my cervix checked helped dislodge more of my plug. I took a nap yesterday then went to the bathroom to find more of it coupled with a bloody show and hay colored leakage. Sweet! Isn’t it amazing how excited a woman can get when disgusting stuff comes out of her vagina at the end of pregnancy? Believe me, this will be the only time I will be happy about bizarre discharge.

On the labor symptoms front, I’ve been getting a ton of painless contractions, severe gas and pains, psychotically frequent urination, slight menstrual cramps and pressure south of the border, front and back. When I go to the bathroom, all I want to do is push out something, but there‘s nothing there. These symptoms fall under the pre-labor category, so great. At least I know there’s action, even if it’s going at a snail’s pace.

Dave is getting sick of waiting too. He’s wanting to have a full two weeks off of work to be with us, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. He is changing positions at work and has to go in for a week of training starting August 4th, right after the baby is supposed to come. It’s looking like he’s going to have to split his vacation. Off one week, work the next and off again for another week. What a bummer. The girls are going away with their mother for two weeks starting July 28th and he’s hoping that the baby will come before they go so that they can see their new brother.

My lovely boyfriend went through the “Baby Watch 2008” protocol with his parents the other day, lol. Yes, BW 2008 is what he’s calling our emotional rollercoaster. Anyway, we have our plans set and his parents have permission to pick up the girls at daycare and camp in case my labor begins during the day. I’m honestly hoping for labor to occur during the day vs. the middle of night, but I shouldn’t count on that one. I’m also hoping that my original prediction for baby hyphenate’s birthday will be July 24th, but again, I shouldn’t really believe that’s going to happen either. No need to set myself up for another disappointment.

As of right now I’ve got my shit together for when the baby comes. I’ve washed everything and disinfected the binkies and nipples. Dave and the girls have done an excellent job of keeping the house pretty clean, which really helps me a lot. I still feel like I want to clean and I probably will, but I plan to work as much as I can until this baby comes.

July 24th

Ok, so we’re at the 24th and of course, nothing as of right now. I’m giving up hope and totally letting go of the possibility that this kid will come. Maybe that will induce labor since walking, running up and down the stairs and sex isn’t doing jack shit.

Return of the PMS

2008-07-17T11:08:00.001-04:00

Week 38

I had my OB appointment on Tuesday and was really disappointed. I saw a new doctor and he was just strange. I know that sounds funny coming from me, but normal is necessary when you have a stranger getting ready to go up your crotch. Maybe it’s just me, but whatever. First of all, I had to wait 30 minutes for just him and let me say that it wasn’t worth it. He didn’t measure me, check the baby’s position or check my cervix. He did, however, swipe 2 fingers to check for the baby’s head, which was the equivalent of inserting a junior size tampon. How low does he expect the head to be exactly? I was so pissed, especially after he confirmed that I am losing my plug. The only good thing that came out of that appointment was hearing the baby’s heartbeat, which of course came from the nurse, not the kooky doctor. He ended our session by saying, “Just go home and act as if you aren’t pregnant.” Nice, just what a 38 week preggo needs to hear. Screw you!

I think Dave was more pissed than I was to be honest. He’s at the end of his rope as well and is quite impatient. He calls me about 3 times a day asking about baby action. There’s also the fact that we’re supposed to go see The Dark Knight tomorrow and the last thing he wants is me going into labor during the move, lol. That would be our luck though, but the full moon isn’t until tomorrow night so we may just be safe for our 11:30am showtime. The car is packed and ready to go, so if it does happen, we’re prepared.

Speaking of the car, I spent 2 hours cleaning it out yesterday afternoon. Since we’ve been using my vehicle for practically everything, including carting the kids around, it’s gotten quite disgusting in my opinion. My motivation rubbed off on Dave. When he saw me going to town on my car, that prompted him to clean his as well. His was way worse than mine. All that bending over caused me to have some sharp abdominal cramps, but that was only temporary…damn! I’m trying everything to induce labor, short of sky diving. Sex, walking, dancing, running up and down the stairs and cleaning are just a few examples, but nothing. This child is giving me the middle finger for sure.

I know I have to be patient, but I’m so uncomfortable! Dave has been doing laundry and forgetting to remove my maternity stuff before putting clothes in the dryer. Now most of my shirts have shrunk. Not only that, but I swear I am having major PMS symptoms. The littlest things are starting to annoy me. Dave just shakes his head in disbelief. I’m in that “unless you want to give me food, rub my feet or have sex, keep your hands off of me” mode. I even had an emotional break-down the other day over nothing. I think that’s 3 times this entire pregnancy, but it still sucks.

Ok, now that I’m done with the rant, please say a prayer that this kid will try to make his appearance this weekend. I’m starting to go out of my mind, lol.

Still Week 37

2008-07-08T14:44:00.001-04:00

I didn’t have time to upload those pics yesterday because I ended up in the hospital due to some major vaginal bleeding. I just had to have a little fun with Dave and that’s what I got. We were supposed to have our tour of the Labor & Delivery floor yesterday and ended up going through all the motions before our scheduled time. They did an ultrasound to make sure my placenta wasn’t too low and it’s not. Then they checked my cervix and no action there. They also did a baby stress test and he’s just fine. He’s head down and they’re not expecting him to turn again.

Today I went to my normal OB appointment. The baby is still measuring on target so he’s expected to weigh about 6.5 pounds by the beginning of next week. I get my cervix checked again on Tuesday and the doctor told me that the baby can come any time now and be perfectly fine outside the womb, nice! I’m still expected to go about a week early, which makes me happy. I’m getting to the end of my rope here, folks!

I received the results of my Strep B and blood tests. Both came out great and I’m thrilled about that for sure. No extra antibiotics for me! My doctor told me that I can resume having sex at the end of week 38 and to expect more blood, but not to worry. He said that they highly recommend that I be as active as I can, including sex, to help get this process rolling. I just have to stay out of the heat since I’ve blown up like the Goodyear Blimp!

So now all Dave and I can do at this point is wait. I really don’t like that so I’m trying to fill up my schedule as much as I can. I want to get my mind off of my impending labor and everything that comes with it. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, especially since I’m going to meet my son in a couple of weeks. I’m really excited now.

We're Nesting For Real!

2008-07-06T06:36:00.002-04:00

Week 37 - Part I

Well folks, I’m up again at 4am! I’ve been a bit psychotic about keeping the house clean for a few weeks now, but Friday morning I took it to a whole new level. Hearing Dave say to me, “Are you crazy?“ makes me believe I’m knee deep in my nesting phase. Anyone who knows me remembers the old, sloppy Cristin who didn’t bother with cleaning unless she really had to or had people coming over, lol.

Now I’m doing everything from the kitchen floor to the windows (me, windows!) The last time I went on a window cleaning binge was a few years ago in Michigan when I didn’t have electricity due to a power outage in the area. I remember my friend Dawn sitting in my parking lot, calling my mother because she couldn’t freaking believe what she was seeing, lol.

Yesterday I was calling for Dave and he seemed to have disappeared. I went to almost every room in the house and he was nowhere to be found nor would he answer me. I finally decided to take the hike up stairs and there he was, in the baby’s room, cleaning the carpet, lol. It was like that all day and I finally said to him, “My God, you’re spending a lot of time in here”, to which he replied, “Yeah, I’m nesting”. LMAO! Seeing him all proud of himself after accomplishing something in that room is too cute for words. That and watching him show off all the cool baby electronics to anyone who will pay attention makes me giggle.

We finally have the baby’s room all set. I’ll be taking some pictures and uploading them to the blog later today. The car seat and mirror is now installed in my vehicle. All we have left to do is clean the basement and finish packing our hospital bag. I think I’m going to clean out the refrigerator, make a grocery list and head off to Sam’s club so that we have enough food to last us a while.

Due to the kids and their summertime habits of running through the house with flip flops on, my carpet isn’t looking too special so I think I need to run my steam cleaner through the dining room. It’s grossing me out big time, even though it’s not the worst that I’ve seen. Speaking of the kids, I've taken my nesting phase out on them as well. After they took their bath last night, I whipped out the Q-Tips for an extensive ear cleaning session. I've never seen them look so confused.

Trenity says to me, "You're going to do what with that thing?" I said to her, "I'm going to clean your ears child!" Trenity: "Huh?" Me: "Your ears, dear. Say goodbye to the wax". Trenity's weren't that bad, but Halle's were disgusting! After the session Halle says to me, "I can hear you better now Cristin". LOL..no shit!

Baby hyphenate is still very active, especially at night after I’ve eaten. He’s dropped so low that all he can do is wiggle around, looking for a decent position. I don’t think I’m that big for 37 weeks so I’m wondering how it’s possible for me to have a 6 pound baby hanging out in there. I feel him all balled up. The only time he can stretch out is when I’m lying on my back and let me just tell you that it’s not the most comfortable thing for me to be doing at this time. My stomach is pretty hard these days and it’s weird to see the baby flip-flopping from one side to the other.

My next OB appointment is on Tuesday and I’m really excited. I don’t really know why, to be honest. Maybe it’s the cool male doctor I’m seeing. He’s very much into the technical side of this stuff and I’m hoping that I can convince him to check my cervix. Everyone at that doctor’s office just loves this guy and I’m feeling very very lucky to get him this time as he’s never at the office I go to.

That’s it for now. I will be back with the pictures later today and will post a new entry after my appointment on Tuesday. I hope you all had a great 4th of July!

Testing and Progressing

2008-07-03T07:46:00.002-04:00

Week 36

When I found out I was pregnant, I had no idea what this experience would be like for me. I’ve always had fear regarding this process and of course, none of my fears came to fruition. You’d think me of all people would know that it doesn’t pay to be fearful when you don’t know anything about that particular subject.

I moved my 36 week OB appointment from today to Tuesday because Trenity has come down with the chicken pox. The Dr. told me that I can’t be anywhere near her and that it’s best for her to stay with her mother, so that’s what we did. The girls won’t be coming until Friday morning. They gave me a blood test to make sure I have high immunities for the pox and I should get the results soon. I’ve done nothing but work, clean and disinfect my entire house.

I’m measuring at 37.5 instead of 36. My Dr. said that it could mean that the baby will come early. I sure hope so! I was told that my little guy weighs about 6 lbs or a little over, which is normal for this stage. I asked about the strange leakage and she told me it was my cervix adjusting itself and preparing for birth, but I still won’t have it checked until week 38. They want to avoid infection. That’s really frustrating because I swear that I’ve already started to lose my plug. I just want to know how I’m progressing. I took that dirty swab test as well. I get the results of my Strep B next week.

The period-like cramps are still here and coming every day. I don’t feel like I’m contracting anymore though. All it feels like to me is pre-labor shit. It’s so weird because I haven’t felt like this since week 7. I’ve noticed that the baby has dropped too. It’s funny because now my shirts are fitting differently and since he’s so low, I can almost identify my waist! On the flip side, I still have the cankles and that really blows. I’m experiencing clumsiness. In a matter of 8 hours, I can trip over myself at least 5 times. I actually slipped and fell down the stairs, landing on my ass the other night. Nothing bad happened, but I did have sore ankles and shins for 2 days.

So now I’m getting quite anxious. I’m really sick of being pregnant at night. I’m so uncomfortable. All I want to do is clean and make sure that everything is in order so that I’m not rushing at the last minute. I’ve been washing baby clothes and started to pack my hospital bag yesterday. I still can’t decide what outfit I want to bring the baby home in. We haven’t decided on a name, but “Rocco” has become a family joke. It’s to the point where me, Dave and his family are starting to like it now. I think my mom would have a cow if I went forward with that one though, lol.

Finally, I’m waking up every morning with visuals of me in the hospital, holding my son. That and thinking about all the scenarios in which my water could break. Of course, I want it to break while I’m at home, during a time when it’s not rush hour traffic, but I have a funny feeling that I will be out and about. That would be my luck. God’s sense of humor with me has proven to be quite sick so I’ve decided to have everything packed in my car, including some towels. If I am out, I will be prepared to put the petal to the metal and roll out. I told Dave that we shouldn’t drive his car anymore because there’s not enough room in it for us, the girls and the baby stuff.

My next appointment is on Tuesday the 8th with the awesome male doctor I love. Unless something new happens, my cervix still won’t be checked until the following week, but that’s the timeframe I originally predicted for the birth when I found out I was pregnant. I told my sister July 14th and she replied with, “That’s when Andrea (our step-sister) is due”. Well, she just had her baby and 2 weeks early so I’m hoping that I will be in the same boat since all is well with my little dude. The other date I came up with is July 24th, so we shall wait and see.

What The Hell Is THIS?

2008-06-26T10:57:00.002-04:00

Week 35

So the week began on a high note with Dave and I getting a date night and some much needed silence in our home. All was great until I woke up at 4am Sunday morning to some strange clump coming out of me while going to the bathroom. Not only that, but I noticed my panties were wet and no, I did not pee. I found myself thinking, “Oh good Lord, what the hell is this?“ Then I noticed signs of a yeast infection. All of this continued for the next couple of days so I decided to call my OB office and make an appointment.

I got served up to a nurse practioner who was very nonchalant about the whole thing. She acted as if she wasn’t sure if I lost my plug or not. I received a perscription for the yeast infection, which seems to be working just fine. I left there feeling like something else was going on. It’s now Thursday and the hay colored leakage has stopped so I’m guessing that it healed itself. I’m still keeping my appointment with a real doctor next Thursday. She’s supposed to check to make sure the infection is gone, give me my Group B Strep test and continue with my normal check-up. I’m also getting the Labor Day instructions, which include all the important phone numbers to call for when the action begins.

During the whole leakage fiasco, I was getting Braxton Hicks contractions. Most were painless, however, I had one big doozy hit me Monday night. I had lower back and abdominal cramps coupled with some sharp pains that crossed the top of my stomach, ugh! I didn’t bother to call the doctor because I wasn’t getting them every 15 minutes and after drinking a ton of water, they stopped. I’m now getting random lower back cramps consistently, but nothing compared to what I got the other night. I guess this is how it’s going to be from now on.

Tuesday night I chose to sleep in bed with Dave instead of on the recliner. I’ve been sleeping there because it’s easier to find a comfortable position and get out of it if need be, but it’s really lonely and I was missing my man. In the middle of the night I got this really bad leg cramp, though. It was so horrible that I woke up screaming and poor Dave bolted out of bed, thinking that I was dying or something. He rubbed the cramp out for me though. I felt sooo bad for him. Now that we’re down to the wire and only have 4 weeks left, we’re both on alert.

In light of all the recent events, I’ve decided that it’s probably time to get my shit together where the baby is concerned. I need to figure out what to put in my hospital bag. I didn’t get nearly enough necessities from my last baby shower and we’re not expecting too much from the party we’re having this Saturday. We do have some gift cards we can use to help us buy the stuff we need and we’re grateful for that! I’ve got my list ready for our shopping excursion. Every time I go to the store I’m buying diapers so that I’m not having to rush around when my little guy arrives. We still need to get a dresser for the baby’s room and finally found one online that we like and is in our price range. We’ll be ordering that soon since I’m dying to put all the clothes where they belong.

Yesterday I got a bug up my butt and decided to start washing some of the baby clothes I got from a friend. Trenity was helping me organize the baby room a bit and I had her on diaper duty, lol. She was putting the newborn diapers into the stacker, organizing some of the toys in the crib and helped me fill the diaper bag. I’ve never seen a child so excited to do a chore. My main focus for the rest of this week is making sure my house is clean for the party on Saturday and getting the basement organized. We still have moving boxes and random papers everywhere. It’s starting to drive me crazy.

On the baby front, my little man is moving around a lot. I think he can’t decide which position he wants to be in right now. Last night I felt him kicking me very hard. He must be getting sick of his environment. You and I both, son! I haven’t dropped yet, but I was told to expect that to occur starting next week. The only time I feel sick of being pregnant is at night. The baby sits really low, putting a ton of pressure on my hip and pelvic areas. It’s difficult to function properly. Why this happens at night and not during the day is beyond me. I can climb the stairs without a problem until about 9pm, lol.

The Restless Preggo

2008-06-21T07:25:00.001-04:00

Week 34

Today is the last day of week 34. Only 5 more weeks to go! Like I said in the last entry, our household has been crazy busy with a little drama to boot. We’ve had the girls since last Tuesday night and are returning them to their mother tonight. I love them dearly, but I’m so excited to finally have a 3 day break!

I had my 34 week check-up yesterday. All is well. I’m measuring right on target and I only gained ½ a pound in 2 weeks. My midwife is certain that it’s all baby weight at this point. She checked the little guy’s position and he’s face up again, however, she told me not to worry about it until week 38, when they check my cervix. If he’s still breech at that point I only have 2 options. 1- Have an epidural and allow the doctor to try and turn him or 2- Get a C-Section.

Then I’m informed that I have to take a vaginal and rectal Strep test. I have to use the same cotton swab for both areas and stick it up where the sun doesn’t shine. Nice eh? The midwife told me that if it comes up positive, not to worry because I’ve always had it and they’ll treat me during labor with antibiotics so the baby doesn’t get it. My last bi-weekly appointment is July 3rd and then I go weekly. I’ll be almost 37 weeks at that time.

I sent my papers in to the hospital so now I’m pre-registered. All I have to do is show up. I’m going to give them a call this week so that I can take a tour of the maternity facility. I want to know exactly where to park and everything so that I’m not in a panic for Labor Day. I’ll have to start thinking about what to put in my childbirth bag soon. The only pressing issue I have to take care of is some insurance stuff. I need to make sure that what I need to be covered during the birthing process will be covered.

I haven’t been able to sleep much at all, with the exception of one 3-hour nap yesterday. I’ve been waking up around 5am sharp every morning this past week. Today it was 4:30am. A few days ago I also noticed that my uterus has popped up a little. I feel absolutely HUGE. I feel like the baby is resting on my diaphram now and it’s getting really difficult to breathe properly when changing positions on the couch or in bed. If I’m not standing, I’m very uncomfortable. The midwife also informed me that it’s only going to get worse from here on out. That made Dave cringe a little, lol.

So I guess that’s it for now. I’m going to enjoy my time off with Dave and my clients! I need to get back to work so I can feel whole again.

The Lone Preggo

2008-06-14T08:47:00.002-04:00

Week 33

I’m on my last day of week 33 and embarking on my last 6 weeks of pregnancy. Time sure does fly by when your life is changing, doesn’t it? We scheduled our Ohio baby shower/holiday party for June 28th so that everyone can make it. It will be unisex because we don’t want a foo foo party. We just want to celebrate everything going on this month. The shower, Dave’s neice’s birthday and Dave’s birthday falls in the same week.

June is an incredibly busy month for the Lentine-Andrus household. Trenity started her day camp on Wednesday and now has junior swimming lessons every Saturday morning. Dave wanted to put her in summer school as well, but I’m not sure if we’re going to follow through with that. Halle has surgery on Monday to fix her teeth and we’re still not very happy about it. Our schedule is turning psychotic!

We’ve been going to our community pool lately, which has been a lot of fun. They have a kiddie pool, sprinkler system for the kids, a hot tub and a gigantic pool for everyone. They even have a gazebo, children’s play center and a concession stand. I don’t feel pregnant when I’m swimming. It’s kind of strange, but nice at the same time. Being in the sun totally sucks the life out of me though. I also had to suck it up and buy a plus size bathing suit. I found a really cute one that almost looks like a dress. It covers everything, thank God!

I’ve been feeling ok on the baby front. He’s been moving often so my fetal count is good. He moves so much that I lose count after 6 and I was told that I don’t need to bother after that. I’ve been getting slight stretchy cramps that come and go quickly. My sleep is still shitty since I’m getting bigger and I have to be in an upright position. It feels like this baby is sitting on my bladder all day long. It was horrible at first, but now I’m used to it.

The weather has been nuts lately. It’s been a consistent 80+ degrees with a ton of humidity. It's sunny and then we get a bizarre downpour throughout the day. I’ve had to run my air every day. Unfortunately the heat is rising upstairs, which makes the bedrooms smoldering hot. We have one of those window fans that suck the hot air out in our room and it seems to be helping. We have to get 2 more for the other rooms. Being pregnant in this heat really sucks so I’m just hanging out at home during the day for now.

Tomorrow is Father’s Day and I haven’t decided what I want to do for Dave yet. His sister mentioned going to the new water park at the Columbus Zoo, which sounds like a blast. Unfortunately for preggo over here, I can’t get on any of the fun rides and fantastic water slides. Dave is totally against it. The only thing saving me from water park loneliness is that the girls are still too short for all the major slides. They have this adult lagoon that has a swim up bar and of course, I can’t really take part in that either. There’s nothing worse than being left out of all the fun activities! So here I am, the lone preggo.

32 Weeks - Update

2008-06-08T13:23:00.006-04:00

Hey guys, I’m here with my update. I’m now 33 weeks, but I don’t have enough stuff to talk about for this week until later on so stay tuned for another entry by Friday!

I went to my OB appointment with Dave and the kids last Friday, the 6th. Trenity got to help the nurse take my blood pressure. She was more than happy to pump and squeeze the crap out of my arm, lol. Both girls were really good at the office. They were tickled when they got to hear the baby‘s heartbeat. He was back to 160 bpm again.

Unfortunately I’ve now reached the point where I’ve tipped the scale at 200 lbs, ugh. I was hoping to avoid that number, but there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. I guess that’s just more work I have to do after my little guy is born.

On a positive note, I’m measuring right on target and I was informed that if I keep it up, I’ll probably produce a 7 ½ lb. baby. I wasn’t expecting that at all, especially since I’m a smoker. The midwife checked the baby's position and this week he was feet down and she said that he was really low, but also that there's still time for him to assume the proper position before I'm due. I also received my paperwork for the hospital, pediactric doctor referral list and fetal count page. My next appointment is June 20th and then I start going weekly.

Little baby hyphenate still doesn’t have a name and people are driving me crazy asking about it. Nobody wants to accept my “I can’t name him until I see him” answer. So as of right now, we’re just going to call him Rocco Angelo, lol. That’s what Dave calls him as a joke, however, I truly believe that if he keeps it up, this child won’t answer to anything else once he arrives.

The last couple of days in week 32 has brought upon more clumsiness. I’m constantly tripping and falling backward in my chairs. It’s to the point where I just throw my hands up and say forget it. I look like a fool and I have approximately 49 days until I can balance my physical body and get my brain cells back. That’s right folks, I’ve become a moron. I can’t remember anything and I’ve had more blonde moments than Paris Hilton.

I have a new poll posted. Please check it out!

Travelocity

2008-06-02T10:38:00.002-04:00

Week 32 - Part I

Dave and I went to Michigan for our first baby shower late Thursday night. We got home Saturday night. I was very surprised that the 3 ½ hour drive wasn’t terrible uncomfortable for me physically. The shower was a lot of fun and I was very happy to see some of my friends and family. We received a lot of really nice things. Our favorite is the video monitor we got from my God-Mother Susie. We tested it out and it works beautifully!

I was a little bummed that not everyone could make it to the shower, but that’s the way life goes. We took a lot of pictures and my dumbass pressed the wrong button on my camera, deleting almost everything. Thank God I wasn’t the only one taking snapshots of the weekend. I was also really happy to see my friend Aimee. She’s been struggling with weight issues her entire life and she’s lost 73 lbs in about 5 months! I’m so very proud of her. My friend Stacy was able to make it and I was glad to spend more time with her during this trip.

Dave and I are planning to have our baby shower here in Ohio in a couple of weeks. His and his niece’s birthdays fall around that time too. June is looking to be a busy month for us. We’re going to have a laid back, co-ed party with lots of kids running around the house. I can’t wait until this shower has passed so that I can get all my baby stuff organized and have his room set up. I would really like to spend the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy relaxing as much as I possibly can.

This Friday I have another OB appointment. Trenity’s last day of school is on Wednesday and since Dave is off work on Friday, we’re bringing the girls to the appointment so they can hear the baby’s heartbeat. I’m also getting all my paperwork. I can’t believe I’m going to the doctor’s office every other week now. It was just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant and now I’m at 32 weeks! I keep saying that because it’s true…9 months sure does fly by. I remember going online to keep track of my fetal development week by week and thinking that 32 weeks was so far off.

Things have been pretty good on the baby and symptoms front. I just said in the last entry that I wasn’t having any Braxton Hicks contractions, but I did get a couple in the past few days. I didn’t flip out because there was no blood. Just some squeezing going on down there, lol. I did experience a couple of lower abdominal cramps the other night, but they went away fast. I’m guessing that’s still my body stretching out. I will ask my midwife about this on Friday, just in case I need to be aware of premature labor.

Speaking of stretching out, my tummy is getting larger as each day passes. I wonder what I’ll look like at 40 weeks. I can still move around pretty well, although the clumsiness is starting to hit me. I’m finding myself almost tripping while hiking up the stairs at home. Bending over is a bitch sometimes as well as getting out of bed and off the couch. Sex is really uncomfortable and I can’t wait until my body goes back to normal. I am suffering emotionally because of this, lol. I need love damnit!

The most exciting thing about this month is that it’s my last rent payment to my old apartment complex. Having that burden off my shoulders starting next month will change my energy completely. This will save Dave and I a lot of money and now I won’t have anything from my past holding me back.

The Final Stretch and the Gas War

2008-05-29T12:11:00.002-04:00

Week 30

This week was pretty uneventful, which is a good thing. I had my OB appointment on Friday, May 23rd and had a lovely midwife, new to me. She answered all my questions and made me feel really safe and comfortable. I am going to find out if I can put in a request to have her deliver my baby instead of one of the doctors. We went over my medical records and everything seems to be right on track for me and the baby. I measured perfectly for 30.5 weeks, the baby’s heart rate was 150 and as of right now, he’s positioned head down. She also told me that I have another 10lbs to gain and not to worry since I’m fine medically.

I noticed some stretch marks in bizarre places and I’m really unhappy about that. The cocoa butter crap does absolutely nothing to help reduce or prevent them. I guess that’s just another silly old wive’s tale. I’m guessing that stretch marks are a genetic thing. I went to try on this really cute maternity skirt for my baby shower and noticed strech marks on my legs, ewwwwwwww. Boy am I ever disappointed. I’m starting to look like a real heffer after many weeks of looking great. So sad!

The midwife also told me that my baby should still be sleeping about 12 hours a day. In what universe, I ask? LOL! This child feels like he’s doing nothing but moving around and if he does sleep 12 hours a day, it must be in 20 minute incriments when I’m not paying attention. My next appointment is in 2 weeks. It’s almost the final stretch, folks! I’m going every 2 weeks until week 36 and then I have to go in weekly. I get all my paperwork for the hospital, fetal count charts and the “what to expect” talk on June 6th.

The Gas War
Week 31

My friend Stacy tried to politely warn me back in December about the many nusances of pregnancy, mostly about setting off the natural gas line. “Just wait” was her famous phrase. If I thought I had problems with gas before, it’s nothing compared to the war I’m fighting now with my ass and common courtesy. At this point it’s uncontrollable! It hits me first thing in the morning, is present all day and gets worse at night. No matter what I do or what I eat, there’s no “off” switch. If it’s this painful for me as a 29 year old adult, I can only imagine how it must be for babies. Just horrid!

My sleep was great in week 30, but this week I’ve been waking up at bizarre times again. 3, 4 and 5am. It’s like someone has shot me up with an instant caffeine fix and I can’t go back to sleep for the rest of the day. That’s good in a way because I can still get stuff done, but sucks because I’d love to have a good 8 hours. I highly doubt I will once the baby is born though so I better just suck it up and take it like a man, eh?

The baby feels like he’s getting heavier. It’s either that or he’s curled up in one place south of the border. I woke up this morning feeling like I was carrying a ginormous rock. A lot of people on this baby message board I check out is having Braxton Hicks contractions. I’ve read that it can start at about 20 weeks. I don’t believe I’ve had those yet, but you never know. Sometimes I’m oblivious to that stuff due to my daily routine with Dave and the kids. After all of the uncomfortable symptoms, I can still say that I’ve had an easy pregnancy. My only complaint is having to suffer from unnecessary drama and stress.

Dave is getting super excited about the baby now. Stacy sent us the cool swing for our shower gift last week. He’s been playing with it and showing it off every chance he gets, lol. It’s really funny to watch because the only thing that triggers natural excitement with him is his favorite sports teams. The other day I caught Dave gushing about our son to his friends and he acted as though having a boy is going to be his salvation in this house. Though he loves the girls and I dearly, I believe some testosterone will do him some good.

I’m leaving for Michigan tomorrow to visit family, friends and attend my first baby shower. I have to go shopping today for birthdays, Dawn’s baby shower gift and a pair of maternity Capri pants so that I look fairly decent. No shoes. I’m going to do the barefoot and pregnant deal, which is the most comfortable thing, aside from slippers, for me at this point. Due to the warm weather we’ve been getting, I’m blowing up like a marshmallow faster than you can say, “where did my ankles go?”

That’s all for now. I’ve got a lot to do in such a short time before we hit the road at 7am tomorrow. Hope everyone is doing well!

Heartburn Hell

2008-05-19T07:52:00.002-04:00

Week 29

This week has been very uncomfortable for me physically due to this pregnancy and I know it’s only going to get worse from here on out. I did nothing but struggle to fall asleep and get enough rest in general due to back pain and late night heartburn. It didn’t matter what I ate or how much water I drank, I ended up in heartburn hell. The only position I could tolerate was sitting straight up with a dozen pillows supporting my back and head. The wall behind me looked liked I was growing pillow ivy, that’s how many I had stacked up above my head, I promise you!

Need to save money on gas? Come visit me, I’ve got plenty of it! It’s really too bad that I can’t fuel up my car with the gas I’ve got going on in pregnant lady land. It feels like there’s enough to serve the entire Columbus area. Too much information? Well, unfortunately that’s the reality of the situation right now. It’s so bad sometimes that it’s painful to get my big booty to the bathroom.

Oh and speaking of my big booty, I finally weighed myself after many weeks of avoiding the scale and I wish I would’ve stayed away longer. I’ve packed on almost 35 lbs and I still have 2 more months to go! What’s keeping me sane is hearing my friends tell me that they gained a lot as well and that it gets better. I must have the pregnancy fat gene because my sister wasn’t exactly tiny either. For the most part of this journey I’ve kept it safe and healthy, however, I did vacation in temptation island at times. That’s junk food heaven for those who don’t already know. I can’t even lie about that one…

On the baby front, he’s been moving A LOT more than normal. So much that I kept praying for a day of rest (literally). My request was granted on Sunday when I spent the day shopping with my friend Marianne. I’m seeing certain unidentifiable appendages sticking out of my tummy now. I really wish I knew what they were. I have to say that I feel lucky my little guy is staying away from the rib cage and just sticking to the southern hemisphere. I’m carrying really low and deep, which is more comfortable, so I‘ve been told. My next OB appointment is this Friday morning and Dave is coming with me so he can hear the baby’s heartbeat. I’ve got a lot of questions for my midwife and I’m going to look into having a water birth. I’m not expecting much from that, but it’s worth a try.

I started week 30 on Sunday. 10 more weeks to go! I can’t believe I’m here already. I swear it feels like I just took that pregnancy test yesterday. Dave and I are going to Michigan for our first baby shower on May 30th. His parents are leaving for their vacation the same day so we can’t borrow their van. I have to pray that we don’t get too many big boxes so that I can pack it all in my car. I haven’t traveled this far since Christmas so I’m hoping that the ride isn’t too uncomfortable. I’m really excited to see my friends and family. I’m also going to make a pit stop to the mystical store since the one here sucks now.

28 Weeks Update

2008-05-08T09:27:00.003-04:00

I called the automated test results hotline at my OB office and found out that my Gestational Diabetes test came back normal. Sweet! That's one less thing I have to worry about. I'm hearing that having an Epidural is not fully covered by most insurance companies so now I have to check my provider. That's really frustrating because I don't have a lot of money just laying around for that shit. I'm not even convinced that I will go that route, but I want the option.

I'm really stressed out right now. Gas prices are through the roof and I have to save up so that I can make the trip to Michigan for my first baby shower. My home life is turning into a cluster fuck from hell and the the great results of my nesting phase went to shit once the girls came here on Wednesday. Their behavior was the equivalent to caged animals being set free in a strange environment and it hasn't stopped since they got here. I'm not getting much help from Dave and I swear I'm about to blow my stack so instead, I'm just locking myself up so that I don't start screaming bloody murder.

Sorry for the negativity. I'm just pissed off right now and the best way for me to release this stuff is to write about it.

Happy Mother's Day to all the fabulous mommy's and expected mothers-to-be! I hope you guys have a very relaxing day.

The Nesting Phase

2008-05-07T10:46:00.004-04:00

Week 28

Summer is near and I’ve been having a lot of nostalgic thoughts about what it was like for Dave and I last year. I’m glad we partied it up then because now we’ll be playing a different ballgame all together. We had plans to go to Rock on the Range, a 2-day rock concert held in Columbus with a ton of bands. It sold out on us last year. Unfortunately I’m too pregnant to enjoy the experience. I can still do some of the things I love such as hanging out at friends’ places enjoying BBQ’s, but come July I’ll be on baby alert and most likely, very physically uncomfortable. It’s already starting actually.

I'm officially in my 3rd trimester, woo hoo! My belly has popped out even more this week and although people are telling me that I look good, I’m having trouble with the important stuff like female grooming and painting my toe nails. I attempted the toes yesterday and they came out ok, however, I had to place my legs in positions I don’t usually try during sex. Perhaps that’s a sign to spice that shit up a bit as well, lol.

Hoisting myself out of bed is now becoming a chore and it makes me not want to sit down. When it’s time for me to get up, I have to hope Dave is around. Otherwise, I have to assess the situation, assume the position and roll off the furniture from the side and that just makes me feel debilitated! This experience is turning into comedic film. All of this at only 28 weeks, can you believe it?

I’ve been saying how cool it is that my little guy is very active. Well…it was cool until this week when I realized that this kid isn’t taking a liking to sleep. That’s right, folks. He’s moving, kicking and punching from the time I wake up in the morning until it’s time for me to go to bed. It takes me at least an hour to get used to the movements so that I can find a position that will allow me to fall asleep. Even then he wakes me up in the middle of the night and I’m needing to find something to do for a couple of hours until I get tired again. I know, I know…this is just preparation for what’s to come, but damn. I should be able to get a break while he’s still in the womb, right? Guess not.

On the brighter side of things, I got my brows waxed and a hair cut yesterday. Thank God because my hair gets heavy and I have to deal with really bad headaches. It’s pretty short for me, but I don’t want to deal with the styling. I’m taking the easy way out, which is something I don’t normally do, but hey, I’m pregnant! If I can’t get a normal REM cycle, at least I have some relief in the beauty department.

This pregnancy is forcing me to rely a bit on other people and their services, which I really hate. When it comes to household chores, I deserve some cooperation for sure. Dave is really starting to step up to the plate in that regard, which he should be doing anyway. I’m going to do my best to make sure he keeps to this standard after the baby is born. God knows I’m going to need it.

Now I feel like I’ve officially entered the nesting phase of the pregnancy. All I want to do is clean and organize. Dave thinks I’m off my rocker and I sure he’s silently cursing me since I’ve enlisted him to do most of the heavy labor, lol. I pounded out 7 loads of laundry yesterday, which is mostly the girls’ and Dave’s clothes. I also organized the girls’ bedroom and am working on my own. The baby’s crib is now set up along with the pack ’n play and bouncer seat. We have our stroller and other stuff stored in the basement. Pretty soon he’ll have to move my recliner to my office and I’ll have to decorate the baby’s room. I still have pictures to put up all around the house and I’m desperate to do something great with my office.

Pregnancy Symptoms for the Week:

* Stretchy cramps
* Insomnia
* Fatigue
* Minor skin break-outs

Bumps in the Night

2008-05-04T09:53:00.003-04:00

Week 27

I’m porking out, yo! This week I’ve noticed my pregnant belly has pushed out big time. I’m starting to lose my “innie” belly button, I can feel my uterus right under my breasts and the baby is moving a lot there. It’s a funky feeling and it’s taken me a couple of days to get used to it. The little guy is starting to throw punches. I guess my joke to Dave about him being an “Ultimate Fighter” when he’s older may be right on target, lol. Last night it was so strong that I could see and feel, what I believe to be his little fist, popping through and I could almost grab it. Weird.

My friend Stacy has warned me since the beginning of the pregnancy to stay calm and try not to freak out over stupid stuff because the baby will feel everything I do. Well, I had my proof the other night. I woke up in the middle of the night quite emotional about an issue and the baby didn’t stop moving, poking and kicking until I calmed down. Even though I believed Stacy before, this little reality has moved me to change my perspective and alter the amount of responsibilities I’m taking on.

I’m back to having trouble sleeping again because now this child seems to be active all day and night. Dave and I are slugs when it comes to our sleep. We can normally go down at any time and for hours so with any luck, the baby will take after us in that regard once he’s born. Unfortunately, we both love to eat so I’m guessing this child is going to be a little piggy like his mommy and daddy and you know what that means…up every 2 hours.

I went to the Dr. on Thursday for my Glucose test. The orange crap I drank tasted like flat soda, but I was able to get it down in 5 minutes like I was supposed to. The nurse had to stick me a few times in each arm because my veins weren’t cooperating. She measured my uterus and I was right on target for 27 weeks. The baby’s heartbeat was at 160, as usual.

I met a new doctor in the practice and she told me that I wouldn‘t be getting another ultrasound, no more blood tests and they won‘t be checking my cervix until 38 weeks, unless I call them with something out of the ordinary. That makes me a bit nervous because my friend Dawn is having major complications with her pregnancy. I’m feeling tempted to go and pay for a 3/D ultrasound so I can get my little guy measured and weighed. I’m also dying to get a glimpse of his features since those pictures are quite amazing.

Pregnancy Symptoms for the Week:

* Constipation (ugh!)
* Gas
* Stretchy cramps
* The waddle
* Extreme fatigue

My next appointment is at 30 weeks and I’m having Dave go so he can hear the baby’s heartbeat. He hasn’t been able to experience that since the ultrasound at 7 weeks when I was bleeding and it wasn’t very clear then. After that I’ll be going to my appointments every 2 weeks.

Where Art Thou Balance?

2008-04-28T09:28:00.003-04:00

Week 25

Wow, what a crazy week! I’ve noticed that I’m finally experiencing slight mood swings. My tolerance for stupid shit has been a bit low, especially on the home front. I’m trying to work through it. The only problem is that my schedule is now revolving around the kids and that’s been tough to deal with. It’s a huge adjustment from me being able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to only getting stuff done when nobody is around or when the kids are in bed.

Of course with the pregnancy and nicer weather, the kids are going to bed later and by that time I’m ready to crash myself. The baby isn’t even here yet and already I’m missing my alone time with Dave. He’s been busy with writing tons of essays for college and I’m dead to the world by the time he’s available to me. Welcome to “marriage” and motherhood, eh? LOL

As for the pregnancy symptoms, it’s like I’m starting all over again. The nerve pains, needing to pee all the time, eating like a pig, not feeling comfortable sleeping and of course, the farting (that’s the worst).

Under The Weather
Week 26

Getting up early every day is taking its toll on me. I feel like I can’t function well unless I wake up after 7:30am, but with all the responsibilities I’ve taken on, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I am needing to take naps during the day again, however, I can’t seem to fit any in and when I actually have time, I don’t fall asleep. I’m bummed about that, big time!

This past week I felt like I was coming down with a cold. It only affected me one day, but I was pretty miserable. With all the changes in the weather, my body is reacting and not favorably. I wish it would just stay Spring-like so I wouldn’t feel so up and down. It’s affecting my moods and all I want is some stability.

My belly is starting to get in the way of life these days. I’m finding difficulty trying to vacuum the corners in my rooms without screaming in pain due to pinching nerves. Shaving my legs and putting on socks has also become a chore. I can’t reach anything anymore! LOL Unfortunately summer is abound and I must find a way that’s comfortable for the shaving. When I told Dave to gear up and help, he looked at me like I was living on Mars. So I guess I should count him out on that one.

On a lighter note, my little guy is very active. I’m starting to feel him poking me right around my rib cage. It’s kind of weird. It hurts a bit when I’m laughing if he’s right there. Any time the baby kicks or moves, my stomach is doing all sorts of funky shifts. That’s one of the coolest things about being pregnant, in my opinion.

I have my next OB appointment on May 1st. I have to take that Glucose test where I have to swallow this orange crap in 3-5 minutes, then get my blood taken. I’m not looking forward to that, however, I’ve heard that it’s a breeze and I have nothing to worry about. I’m also going to find out when my next ultrasound is. I don’t think I have one for a while. I believe that I start going to my appointments every 2 weeks in June and then July is every week. I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy has gone! I will be holding my little man before I know it.

Getting Adjusted

2008-04-09T07:34:00.002-04:00

Weeks 22 & 23

This past week has been pretty uneventful with regards to the pregnancy. I feel my little guy moving and kicking regularly. I’ve had a couple of crappy nights of sleep because he’s keeping me awake and giving me a hard time with getting comfortable. It doesn’t matter how many pillows I have or which position I try, it seems like he’s awake 24/7.

The funny thing is that he must know when a hand is placed on top of him. I think he can sense light and darkness pretty well. When I feel a kick and try to push back, he moves to a different spot. It’s like a cat and mouse game with this one, lol. I can feel the kicks inside and out now so it’s only a matter of time until Dave will get his turn. Trenity got lucky the other day and was able to feel a small kick from her little brother. The pure joy on her face was simply precious. I wish I had a camera because it really was a Kodak moment.

My feet aren’t hurting as much these days and I’m giving Dave a break from rubbing my feet every night. I think it’s because I finally used my brain. I’m wearing footie socks, a cushy pair of slippers and bought new shoes. It’s saving my life and going up and down 2 flights of stairs every day was really killing me. At least it’s giving me plenty of cardio action. I was starting to get real winded, but now I’m feeling much better with all that excersize. I should’ve started a regimine much earlier in the pregnancy, but better late than never right?

I’m doing great emotionally, but now I’m mentally preparing myself for the child birth process. I still have a lot of fear, but trying to manifest things to occur the way I want them to. I did that with the pregnancy and it’s worked thus far so let’s just hope I get my requests granted for B-Day. I’m realistic though. I’m certain that I may need the drugs, but everything in my body is screaming “No, don’t do it!” I’m not exactly sure why. I know this sounds silly, but I’m trying to find my center and meditation method that may block out some of the physical pain. Mind over matter.

This week Trenity had her very first soccer practice and game! It was so exciting to watch her play and she did very well. The other little girls were very nice to her and I think this was a very good decision made by Dave and myself to put her in. We had Halle’s birthday party on Saturday as well. She’s going to be 4 and is growing incredibly fast. She was very happy with her presents, especially the spring and summer clothes. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but we’re finding some balance now.

Week 24
Finally, a good night’s rest!

Yesterday and today I was able to sleep in until 8 and 9am, woo hoo! It was really nice and now I’ve found my comfortable place in the bed. I’m hoping that this 4:30am wake-up stuff is in the past for now. I really didn’t realize how important sleep is during pregnancy until last week. I watch my girlfriend’s daughter during the week and take her to school, so pretty soon I’ll have to be up at 6:30am again.

I’m doing a bit of Spring cleaning with my computer’s hard drive and tieing up loose ends with my old apartment. It’s so nice to finally be free of some of the crap from my old home and life. I’m still going through boxes and a bunch of “little” stuff left from the move. My organizational skills have been in the dumps where work is concerned. I’m going to spend more time on that this week.

Dave and I are taking advantage of the walking path, now that the weather is getting better. The path goes 25 miles and the scenery is gorgeous. I did a mile and a half the other night and I’m going to slowly increase each week. Dave is on a walking program through work and it’s nice to have someone to do this with, especially since he can get some cash out of the deal.

I have my next OB appointment on Thursday. It’s nothing special, although I am seeing a new doctor in the practice. As far as I know, they’re just going to weigh me, take my blood pressure and check the baby’s heartbeat.

A lot of people have been asking, but I still have not named the baby yet. I really do need to wait until he’s born. Dave and I only agree on one name, but I don’t know if it’ll suit him yet. I think that once I see him, the right one will just pop in my head.

It's A BOY!

2008-03-24T07:20:00.008-04:00

Sorry I haven’t posted in a little bit. I’ve been really busy due to the move and the Easter holiday. We’re all still getting adjusted to the new place and I finally have time to write because this baby woke me up at 5:30am this morning. I just started week 22, but I‘m posting weeks 20 and 21 for you all.

Week 20

Dave and I went to my OB appointment for B-Day (March 13th), which is what my friend Stacy was calling “Boy Day”, LOL. I’ve been so adamant about this boy thing and from the very beginning and every time I tried to imagine a girl, I just couldn’t. Well I was right, we’re having a little BOY!

Dave doesn’t generally show much emotion about anything other than sports, so watching him squirm on his chair while the doctor was measuring the baby made me giggle. He kept inching closer and closer to the edge, fists clenched just waiting for her to announce the sex. At first glance the baby’s legs were crossed and my poor boyfriend looked defeated. After a couple of tries she said, “That looks like a scrotum…there‘s a penis…oh yeah, it’s definitely a boy”.

I thought he was going to take a flying leap as if he were at a Chicago Bulls game and his favorite player just scored a 3 pointer to win in overtime. For a second I thought he was going to let out a huge “YEAAAAHHHH”, LOL. Of course he called everyone and their mother to tell them to good news and that he’s going to decorate the baby’s room with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Chicago sports gear. Now that we’re having a boy he cares about the décor. That’s a man for ya.

Check out my photo album for a couple of ultrasound pictures and updated ones of my belly!

That same day we picked up the keys to our condo. It was a pain in the ass because we had to wait all day since they didn’t have it ready. Apparently the last tenant really trashed the place. We ended up getting the keys really late and weren’t able to start our move until the next day. All the big stuff got moved that Saturday the 15th and we’re still in the process of getting stuff out of our apartments. My old place is looking pretty good and all that’s left is the cleaning. Dave, on the other hand, has a lot more work to do on his old apartment, but he still has until April 1st.

Week 21 - The Power Bloat

One of my best friends, Dawn, got her 17 week ultrasound and check-up. She found out she is having a boy, but her doctor saw a mass on his lung. She had to go to the hospital to get a 3-D scan and they told her the baby has a benign tumor that is pushing the baby’s heart to the left side. Although her baby’s organs are functioning well, she now has to get a fetal MRI next week and ultrasounds every 3 weeks to monitor the tumor. If it grows too quickly, the baby could go into cardiac arrest and she’ll lose him. There is a chance that it won’t grow and he’ll be fine. I’m praying like crazy for her. It’s so difficult for me to be happy for myself when this is happening.

As for me, I’ve been trying to get back into the swing of things after the move. Working has been a bit difficult due to Easter and having Dave’s kids. They’re very excited about all this change and went kind of nuts running up and down our stairs, unpacking their toys in the playroom we made for them. All that Easter candy didn’t help either, lol. My cats are having a difficult time adjusting to their new surroundings. Angelica is pretty pissed at me for subjecting her to Dave and the kids, lol. She’s the most needy, territorial cat I’ve ever seen!

This week my ankels and feet have really swelled. It’s so bad that I need to go buy new socks and shoes, ugh! My feet are in so much pain, but it’s very hard to just sit around and do nothing since I have a ton of stuff to get done around here. I’m still unpacking boxes and it seems like I’ll never get done. I’m trying to pace myself and hopefully I’ll have the majority of it cleared up.

The other issue is that I’m having a hard time finding a comfy sleeping position. It doesn’t matter how many pillows I have. As a matter of fact, that makes things worse. I almost knocked poor Dave off the bed last night because there’s not enough room for the pillows, him and my big, pregnant ass.

Other than the power bloat and sleeping situation, I’m feeling pretty great. I’ve noticed the baby’s movements and kicks more consistently and I think it’s very cool! Dave told me yesterday that I’m looking real pregnant finally. My belly has grown a bit more in the last couple of weeks, but I’m not having any trouble moving around and bending over, thank God.

Love Is In The Air

2008-03-07T07:54:00.010-05:00

Week 19

I’m almost to the half way point in my pregnancy, yay! I’m getting really excited for my OB appointment next Thursday. This once a month check up thing sucks as I get a little paranoid if I don’t feel the baby move consistently. I know it’s not supposed to right now, but I’ve gotten used to the feeling. I guess it’s common for first time mommies to freak out once in a while. I am getting better with keeping myself calm though.

Thursday my friend Dawn S and I went out to lunch then to the nail salon for pedicures. OH THANK GOD! My feet were horrendous! It was the best one I’ve ever had. They spent a good half hour rubbing our feet at the end of the session. I’m going to make it a point to have this done at least once a month. I may even consider bi-weekly sessions. My feet have been sore for a while now since I’m starting to blow up. That’s right folks, the cankles are on the way, UGH.

Friday night Nikki, Dawn and I enjoyed a ladies’ night. We went to dinner and bowling. Since my life is going to change dramatically next week with the move I wanted to spend some quality time with some of my friends. I’m sure I’ll be able to do it more often than I think before the baby is born, but I still needed to get out of my apartment. I didn’t bowl as well as I did on my birthday, but I had a blast anyway. Now it’s time to get back to reality with work and packing, but I‘m having trouble keeping balance between the two.

I believe that my libido has been healthy for the last couple of months, but I’ve put Dave in the “have sex with me, it’s your only job” box lately. It’s funny to see the look on his face when he comes home and I don’t even care how his day went. He’s genuinely surprised every single time and that cracks me up. Sometimes I wonder about that boy, LOL. Love is in the air and I’m taking full advantage while I still can!

JUST 6 MORE DAYS UNTIL WE FIND OUT THE SEX! I’m very very excited!!! Week 20 here I come!

Alive and Kicking!

2008-02-27T10:02:00.004-05:00

Week 18

I started week 18 on Sunday with the expectation of feeling my baby more often and that’s exactly what I got! The movements slowed down a bit last week so of course I started to get paranoid. I only feel it early in the morning and after 8pm at night, which is fine as long as I feel something. I still get the flutters, but they’re stronger now and it also feels like the baby is rolling. I can locate my uterus easily, no matter what time of day it is. I think that’s pretty cool. Getting these sensations has been the best part of my pregnancy thus far.

My face is starting to break out just a tad bit, but I’m not looking gross. Thank God! It still doesn’t even come close to my PMS symptoms. I’m still wondering why that is. Shouldn’t I have crazy hormonal imbalances? I can count on 1 hand how many times in the last 4 months I’ve felt overly emotional. It’s good for Dave I guess, lol. I’m not happy with the fact that my face is looking tired all the time, even though I’m not sleepy. It’s also blowing up and making me look fat! Perhaps I need to invest in some good make-up. I’m starting to wonder if a fabulous pregnancy equals a nasty child birth session. Let’s hope not!

I took my weekly belly shot yesterday, but this morning I woke up to a much bigger bulge. It’s amazing how things can change over night! Just 2 more weeks until Dave and I find out the sex. We’re getting really excited about that. I want to stop calling my baby “IT”. We’ll be finding out the same day we start our residential move so then we can start buying baby crap and designing the room. I’m pretty stuck on having a boy since I haven’t had ANY girl dreams or visuals in the last 2 months. What do you all think?

As for the name, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to make a decision until after the birth. Dave still hasn’t come up with anything, so yay. I really want to be the one to name my child since he had that luxury with Halle. It’s my turn, damnit! So far the votes are in alignment with my first choices - Dominick Angelo and Destiny Rae. Please click on my baby name list and cast your vote!

Pregnancy Symptoms This Week:

* Growing belly
* A couple of zits (eww)
* Difficult time getting to sleep
* Feeling the baby move

So Much To Celebrate

2008-02-19T10:51:00.006-05:00

Week 17

I hit 17 weeks on Sunday and I’m really grateful. I honestly feel like I’m out of the woods and can relax about this pregnancy. I’ve been feeling the baby move a lot lately and it’s so exciting! It started in week 14 or so, but by last week this kid was making its presence known pretty often. It’s calmed down a bit now though and I’m finding myself trying to get it to move again, lol. Dave and I only have 3 1/2 weeks until we find out the sex and start the moving process. I have so much to celebrate.

I’ve been taking weekly pictures of my belly’s progress and I’m starting to see the changes in my body more frequently. It’s expanding outward, not width wise yet. It’s not just my uterus though. My face has bloated out a bit in the last week, ugh! At the end of 16 weeks I had what they’re calling “round ligament pain”. It wasn’t too bad and it only lasted an hour or so. This week I’ve got normal stretchy cramps, but now I’m feeling it in my tummy region. My face is still clear of acne, yay!

I’m learning so much about myself while going through this. I’m not reacting the way I originally thought I would, which is obviously a great thing. I was so anti-pregnancy, but now that I’m here, I’m really looking forward to raising my child. I’m not looking forward to childbirth though. I’m still terrified and hope I pass the hell out and not remember a damn thing about it, lol.

At this point I’ve got a lot to do to prepare for this life change. It’s not just the pregnancy, but moving in with Dave and the girls. I’m really stoked because our new place is fabulous and now we have more to offer the kids in the long term sense. I’m starting to clear out more crap and clutter so I can pack and be prepared by March 13th. Dave is a bit on the lazy side when it comes to this stuff though. He’ll be doing things last minute, but as long as I have my stuff in order, I’ll be fine.

Pregnancy Symptoms This Week:

* Stretchy cramps
* Morning gas
* Uncomfortable sleeping
* Stuffy nose

Baby Name List

Check out my tentative baby name options and vote yay or nay. I probably won't be able to decide until I see the baby after it is born, but I thought this would be fun. I will add names as they come to me.

My Baby Likes Rap Crap!

2008-02-11T07:53:00.000-05:00

Week 16

Here is a picture of me when I woke up this morning and no, I didn't bother to brush my hair, lol. You can finally see my baby bump!

I’ve made it to week 16 and all is well. My belly is growing and I’ve been documenting with pictures. Check out my photo album to see the comparison shots. I still don’t have enough maternity shirts so I’m going shopping this week. There’s nothing more annoying than not having anything to wear. I’m sick of bumming it every day. I’m going to weigh myself at the end of the week because I’m worried that I may be gaining too much, even though I don’t feel or look it. I’m starting to get some of my energy back this week. It’s nice to be able to work hard and not need a nap by 1pm. Today I woke up at 5am so I will be taking one just to keep my body balanced.

Last night Dave and I were watching part of the Grammy Awards because there really wasn’t anything else on. When Kanye West was performing, I felt the strongest kick/movement I’ve ever gotten so far. I’m guessing this child was reacting to the music. Actually, I did like the song he was performing, but I’m not normally a huge fan of rap. Now I understand why it drove my mother nuts when I was a teenager. I will say, however, that my “old school rap” was much better than the “Move bitch, get out the way!” BS blaring from top 40 radio these days.

We finally told the kids about the move and the baby. They were really excited and happy, which I knew they would be. Dave’s ex-wife turned our situation into a “poor me, you have everything and I have nothing” cry session. Literally, she had to hang up on Dave because she was bawling her eyes out. Unbelievable! At least everyone knows and we can move on with our lives. It’s onward and upward for me, bitches!

I’m going to start packing since I know Dave will need some help. I want to be ready on time for the move because I’ve always been a last minute everything in the past. Last minute packing, Christmas shopping or anything else that requires me to get off my lazy butt, with the exception of work. I already started going through my home office to see what I can get rid of. I found a ton of pictures that I should no longer have in my possession. Pictures of my ex-fiancée don’t belong in my home. I couldn’t believe I missed those when I moved out of state. I also have some furniture with imprints of my ex’s I have to dump. I really can’t wait for this move!

Pregnancy Symptoms So Far This Week:

* Fairly frequent urination
* Growing belly
* Mild stretchy cramps
* Feeling hungry a lot (it’s back!)

That’s all for now. I may post another entry at the end of the week if anything new comes up.

xoxo,
Cristin

There's Really Something In There

2008-02-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

Week 15

I had an OB appointment yesterday morning. It was really easy as they only weighed me, took my blood pressure and tried to find the baby’s heartbeat. It took the nurse about 10 minutes to find it. The little booger was hiding from me. I thought I was going to have a heart attack, but then I heard it going at 150 bmp…whew! Due to the fact that I’ve had very mild pregnancy symptoms, it’s been difficult believing that there’s really something in there. I’m at the point now where I’m dying to know the sex of the baby. This waiting is killing me, but I know it will go by pretty fast.

Dave bought me a new digital camera for my birthday and since I had some friends asking for baby bump pictures, I took some last Saturday at 14.6 weeks. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling a bit bigger and took some more shots (15.2 weeks). I am starting to show a little and I couldn’t believe how much my body has changed in only 3 days. Check out the comparison below. I’m scared to see how I will look when my next appointment arrives at 21 weeks, LOL!

Remember I mentioned that Dave and I applied for a condo last Friday? Well, we found out Monday morning that we’re approved. It really is the perfect place for us. I’m soooo happy and now that’s not hanging over my head. We have to break the news to his kids about the move and the pregnancy. I’m pretty sure it will go over well, especially since Trenity used to bug me about living with them a lot. It will be a huge adjustment for all of us, especially me, but I think God and the kids have broken me in, lol.

Pregnancy Symptoms This Week:

* Growing tummy
* Light heartburn
* Minor fatigue

March 13th can’t come fast enough for me since that’s the date of my next ultrasound. I’m getting really excited. We’re slated to move into the new place at that time also. March has always been the big month for me to experience major life changes. I met Dave a year ago, March 17th so it’s fitting that we’re starting our new life together in that same timeframe this year. It’s amazing how things can change over night and all I did was go to a wedding!

Until next time,
Cristin

Wake-Up Call

2008-02-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will start my 15th week of pregnancy. I can’t believe how time flies by. Just yesterday I found out I was pregnant and now we only have 5 more weeks until my next ultrasound and we find out the sex.

This week has been nuts since day one. Dave received a call on Sunday that his brother-in-law dropped dead at age 35. It’s a horrible situation with him leaving Dave’s sister and their 2 daughters, ages 7 and 4. He died in his sleep and the autopsy report came back inconclusive so we’ll never know exactly what caused him to depart suddenly. Dave had the entire week off of work and we spent most of the time taking care of his sister, shopping for clothes and going out of town for the funeral.

In the midst of the craziness, we did find and apply for a condo that is absolutely perfect. That was one of the major things stressing me out the most in the last couple of months. I hate moving, but it’s necessary now that we need to put a roof over 5 heads. It has everything we both want and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll get approved. If we do, we’re slated to move by mid March. We won’t have much time to dispose of stuff we no longer need, clean up our apartments and pack, but this place is worth it.

I had some epiphanies yesterday. I know that I’m grateful for everything I have, but there’s a part of me that feels like I’m not doing enough. Here today, gone tomorrow so young is truly a wake-up call. I started thinking about my life and how rigid I can be when it comes to my standards. I preach about letting go of emotional bullshit and I do my best in my own life, but after experiencing this particular funeral and spending time with Dave’s family, I believe I can do better.

I fought my relationship from the very beginning and no matter what I tried to do, God shoved his middle finger in my face and gave me the opposite of what I said I wanted. Was I right? Hell no, lol! Someone sent me an email and said, “If you want God to laugh, tell him your plans.” Boy was she right. Letting go is tough, no matter what you’re focusing on.

I didn’t realize how severe my family issues were until a good friend of mine pointed it out and I put myself in Dave’s family situation. I was sadly mistaken thinking that I had released those demons from my past. I’m going to have a child of my own and I have to clean up my act. Now I feel like I can and this time I’m going to make sure no stone is left unturned.

PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS FOR THIS WEEK:

* Expanding boobies
* Minor stretchy cramps
* Constipation (damnit!)

Tuesday I have my next OB appointment and I’m excited. I always feel better after I go to the doctor. Sometimes I don’t even feel pregnant and wonder if there’s actually something in there. I’m hoping they will let me hear its heartbeat with the Doppler.

Leave The Pregnant Woman Alone!

2008-01-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

Week 13

At 13 weeks and 5 days, I‘m stressed to the max, leaving me in a foul mood. The pregnancy hormones seem to be kicking in finally. I’m either calm and perfectly stable or flying off the handle, pissed off because there are some people trying to dictate how I should be living my life.

Normally this wouldn’t bother me because I’m really good at flashing the middle finger and ignoring comments, however, it’s coming to me all at once and I’m severely overwhelmed. It’s not just the unsolicited advice and demeaning comments, but the tension of all the responsibilities this pregnancy is bringing upon me. It’s like a ton of bricks have been dumped upon my shoulders and I can’t seem to find a place to discard them.

Last Saturday Dave and I went to his parent’s house to give them the news about the pregnancy and us moving in together. It went pretty well, but we had to explain why we’re not getting married. We saw them again on Monday and had to do the same thing again. Actually, it was me doing most of the talking and by the end of the night I think I finally got them to understand our position.

All week long I’ve had to deal with some people using scare tactics in effort to change some of my habits. I’m only drinking 1 to 1 ½ cups of light, diluted coffee a day and that’s the only caffeine I put into my body. My doctor told me I can have up to 3 normal sized cups and I’m not even doing that. To hear people say that I can’t have any or else I’ll miscarry and that they don’t care what my doctor says pisses me off! I’m embarking on my second trimester and still with child so if you’re not a physician, shut the hell up! I’m not going to live in fear. Stress is detrimental to me and my unborn child so please, mind your own business and leave the pregnant woman alone!

Oh yeah, and the smoking. That’s always a controversial subject since smoking is not good for our bodies and unborn children. I know this and carry it with me every day. The minute I realized I was pregnant, the first thought I had was, “Holy shit! How am I going to quit smoking after 15 years?“ I have to say that when I’m left alone, it’s so much easier for me to continue cutting down my intake, but when I’m hounded constantly, all I do is smoke more. Reading an email from a friend telling me that I’m basically “scum of the Earth” because I can’t quit cold turkey is disheartening and sabotaging my efforts to change. I don’t need that shit right now. I’m trying to kick my nicotine addiction. Is a little support too much to ask for?

Pregnancy Symptoms This Week:

* Stretchy cramps
* Fatigue
* Exaggerated stress
* Hormonal outbursts
* Fluttering in my uterus
* Fairly frequent urination
* Mild itchy skin

My prenatal vitamins must be kicking in because I’m finding hair in unwanted places, ICK! I feel like I’m due for a good waxing. I’m a little pissed though. I thought prenatal vitamins were supposed to strengthen my nails, but they’re breaking easily instead. Also, I’ve hit my laziness limit. All I can think about is cleaning and clearing the extra clutter out of my apartment.

Sorry about the extra long rant. I have to write it out in order to free my Spirit of all the unnecessary negativity. Since I wrote the majority of this blog yesterday, I’ve had some time to relax and try to find solutions to my stress. Today I decided to rid myself of the crap I can’t control and put the responsibility on the person it actually belongs to. I feel better already!

xoxo,
Cristin

Welcome To Poochville

2008-01-16T10:57:00.000-05:00

Week 12

I’ve made it to 12 ½ weeks without turning psycho bitch on anyone! I really thought that pregnancy would unleash the monster within, but Dave tells me otherwise. Nice. I’m only getting emotional when someone pisses me off to the point where I can’t hold it in any longer. When I’m on the PMS, I turn into a different person so it’s great to see that pregnancy is making me react less hormonal and sweet. You’d think this would make me want to be pregnant all the time…LOL!

Pregnancy symptoms this week:

* Light heartburn
* A touch of insomnia
* Headaches (new)
* Fatigue and laziness
* Stretchy cramps

Symptoms that are subsiding:

* Frequent urination
* Needing to eat every hour
* Gas
* Painful boobies (for now)
* Pinching nerves

This week I’ve officially entered Poochville. I used to say that I’m bloated, but now I’m starting to take the pregnant woman shape. I’m feeling like I have to be careful of what I eat because I started this pregnancy a little fatter than I would’ve liked. My tummy wouldn’t be this blown out at 12 weeks if I were at my normal size. It doesn’t matter what I eat though, the minute I do my stomach pooches out and I feel like a heffer. I weighed myself this morning and I’ve gained 5 pounds. That’s not too bad, right?

I went to the Motherhood store with Dave last night to check out prices and maybe get a new pair of maternity jeans. The ones I bought a couple of weeks ago are okay, but I wanted something cuter. I was surprised at how cheap the clothes were as I’ve always thought they were off the chain expensive. I also got a new shirt. What made me laugh was the pregnancy pillow you can try on with the clothes. I told Dave that if I look like this in 3 months, our kid would be an alien baby since the pillow was all lumpy and deformed.

What really excited me was the fact that my ass isn’t as big as I thought. I fit into petite mediums. Whooo hoooo! Unfortunately I’ll be wearing large and extra large shirts because my boobs are the size of watermelons and I highly doubt they‘ll be deflating any time soon. Perhaps that’s where a portion of my weight lies. I’m telling you, each breast has got to be about 5 pounds a piece, at least!

My next OB appointment is February 5th and I'll be about 15 weeks along. It's just a check up and they'll probably do more tests, ugh. I really hate needles, but I'm dealing with it better than I thought.

See y'all next week!

Attack of the Crotch Cam

2008-01-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

Week 11

I went to my OB appointment today and what do you know? I got served the crotch cam again. I knew by the look on my midwife’s face that I had it coming and not in the hot and sexy way. Dave was ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the damn monitor again. Keep in mind, this was before I got served, lol.

Dave and I were able to see the baby flailing its arms and legs. It’s like he knew he was being watched and was screeching, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!? Get that thing outta here!” Okay, so that’s what I was thinking. Perhaps it was just trying to show off for us, who knows. We did hear the heartbeat and it was going at 165 bpm. I uploaded a new pic of the ‘lil swimmer to my slideshow. Take a look if you‘d like. It’s amazing that in just 3 weeks it went from a tadpole to an alien getting ready to turn human.

I’m now suffering from crotch cam cramps, but that should go away within a few hours. The fatigue isn’t as bad as it was in previous weeks, but the laziness is kicking in though. I feel bad because I’ve made Dave my little bitch for the last couple of weeks. God bless him, he’s really stepping up to the plate to make sure I’m comfortable. He’s rubbing my back and feet, taking out the garbage, cleaning the kitty litter and helping me clean my place. It’s high time I get off my ass and do it myself though.

I’m hearing that the other pregnant ladies around me are suffering from morning/noon/night sickness. I’m so grateful that’s not me. I have my next appointment Feb. 5th and that's just check-up stuff. We find out the sex of the baby on March 13th, if they can tell. I’ll be about 20 weeks then. I’m getting ticked that I don’t have any intuitive hits that stick about the sex. My psychic friends are changing their answers so I’m a bit confused. We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.

God and His Middle Finger

2008-01-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has been around me in the last 10 years knows that I have been very against the “white picket fence” lifestyle. That would be the whole getting married, having babies and living happily ever after deal. I must have said NEVER a million times! So when I met Dave back in March at a wedding, naturally I brushed him off with a “hell no!” when I found out he was younger, divorced with 2 kids.

I couldn’t get him to leave me alone, but I couldn’t stop picking up the phone either and eventually we were in a full blown relationship. I integrated myself in his kids’ lives, drama and all. Every time I tried to sabotage the relationship, God would come down, shove his middle finger in my face as if to say, “Hey dumbass, this guy is fantastic. What do you think you’re doing, you fool!”

Fast forwarding some months later, I took him to Michigan to meet some friends and my family. We came back to Ohio to find out that God had put the smack down on me yet again. I missed my period and my pregnancy test came back positive. I was shocked, of course. I couldn’t believe it was even possible since I was on my period and used condoms with spermacide, but lo and behold, a baby is on the way. I feel like I haven’t had any control over the happenings in this relationship since day one. I know that’s not really true, but it feels that way.

WEEKS 5-6
I found out I was pregnant and it took me about 24 hours for me to “get it”. I finally accepted it and went with my friend Nikki to get my confirmation. I was told I was 5 weeks.

The minor abdominal cramping began and I started having daily bouts of bleeding. I freaked out and called my doctor to move my appointment up a week. I had my first OB appointment on December 10th. They served me up to a crotch cam and everything was fine. I saw this thing in my uterus that looked like a worm with a heart beat and I cried like a baby. I was told I was approaching 6 weeks. It measured 0.46cm.

WEEK 7-
Still bleeding, but this week I passed every bloody color of the rainbow coupled with strange mucus blobs. When I saw a blood clot, I made another appointment. This time I had a male doctor who gave me the CC (crotch cam) again and everything appeared to be normal. Here I am having my cervix scraped and all Dave did was stare longingly at the 20 inch LCD monitor, with stars in his eyes. He's such a typical male, I tell ya.

I was informed that nothing was to be put up in the vagina (no tampons or sex). Now why would a pregnant woman use a tampon? I wasn’t bleeding THAT bad, lol. You should’ve seen Dave’s face when he heard “no intercourse for 2 weeks”. Poor guy! I didn’t have a problem with that because I feel like the baby has sealed off my vagina anyway.

I’m getting sick of doctors asking me if I feel pregnant. All I feel is extended PMS symptoms because it’s too soon for baby action at this point. The Dr. told me I was 7.6 weeks, which I felt was more accurate. This time, the little worm has transformed into a tadpole, clearly showing its head, hands and feet, measuring 1.46 cm. I didn’t see a heartbeat and asked the Dr. to show it to me. He did and my little one was beating at 150. I'm due 7/29/08. Yay, now I can relax.

WEEK 8-
I went to Michigan to visit friends and family. Before I got there, one of my best friends Dawn told me that she was late. She took a pregnancy test and it came back positive!! She’ll be due approximately 4 weeks after me and I’m so excited. It’s too bad she’s in MI and I’m in OH, but we’ll be pregnant together.

The bleeding finally subsided. I’m tired, my boobs are the size of cantaloupes, I’m bloated big time, eating every hour and peeing every 20-30 minutes. Ugh. Taking 3 ½ hour naps in the middle of the day messed up my work schedule. It’s slow enough during the holidays and I’m getting frustrated.

Dave and I talked about names for the baby. He expressed his desire to not be left out of the decisions, which I understand, but I’m stuck on my own names. I’ve asked him for some, but he hasn’t been able to come up with any yet. I wasn’t sure I wanted to give the baby Dave’s last name and not mine, however, he suggested we hyphenate it (Lentine-Andrus). I didn’t even have to prompt him.

He also told me that ideally he’d like to get married, but doesn’t want to take my independence away since it’s so important to me. So here it is, God’s middle finger being shoved in my face and I feel like an asshole…again!

I’ve cut down my smoking from 2 packs a day to under a pack. I am not able to quit right now, but the ciggs are starting to taste bad. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to stop eventually on my own. I’m being realistic about it though.

WEEK 9-
I'm getting over a cold. I'm allowed to take Tylenol products and it seems to be working fabulously. I had to buy my first pair of maternity jeans, size 10. Thank God because this bloating is massive and normal jeans aren’t comfortable. I’m hoping I can get about 4 more months out of them. My friends laugh when I tell them I’m bloated. They say, “You’re not bloated, you’re pregnant!” Really? I wasn’t aware of that fact, lol.

I’m feeling really guilty that I can’t play with Dave’s kids like I used to. My mom had a miscarriage after picking me up and lifting me over her head, so I’m trying to refrain from carrying Halle all the time. She’s actually heavier than Trenity, if you can believe that. I’m telling them that I have a bad back, until I can no longer hide the pregnancy and we can tell them the truth.

Still no bleeding, woo hoo!

WEEK 10-
I told Dave that if he’s not careful, I’ll fart him right out of the apartment. The flatulence is terrible. I’m waking up anywhere from 4:30 to 7am with gas pains so strong I feel like I’m having a miscarriage. The bathroom is becoming the second most used room in my place these days. Once I’m awake in the morning, I can’t go back to sleep.

Now I’m getting consistent heartburn. It’s relatively mild, but still annoying. I‘m experiencing more light, stretchy cramps. I wish my PMS symptoms would be as lovely as this pregnancy. Why I suffered so much then and not now is beyond me. I think it’s BS. Being laid up and tired has been inconsistent this week, allowing me to work more and I’m very happy about that.

My dreams have turned psychotically weird. I know that’s nuts coming from me of all people, but dreaming about murder and ice cream parlors the size of amusement parks next to Taco Bell is just insane, lol. I’ve had 3 hints of having a girl in my dreams, but I’m still longing for a boy. I won’t find out until 20 weeks, but I’m finally starting to accept that having a girl is a real possibility.

No more bleeding. I don't understand why I was so different than my mom and Laura. I'm just grateful it's over. I haven't gained a single pound yet, but I'm sure that will change once I start my second trimester. I guess that'll be my birthday gift. 29 years old, knocked up and fat. Nice.

So now we’re up to date. I have my next OB appointment on Tuesday, Jan. 8th and I’m having another ultrasound. No CC, thank God! Those are terribly uncomfortable, even with the jelly lube. I’m hoping to hear the baby’s heartbeat this time with the Doppler.