Update On My Niece

If you missed my post from yesterday check it out here... http://hopepraytrust.blogspot.com/2011/06/prayer-request.html?m=1

I talked to S today. She is being released from the hospital but unfortunately little Olivia will not be going home with her. Although she has improved it is not enough to get out of the NICU.

S said she is no longer in the bed with the warmer but is now in a regular basinet. She has been tube feeding her because Olivia will not latch on. My sister is pumping like crazy but is not producing quite enough milk. She made the decision to supplement with formula for now but is hoping this will be temporary. Olivia took a bottle this morning which is a huge improvement! If she continues to eat well S is hoping she will be released in the next day or two.

I've started pumping after each of Mary-Grace's feedings so that I can donate the milk to my niece. I know this may seem unnecessary but my sister is determined to give Olivia as little formula as possible. She formula fed her first child (breastfed the second) and he had and still has all sorts of allergies. She was having to buy special formulas and it was just crazy. Besides, I don't mind doing it and Mary-Grace is happy to share her milk with her cousin. :)

If you could continue to pray for my niece and my sister that would be wonderful! I cannot imagine leaving the hospital without my baby!


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Prayer Request

I'm an aunt again! My sister S gave birth to her 3rd baby (1st girl) Olivia yesterday morning. I was so blessed to be in the room with her when she delivered. Sweet Olivia was born weighing 7lbs 2ozs and 20.5 inches. She was 3 weeks early but this is not unusual for my sister. Her 2 boys were also 3 weeks early.

Anyway. Little Olivia seemed to be doing fine when I left the hospital a few hours after she was born. However, S called last night to tell me they admitted Olivia to the NICU for rapid breathing. It seems that she swallowed a lot of fluid because she came out so quickly. If you could say a little prayer for her that would be wonderful and I know my sister would appreciate it. If you could also keep my sister and her husband in your prayers that would be wonderful too. I know this is so very hard for S. She is worried about her new little one as well as her 2 young boys at home. She is praying Olivia get to come home with her tomorrow. Thank you all for your help! They always mean so much to me. I know they will mean a lot to my sister too. :)




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone so excuse the autocorrect craziness. This phone is out to get me!

Quick Takes

1.  Mary-Grace had decided that sleep is not important.  The last several nights she has fought going to sleep until about 2 am.  Then she gets up at 3:30, 5:00, and then up for the rest of the day at 6:30.  To make matters even more fun she had decided not to nap either.  She takes a 5-10 minute cat nap here and there throughout the day but that's it.  I don't know how she does it.  I feel like I'm going to fall over and she's smiling.  As long as I'm holding her that is.  Put her down and it's all over.  She's sitting on my lap as I type this.  It will probably take me an hour to get this up. :)

2.  Last night was particular interesting in the sleep department.  At about 9pm we noticed that it was getting pretty hot in our house.  K went and looked at the thermostat and it was 85 degrees in our house.  Um excuse me?  He fiddled around with it and then went outside to look at the actual unit.  Obviously something was wrong but he couldn't figure it out.  He fiddled some more but couldn't get the thing to work.  Needless to say, last night was miserable.  It was so darn hot!  I had our ceiling fan and we have a floor fan that I put in our room.  In front of the floor fan K filled my huge stainless steel pasta pot with ice so it would blow colder air.  We're not redneck or anything. :)  At 4am I got up to get some water and checked the thermostat again and it was 89 degrees in our house.  That is not acceptable!  It was like a sauna.  Fortunately K called someone who was able to get out at about 11am and fix the problem.  I was terrified at how much this may cost, we're pretty broke at the moment.  Fortunately it was only $150.  Apparently some capacitor thing was fried.  All I keep thinking about is a flux capacitor.  :)  Name that movie!

Redneck Air Conditioning

3.  I tried calling both my Endocrinologist and my OB today.  My Endo closes up shop at Noon on Fridays and my OB was closed early today for a meeting.  Sooooo...no appointments were made.  I may need a pep-talk on Monday to pick up the phone again.

4.  My youngest sister is getting married in November.  She sent me a picture of the dresses she picked out for us bridesmaids.  They are beautiful!  However, there is no way I am going to be able to nurse in it.  I'm not sure what to do.  I have to feed MG.  That's not an option.  I thought about asking her if she minded if I changed after the ceremony but I don't want to hurt her feelings.  Our other sister will have to do the same thing because she'll be nursing too.  I've already convinced her to let me wear a cover up during the ceremony so my shoulders aren't bare.  I don't want to push it too far.  She's pretty sensitive.  I was thinking that if maybe S and I found matching dresses we could change into and then asked A about it it might go over better?  What do you think?

5.  My sister S is due any day now with her 3rd baby (first girl).  She's not actually due until July 4th but at her appointment yesterday she was a stretchy 4cm (almost 5) and little Olivia's head was fully engaged.  And yet she's not even in labor yet.  Seriously????  I was in full on hard labor for 3 days and didn't get that far without having my water broken.  Her first two labors were similar.  The first two only lasted 7 hours.  This one's going to come sliding out in her sleep.  I swear she's going to sneeze and have the baby.  I'm so jealous!  Hopefully if I'm blessed with another baby I won't endure the same craziness.  Although I would gladly do it 1000 times over for another sweet little soul.  Despite the insanity I really did have so much fun!

6.  Mary-Grace's baptism was absolutely beautiful!  I have never been to a baptism like this one.  Fr. R really made it special.  I just finally washed MG's hair last night.  I couldn't stop smelling her Chrism Oiled little head.  Don't worry, I washed the rest of her.   Here's a picture preview.

7. K's 30th birthday is next Thursday.  I have no idea what to get or do for him.  Father's Day is 3 days later so I've got to do something for that too.  I'm stumped.  We've talked about getting away with MG for a little weekend soon but haven't finalized anything.  I'd like to do something on the actual day also.  Any suggestions?

Have a lovely, lovely weekend ladies!

Picking Up Where I Left Off

Just a little warning. There's a bit of complaining and TMI in this post. Sooooo, if you aren't up for that today feel free to run from this post. I won't hold it against you. I'll still love you. :)

Today is CD3 and my second cycle since Mary-Grace was born. She's not even three months old yet so I think that in itself is pretty crappy.

I feel like nothing has changed. I heard that the first few cycles after delivery are usually different from before. But then again, most women who are exclusively breast feeding don't get their cycles back 7 weeks out. I mean, MG has never had a bottle. Not one. My body has slipped right back into it's old crappy routine.

I have been doubled over in pain almost all day. The pain wraps around my back, down through my hips and into my legs. It's debilitating.

I felt like a terrible mother today. I felt like I was just trying to get from one nap to the next. I didn't snuggle her enough, we didn't play much, I just fed her and tried to get her to sleep so that I could curl up into a ball with a heating pad. It sucked. Really really sucked!

I feel like I'm running to the bathroom every 2.5 seconds. I forgot how heavy the bleeding is. It's worse than postpartum bleeding. It's always been like that I just didn't have anything to compare it to.

I'm not sure what to do. I know I am so blessed to have my baby girl, but obviously my body is still very broken. There is just no way I can go to Omaha for surgery. I can't go to the center in Atlanta either. My insurance won't cover it and I can't afford it otherwise. I think that my doctors would do jut fine. They are very well known around her. But for some reason I can't seem to make myself make an appointment. I think it's fear of rejection in a way. I've complained about these issues to countless doctors for the last 15+ years. I'm tired of being told everything I'm describing is normal when I know it is not. I'm 99% sure that the doctors I have now won't do that but the fear is still there.

I've got a bit of my Nana in me also. An "if you ignore it then nothing is really wrong" kind of attitude. I'm scared of knowing the truth of what is wrong with me. It's the same reason why I haven't called to make the follow up appointment with my endocrinologist regarding the whole Hashimoto's possible diagnosis. I need to have an ultrasound of my thyroid because the doc said mine was huge. But I'm scared of what they will find. I'm basically a big chicken. And if I don't have a diagnosis nothing is really wrong with me. Right?

I guess I'm asking for a few prayers. Prayers for courage and prayers that I will finally get a proper diagnosis. Once I finally get the courage to make the appointments of course. :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone so please excuse my mistakes. Thank you autocorrect. ;)

Mary-Grace 2 Months

Mary-Grace was 2 months on May 21, 2011

Dear Mary-Grace,

I cannot believe you are already 2 months old.  I say this all the time - it feels like just yesterday they placed you in my arms.  And yet, I often cannot remember life without you.  I thank God everyday for the gift of you.  Because you are a gift.  I hope you will always know that.

You have changed so much this month.  You went from being a newborn to seeming much more like a baby.  You smile at your daddy and me when we smile at you.  It melts my heart every time.  You love your activity mat but really do not like tummy time.  You love having your diaper changed.  No matter how upset you are, if I put you on your changing table you quiet down and smile.You also absolutely love bath time.  You smile at me the whole time.  Until I wash your hair.  You aren't a big fan of your head getting wet. 

"Get me off my tummy!!!"

We put you in your Bumbo seat for the first time this month.  Although you started out pretty wobbly, you are definitely getting the hang of it and love it.  You love to be held up so you can "stand" in our lap.  Your little legs are so strong. When we hold you , you want to face the world not us.  You are so alert and curious about everything around you.  But when you are tired you want to be snuggled in close so you can sleep.

You are growing like a little weed.  You are almost too long for your little co-sleeper.  Soon I'll take you out and you can just sleep with Momma and Daddy.  I love to snuggle you.  You are in mostly 3 month clothes with the exception of a few dresses.  You are so long I've got you in several 6 month pjs.  This just cracks me up.  Your Momma isn't exactly tall.

You still love to be swaddled when you sleep but your getting better and better at wiggling out of it.  You usually sleep until 5am but have on occasion slept until 7:00.  You however do not seem to like to nap much during the day.  You want to be awake and often fight your sleep.  I think you are scared to miss something.

You love to sit and relax on Saturday mornings with your daddy.  You are such a happy girl when you wake up.  When I go to pick you up you get the biggest smile on your face that just melts my heart.

We took you swimming for the first time.  You weren't sure about it but ended up loving it...until it got breezy and you got cold.  I think you and I are going to be spending a lot of time at the pool this summer.

"Momma, I'm not so sure about this."

"Hey daddy!  This isn't so bad."

This month we celebrated your first Easter.  I was so excited to take you to the Triduum.  This is your daddy and my favorite time of year.  You did so good.  It was a long 3 days for you sitting though everything but you didn't make a peep and often slept through it all.  It was such a blessing to have you with us.  The Easter Bunny visited you on Sunday morning and left you an adorable outfit to wear, some toys for your carseat, and some jellybeans and dark chocolate for daddy and cadbury eggs for momma.  We also took you to Brooksville for the first time.  It was so special taking you to the "camp."  I was so thrilled to share such a special part of my childhood with you.  You're going to learn really quick how much your momma loves tradition.

We also got to celebrate my first Mother's Day this month.  This was a day that in my past has been filled with pain and sadness.  It was such a joy to share this day with you, my daughter.  You and daddy made me breakfast and then we went up to Brooksville again.  On the way up you helped us pray a Rosary for all of the ladies still waiting for their miracle.  We went to Mass in the evening as we always do. When they asked all of the mother's to stand for their blessing I felt strange but your daddy made me stand.  At the end of Mass Fr. R handed out roses to the mother with the oldest child and the newest mother.  You were the newest baby so momma got a beautiful pink rose.  After Mass you and daddy made me a wonderful dinner and we spent a nice quiet evening together.  It was so special and my dream come true.

Peanut, I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to be your momma.  I don't know that I will ever be able to explain to you how happy and fulfilled you make me.  This is truly my dream come true.  A dream, that not long ago I thought was an impossible one. 

 

My prayer for you continues to be that you will love our Lord and our Blessed Mother.  Your daddy and I really, truly believe that she had a big hand in you being given to us.  I continue to pray every night that Jesus protect you and for Mary to hold you in her arms.

I love sweet sweet Mary-Grace.  Thank you so much for making me a momma.

Mary-Grace - 2 Months

Mary-Grace - 1 Month

Mary-Grace - Fresh Out of the Womb

2 Month Stats:

11.15 lbs - 75th percentile
24.2 inches - 97th percentile

Quick Takes

1. I need to get MG's 2 month post up seeing as how she was 2 months on May 21st, but I jut haven't had time. Hopefully t will be up Monday.

2. MG is being baptized this Sunday. I'm so excited for her! :) we're having both of our families and close friends to our little 1583 sq ft house afterwards. Its about 50 people. I'm just a little bit stressed. Just a little. :)

3. My little 2 month old is teething. ALREADY! you have got to be kidding me! Poor thing is getting more and more miserable by the day. :(

4. I cannot believe the lack of v-neck dresses out there. Everything I find seems to have super high necklines. This shocks me considering the lack of modesty for most people in our culture. If I wasn't nursing and I was looking for a dress everything would have plunging necklines. Isn't that how it works. :)

5. I have serious baby fever! Like seriously! So does K. :) Are we crazy? We have no intentions of waiting to try again, especially considering how long it took for the first one. My cycles returned a few weeks ago but I haven't been charting. I just can't seem to remember. I'm going to have to put signs up in the bathroom.

6. K will be turning 30 in just a few weeks. A few days before Father's Day actually. I think rather than a big party we're going to take a little quick weekend getaway with MG. There has been entirely too much drama for our licking lately so an escape is much needed. Thank goodness for tax returns! :)

7. I'm down about 17lbs from my pre pregnancy weight. Can someone please explain to me why most of my pre pregnancy clothes still fit? Shouldn't they be too big? I don't get it.




This pic is just for fun. :) We were sitting by a statue of Mary at church one evening. I just love the sun ray on the left.

Have a fantastic weekend!!!


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Quick Takes

1. Mary-Grace was supposed to have her 2 month check up this morning (she was 2 months old last Saturday the 21st). Well, apparently I pushed my brains out when I pushed her out because I totally thought today was Tuesday not Thursday. Oops! Fortunately the ladies at her pedi's office are super sweet and rescheduled her for next Wednesday. Two month post will come then.

2. We are full time cloth diapering now and I love it! LOVE IT!!! I have a combo of different types. I was fortunate to have a sister who cloth diapered her 2nd baby and already has all her diapers to diaper her baby girl due in July. She let me borrow several different types so I could decide what I liked. :) I settled on covers with prefolds and a few fitteds as well as Gro.via AI2's. I've got a decent stash but am thinking about getting a few fleece covers for the summer because they are more breathable. We're even using cloth wipes. It's so much fun! Not to mention her butt looks so cute. :)

3. I cannot find a dress for MG's baptism anywhere. It has to be modest and it needs to be something I can nurse in. I have also looked for skirts but haven't had much luck unless I want to spend her college tuition on it. I've got a week. Grrr!

4. I taught myself how to sew!!!! I made MG a onesie dress as well as two for my niece (the one due in July). They are so cute! I'll post pics when I get a chance. :)

5. Hey! Maybe I'll make myself a skirt for her baptism? ;)

6. My migraines have come back with a vengeance since MG was born. It sucks! That's all there is to it.

7. I'm still working on my post reflecting on MG's birth. The lack of a brain (see #1) is making it hard to have my thoughts make since. I also cry every time I sit down to work on it. Happy tears of course. Is it crazy that I have baby fever already? Because I do. And thinking about her birth makes me want to do it all over again even more.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! K has Monday and Tuesday off so I'm looking to a 4 day weekend with him. Yay!!!


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