Saying Goodbye

Hello to my loyal followers! Well sadly I must inform you that I will be shutting this blog down! Please follow me and all my misadventures in motherhood here: http://piecesoftam.blogspot.com

~Tam

We've Reached Toddler-dom!

So once again I have to say my baby is no longer a baby because he's officially ONE!!! I swear it's so surreal! I can't believe a whole year has gone by. Toddlerdom is bittersweet for me because I miss my sweet little infant son but then again I just love how much he has grown and changed in this past year. It's truly a blessing to see and I'm thankful that I get to see it and live it everyday! Okay so I know I owe some pictures but of course being the kind of Mom I am (the do-it yourself Mom) I didn't really take many pictures at his party because I was too busy running around making sure everything was perfect. But one of my family members did manage to capture a few with my iPad.

Anyway, the party was a sesame street themed bash complete with a fabulous looking and tasting cake and of course my homemade cupcakes (check out the pic below). So.....I won't take up anymore time blabbing, enjoy the pics!

L.J. splashing in his pool the week of his birthday! Very appropriate since it had been so humid and hot in MD

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

I guess L.J. decided that he'd had enough for the day!

Opening gifts with Mommy

LOL! L.J. is over it in this picture with his Dad

These are my labor of love for L.J. I got the idea from Pinterest. YES I made these myself!

So in case you didn't notice, L.J. got his first haircut! I wasn't there (THANK GOD) because I just felt like that was a moment L.J. should share with his father. I do have some hair trimmings though! I heard L.J. went off!! So I'm glad I wasn't there because he probably would have come home with no haircut. I hate to see him cry. But it was all for the best and I now LOVE the haircut. I was a little skeptical about it at first but my baby looks great!

And now last, but certainly not least, we are off to the Pedi today for his one-year check-up. I can't wait to get the confirmation from the Pedi to start L.J. on whole milk because we are OVER buying this expensive formula; makes me wonder if I should have BF'd L.J. longer??

A Time for Everything

So my baby is not such a baby anymore. Yes, I am a little sad as I realize I now have a toddler on my hands. Mr. L.J. eats what I eat, he walks, talks (hi, bye, mama, da-da, thank-u) and has loads of personality. It is so amazing to think that around this time last year I was just going out on maternity leave and anticipating June 17th. Of course June 17th would come and go with no baby in sight. Even then L.J. was doing things in his own time.

In exactly five days my son will be a whole year old! I'm so excited to plan the first of his many birthday parties. Of course this party will be attended mostly by family and friends. I can't wait for my little guy to go off to daycare and make some friends. Although I'm not looking forward to that weekly tuition, Hubs and I believe L.J. could benefit from being around other kids. Heck, I took L.J. for a playdate with his Godbrother Cameron (almost 2 years old) and ever since then L.J. has been a steady walker! :)

Anyway, I'll update my next post with lots of pictures and video!

Grow Baby Grow!

Ilandus Jr.'s first Easter

So it's kind of hard continuing this blog when there is no commentary what so ever. Anyway, I will continue if only to document my son's first year of life. Obviously, I'm terribly behind. The last couple of months have flown by but here are some updates:

- as of L.J.'s last doctor's visit in March he weighed 22lbs exactly and he was 30 inches tall.
- the doctor advised me to start giving him food from our plates.
- he got another shot and some blood drawn.

Currently, L.J. is walking on the back of his walker and of course using the furniture to keep his balance. He did take a few steps on his own yesterday (a proud mommy moment) but for the most part he is still not confident enough to walk on his own.

He has five teeth with at least 3-4 more little teeth buds. At this point I can't help but feel like he's not a little baby anymore. L.J. has a bundle of energy! He's wild and fearless and gets into everything...I guess you can say he is a typical boy.

Since L.J. is getting older Hubby and I have definitely thought about moving him into a daycare center. I love and appreciate my parents for keeping my lil man all this time but for personal reasons as well as L.J.'s growth and development, we think its best for him to go to a daycare center. Problem is, where do we put him? There are so many centers in the area that we don't know where to start!!!

I did visit this one center with my mom and L.J. It's within walking distance to both of our homes, their tuition seems reasonable (childcare in my area is going to run you at least $1000 a month...sigh almost a mortgage payment), the center itself is bright and decorative, they have lots of activities and the curriculum seems on point. Best of call (don't judge me when I say this....) for an extra fee per month, you can login to the video surveillance system they have in each class and check on your child. I'm sorry but what a relief this is for first-time parents who are apprehensive about leaving their child with strangers. I suspect that I won't have the need to do this for long, but its nice to know that option is available. The center also has an open door policy so I, my mom, dad, hubby, close friends can drop by and check on L.J. anytime!

So far, that center is my #1 choice. I visited another center when I was still pregnant and didn't really get a good vibe from them so needless to say I won't be paying them another visit. I'm also interested in the center where my mom took me. Back in the 80's it was called Gerber day care center. Now, its called childtime. I checked their website and I like what I see so I'm hoping to pay them a visit in the coming week.

I strongly believe that soon after lil man's first birthday he'll be in a daycare center. I'm excited about it given that he'll be around other kids, he'll have a more structured environment, and best of all when I pick him up on my way home from work he'll be pooped! :)

Speaking of lil man's birthday, I've been on Pinterest (follow me) getting ideas for his birthday. I've decided to do a sesame street theme! I loved sesame street growing up and its as good now as it was back then. When L.J. is able to sit down and focus (for all of 5 mins if I'm lucky) he loves it too! I've decided I'm going to do the impossible and make my own sesame street cupcakes and smash cake for L.J. #killmenow LOL! I'll of course post photos and let everyone know how it goes...wish me luck!

Moving Forward

Wow its been a while! I guess I shouldn't say Happy New Year as we're 17 days into 2012...but I said it anyway :) L.J. is growing like a little weed! In fact I had to get a new car seat because he outgrew his infant seat. Also, he was getting close to the weight limit (22lbs) so I thought it was time to move on and put the infant seat away. I swear it feels like the end of an era.

So here are some pictures of my lil man I've been meaning to post:





Okay I think that pretty much updates the first 6 months of L.J.'s life. So the stats:

- Weight: 19 lbs (as of his 6 month visit)
- Height: 27.5 inches

Both stats are in the 75th percentile. So L.J. has come a long way! Unfortunately, my lil man has had one cold after another. :( Right now he is on antibiotics for his first ear infection. I'm hoping that he'll be 100% soon. But I must say that through it all he has been a jovial and good spirited baby. He's always smiling even when he doesn't feel well. He truly brightens my day.

Also, L.J.'s first tooth has finally pushed through his gums! Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but it's definitely there. I'm so glad because this little boy has been teething and trying to "cut these teeth" (that's what the old folks say) since he was three months old. At this point the slobbing is back but I don't mind. I'm just glad his has his first tooth...well almost.

L.J. got a big Christmas gift: the gift of real food and water! It's been six months in the making but finally...REAL FOOD AND WATER!!!!

And now for my Product Recommendations:

The Baby Bullet:



I absolutely love this gadget! It makes making L.J.'s food hassle free! It even comes with a food log and a recipe book as well as recommendations for baby's first foods. So my Pedi recommended that L.J. starts eating vegetables first and then fruits later. He can have no more than 4 oz of water and or clear juices (apple, pear, white grape) a day.

We started L.J. with spinach...that was interesting. He didn't like it at first and really I think it was more him getting used to eating this way versus him not liking spinach. But after a week of eating spinach he took to it. Next we tried carrots which he loves! Then we stopped for a little while just because of his cold turned ear infection. But Saturday we started him on peas. I think next we'll do sweet potato and when he goes back for his follow-up I'll have my Mom ask if its okay to start fruits. I can't wait til we can start mixing different foods. I haven't tried giving L.J. juice yet and quite frankly after doing some research even IF I give L.J. juice I will be making it myself from organic fruits. I'm to the point I may start my own vegetable and fruit garden. I swear all the chemicals they put in our food is ridiculous! I mean ARSENIC in our apple juice!!! Not for my baby! So needless to say if I give my child juice I'll be investing in a juicer.

Evenflo Convertible Car Seat:
I love love LOVE this car seat. This makes me wonder why I listed on my friends and even purchased an infant car seat/stroller or travel system. What a total waste! This particular car seat: Evenflo Symphony 65 XL features a secure latch system which is basically two connectors that hook into the anchors in your car. Installation is literally less than a minute using these. The shoulder straps are super easy to tighten and loosen as well as adjust up or down. The picture shown is the exact one I purchased and it looks awesome in the car. The seat also features three recline positions and can hold a child rear facing up to 40 lbs and forward facing up to 100lbs. It was totally worth the money and not to mention it was a the top of the consumer reporter for safest car seat. I highly recommend this seat.

Okay so back to L.J....my lil man is sitting up like a big boy and has been doing so since about 5.5-6 months of age. He's still not quite crawling but he does take steps if I or my hubby stands him up on his feet. I think he'll actually skip crawling and go straight to walking. Yikes! I guess its time to start looking into baby-proofing.

We've Got a Big Boy On Our Hands!!!

**Weight Update** My son now weights a whopping 17lbs and 11 ounces! WOW! Last time we went to the doctor (2 months ago) he weighed in at 11 lbs 11 ounces....I think! Sheesh I guess I should write this stuff down somewhere! :) LJ also got two shots and luckily didn't have much of a fever this time around. But he was slightly irritable the rest of the evening yesterday so we put him to bed a little early.

Anyway, my Mom and I were both shocked with his weight gain. LJ is now bigger than 90% of infants his age. But the height department is not so great. He's about 25 inches long....about 25% longer than infants his age. So my lil man still has some growing to do but all in all he's healthy and to me that's all that matters.

So Halloween came and went so fast. Hubs and I wanted to do something for LJ but we thought he was a bit young and it was too cold to take him anywhere. I of course wanted to do the whole pumpkin patch and pumpkin carving, but in the end we settled for just doing some pictures of him in his costume. He of course was a little plump pumpkin! :D *pictures coming soon* LJ did pretty good with the portrait folks at JCPenny but he is a baby so as soon as we were finished he feel right to sleep. LOL.

I was so impressed with the JCPenny that I decided to book our family portraits there for the Christmas holiday. Of course we'll be taking those pictures early to avoid the crowd and to ensure that the Christmas cards are on time! :)

Okay so I have a couple of items for review:

The Bumbo:

So I got mixed reviews on this item which is why it was not on our registry. However, my BFF decided it was a must have so purchased one for LJ anyway. The premise of it is neat...infant gets to sit up and see the world as we see it. BUT LJ will only stay in the Bumbo for about five minutes. Not sure if he gets tired or annoyed but he'll start to lean to the side and then cry. Also, his little legs have gotten so chubby that he can barely get in the Bumbo now. All and all I don't think it's worth the $40.00. Now if someone gives it to you, definitely try it out....but don't run to the store or amazon and get one.

Sophie La Giraffe

Love, love, LOVE this thing! So as stated a while back LJ started pre-teething...basically he drooled so much that we had to start putting bibs on him. Now, he's spitting (Mommy hates this) and I can see the bottom two teeth trying to push through. Now we've tried our share of teething rings but either he couldn't grip them or they were too cold or too hard. This always resulted in a crying baby. So one of my sorority sisters suggest Sophie. After looking at Sophie I was not convinced...it literally looks like a chew toy for a dog and I should know because we have two dogs. LOL. However, my Mom wanted something as she keeps him during the day and noticed that he was getting very fussy because of his sore gums. We do have oral gel but that only lasts a few minutes and we didn't want to inundate him with it so I broke down and got Sophie. BEST DECISION EVER! LJ loves this thing! He loves that it makes noise, its easier for him to grab onto and literally he can chew or gnaw any part of Sophie! So I HIGHLY recommend Sophie for teething or even pre-teething babies.

Anyway I guess that's it for now. I'll be back to post some of those Halloween pics! Oh and I'll also post 1-4 month pictures!

Also Moms who print photos: check out and join Shutterfly and Snapfish they have some great deals on prints and other items for the holidays.

What's Truly Best For Your Baby..?

So in my last blog entry I attempted to solicit help because my little guy was not getting enough sleep and of course neither were my husband and I.

Thankfully my daycare provider (my mommy) noticed this same thing during the day and decided to try to put LJ on his tummy for naps. Eureka! It worked like a charm and LJ has been a tummy baby ever since.

Of course I was worried and started Googling and reading and the bottom line is infants should sleep on their backs; this helps prevent SIDS. So, after reading I was terrified and almost went back to putting LJ on his back but decided to speak with some friends who recently had children. Both told me that their babies slept on their tummies too after a while. They concurred that both of their boys slept better this way.

Well, after talking it over w/ the hubs, we decided that we have to do what's best for our child. Obviously getting more rest is beneficial to him and us quite frankly. Besides now that he rolls (well actually he's been rolling since he was about 2 months) he didn't really sleep on his back anyway. Once babies begin to roll they will always roll to where they feel comfortable.

Further, more research has to be done on SIDS. It's a terrible and horrible thing to not know or understand what causes SIDS babies to stop breathing. My heart goes out to every parent who has had to deal with this. I just personally think that for us, we will go with what WE think is best for our child. There are all kinds of studies out there and some contradict others so its important to do your research.....YES! But you have to put said research into perspective and then make an informed decision and that's what we did.

Oh by the way LJ is 4 months old! He's trying to sit up now...he thinks he's so grown! LOL!

Clueless

So its been a while...*Hello All* or should I say "few" as that's how many people actually read my blog. Anyway....

LJ is wreaking havoc on my sleeping...hubby sleeps just fine though...LOL (not really). This little boy can't make up his mind as to weather or not he wants to sleep all night. The first few weeks of his young life he slept thought the night, which was truly a blessing. Then little by little he started waking up once around 4-5 am...again..not too bad. However, as of late, we're lucky if we can get him to sleep in his crib. That baby is good at playing possum. You put him down thinking he's asleep and not even 5 minutes later he's up smiling or screaming. *Sigh* In an effort to get some sort of sleep he gets tucked into the bed with me. Bad habit I know but what else is a Mom to do? *Suggestions Please!!!!*

Oh did I mention today is my second day back at the job??? It's okay but of course I'd rather be at home with my little guy. But in this crap economy we definitely need the duel income. Maybe I should play the lotto :) I could really use 41 million....LOL!

Work is work. I'm just here for my family and that's what keeps me showing up here, on time, ready to get things done. I know better things are on the horizon for me and mine, just gotta hang in there and have faith.

Few, Far and In Between

Few, far and in between pretty much sums up the amount of time I have to clean the house, sleep, apply for a new job, blog, cook...well you get the point. However, while many things are being neglected I can't say I regret it. I love spending time with L.J. he smiles a lot more now and every time he does it, its like I'm seeing his smile for the first time. It absolutely melts my heart!

I can't help but wish my maternity leave wasn't coming to an end. I have six more weeks until I go back to work! YIKES! I was actually hoping to not go back to my current employer. But again...few far and in between....describes the amount of jobs in my field...*sigh* Needless to say I feel blessed to still have a job but I can't help but want more for myself and my family. Oh well what can I say I knew my maternity leave would have to come to an end at some point so for now I guess I'll just enjoy the rest of it and try to keep my mind off of work.

So another thing that is few, far and in between is the amount of time I have to pump! Between trying to keep up with L.J. and how often he wants to eat and attempting to suck it up and pump...yikes! I have like zero supply for him for when I return to work. Ugh! At this point I feel like I should be producing at least 3-4 bags a day. Currently I'm only able to do one....hopefully I can figure something out soon or he'll be getting formula while I'm at work and only getting breastmilk when I'm at home. Of course I know breast is best so I'm going to try my hardest to get to pumping.

Welp, duty calls! Sounds like lil man is waking up...*sigh* oh well at least I got a small break :)

4 Weeks (1 Month) Old!

L.J.'s doctor's appointment last Friday went well! He weighed a whopping 8lbs and 10 oz.! Gaining weight fast and getting a pop belly! :) His face turned bright red and starting screaming when he got his second Hep B shot. I of course being the protective Mama wanted to punch the nurse in the face but it wasn't her fault....so instead of raising my fist I attempted to comfort an upset, red-faced L.J. :(

L.J.'s next doctor's appointment will be when he's 2 months old. Unfortunately he will get two shots :( I'm not sure how I'm going to handle seeing my baby be in double the pain...sigh! Maybe I'll leave the room and let his father handle it. LOL!

Oh and did I mention L.J. sleeps through the night! Yup! He's been doing it for a while but he was inconsistent. Now L.J. goes to bed between 10:30 and 11:30 and sleeps until about 5:30 or 6. Unfortunately a lot of times he doesn't sleep well during the day which wouldn't be so bad but he cries non-stop sometimes because he's sleepy...poor baby! Oh well and this too shall pass :) Right now I'll just be thankful for being able to sleep through the night :D

Almost 1 Month Later....

Mommyhood is kicking my butt! But I must be honest...I love every minute of it...well not every minute. I must admit that the moments that are not so great definitely happen but I always look back on them and laugh. I'm truly thankful and blessed to be a mother to such a wonderful, curious and sweet baby.

Okay here is my list (so far) of must-have's from one new Mama to another:

Graco duo 2-n-1 baby swing (pictured to the left)
Keep it Kleen pacifier (also pictured to the left)
Munchkin/Arm n Hammer Diaper pail (truly a lifesaver)
Boppy
Aden and Anais muslin wrap blankets (LOVE these)

Of course this is just my list so far...I'll be sure to add to it as my little one grows and I start using various nick knacks and gadgets. But I can't say enough about that Graco swing. It is a total life saver!!! When L.J. gets fussy or gassy I put him in this swing and he can't help but eventually settling down and going to sleep. The swing plays classical music as well as nature sounds; it has a timer and of course various swing settings ranging from 1-6 (6 being a very high swing). Additionally, the seat of the swing detaches and becomes a bouncer. Yesterday this came in handy because L.J. was just not feeling it and so I took the seat out (very easy) and put him on top of the bed and just bounced the seat until he feel asleep. Now I'm not trying to sound like a sales person, nor is Graco paying me for this excellent sales pitch (lol) but this swing was the best decision ever!

Now as for the pacifier...well it closes when it falls on the ground so you don't need to rinse it off. Really though, just be sure to get your newborn a pacifier...otherwise they will use YOU as their pacifier (if you're breastfeeding). L.J. is sometimey when it comes to taking it. I'm going to try a Nuk pacifier and see if he likes that...if not we've run out of options and brands! LOL!

Diaper pails are a personal preference but the one I have is easy to change and I have yet to smell a smelly diaper. I was a little displeased because you can't purchase the refills in a wholesale store like Costco, Sam's or B.J.'s (unlike the diaper genie refills) but Babies R Us has them on sale quite frequently so I just stock up at that time.

The Boppy I could do without at this point since L.J. and I have our breastfeeding positions down but I've noticed that the heavier he gets the more my carpal tunnel in both of my wrists begins to act up so I'm back to the boppy. Unfortunately I can't take it out with me but I guess I'll just have to get some braces for my wrists :(

Aden and Anais blankets are awesome! They are perfect for swaddling (L.J. hated being swaddled...he always managed to get his arms out...lol) and for going out when you want to protect your little one from the sun or germs. On top of that the blankets are sooooo soft! I absolutely love them! They were not on any of my registries but someone purchased them for us and I'm so glad they did! Awesome blankets!

Anyway....I can't believe a month ago today at this time I was in serious labor pain and got sent home only to go back to the hospital and have my little guy on the date of my scheduled induction! L.J. has his one month doctor's appointment tomorrow. Unfortunately he has to get a shot and I know he's just going to cry his little eyes out *sigh* oh well. It must be done :)

Welp guess I better attempt to keep L.J. on somewhat of a schedule....time to eat!

Ilandus Jr. (L.J.'s) Birth Story

It all began around 3:30 pm on Tuesday morning when I woke up totally uncomfortable and slightly in pain. After trying to relieve my bladder for the umteenth time I just stayed up and watched the sunrise turned on the television around 6:00 and watched the news. I fell asleep and woke back up at 8:00 am in serious pain. What I didn't know just yet was that I was having contractions.

Hubby and I started timing contractions around 8:30ish and headed to the hospital after getting the okay from doc around 10:00ish. We got to the hospital triage where I was monitored for about 45 mins. I was told by one of the docs that although I wasn't contracting regularly and was only dilated to 3cm, she would keep me there (my induction date was set for Weds/Thurs) but she wouldn't be able to get me into a labor and delivery room for five hours. *sigh* Further, the doc told me there was no need for me to come into L&D for cervadil to soften my cervix.

Needless to say I was pissed because at this point my contractions were just getting worse and worse and I couldn't imagine holding out til Thursday!!! But having little choice Hubby and I went home and I tried to get some sleep. I slept all of maybe 30 mins to an hour before my contractions became very painful and regular. Hubby and I started timing the contractions around 8:00 pm and headed back to L&D around 10:30. This time they kept me...oh and I was 5 cm!

I got my epidural right away and was instantly comfortable! By this time it was 12:15 am Wednesday morning and I was instructed to get some sleep. Hubby and mom were real troopers and spent the night with me in L&D. My mother in law even showed up later that morning before she headed to work to check on us. Later in the morning I was informed by the nurses that they didn't want to check me any longer because my bag of water was bulging and the doctor had not arrived yet.

So from 12:15 am that morning until about 10:00 am later that morning all anyone knew was I was 5cm. One of my nurses (tired of waiting on the doctor) finally decided to check me and told me I was 9cm (this was at 10:30). When the doctor arrived he broke my bag of water and we discovered the baby made a bowel movement in utero! This is very common but it can also be scary because the baby could aspirate the fluid into his lungs and get a serious infection! So the NICU had to be in the delivery room *sigh* Around 12:00ish I started pushing and an hour later at 1:14 pm my little guy Ilandus Jr. or as we lovingly call him L.J. was born!

L.J. weighed in at 7lbs, 12oz and 20.5 inches long! He wasn't as big as I anticipated him to be (Thank God!). It was love at first sight!

Happy Birthday L.J.!


Finally going home!

L.J. the thinker! :)

Eureka: The Induction Date

So after waiting all weekend --which by the way seemed like an eternity-- I decided to call my doc's office early this morning and not wait on them to contact me...you know take the proactive approach. Needless to say I did not get a desirable outcome. I ended up being left on hold forever and then to add insult to injury I had to leave the woman who sets up the induction dates with the hospital a message. No problem! I definitely intended to call back. :)

About 2-3 hours later I called back and actually spoke with the nice lady and she told me something I definitely didn't want to hear and that was that the hospital was booked this week and had no room for me for my induction! WTF!!! *SCREAM*

So here I am thinking I'd be 42 weeks before anything popped off and I was not happy about that at all! The only reason I didn't burst into immediate tears is my dear sweet Mom telling me to "get over it." LOL! So I did and we proceeded on our journey of attempting to find some wallpaper to finish redecorating our half-bath downstairs in hubby and I's house.

Once I got home an hour or so later I received another phone call from my doctor's office telling me that there was a cancellation and that my induction was scheduled for THIS WEEK! YES!
I am going into the hospital on Wednesday but I won't start any pitocin until early Thursday morning. So the hope is I'll have a June 23rd or 24th birthday celebration for my little guy! Hubby and I were desperately hoping for a Gemini baby since we're both Geminis but unfortunately that just wasn't meant to be.

Of course ultimately the most important thing here is that our little guys is healthy and will be here in a few short days! Thank you Jesus! We are too excited and overjoyed and can't wait to meet him.

When Your Due Date Comes and Goes

So its June 18th and yes I am still pregnant! I know I should be thankful and feel blessed to even be pregnant and especially to have a healthy baby who is breathing (yup saw it on the ultrasound). But I can't help but feel over it!

I had a good cry yesterday and my hubby is so sweet he comforted me and told me it will be over soon! He also expressed how he understands my frustration and I how I have a right to feel the way I do. This sentiment made me feel so much better! <3 that man!

At any rate, I will be blowing up my doctor's number come Monday so I can get an induction date. Of course going into labor naturally is always a much better option but at this point, I don't see any benefit to my little guy staying in utero furthermore, I'm tired and would like my body back...well somewhat! :)

And the Frustration Sets In...

So I started my maternity leave on the 13th of June (Monday) and not only am I completely bored out of my skull, I'm very frustrated as I thought L.J. would be here by now or I would at least have some serious contractions and be on my way to having him.

Yet I am one day away from my due date and NOTHING has been happening. To add insult to injury I have family and friends calling, texting, etc. daily asking how are you feeling, what's going on, are you still pregnant! UGH! I know they mean well and they are excited to meet our little guy but I'm annoyed!

At this point my biggest fear is that my induction date won't be next week but the following week and I honestly just can't deal with that! I need my baby out in the world now! LOL! I've gone through so much to get to this point and Lord knows I'm blessed and happy to be here but I kinda feel like I've done my part now bring on the baby! LOL. I can't even really enjoy my favorite website The Bump anymore because its filled with birth stories and pictures of babies and all I can think about is....good for you ladies BUT I need my baby now! LMAO!

Anyway, I see the doc tomorrow (on my due date) and I get my last ultrasound. Fingers crossed I get an induction date for next week and we can get this show on the road! Doc seems to think that baby will be about 8lbs and that my labor will go quickly.....all I can say is I hope so!

And now I have to find something to do all day so I'm not bored. Thank God for my parents because if not for them, I'd truly be sitting in the house staring at 4 walls! Gotta love 'em!

Nine Days Left!

Yup so I think my doc cursed me! LOL! He told me that I'd probably be one of those patients that have to be induced, which is ironic because I had a cerclage put in due to a shortening cervix.

My uterus has been very quiet. I do believe I had some minor contractions last Saturday but other than that nothing major is going on! UGH! At this point I'm over being pregnant and the thought of going past my due date is slightly freaking me out!

I'm not getting any sleep, I'm hot all the time and I think I'm coming down with a summer cold! Eek! I just want an outside baby, but apparently L.J. is not ready to make his grand entrance. I'm hoping however at my appointment tomorrow that I'll get an induction date. I really don't want to be induced because I'd like to think my body can do something on its own! But, at least I'll have a final date to look forward to because at this point I really really REALLY need an end point in sight!

Looking like a June Bug After All

So today is my 29th year of life! Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEEEEEE! LOL! I guess I better take a nap before Hubby gets home with my cake. I am sooo sleepy these days!

Anyway, after all the cervix worries and everyone predicting that L.J. was going to come on my birthday I am only 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. L.J. is nice and comfy and wants to continue to cook so I guess he'll definitely be a June baby. He hasn't even descended into my pelvis yet (dropped).

I'm a little disappointed because I wanted to meet my lil man soon but since I only have 3 weeks until my due date I can hang in there til then. I want L.J. to come when he's good and ready and not a moment before.

Welp, I'm off to take a nap and get some "me" time in before Hubby gets home and takes me out to celebrate.

The Dreaded Cerclage Removal

So the title of this blog is purposely misleading. LOL! The cerclage removal was actually very swift and painless. The part I hated most was a actually a tie between the GBS test and the insertion of the speculum. Other than those two, everything went fine. In fact my mother seeing the huge scissors that the Dr. used to remove the cerclage, was more scared than I was. Lucky for me I was totally oblivious to what the scissors looked like.

L.J. is looking to be about a six-eight pound baby. Hopefully he'll be right in the middle at seven pounds. But either way as long as he's healthy I'm happy. Oh and also according to this last doctor's visit I lost eight pounds in a week! Yikes! No idea what's going on with my fluctuating weight! But again, L.J. is healthy and happy (according to doc) so I don't give much thought to my weight going up and down. I guess I'm just weird. LOL!

Anyway so now that the cerclage is gone chances of me going into labor at any point are high. My cervix though not completely incompetent still funnels when pressure is put on it. Now that L.J. is bigger and I'm not on bed rest of any kind chances of him coming early are likely. I'd just like to make it to at least 37 weeks (full term) which is actually next Friday (my birthday). If he comes at any point after that we're out of the woods and L.J. shouldn't have any issues.

So fingers crossed for a full term baby, but not an over-cooked one. I think at this point going beyond 40 weeks is my biggest fear!

The Finishing Touches

So I couldn't help posting the finished pictures of the nursery! The shades are up and the chair is assembled and in its place. We also have a 2 and 1 swing/bouncer...I love it! Hopefully L.J. does too.

And now all there's left to do is prep myself mentally for the stitch removal. I had some cramping today but I'm sure its no big deal. Probably just doing too much. I'm in the process now of packing my hospital bag seen as if after the cerclage comes out I have no idea whats going to happen and I guess its better safe than sorry.

These are the outfits I've chosen for my little man to come home in:

Newborn size not sure if he'll be able to fit this so option #2 is:

Anyway I better get back to attempting to pack before I lose all motivation. :D

Baby Shower/Nursery and Updates (picture heavy)

So I wanted to blog about the baby shower and nursery a couple of days ago but blogger was on the fritz! Anyway, the baby shower was great! Hubby and I really enjoyed ourselves! We had a sports-themed baby shower, which meant people were supposed to wear the jerseys or hats of their favorite sports team. Some participated and some didn't. But overall the event was fun and light-hearted and we received sooooo many gifts!

Here are a few pics:Me in my Redskins gear!

My Sorors


Men sucking juice out of the bottles! Hilarious!

Getting ready to open gifts!


Personalized afghan; absolutely beautiful!

It's reversible! (it says L.J.!)

LOL...our hats! :)

A great time was had by all! Needless to say after all the gifts were transported to the house I had to have plenty of help! My aunt, mom, mother in law and two cousins helped me organize and get everything into the nursery. However, I had to wash ALL the clothes:

Yea! Lots of clothes! Keep in mind that this doesn't include the clothes my mother and I had already started to accumulate at her house. LOL! No matter at least I won't have to go clothing shopping for a while...right?

And now...the long awaited nursery:


Hubby just finished putting together the 2 and 1 swing/bouncer and we finally got the shades up. We're waiting on the rocking chair, lamp and a few small items, but other than that the nursery is finished! Mom, hubby, dad and I all worked so hard to finish everything. I'm so glad the big stuff is done and all that's left to do is very minor.

I had a great doctor's appointment this past Friday. Of course they checked my cervix and because of the cerclage its still closed and of course the cerclage is still in place. This coming Friday is D day for the cerclage. It's coming out! At this point L.J. should be about 5lbs or so and he may make his appearance shortly after the cerclage comes out. Yay!

My doctor informed me that L.J. will be over 6lbs...that's a good size baby! I'm happy as long as he's healthy. My doctor even asked me what my plans were for my birthday (May 27th...I'll be 37 weeks). I asked him sarcastically...."I'm not sure but what should I do doc...lol" He suggested that if I go out that I go out near Holy Cross Hospital which is where I'll deliver. *Sigh* no offense but I want to enjoy my birthday not be couped up in the house! :( It's my LAST birthday in my 20's so I just want to be out on the town with my friends and hubby. But I guess going into labor and having a baby on my birthday would be an awesome gift! :) Either way I haven't made any plans so we'll see what happens.