Our Daughters Have Wings

2009 Revisited...and what's on tap for 2010

The rules: Post the first sentence of the first blog entry for every month of 2009. My comments are after each one!

January:  Mmm, best tasting 'medicine' I've ever had!  So...I'm sitting here ENJOYING my first glass of wine in a VERY long time.  Remember, I was still nursing Nicholas when I got pg with this baby, so it's been over a YEAR since I've had any alcohol... a year ago I was suffering from constant contractions and worrying...just how long Christopher was going to stay in - not realizing we'd eventually have to induce labor!

February: Because I've been asked...we registered again! Several people have asked me if I've registered.  I admitted that I thought that was something that you only do for your first (or in our case, first living) child.  So many people have asked me about it...I thought that maybe it'd be a good idea.  Oh, wow.  Thinking about the gadgets/things we'd need with Christopher, when really all we NEEDED was diapers.  Oh well!

March:  Thank you Sara!  On Friday, my friend Sara (Noah & Dylan's mom) stopped over with 'a few things' for me, from what she said on the phone.  Nicholas is STILL wearing most of those clothes...and now Christopher is too!

April:  A brother is a friend given by Nature ~ Jean Baptiste Legouve.  I know a lot of people have been waiting to see pictures of the boys together.  I wish we had more of them together in those early days.  Oh, hindsight is 20/20.

May: We're going green...one bum at a time!  As many people already know, when I decided to become a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mom) we knew we needed to think of more ways to scrimp and save.  Still using the Fuzzi-Bunz, though we have only medium sized ones now!

June:  Overdue for an update.  Wow, I can't believe it's been SO long since I posted.  I guess this is something that's going to continue to happen, especially the busier we get, right?

July:  Long overdue updates...pictures too!  WOW!  Time sure flies when you're having fun...and you have two living children to tend to!  I can't believe it's already July 13!  That's just AMAZING to me.  See June!  LOL!  Christopher was 3 months old!

August:   Long over due updates; #1: Our trip to Cincy...I was putting off blogging about our family trip to Cincinnati (over 4th of July weekend) and here it is, over a month later already...so it seems I have a lot of catching up to do.  I OBVIOUSLY need to come up with a new post title for when I need updates!  We had a BUSY summer but we had SO much fun!

September:  Top 10 Signs that you're a parent of a child with food allergies... This was shared by a friend of mine from Scotland...interesting how it doesn't matter *which* side of the pond you are...food allergies are the same no matter what.  Ahh...the life of a parent of a child with food allergies.  Always staying on your toes.  Always.

October:   Please vote for my boys - GAP Casting Call contest!  Hi Everyone!  Pleading for votes for the contest...never heard anything from GAP...think that is a bad sign?

November: November already?? Updates, and lots of photos, including Halloween!  Needless to say, I can hardly believe that it's November!  Part of the reason why is b/c I had JUST launched Two Angels Photography and was busy with portfolio-building shoots! 

December:  December 2009 already?  I can't believe how quickly 2009 has flown by...I will turn 34 in just 23 short days.  Amazing how fast time flies the older you get.  And I STILL can't believe it's already 201o!  So much has happened in 2009 - Christopher's arrival...Nicholas turning 2, and now my photo biz...time seems to be flying by the older we get/the more that we have going on.

On tap for 2010?

• Potty training for Nicholas
• Look into a preschool for Nicholas
• Do a mini-session with my kids every 6 weeks, at least
• Capture more snapshots of my boys
• Make a photo book of Christopher's first year
• Try to catch up on my scrapbooking
• Earn a profit from Two Angels Photography
• Take a family vacation in Michigan - Silver Lake, maybe?

Where to start? So behind on my blogging!

I'll start by saying that I can hardly believe that it's already the 22nd of October.  Having two under two certainly makes time feel like it's ticking by even FASTER than it felt before.

Updates on Christopher:

Christopher's six-month/half birthday came and went...at the end of last month.  He'll be seven months old in less than a week.  I haven't updated on what he's been up to...he's our little mover and shaker.

He's rolling ALL OVER the place!  He LOVES to go after Nicholas' toys!  He often gets himself stuck...with his feet under the chair or the entertainment center...it's cute!

He loves to sit and play...his FAVORITE thing to do is find the tag on a toy.  Doesn't matter what the toy is...so long as it has a tag, he's happy.  The irony is that he doesn't really care for the toys that are DESIGNED to mimic the tags...called "Taggies".  He doesn't care for those...just the real tags.

We moved him into his 'big boy' car seat quite a while ago.  He had his six month well-baby visit at the beginning of the month and he was 19lbs, 9oz and 28" long.  We're all caught up now, with most of his immunizations, excluding the flu vax.  We're holding off on that due to the fact that he *could* have an egg allergy, like his big brother.

Updates on Nicholas...

Speaking of his big brother, Nicholas isn't a baby anymore.  He's growing and changing SO fast.  *Insert tears here*  He sings his ABCs, and attempts to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat".  I can't believe how fast he learns things. 

We gave him a toy for his birthday; it's a Fisher-Price Little People truck to help him learn his alphabet.  He's already memorized 1/2-3/4 of what the letters are for (i.e., 'a' is for apple, 'b' is for ball, etc.)

Every night, while Nick is getting him ready for bed, they sing songs and nursery rhymes and say the alphabet.  So, if you ask Nicholas, "What is 't' for?" he'll answer "Towel."  That just warms my heart.

He wakes up in the morning counting, and reciting his letters.  He can count to 20, and can even count backwards.  I'm not sure WHEN he started doing it, but he does.

We can't go through a store or drive anywhere without him pointing out numbers and letters to me.  I mean, the boy is a *bit* OBSESSED!  Today, he even 'read' me a book!  Of course it was the "Counting" book, but still...isn't that something that he's supposed to do when he's 3 or older?  Not JUST turned 2!

Since he just turned 2, we did go see the peds allergist.  We had planned on him being retested, however, Dr. McMorris suggested that we hold off until age 3.  So until then, no egg, peanuts, tree nuts, or shellfish for him.  We did get the ok to try white fish, so we'll do some fish sticks and see if he likes them.

And, the first Saturday of October was the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy at Kensington Metro Park.  Next year, we'll do a better job of fundraising, though as a team, we didn't do too bad.  We raised over $400 for Food Allergy Research.  We had 'Team K' shirts that said on the back, "Food Allergies...they're no yolking matter!" but nobody got to see them because the weather was SO horrible that we were all wearing multiple layers that day (cold and windy and wet).  Thank you, Mother Nature.  THAT is why I sometimes doubt WHY I live in Michigan.

Our travels...

We went to Cincinnati two weekends ago to see our friends, Kati, Jeff, Abby, and their new baby boy, Ryan.  As usual, time went by WAY too fast.  On Saturday we went to the Cincinnati Zoo for their HallZOOween weekends and despite it being pretty chilly, we had a great time!  Nicholas got to feed a giraffe some crackers and giggled the entire time.  We dressed him as a Monkey and then Christopher was the Banana.  We got a LOT of comments on how cute they were.

Our girls...

Last Thursday, a week ago, October 15th, was National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day.  I lit the girls' candle in their memory...and didn't have a chance to get online and post about it.  I feel HORRIBLE that I didn't have a chance to do that.  I guess I'm busier than I thought.

Last night, before our MOSAIC meeting, we went over to their grave and put out their pumpkins and their decorations.  Hopefully the squirrels and other animals will leave them be until at least Halloween.

What I've been up to...

LAPOM has been keeping me pretty busy.  I'm the 1st Vice-President, responsible for Social Events, Fundraising, and Publicity, so...it's been a pretty busy few months.  We had our bi-annual Mom-to-Mom sale at the end of September, and then we're having a fundraiser on November 10th.  Saturday, the 24th is our Annual Halloween party. 

I have met SO many wonderful families through LAPOM and we are SO thankful to have so many great friends as a result.  We can't imagine our lives without the group!

I've also been busy with taking pictures!  I've ALWAYS loved taking pictures, for as long as I can remember.  In fact, when I was a little girl, I ruined my FAVORITE baby blanket when I draped it over a lamp to try to make my own 'darkroom'.  Anyway...nowadays, most photography is digital, and so instead of a darkroom, I use my laptop.

I've recently launched a new photography blog...since SO many people have suggested that I start a business...please, take some time and browse through and let me know what you think.  I'm still pretty new at things, and I'm constantly striving to be better, so critical comments are welcome!  My Photography Blog

We've been attending football games (we took the boys to the first game) and have sold a majority of our tickets.  We did go to Homecoming last week (thank you to my sister, Monica, for watching the boys so we could go). 

Other than that, I'm enjoying being a Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM) to my wonderful boys.  I am SO thankful to have Nick as a wonderful provider to allow me to spend so much time with them.  And to allow me to do the things I enjoy, such as be involved in LAPOM and have fun with photography.

I'll end with a few pictures:
   
   
 

Top 10 Signs that you're a parent of a child with food allergies...

This was shared by a friend of mine from Scotland...interesting how it doesn't matter *which* side of the pond you are...food allergies are the same no matter what.

So this is for all my friends that have kiddos with food allergies...and for the ones without, so that they can see what we have to think about round the clock.

I think #6, #5, and #1 are my favorites.  #1 for sure!

10. You pack your toaster when you go on vacation.
9. The dog starts scratching and your four year old asks if "she's had a change in her diet recently."
8. You secretly wonder if Mr. Peanut is the spawn of Satan.
7. You bring a folder of research with you when you go out to eat.
6. Your child thinks that every birthday party is BYOCC:  Bring Your Own Cup Cake.
5. You are relieved to find out that the mysterious object your toddler put in his mouth at the park was only a rock.
4. You can read a food label and actually  KNOW what those 15 letter words mean.
3. You have to have friends who eat "normal" food taste anything that you bake b/c it all tastes great to you now.
2. You know what xanthum gum is, and you're not afraid to use it.
1. It's actually LESS stressful to volunteer to make holiday dinners than go to someone else's house.

Long over due updates; #2: thinking about our girls...

Well, it's August.  How in the world did it get to be August???  And August 10th, at that.

Three years ago I was blissfully pregnant with our girls, getting ready to go for an ultra-sound on the 18th.  Instead of the joy of seeing our babies on the monitor that Friday, we learned that our first born, Angelina, had passed away in-utero.

It seems that as the first of August rolls around, the emotions that had been laying low rise to the surface.

We're unsure of *what* we'll do this year to commemorate the girls' anniversary.  I know we'll make a trip up to the MSU Children's Garden with the boys, and visit them at the cemetery, but other than that...I still have to figure it out.

A friend of mine shared this poem with me recently and it really explains how we feel:

We thought of you today,
But that is nothing new
We thought of you yesterday
And will tomorrow, too
We think of you in silence
And make no outward show
For what it meant to lose you
Only those who love you know
Remembering you is easy
We do it everyday
It's the heartache of losing you
That will never go away.

Thank you, Adrienne, for sharing that.

Long over due updates; #1: Our trip to Cincy...

I was putting off blogging about our family trip to Cincinnati (over 4th of July weekend) and here it is, over a month later already...so it seems I have a lot of catching up to do.

As I just mentioned, we decided to go down to Cincinnati to visit my labor buddy, and one of my best friends, Kati.  She and I were due on the same day and she had Abby 10 days after I had Nicholas.  We've been friends ever since we were pregnant together.  You might remember that they came up to visit us in December, when *I* was pg with Christopher.  Now, they're expecting another one, a little boy, due in September.

Traveling with two kids under two (and Christopher being only 3 months old) wasn't as bad as we thought it might be.  The kids did really well in the car, and we only had to stop 3x on the way down.  On the way back we made it back with only 1 or 2 stops (I really can't remember).

We stayed in a nearby hotel using my Marriott Rewards points, and THAT was an interesting experience.  When we got there - the power was out.  So let's just say that was the perfect lead-in for our stay there.  They had us in a STUDIO room.  So it had a Queen Bed, a Sofa Sleeper, and dining area all in one room.  It was SO tiny.  They had also brought in a porta-crib for Nicholas, so you can imagine JUST HOW CRAMPED we were.

The person working the front desk was VERY helpful.  She was able to locate us a one-bedroom room in the other building across the parking lot...only problem was, we had already loaded up the luggage rack and Christopher was sound asleep in the bassinet we had borrowed from Jeff & Kati.  So what did we do?  Yup!  We ROLLED the bassinet across the parking lot.  THAT must have been a sight to see!

The next day was the 4th of July, so we just hung out at Jeff & Kati's house (they have a picnic/BBQ every year) and met their friends and family.  It was so nice, despite the fact that it rained all.day.long!

The next day, Kati & I went and got a pedicure, and Kati's mom watched all three kids (YES!  ALL THREE) and we were able to go for an adult lunch at their local Japanese steakhouse...mmm....I was SO full!

While down there, we also went to Kings Island, so Nicholas got his first taste of an Amusement Park, and he's SUCH a thrill seeker.  He was SO upset when we had to go home.  Nick and I got to ride the new roller coaster, "Diamondback", first thing when we got there.  It was SO fun.  We rode in the very front seat.  I figure, if you're only going to have a chance to ride ONE roller coaster, do it right, you know what I mean?  Later in the day, we did get a chance to ride "The Beast", which is the longest wood roller coaster in the world, and it was SO much fun as well!

Abby and Nicholas had their fun on rides as well.  They rode on the carousel, the cars that go around a track, a bus/van type thing that goes up and around, and then some fun little cars that go in a circle.

We even got pictures taken of Abby & Nicholas at Portrait Innovations!  They were SO cute!

Here are some pictures from our trip:
Me & Kati:

Abby, Christopher & Nicholas:

Christopher is so happy!                 Nick & Nicholas on the carousel

Nicholas signing 'more' - he didn't want to get out!

We even got pictures taken of Abby & Nicholas at Portrait Innovations!  They were SO cute!

NBK & CJK are blessed to have the same Godmother!

My best friend (BFF) Rita is both Nicholas' and Christopher's Godmother.  We are lucky enough to have her in our lives and have her be such a positive influence for them.

We look forward to seeing her and her family again in December (this time WE will be going to South Carolina).

Oh, how I miss her.  I didn't realize just HOW much I missed her until she was here.

'Do Not Call' Registry Reminder...

A friend of mine sent me this a while back and I meant to share it earlier!

To register your cell phone number or other personal number (home, office) on the Do Not Call Registry, call the following number from your phone: 888-382-1222.

You MUST call from the number that you'd like to have registered.  It takes less than 20 seconds.

Maternity Pics at 38 Weeks!

So...a while ago I toyed with the idea of having my friend Kristi take maternity pics of me, since we're not sure if we'll have any more children after BBK#2 arrives.  We didn't do these types of pictures with Nicholas and I thought they might be nice to have as a keepsake.

We had planned on doing it WEEKS ago but I was having SO many issues with contrx, questionging whether or not my cerclage was coming out early or as scheduled, and then Kristi went on a family trip...so I guess 'life' just got in the way.

We FINALLY had a chance to get together - today!  This morning!

I'm SO thankful that she was able to come over and do these.  I wasn't convinced that I *really* wanted to do it and looking at them now, I can't believe I thought twice about it and I'm SO grateful to have such a talented friend!

She's posted a few of her favorites on her blog (one of the blogs I frequent) and here's the address: Remember When Photography by Kristi - Photo Blog.

Here's a few of *my* favorites!

Thank you, Sara!!!

On Friday, my friend Sara (Noah & Dylan's mom) stopped over with 'a few things' for me, from what she said on the phone.

I quickly learned that *her* view of a 'few things' turned out to be the MOTHERLOAD for me!

She brought over clothes (and shoes) from her boys from size 18mos through 2T. 

HOLY MACKEREL!  I don't know if I'm going to have to shop for clothes for Nicholas at ALL this summer!

Look at her generosity!!!

Another visit to L&D...cerclage is OUT and dilated to 2cm!

So I started having regular contractions again, every 10min, at 9pm last night. I had a LOT of trouble falling asleep and finally got about an hour's worth of sleep before I woke up at 1am to VERY painful contrx. They started to get more painful and closer together (8min) over the course of an hour, so I called my friend, Heidi, and had her come over so we could go in.  I called L&D on the way there.

We arrived around 4am.  I got checked in, and I was contracting very regularly, but not dilated at all, from what they could tell...they couldn't get up to the top of the cervix to really check though, since my cerclage was holding things tight.

Anyway...after being monitored for about 2 hours, they decided that they would do the removal.  The resident checked me and determined that my cerclage was SO high up on my cervix and a bit embedded, and recommended that we do it in Triage/OR.

After some LENGTHY discussions with the Anesthesia team about WHY I didn't want a spinal, they decided to try removing it with just some light IV pain killers and something to make me feel 'woozy'.

It was EXTREMELY painful, despite the meds and I remember feeling SUCH a relief when it was cut.  I don't remember much after that, and was SURPRISED when I found myself in the Triage recovery area.  Nick said I looked like I was drunk!

They kept me on the monitors for 2hrs after the removal and I went from NOT dilated at all right after the removal to 2cm dilated!!!! WHAT?

Since that did NOT happen for me with Nicholas, they wanted to check me once more before we they sent us home, b/c they thought I might progress even more.

I walked around the hospital for an hour (and got to visit my friends that work there - good to see you D'Anna!) and I was still only dilated to 2cm.

I could NOT get a status update on my effacement, b/c my cervix has endured SO much trauma today that it's super swollen.

Anyway...I'm REALLY a regular patient now and I'm DEFINITELY much more comfortable with the cerclage out. It was causing a LOT of uterine irritability.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! 

I'll update again if BBK#2 decides to make his appearance before March!

A HUGE thank you to Heidi for coming over and taking care of Nicholas.  He LOVES spending time with her!!!