Life keeps trucking on by

 

Not my images both from Google

Yesterday was Easter and we had a great family day.

We were invited to his friends for dinner and our little munchkin played and enjoyed her time out with the other kids. Next Week she is 15 months and I will go into more details about her at this age but for now I am basking in the joy of our toddler.

Mini Word Monday? No? Ok enjoy the memes I am in a rush as always.

Slow Down Time

 

Complainy and Whiny Post

We are in April and I have yet to be pampered and so much has happened.

Let's see....her Dad traveled with his friend and came home with the FLU. I am was so angy. 
Ok I know it was not his fault he got sick BUT he is also not vigilant so I feel he could have prevented it.

Yeah....yeah I know it sounds crazy but...alright am just stressed and tired and trying to get life back to normal.

It has been almost 3 weeks since he has been mostly quarantined to one side of the house & have not so much as picked up his daughter. He is still recovering but technically he was fine after 5 or so days. He is still coughing and mama is taking NO chances.

The person that suffered ( besides him) has been me. I have baby all the time...unless I am at work. Honestly once he is better which I think he is milking at this point, I might go away for a night to sleep but let's be honest I would miss my little honey bun.


I feel drained, run down, even able to concentrate, & I need a little break from the crazy train of life. 

On another note.
My daughter is 14 mouths teething and sleep through the nights mostly, she is such a treat and I am so blessed.

 

Spring Is that you?

Spring is in the air ( well not really) I am a Floridian so really it is spring/summer mostly all year round. I must admit that I LOVE it when we get cold fronts and have 60 degree weather to combat the humidity. As a matter of fact one should be here soon..WOOT WOOT!!

So.... let's see, nothing is truly new. Life has been rather mundane and albeit even somewhat boring so I have a few things I plan for 2019 to spruce things up.

In March I plan to cut my hair and get a mini makeover....I am so nervous but it is time to refresh my look. Not sure what direction I am going but I know it will have to be short since I had post partum hair loss ( or I think I did ). Mama needs a little pampering. Hoping to do it for $200 or less which is ambitious.

I think it is time for me to make a career move, this company I work for is great but the pay sucks plus with the added expense of a child it is just  not feasible, there is no point to work at this point except to not burden my husband with all the bills which I wont.

Next up on the agenda is to start crafting..depending on how it goes I will expand on this blog to make it better and share/sell items. Crafting has been a fun hobby for me but over the years I have lost my mojo so to speak. I did lots for my wedding and recently for my daughters party. It is more of an outlet but I think I will eventually turn it into a business. We shall see.

The current priority has been to de-clutter, this has been a headache. I am realizing that I tie my emotions to things & I am slowing letting them all go.

I just purchased this beauty all the and while Hubby has been reminding me that we need to be very careful with spending. 

If you want to know more about the Silhouette Cameo 3 there are tons of information on Google and Youtube. 

For now I need to unbox and get to know my new toy....stay tuned for projects to follow.

My Girl is 1

Happy New Year 2019

My daughter turned a year old last week on 1/30th ...... and is a walker. She started walking at 11 months just as we are getting into the New Year.

There is something incredibly inevitable about my feelings right now. I'm pretty sure that most parents feel them as their babies turn one, or as any major life milestones are about to be crossed off the list. That feeling of life running away from you a little bit; a mixture of happiness and sadness,

excitement for the future and bittersweet feelings about the fleeting nature of childhood.

My baby girl. One.

...One!

 

 

 

One whole year old ( these highlighted words are EXACTLY what I feel and she summed them up so eloquently. Go read the rest of it, I my sentiments are the same.

 

How is it even possible? My husband and I sat down and looked at old pictures shaking our heads at how time has flown by. I am so very proud of this sweet little head strong little toddler of ours.

It’s funny how it is almost impossible to remember life before her.  And I don’t mean what I did, or what life was like – that I remember just fine (and with an extra dose of gratitude for how ‘easy’ things were then!)  I mean that it defies my brain’s capacity to remember what life was like – and what the meaning of my life was – before having her.

Was my life meaningless without her?  Absolutely not.  Would I have made less of a difference without becoming a mom?  No – not that, either.  But for me, the depth of love, sacrifice, and the all-encompassing richness of life that comes from having a child to adore, nurture, and watch grow is something that words can’t do justice to.

She is reaching cords and banging things together, clapping, waving, saying NO, maaaaaaa, dada.
She has been singing Happy Birthday to you since her birthday party on 1/26th.

She still hates diaper changes, getting in the car seat, & being changed. She also is disliking her pack and play to sleep so we are thinking of a wider option but for now she likes to sleep 1/2 the night with us. I know...I know...I know.......

She is such a treat and to know that she is here is nothing short of a miracle. We are grateful and thankful.
Me and hubby had a rocky start for the first few months, and even the D word came up. While we are settling as new parents he still thinks I neglect him so I am working on that.

Tragedy did hit for Black Friday last year.....I didn't get into and I am not sure I will.
But heaven received an angel unexpectedly.

If any of you ladies come across this and you are still going through a cycle, don't give up.
You can see my timeline as well as follow my whole journey and see how long it took but I made it on the other side.

Your journey may not be the same but don't you give up.....

Christmas is in the Air

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas........

Geez I keep neglecting this blog and it is supposed to be where I document things as they happen.
I will make this short and sweet with a quick update.

My daughter is a 10 1/2 months old...... standing and made her first step yesterday. She is also crawling and reaching for cords, clapping, waving, saying NO, maaaaaaa, dada. Hates diaper changes, getting in the car seat, & being changed. She also is disliking her pack and play to sleep so we are thinking of a wider option. The girl rolls and rolls in her sleep.  She also likes to grab mom's food or come over and stare until I share. It's such a joy to have her. I am so very thankful she is here and the cycle worked..

 We spent thanksgiving travelling to family in South Carolina and it went well. Tragedy struck the day after and the last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind. My very close friend lost her little brother on black Friday. I can't get into, it is too emotional for me because he was like a brother to me as well.

Overall life is going great, the holiday is upon us and we are trucking along.....barely.

9 Months Already

 

My daughter turned 9 months on 10/30th. She is officially  the same age out as she was that I carried her. Her last appointment was on 10/24th. Me and her dad do not celebrate Halloween so she won't dress up.

• Weight: 19 pounds, 8 ounces
• Height: 29 1/2 inches (85th percentile)

I am concerned about her weight, It has been so difficult with getting her to eat solid foods.  The doctor said that as babies learn to move on their own, and work so hard at it, they burn more calories, and their weight gain can slow down. Despite that I am not comfortable with her weight so I upped her cereal intake at night and have been trying to add bananas. I would prefer her to gain as much as she can especially through the flu season.

She is so "talkative"., I mean when she wakes at 5:00 a, she is chatting away. She has been saying "mama", "dada" and is making lots of other sounds.  She also squeals and screams.  She is a happy baby!  She loves attention and will give smiles so freely.  She loves it when people talk to her. 

My girl  is full of energy!!!  She is getting around on the bed with her own critical thinking and throwing herself at items out of reach mainly the remote.  She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks, but goes back down.  She can stand with assistance but no steps...

At the moment mommy is starting the beginning phases of her 1st Birthday Party Planning....Can you believe it? Wow.

While we do not celebrate Halloween and she will not dress up, here are a few dressed babies I thought were too cute not to post. I got the images from Carter & Macys. I have no rights to them and I am just reposting with links.

Carters Website

Cute Babies

A Year Ago

 

 

 

...... I was 25 weeks pregnant.

Geez that old cliché the difference a year will make is so true.

 

I am so thankful to God and CNY Albany. Thankfully, the pain of infertility doesn’t reign any longer

 

https://journeytobabymaking.blogspot.com/2017/10/

Traveling With an 8 Month old

We travelled to Raleigh NC alone and things were not too bad. We stayed downtown and it was amazing. The weather was great and the  museums were actually really awesome.
Raleigh is an interesting bustling little city with lots of history.
This was a trip with friends to see a friend. It was by chance we even stayed in a hotel because she offered her home. We didn't want to impose and decided since we got such a great deal on the hotel why not.
We enjoyed breakfast at The Mecca and Lunch/Brunch at Beasley's Chicken & Honey and of course we dined at Rye Bar and Southern Kitchen in the hotel which was the Marriott City Center.


Pics from Beasley's Chicken
 

Let me try to summarize some tips for travel that worked for us.

Booking the trip- I chose JetBlue for a few reasons. Roomy seats ( I am tall) so this was a big deal, complimentary boarding for parents, complimentary snacks and a screen to keep her occupied.
Side Note-We will be flying again for thanksgiving on Allegiant Airlines. I am NOT excited about it but oh well let's see what happens. We only chose them due to pricing. I had to pay for priority boarding just so we can go on sooner with an infant. I had to also pay for roomier seats which sucked as well since we are both tall. I already dread flying without any entertainment for her but I will have to think of something or bring my tablet or another game I can silence.

Airport/TSA- plan extra time for TSA. I travelled on a Thursday afternoon and it was crowded. TSA opened and checked every carton of her milk. I checked a bag but for the carry on I brought ready to feed formula which made life so much easier for pouring and serving. My advice - " Ready to Feed Formula"

Stroller/Carrier/Carryon Backpack/ Ear Covers/Travel Bottle- The  day before travel I was lucky to score a used ergo classic baby carrier. So it was me trying to maneuver the stroller with a squirming baby in the ergo carrier for boarding. It was almost hilarious but really it was tiring. The kind gate agent  moved us up to the an empty second row so we were alone and boy did she babble and babble until she finally fell asleep. My sweet girl did not seem to be bothered by the flight or ear popping but I had ear covers.

She was not a fan of the travel bottle and we lost  it in the rental car somewhere. I am loving the travel stroller purchased. It was fairly inexpensive, light weight, easy to fold down, extensive cover for protection and it has 3 positions including, forward or rear facing, it can fit the car seat. It's perfect and inexpensive.

On the flight back she was a lot more excitable and whiny. Am not sure if it was sleep position, teething, or just hating to sleep on mom's lap but it took much longer to settle her down. Mom was just as tired an cranky and we had a really early flight ( 7am)...this was not smart but the only non stop out.
I did have a slight issue with the return gate agent. I had and paid for a seat up front but decided against it and asked for an empty row in the back if available and the agent gave me a lecture that parents didn't automatically get free seats. I had to point out and remind her- I PAID for seats upfront, I am forfeiting that for uncomfortable seats in the back of the plane....what is the issue? I was happy to land, make it home and still have the day to rejuvenate. She slept a lot when we got home, I guess she was worn out from the quick weekend trip. All in all we had a great time and would visit again. Mom is not a pro at travelling but I know in future that I may take a boppy for her to lay her whole body cross


Travel Stroller


 Travel Bottle (purchased from Buy Buy Baby but Amazon has them as well)


 Ergobaby 3 Position
 Baby Carry On Bag Backpack

  Baby Ear Covers

8 Months & Counting

8 Months Old & counting

My little darling turned 8 months on 9/30/2018 and I have been forgetting to take the pics of her  milestones. :-) Much like I did when I was pregnant and did not do the weekly pics. 

So much as been happening like we went on our first trip together and it was well kind of a success.

It is entirely too long since I sat down long enough to focus on a blog post. I'm sure my absence hasn't ruined anyone's day, but, since I view this blog as a scrapbook of sorts, I'd like to avoid too may gaps.

Baby
She has a hot and cold relationship with wanting to crawl, it is basically a get on her knees rock and decide against it type of thing. You want to know the odd thing? She loves to pull herself up, on me or in the pack n play. I am not sure she will crawl, perhaps it may be pull up to walk and no crawl but we shall see. She babbles, talks, yells, watch her nursery on TV. Yes I said watch the television. She has limited time at home and it is is all geared towards baby learning. I will gladly refute any comment that says otherwise. Her baby cousin is 5 and watched baby can read for hours....he is not only highly intelligent he is considered "gifted" & is doing exceptionally well in school. At 3 years old he could recite bible verses, readings etc, and makes nothing but high scores in school.  While I agree that not too much screen time, the time spent on screen should be educational which it mostly is in our household. I remember when I visited and he was maybe 9 months in the crib watching the series and I wondered if he was actually learning and time proved yes he was.

At the end of the day we as parents have to do what's best for our children.

She is drooling, but she has been drooling for months and I see nothing going on in there.
As for food, she is definitely interested and tries to grab food, she is tasting things here and there but it is my aim to get her to eat more.

Right now I am considering ideas for her 1st birthday party. On one hand I am all ready to do it but on the other I might keep it simple and small.

Seasons changing

 

 

Life for the most part has been great but I have to also be honest there are some tough times in my home. It seems everything and everyone has taken a back seat in my life, not on purpose.

 

My husband and I have mostly good days but occasionally we are finding ourselves arguing over the craziest things. The most troubling thing is that it has led to mention of Divorce. We have been together many years childless and longing and now that we finally have a child & we find ourselves getting angry and saying "divorce", how crazy is that?

 

I am a Christian woman, one that has honestly even put God on the back burner after having the baby. I have had to fall to my knees and just pray about the situation. I will continue to pray without cease until I get more clarity on our situation and perhaps if he agrees to seek marriage counseling.

 

On a much happier note: My sweet girl is 7 months old and is quite the personality. She is babbling, giggling, sitting up for the last 2 months, curious, touching everything, squealing, eating baby food and just such a joy. At her last check up she is meeting and exceeding all milestones.

She hates tummy time which will delay crawling and she loves watching her nursery rhymes which I am finding I need to minimize or cut out all together. I use to read to her a lot but being so busy it has been harder to do so. Last month she got sick twice which sucked. The first time ear infection ( I suspect from the bottle so I changed it). The second time right after getting her vaccinations.

 

**I have my thoughts about her being vaccinated and I will touch on this subject soon**

 

For now life is just like the seasons changing. I am 39, a working mother, but what else....what else.

 

 

 

Life & It's Changes

I started this blog weeks ago and have had it sitting in rough draft ever since.
Motherhood has been quite the journey and I am loving every minute of it.

From baby spit up, to late nights of no sleep ( this is due to me checking if she is breathing, not her being awake), constantly worrying, & of course being a working mom. I look back over some of my old posts and many were not well articulated or grammatically correct but I am ok with that. It's exactly what rambling is, I was not concerned with anything but the matter at hand and banging out my thoughts. It was RAW.

Well here I sit on the other side. A woman with 4 frozen embryos in a cryopreservation tank in an IVF clinic thousands of miles away. It's strange. I'd become so accustomed to blog about wanting a baby that I don't know what to write about anymore now that I finally made it across the finish line.

Infertility sucks, plain and simple. I still think about how old my child would have been had I not miscarried in 2012 & then the unsuccessful cycle in 2013 and then of course wasted time for 4 yrs. before trying again.

I am rejoicing in my one perfect child. I am more amazed than ever that she is here. The miracle that she is absolutely takes my breath away. We have lost so many embryos along the way. It's been a long, painful, sad journey. It is over, well sort of & for now anyway. I am lucky mine ended well but I still think about the warriors still fighting. I still visit the Facebook groups and have high and lows right along with them.

Life looks so different to me right now. I find myself moving on and getting things done in a way that I haven't done in many years. It's true that infertility puts your life on hold. I had to move through the entire process and complete my journey in order to move forward, I was stuck and didn't even know it.

 

At the moment I am done. I am at peace. I am moving on. I am going to get busy but I haven't closed the door on more children.

Not my image..