I'm in love...

...with this icecream! Have you tried it? Seriously, people, it's the best thing I've ever tasted! It tastes so much like birthday cake! If you like birthday cake, your taste buds will be in Heaven! Last night, I grabbed this out of the freezer and just started eating it stait from the carton. (Don't judge! I'm the only one eating from it!) After a while--okay, a long while--K walks over and takes the spoon from my hand and the icecream away. I think I almost cried, even though I am quite certain I would have eaten the entire carton if he hadn't came to my rescue. And did I mention it's 1/3 less fat!?! I'm usually not a healthy eater and shy away from anything with the words "Reduced" or "Less" on them. I have to admit, this stuff tastes like it's packed full with sugar and calories (all the good yummy things!), so even I was in disbelief Edy's could pull it off! Go get ya some! You can thank me later!

Tonight I start back school. I will have teaching methods for middle grades geometry for 3 hrs/3 nights per week. Yippee! [*insert sarcasm*] Good thing that my school is next to




and they have the best milkshakes around! And guess what?...they now have Birthday Cake Milkshakes for a limited time only. That should help get the brain juices flowing for 3 hrs worth of geometry!

I hope this week is being sweet to you!

Feel Good Monday Moment...

Here is your "Awe...how sweet" for Monday! This brought tears to my eyes! Enjoy!



This is 8 month old Jonathan (who was born deaf) when he hears his mommy's voice for the very first time! Medical miracles happen every day. I'm sure this too was once thought to be impossible!

I had a pleasant surprise in my inbox today. Katy sent me the sweetest email. Many of you have likely received one similar...someone in the world is reaching out to you telling you that your blog (and your journey becoming a parent) is inspiring to them. That's when you realize that your pain and heartache has been worth it all, isn't it? After chatting via email, I have to tell you all that she is just the sweetest girl, going through the toughest time right now. A time that most of us can relate to and use to encourage her. So, this post is calling out to my fellow IF'rs (new or old to the journey) to show her some love on her new blog:

http://myfaithlooksup.blogspot.com

Don't you just love the name she chose for her blog? I can already tell that God is going to do amazing things with her story...and that she will be an inspiration to someone else one day. Katy, you just keep your faith Girl! We are all here to support you through this!

If you are reading this and you are a lurker who is still waiting, please comment below so I can update my reader list of "Praying Partners." I can remember when most of the Answered Prayers were listed under the "Praying Partners," and I told Katy that it proved to me God is still in the miracle making business.

So, whatcha waiting for? Go give her a big ol' hug!

Elaine

Just wanted to let you know....

Grrr....

My poll over --------------------> wasn't working, so I had to take it down. When it was last working, I believe the vote was 3 Girls and 2 Boys... So you must cast your vote in the comment section below. Sorry for the inconvenience to you all, but I hope you play along anyway :)

Elaine

A Little of This...A Little of That...

We are very excited to find out on June 24 if we are having a 2nd little boy or a little girl. I have added a poll over -----------------------> Be sure to cast your vote now.


Have you tried this?



It's very yummy! Also, I have found that I am in love with all things vanilla this summer, including these:


They smell so good and will only be around for a short time, so be sure to stop by your local Bath & Body Works and sniff them all!

Because of my revived loved for Vanilla, I've also been addicted to these:


Other than these new developments, not a lot of exciting things going on in the K household. I hope you are all doing well!

Elaine

First Haircut 06/08/10

Here Baby K is getting ready for his big haircut! He has already decided this isn't going to be fun! Still crying!!! Is she finished yet, Mommy? Paw Paw didn't know what he was getting in to!

Teething Bites!

TEETHING BITES!!!!

Baby K is cutting all 4 of his baby molars at once. So, life at the K household has been a bit irritable, dramatic, and sleep deprived. He won't eat anything! Since he won't eat anything, he is waking from hunger. He is waking 4-5 times per night. At times I will go in to rock him to back to sleep and check his diaper. At times, I am making him just cry it out. This is heart breaking, but necessary. NO ONE is happy in the K household at this moment.

I have tried alternating Ty.lenol and Mot.rin. We have tried teething tablets--which some people swear by, but I honestly have no clue what they could do. [Have you ever tried those yourself?] He is refusing cold foods such as popsicles, ice cream, jello, or chilled fruit. We even bought some

What a rip off!!!!! This stuff is $13 for a six pack. You can buy six packs of other things *cough, cough* cheaper than that! He took one drink and refused it. He will drink juice and regular milk, but I am getting really concerned about his not eating.

The only thing I haven't tried is Orajel! He is already drooling terribly, and I have read that Orajel makes babies drool even more and can produce a choking hazard.

What worked for your toddler? Are there any remedies out there I can try to provide relief? What should I do about the refusal to eat? Advice welcome!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! It's going to be in the 90's here in NC! I love summer :) I am now 16 weeks pregnant. I still haven't felt new Baby K move, but am anticipating that any day now!

Elaine

You aren't alone...

Recognize any of these people?














It's Brooke Shields, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Marcia Cross, and Courtney Cox.

Want to know why I chose all of these beautiful women? They all--like myself and many of you--experienced some form of infertility. Although IF is still considered a bit taboo to talk about, I wish these women were more public about their experiences.

Ever feel like you are walking in this journey alone? You aren't.

Random Post

-Go here to read a prayer request from my friend Janna.

-Go here to read a prayer request from my friend Joannah.

-I finally finished reading The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. Unlike his other novels, I found this one to be predictable. It took me almost 3 months to finish it because half way through I could tell what the outcome was going to be. I typically love his books, and although I didn't hate this one, it wasn't my favorite.

-I think Baby K has infintigo. He has had a little rash under his nose and around his lips for about a month now. I can get it better by applying aquaphor, but it always comes back. So, I'm not sure if it is infintigo or some sort of food allergy. Never the less, tomorrow we have a doctor appt to see if we can clear it up for good.

-I am taking a class online this summer. I really hate online classes and the amount of work which comes with them, but I am really enjoying this class. We were required to create a class blog on Word.press, and I'll confess...I'm kind of loving Word.press compared to blogger.

-I nearly survived the Grey's Anatomy finally. With the season ending so suspenseful, it really proved how mediocre this season has been. But, the finally--Wow, is all I can say!

What are you guys reading now? I need a new book :)

May 17

Since my last post, the spotting has stopped. I had my 13 week appointment and everything still seems good with Baby-on-the-way. Not much of anything really exciting to report going on these days. I hope you all are having a blessed Monday!

Basket of Nerves

I am 12w2d pregnant and I am a basket case. My anxiety has sky rocketed with this pregnancy compared to when I was pregnant with Baby K. I called the dr. on Tues to request to be seen because I was having some very mild cramping. I really felt as if I were going to have a panic attack before I could get to the office. I couldn't see Dr. Wonderful, but I saw the NP who I thought was excellent. She was completely compassionate and understanding to my concerns. She did an internal exam and my cervix is still closed. She said my uterus is a nice round size. And, thankfully, we were able to find the baby's heartbeat on the doppler. It was a nice, strong heartrate of 164.

She also told me that although it wasn't completely unheard of, at 12 weeks having a miscarriage is extremely uncommon. She even told me, "your chance of miscarriage are diminishing while you sit here." That made me feel much better.

I left with a sigh of relief and a diagnosis that the cramping was coming from a ligament that is close to where my uterus is expanding.

Yesterday, I had a great day. The cramping had completely subsided and I felt really good--more confident. When I arrived home from school around 9 pm, I volunteered to put Baby K to bed. K has been so good about preventing me from lifting him. He's such a big boy now--almost 26lbs. So, K carried him upstairs and put him in my arms so I could rock him to sleep. After rocking him, I stood to lay him down inside of his crib.

Then I went to the bathroom. That's when I saw it... Brown spotting!

I admit, I have researched all there is to be researched about pregnancy and spotting since I experienced it here. I know that brown is not a cause of concern...

So, why do I fall apart? Why do I feel as if my body is playing mind games on me? Why am I "over-reacting"?

I called my nurse to report the spotting and ask if it was because of the pelvic exam. She agrees that it is likely the culprit, but I have been instructed to keep my eye on it and if it gets worse to call immediately. Or, if cramping begins go to the ER.

Praise God for no cramping!

So, am I a basket case? I never experienced any of this with Baby K...so this is all new to me. It's killing K that he can't "fix it" to make me feel comfortable in this pregnancy. It's killing me that I won't feel comfortable until I'm holding this sweet baby in my arms on Nov. 10.

Prayers appreciated for my body to cooperate and to get my anxiety under control.

Sorry, I haven't posted ultrasound pics. I will do that soon--perhaps after Mother's Day. I am still praying for so many of you in waiting.

Today's Appt

Today's appointment has finally come and gone. The past few days I've had so much anxiety. I couldn't wrap my head around that I am pregnant again...and I felt those feelings of insecurity and fear quickly taking control of my emotions.

As I was walking into my appointment, I could feel myself shaking--you know, the kind of fear that takes complete control of your body and there isn't anything you can do to stop it. It doesn't help that our dr. office's ultrasound tech has zero personality...I mean ZERO! It's fair to say that she isn't paid to be friendly, but when you can see that someone is overwhelmed with fear of the unknown, I would think it would be appropriate to smile and be friendly.

Never-the-less, as I am preparing to sit on the exam table, K sweetly comes over to take my hand as if to say, "Honey, everything will be okay. Whatever the outcome, we will get through this." I love him. He always seems to know exactly what I need, exactly when I need it.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and the ultrasound is under way when I hear K say, "There's its heartbeat." Praise God! I could breath a big sigh of relief...my legs were no longer shaking. I am not having identical twins as we once thought--and you know what, I'm perfectly fine with that. What matters is that there was one beautiful, healthy heartbeat that took my breath away.

I will update with ultrasound pics tonight!

Elaine

8 weeks and counting...

Today, I am 8 weeks pregnant. The spotting has completely stopped now, so I am hopeful that my appt on April 15 will bring good news. I know it's only a week away, but I seriously feel like the last two weeks have gone by in slow motion. I will feel so much better when I have my ultrasound and I can see that everything is okay. Right now, I feel like everything is fine because my morning sickness is in full swing...and it's more accurately described as an all day sort of sickness. I have found a strong aversion to pizza. Just the smell of it makes me sick! So, this has to be a good sign, right?

But, I'm still scared, so continue to covet your prayers and thank you for the ones you've already said for me.

Hanging In

I'm still here, hanging in. Still spotting on and off, but trusting that this is normal. Yesterday was a really good day--I didn't have any, and my spirit was really encouraged by that. Today, it's back, albeit less than days before. I will be so happy when it's finally gone. Today, I am 6w2d, so it seems like eternity before I make it to the 2nd trimester. Until then, we pray and we ask everyone we know to join us in prayer.

This week has taken on a whole new stress. K's dad had a sudden massive heart attack on Wednesday, but praise God, is expected to make a full recovery. It was a huge wake up call to our family at how precious life can be--here one minute, but gone the next. I am so thankful that he is going to be okay.

I found this on another person's blog and it was so heart warming, that I wanted to share it with many of you. Enjoy!


Thoughts on Becoming a Mother

There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss, and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better. I will be better not because of genetics, or money, or that I have read more books, but because I have struggled and toiled for this child. I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed. I have endured and planned over and over again. Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child. I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover. I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life. I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see. Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love. I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain. I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed.
I have succeeded.
I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs. I listen. And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes. I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes I WILL be a wonderful mother.




- Author Unknown

Everything is okay for now...

I called my OB office first thing this morning and explained my situation. They immediately suggested I come in and see the Dr. who was on-call, Dr. G. I've seen Dr. G only once before, and he seems to be fantastic, although he wasn't Dr. Wonderful. As I am waiting in the patient room, I can feel my heart beginning to race. I did what I think were some deep breathing exercises (I'm not really sure) to calm my nerves. Suddenly, the door opens and in walks Dr. Wonderful. I began to cry tears of joy. I adore him! I feel completely comfortable with him, and I love that he is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get sort of Dr. While I'm explaining to him what is going on, I'm trying to hold it together...he came over and gave me a hug. See why he's called Dr. Wonderful?

He did an internal exam and said everything appeared to be okay. He explained to me for the thousandth time that I am still *high risk* and I can't expect to go through this pregnancy complication-free. He did see a little bit of blood, but feels that it is from the prometrium irritating my cervix.

For peace of mind, he ordered an Ultrasound, but took the time to tell me that he highly anticipated that we would not be able to see a heartbeat. He just wanted to make sure he saw a sack. We did, and he was right, it was too early to see a heartbeat. But he saw two images in the sack, which "may" mean I am carrying identical twins...it's still too early to tell if they both will become embryos...

Wow! Excuse me? Did you just say I "may" be having twins? Yes, twins. "May" being the key word.

After the ultrasound he read the pictures and said that it all looked good. For me to go home and stop worrying. He suggested bringing me back in 2 weeks for another look at the baby/babies--we should definitely see a heartbeat at this time and be able to exclusively determine if there are one or two. So, now we wait until April 15 (I actually have to wait 3 weeks due to scheduling issues) to see the little heart beat(s).

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and your prayers. I am truly thankful for all of you.

A small scare...

When I went to the dr. Wednesday, I was prescribed prometrium to be taken the first 12 weeks vaginally to help strengthen my uterine lining. I noticed Thursday evening that my lower back was really aching. It kind of felt like deja vu and my first m/c. My back always hurts right before AF sweeps in and and makes her presence known. But, I went to bed Thurs and nothing happened.

I worked all day on Friday and my back was still aching. So, last night I decided to go to bed once I put Baby K down for the night. When I inserted the prometrium, I noticed that there was some brownish spotting on the applicator...which immediately sent me hysterical. So, I downed a bottle of water as quickly as I could and went to use the bathroom to check again. Same scenario...nothing passed in the toliet, but when I would wipe, I saw some spotting--more brown than anything...(I realize this is TMI for some of you, I'm sorry)

I fell apart.

I started crying hysterically. I just knew that my stupid body was trying to reject this pregnancy. This morning, when the spotting was still there, I called the dr. on call to report my circumstances. I was quite disappointed that it wasn't Dr. Wonderful on call, and instead I got a dr. who has no inkling of my history or circumstances. However, I was told that this is considereded normal for using prometrium, althought I don't remember it ever occurring with Baby K.

I was told to be on bed rest for 48 hrs and resume all of my high risk precautions (no caffeine, no sex, no meds, etc). I do plan on consulting with Dr. Wonderful on Monday, if nothing more than to ease my mind that my cervix is closed. So after spending about 12 hours on the couch the spotting has stopped, but I am a bit nervous to do tonights suppository.

If you took Prometrium, did this happen to you? If you got pregnant, did you experience any spotting without m/c?

I'm really nervous...and I already love this baby so much, that the thought of losing him/her is completely devestating. Please continue to pray for our safety.

************updated Sunday 9:20pm**********************************
Today has been pretty uneventful. I have spent most of the day lounging around watching TV and reading. The spotting has decreased to a bare minimal. Sometimes when I use the bathroom it's there, while at others it isn't. I hope that's a good sign. I still plan to call the Dr. tomorrow, because let's be honest: I am probably doing more harm to this child stressing out than anything else. I will keep in touch with another update tomorrow.

Also, thank you so much for your kind words for me. Mel, your prayer brought tears to my eyes. I can't tell you how much I needed that.

Hugz to you all!

Update

Good Morning My Friends! Are any of you out there? As you can see, I got really slack on the "Things I Love" blogging in February. As a matter of fact, once my little man turned one, the rest of February is blurry for me. How did life get so busy? More importantly, how can I slow it down? I am working diligently to catch up on all of your blogs and commenting. Thank you for your patience.

Also, big news in the K household...really BIG news. We are


I had my first dr. appt yesterday and I am only 5 weeks--still considered high risk, so I covet your prayers for the next 35 weeks. To say we were surprised would be an understatement---completely shocked sounds more accurate. Now that I've wrapped my head completely around it, we are really excited, and we look forward to the possibility that in November our little family of three will become four...

Take Care!

Feb 10

One year ago today, my life completely changed. I held my miracle baby for the very first time! Today, he is turning one... Oh, how the time has past by so quickly! I don't want to miss a single second! Today, I love how the Lord still answers prayers!



Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! I love you more than words could ever express. You are such a special person, and I know God has big plans for your sweet, little life.

Feb 8 & 9

It's looking as if you will get a post from me every other day! Geez, I'm really going to have to make an honest effort to do better sharing things I love each day.

Today I love this blog. I am getting ready to be a part of the "So Long Insecurity" discussion group. I am so excited! Since I am a student 2 nights per week, this type of bible study is ideal for me! And what better author to lead you than this beautiful, Godly woman.


If you are interested in joining, go here to pick you up a copy of the book and here to add your name to the roll call. There is still time to get involved!

Today, I love

Usually, you either love sushi or hate it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I believe I could eat it every day (if I could afford it).

I also love this book that I just finished! It is so good. It's one of those books which really make you think about things. Go read it if you haven't!

Feb 6 & 7

Yesterday was Baby K's first birthday party. It was absolutely wonderfully exhausting! We mailed out about 50 invites to our family and close friends. We probably had about 50-60 people show up, so I consider that a huge turn out. I love this picture of my little birthday boy...and he's WALKING! I love watching him!



And here are my niece and nephew with him. He loves them so much!



I will have a special post in the near future. We had a friend take professional portraits, and I just can hardly wait to see them.

Today, I love cough syrup. Even the nasty, yucky tasting kind.



I've been fighting off a cold for over two weeks. I've been treating it with almost everything you can think of over the counter. I decided this morning that I needed to go to Urgent Care for something stronger. I'm so glad I did. Turns out I have the beginning stages of pneumonia. I hate that Urgent Care is open on Sundays, but I love that I was able to get in/out today without much hassle. I also won't have to miss work this week to go to the regular doctor either.

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Feb 5

I love SUNSHINE!!!! I hope by expressing my sincerest appreciation that it will make the sun want to come out from hiding and dry up all of this snow/sleet/ice that we've accumulated over the past 24 hours.

Feb 4

I love Jason Aldean's newest CD. K surprised me with it for my birthday. He knows me so well! I just love that I can pop it in the CD player and listen to it in its entirety. It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. In fact, I have it playing right now. Just one of the things I love this month!

Love Month

My friend Deidre has the most wonderful idea! For the month of February she's listing the things she loves each day, and she has invited others to play along! So, if you want to play, jump on board!

I am a little behind the gang, but I confess that I love listing things that make my life wonderful. It is humbling and gratifying to count my blessings. So, without further ado, here are some things I love:

First, I love these two guys more than anything on Earth!



I knew love before them. I love my family and friends, but I never knew love this deeply. The kind of love that moves Heaven and Earth for their happiness. The love that overwhelms your entire being. And because I love them so much, it makes it almost impossible for me to wrap my head around how much God must love me/you.

The next thing I love is birthdays!



Why? Because we get to eat lots of cake and not feel guilty about it!!!! I just celebrated my 30th bday on Monday. It was really low key since we had about a foot of snow/ice on the ground. I spent the day at home with K and Baby K since our daycare was closed. (That was so much better than working as I had originally planned!) I mentioned this last post but Baby K's first birthday party is this coming Saturday. Unfortunately, we have more snow in the forecast. (So, as selfish as it sounds, would you please join me in praying for NO SNOW!?! Call me crazy, but I do NOT love Snow!!!!)

Today, what I love is this bible verse. Deidre shared it with me while I was walking through infertility. This verse has gotten me through so many hard times, both past and present.

"Not that I speak in respect of want: For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11

I just love, love, love it! And Deidre, I love you for sharing it with me! (By the way, if you need to read a good, inspiring, Christian blog then jump on over to Deidre's. She is always inspiring me with her words of encouragement and parenting techniques. Plus, as an added incentive, you get a few laughs as well. God is using her blog to reach many people. I don't think she realizes how important it is to those of us who follow her.)

See you tomorrow!!!

Checking in...

So, it seems thinking out my New Years Resolutions was a complete waste of time. Sure, I've taken out my contacts a few times, consumed a small amount more of water, almost finished up one book, spent a little less time on Facebook, and I've read a couple of pages in my Bible. I have cooked dinner for my family a handful of times. I've almost stopped obsessing over Kade's sleeping pattern. Was I too ambitious? No, I don't believe so, but why haven't I followed through with the goals I have?

My birthday is coming up. I'm officially in the last few days of my 20s. I'm not nearly as excited about my birthday as I am Baby K's. He is going to be one in two weeks!?! One!!!!!! Can you believe it? I sure can't! Also, my classes have started up again. I attend school two nights per week. So, in my own defense, I have been really busy lately. (Thus my neglecting to comment on many of your blogs.)

I'm in a rut right now. Have any of you been there? Where you are going through the many obligations and motions of life, and you blink your eyes to find the day completely gone and absolutely nothing accomplished? That's me. I read a quote yesterday that was really inspiring. It was, "Don't tell me how hard you work. Tell me how much you get done." That is also me. I feel like I work hard, but not productively. I'm having a really hard time finishing up the things I start these days. I will begin something, and my mind will drift away to something else that I also need to be doing and I will stop what I'm doing (half finished) and begin the other. I'm also having a really hard time remembering stuff. Just this week, as I was taking a shower, after washing my hair I couldn't remember if I had washed my body. I mean, I think I did, but I washed again to be sure. Crazy, huh?

How are things going for all of you?

Hand Mixer Giveaway!

Go check out this website for a handy kitchen utensil giveaway! I almost bought one of these online, but held off! I think that look so neat, and I can't wait to read her review.

2010 Resolutions continued...

I thought of some things that needed to be added to my previous list:

-Drink more water! (Have I mentioned my dislike of water before? Usually the only water I get is from the ice in my Pepsi. Sad, yes...but I don't like the way it tastes.)

-Scrapbook at least once per month. Remember my first resolution? To stop procrastinating?!? Well, please don't revoke my Mommy card when I tell you that I haven't even started on Baby K's baby book! *Gasp!* I'm sure you are all shocked! I do want to make a conscience effort to get that started, so Jan 16 I am going to be scrapbooking!

-Find a local bible study that meets on Tues or Thurs since I go to school on Mon and Wed. In addition, I would like to once again attempt to read the Bible from cover to cover in 2010!

-Devote the time I spend on Facebook to being a better wife and mother.


I'm sure there will be more...

*I'm going to trade in one of my resolutions. Mindy convinced me not to focus so much on Baby K sleeping through the night. I've spent so much time lately thinking about this, and I've come to the conclusion that he will only be little once. Yes, it's frustrating. Yes, it's exhausting, but he may very well be the only little one I will ever have, so I am choosing to savor every single, exhausting, frustrating, precious second.

Mindy, by the way, is having an amazing giveaway! Go check it out!

2010 Resolutions

I have been putting off making my New Year's Resolutions. I am horrible at keeping resolutions. I get really excited at first. Then said excitement dwindles lower and lower and lower. So, without further ado, here is what I've come up with to work on for 2010.

1. Stop procrastinating. (How appropriate, huh, given I waited until Jan 4 to come up with a list?)

2. Get my son to sleep through the night. (Score is Baby K - 4, Mommy - Big Fat 0) I will save this for another post so I can tell you what I have tried since my last post.

3. Read 2 or more books per month.

4. Take my contacts out each night. (This is going to be hard as ever for me, since without them I am a blind as a bat and can't even read the alarm clock!)

5. Pick my clothes out for the next day before going to bed, so I will stop staring in my closet for hours waiting on my clothes to dress me. (Again, this is going to be hard!)

6. Clip coupons and bargain shop. (I really want to be one of those people who can buy $500 worth of groceries for $5. I'd even settle for $150 worth of groceries for $100).

7. Try to wake up 10 minutes earlier so I don't feel so rushed in the mornings.

8. Eat out less at work, and eat healthier at home. I will also include that I want to commit to cooking dinner for my husband at least once per week--other than my specialties of corn dogs, tater tots, frozen pizza, or anything microwaveable. Seems doable, right? (I'll be going to school 2 nights, so 1 night seems the most realistic goal for now.)

9. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator.

10. Most importantly, get back to being active in my church and pick up on the bible study I began in early November, but have postponed because of the holiday rush.

I'm sure this list will expand later, but I'll just leave you with these for now. What are your resolutions?

For those of you keeping score...

Baby K - 1, Mommy - 0.

Last night I made a few adjustments to Baby K's schedule. We had dinner at 6:15, where I made him sit in his high chair for 30 minutes eating/playing. He ate 1/2 carton of yogurt, 4 Ritz crackers, and 1/3 of a jar of stage 3 greenbeans (which were really mushy--I had said earlier that he wouldn't eat stage 3 foods, but I finally found something he likes which is Beechnuts Green Beans and Potatoes "Homestyle").

After dinner, he was allowed to play for 20 minutes or so while I cleaned things up and got his bath ready. I bathed him, rubbed him down with lotion, and let him play for a little while longer. By this time it is about 7:45, so I gave him a snack of 1/2 a cereal bar and a few more crackers. At 8:15 he was given a bottle and went right to sleep.

We put him in his crib at 8:25.

He woke up at 8:45, where I made him cry for 5 minutes. I rocked him back to sleep.

He woke up at 9:50, where I made him cry for 6 minutes. K went up to change his diaper and rock him back to sleep.

He woke up at 1:15, where I made him cry for 7 minutes and I finally caved and went to change him and give him 8 oz of formula and .8 tylenol. (I'm a sucker, I know...but I am quite certain he would have stood there and cried all night had I let him, and it wasn't just a cry...he was MAD!!!!)

He woke up at 4:50, where I made him cry himself back to sleep. It took about 5-6 minutes.

He woke up at 5:35, where I made him cry for 5 minutes, then I gave him 8 oz of formula, changed his bottom, and gave him more tylenol.

I know his gums are hurting because he finally has a tooth coming in up top. It has broken through the gum and the tooth beside of it isn't far behind. I feel bad about giving him tylenol because I feel like I am medicating him to sleep--because I need him to sleep--but really, it's for his gums, I swear.

Tonight my mom is keeping him so K and I can ring in 2010! I'm sure he'll sleep like an angle for her; he always does. May 2010 bring us restful nights!

Follow Up

I posted this yesterday. Thank you to all of you who left me comments letting me know I wasn't alone in this endevor or advice as to what has worked for your child.

I was quick to say that I felt as if Baby K were waking out of habit, but now, I'm not so sure. Last night, here is what happened:

-we put him to bed at 8:30
-he woke up at 9:15 where I rocked him back to sleep
-he woke up at 11:00 where I changed him and rocked him back to sleep
-he woke up at 1:00 when he needed changing and he took 8 oz of formula
-and lastly, he woke up at 4:45 when he needed changing again and he took another 8 oz of formula

So, do you think he's waking because he's hungry? To be fair, he is also teething, so that could be some of it?!? The kid eats like a bird. He also has some texture issues so he will not eat many foods. We have introduced some table foods that he seems to tolerate well as long as they are pure mush. Mel mentioned stage 3 foods--yeah, he will NOT eat them. Well, he'll eat the fruit, but he won't eat the healthy stuff. It makes him gag. Once he gags, he's finished. You also mentioned the Baby Wise series (which was also recommended to me by a real life friend who swears by its success). I didn't research it at all, so I had no idea it was controversial. I have the series on the way to my mailbox, so we'll wait and see what happens with that.

Amanda you said your boys like the room temp to be 73. This is what our house temp is set to, but his room is upstairs so it tends to be warmer on that level. I have tried dressing him warmer and dressing him cooler. We have a small space heater, so I may just try moving it to his room to see if it helps.

My sister, who is a former pediatric RN, has convinced me to start transitioning him to whole milk to see if that helps. It's suppose to be more filling. She thinks it may help to subside the hunger (if that is indeed the problem). I'm also going to take Janna's advice and have a late night snack of finger foods, fruit, or a cereal bar.

I really appreciate you all brain storming and sharing ideas with me.

Christmas Day 2009

Is Santa coming???


Baby K wasn't really sure what to do with all of these gifts Santa brought him. Isn't this just the best gift?





Spending time with my cousins. Notice he has a cell phone in each hand. He loved, loved, loved the Benny Hill theme song ringer on my cousin Scott's phone. Just look at his face....priceless. Mommy is more like, "Benny who?"



I think I'll go for a ride on my new dump truck...



Nah, maybe not!


I'll let Daddy play with it instead!


He finally saw the wagon....Bingo!

Seeking advice

I'll skip the chit chat and just get strait to the point: HOW ON EARTH DO YOU GET YOUR CHILD TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT?????

Baby K is soon-to-be eleven months old, and he continues to wake multiple times through out the night. We did go through a phase where he only got up once, but that has long since been replaced by at least 3 or 4 wake-ups. Now, I mostly think it's out of habit. Things I have tried:

-putting cereal in his last bottle
-putting oatmeal in his last bottle
-using calming baby bath/lotion
-music
-nightlight
-keeping him up later


I am at the point where I really need to let him cry it out, but I'll confess: it breaks my heart to hear him cry, especially between babbles of ma-ma and da-da. Heartbreaking! And, when he is physically standing up in his crib while he is crying with his eyes closed, you can't help but give in. Sometimes he needs to be changed. Sometimes he wants another bottle. And, sometimes he just wants to be rocked for all of 5 minutes and he drifts back off to sleep.

Christmas was exhausting. I will have pics up soon. I'm also very excited (yet, sad) that I had to order Baby K's first birthday party invitations. February will be here before I know it, so I'm trying to get that under control.

Hope you all had a wonderful, restful holiday!

What do I do? What do you do? What works for your family?

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Two years ago, I wrote this on Christmas Eve.

I was at a breaking point in my life. I was stuck in a valley. My patience had been long gone; my hope had been stretched too thin. I think I felt more defeated than I've ever felt in my entire life.

Then, I did something which I thought I would have never done. I left the doctor's office I had been a patient of for 10ish years and sought a second opinion. (Well, it would actually be a third if you include the IVF doctors who told me that the only way I would ever have kids is to use donor eggs.) I didn't know anything about this new doctor. I literally picked him out of the phone book and scheduled an appt. That is one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life. It was Dr. R who gave me the hope I had lost. With that hope, I felt all the stress and pressure (and shame) of being "infertile" lifted off of my shoulders. I began to enjoy life again. I enjoyed my husband more. I enjoyed our time together. It was only then that God chose to finally answer our prayers. And, it wasn't immediately that he answered. After changing doctors, we still waited for six months or so, but finally, for whatever reason, after 5 years of tears, heartache, emptiness, shame, and many, many prayers He gave us our son.

I use to hate the Christmas season before Baby K was conceived. It is the most difficult time of year for those who are waiting, and I believe despite how selfish that may sound that God gets that. He knows our hearts; He knows our hurt. This year I get to celebrate the season without having all the emotions to cloud the reason for the season. I don't say that as "Look at me! Look at me! I have a baby this year." I say that as "My son is a wonderful gift, yes, but God gave me a better gift. He gave me His love, His forgiveness, His blood for my salvation. He gave me back Christmas spirit and the desire to celebrate His birth."

I also want to say to those of you who are still waiting: I will be covering you in prayers this weekend. I hope that God pours out his love, peace, and blessings upon you and your family. I pray for Him to give you your every hearts desire. And I pray that He will lead you to a doctor who will give you back the hope that some other doctor may have stolen from you. I pray that next year, each and every one of you will know the joy from being a parent. I pray for patience as you wait and for God to remove any shame you may be feeling--because you were wonderfully made, no matter how broken you may feel right now.

Merry Christmas sweet friends! I love you all!

Prayer Request...

My sweet bloggy friend Jen is feeling down today. Will you all hop over and give her some love and support? We've all been where she is today; some of us are still there; some of us are going back there. That's why I love blogging--people come out of nowhere to pray for you and give you the encouragement that you so long to hear.

Eight Maids a milking...

It is eight days until Christmas. EIGHT DAYS! Fortunately, I am finished with the Christmas shopping mayhem, but I have tons and tons of gifts to wrap. I.hate.wrapping.presents. Have I ever told you that I am a little Obsessive Compulsive? Okay, a lot. I strive to be a perfectionist (which is both a blessing and a curse). It's a blessing because I always try my best, but it's also a curse because I am never quite satisfied with my results. I'm not a great wrapper, and it drives me crazy. I want the paper edges folded perfectly; I want the bows fluffy. Sounds easy enough, huh?

We took Baby K to see Santa last night. I think he left traumatized. I assumed this was the reaction he would have, and I even felt a little guilty after it was over, but he had to see Santa on his first Christmas, right?



Or, we could blame his crying on the fact that he has another ear infection. (Actually, that sounds good, so we'll just go with the ears. Oh, just humor me!) He's had tubes for seven weeks now, and he has had ear infections the entire time. I thought tubes were suppose to fix that problem, but what on earth was I thinking?
*Sigh*

I am officially out of school until Jan 6. I have really enjoyed the past few nights giving my undivided attention to my family. I'm still reading (which surprises even me). Do you have a good suggestion for me? What's your favorite book, and who is its author? It may just end up as my next review over here.

Did I mention that Christmas is only eight days away?

Christmas Preview...

Here is our tree. We cheated this year, as if you can't already tell, and we put it up on the coffee table (out of Baby K's reach).



But just so you know, he doesn't seem to mind.



And, just to be certain, we let him open his first Christmas gift.



He didn't care what was in it at first. He wanted to eat the bow!





Daddy's Little Helper



Baby K in Action:

I need your input...

I'm giving my final presentation next Monday, Dec. 14 on "What is Worth Knowing?" I selected this topic for my term paper in my Foundations of Education class because I could relate to it...I can't count the times that I have been sitting in a desk, gazing at the teacher, wondering, "Why on earth am I learning this?" And, I need your help Blogland...

While I give my presentation, I would like to build a powerpoint presentation with real data to be playing in the background of my presentation. I need your input to add to the answers I have already collected.

It's easy:

When you think back to your experience as a student, what was worth learning? What do you use in your everyday life? What do you wish you had spent more class time studying? (For example, some of my current responses include: grammar, spelling, typing, basic math skills, etc.)

Also, what was NOT worth knowing? What have you never used? It can even be something you hated, as long as you haven't found this information to be relevant. (Some of the current answers I have received include: periodic table, memorizing state capital/birds/flowers, algebra, etc.)

Try to be creative and specific. I received (what I thought was) a funny answer: My friend said she has never, even until this day, had the need to dissect a frog or grow fruit flies in a jar... Maybe we were the only students who had to do that--we are from NC, but it's SO true! So, why on earth did we learn that?

Thank you so much for your help!

Grrrr....

Remember this post?

I am so aggravated. *Insert frustration here* I have been trying to delete my profile from My.Space for over 3 weeks now. The site continues to tell me I will receive an email to finalize my request, but the email never comes! Grrr...guess it's not My.Space...it's Theirs.

Moving on...

I took my final for my statistic's class last night. I have never been so happy to finish a class in my entire life (and when you stop to think about all the classes I've taken--and there have been tons---that's pretty amazing!) I have a presentation tonight for my Adolescent literature class and that course will be over as well. On the other hand, I have really enjoyed this class. I must say, I didn't realize how much I enjoyed reading!?! There was a point at the beginning of the semester when I was completely defeated once I found out I had to read 15 novels by the end of the semester; however, most of them were really, really good. I will even go as far as to say, I have somewhat been inspired. It has led me to create a new blog if any of you are looking for good reads over Christmas vacation. As you can tell, I decided to begin blogging late into the semester, so there are only 2 reviews so far. But, it is slowly coming together, and I hope it keeps me reading.

Wow, books have really changed from when I was a kid!! Some of these books should never, ever be used in the classroom because of content or language. It's sad that many of them have really great life lessons in them, but because of the content/language students' aren't exposed to them. Instead we shove the classics down kids throats and hope it turns them on to reading. So, if you have children in school, especially upper middle grades or high school, I really encourage you to research novels that your children are reading.

The only class I will have left is my Foundations of Education course (this is the class my teacher called me an overachiever in). This semester has been so stressful. Remind me to never commit to 9 credit hours EVER again.

That's about all that is going on my way! I hope you have a great week!