HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Just in case you live under a rock, Thursday is Thanksgiving. ;-) I have begun to make my preparations for the holiday dinner and it has been more fun this year than last. Namely because we are not getting ready to make a move across town (or anywhere for that matter) and because I'm not curled over the toilet with "morning" sickness. I'm also happy because this year that little inconvenience has resulted in our beautiful daughter.

I made today my pies, cornbread, and cranberry sauce. I have cooked a little differently this year than in years past in an effort to make the meal a little healthier for our family. I have also included on the menu a few things that are not traditional for a two person gathering, but that are important for my husband to have for the holiday. (The specialty cheese/relish tray) The relish tray is NOT a healthy thing, but I figure "Heck, thanksgiving only comes once a year. Why not indulge a little bit?!"

I have also started to drag out the Christmas decorations. I'm late this year getting up my Christmas tree, but thats okay. I will just leave it up for a little while longer than normal. :-) When I put up my Christmas decor I deep clean my house, so needless to say it has been a VERY busy couple of days here!

Also some very exciting things have been happening in our home in the way of Alexandra's development. Last week we started feeding her solid foods. We started with bananas for three days and she LOVED them! Then we moved on to sweet potatoes. She was somewhat indifferent about them, but she DID eat them. Today we tried apples and I have to say my kid LOVES her fruit! :-)

Allie has also started to sit up on her own for short periods of time. I'm so proud of her as this was somewhat of a surprise to us. We didn't think she would be doing that for several more months. She has also started to lift her hips off of the ground by pushing up with her feet. I fear by Christmas we will be chasing around our little crawler! Who knows, she may surprise us and take much longer to do so, and I'm okay with that. :-)

She is also reaching and grabbing for EVERYTHING! We have to make sure that little things are off of the floor and out of her arms reach when we are holding her. She has figured out that if she wants something she can roll straight away to it and grab it. That includes the dogs. Odin thinks its funny to lay in her path and let her catch him. Its like their own strange version of tag. Lucy on the other hand gets a bit grumpy with the baby and give her the "evil eye" while stalking off to our bedroom to hide from her. I think Alexandra thinks its funny since it always seems to illicit a giggle from her lips when she grabs a (rather large) hand full of Lucy's fur.

Allie has also taken to putting her hands all over our faces. For some strange reason she has a thing for noses and mouths. We think its kind of gross and we have to gently tell her no and redirect her hands away from our noses. A few times she has tried to put her fingers IN our nostrils and of course that gets a gross reaction in which she grins widely and sometimes giggles. For the most part we don't mind though, as long as she doesn't poke us in the eye. :-)

Alexandra's Health

The for the past week I have been really having trouble sleeping. For those few days I have been rolling around in my mind a lot of things concerning Alexandra and trying to put myself at ease concerning her health. I know its not easy to do this and I can't seem to stop thinking about the "What ifs" and the "Whens."

When Alexandra was born she was diagnosed with a Anterior Displaced Anus. What this means is that our little girl's anus is too far "north" and though its a fairly minor birth defect it still comes with its risks. The first being that since its so far north it is placed too close to her genitals and if she gets a really bad case of constipation it could rupture through causing all sorts of unwanted issues. That also leaves us with another problem that she is VERY prone to getting constipation. Its a scary cycle.

I have been living with the fear for four months that eventually my beautiful little girl will have to have surgery. NOT an easy pill for a mom, and a new mom at that, to have to swallow. My husband, being the more relaxed parent, helps to keep me calm on those rare days I fall apart thinking about the prospect of what is to eventually come. I thank God for him so much on these days! With out his calm disposition I would probably have gone mad thinking about everything.

That being said there are some very real risks to a small child having surgery. Its something I'm scared to death to think about. There is something about hearing the words "Your child needs surgery" that sends an immediate shock of fear running through your veins. I honestly believe that its the hardest thing I have ever heard come out of a doctors mouth, even if it was followed by "not at the moment, but soon." Yes I know there are far more terrible things that Alexandra could have been born with, but its so unfair to see my daughter being subjected to test after test as well as poke after poke from doctors. So far at this point she has passed all of the major important tests, some necessary others not so much. It just sends me reeling when I see another appointment on the books.

I have told David many times that I would give anything to trade Allie places so that she doesn't have to go through this. I have found myself asking if I had any part in what happened. I ask myself a lot if there was something I could have done to be certain that she was in perfect health when she was born. Upon reflection the answer is no. I took all of my prenatal vitamins (heck I still take them even though I have no immediate plans of having a baby!!). I was very careful to stay away from chemicals that were harmful during pregnancy. I was obsessive about exercising every caution known to man while pregnant. Yet still I find myself playing the blame game and second guessing myself.

With that being said I am VERY cautious to keep Alexandra from getting into trouble. I have taken great pains to keep her breastfeeding as well as keeping a strict "No Solids" policy. I have also kept track of her bowl movements more obsessively than any parent should. (Yeah I know its kind of gross) I have also been faithful in keeping every appointment her doctors make for her screenings, check ups, and consults even when I have felt it wasn't a necessary appointment. I track her developmental process compared to where she should be and I'm proud to say that she is at or above what the doctors expect of a four month old child. :-)

So overall despite my wishes to take Alexandra's place with this minor annoyance she has received, she is doing well and thriving. Now if this mommy could just relax and let go all would be perfect.

Two Weeks and Eight States

To say I have been on a whirlwind trip in the last two weeks is an understatement! Poor Alexandra and I have had no semblance of a schedule since we left to visit family and once we became settled somewhere we were uprooted to the next location! But I wouldn't take back these two weeks for a thing!

My adventures started off by heading up to Virginia to stay with David's parents for one night. From there I traveled to see my parents for two days where they spent time doting over Alexandra. Jacob held her for the first time and instantly fell in love. What's not to love about our sweet baby girl though?! He smiled at her and played with her on the floor. He even gave her a bottle! I'm so proud of Jake for how well he handled holding a newborn!

Josh (my brother) also got to spend some time with her. We went to his place for dinner and he made chili for everyone and spent some time bonding with his new niece. He too fell instantly in love with her and had quite the conversation with her. :-) I met my brother's roommate John and he seemed like a really nice young man. I'm so proud of the man my brother is turning into and I can't believe that just a few years ago he still lived at home!

After visiting my parents we went back to stay with David's mom and dad. Matt surprised us and showed up for a short visit to meet his new niece. He held her and it was also fun to see his reaction to her. He was a natural!

Frank and Brenda got to see Alexandra attempt to roll over several times and it was fun to watch them encourage her to conquer this big milestone! They both, like my parents, are very much in love with her and we had a great visit with them too. We got to take her to David's home church and show her off to all of the people David knew from his childhood as well as some of Brenda's co-workers. Alexandra also got some bonding time with her grandpa while I got a few moments away from her to go shopping for my best friend who is having a baby in December.

After spending time with David's parents I went back to my mom and dad's for a day. Jake got to spend a little more time with Alexandra and then we headed off to Indiana to spend a week with my grandparents. Boy was that a fun experience! Both of my grandmas got to spend time with her and as I thought, they fell in love with her! My Grandma Wlodarski took my shopping for my birthday and helped me on the great mission to find a nursing bra! (That story is to be saved for another time) We had little success with the nursing bra, but my Grandma Warren finally helped me track one down! Thank the LORD! No more messing with pulling off and pulling on straps!

Grandma Warren and I also went shopping one day for some clothes with long sleeves for Alexandra. The weather turned cooler than I had predicted and I needed more long pants and long sleeved clothes for the baby since I knew it was going to be chilly the remainder of my time there. I found a few things on clearance at Sears that were WAY big, but I bought them anyway. I figured I could wrap them up and give them to her for Christmas. :-) Grandma also bought Alexandra a few outfits as well and she enjoyed spoiling her!

We also spent one day going to visit my Aunt Barb's house that is being built by Habitat For Humanity. It looks great! She gave me an awesome blanket she made for Alexandra (its big enough that I could wrap myself in it!) and some other baby related items as well. That evening I went to see my cousin Whitney play volleyball and I had a lot of great memories come back to me! My goodness it has been a long time since I watched a volleyball game, or played one for that matter! They did pretty well and I'm proud of her for playing her first game! :-D

Where has the time gone?

Saturday our little girl will be two months old. She is growing quickly and learning new things everyday. In a way this makes me smile because I know I'm doing a great job raising her and teaching her. In some ways it makes me sad. I have been thinking a lot the last couple days about how my family and friends have warned me that I will miss this season of Alexandra's life. Oh how I only wish it were not true! Gone are the days where I feel overwhelmed caring for this little life. Gone are the moments of peace and quiet. Most sadly, gone are the moments of blissfulness while holding my new child. All has been replaced by a routine, moments of loud coos, smiles, and little wiggles.

There is nothing more I love than saying "This is my daughter." I love looking at my husband and thanking God for the union that he created leading to this precious life. She is beautiful and she is OURS to teach and direct. I love seeing her smile at her Daddy and look at the world full of wonder. Its beautiful.

In the last month I have come to appreciate the role of my heavenly father far more than I ever thought possible. I look at my child full of love and am reminded how my God looks at ME with that same kind of love. I think about how in a few months we will be asked as parents to take on the roles of disciplinarian and how God is my teacher. I see how he loves me in such a way that only a parent could understand.

I look forward to her third month and seeing all of the exciting things she will learn in this next month. I find myself asking "What will I learn?" and "How can I teach her?" I want to be the best mommy I can possibly be. I want to teach her and let her grow to be a strong young woman. I'm sure that in the end of this coming month I will also look back with the same love and sadness that I have upon the last two months.

The Joys of Motherhood

Wednesday is a milestone for our little family! Alexandra will be a month old! How excited am I?! A lot, but there is also a large part of me that is sad to have seen this first month go by so quickly. I LOVE motherhood. Its everything I thought it would be and more. I have taken to it like a fish to water. Its something I have ALWAYS wanted and now that she is here with us, making our family that much more complete, I can't imagine it in any other way. I look at her, and though we have had a few minor setbacks in the beginning, she is beautiful and perfect to me. I love her more than I ever thought possible. I understand a parents love a lot more thoroughly now that I have become a mother.

That being said I have also seen a side to my husband that warms my heart. I have seen him grow up a lot and at the same time revisit his childhood. Its an aspect of him that I have not experienced before and it makes me smile. He is so gentle with our daughter and instead of tuning her out (like some new fathers do) he finds the joy in spending time with her. He has even creatively found a way to spend time with her while doing the things he loves. (Here you see him playing a video game with Alex on his lap. I know the photo is dark, but I HAD to share it)


I have learned that with a baby in the house, its not unusual to be spit up on or pooped on at some point during the day. I have also learned that sleep is a valuable commodity and when you can grab some, DO IT! I have also learned that my formally quiet home is no longer quiet! Never in my life did I think for once I would value a little quiet, but boy am I missing it now! (I say this as I just finished soothing a very fussy hungry baby who was screaming....) I also have learned that MY world is no longer MY world. It now revolves around diaper changes, bath time, feedings, sleep time, and laundry. My word the amount of laundry a little baby can make amazes me! I don't mind though, its all for her.

I have also learned in this past month that sneaking in quiet time with my husband is going to be tricky! Just about the time we sit on the couch to watch a movie or I snuggle in beside him to have one of our formally long talks.... she starts crying. I usually laugh, look at David and say "Our daughter has impeccable timing!" Something as simple as sitting down to eat a meal together has become more tricky. Now life involves balancing a baby on my lap, a fork in my hand and trying to eat without spilling on her! I laughed to myself this evening when attempting to cook dinner the baby started crying. "My fault"I thought, "I should have looked at the clock!" She was due for a feeding and I didn't realize it when I put dinner in the oven. Thankfully David was home and he was able to assist me in getting it out of the oven with out it burning! I have also learned through all of this that we work really well as a team. When I get discouraged, he is there to encourage me to keep at it. When he feels frustrated, I am there to help him out. We work together, even when we have our differences in how things should be done.

I have also started to realize that I can't always have things my way. Sometimes I am DEAD wrong and I have been forced to eat a few pieces of humble pie in the last four weeks. Its okay. I am only human after all. In realizing this I have been forced to laugh at myself. I'm finding out really quickly that if you don't have a sense of humor about kids, life is going to be PRETTY miserable. Its okay though, being a mom is what I want and what I feel I will be good at. I'm not good at school, I'm not that great at any one particular skill, but what I AM good at is nurturing. I always have been. And with that being said I have found the Joys of Motherhood. Its very special. Its a gift we waited a long time for and one we had a lot of heart ache to get to. We love our little girl and we are proud to call ourselves her parents. She is our joy and I know one day she will do great things. I don't care what those things are, only that they will be great. God has blessed us with her and we pray deeply that she will know the love we have for her is only a fraction of what God feels for her. Its unconditional and its forever. :-)

Baby Alexandra Danielle

A week and a half ago today our world was totally changed! Allie was born June 27, 2011 at 9:57pm via c-section. What a crazy ride it was!! What started out as a routine induction turned to a c-section pretty fast. My labor failed to progress beyond 4cm and the doctor felt that I had stalled enough that I would not progress on my own with out harming myself or baby Allie. Words can not describe how frustrated, upset, and disappointed I was to have to have a quick surgery that I was not planning on. Looking back, if I knew what I know now, I would have NEVER done the induction, but given the information that my doctor told me, I thought I was doing what was best for our baby and for myself. (Perhaps I should back up and explain a little bit)

A week before the baby was scheduled to come my doctor and I met for a routine appointment. She felt that my placenta was failing and that baby was much larger than she actually was (the doctors were estimating her to be about 8lbs). In her opinion (and in mine) it was time to get the baby out. I could buy about a weeks worth of time, but that was about it without running the risk of the placenta detaching and causing a whole number of problems. We scheduled the induction and the date was set. Mom came down to help us prepare the house in the days following her birth and to offer support to myself and David during the delivery. At 12 am on June 27 I went in for the induction (stupid hour of the day!) and began pitocin as well as antibiotics for group b strep (a common bacteria in moms). After about 16hrs of labor, 12 of them after my water broke, the doctor on call brought the choice to us to have a c-section or wait a little longer, as I was not in danger, nor was Allie. We decided to give it one more go, but my body just wouldn't cooperate.

I was so disappointed and I cried knowing that my birthplan just didn't get to happen. I was taken back to the operating room where they prepped me for surgery. I kept asking for David, as I was so scared about what was happening and all I wanted was my husband to comfort me while I waited for Ale to get here. I kept shaking from the medicine and they brought David in (the anesthesiologist kept me calm in the mean time by talking to me and reassuring me we were both okay). David sat beside my head and talked to me to keep me calm until Ale was out. From there its all a blur and I don't remember much until the next day. I was so exhausted that once they put the medications in to help with the pain I pretty much slept. I'm grateful now that Ale is safe and here with us, but I wish it had gone a little differently. Nothing changes the outcome though and I am happy to have my beautiful daughter here.