Well, my daughter has her own throne...really, she does. She's been in this princess phase lately--and everything has to be princess. Yesterday, I went to put a plain pink shirt on her and had to tell her that princess's wear them when they can't wear a dress. So, I decided to try to use this princess phase and potty train her. I went to target and oaught a pink princess castle potty that plays music when she pees in it, I bought princess panties, and I bought a box of 1000 princess stickers. On a poster board, she got to put a small princess sticker for every time she sat on the potty and a BIG princess sticker every time shes used the potty. It didnt work--she still refused the potty--so I just dropped it for a while. Suddenly, she decided it was time to wear panties and has not worn a diaper during the day since Monday. She even naps in panties. She does wear a diaper for bedtime--but she even wakes up a night to potty--so we may be getting rid of the night time diaper soon! I am very proud of Emma and am loving being down to just one in diapers!!!
Abbi is getting so big :) SHe is gowing through a chunky phase--she has so many rolls on her legs that I just love to pinch and squeeze! She is trying to roll over--but can't get her big ole thighs all the way over quiet yet--but it will be soon! She has the best smiles in the world--her smiles can light up a room--and she shares them so regularly! She is sleeping better--a 4-5 hour stretch is pretty consistent now. She is just coming into her own... I am loving seeing her grow!
Jon defends his dissertation on Tuesday! He is ready to be done with it--and quite frankly, so am I! I am ready to have my husband back!!!
I started my job last week and like it quite a bit--I am really enjoying getting ready for the kids to come! They start Thursday!!! Abbi is crying--so I am off...will update more later!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
HOLY HEAT BATMAN!
I joined a mom's group in preparation for our move to TN and one of the women in the group said I should wait to move until the end of August because July and August were so hot---SHE WAS RIGHT! Yesterday our heat index was 113-the actual temp was supposed to be 101, but my van said it was 104! YIKES! Today, we had a rain storm and in less than an hour, the temp dropped 33 degrees--but the cool down did not last long! Here is what I have learned from this week in the heat:
1. It hurts to drive when I touch the steering wheel and it feels like my flesh is sticking to the wheel.
2. A 2 year old and a 2 month old do not appreciate being stuck at home because its too hot to go anywhere including the pool.
3.The above mentioned children refuse to sleep (in protest of the heat, I'm sure).
4. Going to Kroger to buy milk results in the need for a second shower because i looked like i had run my first marathon.
5. The air is so THICK here it hurts to breathe!
Okay, enough about the heat--lets have some real updates:
Ohio House: OFFER PENDING :) Still waiting on the bank approval but the appraiser will be out tomorrow--this is further than we got with the first offer that ended up falling through.
Jon: Just peeked his head in to see what I was doing and told me he is finished with his dissertation except chapter 3--he is waiting to hear back from his mentor regarding the edits he made on chapter 3. He will be sending his dissertation to his committee members tomorrow and will then be able to work on his public presentation and studying for the closed session with his committee members!
Abbi: turned a corner, so to speak, this past week. She is consistently doing at least one four hour stretch a night and then usually followed by a few three hour stretches.So I am getting about 7 hours of sleep where I am only waking up once...HUGE for me! She has given us a couple five hour stretches--but not consistently. She is no longer crying in 3 to 4 hour stretches. She is down to several 10-15 minute spells and her longest crying spell is usually only about 45 minutes at night now.
She is also maturing in her social abilities. She has the BEST smiles--huge ear to ear grins and cackles--her smiles make all the crying moments well worth it!
Emma: Well, she's two with a new baby, a new house, and a back to work mommy--so this week has been a little rough (to put it kindly). She has now begun to oppose going to bed and is acting like a maniac. I have never heard this type of fit from her before. She is holding her breath and screaming and jumping up and down. It is truly a sight. We thought we had a good night tonight when we put her to bed--we did her routine like normal and she stayed in bed easily at 8:00--we did not hear a peep until 9:15. By 9:30 she was out of control in a fit--we are trying to be firm, consistent, and compassionate all at the same time. Aside from bed time, she is doing well. During the day, she is my well behaved, loving and fun little girl. I hope this bed time thing is just a transition problem--if not--I will be calling on Super Nanny :)
Nannies: I had two interviews set up with two different nannies who did not show! Crazy--they did not even call! Tomorrow, I am meeting with an at home mom who has two little boys. This is her source of income so she has a contract with information and seems very together. I also have a couple of numbers of people from friends/family members and if tomorrow's visit doesn't work out, I will be calling to make some more interviews.
Kati: I love my new job--it is so different from what I am used to. I think I am going to miss teaching English, and without a doubt I am going to miss everyone at FHS, but I really think this job is going to be something new and fun for me. I worked three days this week--I was paid to shop for supplies and make lesson plans for the enrichments. We are working three days next week to plan more--we have the calendar done through September now and will be working on October next week. I have NOTHING that has to be done at home--in fact, I don't even have to think about work at home. The people I am working with are nice--and I think when the kids start coming--we will have a great program set up for them. I am a little sad as I am writing this and thinking about how much I do enjoy teaching English and reading books with kids; however, this is a great opportunity to expand my experience to the elementary level AND I am doing a book club as one of the enrichments so maybe that will help me not miss the English classroom so much :)
All in all, we are happy here. I think we will all be a little happier when Jon is officially done, when I am on a normal work schedule--therefore having the kids on a consistent schedule, and when we have hired someone for child care. I hope everyone is enjoying the last bit of summer and is staying out of the heat!
1. It hurts to drive when I touch the steering wheel and it feels like my flesh is sticking to the wheel.
2. A 2 year old and a 2 month old do not appreciate being stuck at home because its too hot to go anywhere including the pool.
3.The above mentioned children refuse to sleep (in protest of the heat, I'm sure).
4. Going to Kroger to buy milk results in the need for a second shower because i looked like i had run my first marathon.
5. The air is so THICK here it hurts to breathe!
Okay, enough about the heat--lets have some real updates:
Ohio House: OFFER PENDING :) Still waiting on the bank approval but the appraiser will be out tomorrow--this is further than we got with the first offer that ended up falling through.
Jon: Just peeked his head in to see what I was doing and told me he is finished with his dissertation except chapter 3--he is waiting to hear back from his mentor regarding the edits he made on chapter 3. He will be sending his dissertation to his committee members tomorrow and will then be able to work on his public presentation and studying for the closed session with his committee members!
Abbi: turned a corner, so to speak, this past week. She is consistently doing at least one four hour stretch a night and then usually followed by a few three hour stretches.So I am getting about 7 hours of sleep where I am only waking up once...HUGE for me! She has given us a couple five hour stretches--but not consistently. She is no longer crying in 3 to 4 hour stretches. She is down to several 10-15 minute spells and her longest crying spell is usually only about 45 minutes at night now.
She is also maturing in her social abilities. She has the BEST smiles--huge ear to ear grins and cackles--her smiles make all the crying moments well worth it!
Emma: Well, she's two with a new baby, a new house, and a back to work mommy--so this week has been a little rough (to put it kindly). She has now begun to oppose going to bed and is acting like a maniac. I have never heard this type of fit from her before. She is holding her breath and screaming and jumping up and down. It is truly a sight. We thought we had a good night tonight when we put her to bed--we did her routine like normal and she stayed in bed easily at 8:00--we did not hear a peep until 9:15. By 9:30 she was out of control in a fit--we are trying to be firm, consistent, and compassionate all at the same time. Aside from bed time, she is doing well. During the day, she is my well behaved, loving and fun little girl. I hope this bed time thing is just a transition problem--if not--I will be calling on Super Nanny :)
Nannies: I had two interviews set up with two different nannies who did not show! Crazy--they did not even call! Tomorrow, I am meeting with an at home mom who has two little boys. This is her source of income so she has a contract with information and seems very together. I also have a couple of numbers of people from friends/family members and if tomorrow's visit doesn't work out, I will be calling to make some more interviews.
Kati: I love my new job--it is so different from what I am used to. I think I am going to miss teaching English, and without a doubt I am going to miss everyone at FHS, but I really think this job is going to be something new and fun for me. I worked three days this week--I was paid to shop for supplies and make lesson plans for the enrichments. We are working three days next week to plan more--we have the calendar done through September now and will be working on October next week. I have NOTHING that has to be done at home--in fact, I don't even have to think about work at home. The people I am working with are nice--and I think when the kids start coming--we will have a great program set up for them. I am a little sad as I am writing this and thinking about how much I do enjoy teaching English and reading books with kids; however, this is a great opportunity to expand my experience to the elementary level AND I am doing a book club as one of the enrichments so maybe that will help me not miss the English classroom so much :)
All in all, we are happy here. I think we will all be a little happier when Jon is officially done, when I am on a normal work schedule--therefore having the kids on a consistent schedule, and when we have hired someone for child care. I hope everyone is enjoying the last bit of summer and is staying out of the heat!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Goodbye OHIO, Hello TN
Well we have officially moved! The last two weeks have been insane to say the least, but we are finally in TN, the boxes are all cleared, and we are back to establishing some type of normal routine. Here are some individual updates:
Ohio House: Still on the market--we have an offer pending and are hoping and praying that the offer will stick!
Jon: He has four of his five chapters of his disertation done and sent to his mentor for review. He will be finishing chapter 5 within the next two or so days. He needs to be finished and have his 200+ page disertation printed by Friday. We are going back to Ohio to drop off his disertation to his committee members this coimng weekend.
Kati: I have been offered and have accepted a job with a private school in Nashville. I will be the assistant director for an after school enrichment program. I will be working with grades K-6 and I will only be working from 1230-6. I am a little nervous because it is an hourly position--so when school is not in session, I do not get paid. However, it is the perfect opportunity to stay home part time with the girls and to gain elementary experience so that I can be more employable for elementary counseling positions. I am excited to not have the grading/lesson planning that comes along with high school English, but also a little sad that I will not be in the classroom full time. It will be a different year for me, and I am looking forward to the change--but most of all, I am excited to be home more with my girls. My reovery from my c-section is going much better. I had an appointment the day we moved and things were good. I go back in a couple weeks for a follow up and it will be my last appt. with Dr. G!
Emma: She has been going through a princess stage--not sure where it started, but I am going to blame Lucy :) Suddenly, everything is princess...pretty shoes are princess shoes, any dress is a princess dress, and of course, her new room needed to be princess. She is adjusting to the move as well as can be expected of a two year old. SHe had some rough days/nights, but seems okay now. Last night was the first night we had alone in our new home, and Emma did very well--she stayed in bed all night and slept from 8p-7am!
Abbi: She is getting so big! She has big huge social smiles now--much more then Emma ever had! SHe is also very verbal--she coos and makes baby sounds all the time. She is crying less--though last night was rough. I am not sure what upset her tummy but she cried for hours again last night. THe entire week before she did four hour stretches of sleep at night--a huge accomplishment for us. We are moving her in to her crib (vs the basinet in our room) for naps starting today. We hope to have her in a routine and sleeping at night in her own crib within the next couple weeks. I just hope the shared room does not disturb Emma's sleep.
Ohio House: Still on the market--we have an offer pending and are hoping and praying that the offer will stick!
Jon: He has four of his five chapters of his disertation done and sent to his mentor for review. He will be finishing chapter 5 within the next two or so days. He needs to be finished and have his 200+ page disertation printed by Friday. We are going back to Ohio to drop off his disertation to his committee members this coimng weekend.
Kati: I have been offered and have accepted a job with a private school in Nashville. I will be the assistant director for an after school enrichment program. I will be working with grades K-6 and I will only be working from 1230-6. I am a little nervous because it is an hourly position--so when school is not in session, I do not get paid. However, it is the perfect opportunity to stay home part time with the girls and to gain elementary experience so that I can be more employable for elementary counseling positions. I am excited to not have the grading/lesson planning that comes along with high school English, but also a little sad that I will not be in the classroom full time. It will be a different year for me, and I am looking forward to the change--but most of all, I am excited to be home more with my girls. My reovery from my c-section is going much better. I had an appointment the day we moved and things were good. I go back in a couple weeks for a follow up and it will be my last appt. with Dr. G!
Emma: She has been going through a princess stage--not sure where it started, but I am going to blame Lucy :) Suddenly, everything is princess...pretty shoes are princess shoes, any dress is a princess dress, and of course, her new room needed to be princess. She is adjusting to the move as well as can be expected of a two year old. SHe had some rough days/nights, but seems okay now. Last night was the first night we had alone in our new home, and Emma did very well--she stayed in bed all night and slept from 8p-7am!
Abbi: She is getting so big! She has big huge social smiles now--much more then Emma ever had! SHe is also very verbal--she coos and makes baby sounds all the time. She is crying less--though last night was rough. I am not sure what upset her tummy but she cried for hours again last night. THe entire week before she did four hour stretches of sleep at night--a huge accomplishment for us. We are moving her in to her crib (vs the basinet in our room) for naps starting today. We hope to have her in a routine and sleeping at night in her own crib within the next couple weeks. I just hope the shared room does not disturb Emma's sleep.
Nashville home: Here are some pics of the new place! The girls room and our room will be loaded later! The girls room photos are on facebook, but they are on the other computer so I cant load them on this blog!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
A quick update
Hello friends and family :)
Sorry for the delay (again) in updates. This time, it is not my fault!!! For some reason, we keep having internet problems. Sometimes we can conncect and sometimes we can't. And, part of the time we can connect--the connection is super slow so pictures won't update.
One thing I am looking forward to when we move is new cable and new internet!!!
Today, Jon, the girls, and I are going down to Cincy Childrens museum for some play time. We are going to have a very busy few weeks between dr. appointments, jon working, and moving so we are going to try to take advantage of a free day.
Friday, June 18, 2010
"Abbi is CRYYYYYING"
The title of today's blog--Emma's most common phrase at the moment! She is always coming around to tell us when Abbi is crying, and has even started trying to comfort Abbi herself! Emma is quite helpful--even too helpful! Abbi is doing very well during the day--she is as sweet as can be, she loves to be held and rocked, and nurses pretty well. During the night, however, she has been " a little cranky" and has started waking Emma up! Emma requested an overnight stay at Mammaw and Pappaw's house where she was able to get an uninterupted night's rest! Abbi and I are working on this cry all night thing--good friends reassure me that its probably a growth spurt and a way to increase my milk supply... so I am hoping that she grows out of this soon! I certainly don't expect a two week old to sleep all night--but an hour here or there would be nice!
Anyway, here are a couple new pics of the girls! 
And here are the girls with cousin Gabe!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Ahhh...sleepless nights
Well, Abbi is now two weeks old! Its hard to beleive DAYS go by so quickly that I feel like I have lost touch with reality--I can not beleive it is June 15! Nights, on the other hand, go extrememly slowly. Abbi wakes up every other hour to eat--so I am averaging 1 to 1.5 hour stretches from 11 to 8 or so and then getting up with Emma and Jon around 8. I am hoping that Abbi gets her days and nights turned around soon--I am pretty exhausted!
Emma is doing well--she had a pretty serious head bump last week and we ended up taking her to children's hospital for a CT scan and for factor 8. Because of her VonWillabrands, the hematologist was afraid that the bleed between her skin and her skull would not stop bleeding, so they wanted her to have factor 8--they gave her human factor 8 (which I was not thrilled about, but at the time it was the recomendation). She did not have a skull fracture or a brain bleed--thank goodness! The factor 8 did its job and slowed down the bleeding in the hematoma. She was a little drowsy the following day, but is totally back to normal now--aside from an ugly bump and bruise on her forhead.
Today, we went to Chuck-E-Cheese. It was good for Emma to get some one-on-one time with me, and with my mom, and with Beth. Two of us stayed with abbi and Gabe while on adult played with Emma--so we rotated baby time and Emma time.
All in all, things are going well--aside from the no sleep! Sorry it has been a while since my last post--I will work on posting more pics and updating more frequently--trying to get in a schedule!!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Welcome Home Abbigail :)
Life is...different, more fun, more challenging, wonderful, overwhelming...a blessing. Abbigail completes our family-and I feel so content knowing that my girls here are healthy and that they have their big sister watching over them to make sure they stay that way! We have each had a couple "moments" when we look at Abbi and cry a bit--she looks so much like Hailey. In fact, there is one specific picture of Hailey on our table and several people have asked when i had time to get a picture of Abbi printed and in a frame.
Abbi is a pretty good little baby during the day! She sleeps like a champ and is relatively content as long as she is full--during the night, there is a 'slight" change in her demeanor. She goes from peaceful, wonderful Abbi--to "oh-my-where-is-our-sweet-baby-and-who-is-this-crazy-child" Abbi. Last night was a little better--she was adamantly fussing until about 2:30--but then actually slept after eating until 5:50. So 3:00-5:50 has been my longest stretch of sleep since she was born-and I am pretty happy this morning about my big sleep last night!
Emma is adjusting to life as a big sister well. She is a little overwhelmed and wants me to do things that I just can't right now. With my vertical c-section incision, I have to be very careful. Emma wants to be held just like the baby and I just can't. I have to be a little firmer with her--but i am trying to be compassionate and I want her to understand that she is just as important as the baby. Its a hard line and I am working on the balance--I know there is a learning curve--but for the most part we are doing well. Emma loves helping with the baby, and all things baby. She is just missing her momma--and quite frankly--I am missing her as well!
All in all, I will say that there are times when adding Abbi to our family has been easier than I expected and there are times when I think "what in the world have we done?" However, for the most part, we are doing well and couldn't be happier (well, unless we all slept 8 hours in a row--but that's a little too much to ask right now!)
Abbi is a pretty good little baby during the day! She sleeps like a champ and is relatively content as long as she is full--during the night, there is a 'slight" change in her demeanor. She goes from peaceful, wonderful Abbi--to "oh-my-where-is-our-sweet-baby-and-who-is-this-crazy-child" Abbi. Last night was a little better--she was adamantly fussing until about 2:30--but then actually slept after eating until 5:50. So 3:00-5:50 has been my longest stretch of sleep since she was born-and I am pretty happy this morning about my big sleep last night!
Emma is adjusting to life as a big sister well. She is a little overwhelmed and wants me to do things that I just can't right now. With my vertical c-section incision, I have to be very careful. Emma wants to be held just like the baby and I just can't. I have to be a little firmer with her--but i am trying to be compassionate and I want her to understand that she is just as important as the baby. Its a hard line and I am working on the balance--I know there is a learning curve--but for the most part we are doing well. Emma loves helping with the baby, and all things baby. She is just missing her momma--and quite frankly--I am missing her as well!
All in all, I will say that there are times when adding Abbi to our family has been easier than I expected and there are times when I think "what in the world have we done?" However, for the most part, we are doing well and couldn't be happier (well, unless we all slept 8 hours in a row--but that's a little too much to ask right now!)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Our last day with just Emma...
Well, today is our last day with just Emma--I can not beleive that I finally get to have the baby tommorow! I know I am not past due or anything, but the way my doctor talked--taking me off work early, having two appointments per week, modified bed rest--I never thought I would make it to my actual scheduled date!
Jon and I tried to make Emma's weekend special; acknowledging that it is SUPER HOT right now and that I don't do to well in the heat. Here are a couple of pics of Emma playing with us on our last weekend before she is a big sister:
Running from the sprinkler:
"Ohhh its cooooolllllddddd"
Cooling off mommy's swollen feet! 
Daddy spraying her with the hose!Monday, May 24, 2010
Baby News--or lack thereof
I had my final OB appointment today--it was a success. Baby looks great, my blood pressure is fine, and there are no longer any medical needs to have the baby early. I have one more NST at the hospital on Thursday and then we will be having the baby on Tuesday. The only way, at this point, that we are having the baby before Tuesday will be for me to go in to labor. Unfortunately, the baby is breech and I have only had one or two contractions since Saturday, so its unlikely that I will be going in to labor!
Baby Gabe came to visit and eat dinner with us today. He is SO stinking cute!!! I love him and I love being an aunt so much!!!
Baby Gabe came to visit and eat dinner with us today. He is SO stinking cute!!! I love him and I love being an aunt so much!!!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Its a ZOO out there...
Our Cincinnati zoo passes expire on May 31--and since we are moving to Nashville, we did not renew. The zoo has been a great place for us this year--over the summer Emma and I went alone about once a week and met Jon for lunch. My mom, Emma, and I also went about once a week, and sometimes Emma and mammaw went by themselves. There were weeks over the summer that Emma was at the zoo three times!!! It is zoo baby season and today was the only day between now and our expiration date that Jon could join us--so we went to the zoo. (Secretly, or not so secretly, I was hoping to induce labor by walking a ton as well!!!)
Anyway, Mammaw went with us--Emma enjoyed having mammaw all to herself--and we saw all we could see at the zoo. I am going to post a few pics from our trip!
Baby News: I have an appointment tommorow--I am officially the farthest along as i have ever been (Emma was born at 10:40 am on this day of her pregnacy). I have been having some mild contractions--but so far they ahve not amounted to much. The baby is super active--and seems quite content where he/she is! I doubt anything will happen tommorow unless my BP is up again or unless these contrations turn into something more meaningful!!!
Emma looking good in her shades (above) and Emma eats her icecream (right)!
Emma and mammaw on the elephant statue (above) and Emma pets baby goats (below--see daddy in the background!)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Can we say NESTING :)
Well, Sunday I am officially the "most pregnant" I have ever been. Today I woke up with a sense of panic/anxiety and starting cleaning like crazy. When my blood pressure started acting up, I was afraid of having the baby too early. Now, that I am full term and approaching the day in pregnancy that Emma was born--I AM SO READY TO MEET THIS LITTLE ONE!!!
While I was cleaning today, I came to realize that there are a few things that annoy the crap out of me:
1: The silverware drawer--How does it get so dirty. All we put in it is clean silverware--it does not make sense for it to get so gross.
2. The refrigerator: again--how does it get so gross? It took forever to clean it today.
3. LAUNDRY--I was so excited to have 100% of the laundry in the house done--give Emma a bath and get ready for bed and now we have washcloth, towel, today's clothes for Emma, today's clothes for me, today's clothes for Jon. Almost a full load again. LAUNDRY is never done.
Anyway, no real update--just a little rant about cleaning! The house is clean, the van is clean, everything is ready for baby. Now, its just wait time...
While I was cleaning today, I came to realize that there are a few things that annoy the crap out of me:
1: The silverware drawer--How does it get so dirty. All we put in it is clean silverware--it does not make sense for it to get so gross.
2. The refrigerator: again--how does it get so gross? It took forever to clean it today.
3. LAUNDRY--I was so excited to have 100% of the laundry in the house done--give Emma a bath and get ready for bed and now we have washcloth, towel, today's clothes for Emma, today's clothes for me, today's clothes for Jon. Almost a full load again. LAUNDRY is never done.
Anyway, no real update--just a little rant about cleaning! The house is clean, the van is clean, everything is ready for baby. Now, its just wait time...
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
AUNT KATI :)
So, yesterday I got to experience the joys and stress of being an Aunt for the first time!!!
One of the first things I learned about motherhood was that babies make all their own decisions, and Beth learned that as well-- Gabe decided he was happy where he was and refused to make a debut! Beth ended up having a c-section and Gabe arrived at 8:26 weighing 7lbs 4 oz and as 19.5 inches long. He is adorable and so tiny! I got to rub his little tummy and play with his fingers and toes last night. He was under the warmer so I have not gotten to hold him yet!!!
Emma and I are going out today to see him again--Emma is not allowed on the mom and baby floor (no one under 14 unless it is a sibling can go) so Emma will be joining mammaw and pappaw for lunch while I get to Gabe time :)
Beth did great and i am so proud of her!!!
One of the first things I learned about motherhood was that babies make all their own decisions, and Beth learned that as well-- Gabe decided he was happy where he was and refused to make a debut! Beth ended up having a c-section and Gabe arrived at 8:26 weighing 7lbs 4 oz and as 19.5 inches long. He is adorable and so tiny! I got to rub his little tummy and play with his fingers and toes last night. He was under the warmer so I have not gotten to hold him yet!!!
Emma and I are going out today to see him again--Emma is not allowed on the mom and baby floor (no one under 14 unless it is a sibling can go) so Emma will be joining mammaw and pappaw for lunch while I get to Gabe time :)
Beth did great and i am so proud of her!!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
7 years ago today...
I woke up nervous that I would trip going down the aisle...
My mom paid for a hairstyle that we had to redo when we got to the church...
I yelled at my parents and bridesmaids for hem-hawing when I was ready to get to the church...
I laughed at my dork of a fiance who was trying to greet guests at the door before getting in trouble with the photographers...
I walked down an aisle to start the journey of a life-time...
I married my best friend.
Perhaps its the pregnancy, or the rain, or all that's going on in our lives, or a recent conversation that made me appreciate the people in my life who support us, but I am feeling exceptionally emotional today. I look back over the last seven years, and can not believe all that we have gone through--and all that we have left to experience. I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband, wonderful family, and wonderful friends--my cup runneth over :) Happy Anniversary Jon <3
Baby News: Appointment well great today. Blood pressure was okay--still borderline, but not terrible. Weight gain was nothing :) I have still only gained 12 lbs for the pregnancy :) Baby looked good on ultrasound--seems like I will be pregnant for two more weeks (which is great versus having some sort of problem which would make me have the baby earlier!).
Other baby news: Little sister Beth is at the hospital now!!! She is not in labor yet, but they will be starting her on pitocin and we should have little Gabriel Allen her within the next several hours (my guess is he will be born in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow 5/18) !!! I can't wait to be an AUNT :)
My mom paid for a hairstyle that we had to redo when we got to the church...
I yelled at my parents and bridesmaids for hem-hawing when I was ready to get to the church...
I laughed at my dork of a fiance who was trying to greet guests at the door before getting in trouble with the photographers...
I walked down an aisle to start the journey of a life-time...
I married my best friend.
Perhaps its the pregnancy, or the rain, or all that's going on in our lives, or a recent conversation that made me appreciate the people in my life who support us, but I am feeling exceptionally emotional today. I look back over the last seven years, and can not believe all that we have gone through--and all that we have left to experience. I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband, wonderful family, and wonderful friends--my cup runneth over :) Happy Anniversary Jon <3
Baby News: Appointment well great today. Blood pressure was okay--still borderline, but not terrible. Weight gain was nothing :) I have still only gained 12 lbs for the pregnancy :) Baby looked good on ultrasound--seems like I will be pregnant for two more weeks (which is great versus having some sort of problem which would make me have the baby earlier!).
Other baby news: Little sister Beth is at the hospital now!!! She is not in labor yet, but they will be starting her on pitocin and we should have little Gabriel Allen her within the next several hours (my guess is he will be born in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow 5/18) !!! I can't wait to be an AUNT :)
Friday, May 14, 2010
DDAVP Challenge: Check
What an exhausting day! And, we are glad its over!
Emma had her DDAVP challenge test today. This is to test the DDAVP medicine that she could take if she were injured or in need of major dental work or surgery. This medication helps the factor 8/Von Willebrand factor already in her blood work more efficiently. We had to do a challenge test because not everyone responds to the medication.
We got to Children's Hospital at 11:30 and the test began at about 11:40. I held her body while Jon held her legs. My mom and a child life therapist danced around and entertained Emma while two nurses held her arm to draw the blood and start the IV. Emma actually did very well--she cried very little: mainly when we had to switch her positions and she saw all the tubes sticking out of her hand. She also cried when the first IV spot blew and the medicine started to puff up her arm. They removed the IV, and ended up doing a second IV spot on her hand. After the 20 minutes of medication--Emma just sat in my and mom's laps and Jon fed her puffs while the IV ran (she did SO GREAT) the nurse removed the IV and Emma could move around a little. We were all pretty hot and tired and HOT at this point! It took the six of us to hold and entertain her for the third stick to draw the post-labs. Emma just stayed still and allowed this to happen again--she did not even cry for the third stick! I am so proud of her!!!
BIG NEWS: A nurse practitioner came in to tell us about Emma's other lab results that were off a little. The ratio indicated that Emma was a little "dry" that morning--essentially meaning she was a little more dehydrated than normal (she had less to drink that morning than she usually has). It was borderline elevated--so she said it was not a concern at all, probably one more glass of water that morning and Emma would have been fine! So--glad to hear that all is well with the kidney functions :)
After the DDAVP challenge we took mom to lunch (Jay Alexanders--mom's favorite!) and came home to relax. I was super swollen, so I had to lay on my left side. Emma went down for a nap--we were all asleep by 4:00pm. Emma woke up at 5:00 for some milk, and fell back asleep with Jon is the chair. At 7:00pm-I woke up and Emma and Jon were still sleeping!!! We were all pretty tired from the excitement and struggles of the day.
Results should be in in 3-4 weeks--so, for now, all testing is done on Emma :) No more blood draws for a while!!! YAY!
Emma had her DDAVP challenge test today. This is to test the DDAVP medicine that she could take if she were injured or in need of major dental work or surgery. This medication helps the factor 8/Von Willebrand factor already in her blood work more efficiently. We had to do a challenge test because not everyone responds to the medication.
We got to Children's Hospital at 11:30 and the test began at about 11:40. I held her body while Jon held her legs. My mom and a child life therapist danced around and entertained Emma while two nurses held her arm to draw the blood and start the IV. Emma actually did very well--she cried very little: mainly when we had to switch her positions and she saw all the tubes sticking out of her hand. She also cried when the first IV spot blew and the medicine started to puff up her arm. They removed the IV, and ended up doing a second IV spot on her hand. After the 20 minutes of medication--Emma just sat in my and mom's laps and Jon fed her puffs while the IV ran (she did SO GREAT) the nurse removed the IV and Emma could move around a little. We were all pretty hot and tired and HOT at this point! It took the six of us to hold and entertain her for the third stick to draw the post-labs. Emma just stayed still and allowed this to happen again--she did not even cry for the third stick! I am so proud of her!!!
BIG NEWS: A nurse practitioner came in to tell us about Emma's other lab results that were off a little. The ratio indicated that Emma was a little "dry" that morning--essentially meaning she was a little more dehydrated than normal (she had less to drink that morning than she usually has). It was borderline elevated--so she said it was not a concern at all, probably one more glass of water that morning and Emma would have been fine! So--glad to hear that all is well with the kidney functions :)
After the DDAVP challenge we took mom to lunch (Jay Alexanders--mom's favorite!) and came home to relax. I was super swollen, so I had to lay on my left side. Emma went down for a nap--we were all asleep by 4:00pm. Emma woke up at 5:00 for some milk, and fell back asleep with Jon is the chair. At 7:00pm-I woke up and Emma and Jon were still sleeping!!! We were all pretty tired from the excitement and struggles of the day.
Results should be in in 3-4 weeks--so, for now, all testing is done on Emma :) No more blood draws for a while!!! YAY!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
More Doctors and Baby Prep
Today has been a good day--a lot better than yesterday!
Yesterday started off with a phone call from Emma's hematology team to report results of her blood work. The person on the phone had not reviewed the results herself, and had not had the doctor review the results yet. Anyway, while I was on the phone, she was reading results and mumbling to herself. (Yes, putting me on hold would have been a better option). I heard her say, "normal, normal, hmmm that's elevated, normal, elevated). I was expecting her thrombin time to come back elevated--that's part of the Von Willebrands disease diagnosis. However, the other elevated results I was not expecting. I asked the person on the phone what was elevated, and she did not want to tell me without the doctor review--so, I specifically asked about each test. I found out that one of her renal function test results came back elevated: Bun and creatin ratio. She could not tell me anything else. So, I spend the whole day tense--a mother's worst nightmare is hearing "your child will not survive." I have heard that before--and its devastating. Hearing "abnormal results" in regards to blood work takes me back to that place I was with Hailey. So, for the second time in the last couple of weeks, I spend a day wondering what is wrong with my perfect girl. Essentially, after the doctor reviewed the results--we are told that this issue is separate from VWD and could indicate something else. However, Emma's BUN levels are normal, and her Creatin levels are normal--indicating proper kidney function. They are unsure why her ratio is off--and will be looking into it further during her DDAPV challenge test. The hematology team feels like because her other levels are normal, that this is not a significant problem, but will be discussing it with someone who is more knowledgeable about renal function tests.
I feel better that her kidneys are functioning, and there could be a lot of explanations as to why her B&C ratio is elevated--so, I am calmly waiting on more information and praying that there is nothing else going on.
Today, we did hear from the nurse practitioner from the hematology team. She is the person who will be leading the DDAPV challenge. We have it scheduled for Friday (May 14) at 11:30--it will be a long day--an hour to two hours with an IV--with a two year old will feel like 2 days! However, I will be glad to get it over with. Thoughts and prayers on Friday please--hoping we can somehow keep Emma calm and still enough for the challenge test to be effective!
I have been working on the final prep for baby. I am almost packed for the hospital--and I have a couple of small things to wash for when he/she is here and then we should be good to go. Jon assembled the double stroller and we set up the swing and bouncy seat. Its weird to see all this baby stuff out again! We are down to under 3 weeks before the actual scheduled date--and as well as my appointments have been going--we will probably not have the baby early!
Emma is super excited about the baby--she has been practicing being a big sister to her baby dolls. I have to keep in mind, despite all this extra stress concerning her test results, that these are my last few weeks one on one with her. We are having a lot of fun and I do truly appreciate spending time and playing with her. I just want her to be happy and healthy.
Yesterday started off with a phone call from Emma's hematology team to report results of her blood work. The person on the phone had not reviewed the results herself, and had not had the doctor review the results yet. Anyway, while I was on the phone, she was reading results and mumbling to herself. (Yes, putting me on hold would have been a better option). I heard her say, "normal, normal, hmmm that's elevated, normal, elevated). I was expecting her thrombin time to come back elevated--that's part of the Von Willebrands disease diagnosis. However, the other elevated results I was not expecting. I asked the person on the phone what was elevated, and she did not want to tell me without the doctor review--so, I specifically asked about each test. I found out that one of her renal function test results came back elevated: Bun and creatin ratio. She could not tell me anything else. So, I spend the whole day tense--a mother's worst nightmare is hearing "your child will not survive." I have heard that before--and its devastating. Hearing "abnormal results" in regards to blood work takes me back to that place I was with Hailey. So, for the second time in the last couple of weeks, I spend a day wondering what is wrong with my perfect girl. Essentially, after the doctor reviewed the results--we are told that this issue is separate from VWD and could indicate something else. However, Emma's BUN levels are normal, and her Creatin levels are normal--indicating proper kidney function. They are unsure why her ratio is off--and will be looking into it further during her DDAPV challenge test. The hematology team feels like because her other levels are normal, that this is not a significant problem, but will be discussing it with someone who is more knowledgeable about renal function tests.
I feel better that her kidneys are functioning, and there could be a lot of explanations as to why her B&C ratio is elevated--so, I am calmly waiting on more information and praying that there is nothing else going on.
Today, we did hear from the nurse practitioner from the hematology team. She is the person who will be leading the DDAPV challenge. We have it scheduled for Friday (May 14) at 11:30--it will be a long day--an hour to two hours with an IV--with a two year old will feel like 2 days! However, I will be glad to get it over with. Thoughts and prayers on Friday please--hoping we can somehow keep Emma calm and still enough for the challenge test to be effective!
I have been working on the final prep for baby. I am almost packed for the hospital--and I have a couple of small things to wash for when he/she is here and then we should be good to go. Jon assembled the double stroller and we set up the swing and bouncy seat. Its weird to see all this baby stuff out again! We are down to under 3 weeks before the actual scheduled date--and as well as my appointments have been going--we will probably not have the baby early!
Emma is super excited about the baby--she has been practicing being a big sister to her baby dolls. I have to keep in mind, despite all this extra stress concerning her test results, that these are my last few weeks one on one with her. We are having a lot of fun and I do truly appreciate spending time and playing with her. I just want her to be happy and healthy.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Life's greatest rewards
I/we decided to start a blog to keep everyone updated on all the "stuff" going on in our lives--since there is a lot of "stuff" going on!!! I can not promise to update daily, but it is my goal to update often--it is our hopes that when we move we will be able to keep family and friends in the know! There is kind of a lot to start with, so I am going to organize this first post by topic!
House: We went from 3-5 showings a week, to having two offers submitted to the bank to NOTHING. We lost both buyers and have not had a showing in over a week. My realtor said they have SLOWED down since the tax credit ended... so, we are still hoping and praying for an offer that sticks.
Jon:
The interview at Vanderbilt last week went very well. He felt like it was more of a recruiting session versus a regular interview. He was supposed to come home and talk to me about moving to TN and then get back to Dr. Conn. On Friday, Dr. Conn emailed and made a formal offer to Jon about working in his lab at Vandy Medical Center. The "official" paper work is on its way, but the email included information about salary and benefits. Jon will be accepting the offer!. Its kind of crazy to think that it is official--Nashville here we come (in July!)
Kati/Baby:
Finally, my blood pressure is under control. Thursday at the hospital, my bp was 130/66...the best its been. I am still off work, and have been for a couple weeks now. I was sad to stop work early because I miss my friends and family at FHS, however, the baby and I are doing so much better. I think being on my feet all day and the stresses that come with teaching was just a little too much on the little girl/guy. The baby is doing great now. I go for an ultrasound/biophysical profile every Monday and a Non-Stress test at the hospital every Thursday. Last week--all appointments went very well and it seems I will stay pregnant for at least a couple more weeks :) I can not wait to see our little girl/guy when he/she finally gets here!
Emma:
She is definitely the joy of our lives--and she has developed a new attitude called "two." She is becoming a little sass, and if you ask her whats wrong with her, she says: "two." She keeps us hopping, and is for the most part quite a happy little girl.
We recently had to have some testing done because of a couple of minor cuts that bled for long periods of time. Her bleeding time tested long--so a panel was run to test her for Von Willebrands Disease. As of right now, she has been diagnosed with type 1 Von Willebrands Disease--which essentially means that she does not clot well after she is injured and she bleeds for a long time. Day to day life is not really affected; she basically can not take aspirin or Ibuprofen and we will have to make sure everyone who is watching her knows how to respond to her cuts and bleeding. We will be having a DDAVP challenge test to see if she responds to the treatment. Essentially, she will only need DDAVP in the case of surgeries/major injuries.
At first, I was pretty stressed about the idea that something could be wrong with Emma--she is my perfect girl! However, now that I am more informed about whats going on with her, I am grateful that VWD is not a more serious disease. I am also grateful that we know in advance that she has this bleeding disorder and did not have to discover it through some serious injury. Essentially, she had to get it from Jon or I and we have both been fine. So, while I can say I am a little disappointed that she has this disease, I am grateful that it is not life threatening.
If you made it this far--thanks for reading :) Being Jon's wife and being a mom has been the most fulfilling and satisfying job I could have ever imagined. Though we have a lot going on right now, I would not trade it for the world---I love our life and can not wait to see what our future will bring!
House: We went from 3-5 showings a week, to having two offers submitted to the bank to NOTHING. We lost both buyers and have not had a showing in over a week. My realtor said they have SLOWED down since the tax credit ended... so, we are still hoping and praying for an offer that sticks.
Jon:
The interview at Vanderbilt last week went very well. He felt like it was more of a recruiting session versus a regular interview. He was supposed to come home and talk to me about moving to TN and then get back to Dr. Conn. On Friday, Dr. Conn emailed and made a formal offer to Jon about working in his lab at Vandy Medical Center. The "official" paper work is on its way, but the email included information about salary and benefits. Jon will be accepting the offer!. Its kind of crazy to think that it is official--Nashville here we come (in July!)
Kati/Baby:
Finally, my blood pressure is under control. Thursday at the hospital, my bp was 130/66...the best its been. I am still off work, and have been for a couple weeks now. I was sad to stop work early because I miss my friends and family at FHS, however, the baby and I are doing so much better. I think being on my feet all day and the stresses that come with teaching was just a little too much on the little girl/guy. The baby is doing great now. I go for an ultrasound/biophysical profile every Monday and a Non-Stress test at the hospital every Thursday. Last week--all appointments went very well and it seems I will stay pregnant for at least a couple more weeks :) I can not wait to see our little girl/guy when he/she finally gets here!
Emma:
She is definitely the joy of our lives--and she has developed a new attitude called "two." She is becoming a little sass, and if you ask her whats wrong with her, she says: "two." She keeps us hopping, and is for the most part quite a happy little girl.
We recently had to have some testing done because of a couple of minor cuts that bled for long periods of time. Her bleeding time tested long--so a panel was run to test her for Von Willebrands Disease. As of right now, she has been diagnosed with type 1 Von Willebrands Disease--which essentially means that she does not clot well after she is injured and she bleeds for a long time. Day to day life is not really affected; she basically can not take aspirin or Ibuprofen and we will have to make sure everyone who is watching her knows how to respond to her cuts and bleeding. We will be having a DDAVP challenge test to see if she responds to the treatment. Essentially, she will only need DDAVP in the case of surgeries/major injuries.
At first, I was pretty stressed about the idea that something could be wrong with Emma--she is my perfect girl! However, now that I am more informed about whats going on with her, I am grateful that VWD is not a more serious disease. I am also grateful that we know in advance that she has this bleeding disorder and did not have to discover it through some serious injury. Essentially, she had to get it from Jon or I and we have both been fine. So, while I can say I am a little disappointed that she has this disease, I am grateful that it is not life threatening.
If you made it this far--thanks for reading :) Being Jon's wife and being a mom has been the most fulfilling and satisfying job I could have ever imagined. Though we have a lot going on right now, I would not trade it for the world---I love our life and can not wait to see what our future will bring!
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