Now that I have the energy to move around and gets things done, nothing in this house is safe! I am often inspired by articles that I read in some of my favorite magazines and today's inspiration comes from an issue of Women's Day. I used to keep magazines thinking I would go back to them to retreive the information that I felt would be helpful to me, but the truth is the magazines would just start piling up until I eventually threw them out. So, keeping it all here was a better solution to me.
Now more than ever I feel the need to get rid of things that are not useful. Last year me and some of my other family members did a bit of an intervention on my grandma's home while she was away. Grandma is a hoarder, but it wasn't always like that. Knowing this, I am fearful of becoming like grandma someday. Anyway so here are some of the things I got from that article.
Often we have an emotional attachment to things that are just not functional in our lives. There are five main reasons we don't toss things out:
1. "Someone special gave it to me"
For example: When I was 10 and my dad passed away my dad didn't have much to pass down, but what he did have we gratefully accepted as a reminder of him.
The collection of keys he had were one of those things I kept for years, but as I grew older I realized I couldn't keep them forever just because they belonged to him, so I finally parted with them.
It is helpful to keep in mind that our loved one would have wanted us to keep the items that we would get use out of, not things that will sit around and collect dust or clutter up otherwise useful space.
2. "It's irreplaceable"
As a mommy I have been given enormous amounts of priceless art from my little ones. Surely they are all special but there is just no room to keep everything. So I have begun to save the very special ones.
Something that can be done to save these precious pieces of art is to take digital images, that way you can always look back on them.
3. "It reminds us of a specific time in our lives"
A great example here is my wedding dress. We are coming up on our tenth anniversary and I had held on to my wedding dress up until a couple months ago when I added it to the donation pile. I am the mom to three boys so there is just no reason to keep it. Now, had I had a daughter I may have kept it for her. Sometimes giving up things like this make us feel like we are losing a piece of ourselves.
In reality the object is not a part of us, it is just a piece of history, an object taking up space. The memory of that special time is what should be held onto, not the item. I can always look back on my wedding pictures to reflect on that special day.
4. "We might need it"
This one is the hardest for me, you know because I MAY need it someday. What if I did get rid of that item that I needed to keep just in case and found myself needing it a year later? Easy, borrow it from a friend!! Putting it that way makes parting with those items much easier for me.
5. "But it's pretty"
Lets face it, we only have so much room for pretty little knickknacks and they aren't something that we exactly use. I am not sure about others but I know that too much clutter of anything sends me into a little bit of a panic, so that helps me to not collect too many knickknacks, this goes for holiday decorations as well. If you have noticed for the last three years that you have passed up certain decoration during Christmas, it is time to let go of those decorations. Other things that fit in this category could be clothing or anything really. Just be open minded when attempting to rid yourself of things you know you just don't need.
It took quite some time for you to accumulate all these items, so it will take some time to declutter. Giving yourself one week per room should be an ample amount of time if you schedule two-four 2-hour time slots to work on it each week. Going through things can be an emotional time and you can put too much thought into it to the point of not being able to let go of anything. So try not to think about the things that you are going to get rid of, sometimes a friend being there for moral support can help you part with some of the items.
The best thing to do is to build your own decluttering plan that will work for you. Perhaps a week by week table that will show what your plan of attack is. The first thing you will want to do is go for the obvious, you know that area of your house that makes you cringe when you walk into it.
Once you have successfully decluttered, throw yourself a party to give away all those items that someone else may need. Happy decluttering!!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Birth Story of a Proud Surrogate Mother
As I have said this pregnancy flew by so fast. June 1st I went into the hospital at around 9:30 am. The doctor came in to see where I was at as far as dilation goes, depressingly I was at 1cm long and high. So the decision was to give my cytotec to soften the cervix and hopefully get some contractions going on. They said I may need two doses before anything happened and the doses would be 4 hours apart. Within an hour of the first dose the contractions began and they were about 2 mins apart.
By 2 o'clock I had only progressed to 2cm. That was a bit depressing and I was beginning to think that little miss Shia's birthday would end up being June 2nd. There was lots going on in our room to help pass the time. Through watching some funny breast pump videos I found that laughter eased the pain of the contractions. There were quite a few people in there to keep me entertained. There was my husband, my mom, my cousin Tati came by for a brief visit but didn't stay for the birth, my sister, Mike and Rudy (AKA the daddies)Sara- she was documenting the whole day, Darcy- Mike's mom and Gina- Rudy's sister. The hospital was very great about everyone being there which was not originally the plan, there was only going to be a total of 5 people.
As dinner time rolled around there wasn't much of a change in my cervix, so almost everyone headed out for sushi. That was around the shift change of the nurses. MJ was our first nurse and Cheryl was our second. Right at the end of MJ's shift the contractions seemed to slow a bit. It wasn't until Cheryl took over that the contractions began to pick up and my water bag began to trickle.
It was about that time that I opted for the epidural, the contractions were so strong and at one point one of them lasted for 3 minutes then there was a less than 30 second time period that it started to taper off only to go right back up again for another 2 minutes. That was probably the worst pain I have ever felt during labor. I had my sister call my husband and let them know not to come in until I had the epidural and that I was still only at 2cm so there was no rush. My pain level was so intense I did not want anyone to see me like that. At this time in the room with me was my sister. The anesthesiologist seemed to take forever and of course I really couldn't get a break between contractions during my wait. Right in the middle of all this intense pain my mom came back from tending to my kids. I really felt bad for them to see me in that much pain. At one point the nurse had me sitting up and I felt this hard thump, it was the baby's head dropping. Cheryl checked me and there wasn't much of a change except for the baby's head had decended further into the birth canal.
After the anesthesiologist got there it was still quite some time before I felt any kind of relief from the epidural. My doctor came in right after the anesthesiologist and checked me. He looked back at my sister and told her that she better call them that I was at 7cm. He also said that they better run. I was so surprised that I had dilated so much within minutes! At the same time I was glad that we were almost there because the epidural wasn't completely working just yet. Within 10 minutes she was born. She came into this world at 8:29 on Wednesday June 1, 2011 weighing 6lbs 5oz. After she was all cleaned up from her bath I nursed her and she nursed like a champ! She is such a little angelic looking baby girl I could hold her and stare at her for hours.
It was such an amazing experience and I feel so blessed with our entire surrogacy journey together. Mike and Rudy have been amazing the whole way through as well as their families. Getting to see them interact as a family and the love they all have for one another assures me of all the love this little girl will have throughout her lifetime.
I have been blessed with two wonderful journies and had the pleasure of blessing two sets of parents with their dreams of having a baby. There is just no greater feeling than that.
By 2 o'clock I had only progressed to 2cm. That was a bit depressing and I was beginning to think that little miss Shia's birthday would end up being June 2nd. There was lots going on in our room to help pass the time. Through watching some funny breast pump videos I found that laughter eased the pain of the contractions. There were quite a few people in there to keep me entertained. There was my husband, my mom, my cousin Tati came by for a brief visit but didn't stay for the birth, my sister, Mike and Rudy (AKA the daddies)Sara- she was documenting the whole day, Darcy- Mike's mom and Gina- Rudy's sister. The hospital was very great about everyone being there which was not originally the plan, there was only going to be a total of 5 people.
As dinner time rolled around there wasn't much of a change in my cervix, so almost everyone headed out for sushi. That was around the shift change of the nurses. MJ was our first nurse and Cheryl was our second. Right at the end of MJ's shift the contractions seemed to slow a bit. It wasn't until Cheryl took over that the contractions began to pick up and my water bag began to trickle.
It was about that time that I opted for the epidural, the contractions were so strong and at one point one of them lasted for 3 minutes then there was a less than 30 second time period that it started to taper off only to go right back up again for another 2 minutes. That was probably the worst pain I have ever felt during labor. I had my sister call my husband and let them know not to come in until I had the epidural and that I was still only at 2cm so there was no rush. My pain level was so intense I did not want anyone to see me like that. At this time in the room with me was my sister. The anesthesiologist seemed to take forever and of course I really couldn't get a break between contractions during my wait. Right in the middle of all this intense pain my mom came back from tending to my kids. I really felt bad for them to see me in that much pain. At one point the nurse had me sitting up and I felt this hard thump, it was the baby's head dropping. Cheryl checked me and there wasn't much of a change except for the baby's head had decended further into the birth canal.
After the anesthesiologist got there it was still quite some time before I felt any kind of relief from the epidural. My doctor came in right after the anesthesiologist and checked me. He looked back at my sister and told her that she better call them that I was at 7cm. He also said that they better run. I was so surprised that I had dilated so much within minutes! At the same time I was glad that we were almost there because the epidural wasn't completely working just yet. Within 10 minutes she was born. She came into this world at 8:29 on Wednesday June 1, 2011 weighing 6lbs 5oz. After she was all cleaned up from her bath I nursed her and she nursed like a champ! She is such a little angelic looking baby girl I could hold her and stare at her for hours.
It was such an amazing experience and I feel so blessed with our entire surrogacy journey together. Mike and Rudy have been amazing the whole way through as well as their families. Getting to see them interact as a family and the love they all have for one another assures me of all the love this little girl will have throughout her lifetime.
I have been blessed with two wonderful journies and had the pleasure of blessing two sets of parents with their dreams of having a baby. There is just no greater feeling than that.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Counting down the weeks
I just cannot believe how quickly this pregnancy is flying by. We are down to less than 6 weeks. Just this past Tuesday we went to court and did the pre-birth order to ensure that Mike and Rudy get put on the birth certificate. My last surrogacy we didn't go to the court hearing, just the lawyers went. So being a part of this one was pretty special. They have done an awesome job on her room and the only thing that they are missing is a baby!
Spring break has come and gone. The first week pretty much sucked! The weather was gloomy and I was so stinkin' sick. Nearly two weeks later and I am still fighting off this cough, but it has improved quite a bit. I still have a few more days of antibiotics and I am hoping to be back to normal. This week the weather was perfect, me and the boys spent time in the sun and playing in the water. Yesterday we went to the Carlsbad Strawberry Company to pick our own strawberries. They have the BEST strawberries ever.
Tonight the boys are spending the night with their cousins so it will just be me and the hubby. He is currently headed back home with a movie for us to watch so I am off!
Spring break has come and gone. The first week pretty much sucked! The weather was gloomy and I was so stinkin' sick. Nearly two weeks later and I am still fighting off this cough, but it has improved quite a bit. I still have a few more days of antibiotics and I am hoping to be back to normal. This week the weather was perfect, me and the boys spent time in the sun and playing in the water. Yesterday we went to the Carlsbad Strawberry Company to pick our own strawberries. They have the BEST strawberries ever.
Tonight the boys are spending the night with their cousins so it will just be me and the hubby. He is currently headed back home with a movie for us to watch so I am off!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Busy Bees
Our last two weeks have been super busy! Last Friday we went on a weekend trip to Disneyland, three nights in a hotel and 2 days at Disneyland and California Adventure. I have been feeling really great during this pregnancy so I figured it would be no big deal, boy was I wrong. By the first night my feet and knees were killing me!! A nice soak in hot water and a good nights sleep had me ready to go for our next day at California Adventure. That was our first visit to that park. It looked like a lot of fun, I couldn't ride most of those rides. Isaac and I spent a lot of time in Bug's Land. He is not a fan of roller coasters, although he did go on Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and Haunted Mansion. He screamed so loud when the lights in the Haunted Mansion elevator went out and the thunder clashed. I felt like mom of the year right there! He was stuck like glue to me the rest of the way through the ride.
The kids were so well behaved those days that we were vacationing, it was awesome! The first night for dinner we headed over to Joe's Crab Shack. That was the most tasty crab I have ever had and the kids meals had a variety of food and a good price. The atmosphere was fun and the staff was friendly. That is definately our new go to place for seafood. While planning our vacation I made a mistake thinking their vacation was a week earlier than it was, so Monday the boys did miss school. Thankfully their testing didn't resume until Tuesday.
Isaac woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat and fever and you could see it in his eyes that he was not feeling good, so he had a rather short week at school. He was feeling better last night so we went to the drive-in movies, it was either sit on the couch and watch a movie that we have already seen or sit in the car and watch Rio and Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2. So we picked up some Panda Express and headed to Santee. Isaac is feeling way better than yesterday, so I am a happy momma.
It's quiet in the house right now, Andrew is with his dad and the two Erics are fishing. Just me and Isaac are here at the house, he is playing a video game and here I sit catching up on my blog and watching Couples Retreat. I have decided to start adding some new stuff to my blog, instead of only writing about what goes on in my life I am also going to add some tips that I get from magazines. This is a great way to pass on useful info and for me to not have to remember where I read things.
In the mail I just received a letter from the middle school welcoming my middle son. Oh my goodness!! I can't believe he is moving on to middle school. It seems as though time goes by so quickly when you are an adult, but as a child you cannot grow up fast enough. I remember wanting to grow up to become an adult, so badly wanting that independence. Not truly knowing what being an adult involved. We never see situations for what they really are, we always see the greener grass side of things.
Things are going great in my pregnancy, we just hit 32 weeks. I have an appointment on Monday with the OB and I think he will schedule me to begin my weekly non-stress tests. We also have the perinatologist appointment on May 3rd where she will do the final growth scan on little Shia. Her daddies are getting more excited each day as they await her arrival. They just finished her fairy themed room. They did such an amazing job on it. She has so many people who are waiting for her arrival and ready to give her all the love every baby deserves. I can't wait to watch this couple turn into a family!!
The kids were so well behaved those days that we were vacationing, it was awesome! The first night for dinner we headed over to Joe's Crab Shack. That was the most tasty crab I have ever had and the kids meals had a variety of food and a good price. The atmosphere was fun and the staff was friendly. That is definately our new go to place for seafood. While planning our vacation I made a mistake thinking their vacation was a week earlier than it was, so Monday the boys did miss school. Thankfully their testing didn't resume until Tuesday.
Isaac woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat and fever and you could see it in his eyes that he was not feeling good, so he had a rather short week at school. He was feeling better last night so we went to the drive-in movies, it was either sit on the couch and watch a movie that we have already seen or sit in the car and watch Rio and Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2. So we picked up some Panda Express and headed to Santee. Isaac is feeling way better than yesterday, so I am a happy momma.
It's quiet in the house right now, Andrew is with his dad and the two Erics are fishing. Just me and Isaac are here at the house, he is playing a video game and here I sit catching up on my blog and watching Couples Retreat. I have decided to start adding some new stuff to my blog, instead of only writing about what goes on in my life I am also going to add some tips that I get from magazines. This is a great way to pass on useful info and for me to not have to remember where I read things.
In the mail I just received a letter from the middle school welcoming my middle son. Oh my goodness!! I can't believe he is moving on to middle school. It seems as though time goes by so quickly when you are an adult, but as a child you cannot grow up fast enough. I remember wanting to grow up to become an adult, so badly wanting that independence. Not truly knowing what being an adult involved. We never see situations for what they really are, we always see the greener grass side of things.
Things are going great in my pregnancy, we just hit 32 weeks. I have an appointment on Monday with the OB and I think he will schedule me to begin my weekly non-stress tests. We also have the perinatologist appointment on May 3rd where she will do the final growth scan on little Shia. Her daddies are getting more excited each day as they await her arrival. They just finished her fairy themed room. They did such an amazing job on it. She has so many people who are waiting for her arrival and ready to give her all the love every baby deserves. I can't wait to watch this couple turn into a family!!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Things couldn't be going better right now! Yesterday we had a Super Bowl Party with some friends and family. We love hosting parties and bringing everyone together. I had cousins from each side of the family over at the same time for the first time in my adult life. During the last year we finally reunited with my dad's side of the family. This time we are keeping in contact and doing things together and I am loving it! Just a couple weeks ago we went to see my cousin's band play, they were down from San Francisco for a few shows. Even grandma came out for that one.
I love how easy facebook makes communicating with friends and family. And I love that the communication can happen at any time of the day. Now there is no reason for us to lose contact ever again. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family.
My life just got a little busier, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I have decided to go full force with my Mary Kay business. I have been in business since August of 2008 and have just been doing little orders for customers here and there and now I have found myself wanting more! The foundation of the Mary Kay Company was built on faith first, family second and career third. I cannot tell you how many times that I had to call out to work because one of my kids was sick and the guilt trip the boss would lay on me...ugh it made me feel like crap, like I had to choose. I don't miss that at all! I feel so blessed for the Post 911 GI bill which pays my housing allowance while I am attending school, without it I would still have been stuck at that same old job. Now I can focus on school without the stress of that job over my head.
Speaking of school tomorrow night marks week 4/5 of my final math class, woooohooooo!!! Algebra has been a little like torture for me, at one point I cried from the frustration. It is getting a little more tolerable as I have had some help from a very accomodating classmate, thank you Justin!!
This pregnancy is going good. I have made two trips to L&D already. It seems that some things are happening earlier in this pregnancy than my last. The braxton hicks started last week, and from what I remember they hadn't started until I was over 30 weeks in my previous pregnancies. And then of course the lovely leaking fluid. But when it all comes down to it I would much rather be told that I am peeing on myself than having a leaking bag of waters. For the first time it was actually explained to me why it happens. The nurse said that the amount of progesterone that is produced during pregnancy tends to relax the muscles in the urinary system resulting in the leaky urine. Both trips ended up good, I couldn't ask for more. I have always been one to err on the side of caution. So those two things are out of the way and she moves like crazy so I have not a thing to worry about.
Mike, one of the baby's daddies has picked out the colors for the nursery and has gotten quite a few things for her room already. He has invited me to come take a look once it is all done, so exciting!!!
The other day I was asked the question "How do you carry a baby for nine months and then hand it over to someone else?" I hadn't given it a whole lot of thought until the question was presented to me. First off, babies born to a gestational surrogate have no genetic link, secondly I have no desire to have any more children at this time in my life, and lastly I noticed that there is no attachment to the surrogate babies I have had in my belly. Don't get me wrong, each of them will always have a special place in my heart, but I think there is something about preparing for your own little one to be born versus getting excited watching someone else prepare for the little one you are carrying. Hopefully that made sense to someone other than me.
In Saturday's mail I got pictures of my five year old surro son, Cole. As I was putting his pictures on the wall, I felt so proud that I had helped bring him into this world. I love to share his pictures with family and friends who come over, especially the ones that stood by my side as I went through that journey. They are almost just as excited as I am to watch him grow.
Once little Miss Shia Leighton is born I will be starting a precious moments princess train for her and build on it each birthday. I had started one for Cole, but not a princess one, his is a precious moments animal train. It is my way of acknowledging his birth and I guess it is also my way for him remembering me. There are some people who don't like the idea of surrogacy and some who treat me as if I am the greastest woman on the planet. I try not to care too much about what others think of me either way, so in the end it all kinda balances out. I am just so glad that I have had this opportunity to be a part of making two couples dreams of having a family a reality.
Well it is bedtime in the Alcala home and time for me to tuck my littles in bed.
I love how easy facebook makes communicating with friends and family. And I love that the communication can happen at any time of the day. Now there is no reason for us to lose contact ever again. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family.
My life just got a little busier, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I have decided to go full force with my Mary Kay business. I have been in business since August of 2008 and have just been doing little orders for customers here and there and now I have found myself wanting more! The foundation of the Mary Kay Company was built on faith first, family second and career third. I cannot tell you how many times that I had to call out to work because one of my kids was sick and the guilt trip the boss would lay on me...ugh it made me feel like crap, like I had to choose. I don't miss that at all! I feel so blessed for the Post 911 GI bill which pays my housing allowance while I am attending school, without it I would still have been stuck at that same old job. Now I can focus on school without the stress of that job over my head.
Speaking of school tomorrow night marks week 4/5 of my final math class, woooohooooo!!! Algebra has been a little like torture for me, at one point I cried from the frustration. It is getting a little more tolerable as I have had some help from a very accomodating classmate, thank you Justin!!
This pregnancy is going good. I have made two trips to L&D already. It seems that some things are happening earlier in this pregnancy than my last. The braxton hicks started last week, and from what I remember they hadn't started until I was over 30 weeks in my previous pregnancies. And then of course the lovely leaking fluid. But when it all comes down to it I would much rather be told that I am peeing on myself than having a leaking bag of waters. For the first time it was actually explained to me why it happens. The nurse said that the amount of progesterone that is produced during pregnancy tends to relax the muscles in the urinary system resulting in the leaky urine. Both trips ended up good, I couldn't ask for more. I have always been one to err on the side of caution. So those two things are out of the way and she moves like crazy so I have not a thing to worry about.
Mike, one of the baby's daddies has picked out the colors for the nursery and has gotten quite a few things for her room already. He has invited me to come take a look once it is all done, so exciting!!!
The other day I was asked the question "How do you carry a baby for nine months and then hand it over to someone else?" I hadn't given it a whole lot of thought until the question was presented to me. First off, babies born to a gestational surrogate have no genetic link, secondly I have no desire to have any more children at this time in my life, and lastly I noticed that there is no attachment to the surrogate babies I have had in my belly. Don't get me wrong, each of them will always have a special place in my heart, but I think there is something about preparing for your own little one to be born versus getting excited watching someone else prepare for the little one you are carrying. Hopefully that made sense to someone other than me.
In Saturday's mail I got pictures of my five year old surro son, Cole. As I was putting his pictures on the wall, I felt so proud that I had helped bring him into this world. I love to share his pictures with family and friends who come over, especially the ones that stood by my side as I went through that journey. They are almost just as excited as I am to watch him grow.
Once little Miss Shia Leighton is born I will be starting a precious moments princess train for her and build on it each birthday. I had started one for Cole, but not a princess one, his is a precious moments animal train. It is my way of acknowledging his birth and I guess it is also my way for him remembering me. There are some people who don't like the idea of surrogacy and some who treat me as if I am the greastest woman on the planet. I try not to care too much about what others think of me either way, so in the end it all kinda balances out. I am just so glad that I have had this opportunity to be a part of making two couples dreams of having a family a reality.
Well it is bedtime in the Alcala home and time for me to tuck my littles in bed.
Monday, January 10, 2011
In the Blogger Hall of Shame...
I cannot believe that it has been more than 2 months since I have updated! Every now and then I tell myself that I will get better at this and update more frequently...FAIL.
Lets see...the pregnancy is going great. On December 23rd we found out M&R are having a little girl. This is exciting on many levels. They wanted their first to be a girl and I wanted to experience carrying a girl. I have noticed a difference in how I have felt this pregnancy compared to my other four. I was sick for the first couple of months with her, I had NEVER been that sick with any of the boys. And so far (knock on wood)I have only gained about 8 pounds and I am almost half way there! The noticeable movement started at around 16 1/2 weeks and has increased significantly. I have only been able to feel her outside my belly twice. This is what I love so much about being pregnant
This will most likely be my last pregnancy. It is bittersweet. Since my last OB retired I had been seeing his PA (until this pregnancy)and when I went for my yearly to get cleared for another pregnancy she cautioned that due to my age (I will be 35 when I deliver this baby) it would be best if this were my last pregnancy. After the age of 35 there are increased risks. I am finishing up my degree and want to start my career in criminal justice (still undecided what I want to do) so this was my plan anyway. This is M&R's first baby and they will be planning a sibling project in the future, it is a little sad to think that I won't be the one to help them complete their family. But on the other hand, who knows maybe I will.
The boys are all doing well. Andrew is moving right along in his classes. He got equipment for his band for Christmas and we will be picking up another guitar for him tomorrow morning. He loves music, he writes songs and plays the guitar, drums and sings or shall I say screams. I have yet to hear him because he says he is embarrassed to do it in front of me, he thinks I will be critical of him. Someday I am sure I will get to hear him.
Lil Eric and Isaac...well what can I say? They are always at each other's throats. It has been non-stop lately and is driving me batty!! Isaac wants so much for Eric to hug him and show him affection but Eric refuses. Then Isaac's feelings are hurt and he lashes out at him. Lil Eric has had a major attitude lately. He back talks like a teenager and for that he has been getting himself grounded from his favorite things. Perhaps one day he may want to play his video games again and will think before he opens up his mouth to be sassy. Drawing is one thing they have in common and can do well sitting next to each other without fighting. I just keep telling myself that one day they will get along.
My husband just had a birthday and we had our first date night in what seems like months. We went to Old Town while my sister babysat the kids. It was very nice to have that one on one time. In February it will be 12 years since we have been together and the time has just flown by. We have had our ups and downs (not too much between us but with his family) and we are determined to not let them ruin what we have. As parents we have decided to raise our kids differently than we were raised, we were both raised completely different from one another. We take the good things and memories from our childhoods and pass it on to our kids the best that we can and try to leave the bad behind.
Over the last couple years I feel that I have gotten bitter over certain situations and I HATE that. I am trying to accept that some things are beyond my control and I can't change the way people do things or treat other people no matter how I feel about it. It just stinks to be asked for my help over and over again for years and then when I make a decision to do something that I see as the only way to get results I am the bad guy. I will never understand some people and I will no longer try to. I am only in control of me and that is where my control ends.
I haven't really made any definative New Year's resolutions but one of the things that I am working on is being more organized. IKEA was a great first stop for me. I scored on some storage containers and other items to help make getting organized possible. Now if I could just get the rest of the family on board. We were cleaning the boys room the other day and Isaac decided it would be best to just get rid of all of the toys, that way they can't make a mess anymore. It was hard for him to understand that it just doesn't work that way, there are some things you just have to try for. Their room is still a work in progress.
Lets see...the pregnancy is going great. On December 23rd we found out M&R are having a little girl. This is exciting on many levels. They wanted their first to be a girl and I wanted to experience carrying a girl. I have noticed a difference in how I have felt this pregnancy compared to my other four. I was sick for the first couple of months with her, I had NEVER been that sick with any of the boys. And so far (knock on wood)I have only gained about 8 pounds and I am almost half way there! The noticeable movement started at around 16 1/2 weeks and has increased significantly. I have only been able to feel her outside my belly twice. This is what I love so much about being pregnant
This will most likely be my last pregnancy. It is bittersweet. Since my last OB retired I had been seeing his PA (until this pregnancy)and when I went for my yearly to get cleared for another pregnancy she cautioned that due to my age (I will be 35 when I deliver this baby) it would be best if this were my last pregnancy. After the age of 35 there are increased risks. I am finishing up my degree and want to start my career in criminal justice (still undecided what I want to do) so this was my plan anyway. This is M&R's first baby and they will be planning a sibling project in the future, it is a little sad to think that I won't be the one to help them complete their family. But on the other hand, who knows maybe I will.
The boys are all doing well. Andrew is moving right along in his classes. He got equipment for his band for Christmas and we will be picking up another guitar for him tomorrow morning. He loves music, he writes songs and plays the guitar, drums and sings or shall I say screams. I have yet to hear him because he says he is embarrassed to do it in front of me, he thinks I will be critical of him. Someday I am sure I will get to hear him.
Lil Eric and Isaac...well what can I say? They are always at each other's throats. It has been non-stop lately and is driving me batty!! Isaac wants so much for Eric to hug him and show him affection but Eric refuses. Then Isaac's feelings are hurt and he lashes out at him. Lil Eric has had a major attitude lately. He back talks like a teenager and for that he has been getting himself grounded from his favorite things. Perhaps one day he may want to play his video games again and will think before he opens up his mouth to be sassy. Drawing is one thing they have in common and can do well sitting next to each other without fighting. I just keep telling myself that one day they will get along.
My husband just had a birthday and we had our first date night in what seems like months. We went to Old Town while my sister babysat the kids. It was very nice to have that one on one time. In February it will be 12 years since we have been together and the time has just flown by. We have had our ups and downs (not too much between us but with his family) and we are determined to not let them ruin what we have. As parents we have decided to raise our kids differently than we were raised, we were both raised completely different from one another. We take the good things and memories from our childhoods and pass it on to our kids the best that we can and try to leave the bad behind.
Over the last couple years I feel that I have gotten bitter over certain situations and I HATE that. I am trying to accept that some things are beyond my control and I can't change the way people do things or treat other people no matter how I feel about it. It just stinks to be asked for my help over and over again for years and then when I make a decision to do something that I see as the only way to get results I am the bad guy. I will never understand some people and I will no longer try to. I am only in control of me and that is where my control ends.
I haven't really made any definative New Year's resolutions but one of the things that I am working on is being more organized. IKEA was a great first stop for me. I scored on some storage containers and other items to help make getting organized possible. Now if I could just get the rest of the family on board. We were cleaning the boys room the other day and Isaac decided it would be best to just get rid of all of the toys, that way they can't make a mess anymore. It was hard for him to understand that it just doesn't work that way, there are some things you just have to try for. Their room is still a work in progress.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Things are coming along very well
So I continue to struggle with this blogging thing, someday I will get to where I post at least once a week. Today marks our 9th week in this pregnancy. At 6 weeks 3 days I had a bleeding episode with some cramping, I knew the bleeding would happen eventually but I handled it much better than I thought I would. Because of the scary miscarriage I had before I decided to go to the ER.
The next day we were going to have our heartbeat ultrasound, but I got a little sneak peak. The baby was measuring right on and the heartbeat was strong. The nurse and doctor were pretty much terrible. I love the way doctor doom tells me "They were able to detect a heartbeat on the ultrasound, BUT, the bleed is around the baby. Most women with vaginal bleeding in the first trimester have a 33% chance of miscaarriage, but because the bleed is around the baby your risk is significantly higher". Why the heck would you say that to a pregnant lady dipstick?!?!?! He just so happened to be the same doctor that saw me in the ER when I bled out with the last miscarriage. He was the same then too. So when my survey of my visit came in the mail I told them just how I felt about what he said to me. I just don't see the point in telling anyone that whether it is a possibility or not. Ok that vent is over, much better.
This Monday I had my orientation with the new OB, Dr. Cizmar. It was actually with his nurse, but it went well. We discussed my nausea issues, testing and possible perinatal appointment because I will be 35 when I deliver. At this age the risk for gestational diabetes and high blood pressure increase so they just want to make sure I am in good health as the pregnancy progresses. At this appointment the nurse recommended that I take unisom at night for my nausea the next day. So far it has given me a couple hours of relief in the morning. This time around has been pretty intense, I have been feeling so blah!
The second trimester is 3 weeks away so I will hopefully find some relief then. My next appointment is on the 19th of this month and I am thinking that we will see that the bleed I had is completely gone!! On the 11th I will begin to decrease most of my meds and be done with them by the 18th. That will be a huge relief. The one injectable med that I will have to continue to take is heparin. It is my understanding that I had a clotting factor in my blood that would require me to take it. I will find out soon if it will be for the duration of my pregnancy.
All my boys are doing great. Andrew just turned 16!! We had so much fun with friends and family at his party. Football season is almost over for little Eric, we have two games left and then we are done. Isaac has been showing an interest in wanting to take karate, but I am not sure that he is ready for that yet. He is a little on the wild side and love to play jump kick at his brother. We will see.
Isaac told me today that there are 51 days left until Christmas. I have not started any shopping yet, that is unusual for me. July is usually when I start.
The next day we were going to have our heartbeat ultrasound, but I got a little sneak peak. The baby was measuring right on and the heartbeat was strong. The nurse and doctor were pretty much terrible. I love the way doctor doom tells me "They were able to detect a heartbeat on the ultrasound, BUT, the bleed is around the baby. Most women with vaginal bleeding in the first trimester have a 33% chance of miscaarriage, but because the bleed is around the baby your risk is significantly higher". Why the heck would you say that to a pregnant lady dipstick?!?!?! He just so happened to be the same doctor that saw me in the ER when I bled out with the last miscarriage. He was the same then too. So when my survey of my visit came in the mail I told them just how I felt about what he said to me. I just don't see the point in telling anyone that whether it is a possibility or not. Ok that vent is over, much better.
This Monday I had my orientation with the new OB, Dr. Cizmar. It was actually with his nurse, but it went well. We discussed my nausea issues, testing and possible perinatal appointment because I will be 35 when I deliver. At this age the risk for gestational diabetes and high blood pressure increase so they just want to make sure I am in good health as the pregnancy progresses. At this appointment the nurse recommended that I take unisom at night for my nausea the next day. So far it has given me a couple hours of relief in the morning. This time around has been pretty intense, I have been feeling so blah!
The second trimester is 3 weeks away so I will hopefully find some relief then. My next appointment is on the 19th of this month and I am thinking that we will see that the bleed I had is completely gone!! On the 11th I will begin to decrease most of my meds and be done with them by the 18th. That will be a huge relief. The one injectable med that I will have to continue to take is heparin. It is my understanding that I had a clotting factor in my blood that would require me to take it. I will find out soon if it will be for the duration of my pregnancy.
All my boys are doing great. Andrew just turned 16!! We had so much fun with friends and family at his party. Football season is almost over for little Eric, we have two games left and then we are done. Isaac has been showing an interest in wanting to take karate, but I am not sure that he is ready for that yet. He is a little on the wild side and love to play jump kick at his brother. We will see.
Isaac told me today that there are 51 days left until Christmas. I have not started any shopping yet, that is unusual for me. July is usually when I start.
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