One Year Old

Back in April Bayden turned 1!  Not sure what my excuse is for not blogging so long, so I'll just get to some updates.  I'm sorry for being gone so long and thanks for still checking in.

1 yesr old.  Sometimes we still can't believe we have Bayden so it's crazy that she is 1 and going to be a big sister.  Her birthday fell on Easter weekend this year.  On her actual birthday, we visited the nicu to say hi.  It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be because the nurses who worked with her the most weren't working.  We saw a few people though and left a card and treats.  Bayden went to a few hours of daycare to celebrate with her friends and so I could get some final things done for her party.  That night we went out to supper and Bayden got her first kids meal off the menu and some ice cream.

Saturday, family arrived to celebrate.  We served her favorite meal - sandwiches.  She was spoiled with clothes, toys, and lots of love.  She loved her cupcake!

Sunday was Easter and we made it through church with her 4 cousins.  It really was an Easter miracle.  My dad said on our way to church, "If we make it through this, we can do anything."

At 1 year old, Bayden is still small - 18 pounds 11 ounces and 27 3/4 in. long.  If you saw her eat, you would never believe it.  She loves to eat (she got this from me somehow)!  We love that she isn't picky either.  She eats whatever we get her.  She started walking 2 weeks after her birthday.  She babbles like crazy, but not much makes sense besides "hi."   Her doctor says she is all caught up though for being a preemie.  We remember all that she went through coming early, but to everyone else, she is just another toddler.  She is such a happy and fun little girl.   She is very social and loves to meet new people and have them hold her.  She goes to everyone.  Sometime we will have to work on stranger danger, but for now it makes a lot of people's day to hold a cute little red head!  

She has made us so happy this year and we couldn't imagine life without her.

washing off the cupcake

First Easter

So big!

Full Term Baby

This time around, our goal is for a full term baby.  My real dream is to be over due this time around to get a few days of school in at the beginning of the year.  We'll see if I'm still saying this mid-August.  I never did get to the miserable stage with my pregnancy with Bayden so I don't really know what I'm talking about.  We just want to avoid the nicu and all the stress that went with a preemie in the beginning.

So, here is the plan for keeping this little surprise cooking for as long as possible.

At our first doctor appointment last week, our doctor discussed some of our plan with us and then also said she would discuss our "case" at their high risk pregnancy meeting with the other doctors.  I like to think about a room of doctor's making a plan for us!

Today, I had my first progesterone shot.  I will see a nurse every Tuesday until mid July for this shot.  These should have started around 16 weeks, but you know I didn't know I was pregnant back then.  I'm not sure why I have to go in for this when we are quite familiar with these.  With Bayden, I had this shot every night for 12 weeks at home.  This is how it works though in these natural pregnancies I guess.

Weekly monitoring will start once I get to the 3rd trimester.

I will have at least one more ultrasound to check on my cervix and make sure nothing is happening too early.

The paraprofessionals in my classroom are worried that Bayden came early because I was still doing some lifting at school.  They have set some strict rules, no more lifting.

Hopefully this plan helps this little one stay put for as long as possible.  Bayden and our surprise will be close enough in age!

We're One of "Those" Couples

I've read about them on other blogs and I've heard stories from friends and family.  We've talked and dreamed about it happening, but never thought it really would for us.  Of course if it did happen for us, it would be years from now we thought.

It happened.  We are one of those couples that gets pregnant on their own after years of infertility.

Go back and read it again, it's real!  We're pregnant!  Now, here is the really embarrassing story that explains a few of my past posts including my recent weight gain and milk supply that disappeared.

I wrote about my weight gain on here a little while ago.  What I didn't write was that my husband was noticing this weight gain too.  For over a month, he would ask me every couple days.  He would say things like "do you think you could be pregnant?"  "this isn't just normal weight gain."  To which I would respond "it's time to accept this as my body after having a baby" "I'm not wasting money on a pregnancy test"  "it's more likely a stomach tumor."  In the past 5 years, I've seen enough negative pregnancy test, I didn't need to see another one.

Finally, on March 25th, I bought one.  I still knew it would be negative, but wanted to shut him up.  I took it the next morning before work.  Right away, there was a plus sign.  "Oh shit" were my first words.  Not because it was bad news, just because it was a big surprise.  Gav asked what I was going to do (meaning about calling the doctor).  I said I want to keep it!  On my way to work I called to get in for blood work, explaining that I had no idea how far along I was.  They asked when my last period was and it was before we did IVF, August 2012.  I went in for blood work later that morning.  A nurse called that afternoon saying my numbers looked good and they would see me the next week for an ultrasound to find out how far along I was.  She guessed by my numbers that I was 7 or 8 weeks.

We spent the rest of the week in total shock.  Gavin got busy crunching the numbers right away, worrying about daycare costs and working the budget.  I got busy enjoying some extra treats and not sucking in my stomach.

On April 4th we went in for an ultrasound.  She explained that beings they thought I was about 8 weeks, we would do a trans-vaginal ultrasound (how I missed that wand) to get better measurements and a due date.  We were hoping to see a heart beat that day and just hear that everything was ok.  After about 20 seconds with the wand, the tech said, "so the baby is bigger than 8 weeks, I'm going to take this out."  We told her that we thought we were a little farther along, we were thinking 12-13 weeks. I also said how I would be really embarrassed if we were far enough to find out the gender.   She moved to my belly for the ultrasound.

The next thing you know, we are seeing everything:  the spine, the brain, the kidneys, the stomach, face, arms, legs, everything.  This baby is bigger than 13 weeks.  It was so embarrassing.  You would think after all I've been through, I would know my body better.  We just kept laughing and telling her that we didn't think this could happen.  Our first baby cost over $60,00, took an egg donor and 5 years, this can't be real.  The ultrasound turned out to be our big ultrasound and measurements put us at 19 weeks 2 days, due date August 27th.  She was able to find out the gender - it's a girl!  She felt bad that she couldn't get many good pictures as our little surprise was moving around or covering parts most of the time.  We told her that was fine, this ultrasound would be memorable enough.

We went upstairs to see a nurse and schedule more appointments.  I didn't get scolded like I thought I would about missing out on the first half of pregnancy.  Especially when they see our fertility history.

Now, we are over 20 weeks and still a little in shock, but couldn't be happier.  We are so happy Bayden will have that sibling we never thought we could give her.

I will leave you with a few pictures.  There is more to the story - family and friends responses and a plan for keeping this one on the inside longer, so check back again.

20 weeks

We will call this one our little surprise

a little crowded where she is sitting right now

11 months

Almost 1 year old.  We can't believe how fast this year has gone.  Here is an update and picture from the past month.

Bayden is cruising around the furniture and pushing her little walker around, but no steps all on her own yet.  It could be any day or it could be awhile beings she can crawl so fast.  She is standing all by herself for up to a minute.  This started about a week and a half ago.  She would stand by the coffee table and bounce to gear up, and then let go.

She eats like crazy still.  Her favorite is still meat, but some other favorites lately are melon, tomatoes, and cheese.  She's gotten to taste some treats the past month at a few birthday parties.  I think she will lick her high chair clean on her birthday.  She still gets 3 bottles a day.  Daycare is all business and no more bottles the day she turns one.  I am going to keep the night time one until we see her doctor the next week.  It seems like so many calories to take away from her.  The nicu is still in my head on this!

She is the best sleeper still.  We hope this never goes away.  She goes to bed around 8:00 after a bottle.  We turn her music on and set her in her crib and she puts herself to sleep.

She loves to bounce (it's her new dance move), give kisses (real and by blowing them), teasing Benson (dog), clapping, being held, music, and stroller rides now that we've finally had a few warmer days.

Pictures

I got some of the pictures onto my computer to share with you.  Still working on the 9 month pics.  Here is our trip to Nevada and 10 months old.  

With grandma & grandpa and their friends.

Wasn't too sure about the grass.

Loved the pool!

Us on the strip, if you can see us!

Special drink!

Finally slept on the plane ride home.

Saying good bye to her monitor and other equipment we didn't ever use.

A little harder to get these pictures now.  She is always moving!

Time for Some Changes

It is amazing how a body changes with pregnancy.  I didn't even know what heart burn was and I remember doing an online search to figure it out before I even knew I was pregnant.  Then, the day I had Bayden, I remember thinking it was weird I hadn't had any tums that day.  I haven't had heart burn since the day before she was born.  I don't think I shed a single hair while I was pregnant, then when Bayden was about 6 weeks old, it was coming out in clumps.  Now I have all these short hairs growing back, if I didn't already have bangs I would have had to get them to cover up my thinning spots.  It would sure be nice if everything went back to how it was as fast as the heart burn thing.  My friends all warned me how somethings become smaller, some bigger, and other things are just in different places after pregnancy.  But you never really know what that will look like on your own body.  I was back to my pre pregnancy weight (I don't remember when), things were different, but I was okay with my body.  Then, I stopped breast feeding.  I didn't stop eating whatever I wanted though and have gained a few pounds back that have all went to my stomach making me look about 4 months pregnant again.  I ate whatever I wanted for about a year and half and I'm struggling to find time to exercise.  By the time I'm home from work, that gives us about 3 hours for supper, playing, bath, and then it's bed time.  Then, hubby and I like to hang out and watch some shows.

Last weekend, we got the treadmill set up and a TV hung by it.  I signed up for a 10 K and found a training plan.  I ran 3 times last week.  I'm still having trouble changing some eating habits that I know need to change, but hopefully I will get there.

My goals are:  drink more water, say no to treats at work, portion control, to look good for a wedding in April, train and run a 10 K in May, walk with the dog and Bayden once it gets nice out, look better for a wedding in June, be able to wear a swimming suit this summer, and run a half in October.

If only it all came off as fast as my hair did!

Months 9 and 10

We will have an 11 month old in a few days and I am just finally posting about months 9 and 10.  I guess we have been as busy as our little gal is!  This is such a fun age and she is growing up so fast.

9 months:  At about 9 1/2 months, Bayden started crawling forward.  It was the dog's toy that she first crawled to.  A few days later, on super bowl Sunday, she started pulling herself up on furniture to stand up.  At her 9 month appointment, she weighed in at 16 pounds.  Still tiny.  You wouldn't think that watching her eat, she loves to eat.  We know she won't be a vegetarian, her favorite food is meat, especially deli meat.  She loves daycare and they tell me that she loves art time and really gets into her projects!  She took her first trip on an airplane at nine months.  She was a great traveler and enjoyed seeing her grandparents, swimming, and the warmer weather.  She was a very friendly passenger and jumped into the arms of 3 nice people on the airplane rides.  It was also at this time that she discovered how her wrists can move and that she could twirl things with them.  She was doing that all the time.  

10  months:  At 10 months, Bayden started walking around furniture.  This is also when she started to dance!  It is the cutest thing.  Whenever one of her toys starts playing music, she hears something on tv, or her daddy starts singing (I won't embarrass him and share the song here); she starts bouncing with a big smile because she knows how cute it must be.  Sometimes her arms go up too if she's really into it.  She is also trying to copy our actions and noises.  She has discovered pointing and uses her little pointer fingers to point at everything and nothing, also very cute.  At her 10 month appointment she weighed 16 pounds 7 ounces.  She finally had her last appointment with the nicu doctor at 10 months because he finally discontinued the apnea monitor!  It was an exciting day.  She now has more pajama options than just snaps to let her cords through and she can also have lotion all over instead of avoiding where her belt was and the little sore spots from the belt rubbing are gone too.  I asked if he ever had a baby on a monitor as long and he said 6 months was the longest and that was a rare situation.....  Not sure what took our little one so long, but she is healthy and happy so that's all that matters.  We are pretty sure she has broken a couple records in her young life:  longest nicu stay for a 33 weeker and longest time a baby was on an apnea monitor.  While she still loves for anyone to hold her, now she likes to look around for awhile first.  Once she is comfortable though, she reaches to anyone who talks to her.  A lot of people talk to her when we are out and about, usually it's about her hair!  She went to her first college hockey game at 10 months.  She didn't enjoy it as much because of her top teeth coming in (she has 4 teeth now) and a cold.  She enjoyed her last breast milk bottle last week and is now on 3 or 4 formula bottles and regular food each day.

I have some cute pics of saying goodbye to the monitor, our trip, and months 9 and 10, but I'm having trouble getting them on the computer for some reason.  I will work on it and try again later.  Thanks for checking in!