HaPpY HaLLoWeEn!!

Despite being diagnosed with her first ear infection yesterday, Ivy is still the cutest bunny there ever was! Happy Halloween!!!

From I-V-F to I-V-Y

Random...I don’t know how this never occurred to me before but it’s kind of ironic that we chose to name our baby girl Ivy after undergoing IVF to conceive her. No, that doesn’t mean if we have a son his name will be Ivan or if we have another daughter her name will be Ivana. We just happened to like the name and had known for years that if we ever had a daughter, her name would be Ivy.

Anyways, I came across this description of her name and found a great deal of irony in it.

The name Ivy comes from the English ivy plant, symbol of eternity and immortality, with strong connotations of femininity and fidelity. The way that ivy clings and binds also makes it a powerful symbol of faithful friendship.

The Druids prized the ivy plant as a symbol for tenacity and determination: ivy can grow, spread and flourish under many conditions - cultivated land or wasteland, in light or near darkness, fertile soil or upon rubble and stones. It will push its way through tiny cracks and crevices to reach the light and is strong and difficult to destroy.

I vividly remember that day in the doctor's office when they showed us our expanded blastocyst under the microscope and informed us that it was the best case scenario we could hope for. She was a fighter from the beginning and to this day, people often comment on how strong she is. She was just meant to be!!

Do Me A Solid

As a new mom, naturally I am very excited about all of Ivy's "firsts" as they are firsts for me as well. Eating solids is one that I've really been looking forward to, mainly just to see her reaction upon tasting something that isn't formula. Or cherry-flavored Tylenol which is apparently a real treat.

A few weeks ago, we tried out the rice cereal and she didn't seem too into it so we figured she's still young and there's no need to press the issue. We tried it again this past Sunday and found that she's definitely ready and eager for this new endeavor. Open wide!!!!


The rice cereal went over really well and she’s been enjoying it every day since so last night we decided to introduce her to vegetables. First veggie out of the gate - squash. Mommy and Daddy certainly aren’t picky eaters so surely Ivy will love whatever we put in front of her, right? Yeah, not so much.


We'll try the squash out again tonight as our "What to Expect the First Year" tells us that sometimes babies just need time to familiarize themselves with new tastes. Once she's happily devouring her vegetables, fruit should be a welcome addition. Or so we think. Stay tuned…

4-Month Check Up

Yesterday Ivy had her 4-month (well, almost 4 1/2 month) check-up. I picked her up from the sitter and as my luck would have it, she was wearing a different outfit than what I had dressed her in that morning. You know what that means. Sorry but in a blog where the main subject happens to be an infant it is inevitable there will be references to poop. In this case, the poop happened to be in the form of diarrhea. Lovely. As evidenced by the state of her clothes that I later bravely retrieved from a plastic bag, it had been a doozie. The white (yes, white) onesie she had been wearing is no longer white. On the plus side, did you know fleece doesn't absorb bodily fluids? No, it mostly just piles on top of the fabric and in turn, coated the entire inside of her pant leg. Ugh...nasty. So anyways, after Ivy shat herself, it was time to go to the doctor. Thanks Ivy. Way to make mommy look good!

Despite the aforementioned incident, her appointment went very well. She weighed in at 14 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 25 inches long. That puts her in the 75th percentile for both height and weight! We discussed getting her started on solids, although she's been enjoying rice cereal on a regular basis for the past week or so, but now it's time to introduce some yummy fruits and vegetables (future blog post to follow)! She got two shots yesterday which went MUCH better than at her 2-month appointment where she screamed bloody murder for about 20 minutes (that felt like an hour). This time, she still screamed but as soon as mommy was able to pick her up, she calmed down. What a tough little chick!!

I expected her to be tired last night since that’s common after vaccinations but besides a quick cat nap on the way home, she was her usual smiley, spunky little self with no further diarrhea recurrences! Oh, and she had a bath.

Giuliana & Bill

Awww….this breaks my heart. Dave and I have been watching Giuliana & Bill (he the winner of The Apprentice and she the host of E! News) on the Style network for the past two seasons. The show chronicles their struggle to conceive and the various infertility treatments they tried. At the end of the second season, they made the decision to undergo IVF. I watch Giuliana pretty much on a nightly basis on E! News and assumed they were unsuccessful because she certainly hasn’t appeared pregnant. I think they are such a cute, happy couple so I was really rooting for them and I just saw this article on People.com. I’m thankful that Dave and I were one of the success stories but not everyone has such a happy ending.

Bill & Giuliana Rancic Recall Heartbreak of Her Miscarriage

Daddy Daycare

Last night I went out for a much needed dinner with girlfriends while Dave stayed home with Ivy. This is what I came home to. He’s definitely no Ken Paves (hello Jessica Simpson fans) but Dave sure sculpts a mean baby mohawk. Or maybe it’s just that his subject is so darn cute! At any rate, while the baby mohawk is totes adorbs, it's safe to say you won’t be seeing Ivy out in public sporting said hairdo. Or rather, hair don’t.

Go Hawks!!

Just a couple of pictures of Ivy sporting two of her Iowa Hawkeyes outfits. Yes, there are more black/gold outfits to come. It's still early in football season!

She Laughed!!!

For the past couple of weeks, Ivy has been making little cackling sounds that we've kind of thought were laughs but weren't totally sure. Last night, there was no doubt. She laughed a real, definitive laugh...TWICE! I was playing with Ivy on our bed and she was smiling and in a great mood. Then, I blew a "fart" noise on her feet and all of a sudden I heard a little "hahaha". Hellooooo....MELT MY HEART. I about died. It was like the cutest thing I've ever heard. I yelled for Dave to come into the room and I did the same thing again and sure enough once again, "hahaha". I was secretly pretty ecstatic that mommy was the one to get her to laugh first but I'm so happy she didn't make a liar out of me and that she did it again for daddy!! We haven't heard it again since last night but if it's anything like her smiling, once she starts, she won't stop!

Gag Me

OMG...I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. No seriously. So, tomorrow is garbage day and I figured it only makes sense to empty the Diaper Genie, right? Right. Apparently the last time I changed out the bag on the Diaper Genie, there was a slight tear in the bottom of the bag. Well, that tear must have gotten bigger with each pee soaked, poopy packed diaper that went in and man, I packed that sucker full. So anyways, I go to empty it, I flip the lid over, and diapers spill out EVERYWHERE! I'm telling you, they didn't smell very good going in and after stewing in there all week...ugh, I'm sorry, I can't even go there. There's a reason why I generally leave the Diaper Genie duties to Dad.

Working Mama

Whew! The first week back to work is officially under my belt. To say it was difficult would be an understatement. The alarm went off at 5:15 a.m. Monday morning and I was ecstatic to have gotten a glorious 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Yes, you heard me right. Ivy chose to start sleeping through the night a few nights earlier. My child has impeccable timing. Not only did she sleep through the night but she continued to sleep while I showered and got ready - the best case scenario I had hoped for. When I was done getting ready, I woke her up and savored every minute of getting her ready for the day. I couldn't take my tear-filled eyes off of her as I fed her a bottle and explained to her what was going to happen that day and that mommy promises she'll be back in the afternoon to pick her up.

The dreaded moment finally came and it was time to go. I loaded all of our gear into the car and cursed myself for picking a baby sitter that lives less than 2 minutes away. I wasn't ready to leave her yet! She was all smiles for me as I said my goodbyes and Ann assured me she would take good care of her. The tears began even before I got back to the car and thanks to the cold that Ivy was still battling, there were plenty of kleenex on hand. It seemed surreal that this day had finally come. As I drove to work, I couldn't help but think about how different my life was since the last time I had been there. Everything I do now has a new meaning - to give my daughter the best life possible. And with that thought, I headed into the building to start my day. I made one call to Ann before lunch time to see how things were going. I breathed a sigh of relief when she picked up the phone and I didn't hear crying in the background. That would have broken my heart. Ann assured me that things were going well and Ivy was doing great.

The rest of the day went by pretty quickly and 8.5 hours later, I was out the door and on my way to hold my little girl. Dave and I decided we would both pick her up on the first day so he met me there. We walked in and all the kids were out back in the pool. Ann was sitting on the swing with Ivy in her lap looking happy as can be. Again, I breathed a sigh of relief and wasted no time picking her up and showering her with kisses. Ann said she did really well, although I'm pretty sure she would have said that no matter what because that's what I needed to hear.

The rest of the week went pretty much the same and each day when I arrived to pick her up, she was either sleeping in Ann's arms or being held by her and looking very happy. She continued to sleep through the night the rest of the week with the exception of Thursday night. I really couldn't have asked for things to be going any smoother than they are. I'm making the most of every moment with her now because the evenings go by so quickly and the next thing I know, it's morning and I'm dropping her off at Ann's again. Weekends now have a whole new meaning and I don't intend on letting her out of my sight! Just a week in the life of a working mom I guess!

Busy Being a Mommy!

Life has been busy here in Ivy-Land so hopefully that will excuse my lack of updates. These days the problem is not what to blog about but rather, when to find the time to blog. You may have noticed I've changed the title of my blog to "The Time of Our Lives". So much has happened this past year and all of our dreams have come true so I thought this title was only fitting. We truly are happier than we have ever been and are enjoying every bit of parenthood!! Anyways, let me fill you in on what we have been up to the past few weeks.


2 Month Appointment - Ivy had her 2-month check up on July 26th. She weighed in at 11.1 lbs and measured 22 3/4 inches. She is in the 75th percentile for both height and weight. She was also given her first shots that day. I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant for either one of us but wow, did I under-estimate that. I held her hand while two nurses simultaneously gave her a shot in each leg and she screamed bloody murder. I tried to be strong but ever since she came, I've been a ball of emotions so naturally I shed a few tears too. After about 5 minutes of continuous wailing (which felt much longer) she finally calmed down and fell asleep. The nurse instructed me to give her some children's Tylenol to which I asked, "How do I do that?". How was I to know they make cherry and grape flavored liquid Tylenol for babies? Just another lesson learned!

Shopping Trips! - Grandma McAllister and I have decided it's best to start Ivy out early and get her accustomed to out of town shopping trips, of which there are sure to be many in the future! She's already been to Davenport twice and Cedar Rapids once. She's such a good little shopper. And the ladies at Talbot's even remembered her on our second visit! She's already a preferred customer!

Baptism - Ivy received the sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, August 1st. Again, I was completely emotional that day and I just felt so proud of her. She wore a lavendar and white rosebud dress that her daddy had picked out even before she was born. He had held the dress in his arms as if he were holding a baby and said if we had a girl, he was coming back to the store to get the dress. Sure enough, a few days after she was born, he came home with it! For the baptism ceremony itself, she wore a gown that has been in my family for over 100 years. My grandfather and my dad were baptized in it, along with many aunts, uncles, and cousins. What made the weekend even more special was that my sister who is also Ivy's godmother was able to come all the way home from New Jersey to be there for the occasion. It was so great to see Lindsay and to watch her with Ivy. I can just see how much she loves her already and it melts my heart!!

Going Back To Work - This week is officially my last week of maternity leave. I feel so lucky to have been able to take 12 weeks off work and while it is going to be a major adjustment to go back, I've realized that I'm definitely not cut out to be a stay at home mom. Now THAT'S a challenging job! Ivy will be going to an in-home daycare which is only a couple of blocks from home. I took her for a half day "trial run" last week and it went really well. When I picked her up, the sitter was holding her and cuddling with her and she assured me that she would love her as if she were her own. That meant so much to me and solidified our decision to take her there.

Sniffles! - It's official. Ivy has her first cold! I noticed yesterday that she seemed a little stuffed up and had a bit of a cough and it seems to have gotten worse overnight. She doesn't have a temperature but I can just hear in her cry that she doesn't feel well. I called the doctor this morning to see if I should bring her in but they just instructed me to give her Tylenol and some Little Noses nasal spray and to have the humidifier on in her room. Hopefully this clears up soon because the prospect of going back to work is bad enough but if she's sick, it will completely break my heart!

Last but not least, here are some recent pics of the little Ivy-Bug! Isn't she getting big??

Ivy on her baptism day!

Ivy with her BFF, aunt Lindsay!

Ivy in her Bumbo Seat!

Hook 'Em Horns!

DISCLAIMER: This posting is meant solely for the enjoyment of dear "Aunt" Stacey. It does not in any way reflect the subject's true affinity for a particular team. GO HAWKS!!!

Date Night!

Last night Dave and I had our first official date night since Little Miss Ivy came along. We left Ivy with Grandma and Grandpa McAllister and headed to the movie theatre to see "Grown Ups". I think the movie was pretty good, however, I was preoccupied with missing my little girl and constantly checking my cell phone even though I knew Grandma had things under control and would never call unless there was an absolute emergency. Dave and I had a nice (although short) date but I was ready to get back to Ivy and give her lots of hugs and kisses as soon as the movie was over. When we got back to Grandma and Grandpa's, I could see Grandma through the window walking around with Ivy in her arms. I knew that meant she was probably fussy. Grandma said she was "a little fussy" but I think she was putting it mildly. I know she'd never tell me otherwise though! I suppose it didn't help that I forgot to bring Ivy's pacifier. I'll chalk that up to the new mommy being sad about leaving her little girl.

Anyways, now that we've passed this milestone, maybe next time we'll do dinner AND a movie. Aaah, how life has changed! :)

To John Deere We Go!!

Today Ivy and I went out to John Deere to meet all of my co-workers and for Grandma to play show and tell with her new grand-daughter! I couldn't have asked for Ivy to behave any better than she did, although I was a little nervous in the car on the way there as she cried at every stop light. First we went to visit Grandma and Ivy even cracked a smile for her. Grandma was pretty excited about that!

Then we went and visited mommy's department where everyone oohed and ahhed over her some more. The most frequently heard comment was, "Look at all that hair!".

I brought Ivy's picture to put on my desk so it will be there on my first day back. Being at work today made me realize how much I really am not looking forward to going back to work. It was nice seeing everyone but I honestly could not get out of there fast enough. Oh, August 16th is going to come way too soon!

BFF's

Yesterday Ivy and I stopped by to visit my long time friend Nicole Sullivan and her new baby girl, Faith. Nicole and her family have been going through a difficult time as her niece Jessie was badly injured in the 4th of July Parade in Bellevue. Ivy and I thought a little visit would do Nicole good and we really wanted to meet baby Faith! Ivy and Faith are just 5 days apart! Over the past few years, Nicole and I had somewhat lost touch but at our friend Rachel's wedding, we reconnected and learned that we were each pregnant and due within a week of each other. Having previously had two c-sections, Nicole was a big influence in me ultimately choosing to have a c-section myself since Ivy was breach.

Nicole and I had a nice visit, catching up and chatting about our girls. Both of us had been convinced we were having boys so we are still pinching ourselves that we actually had girls!! And then of course, we had to put Ivy and Faith in the crib together to take some pictures. They were fast friends - every time we would pull them apart, the next thing we knew, they were right next to each other again. It was so cute!! Who knows, some day the two of them may be playing Barbies together just like their mommies did a long time ago!

Fashion Show!

Having a baby girl is like a fashion show every day and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Here are some pictures of Ivy modeling some of my personal favorite outfits in her wardrobe. Her first look is a Baby Gap multi-colored polka dot sundress from her Aunt Lindsay and her flower power headband from our friend Kelly Lemm of LoveHappy Boutique!


Ivy's second look is her "Little Hula Girl" outfit from Gymboree. This outfit was given to Ivy by my mom's co-workers, Julie Christy and Janette Koepke. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for my wallet, we do not have a Gymboree in Dubuque. Alas, out of town shopping trips are a must for any fashionista baby like my little Ivy and I have no doubt, Grandma will be happy to accompany us on said shopping trips!

Lesson Learned

So last night after I was done feeding Ivy, I thought I would treat myself to a big bowl of fat free chocolate ice cream. Ice cream is one of those things that's kind of hard to eat with one hand so I wasn't able to hold Ivy. I feel like I'm always setting her in the car seat so for a change of pace, I decided to put her in the bouncey seat. She wasn't too keen on that so I moved her to the swing. She seemed like she was really enjoying it, just swinging away. The next thing I know, I hear a little cough and I look up, and she is projectile vomiting all over herself. The poor thing had it coming out of her nose and her mouth simultaneously. Her clothes were soaked, the swing was soaked, and mommy was freaking out. I suppose common sense should have told me not to put a baby in a swing or bouncey seat on a full stomach however, I've always been a bit lacking in the common sense department. I won't make that mistake again.

Here's Ivy in her bouncey seat during happier times.

Happy (Belated) Father's Day!

This year, Father's Day was just a bit more special for our family. Dave got to celebrate his first Father's Day as a new dad and my dad got to celebrate his first Father's Day as a new grandpa. Ivy was sporting her "Daddy Loves Me" outfit to mark the occasion.


Dave began his day by enjoying his favorite pastime - fishing on the Mississppi River. While daddy was off doing his thing, Ivy and I started the day by surprising Grandpa during his regular Sunday morning Panera outing. I'm pretty sure he was more excited to see Ivy there than he was to see me. That is a trend I'm getting used to.


Later on in the afternoon, our little family headed to Grandma and Grandpa's for a special Father's Day lunch and then spent some quality time at home with just the three of us. Daddy loves his little Ivy Bug!!

Look at me Auntie Lindsay!

Hey Aunt Lindsay! Check me out! I'm getting a lot of use out of this cute little sunsuit you got for me. Mommy says lavendar is my color!

Introducing…Ivy Lorraine Jones!! 5.24.10

It’s a girl!! Well, most of you have probably already heard the good news and I apologize for being so late updating my blog but things have been pretty crazy around here to say the least! Ivy surprised us by coming a little earlier than expected and since her arrival we have been busy, busy, busy! So, you’re probably wondering how it all went down.

Sunday, May 23rd started off like any other day in the life of a 9 month pregnant chick. I got up and went to my parent’s house for lunch as is my usual Sunday routine. It was a super hot day and my parents didn't have the air conditioning on (thanks Mom and Dad) so I cut my visit short in order to get home to the A/C. I stopped at Hy-Vee with my Dad to pick out some flowers, went home, planted said flowers, made dinner, baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and settled in to watch the Celebrity Apprentice finale (Go Bret!!). I started showing some early signs of labor and made a call to the doctor to see if there was any need to come in at that point. By that time, it was around 10:30 p.m. Dr. Anderson said we could come in if I wanted to be monitored to check the fetal heart rate to ensure there weren't any signs of fetal distress. We arrived at the hospital and I was hooked up to a machine that monitored both baby's heart rate and mom's contractions. In the hour or so that we were there, I only had one extremely mild contraction (I had to be told it was in fact a contraction) so the nurse sent us home for the evening. Shortly after we got home, I started having much more intense contractions and around 4:00 a.m. I thought we should maybe head back to the hospital, fully expecting that I was probably overreacting and we would be sent home again. Alas, Ivy had plans of her own! It turns out I was dilated between 5 and 6 cm and the time had arrived. Everything started moving really quickly at that point. Dave and I called our parents to let them know what was going on and informed them that I'd be going in for a c-section in about 45 minutes. I was then prepped for surgery and with about two minutes to spare, our parents were able to come in and see us. I was a bit emotional to say the least at that point!

We had arrived at the hospital at 4:24 a.m. and at 5:45 a.m. Ivy Lorraine Jones made her debut into the world (her middle name is after my Grandma Lorraine McAllister). She weighed in at 8 lbs. 10 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. Dave was the first one to say, "It's a girl!" I was in complete shock because I really had been convinced I was having a boy. Since I had a c-section, it took a few minutes for them to bring her to me and those few minutes felt like hours. Dave kept saying to me, "Wait til you see her face. She is so beautiful!". When they finally brought her over to the other side of the curtain and I saw her, it was love at first sight. I had tears in my eyes as I looked at her and gave her a kiss on her chubby little cheek. I had a little girl!! It was truly the happiest moment of my life.

Dave carried Ivy out of the delivery room with the doctors and headed to the nursery for all of the standard procedures after a baby is born. Before he made it to the nursery he was intercepted in the hallway by the grandparents who were anxious to hear the news and get a glimpse of their new grandchild. In Dave's words, my mom "did a 5 foot vertical leap" when she saw him and was screaming with joy. I think I had my parents convinced that I was having a boy as well so when Dave said, "Meet Ivy" I can only imagine they were just as shocked (and just as ecstatic) as I was to find out it was a girl.


We have now been home from the hospital for one week and are adjusting to life with our little one. We’ve had some long nights and each day we are learning new things but we wouldn't trade it for the world. Just looking at my little girl can bring a tear to my eye. We truly have a little miracle baby and I will thank God every day for bringing her into our lives. Mommy and Daddy love you little Ivy Lorraine!

It's Almost Time!

Unless baby decides otherwise, we will be meeting each other on Friday, May 28th! That is the day I've been scheduled for my c-section. We're to arrive at the hospital at 6 a.m. and the c-section will be at 8 a.m. It's hard to believe that at this time next Friday, we'll be holding our little bundle of joy!

Knowing that our lives are about to change forever, I'm living it up (as much as a 9 month pregnant chick can) this weekend. The alarm clock will DEFINITELY not be set and I'm going to enjoy laying in bed and being lazy just because I can. I'm getting a manicure and pedicure because I'm in dire need but also so my toes are cute for the next few weeks when I surely won't have time to do anything with them. Dave and I are having date night on Saturday night with dinner at Olive Garden - one of the last guilt free meals I will be able to enjoy before the post pregnancy diet begins, literally the moment this baby pops out.

It's very surreal (I hate that word) knowing that I only have 4 days of work left and then 12 weeks off. I honestly cannot imagine not caring what is going on at my desk and not feeling like I need to check my email. I doubt that will take much getting used to though!

Where did the past 9 months go? This is really happening...aaah, I can hardly wait!

Going for the Big C

We’ve made our decision. We met with Dr. Anderson yesterday and as I had suspected, based on the fact that I’m not getting kicked in the ribs as I hear so many pregnant women complain about, our little breech baby still hasn’t flipped. We asked the doctor his opinion on trying the version versus scheduling a c-section and without actually telling us what to do, he gave us some pretty strong advice. After looking at our chart, he said that we've obviously invested a lot into this pregnancy, considering we did IVF, and did we really want to take a risk, no matter how small, of possible fetal distress during a version? The decision was pretty clear at that point.

During an external version, the risk of having to do an emergency c-section due to fetal distress is about 1% - pretty low. The likelihood of having a breech baby is 3 to 5% - also pretty low. When I look at those statistics, the fact that we are in the minority with the baby being breech tells me that we could also be in the minority during a version and we've come so far that it's just not a chance we're willing to take.

I feel pretty happy with the decision that we've come to. I know that we thought it out carefully and are doing what's best for me and the baby. Even though the ultrasound didn't show what we hoped it would, the outcome will be the same - we will finally get to hold this baby that we’ve dreamed of for so long and that we’ve loved before he/she even existed.

On a sour note, I’ve officially exceeded my maximum goal weight for my pregnancy and Dave has lovingly resorted to calling me "Deuce". Enough said.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there who make sacrifices every day for their kids!! I can't wait to truly be able to celebrate this special holiday next year. My sweet husband felt that me, as a mom-to-be deserved to celebrate this year too.

Dave left the house the morning to "go to his mom's" and I jumped in the shower. When I got out of the shower, I could hear Chubby out in the kitchen walking around, which was kind of weird because normally when I take a shower, she parks it in the recliner. So, I went to scope out what was going on in the kitchen and out of the corner of my eye, something caught my attention. Sitting on the kitchen counter was a beautiful vase of flowers! I called out to Dave and he was nowhere to be found but in the flowers was a card from him wishing me a Happy Mother's Day and some other sappy stuff which I'll spare you the details. It made me feel so special and so loved!!

It's crazy to think how different things are this Mother's Day compared to last year. A lot can change in a year and I can't wait to celebrate next year with my almost 1 year old!!

Graduation Day

Well not really. But, we have officially completed the last of our three child prep classes - baptism, breastfeeding, and today, childbirth/childcare. Today's class (all 8 hours of it) ended up being my favorite of the three classes. It might have had something to do with the most amazing donut holes I've ever had in my life though.

The class was mostly about what to expect during the labor process and then a little bit about how to care for your baby. We got to tour the birthing suites including the c-section room which I'm now more determined than ever to avoid. We even got to see a little baby girl (a 5 lb twin) that had just been born yesterday. She was so precious! Just being there in the hospital makes me even more anxious for our special day when we can finally meet our baby!

So, now that our classes are done we're basically just waiting for this little one to arrive. This week will give us a better idea as to when that might be, depending on whether I have the ECV or opt for a c-section. Either way, I'm going to make sure I request some of those donut holes during my stay.

"Bad Baby!"

"Bad Baby!" Yes, those were the words uttered by my doctor yesterday as she performed the 36-week ultrasound to check the baby's positioning and discovered our baby in the breech position. That certainly wasn't the news I was expecting to hear and the more it sunk in, the more disappointed about it I became. So basically we have two options. The first option is to wait until next week for another ultrasound and hope that the baby has turned. If not, we could opt for a procedure called an external cephalic version (ECV) in which the doctor attempts to manually turn the baby in the head-down direction. If the ECV is successful which apparently it is about 50% of the time, then I would most likely be able to have a vaginal delivery. If we decide to bypass the ECV or if the ECV isn't successful, I would be scheduled for a c-section at 39 weeks - which is only two and a half weeks away! Eek!

My initial reaction was to completely rule out the ECV and just plan for a c-section, however, I was pretty upset by this turn of events. I guess it's just not the way I pictured the whole birth experience would go. On the plus side, if I choose this option, we get to meet the baby sooner and I would actually know the date I'm going to deliver ahead of time. Also not to be forgotten, instead of the 6 weeks pay I would get for a vaginal delivery, I would get 8 weeks pay for a c-section. I'm not sure that surgery is worth an extra two weeks pay though!

After allowing all of this to sink in and after getting some really helpful comments from mothers who have been in similar situations, I'm starting to reconsider. A girl I went to high school with recently had a successful ECV and delivered a beautiful healthy baby boy. She has provided me with some really good information which makes me feel like maybe it's something I want to try. It is possible that the procedure could result in an emergency c-section so I would need to be ready for that scenario. Check out this YouTube video of an actual ECV - pretty crazy!



I don't have a ton of time to make this decision as the ECV is generally done between 36 and 37 weeks (I'll be 37 weeks next Wednesday). Dave has said that it's up to me whatever I choose to do. In the mean time, I'm going to attempt to coax the baby to turn on it's own by trying some various pelvic tilt exercises I've been reading about on the Internet. I figure I have nothing to lose!

One thing is for certain, this baby is already taking after its directionally challenged mother!!

Holy Cankles

I don’t know why I didn’t think it would happen to me. Maybe because I seem to have avoided some of the most unfortunate pregnancy symptoms I thought the whole swollen feet/ankles thing would just be another thing I’d bypass. NOT SO MUCH. Dave being the wonderful husband that he is was the first one to point it out to me. "Sweetie look, you have cankles." Wow. And that comment after the strap of my sling back shoes broke while at work earlier in the day. Let me tell ya, I'm feeling like one hot preggers chick. Under normal circumstances I would consider this unfortunate turn of events an excuse to do some shoe shopping, however, any shoes that I fit these Flinstone feet into are most likely not going to be seen on the pages of any fashion magazines. It's at least an excuse for a pedicure though, right?

Springtime Treats!

The latest from Sugar B's for a little girl's 6th birthday party!

Flowers for the girls...


And creepy crawlers for the boys...


YUM!!

A Letter to My Husband...

Dear Dave,
I just wanted to thank you for being the husband that you are and for the sacrifices you have made for our family over the past few months. I know it’s never easy starting a new job, especially when you’ve worked somewhere for over 10 years. It takes a lot of courage to do what you did but I know that your decision was made with me and the baby in mind. Because of what you did, our child will have a better start to his/her life. You’re already an amazing daddy just like I always knew that you would be. I have dreamed of seeing you as a father for so many years and it makes me so happy that it's finally coming true.

Over the past eight months (or maybe longer), you have put up with a lot - from my mood swings and insecurities to my nagging at you to get this or that done before the baby comes. While you may not have always liked me (although I am hard to resist), I still felt your love for me nonetheless. You always make me feel like the most important person in the room and I'm such a lucky girl to have you.

Our lives are about to change forever but the one thing that will never change is how much I love you. I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us and our growing family. As long as I have you by my side, I know that everything will be okay. I love you!!

Love, Abby

More Changes

As if having our first baby weren’t enough of a change, why not throw another major life change into the mix? Well, that’s just what we did – Dave has just started a new job!! He had been really unhappy with his current job for the past year or so and decided it was time to do something about it. This winter, on his 30 mile drive to Cascade during a snow storm, he was run off the road by a semi and flew into the ditch. That's when it really hit him that there’s soon going to be a little person depending on him it was time to find something closer to home. He ended up getting a job at a company called Dubuque Screw Products - and no, they don’t just make screws. He started this past Friday, the 23rd of April and things are going really well.

There are countless benefits for our family because of him getting this job and it couldn't have come at a better time. First of all, his 30 minute drive has turned into literally, a 3 minute drive. He really couldn't have found anything closer to home. Just the gas money alone that we’re saving is worth it. Also, he had been working 32-hour work weeks at his previous employer for the past year and while we managed to make it work, the added daycare expense would have been hard on us. With his new job, he received a substantial pay increase and his hours are 6 to 2:30 with the option of some over-time. There were so many reasons why this move just made sense so it made his decision pretty easy. I’m so proud of him!

Baby Shower!

This past weekend was my much anticipated baby shower!! I have to admit, I was really nervous for my shower – just having all of those eyes on me the whole day when I’m definitely not feeling like I look my best. But in the end, it turned out there was nothing to be nervous about. It was really just an enjoyable afternoon with family and friends. My mom and my sister put so much work into my shower which was held at the Days Inn here in Dubuque. They've been planning it for months and their efforts meant so much to me!


My mom did all of the food which was amazing - slow cooker barbecued pork, chicken salad, pasta salad and fresh fruit salad. Lindsay put her Sugar B's hat on and made my favorite vanilla cupcakes with raspberry filling and chocolate cupcakes. She also spent the entire week working on sugar cut out "onesie" cookies, which, after 10+ hours in the kitchen, she left in her freezer in Rochester! Of course, being the best sister that she is, when she realized she left the cookies in Rochester, she decided to make a whole new batch despite my pleas to stop her. Check out all the yummy goodness!!


I feel so blessed to have such amazing family and friends who are so excited to meet Baby Jones and who were so generous with all of the gifts they gave us. Even though the baby's room is yet to be decorated, it finally feels like it's ready for a baby to occupy it and we couldn't be more anxious!


Dave made an appearance as the shower was winding down so he could help load all of our loot up to take home. And then began the process of organizing, doing laundry and assembling various baby gear. It was quite an exhausting day - or should I say weekend - but one that we will remember forever. It won't be long now!

TV Boredom

Is it just me or are all the usual TV shows I used to find so entertaining going downhill? Perhaps it is my anticipation of motherhood that is causing my disinterest and I'm unconsciously weaning myself from the shows I inevitably will not have the time to watch in a couple of months. But really, does anyone agree with me here? American Idol - I think it peaked last year with the likes of Adam Lambert and Kris Allen and therefore this season was bound to be a disappointment. And I still think it was a big mistake getting rid of Paula. Why mess with a formula that has worked for all these years? And with this being Simon's last year, I mean, does anyone really care what anyone BUT Simon thinks? The Biggest Loser - I used to love seeing the dramatic transformations of all of these contestants but it's starting to become monotonous and frankly, I'm a bit sick of all the crying. I know, that probably sounds harsh coming from a pregnant chick. Project Runway - honestly, used to be my favorite show. The past couple of seasons there are no standouts like the "Fierce" Christian Siriano. Again, I think the show peaked at his season and has been struggling ever since. I did catch 'Christian Siriano: Having a Moment' on Bravo the other day and he did not disappoint. That little dude is amazing. Desperate Housewives - seriously Katherine is a lesbian now? I'm really just waiting for the season finale on this one as it conflicts with Family Guy (Dave's favorite) and The Celebrity Apprentice and if you have DVR, you know you can only record two shows at once so this often poses Sunday scheduling conflicts. One show that hasn't disappointed me thus far this season is Dancing With the Stars. Although Kate Gosselin is completely horrendous and painful to watch, I just can't help myself. I do admit that I have been and still am on Team Kate, however, seeing her on DWTS makes me remember why everyone hated her so much on Jon & Kate Plus 8. Regardless of what a biiiaaaatch she may be, the fact is, she is a much better parent than her deadbeat loser ex husband Jon. Right now I'm banking on Real World Road Rules: Fresh Meat 2 and The Real Housewives of New Jersey to provide some much needed entertainment during these last 7 1/2 weeks of my pregnancy. Let's hope they don't disappoint!

I Passed!!!!!!!!

After a minor glitch, let the world’s easiest pregnancy continue! The luck of the Irish was with me today. Yep, I passed my glucose test!! Hip! Hip! Hooray! I'm telling you, I was really sweating it this afternoon though. Here's how it all went down...

First of all, I followed the doctor prescribed high carb diet for the past three days, although I didn't feel like it was really all that different from my usual diet. This morning I arrived bright and early at the lab so I could get it over with and end the fast that started at 8:00 last night and get to eating! When I first arrived, they drew my blood and then had me drink a HUGE glass of the "yummy" sugary drink. This time I got a fruit punch version instead of the orange I had last time. Then every hour for the next three hours they called me in to draw my blood. It really wasn't so bad, thanks to my Dad who kept me company all morning. He even turned down an invitation to go golfing in order to be with me which I thought was very sweet!

When the test was finally over, I was able to leave and was told my doctor’s office would call me this afternoon with the results. Of course, I had to wait forever and really couldn't concentrate on anything all day at work. After calling once to inquire about my results and getting no answer, the nurse finally called and said she had good news. I breathed such a sigh of relief. I passed three out of the four tests and was told if I wouldn't have passed one more, I would have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The one test that I failed was from the first blood draw they did which was taken after fasting since 8:00 last night - I attribute that to the craving for M&M's that I had last night that I couldn't resist indulging a bit. Oops!

I am so relieved to have this behind me. All I could think about was the next 11 weeks of my pregnancy being consumed by finger pricks to check my blood sugar levels and monitoring my diet. I was stuck with a needle enough times just trying to get pregnant so I'm so thankful it didn't come to that and I can continue to enjoy every moment of this special time in my life!

Glucose Test…Grrrr!!!!!

Well, I have been coasting through this pregnancy so far with no issues so of course, I was due any day to hit a bump in the road. That bump came this past Thursday when I went in for my diabetes test. I drank a shot of the delicious orange concoction they provided me with and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, after an hour passed, the nurse called me in to check my glucose levels. She told me they want the number to be below 151. As she busied herself with paperwork, I stared at the monitor waiting for a number to pop up. Finally it did….162. Ugh, are you kidding me? I felt like I had been having such a healthy pregnancy and then this happens. So now it’s on to the 3-hour blood glucose testing on Wednesday which I am to eat a high carb diet for three days prior. I think I may use this opportunity to indulge my taste buds in a Big Apple bagel – you can’t get much more high carb than that! Aaaahhh…doctor’s orders! Unfortunately, I think I sabotaged myself last night and made a batch of monster cookies that I now must try to avoid for the next two days. I’m sure they are high carb but when your glucose levels are being tested, I would assume cookies (with chocolate chips and M&M’s I might add) probably aren’t the smartest choice? And why haven’t they figured out a simpler way to do this re-test thing than a 3-hour procedure? I perused the shelves at Borders over the weekend in hopes I could find something to keep me entertained for those three hours and I wasn’t able to find even one book that caught my interest. Doesn’t Sophie Kinsella have another shopaholic tale to write about?? Anyways, just when I had resigned myself to three hours of pure boredom, my Dad came to the rescue and offered to sit with me and keep me company! He’s so sweet! Please say prayers for me and baby that everything goes well!!

On another note, congratulations to my friends Vicki and Megan who just had babies in the past couple of days! I’m so happy for them and seeing their joy makes me even more excited for June when I get to meet my little one!!

Girl Bonding

I took the opportunity to pose for a preggers picture today. It's not very often that I'm feeling photogenic these days and I know I need to at least have some pictures while I'm pregnant for memory's sake, so here it is - 27 1/2 weeks! I really ought to reconsider the whole vertical stripes thing. Am I really that big? No, it must be the angle of the camera, right?!?!



After the "photo shoot", I got to spend a wonderful day with my two best girls in the world - my mom and my sister! It was so nice to have a day together where we didn't really have any plans but could just do whatever we wanted - which happened to be shopping and eating! We started the day off by having lunch at Panera and then headed to the mall for some shoe shopping (I needed some brown shoes as my legs are now too fat for my boots to entirely zip up) and of course, a stop at the Baby Gap! Being in that store makes me realize how right we were to not find out the baby's sex because seriously, we would be broke before the baby arrives. Anyways, after a few hours of shopping, we had worked up an appetite (again) and made plans to meet up with my Dad and Dave at Ground Round for dinner (Lindsay's husband was in Davenport for the day and couldn't join us). Well, we got home from the mall and since my dad hadn't been feeling well all day, he decided he wasn't really up for dinner. I called Dave to warn him that he would be forced to endure a dinner with just us girls and he opted to stay home - can't say I really blame him actually. When Mom and Lindsay and I get together, we can be a bit much I think!! While of course we missed the boys at dinner, it was the perfect end to a perfect day. Well, it would have been even better if I could have enjoyed a drink with my dinner but instead, I settled for a brownie sundae when I got home!

Just Monkeying Around!

Sugar B's has been getting lots of orders lately and I just had to share some pictures of my latest creation and of course, the cute kids enjoying them!! They were such a hit that the same day, I got another order for monkey cupcakes! I can't wait to bake treats for my own kids birthdays and special occasions. It's going to be so much fun!

Wednesdays

Wednesdays have come to be my favorite day of the week because with each Wednesday, I can check another week off of the countdown and begin the next! 26 weeks down, 14 more to go!! Every Wednesday when I get to work, I get a text from Dave saying, “Happy 26 weeks” or whatever the current milestone may be. I love reading my emails from www.babycenter.com and www.thebump.com to find out what exciting developments are taking place in that particular week and what fruit the baby is currently resembling – this week it happens to be an eggplant. It’s all just so fascinating. I also find it very endearing that every Wednesday when I get home from work, I will find Dave at the computer checking out his own favorite pregnancy-related websites and sharing with me what he’s learned about how the baby is growing. I’m really lucky to have a husband who is so involved in my pregnancy and wants to be a part of everything. While I may sometimes tease him for being a little obsessive, it means more than words can say that he cares about our baby so much already. Wednesdays also mean it’s time to take our weekly photo for my “Belly Book” which is basically a journal of your pregnancy. You document how you’re feeling each month, what cravings you’re having, when you first felt the baby kick, what your favorite maternity outfit is, stuff like that. It’s crazy to look back and see how small my stomach used to be – and I hope will someday be again!!! Happy Wednesday!

Baby Shower Cupcakes!

No, not my baby shower but I had to share this picture because I thought they turned out super cute! I think these might be my proudest cupcake achievement so far! A friend from high school is having a baby shower today and her sister contacted me to make cupcakes for it. She knows that she is having a boy and her colors are blue, chocolate brown, and cream. I spent lots of time trying to come up with the perfect design and they turned out even better than I had hoped! Next up for Sugar B's is monkey cupcakes for a 2 year old's birthday party at daycare this week. That will be an entirely new challenge! I'll be sure to post pictures...unless they are completely tragic. Oh, and I've decided I'm raising my prices because seriously, the amount of time I put into these things is ridic!

My Apologies AND The Name Game

First of all, I need to apologize to all of you for being a total slacker on my blog updates. While I do feel guilty when one of you tells me I haven’t updated it in awhile, it also makes me happy to know that you’re reading it!! So to get you up to speed on everything, I am 24 weeks and 2 days pregnant today. I actually just got back from the doctor a little bit ago. I’m in a pretty good mood as the scale was kind to me and I only gained 3 pounds since last month! I guess the exercise and eating semi-healthy is paying off! I’ve still been feeling really great. I seriously think I’m having the easiest pregnancy ever. I kind of think I deserve it though with everything we went through to get to this point! The baby has been kicking a lot and I can even see little movements through my shirt every now and then. It’s so cool! And now that we’re getting so close, it is time to get down to business and figure out the whole name game.

Okay, I will be the first to admit my taste in names can be a little bit out there. I get the impression that people think I’m a little crazy with some of the names I’ve pitched to them. While I wouldn’t go to the extreme of say, naming my daughter Apple or my son Sparrow as certain celebrities do, I do tend to gravitate to the “unique” names. I think this is partly because, with a last name like Jones, I want our child to at least have a fairly original first name. With that said, I will not be revealing any of the names we have under consideration but would just like to emphasize the struggle we’re having in coming to a decision. I’ve had a girl’s name picked out for years and years and Dave and I are both in agreement so there’s no question there. It’s boys names that we’re really having trouble with. There’s one name that I really like but Dave doesn’t care for at all and of course, there’s names that he likes that are out of the question for me. There are a few that we both like but none that quite satisfy my requirements of being original enough! I think I’ve perused every baby name website on the Internet and have looked through my baby name book dozens of times and it’s just not coming to me. Who knew it could be so stressful? Considering the five plus cities I drug my mom and sister to while shopping for my wedding dress, I’m actually not surprised I’m having this dilemma. I’ve never been good at making decisions! Despite my affinity for unusual names, I’m confident that whatever name we go with will be perfect for our baby and everyone will grow to love it!! I’ll also be keeping some of those names that Dave isn’t so fond of tucked away in the back of my head in hopes that Dave will see me as a goddess after laboring for hours to bring our child into the world and let me name it whatever I want. Ooops, I hope he doesn’t read this and figure out my plan!

We're halfway there!!

This week marked the halfway point and our 20 week ultrasound! I cannot believe how far we’ve come already! We arrived at the doctor’s office on Wednesday afternoon and it was BUSY – honestly, I just have to say, I’ve never seen so many pregnant teens. So sad! While we waited, we were entertained by these cute 3 year old-ish twin girls eating their ice cream cones while their dad tried unsuccessfully to prevent ice cream from dripping all over their clothes. Adorable! Anyways, after drinking the doctor-prescribed three, 8 oz. glasses of water prior to the appointment, I was literally about to pee my pants by the time we got called into the ultrasound room. My discomfort was soon forgotten when the picture of our beautiful baby appeared on the monitor! Dave and I had decided awhile ago that we didn’t want to find out the sex of the baby, a decision that was not easy to reach but one that we haven’t wavered from since we decided. The ultrasound was a true test of our willpower though because the tech said she was able to tell the sex and they don’t record that information anywhere so it was now or never. We stuck to our guns so now there is no going back! Most importantly though, Baby has ten fingers and ten toes, all of the organs are developing normally, and he/she measured at 20 weeks and three days so we are relieved to know we have a beautiful, HEALTHY baby on the way! The little stinker kept putting its hand in front of its face so it took awhile to get a good picture of the face but we finally succeeded. After showing the pictures to Grandma McAllister, she said, “I think it looks like me!” Oh boy…gotta love her! :)
In true Dave fashion and to the amazement of the ultrasound tech, he was pointing out different things and asking all of the right questions. It got to the point that she started quizzing him on stuff – Question: how many arteries should lead to the umbilical cord? Answer: Three. Did you know that? I didn’t know that. Dave knew that. Whatever. Yes, that would be my husband who probably knows more about this pregnancy than I do and has read just about every book on the subject and filed it into his photographic memory. Let’s hope Baby gets that trait from its father because I’m not going to be much help in that department! Anyways, the ultrasound was a truly amazing experience and makes it all that much more real. We’re going to be parents!!!

Busy, busy!

This past weekend was filled with baby preparations. First off, the changing table arrived on Friday and since Dave has Fridays off work, he had it all put together by the time I got home from work. Bright and early Saturday morning, the FedEx man knocked on our door with the crib delivery. Dave got right to work while I “supervised” the whole process. Even Chubby wanted to be a part of it – see her right in the middle of the action?


We still have so much to do with the nursery but we definitely have a good start. Since we’ve decided not to find out the baby’s sex, I’m still contemplating what I want to do as far as room décor goes. As you can see, the walls are chocolate brown and I think I’m going to leave them that way. I’m debating whether I want to decorate the room neutral or gender specific. I really like the lime green and chocolate brown combination which would totally work for either so if I could find some bedding I liked, I could get started decorating. Otherwise, I may end up purchasing a girl set and a boy set and just return whichever one I don’t use. I also want to paint polka dots on the walls to match the bedding. I’m sure Grandma and Grandpa would be happy to take the baby for a day so I could paint!

We also used this weekend to start our baby registries! Armed with my Baby Bargains book, we went to Target and spent hours zapping boppies, swings, bumbos, onesies, gas relief drops, butt paste, and everything baby! It was a lot of fun but also very overwhelming. I know I’ll be adding to and modifying the list for awhile but we definitely got a good start. We also created a Babies R’ Us registry online. It’s unbelievable how much stuff a baby needs!!

Tomorrow is our 20 week ultrasound. Stay tuned....

Baby Furniture...Check!!

Well, after much research and multiple cities visited (an experience my mom and sister would probaby agree is quite similar to the search for my wedding dress!) we finally decided on a crib and changing table. I ordered them online from Babies R Us and they are part of the Da Vinci Kalani collection in honey oak. They are so beautiful and I can't wait to get them so the baby's room can finally start coming together! We are thankful for the generosity of Grandma and Grandpa McAllister who bought us the baby crib. This is just one of the many things they have done for us and we appreciate and love them so much!!