Dear Abby,

I am going to apologize yet again because the post below is what I wrote 6 months ago! I must have started it, had to leave to tend to you or your brother and never went back to it.  The good news is, I have taken wonderful notes all about you to fill into your baby book and update this blog, so you will get a proper post once we are done celebrating you at your big 1st Birthday Party on Saturday!
I love you, Abby!
Love,
Mommy

Now...onto the post that was started 6 months ago.  It is not a completed post, but might as well start now and maybe I will have Abby's 1st year documented before she graduates high school!

Dear Abby,

I am sorry to have to tell you, but you are the second child.  As much as I swore you would receive all the same treatment as the first, it has not happened.  Now don't get me wrong, you get just as much attention and love as AJ (you are quite possibly held even more than he was at your age thanks to all your colic and "issues") but I have lacked in the blog posting, picture taking, baby booking departments.  It may have taken me 6 months, but here you go Abby - this post is for you!

Love, 

Mommy

Just as we thought would happen, Abby arrived on Super Bowl Sunday - February 5, 2012!  After spending all day Saturday doing some last minute shopping for the nursery and whatnot, I had my first contraction on my way home from the store around 6pm.  The second came 20 minutes later, the third followed the 2nd 10 minutes later and the 4th came in 6 minutes after the 3rd.  Things were happening quickly!  Despite the quick progression I decided I needed to put AJ to bed one last time as an only child and then blow-dry my hair.  We finally got to the hospital around 9:30 at which point my contractions were a steady 4-5 minutes apart.  My first check was done around 10:30pm and I was 5cm.  I was feeling good and ready for the baby so I decided to decline the epidural and walk the halls. By 11:30 I was 7cm and told if I keep walking the baby should be out within the hour - so on we walked (me, Art, and my mom).  Well I got to 8 cm and then things just seemed to slow down, or maybe they didn't really and I just thought they did because of the horrific pain I was now feeling.  It was too late for an epidural and I did not want any IV drugs that would make Abby groggy, so drug-free it had to be. When I got to 9cm, I was BEGGING my doctor to let me push (in between cries of "I can't do this!).  He of course would not let me and though I think in actuality it was only another 30 minutes before I reached 10cm, it felt like forever! At 3:31am I began pushing and 8 minutes and 4 pushes later out came Abs. Or should I say out shot Abs - there was no "oh look there's the head, now push and there's the shoulders" it was all ok I'm pushing this baby out in one shot and that I did! Luckily my doctor was a great receiver, because apparently I shot that kid out like a cannonball.

Still here, still preggo!

I guess nesting has somewhat kicked in because I have been on a mission to try and do all the little projects I have been adding to the list I made when I found out I was pregnant back in June. The bedroom has been cleaned and bassinet is set up next to my bed, Abby's stenciling on the accent wall is 2/3 complete, AJ is totally moved over to the "big boy" room (although, we had to move the crib as well because a certain stubborn boy refuses to sleep in said "big boy" bed), I have finally set up the swing, pack and play and other various baby items, and best of all I have been ON TOP of the laundry and dishes - no piles looming in this house! The biggest news of all...THE PIANO IS GONE!!! I feel like I have regained some control over my family room, but I know it will be limited control because it will be a blink of an eye and then Abby's toys will be joining AJ's toys and I will lose my space once again. Ah, motherhood!

I think since the doctor told me 2 weeks ago I could go at anytime, I have been cursed and Abby will arrive on time or late. No big deal I suppose, leaves more time to finish up some other projects. Maybe I will even get the guest room *somewhat* organized for my parents. (Please don't expect too much, Mom and Dad, clean sheets and a clear path to the bed might be all I can accomplish in that room!) I go back to my doctor on Wednesday, at which point we will discuss a possible induction.

AJ has been a typical 2 1/2 year old - extremely funny and equally challenging. He has a great vocabulary and actually talks in complete sentences but he also has typical meltdowns and tantrums when he does not get his way. The last two baby molars are finally coming in on the bottom and they have interfered with nap time, just like all the other teeth that came in before. We are all about Toy Story 3, Cars 2 and Thomas the Train nowadays. It is fun to watch AJ act out the movies with his toys and see him grow and develop. I think he is going to be a great big brother and will try to help too much with Abby. Let's just say I won't be leaving them alone together in a room even while I run to pee!

That's about all for now - a picture post will follow in the next couple of days (assuming I am not in the hospital).

Exciting posts coming soon!

Santa was VERY good to me this year and I got a fun new toy to make blogging that much easier! I am going to wait to do a full Christmas post until I have my new desktop set up and I can upload my pics. I hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday!

64 days?!??!

I strolled on over to the blog today only to be hit by two things:

1. I have not posted since November 9th!! Shame on me, slap on the hand. It seriously feels like I just updated a week ago - must have been in my dreams.

and....

2. Only 64 days until my due date - YIKES!!!

So much to do and apparently only 64 days - guess I need to get a move on it!

Wordless Wednesday

October in Review

I sucked it up and uploaded my pictures one at a time - super slow - but the only way it was going to happen. So here is October in pictures. Enjoy!

Oct. 9th - We went to Brandie and Steve's house for an Eagles party. While there, we celebrated Mom's (Grandma's) birthday. The kids got her a Kindle and cover and she was very excited.

Oct. 15th - AJ's first book signing. Laura Numeroff released a new book - If You Give a Dog a Donut - and was at a local Barnes and Noble for a book signing. AJ chatted her up big time and told her all about his dog "Sto-we." She, like everyone else, got a big kick out of my little talker and told me he was 2 going on 4. Boy don't we know it!

The following day, Oct. 16th, we took a family outing to Sesame Place with Art's family. AJ had
a blast, though I don't know who enjoys the rides more - AJ or Art, and we even got a nice family photo on the way out.

On Oct. 23rd, we went to OC to celebrate Daddy and Grandpa's birthdays. AJ loves to sing "Happy Birthday" and has even started singing it whenever he sees a lit candle. (He even sang to the jack-o-lanterns last night!)

Birthday celebrations were followed by trick-or-treating on the boardwalk. It was a beautiful day and we all had a lot of fun. AJ loves to visit with Grandma and Grandpa!

When I tried to get AJ to smile for the picture, he only wanted to turn around and show me his "chicken butt!"

Helping Grandpa push the wagon after a fun afternoon collecting candy.

Finally ready to sit and enjoy the treats!

We drove around last night so AJ could trick-or-treat at the houses of all of the local family. It was a long night, but he had a lot of fun and ended the evening with a pizza party with his cousins.

That pretty much sums up October, now on to November. We don't have much planned for the month as we really need to buckle down and get this house in order and ready for baby #2! I know we have 3 months, but I really want everything done before December so we can really relax and enjoy the holidays. Besides - decorating, shopping, celebrating, cleaning and finding space for all the new toys will be a job in itself!

Blogger Blues!

I have been working on a post and blogger will not upload my pictures - GRRR!

Stay tuned, I will keep at it!

A weight has been lifted...

As you may have noticed, I am back on FB; the love/hate relationship continues. This also means I have neglected the blog for a week - no bueno! Admitting our mistakes is half the battle, right??

Moving on - I am ready to talk. This pregnancy has been a roller coaster for us, but on Friday we finally got the words we needed to hear - the baby looks great and shows no signs of anything being wrong. To fill everyone in, my 12 week triple scan (an ultrasound and finger prick blood test at 12 weeks, followed by a full blood analysis at 16 weeks) came back with my baby having a 1 in 5 chance of Trisomy 18. For someone my age, those odds should be like 1/3,100. While it is easy to look at that number and say, okay we have an 80% chance of everything being okay - I, and the doctors, looked at that number as a 20% chance of something being wrong. Given our history and the loss of our first baby, I was especially scared,nervous, and doomsday. We has an ultrasound with a specialist at 16 weeks and I went in fully prepared to have the amnio done that day. However, the doctor did not see any markers for Trisomy 18 and suggested we wait to do another ultrasound and ECHO on the baby at 21 weeks when all the permanent organs are formed and the baby is larger. At that point, if there were any markers we would then do the amnio and move forward from that point. For those that do not know, Trisomy 18 is a fluke thing (nothing can cause it nor prevent it) with a very grim diagnosis. Here is a description from the Trisomy 18 Foundation:

Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome, is a condition which is caused by a chromosomal defect. It occurs in about 1 out of every 3000 live births. The numbers increase significantly when early pregnancy losses are factored in that occur in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy.

Unlike Down syndrome, which also is caused by a chromosomal defect, the developmental issues caused by Trisomy 18 are associated with medical complications that are more potentially life-threatening in the early months and years of life. 50% of babies who are carried to term will be stillborn, with baby boys having higher stillbirth rate than baby girls.

At birth, intensive care admissions in Neonatal units are most common for infants with Trisomy 18. Again, baby boys will experience higher mortality rates in this neonatal period than baby girls, although those with higher birth weights do better across all categories.

Some children will be able to be discharged from the hospital with home nursing support for their families. And although less than 10 percent survive to their first birthdays, some children with Trisomy 18 can enjoy many years of life with their families, reaching milestones and being involved with their community. A small number of adults (usually girls) with Trisomy 18 have and are living into their twenties and thirties, although with significant developmental delays that do not allow them to live independantly without assisted caregiving.

Last Friday we traveled over an hour to Cooper where the top doctor in diagnosing T18 through ultrasound performed the ECHO and anatomy scan. We were a nervous wreck and being on the same floor in the same hospital where I delivered, held and said goodbye to my first little girl made it that much more difficult. After about 90 minutes of scans, the doctor looked at me and told me that in 20 years he has never been wrong in diagnosing T18 through screening and that he was not going to let me break that streak! He told me has was 99% sure everything was perfect with our baby girl and that at this point an amnio would be more of a risk to me than beneficial. I had an appointment with my OB this afternoon and he agreed that we made the right decision to not have an amnio.

So now we can breath....and stress over getting AJ's big boy room and the new nursery completed. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

Following the blogger trend and starting a wordless Wednesday. Enjoy!

Goodbye F*aceb*ook!

I have deactivated my FB account to see if I actually blog more often. I found that once I became more active on FB, I stopped blogging - problem is, the FB posts did not have as much info as a blog post and I am having troubles filling the gaps in AJ's baby book. Shame on me! I am not ruling out FB permanently, just doing a little test separation. So if you want updates on us - this is the place to check!

AJ at 2 years

It has been 2 months since AJ turned 2 and he has already grown so much. At his 2 year check up he weighed 30 pounds and measured 35 inches. That makes him 50% and 75%, respectively, for his age group. We are still waiting on the 2 year molars to come through, but that could be tomorrow or it could be months from now. He is such a social butterfly and knows how to work any crowd.

Now that AJ is 2, we took him for his first dentist visit yesterday. He was in such good spirits and loved the toys in the waiting room, until he clocked his head and got a huge goose egg. After that all he did was cry "back home to AJ's house!" Luckily, the dentist is only a couple miles from the house and Art was able to leave work and help comfort AJ. He was such a good boy and let the hygienist not only clean and polish his teeth, but also go back over them with a pumice gel to get off the iron stains from his vitamins. He was not as fond of the dentist - she was a little bit quicker and not as gentle and reassuring as the hygienist. We did not get the stains off his back teeth, but I was told they would not do any harm and we can get them next time. All in all, the only bad experience was the waiting room - we'll take it! (Note to self - AJ cut his first tooth at 7 months and 1 week. This was a question on the new patient paperwork and it took me FOREVER to find where I wrote that down. I reread all old blog posts thinking it had to be in there - wrong! - but now it is here.)

September night at the ballpark

The Phillies may have lost the game, but AJ won big time! The Phillie Fanatic came right to our seats and visited with AJ. Art was thrilled and told AJ he is one lucky boy - Art has been going to Phillies games since he was 8 years old and this is the FIRST time he ever got to meet the Fanatic face to face at a game. It only took AJ 4 games!

And then it was September!

So that thing about blogging at least once a week, hahaha. Shame on me! The problem was I was having issues designing my template and every time I logged into blogger I would try to fix it, only to aggravate myself and sign out before ever posting. I know, lame excuse, but true. Anyhow, I am now happy with the template and I am proud to announce I will resume blogging. It has become even more important because with baby number 2 on the way, I need somewhere to keep track of what is going on in our busy household. So, consider this a teaser. Enjoy the pictures in my new header and check back soon - I WILL be updating on a regular basis now!

XO-

Becky

10 Months Later...

And we are still here! I cannot believe I have not written since September and I am so mad at myself about the events lost. As I look back on the blog and all the posted memories and updates, I am sad that there is a huge gap! Note to self - blog at LEAST once a week! No ifs, ands, or buts about it! I will have to put together a 10 month catch up, but for now here are some recent pics of my almost 2 year old. FYI - he is one smart cookie - rather than just singing the alphabet, he will actually point to letters on signs, packaging, books and what-not-else and tell us what each letter is. He is very good and has impressed quite a few spectators.

Having fun dying Easter eggs:

These two are best friends! AJ loves to feed Stoli through the gate:

AJ's first "ink". He liked it so much, he offered his other arm when the 1st was done!

Feeling like Fall

Fall is by far my favorite season. I love that the air is crisper, the mornings are cooler and the leaves are turning. AJ and I enjoyed a beautiful day outside with some bike riding through the farm, quad riding and slide fun.

Still here!

Man, I sure did check out for quite some time! Sorry about that. I will play catch up in photos, much more fun than reading a boring post anyway.

AJ 11 Months

1st Birthday, July 10, 2010 - we had a pig roast and lots of fun!

Ocean City Pamper Scamper August 10, 2010 - AJ said, "NO! NO! NO!" and cried, needless to say he did not place.

Tuckered out from all that crying

We spent the rest of the day at the beach, AJ had his own "Beach Club" with a private umbrella and pool filled with ocean water, oh to be 1 again.

Not so sure about the actual ocean

Thanks for checking in on us, I will *try* to be more diligent in my posting.

Hey Mom, Look What I Can Do!!

That's right, I have a little climber on my hands. Climbing on his toys is only the beginning, he is already trying to climb up onto the furniture. YIKES!

Videos of AJ

Here is a video of AJ at 10 month old. He loves to say "tickle, tickle," clap his hands, bang on his drum (an old popcorn tin), dance, shake, and crawl all over!

This next video is AJ and Stoli playing together.

My oh my, it's May!

Seriously?!? Where is the time going?? AJ is now 10 months old, and we are already planning his 1st birthday party. I cannot believe my little man will be 1 year old in 2 months. Crazy!! AJ is now officially a crawler, woo-hoo! He is totally done with the army crawl and all hands and knees now; boy can he move! He is also pulling up on things now, but he will not walk along them, so I think he will be crawling for awhile longer. The house has been taken over by barricades, anything and everything is used to contain AJ - laundry baskets, ottomans, gates, playpens, you name it, we are probably using it. I think we need to take some measurements and buy actual gates that fit, LOL.

I had a wonderful 1st Mother's Day! AJ, Stoli and Art all took great care of me and AJ gave me a beautiful locket on a necklace with 2 little pictures of him. It is super cute and I will treasure it forever!

And are you all ready for the biggest news???......AJ is sleeping through the night! WOO-HOO!! (Bet you thought I was going to say I'm pregnant, LOL. Not happening anytime soon, and that's a PROMISE!!) About 2 weeks ago, AJ was waking up every 2 hours in the night and would only go back to sleep after he nursed. He was also tugging at his ear frequently, so we took him to the doctor to make sure he had a clean bill of health. All looked great, no medical problems, so cry it out was implemented that night. He went to bed at 9:30 pm, woke up at 1:45 am and cried for 1 hour non-stop! He then went to sleep, woke up at 5:45 and cried for about 15 minutes. At 8:15 he woke up happy ready to start the day. The next night, he went to bed at 8:15 pm, woke up at 5:45 am, fussed for about 5 minutes, then went back to sleep and woke up at 7:30 happy and ready to get up. Ever since, he has been sleeping anywhere from 10-12 hours a night without waking up!! Other than a couple rough nights (his 2 top middle teeth are cutting) bedtime has been smooth sailing. FINALLY!!

We took my mom and dad to a Phillies game for their anniversary, AJ had fun tailgating!

Nothing like sweet potato puffs and a cold beer!

Peek-a-boo!

Cheeeese!

Hanging out and watching TV in Dad's Phillies beanbag

Spring has Sprung

Goodbye snow, hello green grass and blooming flowers!

Excited to be dying Easter eggs!

Look what the Easter bunny brought AJ!!

Enjoying a treat from his Easter basket

AJ and Stoli enjoying the beautiful Easter day