TTC a Miracle 2009

Clare - I can't believe your already 13 weeks & will be able to find out the sexes soon if you decide to. Do you think you & DH will find out or not?

Becky C. - Glad you got to see your dad. Hope it isn't quite as ackward if you go to the graduation party. Glad Nick's appointment went pretty well. I just got Kieya's 2 year check-up scheduled for July 30th (her b-day). I know mean Mommy making her go to the dr & get shots on her b-day but hey that's what works into my schedule. As for Nick being pigeon toed hopefully it will correct itself. If the dr decides that it is best to have orthotic intervention he may just want to use corrective shoes. If he thinks that a bar is needed then discuss the Dobbs bar with him. This is a bar that articulates so the child can still move his feet individually unlike the traditional Dennis Browne Bar. Usually the bar is used for club feet but each dr is different & like to use different devices for correction so hopefully his dr will not want to use the bar & will only want special shoes. If you have any questions feel free to ask & I will try my best to answer.

Stacey - I absolutely love your profile pic. Brody is just so adorable! To answer your question about the twin specific tickers, yes they do have them & I wish I could use one of them. Glad Brody's check-up went well also. As for the flat spot on his head, has the dr mentioned torticollis? If not can Brody easily move his head from right to left or does he really favor one side? If he favors one side this could be because of torticollis which is tightness of one of the muscles in the neck. Because of the muscle being tight the child keeps the head in the same position most of the time so pressure is most often in the same spot on the head when laying, sitting in a swing or bouncer, etc. which can cause the flat spot. If this is the case you should bring it to the dr's attention & he/she will most likely order therapy to work on stretching the muscle. If he is not having the muscle tightness & moves his head normally I would say that I would not be too concerned. This is actually more common than you might think. Usually once the child starts sitting unsupported, crawling, & becoming more active the head shape starts correcting itself because there is not pressure on the back of the head as often. I don't know if you have tried repositioning but if you laying him down for naps & bed for the night you lay him so that if the flat spot is on the back right side of the head you want to turn his head to the left so that the pressure is on the opposite side. Yes, he will most likely turn his head during the night but even the little bit of time you have him in this position can help a little. Just like I told Becky, if you have any questions feel free to ask & I will try my best to answer.

Holly - I love your profile pic also. As for the gagging it took Kieya a while to get use to stage 3 also. I think it was the texture that she had a problem with.

Kate - Your right if he's rocking on his knees it probably will not be long before he starts crawling & you have your hands full chasing after him.

Denise - Hope you get to find out the sex at the next appointment. Hope Alexa is feeling better.

Gigi - Kieya loves black olives. If we get supreme pizza she will try to get by with picking them off & eating only them & then saying "Mommy, I done." I found out on Monday that I'm pregnant but didn't tell DH until Tuesday so you all knew before he did but I was planning something special so I couldn't tell him yet. I'll post about that below. I can't believe Lily is already 3 months. Time just goes by too quickly.

AFM - So far I have had no symptoms. The only thing I have noticed is that usually I don't have to eat breakfast but now I have to eat something small in the morning or else by lunch I am really hungry so my stomach gets very, very slightly upset. I found out on Monday that I'm pregnant. I wanted to do something special to tell DH so the only person I told that day was my BF. Then on Tuesday I told one of the girls that I work with. She stood guard & told me everytime one of my other co-workers was coming our way so that I could hide what I was working on because I don't want it to get back to my boss yet that I'm pregnant. I got a black t-shirt & painted on it with yellow paint using stencils. It said, "SISTER TO BEE!" & had a bumble bee on it. I will post a pic of Kieya in it later on. Well, after I picked her up from daycare I changed her shirt & headed home. I figured I would let Kieya be the one to tell DH. As soon as I walked in the door, DH came up to me & said that the fridge went out so all of our food went bad. So we threw everything in trash bags & cleaned out the fridge & freezer (popsicles melted everywhere). Then as he was walking out the door about an hour after I got home with 2 heavy bags of bad food he sees DD's shirt & says "Sister to bee. Are your pregnant?" I told him yes & all he said was cool as he carried the bags out to the dumpster. I think he would have acted better if we didn't have the fridge to worry about but oh well. I have my 1st appointment scheduled for July 20th.

Just something that I thought was cute...On the way home from daycare yesterday Kieya started saying, "Hurry, hurry Mommy, hurry!!!" I guess she wanted to get home to see daddy & show off her shirt.

Well, I gotta get off of here so I'll TTYAL.

Tasha- happy to hear things are going well! I'm sure she is keeping you very busy!

Alicia- I bet her shirt was very cute! We made Brennan a shirt to tell our parents! So cute about her wanting to rush home too!!!

I have been so tired lately. Never seem to get enough sleep.

Denise-Things are going ok at work. This is my first week working more days and my boss is out this week and almost all of next week for 2 different conferences. I am just giving it my all and trying new things to help me do better.

Stacey-We got central air about 2 weeks ago so I can’t wait to have it be all yucka out and be nice and cool in here! I know I won’t be so happy when I see the electric bill but I think it will be better for all of us in the long run….no cranky baby or mommy or daddy! It’s not your fault at all! Some babies don’t move a lot when they sleep or if they do they go to one side. You certainly didn’t cause this!

Gigi-If you’re getting sleep and she’s fine in the swing then don’t sweat it. I was all worried and stressed about it and Ben’s doing just fine!

Tasha-Babies tend to keep us busy! I’m glad to hear from you!

Alicia-Sorry DH was kinda weird but I bet he’s just adjusting!

Off to work in a few…nothing too interesting happening around here!

Hi Ladies!

Alicia- CONGRATS!

{wow, so many new babies on board!}

Becky- Glad to see swimming is going well so far.

Kate- boy he is getting so big!

Becky- funny how time flies

AFM: I have been so busy I can hardly sleep at night with all the things on my mind or aka stress. DH and I were talking the other night about having another one and he wanted to know the ways of increasing our chance of having a girl this time....so we did some research.

Has anyone used the Shettles method or book??

Well got to go make dinner! TTYL hope everyone is doing well

Alicia ~ that's so creative. Both times I sent Chris a text picture of the tests. I'm NOT creative.

Heather ~ Shettles is the timed sex with ovulation, right? They say that the girl sperm swim slower but live longer than the boy sperm so if you want a girl, you should have sex a day or so before ovulating because that gives the girl sperm more of a chance. Oh, and can I say thank you for thread memory!! I love it

Becky C ~ hope you are enjoying your time off and that your little monkey isn't opening the oven anymore!

Kate ~ I feel you with work. I sometimes went in with the attitude "it is what it is and I can't change it" - lol. Maybe not a very good one but it works for me!

Jeannette ~ hope things are settling down for you.

Maureen ~ love and miss you!

Hi to EOE. I am getting ready to go take a shower and then pack. Alexa and I are headed to see my parents for the weekend. Chris works today, is working Father's Day, and then on Tuesday. We celebrated Father's Day last night so I figure I should head up there. Not to mention it's going to be in the 90s up there and my mom has no AC Now, when I was growing up, it was no big deal b/c no one really had it but I'm a spoiled, pampered girl with central air now so I'm going to be suffering - lol.

Have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday.

Heather- sorry things are so busy for you. Good luck trying for a girl!!!

Denise- have a nice weekend with your parents.

Leo can climb the ladder to BRennans bunk. Scary. I need to figure out a way to block it. I am going to get some dinner and drinks with a few girlfriends tonight!! We are going a little later so the boys will be readly for bed. That way I do not feel guilty!!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!!

Denise- I didn't know there were people who didn't have a/c anymore! We have a window unit from when we used to live in an apartment. It's just sitting in the basement. You can come and pick it up and bring it to your mom's if you want!

Holly- sorry I don't have any advice for feeding Gwen. I hope she gets past the gagging real soon. That sounds very scary!

Becky- Yikes about your little monkey! Those kids just have no fear! Jalen's a climber too.

Becky C- I was looking at your pics on FB. I can really see the family resemblence between you and your brother! That Little Gym looks like a blast!

Jalen wouldn't eat dinner last night. So, instead of fighting with him, we went to a local farmer's market. I figured I could get him something to eat there. Well...he ended up eating a bit of kettle corn for dinner. Then later I told DH that Jalen only had popcorn for dinner and he said it was his fault. He took J with him to get some baid (b/c DH was going fishing) then to Subway. The guy at Subway gave him a big cookie. So...it was a big cookie and popcorn for dinner last night!

Denise-I’ve really been trying to go into work with the attitude that I’m going to do my best but that dwindles rapidly some days!

Becky-I went out last night for dinner and drinks too! Then more drinks after!

Adrienne-MMMM kettle corn and a cookie for dinner

So tireddddd I went out with another mom last night and got in late. Damn the coors light! LOL I missed my boys though!

O dear me... just when u think things calm down and go back to normal it never does...

every weekend has been busy... and now (not that I am really complaining) we are planning a trip just Rob and I over the 4th up to Maine... I'm going to go see a moose... lol

Jeannette, I do not know if I said but Jillian is beautiful!

Alicia, Yay for symptoms, even though it is small

Real quick... the little ones are destroying the family room and it is terribly hot in here at the moment... I am working on my agent query letter and I have to add a synopsis... trying to write one is more difficult than writing the book ~rolling eyes~ basically b/c your trying to sell the book... you want it to catch the attention of the casual bookstore browser (in this case also the agent) enough that they want to buy the book to read it, but you also do not want to give the story away that the pages are only there with a bunch of words on...
anyway, i have written two... and I need honest opinions from my friends not being friends if they would catch your attention enough to read the book and which one does it better...

#1
Mir O Köï or the Jewel of Life… light is life, and without the balance of the elements, life cannot exist in any world. Without the light, darkness overtakes the world and with it, brings nothing but death and destruction. Queen Amira was born from the four elements many, many centuries ago. Sworn by the ancients to protect the light, she placed it within the jewel of a specially carved necklace, surrounded by the four elemental stones. When the darkness began to swallow the land, Amira called upon the light to awaken, in the hopes that it would save the ones she treasured and the people that looked upon her for guidance. The light did as she asked, but awakened with a fearsome vengeance. Amira… disappeared… and the stones themselves shattered, scattering throughout the world. Only the elemental guardians know where the pieces hide… and only the child of light, MELINA the daughter of Amira, can obtain the stones and place back together, calling upon the light once more. This is the wish of all, our dreams and hopes rest with the child, to rid the world once and for all of Du'Car and the suffering he has caused these many years, restoring peace to the land.

#2
Daily living in the small town of Birch Valley is quiet, uneventful to say the least. For seventeen year old, MELANIE JONES it is just out right boring, her only escape lay within the books she cherishes so. That is until the day she follows a disembodied voice into a newly established, bookstore basement. With few special words found on the inside cover of a book and the meeting of a strange old man; her normal day after day is turned upside down and Melanie is whisked away to another world, where she finds that she is not who she has been and that her life is less than ordinary.

Seventeen years ago the land of Rendwick was at peace, and then the darkness came. Released from its imprisonment, it continues to torment the land and its people. Their only hope lies within the foretold prophecy, that one day the child of light shall return, bringing with her the power to restore the land to how it once was. With the protection of her new friends and strange connection to the mysterious elf Aldan, PRINCESS MELINA must face the challenges ahead and search the lands for the shattered elemental stones. Only once the stones are whole can she awaken the light and hope to bring peace back to the land.

Denise - I hope Brody can get through his helment very fast like your niece if he need sone. That would be great. I hope the aches and pains you feel will not last long. Hop eyou had a good weekend!

Becky - How did swimming go with Leo? There might be terr ways of doing this but every time I go to IKEA I have noticed that in order to prevent people from climbing up the bunkbeds they have displayed they have takens a piece of plexi glass, drilled holes in it and tied it to the lower steps of the ladder. That way you can still see everything but can not climb.

Gigi - Thanks! It helps to hear from another parent that I am not causing Brody to have issues. Wow, Lily is getting so big.

Tasha - My MIL comes over once a week to help out and spend time with Brody as well.

Alicia - The Dr. has not mentioned torticollis. Brody can move his head to either side as far as I can tell. He does tend to favor his right side for everything however and the flat spot is on his right side. I have tried to reposition him but when you lay him down he wigles for about 5 - 10 minutes before getting comfortable and falling back asleep. SO I have started going into his room about 30 minutes later and moving his head to the correct position but I guess that is not working. What do they do at the apt to determine if he should have a helment? That was such a cool way of telling DH. I agree he might have responded differently if you di dnot have the fridge to deal with.


Kate - We have been talking about getting central air, was it expensive? We have A/C's in every room and I tired of needing them. Not to mention it gets very loud when you have them running and they never seem to lkeep the upstairs very cool. How long did it take to get Central Air installed? Did they do it in one day?

Heather C. - Love your new Avatar pic!!

Adrienne - I guess we can not force our children to eat. I was told Brody did not eat more hten a few ounces all day at daycare on Friday. Not sure what his issue was because he ate fine for me all weekend.

Aara - Yay for a trip with just the adults. I like #2 the best.

AFM: We Went to Southwick's Zoo yesterday. It was so much fun. In fact DH wants to buy a membership so we can go all the time. Right now I am enjoying som time in my cool, air conditioned house. I hope hte rain breaks up some of hte humidity a little.

Nothing much going on with me. I wanted to share Malika's new pics just in case you haven't seen them on fb. Sorry if the pics are big.
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And this is my favorite pic. This truly shows that she is already daddy's little girl.

Heather C. - I've heard that if you want a girl BD further away from ovulation until you get a positive on an OPK & then stop or if you want a boy do not BD until you get a positive OPK. Not sure how well that works but I've seen many things about it on-line. Good luck TTC!!! Hope you get your little girl!

Aara - I like #1.

Stacey - Continue with the repositioning. It will not correct over night & should atleast help prevent it from getting much worse. As for the 1st appointment to be evaluated for the helmet. The orthotist will ask you a ton of questions such as weight & length at birth & now, was there any unsual positions during the pregnancy (breach, etc.), were there any complications during the delivery, were any delivery aids used (forceps, etc.), when did you first realize the flat spot, who was the 1st person to realize it, what would you rate the severity of the flat spot, plus many more questions. They will take measurements of the head (circumference, width, length, diagonal, from nose to each eye, from nose to each ear). These measurements are used to determine how assymetrical the head shape is. In order for some insurance companies to pay for the helmets there has to be a certain percentage of asymmetry. Other insurance companies will not pay for them at all. I would recommend that if you have a Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics office near you to go there. Hanger is a nation-wide company that has a special department that fights insurance companies to cover the cranial helmets & can get more covered than a lot of other companies. Also there is no charge for an evaluation or any follow up appointments. You are only charged if something is delivered. Also bring food & drink because the appointment could end up being long & bring a toy or 2 that he really likes. If they will be doing a lazor scan to make the helmet have him wear a black or other dark colored shirt so that it is not picked up in the scan. I recommend trying to find one that will do a lazor scan because it is not as messy & does not seem to bother the baby as much as the plaster cast does. Any other questions?

Tasha - Love the pics!!!

Here's the pic of Kieya in her "Sister to Bee!" shirt.



Here's one at the beach

alicia - love the pic. i don't know if i already said it. but congtrats. on the BFP

Aara - I like the idea for story #1 but I like the synopsis better for #2 because it is more simple and clear cut.

Tasha - Great pictures! She is such a doll.

Hi, everyone! My SIL is being induced as we speak so I will have a new nephew tomorrow! This is the mother of the niece I always talk about. This is my favorite SIL and she is like my best friend. I'm so excited for her. =)

Thanks all...
After thinking on it all day and night I think #2 is better for the synopsis (my darling hubby sat down last night and worked on it with me to tweak it and not give away the story. #1 gives to much of the story and focus's on Amira instead of my main character

Alicia - I love the shirt! It is adorable

What a sweetie Tasha

Aara- enjoy your time away with DH!!

Stacey- My dad has athin piece of wood we are going to use to block to steps!! Just like at IKEA!

Tasha- great pics! What a cutie!!

Alicia- very cute!!

Holly- congrats on the new nephew!


I had a busy weekend. Yesterday we tried to take family pics but the boys were not good. I think we got a few good ones of Brennan and hopedully at least 1 decent one of the family. Then we went to my sisters for fathers day. We went swimming. The boys were in for over 2 hrs w/ no nap. They went to bed early but neither stayed asleep. It was a long night.

Alicia-love the pics! Thanks for the info on Nicks feet...I will let you know what they say!

Aara-#2 is my pic!

Tasha-She is too cute

Hi everyone else!!!

Everything here is going well. Yesteday I went to the grocery store and DH was in the bathroom. He came out to Nick sitting at the kitchen table with the open box of donuts and chocolate everywhere, shoveling them in. Needless to say he wasn't hungry for lunch, lol.

We spent fathers day at my FIL's and Step-MIL's. It was nice. My MIL was mad we weren't making it to a cookout at her side of the family that we found out about on Friday. She actually told me that DH and his brother needed to buy her boyfriend a gift for Fathers Day. We usually get him a card, but she said he deserved a gift. That woman drives me nuts!

I did call my dad to say happy fathers day and I sent him a card. It was hard to find a generic fathers day card, I feel like I looked forever! We are going to meet for lunch on wednesday.

I am so excited because Friday I have a bachelorette party for one of my good friends. We are going to MGM Grande at Foxwoods Casino in CT. and staying overnight. I definitely NEED to get away for a night and its going to be fun!

Alright, hope everyone is surviving Monday...talk to you all later!

Becky C.

Stacey- We too use the window units for AC. We just had to go and buy 2 new ones yesterday b/c it is so warm here. Now we have 5 of them I think. And one is brand new but doesn't work so that one has to go back! We looked about 6 years ago into getting central air and were quoted $10,000 at the time. I know I spoke to someone else recently and it was about $10,000-$15,000 b/c we have gas baseboard heat and would need everything to be completely installed and the venting and such is very pricey. I told Nick that if we keep staying in this house we are going to need it at some point. I just am so hesitant in this economy to drop that type of $$$ and not be able to recoup anything when we do sell. Our house is already down SO much in value It's killing me. We are paying taxes based on our assessed value from 12/08 ($10,000/yr) and we can't even get 2/3 of the value right now. We couldn't even do a new refi b/c the market was down so much. Sorry I went off on a tangent there

Tasha- Malika is getting so big!!! So cute!

Aara- Thanks! Good luck with selling the new book!

Holly- Congrats on the new nephew coming!!!

Becky C- Foxwoods rocks! We were there in early April and it was fantastic. I love staying over. My hubby had his brother's bachelor party there a few years ago. We went to Mohegan for my 21st (10 years ago!). Have a great time!

AFM: Thank goodness my wonderful MIL is still here. She has to fly home on Wednesday night though and I'm gonna cry. She's such a huge help. Colin is off the wall these days. Olivia's first day of summer vacation is today. Jillian is doing well. She just spits up a lot We are EBF and it's going very well. I'm totally loving nursing her. She's a real sweetie. We all love her. I have new pics up on FB.

Jeannette-I am SO excited about Foxwoods! DH and I used to go a lot when we were dating...it was actually where he took me on our first real date for dinner and taught me how to play craps, lol. I am glad everything is going well with little miss Jillian and your family!

Sooooo...my tiny peanut Nick is becoming a monkey! Not only has he learned how to climb on every table and bed in the house, but while I was cleaning his room today he climbed all the way onto the top of his changing table using the shelves like a ladder I am not sure what to do about him! I took the changing table out of his room and moved it to the basement. I can't leave him alone in any room now. He has been trying to climb out of his crib and I know its only a matter of days before he does it. Has anyone had to put a child this young in a bed? He's only 18 months! I just don't know what to do because I don't want him to fall out. I am not crazu about those tent things that go over the crib but it looks like I might have to get one.

Becky C.

Becky- Nick sounds like Leo. I put Leo in a regular bed in Dec so he was about 17 months. It took a while for him to stay in it all night but he isnt a good sleeper. I cant put him in it awake at night either. We are going to start working on that soon though. Good luck!

Stacey-We only had to pay for the unit which was $1400 because we got a new furnace last winter and purposely got it with the cooling coil. We also got it wholesale I think. It only took one day but my FIL does HVAC for a living so he knew what he was doing and we didn’t have to pay for labor which was a blessing! So I can’t really say just how much it is for it all but I would assume around 5000 or so with labor and depending on your furnace and all that. It couldn’t hurt to get quotes! I looooove it and didn’t think I’d use it as much as I do.

Tasha-That’s such a cute pic of her and your DH! Ben rarely slept on us.

Alicia-Too cute at the beach! And I love the to Beeeee shirt!

Holly-Yay for your SIL having another baby! Gwen’s hair is just too cute!

Aara-I’m glad you figured out which one works for your book!

Becky C-I’m glad your Father’s day went well barring your crazy MIL! LOL I hope you have fun on Friday! My bachelorette was at Mohegan and it was a blast and I’ve been to one at Foxwoods too!

Jeanette-OMG I didn’t realize how expensive it would be to put AC in a house without forced hot air! I’m sorry your MIL is going to have to leave…you can do it! You are a strong woman and mommy!

Today we have a play date with a gf of mine and her daughter. Ben’s getting better about sleeping until at least 6am which is better than like 5 or 5:30! It’s been really warm here and I love it! I just hope we are able to get outside today….just depends on the kiddos!

I typed out a huge post and apparently hit the wrong button because it's gone ~ grumble.

Anyway - I did read and am glad that people had a great weekend.

Alicia and Natasha ~ I love the pics!!

Becky C ~ Nick might need a bed. Good luck with that!!

Adrienne ~ yep...they are holding out for their furnace to need replaced before they put central air in. How 'bout a few window units???? LOL

Jeannette ~ hope all is well with the new addition.

Holly ~ congrats on being an Auntie again!!

Kate ~ yeah, I used to have days like that. I hope work is better.

That is all I remember right now. I need to go eat before I start to feel sick - TTYL.

Hey Ladies!

Alicia--Congratz! That sucks about your fridge though...that happened to my in-laws last year when we were visiting them. We had gone out of town for a few days and came back to their place to it stinking of rotten food.

Denise--I hear ya on needing central AC...in Seattle no one has it. But on this side of the country it's a necesscity!!! Are you starting to feel any better now that the 2nd trimester has come along?

Tasha--Malika is gorgeous! I'm glad your MIL has been able to help you out. I'm sure it's a huge adjustment having a new baby in your home....but a most welcome one!

Holly--Hope you are able to get some rest yourself...sounds like you are super busy! Gwen's pictures are so adorable. Have you ever thought about getting her into modeling? With that dark hair and vibrant blue eyes I would think she would be a shoe-in! LOL

Jeanette--It's so nice that your MIL has been available to help you out. How is your recovery going? Are you feeling any better?

Candice--Are you still around? How is Carson doing? DH started his CRNA program last week...yikes! Looks like I'll hardly see hiim for the next 3 years. Starting in January he will begin his clinicals with 36 hour rotations.

Aara--I like synpopsis #2 as well. Have you heard from Nathaniel? How is his visit going? How are the home renovations? Any new pictures? I love watching those TV shows on home remodels & the before & after shots. LOL

Hi to everyone else!
AFM: Like I said up above...DH started school last week and is feeling a bit overwhelmed. It's a little better this week b/c I think he is starting to get into the swing of things. Unfortunately this summer he has 2 sections of 4 week classes. So as of this coming Friday...he's 1/2 way done w/his first class.
I am starting to work night shift tomorrow (Wednesday). I'll be working 7pm-7:30am. I stayed up until 4:30am last night so I could try to sleep during the day today...was able to sleep until 11:30. I'm going to go run some errands then try to take a nap so I can stay up late again. The Charge RN told me I will be off orientation on July 9th...Yikes!! I still feel like I have so much to learn, but my preceptors all say I am doing fine.
To be honest, I've felt like the angel of death lately. For the past 3 weeks, I've had at least 1 patient each week die. I was feeling bad for a while until I realized I had been asking them to give me the more complicated patients so I could learn more...so it makes sense that the more complicated ones are the ones in the most danger of dying.

I'm excited b/c in mid-July my work schedule worked out so I have a 5 day stretch off. I called my BFF and I'm going to visit her in P-town, VA. She said her daughter has been pestering her to bring her to WV to see me, lol. I can't wait to see her! The only part I am not looking forward to is the 8 hour drive all by myself.

Well, I need to go make my grocery list and run my errands so I can get more sleep. LOL
Maureen