Resting & Recovering

According to my doctor, my surgery was a success. He removed my cyst and fixed a few other things that will hopefully help us achieve our goal of pregnancy. I was wonderfully medicated during the evening and night. However today I have not taken any drugs except 1 Tylenol a few hours ago. As much as I like feeling no pain, I don't want to have to be on the heavy drugs if I can manage the pain without them.

I am trying to remain calm and wait on my doctor to arrive. Jeremy was doing his best to make me smile and laugh.

When we got home yesterday, C was so content. She was snuggled in her bed with her babysitter reading books. When the babysitter left, C had to hug her over and over. It made me feel very good to know that while I was in surgery C was being loved on by some sweet girls. I was so blessed to be able to use her teachers from MOPS. They babysat in shifts, since neither one of their school schedules could accommodate the hours we needed.

I have taken a few naps today. Jeremy is headed back to work in the morning while C will be at preschool. In the afternoon she will go to a play date with a friend from MOPS. I feel so blessed with the outpouring of love, prayers and offers for meals and childcare that I've received. Makes Bloomington feel like home.

My Last Meal

I have now gone 24 hour without eating anything. Yesterday for breakfast I was allowed to eat my last meal. I am usually not a big breakfast person. Just some juice or cereal. But since it would be my last meal until after my surgery tonight, I chowed down.

Nothing like eggs, sausage, biscuits and some strawberries as your last meal. Oh yeah and a Chai Tea, not pictured!

My surgery is at 3:00 today. Hopefully I will be back home by 7:00. I am hoping and praying that I will not be nauseous from the anaesthesia and will have an appetite. I spent all night dreaming about what I will eat!

She Can...

Every parent thinks that their child is smart. But I KNOW mine is. At only 3.5 yrs old she can...

*spell her name and write her name

* knows her basic colors in Spanish

* count to 13 in Spanish

*say big words such as exhausted, camouflage, chameleon and disappointed

* color in the lines

* recognize her name, Jake's name, all the letters in the alphabet and her numbers

* count to 100 and is working her way up to 200!!

I think she gets her smarts from me!

Random Photos

Some of these are way overdue, by over 3 months! I guess I forgot to post them. Mrs. Waldrop sent C a gingerbread kit for Christmas. We ended up doing it closer to New Years. I helped her some, but she told me where to place everything.

It's done.

Over the last few months C has really begun to take an interest in coloring, drawing, painting and dress up.

Got to love the princess dress with sneakers.

The artist at work.

Her masterpiece!

Photo Flashback Friday

Where has my little girl gone?

March 2008 (9 months old)

March 2009 (21 months old)

March 2010 ( approx 2.5 yrs old)

March 2011 (approx 3.5 yrs old)

Oh, How She Loves Him!!

I looked up from the lunch table the other day to see Jake lying with this bunny. When I asked C why he had it. She said he was snuggling with it.

Then she decided that he really needed to snuggle with it. She tried to get him to hold it between his arms, but he would not cooperate.

She settled for this.

She told me she missed him so much while we were gone over the weekend. He can't talk but i think he missed her too!

Big hugs and loving on her doggie.

Gearing Up For Surgery

Last week I met with my new fertility doctor. He is wonderful and I already love him! At my appointment they did an ultrasound and found some cysts on my ovaries. So unfortunately I have to have surgery to remove them. While I am in the OR they will also do some other things to hopefully help with some fertility issues. The surgery has been scheduled for this coming Monday. The good part is I have already had this surgery in 2006. So I know what to expect regarding the surgery itself and the recovery. But I am still a bit anxious. After all no one likes being put under and cut open! The surgery is at 3:00 in the afternoon, so if anyone wants to send up a prayer to the big guy around that time that would be appreciated.

And here's a picture of my girl after she just got her hair cut.

The Swing Set

We love, love, love our swing set. Even Jake loves it. His 2 favorite places to lie are here and under the fort, near the tire swing. It is one of the few shaded places he has in the yard.

We have had some sunny days and have taken full advantage of the weather to be outside.

She LOVES the slide. The best part about the swing set is it is not a cheap one. It is built really well and can even support our adult weight. C loves when daddy or I get up in the fort with her for tea parties. The slide is even strong enough to support us going down it.

C enjoys swinging on her stomach. She does this a lot when myself or Jeremy is tired of pushing her on the swings. So the other day she decided she needed to teach Baby Tegan how to swing that way too.

Such a good mommy C is.

We love the swing set and can't wait until it gets warm enough to enjoy it everyday!

Run Joy, Run

On Sunday I ran a St. Patty's Day 5K. C was very excited about me running and wanted to cheese with mommy.

I did the race with a few friends from my mom's group. Gina & Bree made us all shamrock headbands and pins to wear.

Gina, Stephanie, Bree and me.


The race day weather was suppose to be in the mid 40's and sunny. However it was 29* and partly cloudy. But thankfully there was no wind! Stephanie ended up not running it as she had a cold and was not feeling well. The other 3 of us started the run together. After about 10 steps together, Gina took off. Bree and I ended up pacing together for 2.5 miles. Then she took off. Without her I could not have done it. I did not train much for it and I ran the whole way! I was proud as I finished with a great time for me and shaved almost 5 minutes off my previous time in November. At that time I ran a 37:46 race. This one I ran 32:49. So proud of me!!

Here is me sprinting for the finish line. I am in the middle in the green.

Had to include a one of my favorite girl. I know the grandparents will appreciate it!

Do You See What I See?

This was the view from J's hotel room all last week. What a rough life he leads!

So I figured that he has to make it up to C and I. This is our yard before!


During!


Ta Da!!

J got a new IPhone and has enjoyed playing around with the different picture settings.

C and I are so excited!! Even though it was only 29* today we had to go outside and play on it.

I can not wait until it gets warmer and we can really break it in. I am already imagining all the cookouts we are going to have and all of C's friends playing on it!!

Thank you so much for our new playset Daddy! We love it and love you!

Maya Is Here!!

Maya (my mom) arrived from Miami, Fl yesterday afternoon. It has been a really long time since we have seen her. C took to her right away and of course had to start showing off for her. After some quiet time C decided she wanted to paint with Maya.

C and I don't go out to eat a lot, but we treated Maya to some yummy cheeseburgers. My mom wanted to take a picture of just C and I since I am always taking them and never in them. Too bad my girl couldn't cooperate for it.

Later that night C had to show Maya how to play Candyland. Believe it or not, my mom had never played before.


Maya's birthday isn't until April but we decided to celebrate it while she was up here. C was so thrilled that we got to eat not 1 but 2 cakes.

Oh yeah and a cupcake.

Maya doesn't leave until Sunday so we still have some time to spend with her. It is so cute to see how C plays with her. She shows off all the time by dancing and singing. It has been super cute to watch. I am so thankful to have this time with my mom. I don't see her very often and I miss her so much.

Wordless Wednesday

Okay, maybe just a few. I know a big girl who enjoyed her PB & J and lollipop yesterday!

A Little Bit More About Me

Before

I was trying to show how long and scraggly my hair has gotten. I know it is not the best picture.

After.

I got almost 4 inches cut off. I it is much easier to style now and I feel lighter.

Now onto the real post.....

I have been debating for a few weeks to even write about this. But I finally decided this blog is about our life and I want to document it. I know it is mainly about C. But when I go back and read this years from now, i want to remember everything. All of it! I don't want to forget a thing. I was also inspired by my brave friend Shannon in TX. So thanks girl!

About 2 years after Jeremy and I got married we decided we were ready for kids. We thought it would be super easy to expand our family. It wasn't. After another year and still no baby, we began seeking fertility treatments. I did months of drugs. The fertility kind, not the bad kind! :)

I had blood work and tests run. I even had surgery. We were never given a clear explanation as to why we couldn't get pregnant and our files were stamped with "unexplained infertility." A few months after my surgery we did our first cycle of IUI and were blessed with a pregnancy. Our road to C was a long, frustrating one.

Fast forward 3.5 years and we are driving down the infertility road again. I know we are blessed with C. I know that. But is it such a crime to want another one? When I talk to friends about our issues in getting pregnant, they say "at least you have one kid already" or "maybe it's not meant to be." Like that is suppose to make me feel better?! It is so maddening that all these young girls can get pregnant at the drop of a hat. And here Jeremy and I have a stable, loving home and can't make a baby. It is so heartbreaking to me. And so maddening. To be a woman is such a special thing. Heck they can grow other people inside of them! So when I am not able to do such a basic thing it as that, it makes me feel like a failure as a woman. There is nothing I want more in this world than to have another baby.

Bad Blogger

I know, I know. I have been a really bad blogger lately. I don't know if it is the depressing weather or just lack of something to say. Throughout the days C will say or do something cute and I will think "I need to blog about that". But by the time evening rolls around I forget.

We had a good weekend. On Saturday I took C to the library, which she loves. She would go everyday if I took her. There is no limit on the amount of children's books you can check out and so we always come home with at least 30. I am not exaggerating. 3 days later they have all been read to her and she wants different ones. Then that night Jeremy and I went to a dinner party of one of our neighbors. They work for State Farm too and just moved here from TX. We had a good time, but at times I felt a little out of place when they began talking about their careers. As I am sure no one wanted to hear about my career which includes cleaning up pee and enforcing time outs!
We tried out a new babysitter that evening as all our college girls are on spring break. Her name was Emily and she lives behind us. She is only 16, but very responsible. Emily read a few books to C in her bed before bedtime. Then C asked Emily to lay with her for a little bit. But C kept talking. So Emily told her "let's play the quiet game". We couldn't believe it when Emily told us that C stopped talking and won because she fell asleep. Jeremy and I were blown away that C fell asleep with someone in the bed. She won't do that for us! I am calling Emily the "toddler whisperer"!

After almost a year, Maya (my mom) is coming up from Miami to visit us this week! We planned well as Jeremy will be out of town most of the week and now I won't have to be alone. C has big plans for Maya's visit. It is cute to hear her talk about all the fun things they are going to do together.

We will be busy this week with my mom's visit, but I promise i will TRY to be a better blogger.

Lunch Date

C's favorite boy friend is Cooper. We don't get to play with Cooper very much because C goes to preschool on M/W and Cooper goes T/Th. So it is hard to get them together. But C was out of school for presidents day on a Monday so she wanted to have Cooper over. He had swim class that morning, so we decided to invite him over for a lunch date.


I told Kelly (Cooper's mom) that this picture made me laugh. This could be them 10 years from now on a date. With the girl smiling for the camera and the boy shoving food in his mouth!

After some playing in the basement they decided they wanted to watch "Jake and the Neverland Pirates", which is a new show on Disney. I think they were mesmerized.

I love Cooper. He is such a sweet, gentle boy. He always is so excited to see C and play with her and vice versa. I am so happy that C has such a sweet friend. They will get to go to the same elementary school. I hope they will be sweet friends for a long time.