Joys In My Life

I'm trying to post this from the hospital Internet access, but I will be able to do this announcement better justice from home, but it is a very odd, but short birth story. They came so fast and furious there was nothing anyone could do. But the boys are in the NICU and doing well. They were born at 31 weeks 5 days gestation on 5/29/2009. I will post their names and information (no comments on names unless you like them, LOL): Baby A: Thomas Michael III born at 2:09 AM Weight - 3 lbs, 15 1/2 oz Length - 18 inches Baby B: Liam Jonathan born at 2:20 AM Weight - 4 lbs, 1.4 oz Length - 17 1/4 inches long Just a word on their health, Thomas's breathing is doing well and he did not need any help in that area so far. I had two steroid shots from when I was admitted until before they were born, so I think that helped. Liam was intubated and given surfactant when he arrived in the NICU and is now on CPAP, although he can't stand having the tubes in his nose. Both are under t...

As promised, I looked through the pregnancy shots Leo has been taking of me, and here is a belly shot from 28 weeks, which was the first week of May. I know we need to work on some more recent photos. Especially since I'm sure it will show how the babies are lower than they used to be. The only unfortunate thing is I think they spread back out up top and starting yesterday, I'm not that interested in eating again. Oh well. I guess eating is over-rated.

It's official, I can tell the babies dropped sometime on Saturday. Since then I've had an easier time driving, eating in the evenings and I can breathe again!!! But it is hard to do dishes as I have to try to bend over the sink and walking is hysterical. My hips are hurting a lot more again and my lower belly is really sore if I stand for a few minutes. Lying down is really good these days. But I have some energy right now and I have a lot of things I need to get done today. I have some planting I want to do, thank you cards to write, laundry to get done and hopefully, I can find some shorts around here I can fit into. The weather has gotten warmer (into the 80s) and really sunny. It's a beautiful day for a Memorial Day off work. So I'm off to get some things done today and hopefully get some more photos I can upload today.

I'm going to get caught up - hopefully very quickly - on posting of new pics. Here are the ones from Phoebe's First Communion, which was the weekend of May 3rd. You'll have to excuse Phoebe if she looks tired in any of the photos. We go to 8 AM mass, so the pics at the house were done at 7AM!!!! Please note that her First Communion dress and veil have been in Leo's family for 35 years. His mom made it for their first daughter's communion and then all 5 of their girls have ended up wearing it. Phoebe is the 4th grand-daughter to wear it on their side of the family. It's really neat for me since I've been to all the cousin's First Communions (except 1 in Wisconsin) so I've seen it worn many times and then pics of all his sisters. The last pic here is with her Aunt Nicole, who is her godmother as well as the SIL that is coming to stay with us and help with "the boys". She was also the main conspirator with my friends to throw my baby ...

We had another Level II ultrasound today and everything is looking great. Stats are as follows: Baby 1 - not presenting first, head down, heart rate 142, estimated weight 3lbs, 5 oz Baby 2 - presenting first, head down, heart rate 138, estimated weight 3lbs, 8 oz Basically, I'm carrying almost 7 lbs of baby, confirming that I'm about as big as I was when Phoebe was delivered as she was a little over 7 lbs. I also had an OB appointment on Friday and things were going well there too. My blood pressure is starting to be elevated, so she wants to keep an eye on it. It was only 130/78, so not too high yet and to be expected. Both places want to see me in 2 weeks and then after that I have weekly appointments. So my next doctor's appointment is 5/29. I'll try to publish some more pics soon, but I've been so tired when I get home from work (or even when I work from home) that I don't get around to it. But I have some great pics from Phoebe's Commun...

I've had a lot of interesting moments of pregnancy brain, but this week I had one that takes the cake. It was so funny I'm still laughing at how confused I get sometimes. We're Catholic and as I mentioned before our daughter received First Communion two weeks ago (I promise to get those pics out there. They are so cute!). She also has what they call CYFF classes every Tuesday night from September to mid-May. This started in 1st Grade and she'll continue until 6th Grade when she receives Confirmation. The last CYFF class of every year is not really a class, but a May Procession Mass. This is where they have an abbreviated mass with all they CYFF kids and their families and other church members and the First Communion and Confirmation kids come in their fancy dress outfits they wore for the occasion. After the mass is over, everyone processes outside and the "May Queen" (a little girl picked from the Communion class) crowns the statue of Mary outside wit...

Wow, was yesterday's writing ever therapeutic. But like most relationships, the one with my mom cannot just be boiled down to the few paragraphs I put down. That post was our issues. I really can't say though that I have a bad mom. There are so many things I love about her and the influence she had on my life, so I feel that I need to post this side of our relationship too. It's just that as my mother has gotten older - and BTW, she's not that old, she's only 17 years older than me, so that makes her 55? I don't pay attention to exact age, because I think it's just a number and that's one of the things my mother taught me when I was younger. A lot of my personality was developed by things I learned from my mom. Here's a comprehensive list 1. Go to college - have a career, be able to support yourself and don't rely on anyone else to support you. My mom was a child of the 60s and brought me up in the 70s with the whole women's lib thing. I'...

I’ve been wondering whether or not to write about this here, especially since my mother does read my blog, but my mother and I don’t seem to be getting along again. I say again, as we’ve had a strained relationship for many, many years. Definitely since my college days, but a bit when I was in high school. I know in her mind she thinks I “just don’t get it”, but I don’t understand what “it” is that I don’t get. Personally, I think she just doesn’t get “it” but I can explain exactly what that is. I’ve felt for most of my life that my mother doesn’t support me and my decisions or really love me, which is very difficult coming off Mother’s Day and being successfully pregnant for the second time. We’ve had difficulties since college, but I always racked those up to the usual issues women have with their mothers as they become independent. Especially since I am a very independent creature. I will listen to the opinions of others, but I make up my mind based on what I think is best f...

So I have the Rita's Water Ice commercial (I think this is only a Philly area franchise) running through my head as we went there last night for a snack/craving. Mmmmmmm. Mango water ice. I was craving it before we left for Phoebe's ice skating class. I'm so proud of her too! She officially passed both the Delta levels during this session and is now officially in the Freestyle levels. In the big leagues now! So happy for her! She worked so hard in ice skating over the past few months. I talked to Leo about going to Rita's after her class and he was gratefully on board. I'm so uncomfortable and cranky this week, I think he just wants to make me happy. We didn't tell Phoebe until we pulled into the parking lot and I was in heaven eating my mango water ice. Phoebe even commented on how I went from totally cranky to "so happy I'm singing commercials and practically dancing". Phoebe was having commitment issues and kept going back and forth ...

I've been in tears several times today. I'm a happy crier and I could only be happier on the day our boys are born. My dear friend, Merlot , and her husband have now become parents. Merlot is my online friend, but she only lives 40 minutes away from us and we have met in real life a few times. We share a love of wine as well as our desire for children. Her and her husband have been through the wringer on this journey to parenthood. I'm not sure her current blog goes through all the issues they've had, but it's been long and painful. God definitely owes them some easier times. She's recently posted that they've been picked by as adoptive parents in their current domestic adoption pursuits. It sounds like it was very sudden, and she doesn't have all the details posted, but they are in Florida and have their daughter with them now. Please go and congratulate them on their new addition!!! On my status, I'm officially uncomfortable all the time....