Our Cute Family

Friday, January 15th, 2009 - Day 28

My Mom went to Thailand and got back this week. It was the trip that Chris and I had originally planned to go on until we found out we were expecting. We were supposed to leave for Thailand on December 18th. Funny that Tia arrived a day later - and of course there would have been no possible way to go with her on the way. We were disappointed as we had been looking forward to the trip. But what a great reason not to go - our beautiful little girl.

My mom, little sister and one of my older sisters all went. They had a great time and were gone for a couple weeks. My mom always brings back these cute elephants as good luck charms that she gives out. I love them because they are classy looking and cute at the same time. My mom ran out of small ones last time she went to Thailand so she gave Chris the big elephant (in this picture) - it is very heavy and the size of a cantaloupe. When she got back this time, she gave us the middle sized one (for me) and the baby one for Tia. Aren't they cute. She also had some cute Thai clothes for Tia...can't wait until she is big enough to wear some of them.

What an Explosion

Thursday, January 14th, 2009 - Day 27

So we've been worrying about constipation and she went about 40 hours without having a bowel movement, but then when we least expected it, she had an explosion in her diaper. Of course, we were relieved! Then today, I changed her wet diaper about 9:30am and by 11:30am when I went to change her, I noticed some of her poopie seeping through her pjs. I opened her pjs to find that she had a huge explosion in her diaper. It was all over her belly, her back, all over her pjs and the diaper was sooo full. It was cute, but I had to give her a bath because she was had it all over and when changing her, it was hard not to get it in other places too. We did buy some constipation drops, but we didn't use them yet because we wanted to talk to our doc first. She's our little poop machine!

Heat Rash

Wednesday, January 13th, 2009 - Day 26

I think we know what her little rash is - heat rash. We have been keeping her in these cute full body pjs, but she has been getting these rashes on her face and chest. They come and go and move around from different times of day. After looking up some types of rashes, I am pretty sure that is what it is. They say parents make the mistake of overdressing their babies and they should be dressed the way we would dress ourselves. The thing is, I wear my pjs all day long so I guess I thought she was dressed perfectly. I know at night, we swaddle her and perhaps she is a bit warm, but during the day I wouldn't think so. But we are going to dress her in some onzies, give her some baths, lotion her up and make sure she's nice and cool until the heat rash goes away completely. My poor little girl!

Constipation

Tuesday, January 12th, 2009 - Day 25

Tia's face will get red like she is trying to make a poopie, but then when we check her diaper - it is only wet. Then we notice that several diapers are either not needing to be changed or just wet. But it is scary when she goes over 24 hours without a poopie diaper because her tummy gets all bloated. You can tell she really tries hard to go but just can't. She is fed breast milk more than half the time but we give her some formula here and there as well. The formula we have is Enformil with iron and I read that we should try soy so we bought soy formula but it has only been a day. We got the constipation drops for babies and will try that next. I just hate seeing her struggle plus it makes her a bit more fussy too. I know it is very common for babies to be constipated and go a few days before having a bowel movement. I have that problem and I'm 32, I hope she didn't inherit that from me!

Top Ten for Bedtime

Monday, January 11th, 2009 - Day 24

Tia has been sleeping pretty well at night. She does get up to feed around 1am and then again about 5am. I came up with my top ten things that make it for a perfect night sleep for Tia.

1) Tia's Room - Of course we started out having her sleep in our room because she had jaundice and she had her days and nights mixed up. But now that she is sleeping at night, we have put her to bed in her room for the past couple weeks.

2) Crib- Her crib is an espresso color and is beautiful with her chocolate and pink bedding.

3) Mini-Crib - Since she is so small, they say newborns have a harder time in a big crib with so much space, so we got a mini-crib from Target that is perfect. It fits inside the big Crib and is the perfect size for her.

4) Positioner - We always have the fear of SIDS on our minds, so we heard that a positioner was perfect for newborns to keep them more in place while they sleep. I had no idea what this was but a friend gave me one and it works perfect. It fits nicely inside the mini-crib and is soft. It keeps Tia from rolling.

5) Swaddler - The best thing for night/nap time is to keep Tia swaddled nice and tight. When she isn't swaddled, her hands will wake her up. If she isn't swaddled tightly enough, she finds ways to get her arms out and then she wakes herself up and can't go back to sleep. But keeping her swaddled is great. We bought what we call a 'cheater swaddler' which is something that wraps around her and has velcro to keep her snug.

6) Monitor - I love our monitors because I can listen for Tia when she wakes up or just to hear her and know that she is alright.

7) Pacifier - Ultimately we try not to put her to bed with a pacifier because if she loses it, she wakes up. OR if she has the pacifier in, she doesn't go to sleep as fast either. It looks like she is sleeping, but you can see she is doing her Maggie Simpson and sucking away on it. But sometimes a pacifier in her mouth causes her to instantly close her eyes.

8) Sound Machine - We have a great sound machine that has rain, heartbeat, ocean, lullabies and a timer, so we can put on a sound and have it automatically shut off in 15 or 30 minutes. We don't use it every time, but it is nice to keep a little bit of sound in the room so she doesn't get scared if she wakes up to dead silence.

9) Nightlight - The mini-crib came with a small nightlight that is perfect. It is bright enough that if I need to check in on her, I can see her face, but it sits on the top of the mini-crib so when Tia is laying in it, she can't see it, so it doesn't bother her. Before we had that, I would put the hall light on so I wouldn't wake her up but could somewhat see her.

10) Glider Rocker - I LOVE the glider rocker. It is awesome! I don't use it every day, but if I want to rock her a bit or if she wakes up in the middle of the night and is wide awake, I can rock her a bit to make her drowsy again. It is also perfect for breastfeeding. The ottoman also rocks so it is very comfortable. I use the boppy pillow to raise her up a bit and make it comfortable for both of us if I do breastfeed.

Power Outage

Sunday, January 10th, 2009 - Day 23

We had an unexpected trip out of the house today due to our subdivision being out of power. Around 8ish, I heard a ton of beeps and a sound like things were shutting down including the fan going off. I woke Chris up and he said the entire house was out of power. We gave Ameren a call and yep, 104 houses were out of power and it would be on until 3pm. With our 3 week old little girl and the weather being 4 degrees outside, we decided that we needed to get out of the house to stay warm. In only about 10 minutes, I could already feel the house getting colder. We loaded up the car and headed over to Lisa's house, since she only lives 10 minutes away and we wanted to stay close to the house. We are praying that the power will be on sooner than later!

Our First Night Out

Saturday, January 9th, 2009 - Day 22

Tonight was our first night out since Tia was born. One of Chris's best friends was turning 30 and his fiance had a surprise birthday party planned. I thought it was a great opportunity for us to get out of the house for a few hours and see how we do with leaving Tia at home. Chris's mom, as I call Katma, was coming over to watch Tia and be our first babysitter. What was nice was that Katma was going to come over to our house so that made it very nice for us. She came over around 6ish and we left shortly after and headed to Kirkwood for the party. I was able to have a couple glasses of wine and we got to mingle with all of Chris's friends. It was a really nice time with great drinks, great food, great music and of course great people. We left a bit after 9 and swung by to see our friend Lisa for a bit and we were home around 10ish.

While we were out everyone kept asking us if we were calling to check in every 5 minutes or having feelings of sadness that we left her at home. But to be honest, Chris and I were both fine being out with out Tia. Of course, we missed her, BUT we knew it was only for a few hours and she was in good hands. It was a great first night out! Of course, we kissed our peanut when we got home.

Movie Night

Friday, January 8th, 2009 - Day 21

We had our first movie night. I had Chris get The Proposal from Redbox so we could watch it tonight. It is so funny how watching a 2 hour movie turns into a 3 or 4 hour ordeal. We had to feed Tia, change her a couple times, get her out of a fussy stage and put her to bed. It was fun though to be together and just realize that not only has life changed but now we are this cute little family.

Baby Carrier

Thursday, January 7, 2010 - Day 20

Tia usually has at least one fussy period per day usually lasting 15 to 45 minutes at a time. During these periods, I have to carry her around the room bouncing her so she won't cry. She'll be fed, clean but just is fussy and all of her usual things I have her do just won't work. I was reading Jen's blog about trying the Baby Bjorn with her newborn and I remembered we got a Jeep carrier from our registry so I looked it up to see if newborns could be used in it. Tia was having a fussy period and so I'd hold her and bounce her around the room (I call it our dance time), and eventually she'd stop whimpering and I'd put her in a cradle hold and she'd start to doze off. BUT the minute I would move her to the swing, the floor, her boppy pillow, her crib or anything else - she would wake up and be fussy again - which meant I had to start dancing with her again to get her to stop her fussiness.

I went and grabbed the Jeep carrier, read the instructions and I put Tia on her boppy pillow while I was getting it ready and she woke up and started to fuss. I put her in the Jeep carrier that was now on me and at first she gave me this look like 'are you kidding me', but once I started to walk around, she started to doze off. Wfew, it worked! Now, she was already pretty drowsy, so that helped and the true test is when I want to be handsfree and she is wide awake.

But so far, the Jeep carrier is pretty nice. I got her bottle ready, am writing this blog, and was able to put her dirty diapers in the diaper genie - stuff I could not do if she was in a cradle hold sleeping. Thanks Jen for giving me the idea.

Mommy & Daddy are Learning A Lot

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 - Day 19

We started doing our research on what makes a baby fussy. Our poor baby Tia seems to have a lot of what makes a baby fussy:

Colic/Constipation/Gas - She shows pretty much all the signs of being colic. Fusses after being fed and diaper change, hasn't pooped all day, bloated tummy, face gets red, looks like she is trying to force out some gas but is unsuccessful, spits up, hard to burp, etc. So we got some Mylicon to help with her gas and hopefully that will help her.

Nasal Congestion (partially) - She is constantly making snoring sounds or breaths like her nose is stuffy. In winter months, the air is dry and can cause her nose to dry out her nasal secretions. This can be confused with nasal congestion which is a more serious problem. So we got her some Saline Drops and are going to add the dehumidifier to our house to get the air a bit better for Tia.

Clogged Tear Duct - I have heard this is very common, but poor Tia will often have some build up in her right eye. Sometimes it is right on her eyeball and we take moist towels and do our best to clean it up 3 to 4 times per day. We hope by massaging her tear duct/nose, we can rid this problem.

Thrush - Tia has a majorly thick white substance on her tongue that is possibly called Thrush. It can also be on her cheeks and gums, but we don't see much there. It very well could be just milk build-up, but it seems pretty thick so we are thinking it is Thrush. We tried to pick up some ointment for this at Walgreens and Wal-Mart and neither place carried what was recommended. Thrush can turn painful if not taken care of. It is basically a build up of yeast from milk.

Hiccups - After feeding about 3 out of 5 times, she'll sneeze twice and then get the hiccups and she HATES the hiccups. She makes these sounds like she is super annoyed every time a hiccup happens. We just feel so bad for her because she'll have them for 30 to 40 minutes and she hates every minute.


She has still been sleeping very well at night, at least 3 hours, sometimes 4, at a time. I've been putting her down for naps after feeding and waketime, but if she is super fussy - she only stays down for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. It is obvious she is trying to poop, but can't. I have always had a hard time in that area and I hope she doesn't get that from me. We did start adding formula to her feeding a few times a day to supplement breastmilk and the formula we use has iron in it which could also be a factor in constipation/gas. Let's hope we can get these taken care of so Tia won't be fussy any more. She is still perfect and every time she falls asleep, she has the cutest smile and chuckle that just warms our hearts and makes all the fussiness worthwhile.

McKenzie

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - Day 18

A lot of people are wondering how we came up with McKenzie as Tia's middle name. We had a few middle names we were tossing around for 9 months, but just could not decide on any one of them. Harley was our biggest front runner and we were about 99% sure her name would be Tia Harley Norris. I came up with Harley about 5 months into pregnancy...I wanted it to be somewhat sentimental by using a family name, but none of the first names in either family really stuck out for us. We wanted her middle name to be unique, mainly for me, because our last name is Norris which is pretty common. I was thinking of merging family names and I came up with Harley, which was a composition of (Harp, Merli, Lee) and Chris really liked it too. BUT there was just something that was keeping me from pulling the trigger on it. I think because Tia was already a unique name and to throw a unique middle name with it - I wasn't sure I wanted to do. But for the remaining 5 months of pregnancy, it was what we were thinking we'd end up with if we didn't come up with anything. Since she was going to be born around Christmas, we also decided that if she was born on Christmas, her middle name would be Noel.

Since I came up with Tia, I was wanting Chris to come up with some middle names to choose from, so the week Tia was born, he had a task of doing some research and giving me some options. He came up with several and we went through them together. He had mentioned McKenna and I just wasn't going for it, but then he just said McKenzie and we both really liked it. And it was perfect and we decided it would definitley be her middle name unless she was born on Christmas and then it would be Noel. So there we picked it and I was super happy that Chris came up with her middle name and boy did he do a great job. I just love her name. We decided since it was only a matter of days before she was born that we'd keep it a secret from everyone and hence why so many people were shocked to hear that her name wasn't Tia Harley or Tia Corinne. But we've heard nothing but positive comments about her name 'Tia McKenzie Norris.'

All I Can Say is Ah!

Monday, January 4th, 2010 - Day 17

I'll admit, the past two weeks have been a definite change of pace for our schedules, especially the lack of sleep. We got off to a rough start because of a few things, in my opinion, that made it hard for us to get on a routine off the bat. The first was the jaundice and having Tia sleeping 24-7, except for feeding, in the billy bed for 4 days when we got home from the hospital. Since it was the week of Christmas, we invited anyone who wanted to come by our house for Christmas to stop by since we didn't go anywhere. Because of this, Tia was super spoiled and was held by several family members pretty much every day for several days after she was out of the billy-bed. Of course, this was very special and I loved that she was being held by everyone, but she would fall asleep in their arms and hence becoming accustomed to being held in order to fall asleep. The other big thing was her having her days and nights switched - sleeping all day and up all night.

We resolved the days and nights very quickly, to our amazement. She was back on track this entire week and it was really nice to know we'd get a few hours of sleep at a time during the night. As mentioned in an earlier post, I wanted Tia to become a BabyWise baby and to follow the principles in the book that was recommended to me. I believe in all that the say, but of course getting her on track due to the three things listed above was turning out to be harder than expected. They encourage an every 3 hour feeding schedule which we implemented from day 1. They also encourage you to have wake time for baby after feeding and then a naptime. We had certainly gotten her on the feeding and then waketime portion, but were a little off on the naptime. She would be in my arms and fall asleep into naptime but the book says you need to put the baby down while she is awake so she can get used to being dependent in naps/sleeptime. This was going to be a hard task, but I know the earlier we start this, the better.

So today, I decided to start putting this routine into motion. I have to admit, it went pretty smooth today and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it goes smooth the rest of the night and the rest of the week. I'm doing the 3 hour feeding times and once she is done feeding, I play with her for a good half an hour, change her diaper, then play with her for another half an hour. At that point, I start to rock her or hold her like I would normally when she was falling asleep, BUT instead of waiting until she was out, I would put her in her crib before she was asleep to see if she would fall asleep on her own. To my surprise, she has! Of course, sometimes she needs me to be near, but she still went to sleep on her own without being held which is huge. I have the sound of the ocean on in her room, have her swaddled tightly and she does have a pacifier - all things that have helped! I want to continue this routine the rest of the week and then starting next week, put her down for a nap before she starts getting tired. I know that it is some work on my part and patience, but eventually she will know the routine and when she gets put in her crib, she'll know it is naptime.

So I am excited about today's developments because the past several days, she's had a few hours of fussiness about the same time every day. Today - no fussiness at all. No, the day is not over yet, BUT I'm pretty confident she won't bring out Miss Fussy today. I'll keep you posted - but say a little prayer that we will be settling into this new routine for good!

Welcome to the World Message

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 - Day 16

For anyone who wants to leave a welcome message to baby Tia, we are inviting anyone who would like to leave a message for her by calling 877-628-2995 and entering PIN 1884096 followed by #. We will burn the cd of messages and place it in her baby book for when she is older and can listen to all of the loved ones who were excited about her arrival.

My friend Beth gave us this service as a gift and it is really a neat service to use because we were able send an announcement message to a bulk amount of people when she was born. I had a notebook and had people write their numbers down and then a few days before she was born, I put the list into the online service. Chris and I came up with a script and the day she arrived, I had Chris call the service, implement the message announcing Tia and then the service automatically sent the recording to everyone. There were many people's numbers I missed or wish I had, so I'm welcoming anyone reading this who wants to leave a message to do so. Beth gave us a big chunk of time and I also bought more time so people can leave long messages if they'd like.

For anyone who wants to buy this service for an expecting friend - you can go to www.sharemybabynews.com and read up on the details. It is a very special service and it was super sweet to hear all of the messages when she was born!

She's Sleeping More at Night

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 - Day 15

We are keeping our fingers crossed that this is a positive sign that Tia is sleeping more at night and less during the day. She has had her days and nights switched since before birth which is typical for most babies. But our sleep has been deprived and it was on the top of our list to get her switched. Of course, we did our research and took in all the tips to try to get this switched. We started making it bright and noisier during the day and keeping her feeding every 3 hours, sleeping or not. At night, we dim the lights, make no eye contact and really try to make her realize when it is night versus day. The past few nights, she has gone to bed right after feeding and slept for 3 to 4 hours at a time which is a big improvement. We are going to continue this and see if it will stay this way. I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed!!!

Another big development today was Tia getting her nails clipped. She has my hands which means she has very long fingers and big hands - it is so strange to see my hands but mini on her. My nails have always grown very fast and since hers are like mine, hers have grown very long the past two weeks and she is just now starting to scratch her face a bit and so we have been wanting to get them clipped. We bought the nail clippers with the magnifying glass and have the emery boards as well. Chris was so eager to clip her nails that I let him take the bull by the horns. He did great. Of course she was sleeping during the first hand, but after her nails were clipped Chris was taking the emery board to the edges and she woke up. We waited a bit for the second hand and then tackled that one as soon as she dozed off. Not as bad as we were thinking but still so scary since her nails are sooo tiny!

A Very Nice Invention

Friday, January 1st, 2010 - Day 14

Last night was New Year's eve and I'm laughing at myself because as the ball dropped in Times Square, I was in a dead sleep in bed. Lisa came over and brought me some treats..mmm. We had a dirty martini - my first one in 10 months. Then I had two glasses of wine. We hung out and watched a movie then Lisa left to head over to a party. Tia and Chris were napping and my eyes were starting to feel super heavy. It has been quite a long time since I had more than 1 drink and my tolerance has gone way down. It was 10pm and I knew I wasn't going to make it until midnight. I caved and went to bed. I did set an alarm to get up just in time but Chris said it kept going off and I'd hit snooze but let it buzz for several minutes at a time which was so unlike me. He just laughed he said. I'm a light weight now! But it was nice to have two of my favorite cocktails. Thanks Lisa.

I got up to feed Tia around 6ish and my boobs were telling me they needed to be pumped soon since it had been 12 or so hours since my last pump. Of course I wanted to make sure my milk was alcohol free so I used a product called Milkscreen. It said I was negative, which meant I was alcohol free and the milk is good for Tia. What a great product...thanks to the person who invented it!

New Year's Eve

Thursday, December 31st, 2009 - Day 13

Mommy is sad because Chris went back to work today. He will be off tomorrow, but today and starting Monday, it will be just me and baby. I loved having Chris's help with Tia and being able to snooze here and there. I know Tia and I will get into a routine soon enough and the weeks will fly by. I can't believe 3 weeks of maternity leave have already gone by. Wow!

This is Tia's first New Year's Eve and we will be spending it at home. I can't remember the last time I stayed home for New Year's but I'm looking forward to it. I think Chris is too. I do have a BFF stopping by later today and she is bringing me some treats so I can celebrate with a dirty martini and possibly a glass of wine. Mmmmm

Her Umbilical Cord is Gone

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 - Day 12

Today, her umbilical cord fell off and we are happy because it just did not look like it was fun to have that attached. Now I wonder if she is going to have an inny or an outie. It is so hard to tell.

Poor Tia has the same ritual after feeding. She does two sneezes and then she has the hiccups that last about 20 minutes. Boy does she hate them because she makes these cute sounds. Chris calls the sounds the Velociraptor because she makes clicking and uh-ing noises. We feel so bad for her.

She also has a clogged tear duct in her left eye. She gets eye boogies all the time and although we clean them out, it seems like a constant problem. I hope that goes away, although I've heard it is a common thing among new babies.

She is perfect otherwise and is doing great. She's doing better at sleeping at night but she needs to be held to fall asleep. She can sure tell when she is not getting the human contact. She's so spoiled!

The Cutest Chuckle & Smiles

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 - Day 11

Of course, she is too young to give us a smile or laugh BUT we get lucky every time she falls asleep. When she starts to doze off she has the cutest facial expressions and the best is when she smiles. There are different forms of smiles and it is just amazing to see. Every few days there is the cutest chuckle too. I've seen it twice and Chris has seen it a couple times too. We love it...it is like a 'uh-hee-uh-hee' belly laugh. So adorable.

My mom was telling me how in Thailand they believe the facial expressions babies have when falling asleep are Angels talking/playing with them. The babies will smile when playing and they give that frown-like face when the babies do something bad, the Angels will bopp them on the head. It was a cute story and now I imagine the Angels every time I watch her fall asleep.

In fact, right now she is sleeping and it looks like she has a cute little smile on her face. So cute!

She's all Clean

Monday, December 28th, 2009 - Day 10

We decided to give Tia her first full body sponge bath today and boy did she not like the cold much. Chris and I did our best to keep her calm while we washed her body, washed her hair, and lotioned her up. Once we were done and we put her in some warm clothes and wrapped her up in a blanket, she was out for the count. She is still sleeping all day and awake all night, but hopefully we'll get that changed soon. We've been using all the tips we've received and it seems like we are making a tiny bit of progress day by day. We'll get there. She is just so darn cute!

Party at My Crib

Sunday, December 27th, 2009 - Day 9

Tia had her first friend over today. Her friend is 5 weeks older than Tia but they already look like best buds. Of course, us moms had to do a photoshoot with them. I was always the bad influence with tequila shots and partying, so it was cute that we made Tia out to be the bad influence in these pictures. Although, we all know that these little girls will not even know what drinking is until they are hopefully 21, but we do hope they are best buds just like us moms are. Cute, nonetheless.

One Week Old

Saturday, December 26th, 2009 - Day 8

Tia is officially one week old today and the week seems to have gone by so quickly. Although, some of those long nights I thought would never end. Overall, it has been great getting to know our little girl. She is just amazing in every way. Things that make me smile are the little smiles she gets as she is falling asleep and the little wimpering noises she makes when she is dreaming. I can just look at her for hours on end and just cherish every moment. The things that have been hard for me this week are how my boobs feel - ouch-eeee-wowa! I liked one of the comments that I will 'toughen' them up and I'm slowly but surely getting them tough enough for the every 3 hour pain they go through. I've been solely pumping because we are breaking Tia of the habit of using me as a human pacifier after she's been fed. Doc says that we have to break that habit early or she'll need me every time she goes to sleep. That is part of the reason my boobs are taking a beating. So the past 3 days, I've been pumping and it has been working out great. I'm definitely getting used to it, but it hasn't been easy. The other things that come to mind are the discomfort down below as my uterus is slowly getting back to its original size.

But Tia is doing great. She has her nights and days mixed up so she sleeps all day and does not want to go to bed all night. We are working on getting her switched but unfortunately it is no easy task. I know it will work out SOON! We are taking advantage when we can to sleep when she sleeps during the day, but can be hard with pumping, daily to-dos and visitors. But all worth it. Christmas was actually fun because we didn't have to leave our house, yet we got to see almost half of our family. My mom came over every day and brought us food, Chris's mom and brothers and sisters came over for a fun time, my brother his wife and two little girls came and stayed with us for a couple days too. My dad and stepmom came over on Christmas too. Chris's dad and stepmom will be coming by today. So it was nice to have things at our house (but not having to cook anything ;)

Tia made out like a bandit with gifts. She is already spoiled and doesn't even know it yet. She got a lot of fun toys, ornaments, clothes, etc. I was excited because I was able to have a glass of wine on Christmas. Boy did it taste good. Since I had pumped enough to last all day, I was able to have a glass and then let it get out of my system before pumping again. I bought the Alcohol/Milk screen from Wal-greens that tell you if your milk is clear for pumping sans alcohol.

Chris has been an amazing daddy this week - he is just such a natural. I'm lucky that he wants to help me with diapers, bottle feeding and if I need anything here or there. He has been a great help and I'm going to be sad when he goes back to work after this week. Then it will be just me and Tia on our own. I'm sure it will be an adventure. I know that the next 10 weeks are going to fly by for me and then I'll be back to work so I'm going to take advantage of these early days while I can. I know one of my purposes in life was to be a mom and I'm finally able to provide for another human being in a way like no other. I pray every night that our family is watched from above!

Tia's First Christmas

Friday, December 25th, 2009 - Day 7

We were good all year,
in hopes our request would come true.
That we’d receive the present we asked for,
something all tiny, precious, and new.

Santa must have thought we were deserving,
to bless us with this amazing and special thing.
The week of Christmas finally has arrived,
and we were excited with what Santa did bring.

A perfect little princess,
and bundle of joy so sweet.
A little daughter to call Angel,
that we could not wait to meet.

Her name is Tia McKenzie,
December 19th is her birth date.
She weighs 6 lbs 8 ozs is 19 inches long,
she’s a 100% perfect in every way.

We are so excited about this blessing,
from the clouds of heaven above.
We will love her, cherish her and protect her,
for all of her many days to come.

Wishing you and yours a holiday season full of joy & happiness.
We hope you get all that you wished for Christmas too!

All of our love,
Chris, Angie & Tia Norris

Tia's First Doctor's Appointment

Thursday, December 24th, 2009 - Day 6

Our little overachiever did great today at her first doctor's appointment. After the first few days, babies lose some of their weight. Tia was born 6 lbs 8 ozs and when we left the hospital, she weighed 6 lbs 1 oz. Today, she weighed in at 6 lbs and 10.5 ozs. Our doc was very pleased. Tia also kicked the jaundice and no longer has to test for it nor does she have to sleep in the billy-bed all day long. Other things that were gleaming were her demeanor and color. The doc said that we are both doing a great job so far and she gave us lots of tips to the questions we've had. Because she is doing so great, we don't have to come back for a month. Great job Tia!

Breastfeeding & Pumping

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 - Day 5

In the hospital, about an hour after birth, I breastfed Tia for almost an hour. The lactation specialist gave her the big honors of being the best breast feeder out of all the newborns in the ward. Tia had no problem latching on and going to town. My theory is all of those hiccups she had made her swallowing and sucking capabilities more mature (doc said something to this effect). So for the next few days in the hospital, Tia would eat every 2 to 3 hours and she would stay latched on for 45 to 50 minutes at a time. This is great for her because she was getting the colostrum she needed, but after that ran out, I turned into a human pacifier and the 'nips' were starting to get very sore. By the time I got home on Monday and breastfeeding on my own - it was rather painful. Now there are a few reasons to this: (1) she wasn't always latching on properly, but she a tiny baby and it is a bit harder for her (2) soreness is very normal since our 'nips' have not gone through this sort of treatment before (at least mine haven't).

I will say that sitting in the glider chair with the boppy pilly across my lap and Tia laying close to me eating her meal is super sweet to experience. I can hug her, rub her hair, check out all of her features and watch her slowly fall asleep. It is amazing how special it is...BUT my 'nips' just take a beating when I am trying to get her latched on in the beginning.

I talked to another friend who recently had a baby and she said that she started pumping before she came home from the hospital (her baby was super early). So that made me feel better when I was wondering when I can start pumping and giving my 'nips' a break. I did all of my reading and research and although lactation specialist really want you to breastfeed early on as opposed to pumping - many places said that if your nips were sore to go ahead and try to pump to give things a change of pace from time to time. I will still breastfeed on a normal basis, but I'm going to take advantage of pumping while I can.

A good friend of mine was kind enough to give me her Medela electric double pump which I have heard is the best so I was all set to go with pumping. I was a bit scared, I'll admit and Chris was kind enough to wash everything for me and get it all prepared. He watched me as I turned the pump on low and tried it out on my right. As I turned it from low gradually higher, Chris cringed in pain. I also was a bit freaked at first - it just seemed weird and sort of hurt. But after a bit, it worked like a charm and is definitely going to do the job. And after I did one side for a small bit, it made it easier for Tia to latch on that next mealtime. Also, when I need a break from breast feeding, Chris will have a bottle he can supplement her meals with.

First Night of Little Sleep

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 - Day 4

We definitely expected little sleep for a while, but the billy-bed that she has to sleep in made it far worse than in the hospital. She isn't swaddled up like she has been because on the billy-bed, she is in this pouch w/arms that is attached to this bed. There is so much room in there that she doesn't get that feeling like she is in the womb but rather is able for her arms/legs to flair around. She hated that bed and just did not want to be in there. We felt so bad for her and we wanted to get her out of there but for her best interest we had to force her to stay in there crying, fussy and upset. Also, all she has on is a diaper so although it is a bit more heated, it doesn't keep her as warm as she wants.

I got about 2 hours of sleep total and Chris got a bit more but we made it through our first night at home together. I can't wait until she is out of that thing so I can put her in some cute, warm sleepers and we can get her on a regular eating/sleeping/pooping routine.

We changed a zillion diapers which was to be expected and filled our diaper genie already. They weren't lying when they said we'd go through diapers faster than we can imagine. Chris has been the master diaper changer, which has been great. I think he is proud of his new trade and I love that he wants to help where/when he can. He got some advice from someone who said to change as many diapers as he could while he was home because it is bonding time with Tia. Although, I think Chris thinks she thinks he is the bad guy because he has to change her diaper, get her cleaned up and clean around her belly button - which entails a little bit of coldness from the wipes. But I sure love watching him with her - it is just so cute!

Our first big day went well, with all things considered, and she is doing better with her jaundice too. The nurse came out to the house and did a reading and her levels have dropped significantly. Even the pediatrician called and said she was blown away by the big change. I know Tia is our little over achiever! So by Thursday when we go into the pediatrician, she should be all good.

Our Sweet Tia has Jaundice

Monday, December 21st, 2009 - Day 3

It doesn't surprise us that our sweet Tia has jaundice. Both Chris and I had jaundice when we were born and with me being part Asian - it is more common for the brown babies. We are being sent home today with a billy bed so she can get a good tan, but cure her jaundice at the same time. We can bring her home but she will have to stay in her tanning bed all week until Thursday when we take her into the doc to see if she's cured. Unfortunately, visitors who come see her won't be able to hold her but they can look at her all they want. She is still the cutest thing in the world!

Leaving the hospital is a big change because at home we won't have all the nurses, doctors, call buttons, room service and the nursery BUT we are excited to get home and get our family started on the right foot. We have had a great experience at St. Lukes. I have nothing but good things to say about the whole experience.

Tia's First Photoshoot

Sunday, December 20th, 2009 - Day 2

Written by Baby Daddy:

Here's Tia, just 1 day old and already starring in a photoshoot. She looks so darn cute in her little brown and pink polka-dot dress. St. Luke's uses Bella Baby Photography for their newborn baby pictures To view photos, go to http://www.bellababyphotography.com/login. The password is 1219tianorris. For an additional "tear-jerker," turn on your speakers for the soundtrack. Act fast, photos only available until 1/4/10.

We Welcome Tia McKenzie Norris

Saturday, December 19th, 2009 - Day 1

She has finally arrived - Tia McKenzie Norris has been born. She arrived at 1:15am weighing in at 6 lbs 8 ozs and 19 inches long. Of course going into labor, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew is that the contractions I was feeling about 3:30pm yesterday were killer for me and I was in some major pain. They gave me the epidural about an hour or so into arriving at the hospital which was AWESOME! I didn't feel any contractions after that. I have never had an IV or even been to the hospital for anything so all the needles I'd soon would be facing were not ideal. But the IV wasn't too bad once they got it started and the epidural didn't hurt although the pain medicine that they gave to numb sure did hurt for a bit. The catheter didn't hurt at all. I was thinking this wasn't so bad after all. Our moms were both in the room with us up until they wanted me to start pushing. We watched TV and talked. I was 3 cm when I arrived at 50% effaced. By 6pm, I was 6 cm. Then by 10pm I was 8 cm dilated and 80% effaced and by midnight I was 10 cm dilated and 100% effaced and it was time to start pushing.

I guess I thought this part of labor would be a zillion nurses/doctors in the room with Chris is his sterile blue scrubs outfit. Actually, it was just Chris and the nurse having me push at every contraction. Pushing was really hard, but it felt like I was with my personal trainer and he was having me do more than my body can handle. It didn't hurt or anything like that, but the pressure felt like 'a big turd was on its way' (quoted by my friend Angela). I was cracking jokes all night and we just had fun with the entire process. About 45 minutes into pushing, I was thinking to myself 'I hope I don't have to push for hours like some women'. My doc arrived when she was about to crown and he said give me one big push and there she appeared. They were all telling me that I was really strong and if I wanted to go natural, I really could have BUT let me tell you - the epidural rocked! They were also saying that only having to push for an hour is rare too. I was happy. When it was all said and done with - it isn't as bad as some stories I have heard. To each delivery, a different story - so we'll see about my next time around. BUT the worst part of the entire thing for me were the contractions early on. I had been having contractions for a while and just last night I started feeling them in my sleep, but they didn't hurt - they were just annoying. But the contractions that started at 3:30ish were excruciating - tears on the corners of my eyes, me saying 'oh god' and just the feeling of seizure like cramps - ouch! Everything else wasn't so bad.

I was really happy Tia came on her own. We were set to be induced Monday morning at 8:00am, but having her come on her own was a shorter process and just one day before her due date. She is so precious and I just can't stop looking at her. She is a teeny weeny thing and to me, she looks like Chris. She is beautiful and I'm sooooo lucky to have her here now.

Tia's Almost Here!

Friday, December 18th, 2009 - Day 278

Written by Baby Daddy:

Angie had another appointment today which the doctor told her that we would plan on inducing Monday morning. On our way back, Angie wanted to do lunch at a hibachi grill....she was craving steak. First, we went to one (off Olive) that Angie had not been to in a long time. We showed up and they were closed (out of business or relocating). Then we went to Texas Roadhouse in Arnold and they were closed, but opening at 3:30p, so we finished some Christmas shopping. About 30 minutes later, we came back to Texas Roadhouse. As soon as we were seated, Angie has a contraction like no other. She was in major pain. I asked if she wanted to leave before we order, but she was determined to have steak (even if she was teared-up while eating it). She then has another contraction 4 minutes later, then another, then another, and so on. Right then our food comes out and I immediately get the check and some "to go" boxes. As soon as we got into the car, I called the doctor's office and they said to come in. After we arrive, they run some tests to check for false labor. Definitely not false, so here we are now waiting patiently for Tia to arrive. We can't wait!!!

Another Day

Thursday, December 17th, 2009 - Day 277

I got all of our Christmas shopping done, had lunch at a new Thai restaurant with my mom and we got our house ready for guests after Tia is born. It was a pretty productive day to say the least. I felt different today with a lot more crampy feelings and a few times a little queasy, but overall I made it through the day. I really can't tell when I have contractions. I know they are there, but it has not been evident when I do have one. My doctor says that people who don't gain a lot of weight during their pregnancy feel every movement from the baby and so it is harder to know when it is a contraction or the baby moving. People who gain a lot more weight, don't feel every baby movement so when a contraction happens, it is easier to detect. But tonight, I started feeling a steadier crampiness and with that she gets all balled up, which is what my doc says is a contraction. I have a feeling it is going to be hard to sleep tonight. I think I have a feeling she is on her way but we'll get a true detection at our doctor's appointment tomorrow.

Chris is officially on paternity leave or at least that is what I am calling it. He is off from tomorrow until the end of the year to be with me and baby. So he'll join me at the doctor's appointment tomorrow which will be nice. Lori may be right in her coming in Saturday...I think time is coming soon!!

Giving Her Some More Time

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 - Day 276

Called the doc today to see if he had any decisions and we decided to give her a few more days before planning an induction. I have a doc appointment on Friday, so we are going to give it until Friday and then we can go over our options then. Sorry for the TMI, but I lost my mucus plug last night - I had been losing some here and there, but last night - I lost the whole shibang. So I know we are progressing.

Here is a picture of my big ole belly - 40 weeks on Sunday and the chance of Tia arriving any day now - I wanted to get a picture before I forgot. She's definitely grown and I'm feeling the pressure hard core now. I'm just so excited, but I am happy we are giving her a chance to come on her own. It has been nice being off but just weird, almost like I called in sick from work but I'm not really sick - a guilty feeling that I'm not working when I could be. BUT it is harder to move around and I am starting to get back pain, so I know it is good to have this week to myself. Plus I've been able to get a lot of errands done, do a little Christmas shopping and get some final details completed. Guess we'll just have to be patient and wait and see what happens! Maybe she will be a true Christmas baby after all.

Come Out Come Out - Wherever You Are

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 - Day 275

I think either Tia is taking after her daddy and will come late (hee hee) OR she is just too darn cozy in there and doesn't want to come out because she knows it is winter time (that means she's like me and hates the cold) Everything is ready to go - her room is perfect, the Christmas tree is up, our bags are packed, the house is clean and I'm on maternity leave. We are just missing one thing - Tia! I'm just so excited to meet her and get to see what she looks like - will she be a brown baby, will she have my nose and Chris's mouth. Will she look like our siblings or our parents. Will she hear Chris's voice and be mesmorized! I just can't wait. SO Tia, come out come out!!!!

Stripping My Membranes

Monday, December 14th, 2009 - Day 274

Doesn't that just sound painful! I had heard about having your membranes stripped, but I guess I thought it was when you go in for an induction. I went to see my doctor today and no change in my cervix so he asked if he should try to help things along and of course I said yes, so he stripped my membranes. (for those that don't know what that means, you can check it out on google) Yes, it is a bit uncomfortable but it didn't hurt as bad as I had heard. I did feel VERY crampy all night and I was really hoping it would launch me into labor, but it hasn't yet. I know it isn't a guarantee, but Doc said it generally works on most women to start labor within 48 hours.

If nothing happens by Wednesday, I am supposed to call my Doc and we'll go over our options. Inducing is still an option, but now that my doctor isn't going out of town, there really isn't a big reason why we should induce. Although, he did say there really isn't a big reason why we shouldn't, since on Sunday I'll be 40 weeks and my cervix is 'ripe' enough. I do like that we are giving it a few days to see if she'll come out and play on her own. I guess we'll see how it goes!

Christmas Tree / Finishing Touches on Tia's Room

Sunday, December 13th, 2009 - Day 273

Written by Baby Daddy:

This is my first year to put up any kind of Christmas decorations what-so-ever, much less an actual tree. I was even trying to talk my way out of it but Angie was not having any of that. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, but when it comes to work and the holidays, I'd rather sit in our warm house and watch the neighbors on their ladders hanging lights in the freezing cold. Not that I actually hung any outdoor lights, but I have to take it one step at a time.

I put our tree together last night and Angie had decorated it this morning. When I asked her how she got the angel on top, my mouth dropped. I have a 4' ladder in the gargage that she did not use (in her defense she probably didn't know it was there). I would have let her even get away with it if she had used one of the kitchen chairs, but she didn't use that either. Here she is, 39 weeks pregnant and ready to have our baby any day and she is balancing herself on a small ottoman! There's nothing to hang onto and it also has one of those huge cushions that your feet sink into when you try to stand on it, making it very unstable. I know because I tried to use it before. I get nervous just picturing her doing that.

We had also picked up our final piece of baby furniture yesterday. After about 30 minutes of moving furniture around, we finally got it setup just the way we wanted. I was also able to hang a couple of shelves we picked out a few weeks ago. I wanted to make sure I knew how the room was going to be setup before drilling a bunch of holes in the wall. Tia's room now looks absolutely amazing!!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Saturday, December 12th, 2009 - Day 272

I had Chris take me to Hobby Lobby today to get our Christmas ornaments. Most people who know me know that I'm not a big Christmas person. I just never really got into it and I have my reasons that I'll keep to myself. BUT this year, I have to say I'm not bah humbug at all. I'm really looking forward to it and it is because we are doing our own little Christmas this year - Chris, Me & Tia. We usually have about 8 or 9 Christmas's to go to...we usually have my Grandma's, my dad's, my mom's, Chris's mom's, Chris's dad's, The Norris's, There are usually three Merli get-to-gethers (Grandpa Merli, Dennis/Donna, Jenny/Danny), Grandma Stella's, and the Harps...and of course some are combined depending on the year. This year though, we decided to forego all Christmas's since we'll have a few day to a week old in our household and who knows, she may even come right at Christmas time. But of course, anyone is welcome to come over to our house and see our best Christmas present ever...baby Tia. We do want people to let us know first, so we don't double book people and everyone can have their allotted time with Tia.

Anyway, we went to Hobby Lobby because they always have great ornaments and they have a 50% promotion going on. We got our ornaments, our stockings, stocking holders, tree skirt and angel. I'm soooo excited to put up our tree and get our house looking Christmas festive! Woo Hoo

Last Day of Work

Friday, December 11th, 2009 - Day 271

It is the strangest feeling knowing that today was my last day of work. It was one of the easiest days because we also had our staff Christmas Party which means I really only had to work until about 12:30pm and then we went to eat our Xmas lunch at Oishi which was mmmm good, then back to the office for games all afternoon. I did have to plan the Christmas party and one of my fears was that I wasn't going to make it that far and then I'd leave my coworkers hanging, BUT I made it. It was a fun day too. After games, we went to Happy Hour (I had a lemonade!) Then I drove home and it felt so serile. Not know when my little bundle of joy is going to arrive, I could be twittling my thumbs next week if she doesn't arrive. I do have my doctor's appointment on Monday and then I guess I'll just continue to nest and be ready for Tia to arrive. I do know that 12 weeks is going to fly by super fast or at least that is what I've heard. I guess we'll see. I'm excited for Tia to come...it is getting sooo close!

I think My Thumb is Broken or at least it Feels Like it

Thursday, December 10th, 2009 - Day 270

Seriously, I know I've talked about my swollen hands when I wake up to the point where I can barely open and close my fingers, my fingers feel like sausages and they hurt majorly bad. But the other night, in the middle of the night, I was just pulling the cover over me with my thumb and forefinger. It felt like I popped my thumb out of place and I barely even used it to pull the covers. Since then, it has hurt badly and I have to be careful when using it. The next night, my ring finger did the same thing. It is so hard to explain the feeling, but it feels like my fingers are brittle and could literally break off at any moment. I know after Tia is born, they should go back to normal, but ouch! My doc says it is both the pregnancy and signs of carpel tunnel. My mom has carpel tunnel in her right hand and has had surgeries in the past. With my heavy computer usage at work, I know my right hand has always had some signs of carpel tunnel, but right now, it is both hands that majorly hurt. In fact, it is my thumb on my left hand that feels sprained. All I know is that I have only a few things that have been downfalls of pregnancy and the major swelling and pain in my hands is the top thing! Tiredness in the first trimester was a bear and of course not being able to have a cocktail, but the hands - I can definitely do without the pain. Most women get it in their feet, but mine is in my hands. Only a week or so to go - then hopefully it will be done!

No Set Date Yet

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 - Day 269

Went to the doc today and I was hoping he would give me an official date of induction, but he didn't. He is no longer going out of town, so no need to rush the labor if we don't have to, sooo we are taking it another few days before making a decision. I have my next appointment on Monday and then at that point, we'll go over all of our options. It is exciting to know that the final days are here! My last day of work is tomorrow and she could come any time. Sometime next week is most likely, but it is looking at later in the week as opposed to earlier as originally talked about. We are good with that but do hope she comes before Christmas! Although, Christmas is way after my due date, so most likely I'll go before, but I guess we'll see!

I'm still almost 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Her heartbeat is great, my blood pressure is great. I only gained one pound since last week and all is looking good. He did say that if I went some time this next week, my cervix is ready to go. Heck, maybe I won't need an induction and will go on my own. It is getting harder to sit indian style and get up, but if it is only a week or so more, I think I can handle it.

Final Days at Work

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 - Day 268

My final day at work is set for Friday, December 11th before I go on maternity leave. I have so much to do at work too. And a ton of last minute items popped up and have really taken up a lot of my time. I had a talk with Tia and she has agreed not to come before Saturday so I could fulfill my final days at work. If I can get everything done then that is less times I'll have to do during maternity leave. I am going back to work on Monday, March 8th. It will definitely be nice to have the break to be with Tia!

Bags are packed

Monday December 7th, 2009 - Day 267

One of my to-dos was to pack our bags for the hospital but time and other to-dos just kept pushing it off. Finally, I was able to get them packed and now we are ready to go.

I did need a few supplies so I went to the store. One thing some people told me to get were depends. They did say it does sound funny but I'd be thankful if I was bleeding a lot. So there I was in the aisle of all the adult diapers and I had no idea which one I should get. Suddenly, an old lady in a motorized cart pulls up and starts asking me for advice on what she should get. When I told her I wasn't buying them for someone else but for myself I got a lot of looks from others. I thought the whole thing was so funny. An old lady asking me for advice.

But I think I packed the essentials and we are ready to go!

Our Final Baby Shower

Sunday, December 6th, 2009 - Day 266

Written by Baby Daddy:

We finally had our last baby shower at Aunt Jenny's. This was a little bit different in that it was a couple's shower so I was there as well. I think everyone had a great time. Good food and drinks were plenty. It was nice seeing some of my friends that I hadn't seen in a while. We got some really great gifts and enough gift cards to purchase our last piece of baby furniture which we paid for today.

We even got a gag gift from our friend Lisa. As soon as I seen it, I had to try it on. Yes the apron does say "I Poop, Daddy Scoops" along with having a legend of what the different colors of poop mean.

Pay close attention to the tongs. If your over at our house when we're BBQ'ing, and you see me using these, you may want to ask me to cook your burger well done. = )

38 Week Doc Appointment

Saturday, December 5th, 2009 - Day 265

Went to the doctor yesterday and I'm now 2 centimeters dilated (almost 3) and still 50% effaced. When the doc was feeling my tummy, he noticed I had a contraction. He tried to explain to me what they feel like, but I still can't tell. He said that when she balls up, but she always does that - hence why we call her Tia Pot Pie sometimes.

They talked me into getting the H1N1 vaccine. I have been torn on the whole H1N1 flu shot deal and was trying to get by without getting it. But after talking to doc and having him explain everything to me in medical terms and all the benefits, I agreed to get it. They had it right in the office and it didn't hurt at all. So now I have it and I'll just have to pray it doesn't hurt baby or myself in anyway, but rather helps us be immune to the H1N1 sickness.

Doc still says she'll probably arrive within a week early - yay! I can't wait to meet her! After I left, I felt crampy all day and all the girls at work thought I was experiencing early labor, but I knew it was just uncomfort from having my cervix measured and I had a little bit of a bloody show.

My next doctor's appointment is next Wednesday - which is possibly my last appointment! woo hoo

Becoming Baby Wise

Friday, December 4th, 2009 - Day 264

An old friend referred a book to me called 'On Becoming Baby Wise' and I have to say that I love what it is all about. It centers around family relationships and how they have a big affect on how your baby reacts, sleeps, enters the family, etc. One thing I told Chris early in our relationship even before we got married was that one of my goals in parenting is that he and I will make each other a priority. Yes, we'll love our kids to no end but our marriage and relationship comes first and foremost. I have always believed that if a marriage bong is strong, the parenting bond will transcend into our kids nicely because with a household of love, trust and being on the same page - the kids will develop the same foundations of healthy family oriented principals. Now, of course, this is easier said than done and to be honest, it definitely takes both husband and wife wanting the same goals in a marriage and parenting style. But, of course, my wonderful husband agrees with my principles and hopes for the same. Now, I had no idea that these very principles are the foundation of the book 'On Becoming Baby Wise' and let me tell you, it is so nice to read that these principles are proven factors for happy babies. Many couples make their child the center of the family and everything that happens is all about making baby happy, but what you create is a little monster, so to speak. Because they realize early on that they have control over you - when they cry, you respond. When they are hungry - you search for every food they like until they are a happy. When they want something - the parent will do literally anything to ensure they are the happy and not crying. But, if you show the baby early on that the husband and wife bond are the control factor, the baby wants to be a part of that too and realizes that there are 3 people in the family who are equally important. Not baby cries, baby gets meaning it is baby-centered and mommy and daddy respond by doing anything they can until they are virtually exhausted.

I'm only a few chapters into the book and I already bought Becoming Baby Wise #2 Book, but I believe every word of the book and I can't wait to use them. I agree that how you raise your children from day one will affect their entire life. I'm not saying parenting is easy and you can use these principles uniformly. I'm just saying that going in a bit prepared is wise for Chris and I. We both agree that being on the same page with our parenting style is key and we plan to do our best to never let our children pin one of us against the other. But I'm excited and I know that regardless of what happens Chris and I will be the best parents we are able to be to our children!

Two Thumbs Down

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 - Day 263

Okay, so my hands are on a routine basis to swell while I'm sleeping. At first, they ached, but now I wake up in major pain. My thumbs are the worst and I'm not sure why. They feel like they will break if I put any pressure on them. One of the first things I do in the morning is brush my teeth and if I use my thumb to press out the toothpaste, I yelp out in pain. I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings in over a month and have been wearing a replacement band that has always been too big. It is almost too small now because my hands continue to get bigger as the days progress. I feel like I have carpal tunnel. My doctor says it is normal and most women are affected in the ankle area, but some in the hands. My ankles are just fine - my feet have grown a tiny bit - but my ankles have not swelled at all. BUT my hands on the otherhand - ouch! I've always had more sweat glands in my hands so it doesn't surprise me, but this is one ailment of pregnancy I'll be happy to rid once she's born.

Bowling Maternity Leave

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 - Day 262

I was planning on bowling up until Tues Dec 8th but it was decided last night it was my last night of bowling before maternity leave. I think my friends at bowling are a little scared I might fall or hurt myself which probably isn't too far off. Plus our team is in first place and I'm not as reliable in getting my average or better this past month. In fact, last week I bowled terrible. Last night I bowled right around my average in the low 160s so it wasn't too bad but before late pregnancy I'd usually have a game or two much higher.

My replacement bowler is a rockstar and so since our team is in first place and next week is the deciding night on which team will take first place for 1st half - it was decided to have my rockstar replacement bowl next week for me. I'll be there to cheer them on! And I'll return in late February.

Doctor's Orders

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 - Day 261

I'm not going to go into details about what 'Doctor's Orders' mean but let's just say that our Doc gave us some instructions on how we can help with our baby progressing along into labor. Chris and I have been pretty diligent into keeping up with our Doctor's Orders and I do think it is helping. I think our little girl is as excited to break out of there as we are to meet her, so anything we can do to help is what we intend to do. 11 days and counting....

Pantyliner for Pregnancy

Monday, November 30th, 2009 - Day 260

For those who have been pregnant before will be the ones who understand the power of pantyliners. I'll say that I've been one of the lucky ones who hasn't used pantyliners since high school and hasn't needed them throughout my pregnancy until these final few weeks. But with most pregnancies, especially near the end, there is a need for pantyliners bigtime. I was apprehensive about going to buy some because the vision in my mind of what pantyliners would look like were a very thick, uncomfortable spongelike pad that would not feel very natural.

To my surprise, I found the perfect pantyliner. Always Pantyliners Flexi. They come in packs of 50 and the box is super small which means they are thin. They are adhesive and mold to the shape of your underwear. I love them and don't even notice I am wearing one. So if you are looking for a good, thin pantyliner - try these.

2 Weeks & Counting

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 – Day 259

Written by Baby Daddy:

We're only 2 weeks away now and I'm so excited. After seeing those latest ultrasound pictures, I can't wait to meet our daughter. It's truly amazing how far technology has come that they can get a picture like that now.
I have the carseat already buckled up in my car and plan on stopping by the fire station sometime this week to have them inspect it. I don't remember where I heard it, but they say that roughly 80% of people do not have there carseat properly strapped in. I definitely do not want to be a part of that statistic. I'm also going to start packing my overnight bag for the hospital pretty soon just in case our baby decides to come a little early.

Lots of Great Food - mmmmm

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 – Day 258

Tia and I definitely took advantage this holiday season with all of the good food that was available. At every Thanksgiving gathering we went to, we had 2 helpings and boy was it all good. I love mashed potatoes, homemade noodles, turkey and dessert. My mom had pot roast and my favorite Thai noodles. It was all yummy and I definitely ate more as a pregnant girl than I would have otherwise. We definitely out ate daddy! Since we won't be having too much great family cooking at Christmas time since we will be at home this Christmas with our newborn, I was happy to take advantage while I could at Thanksgiving! mmmmm

Seriously, the Potty Breaks have Doubled

Friday, November 27th, 2009 – Day 257

I already went to the bathroom a zillion times a day and at least 5 or 6 times during the middle of the night, but now that she's dropped and has her head on my bladder, I go twice as much. It is crazy how often I go to the bathroom. Especially during the middle of the night, I go every 30 or 40 minutes. I just hope it doesn't get worse but I think it will as it gets closer. My appetite has gotten bigger now that she's moved down a bit. But according to the doctor, she is head down and getting in position. So knowing that things are progressing, having to go to the bathroom ALL the time is worth it. Chris laughs because he thinks I go through one roll of toilet paper every night and I don't think he's far off! Thank goodness for bulk purchases from Sams.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 26th, 2009 – Day 256

Today is Tia's first unofficial Thanksgiving and we have a lot of family gatherings the next few days. Today we'll be hitting my mom's house for lunch, Chris's mom's house for dinner, tomorrow my dad's family for lunch and then Chris's dad's family for dinner. We went to dinner with Chris's Aung and Uncle last night and the other 3 - 4 Christimas gatherings we usually have aren't happening this year due to everyone's crazy schedules. But no matter what, Tia is going to get plenty of Turkey and mashed potatoes the next few days. Mmmmmm

I love my baby Tia!

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 – Day 255

Today we had our ultrasound and it was so great. My mom and mother-n-law also joined and we were all overjoyed when we got to see our little girl. The first time the sonographer showed her face, I bursted out with tears of joy. She was beautiful and it just made me even more excited.



I think we all enjoyed the ultrasound very much. They made sure that she was in fact a little girl and measured her to be only 5 lbs and 4 oz, which is a super small baby.

After the ultrasound, they hooked me up to a machine that measured Tia's heartrate as well as contractions since she is measure on the small side. Her heartbeat was very steady and they were hoping to see some spikes in her heartrate which would be a good thing. For about 10 minutes, the heartbeats were pretty steady around the 138 to 142 range. The nurse comes in and gives me four mini candy bars to eat and once I ate them, Tia's heartrate started to spike up to the 158 to 162 range. When the nurse came back in about 10 minutes later, she was pleased with the results.

The doctor then came in and measured me to be 1 centimeter dialated and 50% thinned. She said that the baby's heartbeat was perfect and that I am having contractions (which I don't feel). So everything is going accordingley and even though she's measuring small, they still plan to take her a week early.

Which means 2 weeks from Sunday or Monday, we may meet our little girl! I can't wait.

She's a Girl, Right?

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 – Day 254

So my mom said my belly looks like I'm carrying like I'm having a boy. The scary thing about my mom, is that she is usually dead on when predicting baby genders. So it scares me because EVERYTHING we have is pink and for a little girl. And we all know that sonographers aren't 100% all the time. We wouldn't be upset if they were wrong because we just want a healthy baby, BUT we'd definitely have to scramble to change the color schemes and return some of the girl items. A few other people have made comments that I look like I'm having a boy too. I am hoping we can confirm it tomorrow at our ultrasound.

It's So Hot in Here!

Monday, November 23rd, 2009 – Day 253

As I enter my final weeks of pregnancy, one thing has certainly gone up and that is my temperature level. I've still been wearing short sleeved shirts and still it never ceases to amaze me that I can get a hotflash or two while I'm working. I have a ton of projects that I'm trying to get finished and there are some times when I get a little hot but this week, I start sweating. Before pregnancy, I never sweat, but things are different now. My coworkers laugh at me because they can see the 'glistening' on my face and arms. It does make me laugh, but wfew - it feels so hot! So this is what hotflashes feels like.

Short Week Ahead

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 – Day 252

I'm looking forward to a short week this week. I have Thanksgiving and the day after off, but took Wednesday off as well for doctor's appointments. I'm really looking forward to this week just seeing family, eating a lot of food and of course going to my doctor's appointment. Wednesday, I'll have my 36 week ultrasound and will be measured for the first time to see how baby is doing. I love short weeks!

Nesting in the Baby Room

Saturday, November 21st, 2009 – Day 251

I don't exactly think I'm nesting, per say, but I am excited that I get to fix up Tia's baby room. We got her crib all decorated last week, but this week I put all of her clothes in the dresser, put some clothes in the closet, and organized some other stuff. I had Chris help me pick out a shelf to match the bedroom set to put in the closet for the diapers, burpclothes, ointments, wipes, toys, etc. I just love how it is turning out. We went today and got some shelves for the wall to place picture frames and other cute trinkets. We also got a curtain rod for the valance. Oh it is looking so good! We do have a few more items to get but I love how the room is and how perfect it will be for our little bundle of joy!

Tia's Heartbeat

Friday, November 20th, 2009 – Day 250

I went to the doctor today and they gave me the Strep B test. I really am not sure exactly what it is all about but hopefully I won't have positive results. My doctor was in emergency surgery so I saw the nurse practitioner instead. I was supposed to have my cervix measured, but she said since I haven't had any contractions that we would wait until next week.

As one of my gifts from my work shower, Tia received a gift card to Build-a-Bear so I went to Build-a-Bear and bought a recorder. The recorder is for kids to record sayings and then put the recorder insider their bears. I didn't buy a bear or any accessories, I just bought the recorder and took it to my doctor's appointment today. When we heard Tia's heartbeat, I used the recorder to record about 10 seconds of her heartbeat. Now, once she's born - Chris and I can go to Build-a-Bear and buy a bear we think would be perfect for her and place the recorder inside. Tia can hear her own heartbeat anytime she wants. We've heard it is very soothing.

Plus, I get to hear her heartbeat without going to the doctor. It is so cute.

What a Great Idea - Is it a Boy or Girl?

Thursday, November 19th, 2009 – Day 249

One of my best friends from college and her husband are expecting their first child and they just hit their 22 week mark. They had their ultrasound to find out the sex of their baby and instead of them finding out there, they had their sonographer put the gender in an envelope and she sent it directly to a local bakery. The bakery will make a cake and the batter will be dyed blue for boy and pink for girl. My friends are having a party next week and at the party with some of the friends and family, they will cut into the cake and find out what they are having. Isn't that a great idea. I love it! I can't wait to find out what they are having...will Tia have another best girlfriend or a future boyfriend?

Teaching for Junior Achievement

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 – Day 248

The company I work for does an annual Junior Achievement in a Day event where we teach an entire school for a day. Last year, I co-taught Kindergarten with my co-worker Karry. It was my first time and it was a bit overwhelming, BUT was so rewarding and a great experience. This year, we decided to teach 1st grade so we'd recognize many of the students that we had last year. Unfortunately, Karry was out sick and not able to teach, so I had to teach by myself for the majority of the day. At first, I was scared to death, but I just embraced it and decided that it is what it is and no sense in getting nervous. I think I did pretty well considering and my boss arrived about the 4th activity and she helped teach activity 5 as well. It was a really fun time and although my feet really hurt, it was another rewarding day. Many of the students were loving my belly and hugging/touching, naming, asking questions and loving Tia.

Tiredness is Back

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 – Day 247

I knew that the 3rd trimester would bring on the tired stage again but I was pleasantly surprised that it really hadn't started until my final month. I'm definitley having to go to bed earlier and no matter how much sleep I get, I'm still very tired. It hasn't affected my work because work has been crazy busy lately. Not to mention getting ready for maternity leave, work will continue to be crazy until my last day. I hope it doesn't get worse though - I don't want to be sluggish when I need to have energy!

Linea Nigra

Monday, November 16th, 2009 – Day 246

Before I was pregnant, I had heard that since I'm darker skinned, I'd have the chance of developing a line down my belly. Well, I definitely have this and according to my doctor, it is called Linea Nigra. I have always had a really big birth mark just below my chest. The birthmark is huge, and I've always called it an upside down Christmas tree because that is what it looks like. To give you an idea of how big it is, I'd guestimate it as being the size of a piece of pie. The line I've developed during pregnancy runs from this birthmark all the way to my belly button then all the way down to my hoo-hah. It divides my belly perfectly in half. It is sort of neat.

Rams Game

Sunday, November 15th, 2009 – Day 245

Written by Baby Daddy:

Today Angie & I went to the Rams game compliments of Lisa (thanks Lisa!!). I wasn't expecting a good game at all, figuring it would be a blow-out by the Saints, but was pleasantly surprised. We still lost, but it came down to a final endzone pass that was incomplete. It was a great time other than the clowns sitting about 6-7 seats down from us. There were 2 couples and I literally think that Angie & I got up about 16 times to let them go by. The girls were very rude as they would walk up when my back was turned and instead of saying "excuse me" they would tap me on my shoulder and I certainly never heard a "thank you" when they walked by. Finally, on their last trip by us I didn't get up and barely moved my legs. I mumbled out loud to Angie when they were right in front of us about it being pretty ridiculous that they're having a pregnant woman get up that many times. In my mind, they were close enough to the middle that they could have gone out the other side at least a couple of times. Maybe I'm just being a grouchy old man, but I get very defensive when Angie & baby are with me.

FastTrack Class

Saturday, November 14th, 2009 – Day 244

Today, Chris and I attended a pregnancy class. It is called FastTrack and covers all the basics in 8 hours. We aren't the type to over educate ourselves and we didn't want to attend a class once a week for a month or anything like that. So we did the FastTrack class. It was very insightful and there were 9 other couples who attended. It is always nice to hear that others have the same concerns as us and we all have the same questions. There was one couple expecting identical twins - I thought that was neat. 5 of the 10 couples were all due on December 28th. I was happy we attended because it really answered some of the questions I had about the hospital and a few other things. The tour was perfect because now I know where to instruct family/friends to go if they decide to visit us in the hospital. I was disappointed we didn't get to see any babies in the nursery, they were all in the rooms with their mommies. But all in all, I would recommend it to any expecting couple delivering at St. Lukes.

Sitting on the Sidelines

Friday, November 13th, 2009 – Day 243

Since I'm the event planner for my company, I plan all of our teambuilding staff events. For today, I planned our staff to do Demolition Ball which is an annual tradition since I've been with Technology Partners. What it is - you are in a mini bumper car with a plastic ball scoop. Five people are on each team and the point is to get this woofle ball to a goal at each end of the cart. It is a blast, but you do get bumped around and nearly whiplash. It is so funny to see the personalities that come out of these competitions. We do a round robin tournament and one team wins.

I had to sit on the sidelines today and watch which was fine with me. Yes, there were moments where it was hard because I love playing, but seeing some of the people get jolted around - I was happy that I was watching and baby was safe.

The Crib is Beautiful

Thursday, November 12th, 2009 – Day 242

I could not hardly wait. I have had so much going on every night that I could not wait until I had a night free to work on the baby room. Our crib was finally up and I was obsessed with working on it first and foremost. We didn't have a mattress, so I went to Mattress Giant to get a crib mattress and they didn't sell any, hmmm. So I went to Babies-R-Us and got a Serta Perfect Sleeper crib mattress, got a mattress pad and was on my way home to get it started. Chris had a work dinner, so it was all me getting the crib started. I got home put the mattress in the crib and got our sheet/crib set out and decorated the crib. Chris got home and put together the mobile that goes with it and we put that on there too. Oh it looks so good. I love it! So excited!

The Waddle is Here

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 – Day 241

Everyone still tells me how small I am and honestly, I do feel small compared to some of the 8+ month pregnant girls I know. I have been moving around easily and I haven't had too much trouble getting up. However, I've hit that stage where I'm waddling around - I feel like a duck. Getting out of bed or out of a car is tougher and I feel a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen. I still have 5 weeks to go - and I know it is only going to get harder.

Hands are Swelling

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 – Day 240

Doctor always checks my ankles to see if my feet have swelled. Although, my shoe size is a size bigger, there really hasn't been much swelling in my feet. Now my hands are a different story. I've been noticing the past few days that it has been tough to get my wedding ring off at night. This morning I woke up and it wouldn't even go over the front of the knuckle. I had to dig out another ring to wear in place of my wedding ring. I read in a baby calendar that the third trimester is a good time to take your rings off due to swelling, but I really didn't think it would apply to me. Boy was I wrong.

Not only that, but I bowled last week and my thumb kept getting stuck in the thumb hole. It would pop off and loft real high before thudding on the lane. Everyone was worried I was going to go with the ball. I made it through the night but it wasn't pretty. Tonight, I got there early and took my ball to the pro shop to get the thumb hole drilled out. He drilled out the hole and I went and bowled a few balls, but my thumb kept getting stuck. So I went back in there again and he drilled it out even more. After throwing one ball, it was still getting stuck, so one last time he drilled it out and this time it was perfect. Next week may be a different story.

I Love Birthdays

Monday, November 9th, 2009 – Day 239

Most people who know me know that I love birthdays. Today is mine and it was the best one yet. My amazing husband got me flowers and a beautiful card, then he took me to one of my favorite restaurants - Kobe. We both stuffed ourselves - but it was worth it! He even helped baby Tia buy mommy a birthday card that was adorable.

I'm 32 and life is going great. I think the best present of all is Tia. I am so excited to meet her and birthdays for myself just really aren't the greatest thing now - I have a new purpose and the moment she is born will be the first birth-day of many birthdays for our baby girl.

Baby Room is Coming Together

Sunday, November 8th, 2009 – Day 238

Written by Baby Daddy:

Well, I'm finally putting the finishing touches on Tia's room. I washed all of the baseboards with a sponge and then repainted them all. I also washed the bedroom & closet doors and touched them up as well. I just finished repainting the closet and touching up the bedroom walls as we speak. Next I'm going to vacuum & then steam clean the carpet. Once that is done, we'll finally be able to start moving our little girl's stuff in. Angie and I are very excited!!

Cravings? That's My Excuse

Saturday, November 7th, 2009 – Day 237

Everyone is always asking me if I crave anything and the truth is that I really don't. I'm always hungry and I eat whatever is around, but I really don't 'have to have' any particular thing. I will say that this kid takes after daddy, because most of the things I'm in the mood for are white pasta, chickens, chocolate, cereal, and things that Chris loves. I love red pastas, steak, sweets like runts, and ever since I got pregnant I usually want what Chris is having.

I went into work today to work on our company computers. I took over all of our Technical Support duties a couple years back for my company and I do this in addition to my normal roles and I've been trying to get all of our 33 computers up to date before I go to maternity leave. But it has been hard because I can only do it when people are out for the day or away from their computers for a lengthy amount of time. So I decided to come in on a Saturday to get the remaining computers done and completed so I can work on my other tasks before I leave for a few months.

What is funny is that I don't crave anything BUT if it is in front of me, I tend to want it. I did a somewhat funny thing today while I was at work. I peaked in some of my coworkers drawers for candy. Of course only those who I knew usually have a lot of candy. I saw large bags of halloween candy and I did steal a bag of m&ms or two. I had to laugh at myself.

It will be interesting to see how I am with any future pregnancies - will I have cravings OR will they love foods I like? I guess time will tell.

All Good at the Doc

Friday, November 6th, 2009 – Day 236

Today started my weekly appointments with the doctor. I've gained 3 pounds from 2 weeks ago and am about 25 pounds so far. Her heartbeat sounded great, my blood pressure was good and my measurements were on par. He did say that she was a small baby which is just fine. He said that the birth will be easier on me and baby and those who have very large babies have a harder time, so look at it as a positive thing. Starting next week, they'll start measuring my cervix and get a 'closer' view of my progress. If all goes as planned, then she will be here before 12-20. My mom sister Sam and sister Nan will be happy because they are leaving for Thailand on 12-24. Plus I'm super excited to meet my little Tia. The final stretch is here - I'm nervous, scared, excited, apprehensive and overjoyed all at the same time.

Almost 6 Weeks Left

Thursday, November 5th, 2009 – Day 235

On Sunday, I will have 6 weeks until my due date. It just sounds crazy that 10 months is flying by. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and every week after that. I can't believe I have to go every week, but I guess that is part of it. I hope things are going well and all is well with Tia. Last time, I was at about 25 pounds in weight gain, which I have heard is pretty normal.

I've been trying to get all of my to-dos done at work so I can start preparing for maternity leave, it just seems crazy how time is flying by. I can't wait until Tia is here, but I'll be on maternity leave for 12 weeks and I want to make sure I leave everything perfectly executable for all of my back-ups. I guess we'll see how it goes!!

I'm Pregnant - Not Dead

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 – Day 234

Seriously, being pregnant has its pros and cons. One perk is that no one will let you pick up, carry, or move anything. I feel so hopeless sometimes. My boss and I went to our company's storage unit to get a box of messenger bags I needed for a Service Project we are doing and she had to carry them for me. I just wanted to take it from her, but every time I attempted, she wouldn't let me. Even for the Halloween Bus Party, my friends wouldn't let me do a thing. I had a coworker deliver a box of business cards to me and when I told her what employee they were for, she wanted to deliver them for me so I didn't have to lift anything - okay a small box of business cards can do no harm. I'm picking up my 14 pound bowling ball for pete's sake. Although, I have to admit, it is nice having the royal treatment. Even with Chris having his recent surgery, our friends are the same with with him as well. Only a few more weeks to go - I might as well milk it for what I can, right?

Bowling for Preggos

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 – Day 233

I haven't bowled in 4 weeks because Chris had ACL surgery and I've been taking him to and from work/Physical Therapy. Plus I wanted to be home in the evening to help him with anything he may need. Now that he is pretty much self sufficient enough to hobble around and get what he needs, I went back to bowling tonight. First of all, there is another girl pregnant in the league. She is the youngest and I'm the second youngest in the entire league. Although, her new sub and my new sub are both youngins too. She is having a girl as well and is 4 weeks ahead of me. So tonight our teams were playing each other. It was literally preggo vs preggo and we are both lead off bowlers for our teams. She is a lot bigger than I am and I was amazed that only being 2.5 weeks away, she was bowling. She made it a game and a half and had to leave because her back was hurting her. I did fine the first game - a bit rusty, but had a pretty good score. Then my hands were swelling and my thumb was too big - the ball kept sticking on my thumb and I almost went with the ball a few times. I wasn't doing that great score-wise, but I was just concerned about bowling with safetly. But the kicker was my thighs were burning. I felt like I was on the leg spreader machine at the gym all night doing about 100 sets. I couldn't believe how sore my uppper inside thighs were. I think being away from bowling for over a month, they were not stretched out. I have 5 more weeks of bowling - so hopefully I'll be able to make it!

Watch our for My Belly

Monday, November 2nd, 2009 – Day 232

So Halloween was a lot of fun, even though I wasn't able to drink. Chris was hobbling around and I was waddling around, so we were quite the pair. Chris doesn't drink much anyways and of course I wasn't able to drink, so we were more low key than usual. Being completely sober, I was well aware of when my belly was being touched, rubbed, bumped or fondled. Of course early on, several people touched my belly and were gentle, but as the night wore on and people started to drink more, the gentleness wasn't quite there. Of course, I don't mind if people touch my belly, even if I don't know them...but I would always hope that people would be gentle and not be too hard when they tug at my big ole belly. There were a couple girl friends of mine who were a bit intoxicated and they would poke, pinch, tug, and be a lot harder on my belly than I was comfortable with. I know they had good intentions, but there was a time or two when I was actually somewhat worried that they hurt my Tia girl. Finally, by the end, if I saw one of these girls coming, I'd cover my belly like I was hiding a football and say 'she's sleeping right now'. It did the trick, but wow - you'd think the first 100 times they got to fondle my belly would have been good enough. I knew who I could be comfortable around to touch my belly, even at the end of the night and those girls/girls were A-Okay to rub my Buddha belly. It is amazing how worried I get with Tia and she isn't even born yet. Even Chris was worried at times. I think he would have lunged at anyone who dare hurt or hit my belly by mistake. There was a fight or two that broke out and Chris was great in trying to guard Tia from harm. He's going to be such a great dad. A big worry wart, but I can appreciate that.