Trip to Montana for Grandma's 90th birthday celebration

A few weeks ago, the hubs, Madeleine and I traveled back to Montana to celebrate my Grandma and let the family meet Madeleine. I was so nervous about flying with a 2.5 month old, but she was such a doll.

M was only able to stay the weekend, so that he could get back to work, but we had a wonderful time. I'm not sure how the trip always seems to fly by. We were able to go see my MIL's place by Flathead Lake; she is renting, but it is so cute and view is gorgeous! Unfortunately, it's not the 10 minutes it used to be from my mother's house. Oh well.

The party for my Grandma was wonderful. I hired a photographer to take a few family photos, and they turned out great. Madeleine did wonderful being passed around. She was just such a doll.

My dad and step-mom came up to meet the baby, their first grandchild. We spent the day with them, enjoying the nice weather and just being outside. They are coming to visit us soon, and I can't wait for them to see how much Madeleine has grown!

After M left, we spent a lot of time just playing with Madeleine and snuggling her. We tried to do a little visiting, but she was HATING the car seat, so we didn't get up to visit everyone we wanted to. Next time!

I flew home with my sweet girl ALONE! Also, very nervous about this, but she did pretty well, and I sat next to the sweetest lady, who was pregnant with her own little girl and is due in January. We talked babies the whole way, and she even offered to hold Madeleine once we landed so I could get everything together. I hope we'll keep in touch. Such a blessing when your path crosses with someone so kind. 

Some things that made traveling with a baby easier:
1) Pack light. I didn't have anything with me, but her diaper bag and a travel boppi. I had an extra pair of clothes, about 5 diapers (we had two flights with a three hour layover), pacifiers (although she won't take one), wipes, 2 blankets and a toy. I also had a large Ziploc, so if I needed to I could put a dirty diaper in there. I was so thankful to have the travel boppi with me. It was a comfortable place for me to lay her on the plane while she slept. Had she been older, however, I may not of needed it. 
2) I didn't have a stroller or a carrier, which was actually much easier. Less to worry about and less to fumble around with. How did I go to the bathroom you ask? Well I had planned to lay her in the diaper bag, but the family restroom at DIA had a changing table with a way to secure the baby. I was ready with the diaper bad though. What about our three hour layover? After I changed her, I laid her on the other blanket I brought, while I ate some things and gave my arms a rest. Then I found a quiet spot, nursed her again, and she slept the remainder of the layover.
3) Nurse, nurse, nurse. I had heard that at 2.5 months her ears wouldn't be affected by the change in pressure, but I nursed her whenever I could on the flight. Surprisingly, once we got going she slept most of the flight. The lull of the engines really is soothing.
4) Be ready for some crabby people. I just kind of ignored them. I did the best I could, and I didn't want to miss my grandma's party because I was worried about some crabby people on our flights. 

As with every trip back to Montana, it's so hard to leave, but it's so WONDERFUL to come home.

Love,
L

Motherhood is HARD work

We made it! I'd like to say there was never any doubt, but sometimes, man, this is hard work and I questioned if I had it in me. Not that 2 months is some great milestone, but at least, we're taking it day-by-day and we're in the clear with fevers in the first two months. Whew!

I think finally I'm starting to feel a bit more comfortable with this new role and confident in my abilities to be a mother. It's good you can't return babies because at first I thought this is HARD! I am a TERRIBLE mother and this sweet little baby would be so much better off with someone who knew more and had more experience. I feel like I've put in my time in life and done some hard things: I have a PhD in chemistry. I've pulled all-nighters in college, graduate school and as a postdoc and have worked long hours to make sure things have gotten done. I worked in a fish cannery in Alaska one summer, where we worked 17 hrs a day 7 days a week. I've done 2 half Ironmans, 2 marathons, and countless half marathons and one helluva century bike ride (that I only made the metric century on because it was so hard), but motherhood... it does not compare. It is terribly wonderful, but it is also very HARD and hard in ways that I've never experienced. I wouldn't change anything, but mad props to all those moms out there! You are fantastic and your little one is lucky to have you!

Madeleine has been good to her momma and is generally happy and eager to look around... unless she gets over tired. We've had a few days where she hasn't slept from noon to midnight. We're trying to prevent that from happening again. She's started to engage a lot more, and her smiles just melt my heart. Love doesn't seem like it's a big enough word to describe what I feel about this little person.   

M started a new job right before Madeleine was born, and he's working 4x10 hrs. That means he's gone from the house for about 12 hrs Tues.-Fri. I do all the middle of the night feedings and getting up with the baby, and sometimes he'll rock her to sleep at night or hold her before we put her to sleep for the night. In the middle of Oct., his schedule is changing so that he'll work 5 days a week and get some more time with her. We're all looking forward to that! He'll also be able to join the gym again, which I think will be so good for him.

School started yesterday, and a bit of me felt sad that I'm not going back to work this semester. I am fortunate to love my job and I also like the structure and routine of the semester. I am also fortunate that I get the semester off to spend with this sweet person, which is a blessing. So after being bummed that I didn't start the semester with my colleagues yesterday, I told myself that I needed to shape up and enjoy the next four months with Madeleine because I'll probably need a Xanax when I drop her off at daycare in Jan. 

When are you going back to work? Is there ever an easy time?

Love,
L

She's here! Introducing Madeleine Grace

My sweet baby girl arrived on June 27, 2014 at 10:05 pm after a crazy day of labor and irregular heart beats (the baby). M and I are so in love with her; I really can't believe she's mine forever!

Not that I didn't understand before, but now I completely appreciate what this motherhood thing is all about and how truly blessed I am.

Bumpdate: 37 weeks

How far along? 37 weeks (as of 6.3.14)
Baby is: the size of a winter melon (or a bunch of Swiss chard). She was  6 lbs 6 oz at our appointment this week.
Total weight gain: 25 lbs.
Maternity clothes: Yep! I still try to fit in my old clothes, but my belly sticks out the bottom. Let's just say I keep those outfits within the confines of my house.
Stretch marks: So far, so good!
Sleep: The sleepiness of the first trimester is back, and thankfully school is over, so I can fall asleep at 8 or 9 every night. I sleep okay, but I'm usually awake from 4-6 am.
Exercise: I've been trying to go on a decent walk with the dogs every day.
Miss anything? Sleeping on my back.
Movement: She was a little cage fighter until recently, but I think as she's gotten bigger, her quarters are a bit more cramped.
Food cravings: Fruit and ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope
Gender: A little girl
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy... life is good!
Looking forward to: Her arrival.

Overall, I've had a fairly easy and good pregnancy. At 35 weeks, we found out she was breech. I was hoping she would flip, but when I went back this week, they said she's still breech. My doctor told me I could choose to do a external version if I wanted. I talked to a couple of different OB/GYNs, and eventually, I opted to just schedule the C-section. While the version would possibly allow for a vaginal birth, the about 50% chance of her flipping back held me back from even trying. While I would love to go into labor naturally without an induction or any of the other medical interventions, I just want a healthy, happy baby. So C-section it is. It is currently scheduled for June 20th. Two weeks!

Bumpdate: 24 weeks

How far along? 24 weeks (as of 3.4.14)
Baby is: the size of an eggplant
Total weight gain: 10 or 11 lbs. I think....
Maternity clothes: Yep, almost entirely. I have a few non-maternity shirts that I can wear, but I think my days of squeezing into my regular pants are over.
Stretch marks: So far, so good!
Sleep: I've been able to stay awake a bit later, but I usually end up falling asleep on the couch and then going to bed at 1 or 2 in the morning.
Exercise: I've been so busy this semester that I haven't had a chance to do much, but I did go to spinning this weekend and we've taken the dogs on several walks.
Miss anything? It was my birthday on Thursday, and I was wishing for a glass of wine. Other than that, not really missing anything.
Movement: Yes, she's busy in there. I've felt her since about week 18. Sometimes I can even see my belly move.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope
Gender: A little girl
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy... life is good!
Looking forward to: Spring break. I'm hoping I can play catch up at work and do a few things around the house for the little lady.

Bumpdate: 17 Weeks

I have done a terrible job at taking bump pictures, but I'm hoping that today is my day. Time is actually going by fairly quickly, but waiting the next few weeks to find out the gender, will, I'm sure, be a different story.


How far along? 17 weeks (as of 1.14.14)
Baby is: the size of a Naval Orange, about 5 oz. and 5 in.
Total weight gain: 3 lbs. I think.... The doctor said 2 last week, but my scale at home tells different stories.
Maternity clothes: Yes and no; some of my pants still fit, but I did get some new maternity tanks and sweaters for work. I'm thinking I'm going to have to break out the belly band soon.
Stretch marks: So far, so good!
Sleep: I'm doing a bit better, but I still fall asleep fairly early. If that happens or I eat something I shouldn't have, I'm awake for 2-3 hours early in the morning.
Exercise: Spinning and yoga once or twice a week.
Miss anything? Not really.
Movement: Nope!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular.
Anything making you queasy or sick? During the first trimester where everything made me sick; life is a little easier now.
Gender: ???? and I really don't feel strongly that it's one way or another.
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy... my husband thinks being pregnant makes me nicer...hmmmm
Looking forward to: Finding out the gender of the baby. I'm patiently waiting for my Jan. 27 appointment.

 

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2014. Where did the last year go? In fact, where have the last 14 years gone? I remember NYE 1999. M and I went to a friends house to celebrate with half our senior class. It seems like last year, not 14 years ago. December 28 marks our 14 year anniversary of being together. We're getting to the point where we've almost been together for more of our life that not. It makes me so proud and thankful. I can't imagine my life without him.

As I mentioned in my previous post, 2013 was a good year, but I'm really looking forward to 2014. Of course for the obvious reason, the baby, but for so many others.

Here are some of the highlights from 2013.

January - March - I don't think anything too exciting went down in the early months of 2013. My mother-in-law had been living with us, but she left in January to go and help my sister-in-law out; she was having a total knee replacement. She's been with her the last year, but she's headed back to our hometown tomorrow, so that's exciting. Aside from my family, both M's mom and my mom will be in the same place. In February and March, I stayed busy with work.

April - I took 4 students to New Orleans to a conference. They did great presenting their research, and we had a lot of fun. Mainly, I was busy with work and the end of the semester.

May - School's out for the summer! We had graduation and I managed to not tear up, which was quite the feat for me as I usually cry at anything even remotely sad or touching. At the end of the semester, three of my girlfriends were moving away, and so we went on an all girls camping trip in Arkansas. So much fun!!!! However, they left a week later and this city has not been the same without them. We didn't do much for Memorial Day because I left that Monday for France!!!!

June - I took a student to do a summer internship in France. We spend about 24 hours in Paris, and we saw as much of the city as we could. I loved, loved, loved the Lock Bridge and the Eiffel Tower. We then traveled down to Montpellier, where she was spending the summer. We saw a lot of the city, had many tiny coffees and marched in a Gay Rights Parade. Quite an adventure!

In June, I also took a week to watch M compete in his Ironman and then to Montana for a visit afterward. He did so awesome in the race. I am so proud of him and so impressed by his perseverance and will power. Unfortunately, I got the worst wife award while in CDA. I thought I was recording parts of his race, including the finish, but I realized after that I didn't get  a bit of it. I had the settings completely wrong. I was beyond disappointed, but thankfully, I did get a few pics. 

After the race, we headed over to Montana. We had a wonderful trip and got to enjoy Glacier and the beautiful weather. Although it wasn't super relaxing (it never is; we're always soooo busy), it was wonderful to be home. 

July - I spent the whole month doing research with my two summer students, but M and I did manage to sneak away for the weekend for our friends' wedding. It was the first time M and I had been to Delaware. Despite some major challenges getting there, it was a lovely wedding and we were happy to celebrate with them.

August - October - School started in August, but since I was off during the fall semester, it was kind of anti-climatic. I was busy at work, despite being "off". In the middle of October, we found out I was pregnant. M didn't believe it until he bought one of those fancy "pregnant/not pregnant" tests. Pretty surreal. At the end of the month, I had some weirdness going on and I thought I lost the baby. I have no idea what was going on, but a visit to the doctor confirmed that everything was okay. I even got to hear the heartbeat!

November - I spent most of the month with morning sickness. When I went in to see my doctor at 8 weeks, he reassured me that "it was normal and that it should only last for 6-7 more weeks". Sigh... November was busy with work as we're hiring, but we had our dear friends from California visit for Thanksgiving. Even though it's been a year since we've seen them, it was like no time had passed. We had so much fun, ate great food and even continued our annual turkey trot! I'm so glad we've continued spending Thanksgiving with them.

December - I was still feeling kind of terrible, but we drove to Iowa and then to Minnesota to see M's family for the holidays. The drive was TERRIBLE. I don't know if we'll be doing that again. The only good thing is that we can take the dogs. They were so good and had so much fun. We spent Christmas eve just the two of us and then went to a friend's house for Christmas day brunch. My mom came that evening and we spent the last week of the year being lazy and doing a few things to get ready for the baby.

January is going to be busy as well. After being off, I'm scrambling to get my act together for Wednesday when classes start. I'm really looking forward to 2014. At the end of the month is my best friend's wedding and I'm headed back to Montana for the wedding. I just hope I'll fit in my dress! We should also find out the gender of the baby. Yay!!!!

xoxox,
lw