Look Who's Sitting!!!!

Daddy has been working with Addelynn on sitting while Mommy was recovering...and she's doing amazing! She will sit for a minute or two and then topple over, but it's oh so cute! She will be six months on the 22nd of this month and I have no idea where the time went. She is growing up way to fast for me.



She rolled over at 3 and a half months and now is sitting at 5 months! Two huge milestones already!



What's next...crawling! I might pass out when that happens, lol. I love to watch her grow and learn. She is such a joy in my and Josh's life. We love her to pieces!

I love this picture...she's like stunned that she is actually sitting. The smiles came out after the initial shock, lol.

Updates

Wow it seems like forever since I've posted last. A lot has happened in the past month, mainly my itty bitty baby growing like a weed and another surgery. Yes...ANOTHER surgery. I developed another abscess and had to have it removed a few weeks ago. This meant another surgery and the end to my breastfeeding. This has been really hard on me because after all of my miscarriages the one thing I wanted to do was be able to give my baby a year of breastfeeding. I am still learning that sometimes we don't have control over things and I have to let be what has happened and move on.

TMI warning****-for those of you wondering why I had to stop breastfeeding...my incision cut into my milk ducts and I was pouring milk constantly from my wound. It was not fun. My surgeon actually wanted me to stop breastfeeding at two months but I carried on and was able to make it to five months. No, continuing to breastfeed had no effect on my last surgery. The MRSA had apparently not completely gone away and decided to rear its ugly head again. My surgeon just wanted to me stop because it would be hard to breastfeed, which it was so I pumped for 3 months instead.

That's the scary thing with MRSA-it's drug resistant, very aggressive, and hard to get rid of. The meds that they put you on are awful too...I take 6 pills a day and they make you feel all sorts of gross. On the upside, I heal a little more each day. The engorgement thing is horrible though and my milk still hasn't dried up after a week and a half. I don't wish engorgement on anyone! Cabbage does help though despite my initial doubts about it all.

Addelynn has been amazing. I can't believe I haven't chronicled more of her last 5 months, but with two surgeries in 3 months it has been a little rough. Josh has pretty much exhausted his sick time taking care of me. My first surgery I was in the hospital for 5 days and then out of it for another week afterwards and this time I was able to do outpatient and Josh took a week off to tend to Addelynn. I couldn't even hold my sweet little baby because of the immense pain and pressure it put on my breast. Like I said it's been a little rough...but I am so blessed so still despite these little trials that pop up here and there...I am counting my blessings!

Photo Shoot

My good friend Celeste took Addelynn's pictures today and I wanted to give everyone a sneak peak. Addelynn was such a sport for oh the first 30 minutes and then she would cry or turn her head every time Celeste put the camera by her. Sassy already, lol.

Celeste always amazes me with how she can still capture a great shot despite the fussiness! Josh wanted some pics of Addelynn with no bows, hats, or girly, girly attire, so you will see a few of her just plain Jane and to be honest those are some of my favorite! I can't tell you enough how much these pictures have meant to me. Celeste is able to catch the essence of my beautiful baby girl through my eyes...the way that I see her when I look at her. I can't get over her baby blues and her beautiful smile!

You can take a sneak peak at the pics on Celeste's blog. I won't get my pictures for a few weeks (maybe even a little longer) Celeste is already 4cm dilated and 80% effaced with her own little princess, so she can take her sweet little time. : ) I can't wait to have Celeste take pics of our girls together because I know they're going to be great friends!

Thanks Celeste for giving me a permanent picture of my ever growing 4-month old!

www.celesteruthphotography.blogspot.com

ps. I will do my best to post some of the pics on my camera with stories soon!

2008 Overview

Addelynn was wide-eyed and smiling as we rung in the New Year. It was just too cute!





My Little Claus

Was my baby really this small just 3 months ago?

This past year has definitely been full of blessings for Josh and I. Addelynn was conceived in January and came into this world on September 22nd. It is a bit bittersweet in the sense that I love that she is learning and growing everyday, but am also sad that I can't slow down the hands of time. I was sad to see 2008 end because it was such a momentous time for me and my little family.

Here's what stick in my head this year:

January- Just getting over my 4th miscarriage emotionally and physically. Was going to an acupuncturist to help with the lining of my uterus and getting my hormones back to normal. Had no idea that I had actually gotten pregnant again. Gotta love the late night romance!

February- Found out I was pregnant, went on bedrest the day before Valentine's Day because I was bleeding.

March- Bedrest. Had to have a sub teach my 5th graders. Numerous Dr. appts sometimes twice a week to make sure I was still carrying our baby.

April- After 7 weeks of bedrest I was able to go back to work. At our 12 week appt. ultrasound tech said if she had to say...it was a girl! Threatened incompetent cervix...pregnancy became high risk. Changed to high risk Dr.'s didn't have to get a cerclage and was able to keep teaching. If I had to get a cerclage it would have been bedrest for the rest of my pregnancy.

May- Finished up teaching. Was sad to pack up my classroom, but excited to start motherhood. Found out at 15wks that it was definitely a girl!

June- Enjoyed being pregnant and feeling the baby move. Celebrated Mom's 50th Birthday.

July- Took a trip to Vegas for my cousin's wedding. Loved seeing my belly expand! Was a little sad as the school year started that I wasn't going back to work.

August- Baby Showers, more Dr. appt's, friends giving birth.

September- Celebrated my 25th Birthday, contractions, limited sleep, stredeveloped preeclampsia and gave birth to my darling little girl after 21 hours of labor by c-section. Five day hospital stay.

October- Recovering from emergency c-section, possible mastitis, possible fungal infection, tons of crazy medications, Baby's First Halloween! Possible colic baby.

November- A diagnosis...staph infection! Surgery to remove abscess....another 5 day hospital stay. The beginning of pumping and packing. Being away from my baby for the first long stretch of time and missing her like crazy. Baby's First Thanksgiving! Blessing our princess at church.

December- Baby's first roadtrip and Christmas and New Year's Eve. Finally feeling normal after childbirth. Thankful that I was on no meds and not in any pain.

I still can't believe that Addelynn is here and three months old. I look at my friends' new babies and can hardly believe I had one that small...and just three months ago! She's already 13 pounds and growing and amazing me each day. She smiles and laughs. She has learned to put her pacifier back in her mouth when it falls out. She's in 3-6 month clothing! I just want to hold her and love her and never let go. I am petrified of this world I will someday be unleashing her into. I pray every night that I will teach her right, that I will be a good example to her, and that I will always be worth in Heavenly Father's eyes to be her Mother. He saved such an amazing, tender spirit for Josh and I and I don't want to ever let Him down.

I can't help but think of our Savior as Christmas came and went. I think of what might have been going through Heavenly Father's head as he sent his only Son to come to Earth, to be persecuted by the very people he came to save, and to die, not a peaceful death, but one of agony, pain, and total isolation. I can't even begin to fathom how Heavenly Father felt...He knew. He knew he was sending His Son to go through all these heartaches and He sent Him for me, for us, for our babies and future babies. I don't know if I could be that selfless and sacrifice my little girl. She is my life and my heart and I am so very, very protective of her. I think of my friends who have lost their babies and wonder if it might compare to how Heavenly Father felt? How can we ever be mad at a Father who knows such pain? I think that is one of the main reassurances I had through my four miscarriages...He knows me and my heart, both whole and breaking, and he is forever faithful as long as we believe.

2008 did bring some big trials for me...threatened miscarriage, two surgeries, 2 scars, illnesses, etc, but I will always look back on this year and my heart will sing. I didn't need anything for Christmas because my heart was full enough. Money can't buy family or friendships, or memories, and it definitely can't buy my testimony which has grown even more firm this year.

What sticks out in your head this year? What experiences helped shape 2008 for you? I would love to hear my friends' perspectives.

We just had our Annual Girls Christmas party. It's always a wonderful experience to share a night with some of your most favorite people. We do a gift exchange and this year we did it white elephant style, but with nice gifts, and it was oh so much fun! We also did a yummy dinner and just shared memories and stories from the past. Life is crazy sometimes, but your friends keep you sane and grounded. Love you girls!

New Do

I took the plunge and cut off 9 inches today! I know, my friend pointed out that I should have done 10 inches and donated it, but hey 9 was drastic enough! I'm still getting used to it. I have had long hair for the majority of my life, so this is very strange. Hopefully I can style it cute. Thanks Kristi for the fun new do! How do you guys like it...be honest. Do you like me with short or long hair? Different huh, for those of you who've only known me with long hair?

Healing

It's been a little over a month since my surgery and I am healing pretty well. I went for another post op appointment with my surgeon today and she said we will probably only have to pack (shoving gauze and silvasorb into a bottomless wound, then covering with more gauze, and taping up to cover completely) for another two weeks. Josh and I don't consider it "packing" anymore because the inside of my wound is pretty much healed, it's just the top that needs to close. If you saw it a month or even a few weeks ago it would be "packing". Maybe "patting" with gauze would be a better term for the job.

My surgeon said that I have to wait until my wound is completely healed before I can breastfed off that side again. This could possible be another month because just because we're not "patting" and covering with gauze after two weeks, doesn't necessarily mean that it is completely healed. This is kind of a bummer because pumping is getting really old. I feel like I'm doing double duty. I was also told by Mrs. Doc that after I'm done breastfeeding that we will need to do a mammogram because abscess' can lead to breast cancer. I guess because an abscess is a puss pocket and once it's removed it leaves a space kind of?!? Who knows! She said I was healthy and young though, so the odds are very, very low. Whew!

On a lighter note, we took Addelynn to get pictures with Santa today. The old school I taught at does pictures(the district custodian dresses up and looks like Santa to a "T" ; it's really cute!). She did so well, didn't smile, but looked adorable all the same. Considering the 3 year old before her was crying, I was happy that she just sat content as can be on his lap! We bought her a little Claus dress with a fun little hat and put cute white tights on her. Stay tuned for pictures once they're developed!

Oh, and I am also getting my hair chopped tomorrow. I am SO nervous! I seriously haven't had short or even shoulder length hair in probably 13 some odd years! It's so scary for me....I know I'm a huge baby, but my hair grows so slow. Anything is better than me throwing it up in a bun all the time, so says the hub. I have to agree that it is up 99% of the time because it gets in the way, so to have it shorter and more easily cute ponytail and not long and annoying ponytail material, will be nice! Stay tuned for those pics, as well!