.

.

About Me

My photo
Western North Dakota , United States
My husband, Allen, and I are high school sweet hearts. We started dating Sep.99'- I kind of followed Allen home one day, and never did leave, is Allen's story. November 02' we were engaged, and on November 22,2003 - we were married. Having been married for 6 years in 2009, marked the 5th year we had been trying to start our family. With the referral of a Fertility Specialist from a friend, our IUI attempts ended up being a complete success despite my doubts. We welcomed our sweet little girl, Hayleigh into the world on June 30,2010 at 6:28am after 37wks and 1 day of gestation. She weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 20 in long. We found out that we were Baby #2 on April Fool's Day- a complete surprise! Reid Allen was born 11/13/12 3:24am 9lbs 8.2oz 21", after 38wks 5 days. Our 3rd baby, Eva Jane, was born on April 19, 2015 after suffering a pregnancy loss June of 2014. We are currently anxiously awaiting baby #4 due 2 days before Eva's birthday, so we are having Irish Twins! Our family is so blessed and happy to be growing!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

The Good Baby

Since I have been soo busy lately, I thought while I had a chance, I would give some updates. Hayleigh has now slept through the night for over a week and a half, with the exception of 1 night from traveling- I'll get into that in a few days. She is falling to sleep on her own- no rocking, pacifier- she doesn't like to take them anyway, drunk off of milk, music, or her heartbeat bear. She can hold her head up quite well now, and can almost halfway turn over now. She has been scooting since she was a week old, and gets quite mad if she cannot get anywhere. She is very fascinated with pictures, and has been grinning at us for over a week now- just waiting on that smile! Colic hit about 2 weeks ago now. It has not been as bad as what I thought it would be. I just give her little tummies gripe water, and give her a pacifier- she only takes them when she is gassed up, and it has to be one of her favorite two. She is usually fine after that. Hayleigh is now wearing 0-3 months clothes, and just about out of her newborn now. She gets weighed next at her 2 month checkup on the 26th of this month. I am guessing that she is around 10lbs now- since she weighed 9lbs 2 oz at her 1 month checkup.
Hayleigh is definitely a snuggler- she loves sleeping with me on the bed after her first morning feeding- around 5-6am. She sleeps in her wedge on Allen's side of the bed, and is quite content there- this does not mean she will be sleeping there after I go back to work. I really don't want a child sleeping with us in our bed at 3years old. Hayleigh has slept through the night for that last week in her crib, instead of the bassinet- I am very proud of her, and I don't think I could have slept without the angel care monitor we have. The monitor beeps every time Hayleigh breathes, and will set off an alarm if she should ever stop breathing for more than 15 seconds. IT really gives me some peace of mind.
I do have to say that all I want to do is shop for clothes for Hayleigh now, and take pictures. Allen swears that I have to have a pkg coming at least once a week from eBay or amazon. I am just really content with where we are in life now. Finally a Family.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Here... One Year Later


This is what we had going on EXACTLY one year ago from now.... Can you believe we are now here with a BABY???!!!!! I know it is early right now, but, I was up with Hayleigh and decided to get on my facebook and look at my old photos I have on there. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks... the album I had made called infertility. I know I am always going on about  how incredible it is that we are where we are today, with Hayleigh. But, if you would look at this and could remember what it was like to go through this stuff too, it would be a little bittersweet to you too. So, today is a day for us to celebrate.. we are nowhere near where we were a year ago, and we are LUCKY. Some couples never do get to have the day we are having today- looking back on the fertility treatments they went through while holding their sweet little bundle of joy. Today is just very surreal, and makes this video below all that more special now.


Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Wordless Wednesday... Sleeping like a Baby

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz  is exactly what Ms. Hayleigh has been doing for the past few nights now.... all through the night. We are talking from 9:30- 10pm at night to 5:30-6am every morning now! Can you tell just how excited I am? Hayleigh has been an extremely good baby, sleeping very well through the night with the exception of a few nights that I can count on one hand. I do know one thing.. if everyone is right about having a second baby, we are soo screwed. All I have heard is that no two babies are alike, and that usually you have a really good baby and then the total opposite. So, we have our good baby, which makes me really wonder if we want to even go on to try for #2 anytime soon.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Joined at the Boob....

This is one of my favorite photos of Hayleigh soo far- her personality really is starting to show!



Hayleigh was 5wks old in all of these pictures today

Yesterday, Hayleigh turned 5wks old. I ended up taking her up to my mom's house aka Grandma Sue's, so Allen and I could get some yard work done. I ended up running the weedeater the whole time after I got back from dropping Hayleigh off. When we got it all done and got settled back into the house to cool off and shower, it was soo quite. I have to say the house almost felt empty without Hayleigh in it. It is very weird to have someone soo little joined at the boob with you 24/7, to not be there, even if it was for only a few hours. I ended up going back into town to pick Hayleigh up, and go to some of the garage sales with my mom and Hayleigh before picking up Joe's Pizza and heading back home. We had fun going to the very few garage sales that we did, we even got to see a baby boy that was only 2 wks younger than Hayleigh. He had more hair than Hayleigh, and had it styled in a mohawk. We ended up back at our house with my mom and Joe's Pizza to munch on, while we watched It's Complicated... Mom had not seen this movie. Anyway, after Mom left, we settled down for the evening with Hayleigh, all going to bed early. She did not fight sleep at all, she was just as wiped out as we were. All in all, we had a great day out in the nice weather for once, and had time to sit home and enjoy our little girl.

Friday, August 6, 2010

To Be or Not to Be... that is the Question

I hope everyone finds this entertaining... my battles that I have with myself, that I just happen to drag Allen into. This is all CRAZY I am warning you, but, it is a real reality of WHAT IF....

It is funny how you can go through life trying to prevent something, then go to wanting it to happen, and then back to trying to prevent it again. BABIES. It has been since Janurary of 04 that I went off of the pill and never did go back on it until now. A part of me just wants to shuck the stupid things out the window, the other is scared to think if something did happen on it's own this time, I would be stuck at home by myself most of the time with an 11 month old and a newborn next year. Scarry to think huh? I cannot tell you just how many people have told me to throw those pills away, and if it happens this time without having to go through all of the doctor visits, ultrasounds, shots, and that stupid dip stick deal again, it would be a great thing for us. Tempting as this is, I have things holding me/us back, and things screaming GO FOR IT in the back of my mind.
IF We did get pregnant right off of the bat again:
1. Hayleigh will not have our full attention, or a fair first year with us.
2. I would be stressed beyond belief trying to take care of the house, yard, 2 dogs, and a baby while pregnant.
3. Just how much would this all cost?
4. I don't think Allen and I would ever get time alone ever again.
5. Hayleigh is worth more to us than doing that to her.
But...
1. NO SHOTS AND CRAP
2. FREE to Get Pregnant this time
3. Done having kids by the time we would both be 28- goal is 30.
4. Hayleigh and sibling would be close in age, maybe get along better
5. I loved being pregnant, and can see just why the Duggars are addicted to having kids.
6. We already love Hayleigh more than anything in the world, just think if there were two of them to love.

Yes, I know this is silly, but, I love to play what if game all of the time. Going off of the pill, getting pregnant on our own, makes me feel scared in some ways. I am afraid that IF we have just 1 more, we cannot just stop with just 1 more, and be like a cat lady collecting cats, or like the Duggars collecting babies. Some things in this world are just too precious to take for granted, or cheat... like Hayleigh's first year. So, we are still for the time being, or until Hayleigh gets over 6 months old, staying on the stupid pill... For now that is.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Hayleigh and the shortest Month in History...

 Hayleigh after a long day of turning 4 wks old....
Last Friday was very special.. my grandpa turned 80 years old, and Hayleigh 1 whole month! I sat there that morning thinking back a month ago, what all had happened, thinking I wished I would have known then what I know now. I wish I would have had a little bit of time to relax before Hayleigh got here. I think this would have really helped out with my labor a little bit more. I wish I would have known at the time that the jaundice was not that big of a deal. I realize that I was all hopped up on hormones when this was all going on, but, I like to be prepared for everything. Anyway, I sat and rocked Hayleigh in her room after a feeding, watching the clock, wishing I could visit a month ago again. I sat there with Hayleigh in my arms, thinking back a year ago then... I wish I could tell myself that everything would work out, and soon then, that the first round though failed, would be a distant memory by now. I sat there crying, soo happy to be where we are now, then... Hayleigh spit up all over me! She had this look on her face like someone had just slapped her. Poor girl! So, I got us both changed and cleaned up. I had to get us ready to go shopping with my mom later on that day anyway. We ended up at Kohls once again. I seriously do not know if they have an outfit that Hayleigh does not have. The question when shopping there my mom constantly is asking is if Hayleigh has a certain outfit and in what size. After purchasing yet again more outfits, we went to Jo Ann's Fabric to get some stamp pads to get Hayleigh's foot prints on everything I wanted to get them on. We ended up with hot pink, pastel pink, and black. The ink is all washable, so, Hayleigh did not fuss much when we did get around to stamping her feet. We finally went and both got pedicures at the new nail salon in Vincennes. This was my mom's first pedicure and my 2nd. I ended up getting my toes tiger striped. After leaving there, I ended up hurrying home to run a few errands and going out to eat with just my dad. I cannot get over just how much both of my parents love showing Hayleigh off. After spending time with my dad, I headed home, and got Hayleigh settled in for bed, since Allen would not be in until Saturday morning. After I got Hayleigh down for the night in her bassinet, I did snap a few pictures. After a very long day out, we finally got to really relax and celebrate... Hayleigh is a month old!

Wordless Wednesday....Better than a Puppy

This is my mom.. aka Grandma Sue with Hayleigh at the Wendelin Picnic from Sunday. This was Hayleigh's first church picnic, and will be the start of many more. Grandma Sue had fun showing off Hayleigh and exclaiming that she is a Proud Grandma as you can see in the picture.