Friday, May 29, 2009

Rolling Again!

So Dominick rolled from his back to his belly last Friday. He's been doing it like crazy now that he knows how. Almost every morning we find him on his belly! Well, last night Dominick was laying on his back and he rolled to his belly. He still needed to do tummy time so I moved him to the middle of his mat so he could see all his toys and such. I looked up at the tv for a minute when I heard him "talking". I looked down and he was back on his back! So now he can roll from his back to his belly AND from his belly to his back!

I think Dominick is gifted. :)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Happier Story - Basketball!!

Just to try and pick things up again, I wanted to do a happier post!

I'm playing basketball again! My sister and I joined a league in Clayton. The games are on Wednesday nights and the season is 10 weeks long. I've never been on a team with my sister as she is 8 years older than me and I'm so excited!! I can't wait to play with her!

Our first game is next Wednesday and I literally can't wait.

Yay for Basketball!!!

Long, Sad, Story (Trip down memory lane)

Please don't read this if you don't want to. This isn't necessarily a post for anyone else but me. But you are more than welcome to read it. It's sad and about my two failed pregnancies and a little about Nick's wonderful Dad.

May 28, 2007 was one of the hardest days of my life. And I didn't even know it at first.

Nick and I made the decision in March/April of 2007 to be open to the idea of starting a family. We weren't going to necessarily try to get pregnant, but we would be thrilled if I did get pregnant. Wouldn't you know it, I got pregnant on "accident" in April. By the middle of May I had suspected I was pregnant but didn't know for sure. I had been training and running a lot that Spring and Nick and I were schedule to run a 10K on May 28, Memorial Day. Since I'd been running, I went ahead and was still planning on running. Sunday night, May 27, I started getting really bad pains in my lower back and side of my body. Shooting pains. Then I started having bad cramps. I couldn't breathe and my back hurt so bad that I finally slept on the hard wood floor curled in a ball. Nick kept asking if I was ok and if he could do anything. But there was nothing to do.

I had read a lot (I love reading if you didn't know that already) about pregnancy and warning signs and I knew that pains and cramps could be normal but could also be very bad. I knew that my pains were very bad.

I spent the whole night on the floor crying in pain.

The next morning, I felt a little better so I decided to go ahead and run. Why? I don't know. I guess because I wanted to pretend nothing had happened. I was still having pains, but I tried not to think about it.

We drove to University City, where the 10K was being held and we got ready to run. The beginning wasn't so bad. Once I got into a rhythm I did ok. For the first few miles. I had told myself that I wanted to run the whole thing and not walk any of it, so I kept running. The further I got into the run, the more pain I felt. But I kept running.

I was the last to finish out of my sister, her husband, Nick and myself. But I ran it all. It seemed to take forever but I did it. I was proud of myself and for the time being, I felt pretty good. No more serious pains. They had faded to a dull ache by that point.

We decided to go and get breakfast after the race. The four of us drove to Chris' Pancake House and got some breakfast. I was on a health kick and I remember everyone else got bacon and sausage and eggs and pancakes and whatever else. I got a fruit plate. I don't think I took 4 bites. The pains came back. I had to leave. I needed to go home. When we finally finished and we ready to go, my stomach hurt so bad that I had to double over to keep the pain down.

Nick and I got home and I ran straight to the bathroom. There was blood. A lot of blood. And blood clots. It was so scary and horrible that all I did was hit the floor and started crying. Nick came in and saw everything and just sat with me. I don't know how long I cried on the floor.

We went to my parent's house later that day to swim. To try and relax after the long run. I spent 10 minutes in the pool and the rest locked up in a bedroom at their house.

I decided I better go to the doctor. After all, I hadn't been sure I was pregnant. I just suspected it. Maybe this was something else. Maybe this was all a coincidence and I was pregnant.

The doctor asked me a bunch of questions and did a blood test. Every office is different, but when a doctor takes your blood and tests for pregnancy it's called a beta test and the number that comes back tells you if you are pregnant. Most offices don't consider a person pregnant unless the number is over 10 or 20. Just to compare, when I was pregnant with Dom, my beta was 73 thirteen days after our IUI. That first week of June, my beta was 15.

So I was pregnant. But not anymore.

I can't believe that was 2 years ago today. It's amazing how much can change in such a short period of time. Last year around this time I was telling my girlfriends that I was pregnant! And this year at this time I had a four month old son.

It's amazing. Life is good again. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and I had to have that miscarriage to learn something about myself. I learned to never take anything for granted. That having a child isn't easy, but if you want it badly enough you should stick with it and devote everything you can to that child. Dominick means the world to me. He is my miracle baby.

Some of you know that I had a second miscarriage in March of 2008. That was a horrible time too. For many reasons. That miscarriage happened in Las Vegas. I had my first positive pregnancy test about a week before that trip and I was so excited. But the tests were very faded and didn't show a good positive. I kept taking tests and the positive lines were getting lighter and lighter. I started spotting the day we got to Vegas. I was sad but tried to keep upbeat. I took another test when we got to Vegas. It was negative. I thought maybe it was a fluke, so I took another test. Another negative. I was very sad. March 22, in the morning, I woke up to blood. Again. I was so depressed. But it was nothing compared to the phone call we got. That morning, Nick's dad passed away. He had a heart attack. It was so unexpected and horrible that I couldn't think of anything else but Nick's dad and being strong for Nick. We took a flight home that day (a day early) to be with Nick's family and be home for Easter).

I went to the doctor that week and my beta was 11. Another failed pregnancy.

I tell you this story here because I think Nick's dad was a huge part of how we got pregnant. Obviously we were having issues becoming pregnant, but with Nick's dad's help, we got Dominick.

I'm very sad that Nick's dad never got to meet Dominick. But Dominick will know him. And know that his Papi is a big part of why he is here.

I'm so sorry for this long post, especially a sad one. I hope no one read it who didn't want to. It feels good to reminisce about all this though. The good and the bad.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

book club pics





Wordless Wednesdays

My friend Ashley and her sister Crystal both do posts on Wednesdays called "Wordless Wednesdays" and it's just a picture. No words.

I'm going to adopt this as well.

Here's my first installment of wordless Wednesdays (if my computer will finally post a picture!)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Appointment Update

We had Dom's appointment today. Here's his stats:

Weight: 18 lbs (97th percentile)
Height: 26 1/2" (75th to 90th percentile - quite the range...)
Head Circ: I forget what it was right now...it's in the 25th to 50th percentile though.

He can start spoon feeding! Yay! We are starting with rice cereal just to get the hang of the spoon and then we get to start veggies, introducing one every 4 days to make sure he doesn't have any allergies. I'm very excited about this.

I also asked about the cough he's had for over a month and she said his chest sounds good so not to worry, so that's good news!

All around it was a good appt. and we go back on July 31st for his 6 month checkup.

Updates!!

8 new posts are up on the blog!!

Phone Issues

I broke my phone a little over a week ago. I had to get a new one. Of course they didn't have one in the store and I had to wait to get a new one. So after going a week without a phone, I finally picked my new phone up on Friday. They were able to transfer my numbers (yay!) and I left Sprint with a new phone.

Wouldn't you know it, the charge port on the new phone won't work. My phone won't charge...so today I get to go BACK to the Sprint store and get another new phone. My phone isn't even 1 week old yet! GRR! I wish I didn't depend on my cell phone so much. Hopefully they can transfer the numbers again. Keep your fingers crossed!

Doctor Appt

Today Dom has his four month check up. I'm very excited about this for a few reasons.

1) We get to see how big he's gotten! (This could be kind of scary too!)
2) We get to start on real food!! I am so excited about this. I'm going to start making baby food at home, so I'm eager to get started on this.

Not so excited because Dom gets his next round of shots today too, and he hates shots.

I know I keep saying this but I can't believe he's four months old already. Part of me can't believe he's only been here four months (I feel like I've been a mom forever!) but at the same time I can't believe he's getting so big. I guess we tried to get pregnant for so long and then 9 months of pregnancy felt like an eternity, so it's hard to believe he's finally here? I don't know, but my baby is growing up so fast.

This morning...

I already posted about how Dom rolled over for the first time on Friday...well when I went in to get him this morning he was sleeping on his tummy! He rolled over on his own in his crib and was sleeping soundly on his belly. I really wish my pictures would load because I took a pic of him. He was so cute. On his belly with his knees on the bed and his butt in the air! So cute!



Yay! A picture loaded!

BBQ's

On Sunday, we had a BBQ at our house for Memorial Day. It was basically a thank you for the help we got in tearing down the garage but a lot more people were invited than helped out! It was a great turn out. We had a lot of fun. Things got a little sketchy when the 10 minute down pour happened but it was good none the less. It eventually cleared up and we were able to get back outside. Mike BBQ'd and it was delicious! I was bummed because almost none of my friends were able to make it. Except Winnie! I hadn't seen Win in forever so it was great to see her and catch up. So it was basically all of Nick's friends and me, my sis, and Win! But it was good. We had a great time and the yard looked great.

On Monday, we went to my parent's house for a BBQ and pool party. I wasn't sure if the weather would cooperate but it did! We went swimming and Dominick got to go in too. He looked soo cute in his little swimsuit and surfer shirt. (Thanks Jamie!) It was hard to tell if he liked it or not. He did a lot of squealing/screaming but I don't think it was bad or crying. The water was very warm (it's heated) so I know he wasn't cold. I think he was just confused. Usually when he's in water, he's in a little tub and half of his body is basically out of the water, and here he was completely in from the neck down. He eventually got the hang of splashing and kicking, but we didn't stay in too long. I didn't want him to get sick in case he started to get cold. We'll have to do it again soon and see how he likes it again! I'll try to upload a picture but the pictures from my camera aren't wanting to upload...

For some reason, I can't upload any pictures from my camera, only the few on the garage from my cell phone. I'll keep trying. This kid is too darn cute to not post a pic!!

Garage Demolition

We tore our garage down on Saturday. Well, by we I mean Nick and a bunch of boys with sledge hammers! Dominick and I watched a bit. It was amazing how fast they did it!

Nick and I got up around 7:30 with Dominick and then around 9 we went outside to make sure everything was out of the garage and ready to get started. Our friend Josh showed up fairly quickly. He helped us get some stuff out of the garage when our friend Dave showed up. Between the four of us we got everything out and Josh and Dave started sledging down the garage door. Eventually more boys showed up (Noah, Nathan, Mike) and they went to town on the garage. My sister came over (she ran over) and watched for a bit while they worked. The boys decided to tear the structure of the garage down by putting a chain around the garage and attaching that to a truck and driving down the alley. I thought for sure that they would cause more harm than good, but it's a good thing I'm not in charge because it worked great! It's kind of scary how easily the garage came down, actually. Thank goodness we weren't parking a car in there!

The boys were working hard and they had the entire thing down, in the dumpster, and cleaned up by 12:45!! It was amazing how fast they worked. I went to the Face and the Body at noon and when I called Nick at 12:50 to pick up everyone lunch, Nick and Mike were the only ones left!

I was very impressed.


Getting rid of the siding




Looking at the garage on the ground



Of course I don't have any "before" pictures to show you the garage before we starting tearing it apart. I don't have any pictures of the Bronco pulling it down. And I don't even have any pictures of how great it looks now. I'll fix that last one though. I'll take a picture tonight of the beautiful back yard WITHOUT a garage! :)

4 Month Birthday

Dominick turned 4 months old on Saturday. I really can't believe it's been four months already. He's growing up so fast! It's amazing how much has changed since we've brought him home.

I remember when we brought him home...
- and we didn't think he was big enough for his swing, and now he can barely fit in it!
- and he felt so tiny I thought we could break him, and now he's so big I feel he could break my back!
- and we worried so much about his neck and supporting his head and now he can hold himself up so big and strong!
- I was terrified to do everything our own. I wasn't sure if I could be a parent. And Now I can't imagine NOT being a parent!
- and I thought my stomach (incision spot) would hurt forever and now I'm running and doing everything I used to do.
- and I thought I could never love anyone so much, and yet I love him more everyday.

A lot can change in four months. I can't even imagine how much will change when he's 6 months, 9 months, a year!

Happy four month Birthday, Dom!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!

Dominick rolled over!!!

I'm so excited about this that it's ridiculous! Friday night (the eve of his fourth month birthday) Dominick rolled over. He's been close for awhile now. He likes rolling onto his side and he sleeps on his side a lot, but Friday he rolled on his side and he was trying to heave himself over. I thought he might need a little help so I stuck my hand out by his feet and he pushed off my feet to roll over. It was very exciting but not a full roll over victory on his own yet. So after we did some tummy time, we rolled back onto his back and he tried again. Again he needed my hand, but he was starting to get the hang of it. I ran outside to get Nick to come see and when Nick came down Dom did it again! On his own this time! Yes! A full victory! :)

My little baby boy is growing up so fast!

Book Club!

A lot of my friends made fun of us for starting a book club, but we don't care! Mike, Abbie and I started a book club this last month and we had our first meeting at my house. It was awesome! We loved it.

For our first book(s) we did the Harry Potter series, or more specifically Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I made some snacks to go along with the book and we had a great meeting. We actually discussed the book! I kind of figured we would have good intentions but end up talking about whatever else, but we basically stayed on track. Well, until Nick came down and joined us. :)

Ok, I've been trying to upload pictures and they won't upload. I'll try again in a few.

Our next book for book club is "Running with Scissors". I've never read it or even heard of it so I'm excited to start something new. I'll keep you posted on how the next meeting goes!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Blessing in Disguise

As some of you know, my phone broke last weekend at the kickball tournament. (So if I used to have your phone number, I don't anymore and you should email it to me to make sure I have it!) I've been using Nick's second phone for the week and should get mine back tomorrow. They had to order a whole new phone and I'm going to lose all my numbers. I really thought it was horrible. I hate losing/breaking my phone. I tend to do it a lot and that's why I have insurance on it, but it's such a pain when it happens.

Today, I'm glad I didn't have a phone yesterday. My mom just called me about 10 minutes ago to talk. She told me "just so I know" my Grandma hit her head yesterday and had to have 8 staples put in her head. (I tend to get upset when I find things out from other people that I should've already known and my mom knows this and calls me now whenever anything happens. Thanks Mom!!) As soon as she told me this, I gasped and I immediately thought the worst.

She must have fell. She must have lost a lot of blood. She must be sick, etc. etc. etc. (Also a good time to add that I'm extremely emotional when it comes to my family members and their health).

But she's fine. My mom told me that Grammie had been at my uncle's house watering the plants in his garden for him. She bent over to turn on/off (I don't know which) the hose and when she stood up she hit her head on a shelf. My Grammie, she's a tough old bird! She drove herself home and got ready to go and play cards with her friends when she realized she had blood on her shirt. So she went to change. She noticed then that she had blood in her hair. So she took a quick shower to get it out. Then she realized the blood wasn't stopping so she went to her neighbor's house (my Great Aunt Leanne's house) and asked her what to do. Aunt Leanne called my mom. My mom decided Grammie needed stitches so off they went. When they were there, the nurse kept asking my grandma what her pain level was and Grammie just kept saying, "I don't have any pain." She didn't even care that she had been bleeding! She was more upset that they had to be in the emergency room for 2 hours (which is actually really quick when it comes to emergency room visits!).

I get my phone back tomorrow and while I'll be glad to be able to be back in "the loop" about things, I'm glad I didn't find out that Momma had to take Grammie to the hospital until long after everyone knew she was fine.

Fingernails

Dominick's fingernails grow at an amazing speed. I've been filing them down once every few nights, but he's still scratching himself. So I decided to be brave last night and cut his fingernails. I know, he's almost four months old and I should have tried this already. But I was scared of clipping the tip of his finger off or something! So last night was the big night.

I'm so glad I did it! It wasn't too bad (it helped that Dominick was fast asleep in his Daddy's arms!) and now all his nails are nice and short. I hope that this lasts longer than the filing. I hate when I see a new scratch on his precious face!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Next Time Won't You Sing With Me...

A - Age: 25

B - Bed size: Queen (but I wish it were a King!)

C - Chore you hate: There are chores you don't hate?? Seriously though, vacuuming the couch (dog/cat hair won't come off of that thing!)

D - Dog's names: Brady

E - Essential start your day item: glasses

F - Favorite color: It varies. Right now it's probably blue

G - Gold or Silver: Silver or White Gold. I'm not a fan of yellow gold.

H - Height: 5'9" ish

I - Instruments you play: None anymore. But I used to play the piano

J - Job title: Office Manager

K - Kid(s): My beautiful, wonderful son, Dominick! (he'll be 4 months on Saturday! oh my goodness he's getting so old!)

L - Living arrangements: Our home in the city of St. Louis - Love it!

M - Mom's name: Jean

N - Nicknames: Meg, Megs, Meggie B

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Other than my birth? The birth of my son, Dom. That was a wonderful 5 night stay!

P - Pet Peeve: When people leave their blinkers on!!

Q - Quote from a movie: At the moment, "You're just a door man, door man...Door Man!...Door Man!....Door Man!...Door Man!" From Knocked Up.

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: Sister - Angela and Brother - Alex

T - Time you wake up: Alarm goes off at 6:30 but it really depends on what time Dom gets up.

U- First word that comes to your mind for "U": Uvula

V - Vegetable you dislike: I like all veggies.

W - Ways you run late: I forget getting ready with a 4 month old takes longer than getting ready alone...

X - X-rays you've had: Ankles (like a million) and foot

Y - Yummy food you make: Candies (I'm just getting into this), lasagna, appetizers (I love making apps!), guacamole

Z - Zoo favorites: Giraffes and turtles

Thanks for posting this Ash! I stole it for fun and I liked reading your answers!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Funny Pic

I was reading one of the blogs I love and I saw this picture in one of his posts from a few weeks back. I've never seen this picture and it totally made me laugh!

Happy Monday everyone!

Kickball is over...

We had our kickball tournament this weekend. It's a fun weekend, but the close of our season so it's a little bittersweet. We are an ok team. We aren't the best but we're not the worst either. So the tournament is fun, but always a challenge. This season we finished right in the middle again, with a 7-7-0 record. Our record originally gave us a "bye" into Sunday's games but we traded slots with another team who would have had to forfeit all games on Saturday. So we had a tough road ahead of us. We'd have to win two games on Saturday just to get to Sunday and win another few games on Sunday to win it all.

Saturday's games were good games. We played the first game at 12:45 and while it started off slow for us (we were losing 9-2) we came back on strong and won the game 20-16. So we were off to game two at 2:00. This was a much harder game. We were neck and neck the WHOLE game. In the regular season, the games go to 7 innings. In the tournament the games go to 8 innings and it can't end in a tie. Our game went into 12 innings! It was tied 5-5 for the longest time. In the top of the 12th, the other team scored 3 runs, so we were about done. But we rallied and came back and scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 12th to win! Yay! So we made it to Sunday.

Saturday ended with us all watching the All-Star games. Our All-Stars this season were Michelle Caravelli and Adam Ketterer. They represented our team well. Adam scored a home run in both all-star games. (Actually he hit a home run in each of the 4 games we played on Saturday and at least one on Sunday...maybe two!) And Michelle got on base almost every time (if not every time)! They did awesome!

After the all-star games, we went to Angela's for a team BBQ. It was fun. Filled with BBQ, beer and of course, smiley faced cupcakes.

Sunday was a test. Our first game was against the #2 seeded team in the tournament. And the winner of our division. We had played this team earlier in the season and lost to them 14-1. So it was going to be tough. But we battled it out and won that game too! It was AWESOME! We were all so excited. We hadn't make it to Sunday's part of the tournament, let alone win a game on Sunday, in years! We were all so pumped up.

But the second game proved to be too much for us and we lost 14-6. But that's ok. We had a great time at the tournament and a truly great season.

And a quick note, Dominick came to all the games this weekend (my mom watched him and Cecilia while we played) and he did so GREAT! He was happy almost the whole time. Cecilia and Dom are our newest fans!

I'm a little excited to have Sunday's back again, but I'm already sad that on Sunday there will be no kickball. Oh well, there's always next year!

Friday, May 15, 2009

One is enough!

I was off of work today and my sister asked me to do her a favor. She asked if I could watch Cecilia for the day while both she and her husband were at work. I said that was fine. I still brought Dominick to day care because we pay the same amount if we bring him one day or five days and I didn't think I could handle a barely one year old and an almost 4 month old at the same time by myself. So I brought Dom to daycare and then went to my sister's. I brought Andrew to his job (he's a violinist and he was playing the graduation ceremonies at Washington University and parking is tough) and then Celia and I went to Schnucks to get some groceries. We had a great time there. Cecilia loves shopping carts! Then we decided to go to my mom's work to meet her for lunch. We stopped back at my sister's to get a diaper bag for Celia and then we headed north. During lunch Dominick's day care called my cell. He wasn't eating at all and he was whining a lot. She said that I didn't need to come and get him but I felt bad that I was home and he was there, especially if he was upset and/or didn't feel well. So my mom and I traded cars so I could have a car with two car seats and off Cecilia and I went.

We stopped by my house to get his diaper bag and then we went and got Dom. As soon as he saw me, his face lit up with a smile! She told me he didn't have a runny nose, fever, etc. and he wasn't crying, just whining. I told her that that's what he's been doing at night the last few nights. So I picked him up and off we went.

We went back to my sister's house and everything went great for a bit. Dominick ate his bottle and Cecilia ate her lunch. Everyone was happy. Then they both decided they needed to be held. That's a little hard to do!

We struggled for a bit, but we made it. Everyone ended up happy when my sis got home and the whole afternoon was a success!

I definitely want more kids. Nick and I both want a big family. But when they are this young, one is enough! I think we'll wait a few years before we decide to have number two, although I had a lot of fun and would say yes to doing it again in a heartbeat!

Happy News!!

I just found out that one of my friends is PREGNANT!!! She and I met on the ovusoft web boards because of infertility issues. This was her second round of IVF and she went in this morning and found out it worked! Yay!!

They put in three fertilized embryos so now the only question is "How many babies are in there?"!

Congrats Heather and I can't wait to hear more updates!!!

I apologize

I shouldn't have written that last post. I was very upset when I read that comment and I felt the need to defend myself. However that was the childish thing to do. I should have been the mature person and just ignored it. When my parenting is questioned though, I find that hard.

My sister made a good point this morning. This is my public diary and I can control what I say but I can't control how people perceive what I say and that's the risk I take making this public.

I don't want to start a "blogger war" over something like this. I know I'm a good mother and that Dominick is in good hands and that's all that matters to me.

So again, I apoligize for writing that lsat post...

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Rude Much?? To my anonymous poster:

Ok, so the anonymous poster is back. I have no words to describe how rude I believe this person to be. The last time I got such a rude comment, I deleted it and then no one could see how rude this person was. Well I'll leave it up there now. It's a comment under my "Offended" post. I'm no longer offended. I feel bad for this anonymous poster. And I'm going to respond how I feel I need to.

And in case they try to delete their comment, here it is for everyone to read:
"Meg- If you don't want people to comment without knowing the whole story, then you should tell the whole story. No where in your post did you say that you tried to comfort Dom for "a few hours" as your said in this post.

As for you saying that Dom is "on his own" after you change his diaper and feed him, well, for that I have no words to respond.

I'm so glad you're not letting your child interfere with your full time job and your sleep patterns. Kudos to you."


To my poster:
I'm sorry that you have nothing else to do but read people's blogs and criticize them. Anonymously at that. Kudos to you.

And thank you for putting words into my mouth.

When I said that Dom is on his own, you have to know what I meant. I love my son very much. A ridiculous amount actually. I struggled with infertility and two miscarriages over a 14 month span and Dominick means everything to me. He is my miracle baby and I don't know what I'd do without him. But I can't stay up all night and hold him when I know that he is physically fine. At almost 4 months old, I can tell his different "cries". I know when he's hungry. I know when he's dirty. I know when he's so tired that he's just cranky and can't fall asleep. This is what he's been doing lately. Doing that cry where nothing really makes him feel better except being held for a long time. I'm not going to let him get in the habit of needing that every night. So when I'm positive that he's ok, I let him cry. I'm sorry that you think that I'm a bad mother for this, but that is what my husband and I chose to do (with the full support of our doctor) and that's that.

For another part of your comment, I can write whatever I want to write. I never asked you to read my blog and make inappropriate comments. This is a blog for me and family and friends. No family member or friend of mine would write such rude comments and do it anonymously. If you really cared about me or my son, you would give me your advice in a respectful manner and sign your comment. Instead, you criticize me and my parenting and hide behind the anonymous label.

Finally, did I ever say that I put my sleeping habits or my job before my son?? I never once said that. I said that I have a full time job that requires sleep. If Dominick were sick or in pain or needing me, I would always put him before me. Always. Right now, he just doesn't want to sleep. I'm not going to sit in his room and watch him fight sleeping when I know he is fine. My bedroom shares a wall with his bedroom and I can hear him all night. If his cry changes and I can tell he needs me, I could be in there in literally ten seconds. Maybe faster.

I will ask this one more time. Please don't leave negative comments or unsolicited advice on my blog. I'm not writing this for you. I'm writing this for me. And I don't need anyone to make me feel like I am a bad mother.

Dominick must not be too upset with how I handle his bed time. I go into his room every morning and am greeted with a smile. That's all I need.

Meg

No turning back

Well I did it...I registered for the 5K Race, the 10K Race and the Half Marathon. I paid the total of $65.00 for all three races. There is no turning back now. I would hate to register and not do it and waste that money. So this is it.

Lewis and Clark half marathon - Here I come!!

The little things

For those of you who know me, I'm a freak when it comes to organizing and lists, etc. I'm not such a freak about keeping our house neat, but I promise I'm working on it and have gotten a lot better since Dominick was born.

Most people get excited about new clothes, or a new TV, or a new car, or big fun things like that. Me?? Nope...I like the little things.

Anyway, being the nerd I am, I went out last night and bought a new planner for 2009-2010 (I use school year planners) and some new dry erase markers for our calendar at home. I am SO excited to have my new planner! I already went through it and entered everyone's birthdays, and trips we are going on soon, and my whole training schedule for the half marathon. And it's so neat and pretty. *Sigh*

I'm so glad I have the little things in life that keep me so happy!!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Race for the Cure

Just a few quick notes about Race for the Cure.

1) You don't have to do the run or walk to register and be on our team. You can choose the "Sleep In" choice and still get the t-shirt and everything.

2) To Join our team, click on this link HERE and choose the "Join Team" icon. Follow the instructions from there.

3) If you'd like to make a donation for me, first click the above link and then click on my name "Meghan Westerheide" and choose "Donation Only".

Thanks for anyone in advance who is joining us or doing a donation. I'm very excited about this and I hope to see a bunch of you there with us!

Biggest Loser - ME

So I have decided to finally do something about the unwanted extra pounds I have hanging on me still. I've been very into Biggest Loser this season and it has given me a TON of inspiration to work out and lose weight. Also, since I had gestational diabetes while I was pregnant with Dom, I am a little concerned about developing Type II Diabetes (it runs in my family as well) so I'm doing everything I can to avoid that.

I started working out three days a week with my best bud, Mike, at his house. He has a bow flex machine and he is my "trainer" for those three days. I was nervous about this at first because I've never seen Mike work out (even though I know he does work out a lot) and I didn't think he could motivate me enough (I thought I might laugh if he attempted to be strict) but it's working out amazing. He is such a great teacher and I am motivated. It's been great and he gets on me to push myself and I need that.

I also starting running again. This has been a huge challenge for me as I haven't run in a long time. Nick and I were doing a lot of 5Ks and 10Ks a few years ago but that was a few years ago. This summer I am getting back into it.

First, my friend, Abbie, decided to get a team together for the Race for the Cure on June 13. Our team name is "Buddies for Boobies" and we are looking for members. So far our team consists of Abbie, Ashley, and me. Let me know if you are interested in running/walking a 5K with us! Here is the link for our team page if you want to join or donate. HERE

Next I'm doing a 5K and a 10K in August while I'm training for my big race in September.

My big race is September 13 and it's a half marathon. I've never done a half marathon before but I know I can do it. As long as I stay focused and keep training I'll be good. I've done 10Ks before and it's just about double that. Official training starts on June 22 so I'll be working hard before that to get into the best shape I can so training will be a breeze. My friend Abbie and my sister Angela are also doing the half marathon so I think they will keep me motivated.

So far, I've lost about 2 lbs. Not a lot but a good start for me. Hopefully I can keep it up! Wish me luck!

Monday, May 11, 2009

On a more positive note...

Before I read the negative comment in the evening, I had a really great Mother's Day!

It started off a little rough though. Nick asked me on Saturday if he could go golfing in the morning. I didn't want him to because I was looking forward to a morning "off" but he doesn't go golfing that often so I said sure. Nick left about 7:30. At 8:00, Dominick was up and hungry. This was a sweet part. When I went in to get Dom out of his crib, I saw a present on the rocker is his room. Nick left me a vase full of flowers and some cute things for Dominick that said "I dig my mommy" and "I love my mommy". It was very cute. There was also a card "from" Dominick that said how much he loves me and he knows how long I waited for him and he waited just as long for me. It was so sweet. Nick did good there.

Then I made a bottle and Dom and I headed downstairs. Around 8:20, Nick's brother Rob came by to drop off their dog, Madison. Rob and Christy are currently in the Dominican Republic and we are watching their dog for a week. I was so embarrassed because I was in my glasses and pj pants and an old t-shirt. Not looking nice for company!! After Rob left, Dom and I went back downstairs and I heard more knocking on the door. This was about 9:00. I wasn't expecting anyone so I was shocked. I went upstairs and it was Angela, Andrew and Cecilia! They brought me breakfast!! It was delicious too. A tomato, bacon and spinach omelet, hash browns and a few mini pancakes! Yum! It was such a nice surprise.

Nick got home awhile later and took Dom from me so I could just lay on the couch and relax. And I did. I laid on the couch until it was time to go to kickball. Yes we still had kickball on mother's day, but we weren't originally supposed to. We've had quite a few rainouts this season and this was to make up some of the games. We only had one game since the other team we were supposed to play did forfeit.We met my mom at the field before the game and she took Dominick and Cecilia to my grandma's while we played. We rallyed in the second game and won 7-5 (We had been losing 5-3 going into the sixth inning (out of seven) and scored 4 runs that inning to take the lead! It was great! I love winning kickball games! Also, Michelle and Adam brought me and Angela the best mother's day present ever. A very large can of Heineken beer. Thanks guys!

After kickball we went to my Grammie's house for mother's day. It was a delicious meal and Dominick was a good boy so it was a good night.

Nick and I got home around 8 and we watched Good Luck Chuck and then went to bed.

Dominick was a little rough again last night but he's getting better. Things are hard for him right now. He has a tooth just under his gums and you can tell his gums hurt. I held him for about an hour last night just massaging his gums. I put some baby orajel on them and then he was able to sleep better. Poor baby!

All in all, it was a great first Mother's Day!

Offended...

I logged onto my blog last night to see if anyone had updated their blogs, just to see a rude comment posted on my most recent post. The post I had written was about how Dominick has been having more and more trouble falling asleep at night and how after a few hours of comforting him we decided to let him cry it out. The comment basically said that he's too young to cry it out and I should be holding him because that's what he needs.

I'm very offended by this. First off, I believe that I am a good mother and any comment questioning that offends me. Especially reading it on Mother's Day! Second off, everyone parents different and everyone's situation is different. To make such opinionated comments is just plain rude if you don't know the whole story.

Dominick is not too young to cry it out and calm himself down. Maybe other 3 1/2 month olds are too young but Dominick is very good at self soothing. Also, what is the suggestion?? That I hold him all night long if that's what he "needs"?? Dominick is very smart. You lay him in his crib and he cries. When you pick him up and he's being held, he just smiles. He knows what he wants and he's physically fine. I can't stay up all night and hold him. I have a full time job which requires sleep. I make sure his diaper is clean, he is fed, and his clothes are dry. After that, he's kind of on his own. I can't hold him all night. Or bring him into our room, if that is someone's next suggestion. I know quite a few people who would let their babies sleep with them and every single one of them regrets it now since their children are 3+ years old and still in bed with them. We won't do that. Dominick will sleep in his own room.

I'm sorry for this rant but I don't appreciate negative comments. I write this blog for me and for family/friends to know what is going on with us. I don't need someone telling me how to be a parent unless I specifically ask for help. Nick, Dominick and I are doing just fine without unsolicited outside advice.

Happy Mother's Day to me.... :(

Friday, May 8, 2009

Sleep

So last night Dominick had some serious issues with going to sleep.

Here's how it started: I picked him up after work from home (Nick had gotten him from daycare) and he and I met my sister at Incarnate for the Incarnate Word vs. St. Joe soccer game. It was a big fundraiser and was supposed to be a good game. He was sooo good at the game. Everyone thought he was so cute and sweet and he was. He just sat in my lap and watched the game. Then we went home afterward. (GREAT game by the way, IWA won 2-1 in overtime!!) He was still good then. Nick and his brother went to the movies so Dom and I caught up on our shows on the DVR. (Mainly Dancing with the Stars - How is Ty still on?!?!?!) He ate around 9 and I put him down at 9:30. He was so good. Went right to bed. So I climbed into bed and continued reading my book (Deception Point by Dan Brown - Excellent so far). Then at 10:15 he was up and crying. I went into his room and he had broken out of his swaddle. So I changed him and tried to reswaddle him. Nope, he wasn't having it. So I started his mobile again and left the room. He was good until about 10:50. So I went back in. I thought maybe he was a tad hungry so I gave him a few more ounces of formula. Still can't swaddle him. He eats. I lay him back down, restart the mobile again and leave. He's up at 11:30. So I said, forget it. He can cry. Well Nick got home around then and heard him crying. So he went in. Dominick had cried himself the length of the crib and had his head pressed against the bars crying. Nick put him back in the middle and tried to swaddle him. Still no swaddling. So he agreed with me. Dom was going to have to cry himself to sleep. He finally fell asleep around 12:30 or 12:45 this morning.

You would think through all this he would sleep in. Oh no. He was up crying at 5:45 this morning. Nick went in and changed him while I made a bottle. Nick went back to bed while I fed him for a few more minutes. At 6:30 when Nick left for work and Dom was done eating I had to put him back down. I was exhausted. I needed a little more sleep.

So Dom went down. The mobile went back on. And I climbed back into bed. He did fall back asleep thank goodness. And I slept like a baby! My friend Michelle gave me this eye cover thingy for your eyes so you can sleep whenever and it is AMAZING. I get the best sleep with it on and I can sleep anytime during the day.



And it's so cute! "Do Not Disturb!" I love it.

After I hit snooze for the 4th time, I got up. Twenty minutes later than I meant to sleep. I went in to get Dom and he was out. He had finally decided to sleep and I had to wake him up to get him ready for daycare. Here's what he looked like when I went in to get him at 7:20:



I got him up and got him ready for daycare. Yesterday at work we all got camouflage hats from one of our vendors so I decided to put him in his camouflage outfit today. He was so cute! Here he is getting ready for daycare and ready to hunt!



I really hope that he got this crazy sleeping thing out of his system and he's a good boy tonight. It's still early and I'm already exhausted today!!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

It's been awhile

Sorry it's been a week without any updates. I'm just that boring! I have no new news.

This weekend is mother's day though so hopefully I'll have something good to report back on Monday!!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Baptism Pictures

I finally uploaded the pics to my computer! Here are some pictures from baptism.