Little Lamkens

Neuroblastoma surgery (tumor removal and adrenalectomy)

2011-10-19T21:52:00.001-04:00

Belowis the information I typed up back in January. Being a person that needs toknow every detail and make every preparation, I felt like Emily's surgery was ablack hole of unknowns. I decided I would attempt to document her surgery witha few notes to help other families that may be considering the same procedure.

Background:Emily's tumor was found in-utero and monitored since birth. It was 4.5cm atbirth and shrunk to about 1cm by the age of 9 months. It had been diagnosed asneuroblastoma through MIBG and CT scan. After that time, it remained the samesize (according to ultrasounds) and we opted for surgical removal at the age of15 months. We knew that she would lose her right adrenal gland, at a minimum. There was a small chance of losing her right kidney if the mass was adhered to the kidney.

Dayof surgery:

Pre-op: As with most surgeries, she could not eat pastmidnight. Emily was allowed clear liquids up to 4 hours before surgery. Once wegot to the hospital, there was a lot of waiting. They took us back on-time,took her vitals and gave her a kiddie gown to wear. We spoke to lots of people- surgeon, 2 anesthesiologists, nurses, students, etc. About 45 minutes after herscheduled time, they were ready for her and we were told it would take a couple hours.The anesthesiologist came for Emily and let her play with her iPhone while sheslowly took her and walked away. What a tough time to be a parent!

Surgery: Fortunately, Emily’ssurgery was laparoscopic, although we had to sign off on having her opened up(if needed). I wouldn’t know either way until afterwards, they were just goingto have to make a judgment call in the OR if they could not pull everything outthe small incisions. The laparoscopic procedure requires 4 incisions that allowfor the camera, drain, and surgical instruments. They can sometimes pull theadrenal gland and tumor through the navel, but older babies often have too much boweland it makes it difficult for the surgeon to see. Emily’s tumor was pulledthrough the main incision on her right side and is slightly over 1 cm in size.The adrenal and tumor (attached) were put into a bag inside her and then pulledout of the hole. All was sent to pathology for testing. Incisions were closedusing interior stitches and surgical glue/tape on the outer skin that will falloff in a couple weeks. The surgery typically takes two hours. Emily’s wascomplete in about 90 minutes.

Post-op: After surgery, allchildren are taken to the PACU (Post anesthesia care unit) for observation. Oneparent is usually allowed back (due to space) and the child stays for 30-60minutes before moving to a private room. Emily had complications with herbreathing and we spent a long 3 hours there. The breathing issues were relatedto a slight cold that she had before surgery, which was amplified by anesthesiadrugs and a breathing tube down her throat. Her oxygen levels were 98% when wechecked in that day, but dropped about 10-15% after surgery. She received 3nebulizer treatments and oxygen tubes for her nostrils, which increased her levelsto the mid 90s.

Surprisingly, they allowed me to hold her right away. I was nervous about hurting her, but was told that the pressure onthe incision sites feels good to them. I thought I’d have to be so careful, butEmily snuggled right in and fell asleep. Anesthesia takes a lot of you,especially if you are a little one. Once she got put into a room, she slept formost of the day. Katie, Grandma and Grandpa came to see her for a short time.She mainly just rested on me or Daddy, not really feeling up to much else. Because she was pumped full of fluids during surgery, her whole body became swollen. You can see she looks very swollen in this photo. You could barely recognize her!

Asexpected, it was a rough night in the hospital. Emily slept well, except theIV caused her hand to swell. When we finally saw this (again, you can see it in the photo), we convinced the nurses to remove the IV during thenight and put it in her foot instead (where she had another IV port already). One important lesson is to always advocate for your child because nursesand doctors are not phased by most of what they see. If you don’t thinksomething is right, you need to bug enough people to make sure that somethingis done. Poor Emily’s hand and wrist were blown up to about twice their sizedue to IV fluids that were not circulating properly. Yes, they had to removethe wrist IV and put the fluids in through the IV in her leg but it felt muchbetter to her.

The next day, Emily sat up in her bed and started to make somenoise. We knew she was getting back to her normal self when she started pullingup her sheet and playing peekaboo. A group of doctors came to check on her duringher peekaboo time and she just pulled the sheet up over her head and kept itthere until they went away. Such a smart girl! We ordered her some yummy food(chicken and mac and cheese, lots of applesauce and fruit) and let her munch onCheerios and dump them all over her bed. By the end of the second day, we gotthe OK to be discharged. We didn’t want to risk taking her home right away, sowe headed to a local hotel for the night. Emily did great at the hotel, relaxed and played with hernew doodle pad (thanks to Grandma & Grandpa). We headed home with her the nextmorning and kept her home for the rest of the week.

2weeks later: Emily’srecovery has been amazing. She is such a strong girl! We went for our follow up2 weeks after surgery. Fortunately, days after the surgery, we received amazingnews…there was no sign of neuroblastoma within the adrenal gland. Emily’sdoctor seems to think that the NB regressed on its own. They did find ahemangioma in her adrenal, which we were told is a very strange place to findone. A hemangioma is an abnormal group of cells/blood vessels, often found onthe outer skin (seen mainly on children at birth). The doctors were interestedin this occurrence and planned to discuss it at their case reviews, but did notsee any reason to worry as it was all removed. It is the best news we couldhave hoped for!

10 months later: We are scheduled for Emily's annual follow up in about 6 weeks. I can't believe it. For the first 18 months of her life, I thought about her tumor EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. After she recovered from her surgery, I rarely thought about it. Now that her check up is scheduled, part of me wonders if we've missed something, if she's completely healthy or if something else has grown back. We pray for a perfect check up and look forward to visiting some of our favorite nurses and doctors back at UNC. Our family has been through enough this year and we deserve some good news!

I'm back!

2011-09-30T15:52:00.001-04:00

I don’t think I can begin to list everything that has been happening in our lives these past eight months. Most family and friends have been with us every step of the way and we appreciate everyone’s support. My mom was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforma (Stage 4 brain cancer) in the beginning of February. After brain surgery, radiation, chemo and constant medications, she's been stable for a few months and is one tough cookie! It is the most awful, hard wrenching, and confusing time my family has ever been through. My mom is being as tough as she can, but it is hard for her...an unimaginable feeling and situation that she's going through.

For myself, I feel that I'm almost hardening myself to everything. Maybe it is my way of coping. The hospital chaplain said it best when he told us that everyone deals in their own way. Some may get upset, some may shut down, some may feel numb...but there is no right or wrong way to cope. I think it is the “mom” inside me that feels the need to hold everything together, keep organized and keep on going. Just like my mom is facing everything head on…I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

January was definitely the craziest time of our lives. To update those that haven't read in a while - Emily is my 2nd born and a mass was found above her kidney when I was 7 months pregnant (on a regular ultrasound). After being born, she was taken to UNC Chapel Hill, had monthly testing and it was determined that she had Neuroblastoma cancer. Neuroblastoma is a grouping of abnormal cells that can be located in 1 area or spread throughout the body, depending on the stage. I had full intentions of documenting Emily's surgery and recovery for use by other families that may be going through the same thing. I had it all typed up by mid-January, then my mom got sick and my life ceased to exist as I knew it.

While there have been so many scary moments over the past 9 months, I've surprised myself with my strength as a mother, daughter and woman. Sure, I've had some bad days, but you also find out what you are made of and come to learn who your real friends are. There are still "friends", and even family members, that have yet to contact me...whether they are self absorbed in their own lives or they just don't know what to say. I will remember that about them (always) and yet I hope that they will never have to go through a similar situation.

I plan on updating my neuroblastoma surgery write up and posting it soon. I pray I can keep posting, updating everyone on my amazing family and keeping this online journal for my kids to read one day. Here's to HOPE!

Two shortcakes at the strawberry patch

2011-05-16T20:15:00.009-04:00

Everyone knows we've had a rough few months. I do have some saved posts related to Emily's surgery and my Mom's battle against brain cancer, but they need work and I'm saving them for another time.

On a lighter note, we've had amazing weather and ventured to the strawberry patch last weekend. It was so much fun, the girls loved it and we can't wait to go back before berry season ends. We brought home a few pounds of berries...I'm not sure how many were consumed during the "pick", but I'm pretty sure we got our monies worth.

Hope you enjoy the short video...

Keep believing...

2011-02-14T14:12:00.002-05:00

I got this quote from one of my professors a few months back. Reading it makes me feel better, so I thought I'd share...such a great mantra.

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

--- Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh
~ A.A. Milne

Post surgery super baby!

2011-01-13T15:57:00.004-05:00

Emily doesn't let anything get her down. Here she is the morning after surgery...she did this on her own and it was the first sign that our old Emily was back!

Ready or not, here it comes

2010-12-22T22:49:00.002-05:00

Did you ever think about all the preparations that we make to pull off a great holiday? Not just talking about gifts, but every little thing that eats up so much of our time before Christmas. Last minute wrapping, food lists, shopping, baking, making decorative bows out of ribbon (yes, I did this today...glitter everywhere), cleaning...and the list goes on.

Sure, many would argue that not all of those tasks are necessary, but we all put ourselves through at least a tiny bit of pain to pull off the perfect holiday (whatever that means to you). Of course, it becomes all that more important when you have kids. You want to make sure everything is perfect (if you are me, at least) and that everyone has a great time. I try to enjoy every part of the holiday preparations, but sometimes it is hard when there is so much to do. Tonight I had a few last minute errands to run and I took Katie along (even though we were out past her bedtime). She loved it...it was dark out, she could see Christmas lights everywhere, we went to the town center where people were out shopping and enjoying their time together. Yes, that is what the holidays are all about.

So on this 22nd day of December, I say I'M DONE! I do not plan on doing anymore wrapping, cleaning or shopping. Maybe things won't be perfect, but they will be good enough...and I will spend more time with my family.
(NOTE TO JR: You can edit this post, just like you editted my Christmas card letter...but I won't care)

Sadly, I still have school work to worry about...but there is always Sunday ;)

HO HO HO MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS!

Stickers, sisters and snow

2010-12-21T23:21:00.006-05:00

We've had a busy month, as Emily has changed from a baby to a toddler. She is on the move and loves chasing after her sister. Sometimes she does need to get away from all the chaos...but she never goes too far, especially when she finds a stash of Sissy's stickers under their art table.

"Oops you found me!"

Daddy has been enjoying his time with Emily too. Here they are in their favorite activity...vegging. This is how he "babysits" :)
Speaking of babysitting, here is super Grandma displaying her methods for grandchild-watching.

Step 1 - give them candy and cookies

Step 2 - dump toys out all over the playroom (yes, Katie has named her own room in my parents' house)

Step 3 - put children in buckets for the night, hope they don't escape

Step 4 - if they are both too rowdy, put them in the bucket together. Push 3 year old to the bottom and hope for the best. (At least Emily seems to enjoy it)

Although we had a few inches of snow last year, I'm beginning to lose hope for a white Christmas. Fortunately a local town center makes "fake" snow for kids a few times a day. All the adults thought it was a pitiful display, but Katie enjoyed it and didn't know it wasn't real. She even dressed for the occasion (snow flake vest from Gma!)

Hope everyone is ready for the holidays. We are anxiously awaiting Christmas morning and hope the girls have a great time!

Merry Christmas everyone...hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Emily's walking videos

2010-12-10T09:58:00.003-05:00

By popular demand, here are a couple quick videos of the walking queen!

Here she comes world!

2010-11-12T14:42:00.003-05:00

A few days ago, Miss Emily started to walk. She can only make it about 5-8 steps and looks like a cross between a waddling penguin and Frankenstein. It is too cute!

Will post a video as soon as I can get one! I've also updated Katie's funny comments to the right.
Link here http://babylamken.blogspot.com/p/what-did-she-just-say.html

Jr - hope you are happy my blog is alive again

End of summer

2010-09-21T06:23:00.004-04:00

We've had a busy month with lots of fun. Mom Mom (the girls' GREAT grandmother) arrived earlier this month to celebrate the upcoming birthdays. Katie has been having lots of fun with her...bossing her, doing stickers, coloring and puzzles. They are best buddies!

We FINALLY got Emily to the beach this year. After about 30 minutes of packing and prep, we made it over to Wrightsville (which is only 10 minutes from our house). Now that the tourists are gone, we got a great spot near the pier and in the shade!

For the first couple minutes, Emily wasn't so sure about the sand...until she realized how great it was. She loved sitting in the surf and letting the water come splash over her legs. Even more than that, she loved picking up the wet sand and trying to eat it. This girl will eat anything! Below are some pictures of our day (2 hours) at the beach...

We've been enjoying the nice weather lately and are thankful the sweltering heat is gone. We can't believe that in less than a week, we will have a one and three year old! Emily's two bottom teeth have started to pop out and she is standing for short periods of time. I'm not sure she will walk by her birthday, but she is getting close. I will save the reminiscent thoughts for her birthday post, but what a year we've had!

My baby girl (both of them) are getting so big!

Hiyaaa overload

2010-08-26T11:31:00.003-04:00

Wanted to play with movie maker today...I love it!

All I can say is...HIYAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Friendly girl

2010-08-25T13:34:00.004-04:00

Emily's new thing is waving. She waves at cashiers, she waves at me when I walk into a room or open her car door, she waves at strangers. She is even starting to say "haaayyyaa" which I suppose means "hi" and may be her first word (after Dada).

I haven't gotten the haaayaa on video yet, but here is a quick glimpse at her waving. Will try to get a better video later!

Giggle girls

2010-08-05T09:33:00.004-04:00

Emily's favorite person is Katie, of course...

Emily can crawl!

2010-08-05T09:02:00.002-04:00

Life has been crazy here, so I know I'm missing a lot of updates on this blog. Just wanted to share our biggest milestone in awhile - Emily crawled last night!

By the time I got the camera, she was a little tired out...but here is a quick video.

Book recommendation: I LOVE YOU (A rebus poem)

2010-06-09T06:35:00.004-04:00

We picked up a new book recently - I LOVE YOU (by Jean Marzollo). It is a rebus poem (where the pictures are read as words) and it is adorable. It is rare that I recommend a book, but we're loving this one for many reasons - it is short, Katie can read it herself and the message is so cute.

Here is a link to all the pages in the book. So cute!
http://www.jeanmarzollo.com/books/iloveyourebus.html

Every bird loves a tree

Every flower loves a bee

Every lock loves a key

And I love you.

Anti Cilantro?

2010-06-01T18:40:00.002-04:00

I probably need to start throwing some more info into my blog that is NOT family related, but it is tough...mainly because I have no time! I just started a new MBA course (Strategy) and it requires team work. Our meetings have been running about 2 hours long, twice a week (at night). I just want to pass this course and be done with it...group work, UGHHHH!

Anyway, here is my random post for today. I found this article interesting because I am one of those people that can't stand cilantro.

Cilantro Haters - It's Not Your Fault!

"I'm eating...nahnah"

2010-05-29T14:36:00.002-04:00

Katie at the local blueberry patch...nothing more needs to be said.

Let her eat cake!

2010-05-11T18:43:00.003-04:00

Grandpa goes in for surgery tomorrow, so I hope this video cheers him up while he's in recovery for a few days.

Yes, this is the girl that wouldn't touch sweets for the first 2 years of her life.

What did she just say?

2010-05-11T10:35:00.002-04:00

We all know that Katie says the funniest things...and I'm sure Emily will too (if Katie lets her get a word in). I realize that I need to start writing them down or else I will forget everything in about 10 years.

If you'd like to see the list of quotes, I've added a new page to the blog. You can get there by clicking the link in the upper right of the page (What Did She Just Say?) or bookmarking the below URL. I will update it often, I'm sure!

http://babylamken.blogspot.com/p/what-did-she-just-say.html

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T07:48:00.003-04:00

Hope all you mommies have a wonderful day today and get a few minutes of rest!

Hubby took both girls out to the store this morning, so I am actually drinking my new Keurig coffee (Island coconut...smells like a tropical vacation!) and playing on the computer. It feels strange not having someone telling me to scoot over so she can look at videos of herself.

Anyway, I was doing some reflection and checked my blog posts from May of last year. What a crazy month! I found out I was having another girl, we went to NC to search for new houses and we sold our VA house. I can't believe that 1 year later, we are settled into the new house and have a 7 month old! Time flies :)

Just heard the garage door go up...my alone time gift is over, but that is OK because I know Katie can't wait to sing "Happy Mothers Dayyyy to Mommmmyyyy". Have a great day, ladies!

Update: She ran in the door yelling "MOOOOMMMY, come down heaaah ("here"). Happy Mother's Day...I got your flowahs (flowers) at the stooooore."

Anniversary berries

2010-05-06T14:22:00.007-04:00

We've been enjoying the warm weather and recently celebrated our 5 year anniversary by going to the local strawberry farm. It was AMAZING...and Katie was in heaven. She picked her own berries (ate some along the way) and we all shared the most delicious homemade strawberry ice cream. You can see that Katie enjoyed herself by the sticky mess she made...

This is the child who used to hate anything sweet. Ice cream? YES PLEASE!

Emily also thought the farm was great. She's had strawberries in her baby food, but I'm not sure she is ready for the real thing yet. She probably would have bit into this berry if I got any closer. The berries were bright red and HUGE...you can sort of tell by the example below.

Emily also turned 7 months old, a few days before our anniversary. She is getting so big. She loves to eat and SMILE. No, she never closes her mouth. We think she is trying to catch flies with her mouth always hanging open. :)

The girls are having lots of fun together, now that Emily is starting to sit up and interact more. Here is Katie making Emily laugh...again.

Hole in one?

2010-05-06T14:11:00.002-04:00

She probably got her golf skills from her Grandpa (or Uncle Mikey)...they all seem to be equally "skilled".

Already best friends

2010-05-04T12:04:00.003-04:00

Katie doesn't need to do anything to make Emily laugh...normally she just walks into the room and Emily perks up. Here is Katie trying to encourage her though. Yes, they are wild women!

Happy birthday Grandpa! Wish you were here to giggle with us!

Roly poly!

2010-04-13T08:18:00.002-04:00

Emily finally figured out how to roll onto her big belly...and now she won't stop!

Funny girls

2010-04-05T19:05:00.004-04:00

Emily thinks Katie is the funniest thing in the entire world. Katie can walk into the room and Emily will laugh.

Here is a short glimpse of the hysterical laugh Emily makes when Katie gets her going. Sometimes she can't even catch her breath...of course, she normally stops when we turn on the camera.

Munsters!

2010-03-14T16:16:00.002-04:00

Our recent conversation...

Katie: There are pink munsters outside our windows!

Mommy: What should we do about it?

Katie: We can eat them, they taste like pizza

Her imagination amazes me!

Dancing with angels

2010-03-09T21:40:00.004-05:00

There are not words to describe Layla Grace's story. At two years old, she got her angel wings today after an awful battle with neuroblastoma. Her struggle and treatment were shared by thousands on Twitter, as her parents reached out for support and to share her story.

In the end, it was so rough on such a little body. I can't imagine what her parents are going through right now and hope that they know she is up in heaven with all the other children affected by NB. At the bottom of this post are some links to Layla's story, but be prepared...they are heart wrenching and the worst nightmare any parent could imagine. Here are some recent messages from her parents:

Layla hasn't woken up at all today. She slept through diaper & clothes changes, books, & me reading sweet cards that have been sent to her 7:13 PM Mar 7th via Tweetie

Layla is still sleeping. Occasionally she makes noises that indicate she's in pain, but she hasn't woken up in a few days. 8:23 AM Mar 8th via web

Mommy is rocking Layla. She has only opened her eyes once today. Her feet are getting cold too. 11:17 AM Mar 8th via Tweetie

Layla went to play with the angels early this morning. Rest in peace precious Layla. 11/26/2007 - 3/9/2010 about 8 hours ago via web

Article: http://www.examiner.com/x-30706-Suddenly-Famous-Examiner~y2010m3d9-RIP-Layla-Grace-Cancerstricken-toddler-who-gained-fame-on-Twitter-passes-away

Layla Grace's blog: http://laylagrace.org/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/laylagrace

Rest in peace Layla Grace

We will all keep fighting for a cure!

Emily is a little jumpy

2010-03-07T08:40:00.007-05:00

We broke out the Jumperoo a couple weeks ago. Emily wasn't too sure about it, at first, but now she really has the hang of it and thinks it is pretty funny too!

Most everyone knows by now, but we had a great trip to Chapel Hill. The neuroblastoma decreased in size again! I don't have an exact report yet, but it looked to be about 50% smaller from what I could see!

The doctor also noticed Emily's eye (which is partially blue/gray and partially brown). It is called partial heterochromia (or sectoral heterochromia)...see link for more info. Apparently it is more common to have one eye brown and one eye blue (complete heterochromia), but Emily has half and half in her right eye. There have been some studies linking it to neuroblastoma, but I couldn't find much information on it. Still researching!

Katie enjoying the NC snow!

2010-02-15T12:34:00.003-05:00

Katie keeps us laughing!

2010-02-08T13:26:00.004-05:00

I've heard Uncle Mikey called a lot of things...but Prince Charming hasn't been one of them! ;)

Bruja - this video below is for you!!!

Katie has been busting out the Spanish...much to our surprise. She started counting in Spanish at the kitchen table one day while counting the points on her fork. She is just like a sponge! (Yes, she needs work on cuatro a.k.a "rahroh"...it is pretty funny though)

My birthday wish - curing childhood cancer!

2010-02-03T11:18:00.004-05:00

I got my birthday wish! Thanks to Facebook, I was able to raise money to Fight Neuroblastoma. I was aiming for $150 and I just reached it thanks to my great friends and family.

If you would still like to donate, here is the link.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/birthdays/265872

Thanks so much to Mom, Dad, Teddy, Linda and Ken. You guys are the best!

Bargain: Diapers and formula at Target

2010-01-30T14:58:00.003-05:00

Target is offering a great deal for anyone that needs diapers or formula.

Steps:
1. Go to the baby section at target.com
2. Put 3 items in your shopping cart (to save 10%) or 4 packs (to save 15%)
3. Spend $50 and get free shipping (this is easy to do if you pick one of the boxes of diapers...best value for the money anyway)
4. Enter code: URTYJLI8 for an additional 10% at checkout

Note: I had 1 box of formula ($90), 1 box of diapers ($35) and 1 small pack of diapers ($6) in my cart. The extra 5% (between getting 3 and 4 items ended up being about 6 bucks) was more than a pack of Up & Up diapers...so I added an extra pack of diapers to get to 4 items and my total actually went lower than it was with only 3 items.

Overall, I got formula for about $3 per can cheaper than in-store and got about 300 diapers for about $30 (and it will be coming right to my front door). This is a great deal and works with all the name brands, as well as the Target brand!

2010-01-27T12:56:00.006-05:00

I started back to work in January and it is evident by my lack of updates. Hopefully I can get on the ball, as we've had some great times with the girls and I've also been busy with my bargain shopping!

I know everyone is more interested in the girls, so I'll start with them. Emily had her 4 month check up yesterday and is 12 pounds, 14 oz (about 25th percentile) and 24 inches (about 45th percentile). She is a big smiler and loves to talk (we call it "squawk" which you will understand after listening to this video). She "talks" for long periods of time, but usually clams up when we start the video.

Katie has had an eventful month too. She had her FIRST haircut, which consisted of cutting about 10 hairs in total. We did take care of that long front bang of hers and now she has a cute little bob. She was a great client and sat still the entire time...no crying! The fun airplane seat (don't be jealous, Uncle Mikey) and cartoons helped a bit too.

Grandpa was in town for a couple days and stayed with us, so he got to witness the first haircut. They celebrated by playing some "soccah bawl" after we got home (check out the hair - no fly aways!). Katie loves her GAMPAHHH!Emily is starting part time daycare and doing great so far. I'm also starting to read and implement GTD (Getting Things Done), in hopes of achieving this thing called "stress free productivity". Hopefully that means we can get more done and maybe I'll have time to post more often.

Happy 4 month birthday baby girl!

Katie's 1st library book

2010-01-09T18:42:00.003-05:00

Went to the library today to get a book on tape (to help me pass the time on my VA trip). I let Katie pick a book to check out too.

She had a selection of about 5,000 books and what did Miss Katie pick as her first library book?

"Throwing Tantrums - Help me be good"

Enough said. :)

Bargain: Free books

2009-12-30T22:11:00.003-05:00

(Okay, it is still 2009, but this sounded like a great deal so I wanted to share.)

Want to try some new books (or give them as gifts)? Sign up here for 3 free books:
http://read-it-forward.crownpublishing.com/

Bargain: Free items at Harris Teeter

2009-12-28T16:52:00.005-05:00

This week, Harris Teeter is doing Super Doubles (doubling up to 1.98), so a $1.50 coupon = $3.00. There are tons of clipped coupons that make items free, but I've listed below the printable coupons (for those of you that don't clip).

I went yesterday and lucked out with tons of free items. Here are some of the best printable deals, if you want to make a trip.

* Weight Watchers Snack Cakes, Cookies or Muffins $1.99
Print $1 coupon, doubles to $2 = item will be free http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/index.aspx?pid=13903&nid=10&zid=xh20&cid=0&bid=1018300001

*Coffee-Mate Creamer 16 oz $2
Print $1 coupon, doubles to $2 = item will be free http://www.coffee-mate.com/Coupons.aspx

*Ore Ida Easy Fries $1.45
Print $1.50/2 coupon, doubles to $3 = buy 2 and items will be free http://offers.oreida.com/Coupon/

*Wholly Guacomole $1.99 (in produce section)
Print $1 coupon, doubles to $2 = item will be free http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=QR7W6QB5B2VPW

*Lip Smackers $1.99
Print $1 coupon, doubles to $2 = item will be free http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qlhxcgd74341699&bt=wi&o=58456&c=BB&p=g64DoRuH

*Lance crackers $2.00
Print $1 coupon, doubles to $2 = item will be free http://coupons.smartsource.com/Web/index.aspx?Link=GLPAHOLHDARLS

*Contessa seafood on sale for $2.50-$4 Print $1.50 coupon, doubles to $3 = items will be $1.00-$3 if you buy two http://www.contessa.com/promotions/

Enjoy!

2010 - Let's save some money!

2009-12-28T16:52:00.001-05:00

Everyone knows I love a bargain! Yes, I can afford full priced groceries and kid's clothes...but why should I pay full price when I don't have to? I'm always hunting for free/almost free items, online coupon codes and freebies. With 2010 around the corner and the economy in its current state, I wanted to use the new year to share the best deals and also start tracking my grocery spending to show everyone that you can still find good deals. Although we don't have a budget, I'm curious to see how much we really do spend on food and hopefully inspire others to find good deals.

My goal is to start saving even more money to afford our dream kitchen renovation!

Below are some of my favorite sites to get you started. Look for shopping tips to start in 2010!

www.retailmenot.com
www.southernsavers.com
www.hotcouponworld.com
www.forthemommas.com

Early December (Part 2)

2009-12-20T06:28:00.016-05:00

After the Baptism, we headed up to Chapel Hill for another scan. Fortunately, Grandma and Grandpa were still with us and took Katie back to Virginia so we could concentrate on Emily and her appointments. We received an early Christmas gift when we found out that Emily's tumor shrunk from about 4.2cm to 2cm in diameter! We are due back to Chapel Hill in January for another visit and scan.

From Chapel Hill, we headed up to Virginia for a week long visit. We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa...it was quiet a full house! Katie stayed busy playing with everyone.

Katie watched the Rockettes and practiced their moves. Maybe she'll try out one day!

We ended our visit with Grandpa's holiday party. It is always a great time and has so many fun activities for kids - Santa, sugar plum fairies, toy soldiers on stilts, arts and crafts, family photos and much more! Katie was thrilled to see Santa, until she actually got there. We got a few Santa pictures, but no smiles. At least she wasn't screaming like some other kids!

She loved the crafts...decorating ornaments, making jewelry, and candy cane decorating.

We can't wait for Christmas with Uncle Mikey, Grandma and Grandpa. Now that Katie is starting to understand the holiday, it makes it so much more special. She loves Christmas music, lights that are "booootiful" and Santa's HO HO HO.

Time to start thinking about those fun New Years' resolutions...hmmm....

Early December (Part 1)

2009-12-15T15:56:00.010-05:00

We've had a busy December already, so I'll attempt to chronicle everything here BEFORE Christmas arrives. We'll see how I do...

We started off December by going to the the Town Center's holiday parade and tree lighting. Katie was overjoyed to see Santa ride in at the end of the parade and even got a hot pink glow stick necklace.Uncle Ken came for a visit and Katie had lots of fun bossing him around. Here he is "babysitting" Katie while we did things around the house. Nice job, Uncle Ken.

On December 5th, we celebrated Emily's Baptism. So many family and friends attended, it was wonderful. I wish they could all be around more often.

Of course, Emily looked like a little princess. The Christening gown is the same one I wore 29 years ago! Katie also wore it for her Baptism and I hope their kids wear it too!

Miss Katie was also looking snazzy in her new outfit from Gma. She did some posing for the camera because she knew she was too cute.

Lots more to share, but this post is getting long. I will continue with Part 2 later this week!

"Uhhh Peekaboo"

2009-12-15T11:02:00.004-05:00

Katie had so much fun with her Uncle Mikey last week!

Emily at 2 months

2009-12-03T06:37:00.007-05:00

Miss Emily turned 2 months old last week and has been starting to show lots more personality. She did great at her 2 month checkup and they said everything looks perfect (from the outside). She is starting to track with her eyes, lift her head more and show signs of wanting to roll over. She weighed 10 pounds, 6 ounces (22 percentile) and 22 inches long (17th percentile). She is our petite one, but that is OK!

She has started to smile and the best part is this little grunt/chuckle she does when we are acting goofy. She thinks it is pretty funny when Daddy does piggy noises or when we make cooing sounds. Katie is still being a great big sister and rubs Emily's head when she cries or tells her it will be ok.

We also had a nice Thanksgiving. Just the four of us. I probably spent too much time cooking and made too much, but oh well. We took the traditional photo of "baby in a roasting pan". Our little 10 pound turkey thought it was pretty fun. The last picture is of Katie in the roasting pan 2 years ago!

We are preparing for Emily's upcoming Baptism and then will be headed to Chapel Hill for more testing before we decide to 1) wait longer or 2) get the surgery. Please pray for her and let's hope that the tumor has shrunk or disappeared all together! Miracles can happen!

Look-alike Meter

2009-11-26T09:12:00.002-05:00

Some of Emily's sounds

2009-11-24T18:52:00.002-05:00

First trip to the dentist

2009-11-23T19:38:00.000-05:00

They say that kids should go to the dentist after their first couple teeth have appeared. Well ,life gets in the way sometimes...oh well. Today, Katie went on her first dentist visit. Of course, it wasn't without tears but they were super gentle and kid friendly. The dentist told her how they were going to use a tiny mirror to look at her teeth while singing the ABCs, then they would put magic fairy dust on her teeth (fluoride) while singing 'twinkle twinkle'. It all sounded good to Katie, until the procedure began. They had me hold her so she wouldn't be intimidated by the big chair, so it really was as comfortable as could be. The second the dentist entered her mouth, the tears started to flow...but they really made it as fast as possible. As soon as they stopped, she stopped crying and just hung on to me while they went over the results...

Katie's teeth looked very good and she had no cavities. They said they see a lot of cavities in smaller kids because of bad brushing, sweets, etc. Luckily, Katie doesn't really like sweets and only gets a few ounces of juice a day. They did say her teeth looked a little more crowded than they would like, which sometimes means that her adult teeth will come in close together...but they said the braces discussion is still a far way off.

Grandma and Grandpa - you pay for braces, right? ;)

Overall, it wasn't an awful experience and they don't need to see her back for another year. The trip ended with a new green turtle toothbrush and a choice of prizes, but she was still "recovering" from the ordeal and so I picked a pink turtle for her. Since then, she's been carrying the turtle everywhere and had to call Grandma to tell her that her teeth were pretty.

Neuroblastoma

2009-11-22T07:21:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd post a little bit about Emily's health issues, since I haven't done so yet. I don't really like to talk about it and just want all the procedures to be over so I can have a healthy baby. I was torn about posting and keeping this blog upbeat and happy, but it is a pretty big part of our lives and so I thought I'd share.

I'm not sure there is anything worse than having something wrong with your child and not being able to "fix it". Our time spent in the NICU and our frequent visits to Chapel Hill's Children and Cancer hospitals have been extremely trying and makes you realize that 1) you should be thankful for every minute with your child and 2) there are parents and children in worse positions than you and it is awful.

About 6 months into my pregnancy, an ultrasound tech saw something small above Emily's kidney. From that point on, I was monitored weekly by a specialist that checked Emily's growth and the mass. After she was born, they confirmed that the mass was of significant size - about 4 cm. Fortunately, everything else has been great...good eating, breathing, etc. She was transported to Children's hospital for a few days and since then, we make monthly trips. Her case has been assigned to an pediatric oncologist and a pediatric surgeon. We love her oncologist and the entire Pediatric Cancer center...they are great people that have REALLY tough jobs.

In November, Emily went through an MIBG (radioactive dye that is inserted and scanned through a gamma machine), an MRI and a CT scan. The MIBG is used to identify cancers and unfortunately the adrenal mass did come up on the scan, leading the doctors to diagnose the mass as a neuroblastoma. Here is what I know about neuroblastomas, so far:

-Form of cancer found in children, which attacks nerve cells and forms a cancerous tumor
-Usually occurs in the adrenal gland (above/attached to the kidney)
-About 650 cases in the US per year
-Treatment options are surgery, radiation, chemo and clinical trial (Emily's mass is too big to be included in our doctor's clinical trial)
-4 stages (stage 1 is a tumor that can be completely removed with a cure rate of over 90%, up to stage 4 which occurs when the cancer has spread to areas like bone marrow and other organs with a cure rate of 50-80%)
The cure rate is much better when the neuroblastoma is detected before age 1, which makes me SO thankful to that one ultrasound tech who noticed something strange on my ultrasound. Neuroblastomas are the only form that can regress on their own, however Emily's is a little bigger than they normally see. On the other hand, it shrunk slightly last time, which gives us hope. We are due back to Chapel Hill in a few weeks, where she will be scanned again. If it has shrunk significantly, we can wait longer to see what happens. If it has stayed the same, they are suggesting surgery. Either way, it is our decision to make and I'm not sure how we are going to do it. Part of me just wants the tumor out, but that means surgery that has its own risks and they may need to remove her kidney in the process. I don't want her to lose a kidney, so it is a difficult decision to make.

I see these parents in the cancer center, sitting with their kids getting chemo and I wonder how they do it every day...both the kids and the parents. It is hard to think of something being wrong every time you look at your baby. I pray that in a year, Emily will be waddling around the house and we can look back and laugh about it all because she will be tumor and cancer free.

Emily's big debut

2009-11-15T14:14:00.005-05:00

Grandma requested some Emily videos now that she is alert and starting to coo/smile. Of course, Katie couldn't miss out on the action...so you will hear her narrating most of the time and coming in for kisses. In the second video, Katie said she wants to tell Emily about food and all I could make out was "french fries, chicken nuggets"...listen for it.

New rug dance

2009-11-07T13:43:00.003-05:00

Everytime we get a new rug, Katie has to break it in with her dancing. Today was no exception...

Eagles dance

2009-11-05T16:22:00.003-05:00

How come I'm the only TRUE Philadelphian and the only one without an Eagles shirt? I used to have one (thanks Dad) but I think it has made its way into hubby's drawer.

The best part of Halloween (for Katie)

2009-11-01T14:14:00.004-05:00

Some think that the best part of Halloween is the candy (I sure do), but Katie thinks that it is running to the door when trick or treaters arrive. Of course, the better video was taken sideways...but I thought I'd share it anyway.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T11:16:00.008-05:00

Katie had a very festive Halloween this year! It started with a Fall party at school (on Friday). Parents were invited, so I took in some pumpkin face cookies and joined the party. Katie loved having me there and kept telling me to sit next to her so she could hug me. Other kids started hugging me too (I think they just wished their mommies were there)...it was lovely considering their hands were covered with orange cupcake frosting and cheese puffs.

Saturday was the big trick or treating day! She headed out around 6:30 and went out with Daddy for awhile, then with Mommy. It was a balmy 80 muggy degrees...not fun for toting around a toddler that didn't want to walk on her own. Here is a video of her getting ready for the trip around the block. Note the speech: Trick or treat, I'm a butterfly. Give candy....please.

She was so proud of her speech, but did not say it to a SINGLE person. Instead, Daddy and I had to say trick or treat and thank you...at EVERY house. On the way home, she told us she was shy. HAHAH YEAH RIGHT!

She was out for about an hour and accumulated about half a bag of candy. She was very proud and kept asking us to try different pieces. I think we've opened about 10 kinds for her now...she licks them and then throws them in the trash. I even tried giving her fruity candy, since she loves fruit..."Mommy, no likey...put in the trash." We don't know what is wrong with her, but Andrew and I should gain about 5 pounds each from having to eat all her candy for her :)

Little peanut did not think much of Halloween. She stayed downstairs and went to the door with me a few times, but slept through most of it. I didn't dress her up, as she was pretty tired...but here are a few Halloween pictures for posterity.

One more video to upload later...stay tuned :)

Sisterly love

2009-10-23T12:54:00.003-04:00

Katie may not like receiving less attention from us, but at least she adores her new sister!

Some recent Katie comments:
"Emily, don't cry, mommy/daddy will be right back."
After Emily cries "Oh, I go check her"
"I want to hug her/kiss her/hold her"
"Mommy, fix her head!" (when Emily's newborn neck makes her head flop to one side)

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. ~Amy Li

Bargain: 50% off select magazines

2009-10-12T13:00:00.002-04:00

Amazon is offering 50% off select magazines with the checkout code: OCTMAG50

Take a look here and you may find one you like! They have Smart Money, Forbes, Good Housekeeping, Dwell, House Beautiful, Popular Science and a few others.

Bargain: Nursing Cover

2009-10-11T08:20:00.001-04:00

Go to www.uddercovers.com and get a free nursing cover. Type in"1free" and you just pay the $8.95 shipping.

They are normally $32. Even if you're not a mom this makes a great gift.

Thanks to Heather for forwarding this deal!

Emily's birth story

2009-10-06T14:42:00.003-04:00

It is strange to think that 2 years ago, I was writing Katie's birth story and now it is time to do a write up on Emily's big day! Fortunately, this time around, the story is less traumatizing and much less painful.

Sept 25th - 5am
Of course, I'm up early to make sure everything was in order. Grandma arrived a couple days ago to be on Katie duty and accompany me to the hospital for the big day. We all got up, got Katie ready for school and headed to the hospital.
Sept 25th - 11am
I was told to get there early because I needed extra fluids before surgery(due to low blood pressure). Instead, I spent extra time in the waiting room because they were out of triage rooms. I eventually got into a triage room where I received my IV and was prepped for surgery. The nurse came in to tell me that she had another patient that was starting to push, so I could be delayed anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours.

The Final Belly picture:

Sept 25th - 11:30am
My doctor came into my room to tell me that the other woman wasn't pushing very well and she doesn't want to make me wait, so she's going to deliver me first. What luck...that never happens! So, within minutes, I'm up and walking to the OR. Kisses to Mom, Mom Mom and hubby while they take me back to give me the spinal.
Sept 25th - 12pm
The OR temp feels to be set around 40 degrees. I'm sitting on the table shaking like crazy...I'm not sure if it was the temperature or the fact that a needle was being inserted in my spine. Either way, the nurses were amazing and huddled around me with warm blankets. As soon as the spinal block was inserted, I was told to lay straight down so that it could start to work. Within about 10 minutes, I couldn't move my legs and concentrated on taking deep breaths (spinals and epidurals numb your chest as well and make you think you are not breathing because you can't feel your lungs). Hubby was brought into the room and things got under way.
The surgery took a little longer than expected due to pretty bad scar tissue. She said it could be due to the way my body heals or because last time was an emergency deliver. Either way, she said I need to think twice about having a 3rd child as it could be pretty damaging. It was depressing news, but we will stick with the happy story. Unfortunately, the scar tissue required them to use a vacuum and forceps to deliver me.

Sept 25th - 12:48pm
Emily Grace is born! She was just perfect, although I didn't get to see her immediately. Andrew went to cut the cord and she was brought to me all clean and shiny! They let me hold her for about 10 minutes and then she was taken to the nursery.

I'm so happy to have my two beautiful girls!

More to come later...

6 more hours until I meet my baby!

2009-09-25T05:49:00.003-04:00

Today is the day...my newest baby girl arrives! If all goes as planned, she will be here by noon and I will get to hold her by early afternoon. I can't wait!

I saw this quote on another blog today and had to steal it. It made me think of being a mother and how all I care about is EG (for those that don't know her name yet) being healthy and safe. I haven't even really thought about going through surgery, any risks or recovery. I have complained about hoping that my surgery time doesn't get bumped, so I guess I'm a little selfish there. Anyway...something to think about today, while I'm offline for a while...

May you learn from a child today and try not to teach the

world a lesson bathed in selfish ambitions.

Tea party

2009-09-20T13:30:00.003-04:00

Katie's birthday "tea party" with Daddy

Read the next post for her birthday recap

Birthday weekend recap

2009-09-20T04:21:00.018-04:00

Katie's birthday is not until Wednesday, but we decided to use this weekend to celebrate (since she won't be in school and I'm not in labor yet). I started off Katie's birthday by assembling the Elmo cupcakes. The final result was decent, although I knew she wouldn't eat them (I was right)...but oh well.She received gifts throughout the day, starting with a kitchen and a tea party set...it was quite a hit!

...she also got her first soccer ball...

...and lots of great clothes from Gma and Uncle Ken! She really loved all the birthday cards, too.

As you can see, she was a little overwhelmed with the singing and Elmo cupcakes. "Mommy, why would I want to eat my best friend, Elmo?". I guess I can't blame her!

Happy Birthday baby girl!

7 more days!

2009-09-18T11:32:00.003-04:00

I've been crazy with the posts lately, but expect that to drop off in about...6 days. Next Friday at this exact time, I should be meeting our new baby girl! (Let's all hope that my surgery doesn't get bumped from the scheduled time slot)

This weekend, we plan to celebrate Katie's birthday...which probably means some funny videos. We will definitely record tomorrow morning when she gets the first glimpse of her new kitchen (includes a fridge, microwave, oven, sink, cabinets, etc). It should be very interesting and I'm sure she won't want to break away from it.

Later tomorrow, we are headed to "Safety Day" where they will check baby's new car seat install and also have police and fire fighters there to greet kids with activities. Katie loves fire trucks, so hopefully she has a good time!

And...in 5 more days, Katie will get to see her Grandma! We haven't told her yet, but know she will be sooo excited! Need to start making the Elmo cupcakes soon...should be interesting. If they are decent, I'll post a picture later.

Bargains: Harris Teeter & Kohls

2009-09-17T06:08:00.002-04:00

There are some good deals to be had this week.

#1 - Harris Teeter is tripling coupons. Lots of free items, if you clip coupons.

#2 - Kohls has 10-20-30% off this week. Use the 30% off code online, along with free shipping. I got lots of great kid clothes, a halloween costume and wall letters for the nursery.

Happy shopping!

Story time with Miss Katie

2009-09-11T13:40:00.004-04:00

I'm a grown up

2009-09-11T12:13:00.002-04:00

Here is Katie "walking the dog", in my slippers. She was doing it perfectly before we turned the camera on, then the dog wouldn't cooperate...but I guess that's what makes it so funny.

Bargain: Free song download

2009-09-06T06:08:00.002-04:00

Everyone knows I love a bargain...I should probably start listing some of my better deals here, so that everyone can share in the fun. Here is my first one:

Amazon is giving away 1 million free songs. I know there are tons of ways to get a song, but it is fast and easy if you already have an Amazon account. Just downloaded one in about 5 seconds.

Click here to get yours!

Enjoy!

Three and a half more weeks (I hope)

2009-09-04T05:58:00.001-04:00

Children's museum

2009-08-29T14:20:00.006-04:00

We went to the Children's museum on Saturday and Katie had a blast. They have quite a few different areas - pirate ship, an art room, train sets, a science room, a doctor/dentist area, sound stage, and my favorite...a pretend grocery store and restaurant.

Here are a couple videos:

In other news - exactly 1 month from now we will be a family of four (whether she comes naturally or I go for my scheduled c-section). WOW!

The Hole

2009-08-27T10:13:00.003-04:00

This is what we do when Katie has been naughty.

Just kidding!

Dance part-ay!

2009-08-21T18:58:00.005-04:00

Kiddie update

2009-08-21T06:02:00.004-04:00

So much going on...but here is a little recap.

Finished my last MBA course before maternity leave. I didn't want to risk another 6 week course, since it would be too close to my due date. So, I'm not officially 50% done...8 classes down, 8 more to go.
Katie is doing great in her big girl bed...no issues at all. If only potty training were this easy (we're still not making any progress there and I don't want to push her). Hopefully Grandma or Mom Mom will have better luck and can train her for me.
Last appointment at the maternal-fetal medicine specialist didn't go so well. The mass above baby's kidney has grown in size and changed shape, so they are now seeing me every week for testing. They have a pediatric surgeon and pediatric radiologist on call for after the birth, in case anything needs to be done. We'd probably go to Chapel Hill for the surgery, but hopefully it won't come to that. They are going to discuss if I should just deliver in Chapel Hill, but I haven't heard an answer on that yet. It was a sad appointment, but at least hubby was there too and helped me think of questions. I go back on Tuesday and am hoping for better news, although I don't think the mass will shrink at this point. Keep praying!
I am 90% sure we've picked a name, but don't want to announce it yet because I'm letting it sink in. Stay tuned.
Katie has been having a great time at the pool and we may be taking her to the beach this weekend. She's already told us she won't go in the water, which is probably good since the hurricane is passing by NC on Saturday and waves/undertow are supposed to be bad. Check out my little pip!

Thoughts and prayers

2009-08-08T13:31:00.003-04:00

A lot of people already know this, but I thought I'd share online for those that I don't talk to as often. Last week, a spot was found on baby's right kidney while I was getting a routine ultrasound at my OB's. The next day, I was sent to a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist that confirmed there is a small mass above baby's kidney (below the adrenal gland...as far as we can tell). We have been in a little bit of shock, since we assumed that everything has been and would be perfectly fine with our baby's health...and hopefully it will be, in the end.

The mass is measuring about 1x1.5 cm and all the findings are being passed onto a pediatric surgeon, as well as the hospital so they can be prepared. The silver lining is that all her organs are functioning perfectly (heart, brain, etc) and I have great amniotic fluid (which would not happen if her kidneys were not functioning). We are trying not to worry and will take it day by day after she's born. We are hoping it will go away before she's born (unlikely now that I'm getting close to delivery) or that it will be a benign issue that can be left alone.

Either way, all thoughts and prayers are much appreciated. I will keep everyone posted as I continue to be monitored by the specialist...next appointment is in about 10 days.

As you can see, she's already being a drama queen before she is even born (notice the hand across the forehead...so dramatic!)

31 weeks - 2 months to go

2009-07-30T09:39:00.006-04:00

I thought it was time for another Baby #2 update, since I know my Dad loves to hear about the baby's size. Baby is...

-18 inches long and will gain another inch in the next week

-around 3.5-4 pounds

-able to hear distinct sounds

-practicing opening and closing her eyes and breathing

I've started to get sore over the past two days and may have to break out the Tylenol soon. I feel like I'm walking around on "tree stumps" (as my mom would say) because my legs feel like swollen blobs. Breathing is starting to get difficult as my lungs lose space, so I can't really take a deep breath like I would like to! Sleeping is not fun and I get up every few hours, usually to go to the bathroom and to attempt to find a position that is somewhat comfortable.

I will leave out some of the less glamorous details but...let the complaining beginning!

Beach bum

2009-07-18T19:57:00.009-04:00

Katie is starting to adjust to the hot weather (as we all are) and was very excited for her first beach visit. She's gone before, but wasn't yet walking and didn't really enjoy sitting in the mushy sand. This time, she still wasn't thrilled with the crashing waves, but loved that there were thousands of shells for her to collect.

She is very methodical in everything she does and the shell collection was no different. She picked only certain ones and then had to "put them away" back in the ocean. Once we get things more organized, we'll pack up the beach umbrella and go for a longer visit. Below are some pictures of our little beach bum.

"Here Daddy, you hold this one"

"Hmm..this one is no good...back it goes!"

"That was tiring, carry me home." (Mommy wishes someone would carry her too!)

A couple videos

2009-07-12T13:22:00.010-04:00

Haven't had much "alone time" to work on the blog, but I thought I'd share a couple recent videos.

4th of July block party

Enjoying the neighborhood pool (please ignore the other child screaming in the background - it detracts from the video)

Countdown - less than 100 days!

2009-06-28T08:16:00.004-04:00

According to the online counter, I have 96 days left in my pregnancy. Since I will probably have another c-section, that makes it closer to 89 days!

I can't believe that little "Josie, Megan, Evelyn, Emily, Lauren, Gertrude, Carol, Christina, Isabel, Violet, Amanda, Olivia, Anna, Madeline, Addision, Elmo, Grace, Abigail, Melissa, Ruthie, Elizabeth, Amber" is arriving so soon. Yes, her name is somewhere in that list...good luck figuring it out!

I know, I'm mean :)

Welcome to NC

2009-06-27T19:07:00.001-04:00

We made it and are trying to settle in...amidst many boxes and not knowing where we are going, half the time.

Will post more of an update when things settle down!

My growing bump

2009-06-10T19:16:00.004-04:00

I've been pretty good about keeping up with my normal pace, considering my growing baby bump...but tonight made me sad. I always look forward to relaxing with Katie in her rocking chair, before bedtime. Unfortunately, tonight had to be cut short. My protruding bump is starting to get in the way and it actually causes some pain to have her against my stomach (and the occasional knee as she tries to snuggle in closer). So, I had to put her to bed after just a minute of rocking because I couldn't hold her anymore. :(

I'm assuming it is only going to get worse over the next few months...then I'll have a couple months of recovery where I definitely can't have her against my stomach. Hopefully she'll still want to snuggle in about 5 months!

It is sad.

June update

2009-06-10T14:29:00.010-04:00

I took my first business trip since Katie was born. It was hard being away from her for 3 nights, although I did get to talk to her each night. She was a good girl for Daddy and I enjoyed going out for "adult" meals and sleeping in a fluffy king sized bed!

While I was on travel, I got a call that Katie had been bitten at daycare. Well, it happened again this week...same boy! I feel so bad for her and am trying to tell her that biting is very bad, in hopes that she doesn't learn that is the way to deal with things.

Other than that drama, we've been busy packing packing and packing. We have 6 days left until our move date and have been making some decent progress. We had our "farewell party" over the weekend and it was great seeing everyone before the big move. I'm going to miss all our great friends! Katie and Jamey were best buddies at the party and it was so cute seeing them together.

She was very concerned that he was not drinking enough and kept trying to put his sippy into his mouth. It was adorable and she was so good with Jamey and Baby Silvia!

New house

2009-05-27T06:41:00.002-04:00

The contract is signed...and our move date is set (June 17th). Unless one of the contingencies falls through, we'll be in NC this time next month. It is hard to believe!

I'm not sure how we're going to get everything done, but we're just trying to take it one day at a time. There is still a lot to pack, along with turning on services in NC and shutting things off here in VA (not to mention doctors, day cares, etc). I know that it will get easier, we just have to get through this hectic time!

We're having another girl!

2009-05-19T16:16:00.002-04:00

We just returned from house hunting in NC, but I wanted to share ASAP. I'll post ultrasound pictures and a NC update soon.

Big day for Baby #2

2009-05-15T07:51:00.001-04:00

Today at 9:30, I have my regular OB checkup. At noon, we go for the BIG 20 week ultrasound to find out if we're having a boy or girl! I'm so excited!

Let me know your predictions!

We're moving

2009-05-10T06:40:00.004-04:00

I haven't updated in awhile and a lot has happened. The house sold in 6 days with 2 offers...I guess the housing market isn't as bad as we thought. Maybe all our decluttering and cleaning helped or maybe we priced too low. Unfortunately, we'll never know.

Our close date is 6/26, so we need to be out of the house before then. We're heading to NC to look for houses and hopefully find "THE ONE". I definitely don't want to settle and want the house to meet most of my wishes - great kitchen, big master bedroom and bath (with double sinks), room for an office and play room, 4 bedrooms, 2500+ square feet. In my head, I have an image of what I want and know that similar homes are available, I just have to find one without too many flaws. It would also be nice if the house was new construction or empty, as we need to move there within the next 5-6 weeks!

We will be moving to the Wilmington area, which runs along the Cape Fear River. It is in the southern part of the state, about 45 minutes from Myrtle Beach. (Mel - I checked, it is less than 2 hours from Emerald Isle!) It is about 7 hours from Northern Virginia, but hopefully my friends will all visit for a beach getaway/vacation. Come see us anytime!

PS - Moving when pregnant is tricky. I pack about 2-3 boxes and have to rest, as my feet turn into sausages. Since we're going house hunting soon, I really only have about 4 weekends to pack everything. I've started in the kitchen, which may be the worst room because my cabinets are packed. It doesn't help that my hobby is collecting kitchen items - utensils, serving dishes, etc. Not to mention the tons of crystal that we have from the wedding.

In happier news, we find out if we're having a boy or girl next Friday! The move has helped me take my mind off the slow pregnancy, but I can't believe I'm half way done already!

Moving prep

2009-04-29T10:43:00.004-04:00

For the past week, we've been getting ready to list our house. While it is exciting with the prospect of a new town and a bigger house (without so many stairs), it is also a little sad. I did shed a little tear when I watched the sale sign go up on Monday. But, on to the saddest part of moving...getting the house ready!

Our realtors came over and told us the house was in great shape and nicely decorated. That made me happy...until I learned we had a list of 75 things to do to "prep" the house. For those of you that have not moved, here are some of the major tasks that were somewhat surprising.

Closets should be 1/2 to 1/3 empty (nothing on floors or upper shelves)
Bathrooms should be empty (no rugs, no tissues, nothing)
Kitchen counters should have no more than three items (on the ENTIRE counter space)

Today was our interior picture day, so we got everything done (except a few hidden things like cleaning out the fridge and oven). Our house officially goes up for sale tomorrow and I'm hoping it goes well. I'm not looking forward to random visits by home buyers and having to pack up Katie in a moment's notice. I'm also not crazy about people snooping around the house, but what can you do?

I've learned a lot about moving. Here are a few tips for future sellers:

Uhaul has the lowest prices on boxes (although you can try to get some free ones using Freecycle), but they also have some great supplies.
Get a storage unit. We are using EZ storage and it is very clean, big and secure. We got a 5x10 unit and have it about half full. It is $1 for the first month and about $85/month after that. Not too bad and definitely helps you empty the house.
Make a list to get ready for listing...and cross things off. Like I said, our list was 75 items long. We did a little every night and finished yesterday.
Make a list of "daily tasks" to get ready for visitors. Everyday, before you leave the house, bathrooms must be spotless, lights on, windows open, sink empty, etc. We'll start doing this tomorrow and will probably need to get up about 30 minutes early to get it done. Hopefully it won't be too bad if we split the jobs.

Please keep your fingers crossed that this works out for us. I think the stress is getting to me and I hope it will be over soon!

School pictures

2009-04-25T14:32:00.002-04:00

Katie had her "school pictures" a couple weeks ago and we were told that she was quite a poser! What a ham!

16 week appointment

2009-04-17T10:22:00.006-04:00

All is well with Baby #2 and they were able to find the heartbeat right away, this time. Heartbeat was in the 150s and I'm scheduled for my 20 week anatomy ultrasound in mid May.

Other than that, my blood pressure was great and I lost 5 pounds (combo of being sick and eating healthier foods). The doctor said I should probably start to feel movement in the next few weeks, so that will be exciting and possibly make up for my sore body and lack of sleep.

Grandma has been so kind to point out that the baby is now growing toenails and urinating. Lucky me!

Spring Break: Part 2

2009-04-12T07:09:00.027-04:00

Happy Easter everyone!

Before Katie wakes up, I'm going to attempt the rest of our spring break recap.

Since we were only 10 miles from JMU, we had to go visit, take pictures and get some JMU goodies for Katie. Our first stop was the arboretum, where the flowers were in bloom and Katie was thrilled with the ducks and geese.

She even took the time to stop and smell the flowers...so cute!

Our next stop was the quad. It was 11:30 in the morning, but it was a Sunday...so the students were still in bed. Katie had the quad to herself and loved running around and going up the steps of Wilson hall. I think she fit in very well...future Duke?

Look closely...can you find my peanut?

Later in the week, we traveled an hour south to the Natural Bridge zoo. I don't think Katie could believe she was looking at real animals, but enjoyed feeding them nonetheless. Yes, it was difficult for me to watch unknown animals touch my child, but I did disinfect her after the visit.

"Hi llamas, please don't eat me."

The giraffes were awesome and you were even allowed to touch and feed them...which I thought was a little odd.

The goats were just the right size for Katie and they love food, even though I'm sure they get fed plenty. They followed Katie up and down the fence, hoping she'd drop more food their way.

Before we left the zoo, we came across an alligator that Katie loved. It may have been her favorite thing at the zoo...and it wasn't even real. Let's hope she isn't this friendly if she comes across one in the wild. "Algate algate!"

"Buh bye algate, I wuv you"...

We had a great time on our week away and sadly had to come back home. Hopefully we can plan another vacation soon!

Spring Break: Part 1

2009-04-11T12:13:00.008-04:00

We just returned from a week at Massanutten Resort (near JMU, in the mountains) and had a very relaxing time. It was nice to have a week where we were not preoccupied with chores hanging over our heads. We even took naps...it was great!

Of course, Katie had a great time at the numerous playgrounds. We had a few really nice days and she ran around and took charge of the playground. She especially loved the curvy slides and is getting better about enjoying the swings.

There was even a "race car", so she pretended to be Uncle Mikey and zoom zoom away (nevermind that Uncle Mikey only rides bikes now).

Massanutten also has numerous pools and a kiddie pool. At first, Katie was nervous and clung to me...which made me regret not keeping her in swim classes. Then, once she saw the other kids, she started to splash around and act like she could do anything in the water. She was quite the swimsuit model!

This little girl kept coming over to Katie to tickle her. I like this photo because I imagine that Katie is standing up to her and telling her to back off!

We had lots more adventures, but thats all I have time for now. Will post Part 2 later!

18 month milestones

2009-03-27T10:08:00.004-04:00

Katie recently turned 18 months and so that meant another trip to Dr. Eng Tow! The appointment went well and we were told that Katie has no signs of autism (which I already knew!).

Below are her new stats:
Height: 33 inches (95 percentile)
Weight: 24 pounds, 9 oz. (50 percentile)
Head: 19 inches (85 percentile)

The doctor also asked if she's been fussy lately, which was quite a coincidence because she's been very grumpy over the past week. We thought it was just a new toddler stage, as we had our first experience having to leave a restaurant because of her attitude. We told the doctor that she had been grumpy and she said it was probably because she has an ear infection! Of course, Katie showed no other signs (fever, ear pulling), but the doctor could see it when she looked into her ear drum. I felt bad for Katie, but at least she made it 18 months without any ear infection or needing to be on any medications. We have her on Amoxicillin for the next 10 days and luckily she is taking it like a champ!

I'm thinking of starting potty training soon and have been busy learning all about it. If any experienced moms want to give me some tips, that would be great!

Other than that, there is not much else to report. I'm officially in my 2nd trimester now and hope that the sickness goes away soon! 189 days to go!

Playground adventures

2009-03-21T13:19:00.003-04:00

Our neighborhood playground finally installed tot swings, so we ventured over there on Wednesday. It was very exciting because Grandma came along too! Katie was a little hesitant with the swings, but we managed to get a great smiling photo anyway.

Katie definitely prefers the jungle gym because she can run around like a monkey. Grandma was surprised to see that Katie climbs up to the big slide and goes down it...all by herself. We don't call her Bruiser for nothing! She has no fear (as evidenced by the huge bruise that is currently on her forehead).

Here is a little video of Katie, trying to show off for Grandma. Note the static hair at the end of the slide ride.

No new updates on Baby #2 this week. Still feeling nauseous and hoping it all goes away with the 2nd trimester. One more week!

Week 11

2009-03-14T12:36:00.005-04:00

We had a little scare yesterday, during my OB checkup, because they couldn't find the heartbeat. I didn't think this was a big deal since I'm still early on, but she sent me for an emergency ultrasound anyway. Luckily, the second the transmitter touched me, I saw the baby kicking and squirming. He/she finally looks like a baby instead of a little gummy bear!

The heartbeat was 170 and everything looked normal, thankfully! The ultrasound place was great and the images were crystal clear. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner so these are photos of the ultrasound pictures, using my digital camera. These are side views of the face and torso.

Baby, you've graduated

2009-03-09T21:10:00.003-04:00

Much to Uncle Mikey's dismay, I'm going to use this blog to document both children's lives. He wants a blog for each kiddie, but I think all mothers would understand that there is not time for that. If you did have time to have numerous blogs, then you probably aren't the best mother you can be. Speaking of, I'm reading "I Was a Really Good Mom Before I had Kids" and, while the jury is still out on the usefulness of the book, I definitely like the message (which I'll explain in another post).

Anyway, this week, my embryo has graduated to a fetus. More or less, this means that it looks like a baby now (instead of a tadpole or a little gummy bear). The baby should be about 1-1.5 inches now and about 4 grams. I have one and a half weeks until my 2nd trimester and I'm hoping that all my nausea magically disappears. AHHH, 2nd trimester??? Where did the time go? How will I get everything done? I have no idea...I think I'll just go to bed.

Big announcement!!!

2009-03-05T11:33:00.007-05:00

I can finally explain why I haven't posted in over a month.

I've been waiting to make my big announcement until after work and family had all been notifed.

Without further ado, Katie would like to tell everyone that she's going to be a big sister!!! Can you believe it?!?!?!

Baby Lamken #2 will arrive around Katie's second birthday. I wish I could say that this pregnancy is as easy at Katie's, but that would be a lie! I've been pretty sick and am hoping to feel better after the first trimester is over (in a couple weeks). Be prepared for lots of updates as things progress!

Favorite foods

2009-01-24T10:00:00.004-05:00

I had to prove that Katie really is an Italian girl. She LOVES pasta! Doesn't matter if it is ziti or chicken and prosciutto tortellini...she'll eat it! Of course, plain old spaghetti is a favorite because you can play with it. YUMYUM!

She's also getting really good about eating bananas, as long as we let her do it herself. Check out our little monkey! Her favorite fruit is oranges (for now), I'll have to take a video of her eating an orange. It is too funny! In other news...

Next week, Katie moves to the Toddler (Waddler) room at daycare. We are a little nervous, but excited too. They have more activities and I also don't have to pack anymore breakfast or lunches. What am I going to do with all my free time???

What is your occupation?

2009-01-22T08:57:00.005-05:00

Yesterday morning, I was home alone with Katie and Amber. For those that didn't know, I was watching the dog while my parents were in Rome (poor them). There was a knock at the door and I assumed it was a package that was supposed to arrive today. Note: I am an online shopping addict.

I ran to the door only to find an investigator that wanted to interview me because my neighbor was getting a clearance. I've done probably 5 of these interviews, so I know what they are about but warned her that I had a dog (that I was trying to push back from the door) and a baby in the house. Another note: I still call Katie a baby!

She didnt' seem to mind and came in to interview me. She asked all the normal questions and then said "For your occupation, do you want me to put Full Time Mother?"!?!?! I went on to tell her that I really do have a career and job title. But I really wanted to say that even if you go to work, you are still a Full Time Mother, in my opinion. Yes, going to work is a little bit of a break, but I'm still making doctor appointments, planning meals, etc.

YES...I am a Full Time Mother/Finance Manager/MBA student/dog sitter.

So, what is your occupation? :)

Katie's first time in the snow

2009-01-19T14:41:00.006-05:00

Today it snowed for a short time, but I wanted to get Katie outside in case we don't get any good snowfalls this year! We're hoping for a good snowfall so she can really enjoy it...but this will have to do, for now. If you listen carefully, you will hear her "huffing" with excitement!

"Wow, this stuff looks pretty cool!"

"Chase me, Mommy!"

Holiday recap

2009-01-03T15:31:00.015-05:00

I have so much to catch up on and I've been putting it off for too long! Below is a recap of our past month...be prepared for a long post!

Katie has been a very busy girl and is talking more than ever. She is becoming quite a helper and likes to clean up her highchair, brush her hair and throw away trash. Below is a video of how she helped us put ornaments on the tree.

Dec 20th - I held my first cookie exchange and I think it was a success. The cookies were delicious and we all went home with plenty of cookies to share with family and friends! It was great to get everyone together before the holidays and see friends that we hadn't seen in awhile.

Before we knew it, Christmas had arrived and Katie was ready for all the excitement! We were NOT ready for all the new toys though...oy vey! We started the morning by opening gifts at our house, just the three of us. Katie was excited to see everything under the tree, although she was not too good at opening her gifts. We had to do most of the unwrapping, but she was happy once the gift was revealed.

After Christmas at our house, we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's...where we met up with Uncle Mikey and Caitlin.

She was pretty tired after a full morning of unwrapping. Getting all those gifts must be hard work! In one of the pictures below, you will see that she kept laying on the floor and saying "night night".

She did pretty well for herself and has lots of new things to play with......puzzles, legos, plastic food, coloring books, crayons, clothes, a pink telephone, a car wheel with all kinds of gadgets, shoes, a puppy, and even twin baby dolls. The post wouldn't be complete without a display of Uncle Mikey's car toy.

An early gift

2008-12-20T22:47:00.008-05:00

Sometimes it really is the little things that mean the most. My aunt was going through old photos and found a picture of me, at 1 year old. She couldn't believe the resemblance to the holiday picture of Katie. She scanned them both and emailed them to me and I am just shocked.

The two pictures are below. I can't even stop looking at them...it just amazes me. Obviously this wasn't meant as a Christmas present, but it is one of the coolest things anyone has ever sent me. It almost makes me want to cry looking at it. My baby looks just like me!

Good deal

2008-12-18T13:43:00.002-05:00

If you know me, you know I love online shopping. Today is "free shipping day"...who knew? See the site for a list of retailers.

http://www.freeshippingday.com/

Holiday party #1

2008-12-16T22:05:00.010-05:00

At this time of year, it seems that the gift we need most is TIME. I don't know where the time goes and just hope I'm using it wisely! I've been busy preparing for the holidays, finishing school work (on time) and spending time with Katie. She went to the Exxon Mobil holiday party last weekend and had a blast. She did go last year, but was more like a lump of coal (3 months old).

This year was quite different...she ran around like a mad woman and made friends everywhere she went. Luckily, she looked adorable in her cream colored dress with little pearls (even though she spent some time running and sliding on the floor).

Some kids may be scared of the toy soldier on stilts or the fairies with wigs, but not Katie. She took there hands and I think she wanted to bring them home with her.

LOVE THIS PICTURE!

She even sat with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We didn't get any big smiles, but she did like the fact that Mrs. Claus had a stack of holiday books.

Katie went to her a couple times during the party, saying her favorite word "booooohhhk boooooohhhhk".
We all had a great time at the party and look forward to more festivities this holiday. Next up, my first cookie exchange. Ack...I better get cleaning!

Car seats - rear vs. forward facing

2008-12-08T18:18:00.002-05:00

For those of you with car seats, you know that rear facing can be a pain when trying to soothe a crying child...or retrieve a toy, which is often the case when Katie flings them around the back seat.

It is mandatory to have the car seat rear facing up to 1 year of age, but there is a huge movement towards keeping children rear facing for as long as possible. As my pediatrician to us, it is easier to fix broken legs (if they jam into the rear seat) than a broken spine (which often happens when a child is forward facing).

I received the below site today that has a video depicting crash tests in both scenarios. I'm not saying what is right or wrong (ok, maybe I am), but just wanted everyone to be informed.
http://www.joelsjourney.org/curriculum.html

You've got gall...or not!

2008-11-26T15:24:00.002-05:00

Happy anniversary to my missing gallbladder! This time last year, we had delayed Thanksgiving due to my emergency gallbladder removal. It recently came up on a mommy blog that I subscribe to, which rehashed the whole episode for me. Everyone agreed that gallbladder attacks are much worse than childbirth.

So, if you are reading this and don't have kids yet...just remember, there is worse pain out there!

Note to gallbladder - I miss you very much...things haven't been the same since. I still get yucky feelings after eating certain foods (I just never pay attention to what they are) and I pretend that my four scars are bullet holes haha. Yes, I'm odd!

Go vote today!

2008-11-04T09:07:00.003-05:00

It doesn't matter who you vote for...just do it!

Halloween fun

2008-11-02T10:02:00.011-05:00

It was technically Katie's 2nd Halloween, but she didn't really participate in her 1st (she was 1 month old). After working 13-15 hour days last week, I left early on Friday because I couldn't miss Halloween! We weren't sure if Katie would understand (and she probably didn't), but she had a blast anyway!

Grandma and Grandpa came over and Katie was a little scared to see Grandma in a big orange pumpkin. She eventually realized it was Grandma and had to keep touching her to make sure.

Grandpa did wear a coconut bra and grass skirt (for about 10 seconds). Luckily, I got it on camera.

We dressed Katie up in her "tulip fairy" costume and let her play with our treats, before we passed them out. This year I added little containers of Play Doh for the kids that were too small for candy. It was a BIG hit!

Katie ran around the neighborhood with Daddy and Grandma and collected a pumpkin full of candy. She loved looking out the front door for more trick or treaters and loved staying up late. Thanks for the candy, Katie! YUM!

Even Baby Jamey came over to visit in his warm dragon costume! We can't wait for next year!