yep, I'm a slacker

So it's been 2 months since I last blogged anything. Call me lazy, call me negligent, call me idle. Or, call me a mom whose 5 month old doesnt take naps anymore! Yep, that's right. Arabelle has become a catnapper. Unless she is really tired, then she sleeps for like 3 or 4 hours. There is nothing consistant about her naps and when she is actually sleeping, I find myself doing other, less bloggy things, like dishes or laundry or dishes or laundry. Wait, do I do anything else? Yes, occassionally. But, I'm not complaining because I am actually at home during the day! Since I last blogged, there have been a few changes around our house. The biggest one being that we decided I would not go back to teaching. I had intended to return on November 2nd. Sometime in October we started trying to figure out how it was going to work with me working and Arabelle in daycare. We actually found a really great place for her at an in home daycare, with a very nice woman. But, as we were trying to figure it out, we (I especially) couldnt come to terms with putting her daycare. It was not an easy decision for us to make. But, ultimately, John and I both feel like this is the best thing for our family right now. So, the next big change around our house is that I am working at home as a Christian Education Director for a small church. It just so happens that I found this position right after I decided not to go back to school. The church is small; been operating for only a year now, and I am in charge of numerous things relating to Christian Education. So in other news since I last blogged...we went to Atlanta in October to have Arabelle baptized at NUMC...it was a very special day for all three of us. We were also there for my cousin's wedding; it was beautiful...we had a great time until Arabelle melted down at the reception. John is trudging through school...almost done! His research is going really well...last week he got some new data that's never been seen before in the protein he is working with...I would give you details, but I dont know where to start. Arabelle is changing daily now. It's crazy to think about how much she has grown in these first few months. Christmas should be exciting; lots of traveling and family visits. Will try to update more often! Recent pictures to follow! Maybe a video if nap time lasts a little longer....

2 month stats

Last week we had Arabelle's 2 month check up. She's just over 12 lbs and is 23 3/4 inches long. She also got her immunizations which was only a little traumatic. After a little crying she was ok. She did run a fever that afternoon but was ok by that night. This past weekend we actually went on our first extended excursion...to the mall! John had to take his mac to the apple store...he spilled coke on the keyboard...so we all went on Saturday morning. Arabelle did ok...in the past she's been very sensitive to her environment so anything outside of the norm usually sent her into panic meltdown mode. But this time she did ok. We were able to go to the Apple store, baby gap where we got her some fall clothes that were on sale, nike town to look for new shoes for me (pregnancy made my feet grow a whole size...not happy about it), and gymboree. After the mall we even took a sleeping in the bjorn arabelle to Moe's for lunch and to REI. We were really excited about being able to get out and about with her for such a long time. It's really the first normal running around kind of day we've had since she was born. We think she's starting to realize that going places and doing different things is fun and that she can sleep anywhere. Once we got home she actually wouldnt go to sleep...I think it's because she got overstimulated....but that night, she slept from 9 until 4 in her own room! In her crib! She was either really tired or she's starting to catch on to this night time sleeping. So after two months of frequent nighttime wakings, sleeping in a swing, afternoon fussiness, crib resistance, and general abandonment of everything we thought was normal...things are starting to return to normal...but it's a new normal.

Here are some pictures...pay attention to the last two...do you notice the similarities...specifically the ones on the sides of their heads?

labor day & sleep

For the three day weekend we didn't do too much to celebrate. We did take Arabelle to her first cookout party; at John's advisor's house. We quickly discovered that going to parties or any kind of adult function is going to be drastically different now that we have a kid. I spent most of the evening carrying her around in the baby bjorn so that she wouldnt fuss in the middle of conversation, and as a result spent most of my time talking with a 5 year old. His name is Milo and he befriended me pretty soon after realizing that I wasn't going to just sit around and talk like the other adults there. So the three of us had fun discovering bugs and plants in the yard until he had to go to bed and until Arabelle got sick of pretending to like the bjorn when it was so hot outside. We left soon after the crying became uncontrollable and the car ride home was exhausting for all of us.

This past weekend we had some good friends bring us dinner on Saturday night. Tasso and John met last year through a ride sharing program at UConn...he is a professor there and Karen is doing post-doc work at Yale. They got married this summer in San Francisco and then honeymooned in Hawaii....so we got to hear all about their adventures while we dined on the dinner they made...which was great...Tasso is greek and they both are great conversationalists so it was nice to have people over who do more than eat and spit up on you.

Speaking of spitting up...Arabelle as of late cannot (or will not) sleep on her back because she wakes herself up from spitting up so much. As a result she is still sleeping in the swing in our room. I was hoping by this point, she is two months old this week, she would at least start the night out in her room. I wasnt really expecting her sleep through the night yet...but she does pretty well....goes to bed between 8 and 9 and sleeps until 3 or so to eat, then back down until 7 usually. But, the biggest obstacle is getting her to sleep in her crib flat on her back. The other issue is that she still has quite the startle reflex so even for naps she has to be swaddled tightly or she wakes herself up soon after leaving my arms. If she dozes off at any point during the day I have to either sit and hold her while she sleeps or swaddle her to ensure that she sleeps a nap's worth...which inevitably wakes her and then getting her back to sleep for a nap is never easy. Things have to be just right in order for her to go to sleep and if we miss the window or if she wakes up fully for whatever reason....swaddling issues, spitting up, loud noises like dogs named Parker barking.......it takes forever to get her settled and sleeping again. I keep telling myself that she is only two months old and that if we need to sleep train her there will be plenty of time for that. I am still hoping any sleep training we do is going to be un-traumatic, but Im starting to have doubts.

Now for some pictures. These two are for your comparison. She is in the same outfit...first on the day she came home from the hospital at 4 days old and then at 8 weeks....crazy that she grew and changed so much!!! This outfit by the way just about doesnt fit...she is too tall for 0-3 month old things so we are starting to wear mostly 3-6 month outfits...she has officially outgrown the newborn stuff...which is sad to thing about...she will never wear some of those cute onsies again!

tiny dancer

So when we were preparing for Arabelle's arrival, one of the purchases we made was a video camera.  I know, it's so cliche, but, in my opinion a necessary purchase because as a kid who grew up without a video camera I would like to actually witness the evidence of me running around the house singing "Beat It" by Michael Jackson.  Yes, apparently he was one of my favorite artists as a kid, but I don't remember having such fondness for the one-gloved entertainer.  

This video was from the other day and because I love having a Mac I decided to actually see what I could do with iMovie.  

As you can see...she's pretty cute.  Despite this cuteness, little miss (a nickname we have come up with; long story so I will save for another post) had another first this week and hasn't been feeling well.

That's right.  She's got an eye infection.  As first I thought she just had general eye gunkiness but then the gunky got gunkier.  So our trusty pediatrician called in this ointment.  Have you ever tried to put ointment in the eye of a 6 week old?  I don't recommend it.  Screaming ensues every time and it takes four hands.  The eye is looking better though so we will keep truckin.  I imagine the blurriness is what she dealt with as the gunk took over.

new house & a tall girl

So we are officially moved in to our new house.  Thanks to John's parents we got it done.  Still unpacking, but everything is in the house.  Here are some photos ...we live on a lake now...

In Arabelle news...here is her nursery...she still sleeps in our room so we do some playing and diaper changing here...she will soon be transitioning to her own room though...especially for naps during the day...Parker has a tendency to bark at EVERYTHING and she isnt sleeping as soundly as she needs to...and she has met three out of four grandparents so far...my dad is going to visit soon...here are the first meetings...

And here are some pictures of her playing in the bouncy seat...already starting to focus on objects and laugh at things...it's pretty darn cute....and a picture of her and John...I think they look alike...and by the way...we were at the doctor last week and she's in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th for height...will she be tall like her dad?  Im going to go ahead and say yes...and we'd like to say thanks to thad parks for letting us borrow the blue camo swaddle...sorry thad if it smells like a girl when you get it back!

moving

so I don't think I mentioned yet that we are moving this week.  Back in June when we signed the new lease this seemed like a totally plausible thing to do...little did we know that I would be unable to lift heavy things or the extent of how tired we would be from sleep deprivation.  Luckily, John is a super trooper and has been packing and organizing lots of things so that we can get this done...and his parents will be here tomorrow to help us out...and of course to meet Arabelle.  Who by the way is starting to be super cute with her little self....see below for primary examples....

pictures

I figured most of you would want to see some updated pictures of Arabelle.  She is starting to lose that newborn look...and she's already changed so much!  Enjoy!

Here on our first walk...cant you tell she's excited?

this is just cute

she's the only one relaxing around here

she wasnt yelling at us...just yawning

she makes this face a lot....like she's trying to figure it all out

birth story

So, after three weeks things are beginning to return to normal. Arabelle is on somewhat of a feeding schedule...one of course she decides on and one of course we adhere to. Luckily, John is at home with us for awhile...until September actually when fall semester starts. His PI (primary investigator for those of us who don't do science) gave him the time off from when Arabelle was born until classes start...and I couldn't be happier about it...he is a huge help around the house...especially since the recovery for me has been slow...which leads me to the reason for this post....

If you are a family member, or were on the email list John sent updates to while we were in the hospital, then you already know this story. For those others who actually read this blog or are friends with us on facebook, and have maybe wondered why we didnt respond to your congratulatory messages, I wanted to share the birth story because it turned out to be much more dramatic than we ever planned for.

Going back to a week before Arabelle was born, I lost a lot (translate: gushing) of fluid on Tuesday, July 7th, at some point in the morning. We did the usual...packed everything, took showers, got Parker all set up with food and water, called the doctor, and went to the hospital. I was having regular contractions but no change that would lead to labor. They monitored me for about 3 hours, preformed some very unpleasant tests that I wish to never relive, ever in my life, in order to measure progress, and concluded that I was not in labor, and decided to send us home. Apparently my water broke and the place it came from sealed itself back again. Who knew this could happen? Not us that's for sure. We were worried about the amount of fluid around the baby at this point, but, after a few more tests, resident #3 in labor and delivery decided she was fine.

This day was hard because if you have ever been pregnant or known someone who is pregnant, you live with the understanding that when the water breaks, the baby is supposed to come shortly after. So as they were telling us to go home, I was thinking...."ummm....no...my water broke, it's time, let's get this show on the road....youre telling me there is no end in sight yet?"

So we left. Spent the next week in limbo. John stayed at home with me for most of the next week because I was an event waiting to happen. He watched me all week...which to say the least was a bit annoying and yet comforting. I had contractions for the next week...let me say again...I HAD CONTRACTIONS FOR A WEEK....but was not progressing in labor. We went to the doctor once more that week and he told us it was just a matter of time...so we waited...while I had contractions for a week...not little ones...did you figure that out yet?

Ok, so a week later, on the 15th, at about 5 in the afternoon...John had just gotten back from riding his bike (no, he's not 12) because I had texted him that I didnt feel good...I was achy and pretty miserable and he needed to be back at that point....he ran in panicked, realized that I was ok, just not happy, and then we discussed what to have for dinner...I didnt want to cook so John was on his way out the door to get something when the water broke for the 2nd time. It didnt stop this time so we knew this was the real deal. Same thing as before...packed, Parker, doctor, hospital.

Once we got to the hospital I was having regular contractions and feeling pretty uncomfortable. They admitted me this time and started the long process of trying to help my labor along because again, those contractions were not leading to anything. That night they gave me one drug that was supposed to help labor progress and by 6 the next morning gave me pitocin because the first attempt did not work.

By lunch time on the 16th, after 18 hours labor, I had yet to dilate or progress in labor. They were giving me the maximum amount of pitocin along with with some pain meds because I was very uncomfortable at this point. Doctor decided we would wait a little longer to see if the pain meds would help me relax and make progress. Around 3 or 4, I think because by the way our room didnt have windows so I felt like I was in a time warp, I reached 1 cm. Almost 24 hours after my water broke, there was little to show for the work my body was doing. At this point we opted for the epidural because the pain was getting unbearable (and, yes, I felt like a weenie because I was in so much pain and I hadnt even gotten to the hard part yet). After the epidural, and my interrogation of the anetesiologist's experience, I felt some relief but not for long. I was pushing the pain medicine button every 20 minutes while barely able to breathe because of the pain. And yet, after a few hours, around 6 that night, when the doctor checked again, still only at a 1.

At this point I was trying to figure out how I was going to mentally and physically make it through labor. John and I had done a lot of talking throughout the pregnancy about how we were going to handle labor. I was ok with having the epidural and I was certain I wanted to avoid having a c-section. We were even discussing these things the day before I went into labor. I was sure that with the epidural I would be able to handle labor and deliver her the old fashioned way. So when the doctor said, still at a 1, I almost lost it. I immediately asked him at what point do we consider the c-section. This question was a shock to John because we had discussed in detail how we wanted to avoid the surgery. I just couldn't imagine going on in labor. I needed it to end. I didn't think my body was going to be able to do it. I was exhausted and mentally drained. Doctor said it was definitely a possibility at this point, he wanted us to talk about it and he would be back.

Now, let me say a few things about our doctor. Dr. Park is his name and we couldn't have asked for a better care provider. Most of our prenatal visits were with him because we liked him so much and trusted his judgement. He held our hand through the whole pregnancy, which was nice because we had a lot of concerns and questions, being first time parents. One of our major concerns was that my anatomy would pose a problem at some point during the pregnancy. I was born with one kidney, one ovary, one fallopian tube, and only half of what is considered a normal uterus. Knowing this when we got pregnant we chose the Ob practice at UConn because they specialize in high risk pregnancies. We met Dr. Park at our 2nd or 3rd visit and stuck with him from that point on.

Thankfully Dr. Park was on call on the 16th so we felt at ease with how everything was going...until we realized that labor could last for days since I was still at a 1. After asking about the c-section, and hearing Dr. Park's opinion, we spent the next hour talking and praying about what we should do. John didnt want to make the decision for me and I didnt want to exclude him from the decision. It was hard for me to explain to John how I felt like I couldnt go on, but that I didnt want to make the wrong decision if we went for the c-section - too many other factors...infection, recovery time, breast feeding right away, etc. So we prayed about it and then stopped talking about it...we were going to wait until Dr. Park checked my progress again.

One hour later....no progress had been made and we decided for the c-section. This was about 7 pm on the 16th and they started prepping me for the operating room. I was suppossed to go back around 8...then around 9:30....then around 11...which we did. Apparently there were two emergency surgeries that had to happen before me so we were left waiting until the OR was free. Needless to say I was nervous. But, I was ready for it to be over too. Surgery started at 11, Arabelle was born at 11:10 pm on the 16th. But, I didnt leave the operating room for another hour and half....this is when the major complications started.

Because I have only a half uterus, the contractions I was having during the previous week and in the hours leading up to the surgery stretched the tissue so much that I was close to rupturing. The contractions were pushing her into my hip bones rather than towards the birth canal...as a result, she had a lot of bruising and my uterus was doing way too much work. After Arabelle was delivered, Dr. Park spent the next hour and half trying to get my uterus to contract back down...which is a normal process after birth, but my body was not cooperating. The tissue was so atonic that it would not shrink like it was supposed to and therefore was taking up much of my abdomen. Eventually I lost too much blood for the surgery to continue...over 2 liters...so Dr. Park stitched me up and then inserted a balloon in order to keep the muscle from hemorrhaging....the procedure was similar to what happens during an angioplasty. Once we left the operating room and went to recovery, we had only seen Arabelle for about 5 minutes.

The next 24 hours were interesting to say the least. I was pretty drugged and only vaguely recall the order of events and how things happened. Apparently there were two concerns the doctors had after my surgery...a) the amount of blood I lost...a transfusion was a possibility and b) my uterus hemorrhaging....a hysterectomy was a possibility. Both things were contingent on my body's ability to heal quickly so they kept us in the recovery room for 24 hours...normally after birth you stay in recovery for a few hours then go to your post partum room. During this time we saw Arabelle a handful of times.

Thankfully around noon the next day...only 12 hours after surgery, I was healing and in Dr. Park's words, had turned the corner. Later that afternoon, during one of our talks with the Dr. about what had happened and what the plan was, he said, "if you had continued in labor, you and the baby most likely would have been a statistic....I've never seen a uterus that stretched and thinned out without hemorrhaging." I will probably never forget that moment.

So, we spent the next four days in the hospital. Thankfully breast-feeding wasnt an issue and I didnt get an infection...from all perspectives, the c-section was the way to go. Once we got home, the next week was pretty hard on all of us....crying, eating, pooping, sort of sleeping, taking pain medication, etc. Things are looking up now though and we couldnt be happier with our little girl. She is sweet as can be and definitely has a personality...I think we are in for a great adventure with her.

Oh, by the way, couple of fun facts for you...Arabelle was born at 11:10 pm...I was born at 11:10 am...and she shares her birthday (July 16th) with my grandfather...which I hear he is very proud of!

pictures of late...

The Happily engaged couple....getting married in October...... John during one of our early snow storms....doesn't he look excited? alien baby....i know she will look much cuter..... the best ultrasound picture we have....i think she is sucking her thumb here....

Well, it's now April...

So, my goal of blogging more often has seriously not happened. If I could only figure out how to write a little bit, instead of explaining my whole life, I think I would write more often. I'm going to try this time to make a list of the important stuff that has happened in our life since January. Ok, here it goes:

• I was really sick in January, right when I went back to school...little bit of a baby scare, but everything turned out fine. I was out of work for a week. I think baby Moffitt was trying to tell me to take care of myself...and it worked. I'm drinking lots of water, trying to eat as healthy as possible, getting some exercise and getting lots of sleep.

• It snowed a lot here this winter...I'm ready for spring

• In February we found out we are having a GIRL! And, we have a name picked out, but, we are keeping it to ourselves until she is born. We just figure that right now, it's the only time we will know who she is and we are relishing in the fact that we are bonding in our own ways with her. And she's a kicker...might have some of those long Moffitt legs.

• In March John got published! While at Kennesaw he worked in a lab studying some type of molecule that does something, and now the article is published in some scientific journal. Pretty exciting for Mr. Science.

• Also in March, we bought a crib...kinda a big purchase...it's the only new baby thing we are buying, I am going to use other furniture we already have and then try to find good deals on other stuff we need. I would post pictures of the nursery, but, alas, it's still full of boxes...that is the project for this weekend. Maybe next week you will get an update!

• Last week we bought a new car! A Chrysler Pacifica. It's got the space of a van, but is actually styled like an SUV...I was super excited! The only new car I've ever had was the Honda I got in '98 when I graduated from high school. So, with baby coming, we decided we couldn't really make it on one car anymore.

• A couple of weeks ago, John's brother Andy proposed to his girlfriend, Crystal! We were very excited for them. He asked her at the Moffitt's cabin in North Ga while they were home for a visit, and I was a little sad we couldn't be there to celebrate with them, but, nonetheless, it's still exciting. They are planning an October wedding.

• I now play The Grocery Game. If you're unfamiliar, it's a coupon clipping system that does a lot of organizing for you. Tells you what deals the store has every week, which coupons to use when you shop, and how to save by buying in bulk and storing things, so you only buy things on sale. I really like it, and I have saved a lot of money. I think my biggest savings week was when I bought 150.00 worth of groceries for only 60.00! It's definitely worth the time it takes to clip and keep coupons.

• Easter is coming, which also happens to be my birthday this year. This is the second time it's happened for me...last time I turned 18. I'm excited for spring for this exact reason...it means my birthday is near!

• In January we started going to a church up here and fortunately we have found a great community to be part of. We both joined small groups and have gotten to know lots of people. It has actually helped with the transition and with accepting the fact that we are having a child soon and we will need support. We really like Calvary Fellowship and feel like God is constantly reaffirming our decision to live here for now. I'm not sure I could say the same if we had not met some of these amazing people and felt at home there like we do.

And, finally, we are hoping to go to Atlanta for a visit in early June. I want to go for a long weekend or something before baby girl is born, because we probably wont go again until October, when it's cold again. Pictures from our latest adventures coming later today!!!

going to be a family of 3...

So, if you weren't at Northside Methodist on Christmas eve, or if we haven't personally told you already, you probably don't know yet that John and I are expecting! I am due July 21st, so we are just about into the 2nd trimester. We were in Atlanta for Christmas and therefore able to share the news with friends and family, which was great, some the reactions were priceless...I think my favorite was John's cousin, who was confused for a minute when we showed him the ultrasound picture, and when it clicked, just shouted, "No Shit!" It was pretty funny because he was one of the last to know, so we were all waiting for a reaction, and we got one! If you were at Northside on the 24th, specifically at the 7:00 service, then you would know that Mike, my father in law, who is a music minister there, announced the news from the lectern just before the service started...yeah, wasn't expecting that, so it was a tad embarrassing. But, I cant blame him, he's going to be a grandfather for the first time, so he's excited. Other than this big news, we are doing great up here in the northeast. The snow and ice are pretty constant, which we dont mind at all...John has gotten into the shoveling, which I dont mind AT ALL! This semester John has actually gotten a Research Assistant position at school, which will pay for tuition, provide health benefits, and pay a stipend every month. It is a huge load of our shoulders financially, and he is really excited about it...so, it's just another confirmation that we made the right decision moving up here. And, as for my work, I actually had to get a new job in November because the school I was at in Hartford was in despair. The verbal abuse I suffered every day working there was not worth the money I was making. So, thankfully, a woman I worked with told me about her son, who is a principal, was looking for a language arts teacher, which is not normal in November, and I was able to interview with him and he offered me the job on the spot. I really like my new school, they are supportive and it is a healthy environment; I can actually teach. That's the short version of what's been going on. One of my new years goals is to start updating here more often, at least once a week...so today is Wednesday, hopefully by next Wednesday, you will have another update. Here is a picture of the ultrasound, it's not very good yet...I will definitely post another one later. When you look at it, the baby is the blobby looking thing to the left of the black circle...the picture didnt upload correctly, sorry! Hopefully you can figure it out, if not ask someone who's been pregnant before!