Our funny Grace

James is famous!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11132/1145806-54.stm

He made the local paper.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to me! It was my first mother's day...so weird. Mother's Day is hard for some women in the infertility community....it would be sort of hard for me, but really not all that harder than any other day when you want a baby but can't have one. But, it was a bit surreal to actually have a child and be a mother on mother's day :-)

On Saturday, we had my mom and grandma over for dinner. James surprised us with a cupcake bouquet from Steel City Confections--seriously the best cupcakes ever. The card reads to three awesome moms!

Then on Sunday morning, I got breakfast in bed (but James is sort of awesome and actually brings me breakfast in bed every morning...) but he gave me several mother's day cards--one was from Grace and then a funny one and a sweet one from him. He also gave me a charm with Grace's birthstone in it :-) Then we went to church...ordered lunch from a great pizza place near us that my uncle gave us mother's day gift cards too (from Grace).
For last mother's day I was 13 weeks pregnant and James gave me an engraved picture frame with our relationship verse...now family verse! James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above..." (it's also engraved on James's wedding band). So ofcourse with the pregnancy, the gift took on a whole new meaning. So, I really wanted to get a photo with Grace on mother's day that I could put in the frame. But she was sort of sleepy and not into pictures....so above is one of them. I'm not sure which one I like yet. We didn't take as many as I would have liked, because she really wasn't too into it.

Grace Giving High 5s

A Swimming Grace!

First Easter!

So stinking cute in her Easter dress! Can't stand the cuteness sometimes! I could squeeze her chub thighs for days :-) Last Easter we had just found out we were pregnant...what a difference a year makes :-)

So, we took our first big road trip with Grace--all the way to Elkton, MD. She did AMAZING! I was very nervous, but really she slept most of the way down (and still slept fine that night). We only stopped twice and made it in 7 hours (normally takes a little over 5).

We decided to stay in a hotel--which worked out great! It was a big enough room that I was able to move some furniture and give Grace a corner for her pack n play...and there was a lamp and a cushy chair in that area too. We used one of the beds to lay out all of her stuff and make a changing area for her. We brought her bath--and the hotel had a nice big bathroom counter. So we were able to keep her routine very normal. We were even able to watch tv after she went to sleep--as she had her white noise machine blasting right next to her.

The hotel had a pool. Which she loved. I was a little concerned that I went and sprung for the more expensive hotel with the pool and she was going to hate it. But we were in the water for a good hour and half and she loved it. I was tempted to let her go and see what she could do. She was moving her arms and legs and even kept puffing out her cheeks like she was holding her breath when she "swam". So much fun! We were the only ones in the pool the entire time too!

Most importantly. Grace god to hang out with her Maryland grandparents. She loved them and did all of her cute tricks for them.


And ofcourse when we got back home, I had to take some basket photos with her bunny ears. Such a short window of opportunity to take these type of cute photos :-)

Naps

Grace sleeps quite well at night for her age. She's been doing 10.5-12 hours a night since she was about 7-8 weeks. Now, if we also went to bed before 8pm....we'd be set! When she goes to bed at 7pm and sleeps 11 hours....we're still getting up at 6am :-/
Naps are where she's hit or miss. She's a cat napper. 20-30 minutes here and there. MAYBE an hour...but not usually. We've tried doing the mini-bedtime routine and putting her in the crib. The real benefit of that is while she's fighting sleep, we know she's safe and in her crib so you're free to do dishes or whatever. But once she falls asleep...she wakes up in 30 minutes like clockwork. But the girl sleeps best in her bouncer chair in what looks like some of the most uncomfortable positions. That's our Grace!

HAPPY SPRING!

Nice Weather--Park Fail

The weather has suddenly turned amazing! But it will be gone again tomorrow.... :-(

Both Grace and I are a bit under the weather. I have a bad cold and just sort of feel like laying down all the time. Grace is a littls congested, but I don't think it's a full blown cold. She was acting a little off and had a slight temperature (99.7)....we're not sure what's going on with her. We're hoping the congestion thing doesn't get any worse though. I raised the head of her mattress last night and she left for 12 hours! So, hopefully better sleep will help her recover.

So, since yesterday was so lovely when I got home (and James had to leave for work shortly after I got home). I decided to take Grace to the park right around the corner from our house. I loaded up the stroller and off we went. Her naps in the evenings are hit or miss...so lately she's been a bit of a crank pot for the couple hours we get together before she goes to bed for the night (which makes me sad). But, it's been a struggle to get her to take a nap...so do I fight her for an hour to get her to take a 30 minutes nap...to have her in a good mood for another hour and then get ready for bed. Or, do I just deal with a baby that becomes a crank pot and put her to bed a little earlier... oh well.

So, anyways my thought was that I'd walk her to the park. Put her in a swing for the first time, get some cute photos and then walk her around in the stroller. I thought the air would do us good and she may drift off in the stroller. Well, she didn't care for the swing. She started to cry a little until I stopped the swing from swinging and then she watched the other kids. No smiles.

Here's Ms. Serious. Then, I started walking her around the block in the stroller. We got about 2 blocks past our house in the other direction and I looked at her and she was still wide awake. (I think having her in the stroller without the car seat may be part of the problem...it throws her off not to see me). So, at this point, I realize that I'm suddenly so hungry that I'm shakey (the cold has taken away my apetite so I get to the end of the day with out much to eat and then I feel like I'm starving)...and Grace is probably going to get fussy soon and I should really be getting her in the bath and ready for bed so when the meltdown hits we are already in the bedroom. So, I turned the corner to loop around to the house. As I started walking back I took the stroller off the curb and into the street (narrow sidewalk and a side street with pretty much no traffic) and she started to cry. I think the bump coming off the sidewalk scared her. So now I'm trying to get a screaming baby out of the stroller and some lady walks out of her house and up to me to ask to "see the baby" and she's asking me all of these questions about her...can you not see I have a screaming child in my arms? So I get away from the lady. Grace calms down a bit...as I'm pushing the stroller one handed and carrying my almost 16 lbs of deadweight child...and I need to blow my nose and I'm starving. I get back to our house and plop Grace in her bouncer (which she starts crying again) and I drag our very heavy stroller up the front steps and lock it on the porch. The outing was sort of a fail.

But I then fed her and she took a brief nap in my lap...she often falls asleep bfing. And then I gave her some squash...bath...sunctioned her nose which just pissed her off...started the humidifier...and she was asleep. Then I finally got to eat something.

Hopefully when the weather turns nice again, both of us will be feeling better and we'll get to enjoy the park!

February Happenings

Well, the Steelers lost the Superbowl :-( But Grace had a fun time at her first Superbowl party! And it was nice of the Steelers to at least make it there for her.We finally got together with my friend Angela who had twin girls at 31 weeks, about a month before Grace came along. The girls are home and doing great! Grace is gestationally older than these two...we'll let them argue that out one day. We went for our first walk in the stroller sans car seat. She did great, but was a little taken aback by the wind. I can't wait for nicer weather!

And, she got to meet Happy Harry the clown! She met him once before, but slept through it. She thought he was funny (don't we all).

3 months old!

Well, she's 10 weeks in this picture and she's already 12 weeks, but this Saturday she'll be turning 3 months!

She's getting pretty good at holding up her head, but she doesn't like tummy time for more than about 10 minutes. And, she always spits up a little when you put her on her tummy.

She also enjoys chatting away. Here she is talking her dad's ear off.

Here We Go Steelers!

Grace's first playoff weekend :-) The Steelers are more than just football in Pittsburgh. They have such a long history and are more of a tradition in most Pittsburgh families than anything else. I'm not really into football myself, but I love the Steelers. To me, it reminds me a lot of my grandfather who I miss incredibly. James and I wanted to move to Pittsburgh to be near my grandparents while we still had them. We thought we were going to move to Pittsburgh in 2005, but God made it very clear in our lives that we were supposed to go to Buffalo. Then when it was time to job search again, God opened the doors for us to move to Pittsburgh. We moved in July 2008 and my grandfather past away unexpectedly over Labor Day weekend. One thing that was hard about his passing was I knew he'd never get to meet my children if we ever had any. We had planned years before that we ever had a son we'd name him after my grandfather....we didn't know at the time it would take us 5 years to have children....and we never shared that with my grandfather....so it makes me sad that he won't know that.
My grandfather was buried with an original terrible towel....because he loved the Steelers. There is something so great about a city that rallies around something positive and fun like the Steelers. The "Steeler Nation" goes much farther than just Pittsburgh, but it's so exciting to be here when we do win superbowls or are in the playoffs. I hope Grace appreciates being a part of that. And, it would be nice to have them win her first superbowl as well. They won it for me!

Week 2 at Work

Below is your late Christmas photo of our new version of the Cooper Family.

So, last week wasn't too bad. It was a short week, only 3 days, but it went much better than I thought. I'm feeling pretty ok about leaving Grace with James. I do have my moments of anxiety when I quickly call to make sure all is well at home or ask if James remembered to give her her medicine. The harder parts have been when I get home. Grace will seem happy to see me at first, but then she'll get quite angry at me. And, then I realize how much I miss her during the day and get sad. The first 2 nights she would fuss and fuss and just want to nurse. She was eating so much she would just start spitting up. It was hard on both of us. But then on Friday, she was so good. I hope I get that version of Grace this week.

Christmas

What a hectic first Christmas! I'm sort of glad it is over. We spent 3 days leading up to Christmas time in Children's Hospital as Grace had a UTI. I'm glad we live in a city with such great medical care. Our time in the hospital wasn't bad. Grace was actually in a good mood there overall....I think she really liked the bright hospital lights. I actually miss her sweet her little face as we walked up and down the the hallways of the hospital. I'm thankful I was permitted to take her out of the hospital room. I would put her in the wrap and we would walk around :-)

James's parents were able to come in for Christmas. I'm glad that Grace has grandparents that love her very much....and even some great grandmas. We had my family over for Christmas Eve...spent most of Christmas day just hanging out at the house with James's parents...and then went over my grandma's in the evening for a bit.

We had to make a tough decision while in the hospital. Some circumstances changed with James's job and I am now going back to work. I was very much looking forward to being a stay at home mom. I'm trying not to think too much about going back to work. But, as I have less than a week now until I'm going back...I guess I'll need to think about it soon. James will stay home with Grace while I go to work during the day and he'll be working in the evenings at a part time job. I'm thankful that I have a husband who is a great father to our daughter....but I'm going to miss Grace very much.

I will be able to update this a bit more now that I'll be at work though and sitting in front of a computer again all day :-)

I have no idea why, but I can't seem to add any photos here....so you'll have to wait on holiday photos!

Christmas Time!

The holidays have been a little rough the past couple of years while we were wondering if we'd ever have a child. Every year I would wonder if the next year I would be pregnant atleast. Well, this year we have our Grace :-) and that is so special. Here she is meeting Santa for the first time....she was really into it.

No Sleep

I promise one day I'll actually update this regularly. Unfortunately, Grace does not sleep at night and my days are a fog of trying to keep the Cooper household running...my amazing husband is gone working 16 hours a day to support us....and so during the week, it's all me.
Our computer is in the basement...and I don't come down here too often to get on it.

So....some quick updates. Grace seems to have some acid reflux. We started her on medication Friday evening for it...hopefully she'll feel better soon and be more willing to sleep soon. They weighed her at the pediatrician's office and she's up to 9 lbs 6 oz. Wow. The doctor said she is doing great. She was one month old yesterday. We also made it to our first church service as a family yesterday. Grace slept through most of it, but I think she liked it :-) We also visited Santa this weekend...Grace slept through that as well. And we got Christmas photos done....she was awake and had her diva moments through that one.

I'm struggling a bit. I've never been one that did well on little sleep...nor do I like napping. So, life's a struggle at the moment. Grace is a bit high maintenance. But, we'll make it through.

Grace is here!!!

Well, with a newborn it's quite difficult to get to the basement to type on the computer. So, sorry for the lack of updating!

But, Grace is here!! It was a bit of a scary journey. Inductions are no fun and I'll save the icky details, but I will call it a bit traumatic. In the end I was in labor for 17 hours (well, from the time contractions started regularly) and we ended up with a c-section. Grace's heart rate began to drop into the 60s (a normal heart rate would be about 120-180) and I was rushed into the OR. James was amazing throughout it. He's truly the best husband and I know it was a scary experience for him as well. Grace had some blood sugar issues after birth, but those were quickly resolved as well.

We are so in love with our Grace. We are overwhelmed by God's gift to us. After 5 years of infertility, it's hard for us to wrap our mind around that we are now parents. I think I look at her and cry daily....but hopefully that will stop before she's old enough to be embarrassed by it. Here are some photos of our amazing gift from God.

A couple of updates

Well, I noticed it has been a while since I last wrote. I guess there have been some things going on, but mostly just the same stuff.

Grace is now considered full term. So she could arrive any day! And also should not need any medical assistance if born now. That is a comfort to know :-)

At my 36w growth scan, she was 6lbs 8 oz which puts her in the 71st percentile. The doctors are very happy with her size and also with my gestational diabetes control and health in general. Inductions can only be scheduled one week in advance at the hospital I am having Grace at; so it is not officially scheduled yet, but it should be on 11/5 per my last ob appointment. I'm hoping she goes on her own before then.

We also recently attended a baby shower thrown for us by James's clown group. It was so nice of them. I've only met most of them once. They are all very excited for Grace and were very generous in their gifts and time to have a shower.

Speaking of generous gifts, Grace has received more homemade blankets than any other baby I've ever heard of. It's crazy. We so appreciate the time and love people have put into our daughter already. We've received 3 quilts (James's cousin, a former coworker of mine, and one of the clowns--all made amazing quilts) and we've received knit/crocheted blankets from--James's great grandmother (who made extra ones before she past away for future grandchildren), my aunt, a lady who is at the bus stop with James sometimes, and one of James's coworkers. My aunt also made Grace 2 hats, booties, and a sweater. They are all so special to receive. I keep telling my self to take photos of these to post, so...hopefully I'll do that soon.

I'm headed into week 2 of not working. It's nice so far. I'm very tired, so it's nice not to use up all of my energy at work, but then part of me feels like I have enough energy to work, but then I have to remind myself that I only have any energy because I'm not waking up at 6am, going on an hour commute on a bus and walking, and working 8 hour days.....

Well, let's pray that Grace comes quickly and remains healthy. We thank God daily for our miracle baby :-) Who ever thought I'd be 9 months pregnant!! Not me.
And, prayers for my perseverance as I try to get all of the last minute stuff together and the house cleaned for Grace...and for my amazing husband working 2 job and not complaining once.

so busy

Life has gotten a bit busier. I guess James working 2 jobs and me having 3 medical appointments a week will do that to you. My work has also been crazy busy. I am trying to leave instruction manuals and organize everything that I do in a way that others will be able to do it easily in my absence....that is a full time job in itself, but then more work keeps pouring in. It's like the students knew I was down to my final weeks and decided to make it interesting. But, this upcoming week is my last week! I am praying that I'll be able to leave things organized.

All of Grace's appointments have been going well. They are a little time consuming, but it's so nice to get to hear her heart beat 3 times a week--and 2 of those times are for atleast 45 minutes. I am always happy for the reassurances that all is well.
This upcoming Friday we have our next growth ultra sound and meet again with the maternal fetal medicine specialist. We are excited to hear what he has to say and also very interested in how big Ms. Grace has gotten. I'm thinking she's going to be around 7lbs at this point.

I have contracted a bit of a cold. It sort of stinks because I was already feeling a bit rundown and tired....and now I'm very rundown and very tired. I'm hoping it passes soon. Getting into a comfortable sleep position is near impossible at this point as well too...and my hips hurt. But, I'm so excited to be having Grace soon and feel so blessed that God gave us this miracle pregnancy...so when you reflect on it, it's hard to complain :-) I am looking forward to a couple of weeks or relaxation and some little things that need to be done to prepare for Grace's arrival.

God is good!

Another weekend gone...

With James working 2 jobs now (both Monday thru Friday), our weekends are filled with to do list items and trying to get some sleep. I'm so thankful to have a husband dedicated to our family who would take a second job to help support us though! Grace and I are blessed :-)

We did get some reorganizing done...and some shopping done. We finally got a mattress for Grace's crib. I was waiting for a good coupon or sale and a good coupon came along which wasn't good until this weekend. I'm not sure why crib mattresses have such a weird price range. Either they are cheap or pricey---not really an in between set. We had previously purchased a somewhat inexpensive one that had good reviews, but it was too small for our crib (even though it claimed to be standard crib size) so we had to return it. So, we finally got to put our crib bedding on! It makes the room look so much more complete :-) The bedding, I also had a coupon for and we made a trip to babies r us to get the one from our registry. Then when we were walking to the back of the store to the bedding section, we walked by a clearance section--and there was my bedding! They were selling the one they had on display. So I opened the package and went through all of the pieces--all accounted for, no stains or damage... So, between the clearance price and my coupon, I got quite the good deal.