1st Thanksgiving- 8months

Happy Thanksgiving!

Who would have ever thought that the turkey I cooked this year would be nearly the same weight as my 8 month old? Yep, that’s right…I cooked a 20lb bird for 16 guests. Myer probably had a couple pounds on that turkey, but the turkey gave him a run for his money. I get asked all the time in the store now how much Myer weighed at birth fully expecting me to say at least 8lbs, but everyone is shocked when I tell them he wasn’t even 5lbs. Given his continued growth spurt, he is tracking in the 75^th percentile for weight and 50^th for height. Of course, we will see if that has continued at his 9 month appointment. From what I can tell though, everyone thinks he’ll be a big, strong boy, much like his daddy someday.

Myer didn’t partake in too many of the great foods we had on Thanksgiving. He is still not quite ready for any solid foods yet. However, he did seem to like Uncle John’s mashed potatoes, Grammy K’s sweet potatoes, and Nani’s applesauce. Maybe next year, he’ll get to try the other dishes as well as some desserts.

While Daddy was out running his 10K that morning, I introduced Myer to some of my favorite Thanksgiving Day morning traditions. The Macy’s Day Parade! We even looked at some ads together to plan out our Black Friday route. I could tell by the way he tried to eat some of the pages that he could barely wait for the big adventure.

20lb turkey with 20+lb baby

Around 3pm, our family started to arrive and we had one of the best Thanksgivings ever. The food was all wonderful (I only cooked the turkey, so no I’m not bragging here) and the company was even better. We had Doug, Karen, Lindsay, my mom, my dad, Jay, Missy, John, Kathleen, her boyfriend, Kimberly, Christopher and his girlfriend. It was a very nice holiday. In fact, I wish we could do it every month.

Now, we are already 10 days from Christmas and I can’t believe how fast the year has flown by. Myer is 9 months tomorrow and it still amazes me that his first 9 months has gone so fast, but the 9 months I was pregnant seemed to take forever. Funny how that works.

We took Myer to meet Santa on my birthday. It was the best birthday present ever and one I had wanted for so long. I turned 33 on Dec. 8 and the extra year didn’t matter at all given the awesome circumstances of spending the day with my best little buddy in the whole wide world and my wonderfully compassionate family. It was remarkable how all 9 of us were able to get together for an afternoon in the middle of the week. We made a day of Myer’s visit and had dinner after to celebrate my birthday. It was a day I’ll always remember. Of course, the look on Myer’s face when Santa tickled his cheek was unforgettable. His innocent, boyish look of that day will be etched in my mind for years to come. It may even help him get out of a few punishments someday.

"Really Santa, you bring toys? Oh goody!"

  As for the milestones in Myer’s 9th month, he actually has one tooth creeping in on his bottom right. I think there may be another one on its way on his top right. He hasn’t been too fussy, but I can tell on occasion that they do tend to bother him. Myer is still not crawling yet, but he loves to roll all over the place. When he wants to get someplace, he log rolls to his destination. Seems practical to me… In regards to him sitting up on his own, he is almost there. You can tell he’s trying to balance himself but eventually he gives in and falls over to the side. He also likes to fling himself backward which makes me nervous to leave him without a pillow for support. The little Houdini has also learned to pry himself out of his bumbo chair. This chair, for those that don’t know, is supposed to be childproof and considered by moms everywhere as the perfect hands free device. Well, this is no longer the case for Myer. He has conquered the bumbo!

So, in a lengthy recap, that is basically the updates from the last 2 months. I will have more weight and height measurements tomorrow. Until then, happy holidays!

"okay, enough already"

1st Halloween

Happy Halloween!

I felt it only appropriate to write about Myer’s first Halloween. We probably won’t be trick or treating too much tonight since Myer hasn’t progressed into the candy stage yet. He is still enjoying his pureed foods and since I don’t think they make a snickers baby food, we’ll stick to handing out the candy to others instead. Myer has two costumes much like celebrities with their wedding dresses. First, he will start as an elephant or republican as we like to say, and then he will transition into his skeleton attire for bedtime. We are expecting around 100 kids so we have a ton of candy to hand out. I just hope Myer realizes the importance of his job tonight. Some of the kids in the neighborhood mean business when it comes to candy. In fact, our neighborhood runs a hayride through the streets, so you can get slammed with over 20 kids at a time. It is a madhouse, but at the same time, it is a lot of fun. I love seeing the neighborhood come to life in this way. Hopefully, next year we’ll be able to participate in all the festivities with our little elephant/skeleton.  I can only imagine what costume he’ll pick next year.

On another exciting topic, Myer’s 2^nd cousin Willa was born this morning. Chad’s cousin, Katherine gave birth on her due date to Willa Avery. I haven’t seen her in person yet, but from the pictures she is going to be as beautiful as her mother and as charming as her dad. We can’t wait to meet the true Halloween “pumpkin”!

It still amazes me that we are already 7 months into this journey with Myer. He gets cuter every day and I am reminded how much of a miracle he really was. I can’t imagine my life without him because he brings so much joy. I am looking forward to the upcoming holiday season because I am learning that everything through a child’s eyes is that much better. We’ll start by seeing Halloween differently tonight….

"Mommy, why is the jack- o- latern eating my snout?"

Go Jackets!

There are not many things that can top a fall day, bringing your son to his first college football game, and having your team outscore their opponents by 42! This is an event that both Chad and I have wanted to do for the last 5 years. Having our son in the stands with us at Bobby Dodd was only a dream a year ago and now, we can say that we have been able to experience it. We decided that the weather was going to cooperate and not be so hot, so we dressed Myer in his size mini Tech jersey and hat and headed for the game. Myer sat on my lap for the first quarter and peacefully watched the man’s head in front of him. I’d like to think he was enthralled with the game, but I’m pretty sure he couldn’t see it. The stimulus must have gotten to him because the next thing I knew, he was asleep sitting up. He retreated to the lounge for some air condition and quiet, but before I knew it, Myer was up entertaining the crowd by screaming with excitement.  

 He likes to hear his voice and it cracks me up because it almost shocks him when he hears how loud he can get. And, he can get pretty loud!Anyways, we stayed for the remainder of the game because Myer was so good and we were having such a good time watching him soak up the experience. I think we’ll bring him back to the homecoming game, but it may be a little more rowdy since Tech will be playing Clemson. Therefore, Myer may just make an appearance prior to the game and then head home with mommy. We’ll just look for daddy on tv and wait til next year for Myer’s 2^nd game.



Tech vs Kansas Sept. 17, 2011



First Family Vacation/Adventure

 We took our first official family vacation down to Destin, Florida the week of Labor Day. We headed out the Friday before so that we could optimize our time off from work. Plus, we were excited to bet on some greyhounds at the local dog track that evening. Jay came down for the long weekend but we had intentions to stay til at least Thursday so we had to drive separately. At any rate, we made it down to Florida in about 6 hours and Myer was a travelling pro. He only got agitated once because he was hungry, but other than that, he slept and played the whole way down. When I say we have a good baby, I mean it! He has surpassed my expectations on many occasions. I just hope this continues into the toddler and teenage years, but I know I probably won’t be so lucky.  



Before Lee




After Lee

 

Anyways, our vacation started off great. We had a good time Friday evening, but we knew the weather was not going to hold up for us. You see, there just happened to be a tropical storm brewing in the gulf that was expected to dump several inches of rain on us over the next two days. What perfect timing for Jay! He only had two days. Well, just as they predicted, Tropical Storm Lee came and washed out our Saturday and Sunday. Little did we know that this wouldn’t be the only storm….

I started to feel a little strange Saturday afternoon. I completely lost my appetite and then started to feel nauseous. I warned Jay and Chad that it was only a matter of time before I got sick because I knew it was coming. Just as the weather men forecasted the rain, I predicted my illness correctly and by 6pm, I was violently throwing up. Chad got the same bug so he was finding his way to the bathroom as well. I immediately thought of Myer and how this may affect him. If Chad had what I had then it might be highly contagious. That is when we gave Jay a crash course in baby 101 and he took over. Thank God that he was there because I’m not sure how we could have survived. Jay slept the whole night on the couch to watch over Myer and I even found the duo sleeping together on the sofa at one point. Chad and I were quarantined to the bedroom so that we could keep our germs to ourselves. From the grace above, neither Myer nor Jay got sick and Chad and I started to come back to life by Monday, just as Jay was getting ready to leave.


Down and Out



The sun finally came out Tuesday, so we got to take Myer to the beach and let him experience the ocean and sand. I think his favorite parts were the ocean breeze and sleeping on Daddy. I know Daddy enjoyed the sleeping too. All in all though, we were still not feeling 100%, so Wednesday evening, we decided to head home. Leaving that late though got us home around 3am on Thursday. The ride was good for Myer because he slept the whole way, but in hindsight, the journey was very dangerous. We saw a ton of wildlife including two deer that ran in front of our car, a couple random people walking, and a mini horse. Yep! A Mini Horse!! We never even hit a highway until we got to Auburn, so 3 ½ hours of county roads and state routes. It was awful! In fact, I was never so happy to see I85 in my life. Well, we finally made it home and were in bed by 3:05. Luckily, Myer let us sleep til 8 that morning.  Like I said earlier, he is a champ!

Myer-6 months

So, that was our first family vacation and as I told Chad, it will be one that we never forget. Oh, and to top it all off, we had our credit card number stolen too.  I hope our next vacation to Disney has a better outcome. After all, isn’t it where dreams come true!

Lights, Camera, Action!

 It was August 15 at 8:00am on my way to work that I got a call from Christopher Gray Casting. They had seen a picture of Myer and wanted to interview him for an upcoming role in the movie “What to Expect When Expecting”, staring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, and others. Immediately, I thought we may have the next Macaulay Culkin, and I could even visualize his name in the credits slowly scrolling up the screen. I was flattered to say the least that a reputable casting agency had chosen my baby to audition. I mean, we all think our children are the cutest in the world, but for someone else to choose your child amongst potentially thousands of others is a real compliment.

Well, my mom and I drove Myer to the set that afternoon to meet Mr. Kirk Jones, the director. By the way, he has directed others movies like Nanny McPhee, Everybody’s Fine, and Waking Ned. We didn’t get to meet Mr. Jones right away though because he was in the middle of filming a scene with Chris Rock.  It took an hour to film one scene of just him walking through the park.

 I started to appreciate actors a little more that day because of the length of time it takes to film. Anyways, Myer and two other babies waited very patiently for their chance at stardom. Finally, we were on. 

On the set, "What to Expect, When Expecting".
The blonde lady has the child that ended up getting the role.

All the moms carried their babies to the director and he took one look and said thank you and that we would be notified the following day if we got the part. Well, Tuesday went by and nothing. I knew they were filming the scene on Thursday so I figured if we didn’t get the call by at least Wednesday, we were not what they wanted. Wednesday, came and went and again nothing. Thursday, the same.  Well, then I started convincing myself that they were behind in filming. If it took an hour to film one scene, then they were for sure backed up. Finally, I got a hold of the two other moms and was told that one of the babies had gotten called on Friday. This baby was the biggest of the three and had the most hair, so I was thinking that Myer just didn’t resemble the actor they wanted to pair him up with. Oh well, our tiny piece of Hollywood was gone. However, Myer did get a $30 paycheck in the mail for his 1 ½ hours of time that day for the interview. How many people can say that their 5 month old earned $20/hr?  I bet not too many! At any rate, we put that pay stub in his baby book and can’t wait to tell him of the adventure we had that day. I also think my days at being a stage mom are over because I prefer sporting events to movies anyways. Hopefully, our next experience will be on a field or court or both!



Forget Movies, here is my future sports star!



 



Holy Crab!



Lights, Camera, Action!

It was August 15 at 8:00am on my way to work that I got a call from Christopher Gray Casting. They had seen a picture of Myer and wanted to interview him for an upcoming role in the movie “What to Expect When Expecting”, staring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, and others. Immediately, I thought we may have the next Macaulay Culkin, and I could even visualize his name in the credits slowly scrolling up the screen. I was flattered to say the least that a reputable casting agency had chosen my baby to audition. I mean, we all think our children are the cutest in the world, but for someone else to choose your child amongst potentially thousands of others is a real compliment.

Well, my mom and I drove Myer to the set that afternoon to meet Mr. Kirk Jones, the director. By the way, he has directed others movies like Nanny McPhee, Everybody’s Fine, and Waking Ned. We didn’t get to meet Mr. Jones right away though because he was in the middle of filming a scene with Chris Rock.  It took an hour to film one scene of just him walking through the park. I started to appreciate actors a little more that day because of the length of time it takes to film. Anyways, Myer and two other babies waited very patiently for their chance at stardom. Finally, we were on. All the moms carried their babies to the director and he took one look and said thank you and that we would be notified the following day if we got the part. Well, Tuesday went by and nothing. I knew they were filming the scene on Thursday so I figured if we didn’t get the call by at least Wednesday, we were not what they wanted. Wednesday, came and went and again nothing. Thursday, the same.  Well, then I started convincing myself that they were behind in filming. If it took an hour to film one scene, then they were for sure backed up. Finally, I got a hold of the two other moms and was told that one of the babies had gotten called on Friday. This baby was the biggest of the three and had the most hair, so I was thinking that Myer just didn’t resemble the actor they wanted to pair him up with. Oh well, our tiny piece of Hollywood was gone. However, Myer did get a $30 paycheck in the mail for his 1 ½ hours of time that day for the interview. How many people can say that their 5 month old earned $20/hr?  I bet not too many! At any rate, we put that pay stub in his baby book and can’t wait to tell him of the adventure we had that day. I also think my days at being a stage mom are over because I prefer sporting events to movies anyways. Hopefully, our next experience will be on a field or court or both!

Mrs. Judy's House

We’ve hit another milestone in Myer’s life that I felt the need to blog about since he has taken his first steps (figuratively of course) towards socialization. On Monday, Aug. 1 at 5 months of age, Myer started daycare outside the home. While he seemed to take it all in stride, I was not as thrilled to leave him as you may imagine. Ultimately, the empty feeling brought back NICU memories when I had to leave the hospital each night without him. Now with that said, I seemed to get through that difficult period so I know I will persevere once again in due time.  It will just take some adjusting to the new routine.

Myer’s daycare is not actually a daycare like you’re probably thinking. He is actually being cared for by a woman in her 60s in her home with 4 other children. I found her online and her references spoke volumes about her experience. She has been in the business for at least 15 years, so she has seen it all. Right now, she cares for all boys and her 6 year old granddaughter so Myer is amply entertained throughout the day. In fact, I think he was sad to go yesterday since our home is “boring” compared to the liveliness of Judy’s playhouse. At least that is what I keep telling myself so that it gets easier to drop him off each morning.

I drop Myer off around 7:45 in the morning and then watch the clock throughout the day counting the hours til I leave to pick him up. I usually get there just before 5:30. Currently, she feeds him 3 bottles while he is there, but I know that will change as his food intake expands. Speaking of food, we have started him on rice cereal and fruit and let me tell you … he is not a fan.  I can definitely see some improvements, but we still have a long way to go.  So far, he has tried apples, peaches, carrots, sweat potatoes, and bananas. I think his favorite may be sweet potatoes, which is very odd since Chad and I do not dig the orange starch.

I’ll provide more updates as Myer’s daycare days continue, but until then I only have 7 hours and 29 min til I pick him back up today!! Good thing I’m busy at work or else I don’t know how I’d make it through the day.

Born in the USA

Happy 4^th of July! This was Myer’s 2^nd official holiday so as you can imagine he was pumped to celebrate. We participated in our neighborhood parade by decorating Myer’s stroller with a flag and then we had an all-American cook-out at the pool. Of course, Myer didn’t get to partake in the hamburgers and hotdogs, but he had a couple bottles of milk while we were there. He also was not able to take a dip in the pool yet because it was too crowded and he hasn’t been given the all clear to wear sunscreen. That doesn’t come til he hits 6 months, which is still two months away. It looks like he’ll have to wait til next pool season to start swimming.

Speaking of sleep, we transitioned Myer to his crib in his own room a couple nights ago and so far, he is doing better than expected. Not that he is a bad sleeper, but I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t move him by choice either because I loved having him right next to me in his bassinet, but he had reached the maximum weight limit and he was growing too fast in length also. Anyways, the first night we put him in his bed, he slept 6 hours and he loved it. He thinks the teddy bears that circle above his head are the funniest guys in the world.  He wakes up laughing at how silly they are. Then the other morning, I came in to find him kicking and rolling his soccer ball around the crib with a huge smile on his face. That brought a warm feeling to my heart that we may have a soccer player in the making. I wanted to get the video camera and record it for ESPN just in case they needed some baby footage of him someday, (just in case he ended up famous)J, but I was having too much fun watching him that I didn’t want to miss a minute. I’m sure there will be plenty more opportunities to catch him in action. I’ll just have to be better about carrying the video camera around with me everywhere I go from here on out.

My Favorite Picture Yet- 14wks

In closing, I want to thank all our military families for the sacrifice they make on a daily basis because we couldn’t live the awesome lives we do without you. We are forever grateful and are extremely proud to call America our home because of you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and Happy 4^th of July to everyone!





All American Boy-15wks 5 days



Pregnancy Photos

Let me clarify...I'm not pregnant again. I just wanted to include some of these pictures so I could look back and see just how big I was at different stages of my pregnancy. This post really should be at the beginning.

20 weeks 12/13/10

26wks 1/29/11

32wks 3/5/11

Life with Kids



Sweet Dreams



I thought as time elapsed the thought of having a child would start sinking in, but I still look in amazement at the miracle we brought into this world. Everything about him from his cute little nose to his perfect smile make me more and more proud that we created something that wonderful. I never expected the love that I would develop for him, let alone how much it would grow each day going forward. We have only known him for 13 weeks and I can't even imagine our life prior to his existence. When I was pregnant I heard how much kids change peoples' lives and a lot of the times the advice was not given with the most positive tone. I know today that Myer has changed our life, but his innocence, unconditional love, and smiles have been worth all the change in the world and I would do it again in a heartbeat. So, if anyone tries to paint that same dark picture of "life with kids" for you, just remember, it is what you make it. We are still able to do everything we did before and if we can't, it isn't worth doing anyways. One of our favorite things to do now is take Myer with us in public. Just being able to show him off gives us the gratitude we realized we had so desperately seeked before. There is no movie, concert, game, or vacation that will equate to the satisfaction we have when we are with our son. All of those outings will still be there in years to come, but you only get to live the milestones with your child once. That is why every minute we have with Myer is cherished!   
 

Our Beautiful Baby Boy

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work I go!

Well, I have officially survived my 3^rd day back at work. It has been difficult each day because I feel like I’m losing precious time with my buddy, but I also feel good knowing that he is getting some quality time with his grandmothers. Things at work have been hectic with the recent acquisition of our competitor. However, I feel as though I never left and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of knowledge I retained while away. Now, I just need to work on my energy levels late in the day. Right around 3pm, I feel the urge to curl up on the sofa with Myer and take our afternoon nap (or at least hold him while he snoozes). I am sure my body will get use to the 7 interrupted hours of sleep, but it will probably take some time since I was more accustomed to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep before Myer and work. With that said though, I would not trade my 7 hours for anything in the world. I love my little guy and I thoroughly enjoy seeing his smiling face  even at 3 in the morning. He is the most precious gift and I can honestly say that I’ve never looked more forward to a weekend before in my life. I can’t wait to spend all day Saturday and Sunday being a full-time mom again.

10 Week Update

Myer is 10 weeks today! I'm not sure of his exact weight and height, but as of last week, he was measuring 11lbs 5 oz and 22 1/2 inches. The doctor said he had finally made it into the 25-50th% percentile in both weight and height. He is quite the overachiever since he gained 2lbs in 2wks and has almost tripled his birth weight. The requirements were a pound a month and to double his birth weight by month 4. At this rate, Myer will be a whopping 16-17lbs when he is 4 months old. Let's see how close I am in 6 weeks when that day comes.

Myer having his first play date

Speaking of days coming, I am closing in on my last week at home with Myer. My 12 week maternity leave has been everything I had ever hoped for. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to spend such quality time with my son. While I know he won't ever remember these days, they will  always have a lasting impression on me. I have found that being a mom is a wonderful and fulfilling job, but I know my career is equally important. Having Myer appreciate his "working mom" and him feeling confident in my business knowledge later when he needs counseling or advice will satisfy me enough to continue on with my life outside the home. Now, I'm not saying it is going to be easy because I know June 6 will be one of the hardest days of my life. Driving away, knowing that someone else is taking care of my baby will be difficult considering it took us 5 years to get him here. With that said though, the first 2 months of transition should be easier since my parents will be caring for Myer. Timing worked out perfectly because my parents are on summer break.. However, when summer is over, Myer will be attending his first daycare. That is another day that I won't look forward to, but again, I realize the importance for me and our family.

This is my favorite picture so far

So as I wrap up my "stay at home mom" period, I would be remiss if I didn't say good-bye to all my daytime friends. Luke, I hope you finally make it into rehab on General Hospital. To Elisabeth Hasslebeck, I hope for your sake on the View that we get a Republican president in 2012. And, to one of my favorites of all time,Oprah...thank you for keeping me occupied between the hours of 4-5 each day while I was home. As a side note, it just so happens that today was Oprah's last show. Maybe I can see if she is interested in keeping Myer in her spare time. :)

A Tribute to an Amazing Man

It is with a heavy heart today that I document in my blog the passing of one of the most amazing doctors I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Our fertility specialist, Dr. Hilton Kort, passed away from cancer on May 6th. We were so blessed that God put us in his path and that is why today I can write this blog about our beautiful baby boy. Myer and Dr. Kort will always be sentimentally attached and therefore, Dr. Kort will always be a significant part of our lives. I am sad though for all the struggling couples that will never have the opportunity to be touched by Dr. Kort, but his memory will live on in our son!

A simple thank you is just not enough, so I hope God continues to bless Dr. Kort up in heaven and all the children he is living through down here on Earth.

Dr. Hilton Kort

                                                             God Bless You, Dr. Kort!

The Longest 5 Years of our Lives


Today, people tell me not to dwell on the trials and tribulations of the past and just enjoy my precious gift, but I think this post is too important not to share.

As most of you already know, Chad and I were victims of the infertility epidemic that plagues so many couples. We battled the monster for 5 long years but we're fortunate enough to have slayed it in the end. However, that slaying didn't come easy and we definitely endured battle scars along the way, but I can honestly say though that our faith for God and love for one another was never contested. Those two vital components were what helped us become victorious in the end. Of course, we had our fair share of medical treatments also but nothing would have been possible without our constant prayer.

Chad and I started our quest back in 2005. I won't go into all the private details, but I do want to recount the endless efforts of clomid treatments, 3 IUIs, and 4 IVF cycles. We tried everything short of donor eggs. You see, all the tests were leaning more towards my egg quality not being sufficient enough. Everything on Chad's side checked out okay, so I was starting to feel like the weakest link in this equation, but I was not a fan of having someone else's eggs. It just wasn't what I had dreamed and prayed for all those years. I wanted to be able to gaze at my baby and wonder if he had mine or Chad's eyes, nose, fingers, etc. With eggs from a donor, I wouldn't have been able to do that and would have always wondered what our child's features and personality would have turned out to be.

Therefore, we continued to try different methods and protocols from the doctors. We started with the less invasive treatment of Clomid. It is a hormone medicine to help with ovulation. As we later found out though, ovulation wasn't my problem and that is why the Clomid failed to work.

From there, we were recommended to see the infertility team at Atlanta Center for Reproductive Medicine (ACRM). We tired 3 IUIs, also as known as artificial insemination, but again, no luck. Our once optimisic outlook on having a baby was starting to be challenged because no one could really tell us what was going wrong. I had done plently of tests but nothing suggested we should be having this difficult of a time. I mean, I was young (27) and my AMH (egg quality level) was only slightly elevated. I had taken a somewhat questionable chemo medicine 6 years prior for my kidney disease, but all the specialists reassured me that this should not be impacting my fertility. So, we continued to try but still to no avail.

While at ACRM, I became close with the receptionist since I was going there sometimes twice a week. Her name was Nancy and she was going through something much more devastating. She had breast cancer years ago and unfortunately it had come back with a vengeance this time. The bottom line was she was dying. I still remember her telling me to "keep smiling" as she left the office in her brittle state for the last time.

Nancy Dibble

 She was my inspiration through this. I kept telling myself that if Nancy could smile through death, I could smile though a couple procedures. I still think about her today and how she is probably smiling down on me, saying, "I told you!"

Shortly after Nancy's death, Chad and I decided to mix things up a bit. We had already done 3 IUIs, and 3 IVF procedures with ACRM. We only had one success off an IVF cycle that unfortunately ended in miscarriage at 6 weeks. We were devastated, so I decided that we needed to start from scratch with a different clinic and protocol. That is how we ended up at Reproductive Biology Associates (RBA).

I love the motto: "Go Big, or Go Home" so I decided that our next doctor would be the best in Atlanta. His name is Hilton Kort and the first time we met him, we knew there was something special about this man. First, it just so happened that my mother-in-law had seen him 30 years ago during her own struggle. Next, he was an avid runner and Chad quickly bonded with him over triathalon stories. And lastly, I was impressed with his vignette online about helping women that haven't found success at other fertility clinics. He was the missing piece to our puzzle, so we jumped right into our 4th IVF cycle. Dr. Kort changed everything we had done before at ACRM. He had us both on antibiotics in the beginning. Then all the stimulation shots were changed for me. Before, I was taking Bravelle and Menopur but this time I was on Follistim, Menopur, and Ganarilex. I was also ordered to take Lovenox (a blood thinner) to help with possible clotting issues that may have caused my last miscarriage. Little did I know that this would be a shot everyday for the next 10 months, but I was ready for anything. Dr. Kort also mentioned the possibility of testing our embryos for hereditary problems. This would be risky though because the procedure was fairly new and there was a possibility that our embryos wouldn't make it through the testing. In the end though, we decided not to do the test because I only had 5 good embryos. The cut-off for the test was 6. Plus, we had two outstanding, picture perfect embabies. The world-renown embryologist, Dr. Nagy, advised us to go ahead with the transfer instead of gambling with the genetic testing. I thought that was noble of him since he would have been able to use our embryos to gain knowledge in his field. After that discussion with Dr. Nagy and Dr. Kort, I knew we were finally in the right hands. They were more concerned with our happiness than their own agendas.

We decided on Aug. 8, 2010, that we would transfer the two "picture perfect" blastocysts hoping that at least one would "stick". Well, we know the rest of the story because Myer was born 33 weeks and 6 days later on March 16, 2011.

I credit our miracle to Dr.Kort and Dr. Nagy's extensive knowledge, Nancy's positive outlook on life, my accupuncturist's talents, our family's prayers, and both mine and Chad's trust in the Lord. For example, when we were in the midst of our struggles, I prayed to God and asked that He show me a sign letting me know His direction for me in this journey. Well, the sign that I got was a bare white bumper sticker on a car in front of me at the stop light that I was praying. It simply said, "Expect a Miracle". From that point on, I did just what the message said and today, I have my miracle to show for it.

Bumper Sticker that read, "Expect a Miracle"

I know this will sound like a commercial, but if you are someone you know is going through infertility, I am always here to help in any way I possibly can. I feel that maybe that was the reason I was chosen for this journey. I have kept journal entries, timelines, medicine side effect logs, and I even started writing a book to one day help someone the same way the women that went before me helped ease my uncertainities. If there is one thing I can say about this whole process, it is to "keep smiling and never give up"!

A Couple of "Firsts"

Well, I decided to combine two big events into one post since I'm already behind on keeping this blog updated. I'm finding that time is limited with a newborn. Go figure. :) By the way, for a quick update on Myer's growth, he weighed a whopping 9lbs 3oz on Tuesday May 3. That is in the 10th percentile for newborns, but if he were measured against other preemies like him, he would be a big boy in comparison. However, that is not how the chart works so we have to go by the full-term newborn averages. Anyways, at any rate, Myer is making great strides and we are very thrilled with his progress. It won't be too long and he'll be bigger than me.

So, back to the real reason for the post....

We celebrated Myer's first Easter a couple of weeks ago.  Because we hadn't gotten the "all clear" to take Myer out in public yet, we decided to have the family over to our house for a nice, easy cook-out. The day couldn't have been prettier and Myer really enjoyed looking through his first Easter basket.

Checking out what the Easter Bunny (aka Aunt Lindsay) brought

I think his favorite toys were the two rattles from his aunt Lindsay. He loves to hit them while laying in his bassinet. I just hope this violent behavior doesn't carry over to his terrible twos. That could be trouble for us! :)



Mother's Day with all my "kids" and my wonderful husband

 The next holiday was a very special day for me. I finally got to celebrate my first Mother's Day. It was such a proud day for me knowing that I was able to finally participate in a holiday I had started to dread during my years of infertility. We didn't really do anything too special, but just holding my little guy during the day reminded me of the miracle he truly was and how happy he will make me for the rest of my life.


He is the gift that will keep on giving!


Mother's Day 2011




Everytime he looks up at me with those big eyes that are starting to resemble mine or is calmed by the sound of my voice, I will cherish the blessing of becoming a mom. So, while I celebrated my first Mother's Day today on May 8, 2011, I won't take my new role for granted and everyday will be a day for rejoice in knowing that Myer has made me the happiest mom in the world.

Two Weeks in the NICU

First night in the extreme care NICU

Imagine waiting 5 years to have a baby and then being told that you can't take him home after you give birth. Well, that is exactly what happened in our story. Shortly after Myer was born, he was whisked away to the intensive care unit because he was premature and only 4lbs 12oz. He was immediately hooked up to oxygen to help with his breathing, but by the end of the night, he was only getting minimal assistance. However because he was so early he hadn't had time to grasp the feeding concept yet, so he needed a feeding tube to eat. I didn't know until now but newborns actually learn the sucking and swallowing technique in the womb and since Myer came out 6 weeks early he never had time to learn it. Therefore, he was eating (as we liked to say) "through the nose".

For the first couple of days, Myer spent time in the more critical intensive care unit, but very quickly he was moved to a more normal special care nursery. By that time, I was getting ready to be discharged from the hospital with mixed feelings about leaving. Of course, I wanted to go home, but how could I leave my baby? I really had no choice though. I mean, I couldn't live at the hospital and obviously, Myer wasn't ready to come home. So, reluctantly, we headed home without our new bundle of joy. Looking back though, we came to understand that the NICU stay was a blessing in disguise. I say this because our bathroom renovation was not completed and we were taking refuge at my parents. It just wouldn't have been the same if we weren't able to bring Myer home to his room first before bringing him home to a different location. Plus, we were able to get a good nights sleep each day and prepare for Myer's arrival.  So, with that said, the NICU was best.

My home away from home

It was difficult at first. I spent 8 hours a day in a small cube of a room just holding and feeding my new son. I never wanted to leave him so I went without lunch for many days. It was my secret to losing my excess baby weight. :) Myer and I bonded daily but it was still very sad to leave him behind every night. We had a lot of visitors which helped the time go by fast, but two weeks is still a long time to be without your baby. I pray for all those mothers that are still rocking their babies to sleep outside the comforts of their home. In fact, there was one particular baby in a room beside Myer's that was 5 months old. Can you even imagine the stress that those parents endure? It is heartbreaking and I am very empathic to their situation. I guess that is the part of the lesson that God needed to share with me. There is always someone that has it harder than you, so be thankful for your situation, whatever it may be.

Anyways, Myer had to pass a couple of tests before he could be released. First, he had to take 8 bottles in a 24hr period. That meant no tube feedings. This would prove to be the most challenging task for him because he would get tired very easily. Who know that eating was such hard work?
 

Taking a bottle

Next, he had to sit in his car seat for 90min without dropping his heart rate or breathing pattern. He passed this with flying colors on his first try. And last but not least, he had to gain weight. 5lbs was a target, but not a necessity.  Chad and I also had a test of our own. We had to take an infant CPR class because of his preemie state.  Well, about two weeks into his stay, everything came together. So, finally on April 1, 2011, Myer left his temporary home and was released to us.

It was so nice to actually leave the hospital with him in my arms. It was a day I had wanted for so long and it was everything I imagined. I still think about the nurses in the NICU and how they helped my little boy grow. There are some special people in this world and they are amongst the best. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet so many great people throughout this experience. I also thank all of the visitors that came to see me during those long days. You made such an impact, and I am forever grateful for your company.
Thank you and God Bless You!

 





Labor and Delivery

 
 It was Monday March 14, 2011, and I got a call from my doctor that I was going to be admitted to the hospital for the remaining 6 weeks of my pregnancy due to concerns with preeclampsia. This was also the day our master bathroom renovation (we had so carefully scheduled around the birth of our baby) was starting. Little did we know, Myer had other plans....


Chad spent the night in the hospital with me on Monday and left for work that morning. This was going to be our new routine for the next 6 weeks, but at least the hospital presented a closer commute for Chad. I, on the other hand, would just work from my hospital bed and continue to carry on remotely.



Tuesday evening while my parents were checking out our new "home", I got a surprise visit from a doctor. She informed me that my recent test results looked elevated and that a decision was made to start an induction process tomorrow morning. The look on mine and my parent's face must have been one for the photo album because the news caught us so off guard. Never, did we expect to hear that news so soon! I had only just checked in to the hospital the day before and my bed wasn't even broken in. I went from anticipating a 6 week stay to having the baby 6 weeks early. 

The last day I'd be pregnant

I called Chad to break the news and asked that he run by the house for Myer's clothes. We hadn't even really put together a bag for him, but I did have one outfit that I wanted him to wear home. Chad arrived around 8pm that evening, and we took the rest of the night to let reality sink in that we would be parents tomorrow after 5 long years of waiting so anxiously.



I was rolled down to labor and delivery that night since it would be an early morning affair. My family hung out with us to help pass the time, but by 11pm everyone was gone leaving us to reflect on what would transpire tomorrow. I remember thinking how much our world was about to change and how this was one of the last nights for a while that it would just be the two of us. It was such a surreal moment, and I loved the idea of sharing Chad with his new son. We were really going to be a family in just a few short hours. 

Taking the trip down to labor and delivery



 

Then I was hooked  up to a magnesium sulfate drip. This precautionary procedure was needed because of my preeclampsia risk. The doctors didn't want me to have a seizure from elevated blood pressure, so this horrible medicine was suppose to protect me against any complications. I guess the positives of the medicine outweighed the side effects because I felt misearble that night. I was so hot, and if you know me at all, you know I live in a blanket year round. I had bags of ice on my head to bring my body temperature down because I thought I could explode from the heat radiating off me. The medicine also tortured me through sleep depreviation because while it made you sleepy, it wouldn't let you sleep. Therefore, I really didn't get any rest the night before the biggest day of my life and I began to think how would I ever get through it.



 Wednesday, March 16 2011


The actual induction process began at 7:30am with a slow petocin drip. Both my family and Chad's family arrived at the hospital shortly after. The excitement was more than I had ever imagined, but there was also a level of uncertainity after our families realized the hard night I had endured with no sleep. I could see the concern on everyone's face because they were all a little unsure how the day would transpire given my low energy level.





The family arriving early Wednesday morning


  At 9:30am, Dr. Parker came to check the progress of the petocin and unfortunately I was still a measly 1cm dilated. 

It's a Boy!

It was at that time that she decided to break my water to slightly speed up the process and I instantly hit 3cm. I was having contractions, but then again, I was had been having contractions for the last 2 weeks.  

That is what landed me in the hospital the first time a week before. The contractions were not painful so the need for an epidural was still a ways off. Around 11:20 am, I started having a little more feeling and  I casually asked the nurses to order my epidural since it would take 15 min to
 get to my room. In the meantime, the nurse gave me a pain medicine to hold me off until the epidural arrived. Well, 5 min into getting that pain med, I went into active labor.


Grandparents watching over their new grandson


At 11:25am, I had the urge to push and called the nurses to get the doctor. I think the nurse thought I was crying wolf but when she checked my dilation, she realized Myer was defintely on his way and on his way fast! Dr. Parker flew into the room, and I pushed 4 times before Myer Christian entered the world at 11:47am. Labor and delivery were officially over and I survived with no epidural, no sleep, and no childbirth classes.

   

 

First time seeing Myer

 

A proud father

   It is remarkable what your body will do on its own. I give thanks to God for getting me through that ordeal. I know He blessed me with a short delivery and looking back, I'm glad I never had an opportunity for the epidural either. I can now say, I know what it feels like to give birth naturally.

 

  

We made it!