We're going to Disney World!

The Starliners were accepted to perform at Walt Disney World June 27,2011.
Madeline is over the moon about this. The girls worked so hard learning the rountine in a few weeks. I'm one proud momma!

1 month old

No no no it cannot be! My baby is already a month old. Ain't he a cutie pie? Boy has he grown like a weed. He is already out of new born sized clothes. My girls seemed to be in that size for ages. He is such a strong lil man with great neck,and head control. Some days I still cannot believe that he is here and that I have my son. I just love saying those words...my son. After two girls a little boy is such a nice change and I hope that Charlie and my nephew who is a couple of years older than him will become great friends.

Ho Ho Ho

We went to the mall today, I needed my Santa pic. Figured it would be best to do it now while Ed is still at home with me. I think Santa was a tad nervous with Charlie only being 17 days old though. I was floored by the cost of the photos they are getting insane. We got the biggest package its saving grace was that it included the photos on a flash drive and a $20 gift card to shutterfly. So all in all it wasn't that bad since I know that the gift card will be used towards my Christmas cards. The kids also got those on-line Shining Star stuffed toys just for seeing the Man in Red, beaths the candy canes that I got when I was little.

My cousin took photos of the kiddies today. Both Christmas ones of all the kids and newborn shots of Charlie. I cannot wait to see them!

Awwwwww

Boy have the hospital pics changed since I had the girls. Yes this is the photo I got from the hospital photographer. They are a far cry from these;

I was shocked when the photo cart was wheeled into my room and the girl did the pictures right there on my bed. It was nice though getting a choice of what picture I wanted and having them posted on line later that same day. Thankfully with the free wi-fi in the hospital I am able to share these right away.

He's here!

Welcome to the world Charles Edward!
Born: Thursday, November 11, 2010. 9:18am, 7 lbs 4 oz, 19.75 inches long.
Healthy and totally perfect in every way. Ain't he a cutie?

It was a long c/s, almost twice as long as a normal one due to the scar tissue from my previous births. But it was so worth the wait. I got my son out of it, how I love saying my son.


He is the finishing touch to our family. The girls simply adore him and are totally smitten my him. They argue about who loves him the most and daddy couldn't be any happier with him. Don't let his expression fool you he was just nervous about the whole newborn, day of birth thing

See he really is happy, this was taken a couple of hours later


It was a beautiful day the day he was born, sunny and unseasonably warm. We just don't have 54 degree days here in Buffalo in November. Hopefully it is an omen of good things to come!

Also Happy Birthday Auntie Julie! Yes my little one shares a birthday with my sister. I think I now have the birthday gift of all time to beat.

It is November YAY

Finally the month I have been waiting for has arrived. In 10 days at the latest Charlie will be here woot woot. Wow. 10 days, that seems like nothing at all, but I am sure they will seem like an eternity to me. I so cannot wait to meet him, and cover him with kisses!

I also snagged another gift for him from Swagbucks, a portable swing.

Swagtastic Month

Holy crap I earned enough Swag Bucks this month to get $50 in Amazon gift cards! ARe you Swagging yet?

Oh happy day!

Before
and after

Yes after 11 years of the world's fugliest kitchen floor, harvest gold, brown & white pitted vinyl. I have a new floor! Isn't it pretty? I hope to attack the walls next and get rid of that dark brown panneling. Thanks to my darling husband and step dad for installing it. I love it!

Thank you Swag Bucks

Again I have to say thanks. This is one of those things that I wanted but didn't want to spend my own money on. Now because of you I just ordered it from Amazon.

Date and time set

Boy or boy does this seem more real now. My c/s is scheduled. At a few minutes after 8:30 am on Thursday November 11, 2010 I will be meeting my baby boy! SQUEE!!!!!! I have to be at the hospital by 6:30 am. I cannot wait!

One more thing down courtesy of Swag Bucks

Yes another item that I recieved thanks to Swag Bucks!
I swear that site is saving me a FORTUNE on baby items that I need.

26 weeks 2 days

Hit the 26 week mark and had another appointment this morning. BONUS got another sono! I love seeing my little guy, and as you can see there is no mistaking that he is a boy at all. He loved to show off his parts. I am told that he is measuring a little big, has long legs and is 2 lbs 7 oz. That scares me a bit since my girls were tiny. (5#13 & 6#14) This might be a normal sized baby. He looks healthy has a nice strong heart beat, what more could I ask for.

The NP that I seen today was the best ever. She let Lilly hold the doppler to find Charlie's heartbeat and she let Madeline measure my uterus. She even gave the girls mini tape measures to keep for being such a help. They loved playing doctor. I was also able to put in my request for the date of my c-section. I asked for Nov. 11th, she plugged it into the computer and said that it shouldn't be a problem and that I will get a call to confirm the date for sure, Woo hoo! It is so exciting to have a date! The 11th is also my sister Julie's birthday and follows in the birthday on a holiday thing that Ed's family has going. The girls will have off from school so that is one less worry for me on that front. Now just to count down the days!

I love love love Swagbucks!

I highly recomend this search engine to EVERYONE!
Please sign up using my referral link here SWAG BUCKS

You get "bucks" just from everyday searches, taking a daily poll, doing surveys, filling out offers. I almost have enough for my next item I want to get, one of those stationary saucers.

I just ordered these items from amazon.com and got them for FREE using swagbucks! I just traded in my swag bucks for amazon gift cards, placed my order and in a couple of days they will be on my door step

She's so sweet

We had Madeline's birthday party yesterday. In addition to her gifts she got some money to spend as well. Well after swimming lessons today she wanted to go to Target and go shopping. She headed straight for the toy aisle and picked out this...



She said that she wants to buy it for Charlie, and that she wants to use her own money to buy it because this presemt is just from her. She asked me if I thought that he'll like it. I told her that I am sure that he will LOVE it, and it will be one of his most favorite toys.

I thought that was so sweet of her to think of him first. She then went on to pick out a few things for herself too.

Great find!

Yesterday was such a beautiful afternoon so we took the kids and went to a local Antique Mall and flea market. I cannot remember the last time we were there but on Saturday I told Ed that I'd like to go out there. Must of been fate telling me to go. Ten years ago while pregnant with Madeline we were at the same location and I fell in love with an antique high chair. We thought that we'd hit the stand again on our way out so we didn't have to carry it around the whole place. (It is huge several buildings, stands, people out on blankets) Well I think you can guess what happened, it was gone and I was kicking myself.

Yesterday I walked into one of the Antique Shoppes and in a back corner I spied one. Of course there was no price tag on it, so Ed went to find the owner and we all got to talking. The price was right so we grabbed it. I am so excited! We brought it home and I cleaned it up and think it looks fantastic. I cannot wait until Charlie is old enough to use it.

Only Lilly

Oy vey!
At swimming lessons today they announced that they were taking nominations for the Life guard of the week for the upcoming week, and that if you want to nominate your teacher to please go to the first aid station to do so at the end of class. Well Lillian just totally loves one of her teachers a kid named Adam so she said she wants him to get the award. She goes up to the desk and say's that she thinks that Mr. Adam should get the award because "he's good looking", she then told one of her little friends there to do the same. The whole guard house got a huge laugh out of it, several of them came up to me later on at the pool to tell me all about it. The girl that runs the pool came up to Lilly later on that day and told her to go tell Adam that he'd be chosen as the Life guard of the week. On the sly she told me that she cannot wait until Monday at swim class to announce it because she is going to have Lilly come up to the PA and tell everyone why she nominated Adam in the first place.

I shopped!

Well now it really seems offical I made my first baby purchase this evening. I hope Charlie will like it. I was browsing Amazon looking at crib bedding and came across this set. It was on sale 64% off and with all the giftcards that I have won from Swagbucks I traded them in and paid half of what the cost was. Thank you Swagbucks!

It's a ......

It's a.... video of the ultra sound

I am beyond excited at the fact that I am having a son! I was so hoping that this little one was going to be a boy. I dreamt that it was a boy and now I see that dreams really can come true!

Novemeber cannot get here fast enough, I can't wait to hold him in my arms and cover him with kisses! My little Charlie. I love you!

How was your weekend?

Mine sucked! I spent it in the hospital :(
but first a photowhore of Sprout





Friday morning I was very constipated and thought when I bore down to try to poop that I pulled something since I got an almost instant pain in my back. I called my doctor's office and hey told me to come right on in. The NP that I seen there thought that I maybe had a herniated disc and sent me home with ice it and medicated it for pain instructions. About and hour after that I had some bladder pressure I just couldn't uninate, if I did it was only a drop or too, yet I felt this constant "I need to pee" feeling. Maybe an hour after that I started vomiting. This continued for maybe another hour before I called my office again and said that I was in earlier for the back pain, now this other stuff started, I was told that maybe the vomiting was a result of the pain I was in.

The vomiting didn't stop and I started bring up bile. (fun) I could hardly walk I was weak, dizzy, and I told my husband that I wanted to go to the ER. We called my mom dropped of my youngest with her since my aunt had taken my older daughter out for a bit. As I was slowly walking into the ER a nurse rushed out and met me with a wheel chair. I guess I looked bad, I didn't even have to wait in the waiting room as they took me right back to a room. A room where I stayed for another 4 and a half hours vomiting before I was offically admitted. I was given some anti nausea meds and pumped with a crap load of IV fluids to rehydrate me. They gave me a shot of some wonderful drug that took away all my pain and made me sleepy. Although I didn't really sleep all that well.

Once I was settled in my room my husband had to leave, and he felt so guilty for doing so. I told him not too worry that I'd rather him be home and comfortable than stuck in a chair all night watching me get poked and prodded every couple of hours. Besides he needed to get the girls in the morning and take them to his parents 40th anniversary party. I wanted things to be as normal as possible for the kids.

Long story short I was kept in all day Saturday and Sunday and finally released this morning. I am so glad to be home. I am feeling 100% better and don't want to go back there until I am delivering my baby.

Oh yeah throughout all of this Sprout's heart rate was 143-144 and still wouldn't show us the goods when I had my ultra sound.

duh I should of added this to my post, hardly slept in the past 72 hours. Turns out I have a kidney infection, and with all the vomiting it caused severe dehydration. I was pumped full if IV antibotics and sent home on an oral course too.

NT Scan

I had my NT Scan today 12 weeks and 2 days along, everything looked good from the ultra sound part all measurements were within the normal range. I have to wait a couple of days for the bloodwork results to come back but I am not expecting any problems there either.

The morning sickness has passed YAY! I still am real tired though. Most likely from not being able to get into a comfortable position at night, and the waking up to pee. Right now I am madly craving some Chipolte but the nearest one is over a half hour away and I don't want to go out. Maybe for lunch tomorrow if I feel up to it.

Welcome to the fetus club.

Well I'm 9 weeks today, welcome to the fetus club!

I don't know pregnancy seemed way easier in my 20's than my 30's. I don't recall being this tired the first two times around. My morning sickness comes and goes I have my good days and my bad. I have been having some trouble getting comfortable while trying to fall asleep. Par for the course. I go to the doctor tomorrow for my 1st real appointment.

Lilly is so excited, she makes sure to give my belly a hug and a kiss everyday. She really wants a little brother too. She tells me there are too many girls in the house. Madeline is spending time searching for that perfect name for her brother or sister. I think it is so cute she is such a name nerd just like her mommy. Right now her favorite for a girl is Margaret, and I have to admit it is kind of growing on me. Only time will tell if this little one has an innie or an outie.

It's a baby!

Well there are no doubts about it, there is for sure a bun in the oven. And shockingly I measured at 7 weeks. I was thinking I was about 5 but 7 wow! That makes the baby's due date Nov. 15, 2010. I got to see it's little heart beating, it was at 143 bpm. Truely such an amazing site to see. I am so very excited about this now. We told the girls and they are happy. Lilly is so excited to be a big sister, she wants a baby brother, I think Madeline is leaning towards another sister.

Still seeing double

2 lines that is. I took the other home test that came in the box this morning just to be really really sure. Sure enough they were there. Wow this is really happening, I'm pregnant again. Boy it has been so long since the last time. Lilly is almost 6 now, Madeline will be 9. Oy! I don't have any baby stuff except for the crib/ bed. What an adventure this will be. I called the doctor and have an appointment to get a sonogram to determine my due date on the 29th. I can't wait!

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

What a shock I got today, two pink lines when I peeded on a little stick. The thought that I was pregnant never entered my mind, that was until I smelled my husband's lunch and made a bee line for the bathroom to vomit from the smell of it. The only time that those smells bothered me was when I was pregnant. I had thought that I just caught the stomach bug that was going around my daughter's school. I am in complete shock here. I didn't even think that this was possible with Ed having gone through all his cancer treatments. I'm happy don't get me wrong, but just.....wow!

My feet thank you Sock Buddy

Woo hoo, I love getting snail mail. Even better when it is a package that contains a gift for me! On one of my favorite boards that I belong to we do a number of exchanges during the year. This month someone started a sock exchange, well I just had to join that one. Today I got a package from Sock Dreams. OMG I love this site and can forsee myself using it in the very near future. My buddy went above and beyond the requirements for the exchange by sending Madeline & Lillian a pair of socks each too. Ok, so I bet that you are dying to know what these wonderful socks look like, don't worry you will a little bit later in this post.

I was never one to buy myself socks, I would just buy my husband a ten pack and use those. Well now that my tootsies and footsies have expirenced such bliss, I don't think I could go back to his socks now. The socks I recieved are so very comfortable, and they actually fit me well, and they are cute to boot. I really think that I am going to put treating myself to something I like into pratice here and there. I think I deserve it. Kids be damned, you have enough stuff already mommy needs some new clothes. (lol)

Still in shock!

This unit was stressing me out a little bit and I just had a sinking feeling on my Charting and Cavity Classification exam, so with a heavy heart I turned it in. Flash forward a bit and I log on and go to see my grade for the exam. I got a 100% I teared up a bit. I couldn't believe it, nor could I believe that I actually let out a little squeal of delight, and did a happy chair dance.

100th Day of School

Well it seems in kindergarten they make a big to do about the 100th Day of School. Lilly had to do a special 100 items project, so she made this.



Her teacher asked for a voulnteer to make a cake for the class party. I jumped at the chance and came up with this. I hope the kids enjoy it.

Enter stage right

After many hugs, kisses and please, please, PLEASES I gave in. So this spring I will be dancing with Lillian for sure, Mads is still up in the air about it, in the Mother Daughter dance at the girl's recital. This is the first time I will be doing it. Hope I don't make an ass out of myself on stage. It has been years since I was up on a stage. I can't wait to tell some of the other moms that I will be doing it with them this year, they have been bugging me for the past 4 years now to join them. I wonder if I should start stocking up on the Ben Gay.

Spelling Bee

Tonight my oldest daughter was chosen to be one of the representives from her class for her school's Spelling Bee. I must cry FOUL! over it too. Her team took 2nd Place but should of at least tied for first. There might of been a spell off who knows. Anyways my complaint. They had to write the word on a white board instead of verbally spelling it out. The word was pledge as in the Pledge of Allegiance. They consider that a proper noun so the "p" had to be capitalized. Which it was and the judges decided, I don't know how, that Madeline's team p was not. It was clear to the audience it was, you could hear the mumbles of discontent in the crowd. One other team had the capital letter too but they spelled the word wrong. My other cry of bullshit! arose when they gave what turned out to be the winning team credit for a misspelled word. Sorry last time I checked there was not an "i" in the word package. A few other parents gathered afterwards and we complained amongst ourselves.

My journalist

Looking through Madeline's school papers I came across her school newsletter. Leafing through it I was surprised to see my daughter's face smiling back at me. Seems her and her friend were featured in it for a little class project they did together. Wow she is just amazing me this week. Today this tomorrow the Spelling Bee. I am such a proud momma.

My Kid with Character

There is my Kid With Character for her classroom for the month of January! Lilly is over the moon about being chosen for this award. Each month one child from each classroom is chosen for having acted best in accordance with the school's character pledge. The main focus this month was caring. I do have to say that she is one of the most caring people that I have ever met. I hope she never loses that part of her.
Finally a picture of me with my girls. I am always the one taking them. It is so nice to actually have one of me and them where I am not in the hospital having just given birth.

I am shaking here

It sounds silly but today I have started some on-line courses with the hopes of getting my certificate in dental assisting. After I registered a wave of nervousness flooded over me. For my first on line assignment I have to do some reading and take a quiz on what I read. I decided to print the pages out rather than try to read then there on the computer screen. I figured it would be much easier to read that way with the kids and all, ended up being 93 pages. I think I need to stock up on more ink and for sure paper. I ran out printing this lesson.

Wish me luck!

Mii on Wii

Well I have been doing the Wii Fit thing since the 2nd and today I was 1.5 pounds lighter. Woo hoo. I really hope that I can keep it up long enough to loose a few pounds. I also wish that the multi player games were counted in your work out profile thingy. I find it really funny that the one I have the most trouble with is the one where you have to sit on the board and be still.

Today the girls went back to school YEA! It was so nice to have some peace and quiet during the day, and able to get on the Wii without the kids bugging me to play too. I do have to say it was really nice to see all the moms from dance class. I missed sitting there and chatting. It seems like the last dance class was eons ago, I guess that is just the holiday season for you though. I am kind of getting excited since we usually find out what songs and the costumes this month. I still laugh at the fact that Madeline is responsible for the young girls ballet class. People were so impressed with her performance her performance last year. That after learning that she signed up for ballet again this year, (she was the only one in the class at one point) that 6 other girls, 4 are from her tap and jazz class, and two of her school friends joined up too. Last year was her first year of ballet and I so cannot wait to see how she does this year.

Dusted off my

Wii fit earlier. I purchased Wii Fit Plus this afternoon, thinking new year might as well try a little working out. It has been ages since I last used it and I was shocked that my old info was still saved. Even happier to learn that I was 8.8 pounds lighter since the last time I used it. I had forgotten how much fun it is Madeline and I had a blast playing with it this afternoon I really love the multiplayer games on it. Boy were my arms tired after that chicken game. I am going to try to use it at least a couple times a week. So add that to my one other New Years resolution. Look I'm making good on that one at least!

New Year off to a good start

Well day one has been a wonderful one!

Did some cupboard rearranging with all the new kitchen goodies that I recieved for Christms I had no other choice really. Now I just have to remember that I did that, a couple of times already I have gone into the wrong one. I ran to Target got a new home phone, our battery kept dying on the old one. Madeline recieved some money for Christmas that was burning a hole in her pocket and she wanted to pick out her present. I picked up a game for us that I have become obsessed with. It is called Find It. And yes obsessed is the right word, I am on a mission to find that friggin penny.

I spent a good portion of the afternoon and evening at my mom's with the girls. I bought us all some Chinese food for dinner, the girls played with Auntie Kaylea for awhile. Then my mom, Glenn, Kaylea and I played Scattergories, (I totally kicked ass and won every round) and Taboo. Ed was at the hockey game with his brother. It was a real good time. I can't wait to do it again.