Stroller Saga

Strollers, strollers, strollers. Strollers have been consuming my thoughts ever since Sunday..

Lets rewind. Recently, we started using our Graco stroller more often. We purchased a travel system; infant carrier and full size stroller. We used the infant seat and a Snap and Go for the majority of the time. A few weeks ago, we put the Snap and Go away and started popping the infant seat in the stroller. I noticed how difficult it was to push. It was impossible to push with one hand and very hard with two. I was getting frustrated and dreading taking it to Disneyworld. I asked Tom to try it out and sure enough, he said it was hard to push.

So, I call the store. Explain the situation..its on our registry, bought wayyy back before Trev was even born, came as a set, we've used infant seat for 4+ months, used stroller 4-5 times, etc. The man tells me to come in and let the stroller team check it out.

Sunday, we brought it in. The guy takes one look at the wheels. He says, "Yep, its defective and we just discontinued this one." Crap. For a few minutes there, he didn't seem like he wanted to help us. He called another manager over and they offered to take it back and give us store credit. I asked how it will work because its a travel system. He said they would figure out the price of the stroller itself and give us that. I was happy to hear it.

We go to the front and another woman helps us. She says they have to take both pieces since they will return them to Graco together. Okay, we can do that. Uh-oh, how do we get Trevor home?

Lots of debating and quick thinking led us to Toys R Us a block down, buying the carseat already put together. (which was used once and returned) We buckle that in, drive back to bbbaby go back to the woman. I asked if I could simply get a credit to come back another day because it was crowded and I wasn't sure what I wanted. She agreed and now I have $$$ to spend. Oh, and I have no infant seat and no big stroller! And I am on a time crunch as we leave for FL in less than 3 weeks.

We do have a Combi stroller that is our light, umbrella-ish stroller. We love it so far! Were not concerned about the infant seat. Trevor was close to being out of his for good, as it only went to 22 lbs. I plan on borrowing my sisters seat for FL, so we dont have to lug around a big convertible seat. We will worry about an infant seat later..

I am thinking I should get a stroller that can be used for one or two children. We hope to have another child soon and I don't see the point of paying a lot of money for a nice stroller and having a panic when we need a double. I researched a bunch online and think I found the winner:

Isn't she a beaut? I LOVE it! Its the Baby Jogger City Select! Oh, it gets better. Here are a few ways she can adapt to make your life simple: Note-There are 16 ways to change it up!

My #1 favorite option? Baby faces Mama! I just love that. I freakin' waited forever for this darn kid. I want to stare at him instead of the back of his head!! I also love that itll work great for now and I can just buy the second seat when the time comes. The basket is huge, another perk.

This is a huge purchase and I want to be sure of it. I emailed a blogger friend and got amazing feedback from her! Thanks, Stacie, you make me want it more! I plan on going to the store with kids in tow so I can test all ages in it. Delaney is 4, Tyler is 16 months and of course, Trevor is 4 months. If they are all happy and comfortable, I am walking out an owner of a baby Cadillac. :)

I sound totally convinced, I know. BUT, I wanted to see if anyone else had suggestions. I looked at the Phil and Ted buggys but Tom isn't a fan of the bottom child staring at the back of seat. Am I missing another great brand? Or did I find the greatest stroller of all time and should totally go buy it tomorrow??

PS-What would I do without you guys?

Bottle Refuser

I have this perfect little 4.5 month old angel baby..right? Well, that little angel suddenly decided he was too good for bottles. He refuses each and every bottle we own. He used to not be picky at all. He would drink from..Dr. Browns, Born Free, Nuk, no problems at all. A few weeks ago, he seemed to be irritated on the rare occasion he was given a bottle. Off we went to buybuybaby to buy what I call the "booby" bottle. Its Odiri brand and seriously looks like a boob. I thought..maybe he will like rubbing on this like he does on me. It worked..twice..and now we are at a complete standstill. Help! Please?!

I will say this is our fault. We should have been giving him bottles every few days to keep him used to it. I just..would rather feed him myself. I don't like having to wash all the parts. Breastfeeding is easier.

This is coming from a woman who is supposed to come to terms about weaning her son to work on a second child. Ha, you see how far I have gotten..

HELP!

Screw Her

I just came across this article while researching breastmilk storage..

"Jennifer Lopez tells Elle magazine that in vitro treatments are not an option for her.

The mother of 22-month-old twins shared her thoughts on the subject: "When it comes to family and relationships, I’m quite traditional -- just because of the way I was raised. And I also believe in God and I have a lot of faith in that, so I just felt like you don't mess with things like that."

"I guess deep down, I really felt like either this is not going to happen for me or it is," she continues. "You know what I mean? And if it is, it will. And if it's not, it’s not going to."

The 40-year-old will play a woman who has a child through artificial insemination in the upcoming comedy, 'The Back-Up Plan.' "

Two words for Jennifer Lopez..SCREW YOU!

If I hadnt used the miracle of IVF, Trevor wouldnt be here today. There would be something very wrong with the world. I believe in God and still "messed' with those things. What rude, horrible terminology. I cant stand ignorant people!

I will NOT be going to see your dumb movie. I hope it makes $4.

Trevors Baptism

We had Trevors baptism last Sunday, the 14th. It was a beautiful day. Trevor is truly a gift from God and I thank our angels in heaven for sending him down to us. It felt wonderful to "give him back."

Trevor wore the outfit my nephews Brady and Tyler both wore. It is from Ireland. It was fitting since I made the baptism St. Patricks Day themed! He also wore his diamond cross from his Godfather, my brother, Mike. Lastly, he wore a cross pin from my girlfriend, Sam. He looked ridiculously handsome.

Lovin' our family of 3

He did not cry or fuss at all. I wasnt expecting him to since he loves the bath so much. At one point, the Deacon blessed his ears and mouth. When he went by Trevs mouth, Trevor thought his finger looked tasty and tried to suck on it. It was too funny.

Trevor and his Godparents, Jeralyn and Michael

This is the picture I used for his Thank you card. It came out perfect!

My whole family

Me and MY Goddaughter :)

Following the church ceremony, we had about 60 people at Jers for a celebration! We made it an open house and it worked out great. We never had too many people. Trevor deserved a party and boy, did he get one! I was too occupied entertaining to take any pictures. Other than the ones below. After his nap, he sat on the couch and laughed at me for 20 minutes straight. It was the longest and loudest laughs and it was the icing on the best day.

Four Months

Our little peanut turned 4 months last week. We had his well visit and Trevor is doing exceptionally well. He is on track developmentally and advanced in a few areas. He weighs a whopping 17 lb, 15.5 oz. He is 25 3/4 inches. Its funny to think he is over 2 feet tall!

Waitin' at the doc. Trev travels with his keys and IPOD, of course.

He did awesome with his shots. He cried for a few minutes, but was comforted easily. The doctor cleared up a few questions I had regarding..sunscreen, gum brushing, etc. I really adore our doctor. She never makes us feel rushed and is very personable.

Trevor's new tricks are sucking his thumb and blowing raspberries. Its so cute when he sucks his thumb. He keeps his other fingers straight rather than wrapping them around. I'll try to get a good picture!

Here are some pics from Mamas four month photo shoot:

How I love that fluffy hair!

Trevzilla attacking the giraffe

Ah, yes. And the most exciting part about Trevor turning 4 months..he is able to eat baby food!! We went ahead and tried it out that first night and totally knew what to do with it! He was flapping his arms and kicking his legs. Its no surprise this boy loves to eat. We have given him oatmeal and rice cereal so far. As exciting as it is to get him started on the yummy stuff, I'm in no rush. I think we will stick to the basic foods for another week or so and then add some fruits in.

Heavy Heart

My heart is heavy today. Here I am, trying to figure out how to get pregnant a second time, while there are so many women who are aching for their first. This time, one year ago, I was dealing with the agony of not knowing if my pregnancy was viable. I had the positive tests, but the beta blood tests were not doubling as they should. We sat in limbo for weeks until March 20, when we finally saw Trevor's beating heart. Those weeks were the worst I have ever dealt with. I will never forget that pain. I know how many women are feeling that pain of not knowing when.
I have continued this blog as a journal for myself, but also for others dealing with infertility. I hope looking back at our struggles and seeing our joy now gives you strength to keep weathering the storm.

I said it before and Ill say it again, Sometimes you have to drop the umbrellas and dance in the rain. Your day is coming..

Here's a snippet of a Clay Walker song I love:

"An' how can two people who built a lovin' home,
Try for years an' never have a child of their own?
When somewhere out there tonight,
There's a baby no-one's holdin' tight:
In need of love.
To me, that don't add up.

But I wasn't there the day you filled up the oceans.
I didn't get to see you hang the stars in the sky.
So I don't mean to second guess you,
Or criticise what I don't understand.
These are just a few questions I have."

If someone told me I would soon be staring at this:


..I wouldn't have believed them.

But, I tell you today, believe!

Second Time

Tom and I had our much anticipated doctors appointment Monday afternoon. Driving there, I told Tom, "I would walk in and tell them lets get this started ASAP, but the only thing holding me from doing that is breastfeeding." Turns out, that's exactly the case..

The office was different. New paint and wall decor, you could tell they were going for the calm and relaxing look. There was a woman there with a 3-4 year old girl. There was one other woman with empty arms. I so badly wanted to tell her that Trevor was made because of that place. I wanted to tell her it would be okay. I wish someone would have told me that it was going to be okay.

We waited a few minutes and were called back. First, we talked a bit about Trevor and my pregnancy and delivery. We talked about next time and there weren't any surprises. Basically, I have to stop breastfeeding completely and get one period. During that period, I will have the typical day 3 bloodwork and ultrasound and physical workup. Both of us need updated blood tests, too. They would put me on birth control to regulate my second period and work the FET from there. He said we will use Lupron, estrogen patches and baby aspirin to get my body ready. There should only be about two monitoring sessions. The transfer can be arranged for a Friday so my doc can do it and Id have the weekend to relax. Ill use PIO afterward, just like the IVF cycle.

Our chances are 50/50, which is higher than most clinics. It is a bit less than with IVF, which they have a 55-60% success rate. We were SO fortunate to have our first IVF cycle work. I cant help but think..maybe we wont be as blessed the second time around. I know I cant think that way, and I vow to think positively!

We actually signed consent papers since we were there. Now, I need to stop breastfeeding, wait 8-10 weeks for a period and then call my nurse.

Sounds easy, right? Wrong. I am torn completely. One part of me wants to breastfeed Trevor until he is a year, as planned. The other part of me really wants to get the ball rolling with baby #2. The ball is in my court and I have no clue what to do. Tom is supportive, but says its my choice. He is happy with whatever I am comfortable with.

I'm going to take some time to let everything sink in. The absolute soonest Id start weaning would be June, I know that much. How soon after that I will stop, I cant say.

In a perfect world, Id be able to announce our pregnancy at Trevor's 1st birthday party. I have this picture in my head of him doing an outfit change mid-party and toddling out in a shirt that says Big Brother. Ive always wanted to do that.

Although, Trevor already is a big brother to our four frozen babies. He is a big brother as much as I am a mother to them. I can not wait to give them a chance at life. To be pregnant, again. To give birth, again. To have them as part of our family. To be one step closer to being complete.

Rainy Sunday

Today is a lazy, rainy Sunday. Tom was up most of the night vomiting. Now, he is laying in bed trying to get over this illness. I'm hoping it will skip Trevor and me! Trevor is enjoying time in his bouncer. He is truly the happiest baby in the world. This is my opportunity to get up-to-date on this here blog. Pictures and all..

Trevor testing out his big boy stroller. We {finally} decided on the Combi and are loving it!

Nom-ing on his blankie

Tall baby on Daddy's real birthday

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Last weekend we watched my sisters three kids while her and her husband did work around their new house. We are having Trevor's baptism celebration there next week, so it was only fair. We had some friends and their kids over Friday night. Seven kids under 6, it was a bit wild and too much fun! My Saturday morning looked like this:

A picture perfect morning. Four happy, healthy kids eating breakfast. Trevor enjoyed having the kids over.

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One of the great gifts we got from a blog swap was this adorable helicopter blanket. Mama tried to use her professional (ha!) photog skills with these..

Ah yes, another first..baby's first mohawk!

Sleepy eyes showing off the 'hawk

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It has finally started to warm up here and we took advantage with our first Spring walk.

Mamas view. A Daddy, two pup and a baby snuggled in a stroller=everything I ever wanted!

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Trevor has recently starting despising his infant car seat. We decided to try out the big one this weekend. I will still use the infant one until he grows out of it, which will be soon. But, we figured why not put him in the big one on weekends when were both around to hold him.

Look at that smirk! Showing off how old he is!

We stopped by my sisters this weekend to drop some supplies off. Trev hung in Brady's new sports bean bag chair. It is getting hard to get a pic of this boy without his fist in his mouth!

Laney trying so hard to keep her eyes open.

End of the night. Big boy seat=sweet success.

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We went to a 1st Birthday party yesterday. How am I 8 months away from throwing Buggy one? Deep breaths, Erin.

Me and Mini. Recently, every time I have Delaney out, someone tells me she looks just like Dakota Fanning. What do you think?

Pink faces from playing basketball.

Brady and Tomtom. See Trevor in the mirror? He just loves looking at himself.

Family pic

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That catches us up to today! We have a lot coming up this month. Tomorrow is our Re appt and T's 4 month pics. Tuesday is his 4 month appt. We have his baptism Sunday and it looks like we will have about 60 adults and 20 kids. Let me say, I never want to plan a party again!

Ill update tomorrow night with what the doc has to say. Cross your fingers its somethin' great!