I'm Back!

Thank you so much for all of your well wishes and sweet comments. Blogworld is so amazing! I appreciate each of you and I am so excited that Baby J is here! I look forward to sharing all of our stories with you. Please start from the birth story and work your way up to catch up on life with Baby J. Hope you enjoy!

XOXO,

MMM

Good Report Cards!

Our little family has survived EIGHT doctors appointments in ONE week!

J had an appointment yesterday afternoon and his pediatrician said his jaundice is resolving itself and he will not have to go to the hospital for light therapy! YEAH! He gained 3 ounces and is up to a whopping 6lbs 12oz, just 3 more ounces before he is back to his birth weight. The pediatrician said he looks great and we don't have to come back until he is 1 month old! He is nursing really well about every 2-3 hours. He is a slow eater though and it does take about an hour to feed him. That means not a lot of sleep for Mom, but I am loving our quiet feeding moments. He really is a sweetheart and A and I fall more in love with him each day.

I had a doctor's appointment this morning with my internist (who specializes in cardiology) and an appointment yesterday with my OB. Things are looking up! They took me off my blood pressure medicine after a fainting spell on Sunday and it seems my pressure is starting to regulate on its own. It's been a scary couple of days, but both doctors were very pleased with my progress in the swelling department. My OB said she was proud of my Mom and A for making me rest and they were the reason that I did not have to get checked back in the hospital. Thanks guys!! Apparently, the swelling will resolve itself from feet to face. I can't wait to recognize myself in the mirror again, but for now I'll just enjoy seeing my ankle bones again! I've been on bed rest since Friday and my internist told me this afternoon I was "free to move about the cabin" now. Yeah! I'm not supposed to overdo it, but it will be nice to get off the sofa and help my Mom organize a little. She has done an amazing job cooking, cleaning, organizing and changing diapers. J just adores her and we ALL are going to miss her when she leaves on Thursday. If only she lived a little closer...maybe someday.

Pictures of My Little Prince

Brand New!

Hanging out with Daisy in my Budda position

No words needed

Mama got me in a monogrammed outfit again!

One Week Old-Sunday, January 25th

After a week off Dad had to go back to work. He muttered something about a financial crisis. I missed him. Mom and Grandma just aren't as good as Dad is at swaddling me tight.

Here's what I did:

Sat in my bouncy seat and thought about life

Took a couple naps

Feeling great after a big meal compliments of my Mom

Checked things out

Notes from Bed-Friday, January 23rd

A Bath from Daisy

Puppy Love

Kisses from Mom

Eating my fingers

Pleased

Big Yawn

Funny Faces

My doctor called me this morning to let me know that my blood work was still not looking quite right. It looks as though I have post partum preeclampsia. She called a high risk specialist and he agreed with her treatment plan of blood pressure medication and bed rest with my feet up to treat the swelling. I have to take my blood pressure several times a day on my snazzy machine and report the numbers back to my doctors. They want to see me again on Monday and I have another appointment with my regular doctor on Tuesday so he can be in the loop on my treatment in the upcoming weeks. Mom and A seriously will not let me move, except to go the bathroom and feed baby J. I'm a prisoner in my own apartment, but I know it is for my own good. =) I DO NOT want to get checked back into the hospital and I need to get better so I can run around with my sweet baby boy.


J has been a doll. We are all loving each and every moment with him. Since we still have to wake him up to eat, the pediatrician gave us permission to let him sleep for 4 hours at night between feedings. I was pretty excited at the prospect of such a long period of sleep, but J had other ideas on how the night was to go! He has discovered his fingers and hands and loves to escape out of his Daddy's tight swaddles and suck his fingers. A is a diaper changing machine. He is FAR ahead of me in this department and doing an absolute amazing job. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband. My Mom is on her 8th load of laundry and is an organizing queen. I'm so grateful to have them both helping me. Daisy has done a great job with J and we allowed her to give him a few kisses this afternoon. She is currently sleeping under his car seat (his favorite place to sleep) and keeping a watchful eye.

More Doctor's Visits-Thursday, January 22nd

I had an appointment this afternoon with my doctor to check on my blood pressure and get some more blood work done. Apparently some of the levels were not looking good in the hospital. Unfortunately, my blood pressure has shot back up. The swelling in my legs and feet has worsened. I've been put on bed rest and all I'm allowed to do is feed J. If I don't improve they'll check me back into the hospital, but that is the last resort so I'm trying to be a good mom and patient. Easier said then done. I've been put on blood pressure medicine and they are sending me to my regular doctor on Tuesday so he can work with me the next few weeks to regulate my pressure. My Mom and A are changing lots of diapers and bringing me good food so life isn't too bad. =)

J had an appointment this afternoon with his pediatrician. His bilirubin level is 16.1 again so they do not have to check him back into the hospital! Great news!! The doctor said everything else looks great. They want to see him again on Monday for another test. J gained 1 ounce and is now up to 6lbs and 9oz! Grow J, Grow!

J's stroller just arrived so we are very excited about that! Grandma rode the subway to get some essentials we were still missing. We're so proud of her for figuring it out! She is quite the NYC super granny.

1st Doctor's Visits-January 21st

We took J for his first visit to the pediatrician today to check on his jaundice. Packing a diaper bag, hailing a cab and getting a newborn ready all proved to be interesting experiences for these new parents, but we did pretty well. =) They pricked J's heel to test his bilirubin. It about broke my heart, I had no idea I could fall in love this fast. His bilirubin levels were up again (16.1), but the doctor said to continue with frequent feedings. He gained a few ounces with my on demand hourly feedings last night to hit a whopping 6lbs 8oz. (He was 6lbs 5oz when we left the hospital yesterday, but it is normal for newborns to lose a little weight in the hospital.) We have to go back tomorrow to have them checked.

The doctor mentioned in the hospital that J was a little tongue tied. She suggested we meet with a pediatric ENT to get his tongue clipped. Ouch! We made an appointment this afternoon and the doctor was wonderful. A had to hold J during the quick procedure because I could not handle to watch my sweet baby in pain. It literally took 10 seconds and one cry (no blood) and J was done and back asleep. He's such a good boy! The doc said midwives used to grow their finger nail and cut the little piece of skin under the tongue that way. I'm glad our doc on Park Ave took care of it instead and now J should have better luck with his latching during feedings.

Overall, J is an amazing baby. We actually have to wake him up to eat and he falls asleep during feedings. The docs say this is normal for an early baby that has jaundice. As long as he continues to gain weight we'll be okay.

Here are a few of my many faces!

Content (and so freaking precious!)

Thinking

NOT pleased (this one is very rare)

Coming Home-January 20th

We're backtracking...so this post is from January 20th the day we brought baby J home from the hospital.

Everything had been going quite well, but we had a few hiccups on Tuesday. First, we met with my doctor and learned that my blood pressure had gone back up. I was given a lot of fluids due to my stomach bug and they caused a lot of swelling in my face, my feet, my ankles and really up to my thighs. My doctor was concerned and decided that they needed to see me for more blood work on Thursday and a follow up.

J's pediatrician let us know this morning that he has jaundice. We waited around for the bilirubin test results to see if they would let us take him home. They said if it was under 14 we could bring him with us, otherwise he would have to stay in the hospital. His bilirubin level was 14.3 but they decided he could go with us. We were told we should see the pediatrician on Wednesday for another jaundice test. We were elated that we would get to bring him home with us. We dressed J up in his cute going home outfit only to find that our little one was WAY to little for his outfit. He was not pleased with the whole process, but I have to share the pictures because they are too funny.

My outfit is a little bit big!! The collar is the size of my head!! The doctor's told Mom I was going to be a big boy. I decided to come early to show them!

Mom, I do not like lace. I do not like pink. I am a boy. Get over it.

Snug as a bug. Baby J went home in a NYC taxi cab. The pics are so funny, but that have A and I in them so I'll have to crop first. President Obama was giving his inaugural address on the ride home. Baby J and Mr. President both had a big day!

Baby J's Birth Story

Surprised to see that our bundle of joy arrived a little early? Well, we were too. I know many of you have been asking for the story so here's what happened since I last left you an update. We've been extra busy with doctors visits and getting settled, but I'll get there!

Friday Afternoon/Evening-January 16th

My blood pressure went up over where Dr. A wanted it to be and I was having very strong but irregular contractions so we called the doc. She asked us to go ahead and head over to the hospital so they could monitor me and baby J. We were sent to the triage unit of Labor and Delivery and arrived there around midnight. It was discovered that my blood pressure was very high and I also had a fever. They ran a lot of blood work and told us we would have to wait for the results. They did an ultrasound on J and he looked great. They hooked him up to fetal monitors and his heart rate dropped pretty low at one point, but overall he was handling everything like a champ. I was given some Tylenol and and IV and they were able to get my fever down and my blood pressure regulated. The doctor said I was about 1.5 cm dilated, but not in labor. My blood work came back negative for the preeclampsia, but my white blood cells were up so it was determined that--lucky me--I had a stomach virus at 37 weeks pregnant! We were released from the hospital at 5am on Saturday and sent home exhausted.

Saturday morning/afternoon/evening-January 17th
I woke on Saturday and proceeded to get very sick again. I had a fever and the chills. Another call to the doc was made and she said we had to get my fever down in an hour or I would have to go back to the hospital. Nurse A did a fabulous job and had me drinking lots of liquids, taking my blood pressure, taking my temperature and basically waiting on me hand and foot. Daisy also refused to leave my side and literally slept with her head on my feet the entire day. We got my fever and blood pressure down a little and I slept on and off for most of the day even though the irregular contractions continued. Around 6pm, I got sick again and my fever shot back up. Dr. A was called and she said I needed to spend the night at the hospital and receive IV fluids. We packed our bags again for the 2nd time (I insisted on one last shower, just in case) and hailed a cab in the 8 degree NYC January cold.

We arrived back at the hospital and ended up on the same floor. This time we were put in a small birthing room where they wanted me to spend the night. It was deja vous. I was hooked back up to the fetal monitors, more blood was drawn and I was given another IV of fluids to try to keep me hydrated. J was a little stressed out by the situation--I can hardly blame him as I was starting to have my own issues. I had a fever, my blood pressure was really high and I was having extreme cramps and contractions. The nurse told me most of them were gastro related and not showing up on the monitor. They checked me and I was only 2cm dilated and they said I was not in active labor, it was just the stomach bug causing the pain. I was not a happy camper thinking that I was going through this much pain and would have to come back to this place in just a few weeks to do it all over again. On the other hand, I did not really want to have a long labor and delivery while I was sick. I said a lot of prayers throughout this process! The pain continued to worsen and when they asked to use the scale from 1-10 to rate the pain, A joked I would say it was a 27. He said I should just get a tylenol for the pain. I did not think he was very cute at this point. =) I told them I needed an epidural for this kind of pain, but the nurse kept reminding me I was not in labor. I told them I had never been in this much pain and insisted they check me again. The nurse did a quick swab test to determine if my water had broken and the look on her face said it all. Within a few minutes the chief resident was in my room telling me that I was indeed in labor. NO KIDDING EVERYONE!! I will never let A forget that he told me to take tylenol for my labor pains. =)

I asked for the epidural and everyone felt so badly for me that my room was upgraded to a larger birthing room and the anesthesiologist was immediately called to administer my epidural. I told him I loved him and I truly meant it. The whole thing was surreal as the realization hit me that I had not eaten a thing all day long, I had a stomach virus and I was now in full blown labor. The upside, I was leaving the hospital with my baby this time! I said so many prayers in those moments asking God to please bring me a healthy boy and an easy delivery. I was so weak I just wasn't sure I could deal with a long labor and the stomach bug. After the epidural was in place around 10:00pm, A made follow up phone calls to our parents who were surprised to learn that our trip to the hospital to for an IV was now the real deal. The nurses and doctors told me to hang tight and reminded me that 1st babies normally take a long time to come. They said they would probably have to put me on some pitocin since my contractions were so irregular. My doctor was given updates by phone during this entire process and was now "on call." decided to go get a sandwich and I was feeling so much better when the epidural started to kick in. I spoke with my parents and was starting to get very excited and nervous. A said he wanted to go home and walk the dog, but I told them that really was not a good idea as we had no idea how long this could take. Little did we know...

After about an hour, I started to feel extreme pressure. I told the nurse and she said that was normal. I'm really not loving this nurse at this point. A few minutes later I told A to go back and get her that this pressure was not normal. Why wouldn't anyone believe me? =) He was in the hallway when I started screaming at the top of my lungs for someone to come in the room and help me because this baby was coming. That approach got a little more attention if you ever happen to be in this predicament. The chief resident ran in and checked me and...I was FULLY dilated. I'm going to throw in one more "I told you so" here just because this is my version of the story. It was complete chaos in my delivery room. The anesthesiologist was called in to give me a top off on my epidural (God bless whomever called him.) Dr. A was called and I told them that was nice, but I was not waiting I needed to push because Mr. J was ready. They told me she would be there in five minutes and I really needed to not push. God bless the sweet Jamaican nurse on my left who told all the nurses and docs (I think at this point we had 6 in the room) that they should not make me wait any longer. I started pushing and it was like a scene out of movie as Dr. A ran into the room. She laughed and said "M, I sent you here for an IV, not to have a baby tonight." I asked her if this was going to take 2-3 hours of pushing (that is what it took most people I know.) I also asked her if he was too big and would he be able to fit. She laughed and told me this would take 5 minutes and yes, he was going to fit. She said, in fact, I could reach down and feel his head! That was a moment I will never forget. I suddenly became giddy, rejuvenated and so excited. All thoughts of stomach virus and the awful pain were so far from my head. I knew I was mere minutes from meeting my little angel. God granted my prayer request and I pushed for about 10-15 minutes with a wonderful cheering section. A was having the time of his life and the whole atmosphere in the delivery room was one of amazement and excitement. Baby J arrived into the world at 12:12am on January 18th with a healthy scream. Dr. A told us he was extra special because it was officially now her birthday too! Tears ran down my face as they told me he looked great and congratulated A and I. The nurses and doctors said my delivery was one for the record books. Everyone that checked on me during my stay at the hospital had heard "the story" and expressed their amazement. The whole thing was pretty crazy. My Dad asked me if I could have made it any more dramatic, but I reminded him that was just the way I liked it. Ha! A and I could not be happier to have our precious son here, exactly three weeks ahead of schedule. We are extremely blessed and grateful.

Happy Birthday Baby J!

Baby J was born January 18th at 12:12am. He weighs 6 lbs and 15 oz and is 19 1/2 inches long. He is exactly 3 weeks early, but doing perfectly! Birth story to come later, but I wanted to share my little angel with my sweet readers and thank you for your support during the past 9 months. A and I could not be more in love with our son.

Search for Shelves

Here is another one of my search lists. This time for wall shelves. We ended up using some white ones I had bought a long time ago and then I polka dotted them myself! Pictures to come!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pottery-Barn-Wall-shelf-with-hanger-rack_W0QQitemZ180310497175QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item180310497175&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50#ebayphotohosting

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p7143/index.cfm?pkey=cledge%2Dshelf&cm_src=oldlink

http://www.hangupsbyteri.com/item/Polka_dot_wooden_wall_shelf/302

http://www.target.com/Chunky-36%E2%80%9D-Shelf-Espresso/dp/B00098DNMU/qid=1229356385/ref=br_1_11/186-1989116-3194533?ie=UTF8&node=699140011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1


http://www.target.com/Mahogany-2-floating-Wall-Shelf/dp/B001H3C26Y/qid=1229356439/ref=br_1_21/186-1989116-3194533?ie=UTF8&node=699140011&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=699140011&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=1

http://www.target.com/Wood-Ledge-Dark-English-Oak/dp/B000X36MIS/qid=1229356439/ref=br_1_47/186-1989116-3194533?ie=UTF8&node=699140011&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=699140011&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=1

http://www.alldecorativeshelves.com/wall-decorative-shelves/wall-decorative-shelves/grandedecorativefloatingwallshelfespresso.cfm

http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?ItemID=1427fe8&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=STY&ShowMenu=T&ShopBy=0&SearchString=wall+shelves&RefPage=SearchDepartment.aspx&s4PageSize=15&CmCatId=searchresults&Search1Prod=True&S4Filter=N%7c0%7cNtt%7cwall+shelves%7cNtk%7csearch_all%7cNao%7c0%7cNty%7c1%7csid%7c11E3A379CDE2%7cNtx%7cmode%2bmatchallpartial%7cNtpr%7c1%7cNtpc%7c1

white options:
http://www.ballarddesigns.com/Wall-Decor/Wall-Shelves/Cafe-Shelving-10-Deep/p/2127?path=1%2C2%2C1468%2C1544%2C0&iProductID=2127

Crib Bedding

Here is another one of my search lists. This time it is for crib bedding. I hope it helps one of you! Here is the one I bought in case you are just joining us. Happy shopping!

http://www.albeebaby.com/banana-fish-confetti-boy-four-piece-crib-bedding-set.html

http://www.poshtots.com/Bedding/Baby-Bedding/All-Baby-Bedding/Jack-Baby-Bedding/15/1228/2355/11071/PoshProductDetail.aspx

http://www.poshtots.com/Bedding/Baby-Bedding/Boys-Baby-Bedding/Cosmopolitian-Baby-Bedding/15/222/1330/16177/PoshProductDetail.aspx

http://www.distinctivenurseries.com/Frog-Rhapsody-by-Little-Bunny-Blue--4-Piece-Crib-Set-_p_339-839.html

http://www.distinctivenurseries.com/Harrison-by-Little-Bunny-Blue--4-Piece-Crib-Set_p_339-2599.html#

http://www.distinctivenurseries.com/Henry-by-Serena-Lily--Crib-Set_p_339-2689.html#

http://www.distinctivenurseries.com/McKenzie-by-Maddie-Boo--4-Piece-Crib-Collection_p_339-3552.html

Bringing Home Baby

Y'all are going to get sick of me. I have way too much time on my hands!

Questions for the Moms!!

1) How many diapers should I have available to make it through the first month? Wipes?

2) Favorite diapers? Huggies vs. Pampers--debate away!

3) Favorite Wipes?

4) What should I pack to bring to the hospital for baby J besides his outfit to wear home, car seat, hats, blankets?

5) Any other must have items that I need for baby J's first few days at home that I should buy now?

Other tips welcome and appreciated!!

Ebates

Ok, maybe I'm late to the game but I recently joined Ebates and I'm LOVING it! I've already accrued $17.00 this year. I buy a lot online so why not just do it through their website? For example, I bought some things from Pottery Barn Kids so I just went to ebates typed in PB Kids and proceeded as usual. A few days later my account got credited a few dollars and I'm going to get money back through my pay pal account! I did the same for the camera A bought last night and some essentials we needed from Babies R US. Almost every website is on Ebates including some of my favorites: JCrew, Target, Sephora, Pottery Barn, Pea in the Pod, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Baby Gap, Gap, Bloomingdales, Bobbi Brown, Bluefly, Diapers.com, LL Bean, Giggle, Macys, Walmart, Lush, Zappos, Shoes.com, Williams Sonoma, Toys R Us, Victoria's Secret, Orvis, Old Navy, Oriental Trading, Kodak Gallery, and even Ebay. Excited yet? Just click on the link below to get started.

Here is the little form letter that they tell you to give your friends. If you sign up and use it then we'll both get $5 when you make your first purchase:

I wanted to tell you about Ebates, a shopping site that gives you up to 26% Cash Back every time you shop online. You can shop at over 1000 stores including Barnes & Noble.com, Gap, Target, Buy.com and Expedia. Plus you get additional savings with exclusive coupons, free shipping offers, and limited-time sales!

Sign up with Ebates today and we'll each get a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase!

Click here to sign up:
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=uyeFJyBCPLStgEGMZe80zg%3D%3D

Happy shopping!

Doctor's Orders

I had a surprising appointment yesterday afternoon. Some good news and some not so good news. The good news is that baby J's heartbeat sounds great and he seems to be doing well. Dr. A said based on my measurements that perhaps he won't be a 12-lber after all and she guesses that he just had an early growth spurt that has evened out. She estimates he is around 7.5lbs right now. (But, still growing of course!)

The bad news is that my blood pressure is too high and I've been put on partial bed rest. I was only half kidding with my coworkers yesterday afternoon about not coming back today. I was not expecting Dr. A to actually tell me that I had just concluded my last day of work. She said I can take one outing a day, but the majority of my time needs to be spent on the sofa. I'm 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced and she said my cervix was very soft (how delightful!) She said the good news is that since I'm 36 weeks, if she needs an exit strategy due to preeclampsia (they are currently running my blood work to rule that out--so please say a prayer I don't have that!) that she can induce me as early as next week if she feels it is necessary. She said I certainly will not be pregnant for another month (thank you God!) I have to go back to get my blood pressure checked again on Friday, so please keep your fingers crossed. Otherwise, I'll just be seeing her every Wednesday at 5:30pm until baby J arrives!

Good thing I have lots of thank you notes to write and books to read! This could be a long couple of weeks of waiting for my precious little boy to arrive so you'll be hearing a lot from me!!

Funeral Stationery

Yeah, not really a topic I ever thought I would want to talk about. But, who better to ask then you gals? My Mom called me tonight and said "since I was the one with all the stationery connections," could I help her find some of that stationery that says something like, "The family of Mrs. Smith appreciates your love and support during this time..." There are so many people that have sent flowers and gifts and lots of doctors and nurses that need to be thanked that Mom feels it would be easier to have some stationery made. I did a little googling and I found this website. I'm looking for something similar, but more "Crane-esque" to reflect my Grandmother. Has anyone had the unfortunate experience of having to look for this type of thing? Let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks!

Home at Sea Code

One of my favorite websites, Home at Sea, has generously offered a coupon code for MMM readers. If you put in MMMBLOG at checkout then you will receive 10% off your order. The best part--there is no expiration date! Go check out their site if you have not been there before and let us know if your order something.

Here are a few of the cute things on their site (I obviously have a thing for crabs!):

Getting Back to "Normal"

I want to start by thanking each of you that took the time to leave me a comment with your condolences and prayers after the death of my Grandmother. Grandma was an absolute amazing woman and I already miss her dearly. I think I cried after reading each and every comment and I really appreciate the support from my sweet readers. I truly believe God has a plan and although I may not understand his plan and his timing, I know it is perfect. At this point, it looks like baby J and I will get to attend my Grandmother's funeral and he will get to meet his 5 great uncles and aunts and some of his 2nd cousins. The service is set for the first week of April in Palm Springs, CA. While it is strange to not have a service right now, it is what worked for my Mom's large family and I know it is going to be a perfect service. Grandma planned it all out--down to the each song and prayer, so how could it not be perfect? She did a lot of other planning as well. She set aside money for her Priest and her good friend Sister Eileen to each go on special surprise trips. They don't even know this yet, but Father will be sent to Assisi and Sister will be sent to Ireland complements of my Grandmother. She also requested her home in Palm Springs not be sold for two years (good thing with the market), but she wants her family to be able to gather there for a few more vacations if they chose. She truly left no stone unturned. I am so lucky to have had her in my life.

In other news....as of yesterday, I am 9 months pregnant!!! I feel like a whale about 1/2 the time and I'm amazed at my body the other 1/2. Who knew it could do this? I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty uncomfortable. I'm VERY ready for baby J to make his big entrance. I start my weekly appointments on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to our appointment this week, maybe the doc will have an update for me!

The nursery is almost done, I'm waiting on some boxes my Mom is shipping and I promise I will post pictures. I'm trying to get all of my last minute errands done and checking things off my list left and right. I feel like I'm getting close. A and I went to a nice dinner here on Friday night. It was a fabulous date with my wonderful husband after a long week! The chocolate souffle we shared was to die for! We picked out baby announcements from The Paper Cafe. I'll share soon. We put together the baby swing this weekend. A's had two failed attempts at installing the chandelier, but insists "he can do it." I'm just going to let that one slide for now. We are ordering our Bugaboo tonight. (It only takes a couple days to get here so we held out until the last minute.) Our rug came in and looks really cute! I haven't packed my bags yet because I feel like that might jinx me and I'll have to be pregnant longer. But, I'm going to start laying out the things I'm going to pack. Any suggestions of things I should not forget?

On Saturday, a few of my NYC friends hosted a baby shower for me. It was absolutely perfect and I had a blast visiting with the girls! I broke down on Friday night and went to Destination Maternity for a new dress. I promised myself since I would probably only wear it once, I would buy something cheap...but something that actually fit and flattered my large bump. I lucked out and found this brown dress from Motherhood. I wore some brown maternity tights (yuck) and then dressed it up with my gold Tory Burch flats and some gold pearls. Solid colors really do look best at 9 months. =) Baby J and I were spoiled with generous gifts. I will post some pictures as soon as my friend sends them to me. We had great food including red velvet cupcakes and yummy spinach/artichoke dip. It was a really fun day. Tomorrow, at lunch, my coworkers are having a small shower for me as well. I am overwhelmed with the love and support of all my new NYC friends. I can't wait to share baby J with them.

I hope each of you is doing well and had a great weekend.

In Memory

My grandmother peacefully passed away late last night in a hospital in Hawaii. Grandma was there visiting one of her five sons and his family for Christmas. She just turned 86 in the Presidential Suite of the ICU on New Years Day. =) As I mentioned before, she had emergency surgery a few days ago. She was doing better and then she took a turn for the worse yesterday afternoon. When it was determined that there was nothing else the doctors could do to help her, she was moved last night to the "comfort room." She received the Catholic Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick from a local Priest and I know that meant so much to her.

She had the opportunity to say goodbye by phone to her other 5 kids. As you can imagine, my Mom said it was one of the hardest phone calls ever. Among other things, Grandma told my Mom to tell my Dad she loved him and he was her favorite son-in-law. My Mom quickly reminded her that my Dad was her only son-in-law (she does have 5 daughter-in-laws) and she laughed and said she knew that. =) Mom promised her that she would give baby J a big kiss when he arrived. He was to be her first great grandbaby and as you might remember, A and I are naming him after her late husband, my Grandfather. She wrote me a beautiful letter a few months ago telling me how much this meant to her and would have meant to my Grandfather. I know I will cherish this letter in the years to come. My uncle sat with Grandma until she died and described it as a serene and beautiful moment.

After making it through the surgery, Grandma told my Mom on Sunday that she was ready to die now since she felt better. My Mom laughed it off because we really thought she was going to get better. God and Grandma had other plans. She always said she was not looking forward to losing her independence. She was very lucky that she never did. For the past 15 years or so she has been a resident of Palm Springs, California. She and my late Grandfather moved there from Atlanta because of his pulmonary fibrosis. The dry air of the desert really helped him during his last years of life. After her husband died, Grandma decided to stay put in Palm Springs. She made many, many friends and was very involved in her church. She has lived by herself in her condo since my Grandfather's death. She traveled to visit her large family all over the world, drove, went to mass everyday and even won a bridge tournament last month! My Mom spent a week with her in Palm Springs this past fall and I know those memories will comfort my Mom in the upcoming weeks. They were very close and her death is going to be very hard on her only daughter.

Some of my favorite memories of my Grandmother are from my childhood. She and my Grandfather lived just 25 minutes away from us when we were growing up in Atlanta, they were present for every major event including birthdays and Grandparent's Day at school. Grandma was known for her wonderful baking. My personal favorites were her Turkey cookies and made from scratch Apple pie. Her Turkey cookies were always waiting in a Tupperware container for me each Thanksgiving. My aunt made a recipe book with her best recipes and I know that there will be many Turkey cookies in my children's future.

A was wonderful last night and came home immediately when I called him despite having just told me earlier in the day that he had tons of work to do. He got me some good pasta and some Crumbs cupcakes and provided lots of hugs and tissues. My job right now is to try not to lose it too much because I know it is not good for the baby. Of course, staying calm when you are grieving a lose and have raging pregnancy hormones is easier said then done. =) It's especially hard to be in NYC away from my family and know that my travel days are over for at least a few months. I especially wish I could be there for my Mom right now. Grandma wrote very detailed instructions about how she wants everything to be carried out. She insists that her funeral be a celebration of her life and that it happen at a time when it is convenient for her 6 children and 12 grandchildren (who live in California, Singapore, Hawaii, Alabama, Florida and Georgia). Perhaps Baby J and I will get to go after all. While he will never get to meet this amazing woman, he still has lots of great aunts and uncles and 2nd cousins to meet! I also know he has one more angel in heaven smiling down on him today and watching out for him. I know my Grandma will be with me the next few weeks, but today I just want to cry a little and remember what a wonderful person she was. Thanks for "listening." =)

Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers this week.

Happy New Year!

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers for my grandmother. Please keep them coming! She had a really tough day on Wednesday, followed by a much better day yesterday. She is awake, but still in ICU. My Aunt works at the hospital in Honolulu where she is staying and my Uncle is a doctor nearby so they upgraded Grandma to the Presidential suite in the ICU and the nurses and docs can't do enough for her. Her 86th birthday was yesterday and my Mom was able to speak with her and said she was in good spirits. Her road to recovery is going to be a very long one and it will probably be awhile before she is able to go back home to Palm Springs, but I'm so thankful that she is doing better. Of course, she is not out of the woods yet. She just underwent major surgery that would be a lot on anyone, and much more on a 86 year old. I know that baby J and I will be making a trip to see her just as soon as he is allowed to travel. It is so important to me for him to meet this amazing woman, his Great Grandmother.

A & I had a great low key New Years Eve. We went to our friends N & I's for dinner. "I" is pregnant with twin girls (due in April) so we sipped on sparkling grape juice and departed before midnight since both of us just wanted to get in our pjs! "I" made a wonderful pregnancy friendly version of baked brie (she used another pasteurized white cheese with apples and cinnamon--so yummy!) Yesterday, we took down our very dead Christmas tree and cleaned the apartment. My nesting instinct is in full force and I just can't organize and clean enough. I still have a long ways to go, but things are coming together.

I'm at work today and it is nice and SLOW. Oh well, not too much longer! =) Tonight we are heading to another friend's apartment to watch the Sugar Bowl. Alabama is playing Utah and she is making shrimp gumbo! See we can be Southern even in the North.

We'll probably take it easy for the rest of the weekend. I get worn out so quickly. I think I also need to buy one or two more maternity pieces. I'm only down to a 2 pairs of pants that "kinda" fit my big bump. I am huge!!!!!!!!!! I am also in dire need of a new bra. My friends in NYC told me to try the Upper Breast Side (great name huh?) to get properly fitted for my first nursing bra--how exciting! I bet those are pretty. Any tips in this department?

I hope each of you had a wonderful New Years! Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2009!