Baby

Every Breath Counts

~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

I’m sure I will be repeating myself when I say how lucky we were to have our babies at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital. When I moved down to San Diego I didn’t know how close we were to the hospital, the same hospital where I was born at. We are only 2 miles away. I also didn’t know how important having a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) would be for our babies. Thankfully, Sharp Mary Birch has a level 3 NICU and if they didn’t, we would have lost Kaili and maybe even Averi. I mean, can you imagine?

I also told you how a few weeks back Dr. Anup Katheria invited me to a Sharp Hospital event, featuring Averi, the baby face of the Life Start Bed. The research Dr. Katheria is doing has the potential to impact the way babies are delivered all over the world, it is truly remarkable and life changing work to save the most fragile of all – babies….and it started right here with Averi at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital.

The Hospital board is hoping to raise $50,000 by November 17th which is National Prematurity day. This is not a plea for your money but a request to take a look and maybe share the Every Breath Counts webpage with friends and family who might want to make a donation. “An anonymous donor who also believes in the cause has agreed to match donations dollar for dollar up to $50,000!”

Here is the link for the Every Breath Counts page  featuring my baby girl. She benefited greatly from the Life Start bed and just think how many other premature babies will too.

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Dinosaur Roar!

~ Girlmom ~ 5 Comments

Last week I got to meet Jenny Mollen. “Who?” is what you are thinking…right? She is an actress, author and married to an “American Pie” actor. I have followed her on social media for awhile because she is hilarious and when her book came out I read it in 2 days. So when I saw that she was going to be in San Diego for a book signing I was eager to go. My girlfriend and I went down to meet her and listen to her chat about the book. I had never done anything like that before and although I didn’t need my iPad signed or even feel the need to have a picture with her, it was fun and i would do it again!
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Averi is turning 3 months in a few days. It’s been a LONG 3 months. Her favorite thing to do is visit our newest winery.
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Kaili is eagerly awaiting Halloween. She has been adamant that she wants to be a Dinosaur.
ROAR!
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Hobnobbing

~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

Last week I got a call from Dr. Katheria. He is the Neonatologist that delayed Averi’s cord clamping while on his new warmer bed during her delivery. He invited me to a Sharp Hospital event up in Rancho Santa Fe. The event was to help promote his bed and Averi’s news clip was going to be featured so I thought, why not? It was a really nice time, hobnobbing with doctors and very wealthy housewives.

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Have you guys made this recipe yet? I have talked about it many times over the years, it’s foolproof! You can use this recipe for the spice mixture and it keeps for a long time in an air tight container. The dish takes no time to prep, cook and eat.

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Do I have a 3 year old or an 80 year old?

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Averi is the best baby. I don’t remember Kaili being so easy…I hope I didn’t just jinx myself.

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Save the Baby

~ Girlmom ~ 4 Comments

The other morning something very scary happened. Every night after Averi’s early morning meal I move her and the Rock n Play next to the side of my bed, this way if she fusses I am right there. This one morning Shane had gotten up with Kaili and I fell back to sleep. I was having a horrific dream about Kaili, she was drowning in a pool and as  I was pulling her out, I suddenly woke up to moaning. LUCKILY I quickly turned to Averi and saw that one of my pillows had managed to fall on top of her. You guys, she was being smothered by my pillow. I pulled it off of her, swept her hot and sweaty body up in my arms and realized how close to tragedy that was. I am so thankful I woke up to her moaning, and didn’t ignore it, so very thankful.

I have never been for co-sleeping, but even if you have baby next to your bed,  just know that these freak situations can happen. I don’t know how I would have lived with myself if something had happened to her. It still scares me to think about it…shiver.

On a happier note, Averi has been napping in her crib, {SUCCESS} and I am hoping to get her out of our room and the swaddle soon.

Many faces of Averi

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Averi, 2 Months

~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

Three and a half years later and I feel like a first time mom but this time I am less of a worry wart. Every few nights when I am standing in the dark rocking rocking Averi, I wonder how I did this the first time around and WHY do some women keep on having babies?

         This is why.

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Averi Ciera, she is a darn good baby, rarely cries and just wants to be loved on, so who am I to complain? Nights are getting better. We have just started getting into a routine and she is starting to give me 6 hour sleep stretches at night, it’s great. But getting her to sleep takes a hot minute and it’s stressful, which I completely forgot about from the first time around…Conveniently.

She  takes two to three naps a day. I would love to say she naps at the same time and the same place each day but that won’t happen. Kaili’s school and daily activities just won’t allow that luxury. I find myself walking a thin line between following a routine and playing it by ear. Basically I am struggling to find a rhythm. I should say that when Shane is home, things are much easier. Having another pair of hands to help with the bottles and the dishes and the cooking and the feeding just makes life a little easier. Major props to all the single parents out there!

Here is stone cold face Averi. She is giving smiles, I am just not quick enough to capture a really good one on film.

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A Week in Photos

~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

Kaili accidentally dropped her cup of milk on the ground, with a worried look on her face she said “sorry mommy.” I grabbed her, hugged her and told her it’s fine and it wasn’t her fault and then I acted out this scene from Good Will Hunting. I wish you guys could have seen it, I was riveting.

Kaili was invited to one of her little friends birthday party over the weekend. Ariel aka The Little Mermaid made an appearance and now everything is mermaids this and mermaids that. It should last for another 5 minutes and then it will be old news.

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I managed to get the kids packed up and we hit the road to walk Kaili TO school, first time for everything.

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I finally got around to taking Kaili for a haircut. Little Locks in La Jolla is the cutest place, half salon, half toy store. She sat patiently through the whole thing.

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This little girl is 7 weeks old today.

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Kaili assures me she likes her baby. She assists me with every diaper change and smothers her with kisses.

Averi is getting stronger, holding her head up more often. She will give you a smile, if you’re lucky and she even giggled in her sleep which was the cutest thing to date.

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6 Week Ramble

~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

It’s been 6 weeks and I am practically pain free so I think it’s time I start exercising again. I’m going to go ahead and start without the approval of my doc since I haven’t had my postpartum check-up yet. It should be okay…right?

In the 6 weeks, Averi has been on 3 different formulas. She has been uncomfortable, grunting and gassy. Just the other night we switched for a third time and so far it seems to be making all the difference. She is happier and sleeping longer stretches, can I get an AMEN.

Okay, so I am a little late on the one month photos….

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My next door neighbor has been such a help the past few weeks. Almost every day she comes over and helps me by entertaining Kaili. It’s allows me just enough time to get dinner made or an errand ran without Kaili on my heels… every damn second. This kid says “mommy” roughly  570 times a day. 560 times she doesn’t actually have anything to tell me, she just want’s to drive me bat shit crazy. I have thought about inviting one of the Muslims in for a glass of wine just so she could bother them for a few minutes, allow me some time to make bottles. Wait, is alcohol allowed in the Muslim religion? Well if not, there are always the Lutherans that go door to door, we all know the Lutherans like their wine.

Every day Shane is gone at work,  I get a little more in tune with  being solo with two kids. I may clean most of the house with baby wipes and Kaili asks where we are going if I brush my hair, but they are both getting fed, I am getting a shower and we are all getting some sleep. If I can keep them both alive then I say “WINNING!”

 

The Constant

~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

You know what parenting two kids is? It’s constant…non-stop, sometimes wonderful, other times not so wonderful constancy. It’s a perpetual motion tending to both of them on my own and I have two easy (so far) kids. The hardest part is when they tag team me at 5:00 in the morning. Kaili has been waking up super early and it only seems to happen when Shane isn’t home.

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Averi is almost 6 weeks old and is different day to day. She eats about every 2-4 hours during the day, at night its anybody’s guess. I try to be consistent putting her down around 8:30-9:00. Some nights she wakes up 3 hours later on.the.dot, and others  she will go a nice long stretch waiting until 2:00 or 3:00am. The latter is happening more often and it’s dreamy.

When she’s awake, she wants to be snuggled. A little tummy time here, a little swing time there but then its into my arms. Put here in the stroller or the car and she passes out like a frat boy after a kegger and she will stay asleep.

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Since she is an easy traveler we have been getting out a lot on the weekends, car shows, festivals, wine tasting and lunches.

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San Diego Bay *photo courtesy of Brian Kerr

 

Considering Averi should have only been here 18 days ago, It’s been nice to be able to enjoy summer a little longer than I had expected. Soon it will fade away and Fall will be peeking around the corner.

 

A Week in Photos

~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

Whoa, Monday slapped me in the face this morning. I knew it was coming, I was prepared as can be but of course both girls didn’t sleep as well as they normally do. It’s like they know...

If you can believe it, I was a tad hesitant to make a final decision on our embryos. Not that I want to have another child, I don’t even think my Dr. would go for it…but getting rid of them is just so FINAL. But for obvious reasons we did go ahead and donate them to training.

 

 

We took Kaili to a little carnival in town. She wanted to go on every ride even though she wasn’t tall enough for the majority of them. Some of the Carnies weren’t strict so she managed to get on more than she probably should have.

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And of course she rode a pony, always ride the pony.

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We have been walking home from her new school, it sure beats the car.

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She has the maternal instinct, she is a natural caregiver.

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Shane and Gordon fixed the gas leak in our fire pit, now it’s good as new and ready for Fall.

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We became wine members at Blue Door Winery. They just opened 6 weeks ago, they are close and kid friendly.

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This face is getting chubbier by the day.

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Kaili met a bunny at the car show in National City, she also met a baby chick and a duck. Then somehow she got ahold of an egg and dropped it on her coloring page so we high tailed it out of there.

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Sisters.

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It was so nice having Shane home but it’s back to reality. Soon I hope to pack the girls up and head up to Ventura to spend a few days at the beach. I guess for now it’s time to get back into our new routine of life.

3 Week Babydate

~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

The babe likes to eat and is already over 7 lbs going on 20. She eats 3-4 and sometimes 5 oz. every 3 hours. Lately she struggles to get comfortable when she’s done due to gas. I usually  feed her at 10pm and then turn in myself but the other night I stayed up with her until close to midnight trying to get her settled. She woke for her next meal not an hour later. Yawn…thankfully Shane got up with Kaili the next morning. I woke up frantically at 8 am realizing Kaili had her first day of school starting at 8:30. I threw her lunch together in a fog and had to double check it when we got to school, just to make sure I actually packed her food.

I tried switching up her schedule the other night and it ended up backfiring on me with Averi awake and hungry at 5:am. That is the worst time since there is no going back to sleep with early bird Kaili rising at 6:30. I am going to have to get my shit together before Shane heads back to work Monday.

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On a positive note, I got both girls to sleep in their own rooms at the same time yesterday and it was a nice glimpse into the future. I also managed to leave the house with both of them on my own. It may not seem like a huge fete but to me it was. Kaili helped me pick out hummus, fruit and we did some dark chocolate tasting at the farmers market. The girl knows her chocolate, she chose the 77% from Madagascar.

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3 weeks old and no time isn’t flying by, it seems longer than 3 weeks since I had Averi. Maybe it’s because my recovery has been slow going but I imagine time will speed up when I am all on my own.