finally updating a little more

I've fallen off the blogging wagon lately. I WANT to blog, I do... I just don't. I've found other things to fill my free time, but I want to get back to blogging and am going to attempt to make it fill some of my free time.
The girls are doing great.

Jordan is still so in love with her sister and Norah can't get enough of her sister either so, for the most part, it works out. Jordan does like some time away from Norah now & then, but she can't turn her away for long. She ALWAYS has to share whatever is making her happy, even if she turns Norah away at first, and that makes me smile daily.

Norah is chunking up. Girly is getting some meat on her bones! At the cardi last week, she'd gained 1lb, 4.8oz in 2 weeks. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!?! It's been such a huge struggle to get the weight on her and now she's turning into a little porker. I LOVE IT!

Both girls, while extremely trying at times, make my days so much more than I ever dreamed they could be. How could I not love these crazy butt babies?!

 

why me? why not me?

I think I've touched on this before. I don't know - I've been thinking about it for ages (since I was pregnant) in one way or another, so I'm sure I did, somewhere. I should really take some time to tag these posts. Ok, that'll be a task for another day, but not right now, b/c I actually do have a point and a post that goes with it.

I had my appointment with the counselor yesterday and we were talking about the upcoming consult and how I felt and blah,blah,blah. So she mentioned how someone had once said to her they stopped feeling and asking 'why me?' and started to ask 'why NOT me?' which led to the conversation of how I'm a crap-tastic Catholic, and yet, I still believe that God won't give me/us anything we can't handle and it took awhile to get there but I did and I just have to get back there and then it clicked. I had stopped asking why me and started asking why NOT me months ago.
holy crap, if you could follow that, I applaud you. And, if you know me in real life, I'm sure you read it in the same rushed voice I wrote it in and then, you get a standing ovation b/c simple applause would not be enough.

I used to read, or hear, watch shows/news reports about children with health problems, or that were born prematurely or had some handicap/hindrance (real or maybe just assumed, by me & others? idk anymore) and I'd feel badly for the child & their families. I think most of us do, even if it's just a fleeting, passing 'how awful' or 'I'm sorry' ir 'I can't imagine' -type thought.

Then, I had a baby that went to the NICU. In my opinion she didn't need to be there, and if she actually did need to be there, her care should have been handled differently upon her arrival there. I remember all the little and needy babies and thinking Belly was taking up a space that one of them needed so much more than she did.
There was a father one night that told me he didn't feel bad that his newborn was there b/c he needed to be and they had a care plan in place, but he felt bad that mine was b/c there was no plan for her there. She was just *there*, showing no issues, not dropping her oxygen (which is why she was sent) and they kept keeping her, waiting for her to have a problem. I remember thinking I already felt bad enough for myself, for the same reasons actually, but I didn't know what to say. I told him his son was beautiful and I hoped his latest round of blood work was clear and asking if I could check in on him when I came into the pod the next day. It was a humbling to be told by the parent of a critical infant that he felt sorry for me & my healthy one, but not for his. He was scared and worried, but didn't feel bad about being there. It was the best place for his baby to get care and the best option he had for survival.

It took me a long time to understand that feeling, and honestly, I still didn't *completely* get it.

THEN, I had a baby with health issues that had to go directly to the NICU. No transfer, no time to cuddle & show her off, just a couple minutes to get a good look and then off to another floor for testing. I didn't feel bad about the Buglet gong to the NICU. I remembered the father from WIH NICU talking about having a plan. We had a plan this time. I felt so much more prepared for our stay and when I got up to see her, I didn't feel badly for the other babies - not the super tiny ones or the ones that'd just had surgery or even myself. This was where they all needed to be to get the best care possible. They all needed to be there - whether their parents thought they did or not (and I think we all know, I got to the point where I didn't think Norah did... BUT I wasn't alone in thinking that, her drs knew she didn't need to be there anymore as well).

It was in the 2nd NICU that I realized: the NICU was just a part of our story. It wasn't the best part, but who has only perfectly happy stories of their lives? We have good and bad memories from both NICUs.

I have a baby with heart issues. So what? Is she any less Norah? Nope. Do I love her any less? Not an ounce. She's perfectly Norah. She wouldn't be *MY* Norah without a wonky bowel, holey heart, extra spleen and misplaced liver.

Some kids have birthmarks or blue eyes or wear glasses or braces - it makes them who they are. That doesn't mean they're less than perfect. It's just who they are, and you don't love them any less b/c of it.

so there's a hella long back story to say - why NOT me?
Why shouldn't this be a part of our story? We're fortunate enough that I can stay home with the girls, which means I can be flexible with Bugga's appointments and not have to worry about losing my job or having irked co-workers b/c of the amount of time I'd miss. We're blessed with family nearby that love us and are always willing to lend a hand. They're there whenever I need a sitter for whatever reason, or just to listen to me whine about my life (hey, we all do it - no matter how happy or lucky we are; we're all human). We have excellent health insurance and a growing knowledge of how it works. We have the resources and desire to learn more about everything that's been thrown at us. We love our children unconditionally and will do any & everything we can for them. Even when that means letting them fail.

Yeah, we've been dealt a suck hand if you're looking at it from the outside, but from the inside, this hand looks like a winner.

Why me, why us, why her... because we can. We can learn and teach and handle it. I'm not saying it isn't overwhelming (often), but we can do it when others may not be able to. So, why not me?

the is NO ESCAPE from the kiss of a Norah-monster!

went to see the aminals

We went back to the zoo yesterday & the girls had a blast. Ok, Jordan had a blast, Norah enjoyed playing at lunch time. Well, she *is* still young, and I don't think I'd be thrilled confined to a stroller for the day while my sister got to run around all happy either.

At this point, I think I've got nearly enough photos to put together an animal book for the girls. They both enjoy picture books, and I think it'd be neat to have one with animals they see on a regular-ish basis.

she did like seeing all the people while she strolled

so happy :)

we went to the zoo... on Monday

oh yes, we did.

The girls really had a good time.
Buglet tried so hard to stay awake the entire time we were there, and she finally caved and fell asleep while Belly & I were watching the elephants get their baths.

Oh yes. We watched the elephants get cleaned. AND, the soap/shampoo stuff smells pretty good. Like, really good. Like, I want to know what it is and if I can use it on the dog & cat & mayber even the kids good.
AND. It was ELEPHANTS getting a SHOWER. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! I love elephants. Belly says they're all my elephants - sometimes one is hers, but she always tells me that she knows they're my favorite.
And, Belly asked a million times when we'd get to see them. Well, them & the "a-raffes" (giraffes for those who don't speak toddler-ese).

Now Belly, she likes the peng-juans (penguins, again for those who don't speak toddler). She could watch them all day long. She loves to watch them swimming and she just thinks they're great. She prefers to 'go downstairs' to watch them (the glass part of the enclosure is down a short flight of stairs) than to watch them from the observation deck that's set above/beside it.

Buglet seemed to like whatever she could focus on that would keep her awake. She spent most of the day chewing on a teether.

loving her new teether

Mumma & her girls

she loves her Daddy

PENG-JUAN!

After the zoo, we went out for pizza somewhere new (for us). We had a gc from one of the local deal sites so we tried it out. It was good and we'll probably either eat there again or Nick will pick it up on his way home one night.
Belle danced around the place while we were waiting for our food -- she was really good, not obnoxious, and we were the only people there. If she was a menace, we wouldn't have allowed it. She's been eating in restaurants since she was only a couple weeks old and is always very well behaved. Buglet got to sit in the hook on chair and she thought that was just the bees knees. She LOVES sitting up at the table with us. She even got some pizza crust all for herself.

Mumma, I just wanna cry

sometimes, Belle cracks me up. She's a complete actress, and I'm sure she's plotting, er rehearsing, for her future Oscar worthy performances.

She was dancing and laughing and walks over to me to sadly say:
Mumma, I just wanna cry.

I told her it was ok, and she could go cry.
What else can you say to that when not 2 seconds earlier she was having a grand ole time.

She had a short, fake cry, grabbed the Buglets wubba-nub paci (from the NICU that both girls play with, but don't use a paci), said  'oh! a doggy haci will make it better!', popped it in and started dancing around again.

She burst into laughter as soon as we made eye contact and told me that she was a "silly goofball"!
She totally is a silly goofball! My silly goofball, and I love her and wouldn't have her any other way!

showing me how to use a "haci"

dancing around

being a silly goofball b/c "you don't eat the leg!"

oh my Belly-monster! Covered in marker and chocolate ice cream and chewing on a haci... what am I going to do with you?!

it's been awhile

and it's entirely my fault. I've had time, but not much I wanted to share.
I've been selfishly trying to keep everything the girls do to myself. Those are my happy moments and I want them all. The flip side of that is that I do want to share them, I just want them for myself more.
I guess I should mention that I finally went to my doctor b/c of my anxiety over things like this. She gave me a tentative PPD/PPA diagnosis and a prescription for celexa (which, here's a shock, turns out, I'm allergic to) and referral to counseling for a more accurate diagnosis.

Anyway, enough about me.

The girls are great. N is crawling & climbing and walking with help. J is the best big sister, ever. EVER. IN THE HISTORY OF BIG SISTERS. Ok, seriously though, she's awesome. The first thing she wants in the morning is her sister and the last thing she wants at night is to kiss her sister before bed. I know I must be doing something right seeing them so in love with each other.

and that's about all I'm going to share, b/c it's naptime in about 10 minutes for the Belly-monster (Buglet fell asleep on the floor - silly girl!), and then, I'm going to take a little benedryl & hopefully calm these hives the celexa caused (told you I was allergic - I'm just waiting on the reaction to go away now).
here's hoping anyway!

Miss me?

Blogger ate my last 2 updates, and I never had time to come back & re-write them.

Things are good. Girls are good. Growing far to fast for my comfort.

Belle is always dancing or singing and trying to make Buggy laugh. She is such an amazing big sister, and I love getting to watch them interact.

Bug is growing up and trying desperately to do all things her sister does. She's sitting now and learning to walk if you hold her up and climbing if given the opportunity.

I love them.

life is always getting my blogging way.

And really, not much has been going on. Just everyday life. It's pretty amazing though :)

I love watching the girls grow and learn everyday. It's such a gift that I get to be home with them to see that. I'm not trying to knock daycare or nannies - I did both, and honestly, this was my favorite part of those jobs too. I LOVE seeing the look of wonder on a kids face when they learn something new. Or watching something just "click".

Norah's been getting rice cereal for a couple weeks now. I started prunes with her the other day b/c she's (as ALWAYS) backed up (and, let's be completely honest here - I'd already given her 2 suppositories within a few days before I started the prunes, and I hate giving them to her b/c I don't want her to need to rely on them). So we started prunes. The first day she was like a fish out of water. It was like she forgot how to eat from a spoon. I'm not saying she was a pro to begin with, but she was getting pretty good at it and suddenly, she was worse than she'd ever been. Then, day 2 of prunes, halfway through her feeding, it clicked. She started eating just like it was only rice and you could just see her put it together. She could eat the prunes just like rice, and she was so proud of herself.

Jordan is remembering her books more and more. She loves to read and being read to and now she's telling the stories. It's so cool to ask her to sing Snuggle Puppy and she does, or to start singing it for her when she asks and then she finishes it.

She got to give Norah a bite of her banana the other day and it made her week. She was so sad telling her, "no Norah, you baby, no food" and then she'd just look at me with these sad puppy-dog eyes and i said ok. I knew she wouldn't get much, and she didn't, the banana barely grazed her gums (and that was b/c Norah wanted it and kept trying to get more) and Jordan was so, so happy to feed her sister real, big girl food. *that's also the day we started prunes. I'm completely paranoid about starting more than 1 food at a time, so my head was spinning for 2 days that I really let my toddler give my baby an extra food. hmmm... maybe I'm getting a little more laxed in my parenting with Norah. HA! That'll be the day!

that's about that. Oh, and Norah, is just under 12 pounds as of the 29th. She was 11 lbs 15oz. WOOHOO!!!

catch up time, yet again

where to begin!
We made a trip out to the Children's museum and Belle had a blast. It was so cute to see her explore the bones and especially the water. She LOVED the water. I'm so glad we saved it for last, since I had to buy her a new shirt before we could leave - if they sold pants, I'd have bought a pair of them too. She was that soaked.

Then.... she caught this nasty cold. Complete with wheezing and shortness of breath and a possible ear infection. Her first.
So she's 27 months old, and got her first ear infection. She was formula fed from day 1. I have nothing against bf'ing, it's just not for me, but I'm really tired of hearing how my children will always be sick b/c I fed them formula. Jordan has been sick, really sick, not just a cold, 3 times in her life. First, she was 5w old and spiked a major fever, but that only lasted about a day (we did go to the hospital and she was admitted b/c we went. It was a bad experience for no reason at all, and I'll never make the mistake of speaking to an on call pedi again). Then she had "something" that presented JUST LIKE H1N1, complete with testing negative for it, when she was around 10 months old. And now an ear infection at over 2. Yep. My child is so sickly. Again, I'm not trying to knock bf'ing, but if someone chooses to ff, it's their choice and other people, mothers especially, in this world need to respect that. As long as the child is healthy, just let them eat. umm, /rant. sorry about that. It's a touchy subject with me :/

Buglet had a kidney u/s yesterday that was a GIANT fail. GIANT. She screamed so much I was asked if I was positive she had a heart condition, b/c she should have been passed out. Not the best way to measure her hypertension :/

otherwise things are good around here. I'll try to be a better blogger. promise.

and today...

went relatively well.

Belle did fuss when I left her, but she had a good time playing with her cousin while I was gone.

No ultrasound for Bug today, but she will need one (on the 18th) to check out the blood flow and if her hydronephrosis has resolved yet.
Buglet also had 2 good blood pressure readings. Like, perfect good - 78/46 and 75/35. So we're going to keep watching it with the cardiologist and follow up with nephrology if she continues to have wonky blood pressure or if her u/s shows a reason to.

Today, Norah Grace weighed: 11lbs 5oz. I nearly started crying I was so happy. Not gonna lie, we did a little happy dance in the exam room. THAT'S how excited we were.

Today was a good day.



I should mention the parking since I made a big deal out of it yesterday. I did valet b/c we were cutting it close. We were out of the car very quickly, with the stroller frame and that was surprisingly pleasant. We waited 25 minutes for the CR-V to be brought over from the garage though :/ We made it about 3/4 of the way home before she went into meltdown mode.

oh my, oh my, oh DINOSAURS

Jordan is in love with dinosaurs, again. At first, it was just the Oh My, Oh My, Oh Dinosaurs book and it was a favorite for a long time. Slowly it faded into just another book and she couldn't care less about dinosaurs. Then. Then, she heard We Are the Dinosaurs by the Laurie Berkner Band. It's all about dinosaurs now. It's all very cute, too.

Norah is holding the course. We go to the nephrologist tomorrow and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I have no idea what the appointment is going to be like. I asked today, and no one seemed to know either. What I do know is she won't be having an ultrasound tomorrow b/c it hasn't been scheduled and all the techs are booked.
Of course, I fear this means she'll have one, be squeezed in between appointments and I will be in Worcester for a million hours.

I don't mind taking her to the doctor appointments.
I don't even mind that it takes an hour to get there and another hour to get back.
I just hate that it takes all day for an appointment.
I hate that it takes no less than 10 minutes to check in. EVERY TIME. They have her information, I should be able to hand them her blue card, my co-pay and have a seat, but nope, 10 minutes at least with the receptionist. Oh yes, that's with the receptionist and not including time spent waiting in line. There is almost always a line and receptionists complaining about the line... hmmm, maybe b/c it takes 10 minutes to check in!
I hate parking. Parking in the garage, if you can find a spot, has taken us up to 40 minutes in the past. Yeah. 40 minutes of driving around a parking garage hoping for a spot. You have to find a spot once you get in b/c the only way to get out is with a paid or validated ticket. The only way to get that is to go to the cashier or the pay machines in the lobby of the parking garage. That means parking your car, or hoping the roaming cop doesn't ticket you if you run it and leave your car running. There's always valet, which is a viable option, except it takes at least 20 minutes for your car to be brought back to you. Not such a huge deal, and it is only $5, but those 20 minutes can be (and have been) the difference between getting Norah home calmly or her having a meltdown b/c she's tired of being in her carseat or hungry, or wet, or over being all by herself in the backseat.

The snow is finally almost gone in the yard, thanks to the recent rain. I cannot wait for it to be dry enough to play outside. I'm sure the girls will love it.

That's all for now, I guess. I'm sure I'll be updating with what happens at the nephrologist within the next few days. Hopefully that's an extremely short post :)

everything was wonderful until 2am

We had a great night.

Belle used the potty and I'm so proud of her! She really has no interest in it, so saying she had to go and agreeing to use it when asked was huge. Not gonna lie, I cried I was so excited.

Buglet took 4 full ounces for the first time since we upped the calories in her bottles. Then, 2 hours later took another 3.

2am.

Norah starts getting fidgety and I know it'll be bottle time soon. She made it until just after 2:30 when she woke, ate and was back in her basket by 5 of 3.

4:30am she starts getting fussy. And wakes Jordan. Nothing is calming her, b/c her reflux is acting up. I can see and hear her retching and I know that isn't comfortable. Downstairs we go in hopes of the swing helping her out and, 40 minutes later, she's resting. Jordan is still randomly waking, crying and yelling "it's ok, Nori"

AND.

It snowed again.
And is currently snowing again.

Today needs a time out until it can act appropriately.

I'm back! with a cardi update too :)

Finally, really back!! Thanks to Nick's friend Dave, our computer & internet are working as they're supposed to again. I love Dave. He's just the best tech support around!

Norah had another cardi appointment today. It was 98% good.
She's not gaining weight as well as the dr would like (but she is up to 10lbs10oz), so we're going to up her calories by adding some extra powder to her bottles.
She has high blood pressure. 12 week old infants should not have high blood pressure. And, it.is.high. Not borderline or kinda high, just high. Today it was 111/74, babies under 6 months old should be around 85/45. Told you it was high. High bp in infants/kids is typically caused by kidneys.
Speaking of kidneys, I finally got the results of her kidney ultrasound from way back in December, and learned that the hydronephrosis in her left kidney had resolved, but her right was still grade 1. So, basically, her hydronephrosis is to minor to cause hbp. We'll continue to monitor it at her appointments and decide in April if she should see another specialist.

Yes, I said April.

Since things look so good, she goes back in 2 months instead of 1. I told y'all it was a mostly good appointment. The tissue forming near her ASD is still forming and starting to be were it's supposed to be. Her pulmonary stenosis is unchanged, her pulmonary hypertension has finally resolved (typically resolves between 10 & 14 days of life in healthy babies), and her blood flow is all left to right. And, AND there's some tissue off her tricuspid! I KNOW!!!
Yeah, I realize you're reading this like 'wtf does that mean' and so I'll tell you wtf it means. It means, there's tissue forming between her ventricles. It starts by forming off the tricuspid valve and then takes hold onto the ventricular septum. I cannot even tell you how much we were hoping to see that. Now, instead of calling the specialists up at Children's in for her next appointment, we can continue to wait and see.

It's so amazing that her heart is starting to heal itself a little.
I can't even describe how wonderful it is to hear that her body is doing it, or how cool it is to see it on the ultrasounds, or how neat it is that I can see and am starting to be able to identify it on the ultrasounds. Of course, that last part could just mean I spend way to much time checking out her heart on ultrasound machines o_O


Jordan is doing great. She continues to amaze me everyday with all the things she's learning and doing. Jordan is a little Mommy through and through and loves her dolls and her sister like there's no tomorrow. I find myself just sitting back and watching her be such a little girl. I hate how fast she's growing up, but I love watching her grow and learn.

and now it's bath time, so off I go!

still alive

I can't even sign in to blogger lately on this computer. Tech support will check it out soon, I hope.

girls are good.
J is funny and knows it. N is desperate to stand so we broke out the excersaucer.

that's it for now. I will catch up when I have both hands free, but right now my buglet is sleeping on me making it a little difficult.

I think I might be able to post again...

I've been having issues with blogger on my home computer. I *think* I may have figured out how to fix it. I guess we'll see...



As for the girls...

Jordan:
had her eye appointment waaaaaaay back on the 7th. I can't believe I forgot to put the update in with Norah's cardi appointment, but I did. She's holding steady. Her eye still drifts, but she can still bring it together at close distances. She's still favoring her left eye, but still using her right. We'll go back in May for her next appointment.

is such a little Mommy. I love watching her interact with Norah & her baby dolls. She is such a loving little girl and it melts my heart every time she hugs and kisses her "sister baby".



Norah:
is growing well. I think she's having some reflux issues, but otherwise, she's doing great. She smiles and talks and just adores her sister. She's been fighting falling asleep at night and I know I'm going to have to let her fuss a little (not cry it out!!) to calm herself, but I'm not ready for that yet.

She's 2 months old today and I have no idea how that's even possible.

I'm behind... catch up time, again.

I actually might be getting more organized when it comes to catching up. might be. No promises are made that I can continue to be organized.

Wednesday, December 22
My baby, the actual infant, turned 1 month old. Holy chiz on a chisel. (if you watch iCarly, you understand)

Thursday, December 23
Belle went for blood work with Nick. She had to get 2 sticks for 3 vials of blood. I guess her blood clotted quickly or something, I don't know.

Bug had an u/s on her bladder & kidneys and her pre-op appointment. The u/s went well, I guess, I don't have any results and don't know when I'll get them since the u/s was ordered by the neonatalogist and I don't really speak with him anymore.
Then we headed over to the Memorial campus (Levine Center) for pre-op testing. What a joke. Other than seeing the anesthesiologist, it was a waste of my time and money. They took her information... and asked me all the questions on the page - including when Norah's last menses was. Seriously. Then the nurse said she didn't have to ask if she'd fallen in the last 6 months b/c she wasn't 6 months old yet. Ummm... You can ask me if my 1 month old has had a period but not if she'd fallen in the last 6 months?! I think it's far more likely that she'd have fallen (she hasn't) than had a period. just saying.
A woman told me she was beautiful, absolutely beautiful, but looked nothing like me. Then she asked if I was sure she was mine. I offered to let her see my scar. Some people need filters.


The exciting part of Thursday (ok, for Nick & I) was doing Christmas with the girls. It was our first Christmas as a family of 4, and that Nick has to work. He'll be home Christmas night, but we're spending that with my parents & brother, so we did ours early. The girls will grow up always having more than 1 Christmas, and we're still trying to figure out how we want to do that. Thankfully Santa was kind enough to drop off their gifts early while we figure it out.

and now it's
Friday, December 24th, Christmas Eve
It's just me & my girls tonight. It's the first time, since Jordan was born and in the NICU, that I haven't gone out for Christmas Eve. Well, I went to the NICU in 2008 on Christmas Eve, but didn't go to any Christmas festivities with family. I'm very happy to be spending tonight with my girls.

well visit day

The girls had their well visits today - Jordan's 2 year and Norah's 1 month.
They're both growing and developing well.

Jordan's 2 yr stats:
36 inches tall. She's more than half my height. The girl is going to be taller than me by the time she's 12, I know it :/
34 pounds. wow. just, wow. She's gotten so big from the little 9lb 1.5oz baby I held only 2 years ago.

Norah's 1 month stats:
21 inches long. That's an inch in the month she's been on the outside.
9lbs 8oz. That's a pound up from her birth weight. I can't believe she's already up a pound. For that matter, I can't believe she had a 1 month well visit! She'll be 1 month old tomorrow. I just cannot believe it's been a month since she was born... it feels like only yesterday I was packing my hospital bag!

BELLY MONSTER IS 2!!!!!!!

My baby turned 2 yesterday.

I'm in shock.
My little girly is 2.
I love her so much and can't imagine a day without her in my life.
She had a great party with family that loves her.
She loved all of her presents and showed me them all again this morning.

Daddy put together a cheese/pepperoni tray:

she loves her Daddy!

and her sister (Mumma is just someone who brings the sister to her)

AND CUPCAKES CAKE-CAKES!

I can't wait to see how her next year turns out!




P.S.
I haven't made a Norah update lately, but there is one, so here it is...
Surgery is scheduled for the 28th of December. She was diagnosed with pulmonary stenosis at her last appointment with the cardiologist. It's a little set back, but knowing that it's there, we can watch it and decide on treatment, if necessary, down the road.

my baby came home

last Thursday night (12/2) after 10 days in the NICU.

It was AWESOME!

Jordan was so excited that we brought home "our baby" and then she continued to tell me all about it with a story about our baby, her baby sissa.

I'm nervous about having her home. Not about having a baby in the house, but the "what ifs" about her gut. I've never examined poop so closely in my life. Or analyzed a cry for so long after the crying stopped. Or jumped so quickly at the start of a fuss. I want her to have surgery to get it over with and get her back home as soon as possible. I want to wait on the surgery as long as possible, but know, in my heart, sooner is better than later in this case. The sooner we get it done, the sooner I stop worrying so much (HA!) and the sooner we can stop scheduling so many appointments so far away.

I'm loving every minute of having her home though. Every fuss and squeak and diaper change. Jordy doesn't like her being away from us at all and I spend a big part of the day sitting on the couch (or floor) holding the baby while Jordan plays. The swing in the living room is a blessing b/c Norah doesn't seem to hate it and Jordan can check on her at all times w/o my having to be holding her. I don't want to complain about holding her (I love it soooooo much! She's a cuddly baby!!!), but know that if this keeps up, in 2 months we're going to have a big problem on our hands.

Belly is so excited every time she sees Bug - it just warms my heart completely.

Right now, my life is more than I could have ever hoped for.

I should probably mention Nick...
He's doing great. He's really hands on and tries so hard to do it all. He's done so much for me the last 2 weeks when I haven't been able to do anything for myself without complaint. He brought Norah in for her first well visit while I stayed with Jordan in the waiting room - his first solo pedi appointment as a father, EVER - and was so proud of himself for remembering all the details.
I love my husband more than I thought I could. I know, I've said it before, and I roll my eyes whenever some woman says she loves her husband soooo much more after she has a baby (it's the hormones, people), but I do love my him more. Just like I love the girls more every day, I seem to love him more every day... and that isn't such a bad thing in the grand scheme of it all.

a late update

Norah-Bug is still cooking :)
Next week we'll estimate her weight and discuss how she'll arrive.
Her room is painted, mostly, just some touch up on the trim & putting the mouldings up left. Hopefully I can get her crib and dresser together before the end of next week.

Jordy has her last swim lesson tomorrow. I'm going to miss bringing her swimming with kids her age, but at least we have the membership and can bring her to open swims. We bought her big-girl mattress and she'll probably start trying it out this weekend or next week.

Not much of an update, but there isn't much going on right now.