My how time flies...

I haven't posted in a while but wanted to do some quick updating: Savannah just turned 11 mths old. I know where did the time go. She is now walking, oh my... She can say mama and dada. Just recently started saying mama. And she says ya. She also answers you when you talk to her. She's so cute. She makes the cutest nose scrunching face when you tell her no She is so cute it's hard to discipline her. She has her top 4 teeth in and got them all in her 10th month. And has her 2 bottom teeth. And just today noticed a 3rd bottom tooth coming in. Didn't even know it as she's been sick going on 3 weeks now. But it's poked through the skin so it's all good. We are getting ready for her first christmas. I need to take her to see santa still. And I have 1 week left of school for the semester and I have 3 weeks off. During my downtime I plan on working on her birthday party. Yes, I said it. She is turning 1 in less than a month and her party is January 4th. I want to make as many homemade items as I can so I need to get moving. But school is kicking my butt and working full time isn't fun. But I wouldn't trade my life for anything. Got family pictures done and I will post those this weekend when I have free time! Until then have a happy week!

7 months...

I've been thinking about this post for a few days now, trying to figure out what to say
My Savannah is 7 mths old today
I was thinking the other day of when she was born, what I went through with her in the hospital, and what I went through when she came home.
Especially when I was restless, exhausted and just irritated.
Sleepless nights, not taking a shower until 4 in the afternoon but being oh so blessed at the same time
I remember a few nights I was so frustrated because she wouldn't sleep when I tried everything I could think of and she was wide awake
I would look at her and ask her what's wrong and just break down
Now looking back I wonder how I got through that without having postpartum depression, or maybe I did and didn't realize that
Anyhow, I just wanted to say how much I am in love with this little girl
She has taught me how to open my heart and share it with another person in my life besides my husband
Who by the way, helped me a lot when she was a newborn. Especially being there for me even when I just needed a hug. Didn't want to talk, just needed a hug
Now he is the best father I always imagined him to be
Today my baby turns 7 mths old and she's getting so big, too fast!
She now officially rolls all the way over, she recently started sitting up straight back on her own. Before she would do the pod sitting as they call it. She stills isn't steady but were working on it :)
She can stand up if you hold her. If she tries holding onto something and standing up she falls over after a few minutes. Were working on this as well!
She is eating solids 1-2x a day. Were trying new foods every week.
Over the weekend she was really crabby, pulling on her ears, congested in the morning but would clear up in a few hours and I knew something was wrong. Went to pick her up on Tuesday and her tooth popped thru! I had a feeling she was teething but once that sucker popped thru she was her happy self again! Thank goodness!

taken last month for her 6 mth photo shoot :)

Vacation...

We took our first family vacation over the 4th holiday. We went up to Mackinaw City for 3 days. The trip included the Tahquamonen Falls, Whitefish Point and Sault Ste Marie. All in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There were a few more places I wanted to go but didn't have time. 

Here we are petting/feeding a baby bear. He was so cute. 

Upper Falls of Tahquamenon Falls

Savannah's first time feeling the sand

\

Whitefish Point Lighthouse

Savannah and I in front of the Soo Locks

Mackinac Bridge

Us :)

Savannah's first time feeling the water of Lake Superior

Savannah's first time feeling the water of Lake Superior

My baby girl and I

Savannah's first 4th of July :)

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! 

5 mths...

I just realized I haven't posted in a while.
My little Savannah is actually almost 6 mths but we will post a 5 mth update :)

She...

is grabbing onto things really well
can find her pacifier and put in her mouth all by herself
has rolled over twice now
started her on solids like bananas, applesauce and oatmeal (rice cereal she didn't like)
is almost sitting up on her own. That's going to take some more practice
loves to hear her own voice and talks and talks and talks and sometimes you can hear mama lol
wearing 6 mth clothes now
lights up the room. she is never sad, always happy

That's all I can think of right now. but I will definitely post more as she does more big girl stuff :)

She hasn't been feeling well and everytime I feed her she coughs and chokes and ends up throwing up her food. But I have been prepared and only got thrown up once lol. It was when it first happened and I didn't expect it.

She is growing up so fast. You never realize what you are missing in life until you have kids. She is mine and Kevin's whole life and we both love her to pieces.

She is on a set sleep schedule. We put her down anywhere from 10-10:15 and she sleeps anywhere from 6-8am. I love it. There's been a few occasions she's been up at 4-5am but I feed her and she goes right back to bed.

Weight

Everyone told me when I first found out I was pregnant to watch how much I gain
The rule is no more than 30 lbs.
Well I was by no means skinny before pregnancy but with my 5'4 frame I knew I wasn't in the best of shape
I had gained over my entire pregnancy probably 70 lbs, no joke!
I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted
And than I got the bad news I had gestational diabetes
So I  had to check my sugar levels 2 hours after breakfast, lunch and dinner which kept me in check
I did cheat a few times and ate junk during my snacks because I knew I didn't have to check my sugar after that haha
But I am a diet pop person hardcore and had to give that up completely so I switched to regular pop which loaded on the calories
I craved junk food; cake, ice cream, donuts whatever was bad for you I wanted
I wanted nothing to do with fruits and veggies
After I had Savannah I lost 40 lbs in the first month, no problem. I was breastfeeding but only for the first 3 weeks. After that my milk stopped coming in because I was only pumping the first 10 days.
I have since been on Weight Watchers since March 4th, and have already lost 17 lbs.
I am now 11 lbs to my pre pregnancy weight.
But like I said before I wasn't in the best shape pre pregnancy so I am hoping to lose another 30 lbs on top of the 11 lbs. I want to be healthy
Not just for me but for my daughter
And since diabetes runs in my family I want to do my part and pray I don't get it
I have an elliptical in my basement and really, really wanted it but never used it
It was a dust collector more than anything
This past week I have used it the past 6 days and I craved it
I needed the exercise
I have only been using the elliptical for 20 mins but it's a start
The days I do the elliptical I have also been trying to take a walk outside, whether it's for 10 mins or 20 mins.
I know it took me 9 mths to put the weight on and it will take a while to get it off but I would like to be back in my pre pregnancy clothes
I still wear maternity pants to work and on occasion maternity shirts
And I'm ok with that
I did not take my pregnancy for granted as I know there are still women out there who wish they were in my place. My heart aches for them.

4 months...

My oh my has time been flying by
My dear Savannah is now 4 months. Well as I write this she turned 4 months a few weeks ago but I'm a little  behind
In the last several weeks she has hit many milestones
She is doing full 360's in her pack and play and crib and almost rolling over
She can lift her feet to her mouth and chew on them
She grabs everything...and I mean everything
If her pacifier is sitting behind her she will grab it and put it in her mouth. She can also grab toys or whatever is within her reach
She's such a smarty pants
She had her first cold-congestion more like it...her nose was so stuffy and she could barely breathe
She is the sweetest little thing ever
Whenever I'm having a bad day at work I just look up at her pictures and it makes me smile
She is the calmest, patient baby I know
Everyone tells me how she's the perfect little baby, I love this and at the same times makes me nervous about having another
I've heard stories of how the first one is great and the second one is horror
But we will see as time goes on what happens. I'm not ready for #2 yet as I am enjoying time with Savannah and want to enjoy every last second with her

Mother's Day was last weekend and every year before this year was the hardest for me
I really didn't want to do anything special but at church they have baby dedications and this time it was on mother's day
So we had baby Savannah dedicated. It was the most special day for me.

Here she is in her beautiful little dress

Dreams...

I was putting Savannah to bed tonight and as I wound up her mobile it hit me...
I have been waiting for that sound for as long as I can remember
I have been waiting to become a mom for a very, very long time
My angel is here and I'm enjoying every single second of it
I don't take nothing for granted

My grandma Barb passed away 11 yrs ago this August
I miss her so much, she had a love of giraffes
After she passed the only thing I received was a stuffed animal of a giraffe
It was the only gift I got to pick out
I couldn't wait to pass it on to my child so they feel her around then
I had a dream this past weekend where my grandma met Savannah for the first time
She was walking and talking and my grandma was just fascinated with her
It was so surreal, I woke up crying and couldn't stop crying for a while
I am sad that she left this earth so quickly and didn't get to meet any of her grand kids
She found out she had cancer and by the time they found it, it had spread so quickly to her organs they couldn't stop it
She tried chemo but it was tearing her apart
I will always remember that phone call telling me she was gone
I wanted to see her but my dad wouldn't let me, he said she didn't look that great and he wanted me to keep the good memories of her
I will always remember her and I know Savannah sees her
I am thankful for the times I had with her and I want to have these memories with Savannah because you never know what's going to happen
I love listening to her cooing and watching her sleep
I love holding her and just watching her
I always told myself things will fall into place when He knows when it's time for us
I finally realize my dreams have come true and I am thankful everyday for them
Every chance I get I tell her I love her and she's my sweet little angel from above
I don't want her to know any different

3 mths old...

Man, where has the time been...

My baby girl is 3 mths old.

She can now grab things and hold onto them

She's making more and more noises, it's so darn cute!

She smiles...A LOT!

She is my world. I have never known such a love as I do for her.

She is getting so smart and lately has been holding her head up very good.

Every time I put her in her car seat she sits there and trys to lift her head out of it, it's so funny.

Here are some pictures over the last few weeks. I am going to attempt a 3 month photoshoot this wknd. I tried last wknd and failed! 

March for Babies-March of Dimes

I will be walking for March for Babies for my 4th or 5th year, can't remember. Geez, since I got pregnant my brain has been shot. I can't remember anything anymore. I thought it would come back once I had Savannah but nope...still brain dead!

Anyways, I will be walking again and this year is really important to me. With Savannah being in the hospital the first week of her life in the NICU, looking at all those babies who were worse than she was hurt my heart. I felt so bad for them and couldn't do anything for them...until now. I can walk in their honor and help raise money for them. I am asking for people to sponsor me and help me raise money.

Here is the link if you wish to sponsor me:

http://www.marchforbabies.org/ericamarie00

I appreciate everything and anything you can do for me. If you wish to walk please go to www.marchforbabies.com.

Thank you!

2 mths old

My baby girl is officially 2 months old
I started back to work last week and it was the hardest thing ever
Monday morning was the hardest. I cried taking her to daycare, at daycare and on the way to work
But I was fine by the afternoon and couldn't wait to go and pick her up! I now look forward until the end of the day when I can go and get her
The rest of the week went great though

This weekend she slept in her crib for the first time and Friday night she slept for 8 hours but last night she slept for 3 hours. I got up and fed her and she went right back to bed and woke up 4 hours later so it was better
She smiles at you first thing in the morning and it melts my heart
She has recently found her voice so loves to make noises and talk to you
She is growing up so fast, I can't believe it
I love her to pieces and can't imagine my life without her!

7 Weeks...

My baby girl got her 2 mth shots today
I thought I could handle it when I made the appt but when they drew her blood and took out her stitches a few weeks ago I was terrified and cried and hated seeing her crying like that
So I asked Kevin to go with me today, they had her stand by her head to help hold her down so she wouldn't throw a tantrum, I'm glad he was with me
She now weighs 9lb 4oz and is still very tiny
When I change her diaper on the changing table she loves to stare up at the wall and just smile at it. I know her grandmas are there talking to her and I love it. We always say good morning and good night to them.
She is now smiling and somewhat laughing. I love her little smiles, it's so cute.
She loves to watch tv, so we put her in the bassinet in front of the tv and she will watch it for hours
This is my last week with her before I go back to work next week
I am so sad but glad to be going back to work at the same time
I hate the fact that I'm paying someone else to take care of my daughter and raise her, when I should be doing it
I can't afford to stay home, really wish I could
Just going to enjoy every single moment I have with her these next few days and everyday after that!

Savannah 5 weeks

My sweet baby girl is 5 weeks old now
She is getting so big and last dr appt weighed 7 lbs 14 oz.
I just love sitting there and staring at her, I can't stop it
I have been with her 24 hours a day since the day she was born minus a few days here and there to run to the grocery store or last weekend I went to bingo with my mom
I love spending time with her but running on a few hours sleep I get irritated
She is still waking up every couple hours during the night but can sleep great during the day, I don't understand, it drives me crazy
I see myself getting irritated and getting mad at her, I can't get mad at her
I need to calm myself down before I get angry and take it out on her
I'm hoping to get her on a schedule before I go back to work in 2.5 weeks

I don't like it when people give me advice when I don't ask for it
When they sit there and tell me things and I know their only trying to help but I don't care
I'm one of those people that learn from their own mistakes so let me learn myself
The best is when people give me advice and they don't even have kids
Before I got pregnant I told myself that I will never complain about anything during my pregnancy and after the baby is born
I will take everything with a grain of salt and enjoy every single moment of it
I have waited so long to be able to experience this and I'm going to enjoy it
Women who get pregnant with no problems have no idea what us women who have problems getting pregnant go through
We long for this and will love our children even more than anyone who has no problems
I write this as I watch my baby girl swinging in her swing and I sit here and wonder what she's going to be like when she grows up
What is her voice going to sound like when she starts talking?
What kind of sassy attitude is she going to have? Cuz we all know coming from me she's going to be sassy :)

Savannah Newborn Pictures

Savannah Grace 2 weeks 5 days old...

Almost a month old...

My precious little girl is almost a month old. Within her first month of life she has been through a lot.

3 days old she had surgery to remove a tumor and her tailbone
She stayed in the NICU until she was 8 days old
She is now eating almost 4 oz every 3-4 hours
She loves to sit there and stare at you and she definitely recognizes mine and daddies voices
She loves to shove her fist in her mouth to tell you she is hungry (it's the cutest thing)
She has peed and pooped on both daddy and I (that, not so cute)
She still has her stitches but they are clearing up pretty good
She loves her swing but getting used to her bouncer

We go back to the doctor tomorrow to make sure she has gained enough weight to satisfy the doctor. With her being in the NICU she didn't eat at one point for 3 days due to her surgery and being on the IV. But now she eats like she will never eat again.

I finally got her newborn pics done and will post some as well as her other pics. I'm ordering her birth announcements this week. Need to get those out!

Savannah is crying her little heart out, it's feeding time!

She's finally home...

It's a miracle...she finally came home last night. The doctors said she would have to stay in hospital 7-10 days and it was only 5 days :) the only bad thing is with her being in the hospital this long my first night with her wasn't good. She kept me up all night and would not sleep unless I was holding her...sigh. I am exhausted. So Kevin woke up this morning and took care of her until he had to go to work. I love seeing him with his daughter. And I got to sleep for an hour. So she slept on and off for a few hours while I cat napped and then we woke up so I could feed her and don't you know it she is sleeping by herself in the bassinet. Spoiled little girl already :)

4 days post op....

My little girl had surgery on Thursday Jan 10th when she was only 3 days old. It broke my heart to see her have to go through this. Surgery took almost 2 hours but it went great. Turns out the growth was a tumor and it was connected to her tailbone so they removed the tumor and her tailbone. And her rectum was moved because of the tumor so they fixed that as well. I have never felt so much love for someone when I delivered her besides my husband. And that hurts to see someone you love go through something like this and your so helpless and can't do anything about it. She was so groggy after surgery she just slept so we kissed her good night and left the hospital. I delivered on Monday and we stayed at the hospital until the day of her surgery so if I wanted to see her I just had to walk down the hall. This was the first time I was actually leaving the hospital and it was so hard to say goodbye to her. I knew I couldn't get out of bed and walk down the hall whenever I wanted to see her. I had to wait for someone to drive me up to the hospital to see her. I of course broke down when we left the hospital but realized she would be home soon. The doctor said she would have to stay in hospital 7-10 days at the most, depending on how she recovers. I called and checked on her before I went to bed and as soon as I got up. They had to place a drain in her bottom to help drain fluids and she had 2 Iv's in her hands. It broke my heart and with this drain and the stitches all the way up her butt we couldn't hold her. So we just had to visit with her which I didn't mind because I still got to see her. Day 3 she was getting much better. She was responding better and they started feeding her breast milk on day 2. With her eating they decreased her fluids in her IV which was great. They started feeding her 20ccs on day 2 and now on day 4 they are now feeding her 43ccs which is an ounce and a half. They finally pulled her drain out today which is great news and both her IV's. Except they had to put one in her head because she kept pulling the ones out of her hands. And she hasn't had any morphine since Sunday which they only had to give her twice compared to other days. So hopefully she can come home sooner than expected. Please keep praying for my precious Savannah.

She's here......

We are so excited to announce our lil miracle baby is here! Savannah Grace came into this world at 8:49am on Monday January 7th. She weighed 6lbs 14oz and is 19.25 inches long. and of course she is the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen.

We've had some bumps along the way during my pregnancy. They saw a growth of some sort during the ultrasounds but wanted to make a game plan once she was born. So the growth is bigger than what I expected. Her growth is the talk of the hospital, they have never seen anything like this. I can't tell you how many doctors we have seen since she was born. As of right now she's had an ultrasound, x rays and as we speak is getting an mri. poor girl and she's only 2 days old. They say they think it's only a cyst or maybe a duplicate intestine, thus the mri to determine where it's coming from. They took her from us at 11:30pm last night for the NICU, we got to go see her about12:30am to feed her one last time. We last saw her about noon today still waiting for mri. Poor little girl hasn't ate since 12:30 last night.

And since I like to document everything we came to hospital last Friday Jan 4 because I was having contractions and lower back pain. They put me on the NST machine for an hour to observe me. I was having contractions just not close together as they wanted. and since I was only 38 weeks they couldn't induce me so they sent me home. But told me my cervix was 75% effaced so shouldn't be much longer. I was busy all weekend on purpose, I wanted this lil girl out. So Sunday nothing was happening so we went to bed expecting to go to work the next morning. Well lil miss had other plans as my water broke at 3:45am woke me out of sleeping. I ran to the bathroom and a huge gush came out. I yelled for Kevin and he jumped out of bed. He got everything together while I was in pain waiting and we finally made it to the hospital a little after 4am. I got the epidural and started pushing at 8:10am. So I only pushed for 40 mins and was only in labor for 5 hours. that tells me she wanted out haha. I can't wait to share these stories with her.

38 weeks 3 days

My dr sent me to hospital yesterday due to contractions, lower back pain and tailbone pain. Hospital put me on nst machine and contractions were there just not where they needed to be. I was 75% effaced which means I'm close to active labor. They sent me home but said it could be any day now :) praying it happens soon!

37 Weeks

I can't believe I'm 37 weeks already. I'll actually be 38 weeks Thursday. Saw baby girl on ultrasound lasts week and she's getting so big so hopefully not much longer. Next Dr appt is Friday so I'll find out if I get to be induced or if he'll make me stay pregnant :) She's dropping so I'm feeling more pressure and Braxton hicks contractions are getting stronger. So maybe the next time I write this I'll have my baby girl.

Christmas was great, our last one just the two of us. So we enjoyed it. spent the day with my his family and just exchanged gifts with my family later in the evening.

The weekend before got maternity pics done. here's one of them...