5x7 Folded Card

Make the Mantel Christmas Card

Customize your Christmas cards this holiday at Shutterfly.com.

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We Need a Little Christmas....

Sometimes you just need a little Christmas!!! It's been a rough year in our neck of the woods so I was DELIGHTED when I received an offer from Shutterfly for Christmas cards.
I LOVE Shutterfly! It is so easy to upload my pictures, and create gifts and cards. Last Christmas I made my mom a great personalized calendar full of Savannah ;) You can build yours following this link: http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/ I promise your mom will LOVE it, too!!!!
I can't wait to do our Christmas cards this year. This will be our last year as a family of THREE! That's right Savannah is going to have a baby sister! I plan on using Shutterfly for the birth announcements linky: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birth-announcements. I was so busy with Savannah being in the NICU that she didn't have them so I really excited to do these for Baby (we are keeping the name a secret this time!) I am LOVING this one, SWOON, well, for now at least! http:http://www.shutterfly.com/cardsstationery/announcements/garden-grow-birth-announcement?sortType=1&storeNode=60376
There are so many options from modern pinks and browns to classic monograms!!!!
I really am going to talk about Christmas card choices now http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards....HAHAHA! I have no idea how I am going to choose! There are so, so, so many cute ones! Last year I did a card with a lot of blues so I am thinking of going a little more classic this year. BUT then I saw the black with the snow flakes, and it just grabbed me!!!! I can't decide if I am going to do a family shot, or just Miss Thing. I figure people are really looking for her anyway, though! Decisions, decisions! I post a copy of our card when I finally decide! Thanks Shutterfly!!!!

33w1d: SURPRISE!!!!!

Savannah Elizabeth is here!!!! I have a good excuse for my absence. What a whirlwind! My water broke on Sunday 8/17 at 32w6d. I woke up used the bathroom, and when I was standing up I felt a huge SPLOOSH...there was no mistaking that it was my water breaking. Luckily I was in the bathroom!!! I was FREAKING out, but MH was calm and got my clothes and got me into the car.

I finally got up to L&D where I had a mini-breakdown about how early she was and oddly enough not having a chance to brush my teeth. They got me right on the monitors, and when I heard her beautiful heartbeat I calmed down. I met with the Dr. who wanted to stop my contractions and give me steroid shots to mature her lungs. They work after 48 hours, so the goal was to stop labor for at least 48 hours.

This was the longest 48 hours of my life!!! After it was determined that I didn't have an infection I was given a shot of terbutaline to stop my contractions. This worked for awhile, but after about four hours my contractions were back and becoming more regular so it was time for the big guns: magnesium sulfate, affectionately known as mag. The mag is like having liquid fire going straight into your veins. You literally feel like you are on fire from the inside out. At this point I also got a catheter, and was on strict bedrest and no food or water. I slept a little, but was still worried and HOT!!!! Overnight my contractions really picked up and I had to have two shots of terbutaline which worked thankfully! Monday was incredibly slow. I couldn't concentrate to read or even watch TV, I literally just lay there and listened to Savannah's heartbeat on the monitor. Monday night was tough. I had a mean nurse who made me cry because I couldn't tell the difference between her moving and contractions.

FINALLY, 10:00 Tuesday morning came...the magic 48 hour mark!!! At this point they turn off the mag, and it becomes just wait and see, either your will go into labor or your body will get the message and wait a little longer. They let me eat that morning, and it looked like the contractions had stopped.

Then around 4:00 PM I started having intense pain in my lower back, but wasn't registering any contractions so the nurses kind of just ignored me until it got so bad I was crying...then they had a resident check me and I was dilated 3cm. Everything happened so fast after that. The OR was open so they rushed me in before the next scheduled c-section. The spinal block was terrible; the Dr. couldn't get in, I was crying hysterically, but finally on the third try it worked! It was bizarre being awake while you knew they were cutting you open.

At 6:48 Miss Savannah was born!!!!! I can't explain what it was like to hear her cry for the first time. It was like my heart cracked open. I cried and cried. The nurse brought her over for just long enough to get a quick picture...she was beautiful and perfect. Savannah weighed 5lbs 1oz and was 19 inches long. i don't remember much after that. I know I went to see her in the NICU while I was still on the gurney, and I guess I somehow got up to my room.

Savannah spent two LONG weeks in the NICU. She only need the CPAP to help her breathe for a few hours. After that she just needed to learn how to eat and maintain her body temperature.

The last seven weeks have bee magical! We are so, so, so lucky to have our real, live baby. I will post more updates and pictures soon!!!

31w1d: A Year Goes By...

It's been a year since we first met with the RE. In someways it seems like only yesterday, and in others it seems like a lifetime ago. We're going to be meeting our baby in a about nine weeks. I'm still waiting for the shoe to fall. It still hurts when I hear of people who get pregnant the first try. I doubt that will ever go away completely.

I met my new Dr. yesterday, and really liked her and the the whole office. She seems to radiate capability and confidence so I think I am in good hands. I have a growth ultrasound in two weeks to see how big Savannah has gotten.

The nursery is coming along. The small stuff still needs to be done, but we do have a crib!!!!

It is really beautiful here, and COOL (well, cooler than SC!) I'm mainly putting the apartment together and relaxing. I have been taking a nap every afternoon, and trying to enjoy myself.

30w1d: Stubborn Girl!

Well, we had the 3D/4D ultrasound and Miss Savannah was having none of it! I was so frustrated. I had been so excited, and she decided to keep her hand over her face almost the whole time!!!!!! We did get a few semi-cute ones. I can't tell who she might look like though...

29w3d: 7 Hours and 8 minutes...

Until I quit working (hopefully for the rest of my life!) I cannot wait to waddle my pregnant behind out of here!!!!! Apparently, my co-workers are giving me a pizza party to say good-bye. I am really not looking forward to all the small talk. I never really made friends with anyone at work so I kind of wish they would just let me slink out without fanfare.

I hope that I enjoy staying at home as much as I think I will. I was the happiest I have ever been when I was a full-time nanny. I know that I got to leave after eight hours, but I have never been as personally satisfied since. Frankly, sitting at a desk is basically torture for me so even the thought of being exhausted, and having a demanding, unpredictable new boss sounds appealing.

I had my shower last weekend...it was FABULOUS!!!! All my dearest friends were there, and the food was beyond delicious. I will write a full post on it when I get to CT...I don't have my camera cord here with me to post pictures and properly document it.

On Friday I am meeting MH in Raleigh. We are going to dinner at Ruth Chris on Friday, yum!!!! Then we are going to a giant consignment sale Saturday morning. We have our 3d/4d ultrasound that afternoon, I can't wait to see her little face (and confirm that she is still a 'she.') I hope I will feel up to seeing Batman that night, but we'll see.

Check back next week for shower and ultrasound pics!!!!

27w2d: I Love a Good Countdown!

Let's see here...89 days until my due date, and only 12 more business at work!!!!!! I'm not sleeping well at night so being able to nap during the day for the next few months is going to be heavenly.

Not much else is happening. My shower is in about a week. I'm very excited about it. Then the next week we're going to have a 3D/4D ultrasound. I can't wait to see her little face!!!!!