Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Family of Four
What a whirlwind!
Well, we're here in North Carolina residing with my in-laws while our house is being finished. So far it's been a smooth transition. Sloane's been great and it's nice having help. We moved down when I was 37 weeks pregnant. My due date was November 16 (last friday). My mother in law and I took Sloane to the mall and shopped and walked and shopped some more. It's kind of a tradition now, for us to walk the baby out on my due date. Didn't work with Sloane so I was skeptical. Then the contractions started at about 2am.
By 5am I was having contractions about 6 minutes apart and couldn't sleep so I told Brandon and went downstairs to wait it out. My in-laws took Sloane to breakfast while Brandon and I sat waiting for labor to intensify before heading into the hospital. We packed up the car, Brandon went to get breakfast, and we sat down to watch "Happiest Baby on the Block" to get a refresher on the swaddle. All of a sudden we noticed we couldn't find Rosie (our English Bulldog). We figured she was just hanging out upstairs or outside. Not upstairs and when we went outside she was no where to be found. Now Rosie isn't one to wonder. She goes outside, does her business, and unless one of us is outside with her she runs right back in. So we started around the house yelling for her. I was starting to get scared… Behind the McCraney's house is a large pasture with cows, and woods. in front was a busy road. Neither one was a good situation.
Brandons parents pulled up as we were yelling for Rosie. So I went inside to wait out labor while Brandon and his dad went looking for Rosie. They looked everywhere. 3 hours of looking for the dog and nothing came up. I was hysterical and now threatening not to go to the hospital until the dog was found. Poor Brandon. He was wandering around, looking in places we'd already looked and then he popped the trunk of his car to get something out of one of our hospital bags. He ran in and said he'd found her… I thought he was joking. Nope, when he popped the trunk, her little face poked through our luggage and there she was, in the trunk of our Audi A4, behind all our bags… she'd hopped in as he was packing the car (she gets anxious when she thinks we're leaving her) rode all the way to get breakfast and sat in there for 3 hours. She was shaking like a leaf. We were ecstatic! Now I could concentrate on labor. I promptly went inside and call the doctor. Contractions were now 4 minutes apart. As I was waiting for the nurse to call me back to let me know if I could come in yet or not, my water broke. Actually, that's an understatement. I exploded all over Brandon's dad's favorite chair. I wouldn't have felt so bad but I had joked earlier in the week that, "wouldn't it be funny if my water broke in this chair?" because I love that chair.
I stood in the kitchen soaking wet and while Brandon ran to get me all new clothes (even my socks were wet). The nurse called back and said to come in… no kidding. As we ventured into Charlotte my contractions were now 2 minutes apart. I was really nervous. We were 45 minutes from the hospital and I wasn't sure we'd make it. We pulled in, got out and headed in and wait for it… stood in line. "Are you kidding me?"
I may have cursed out about 5 people at the front desk waiting for someone to get me up to the Maternity floor. We finally made it. I got to the hospital at 7 centimeters but they promised me they could still do the epidural. They definitely delivered. It was a much more intense labor than I had with Sloane. The epidural finally kicked in and I was comfortable. About 2 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital it was time to push. I pushed for 17 minutes, (3 sets of 3) and she was out. We had another beautiful baby girl. Reese Alexandra MeCraney was born November 17, at 5:49pm. She weighed 7lbs. 2oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. Almost exactly the same size as Sloane. The one noticeable difference were her two adorable dimples.
We're now home and trying to adjust to life with 2 under 2. Sloane's been wonderful and loves her sister. Reese is such a different baby than Sloane. I can't wait to see the differences as they both grow up. She's a vocal one, with super long fingers and toes. I call her my little bird. I was so lucky that my mom could come down and spend Thanksgiving with us. I'm also blessed to have built in help for a while. Heck, even when we move to Raleigh we'll have so many friends around us, not to mention Auntie Ashley down the road. We're really lucky to be starting this new chapter in our lives. Brandon graduates from Harvard in 4 weeks, we get our house in 5 weeks, and I get to spend more than a week in Ohio with my family this year for the holidays.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!
Well, we're here in North Carolina residing with my in-laws while our house is being finished. So far it's been a smooth transition. Sloane's been great and it's nice having help. We moved down when I was 37 weeks pregnant. My due date was November 16 (last friday). My mother in law and I took Sloane to the mall and shopped and walked and shopped some more. It's kind of a tradition now, for us to walk the baby out on my due date. Didn't work with Sloane so I was skeptical. Then the contractions started at about 2am.
By 5am I was having contractions about 6 minutes apart and couldn't sleep so I told Brandon and went downstairs to wait it out. My in-laws took Sloane to breakfast while Brandon and I sat waiting for labor to intensify before heading into the hospital. We packed up the car, Brandon went to get breakfast, and we sat down to watch "Happiest Baby on the Block" to get a refresher on the swaddle. All of a sudden we noticed we couldn't find Rosie (our English Bulldog). We figured she was just hanging out upstairs or outside. Not upstairs and when we went outside she was no where to be found. Now Rosie isn't one to wonder. She goes outside, does her business, and unless one of us is outside with her she runs right back in. So we started around the house yelling for her. I was starting to get scared… Behind the McCraney's house is a large pasture with cows, and woods. in front was a busy road. Neither one was a good situation.
Brandons parents pulled up as we were yelling for Rosie. So I went inside to wait out labor while Brandon and his dad went looking for Rosie. They looked everywhere. 3 hours of looking for the dog and nothing came up. I was hysterical and now threatening not to go to the hospital until the dog was found. Poor Brandon. He was wandering around, looking in places we'd already looked and then he popped the trunk of his car to get something out of one of our hospital bags. He ran in and said he'd found her… I thought he was joking. Nope, when he popped the trunk, her little face poked through our luggage and there she was, in the trunk of our Audi A4, behind all our bags… she'd hopped in as he was packing the car (she gets anxious when she thinks we're leaving her) rode all the way to get breakfast and sat in there for 3 hours. She was shaking like a leaf. We were ecstatic! Now I could concentrate on labor. I promptly went inside and call the doctor. Contractions were now 4 minutes apart. As I was waiting for the nurse to call me back to let me know if I could come in yet or not, my water broke. Actually, that's an understatement. I exploded all over Brandon's dad's favorite chair. I wouldn't have felt so bad but I had joked earlier in the week that, "wouldn't it be funny if my water broke in this chair?" because I love that chair.
I stood in the kitchen soaking wet and while Brandon ran to get me all new clothes (even my socks were wet). The nurse called back and said to come in… no kidding. As we ventured into Charlotte my contractions were now 2 minutes apart. I was really nervous. We were 45 minutes from the hospital and I wasn't sure we'd make it. We pulled in, got out and headed in and wait for it… stood in line. "Are you kidding me?"
I may have cursed out about 5 people at the front desk waiting for someone to get me up to the Maternity floor. We finally made it. I got to the hospital at 7 centimeters but they promised me they could still do the epidural. They definitely delivered. It was a much more intense labor than I had with Sloane. The epidural finally kicked in and I was comfortable. About 2 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital it was time to push. I pushed for 17 minutes, (3 sets of 3) and she was out. We had another beautiful baby girl. Reese Alexandra MeCraney was born November 17, at 5:49pm. She weighed 7lbs. 2oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. Almost exactly the same size as Sloane. The one noticeable difference were her two adorable dimples.
We're now home and trying to adjust to life with 2 under 2. Sloane's been wonderful and loves her sister. Reese is such a different baby than Sloane. I can't wait to see the differences as they both grow up. She's a vocal one, with super long fingers and toes. I call her my little bird. I was so lucky that my mom could come down and spend Thanksgiving with us. I'm also blessed to have built in help for a while. Heck, even when we move to Raleigh we'll have so many friends around us, not to mention Auntie Ashley down the road. We're really lucky to be starting this new chapter in our lives. Brandon graduates from Harvard in 4 weeks, we get our house in 5 weeks, and I get to spend more than a week in Ohio with my family this year for the holidays.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Could we add just one more thing?
Holy Cow!
So proof we've been quite busy is the fact that I haven't posted in MONTHS! What better day to post than on my first day of unemployment, I mean retirement, I mean, my new career as a stay at home mom. Gulp.
It finally happened. The house sold back in September, we close in about a week. We're heading down this weekend to stay with the McCraney's until our new house is completed and closed in mid December… not only that, I'm switching doctors at 37 weeks and Brandon is smack dab in the middle of his last class and capstone paper for school. Breathe. No one can say we don't keep things interesting.
So I stopped working Friday and it feels great. We're slowly but surely packing up the house this week and hopefully we'll be ready to head out this weekend. Brandon's parents are coming up to help. His dad will help with the heavy lifting and driving his car down. Brandon's mom is going to ride with me, Sloane and Rosie. Thank goodness because even though I'll have just hit "full term" it made me so nervous to hit the road solo. We'll be staying with the McCraney's just outside of Charlotte until the house we bought in Raleigh is finished being built (yay!) and we close. This should be around the 15th of December (or so, you never know with new construction!). Merry Christmas!! I'm sure we won't get totally moved in and settled until after the new year.
So little Reese will be born in Charlotte, and while it's not ideal because all of our doctors will be temporary, it's a huge relief to me to imagine the help I'm going to have. Something I haven't had while living here in New England.
Brandon will be coming back up each Monday until he's finished with the class, again, in mid December. Needless to say we'll both be partaking in plenty of Holiday cheer! But it'll all be worth it when we all come back up here in May for his graduation. Yes, I'm making him walk because you don't graduate from Harvard and not participate in the ceremony.
We're really excited about our new house in Raleigh. It's going to be beautiful. Plenty of room for the kids and visitors (hint hint). We live a block from friends and the neighborhood has a pool. What more could you ask for!? Each girl will have their own room with walk in closets and we'll have a nice big play room!
So for my last week as a Massachusetts resident I've made my top ten lists:
Top Ten Things I'll Miss About New England- in no particular order
1. The great friends we've made (please come visit, and we'll see you in May!)
2. The wild turkeys that are EVERYWHERE around here! It never got old
3. The foliage. It really is worth the hype
4. Boston. It's just the best city, and I'll be forever a Celtics fan!
5. My daughter's daycare. It's been a wonderful experience. Such a good program!
6. Our doctors. I'll miss our pediatrician and my OB (and nurse Melissa!) :(
7. The North Shore. Not just places like Newburyport, but also Portsmouth and Ogunquit
8. The accent. I'm losing one accent but gaining another!
9. My salary. No, not my job, my salary!!!
10. My friends ;)
Top Ten Things I Will NOT Miss About New England - again, no particular order
1. Traffic
2. Snow
3. Our hill
4. Traffic
5. Prices
6. Traffic in the rain
7. How difficult it is to get anywhere fast
8. Elizabeth Warren advertisements
9. Being at least 12 hours from the nearest family member
10. Hmmm toss up between traffic and snow
Well, thanks for reading… Hopefully I'll have more time to keep these updates coming with my new job! (Hahaha, we'll see).
Gotta get back to packing!!!
Love, Nicole
So proof we've been quite busy is the fact that I haven't posted in MONTHS! What better day to post than on my first day of unemployment, I mean retirement, I mean, my new career as a stay at home mom. Gulp.
It finally happened. The house sold back in September, we close in about a week. We're heading down this weekend to stay with the McCraney's until our new house is completed and closed in mid December… not only that, I'm switching doctors at 37 weeks and Brandon is smack dab in the middle of his last class and capstone paper for school. Breathe. No one can say we don't keep things interesting.
So I stopped working Friday and it feels great. We're slowly but surely packing up the house this week and hopefully we'll be ready to head out this weekend. Brandon's parents are coming up to help. His dad will help with the heavy lifting and driving his car down. Brandon's mom is going to ride with me, Sloane and Rosie. Thank goodness because even though I'll have just hit "full term" it made me so nervous to hit the road solo. We'll be staying with the McCraney's just outside of Charlotte until the house we bought in Raleigh is finished being built (yay!) and we close. This should be around the 15th of December (or so, you never know with new construction!). Merry Christmas!! I'm sure we won't get totally moved in and settled until after the new year.
So little Reese will be born in Charlotte, and while it's not ideal because all of our doctors will be temporary, it's a huge relief to me to imagine the help I'm going to have. Something I haven't had while living here in New England.
Brandon will be coming back up each Monday until he's finished with the class, again, in mid December. Needless to say we'll both be partaking in plenty of Holiday cheer! But it'll all be worth it when we all come back up here in May for his graduation. Yes, I'm making him walk because you don't graduate from Harvard and not participate in the ceremony.
We're really excited about our new house in Raleigh. It's going to be beautiful. Plenty of room for the kids and visitors (hint hint). We live a block from friends and the neighborhood has a pool. What more could you ask for!? Each girl will have their own room with walk in closets and we'll have a nice big play room!
So for my last week as a Massachusetts resident I've made my top ten lists:
Top Ten Things I'll Miss About New England- in no particular order
1. The great friends we've made (please come visit, and we'll see you in May!)
2. The wild turkeys that are EVERYWHERE around here! It never got old
3. The foliage. It really is worth the hype
4. Boston. It's just the best city, and I'll be forever a Celtics fan!
5. My daughter's daycare. It's been a wonderful experience. Such a good program!
6. Our doctors. I'll miss our pediatrician and my OB (and nurse Melissa!) :(
7. The North Shore. Not just places like Newburyport, but also Portsmouth and Ogunquit
8. The accent. I'm losing one accent but gaining another!
9. My salary. No, not my job, my salary!!!
10. My friends ;)
Top Ten Things I Will NOT Miss About New England - again, no particular order
1. Traffic
2. Snow
3. Our hill
4. Traffic
5. Prices
6. Traffic in the rain
7. How difficult it is to get anywhere fast
8. Elizabeth Warren advertisements
9. Being at least 12 hours from the nearest family member
10. Hmmm toss up between traffic and snow
Well, thanks for reading… Hopefully I'll have more time to keep these updates coming with my new job! (Hahaha, we'll see).
Gotta get back to packing!!!
Love, Nicole
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Buy our house!
Feels like it's been a awhile since I posted one of these! Well here goes with what's been going on around here the last 25 days or so…
The house is officially on the market. We've had great activity and are hopeful for a quick sale. Already had one offer but it was shot down pretty quick. You've gotta laugh when the first time you get a call that someone wants to come through the house, you get home to get things together and find a big pile of dog poop in the middle of the family room. But we're pros now and the house is always ready. I think that's what I will be happiest about when it sells. Sure, I can't wait to get down to Raleigh but man, I am sick of keeping my house clean ALL THE TIME! So if anyone out there is interested in moving to Tyngsborough Massachusetts, just give me a shout!
I got the notification last week that June will be Sloane's transition month. She'll be heading to the Toddler 1 room at day care. I cannot believe it. she's such a little girl now and not so much a baby. It still amazes me how she can learn new things so fast all the time. She's walking great now. Not sure if I can officially call her a walker yet but if not, we're right on the cusp. It sounds silly now but I really didn't realize that kids are only babies for one year. To the untrained "unmother" it seems like they're babies forever, at least it did for me. But with each stage there is such a difference, and I think you notice it the most in your own children. I am so proud of that little girl every day. People talk about the bond you form instantly when your children are born. I don't think there is anything wrong with me but to be completely honest, I didn't feel that instant bond or connection right when Sloane was born. Don't get me wrong, I knew I loved her immediately, but when I compare my feelings for her now vs. the day she was born, there is no contest…
Speaking of how time flies, my niece Mackenzie turns six tomorrow. It's amazing how fast they grow up and how awesome it is to watch them become who they are. She is such a smart, sweet, sensitive person. I wish I could spend more time with her. Maybe when she's a little older she'll want to come visit Aunt Nicki for a week or so…
New baby McCraney is doing good for those of you who are curious. He/She has a nice strong heartbeat (150's) and is already very active. I'm only 15 weeks but I can feel baby move every once in a while. Not so much in the stomach area, but those unmistakable hits to the bladder. We've decided that since this is a new baby we're going to have a new experience and actually find out pre-birth if we'll be welcoming Sloane a brother or a sister. June 15th (Sloane's 14 month birthday!) is the big day. I have mixed feelings about it, almost like I'm opening my Christmas presents early, but I think it's ultimately the right choice. If we lived closer to family I think we'd probably do some sort of fun "reveal" party, but I think we'll bypass the cake and balloons.. although I'm sure I'll rack my brain to find some cute creative way to tell the Nana's and Papa's who they'll be meeting this November.
Well, I think that's all I've got as far as "news" but I think that's enough for now. We're all loving the warmer weather here in New England. Happy Memorial Day to everyone… Thanks to all that serve or have served, we haven't forgotten what this Holiday is all about. It's been a dream come true to have Brandon home for 4 days in a row, but with Tuesday comes reality.
The house is officially on the market. We've had great activity and are hopeful for a quick sale. Already had one offer but it was shot down pretty quick. You've gotta laugh when the first time you get a call that someone wants to come through the house, you get home to get things together and find a big pile of dog poop in the middle of the family room. But we're pros now and the house is always ready. I think that's what I will be happiest about when it sells. Sure, I can't wait to get down to Raleigh but man, I am sick of keeping my house clean ALL THE TIME! So if anyone out there is interested in moving to Tyngsborough Massachusetts, just give me a shout!
I got the notification last week that June will be Sloane's transition month. She'll be heading to the Toddler 1 room at day care. I cannot believe it. she's such a little girl now and not so much a baby. It still amazes me how she can learn new things so fast all the time. She's walking great now. Not sure if I can officially call her a walker yet but if not, we're right on the cusp. It sounds silly now but I really didn't realize that kids are only babies for one year. To the untrained "unmother" it seems like they're babies forever, at least it did for me. But with each stage there is such a difference, and I think you notice it the most in your own children. I am so proud of that little girl every day. People talk about the bond you form instantly when your children are born. I don't think there is anything wrong with me but to be completely honest, I didn't feel that instant bond or connection right when Sloane was born. Don't get me wrong, I knew I loved her immediately, but when I compare my feelings for her now vs. the day she was born, there is no contest…
New baby McCraney is doing good for those of you who are curious. He/She has a nice strong heartbeat (150's) and is already very active. I'm only 15 weeks but I can feel baby move every once in a while. Not so much in the stomach area, but those unmistakable hits to the bladder. We've decided that since this is a new baby we're going to have a new experience and actually find out pre-birth if we'll be welcoming Sloane a brother or a sister. June 15th (Sloane's 14 month birthday!) is the big day. I have mixed feelings about it, almost like I'm opening my Christmas presents early, but I think it's ultimately the right choice. If we lived closer to family I think we'd probably do some sort of fun "reveal" party, but I think we'll bypass the cake and balloons.. although I'm sure I'll rack my brain to find some cute creative way to tell the Nana's and Papa's who they'll be meeting this November.
Well, I think that's all I've got as far as "news" but I think that's enough for now. We're all loving the warmer weather here in New England. Happy Memorial Day to everyone… Thanks to all that serve or have served, we haven't forgotten what this Holiday is all about. It's been a dream come true to have Brandon home for 4 days in a row, but with Tuesday comes reality.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Everyone's on meds...
What happened to my happy, healthy, SLEEPING baby? I took for granted that Sloane started sleeping through the night consistently at 4 months. I don't know how all the moms out there do it.. the ones with colicky, reflux, non-sleeping babies. I probably wouldn't have wanted to have another baby. At least not right away. Sloane was super healthy until I stopped breastfeeding around 6 months. Granted, this is when kiddo's really start getting active and putting everything they see in their mouths, but still. I think there may really be something to that passing all your immunities to your child thing. Not to say I would do anything differently, I wouldn't, but it's interesting. I also know now that Sloane is in daycare she's more susceptible to all the germs. I don't really mind it I just feel so bad for her. She loves daycare, she brightens up every time we walk through the door so again, I don't regret the decision, just feel bad that she inherited my weak immune system. My favorite is how people try to make you feel better by telling you they'll be super healthy by the time they're 5. I wasn't. I was a sick kid, a sick teenager and I'm a sick adult. I'm just sick, and I have a bad feeling Sloane will be the same. This week Sloane is battling molars (I know, not an illness), an ear infection, a yeast infection (thanks to the antibiotics), and the daycare called me today to let me know that they believe she has "hand, foot, and mouth" disease. Awesome. Luckily I didn't have to pack up work and get her, as now that the rash is present, she's no longer contagious. So now I'm not sure if that persistent fever was from her ear or this virus that was going around. Whatever it was, I'm glad the fever is gone.. I just wish I could get my sleepy baby back. Sloane hasn't slept through the night for about a month now. Most nights consist of at least 30 minutes of screaming. Not only do I feel awful for my poor baby, I am TIRED!!!
Last week the pups found a skull. We think a possum skull. They chewed it up (brought it to us, I guess it was a gift. Um, thanks girls) and contracted a bacteria that made them poop. Poop a lot and poop blood. So they're also on antibiotics. Rudy still falls for the cheese trick but Rosie's wise. I now have to force two horse pills down her mouth each morning. I am literally covered in saliva before heading to work. Thankfully they are on the mend. No accidents for a few days. Just finishing up all the laundry they left in their poopy wake.
I'm fairly convinced my life would make for an interesting TV show. My mornings are a riot, Sloane not wanting me to put her down, screaming as she watches me flat iron my hair. Work has been okay, but lets face it, I'm ready to go. I got reamed out today by some puffy civilian who was simply embarrassed he got schooled by a contractor. That was fun. Thank goodness I have June. If we didn't laugh so much we'd probably be on the news for threatening a whole building on a government installation.
More random thoughts... Sloane still isn't walking and what's funny is when people ask me and I tell them no, it's like they feel bad for me. Um, she just turned 1, I highly doubt she'll still be crawling at 18. Although, she is supposed to be a flower girl in June. Next Monday is picture day at Sloane's day care and I couldn't be more excited for her first school picture!!! Okay, I think that's all I have for today, but it is only Tuesday.
Last week the pups found a skull. We think a possum skull. They chewed it up (brought it to us, I guess it was a gift. Um, thanks girls) and contracted a bacteria that made them poop. Poop a lot and poop blood. So they're also on antibiotics. Rudy still falls for the cheese trick but Rosie's wise. I now have to force two horse pills down her mouth each morning. I am literally covered in saliva before heading to work. Thankfully they are on the mend. No accidents for a few days. Just finishing up all the laundry they left in their poopy wake.
I'm fairly convinced my life would make for an interesting TV show. My mornings are a riot, Sloane not wanting me to put her down, screaming as she watches me flat iron my hair. Work has been okay, but lets face it, I'm ready to go. I got reamed out today by some puffy civilian who was simply embarrassed he got schooled by a contractor. That was fun. Thank goodness I have June. If we didn't laugh so much we'd probably be on the news for threatening a whole building on a government installation.
More random thoughts... Sloane still isn't walking and what's funny is when people ask me and I tell them no, it's like they feel bad for me. Um, she just turned 1, I highly doubt she'll still be crawling at 18. Although, she is supposed to be a flower girl in June. Next Monday is picture day at Sloane's day care and I couldn't be more excited for her first school picture!!! Okay, I think that's all I have for today, but it is only Tuesday.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
A year ago today...
Wow.. has it been a year already? I know, I know, everyone tells you how fast it goes but really, this is ridiculous. I cannot believe that a year ago today my sweet baby girl was born. I remember everything like it was yesterday. She was so frustrating… 5 days late! Labor and delivery couldn't have gone better though and there she was… from team green to team pink. She was a beautiful newborn and everything just got better with each month. Now she is such a spunky, smart, happy, funny, pure joy of a little girl. We had such a wonderful birthday party for Miss Sloane. We had a Yo Gabba Gabba theme (it's her favorite after all!) and had tons of friends and even FAMILY! come to celebrate. I am so thankful that Nana Sue and Nana Vicky and PawPaw Jim could come out and be here for her birthday. Everything was perfect. For those of you who know me, know that I'm really NOT domestic. I'm a "semi" homemade kinda gal but I really tried to make Sloane's birthday special. I baked and decorated her smash cake myself (it was Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba). It could have turned out terribly but surprisingly it came out super cute and I'm so happy I could do that for her. I'll always remember it and hopefully she'll enjoy the pictures and video in the future. I also baked cupcakes and cake pops. It literally took me all day.
After cake Sloane opened her presents.. and man, she had presents. It was like Christmas morning in this house! Everyone was so generous. She has so many beautiful new clothes and so many fun new toys. Last gift she opened was from Mommy and Daddy. She got a new back pack for when she gets a little older… inside that back pack was a t-shirt announcing to everyone that this fall, Sloane will be a big sister. Yep, here we go again!!! Brandon and I found out a week before heading to Hawaii that we'd be expecting a little brother or sister for miss Sloane, on or around (most likely around) November 16th. We couldn't be happier.. after all this is a total transition year in the 09 McCraney household. Sloane will be just over 18 months, perfect! We always talked about wanting them close in age. Saw the doctor at the beginning of the week and saw our little jelly bean bouncing away with a nice strong heart beat. And although we're not totally out of the woods, we're hopeful and confident this will be a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby!
So as I sit here reflecting on how wonderful the past year has been, I am also so excited for the year to come. We meet with a realtor tomorrow to start the process of getting our house on the market. It's finally really happening. Beyond Blessed!
After cake Sloane opened her presents.. and man, she had presents. It was like Christmas morning in this house! Everyone was so generous. She has so many beautiful new clothes and so many fun new toys. Last gift she opened was from Mommy and Daddy. She got a new back pack for when she gets a little older… inside that back pack was a t-shirt announcing to everyone that this fall, Sloane will be a big sister. Yep, here we go again!!! Brandon and I found out a week before heading to Hawaii that we'd be expecting a little brother or sister for miss Sloane, on or around (most likely around) November 16th. We couldn't be happier.. after all this is a total transition year in the 09 McCraney household. Sloane will be just over 18 months, perfect! We always talked about wanting them close in age. Saw the doctor at the beginning of the week and saw our little jelly bean bouncing away with a nice strong heart beat. And although we're not totally out of the woods, we're hopeful and confident this will be a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby!
So as I sit here reflecting on how wonderful the past year has been, I am also so excited for the year to come. We meet with a realtor tomorrow to start the process of getting our house on the market. It's finally really happening. Beyond Blessed!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Oh Sunday nights!
Why is it that Sunday nights go by so fast? There are about a hundred things I could still be doing but it's literally almost midnight (and I should have been in bed over an hour ago!)
This past week was probably the most stressful week of my life (thus far)… Poor Sloane, had to pick her up from day care Monday afternoon because they thought she had pink eye. Took her straight over to the pediatrician who confirmed it, but informed be that it was due to a double ear infection! This is her first ear infection and her first time on antibiotics. Now this alone is upsetting because no one wants their baby to be sick, but the doctor informed me that he was concerned about her heart murmur. Now we had no idea Sloane had a heart murmur until the week before last when we took her in again, because she was sick and had a fever. The PA we saw that day believed because it had not been heard prior, that it was due to the fever. She let us know it was nothing to worry about, happens a lot and would go away. Well it didn't and the doctor looked concerned, which made me freak out! Talk about a rough Monday. The next day I had to stay home with Peanut, which I love anytime I can stay home with her but because we just gotten back from Hawaii I literally have no time off left. More stress. Lucky for me I work for a really great company who believe family comes first. Not only did they work with me for the two days I had to take off, they offered to give me even more flexibility in my work weeks, which means so much to me.
The next day (now we're on Wednesday) we were off to see the Cardiologist down in Boston at Tufts Children's Hospital. Since Brandon was out of town I took my co-worker and friend June for moral support. The appointment took a little over two hours but the outcome was as good as I could hope for. After an EKG, an ultrasound and three doctors checking her, they believe her heart is healthy, but we need to go back in about a year for a follow up. The knot in my stomach finally starts to untie Wednesday night. Thursday is back to business as usual. Back to work, back to daycare.
Fast forward to a much needed weekend. Brandon worked on getting the house ready for the market and I did my usual cleaning routine. We had a wonderful night out (with Sloane) for a friends birthday on Saturday night. Today as always was about getting ready for the week, laundry and grocery shopping, but also starting to work the details of Sloane's first birthday! I can't wait, I am really looking forward to her special day. We're doing a Yo Gabba Gabba theme and it should just be a nice bright colorful day! Today I tried my hand at cake pops. I'm sure most of you out there have tried one, but if you haven't they are absolutely delish! They actually came out okay, which is surprising given my lack of domestic capability. I think with a few tweaks they'll be exactly what I'm aiming for!
I wish all my friends and family could be here for Sloane's birthday.. maybe someday. One thing you can count on is there will be plenty of pictures to share with those who cannot make it out!
Here's to a great, low stress week! <3
This past week was probably the most stressful week of my life (thus far)… Poor Sloane, had to pick her up from day care Monday afternoon because they thought she had pink eye. Took her straight over to the pediatrician who confirmed it, but informed be that it was due to a double ear infection! This is her first ear infection and her first time on antibiotics. Now this alone is upsetting because no one wants their baby to be sick, but the doctor informed me that he was concerned about her heart murmur. Now we had no idea Sloane had a heart murmur until the week before last when we took her in again, because she was sick and had a fever. The PA we saw that day believed because it had not been heard prior, that it was due to the fever. She let us know it was nothing to worry about, happens a lot and would go away. Well it didn't and the doctor looked concerned, which made me freak out! Talk about a rough Monday. The next day I had to stay home with Peanut, which I love anytime I can stay home with her but because we just gotten back from Hawaii I literally have no time off left. More stress. Lucky for me I work for a really great company who believe family comes first. Not only did they work with me for the two days I had to take off, they offered to give me even more flexibility in my work weeks, which means so much to me.
The next day (now we're on Wednesday) we were off to see the Cardiologist down in Boston at Tufts Children's Hospital. Since Brandon was out of town I took my co-worker and friend June for moral support. The appointment took a little over two hours but the outcome was as good as I could hope for. After an EKG, an ultrasound and three doctors checking her, they believe her heart is healthy, but we need to go back in about a year for a follow up. The knot in my stomach finally starts to untie Wednesday night. Thursday is back to business as usual. Back to work, back to daycare.
Fast forward to a much needed weekend. Brandon worked on getting the house ready for the market and I did my usual cleaning routine. We had a wonderful night out (with Sloane) for a friends birthday on Saturday night. Today as always was about getting ready for the week, laundry and grocery shopping, but also starting to work the details of Sloane's first birthday! I can't wait, I am really looking forward to her special day. We're doing a Yo Gabba Gabba theme and it should just be a nice bright colorful day! Today I tried my hand at cake pops. I'm sure most of you out there have tried one, but if you haven't they are absolutely delish! They actually came out okay, which is surprising given my lack of domestic capability. I think with a few tweaks they'll be exactly what I'm aiming for!
I wish all my friends and family could be here for Sloane's birthday.. maybe someday. One thing you can count on is there will be plenty of pictures to share with those who cannot make it out!
Here's to a great, low stress week! <3
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Post Vacation…
Well Hawaii has come and gone and just as so many said it would be, it was amazing! We went to Pearl Harbor, relaxed by the pool, swam at the beach (my first time swimming in the Pacific!), saw sea turtles, stood on a volcano, saw a water fall, walked through a lava tube, stood on a black sand beach, got a massage, snorkeled, punched myself in the face when hitting the water coming off of a water slide attached to the snorkel boat, and just plain unwound! Whew! I need a vacation now that I'm back!
The end of a vacation is always tough. You're supposed to be refreshed and ready to tackle what life throws at you. I think this vacation made things worse because I just want to go back and lay on a beach. What makes it worse is that the weather here is phenomenal! All making it really tough to focus on a really busy week!
Sloane started day care on Monday. I tried to smooth the transition by taking her in for a half day. That kind of back fired as she did not nap. at all. We had one tired girl on our hands. Luckily the last two days she's taken her normal very good, long naps. I still have a very tired girl on my hands when I pick her up.. she can barely get through dinner and a bath before she's out. They're definitely keeping her busy. What makes me happy is that when we walk into the building Sloane gets really excited and immediately reaches out for her teachers. LONG SIGH OF RELIEF. She's so happy and smiley when I drop her off and pick her up so I am a happy mom.
Being back in the real world again also means it's time to start getting this house ready for the market. We've been looking at houses in the Raleigh NC area and are very excited and anxious to make the move. The houses down there are beautiful and in wonderful neighborhoods. We'll be hiring an agent here soon to assess what we should and shouldn't do to the house before putting it up for sale… Anyone out there interested in a nice quiet house in Tyngsborough Massachusetts?
Well, time to get some sleep, another long day ahead. Friday will be exciting as both the Bobcats and the Wolfpack are in the sweet sixteen!!!
The end of a vacation is always tough. You're supposed to be refreshed and ready to tackle what life throws at you. I think this vacation made things worse because I just want to go back and lay on a beach. What makes it worse is that the weather here is phenomenal! All making it really tough to focus on a really busy week!
Sloane started day care on Monday. I tried to smooth the transition by taking her in for a half day. That kind of back fired as she did not nap. at all. We had one tired girl on our hands. Luckily the last two days she's taken her normal very good, long naps. I still have a very tired girl on my hands when I pick her up.. she can barely get through dinner and a bath before she's out. They're definitely keeping her busy. What makes me happy is that when we walk into the building Sloane gets really excited and immediately reaches out for her teachers. LONG SIGH OF RELIEF. She's so happy and smiley when I drop her off and pick her up so I am a happy mom.
Being back in the real world again also means it's time to start getting this house ready for the market. We've been looking at houses in the Raleigh NC area and are very excited and anxious to make the move. The houses down there are beautiful and in wonderful neighborhoods. We'll be hiring an agent here soon to assess what we should and shouldn't do to the house before putting it up for sale… Anyone out there interested in a nice quiet house in Tyngsborough Massachusetts?
Well, time to get some sleep, another long day ahead. Friday will be exciting as both the Bobcats and the Wolfpack are in the sweet sixteen!!!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
We're going to Hawaii, Yeah!
Well, I'm sitting here, Brandon gone, Sloane napping, dogs chewing on bones and nothing on TV. I have tomorrow off which is one perk of working with the government. Going to use my day to catch up with some friends, and I'm really excited about it! Brandon is in Vegas for a conference. He left early so that he could spend the day with his brother, sister-in-law and nephew. After Vegas he goes to Malibu California.. so needless to say his week won't suck. I can't wait till Friday, he gets home on the red eye!
In three weeks we head to Hawaii. I'm so excited. It took me a while to get here, for the longest time I was really just worried about leaving Sloane for a whole week. Now the excitement is out weighing the worry. Thank goodness. I am so looking forward to warm sun and crystal water. I can practically taste the Mai Tai's!
I think part of me really needed to lose some of the weight to get excited. Not that I can fit into all of my clothes again, but it's nice to have some back in the wardrobe. Ordered another month of Nutrisystem and am very happy about it. It's really gotten me back on track and it's nice not having to worry about doing a ton of dishes and cooking for one throughout the week. Thinking maybe this will be my last month of Nutrisystem. It's given me the tools and motivation I needed and I think I can do well on my own. Just need to start hitting that dreaded treadmill!
Once we get back from Hawaii my main focus will be planning Miss Sloanes first birthday party. I can't wait (well I can wait, I cannot believe she'll be one already in just a few short weeks). I am really looking forward to the party. I believe my mom will be in town and Brandon's parents might even get to come too. We're doing a Yo Gabba Gabba theme, it's Sloanes favorite. I'm still deciding if I should bake the cake myself or buy it. Again, I can't believe she's almost one. I guess it's just time to start thinking about a brother or sister!
In three weeks we head to Hawaii. I'm so excited. It took me a while to get here, for the longest time I was really just worried about leaving Sloane for a whole week. Now the excitement is out weighing the worry. Thank goodness. I am so looking forward to warm sun and crystal water. I can practically taste the Mai Tai's!
I think part of me really needed to lose some of the weight to get excited. Not that I can fit into all of my clothes again, but it's nice to have some back in the wardrobe. Ordered another month of Nutrisystem and am very happy about it. It's really gotten me back on track and it's nice not having to worry about doing a ton of dishes and cooking for one throughout the week. Thinking maybe this will be my last month of Nutrisystem. It's given me the tools and motivation I needed and I think I can do well on my own. Just need to start hitting that dreaded treadmill!
Once we get back from Hawaii my main focus will be planning Miss Sloanes first birthday party. I can't wait (well I can wait, I cannot believe she'll be one already in just a few short weeks). I am really looking forward to the party. I believe my mom will be in town and Brandon's parents might even get to come too. We're doing a Yo Gabba Gabba theme, it's Sloanes favorite. I'm still deciding if I should bake the cake myself or buy it. Again, I can't believe she's almost one. I guess it's just time to start thinking about a brother or sister!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day
Well, we started this week with our heads in the toilets.. literally. Brandon and I finally caught the bug. Luckily it was only 24 hours and Sloane was wonderful. She's such a trooper, hanging out in her "baby jail" playing by herself. The baby jail is something I thought I'd never do. How quickly we change our tunes when our little ones are around nothing but sharp corners, electronics and power outlets. Our living room is looking even more ridiculous (than it did with just the treadmill sitting here) with a fenced in play yard right in the middle. Ironic we bought this house because of the big family room but we flock to the small cozy living room. I think it must have something to do with the way B and I grew up… just a theory.
From my first blog you might remember how torn I was about possibly losing my job. Yeah, that is long gone. If I get my way I will be laid off by spring. Work is a very negative place you can feel it when you walk into the building. People just want to know what is going on. We've also decided it best to start Sloane in daycare for the time being. She'll be starting March 1, and while we're very excited for all the new things she'll be doing, we will really miss seeing Nanny Michelle and Brayden every day.
Being so far away from family is always hard but this week we had so many reminders and continue to. I would have done anything to have one of our moms walk through the door so we could sleep off our pukes on Monday and since I only get to see my dear husband on the weekends, I wish we had a baby sitter to watch Sloane so we could do a nice Valentines Day dinner. In the long run being independent of others and dependent on each other will only make us stronger, but still.. sure would be nice!
Two more days till my honey comes home. I seriously cherish the weekends. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
From my first blog you might remember how torn I was about possibly losing my job. Yeah, that is long gone. If I get my way I will be laid off by spring. Work is a very negative place you can feel it when you walk into the building. People just want to know what is going on. We've also decided it best to start Sloane in daycare for the time being. She'll be starting March 1, and while we're very excited for all the new things she'll be doing, we will really miss seeing Nanny Michelle and Brayden every day.
Being so far away from family is always hard but this week we had so many reminders and continue to. I would have done anything to have one of our moms walk through the door so we could sleep off our pukes on Monday and since I only get to see my dear husband on the weekends, I wish we had a baby sitter to watch Sloane so we could do a nice Valentines Day dinner. In the long run being independent of others and dependent on each other will only make us stronger, but still.. sure would be nice!
Two more days till my honey comes home. I seriously cherish the weekends. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
My first Blog
Well, I caved…
I wonder if anyone will be interested in this besides my own mother!? :) However I am going to try posting more family information to this and a little less to Facebook. So here goes!
I am getting so excited to travel to Toledo this weekend. It feels like forever since I've seen my family and friends, and Sloane has gotten so big (well, not THAT big) and learned so much. I miss Brandon and wish he could come. I treasure our weekends now that that is almost the only time we get to spend together. However he loves his new job and that is all I can ask for, especially since I'm faced with the possibility of being laid off very soon. I have mixed feelings about it… I would love to have the time to spend with Sloane while she's little and possibly work on my PMP certificate without feeling the added stress. Knowing our time here is limited, it really wouldn't be a career killer. However, the pride in me wants to "survive" this massive lay off because I know and can say confidently that I'm one of the good ones. I seem to change my mind depending on the day.
Sloane had her 9 month well visit. She is 16lbs 15oz. and 27 3/4 inches tall. Average height but a bit petite with her weight. Now that she's mobile the Doctor doesn't expect her to pack on the pounds so we'll see where we're at in another 3 months (OMG, she'll be one. Just crazy).
She's doing great, working on getting her 5th tooth. My main concern at this appointment was food. I'm just not sure if the approach I am taking is pushing her or holding her back. Neither of which I want to do. Something they don't tell you when you're pregnant is just how much you'll compare your parenting style to others. The peer pressure, while not intentional, is worse than in High School! Luckily I got the answer I was hoping for from our pediatrician. She said I was doing just great and that she's on track. She should still be getting 24-32 oz of formula per day as well as finger foods and some solids… CHECK! I also took her suggestion of skipping the stage three foods (in her words, they're disgusting) and went to the Gerber Graduates (cut up of course). It worked and my big girl LOVED the ravioli and fruit bits for dinner. I think we've found that happy medium.
I'm ready to move. Straight up without feeling ashamed in saying it.. this house freaks me out during the week when Brandon's not here. I am sitting here right now freaking out because I keep hearing "bumps" like someone is coming up the stairs or messing around the kitchen. I often wonder what I'm going to do when Sloane tells me someday that she's afraid of ghosts. I can't very well tell her: "me too".
Well, I hope whoever out there is interested has found my very first blog interesting. It was fun, kind of like a journal that I know people will read.
Thanks for stopping by.. Love, Nicki
I wonder if anyone will be interested in this besides my own mother!? :) However I am going to try posting more family information to this and a little less to Facebook. So here goes!
I am getting so excited to travel to Toledo this weekend. It feels like forever since I've seen my family and friends, and Sloane has gotten so big (well, not THAT big) and learned so much. I miss Brandon and wish he could come. I treasure our weekends now that that is almost the only time we get to spend together. However he loves his new job and that is all I can ask for, especially since I'm faced with the possibility of being laid off very soon. I have mixed feelings about it… I would love to have the time to spend with Sloane while she's little and possibly work on my PMP certificate without feeling the added stress. Knowing our time here is limited, it really wouldn't be a career killer. However, the pride in me wants to "survive" this massive lay off because I know and can say confidently that I'm one of the good ones. I seem to change my mind depending on the day.
Sloane had her 9 month well visit. She is 16lbs 15oz. and 27 3/4 inches tall. Average height but a bit petite with her weight. Now that she's mobile the Doctor doesn't expect her to pack on the pounds so we'll see where we're at in another 3 months (OMG, she'll be one. Just crazy).
She's doing great, working on getting her 5th tooth. My main concern at this appointment was food. I'm just not sure if the approach I am taking is pushing her or holding her back. Neither of which I want to do. Something they don't tell you when you're pregnant is just how much you'll compare your parenting style to others. The peer pressure, while not intentional, is worse than in High School! Luckily I got the answer I was hoping for from our pediatrician. She said I was doing just great and that she's on track. She should still be getting 24-32 oz of formula per day as well as finger foods and some solids… CHECK! I also took her suggestion of skipping the stage three foods (in her words, they're disgusting) and went to the Gerber Graduates (cut up of course). It worked and my big girl LOVED the ravioli and fruit bits for dinner. I think we've found that happy medium.
I'm ready to move. Straight up without feeling ashamed in saying it.. this house freaks me out during the week when Brandon's not here. I am sitting here right now freaking out because I keep hearing "bumps" like someone is coming up the stairs or messing around the kitchen. I often wonder what I'm going to do when Sloane tells me someday that she's afraid of ghosts. I can't very well tell her: "me too".
Well, I hope whoever out there is interested has found my very first blog interesting. It was fun, kind of like a journal that I know people will read.
Thanks for stopping by.. Love, Nicki
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