Another Day, New Surprises

Indy has another eye infection thanks to her clogged tear ducts.  We went to the doctors today and she gave us more eye drops and said that this could go on for the next year...UGH!!  

The doctor also told me that her lop sided head is looking worse and if we don't fix it now, she is going to have to wear a helmet.  My kid will not wear a helmet, so I am doing everything I can to make her head even out.  We are going to do more tummy time and I am going to make sure she is propped to the other side at all times (which is hard when she wiggles the prop out of the way and lays back on her comfy side).  She really hates the other side of her head and is letting me know her feeling very loudly.  Pray for my sanity!

There is some good news...Indiana is a whole 8 lbs now!!!  She is a chunky monkey!  She has almost doubled her weight since coming home and as you can see this kid likes to eat!!  :)

The things I will never understand

I will never understand why my kid will only sleep in her car seat? No...not if we are in the car, but just at home in her car seat on the couch.  The last couple of days she has been only wanting to sleep in her car seat and no where else.  I have tried rocking her and then putting her down in her play pen or crib and she just wakes up and cries.  I have tried putting her on our bed on top of a piled up comforter (which she normally likes) and that isn't working either.  I have even tried holding her for 3 hours and she still wakes up and fusses.  So, yesterday I was frustrated with her not sleeping and put her in her car seat to try to fold some laundry and she fell right to sleep...ugh!!  Now, it seems like I have to pull the car seat out just for her to take a nap!  And once she is in there...she is OUT!!  I even have to wake her up to feed.  

I just don't get it and I hope this isn't going to become a habit!  :P

Christmas Fun

Christmas time is over and Indiana first Christmas was one to remember...well...if you want to remember her sleeping through the whole thing.  I guess I can't expect too much from a 5 week old.  She slept through our "Team Bomgaars" Christmas at home, Christmas Eve at Rocky's parents and Christmas morning at my mom's.  We have lots of pictures and video of her sleeping...yippy!  :)

I did take her to get 1 month/Christmas pictures and they came out great.  She was asleep (again) for most of it, but we managed to get a couple of pictures of her awake.  I even got a picture of her in a stocking, which is super cute.  I also too her to go see Santa and she looks so funny next to the super big Santa.  Definitely one for the memory book!

2-4 Week Check Up

Indiana had her 2-4 week check up this past Tuesday and she passed with flying colors! She is now a whopping 5lbs 14oz and 19 inches long and has gained about a pound and a half since she came home.   I can't believe she is almost 6 lbs!!!  She looks and feels so much bigger than before and she is now fitting into her clothes better.  She has even almost grown out of some of her preemie clothes, but not all  :)   The doctor said she is doing great and if it wasn't for her size, they would never know she was a preemie. She thinks by her 2 month check up she will be caught up with all of the other babies her age and be right on schedule. She is going to stay on the high calorie formula for another month or so and then move to the regular, cheaper stuff...YEAH!!! :) The doctor said she could go back to work with me next month if I wanted, but I still think I am going to stay home until February or March so she doesn't get sick around all of the kids.  

So far she is a pretty easy going baby. She really only cries when she needs something or wants a little love from Mommy or Daddy. She is sleeping in her crib at night now and is waking up on her own every 3-4 hours to eat. At least I get a little time to sleep in between feedings :)  She is so much more alert and enjoys watching her mobile and looking at bright lights.  Exciting stuff. 

Here are some pictures from her Christmas Card/Birth Announcement Photo Shoot!  Thanks Rocky :)

I'm a big girl now...

It has been such an interesting journey this last week.  There were many ups and downs, fights and rewards and many sleepless nights, but I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel.  Indiana has finally figured out her nights and days and last night she slept in her crib all night for the first time!!!  I know she is only 2 1/2 weeks old and it seems very soon, but it is so much better for us to have her out of our room while her are sleeping, because we are up at every little sound she makes.  It doesn't make for a good nights sleep.  

It all started Friday night when we went upstairs to relax for the evening and she started fussing, so we decided to put her in her crib to see if she slept better in a dark, quiet room...and she did.  So we left her in there until the next feeding and tried it again.  It worked.  I was so happy, but really scared and sad cause she seemed so far away, even though she was only down the hall and I had the monitor on.  She slept most of the night in her room, but then about 4am she decided that she wasn't having it anymore, so I brought her into bed with me and she was finally happy.  

So last night we tried it again and to our amazement she slept the entire night in her crib, all by herself and didn't give us a hassle when we put her down after feedings.  She even went longer waking up between feedings, giving us more time to sleep (which is always a good thing!!!).  We have also be trying the "let her cry it out" approach and it seems to be working.  It is REALLY hard to listen to her cry, but we go in and reassure her and tell her that she is fine and we are always here.  She seems to be getting it, because last night she started crying a few times and then just stopped and went back to sleep before we even went into the room.  It was heaven.  

So, it seems like our little girl is all grown up now and she is only 2 weeks old.  :(  I am hoping this new pattern sticks and she continues to self sooth and put herself back to sleep.   She seems so young to me to be in her own room and in that very big crib all by herself, but I have to remind myself that she is fine and we are right down the hall if she needs us.  I think it is harder on me then on her and I know it is better for her in the long run and for us too.  On to the next milestone!!!  

Indiana 2 1/2 weeks old.  This is one of the only "outfits" that fits her and she looks so cute in it...Thanks Mema!!!   Her head finally grew enough to keep the bow on  :)

Indiana's first rain storm with Daddy!!!

And the winner of "Parents of the Year" goes to...

So we have now had Indiana home for a week and a half and we have already become the "best parents in the world".  As you can see, I am being sarcastic.  On Thanksgiving I noticed that she had a small amount of discharge coming out of her eye, but I really didn't think anything of it.  By 3am, her eyes were closed shut with goopy yellow, greeny discharge.  I felt so bad!!!  We took her to the doctor the next morning and she said that she had an eye infection and a possible clogged duct.  I guess it is very common for newborns to have clogged eye ducts, but it didn't make me feel any better about the whole situation.  I couldn't believe that she was only 9 days old and has an infection.  And here I thought I was doing a good job as a first time mommy!!  :)

On a brighter note...Indy is now 5lbs.  She can play with the big girls now!!!  Here are some pictures of Indiana at 1 1/2 weeks old.  She looks so much bigger now...it is amazing.  

The best, worse, hardest, and most amazing week of my life!!!

This was the kind of week that you remember for the rest of life.  The kind that changes your life forever and makes you really think about what is important in life.  This was the kind of week were you become part of something bigger than yourself and without control, you just give in.  This week, my daughter Indiana Rose Bomgaars was born.  

November 19, 2008  4lbs 8oz   18 inches long

It all started with one of my many weekly doctors visits and we found that Indiana had not grown at all in a week.  We had been watching her progress for the last few weeks, but that day we knew something was wrong.  We were planing on inducing December 1st, but the doctor decided she had to come out now.  His plan was to induce slowly and hopefully have her within the next few days, but Indiana decided that she wanted to make her entrance into the world that day.  

I was admitted into the hospital and we started some medicine to get my body ready for the labor and within 2 hours my water had broken and I was having contractions every 3 minutes.  Lets just say it was faster then we expected.  After being in active labor for 5 hours, they started the Pitocin and that's when the problems began.  Every time I had a contraction, Indiana's heart rate would drop and not long after I began the medicine she went into distress.  I have never seen so many people move so quickly in my life.  One minute I am in bed having contractions and trying to breath through the contractions and the next minute I am being rushed to the operating room to be prepped for a C-Section.

I was really scared and didn't know what was going on and all I could think was please let her be ok.  It seemed like it took forever, but really it was only 9 minutes from getting me in the operating room to her delivery.  I kept asking for Rocky and the doctor almost didn't let him in for the delivery, but I insisted.  He finally came in and was trying to calm me down and them we heard it...she cried!!! Everything happened so fast, but I do remember thinking she will be ok as long as she cries. 

Indiana's First Feeding

I didn't get to meet Indiana until over 12 hours after her birth, but luckily Rocky was able to spend a lot of time with her in the beginning and would keep me updated on her progress.  I was so happy to hear that she was not on any breathing assistance, didn't have an IV and wasn't even in a warming incubator.  When I finally was able to go see her, I was so overwhelmed by the whole experience I didn't even enjoy our first meeting.  It is very hard to go to the NICU and know that your baby is there with other sick babies and you can't do anything about it.  I wasn't sure what to expect and when I say her, it scary, confusing, hectic and amazing all at the same time.  When I saw for the first time, I didn't even think that she was mine.  After that morning, things became easier and my mommy instincts started to kick in.  I would get up and go to every feeding and sometimes just go early just to watch her sleep.   She was doing really well and even the nurses said that she was "The wellist baby in the NICU" and that we shouldn't worry about anything.  We knew it was just a matter of time until I went home and had to leave her at the hospital, so when they said that she could come home with me after only 3 days, we were ecstatic!!!  I think that was one of the happiest days of my life.  

So we came home together as a family and the journey began.  Feeding at 3am, trying to figure out why she is crying and having her pee on you during a diaper change.  All of this is totally worth it.  We have had some easy nights and some REALLY hard nights.  I pulled my first all nighter the other day and it wasn't so bad...well until the next day when I was so tired I couldn't stand it.  We have been busy with family and friends coming over, Indy's first doctors appointment and trying to keep up with work, cleaning, laundry and daily living.  We are so excited to have our little girl home and I can't wait to watch her grow and change into the wonderful little person that she is going to be.  Even in the past week she has changed so much and I can't imagine what she is going to be like in a month or two.  Life has changed, for the better and I can't wait to share her with the world.  

Here are some pictures from Indiana's Adventurous Week:

I look just like my daddy...Little Rocky Jr.  

Tummy time with Daddy

Indiana's First Doctors Appointment.  She gained 4oz in 2 days.  4lbs 13oz.  Almost 5lbs. 

Me and Indy hanging out at home

She sleeps just like here mommy

Indiana's First Thanksgiving

Indy, Oma & Boom Boom Grandpa 

Anutie Sommer & Uncle Cameron 

Boom Boom trying to wake up Indiana

Sleeping Indy

Contractions and Liquids

Can I say how tired I am of drinking obscene amounts of liquids each day???  I know I only have 3 weeks left, but I feel like I am going to float away at any second.  I don't think that I will ever drink watered down Kool-Aid and Apple juice again, but who can say. 

I have also started to have contractions that actually hurt now...it's crazy.  I have been having Braxton-Hicks for quite some time now, but now these feel like the real thing.  Nothing close enough to actually call "real" contractions, but wow they hurt.  I guess I am getting ready for the big day...well the big induction day anayway!!!

24 days left, 14 hours, 1 minute and 27 seconds left!!!  

The right to be equal - No on Prop 8

For the first time in my life, I have put the time and effort into understanding this election and the issues that plague our country and state. It is kind of empowering to be able to hold a conversation with others and feel like I am holding my ground on issues that I feel strongly about. I never thought I would feel strongly enough to write about my feelings, because everyone has the right to their own beliefs and who am I to say otherwise, but had I to get this off my chest. Here are my views on Prop 8.

I don't understand how human rights could ever be a question in the United States. It is not really a matter of same sex marriage for me, but rather a matter of equality and discrimination. People should be treated equally, bottom line and if Prop 8 passes that right will be taken away. I also don't understand how one prop can be interpreted as so many different things, yet only deal with on issue, marriage. The lawn signs I've seen say "Yes on Prop 8 - Protect Marriages." No where does it say anything about education. When did it become Prop 8 - Protect our children's education and parental rights???

Prop 8 ELIMINATES THE RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. That is it! It will:
- Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
- Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

No where in the prop does it say anything about education and what are children are being taught in school. The California Education Code permits school districts to offer comprehensive sex education, but if they do, they have to "teach respect for marriage and committed relationships." Parents can excuse their child from all or part of the instruction (I remember having to turn in a signed permission slip when I had Sex Ed). The case they show on one of their commercials is of a first grade class that went to their lesbian teacher's wedding. They had to get consent from the parents (which they did - two kids didn't go because of that). Whether or not the wedding is something you would call a "teachable" experience, it was the parents' decision and they will answer any questions their children will have. Also, This was also a charter school. It wasn't a public school. The commercial is lying to you about this.

There is also the issue that Churches could lose their tax-exemption status if Prop 8 isn't passed. The court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs." I understand the fear people might have, but they have to understand that Massachusetts is not California and they may have different rules regarding this matter.

I will stop my rant and just say that I am sad to hear all of the things that people are saying about this prop. I am sad to see that in 2008, we are still able to discriminate against a group of people after everything this country has gone through in the past. We have overcome so much as a nation and to be able to sit back and allow our children to live in a country where equality is only given to some, makes me very, very sad. No one can take away your family values and what you teach to your children and it should be our job to say "yes, they have a different family then we do, but that is ok." That is a stronger message to our children them anything. We are all different, have different families, look different, come from different places, but no one should be left out, made fun of or segregated because of their beliefs. That is what our children should be learning in school and that is really what Prop 8 is about!!!

The Countdown Begins!!!

It is official...Indiana Rose will be here in as little as 3-4 weeks.  At my specialist's appointment on Wednesday he informed me that I will not make it to my due date and he wants to induce me at 37 or 38 weeks. I have to say that I am excited to hear the news, but a little scared at the same time.  I am at the point where I just want her out so I can meet her and finally see who has been kicking me for months.  :)  

The doctor also said that she is doing very well and just needs to grow a little more before we bring her into the world.  The decision to pull her early was not, because she is under any stress, but because Mommy needs to get back to feeling better as soon as possible.  My Lupus has been under control during the pregnancy, but I can't take all of the necessary medicines I need to take to possibly put me into remission.  Once Indy is delivered, we have a plan to put me back on the medicine that I responded so well to, but could not take because it would have harmed the baby.  The doctor assured me that at 37 weeks she is "fully cooked" and is ready to meet her very excited parents, so she should be just fine.  

So it looks like Indy will be a "Thanksgiving Baby" instead of a "Christmas Baby."

My Little Baby Girl

It's that time again...another Indiana update!! I had a specialist appointment this week and I got another A+ and I thought to myself "Wow...if only school was that easy I'd have a masters right now." I am happy to say that she is doing great and has proved to be a little pistol in my tummy. Hopefully she wont be such a pistol when she comes out!! :) The doctor said that she is 3 lbs 12 oz and has gained a whole pound in 3 weeks. She is moving like crazy, still has hiccups multiple times a day and sometime I think she is trying to bust out of my uterus with the kicks and punches she gives. She is measuring a little smaller than her age, but the doctors don't seem worried at all. She's just going to be a little baby and if she keeps on the same pattern she should be around 6-6 1/2 lbs when she is born.

I have been going to Non-Stress Testing for 6 weeks now (seems like longer) and it is amazing to see (well hear) her grow from week to week. The testing just monitors her heart rate and watches for regular accelerations during a 20 min to 1 hours time frame. I can remember when I first started the nurses had to sit next to me and chase her around my tummy to keep her on the heart monitor and it would take sometimes over an hour to get the test done. Now, she's cooperates more and all they have to do is hook me up, sit back and watch TV and I am usually done in about 20-30 minutes. Earlier this week she decided to keep pushing on the contraction monitor, so I looked like I was having weird, random alien contractions that the nurses had never seen before. Leave it to my kid to be dramatic in the womb.

Everything else at The Bomgaars residence is great. We are pretty much done with Indy's nursery and are planning on re-doing her closet this weekend, cause girls need a big closet!! Rocky is busy with work and I am, well trying to keep myself busy and finish everything that needs to get done before she gets here. My next big task is finishing all of my Christmas shopping and wrapping by Thanksgiving weekend. I can't believe I am already almost 33 weeks pregnant and she could be here as early as 4 weeks...oh geeze!! :)

My growing belly.  I am almost 41 inches around...yickes!!

This kid has some lips...or she is just playing kissy face with the doctors.  

Indiana Update

It is time for an Indiana update and I can't believe that there wont be that many left...she will be here in 2 1/2 months!!!  I saw the specialist today and he said everything looks great!!! In fact he gave me an A+ is "baby cooking" despite all of the complicating factors and things that could go wrong. She is now 2 lbs 11 oz and he is expecting her to be anywhere from 6 1/2 lbs to 7 lbs. She is moving up a storm and she definitely makes sure that I know she is still in there. Her newest trick is having hiccups multiple times a day, which is a treat for both of us. She doesn't like them so she moves all over the place and kicks really hard, and I get to feel my tummy move in rhythm and have her kick and punch me for sometimes over an hour. It is really amazing to now know her personality and patterns and I can't wait for her to be here.

I am doing great also!! I thought that being off work meant having LOTS of time off to rest, but that isn't exactly the case. I am at the doctors 2-3 days a week now going to appointments and NST (non-stress testing) and I feel like it is my second home. I am also still doing my Aquacize class which is going really well and I really like it a lot.  So, most weeks I have something to do everyday, which keeps me busy and less bored.  Rocky is getting excited about Indy's arrival and has even been seen picking out outfits for her in Babies R Us...on his own!!  Can you believe it?? :)  He still thinks that she doesn't need all of this "stuff" but I think he is getting used to the idea of it and realizes that he has no control over it.  He will learn.

A few weeks ago I had my first shower and it was so much fun!! Sommer, Becky and Debbie (Oma) did such a great job and I can't thank them enough for the wonderful party for Indy. Indy and I received so many beautiful gifts and I can't wait to play dress up with all of the super cute clothes. This kid has a wardrobe bigger than I do and I don't know if I like that!!! j/k :)  Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate our new baby girl...Your generosity is overwhelming and I can't wait for everyone to meet Indy in person!! 

Here are new pictures is Indiana, my ever growing belly and some pictures from the shower:

Indy's first pouty face!!  She looks like she is squishing her eyebrows and puckering her lips.  I guess she is learning early.  Her daddy makes the same face!!!  :)

If you look really close, it looks like she is blowing a bubble.  I am not sure what it is, but I am calling it a bubble for now.  

My belly at 29 weeks.  I am grown 8 full inches around my tummy and I look like I have swallowed a basketball!  :)

Indy's amazing painting...Thanks Becky, we love it!!

Indy's 1st Christmas Dress...Thanks Baba.  I can't wait to take pictures of her in it.  

Softball Photo Shoot

Rocky is back to playing softball after a 9 month hiatus with his healing broken arm.  He is so excited to be back and I am just happy that I can actually go see his games.  It gives me something to look forward to during the week since I am home and bored.  At the game tonight, we decided to bring the camera along and take some pictures and I have to admit that they came out really well.  Rocky ALWAYS takes great pictures, but this time even I took some great shots (only a few good ones and a bunch of crappy tries) Here are some of the highlights from out softball photo shoot.