Armageddon... Armageddon...

Yes, I am actually posting again. So much has changed in my life since I last posted that I don't even know where to start.

First of all, all three of my boys are healthy little (or not so little hellions). Gabe celebrated his first birthday earlier this month and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He really got into opening presents...so much so that Christmas presents couldn't be put under the tree until late Christmas eve because he was opening them. Gabe started crawling at 6 months and started walking at 8 months. He just got his 5th tooth on Friday (the 29th) but lack of teeth doesn't stop him...he even eats apples.







Joey is doing great. He loves school and seems to be my social butterfly. Somehow or another, he talked me into inviting his whole kindergarten class to his birthday party in November. Thank God only 8 of them showed up. Joey towers over most of the kids in his class and I think he could probably squash them all if he chose too. My 6 yr old wears either size 10 huskies or size 12s (which is the same size Marty wears). Joey earned his green belt in TKD and really seems to be loving it.



Marty is officially in the gifted program at school and is well on his way to earning his Webelo badge in scouts. Marty can be the sweetest most helpful kiddo one moment and can cop the biggest attitude the next. Ah the charms of an almost 10 yr old (who I think is in the early throws of puberty...ack!). Marty is a voracious reader. Between his love of reading and his passion for science, I have threatened to buy him Stephen Hawking's book and a dictionary. I think it might be the only way I could have a book last him more than a week.



The biggest change in my life is that we moved. It was a very unexpected move and, at the time, a move I didn't want at all. Now that we have moved and have settled into our new place, I can admit it was for the best. I love our new house. It is slightly smaller than our old one but has so much more character. Also, before we lived way out in the country (otherwise known as BFE). We were at least 20 minutes from anything. Now, we are only a few miles from anywhere we need to go. We are also a lot closer to our families. We have found a wonderful church and because we are so close we can be more involved. Also, the library system in Wake County is completely online. You can reserve and renew all your books through their web site. All you have to do is go by a branch to pick them up. Given how fast we all go through books, this is a very, very good thing. Financially, we are still catching up from all the expenses of our move but, once we are caught up, we will be in a better place moneywise. The only thing I still regret about our move is that I had both kids' bedrooms painted and decorated in the old house and I haven't gotten to do that yet in the new place.

My New Year's resolution is to update my blog at least once a week. If I go longer than that without posting...CALL ME ON IT!

Pics for your perusal...

we are all still sick but we are on the road to recovery. Poor little Gabey-cakes sounds hoarse. To keep you entertained until I'm better, here are some pics to looks at.


3/2/06 3 months old


3/3/06


3/3/06


3/9/06


3/20/06


3/27/06


3/27/06

We are all SICK...

Yup, even little Gabey baby. Gabe and Joey have strep with a nasty assed cold/flu on top of it. Marty and I have the nasty assed cold/flu. Gabey seems to be turning the corner faster than the rest of us...gotta love the way they bounce back...but he is still not the happy camper he usually is.

I feel like crap...my whole body aches...and I still have to be the mom. Somehow, that just isn't fair!

How did a full month pass???

Here it is a full month after my last post entry and I had sworn to myself that I would update my blog at least once a week...how in the hell did that happen?

So much has and is happening that I don't really know where to start.

First topic of discussion...the name of my blog. I started thinking about the name of my blog and was trying to decide whether I should change it or not. I mean, I'm not actively trying to have a baby right now. Our little miracle is here and thriving. Should I really keep the title of my blog as it is? I pondered and wondered and decided and changed my mind as I am apt to do these days. Then, I finally truly decided that I'll be damned if I'll change the title. The title represents a huge part of who I am and the events that have shaped my life over the past few years. While my blog won't be focusing solely on infertility or pregnancy after infertility anymore, that part of my life has left an indelible mark on my heart and soul. I am a fertile infertile...and who knows, maybe in a year or two, I can gain the courage and try for another one. Then all those thoughts and feelings will coming roaring back to the front. Until then, the fertile infertile will just be a title explaining a little bit about who I am.

Second thing on my mind...my gorgeous kiddos. Gabe is fabulous. He frequently sleeps 5 to 6 hrs to start off his night and occasionally makes it as long as 7 hrs before he decides he must eat or perish. Of course, those nights when he sleeps for 6 to 7 hrs convince me that I must have been a wet nurse or a milk cow in a previous life. After one of those glorious sleep filled nights, I have humungous milk filled boobs. Gabe can eat to his hearts content and I can still pump and fill a 9 oz bottle.

Marty and Joey continue to dote on their baby brother and his face lights up whenever he sees one of them. Last weekend, Joey was so sick. He spiked a temp of over 102 and was coughing...almost a croupy cough. The poor kid was coughing so hard his breathing was tightening up which was causing him to get panicky. Of course, the more panicky he got, the more he coughed which led to further tightening of his breathing. It was an ugly circle. I don't get freaked out by my kids being sick...my paramedic training beat that out of me...but this illness was scaring me a bit. I came really close to hauling his butt to the ER that night. I was so relieved when I finally got his fever to break and he was able to get some rest. I was also eternally grateful that this happened on a night Vic was home from work and could take care of the other two (also, thank God for the incrediboobs and all the bottles of pumped milk...I could take care of Joey and Vic could feed Gabe). Joey is still a bit tired and is still coughing some in his sleep but he is essentially better.

We are also dealing with a slightly pulled muscle in Marty's back. Marty and Joey love to play in boxes. When we received Gabe's swing a week ago Friday (THANKS KRISTI), they immediately decided it had a perfect box to add to their collection of boxes that they play in. Marty was standing in the box from the swing...he had just hopped across the living room in it...and fell when he tried to climb out. He wrenched his back and, of course has played the role of the injured martyr to the hilt.

I have a ton more to talk about but I really must go to bed. I am quite stupidly sitting here on the computer while Gabe is soundly sleeping. You would think I would learn and would go to bed shortly after he does.

Craziness, frustration, and wonder...

Yes, those three things really do go together. They describe my life over the past month or so. The craziness and the wonder are both directly attributable to having Gabe in our life. It is truly crazy trying to fit our life around the demands of a baby. Its well worth it and I never, ever regret it but, when your hubby works two jobs and they are both rotating shifts and your other kids have activities 4 days a week, it sometimes feels like you never sit down. All that said, I also have to say that I am truly filled with awe and wonder everytime I think about the fact that my precious baby boy is finally here. My two older boys are so fabulous with Gabe. They truly adore their baby brother and have gone out of their way to help me out with things. And Gabe...he is perfect, he is precious, and he is growing by leaps and bounds. He is very alert and inquisitive and he loves to be held so he can stand up. At his two month check up he weighed 12 lbs 8 oz, measured 24 inches long, and his head circumference was 16 inches. According to the charts, his weight and head are average and his height puts him in the 70 percentile for his age. Hehehehe, how my hubby and I (big heads on both of us) produced a child with an average sized head is beyond me.

The frustration in my life stems from the fact that my husband has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Despite the fact that he is making the appropriate dietary choices, he is having trouble getting his blood sugar down to where it should be. I am hoping and praying that they can control it with oral meds and we don't have to resort to insulin.

Marty, my oldest, is doing well in school and seems to be losing some of his fear/reservation about performing in front of people. His class is putting on a play about the Underground Railroad and he is playing the teacher. He has to dress up in a sports coat and tie. I will be sure to take a picture!

And, Joey...my little linebacker...is not so little anymore. Joey has gone through a huge growth spurt recently and I think he may have overtaken Marty in the weight department. The two of them are built soooo differently. Marty still has about 8 inches on Joey but they now wear the same size pants...and Joey's waist is slightly bigger than his big brother's waist. Thats right, my 5 year old and my almost nine yr old both wear size 8 pants! Thank God for eBay!!!

Thats all for now...I'll try to be back next weekend...same bat time, same bat channel!

For your entertainment...

I promise a real update before the weekend is over but until then...

How do you go from this...



to this...



Well, you take one mommy who needs stress relief and add one jigsaw that was still in the house instead of the shed.

I had so much fun it may become a yearly tradition.

And, I found a site that allows you to upload small video files for free. So, if y'all want to see Gabe playing just click on this link Gabey baby

PS...the tree was taken down in a timely fashion...I just forgot to post the pics.

Happy 1 month to Gabe and Happy 100 posts to me...

Gabe's been here for a month and it still doesn't seem real. He eats like a champ and its getting easier to burp him so we don't have the long screamfests at night anymore (YAY!). HIs first check up with his pediatrician was on Dec 7th and, on that date, he was already back up to his birth weight of 8 lb 1 oz. He had his second well baby visit on Dec 27th. He weighed in at 9lb 14.5 oz, his height was 22.5 inches (a gain of 1.5 inches since birth), and his head measured 15.25 inches (grew .75 inches since birth). I knew he had grown but I was shocked at just how much.













I must once again thank all of you for your support. Without the support I received, I might not have been able to stick with it long enough for my miracle baby to make it here.