Even out the playing field...

Ashley, Sloane, Collins, Lola, Lucy and then there is Marty. Poor Mart lives his life full of estrogen, even his dogs are ladies. Ask him if it bothers him and he wouldn't change it for the world, "I'm good with the ladies" is what he usually says :) Before we announce just what this little nugget is lets see what the old wives tales tell us...
Pink will show its a girl, blue with show its a boy. If underlined that is what this baby has been.

Baby's heart rate: above or below 140
Did you have morning sickness: yes or no
Chinese birth chart: boy
Blemishes or beauty
Craving sweet or salty
Sleeping on the left or right side
Are you moody or happy

6 out of the 7 wives tales say girl...

However, after two sweet little girls, the Mitchell Family is finally welcoming a little boy to the mix. That's right, we are expecting a BOY!!

We went to Peek-a-Belly in Lockport where we went with both Sloane and Collins. Like I mentioned before at 13 weeks our doctor had taken a peek and told us that it was a boy, however I did not believe it! I didn't think we could make boys! But sure enough Marty did it! haha We are beyond excited and Collins is going to make such a great big sister. We are slowly but surely giving the boys a chance in the Mitchell household, however girls still rule!

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Easy Ladies, that's his pee pee pointing left

Sucking his thumb

3d photo sucking his thumb :)

Mitchell Family Fall Photos

Photo bombing coming your way! Thought I would share our favorites from Collins' six month photos and our family photos. We hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving, and get to eat lots of good food. I'll be eating for two so I'll make sure I get more than enough :) Enjoy! (Our amazing photographer can be found at www.kristinagerrishphotography.com)

Every experience is different

Well we did it! Second cerclage surgery complete! Going into it the night before I got nervous all of a sudden. It cant be that bad, I have already been through it. I knew what to expect. But that was just it, I knew what was going to happen. Leaving Collins too was hard for me. Those of you that know me personally know I do not leave without my little girl beside me. She was in great hands though, my mom came to spend the day with her and she even got to spend time with Pop Pop and her Uncle Zeke before he left for a work trip. She had a ball and was a perfect angel while we were gone. Let me tell you though she got a million kisses as soon a I came into that door!

We got to the hospital a little after 8:30am to check into our room and get prepped. Things took forever, they didn't start putting my information into the system until about 9:30am so there Marty and I sat in L&D in the exact room we were in when we first met Collins :) Once they started asking all the usual questions that's when I felt like a side show in a circus because everyone was coming in to take blood, anesthesia to talk about the process of the spinal, about 3 people trying to put in my IV (which I have never had a problem before with my veins but this time was different). They said my veins were too small and that they couldn't find a good enough vein. Finally a first year resident who was brand new came in with a smaller needle and was able to put my IV in. From there we had to travel down to Dr. Font's office to get an ultrasound.

Baby was upside down relaxing, and we even got to take a little peek down below :) However we aren't 100% and I'm not telling! Side note-Saturday night I had some spotting when we had gotten home from the city. If this would have happened with Collins we would have been to the hospital immediately however we were calm this time. I laid down for the rest of the night and drank plenty of water. I never bled again and we said that if I did we would then go. So back to Monday, after checking me on ultrasound he said that my placenta was covering my cervix and that was why I had a case of spotting. Apparently normal at this stage and no cause to worry, he would just need to be careful when stitching me up. The baby is wonderful and actually measuring a whole week ahead! Heartbeat was 167 too :)





November 18, 2013

                                          

November 19, 2012

 

We of course had to reenact our picture from last year, because if this whole situation isn't crazy enough, my cerclage procedure from last year was almost to the day a year ago, well a year ago today! So only a difference of a day! We didn't actually start surgery until about 11:15am when we were supposed to start at 10:30am. So at that point I was more than ready. Why was every experience different, because I shouldn't have expected everything to be exactly the same. Out of the 3 spinals and 1 epidural I have already had this one was the worst. They couldn't get the needle to where they needed it to go in my back because all of a sudden I have a mild case of scoliosis? So weird and probably untrue however that's why they said they had to dig around in my back with the needle for 10 minutes to even get the spinal started. I was yelling of course haha "Why is it taking so long!" "Its never taken this long" "My right side is hurting" "Now my left!" At first they wanted the first year resident to do it since she was learning. Well I politely said no thank you but now I am kind of thinking she may have done a better job...or not? Anyway once that was finally taking effect they hoisted up my legs and Dr. Font got to work. It took longer this time too because what's left of my cervix is really nothing. The best way to describe it is when you are going into labor you will hear the doctor said she is __% effaced or thinned. Meaning there cervix is thinning and preparing to dilate. You want to be at 100% meaning no more cervix exists. Mine yesterday was at about 90%. Your cervix has an outside part (that's what they stitch) and an inside part. The inside part should never start opening to dilate until labor begins, which is what happened once my stitch with Collins was cut. It never opened so that was great. So that's what we want to happen this time because the inside part of my cervix is long, however the outside is minimal and the cerclage really isn't holding on to much. 

 

After surgery it took a good 6 hours of waiting to feel my lower part of my body and be able to use the restroom before we could leave. By 4pm (sorry TMI) I was just sitting there on the toilet praying to god to let me pee. Drinking ice cold water, and dipping my hand in warm water trying anything! ha I just wanted to go home. Finally we were able to and I have been resting ever since. My wonderful husband and mother have been on Collins duty/housewife duty and will be until my appointment with Dr. Font on Monday to let us know of a game plan. However I was instructed to be on as much bed rest for the week as I can, so that's what I am doing. It's only been not even 24 hours and I already miss my job as a mom. I know I am here and Collins can sit with me but not being able to feed her, and do all the things we have been doing is killing me. Marty reminded me, I still am a mom, just right now I am being a mom to our other child right now keeping him/her safe and Collins will understand. Actually Collins doesn't even care I'm sure nor will she remember, its just hard on this momma's heart :( 

Cara Box

This was the second time doing Cara box and if you remember the last time, I was partnered up with two more amazing ladies. And the theme was FALL! Ahh my favorite time of year. 

I was partnered up with two ladies both named Ashley! I sent a box over to Ashley at Wanna Be Green who has three amazing little girls who I swoon over at every picture she posts on Instagram. She is such an inspiration, eating healthy, running marathons, and being such a wonderful mom! I caught up with her during training for a marathon and moving all in the same month! Talk about multitasking :) 

I received my box from Ashley over at A Nelson's Nest who just had an adorable little boy named Anderson. Her older daughter Autumn is just as adorable and has been a wonderful big sister. I love catching up with her on her blog and Instagram watching Autumn with Anderson I can't help but think of Collins and her soon to be little brother or sister. 

I was gone on our Miami trip so missed my package when it arrived on Saturday. However coming home to such wonderful, thoughtful gifts on that Tuesday night was just perfect. She thought of not just me, but Collins and the new baby too! 

Kleenex fall inspired-for all those nasty allergies that come with the seasons changing. 

Fall towel-to add a little decoration in my kitchen. 

Giraffe rattle-for Mitchell baby #3, however Collins called dibs and has already stolen it and plays with it non stop :) 

Apple butter-which I have already put on toast a good part of the month of November 

Pumpkin Fudge-that I have shared with my fudge loving mother, so I didn't really get a lot of it haha. 

Section fall plate-for sweet Collins of course! 

Can't buy me love-because who doesn't like a good 80's movie for those chilly fall nights. 

Amazing package right! I was completely spoiled as I was the time before :) 

Collins' BIG Annoucement

I have been "dropping" hints on some type of news that November would bring and we are finally able to announce it. With help from my husband, we are expecting again. Collins is going to be a big sister...already :) We were just as surprised as you all may be reading this right now, for Marty and I weren't really sure if we wanted to expand our family at all considering what we go through. However as Marty and I learned the hard way through the loss of Sloane, it is out of our control and God mad that decision for us, so the Mitchell's are expanding by one more!

Wait, it gets better. We are due the day before Collin's due date. Meaning we could quite possibly have Irish twins on our hands :) For those of you who cannot remember the details of Collins pregnancy (I mean it was only months ago) her due date was May 20th. This babies due date is May 19th. I am currently 13 weeks along. We found out at 6 weeks, when one morning I was feeling a bit under the weather. Keep in mind I have been exclusively breast feeding since Collins was born. I haven't had a period so knowing when I ovulated or if I even did was unknown. Breast feeding is 98% contraceptive, so I'd like to introduce you to the 2% minority, US :)

Thanks Taryn :)

That morning like I said I was feeling under the weather and something (mother's intuition maybe) told me to take a test. I yelled down to Marty who was downstairs with Collins to come upstairs because I was going to take a test. He laughed, but felt like we might as well get the test out of the way. After 30 seconds the three of us, Collins, Marty and I sat staring at the test and what I thought was the control line, popped up and very faintly another line showed. I looked at Marty saying do you see that? He looked at me like I was nuts, he said how do you not see it, it was the first thing that popped up and has taken all the ink from the control line. What I thought was the control line was in fact the positive line all bright and bold and red! We were for sure pregnant, and probably farther along than we thought. I mean who knew how far along I was, there was no way to tell. I won't lie, after the crying, shock, and what did we do, we got excited after a few weeks. Babies are a blessing! And to be quite honest, having to go through all this again I might as well do it right away before Collins is more mobile, and before I lost all my baby weight and got pretty again, ha joking but for real.

To put it into perspective, I have been pregnant since October 2011. I haven't had more than two months worth of a period since then, what is a tampon?

Baby Mitchell #3 at 6weeks

Everything will be the same as far as I have been already taking progesterone cream since 6 weeks. Surgery at 14 weeks, P17 shots at 16 weeks. The only difference is bed rest. After the cerclage placement I will have to be on bed rest for a few days. After that Dr. Font is comfortable with me resting as much as possible. Meaning staying off my feet, not lifting heavy things (Collins alone is ok), and stairs obviously a no. He will monitor me and make sure that my cervix has no changes like he did last time. Crossing our fingers that I do not have to go on bed rest as soon because taking care of Collins would be quite hard. So Collins and I will be home bodies for the winter. Unless of course anyone wants to pick us up and take us to a sit down lunch :)



10 weeks

We are extremely excited! Actually we are over the moon happy, excited, so unbelievably ecstatic! Collins is going to make an amazing big sister, and Sloane is definitely looking over this baby as she did Collins. We find out boy/girl on November 26th, I have my intuition and so does Marty. He just might have his hands full-full of estrogen :) So here we go again! I hope you all are ready for another 6 month adventure with us. As always I will blog when I can with updates. Dr. Font is today with cerclage scheduling, and then Dr. Khater is in a week.

Oh FANTASTIC news. I already did my 3 hour gestational diabetes test. They wanted to do an early test like we did with Collins, and I passed! So just like I did with Collins I do not have diabetes just yet :) Fingers crossed, when I re take it at 28 weeks I still pass :) Also because I let you all know of everything, I already have a UTI. So I bit the bullet and have been taking Macrobid. (You all know my fuss with Medicine). But we needed to get rid of it before surgery.

HERE WE GO!!

For real Mom and Dad?

Baby Food Making

Today on this lovely Sunday Fall day, I spent my morning making Collins "hopefully" a month or so of baby food. I know when I started researching baby food finding other women's blogs on how they did it really helped me so I thought I'd do the same for those of you that read mine :) Let me say that I don't pretend to know what I am doing, I researched how to's and based most things off of the pamphlet that came with my baby bullet. Some veggies I bought organic and some I didn't. My reasoning behind that was because of the pesticides that I read about online. I am learning as I go and hope that this might help another fellow momma out there that might be in the same boat as me. Oh and I only burned myself once.

I went to our local Caputo's and bought some new fruits and veggies and some that I already know Collins loves from the past few weeks. I bought organic peas and carrots, leftover butternut squash (her favorite), sweet potatoes, avocados, peaches, apples, pears, and bananas.

 

The 2 bags of frozen organic peas were 2.99$ a bag, I got the 2 sweet potatoes for .48$, the bananas (4) for .56$, the organic carrots that came in a bunch of 7 for 2.99$, 3 pears for 1.11$, 3 peaches for 1.37$, 2 butternut squashes for 2.62$, and the 3 apples (Michigan Gala) on sale for .53$. My total was less than 20$.

 

 

The only two vegetables I cooked in the oven were the sweet potatoes and the squash. I cleaned the sweet potatoes and made tiny holes through out with a fork. Then wrapped them in tin foil and had them cook for 50 minutes on 450 degrees. At the same time I cooked the squash sliced in half, with the seeds taken out and laid upright on a cookie sheet for the same time and temp. After they were done, I skin them and place in the baby bullet for processing. I am not sure how much water I add but enough to get the consistency that I am looking for. Right now we are doing more of puree to get her used to eating. She is still using her "nursing" tongue and a lot of it comes out so we have to make sure we are there to help her, obviously.

 

The avocados and bananas are simple because you do not need to cook them. Same as the sweet potatoes and squash, enough water to get that puree consistency.

 

For the remaining vegetables and fruits I peeled the skin and then steamed each one by itself. Except the peas, those I just placed in the steamer obviously unpeeled (because I'm not even sure if you can peel peas hahaha) Steaming at least from what I read is better, as far as keeping the nutrients from the fruits and veggies and you can also use the water from steaming it to puree which I did with each food.

 

I was able to make a total of 143 ounces of baby food in 3 hours. 4 hours if you count the shopping part of it.

 

Three Pears-17oz of food

Three Peaches-17oz of food

Three Apples-6oz of food

Two Avocados-6oz of food

Seven Carrots-15oz of food

Two Squashes-24oz of food

Two Sweet Potatoes-28oz of food

Four Bananas-10oz of food

Two frozen bags of Peas-20oz of food

 

 

Most went into my freezer. Baby food stays good in the freezer for 30 days, and good in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I used my baby bullet storage cups, some glade cups, and other baby storage containers that I received from my baby shower. It is very time consuming however I was able to do most of it while Collins took her morning 2 hour nap. So far Collins is loving momma's home made food, and I cannot wait to experiment putting foods together and giving her different fruits and veggies. Big girl status in full effect :)

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Miami (Bienvenido a Miami)

Our first trip as a family and I can't lie, it couldn't have gone any better. Well maybe besides the hurricane type winds the last two days but other than that we had a blast. Collins loves vacation and was so good. When I talked about big girl status last post she killed it in Miami. Sitting in high hairs, staying up past 10pm, and hitting up Lincoln Road for the last two nights :) 

We got to Miami on Friday morning and immediately hit the breakfast bar. Momma needed to eat and Collins was hungry herself. We were the first ones to arrive at the hotel for the wedding so we had some time to relax as a family from our early morning plane ride. Oh wait! I forgot Collins has found her niche. She's definitely going to be a flight attendant when she is older. This girl LOVED the plane ride. Never made a peep. Unless of course she was giggling or flirting with the passengers. As I write this I'm knocking on wood she cooperates tonight for our night flight...

Friday and Saturday consisted of all the wedding festivities. Marty was in the wedding like I said before so Collins and I had girls day for the better half of Saturday we had a nice little lunch Oceanside then took a little nap before the wedding. She did okay at the wedding. A little fussy but that we as to be expected, blaring music and a ton of people all having too good of a time (as expected) it was time for mommy and Collins to call it a night. Luckily daddy got to party all night and from what we heard the next morning he was quite party goer :) 

We set off to our next destination on Sunday morning, Surfcomber Hotel off of Collins Avenue :) For the next few days we spent our time shopping on Lincoln Road, taking a dip in the pool, and bringing Collins to the beach for the first time. Unfortunately the wind has been a Debbie for us and with sand flying in your face Collins could only take so much. Collins was great at night for us. We were able to do dinner both nights as a family and even celebrate our anniversary on Monday night with some Sushi. 

Overall a great time was had by all. Vacationing is definitely different as a parent, and as a mom there really isn't such a thing as vacation but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Seeing Collins face light up when we took her out on the town, or when we took her on the beach made it all worth the few times a day I'd have to sit and wait in the room while she napped :) 

Until next time!