A Little Bump in the Road

It has been quite awhile since I posted and now that I seem to have plenty of time on my hands for atleast a little while, I am going to post a bit more often. So a little bump in the road has occured on the Fitzgerald's path to awaiting the arrival of Baby Kiptin Ryan. My pregnancies have all been uneventful and beyond enjoyable and I absolutely love being pregnant and really miss it once it is all over. This pregnancy has been very similar to my other 2 and I have really stayed in great shape the whole time working out 5 days a week and my energy level has been beyond what I ever expected. So why would I think that it would suddenly take a turn. The last week or so, I have been saying that the pressure has been pretty intense low and I never remember feeling so much pressure before I delivered. I sort of eased up a bit at the gym on Tues. and took it easy with my workout and still really felt uncomfortable. Tuesday nite I was hurting but went to sleep and woke up with the same pressure throughout the day. Finally at naptime, I was having problems standing up straight because the pressure had gotten so bad and for me to be alarmed, I guess I knew something wasn't right. I called the dr. and they told me to go ahead to the hospital and get monitored. What....this wasn't in my schedule and Jack had his last baseball game and trophy hand-out tonight and I never missed a game before. I was full out panicking because things just weren't ready for all of this to happen atleast not tonight. The panic set in but I now had another baby to worry about too so off to the hospital we went. Meanwhile I had to rely on my neighbor, who is also one of my truest friends to come over and watch my 2 kids along with her 3. By the time we got to the hospital, I was in a lot of pain with intense pressure and was worried to say the least. After being checked in, I was hooked up to all the monitors to check the baby out and his heartbeat was great and at first they weren't seeing any signs of consistent contractions, which would then in turn mean, preterm labor. After being there for about 2hrs., I started panicking about Rob or I not being there for Jack's last baseball game and his trophy hand-out so I decided to convince Rob to go home and get the boys and bring them to the baseball game since it seemed like nothing was too serious here with Kiptin and I. I must say that the whole time I was laying in the bed, I kept feeling contractions but it just wasn't showing on screen and the nurses weren't saying anything so I was in the clear, right?? NOPE...Rob couldn't have left more than 5 minutes when everything seemed to go a bit chaiotic. THe dr. came back in with a nurse and said we are so sorry but the monitors we had on were not picking up the contractions you had been having this whole time and unfortunately, we can now see you are in preterm labor and your contractions are about 5 minutes apart and we are going to start giving you steriods in case the baby's lungs aren't 100% developed and a shot of something to stop the contractions and antibiotics in case of Group Strep B, which I never got tested for yet so just in case, baby would be safe from it. If the contractions could not be stopped or I dialated anymore, I was told they had to take Kiptin immediately when any of those signs occured. Talk about panic, I just sent Rob on his way to baseball with the boys and I did not want any of this baby stuff to take away from Jack's special day so I just didn't tell Rob what was going on. I called a few times to see how everything was going and to get an idea on how quickly he would be done just in case things took a turn for the worse. After he called me from inside the car on his way home with the boys, I then told him what was going on and he needed to come back as soon as he had everything settled down at home. When I initially went in, I was excited to maybe see Kiptin that day but until the visit from the NICU doctor, I knew he needed to stay put. After Rob got back to the hospital, the dr. from the NICU came in and started explaining to us the best and worst case scenerios for a baby born at 34wks. Even the best case scenerio was not what I wanted. To think my baby could be in the NICU for weeks, need a feeding tube, need assistance breathing, any of this was way too much for me to handle. I was a wreck and all I could think of was what did I do?? Was it my fault?? Did I workout too much?? Did I not give my body enough relaxation?? Instantly it was something I did wrong or didn't do. The mother's guilt is so bad and I am not sure if it will ever let up. I am constantly running around and doing everything under the su for my kids and if for 2 minutes I do something for myself I think I am not being the best mom I could be. So anyway...by about 5am that next morning, the contractions were under control and I was probably going to be released that evening after my dr. came in to check on me and the maternal fetal monitor dr. came to do a 4D sono on the baby. THey said around 7pm ish, I would be on my way of all looked good. So my dr came in around 6pm and I was still only 1cm dialated and the only orders were a seditary lifestyle. (AKA modified bedrest) What!?!?!?!?! Me, staying still and relaxing??? Who would watch my kids and entertain them, would they be upset with me or the baby for this?? There went the mother's guilt. TO be honest, after the discussion with the NICU doctor, I was ready to listen and do what was best for the baby to the best of my ability. Around 10pm, the sono dr. came in just a few hrs late because his own child had a 105 fever and he was home taking care of her. He had this new sonogram machine that was worth more than a real sonogram machine that you would see at a dr. office because it was the size of a laptop. It was incredible!! When he had me all hooked up, there right in front of our eyes was our angel in 4D and looked like a real person with chubby cheeks, hair, big lips and of course, the BIG Fitzgerald head that seems to be the one definite gene my kids inherit from their dad. I was looking at Rob as he was watching the screen and you could see the smile from ear-to-ear as he looked at his 3rd son safe and sound. Because all my pregnancies have been uneventful, we don't get to see what the baby looks like after 28wks until they enter the world and here we were looking at our son that actually looked like a real person in there. To say we left with a smile on our face would be quite the understatement. So how has life been the last week or so...difficult. Rob luckily was able to be home from when I got home from the hospital until Tuesday so that was beyond a relief. Basically I am trying to relax on the couch when I can, which is basically when the boys go to nap and Rob gets home from work. I have been going to the gym everyday since Tues. from 9:30-11:30 so the boys can still get out some energy and take their classes that they love and I have been sitting in the lounge or by the pool and reading to keep myself busy. After that its lunch time and playtime and then naptime which is when I get to put my feet up again. My children are used to being on the go and I can't blame them because I would hate to be cooped up inside a house too so I am trying to keep things as normal and routine as possible. Rob just can't understand why I can't just stay on the couch but it is literally impossible with 2 kids. The minute the pressure gets bad or Rob comes through the door, I do try to sit down and Rob takes over even though he is exhausted from work and everything else he does around the house. Rob has been an angel through this and is really trying to take over completely but I can see he is worn down and nervous about the baby and keeping him safe. Overall, I feel great and just happy he is staying calm inside and soon we will meet our HEALTHY baby boy. To think I won't be pregnant soon is so sad to me because I just love every minute of it but I can't wait to get my hands on this little guy.

My Baby Shower

Tonight is my baby shower for our soon-to-be 3rd son, Kiptin Ryan Fitzgerald. Three of my closest friends, Amy, Amie and Jen decided to take the time out and put together this shower even though I feel horrible making anyone spend a dime on me when I was fortunate enough to have a shower for our 2nd baby just 2 years ago. By after they twisted me arm (not really) and told me it was going to be a small little thing at the nail salon where I would get pampered and rubbed, I had to agree. I truly am so fortunate to have such great friends and I think about how life would be very different if my friends weren't a big part of my life. Part of why I am so excited about tonight's festivities is because I get girl time with a bunch of great ladies who I truly enjoy being around but don't get to do it quite enough especially without the little ones. Well I wanted to finish this post before I left but I can't because I want to be on time for the 1st time in my life to something and if I am not, Amie is going to kick my very pregnant ass even though I am the guest of honor. TO BE CONTINUED...

So....the shower was wonderful, the mani and pedi was fabulous and dinner was delicious and my friends ROCK!! I had such a nice time just chatting, lots of laughs and having everyone together hanging out. I had a chance to catch up with some friends who I don't talk to enough and it was just such a relaxing, non-stressful environment and I loved every second of it. Amie and Amy went all out and made it a very special time for me to always remember. Even though I didn't get home until 11ish, I was so excited to open all the gifts. OMG... all my friends are so generous and thoughtful and I can't thank them enough. I am in diaper and wipe heaven!!! I have diapers from newborn to size 5 (hahaha) and I think I can wipe my children's rears about 1000x a day and still have enough until they get married. I cannot tell you what an amazing feeling it is to know I have that many diapers and wipes because I sure hate buying those items because they are too damn expensive and all children do with them is poop in them and use them to clean up the poop. See when you spend money on clothes, atleast you and other people can comment on them and say, "Ohhhh, how cute!!" but I never had anyone say, "Boy, those are nice diapers or your kid looks adorable in those fancy diapers". Some of the other adorable gifts that I couldn't stop looking at and picturing Kiptin in was a onesie that said "Mom's New Man", 2 Dr. Suess onesies and for those who know me well, I am obsessed with Dr. Suess, the most adorable blanket that is embroidered with Kiptin Ryan on it, a Little Brother onesie (so cute), the cutest airplane outfit for Jack to give to Kiptin when he is born since Jack has an obsession with planes and thinks everyone else should too, etc, etc, etc!!!

Well I was going to download some pics but my computer is not cooperating with me on this fine Saturday morning, so once I can get this damn thing working I will post some pics from a great nite. Thanks again everyone for being there to help me celebrate this special time in our lives and thank you, thank you Amie, Amy and Jen for being so kind and thoughtful and throwing me this shower.

Things That Are On My Mind Lately...

So I haven't blogged in forever even though I said I was going to keep on top of it. Just seems like when I have some time to relax, I always get involved with something else and my blogging takes a back burner. I couldn't decide what I was going to write about today so I finally came up with just a bunch of things on my mind lately.

1. I can't believe that my pregnancy is almost over. About 9 wks. to go and Baby #3 will be arriving into our family.

2. Am I nervous...not about being a mom of 3 or about caring for a newborn but about other things like getting out of the house in a timely manner. I am quite a perfectionist so it takes me forever to get out of the house with 2 kids because I can't leave before my house is in perfect condition and the boys are all groomed, clothes ironed, hair perfect, etc. Throw a newborn into the mix...that could be quite a task.

3. Registered Jack for full-day kindergarten last week and I am not doing well in the least bit. The thought of him not being with me all day is so sad to me. He is my buddy, my pal. I can have full conversations with him, ask his opinion, he understands my sarcasm, etc. I just don't know where 5 yrs. have gone and it blows my mind how fast time flies. He is so excited though and is definately ready so I try to be excited too in front of him but it is breaking my heart.

4. Nolan is still my little active boy with quite the sense of humor. He is so much like me when I was a baby, it is scary. Not just looks, but personality too. He has no fear, he will do anything to get a laugh, rough and tough but is a cuddle bug and has such a good heart. My parents laugh when I tell them about my lil' monster because I got one just like me.

5. Rob has been so helpful lately even more than usual. He is working 2 jobs but still will wake up early with Nolie and let me sleep a little extra these days. He also helped me clean the house last week, which is usually an all-day task and let me tell you, it meant the world to me.

6. Taekwondo is Jack's new favorite obsession. He is loving it and so are we. He has built up such great self-confidence and determination to one day be a black belt. His listening skills and multi-step directions have improved drastically just in the last months because of it and I think it will be awesome for school next year.

7. The whole family living in NY and us being here is still really bothersome to myself as well as Jack. I am not sure when it is going to get easier or if it ever will. Jack seems more bothered with it now then before. He talks about them constantly and all his wishes he makes consists of going to NY or moving back to NY or surprise visits from the family, etc. As far as me, I am definately jealous that my parent's are always with my sister's children. They take them for sleepovers almost weekly, babysit them just to spend quality time with them and I know my Jack and Nolan would love that type of time with them too. We are planning a trip right after the baby is born to drive to NY so my family can spend time with them and get to meet the new baby.

8. Looking forward to my mom's visit for the arrival of the baby. When Nolie was born, she was there for his arrival and ended up having to stay longer than expected because she fell in our garage and wasn't allowed to fly. It was fabulous, well not the injury but the outcome. This time, I am planning on setting up some type of obstacle to try to cause some injury that will once again force her to remain here with us for just a wee-bit longer.

9. Soooooooo looking forward to Rob's school year coming to an end and us having time together as a family especially with the new addition in July. Hopefully we take full advantage of his time off and come up with a bunch a fun things to do this summer.

10. Jack is doing great this year in baseball. Last year his coach was a nice guy but I don't think he taught the kids one thing about baseball and Jack was bored out of his mind. He totally lost all interest in the sport. Whereas this year, he has a great coach and is learning so much about baseball. He is hitting the ball straight from a pitcher instead of a tee this year and is so proud of himself. I think he is also loving the idea that his Grandparents come and watch him play and we all make such a big deal out of it.

11. Last but not least, I am freaking out about being in the hospital for 4 days and how Nolan is going to deal with that. He is literally attached to my side and I have never been away from him for more than a few hours. I am so nervous that when he comes to visit his new brother and I at the hospital, it is going to be quite an issue when it is time for him to leave and he realizes I am staying. Jack was so much older when I had Nolan so he understood the whole need to recover in the hospital and that he could come visit when ever he wanted and there was no jealousy. We shall see how it all works out...

I would love to end by saying that I am going to keep this blog thing updated but I shouldn't make promises I probably won't keep. So until next time...

Jack's 5th Birthday Party Success

Wow....what a amazing day!! A few months before jack's birthday, I received some flyer in the mail for a special deal if you bought Grand Opening Night for Disney On Ice and when was it....Jack's actual birthday. I knew we wanted to bring him and at the same time, I was also trying to plan where to have his party this year. We were not coming up with any great ideas and didn't want to just spend $100's of dollars at some place that really wasn't that exciting or that he was just settling for so.... I decided to have Jack's party at Disney On Ice. When I thought about it. it seemed a bit costly but then when I added up any party place, dessert, supplies, favors, etc., it wasn't too much more and it was something different and I thought his friends would really like it as well. I decided to go ahead with the plan and order 22 tickets for Opening Nite and prior to showtime, have everyone over for cake. Due to me ordering the tickets so early and the day I got the flyer, I totally lucked out with the seats. I was able to get 22 tickets together and the best part, amazing seats pretty close to the ice with a perfect view.

The children all seemed so excited before the show but to see everyone at the show was priceless. Everyone of the children had huge smiles on their faces and their eyes were glued to the show. It seemed like even the parents had a great time. All I know is Jack was on Cloud 9. He had a perma-grin the entire day from when he woke up until when he went to sleep at midnight. It was the absolute perfect day!!! He loved it so much that he made us promise we would pretend it was his birthday again when he woke up the next day. I guess this year was the 1st year he really was obsessed with his birthday, so much so he did a countdown calendar for the month of March. As a parent, it was amazing to just see him so excited about turning 5, having his friends there with him on his actual birthday and of course, getting presents. After several conversations with him about gifts not being the most important part of his special day and making sure he doesn't attack people when they show up for his party by ripping the gifts straight from their hands went completely in one ear and out the other. The minute a knock on the door was heard, he would run to the door and in some cases say "Hi" first but for the most part, he took his gift and added to his pile of gifts he had set up on the couch. Well, I tried and I apologized to the guests and hopefully everyone can understand that he is a 5 year old boy obsessed with toys but truly enjoyed all his friends and family being with him on his special day.

Thanks everyone for making my angel's birthday so special and unforgettable!!

Wow, How Time Flies...

Our Angel, Jack Dylan

Jack's 1st birthday

Jack's 2nd Birthday

Jack's 3rd Birthday

Jack's 4th Birthday

Our Jack is 5!!

We cannot believe that 5 years ago on March 24th, our first love of our lives was born. From the minute we laid our eyes on him, we were so in love. 5 years later, Jack still continues to put a smile on our face each and every day. Happy 5th Birthday Angel!! We love U!!

Where's Your Purse??

So the other day I decided to go take the boys to the park for about 1/2hr while dinner was in the oven. I headed down to good old Riverwalk park with the boys in the Power Wheels and Peanut. When we arrived we were quickly greeted by an adorable little black girl that basically jumped in front of Jack's moving vehicle and tried to highjack it and throw him out. I told her that we were just going to park it because we needed to save the battery power so we could get home. She really didn't love my reponse and tried to convince Jack that it was necessary for her to try it out. After she failed to get Jack to agree with her, she headed over to my 12 year old dog and began tugging the leash from my hand and telling me to just let go, she needed to take my dog somewhere. I explained very nicely to her that I had to hold her because she would run off and due to her age, she gets nervous. So....she moved onto my kid, Nolan. She told me to stop touching the swing because she wanted to push him but Nolan was not very friendly to say the least. He was lunging forward trying to hit her and screaming bloody murder for her to let go of his swing. The lady next to me was laughing her ass off because no matter what I told the girl to do, she would just move on to the next personal belonging I brought with me to the park. Well, finally she gave up on Nolie after he got her good and refused to stop swatting at her so she began talking and questioning me. Here is exactly how it went...

(Girl) Hey lady, do you know you have a baby in your belly?

(Me) Yes honey I do and it is going to be another little boy.

(Girl) Why, do you hate little girls??

(Me) No not at all, God just wanted us to have 3 boys.

(Girl) Where do you live??

(Me) I live right here in the neighborhood.

(Girl) Hmmm

GET READY for her next line...

(Girl) Lady, where is your purse??

(Me) What??

(Girl) I asked where your purse is??

(Me) At home, why do you ask??

(Girl) Just wondering and where did you say you lived. You should bring it next time.

Okay, this could be completely innocent but is it me or is this a strange thing for a little girl to ask out of nowhere?? Ladies, keep your purses away from little girls at Riverwalk. It could be a dangerous place.

And the Results are In...

We only waited about 5 months to find out the sex of our lil one but it seemed like eternity. We were so prepared for Friday for our dr. appt at 9:45am. Rob took off of work weeks ago and we even asked my mother-in-law to watch the boys so Rob and I could enjoy finding out the sex of Baby #3 over a nice, quiet lunch. Well moving to Texas, you think you would never have to worry about snowstorms, right??? WRONG...of course the day before our appt., we get a Texas-like blizzard and everyone freaks out, so much so every thing gets closed down for the next damn day. And then we got the dreaded phone call the night before from my OB canceling my appt. for Friday morning. Can you say D.E.V.A.S.T.A.T.E.D. We were so upset because of how long we looked forward to this day. So the next morning, I whined and cried to basically everyone including Amie, who is determined to always make the impossible, possible. Literally 15 minutes after getting off the phone with her, she calls to tell me she has made an appointment at a Diagnostic Imaging Place for us to go get a 4D sonogram to find out if our munchkin is a she or a he. I truly think she probably paid this company thousands to open the doors that morning because it seemed like they were the only public place opened in the whole state of Texas. To say I was excited would be quite an understatement. It was probably one of the few times in my life that I wasn't just on time but an hour early for my appointment. I couldn't wait to be able to put a name with the lil' one inside me and tell Jack and Nolan if they were going to have a little brother or sister. So.....IT'S A BOY!!! We had the sonographer put the sex in an envelope and Rob and I went to lunch and opened it up. We were so thrilled to know our little angel was going to have the 2 best big brothers and be loved beyond belief. I felt like I was on Cloud 9 the whole day. How lucky are we to have 2 healthy boys already and now to prepare to bring another one into the world is simply the most amazing feeling in the world. And to spend the day alone with my husband was just as amazing. We never have alone time...EVER!! I don't think we have had alone time since before Nolie was born and we sure needed it. Just to be able to have an un-interrupted conversation and talk about things that we ever have time to talk about without taking care of the kiddos at the same time was incredible. We say that we are going to try to do this once a month even if its just lunch and walking around the mall again so hopefully we do it. Thankfully my mother-in-law watches them when we need a babysitter because as most of you know, I am a complete control-freak and my routines are a bit more then most people can handle but my mother-in-law Joan is great. She just follows my OCD structure and routines and I never worry when I am gone because I know the boys are having a blast and eating and sleeping when they should.
Now I am looking forward to Monday morning because I have my rescheduled 20week sonogram at my OB office to check out the baby and make sure all is perfect and of course, we will get to see his little package again to be 1000% sure he is a BOY, but after looking at the pics, I am POSITIVE that he has a weiner.

A Natural Laxative

Warning, if you are eating or plan on eating anytime soon maybe you should skip this blog post. Here it goes...

So my boys always take baths together but Jack has been trained to be prepared to jump out in a fraction of a second if he sees any warning signs from his little brother which include:

#1. Nolie suddenly standing up

#2. A reddish tint to his face

#3. Or a stare that looks like a deer caught in the headlights

Jack is pretty damn good at reading the warning signs and yesterday was no exception. The boys are playing, laughing and splashing and I am doing my hair and makeup for the day when Jack screams, "Oh no, here it comes" and dives head first out of the tub onto the rug. Sure enough, I turn around and there is Nolie standing, reddish color to the face and the stare. I grab at my washcloth stash to try to intercept the poop so I can avoid it landing in the tub with all the toys and a tub worth of water but was a fraction of a second to late. Now, Jack is gagging and asking over and over, "Mom, how do you get all that poop out of that tub?" Good question....

So after about 20 minutes of feces removal and intense cleaning of the tub, all is good in The Fitzgerald household. So if you ever have an issue with your child or children being constipated, a free remedy to your problem is simply a bath.

Our Trip to the New Grocery Store...Unforgettable

On Friday, the boys and I decided we would go to the new Kroger by our house to do a little food shopping and let Jack pick out his $5 Transformer toy that he earned for getting rid of many of his old toys in the playroom the other day. When I told him he had earned a little toy, he basically fell over in excitement because since Christmas, we have a new rule in our home that toys are for holidays and birthdays and the children do not get toys for no reason anymore because it became an obsession and was expected every trip we took to the store. Jack must have asked about 1000 times when we were leaving so he could pick out his new toy, which I explained that he was only allowed 1 toy that was no more than $5. He agreed and thanked me over and over again for this special occassion. So we were off...this was going to be great!! Jack was going to get a new toy and be thrilled that he was allowed one even though it was not his birthday yet and be thankful beyond belief and Nolie would be happier than a pig in poop because he could ride in the new car shopping carts that had a steering wheel that wasn't ripped out or broken yet and a tv as well inside with some kids shows.

Well things took a turn for the worse...

We start off at the toy aisle, where Jack is already going for the $30 toys and I continue to show him the few items that he can pick from. He finally decided he is going to take all 5 of the Transformers in the shopping cart and make an educated decision while we are food shopping. About 5 minutes into food shopping, he begins to harrass me about getting 2 instead of 1 and has a long explanation why they need to be purchased together. He goes on and on how they are brothers and cannot be seperated or else they will be sad like he would be if Nolie wasn't with him. Persuasive, yes but I was sticking to my guns on this one. Jack can convince anyone of anything but I needed to remember that I laid down the rules and he should be happy with 1 and understand that one is better than one. For the next 40 minutes, he is still asking for both no matter how many times I have told him not to bother asking me again because the answer is no. I explained being greedy and how he was taking advantage of the situation. At the same time this is all going on, Nolie is trying to escape from the locked doors of the car shopping cart. He is kicking the doors open, sticking his hand out a slot that is the size of half his fist and jiggling the handle so it will pop open. I decide food shopping is over and we begin to head to the register. I give Jack full warning to choose 1 or else we are not getting any. So who would have guessed, I get on the line that the cashier looks at me like he doesn't no where he is or what he is doing. The lady that was in front of me looks back at me with a face that clearly was saying, "Get off the line if you know what's best for you". Well of course I don't and I unload my shopping cart and get my coupons all ready...big mistake!! Jack now begins to flip out and begins crying because he can't decide and needs both. If anyone knows Jack, he is a loud talker and an even louder crier. I mean so loud that people from 7 registers away are looking to see if someone is being slaughtered because it is that disturbing of a cry. With a smile on my face, I bend down and talk to him and explain to him that it is a hard decision but he needs to remember how lucky he is to have earned the chance to get a toy and how many children would love to get one toy. Well the more I talk to him, the louder his cry becomes. At the same time, my cashier has begun ringing up things that I am not sure where he got some of the items. My $.84 asparagus was rung up as $4 avocadoes, 3 cookie mixes were rung up but I only had 1, my 1 onion was $3, not sure how?? Okay, so my patience is about done and I am beginning to sweat. Jack has now snuck both Transformers down the conveyor belt hoping that I am so distracted with Mr. Wonderful Cashier that I will not notice that he has ended up with 2. And Mr. Nolie, he has now figured out the whole door thing and is dangling out the door with the seatbelt around his legs and wiggling out onto the floor while ripping the bags off the counter. Jack is still flipping out and I tell him that he will not be getting any of the toys because of his behavior. I then go ahead and make the mistake of giving the cashier coupons. I should have known he has no idea how to enter coupons so he flips on the light for assistance. Is he serious??? My one kid is hanging out of the car with the seatbelt acting like a tourniquet and my other child is screaming crying so loud that I think he is hyperventilating and everyone in the store is starring at me because I have this shit-grin on my face like life was perfect at that moment. Well after the help comes for coupon assistance and to fix the 9 million mistakes, we are headed for the door. Jack now begins screaming, "I need my toy, I know which one I want, HELP!!" I tell him, "I'm sorry but you lost your privledge to get a toy so it is time now to leave". As I head to the door, he runs back down the aisle to get the toy and now I have lost it. I am loudly calling his name and telling him to get back here immediately or else he will loose marbles for this unacceptable behavior. He comes back and is literally uncontrollably sobbing and screaming crying. We begin walking to the car in the pouring rain and the whole walk to the car, I am explaining how upset and embarrassed I am of his behavior etc. By the time we get in the car, he is trying to get control of himself enough to say how sorry he is and he knows how wrong it was. To be honest, I was shell-shocked. We go to the grocery store almost every other day for something and my kiddos are great. THey are so used to going with me on all my errands and they really never have behavior issues, especially Jack. I was literally exhausted!! By the time I get home, I begin to unpack and what do I find, the poor lady before me on line's coldcuts. Obviously, my fabulous cashier forgot to give them to her and I now was the lucky recipient of about $25 worth of coldcuts. Normally I would have went back immediately and returned them but even if I knew that a reward of $1000 would be given to me, I do not think I could step foot back in that store that day!! So, does anyone want to go food shopping with me next week??? I promise it will be a great experience.

Boy or Girl??? We shall see...

On Friday, the boys and I went to my OB appt. to listen to our little angel's heartbeat and check to make sure all was safe and sound. Well, the 1st 2 minutes, I was about ready to pass out when the dr. kept going up and down my lower belly trying to find the heartbeat. It is always so scary when you are newly pregnant because you do not feel the baby moving so you just assume all is good in there. This is why I love these appt. because I feel so much better after I hear that swish-swish sound of a healthy beating heart. So the heartbeat was at 155 and if you believe in Old Wives Tales, fast heartbeat=girl. Would I like a girl, sure but would I love another boy, no question about it. If my angel is healthy then sex really doesn't matter to me. Both my boy's heartbeats were in the 120's so I guess we shall see....

February 12th will be the day to see who will be joining our family...boy or girl???

Bye-Bye Naptime

So Jack is almost 5 years old and will be starting full-day kindergarten in August, which is quite a long day for the kiddos. Jack has always been an awesome sleeper and napper, so much so that he takes about a 2 1/2-3hr nap each day and never misses one. I am often referred to as the Nap Nazi because I am religious when it comes to schedules and bedtime. I could be in the middle of waiting on a checkout line at the store and if it looks like it might cause us to be a bit late for naptime, I will leave without my stuff. When I was pregnant with Jack, a friend swore by the book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and it became my life saver and I constantly refer to it as my kiddos sleep schedule needs a change such as taking naptime away. The whole book is basically about how children need a sleep schedule and the importance of naptime and how it can actually affect the capacity to learn and the time the brain needs to grow.
So....in my book it began talking about taking away naptime at about the school age because children need to be prepared to go a whole day without a nap and if they are not slowly introduced to this, they will become cranky, irritable, frustrated because their body's are not used to a full-day without the nap in between. Also, without a nap, the child will go to bed earlier, fall asleep faster and be fully rested for an early morning wake up for school. Over the last few weeks, I would let him skip nap here and there and during that time when Nolie was napping, we would go relax in my bed for that time and watch tv. I did notice that at 7:30pm, he was cooked and when we put him to bed, he fell asleep instantly and did not wake again until 8-8:30am the next morning. So this week, I decided that it was that time to stick with it and get him used to no nap. I must say he is ready for it now, where as a few months ago, he was not. He is not having breakdowns from being so exhausted and truly does rest for those 2hrs. I must admit, it is nice that at 7:30pm, the boys are both in bed and it is Rob and I's time to chat, relax, watch tv and just wind down from the day. When Jack took the 3 hr. nap, we didn't put him to bed until about 9pm and he would be up for quite awhile in his room before falling asleep. It also left us no time to chill out before we went to sleep. My sweet boy does let mommy nap during relax time and rarely makes a peep because he says the baby in my belly needs quiet time. All in all, skipping naptime and making it quiet time isn't as hard of an adjustment as I thought it would be.

Year in Review

So 2009 has come to an end and like every year, you have the good and the bad memories that come along with a 12 month span. Overall, we had a very nice year but at the end of it we were ready to start clean. Now we are looking forward to see what 2010 has in store for us. Here is a quick trip down memory lane for 2009...

*Wonderful Christmas vacation in NY and we sure needed some good family time and time to be thankful. Jack was finally released out of the hospital after a week 2 days before we left for this trip. Without a doubt, the scariest, most helpless time in our lives. Seeing your child lay in a hospital bed getting worse instead of better was something I would not wish on my worst enemy. Thank goodness all my angels up above were listening to my endless prayers to watch over my sweet boy and let him recover and be home soon in my arms where he belongs.

January:
*Rang in the New Year in NY
*My brother came to visit us
*Nolan came down with RSV

March:
*Jack's 4th birthday
*My father came to visit us, which puts Jack on Cloud 9 everytime Pop is around.

April:
*Jack's birthday surprise...Aunt Carrie, Isabelle and Stephen came to be at Jack's bday party. One year later, he still talks about the morning he woke up and there was a knock at the door and when he opened it up, there were his favorite cousins in Texas. The problem is, he thinks that every year there will be a knock at the door by his bday and they will appear. HINT, HINT Aunt Carrie. No pressure but do you really want to disappoint your nephew on his 5th birthday.
*Our 1st Easter at our house with friends and Rob's family

June:
*Our trip to NY- fabulous as always!!

July:
*Our 7th Wedding Anniversary- wow...how time flies!!

August:
*Grandma and Pop arrive to help celebrate Nolan's 1st bday, which was so nice having both sides of the family here. Aunt Ellen and Uncle Rich also flew in from NY for the 1st time.
*Nolan turns 1
*My surprise trip (my parents had no idea) back to NY to stay with my sister and watch her kiddos. Now that was fun being the nanny everyday for 5 kiddos and watching them play every second of the day together.

September:
*My 31st birthday

October:
*Peanut's 12th birthday
*Halloween- Jack was a Jedi and Nolan was a scarecrow
*Baby-making #3 begins and who knew...this would be the lucky time!!

November:
*Found out Baby Fitz #3 is on his/her way...due July 16th

December:
*Rob's 34th birthday
*Getting prepared for our trip to NY for the holidays
*Our Ny trip was a success and we are ready to ring in the New Year!!


Now for our bright future for 2010:

*Jack's 5th birthday
*Baby Girl or Boy will be arriving the end of June of 1st week in August
*Nolan's 2nd birthday
*Jack will begin full-day kindergarten in August
*Hopefully Rob's dream will soon payoff and we are thinking 2010 will be the year!!
*Hoping for many family visits from NY family members...start booking your flights NOW!!
*Christmas in NY by car!!!!!!!!!!

Well Happy New Year everyone and good luck to all your hopes and dreams coming true in 2010!!

Nothing Like Seeing The Heart Beat...

Today was the day we all got to go see our littliest angel-to-be. Rob and the 2 boys were there right beside me to see the baby on screen and watch his or her's heart beat for the 1st time. I thought it would be that familiar feeling and sound that I heard 2 times before with Jack and Nolan but it was as if it was the first time I ever saw a baby on a sonogram and watch the heart beating. It was the same "oh my god" feeling, I cannot believe this is going to be my little baby. This is when I thank God for blessing me with 2 beautiful boys and baby ???? on the way. The sonographer says "baby" looks great and the heart is beating perfectly. It was music to my ears!! Now time to enjoy the journey and love every minute of this precious baby growing inside me.

Thanks for all your prayers for a great drs. appt because it worked.

1st Dr. Appt. for Baby ???

Tomorrow is our first dr. appt. for our newest arrival due in July. So excited!! I cannot wait to hear that little heartbeat beating and see my baby on screen. Even though you know you are pregnant and there is a little baby in there, it just comes to life after you see and hear it. Last time I was at the dr. office Nolan was 6 weeks so it will be funny for Dr. McIntire to see the little boy she brought into the world, who is now a big boy.

Please say a prayer that everything goes great!! Looking forward to updating after our big day is over.

The Fitz Family is Growing!!

Yes, you did read the title right...we are expecting Baby Fitz #3. I am literally just weeks pregnant and planned on waiting to tell everyone just like I said I would with the other 2 pregnancies as well but I just cannot help in sharing our great news. I know that waiting to tell until the 1st trimester is over is the safest way but I look at it like if this little angel is meant to be, it will be so why not have others' share in our excitement. It just amazes me to think that Nolie will be a big brother and Jack will be one again. I thank God everyday for my angels and for allowing us to bring another lil' angel into the world. Saying we are excited is quite an understatement....we are on Cloud 9 and will look forward to meeting our newest addition in the beginning of July.

What's Been Going On....

What's been going on in the Fitz's household....



#1. On Sunday, Amie and I threw our dear friends, Tracy and Chris a baby shower for their soon-to-be daughter, Harper. We were both so excited to put this shower together because Chris and Tracy are going to be the greatest, caring, loving parents to their lil' girl. Lil Ms. Harper is their soon-to-be little miracle and boy is she going to be spoiled...but in a good way. Chris and Tracy are a couple that when you hear they were having difficulty for quite some time trying to conceive, you think, "how could such a wonderful couple who so badly want to be parents and just love a child to no end not be able to have one when they want". There are many people out their who get pregnant when they don't want to or decide they don't want a child and here you have 2 deserving people who having a child became difficult. Well back to the shower... so all our neighborhood friends came and helped shower Tracy with well wishes and presents for the baby. It was just an enjoyable shower and it seemed like everyone was having a good time. Well as you can see, I am so looking forward to seeing Harper cradled in Chris and Tracy's arms and being able to talk to Tracy about how incredible motherhood truly is.

#2. Our little baby Nolan has decided it is time to start getting ready to chase his big brother Jack around. He took his first step the other day and the best part is, all 3 of us were right there to watch it. I am excited to see my lil' angel walking around but I must admit, I am nervous as well. Nolan is a bit different than Jack was at his age. He is a bit more of a trouble maker and very sneaky!! Even when I go to the bathroom, I am always nervous that those 2 minutes could mean Nolan has climbed the stairs by himself, is in Jack's room trashing it, throwing his toys in the garbage can, in the pantry pulling down snacks, or dumping the bathroom garbage can over. Even though he is a little terror, he is so freakin' cute. I just can't get enough of him and trust me, he can't get enough of me either. So yes, he has taken a few steps so it is just a matter of time until my little boy is running free in the house and shadowing Jack. Stay tuned for more details...

#3. Looking forward to my dad's arrival on Oct. 24th. We always look forward to having Pop here because Jack is obsesssed with my dad and of course, I love seeing him too. My dad is just a genuine good person and truly loves his family. This is one reason I want to have a girl at some point because a dad and daughter have this special kind of bond. Nothing like Daddy's Little Girl.

#4. Looking forward to this weekend's garage sale....wish me millions!!

Vaccinations...hmmmmm???

For the past few weeks, I have been really thinking a lot about vaccines and the safety and the necessity of them. There has been plenty of research on the news, facebook posts, etc. and I really haven't paid too much attention to it until this weekend. The only vaccine that I have really worried about in the past is the MMR. I have heard way too many stories from being a teacher for 7 yrs. as well as a family member who swear that their child was perfectly normal until they received the MMR shot and then suddenly the child showed signs of autism and not long after was diagnosed with it. After hearing these stories that sounded almost identical to one another, I decided to hold off giving Jack his MMR until he was full out speaking in sentences just to be 100% sure. Besides that, whatever the dr. tells me the boys need, I get. I just assume that they know what is best for my child better than I do when it comes to medical stuff because they went to medical school and I didn't.
Well after a long weekend with a lot of research and discussion with a good friend of mine from HS, who is a dr. himself, I am completely disgusted with what I read and heard about vaccinations and drs. The bottom line is many of these vaccinations that are given to our children are not necessary and contain the most horrific ingredients such as formaldehyde, mercury (link to autism), chick embryos, etc. Then why would they give them???? Because it is a huge money maker for pharmacetucal companies, drs., each time the vaccine is given. That is why the vaccines have increased tremendously over the last few years. When I was a child, chicken pox was a common thing during elementary school and no one died that I knew of from it and now there is vaccine for it, as well as the flu, rotovirus, hepatitis, etc, etc, etc. WHy suddenly are these once normal infections suddenly life-threatening according to our pediatricians. Trust me, up until today, I gave my children every vaccine that I was told they needed except the MMR but talk about a complete change in heart. The only reason I am writing this blog is because I wish I knew this info. earlier so I could have weighed the pros and cons prior to the vaccinations. The main thing I learned this weekend about vacciantions is if you choose to vaccinate, do not give more than one vaccine at a time. There has never been a study on the effects of vaccines when given all at one time. The levels are tested for the one immunization given but not when it is paired with other vaccines as well. Drs. are not usually fond of you when you say you do not want them all together and that you will come back every few weeks to get all the vaccines needed. I am going to put a few websites that I looked into if anyone is interested in looking into this whole vaccine debate.
Well hopefully this will open your eyes up to not trusting anyone but yourself when it comes to your children. My boys are my life and I will be damned if anyone is going to tell me what to do of there is even a 1% chance of harming them.


Some websites: (These are just a few.)


http://www.nvic.org/

Doctor Admits Vaccine Is More Deadly Than Swine Flu Itself & Will Not Give It To His Kids
Source: www.youtube.com
Title speaks for itself. SAY NO TO THE VACCINE!

Flu Vaccine Exposed: Think Twice!
Source: www.youtube.com
Studies show that flu vaccines are unsafe and ineffective. This uncensored presentation by the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute (www.thinktwice.com) includes a visual depiction of flu vaccine production -- how the flu vaccine is made and what it contains! ...
Vaccinations can produce brain damage in children.

Russell Blaylock, M.D., a respected doctor and nutritionist, has some urgent health information that could dramatically affect your health and well-being. Please take a moment to read his information at
Newsmax.com

Save the Best for Last...

When writing about my trip to NY in a recent blog entry, I purposely left out my brother-in-law because I wanted to save the best for last and give him his very own blog entry. Why you ask...he is that incredible!! My sister's husband Stephen is such a great guy. He can always make you see the brighter side of things, make you laugh by simply acting like a jack-ass, a real genuine person. I think back to when my sister met Stephen and how he changed her life instantly. He truly adores her and still after all their years together, he cannot keep his hands off of her, which could be why they have 3 children together. He works more hours than anyone could imagine just to give his family a great life. Even with all his hours at work, he still seems to have time to stop by my parent's house and mow their lawn so my father does not have to, give my dad a hand with things around the house, fix up his backyard so it looks like a country club, make many "unusual" things out of landfill treasures he finds while at work to decorate his own house, and of course, makes sure he has time to spend with his kiddos.

So as you can see, my sister is quite lucky to find such a great husband and father but then again, they are perfect for one another because she is such a great wife and mother.

This is a shout out to you, Steve!! You better get yourself to Texas soon or else the next blog will talk about how crappy a brother-in-law you are.

Nolan's 1st Birthday

Happy 1st Birthday!!
"My Very Own Smash Cake"

Time to get wild!!

I had to post some pics of Nolan's 1st birthday because they are so damn cute. He had such a great day with so many friends and family right there by his side. This day was one of the many moments in my life where I cannot believe how thankful and fortunate I am to have a wonderful husband, 2 beautiful boys and so much family and friends that are such an important part of our lives.

What's Been Going On....

Once again, I did not keep up with my promise to keep my blog up-to-date but life is just so busy. My plan for this blog entry is just to catch everyone up with whats been going on in our life.

1. Nolan turned 1. Can you believe it?? My baby is growing up way too quick, so when is it time for the next?? We have been in deep discussion about it because we think we would like 4 children and I do not want to be 40 still having kiddos so my time line might need to be adjusted. I just love being a mom and cannot see me ever done with having kids. I truly enjoy watching them grow, especially up with one another and knowing that my dream of finally being a stay-at-home mom has come true. Well, time will tell!!

2. My parents came from NY for Nolan's celebration and it was so nice having them here. My Jack is just so in love with them and is just a different person in front of my mom and dad than he is with anyone else. He has no boundaries and feels no embarrasement, which explains his circus acts or made up language with my mom. I love seeing the boys with them and it still hurts to know that my children cannot just go over to their house or them come here on a whim because of the distance. I know it has affected Jack even more now because he understands distance and knows it will be awhile before the next trip to NY. My main focus is to make sure the visits never stop because I would love for Nolan and our future children to grow up loving my parents the same way Jack does. Due to their constant efforts and ours, I do not think this will ever be a problem.

3. Our trip to NY to stay at my sister's house and watch her kiddos for the week was incredible. My parents had no idea we were coming being that they just left visiting us 4 days earlier. They came to my sister's house and were pleasantly surprised when we popped out. My sister's live-in nanny was away so I was the replacement for the week. That meant 5 kids and me!! It was tiring don't get me wrong but it was amazing. I spent such quality time with my niece and 2 nephews and Jack & Nolan got a huge dosage of cousin time. When we lived in NY I was only 5 minutes from my sister and we saw each other daily, have dinner together many nights and loving on my niece and nephew. When we moved, this was one of the most devastating parts of it. Knowing I could not see them all the time and watch them grow up still can make me tear up. The final day when I said goodbye to them was one I will never forget. Besides the kiddos, just being with my sister for a week was so nice. Even though she worked every day, before she left for work and after, just sitting with her chatting was why I truly love having a sister. My sister is quite an incredible person. She works full-time, has 3 kids and a step-daughter and just always seems cool, calm and relaxed. Nothing much gets her in a daze and I a lways admired her for that. She makes her home so calm and relaxing. Nothing is rushed.... I truly love my sister with all my heart and think she is quite an incredible wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, etc.

4. Rob is back at work and I miss him!! We were so spoiled to have Rob home all summer and Jack and Nolan are missing him a whole lot. Every morning Jack wakes up and says, is Daddy home today?? I miss my best friend. How many more minutes until he gets home??? And Nolan, the minute Rob walks in the door, Nolan lights up and smiles ear-to-ear when he sees his daddy. He just loves his Daddy. Rob is doing incredible in his career. When we moved here, he was hired as just a 5th grade teacher and then the following year was asked to work for the Gifted and Talented program and now this year, he is the head of the program and has been offered many different opportunities. He was paid to write the curriculum for the district, asked to teach development courses to collegues in the district and is also speaking in a convention in Dec. in some other state for the McKinney ISD district. I knew he had it in him but was never given the chance to show what he had but one given the opportunity, he has run with it and has been beyond successful. I am amazed at what he has done in just 2 years since we moved and I just wish I could express it as much as I feel. Superiors to him ask him his opinion and I know it has to feel so good to him to see how far he has come but he is so humble.

5. Since I met Rob 13 years ago, he always spoke of something big happening in the future for us and he believed in himself. As the years have passed, Rob has always come up with ideas that were incredible and sounded so successful but nothing ever came of them. He has always had issues with procrastination and it has always held him back from his dreams of something BIG happening. After he has been so successful in this school district and teaching the Gifted Children, he decided to start pursuing his dreams of something BIG happening. Well we just found out about a week ago that Rob's idea might mean a totally different life for us. It is beyond our wildest dreams and only time and meetings will tell. The thought of this idea turning into what all involved think it will turn into is uncomprehendable to me but we are all excited and looking forward to the next step. I just cannot wait to be able to turn around and help everyone in our lives' that have helped us or our truest friends that we would love to turn around and thank them in a way we could never dream of.
Hopefully in my next blog I can share more about our possible dream coming true...

Now that I have spent the last hour catching up, I will once again promise that I will stay on top of my blog with even a few lines as a post, just something.

Oh and I forgot, I turned 31!! It was a great bday with friends and family and an awesome dinner with Rob and the kiddies. I am totally loving my life and could never imagine being any happier or more fortunate at this age.