Abigail is 1 Month old!

This past month went by faster then a blink of an eye!! I cannot believe Abigail is already a month old. While this past month has been a little bit of everything - challenging, frustrating, sleep-deprived, wonderful, rewarding, you name it, we've been there - it has been one of the best months of my life. Growing up, I dreamed of the day I became a mom, and to have a daughter, it's a dream come true.

Things are slowly getting easier, we do not have a routine of any sort, but we're slowly getting there. We started with a bed time routine 2 weeks ago, and while we don't stick to an exact time (it's usually around 8 or 8:30), she eats, then gets her diaper changed, swaddle, read a story or 2, rock in her room for a few minutes and to bed. We still have her sleeping in the pack 'n play in our room. I haven't gotten the courage to have her sleep in her crib in her room, just yet.

Abigail got some formula the first few days due to the jaundice, but that was stopped at day 4, and since then it's been breast milk only. While that has its own challenges, it is so rewarding to know that I am the one that is giving Abigail all the nutrition and important things she needs be healthy and strong. I have also started pumping (with in the first week - got to start that freezer stock!) and she was given her first bottle of pumped milk the other day. She took it like a champ. While we'll only give her a bottle on rare occasion at this point, it's good to know she'll take it, hopefully that will continue.

Abigail had her 1 month doctor appointment, on Friday, March 5th. We saw the nurse practitioner, Gail. She is very sweet, answered all of our questions before we had to ask them, and also did a physical evaluation of Abigail, and she got the second dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine.

One Month Stats :
Weight - 7lbs 8oz (5th percentile) up 7oz from birth
Height - 22 in (75th percentile)- 1 inch taller
Head - 36 cm (25th percentile) - do not know what it was at birth

Abigail is slowly starting to respond to her name, about half the time, when you say her name she'll look that direction. She's getting better and better with lifting her head and moving it around during tummy time. She'll also hold her head up when your holding her and look around. She loves to scream in your ear, if you are holding her up by your shoulder.

We ventured on Friday night for dinner for my moms birthday, Abigail slept through the entire dinner. She also had her first trip to the mall and did very well with that.

I Wouldn't Trade It For The World

**started 2 days ago**

Well, 25 days ago, our lives were forever changed, and as the title says I wouldn't trade it for the world!!

Abigail Marie Ancona was born on Friday, February 5, 2010 at 9:45 am, 12 days early. That's right, it was a GIRL!!!!! I would say about 97% of people thought I was carrying a boy. I had random patients at work telling me all the way up to the end 'that it has to be a boy' and the other thing I heard a lot was 'you're going to go late, you always go late with your first'. Well, wrong and wrong.

On Thursday, February 4th, I felt a trickle of some sort. Being 38 weeks pregnant, I had to assess the situation a bit. Matt was in the office downtown that day, so I sent him an email (knowing he was in a meeting), to please step out and call me when he got a minute. I let him know what was going on and told him I'd get back to him with my assessment, in a little while. About an hour later, I knew that this was for sure amniotic fluid. Another email to Matt, with 'you may want to call me & try to leave the office as soon as you can' was sent. I got a phone call back a little bit later, and I told him this was the real deal and to look up the train schedule so he could head home on the next train.

I got ahold of my doctor (after 2 hours, they were having phone problems!), and was told to head to Labor & Delivery. I let them know that I had to wait for Matt to get home. So, at about 3:15pm, we headed to the hospital. I knew we'd be heading home with a baby, Matt was convinced they would send us home and tell us to come back when I was having contractions. Even though I was leaking fluid, I wasn't having any contractions. Before we left, we snapped a few pictures of us and Matt wandered around with me standing there telling him to 'hurry up, we have to go, we have to go now, please hurry up' It's a good thing we had packed our bags the weekend before.

After we got to the hospital, and were brought up to Labor & Delivery, it was confirmed that it was amniotic fluid. I was dilated to 1cm and about 20% effaced - long road ahead! I was hooked up to the iv, blood pressure cuff, heart rate monitor for the baby and a contraction monitor. The contraction monitor showed that I was wasn't having contractions at that time. I was also hooked up to Pitocin (the dreaded drug), which I knew heading to the hospital I was going to get, since I wasn't having contractions, and I was not to happy about that. The pitocin got turned up every 20 minutes (or about that), and the contractions became very regular and each one was getting more and more painful. At about 10:30 pm, I was dilated to 2cm and 80% effaced. Knowing that it takes the longest to dilate to 4cm and then about 1cm every hour after that, I asked for the epidural. There was no way I was going to have enough energy to push when the time came, if I didn't get some rest and relief before then. I had been trembling and concentrating on my breathing through ever contraction starting at about 9pm. Within minutes of asking for the epidural the anestesoligst was in the room, which was nice, it gave me less time to think about it!

At 3:30 am, I was dilated to 5cm and still 80% effaced. At 6:30 am I was 8cm dilated and about 90% effaced. At 8:55am, I was checked again and found out that it was time to push. I didn't have the urge to push yet, but was glad we were at the end and were going to be finding out who this person was. I started pushing at about 9:05am and at 9:45 am, we heard the words "It's a Girl!" That is a moment I will never forget. Not knowing what we were having was one of the best decisions we could have made.

Abigail weighed in at 7lbs 1oz and 21 inches long. Poor girl had a cone head from being in the birth canal for so long, but that got better within a day.

Both Matt and I are so in love with her and already cannot imagine our lives without her.

At this point, Abigail has become very aware of her surroundings. If your talking to her, she'll look your way, usually only for a minute and then she looks away. She's getting better about holding her head up on her own, though she still has a long way to go with that.

I'm hoping to get into some sort of a routine soon, and be able to update on a little bit more of a regular basis. Hopefully, shorter updates.


Last picture in our house, right before we left for Labor & Delivery

Admitted and getting hooked up

Just found out it's time to push

The very last picture of Matt and I before we become parents!

Right after being weighed, assessed, foot printed, etc - getting ready to be wrapped up to meet her mommy & daddy



Holding Abigial for the first time

Daddy and daugther for the first time

First picture of the three of us

Picture we used on her Birth Announcement

1st Valentines Day

The last day of January

Well, today is the last day of January. I cannot believe that we will become parents sometime next month! Everybody says that pregnancy flies by, they aren't kidding. I've known for 33 weeks now, that I have a life growning inside of me, and now, this life will join us in the world at any point!!! It's amazing, awesome, wonderful, exciting and scary all at the same time.

January was a great month and we enjoyed our last full month as 'just the two of us'!

On Saturday, January 9th, my Mom and my Mother-in-law threw us a wonderful family baby shower, at my moms house. We got so many items that we needed, and are so thankful for that. We even had a surprise guest - Aunt Helen came in from Tampa to be apart of it. It is wonderful to have family that cares so much about us and want to help start us off on the right track on our new adventure.

The following Thursday, January 14th, my work had a joint shower for me and one of my coworkers that is due just 3 weeks after me. I had a great time & we got even more stuff that is so helpful! It's nice to work with such a great group of people!

As of this past Wednesday, the 27th, Baby Ancona is 37 weeks along, which is considered full-term, which also means that labor could start at any time. I've had a few contractions, but nothing for the record books, we're still baking away. The baby has dropped a bit though, which is good, the problem is it makes me a bit more uncomfortable as there is more pressure on my hips now, which makes sitting for a long time, very uncomfortable, but it makes breathing easier, since there is a little more room in my lungs. However, as of yesterday, I think the baby realized that there is a bit more room to 'stretch' now and has firmly planted a foot in my right rib cage.

As this pregnancy comes to an end, it is very bitter sweet! I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey and am so thankful have been able to do it. I love knowing that I have this life inside of me, that comes with me where ever I go, can hear me talking (is that good or bad?) all of the time. I love feeling the kicks and stretches - even when they hurt or catch me by surprise - I know that I won't have that for much longer and that makes me a little sad, but yet, I am so excited to meet this little person. There really is no way to describe the feeling that you are about to bring another life into this world & becoming parents for the first time!! We will never have this first again, and that is what makes this so bitter sweet!

On another note, I know that Matt will be a great father. He was nervous as this journey started (as was I, but the excitement over ruled most of my fears), and he has come around to the excitement of it all. I know he enjoyed shopping for the stroller and car seat and what their first bike will be ;) and originally it didn't seem 'real' but as my stomach (bump) started to change and grow and we started to purchase baby items and get these items in the house, he has become more excited. Now, he also just wants to know, when!!!


Matt & I with the Grandma's

Parents to be!





Baby Ancona is Loved!!!

I was going to add a few more pictures but blogger isn't agreeing with that. I will add some of Baby Ancona's room in another post this week, assuming that this little person doesn't join us before then!

Our Last Quiet Christmas

Merry Christmas!!!

It's 6am, and I am wide awake, so I figured it was a good time to do a 2009 wrap-up blog. What a year 2009 has been for us.

We spent almost 2 weeks in Hawaii in February, I really cannot say how much I love that place!! Maui, especially. This was the first time we were there in the "winter" months, so we got to go whale watching, which was a great experience. It was also the tannest I had ever gotten, which was nice as well.

March was a quieter month, we had some strange snow/rain mix at the end of the month, but otherwise nothing to big in March.

In April, Matt ran in the first Annual Bunny Dash 5k and placed 3rd over-all, what a great way to start of the season. A few of the Endurance Nation members were there also, so it was a great way to reconnect after the off season.

In May, Matt ran in the first Annual Chicago Spring Half Marathon. Great race for both running (so he says) and spectating. The weather was finally warming up and starting to feel like winter was finally behind us.

June, what a month!! June, is a month that I won't forget. On Friday, June 12th, we were headed to Kansas so that Matt could compete in Ironman Kansas 70.3, but more importantly, that is also the same morning we found out that our lives where about to change, forever! And, I had to keep it quiet the entire weekend, when we talked to our families because I did not want to share the good news over the phone. So, it was our secret through the weekend, and a hard one to keep!! Anyway, we drove to Kansas, through Iowa, a tiny part of Missouri and into Kansas, about 9 hours in all in the car. Matt had a great race and got a spot to compete in the Half Ironman World Championship in Clearwater, Florida. June ended with my mom having total knee replacement in her right knee.

July, was a pretty quiet month, I had days of feeling good and not so good. Matt raced in the Spirit of Racine Aquabike, and came in 2nd, just a few seconds behind a former EN Teammate. It was a great day!! Early in July, we had our first of what will become many doctor appointments over the course of the pregnancy, this one was the first ultrasound (never knew a little "blob" could be so cute!).

August, was quiet and we enjoyed the weather and time together, and it was countdown until Ironman Wisconsin!

September, another month that was one for the books! Matt competed in Ironman Wisconsin. What a day!! The race was great, I spent the day watching the race with some friends, my brother in law, and some of the guys from EN. I could go on and on about how great the support from EN is. I am thankful that Matt found them and joined "the Nation". I enjoyed spectating before (I've been at this for 5 years now!) but having people all over the course that you know and that are out supporting your husband is just awesome. As, you know, Ironman Wisconsin, was a day that we'll never forget, not only did Matt qualify to compete in the Ironman World Championship, in Kona, Hawaii (ahhhh!!!), he also won his age group!!! He didn't think that was possible, and it was. I was a very proud wife, I still am!!!

October, was our 2nd wedding anniversary, we spent the time around then getting the spare bedroom ready for Baby Ancona - painting, putting together the crib, all of that fun stuff. The room was our "it doesn't have a home, just put it in there" room for 3 years, it needed a lot of help! I also hit the half way point in pregnancy. 20 weeks is when you can find out the gender, but we didn't.

November, we went to Clearwater and Orlando, Florida. It was our last vacation as the two of us. We stayed with Aunt Helen, just outside of Tampa, and drove to Clearwater for the different Ironman doings. It was a great day for the race. I also got to see my friend Erin, who I hadn't seen since 1992 when her family moved to Tampa. The day after the race, we drove to Orlando and spent 2 days at Sea World. It was a very relaxing, great last trip. The month ended with me having to get a RhoGam shot, because my blood type is Rh- and if the baby is Rh+ there could be negative out comes with this pregnancy and all future pregnancies, so they do it as a prevention. The bummer, that shot went to my insurance deductable, that I hadn't met yet, and of course, it does not roll over to next year, when I will be meeting it again when the baby is born.

That brings me to now. I am more then 3/4 of the way through the pregnancy, and while I cannot wait to meet this little person, I really am enjoying being pregnant, and I think I will miss it in the end. There is nothing like having a life inside of you, knowing that you are going to get to show this person the world, and hopefully mean the world to them. We have started taking labor & delivery classes. They are 2 hours long, for 4 Saturdays. The class goes over the stages of labor, pain management for labor, what to expect, the delivery, a tour of the hospital (which we did last week), and what happens after delivery, to both you and the baby. I am glad we took the class.

So, as the title says, this is our last quiet Christmas. Next year, we'll have a 10 month old (wow!), crawling, maybe walking or trying to walk, around. I cannot wait!! We kept things pretty low key this year, since next year will be filled with unexpected twists and turns.

In other Baby Ancona updates, there seems to be a little bit more of a pattern to when I feel the baby moving around, but now that I say that, I'm sure things will change!! We have about 8 weeks left to go until we get to meet this person. I still don't have a feeling as to if we'll have a daugther or son. I say "he" when I talk about the baby, but that doesn't mean I am 100% convinced that is what we're having.

I want to end this by wishing everybody a Very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!! I hope 2009 has been good to everybody and that 2010 is even better. I know that I can't wait for early 2010!!!!

I will still post some pictures, at some point, in the very near future.

Until then, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

Only a few weeks left in 2009

Well, since my last update, we have taken our last vacation before we are officially parents. We went to Florida, and had a great time. As you know, Matt competed in the half Ironman World Championship in Clearwater. We stayed with Aunt Helen who lives just outside of Tampa, so we had about a 20 minute drive to Clearwater, which was a piece of cake.

This race isn't as spectator friendly as other races, but there is one spot that you can hang out and see the athletes bike out and back and then a few times on the run, with out moving, so its not as bad as it could be. I spent the morning visiting with my friend Erin, who moved to Florida in 1992, and that was the last time we had seen each other, thanks to Facebook we were able to reconnect.

After our time in the Tampa area we drove about an hour and a half to Orlando, and spent 2 days at Sea World. This was my first experience at Sea World Orlando, I was let down a little bit, but it was relaxing and that is what is important. Matt said that the only difference between Sea World now and Sea World when he was last there (in junior high, he thinks) is that they have added a few roller coasters. We bought our tickets online ahead of time, so we paid kids price & we got the second day free, so we can't complain to much.

We also wandered around the two outlet malls, Downtown Disney and Universal City Walk. My only complain the entire time was how hot I was. I'm glad that I won't be at the end of this pregnancy in the middle of summer. I am warm all the time now, luckily when we were there it wasn't much over 80!!

At this point, I am 30 weeks and 4 days pregnant! Less then 10 weeks until we get to meet this little person. Each day that goes by, I get a little bit more excited. Luckily, I am enjoying being pregnant and I am not miserable. I feel really good my only complaint has been my left rib cage has been hurting for about 3 weeks and the on and off sciatic problem - which are all common. This past Tuesday was the 30 week ultrasound/growth scan. I learned that the rib pain is compliments of the baby bum and tailbone that is wedged right under there shoving all my organs into my ribs - awesome!! Lets see, we were also told that the baby's head is measuring a full week ahead (nothing like being told your baby has a large head! However the tech did also laugh and say that the head isn't what keeps them in), organs are all working like they should be. We were able to see the nose and the upper lip. Baby was practicing breathing and we were able to see the tiny little mouth move, and the chubby cheeks - which makes me happy, I love chubby cheeks!! We were able to see the organs and they are all doing what they should be doing and where they should be. Head is down, so baby is smart enough to know which way is out, which makes me one happy Momma. The best part was seeing where the different body parts were in relation to the movement I've been feeling, so when I have lump sticking out, I have a pretty good idea of what is what. Head down, back/side is curved up along my left side, bum is under my rib cage (or near it, I guess), feet are on my right size, this baby is folded in half, and running out of room, we'll see how the next 9 weeks go and what kind of changes happen to my bump.

I cannot believe I am going to admit this, but I have gained about 27 pounds at this point. However, as of Tuesday 3lbs 5oz of that was pure baby love - and this baby love has a lot of baggage also - placenta, amniotic fluid, etc. They say that about 30-35lbs of weight gain is normal and healthy. My goal was to be right around 35lbs, we'll see what happens, if its a little over, that's ok to. Just more motivation to get back into shape and be ready to hit the Hawaii beaches just 7 short months after the baby is here.

And, for those of you wondering, the gender of baby.....still a surprise! We did not find out, I never even attempted to look or try to find out. Usually surprises drive me nuts, but for some reason this is totally different and I cannot wait to be surprised in the delivery room. It doesn't matter if I have a son or daugther, this little person already means the world to me and I Love this baby more then words can describe already.

Last Saturday, was our first of 4 labor and delivery classes. They are 2 hours each, and at the hospital I will be delivering at. There are 10 couples (I think, including us), 2 of them are having girls, we are the only ones that don't know and the rest are having boys. Last week was pretty much an intro and a what to expect from the class, and a little relaxation breathing. Yesterday, was our second class, we went over the stages of labor, what to do during each stage - at home, when to head to the hospital, etc, and pain management options. At the end we did some relaxation breathing again, this time holding ice as a distraction to see if we could forget about our and how cold it was while we were concentrating on our breathing. Next week is the tour of the hospital, the following we have off thanks to the holiday and the last class is the 1st week in January, I don't know what will be doing in that class, but I do know there are some videos involved.

That is about all, I will update again very soon with some pictures. Hope everybody is doing well & enjoying the start of the holiday season!

Update with pictures

Since my last update, Matt and I celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary! We went out to dinner 2 weeks after the fact, but that's because I spent the majority of our anniversary painting the room for Baby Ancona, and that following weekend, we were finishing everything up. We decided to go to Michigan Ave and just wander around there for a while and then we went to Smoque for some awesome bbq and Sweet Mandy B's Bakery for desert, yumm.

As I said, the room is painted! I love it, which is a good thing after the many hours spent in there. The crib is set up, the chair is in the room, now we just need all the 'stuff' that a baby needs and we're set.

I have been feeling a lot of movement over the last week and a half. The movement has gone from a fluttery feeling - which I only felt once every few days, to a light tapping, bubbly type feeling. Matt has felt some of the light jabs, they aren't to strong yet - which is fine, I'll keep my non-bruised organs and rib feeling as long as possible. I have my 24 week check tomorrow, I am going to be meeting a different doctor in the practice. There are 5 that deliver, and they encourage you to meet all of them ahead of time. So far, I haven't met anybody new, the doctor I've seen the last 2 times, was my doctor before pregnancy.

Matt is headed to NYC next Saturday morning, to volunteer at the Marathon Expo and is then pacing the NYC Marathon Sunday, and flying home that night. He'll be pacing the 4 hour group, and is looking forward to the experience. It was an opportunity that he just couldn't pass up. I'll be staying home, I didn't want to fly 2 days in a row and then less then 2 weeks later to Florida. There are way to many germs out there and with the flu season being as bad as it is and hitting really hard early, I'm trying to limit my exposure.

We're headed to Tampa and Orlando, Florida on November 11th. We'll spend 3 days with Aunt Helen and Matt will do the Half Ironman World Championship and then we'll drive to Orland and spend 2 days at Sea World. It will be our last vacation, as the 2of us. I actually enter the 3rd Trimester while we are there, and that is when the flying restrictions start. A lot of airlines don't question it until about 32 weeks or so, but my doctors office recommends that you don't fly once your in your 3rd Trimester - due to the increase of swelling and discomfort.

Ok, here are the pictures :



We plan on hanging something, not sure what, over the dresser - which will also be the changing table.


We plan on adding something to this wall, and getting a different light.


My bump at 23 weeks and 3 days. (taken 10.24.09)

Half Way There!!!

Well, I'm just a few days over 20 weeks pregnant, which means that, I am half way there. Crazy. We have the crib, it is still in a box in the garage, but we have it. I have to finish organizing the room, there isn't much left to do at least, then it will be ready to have the crib assembled.

I had my 20 week appointment this morning - complete with ultrasound. Everything is right on schedule. I'm technically 20 weeks 3 days today, and the baby is measuring 20 weeks 5 days, and weighs 13 oz. The entire ultrasound was for measurements - brain, skull, femur bone, spine, heart, kidneys and bladder. Everything is looking good, and where it should be. The baby (no we didn't not find out the gender) has long legs, the tech must have said it about 7 times. The heart has all 4 chambers and we got to see it beating away at 154 bpm. The baby was laying face up, head on my left side, and folded in half, the knees were at the chin and the feet were over the head. I have told the baby several times now to stretch out and enjoy the room while you've got it, it's going to get snug in there fast. We did get to see the little feet and toes. As the ultrasound tech was trying to see the lower part of the spine, to get the measurements, the baby kept putting their hand in the way - either this baby has a great sense of humor already or some attitude.

I haven't even gotten to hold this little person yet and I am so in love. It is such an amazing experience, to see this little person, who is about the size of a pop can and know that they are yours. I get to have this little person grow inside of me until they are ready to enter this big world. After they are here, I get to experience the world through their eyes. How can you not be in love?

Speaking of love, Matt and I are about to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. The weather is slightly different this weekend - it is in the low 50s and rainy. There are times that it feels like just yesterday that we said "I do" and there are times that it feels like its been years. I Love You, Matt, thanks for asking me to be your wife, I couldn't imagine my life with out you in it. I cannot wait for this next year and all the changes it will bring. Here's to many more years!!!