21 Months!

Aurora,

I am sorry, I missed your 20 month update. May is a busy month and suddenly it was June! But, you were amazing as always, so don't worry! :)

You crack me up on a daily basis! The facial expressions and comments you make are just hilarious. I swear, every time I turn around, you have learned a new word. You really enjoy being silly and then saying, "Look at me! Look at me!" until we look at you and tell you how silly you are! You have also started to say, now, mine, and go away. So, we are working on manners and being nice as well. Though, I am still very proud because more times than not, you will say please when asking for something and thank you, once you have gotten something. There are still many times when you are having full conversations, but I just do not know what you are saying. Often times, this comes with much finger pointing to get a point across. I just nod my head and say, oh really, wow, and hope that was the appropriate response for what you were saying!

You really love your dolls as well and usually have at least one stuffed animal in your bed with you. You also still use your pacifier at night and ask for you blankie. Though you don't see to care what blanket it is, as long as you have one. We are working on slowly taking the pacifier away, but will probably wait until your molars have all come in before officially taking it away. You also really enjoy coloring and we now have crayons all over the living room.

My favorite activity you do though is reading. You LOVE to read and it makes me so happy! We have to read at least two books a night, though you always try for more. Actually, you have become quite the distractor when it comes to bed time. You will do anything to delay bedtime. Most nights we will cave and read a third book, just because we love to read to you!

You are also so smart (and while I am biased, your teachers tell me all the time how smart you are so I know it is true!). You are starting to say your colors, you will count to three (though you still occasionally like to skip two and go right to three!), you can name all the princesses (another proud mommy moment), and can name most animals and the sounds that they make. And that is just the stuff I can remember at the moment!

You have become quite the picky eater though, and I wish you would go back to eating most foods! All you want to eat now is cereal, granola bars, fruit snacks, and luckily all fruit. So, basically, you have fruit for meals and then we attempt to get you to eat the rest of whatever it is. Lately, you have been starting to eat sausage, so we have been making that, but it is still hit or miss. You do not like pasta or potatoes (so sad as I can make those easily for dinners!) and you will rarely eat vegetables. I even eat my veggies, to be a good example, and you still do not (which to be honest is quite annoying!), but we keep trying. Hopefully, you will decide to eat a variety of foods again!

You are now sleeping most nights from 8pm-7am. For some reasons you seem to know when it is the weekend and wake up earlier and I wish you would sleep in a bit more on those days! You also have now had a cough for what feels like two months. It is usually only at night and we keep trying things. I put the diffuser in your room and that helps, but it only runs 4 hours, so I have to replace it in the night because as soon as it stops, you cough again. So, I am finally buying an 8 hour one (which I should have done awhile back!). Hopefully, the cough will go away. Some have said it is allergies, others that it is still lingering from your cold awhile back, but who really knows. If it doesn't get better soon, we will go back to the doctor. But, during the day, you are happy and healthy and no issues whatsoever!

You have also become a big fan of Disneyland (you really know how to make your mommy proud). A could weeks back, you walked up to me and said, I am going. I asked you where you were going to and you said, I am going to Disneyland (so proud). So, a couple weeks later we took you! You ask to go all the time now, and luckily we have passes so we can go. You LOVE the Tiki Room, and when you get your big girl room this summer, it will be a Tiki Room! You seem to be happy about that decision as whenever we ask you about your new room, you get very excited and tell us it will be a Tiki Room. So, hopefully, when you do move, it goes smoothly! You are also a big fan of It's a Small World and will now very cutely, sing the song! It is probably the most adorable thing ever. I really need to record it!

Actually, you have been doing a lot of singing and dancing lately, and it is just too cute! You also "hop" which is adorable. You can't actually hop, but do more of a skip type movement, but you say "hop hop" every time you do it in the sweetest voice! We have also started to try and do more walks at night (to help tire you out) and you seem to really enjoy those. Hopefully, we can keep up with doing them.

Lastly, you found out that you are going to be a big sister! I know you do not really understand what that means yet, and you still have 5 months until the baby arrives, but I know you will be a great big sister! I am sad that we are going to lose this one on one time with you, but know that seeing you with your baby brother/sister will be so amazing and I know you will love them so much. You already say "nigh nigh" to the baby and sometimes "hi" to the baby in the morning. It melts my heart every time. So, these last 5 months that it is just us though, I am going to truly cherish and soak in as much, Aurora time as possible. I know you won't even remember this time as you get older, but we want to make it as special as possible as we are in our last months as a family of three.

Love you always and forever, more and more each day,

Mommy

1st Beta and Ultrasound

2/28/15
So, I had my first beta on Saturday and it came back at 157! So, I am officially pregnant! :) I am thinking it is just one as Aurora's beta was 147 and this is only 10 more than that. But, I will have to wait 3 more weeks to find out for sure how many are in there!

3/16/15
Had our ultraound! I was right and it is just one perfect little bean in there. I am still in shock that it worked the first time! I mean, last time we did FET, it did work the first time and that is how we got Aurora, but it was two years until that happened. This time, a call to start, did meds, no canceled cycle, no lining issues, just straight to transfer! And then this! So happy and our official due date is 11/7/15!

6dp5dt

In the IVF world that means 6 days past 5 day transfer (the embryos were frozen 5 days after retrieval). This was when I got my first positive with Aurora, so I chose this to be my first test day this time around. And... it worked! The Wondfo tests that I bought from Amazon were terrible. It showed a maybe hint of a line after 5 minutes or so. But, I can't take just one test, so I had also done a Clearblue Digital and that showed in very clear words - Pregnant! So, now I just need to wait until Saturday to get the official blood beta test results!

Transfer

I wrote these while happening, but didn't want it "out" in the world so saved them until ready to announce.

After much discussion and debate, we decided we were ready to try for another baby! This time around it was so much easier. No two years waiting and wondering what was going on. This time, we knew we had frozen eggs, and so when we were ready, we called up and started our FET cycle! We started our cycle on January 25th. For the first time in the whole year of fertility issues, a cycle went completely smooth (we will see if it works or not though). I got my blood taken and amazingly did not need to go on birth control and could start my meds right away. This time I even got to take estrogen as a pill and not as a shot! Then each appointment went well and all looked good. At my third appointment, I had a minor worry as the nurse did not tell me to up my dose from last time, but shockingly, I was still ok! So, on February 19th, I went in and had my transfer! They transferred two blasts. It was really cool because this time we got an ultrasound picture of them in my lining! We saw them go right where they belong. So crazy to see the very beginning of process that most people don't get to see. Gotta find a bonus in this infertility stuff!

So, now the long wait to see if it works. This is the worst. I hate waiting! 10 days to go...

19 Months!

I started this on the actual day, but time got away from me...

A,

This month had a big change in it. You moved to the Toddler Room! You were sad to leave your favorite teacher (Miss Cheryl), but were very ready to move in with the big kids. You seem to be doing well in your new room (better than me!). Though in your first month you got sick by the end of the first week and then had to be out for the next week. Then you returned and got bite by someone! So, it has been an interesting transition! Overall though, I know you are having fun being in the bigger yard and getting to do more activities throughout the day. You also are starting to get attached to one of your new teachers already and have started to ask for Miss Lee. I love when I drop you off and your morning teaching, Miss Miriam, tells me how smart you are! I mean, I knew you were, but it is nice to have a teacher say it as well :)

You crack Daddy and I up all the time. You are starting to get to be a little miss bossy and will now tell Daddy or I to "sit" where you want us too. It is really funny! You are getting much better at communicating what you want with us. And, what makes me really happy, is that you are starting to use please and thank you without us having to prompt you!

You are still funny with your food. Some days, you will eat everything in site and ask for more and more. And then other days, you want nothing to do with food and we have to try everything we can just to get you to eat! You still love your blueberries though and we can pretty much count on you eating those.

This month, you also got really sick :( You got RSV and an ear infection. You were out for a whole week! I felt so bad for you! Daddy and I shared staying home with you and giving you lots of cuddles to help you feel better. I was so happy when your medicine started to work and you were getting back to your rambunctious self! Though, you did pass the sickness on to me which was no fun!

These months are going by so fast, and you just keep growing and growing! I was just looking at pictures of you from a year ago and it is so hard to believe that they are you. You were so little and now you are becoming such a big girl! I love watching you grow and learn and seeing your personality blossom. I just love being your mommy and having fun and reading stories and singing songs with you. You truly light up my life and I love you so much!

Love always and forever,

Mommy

Worst Mother

So, I feel like the worst mother every. I was playing with Aurora and lifted her up and swung her around from her hands. Now, I know not to do this, I have even told my husband not to do this, so I do not know what possessed me to do it. So, I set her down and she suddenly starts crying and saying ouchie.  She was holding her wrist and so I put some ice on it and she seemed to like that. She stopped crying and we sat and read books and she kept making sure that the ice was on her wrist. I noticed though that she was not moving her arm. I tried to distract her and then get her to move it and she would move her hands and could lift her arm. By this point, it was past her bedtime and she started to get really cranky and asking for nigh nigh. So, we put her pajamas on and I rocked her and she fell asleep. I was worried about her but as she seemed to fall asleep, I assumed she was not in pain. I also knew we had her 18 month check up early the next morning and I could ask more about it then. Well, when she woke up, she wasn't moving her arm. We again got her to pick things up with her hand, but she wouldn't lift her arm up. I was in a panic and thought I had broken her and felt awful. So, we head to the doctor.

Apparently, she had what is called, nursemaid elbow. Basically, her elbow tendon had popped out of place. And I know officially feel like the worst mother. The doctor had to pop it back in which was very loud. Aurora cried, but only for a minute and then was using her arm as if nothing had happened. I was so relieved! The doctor said this is very common and to not feel bad, but I still do.

Lesson learned, never, ever, swing a kid around by their arms/hands!

18 Months!

A,

A year and a half year's old! Already halfway through another year. They always say time flies, but I never knew how true that statement could be!

You had a big change this month as you had your last day in the Infant room and officially moved to the Toddler room. You were very ready for this change though, so I know you are going to do just fine in your new room!

You also learned a new skill this month - singing! It is so adorable! At the moment you will sing along to Let It Go, from Frozen, and It's a Small World, the song from the ride. You also are dancing a lot more and ask to watch Elsa. I love seeing you get into the music and hope you appreciate musicals and Disney as much as I do :)

Your talking also continues to grow. You have become quite the little parrot and we really need to start watching what we are saying! Some words you say are clear as day and then others I still need to decipher (such as what sounds like pot pie to me really means pacifier). And then of course you sometimes go off on your own Aurora language that I have not been able to interpret at all!

We can see that you are going to be tall as you are the youngest in the class now, but you are one of the tallest. You are wearing starting to wear 2T clothing already and many of your 18 month pants are turning into capri's for you. It is time to do another closet clean out!

You are also quite the mountain goat as daddy would say, as you are now climbing on everything! You can get up on the couch on your own and try and climb pretty much anything that you think is climbable. It is fun to watch, but also scares me as some places should not be climbed!

You are very fearless in some areas (such as climbing), but are still a bit shy around people. Especially, if we are in a large crowd, you tend to hang back with my until you understand the situation. Once you are comfortable though, you join in with full gusto! I am curious too see if this is a stage or if you will be shy as you get older.

I look forward to watching and seeing what you learn and do this next month! I have never felt greater joy that watching you, reading with you, and now singing with you. I love you with my whole heart always and forever!

Love always,

Mommy