Summer Fun, Here We Come!

School's out for summer!  I'm not gonna lie....it's not my most favorite time of year.  I am not looking forward to the "I'm bored", "It's too hot", "He hit me", "She kicked me", etc. And that's just the first day!  Going from 3 kids to 5 kids isn't really much different to me but it's double the fighting that gets to me.  

My plan is to set up the pool outside, get an assembly line of lathering up with the sunblock and keep them outside till lunchtime/nap time. 

We will take a few day trips here and there.  This afternoon I am going to get the kids together and we are going to make a "Summer Must Do" list.  

Here's MY Summer Must Do list: 

1. Survive!

Seems simple enough, right?  Let's hope the Fab 5 are good to me and help me accomplish my one goal for the summer.  

Enjoy your summer...wherever it takes you or whatever it may bring!

Allergic to Alcohol?!?!?!?

Yes, I am allergic to alcohol.  Another joy of pregnancy, apparently.  If you have ever had a drink with me before, you know that my face gets splotchy red.  I always just kept drinking, red face and all.  No biggie!

Seems to be a bit of a biggie now.  A few weeks postpartum, Matt and I went out to dinner.  I had a good ole Yuengling Lager and even had to chug the last half (the girls were getting restless).  Felt good, end of story.  The next night, hanging out at my sister's, I had a strawberry basil, vodka drink.  Two sips in and my face started to get red, splotchy and felt like it was on fire.  My ears were burning and my head was so super itchy.  No more yummy strawberry, basil, vodka drink for me.  A friend offered me a Benadryl but I just wanted to let it go.  Within minutes, my brother-in-law described me as a "Oompa Loompa" and offered to take me to the ER.  That made me nervous cause he doesn't worry about little things.  I took that Benadryl and downed a few classes of water.  My face was less "Oompa Loompa" like within minutes and that was that.  A weeks later, with Benadryl on hand, I decided to try another beer.  Halfway in, the itching, burning and redness came back.  Took a Benadryl and that was that, again.  My Benadryl and I went to a wedding last week.  Matt got me a vodka a cranberry and told the bartender to go light on the vodka.  One sip and I was done.  Had to take 2 Benadryl and enough water to choke a horse, as Matt put it, before my "raw" face would even change to "rare."  It took quite a while before my face was back to my normal color (well-done).  My table mates, a great group of friends from college, were all kind enough to share their waters with me.  

Needless to say, I will not be trying alcohol again anytime soon.  The symptoms keep getting worse each time and I don't want to risk it.  I go back to the doctor next month but I am pretty sure they are going to tell me to wait till I am 6 months postpartum before I try again.  Not sure I will even try it then. 

This too shall pass....or not.

She's here and has been for 2 months

Erin Grace was born on April 3 @7:40pm. 

Last I wrote I was 31 weeks along and having heart rate issues and protein in my urine.  I had an appointment on April 1st and turned in yet another 24 hr urine sample.  My doctor told me if it comes back with an elevated protein level, they would be sending me in within the week. On April 3rd I got a call from one of the other doctors at the practice.  He informed me my protein levels were the highest they have ever been.  I was waiting for him to tell me to go to the hospital but instead he tells me to start collecting more urine for ANOTHER 24 hr urine sample (my 6th or 7th or 20th...can't remember).  What the what? Feeling defeated, I try to find some Tupperware that I was willing to part with and that would hold all of that pee.  Within minutes Nana calls me to tell me I am scheduled in the OR for 4pm that afternoon and I should be at the hospital for 2pm.  Talk about overwhelming!  Apparently, she spoke with my doctor and when he heard what my protein level was he told her to get me in.  My first phone call was to Matt.  Of course, he doesn't answer his phone or my text so I start freaking out.  It's 1230, if I remember correctly and all I can think is that he is somewhere over an hour away and won't get home in time.  My sister works where he works so I call her panicked.  She goes over to his building and he isn't there but the secretary in his building puts a call out to Matt, which he also doesn't answer.  He calls me back and I tell him to get home cause we are having a baby.  He was in Kearny and, luckily, got home in time to take a shower and get me to the hospital.  My parents came over to take care of Em & Riley, who were napping.  The minute my mother walked in I started crying.  I know I had been so miserable and wanted to meet our newest little lady but I feel like it snuck up on me. ;)  Silly, right? 

When we got to the hospital we spent a lot of time waiting.  Unfortunately, I didn't know that I would be going in for surgery and I had a pretzel (yes, a pretzel) that morning.  The anesthesiologists wanted to wait as long as they could since I did have that pretzel.  We finally went into the OR around 7pm and Erin was born at 7:40pm.  Having had a C-section with Emily I thought I knew what to expect. Apparently, just as each pregnancy is different, so is each delivery/C-section.  I felt like this one took FO-EV-ER!  I think I finally got out of the OR and into recovery at 9:30pm. I didn't get into my room till midnight and that's when I finally got to meet little Miss Erin.  Matt brought her into the room and put her in my arms and I nearly fainted....I was holding Emily!  The resemblance was crazy freaky! I took off her hat and saw she had blonde hair and blue eyes...I was in love!  

I am sure you are all wondering how we are adjusting as a family of 5.  Erin fit right in and it's as if she has been here forever.  She is 2 months old now and beginning to find her voice.  In a house as loud as ours, she knows she needs to be just as loud to be heard.  Needless to say, I have stocked up on Tylenol.  Summer is creeping up on us and I am going to be home with 5 kids all day, every day....Lord give me the strength!  We survived last summer and we will do the same this summer....may even have some fun. :)