Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Camden has to be the most hysterical kid ever. Between his new sense of fashion in dressing himself daily, and his love for his little sister... he has been coming out with some real gems lately.

But I think today takes the cake.

We were cuddling on the couch while I was trying to get him to lay down and take a nap for a little bit and he looks at me and says...

"Mommy... How is my little sister doing?"

"She is good Camden, she is taking a nap too!"

"Mommy... My baby sister is taking WAY TOO LONG" meaning... to get here... Sounds like he is as sick of pregnancy as I am at this point... LOL

But I must say, it was incredibly adorable.

Grow Baby Grow!

Quick update today for our friends and family. After an eventful day full of my mother getting the flu and both boys coming to my ultrasound with me...

Little Miss A is continuing to grow, and is staying on the same growth pattern thankfully. After her falling off the curve, she is continuing to at least maintain moderate/acceptable weight gain so she will remain in her nice comfy uterus home for at least the next three weeks.

I go for another follow up ultrasound to monitor again in three weeks... which will bring me to almost 38 weeks unless she decides to come on her own.

Thanks for all the love, prayers, and well wishes!

Cupcakes & Wind Surfers!

After an uneventful morning of sleep, work, laundry, and breakfast, I got a little wild and decided to take the boys on an adventure. Yup, not one of my brightest ideas today knowing we all have a very long day ahead of us tomorrow with trips to Grandma's house, ultrasounds, and who knows what else may come up in between. But either way... we had a good time.

It started off by sneaking over to Grandma's house and kidnapping her to come with us to Toppings Cupcakes in Bridgeport. I didn't want to head down there without someone else with me and two boys because of the parking situation in front of the shop. It worked out well because Grandma had fun with us. Even though she didn't have any cupcakes.

On the way back to Grandma's house to drop her off, we noticed some kites in the distance at the beach, and even though it is freezing out, we decided to go by the beach and check them out. Camden was super interested. When we got down there we realized they weren't just kites, but they were actually wind surfers which was even more exciting for the boys.

For once recently I actually had my camera in the car with me, and of course my nifty new lens I just got, so I was able to finally give it a good try!





I love the last picture because just as I was getting ready to put the camera away, and get everyone back into the car, I caught one of the wind surfer's jumping in the air. Totally cool. Just another reasons I love living so close to the beach!

Overall, another great day! And I even think we will have a nice early bedtime because of the lack of naps today! YAY for Mommy!

Training Day for Will

Yesterday Will had flashover training. I guess a flash over is one of the most dangerous situations a fireman can ever be in, so the more training he can have on it, the better.

I took the boys and headed to my parents where we cleaned the van out, and got ready to add yet another car seat. They hung out with Grandma while I took the van for an oil change, and car wash and vacuum on top of it.

They had a lot of fun since we haven't been making too many Sunday dinners this winter. It is just too cold to go some days! I was able to catch up on some work for the week too which was a huge highlight since I have another appointment for a follow up ultrasound on Wednesday.

Back to Will's training. When I got home I was welcomed by a husband who smelt like he was barbecued, and burnt. Well, he did get burnt. Most of the guys who went through the training did. Although it wasn't serious, he was pretty miserable... I would have been!

The helmets above are only a couple of the guys, Will's is on the bottom left, and that was his BRAND NEW helmet never used before yesterday. He has kept the new issue one because he loves his other lid, and just used that one for training. It is officially done!

I am glad I didn't know what the training really entailed until I got home for the day, because I wouldn't have been able to let my mind rest knowing what he was doing all day long otherwise.

Saturday Projects

Got a ton of stuff done today! Including finally finishing the wall letters for Little Miss A's room. But don't get too excited, A and D are the two letters we already let spill at the baby shower, so if you think you are getting some kind of special treat, you are wrong! LOL

The morning started off with Ben and I heading out to drop some clothes to donate off at the local thrift store that benefits a domestic violence program that helps women get out of bad situations, which is where I always bring the stuff I need to pass along.

Once we were done there, we drove through McDonald's for a special chicken nugget treat, which he fell asleep eating. Super cute if you ask me... And then off to the craft store we went. I originally was going to use scrap book paper to cover the wall letters, but I decided to hand paint them instead, which I think worked out kinda well.

I am a perfectionist, so I am not 100% happy with them, but the imperfections I can see, no one else will be able to once I hang them.

After that we headed to Old Navy, yes... we braved crossing the Post Road in Milford on a Saturday... and let me tell you... PEOPLE ARE INSANE! Apparently red lights are optional today!

I had to see if I could find something to wear to Getting Gorgeous in New York City this weekend. Of course I am still playing things by ear at this point depending on how the ultrasound on Wednesday goes. But basically Getting Gorgeous is an invite only blog party for the day where 300 bloggers are pampered by awesome companies, and get one-on-one time with rep's from big companies. Some of the companies this year include Degree, BJ's Wholesale, Simply Orange, Sandals, etc.

So anything that can give me a day of rest, relaxation, and pampering, I am down with!

In the end I found a super cute and spring like shirt I liked, and of course matched a pair of sunglasses, and new bag for the trip. And my new business cards came in yesterday, so I am really ready. I will be traveling with Courtney from OneBoredMommy and can't wait!

Anyways, now to figure out what is for dinner since Will and Camden are still napping, and Ben is certainly ready for food!

Bath Time & New Camera Lens

I splurged on myself and bought a "nifty fifty" lens for my camera. I haven't bought any new accessories for the Nikon since I bought it last January, so it was long due. Especially after scoring bonus pay in January, and February, and of course in March too...

But I found a good deal on amazon, and with the baby coming, I really wanted to get the lens because it is supposed to be great for up close pictures of children and especially newborns. So I guess there was more motive... Haha!

Tonight I put both boys in the bath after dinner because they were due, and of course dinner made a giant mess, so I took a couple pictures with the new lens.



How can dirty kids be so cute? Oh that's right... because they are mine! LOL

They love bubble baths... that is for sure!

Overall, a good day in our house since I got two posts up in one day, I certainly have been slacking lately... Oh, and don't you love the new background and edits? I had a blast working on it last weekend!

Little Miss A Check In

As you know, the past couple weeks have certainly been stressful for our family. The health questions surrounding our daughter A have been keeping Will and I awake at night wondering what kind of complications we are going to have to deal with over the next couple months, and thankfully after a lot of worrying, and an amnio we got our first bit of good news yesterday.

I had my regular check up, a non stress test, and got the first preliminary results from the amnio I had done last Wednesday, which were the results were were most worried about, the infection study. The results came back negative, meaning there is no infection in my uterus. Which is a great thing. If there was, Little Miss A would need to be immediately delivered, and since I am only a couple days shy of 34 weeks that would have meant a long NICU stay.

The non stress test was great, they only kept me on the machine for about a half hour because the baby looked so good. There was no real need to keep her on any longer. Another huge relief because battling a stomach bug had me convinced the pains I was having in my actual stomach were contractions. You would think by baby #3 I could tell the difference right? These were such bad cramps I thought I was in labor!

So now, all we have left for now is the ultrasound next Wednesday that will see what her growth is doing, and if she has grown in the two week period from the last ultrasound scan. At that point in time, depending on what the growth is... they may consider delivery, but that is another bridge I plan on crossing in another week when we get there. I certainly can say I do not have any desire to have a 35 or even a 36 week preemie if we do not have to.

So, that is the scoop for now.
Oh, and thanks New England for this lovely Spring Snow I have outside!

Wedding Shower!

Yesterday I went to the Bridal shower for one of my good friends, Steph... and I also took a ton of pictures of the festivities. It was truly a beautiful day, and the food was delish! I am super excited about the new restaurant discovery, because they had out of this world homemade salad dressing.

I know, leave it to the pregnant woman to only care about the food right?


It was a ton of fun, and I totally love Steph's dress. I think only she could pull it off though. It was supposed to be a surprise, but clearly she was tipped off to come in looking so fabulous!

We gave her the set of wine glasses they registered for, which was comical when she opened because people certainly knew the motives behind that one.

I can't wait for the wedding now!

Week Wrap Up

Well, it has been an incredibly long and stressful week in the Elwood household, which is why I couldn't update as all these lovely events took place.

The week started out with Will getting sick... and of course he is still sick now. Then Wednesday I went for my follow up ultrasound on Little Miss A for sizing, fluid, and of course her head measurements which were worrisome when I went last time. I told myself over those three weeks we had to wait that she would be perfect when I went back, and we would have nothing to worry about. The positive thoughts and vibes didn't prepare me for all I would hear.

After the ultrasound tech took all the measurements, I had to wait for the Perinatologist to come in and discuss the results. Which I assumed were fine. When she came in she told me that in the three weeks time period the baby dropped from the 29th percentile, to the 17th percentile and there was growth restriction issues. At this point we do not know what actually is causing this, so as she suggested I went along with the amnio right then and there to find out if it is anything genetic, chromosomal, or infection. It was certainly scary, and painful to say the least. I almost passed out right then and there.

After the ultrasound and amnio, I had to have a non stress test to make sure the baby was ok post amnio, and I didn't start to show signs of labor.

We should have the results of the amnio within a week, Wednesday at the latest, and I will not be "ok" until after a ton of stuff they are testing for is ruled out. In the mean time I am stress-fully counting every kick, movement, and hiccup she has.

I go back in two weeks for a follow up ultrasound, and at that time, if she has not started to grow more, or at least maintain the 17th percentile growth curve, they may consider delivery. Which would be around 4 weeks earlier than my c-section date at this point, and 5 weeks earlier than my due date.

If she is going to do better growing on the outside, than on the inside, that is probably the best bet though.

So after 24 hours of rest, pain, contractions, and of course two kids wondering why Mommy didn't feel too hot... I was back up on my feet.

Then Thursday night rolled around with more excitement in our neighborhood. We all know the history of our mailbox and bad drivers, and of course we had another mailbox meet its maker. This time though it was the result of a young, dumb, 22 year old who claims he only had two beers. My ass!

I documented the entire tale of chasing the car down for a license plate number, and how the idiot tried to drive right by as the police were here documenting the damage.


What has pissed me off most about all of this is not that we had to go spend $30 on the mailbox, or $10 on another bag of cement... it is not the money that angers me. It is the principal. First off the city has repeatedly been asked to put a speed bump in at the curve which started this accident, and all the others in which our mail box has become a victim. It is a 15 mile per hour zone, and some days I see people doing 40 around the curve. It is dangerous at that speed! Plain and simple. All the signs, and curve warnings are not stopping the accidents!

The other problem is, this kid was noticeably drunk, and fled the scene of an accident, and was not arrested or cited at all. I do plan on writing a formal complaint. This kid could have seriously injured or hurt someone. I have no sympathy, or excuses for people who drink and drive. They are breaking the law, and deserve all the punishment the law allows. Period.

Anyway... That is what happened in our hood this week. Never a dull moment!

One Sick Boy, Daddy, and Lightening McQueen

Ben has now got the sniffles, and he is just as miserable as me and Camden... Well not me so much anymore as I am finally starting to feel better... But poor Camden just lays on the couch, coughing and saying "I'm sick" in the most pathetic little voice. It is heartbreaking.

But Ben, he can express most of what he wants, but has no idea what "being sick" actually means right now, so it has been so sad.

He fell asleep hanging out with Will on the couch very early the other night, with his car in hand and all. This cold is really kicking everyone's butts.


Poor little guy! I can't wait for this nice weather we are supposed to get this weekend... these boys really need to get out and have some fresh air, and that is exactly what we are going to do!

Flooding... Sucks?

Today there have been nasty floods all over Connecticut. Well as normal for a Monday morning, Will got in the car and drove 45 minutes to work, only to make it to the main road that his work is on, and discover it was flooded.

At that same time, he looked down at his cell phone to see 3 voicemails, and 6 missed calls, with a text message.

A voice mail from each boss, and the HR department... as well as a text from a co-worker asking him to bring his Canoe to get to the building... Har har har!

They sent everyone home with hopes of opening up at noon, which didn't happen either. When we learned he didn't need to go back in later on in the day, we had a nice family day together which included 5 Guys Burgers, and a trip to Babies R Us to pick up our car seat.

It is official.
We have everything we need for the baby....

And we are crossing our fingers that the flooding backs down a little bit, and work will be back on for tomorrow!

Baby Shower Saturday!

Yesterday was my baby shower. My sister completely rocks, and what was supposed to be a small sprinkle for the baby girl, turned in to an amazing afternoon with friends, and family that really made me know how much we are loved, and how much Little Miss Baby A is already loved and she isn't even here yet!

I got a ton of stuff, from clothes, to a cloth diaper cake, and amazingly beautiful name blocks for her room made by my bestie Kaitlyn. Oh, and I can't forget my dream SkipHop diaper bag. We are certainly all set for her!

I wanted to share a couple pictures, and of course a video of what my husband, and the boys were doing while all the ladies got together for the celebration of the first baby girl in our family since I was born way back when...
My sister did a great job decorating, and putting as much as she could together despite childcare falling through, and a very bumpy week in her household. She did great though! Of course we are all our own very biggest critics right?

Kaitlyn and Angela with her daughter Addy

Despite everyone's best efforts to get me in the "chair of honor" I was most comfortable on the floor... So I won opening presents in front of the entertainment center. LOL

Steph was my sidekick handing me presents, and keeping me semi organized in the sea of pink baby stuff.

This is the cloth diaper, diaper cake... First time I have ever saw one! How awesome is that??

Kathi with Addy... She was the hit of the party!
Then it was cake time... My sister ordered it from the local grocery store, and instructed them that she wanted as much pink as possible... she was not happy with the cake, but it was delish!My friend Sabrina that lives upstate CT is due about a week after I am, and she came down to join in the festivities. She is also having a little girl, Caitlin.


And then came the cake incident... LOL! While about 4 of us adults were standing right there, Jake accidentally leaned his entire arm right into the cake. He was so upset, but accidents happen! LOL

Overall it was a great day. Much more than I ever expected, or could have asked for. Now comes the real work... organizing and putting everything away, while doing my thank you notes for everyone.

So while Mommy had her shower... the boys went with Daddy to a fire department event. A bowl-a-thon for victims of domestic violence that their team raised over $1200 for! I have a great video of the boys (firemen and my children) dancing to the YMCA. I have to figure out how to link it up on here though, so it may take a couple days. By the time my boys were returned to me, they were EXHAUSTED!
Thanks to the guys from the Echos for being a second family and helping Will all day with them... Not that he needed the help, but any extra hands are always welcome!

Popsicles & Grocery Shopping

Yesterday when I went to my doctors appointment, my good friend Dee up the street watched the boys for a little over an hour so I could meet with the OB and they had a blast. Dee has a 4 year old son, and she also has another boy around the same age she watches daily. So when I dropped the kids off, it made a total of 4 boys... I am sure it was a blast. LOL!

When I got back the kids were getting ready to enjoy popsicles. The first time Camden ever went over to play with Alex, Dee's son, it was summertime and they had popsicles outside. So apparently as soon as I left, Camden was requesting them.

This was the first time Ben had his OWN popsicle too...
Cant you tell how happy he was? He even got the whole licking thing down before half of it melted!

After that it was off to the grocery store. Camden has been on this kick lately of wearing these random sunglasses he has had since he was around 6 months old. Of course back then we couldn't get them to stay on, and today... we can't get him to wear them the right way!


Yes, that is Camden wearing upside down sunglasses in the grocery store. And he proceeded to wear them for the entire trip. The highlight of the trip is also his own cart... He LOVES it!

Date is Set

Today I had my 30 week check up since I am on the every 2 week plan now. I also had the consult with the OB/GYN in the practice who is going to be delivering the baby.
We talked about the surgery, preferences, restrictions, my birth plan, the hospital stay, and all of that fun stuff, and in the end when I left the office for the day... my c-section date was scheduled.

If I do not go into labor on my own, I will be delivering Lil' Miss A (what we are now calling the baby) on May 3rd, which also happens to be my Grandpa George's birthday.

I couldn't think of a better day to welcome our little girl!