Little Lambie 2.0

We had a whole 'lotta frou go down this past November.

Well, technically the frou began in October, when I attended an incredible seminar on the Law of Attraction. I'd been feeling pretty bitter in general about our fertility journey, and felt like I needed a really big kick in the FROU butt, and this seminar proved to be the perfect thing. From it I took away the re-realization that we have the power to affect our lives and what we bring into them. The main focus of this talk was that the Universe always says YES to whatever thought & vibration you put out there. For instance: if you truly want and believe you should have increased abundance, the universe says YES and will start to gently bring you opportunities as you tune your vibration fully to this belief. Likewise- if you broadcast a fear of not having enough money (same idea but very different vibration)- the Universe say YES, and echoes the reality of not having enough money.

Thinking back to our first IVF, I literally said from the get go that I didn't think it would work… and apparently the Universe said YES. So, moving into IVF #2- where the stakes were EXTRA high (paying everything completely out of pocket, this being our last shot with interventions)- I decided to very consciously change my attitude and DESIRE a good outcome… truly BELIEVE that this outcome would happen…then, fill my heart with as much joy as possible and let everything else go.

The first documented frou event was on one of my many drives to the Houston IVF clinic. It was a dreary, rainy day and I was listening to a Ted Talk about different forms of love. They went into a segment about how incredible the bond and love of siblings is, and -given I was in a place of wanting so much to give Iyla a sibling but not knowing if it would happen- this episode hit me hard and I started crying in the car. As I wiped my tears and focused on the road ahead, I saw a brilliant rainbow appear on the horizon. I got full on body tingles, and hoped with every ounce of my being that this might be an omen of things to come.

During this entire IVF process, I was amazed at how well my body did on all the medicine. I didn't have any crazy side effects, my progesterone behaved toward a fresh transfer, and everything just seemed to be in harmony. The fact that the actual transfer happened on the morning of my 40th birthday was icing on an already auspicious cake; I so hoped that this was another good sign of things to come.

The gorgeous sky the morning of our transfer

After transfer we entered into the 9 day waiting period. I had already decided I would not do any home pregnancy tests, preferring instead to revel in the possibility that I might be pregnant while awaiting the official blood test.

Four days into our wait it was Iyla's birthday, and while at her little dance class another Mama friend asked her if she was getting anything special for her birthday. Without missing a beat, she replied: "a brother." ????!!!! Again, the full on body tingles. Did she know something I didn't yet?

Then on the day before I was to have the blood test I visited my chiropractor. As I laid face down on the table he stopped and said to me: "are you pregnant?" Whoa. Between Iyla and this I sure hoped they were on to something! I had definitely been feeling pregnant- with a very sore chest (that had many new veins), pants that were already feeling tight, and some slight nausea. However, I knew that my body was filled with so many hormones & meds that all of these 'symptoms' could entirely be the result of those. Still I remained hopeful…

And…..

They were right. We are pregnant. With a very strong first beta of 404, followed by a great doubling two days later at 891.

I am SO grateful to Houston IVF and my fabulous doctor there, as I truly believe their protocol (coupled with all the supplements I'd been taking) made the difference this round.

Now we keep the prayers going toward a healthy and uneventful 9 months ahead! We are so excited and ready to welcome this new little buddy into our family. Go Little Lambie 2.0, go!

THREE!

Sweet Iyla Grace, today you are THREE YEARS OLD! How did that happen?! You have been practicing daily how to show "3" with your fingers, and love talking about what a "Big Girl" you are. 

Your fall schedule as a newly minted 3 year old is jam packed. Here's a sample of a typical week for you:

Monday: school from 8:45-12:30, nap, family dinner

We've been taking daily school photos of you! So cute.

Tuesday: Veronica (your nanny) comes to play with you from 8:30-5 while I work and run errands.

Wednesday: school 8:45-12:30. After nap, music class from 4-5 (which you absolutely LOVE!) Then a Mama/daughter date night with a trip to the local park followed by Tex-Mex at Guero's and chocolate ice cream at Amy's.

Thursday: you and I have breakfast together, then ballet/tap class from 10-11 (which you also love!), errands, nap, and Veronica comes to play from 1-8pm while Papa and I go out for our weekly date night.

Post dance class pumpkin patch visit

Friday: breakfast out with Mama (usually pancakes at Sawyer & Co), swim lessons from 11-11:30, then naps/family dinner.

Saturday: morning out with Papa! You two head out on bikes for breakfast tacos, juice, and play time at the park.

New bike helmet!

Sunday: depending on BC's golf schedule, either morning out again with Papa or with me, and then we see where the day takes us!

A girl happily on the go

Here are your official THREE YEAR OLD updates!

How big? We have your official 3 year old appointment tomorrow morning, so I will update with your official stats then. You are wearing 3T in almost all clothes save for dresses, where 2T generally fits you best. You are between a size 7-8 in shoes.

You and your buddy Sam

UPDATE FROM NOVEMBER 13TH: We had your official 3 year old check up today! And wow- you were SO not having any of it. You starting having a meltdown as soon as the nurse tried to measure your height, and proceeded to bawl and hide in my sweater the entire visit, poor buddy. I passed on shots for today, as I figured you'd already had enough!

You weighed in at 28 pounds (25%) and 36.5 inches tall (also 25%- though I'm not sure they got an accurate measurement given all the squirming & fussing you were doing!) 

You did grant me a smile once the doctor left, and I think it was genuine elation from the appointment being over:

While pointing to the door you said to the doctor: "you go now." Feist!

Food? You are overall a pretty decent eater. You're a little hesitant to try new things, but eat a pretty varied diet. For breakfast you LOVE bacon and pancakes. You go through phases of loving eggs, then not wanting them at all (currently in a not-at-all phase). Your favorite fruits are apples and strawberries, and when in the mood you also like watermelon, pineapple, and raspberries. For vegetables you'll have spinach sautéed in eggs and also like carrots, broccoli, & sweet potatoes. For lunch/dinner you LOVE apple/chicken sausages and Mac n Cheese. And you still adore Cliff Bars!

You now prefer to sit on our kitchen bar stools when eating, preferably while listening to music.

Popsicles are another favorite

You will never turn down ice cream!

Potty time? You are still doing awesome with your potty time, and are fully day and night trained. You love having a huge array of toys and books around you while you sit. Your regular pattern is a visit in the morning, just before nap, around 5pm, and again at bedtime. You've only had 2 regressions, and both were after big life transitions: moving to your big girl bed and taking away the pacis. In both instances we had a couple of days where you would go #2 in your undies, then you were back to your normal routine again. You still don't have the coordination to pull your own pants & undies up and down, so we continue to help you with that part of the process!

We also just had an unusual week where you- *ahem*- weren't going #2 at all. And this from a girl who is pretty much like clockwork every 24 hours! It coincided with my being in Houston for 3-4 days and extra sugar with Halloween, and I think your little system may have processed it all by holding things in. I finally had to take matters into my own hands and- per your pediatrician's recommendations- sneak some laxative powder into your pear juice while also giving you a glycerin suppository (which thankfully worked almost immediately!)

Little did you know what was in that juice!

Sleep? Currently we start your bedtime routine at 7:30-7:45. You usually fall asleep in the 8:30-9 window and sleep soundly until around 7am. Your afternoon naps have gotten very late in the day, with you sleeping from roughly 3-5pm. I had hoped Daylight Savings would adjust those naps earlier, but it hasn't made any difference! You occasionally will skip a nap, and generally do OK until bedtime, though are definitely a little shorter fused.

Sometimes you like to nap in your chair

This happened on a day without a nap en route to a play date

Teeth? We still await your 2 year molars! You are really good about letting me brush your teeth 2x/day and floss them at night.

New skills? Over the last month I've noticed you've been getting more physically brave and competent, wanting to do things like climb ladders at the park and balance sitting on the back of the couch (eek!). 

You are also getting easier to reason with. You are the Queen of sleep time procrastination, and when this is happening I'll ask you to look me in the eyes, then explain why I need your cooperation. When you're finally ready, you'll say: "OK Mama, I'll do that" and then follow suit.

Favorite things:

*Music! You LOVE listening to music. I will set up my iPhone on Pandora while you eat, and with every song that comes on you want to know "what's called this?" You love listening to music in the car as well and are always very peaceful and happy while it is playing.

We took you to your first ever Austin City Limits music festival in October, and you loved every second of it!

The arm on your hip! Too much.

*Dancing. You adore your weekly ballet/tap class and love to try out your dance moves at any opportunity:

*Playing make believe & dress up. This is all.day.every.day. You are constantly telling Papa and I what characters you want us to pretend to be, and what character you will be. For example: "Mama, you be Cinderella and I'll be the Prince! I'm Clifford and you are Emily Elizabeth. I'm Roo and you're Piglet." and on and on. You love play acting scenes from your favorite books & videos and have quite a dramatic flair for it!

Dress up with neighborhood friends Ada and Juliette

This is you (as the evil Stepmother) telling Papa (who is Cinderella) that he can NOT go to the ball!

*Play dates: you have gotten much more social in the past few months, and enjoy having time playing with other friends.

Afternoon swim with sweet Sabine and her Mama (whom we've known since the girls were 3 months old!)

*Trying on our shoes. You love to put on either Papa's slippers or my ballet flats and cruise around our bedroom in the morning. It's super cute!

*Walks. We often go for a walk first thing in the morning while you are still in your pajamas. You'll wake up and whisper "see the sunrise!" and off we go! You love looking for the sun and moon, and will exclaim "the sun waked up!" We also look for the two large Herons that live nearby (who you've named Lily and Jennifer) and say good morning to the huge flock of green parrots that call East Austin home.

*Swimming/water: we introduced to to the ocean this past August on our trip to Port Aransas, and it was love at first sight! You love playing in any body of water, large or small.

 

Boat full of toddlers at swim class

About you: 

*You continue to be such a sweet, affectionate, empathetic little girl. If you catch the slightest hint of my being hurt or sad you'll inquire about it and give me a kiss. You also are always distracted and concerned when you hear another child crying. 

*You are such a selfless little one- and still have absolutely no problem sharing any of your toys with others. You also don't seem to get terribly attached to physical items; when you lose a toy I think was a favorite, you are over it almost immediately! 

*You definitely have strong opinions on what you like or don't like, yet if I need your cooperation and take the time to explain the WHY to you, you almost always listen and cooperate. 

*You are getting more social, though continue to be slow to warm and will not just give out a high five or hug to someone you've never met or haven't seen in awhile. They need to take the time to EARN that contact with you.

*You get impatient and frustrated easily when unable to quickly do a physical task, like take off your shoes, fit a piece into a puzzle, open a box, etc.

*You are super silly and your current favorite jokes revolve around poo-poo, pee-pee and toots. You love asking us if we'd like to eat/taste these things and then laugh at our reactions.

*While watching a video, if a scary-to-you part comes on, you'll run and hide from the screen, often coming to snuggle Papa or I until the part passes. It's super cute.

Here are a few more photos of you from the last few months:

You love snuggling in our bed in the morning

Labor Day weekend at Mimi and Grampy's

You love playing at the toy store!

We love you so much, sweet Iyla Grace. We are so honored to get to watch you grow and evolve, and wish you an upcoming year full of continual joy, health, fun, & learning!