Los Porchs

I am a creature of habit, it's what makes me so efficient at work when it comes to our routine paperwork and reports.  I thrive on routine.  And for many years now, I've been telling parents how much children thrive on routine as well.  After our first week of being back to work, Charlotte and I had a great little routine going.  It was awesome-sauce and somewhat predictable (as predictable as one week's worth can be).  On her first day of school, she slept 6.5 hours that night (!!!!).  I woke up at 3:30 and had to check to make sure she was still breathing.  Her teachers had her sleeping in her crib and I thought hey, I should start having her nap in her crib at home too since she was doing so well at the center.  She was consistently hitting 2.5-3 hour naps and 4-5 hours at night. And then the weekend happened. Ugh.  It was rough.  And to add to the craziness (in a good way), my parents and brother & sister-in-law came to visit.  And that baby didn't hit the c

We have 4 frozen embryos waiting for us here in Chicago... waiting for us to decide when we're ready to try an FET (frozen embryo transfer) to bring a sibling for Ms. C into our family.  I remember when we did the retrieval, feeling so sad that we only had 5 viable embryos as a result.  It seemed like such a small number.  I could never have guessed that we would find success with our first transfer and meet Ms. C.   It only takes one.  We know we want to have at least one more, if not all of babies we've created with our first IVF cycle. Things we're certain of... ... we want more children. ... we will not destroy unused embryos. Things we're wondering about... ... what if we conceive future child(ren) naturally? ... how long do we wait before trying again?  What if it takes more than 1 cycle to find success?  How long can we carry the expense of keeping the embabies frozen?  My parents graciously supported us with 1-year of freezing but how long can we carr

The irony was not lost on me as my ob/gyn casually inquired "What are your plans for birth control?" during my six-week-postpartum visit on Friday afternoon.  I stifled a giggle and reminded him of our struggle to get pregnant and then concluded my response with "The pill, please." Because yes, it was a four year journey to add Ms. C to our family, but who knows how our second child will come to join us.  It's entirely possible that we could conceive naturally and I certainly do not want to find out the hard way and be surprised by an addition before we're ready. You know that "inspirational" story everyone tells you when you finally get pregnant after IVF?  You know the one, about so-and-so's brother's sister-in-law's cousin's friend who got pregnant with no problem after doing IVF?  I feel like that is better served as a cautionary tale than an inspirational one.  I was not in a place to hear such a story after finally getting

Today marks 6 weeks since C joined our family... in some ways, it feels like a lifetime and in other ways, it feels like I blinked and we're already at this benchmark! 6 Things @ 6 Weeks * C now weighs 12.5 pounds (!!) and is 23 inches long. * C loves to cluster feed at night before bed.  I try to be bothered by it, but really?  This sweet chunker wants mommy snuggles and I am more than happy to oblige (as long as I can eat at the same time). * C is no match for the Baby Bjorn.  I think all but one time she has been defeated and asleep within 5 minutes of being snapped into it!  I love baby wearing but am still trying to figure out how to get her out of the thing without waking her up.  I know, never wake a sleeping baby.  But this kid is huge and my back can only take so much at a time.  I'm building my strength :) * C is almost halfway through reading Charlotte's Web.  She's pretty into it ;) * C has already traveled to 5 cities in Wisconsin.  She's ki

Let me start this post by saying that I am a lucky momma who gets to take her daughter to work with her every day as she will be attending the center in which I work.  We get to share car rides in the morning and snuggles in the evening.  But I am also a momma who just cried into her coffee as she thought about her baby spending all day in the early learning center with teachers and not her mom. I hired and trained those teachers.  They're amazing.  I'm just getting hit by the wave of emotions that I've witnessed other new moms struggle with upon enrolling their 6-week-old peanut in the center & returning to work.  I know I'm so very fortunate that I have a relationship (a good one even) with the teachers and I will be 10 feet away (when I'm on-site).  It's an adjustment.  And really, if I'm being honest with myself, for the first 6 weeks we're back, I'm going to work part-time from my office and part-time from home so by the time we are fully

Around here, it's just not fall until I've made a batch of bread or muffins using my mom's recipe.  It is honestly the most moist bread you will ever eat (thanks in part to copious amounts of oil) and for us, it just tastes like memories.  Whenever I eat it, I think of my momma who was kind enough years ago to share her recipe with me and in the spirit of sharing, I am now sharing it with you!  Happy Fall, ya'll! Nana Julie's Famous Pumpkin Bread 5 eggs 1 1/4 C oil 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin 2C flour 2C sugar 2 small boxes of vanilla pudding 1t baking soda 1t cinnamon 1/2t salt * chocolate chips (I added these for the first time this year and will likely do so moving forward, just throw in whatever you have, the whole bag does nicely) Beat eggs, add oil & pumpkin Combine other ingredients & slowly add to mix Pour into 2 loaf pans (I like to make muffins instead as they're way easier to eat in the car or on the go) Bake at 325 for 75-80 mi

Umm, so after that post yesterday where I mentioned Charlotte seemed ready to roll her hot body over, Porch and I were attempting to help her burn some energy with extra tummy time in the evening and my little bug rolled from tummy to back as we watched & cheered her on.  I mean, when I said, "Show us how you roll," I didn't expect this one-month-old infant to actually roll herself over.   Clearly, our child is gifted.  (How come that tactic doesn't work when I politely request that she go to sleep?) Thankfully, I totally get that children can reach certain milestones early & others late... I suspect she'll have some wicked linguistic skills as we've been talking to her nonstop since her arrival and reading her novels (currently digging Charlotte's Web).  Plus, this kid has the body of a three-month-old so I'm not too shocked.  Just anxious that now she's semi-mobile and cannot be left alone in any position where she might roll away.  And

It's true!  Somehow, a month has already passed and today Ms. Charlotte celebrates her 1-month milestone! Porch & I stare at her frequently and wonder aloud how we got so lucky to have such an amazing baby to call our daughter.  We also marvel at just how big she looks!  She wasn't small by any means upon arrival, but let me assure you, this girl likes to eat & is gaining weight (hopefully in an appropriate fashion). || Charlotte likes || ... cuddling on Mommy or Daddy's chests ... pacing back and forth down the hallway ... reading stories ... being sung to (her favorite song is Swing Life Away by Rise Against) ... giving people the ocular pat-down with her one eye stare ... eating ... having her forehead rubbed to calm her down || Charlotte dislikes || *We're pretty aware of Charlotte's dislikes -- she's pretty vocal about it. ... diaper changes ... putting on clothes, especially pants --- forget about shoes or socks ... her crib ... be

My itty bitty isn't so itty these days and when I stop to think about that, I realize she'll be a month old on Friday!  What?!  How is that possible?  Wasn't it just yesterday I was huge & anxiously anticipating her arrival?  I am in awe of how quickly time passes, even though some of these days have passed [very] slowly.  I find myself taking care to remind myself that this day will never happen again, that Baby Porch & I will never share these moments again and it helps me, while rocking a baby in the basement of my parents' cabin at 5:00am in the dark room watching the sunrise, keep perspective.  I am a mommy.  I am so fortunate to have this chunky baby to love and care for.  In our first month, we've learned a lot about each other and I think we've overcome some hurdles (her stint in the NICU, breastfeeding woes, etc). Needless to say, her outfits for the next two days are already picked out & ready for her -- tomorrow is the first game of regu