Our Lil Pierogie

Summer!

2011-08-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

I love summer. I love waking up in the sunshine, naps, playing with Evan all day and impromptu trips to Target. I love Target almost as much as I love summer.

We went to the beach for vacation this year, and Evan loved the water. He went out in the waves with his Daddy while Mommy nervously looked on from the beach cause she doesn't like weird stuff touching her feet. Evan also had some Kohr's ice cream, and he rode rides on the boardwalk in OC, NJ. We had a great time. I do have to say that going to the actual beach is a little overrated with a 19 month old. Surprisingly, it's not as relaxing as you'd think, but we dutifully hauled 300 lbs. of gear down there for 90 minutes of pure beach fun! Evan liked the sand - playing in it AND eating it - but it only held his attention for so long. He had no fear and would have made a beeline into the water if one of us wasn't on Evan-duty!

In other news, before we went to the beach, Evan and I went to the allergist. We both tested NEGATIVE for seasonal allergies (although she said it wouldn't surprise her if Evan actually had them). So he's staying on Zyrtec, and we will try to take him off of it again in a few weeks to see if he's ok (he got a super runny nose while he was off of it for the testing at the office). He's also allergic to eggs. He eats things with eggs in them, he just doesn't seem to do well with scrambled eggs/omelet type items. He even had French Toast and was fine with that, so hopefully he will outgrow it. She said most kids do.

Although Evan's vocabulary is not "typical" of his age, he's really trying, and he's learning new words all the time. And thank goodness for sign language so we know what he means in the meantime! The cutest thing about his emerging words is that he says thank you (da do) every single time you give him something, and if he sees that you have something he wants, he says peeeeeeeeeeee (please). He's so cute when he does it that you HAVE to oblige!

My summer vacation is coming to the end. It's almost time for my annual "week of mourning" where I stay in my pajamas and watch as much daytime tv as I can cram in. Evan has no idea what fun that week will be for him. :)

Pics are on Stan's computer...hopefully I'll get some up soon!

Crazy time ending? Nope!

2011-06-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy and crazy, and Evan has been growing like a weed both physically and mentally. I have been balancing working full time with a class with a lot of needs (and being team leader this year) along with a very challenging year of grad school AND being a mommy and wife. Most times this year, I have felt like I'm not doing any of them well, and it has definitely been a year to learn about myself. Stan has been working and is now umpiring again. With me at grad school twice a week, and Stan umping at nights a couple nights a week, we have been quite dependent on Nana (Stan's mom - I don't know what we'd do without her). Because of Stan and I being gone so much, Evan has developed a little bit of separation anxiety and has been having some difficulty at night lately.

In other news, Evan and I were both diagnosed with seasonal allergies this Spring, and we are officially a Zyrtec family. It seems to be keeping everything under control. Evan is understanding a ton of things lately. It's crazy to say, "go get your milk and bring it to mommy" or "go throw that away" or "put your shoes in the closet", and he understands it all. He is trying to communicate, but he still doesn't have a lot of words yet. He tries to imitate inflection in the voice though. For example, he doesn't ever say the words thank you, but whatever sounds he chooses when he's trying to say thank you still have the same inflection of when we say thank you.

Soon school will be over (June 22), and grad school will be over for the summer on June 30. Finally, I will get to be a stay at home mommy for a couple weeks - the best "job" ever!!

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day and Easter when my family came to visit.

Evan's Birthday

2011-01-17T08:04:00.001-08:00

Total Slacker...

2011-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

...that describes me and my blogging skills. This post is dedicated to Mrs. Klinger who kindly pointed out that it has been awhile since I've written. :)

There is too much to catch up on, so I'll give the short version and promise to try harder in the future. :)

Evan's first birthday was great (except for him getting shots). He is 24 1/2 lbs. and 31 inches. He is running everywhere and has a new found love of climbing. He can now climb on the chair and turn around and scoot back off. He has become more vocal although his "words" are still limited to mama, dada, nana and yaya. He has become very interested in books and will bring them over to me and sit in my lap so I can read them to him. He had his first visit to Santa on his birthday, and even though I thought he would cry, he was fine! He even smiled (which we did not catch on camera, of course).

Between Ev's birthday and Christmas, our house looks like a toyland. We have a whole pile we haven't even opened yet that we will save until summer. I will be better about this next year in what we ask for and what we buy him so we don't get an overwhelming amount of gifts. He got a lot of giftcards too, so those are great, and we are saving them for things we need.

In other recent Evan news, he is now pacifier and bottle free. He strictly drinks out of a straw cup. Where did my baby go??? He has started fussing when we put him down, but it only lasts for about 5 minutes, and he goes to sleep. He has been showing us his little personality a lot, and we are loving it. This kid is a ham!!

I don't have pictures from Christmas yet (they are on Stan's computer, and I need to get them), but I will post other pics that I DO have.

Love to all!
Melissa, Stan and Evan

Little Monkey

2010-11-13T17:52:00.001-08:00

Evan had a busy first Halloween. Nana brought him to visit me at school, and he went on the parade with my students. The next day, we went to Pennsylvania to visit Mema and Papa for Papa's birthday. Evan was not a big fan of the monkey costume, but we tortured him for the sake of memories. :)

Oh my...

2010-11-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

It's been quite awhile since I posted. Busy doesn't even begin to describe our lives these days. Between my job and new responsibility as team leader, Stan's new job, grad school and a little one who is EVERYWHERE, we've barely had time to have a conversation! Evan is now walking. Stan says he's not an official walker because he still falls, but I say he's an official walker because he gets back up and keeps going. Evan continues to have the sweetest temperament, and everyone comments on what a happy baby he is no matter where we go. He makes his mama and dada very proud. Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to the pumpkin patch. He was 10 months old on the day we went. Enjoy!

I got my new shoes, and I'm ready to go pumpkin picking!

Another school year is here...

2010-09-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Back to school time is here. :( Evan went back to daycare on August 24. On August 26, I got a call around 10am that he wasn't feeling well. Luckily, Stan could leave work to go and get him. He took him to the doctor, and Dr. Chang said it was just a cold and a fever. The poor little guy just laid around on us, barely even lifting his head. He just moaned. It was nice that he was all cuddly, but I felt so bad for him! His fever got up to 103.7 which was really scary, but by the next morning, he was feeling better, and by Saturday, he was back to his old happy self. He enjoyed daycare this past week, and now we have a long weekend to look forward to!

The biggest change we've had in the Palczewski household is that we are no longer a Pug family. I noticed that Evan was getting itchy eyes and some hives/bumps after being on the floor a lot or after being around Pugsley while he was running around and playing. I became suspicious and wondered if the reactions Evan had were from Pugsley. I took him back to his allergist, and she tested him for dogs and dust. She said that usually it doesn't show up positive until a child is about 5, but she would test him anyway. He reacted right away. She said he was the youngest patient she ever had to test positive for an allergen like that. She said since he reacted, and it showed up, it was a pretty severe allergy and recommended that we get rid of Pugsley. We have had Pugs since he was 8 weeks old, so it was difficult, but he went to a wonderful family with another Pug and a little boy in my hometown, so we will still get to see him. I drove him to PA the Saturday before I went back to school, and I spent my last day off (that Monday) getting the carpets steam cleaned.

In other adventures, I've been making some of Evan's baby food. I'm trying different combinations, but he still tends to prefer the Earth's Best meals than my cooking...haha He finally got the hang of the pincer grip, and he picks up food and feeds it to himself now. He loves his puffs, but he has also eaten baked french fries, Eggos, yogurt bites and random bites of Mommy's dinner like noodles and chicken. I also purchased two cookbooks full of freezer meals, and I've made a few of those for the days when I'm just too tired to put together a good meal.

Yesterday (September 3), Evan took his first steps! He was holding onto the chaise lounge, and Stan was sitting on the floor. He turned around, let go, and took a step over to Stan's arm. We made him do it a few more times just to make sure we were seeing correctly!! I don't think he'll start running around anytime soon (we hope), but he's definitely experimenting with taking steps and balancing. We went out and bought him his first Stride Rite shoes today!

I was uploading pictures tonight, and I realized I haven't posted many lately. I'll post them now for all to enjoy! :)

And we have a turkey!!

2010-08-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Evan was at the doctor today, and he weighed 20lbs and 12 oz. with his clothes and diaper on. I think it's safe to say he is at least 20lbs...our very own butterball!

I took him to the doctor because he had two suspicious bumps on his leg with white centers when he woke up. Of course, they were gone by the time we had our appointment at 1pm, but I wanted the doctor to check another little bump on his head anyway. Evan was diagnosed with "paranoia ala mommy." :) All is well...just a scratch on the head and a bug bite on the leg.

We're heading to PA in the morning, and Ev will have his first trip to Knoebels. We're excited to see what he thinks of all the lights and sounds!

He's growing so fast!!

2010-08-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

Evan has had quite an eventful summer. On July 4th, after watching the fireworks, he decided it would be a good time (11pm) to get up on his hands and knees and start rocking back and forth. That's the first time he got up like that with his belly off the floor. He also practiced sitting up while we were at the beach. I'm going to say that he officially sat up on July 12 because I haven't had to put a pillow behind him for when he tips over since then! He catches himself if he loses his balance now. On July 13, we discovered a tooth (he now has 2!!), and on July 27, he started crawling!! He's all over now, and just today he pulled himself up to stand. He's growing up so fast. I'm so glad he's doing all this in the summer so I can be here to see it all. I told him that he's not allowed to start walking until Thanksgiving or Winter break. :)

Day trip to Sea Isle

2010-07-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the pics from our Day trip to Sea Isle City, NJ!

Let's hit the road!!

A pit stop at Cracker Barrel!

Ready for the Boardwalk

watching Daddy play games at the arcade

first time at the beach!

The boardwalk makes me sleepy!

sandy feet

the gully isn't too bad

feet in the sand

TOO COLD!!!!

Pictures!

2010-07-13T06:46:00.001-07:00

It worked! I finally got pictures to load. Here are some pics from Evan's first time in his pool in our backyard, Memorial day and some other cute pics.

6 month appointment

2010-06-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

Little monkey had his 6 month appointment today. Here are his stats:

18 lbs. 4 oz. (75th percentile)
28 1/4 in. tall (95th percentile - big surprise!)

He is getting so big! He did well with his shots. He cried for about 3 seconds, and then I gave him his keys that light up, and all was well with the world again. Poor guy was really tired tonight though, so he went to bed early.

Still having trouble loading pictures.... :(

Dear Evan...

2010-06-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Evan,

I cannot believe that you are six months old already! Wow, how time has flown. I remember when Daddy and I used to go in your room and look into the empty crib and talk about what it would be like when you were here. We would daydream about what it was going to be like to have a baby and all the things we couldn't wait to do with you. We would take turns sitting in the glider in your room every single night letting our imaginations run wild with visions of what life would be like with you here. We really had no idea how you would change our life. I never knew it would be even better than I could ever imagine. I never knew that my life WOULD change, and it would be the best thing that has ever happened to me. I never knew I could love like this. You have changed me forever, and I am so grateful that God chose me to be your mommy. Happy half birthday, my sweet little one.

Love,
Mommy

HELP!!!

2010-06-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

For some reason, my pictures and videos are not posting anymore. If any of my blogger friends can help, please let me know!!! :)

It's almost here!

2010-06-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming, and it is so close! I have 8 more days of school until my title officially changes to FULL TIME MOMMY (at least for a few weeks)! Evan has been having a lot of firsts lately, and it has made me look forward to summer even more!

On June 5, we went to Sea Isle City, NJ for the day. We go every summer, and we were so excited about taking Evan there. Our two year wedding anniversary was on June 7, so we decided to do a day trip as our gift to each other. After Evan woke up, we loaded up and headed out. We stopped in Ocean City, NJ and walked along the boardwalk. It was soooooo hot! We ended up going into each of the arcades, jewelry stores and candy stores just to get into the air conditioning! Evan seemed to enjoy it, and he napped for awhile as we strolled the boardwalk. After OC, we headed down to Sea Isle. We drove to the beach house that Stan's Aunt Dawn and Uncle Bob rent for the summer, and I fed Evan while we waited for them to get there. We decided to take a stroll down and check out the beach while we waited. Evan got to put his feet in the sand for the first time. He was pretty indifferent. :) A gully had formed, so we put his tiny little feet in there. The water was pretty warm because it was shallow, and the tide was out, so there wasn't any new water filling it up. He happily stood there for awhile, and then we decided to take him out to the ocean water. It was really cold, and he screamed! He was not a fan AT ALL. If we even bent over with him in our arms he screamed because he thought we were putting him back in the water. Poor guy! After our visit with Dawn, Bob and Marie, we kept heading south to Cape May for dinner at The Lobster House (yum!). After that, we were on the road again. Evan slept the whole way home (since it was his bedtime). NJ loved Evan. We must have had about 10-12 people tell us what a good baby he was. Of course, I totally agree! He makes Stan and I look good! :) It was a great first trip to NJ for Ev, and a wonderful anniversary weekend for Stan and I.

While we're on the topic of water, I bought an inflatable pool for Evan today. Again, he wasn't a big fan of the cool water (Even though Stan filled it with warm water from the kitchen). He fussed a little bit, but he sat there for awhile. I felt like I was torturing him, so I eventually took him out.

He is teething, but he doesn't have any teeth yet. He is chewing on everything he can get into his mouth and drooling like crazy. Solids are going well. He still hates bananas even though I try every few days. He still loves his oatmeal, and he likes the rice cereal too. In addition to the sweet potatoes, we have done applesauce, pears, carrots and green beans. He's liked all of those so far, but his favorite is applesauce! He has continued to be an awesome sleeper. He usually sleeps from 6:30pm until 6:30am, and he is so happy all the time. I can't believe that he will be 6 months old this week! His 6 mo appointment is 6/25. I can't wait to see how big he is. He is wearing 9 mo clothes, but he can fit into the 12 mo one pieces (he wears 12 mo footie jammies).

Well, it is 10:15, so that means I'm late for bed! :) I'll post pictures soon!

5 months!

2010-05-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Evan is 5 months old today. Just tonight, I put away all of his 6 month outfits and got out the 9 month clothes. His pants were becoming high waters, and the onesies were about to burst at the snaps! :) I thought he was going through a growth spurt, but it's been going on for about 3 weeks now! He is sleeping 6:30pm - 6:30am, and eating 7-8oz each feeding plus solids. He has really grown, and it seems as though he looks different sometimes when I pick him up at daycare even from that morning!

Oatmeal continues to be his favorite food. We've tried sweet potatoes and bananas so far. He eats a few bites reluctantly and then purses his lips so I can't get anymore of it in (we call this fortress lips). I thought for sure he would like the bananas we tried...I mean, what kid doesn't like bananas?? BUT, he gagged and acted like I gave him pickle juice. I even tried to put him in an outfit with a monkey on it, show him a monkey blanket while eating, and make monkey noises....no luck though. Maybe he'll learn to like them?? I guess this weekend, we'll either try carrots or apples. I hope this doesn't mean he's going to be a picky eater. He can't only eat oatmeal his whole life!

On Sunday, Stan umpired for the Special Olympics, and Evan and I went to watch. It was a beautiful day, and Evan loves watching the games...seriously....he probably could have told you the score, and I, on the other hand, had no idea. Here are some recent pictures to enjoy!

I love this boy!!

2010-05-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

Working is really interfering with my blogging! In the past month, Evan went to daycare, had his first cold :(, his first cereal :) and his first time watching Daddy play softball! Evan got a stuffy nose the Thursday after Easter. I think I called the doctor 3 times that weekend because he was starting daycare that Monday, and I was nervous about him being sick! Even though it lasted about a week and a half, it didn't get any worse than a stuffy nose and a little bit of a cough. Poor little guy. Daycare is going well. It was a little bit of an adjustment that first week for both of us. After the first week, that Sunday night was rough. He was up 4 or 5 times. He didn't even do that as a newborn, so I was exhausted! I decided that I couldn't have another night like that. So that Monday, I decided to do the "pat and shush." I knew he didn't need to eat, and I didn't want to start a pacifier habit. When he cried, I waited 5 min, and then went in and patted his belly and shushed until he went back to sleep. I did that three times that night. The following night, he only woke up once and was back asleep before the 5 minutes was up. It has been smooth sailing ever since. We started putting him to bed earlier because he was just so tired. He has been sleeping from 6:30 at night until I get him up for the day at 6:30am. He's 4.5 months old, and he's only had 3 rough nights of sleep. One was our first night until Mommy and Daddy realized he needed some white noise, one he was sick, and one was the wackadoo night, so we're very blessed!

Evan is loving daycare. His provider's name is Kelly, and it is just her daughter and Evan. Her daughter, Kayla, calls Evan HER baby. :) She was one in February. Evan loves watching her run around. He seems to love it there which makes me very happy!

Yesterday, we went to Daddy's softball game. Evan was mesmerized by everyone moving around. I think he paid more attention to the game than I did! He saw Daddy get two really good hits. Unfortunately, he also saw Daddy roll his ankle as he crossed home plate which led to him seeing Daddy sit around all day today with ice on his swollen, bruised ankle.

We started rice cereal on the April 18, and he wasn't too sure at first. The picture above is when he was getting ready to eat. I thought it would be a lot messier than it is (but I'm glad it's not). He started eating that well, so this weekend, we moved to oatmeal. He didn't eat much yesterday, but tonight when I gave it to him, he LOVED it. He ate all that I made, so I made a tiny bit more, and then he was still opening his mouth, so I made a little bit more. It was so cute. He just about hyperventilated if I wasn't fast enough with the spoon...haha Overall, I'd say oatmeal was a hit.

Last weekend, Mema (my mom) came to visit, and even though she just saw Evan at Easter, he had changed so much. We enjoyed having her here, and Evan loved talking to her. She also cleaned the whole house while she was here, which was so appreciated. It's amazing how behind you get on things when you're working full time and have a baby!

I have 7 1/2 weeks left of school (and I'm definitely counting down!!). I can't wait until summer when I can be with him every day and we can start seeing our friends from Mommy group each week! In the meantime, I'm super busy at work and hoping that passes the time away from him quickly.

I'll try and post again in the next week or two (we'll see how THAT goes) with more of Evan's adventures! :)

Our Big Boy!!

2010-04-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted, and the main thing that has happened has been that I've gone back to work. I went back on March 29. My mom was here to help with the transition, and she was so helpful! She even cleaned the house and made dinner for us each night. I told her that she made me look like a slacker! :) Evan loved his time with his Mema...so much so that he hardly napped. By the time I got home from work, he was a little less enthusiastic about laying on the floor to play with Mommy.

My first day back was ok. I cried in the morning on my way. When my class went to Media, I called to check on things, and that made it worse, so I didn't call the rest of the week. That afternoon, I got a special delivery of chocolate covered strawberries from Stan and Evan to wish me a good day on my first day back. That brought more waterworks, but it was so nice of Stan to do. I went about 85mph home, and I RAN into the house to hug my little man. Tuesday was the hardest day because I had grad school right after work. I got home just in time to feed him and put him to bed (and that was only because we got out early). That was a rough night for me, and poor Stan did the best he could to comfort me, but there wasn't much he could do. Wednesday and Thursday were a little bit better, and I had Friday and this whole week off for Spring Break. On the 12th, he starts daycare, and that will be another adjustment for us!

Evan has been quite busy being adorable lately....it's a full time job, and it is tiring. He's been sleeping even better than normal (which was great to begin with). Last night he slept from 8:15 - 5:15 (My cracking toes woke him up when I went to check on him this morning). He has also been "talking," laughing and smiling all the time. He is such a happy baby. He's been sitting up more (with assistance) and LOVES his little blankets with the plush animal heads on them. He has been sucking on his fists like crazy, but he will stop to smile at you! He adores his daddy and will follow him around the room with his eyes. If Daddy walks behind him, he tries to arch his back and roll his eyes up to still see him.

He had his 4 month appointment today (even though he's not 4 months for another 12 days). He weighed 14.4 lbs and was 25 3/4 inches long (90th percentile!). He got his shots, and he did well with those. He has been nursing at night AND eating another 7 ounces before bed...he's been SOOO hungry at night. We got the go ahead to start solids once he turns 4 months, so we will be going to get some rice cereal to see if that helps. He has also graduated from being swaddled to a sleep sack at night, and he scoots all over the crib.

He has brought us so much joy, and he is growing so fast. I can't believe that in another week or so, we will be bringing up the high chair and feeding him with a spoon!!! We are absolutely LOVING everything he's doing.

He had another trip to PA for Easter...pictures coming soon!!!

That's how he rolls!!

2010-03-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Evan has been rolling over since he was 5 weeks, but only a few people have seen it in person. It seems as though Evan has a bit of stage fright in front of people and usually only does it for Mommy or Daddy. Just so people don't think I'm making it up....here is the proof! :)

3 months...WHAT???

2010-03-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

My sweet little one is going to be 3 months old tomorrow! I can't believe it. It felt like it was forever waiting for him to arrive, and now he's already 3 months old! He has been so much more alert this past month, and he loves to smile and laugh. He has started grabbing at his blankets, and he has been checking out his feet, so I know it's only a matter of time before he's grabbing those too.

Sleep is still going well. He has been sleeping through the night since he was 8 weeks old (7-8 hours). We started an earlier bedtime, so he goes to sleep at 8, I feed him at 10 (which he doesn't wake up for), and he gets up around 5:30 or 6. He eats and goes back to sleep until about 9. I will miss the going back to sleep once I go back to work!

We have had lots of fun this month going to baby yoga and to storytime at the library. We have also had to go into school a few times so I could work with my student for my grad school case study, and everyone there just loves him. He is usually wide eyed as I'm pushing him down the halls - so many bright things to see. My students also love seeing him because then they are the "big kids."

I am going back to work on the 29th, and I am really sad about it. I didn't think I would love staying at home as much as I do, but we have had so much fun with our mommy group and other activities! My mom will be here that first week to watch him, and then I have spring break, so he won't actually go to daycare until April 12, but it is still something I'm not looking forward to. At the end of February, Evan had his first photo shoot. Here are a few pictures from the shoot courtesy of Beth Techtmann. They are awesome! Enjoy!

Evan Laughing

2010-03-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

Grandpa's visit

2010-03-02T07:41:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day

2010-03-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

Our visit to PA

2010-03-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

We have a 2 month old!

2010-02-22T07:54:00.001-08:00

My little boy is over 2 months old now! Time is flying, and before you know it, I will be back to work - yuck! Evan had an eventful week last week! His Grandpa and Grandma from Tennessee came to visit on February 12. Thankfully they got here after all the snow. If it would have been a day earlier, I don't think they would have made it since flights were canceled that Thursday. We had a great time, and Evan had his first visit to the Amish market.

After we dropped Grandpa and Grandma off at the airport, we headed to Uncle Paul and Aunt Tina's house so we could take Kara her birthday present. We had a nice visit with the Pecks and Nana. Evan loved watching the kids run around (until he fell asleep).

On Monday, Evan and I headed up to Milton for his first visit to PA. He slept the whole way (thank you for answered prayers!). When we got there, he got to meet his Papa for the first time, and he was all smiles! We went to my dad's for his 60th birthday that evening, and Evan got to get loved on by his great Gram, Aunt Candi, Uncle Matt, cousins Stevon and Tyler, and of course Grammy and Pappy. Cora made a delicious meal and even better desserts! YUM!

Then we were back to Mema's for the rest of our visit. We all know that a trip to Mema's isn't complete without a shopping trip, so we did that on Tuesday. I got a cute book for Evan's Easter basket, and that's all!! Yay for self control! On Tuesday night, Evan slept from 10pm until 8am - 10 hours!! Of course, I was up for an hour waiting for him to wake up around 5am. He was so good during our whole trip. He barely napped at all (too much to watch), but he wasn't fussy. He just sat in his papasan chair as happy as can be smiling away! We are so blessed to have such a good baby!

Pictures will be coming soon...little one is waking up now. :)

Go away SNOW!!!!

2010-02-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

What a winter! When we were in the hospital having Evan, we had 22 inches of snow, and I thought THAT would be the storm of the winter. But funny Mother Nature had another idea for us! We had a few inches last Tuesday, and then on Friday night into Saturday, BAM! We had about 32 inches from that storm. We have WALLS of snow outside. We actually had to do a 3 point turn to get into the parking spot! So that was super fun...we had to run errands on Monday, so we went out to do that, and the roads were still awful. But wait, Mother Nature being the comic these days decided to give us another 13 inches (and counting) right now along with more blizzard conditions. The state of MD is shut down, and that's all that's been on tv all day long. They trapped us in the house AND took away our entertainment! Stan, Evan and I have been keeping busy by taking naps and making funny faces at each other. Poor Stan has been shoveling this mess only to get plowed in again. There is simply nowhere to put it all! So, the benefit to all the grandparents is that I learned how to make videos and put them on the computer. Get ready for hours of watching Evan lay around and look at stuff. :)

Evan and Pugsley

2010-02-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

7 weeks old

2010-02-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

Check out those baby blues!

Evan is 7 weeks old already! We have had an eventful second month (and we're not even done yet!!). He is focusing on us, rolling over regularly now, smiling at us and cooing and "dancing" all over the place. He loves the black and white picture behind the couch, and stares at it all the time. He also loves looking at his Tigger that Mema got him. We have it looking over him in his pack and play, and he stares at it until he falls asleep. Sometimes he sings to it a little bit. VERY cute, but then again, everything he does is cute to me.

Evan had a Dr. appt on Monday to get his shots. :( That was rough (on ME). He did such a good job. The needles went in, and he cried for about 5 sec each. Then I scooped him up to cuddle him, and he fell asleep. The worst part for me was watching his face. When the needle went in, he had a look of shock - and then pain - then he cried. It was so hard to watch. Thank goodness we don't get any more shots until April. The good news is that he gained weight, and he gained more than he "had" to. He was 10lbs. 14oz and 23 inches long. He was in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th for height. They say he is going to be tall. I say he gets that from me. :) He has to get SOMETHING from me! He looks like Stan - I have to have something!!

We are getting ready for our first big snowfall at home. They are calling for up to 30 inches! During the big snowfall in December (22 inches), we were in the hospital, so it will be nice to be safe and warm in our own house with nice warm cookies. :) Next weekend, Grandpa Palczewski will be visiting Evan for the very first time, so we're hoping the storm they're calling for again next weekend stays away!

I've taken a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!

Look how strong my neck is!!

In the snow with Daddy (this one was only 5 inches)

I LOVE my play mat!

"I smell trouble" Ironically, I DID smell trouble about an hour after this picture which required a total outfit change!

In my carseat and ready to go!!

Just hanging out!

Heading to Uncle Paul and Aunt Tina's house

Oh blue bear...you are so funny!!

My first smile - ok, it's my second, but Mommy had to have a chance to get the camera!

Looking cute in my overalls!

Bedtime story with Daddy

6 weeks old

2010-01-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

Evan is 6 weeks old already. It's crazy how time flies. He is a great baby - we are very blessed. The past few days, he's been going through a growth spurt. He's been screaming to eat instead of just squeaking like usual, and he's been eating more often. Unfortunately, this has also affected his nighttime sleeping. He was sleeping 5 hours, eating and then another 3 hours, but for a few days, he was up every 3 hours. Last night, he was back to 5 and 3, so hopefully his schedule is back on track. He's also having some napping issues and is up a lot during them. I'm trying to vary how often he is awake to see if it makes a difference with his napping. As I type this, he is sleeping on Daddy because being on one of us seems to be the only way he's happy today. Luckily he always goes down for bedtime easily with no crying (another blessing).

He has hit a few milestones already. He is now tracking us with his eyes, and he focuses on our faces now. He smiles at us now, which just melts my heart, and he even rolled over from his tummy to his back already (at 5 weeks). When he did it, I thought maybe he just tipped over, so I put him on his belly, and he did it again. Luckily, I had my camera, so I documented the roll. :) He hasn't done it since, so maybe it was a fluke, but maybe not. I've only had him flat on his tummy 2 or 3 times since. We'll try it again soon.

This past week at new mommy group, we did baby massage. Evan loved it (until we got to the tummy massage - he wasn't a fan). I'm really enjoying our group. Everyone is very supportive, and we get together to walk the mall and chat too. It's nice to have a support system of other mommies who are going through the same things. Sometimes it seems like being a mommy is getting harder instead of easier. It has now been over 6 weeks of not having uninterrupted sleep which takes a toll. I don't really mind getting up in the middle of the night for the feeding, but when morning rolls around, I'm kind of tired. I also long for a nap, but Evan is having none of that right now. I try to do everything around the house too, but sometimes I have no energy. It's hard to never have a moment to yourself. Even most of my showers are rushed just in case he cries, or because I'll have to feed him soon, so I need to hurry and finish.

I love being a mommy though, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. There are so many people who can't have children, have trouble having children, or have losses, so I know that being tired is not a big deal. I thank God for having to get up in the middle of the night because it means I have my healthy baby boy at home with me.

We have an appointment on Monday, and I can't wait to see how much he weighs and how long he is now. His pants are getting shorter every day, and he has socks that fit him on Monday and were too small by Wednesday! It's amazing!

Enjoy the Incredible Rolling Evan!!

One month old!

2010-01-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

Evan turned one month old yesterday! I can't believe it has been a month already! I'm not sure how much he weighs because we don't go back to the doctor until 2/1, but he sure looks different to his mommy and daddy. We were just looking at pictures from when he was born, and we can't believe how much he has changed already! Here are some of the latest pictures of our little pierogie! Enjoy!

Tummy time in the morning...

Big boy in my Moose on the Loose outfit!

I'm one month old already!

My mommy loves me!

I had a visit with my friend Max!
(Evan - almost 2 weeks, Max - 2 months)

I'm supposed to be napping...

Kisses from Mommy!

Kisses for Daddy!

He's growing!!!

2010-01-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, since we came home from the hospital, Evan wasn't gaining as much weight as he should, so we've had to go to the pediatrician twice a week to get weighed. He was still gaining, but it was slow. Last Monday we went, and Evan had gained 8oz. in one week (8lbs. 10oz.), but he still wasn't back to his birth weight, so we had to go again today. Every time they put him on the scale, I get nervous. So today, she put him on the scale and started moving the little thingy (that's the medical term). It kept going up and up, and it went past 9! Woo hoo! What a relief. He weighed 9lbs 2oz. today and measured 22 3/4 inches! He's gained over 2 inches already! Our next appointment will be February 1st, and he will be getting 3 shots. I am NOT looking forward to that.

We've settled in to a "routine" with our little man. He eats and plays (which involves starting at the wall and waving his arms) for an hour then naps for two hours. When he wakes up, we do it all over again. At night, he sleeps for about 5 hours, eats and then goes back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. Although I miss uninterrupted sleep, I know that we are so lucky that he is such a good sleeper!!

I joined a new mommy support group with my friend, Jill, and we had our first session last Thursday. It was a lot of fun. I got to hear about lots of other babies, and I also heard a lot of things that made me count my blessings that we have the baby we have (reflux, sleep issues, etc.). The group is 8 weeks long, and they have different people come and talk to us, and we get to share our concerns and celebrations. We're going to the mall after this week's group! Fun!

Evan had his first REAL bath while actually sitting in water last night. I thought he would be upset and cry the whole time, but he just kind of sat there looking around - even when I poured water on his head! He was such a good boy, and he got special nighttime lotion and warm fleecy pajamas when he was all done. Bathtime turned out to be even better than I thought it would be!

We are loving life with our little guy and looking forward to a lot more firsts with him!

I'm not too sure about this, Mommy and Daddy!

Maybe it's not so bad afterall!

Nice and warm with Daddy!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Aunt Candi and Uncle Matt came to visit the day after Christmas.

Pappy and Grammy Cora came to see Evan.

Opening presents made me sleepy!

Santa baby

Evan with his reindeer from Grandpa

Our first Christmas together

Noah's ark from Mommy

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We enjoyed our Christmas with our little man so much! He slept through most of it, but just having him here was the best gift ever!

Three more firsts!

2009-12-23T19:07:00.001-08:00

Ok, this one is just because I'm looking adorable...

My first Redskins game with Daddy

First bath - I didn't even cry too much!

I did not like getting ready for it, though! I don't like being naked!

Ahhh....that's better, Mommy!

My first visit to the doctor - thank goodness they didn't poke me this time! I had enough of that at the hospital.

I love car rides!

More pics of the little man!

2009-12-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Our family of three!

Ready to roll! He's wearing the hat and sweater that his Daddy wore home from the hospital.

We're finally home!!

The best Christmas gift EVER!

My sleepy boys

I have a feeling that I'm going to be one of "those" moms. You know, the ones who take 9,000 pictures of the baby sleeping because he looks SO CUTE!!

Day 6

2009-12-23T14:59:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the delay in updates. I have been updating facebook, texting and doing this and I forget what I have done and haven't done! Mommy brain??

Saturday to Sunday was a long evening. Stan and I had to go to the courtesy suite on the third floor at midnight and leave Evan in the nursery on the second floor. It was really hard to leave him even though I was only a floor away. We were told that if his test results came back positive, he would have to go to the NICU for 7-14 days. So leaving him combined with being nervous about how the test would turn out made for a very long night. The courtesy "suite" was just a twin bed, a dresser, a night stand and a lamp, so Stan slept on the floor. We went down at 4am to feed Evan. I think we were both happy when 8am rolled around. We went down to get Evan to feed him and sat and rocked him awhile. The nurse told us that the results weren't back yet, but they had to rerun his bilirubin (jaundice) test because he was looking a little more yellow. She said the doctor would be there around 9:30.

A little after 9, Stan and I decided to go to the cafeteria and get some breakfast. We stopped at the bathroom on the way, and as we were heading to the elevator, Dr. Chang was just getting there. We turned around and headed back to wait for him to check the baby. He came out and gave us the thumbs up! We were so happy that we were going to take our little one home with us! Finally around 11:30, we headed home!

Mema was there to greet us when we got home, and she held Evan while Mommy and Daddy ate some lunch. Poor Stan had to go out and shovel out the cars from the 22 inches of snowfall after almost no sleep since Tuesday plus sleeping on a concrete floor the night before. We spent the day together, and it was wonderful!! Our first night was ok. I've had to supplement with formula, and we used a new bottle right before bed. I think it made him gassy. He was up crying from about 2-3:30, and we didn't know what to do. I had already fed him, so we burped him, rocked him, swaddled him...finally, we remembered - THE PACIFIER!!!! We got that out, and finally he was soothed! At 3:30, I fed him again, and he slept until we woke up a little before 8.

He had his first pediatrician appointment on Monday. He was still 8lbs which is what he was when we left the hospital. He didn't gain anything, but he hadn't lost anything either, so that was ok. He got checked out, and all was well. His color was even looking better. We have another appointment on Thursday, so hopefully he's gained some weight. After our appointment, we went to Babies R Us and bought 8 more pacifiers!

We've had two nights since that first one, and he has slept through both of them until I wake him up to eat. We're hoping it continues because sleep is nice. :) He has been so good - I say that he's taking it easy on us first-timers.

Day 2 - God is Good

2009-12-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

Today was Evan's 2nd day of life. We were supposed to go home today, but blizzards and doctors had other ideas. We got all packed and ready to go so we could be ready when the pediatrician discharged Evan. Dr. Chang came in around 8:30 to talk with us. He told us that Evan's CBC (his white blood count) came back and looked great. It is now in the normal range - BUT, they wanted to redo his CRP (to check for inflammation and infection), and that test takes awhile to come back because they have to send it to Hopkins. He said that it would be a few hours, but he thought everything would be ok. He also said that Evan looked a little bit yellow, but he wasn't really concerned about it. He called the NICU doctor to come and look at him and told us that we were waiting on the go ahead from that doctor or the CRP to come back. So I got back into bed to try and catch a little sleep while we waited for awhile.

The NICU doctor came in a little while later to see us. She said that she did another test (a blood culture) to make sure he didn't have any bacterial infections. THAT test takes 24 - 48 hours to come back. Immediately my mind was going in overtime knowing that I HAD to be discharged because of insurance, and this woman (who did not have the best bedside manner) was telling me that I had to leave my baby! She also said that he looked REALLY yellow to her. After she left, I burst into tears. We did not want to leave without him, and we couldn't come back and forth because of the blizzard going on outside. We decided that we would stay as long as we can (11:59 pm Saturday) and then sit in the waiting room all night so I could continue to go and nurse him. The nurses went to check to see if the courtesy room was available.

In the meantime...this afternoon around 3pm, we got the CRP and jaundice readings back, and both were great. We would have been released already if the CRP was back earlier this morning with good levels, but since this blood culture was started, we still have to wait for it to come back. The fact that these tests were good was fantastic news.

We found out around 6:30 that we were allowed to use the courtesy room for the night. It is on the fourth floor, but at least it's a bed and not just a chair in the waiting room. We are still staying in the maternal care unit until 11:59 so we can have him with us, and then he will go to the nursery for the night, and they will call me to come down and feed him. Right about the time they told us we got the room, we also found out that they sent another jaundice test out because they felt he was looking a little more yellow. The head nurse said that if it came back high, he would need to stay ANOTHER 24-48 hours to be under the bili-light. She suggested giving him some formula as well to help supplement to get it out of his system and make sure he doesn't get dehydrated. An hour later we found out that his levels were a little bit higher, but the pediatrician wasn't too concerned. Thank you, Lord!

So here we are - still waiting on the results of the blood culture. Hopefully they will have them in the morning, and all will be well, and we can go home. If not, they have to give him antibiotics, and he will have to be in the NICU for 7-14 days. The thought of it makes me want to go crazy. I'm praying so hard that all will be well, and our family will be able to go home tomorrow.

When we were choosing Evan's name, we were looking at the meanings. Evan means God is good. God IS good, and we are putting our faith in him that all of this is for the best. Only He knows the master plan.

I have more pictures, but the cord is in one of our bags, and Evan and Daddy are sleeping, so I don't want to turn the lights on. I will post them as soon as I can.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers. We are blessed to have so many great friends.

Day 1

2009-12-18T04:58:00.000-08:00

Evan's first day was quite eventful. He had to stay in the nursery for awhile because his pulse ox levels were a little low. They became stable, but his white blood count is up. They said it could be because of his traumatic birth or he could have an infection. They retested him again at 10pm last night, and it was still up, so they sent another one at 6am, and we are waiting for the results. Evan was so good yesterday (and tired). He is nursing like a champ, and he far exceeded how many diapers he was supposed to "produce." Mommy and Daddy are really good at having him at the nursery when he has a poopie diaper! :)

Here are some updated pictures of the little man!!

Baby Evan is here!!!!!!!

2009-12-17T05:50:00.000-08:00

Well, after a loooooong labor, baby Evan Stanley Palczewski has made his arrival! He was born at 6:41 a.m. today weighing in at a hefty 8lbs. 15oz. and 20.5in long. Melissa was such a trooper, I have the utmost respect for my wonderful wife for what I witnessed today while she was giving birth. Never again will I bust her chops for being a sissy!!!!!!!!! Melissa started pushing at 3:40 and by 5:40 the nurses stoppped the pushing and went to get the doctor. Dr. H was a little busy, so momma and me got a few needed winks. Dr. H came in checked Melissa and told her that she could help the birth with a vacuum. The doctor vacuumed, and pulled and pulled, and then Evan got stuck. The nurses had to make several calls. They finally got him out, he was rushed to his warming table so that he could be suctioned and cleaned and then..................he cried! That was the best sound two very nervous parents could hear! We were nervous that he was not making a sound upon delivery, but the doctor said that it was from being stuck.

I just walked our son to the nursery to be checked for temperature and to get his first bath. He has a bruised head and forearm from the delivery, but other than that, our son is doing great!!!!

Baby Post #2

2009-12-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

It is now 8:35 p.m. we just got checked again. She is 4-5 cm and 100% effaced. Melissa had the epidural around 6:00 p.m. She is feeling "very good" right now. Now it is a waiting game, the doctor said that the first 5cm are the slowest, and the rest should move a little faster. I will update this when there is more to share.

Post #1

2009-12-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

We arrived at the hospital around 8:30 this morning, determined not to leave with out a baby. We had to be put in an exam room for the time being, waiting for a real l&d room. The doctor checked Melissa and she was measuring a good 2cm and 70% effaced. Melissa received the oxytocin around 10:00 a.m. It is now 2:00 p.m., the doctor checked her and she was now 2-3 cm and 80% effaced. The doctor then broke her water and gave the order for the antibotic. Melissa is in considerable more pain now since the water has been broken. I guess it is time to into comfort husband mode and help her with whatever she needs. I will update when something more happens.

bumped again...

2009-12-15T15:38:00.001-08:00

We went to L&D today at 9am. They said they had no beds and sent us to the waiting room until they figured out what to do with us. The head of nurses came in a little after 10 and told us to go ahead and go home, and they should have something for us by lunch. I called at 1, and they said that it was busier than when I was there in the morning. They rescheduled us for 8:30 tomorrow morning, and she SAID that we are confirmed and on the schedule. She said someone else was bumped for us to get into the schedule. I really hope we can get a bed tomorrow. The emotional toll that this is taking is worse than the waiting itself!! Another night of no sleep, and hopefully my sleepless nights will be because of the little one and not the anticipation of labor!

How about Round 2???

2009-12-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

Well, when I called at 8am to make sure they had a bed available for me, they told me I was on delay. I was supposed to call back at 9am to come in at 10am. At 8:45, they called and said they wanted to see me in the office to get monitored and then "we'd talk about options." This was not making me happy. We went in, and they monitored the baby for awhile. Everything looked good. They said the hospital was full, and they would reschedule me for 9am Tuesday morning. I was upset because I had been anxious and nervous all night, but apparently crying doesn't get you anywhere. :)

My mom, Stan and I went off to Cheesecake Factory for lunch and walked around Arundel Mills for a little while to pass some time. We came home, and I went upstairs for a nap. I woke up at 4pm to a message from the doctor's office saying that they were going to need to reschedule me for Friday at 7:30 in the morning. Soooo not the message I was hoping for. I came downstairs, and Stan told me that he had talked to the nurse (she had called here too), and he told her we were confirmed for tomorrow and to please check again. We waited until 5:41 when Dr. M. finally called back. She said - "We're still on for tomorrow!" It turns out that someone DID bump my spot who needed to deliver tomorrow, but another bed opened up, so they still have room for me.

We will not be answering any calls from the hospital or doctor's office! We are going at 9am tomorrow and not calling ahead of time. Dr. M. said, "If you just show up, they have to do SOMETHING with you!" So we will be heading out tomorrow morning for Round 2. Hopefully we will end up in a bed and have our little boy in our arms tomorrow! Stay tuned!

It's almost time!

2009-12-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

It is almost 8pm now, and I'm wondering how much sleep I'll really get tonight between being excited and not sleeping well anyway!

Our bags are packed and ready to go. We have to call at 8am to make sure they have a bed available for me (and they better!!!), and then it's off to the hospital for a 9am induction. We will be trying to update the blog tomorrow while we are at the hospital, so check back for updates!

Thank you for all your prayers and support! We can't wait to share the news of our little boy's birthday - and NAME!

Love,
Stan and Melissa

Eviction notice has been served!

2009-12-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

I had an appointment today. I am 38 weeks and 5 days today, but the lil pierogie's belly was measuring 41 weeks!! They estimated that he is about 8.5 lbs. already. That was part one of my appointment. When I went to meet with my OB after the sono, my blood pressure was high, and my cankles had reached an all time record of puffiness. That combined with the couple headaches I've had over the last week were a little concerning. He checked me, and said I was a "good 1cm" and a "good 50% effaced," which was all old news! ;)

Dr. E. said he was going to send us to L&D to get my bp's monitored as well as a blood test to make sure I wasn't developing pre-eclampsia. He said if I got released that I should make an appt for Monday, and we would talk about scheduling an induction for later next week. So off we went to L&D.

All my blood pressures as well as my tests came back normal at the hospital, so I was all set to be discharged. Dr. M. checked me before I left, and she said I was 2cm and 70% effaced (I guess it depends whose hands are in there??). She said she didn't think there was any reason NOT to induce me, and that she feels like the 8 1/2 lbs. is conservative (yikes!). She said that she thinks Monday is the day, and she would check the hospital schedule. The nurse came back and said, "We'll see you Monday at 9am for your induction." So....baby P. has gotten his eviction notice, and if he doesn't decide to vacate sooner, Monday, December 14 will be the day things get started (and hopefully his birthday).

I guess my next post will include baby pictures!! Stan and I are so excited to meet our little man. We can't wait to love him with tons of hugs and kisses!!

Humph!

2009-12-02T16:43:00.001-08:00

We had an appt today, and I had no change. Still 1cm, 50% and -2. I've been having steady contractions for the past 2 weeks, so I was hoping it was getting me SOMEWHERE, but I guess not! The doctor still said I could go any time, and at least I am full term now, so that is good. I guess we will keep waiting for the moment when he decides to come and meet his Mommy and Daddy who are waiting (not so patiently) to meet him. :)

My next sonogram to check his weight is next Thursday (12/10) followed by my OB appointment to get checked again. I guess if I make it to that appointment, I will post on how it goes, and if not, I will post pics of the little pierogie. I can't believe it is so close already!! How exciting!!

No change

2009-11-24T18:15:00.001-08:00

At my appt. on Monday, I was still the same - no change. My next appointment is next Wednesday. We talked about when I would be getting my next sonogram because my other doctor thought we should do another growth check before delivery. She said that the next time I would have one would be Dec. 7, but she thinks I'll be delivered before then. I'm trying not to get my hopes up thinking the baby will be here early. I'm very anxious to meet him!! I just pray that he comes in his own time when he is fully ready to be in the "real world."

I'm still having contractions every few minutes - just waiting for them to actually do something!! :)

Stay tuned!

Well that didn't take long!

2009-11-22T06:46:00.000-08:00

I ended my last post with - I'll post again when something exciting happens. Apparently Baby Pierogie loves attention!! Friday morning I woke up bleeding and feeling a little uncomfortable, so I thought I'd play it safe and call the doctor. They got me in at 9:20 and checked on the bleeding. I was dilated 1cm! She asked if I had been having any contractions, and I said I didn't think so. They hooked me up to a NonStress Test to check on the baby's heartbeat and see if I had any contractions for 15 min. She came back in and told me that I was contracting every 1-2 minutes, and she was sending me to the hospital to get monitored at Labor and Delivery. So, off I went to get monitored some more.

I arrived at the hospital around 10:30 and got all set up in my room. Apparently Stan took a jet plane from work because he arrived shortly after I did (I was across the parking lot, and he was at work 45 min away). The doctor came in around noon and said he wanted to monitor me for an hour to see if the contractions were causing me to progress at all. I also found out that since I wasn't full term yet, they wouldn't be able to deliver me there if I DID go into active labor because the NICU beds were full, which scared me - I didn't want to be without my own doctors and in a strange place. So the waiting game started. My mom got nervous and thought she might miss something, so she drove down from Pittsburgh just in case, even though I assured her things were fine, and I would probably be sent home. (Thanks for your concern though, Mom. I always love to see you!!)

Dr. K. was in the OR and didn't come back until 6pm (so much for being monitored for just an hour)! When he checked me again, I was still 1cm, so I got to go home. I am supposed to go back if contractions get more intense, bleeding gets heavier or if my water breaks. I have still been contracting most of the weekend, but they aren't as close together, and they don't really hurt. I go in tomorrow (Monday) to get checked to make sure I haven't progressed. Dr. K. says I'm not going to make it to my due date, but of course he can't tell me when I WILL go into labor. Needless to say, the first thing Stan and I did when we got home was pack our bags! We'll be ready next time (or at least we'll have our deodorant and toothpaste). :)

So Baby P is on his way sooner than later. We are eager to meet him but hoping he stays in at least until next Saturday so he'll be full term! I am feverishly trying to write sub plans and finish my two grad papers "just in case." Maybe this is God's way of teaching us to not procrastinate, but who knows...it could still be weeks away, and it's God's way of teaching us patience! :)

I'll post after my check up tomorrow (unless I'm at L&D again).

I'm feeling pregnant....

2009-11-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

and Stan always says, "Well, you are!" I've felt pretty good and had energy up until a few days ago, but now I'm just feeling worn out by the end of the day. We had an appointment on Monday afternoon, and I found out why! Baby Pierogie is 6lbs. 8ozs. already! I guess carrying around a baby that big in your belly WOULD tend to wear you out after being on your feet all day with 18 first graders. I had some serious cankles on Monday and am retaining so much water! We have just about 4 more weeks to go before we get to meet our little one, and we can't wait!!!

In other news, we finally finished the nursery! We got a shelf which Stan hung, and we got the crib all made up and ready. Everything is put away and in its place. We have the coming home outfit all picked out...all we need is baby. :)

We are going to the doctor every week now, and we will be having another sonogram in a few weeks just to check the weight and to make sure we can attempt a regular delivery versus a c-section. I will post when something else exciting happens! Enjoy the pictures of the nursery!

Hooray for Fudge Rounds!!!

2009-11-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

I had an impromptu appointment today because of some discomfort. All is well - the baby kicked the doctor's doppler while he was listening to the heartbeat. :) They checked to make sure my water didn't break and checked to make sure my cervix was closed (it is) since it is a little early for the pierogie to arrive. The doctor said that the pain I was having was because pierogie's head has dropped into my pelvis to get ready for the big event!!!

The other great news I got was that I finally passed my second 3 hour glucose test, so I do not have gestational diabetes. Long live the Fudge Rounds!!!!! I have an ultrasound and an appointment in one week to check the weight of the baby again.

MD Baby Shower 11/01

2009-11-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

I had my shower here in MD on November 1st. It was a ton of fun, and I got to see lots of friends and family. Thanks to all who came to share this time with us!

Mom and New Mommy

Former and Current TRES girls

Teether blanket

Gretchen and I

Rhi and I

Diaper Cake

Quick Update - 33 weeks!

2009-10-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

We had an appointment on Thursday, and everything is looking great. Baby Pierogie's heartbeat was great, and I was measuring about a week ahead. For some reason, as soon as the doctor goes to put the doppler on my belly, Pierogie sticks his tush in the air. :) We will go back in 2 weeks, and then we start our weekly appointments. It's getting so close! Dr. Esposito would like to do another sonogram in 3 weeks, so we will get to see baby P on the monitor one more time before the live show! The dr. just wants to measure one more time before the big day. In other glucose news, I have my SECOND 3 hour glucose test on Wednesday. I pray that all goes well and all numbers are in the normal range this time.

I have my MD baby shower tomorrow, and I am super excited! I'm sure I'll be posting info and pictures after that! I can't wait to see everyone!!!

Baby Shower!!

2009-10-26T18:09:00.001-07:00

It's a boy!!

I had my baby shower in PA on October 17. Stan, Lisa and I set out at 8am that Saturday to trek up to PA in the rain. We had a delicious breakfast at Cracker Barrel and arrived in
Milton a little before 12. The shower was at 1, and I arrived a few minutes after to a room full of family and friends. It was beautiful! My mom had gotten me a Boyds bear with a baby boy outfit, and that was the theme of the shower.

I got to visit with everyone and eat, and then I started on the task of opening gifts. They were never-ending! Everyone was so generous, and our baby boy will be the best dressed pierogie in MD! Stan came down for the gift opening, and he even got a gift to open that included a pee pee teepee to avoid all those spraying "accidents" while changing little boys. :) After presents came cake, and before I knew it, it was 4pm, and I was ready for a nap!

Thanks to everyone who came and made it special, and extra special thanks to my mom for all of her hard work. It was everything I could have hoped for and more! I love you all!

The cake with the bear that I got on it

Adorable favors

Gifts!!

One of the books we received for Lil Pierogie

A beautiful handmade blanket that we received

Mommy and Daddy

Nay, Ali and Me - Nay is due the day after me, even though it looks like I am 50 weeks pregnant, and it looks like she is 20 weeks pregnant! :)

Another Sonogram!

2009-10-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Because I was measuring 2 weeks ahead, we got to have another ultrasound to check on the weight of our lil pierogie. I was 30 weeks and 5 days when I had it, and he was measuring exactly 30 weeks and 5 days! He was at the 50th percentile, and he was weighing 3 lbs 11 oz. I asked Dr. Esposito if he could swing by and make sure he was still a boy, which he did, and he is! Whew!

I didn't pass my first glucose test, so I had to go and take the 3 hour test, which was horrible! I had to follow a diet for 3 days, and then fast the night before the test. I couldn't have anything until the test was over (around 1pm). I had to have my blood drawn as soon as I went in, and then I had to drink the glucose syrup and have it drawn again every hour for 3 hours. Those results came back that I had one high number. If you have 2 high numbers, you have gestational diabetes, so technically, I don't have it, but since I had the one high one, they want to make sure, so I have to take the 3 hour test again! I am NOT looking forward to that, but I know it's just to make sure the baby is ok, so it's a small thing for me to go through to make sure we're having a healthy pierogie. I have an appointment on October 29, so I will have my next 3 hour test the following week.

I also had my first baby shower on October 17 up in PA. It was wonderful. Details and pictures to follow!

Stan's 30th birthday

2009-10-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Stan's celebrated his 30th birthday while we were in TN, and we had a gathering at the house tonight in MD to celebrate the old man. :)

Redskins grill cover!

Tennessee trip

2009-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to Tennessee to visit Stan's Dad!

29 weeks (almost)

2009-10-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I will be 29 weeks. Time sure is flying! So much has happened lately. We had our trip to TN last weekend. All went well - no air sickness, thank goodness!! I only had a little bit of swelling in my feet on Sunday, but I think that's because I was sitting outside, and it got pretty warm. We had a great visit with Stan's dad and stepmom, and some delicious food! :) Pictures will follow when I get a chance to download them.

We got home, and I had my glucose tolerance test that Monday morning. I found out Tuesday that I didn't pass. :( I have to go next week for the 3 hour test - yuck! We had an appointment today. The doctor said that a lot of people fail the first one, but only 40% of them fail the 3 hour one. I assured him that I am usually a straight A student, and he said we would think of the first one as a pre-test, and if I pass the next one, we'll throw out the pre-test. He also told me that I need a flu shot, which I am terrified about (only because it's a shot, and I'm not a fan of needles). I am still measuring 2 weeks ahead, and I am scheduled to have a sono 2 weeks from today to check to see how much the baby weighs. As the doctor was feeling my belly today, he said, "That's all baby, right there!" I guess that's better than saying it was all fat! :)

Baby Pierogie's parents are getting very anxious to meet him (although we want him to cook for as long as he needs to be healthy). Conversations between the mom and dad-to-be have changed from, "I can't believe we're pregnant" to "Wow, we can feel him move," to "I can't wait to hold/hug/cuddle him." Every time we see a little one, we both get the feeling that we can't wait until he's here!

We now have a mattress in the baby's crib, so the nursery is pretty much ready. Daddy painted the closet this week because Mommy was too lazy to empty it when she painted the room back in January. :) Once we get everything hung, I will take some more pictures to post. We tell everyone that the nursery is ready - we just need the baby!

Third Trimester!!

2009-09-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Three months left until the lil pierogie makes his appearance!

We had an appointment on Thursday and got the all clear to fly to TN on Friday. At the appointment, I was measuring two weeks ahead, so I will have a sonogram in a month to measure the little one (or big one, maybe??). I got my little bottle of orange ickiness to drink for my glucose test, and I will be having that done the Monday we get back from TN. Hopefully all will be well, and I will not have gestational diabetes - that would really put a cramp in my Fudge Round addiction lately.

We are at the point where we go in every 2 weeks instead of every 4. At my next appointment, they will be measuring the baby again, checking the heartbeat, and we will start talking about birth classes (which we have already signed up for) and labor (??!!!??!?). Now that I am back to work, it seems like time is flying by.

In other news...
My OTHER baby (the 6'4" one) is going to be 30 in one week. I am married to an old man ;).

26 weeks!

2009-09-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

I am 26 weeks pregnant today, and my baby update said the baby is almost 2 lbs now! I was looking back in my pregnancy book and can't believe how much the little one has grown already. He went from looking like a little gummy bear to looking like a baby!

My doctor's appointment isn't until Thursday, but I wanted to post a nursery update! Our crib is all set up, and we finally picked up the changing table. It all looks beautiful together. I even have clothes in the changing table already. We need to get a mattress, but all of the "big" stuff is in there, so it makes me feel like we're ready (kind of??). We chose a Nautica sailboat theme for the bedding, and we have the comforter already. I am still looking for some kind of a sailboat picture to hang on the wall. Every once in awhile, one of us will just go in there and rock in the glider. It's kind of crazy that in about 3 months, we will have our baby in there!

In other news, I've been feeling pretty good! I haven't had too many problems (unless you count not being able to see my feet or get up from the couch or bed without a big production). My baby bump has grown (along with some other parts that were big enough to begin with!), and people have started commenting that I "look pregnant" now (thanks, I think??).

The only issue I've had is that I got sick the first week of school. I guess I caught a virus from the kids, and I had a pretty bad cough. Because of all the swine flu craziness going on, if we have symptoms, we are required to check in with our school nurse. When I did last Friday, I had a temp of 101, so I was given a mask and sent home. I decided to go right to the doctor just to be safe. He said he didn't THINK it was swine flu - very comforting. :) He said it was probably just a virus and to rest, but he gave me a prescription for a Z pack in case it got worse. By Sunday night, I thought I was going to have to head to Walgreens around midnight. I made it through the night and got my prescription filled on Monday. Within a few days I was feeling better. I still have a lingering cough, but it is nowhere near what it was. I actually had to sleep on the couch for a few days because every time I laid down, I would cough like crazy. I was worried that I was going to crack a rib, and the baby was going to shoot out from me coughing so hard. Luckily, I am still in one piece.

The baby has been kicking away, and my belly has been doing weird alien/gremlin motions which is fun to watch. Every once in awhile, he'll give me a kick that makes me stop and say Whoa! I like feeling him move though - it eases my mind to know that he's doing what he's supposed to, even if it is time for bed and he's having a dance party.

We have an appointment on Thursday, and hopefully we'll get the ok to head to TN on the 25th. Until then...

Just in case I turned into a piggy...

Our changing table! Thanks Nana!

The crib! Thanks Mema and Papa!

23 weeks

2009-08-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be 23 weeks. We had an appointment on Monday, and because I have been having some more bleeding, I was put on pelvic rest. No lifting over 10 pounds and stay off my feet as much as possible (that's easy as a first grade teacher, right?). Luckily, my administrators are extremely supportive, so I'm not worried about returning to school. That makes it so much easier!! My mom was here Sunday - Tuesday and was a huge help with helping me get my room ready and doing some cooking and cleaning for us while she was here. I was sad to see her go! It's nice to remember that I'M still someone's baby too. :)

I have been feeling pretty good, and I've been taking it really easy which means a lot of the day to day things have fallen to Stan. He has been great about helping me get things done even though he has to work all day in the stifling heat and then come home to a t0-do list from his wife. He has also had the pleasure of seeing me go from happy and laughing to bawling my eyes out in 0.3 seconds. The baby has been kicking up a storm, and Stan got to finally feel the baby from the outside. It was the neatest thing. I'm glad that he can finally feel him although it is quite different from what I feel.

I am headed back to work on Tuesday, the students come on the 31st, and I start my grad class on September 1st. Oh how I will miss my naps!! We are heading to PA over Labor Day weekend. The original plan was for us to go to the PSU game with my mom and Bud, but the doctor said no - too much walking. So Stan and Bud are off to the PSU game, and my mom and I will be left to our own devices (shopping).

Our next appointment is not until September 17th, and if all goes well during that one, we will be flying to TN to see Stan's dad and stepmom on September 25 for Stan's 30th birthday. I am looking forward to seeing Nashville, but I'm not sure how much I'll get to see since I can't walk that much. I am very much looking forward to floating in their pool though!

Nursery update - My dad is heading down Monday to help us install new carpet in the baby's room! We will be picking up the changing table we found on my school's classified next weekend, and we will finally be able to set up the crib!! It's coming along, and there are already clothes EVERYWHERE!!

I cannot figure out how to make the scanned pictures larger, but I thought I would attach a pic of the baby's big gender reveal and of his profile (19 weeks 4 days). :)

21 weeks

2009-08-10T06:36:00.001-07:00

Well the second part of the scan was successful, and they got all of the pictures they needed. Toward the end, they needed one more scan of the heart and baby P fell asleep. The technician left and came back with juice and Oreos. Once I had that, he was bouncing around again. I've been telling everyone that he's just like his Mommy...he can be bribed with Oreos!!

I went to visit family in PA last week. It was a very successful trip. I got to have my chicken and waffles (YUM!!), and Mom and I did some shopping. I found some adorable outfits for next summer at 75% off! I couldn't resist...I will have to stay out of the baby clothes department!

We have been getting ready for the baby as much as we can before I have to go back to school. The room was already painted blue (a premonition from Daddy), but we've been looking into getting carpet in the baby's room. The carpet upstairs is original with the house, and it is quite worn and stained. We already received our first piece of furniture - a Dutailier glider - and it is the most wonderful chair I ever sat in. It is so comfortable! I saw it at Babies R Us and couldn't stop thinking about it. One of our family members so generously gifted it to us, and we were so excited!! I sit and rock in it a little each night. We also found a changing table from another teacher in the county, and our next mission is to find a matching crib. Everything seems to be coming along well. Even though I can't wait for the baby to come, I am really dreading the end of summer and just being able to relax all day long!

I have been feeling pretty good lately. I feel like I eat all the time, but I've only gained 6 lbs. so far. I'm sure that will change soon as the baby gets bigger (he's almost 1 lb now!). I definitely have a belly, and I've been feeling pretty tired after running errands or cleaning. I need to rest more, and I found out the hard way that doing all 4 sets of steps in the house at the same time is not the best idea right now. :) The baby has been moving a lot. Stan hasn't been able to feel him from the outside yet, but I feel like it is only a matter of time - the kicks are getting stronger. Sometimes I feel like he's trying to get out!

I belong to a group on babycenter.com called December 2009 babies. One of the threads was titled, "you know you're over 20 weeks pregnant when..." It was nice to hear that I'm not the only one who is getting up at 4am, needs a hand getting out of chairs, or is starting the dreaded "waddle."

Our next appointment is one week from today (8/17), and my mom will be here for that one. I will update again after the appointment!

It's a BOY!!!

2009-07-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

We had our big ultrasound on Thursday. This ultrasound was to take scans of all parts of the baby to make sure it was developing properly. The technician was telling us what we were seeing as she was moving over all the parts of the baby. About 20 minutes into the scans, she said, "This is the leg, this is the other leg, and this is his pee pee! It's a boy!" We were really excited to finally know, and of course Stan was super excited to have his boy! We had always talked about wanting a boy first, but I had been dreaming that it was a girl, so I was actually surprised! Most of my friends have boys (sorry, Ali...I really thought Alex would have a little girl playmate), so it will be great that they can all play together! I have 4 other friends that are pregnant. 2 of them aren't going to find out until the baby comes, so we'll see if there are any girls in the mix very soon with the other 2!

Baby boy Palczewski is already taking after his father and being stubborn. :) The technician couldn't get all the scans she needed because he wouldn't turn around, so I have to go back on Wednesday to finish the ultrasound. She needed a few more scans of the heart, his profile and some random things (right hand, left foot, etc.). He definitely left no doubt in our minds that he was a boy though! Since they couldn't get a picture of his profile yet, she sent us home with a picture of his umm....display. :) The doctor said that everything they got a chance to see looks great, and he is right on track as far as size and weight.

Now it's time to shop! We promptly called all the grandparents to let them know that they would be having a grandson. Yesterday when I spoke with my mom, she was already standing in the baby department of Boscovs.

Our next big "event" will be agreeing on a name. I've already been through a whole baby name book, and we haven't even found ONE that we agree on, so I guess it's good that we still have over 4 months to figure it out!

As many of you know, the relief that I posted about in the last post was short-lived. I ended up getting sick again the next day and also two days later. I would love to say that I've been feeling better since then, but I'm afraid that will jinx it, so I won't say it. I have definitely noticed that I can't be late with meals or I just feel absolutely horrible. I go from wanting to eat everything to not feeling like eating at all to just having to eat ANYTHING so that something is in my stomach if I wait too long.

Our next regular appointment is on August 17, and my mom will be here to get to hear the heartbeat at this one, so that is exciting. I will post more when I have updates!

Finally! Relief!!

2009-07-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

We headed to the beach on July 2, and all was well...until dinnertime. I got the worst headache and got sick at dinner. I had to leave dinner early and go lie down while everyone else went to watch the kids on rides. Finally, after a few hours, I felt better. Ever since then, I've been feeling better (I'm knocking on wood as I write this). It was right around 16 weeks, which meant I had 10 weeks of feeling very yucky 24/7. It was not fun, but hopefully it is in the past for good!

The beach was great. We got a chance to go to Cape May, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Ocean City, and of course Sea Isle where we were staying. We discovered The Lobster House in Cape May (thanks Stan Jr.), and Stan was in all his glory with his 3 lb. lobster. We did a lot of walking which I found out is not as easy when you're 4 months pregnant. My baby bump has developed, and I have this one picture from vacation that shows it.

On the baby front, we had an appointment today. We got to hear the heartbeat again, and the Dr. said she could hear the baby moving around. She said I should be able to feel the baby moving. I definitely feel things, but I can't say for sure if that is what it is or not. We have our anatomy ultrasound on July 23rd, and we will find out if we're having a boy or a girl (hopefully, if baby cooperates). We are getting a little anxious to find out. We want to start picking some things out and start fighting about names. :) I will post again once we know!! The downside of the appointment was that she wanted to check my proteins so I have to collect my urine for 24 hours. I was sent home from the lab with a giant orange bucket and instructions on how to collect and return. Pregnancy just keeps getting better!

P.S. As I was writing this and loading the picture, I'm pretty sure that I felt the baby move. It was a quick flutter. Very exciting!! :)

It's almost beach time!

2009-06-30T12:06:00.001-07:00

A lot of people have been asking how I've been feeling, so I thought I would post before we head off to the beach on Thursday. I've been feeling better, but the sickness definitely isn't gone. I have good times of day and not so good times, and I found out the hard way that I should not go too long without eating. I am still down about 2 lbs. overall (I'm assuming I'll make up for that another time), but my belly is definitely changing.

Stan has been absolutely fantastic. I'm going on 9 weeks of not feeling good, and he is definitely a trooper. If I get hungry for something in particular, he will stop for it on his way home from a full day of work or even go back out to get it after he gets home. He doesn't even run away when I'm throwing up (like I do when he's sick). :) He has been extremely understanding of all the weird things that have been happening to my body, and he still tells me all the time that he loves me which is the most important.

On Thursday, we are headed to Sea Isle City for 10 days. Although I love it there in our quaint little beach house, it has no air conditioning, and I'm wondering what that will do for the nausea. Hopefully all will be well, and I can enjoy our vacation without incident. Thanks for all your thoughts and well wishes. I'll be thrilled to post again once the sickness is over. Our next appointment is July 13 when we get back, so I'll update then!

Doctor's Appointment

2009-06-13T16:47:00.001-07:00

We had another appointment on Wednesday. In the office, she couldn't find the heartbeat, so we had to go down to the ultrasound area. Luckily, she found it right away, and we got another picture! :) The baby was moving all around, and it was even waving to us. The scan came out really small, but the circle on the right is the head (dark spots are the eyes), and the circle on the left is the body. There is a little white speck above the body which is its hand (while waving).

As far as how I've been feeling - I was actually feeling a whole lot better for about a week, but I've been feeling sick again since Thursday. Today is the beginning of my 13th week, and I'm hoping and praying that the sickness goes away!

I have one more week of school left, and a few more weeks of grad school (yuck). I can't wait until I can just relax and do absolutely NOTHING for awhile. Our next appointment isn't until the middle of July. I'll keep you all posted!!

Baby Palczewski on the way!!

2009-05-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

On April 30th, after a week of feeling sick, I decided to take a pregnancy test. It was a week before I was even due, so I didn't expect it to be positive. I got home from school, took the test and went downstairs to take Pugsley out. I went upstairs giving myself a pep talk "If it's not positive, it doesn't mean you're not pregnant - it's just early." I walked into the bathroom, and I saw that it was positive. I almost fainted! I started jumping up and down, and Pugsley starting jumping up and down.

When Stan got home, I told him that I wasn't feeling well and asked if he could go upstairs and get me an Advil. I put the bottle right next to the pregnancy test. I heard him walk upstairs, walk into the bathroom and pause for awhile. The next thing I heard was, "What the heck is this????" So after many hugs and kisses, we finally settled into a state of shock that this was really happening.

The Monday after, I went into the doctor's office because I was having some bleeding. The doctor pretty much said that there was no way I could be sick already. She thought I was farther along than I thought, so she sent us for an ultrasound. We went into the ultrasound thinking we were 3 weeks pregnant, and we came out 7 weeks pregnant (that was the fastest month of my life). We got to see the baby and hear the heartbeat during that appointment and eventually the bleeding stopped. We've had two appointments since then, and all is well! We got to see the baby one more time and hear the heartbeat both times. Our next appointment is June 10th. Stay tuned!

Everybody's doing it...

2009-05-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, each time one of my friends got pregnant, they got a blog, so I guess it's time for me to have one too! This year for my birthday, Stan got me a shirt that says "I love my Polish husband," and he got himself a shirt that says, "Polish and Proud." Once we found out that we were expecting, it was back to the Polish website where we found a onesie that said, "Lil Pierogie" so that is where our name came from! :)