Saturday, January 24, 2015

Me, Myself & I (and a little about Anna)

My apologies for posts about Anna taking over the blog lately. As I have come to quickly realize, having a baby pretty much takes over your whole life (and I wouldn't have it any other way). Anna's doing very well, but I'm using this post to update about me.

I've been doing very well and enjoying motherhood so much! Of course it completely sucks working all day and not seeing Anna, but I know that she's in excellent hands. Before going back to work, I was worried about how my body and health would hold up with teaching, taking care of a baby and nursing. And I'll admit, although I feel its going pretty well, it's hard giving my 100% all day, every day at work because I want to be home with Anna. But I take pride in my job, and I want to do it well, and I hope that I'm getting back (even if its a bit slow) to being there for my students as much as they need....because they are extra needy this year.

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On the health side of things, I really couldn't be much happier. I just had my clinic visit on Thursday and it went very well. I'm up to 118.6lbs and my FEV1 was 88%!!! I haven't seen lung function numbers like that in two years and I haven't been at this weight (aside from pregnancy) in almost three years. Of course I'd love to be in the 90%s for my lung function (can't remember the last time I saw numbers like those), so that's my goal. But I am very proud of where I am now and still so amazed at what this "sick" body can do. :-)

I've started working out again, this time with several teachers after school doing PIYO work outs. We've been doing it for a few weeks now and they're great for strength exercises. To work on my cardio, I also began the Couch to 5K program yesterday, so I'm planning on balancing the two somehow.. I signed up to run a 5K in April, and I'll be running it for CF. I'll be on Team CF Superheroes and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also planning on running Brett's Run again in June, which was the first race I did in 2012.

Overall, things are going wonderfully over here. Hopefully I'll keep finding some time to update on myself, but in the mean time, here's a super cute picture of Anna sporting her Rock CF gear at my clinic appointment on Thursday.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Five Months Old



Five months old, wow! Time sure is flying by! This month you've changed so much, and you've learned and discovered so many new things, it's been so exciting. You're growing big and strong, gradually outgrowing all of your three month clothes and making your way into six months.


On December 14th, you rolled over for the first time all by yourself! You rolled from your tummy to your back, over your right arm. I wasn't expecting it, so I set you down on your belly on a thin blanket for some tummy time, and stepped away to grab a toy. When I turned around, you were already halfway over! You bonked your head on the floor on your way down, but I think what scared you more was me jumping up and down, clapping and shouting 'yay! You did it!!!' because then you started to cry...oops! I turned you back onto your belly and you proceeded to roll over each time. We were so proud! Every time you do it, even now almost a month later, Daddy and I still clap and say 'yay', but in a quieter tone so we don't freak you out. :) Now, at the end of the month, you mostly still roll to the right, but occasionally will roll to the left.



This month you also discovered your feet. You first started to recognize and grab them during diaper changes. But now you've started noticing that they're still there when you're laying down or in your car seat, swing or rock and play. You've also learned how to put them in your mouth! You have started grabbing and touching people's faces, too. When Daddy and I (or anyone really) are talking to you, you watch our mouth moving and you want to grab it. You rub my chest and cheek when you nurse and love to feel anything you can get your hands on.


Oh little pumpkin, you found your voice again! At the beginning of the month, you still weren't talking too much, but since about Christmas, you've been talking non-stop....and man, you can be loud! Sometimes you get so excited that you screech, too, especially when you see the cats. You love them! Ozzie, surprisingly, is much more tolerant of you touching and grabbing him, but Archie's coming to realize that you have hands to pet him, too.


This month has been so fun, celebrating your first Christmas and having winter break off to hang out with you for three weeks straight. We had several Christmases to attend to see all sides of the family and of course you got a ton of stuff. You sometimes helped me open your presents by grabbing the wrapping paper, but you wanted to put it straight into your mouth. The last week we've been playing with all of your new toys and spending lots of time together until I have to go back to work.



Over Christmas we also learned that you're starting your 'stranger danger' stage...quite early, too. You definitely know who your mom and dad are and usually only want us holding you when we get somewhere new, especially if you just woke up. Eventually you'll go to other people and be super friendly, but when you don't want to be held by someone else, you get this ridiculously adorable pouty lip and this sad, sappy cry until you're back with me or Daddy. At home, you cry if we leave you on the changing pad, or in a room, and you can't see one of us...its pretty cute, but I hope it doesn't transfer to separation anxiety at Grandma Dorothy's.



You still drool like crazy, soaking through at least three bibs a day and still chew on things and put everything in your mouth. I don't think you're getting any teeth just yet though because you haven't been fussy, your gums aren't swollen and I can't see anything trying to pop through. Although I'm sure it won't be too much longer until your adorable, gummy, toothless grin is gone.


We haven't given you any food yet, still only breast milk. I'd like to wait at least one more month before introducing you to 'people food', just to make sure you're digestive system is mature enough to handle it. You're doing a wonderful job, still, with nursing and still sleeping through the night. It's going to be a rude awakening for both of us next week when we have to get up earlier - we've been spoiled these last three weeks with being able to sleep in. You've been sleeping from about 9-9:30p -- 7-7:30a and it's been so nice! You don't nap the longest during the day, usually a half hour here and there with maybe one longer nap (unless you're sleeping on me, in which you'll sleep for two-three hours!), but I don't mind because I'd rather you sleep through the night.


You survived your first cold this month. You must have picked it up over Christmas while visiting everybody. It was a stuffy/runny nose with a rattling cough, but you did so well. You never had a fever, weren't extra fussy or clingy, and took it like a champ. I used lots of Vick's and sucked your boogers out a million times a day, and it went away on its own about a week later. Of course about 1/2 way through, one day while I was changing your diaper, you sneezed in my face & eyes, so a couple days later I was sick, too. Oh well. :)


Finally, we lost your great, great-grandma Danner this month, on December 30th. She loved you SO much and was so honored that we named you after her. The last time we saw her, she was beaming with happiness when she saw you, and told your daddy and I, "you take care of that precious baby". Although you'll never remember the time you spent with her, I'm so glad that she was able to meet you, and you'll learn what a wonderful person she was through all of our memories.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

2014



One of our best years yet!!!!

 
This year has been full of some really great ups, but also some really sad lows. We lost some amazing people in our lives, but we also gained one of the best gifts we could ever ask for. 

Winter
The year started off rough, though, with the death of our friend (and fellow CFer), Jeremy. It   was really hard attending the funeral of a peer as opposed to an elderly person because his life was cut too short, but we know that he is at peace now, no longer struggling for every breath. He left behind is wife, one of my good friends, who's been coping and learning how to live without him this year, but she's one of the strongest women I know.

The rest of the winter, we happily spread our news of my pregnancy, and finally made it "Facebook official" in February.





Spring
In March, we celebrated Tim's great-grandma's 100th birthday! I also hit 100% compliance with all of my treatments for an entire year! In April, I was halfway through my pregnancy and feeling amazing. We attended the Bloomington Great Strides and I hit 410 days of compliance. In May, I entered my third trimester of my pregnancy and my 100% compliance streak ended at 448 days because I forgot to pack my albuterol, duh! 


Summer
The rest of the summer slowly crept by as we awaited the arrival of our daughter (and also the birth of our niece, Alayna). Our friends and family threw us some wonderful baby showers, and I spent the entire summer nesting and preparing to meet my baby girl. August 8, 2014 was one of the best days of my life! The day that our sweet little Anna Lily arrived!!!



 

Fall & Winter
In September, we took Anna camping for the first time, when she was only 5 weeks old. :) In October, my maternity leave ended and it was back to work for me, and to Grandma's for Anna. We also celebrated her first Halloween with her cousins and family. We also celebrated Anna's first Thanksgiving, and her first Christmas where she was spoiled beyond belief.

 
 

And at the very end of this year, on December 30th, we lost an amazing woman. Anna's great, great grandma, Anna Danner (who she was named after), died at the age of 100. I am incredibly lucky to have known her and so proud that our daughter will carry on her name. She was so kind, friendly and funny. She enjoyed her share of jokes, and would love to make people laugh and smile. I'm so happy that the births of Anna and Alayna kept her holding on just that much longer to meet them several times. It's not too often that someone can get to know their five great, great grandchildren. We have so many memories and photos that our family will cherish for a long, long time. She will be greatly missed.

Danner meeting Anna for the first time when she was six days old :-)
 
One of their last pictures together on December 21st when Anna was 4.5 months old

It's pretty hard to top the birth of our first child in 2015, but watching her learn and grow this next year is going to be quite amazing. :)