Nearly walking

My baby girl will be a year old on November 4th!    Amazing how fast the year has past.

She is able to stand up and even CLIMB up when she holds on to things.

She sometimes lets go and just stands all by herself (look ma, no hands)

She has not taken those monumental first steps.   She has also started to cut her first tooth!

My Mom and sisters will be down this weekend and I am SO EXCITED to see them.

Getting Close to Crawling

Alexandria is now 9 months old.  She can stand, but cannot balance without holding on to something or someone.   She is also starting to figure out this crawling thing.  She can get into a crawling position, then fails towards the way she wants to go.  I see her taking off by September.

I have started to baby proof the house.   The hearth were you see the basket above is now covered in a thick foam pad.   I also got bumbers for the entertainment center to the right.  I need to get some gates or screens to keep her from getting into all the wires back there.

At work there has been a huge re-organization.  I am lucky enough to still be under the same boss.  Extra bonus - I am moving to my own office with door and window.  Yea!

I am baby stepping my way back to pre-baby weight.  I do walking at lunch when I don't have to worry about Alexandria.   I am cutting drinks with calories out of my diet again. (WATER WATER WATER!!!)

When I lived in Wisconsin, Southern Sweet Tea was a treat I got when ever my work sent me below the Mason-Dixon Line.  Living in Georgia for 2 years where I could have it every day if I wanted...  yea.  That made as much of an impact as getting pregnant!

I have started to introduce baby food to Alexandria, some days she is so good, other days she just wants to play with the spoon and fling the contents.  I want to be a healthy example for her and teach her good habits so she never has to be like me - and weight twice as much as my classmates.

5 months of Cloth Diapers

Alexandria wears cloth diapers.  They are are the cute liners you see snapped over a cotton/hemp diaper on the inside.  The diapers do not need to be pinned.  the cover does it all.  But a cute girly diaper cover is cute.

We keep a stack of cloth diapers inside the covers ready to go --  and they are just as easy to use as disposables.  Never had a nasty leak and never had diaper rash.

Being a mom

This is a picture of my daughter Alexandria from St. Patrick's Day.  I think we calculated her to be 9/16ths Irish.  She get's an 1/8th from Daddy and a smidge more from me.

Getting Fit Post Baby

Alexandria lifting her head during tummy time.

It's been 90 days since the wonderful Miss Alexandria joined us.  90 is also how many pounds I would like to lose now that she's here.  Yep.  I have 90 pounds to lose.

My focus the past year has been my pregnancy and caring for my newborn daughter --  not myself.

My habits have gotten horrible and I really need to start being healthy again!!!


Today I was able to get some exercise by taking a walk outside during work - just like I used to do -- what seems ages ago.

I will have to start eating better too.   Back when I was at my ideal weight, I had a packet of Raisin, Date and Walnut Quaker Instant Oatmeal for breakfast every day.

Lately I have been eating a bacon, egg and cheese croissant with a sweet tea.

Talk about a huge calorie difference!!!


Since I moved to Georgia sweet tea has become my worst vice. Seriously, it is like a drug to me.

I need to follow my old lead!

So.. in a huge change of events -- My weight loss blog will acutally be me losing weigh again!

Bought a Condo and more Baby Pictures!

Today Alexandria is one month old already...  holy cow!  Time does fly.

Aaron and I bought a Condo on Friday, so now I need to get our place ready to move and take care of a newborn!

Here are some cute pictures of our tiny family. :)

It's a GIRL!!!!

On November 2nd, I had my 37 week prenatal appointment.  An ultrasound found very low amniotic fluid and the baby had not increased in weight since our 35 week appointment.  These factors were warning bells to the doctors,  so they said -- You are going to have a baby today.

They let us go home and get our birthing bag.  We both called into work and said, we are at the hospital being induced.

Nothing really happened on 11/2 other than I was admitted and they put in a medication called Cervidil.  It softens the cervix and makes the Pitocin work better to start labor.

They started me on Pitocin at 7 AM on 11/3.  It started some contractions but nothing really happened.  They wanted me to get to 3 cm and then rupture my bag of waters.    I really didn't want that.

At 4:30 PM after being on Pitocin all day they checked my progress and said we just were not having a baby today.  They turned off the the drip and said I could eat!!! ( I was on clear fluids since midnight.)

I was about one bite into a snack bar when I threw up.  My water broke on its own and I was in labor for real.

My midwife and her intern left for the night and had to be called back to work.

Since my water broke they wanted to put me back on pitocin to make sure my labor happened fast enough.

They started the drip again.

My contractions got really strong.  They put the baby on an internal monitor to make sure the baby was not in distress.

Aaron was an AWESOME helper.  He made me feel so much better.  He did counter-pressure on my back and helped me relax and just let my body give birth.

I wanted to have a drug-free birth, but the pitocin made things very intense.  Aaron said he was so worried for me and the baby.  He said he could tell my pain was at an "11" and when I asked for the pain medication.  He supported all my the choices for the birth.

It was very intense for a few more contractions, then I felt wonderful relief.    When I had a contraction I would take in a very deep breaths and try to relax.

My Mid-wife and her intern wanted to do another internal check at 11 PM and I asked if we could wait until 1 AM.

At 1 AM they were helping with a c-section.  I had started to feel "pushy" and called the nurse.

She checked me out and then contacted the Mid-wife and said that she would need to hurry back to deliver our baby.

The mid-wife made it back about 2 AM.  She asked if we could wait for the intern to arrive to deliver the baby.  I said sure.

So we waited for her to arrive.  It was about 2:10 when she arrived and was ready to catch the baby.

I pushed three times and the head crowned.

With the next contraction I pushed three times again and the baby was born.

I was worried about tearing but I didn't have any maternal birthing trauma.

I had a beautiful and easy birth.

Aaron then announced it was a GIRL.  They put her on my chest and Aaron cut the cord.  My Baby GIRL!!!!!


We named her Alexandria Ruth Scott.

She was born at 2:13 AM on 11/4/11
She weighted  4 pounds  15 ounces and was 18 inches long


Due to her size -- Aaron had to go out and buy another car seat so we could take her home.  She was too small for the car seat we had got (5 -70 lbs).

Mommy and baby

Holding my Daughter after being washed and given back to me.

Daddy and Lexi about to go home!

Going Home in the "Magic Hankie"

Everything is Perfect - Let's Induce.

This week I had my 36 week checking with the Doctor. 
She said:

Your blood sugars are great and under control by just your diet and exercise!

Your blood pressure perfect.  Baby still measures in the 45 percentile.

Baby's heart is perfect, the flow in the cord and placenta are great.

Then a totall 180'

We should not let you go past 39 weeks and induce you.

I got skid-marks on my brain.   Say what?!

It was like a slap in the face.   Why tell me how great everything is going and then suggest induction?!

An induction is a medical intervention if there is a risk to the baby and/or mother for the pregnancy continuing.

My baby is not in danger. I am not in danger.  There aren't any risks that would really call for an invention.

I reply that I'd prefer to let my birth start naturally.


She then throws out:

But your placenta could stop working and you will have a still birth.

Really?  I refuse an totally unnecessary medical intervention for my healthy pregnancy and she instantly says, "YOUR BABY WILL DIE."

I said we can re-evaluate in a few more weeks, but for now -- thanks, but no thanks.

The Due Date is not an expiration date!!!  

It's not like the baby MUST be out from my womb by that date or the power is shut off.

I have faith in my body's ability to grow and birth my baby.

Today's Home Inspection

Today I was present while Jim Duggan, Senior Inspector for RIA Solutions, inspected the Condo we intend to purchase with a fine tooth comb.

He was very pleasant and let me know what he was looking for while he was checking things out.  He found minor issues, but nothing that would prevent us from moving forward with our purchase.  I am not sure if Aaron would want the Seller to fix any of these things before we take ownership.

Jim checked the attic, the Heating and Cooling system, the water heater, all the Kitchen Appliances, the washer and dryer, all of the outlets, all the windows, the walls and ceilings, the faucets, drains, shower heads, toilets, and fireplace.

Most of the "issues" he noted are due to the age of the property.  They are not what is standard or "up to code" these days -- but are grandfathered in because of the age of the property.

We cannot fix many of them -- so oh well.


Some of his other recommendations we will act on once the place is ours like:

• Get a new over-the range microwave and have it installed to code.
• Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GCFI) outlets in "wet" areas.
• Put a C-Clamp on the Fireplace Damper to make sure it always stays partially open to avoid a build-up of carbon monoxide.
• Replace the bare bulb in the closet with a globe fixture, just so the bulb does not break if hit.
• Pour liquid plumber down the slow drain in the Master bathtub.

There are a few other things that Aaron and I want to do with the place too -- but again that is just our preference.  Nothing that is wrong with the place.

Aaron has his heart set on getting new super fancy High-Efficiency washer/dryer set.

This one:

Since he does all the laundry I am totally cool with him getting the set. :)

OFFER ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!

The Seller agreed to our price AND to cover the closing costs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 OMG! OMG! OMG!  We got a home!

We'll be riding double with our Apartment  until the lease is expired, but we really don't care and can afford to do it for a bit.

Yea!