SAS

So far this year, Will has had two ear infections and is currently battling a sinus infection. Dave has been sick twice this year as well and I had a stomach bug. I'm currently struggling with strep throat. Of course on top of my sickness I do not have health insurance. Luckily we have a clinic in our grocery store which is rather affordable. The doctor could tell I was pretty bad and the strep test came back positive right away. He told me I was what they use as a technical term, SAS. Hence the title of this post.. SAS = Sick As Shit. He hit the nail on the head.

I'm really not feeling any better yet even with the antibiotic and mild narcotic I've been given. I've been in an insane amount of pain. The narcotic hasn't helped much at all. It was supposed to numb my throat and help me sleep. I haven't slept more than an hour at a time in the last three days. I haven't been able to eat. I haven't been able to run. I have a race next Saturday. First one of the year and I'm freaking out that I won't be back to 100%.

On a brighter note, during my stomach flu in January I lost a few pounds. Since I haven't been able to eat in three days, I'm hoping to lose a few more! For now though, a break from the blog is needed as I"m getting dizzy typing this. Hope everyone stays warm this weekend with the impending snow!!

PSA for all

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Take one minute out of your day and click this link. This link will take you to a gorgeous momma's (and her equally gorgeous baby girl) blog. Every mom needs to read this information on TIDE PODS.

It'll only take a minute. This isn't a "shout out" for views or a "shout out" to say you have to go check out this girl's blog. Although she's a wonderful woman and I know this link may get her some more views, the importance is the PSA itself.

It can happen to anyone. Take the time. Read this POST and then go hug your babies and move those Tide Pods to a locked cabinet.

All my love to you mommas!


In case you missed it the first three times... http://norestforhalleigh.com/

Traveling with Toddlers

Like everyone who is doing something for the first time, you either ask for help, consult the internet or look it up on Pinterest. 

For the first time, I flew by myself with a toddler. Will was 13 months old when we flew to Orlando. I have a few tips and tricks to flying with a toddler without any help. I completely think that my experience would have been different if the Hubby was able to tag along. Having another set of hands would have made this completely stress free! But because he's a wonderful man, he sent us while he stayed home to work and I was left flying alone with a baby. 

1. Choose Wisely: The first order of business is figuring out your flight. I'd definitely recommend getting a direct flight. For me it was so much easier getting onto one plane, getting situated and not having to get off till we arrived at our destination. It may mean paying more but shell out that dough cause it'll be worth it! Also, if you can choose your destination based on flight time, take advantage. Luckily a flight to Orlando is only two hours long. This meant that Will was able to sleep nearly the whole flight without having to be entertained or wanting to get up and out of the seat. The second part of this tip, is to pick your times of departure and arrival as best as possible. You will never get the exact times you'll want but if you pick as close as possible, you could be in the clear. Our flight was supposed to leave Pittsburgh at 4pm which meant Will was ready for a second nap when we'd take off. We'd land in Orlando at 6pm. We got to the airport around 2:30pm only to learn that our flight was delayed an hour. Pittsburgh airport is awesome and I had no issue sitting down at a restaurant for a small meal with the baby to keep him entertained. When we got on the plane and got situated he fell right asleep because he was so exhausted. When we got to Orlando he was ready for dinner and bed and it was a very easy trip down.

2. Pack light for carry on: My biggest problem traveling alone with Will was I wanted to be prepared and not look like a mom who couldn't handle it alone. I had our coach diaper bag, my purse, his blanket and my jacket, plus the baby! Honestly, I didn't need all that stuff. He's such a content baby to begin with that he didn't need 5 toys for a 2 hour flight (which he slept through completely anyway)! On our flight home I packed my purse in the checked bag and only took the diaper bag with me. Anything that didn't fit in it went into the suitcase. Our flight home was late and I knew he'd sleep through that flight as well so I packed away the flight toys that I had for him. It definitely made a difference getting on the plane home and just throwing that diaper bag under the seat and out of my mind!

3. Charge that phone: Sadly, at a year old, Will knows what my phone is and that we talk to grandma on it a lot. Besides face timing grandma, taking pictures and showing him his pictures, that's the extent of his tech time. Before the flight I made sure to download some apps for him to do on the plane. We looked at animal flashcards and hit the screen to make bubbles pop. It kept him entertained and he didn't need any other toys of his own to play with. He fell asleep shortly after playing with the phone and didn't wake up till we had to get off the plane. On the way home he did the same thing. I truly believe I am just one lucky momma.

4. Enjoy the experience: This was a big milestone for us! Flying for the first time is exciting, even to a toddler. They get to see all kinds of people and see all kinds of planes. I definitely took the time to realize how lucky we were to take a mini vacation and give him this experience of flying. It made me happy to see him point at the planes and walk around the airport. Most people don't get to do that, so appreciate this milestone no matter how small it may be!

5. Blankets are your friend: Besides the planes being hot or cold this definitely doubled as a peek-a-boo game for us. It entertained him enough to make him laugh and that's the best. We grabbed our favorite Aden & Anais blanket for the trip. They're soft, light weight and more importantly easy to carry with you!

6. Bring tylenol: I'm not a fan of using medicine for unnecessary reasons like making them sleepy for the flight. But unfortunately, a side effect of airplane travel are ear infections. Having tylenol on hand for him helped until we got him to our pediatrician for an antibiotic. On top of his ear infection from traveling, he was teething and having some ibuprofen on hand as well really helped him while we were away from home.

7. Security is your friend: When traveling with a toddler and going through security alone, you may dread it. But don't fear! They're your friend when you have a baby in your arms! I was pushed through both lines of security in Pittsburgh and Orlando without have to take off anything (jackets, shoes, jewelry, belt) plus, they didn't make me empty my contents of my diaper bag (any liquids etc). They let me go straight up to the front and pushed me through as "priority" in both airports. You get treated well when you have a baby!

8. Sippy/Bottles: Going along with security, if you have a child and are going through security, you are able to take milk, formula or breast milk through security with you as long as it's in the bottle or sippy cup. This is allowed to be more than the regulated 3oz or whatever it is now. The only thing that may happen is that they'll do a strip test to make sure that it is milk, formula or breast milk.

9. The boarding dilemma: This was a test that I did. Before getting to the airport I thought of Will. I knew that he loved walking around and he hated sitting still. Everyone on the internet and on pinterest says to pre-board. I honestly was completely against it because I didn't want to end up with a squirming child after sitting for so long in one spot. So When we were leaving Pittsburgh we boarded last. Literally the last people on the plane. This meant we had no choice of seats which did kind of suck. However, Will was incredibly sleepy and when we sat down and got situated, he fell right asleep and we took off in no time. On the way back to Pittsburgh though it was very late at night. Our flight left at 8pm which meant Will was holding on by a thread waiting to get on the plane. After changing into our pjs and drank a bottle, the boarding gate lady asked us if it was just us two. Will was getting fussy and she could tell we were struggling waiting to board. She pushed me ahead with the first class passengers and we got to pre-board before any other family too. Doing it this way meant we picked our seat. I picked right up front. Lots of room, window seat, got situated and again, he fell right asleep. On the way back no one sat next to us so we were comfy. We also got right off that plane and get to daddy quickly because it was late and all we wanted to do was go home and be in bed! So for this test I'm still on the fence. Make your best judgement. If you're picky about seating, definitely pre-board but if you don't mind and want to let your kid get some more energy out, wait it out!

I hope these tips and tricks help someone out when they travel! Once I figure out how to add a "Pin this" button I'll try and do that. I appreciate any feedback you may have about traveling. Remember, you know your baby best so do what will help out your child. Every baby is different so even though my kid slept through both flights the whole time, you may have a rough experience if your babe just won't fall asleep for you. What I found was that even when Will would kick in his sleep and end up kicking the guy next to us, they aren't going to yell at you. Especially when you're alone with the baby. They're more then helpful and they'll usually just keep to themselves anyway. More often than not you're going to get a happy traveler next to you instead of one that gripes at you about a crying baby. You've probably all seen ideas on how to make goodie bags for your passengers because you have a baby. Screw that! You don't have time for that! Yes it's a nice gesture but guess what? They'll get over it because they're probably parents or grandparents as well and they'll love seeing your baby. They make headphones for a reason!

Happy travels!

Life as of late

Life has definitely taken control and this blog was put on the back burner for a few months. Since Will turned one, which I still can't believe happened, we endured Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! Things were hectic and crazy. So much so that Hubby surprised me and sent me and Will to Orlando for 5 days with our points from credit cards! It cost us a whole $5 to send me and Will to Orlando and back. His first plane ride was so easy. He must love flying like his mommy because he was a pro. Plus doing it alone (Hubby stayed home to work), I was beyond thankful for an easy baby. There will definitely be a more in depth blog post in the next day or so about flying with a baby, with no help from a SO. 

Some other big news has happened as well! After Christmas, I went back to work after being a stay at home mom for a whole year. Expect a big blog post on that as well. For now I just wanted to give a quick update to whoever may be reading this. I hope to get back into blogging weekly so be on the lookout for a couple posts coming up! Excited to get back into this and hoping I gain some more momma's on here reading and chiming in. Enjoy your Sundays and Go Seahawks! 

As long as I'm living.. My baby you'll be

Thanksgiving Day 2012 - Will was four days old

I know I won't have time tomorrow to blog so I knew I had to write something now. Tonight was the LAST night that Will went to bed as my baby boy. Tomorrow he'll wake up as my one year old. One year old. That's a lot of emotion in three little words. I thought "I love you" were the three most amazing words in the entire English language. I was wrong. After having a preemie, "one year old" is definitely the most wonderful words I've heard.

Will David Spinnenweber 3lbs 8oz 17.5 in
November 18, 2012 9:53 pm 

Once tiny, always strong

So many wires for such a tiny little peanut

Crying for Aunt Melanie

During our thirty minute window of holding him

Rocking him for the brief time he was allowed outside of the isolette

When we had Will six weeks early, I didn't think the NICU experience would ever end. The devastation of having to leave your newborn baby inside the tiny glass box while you walk away.. that will never compare to any other feeling in the world. Dave had to rip my hands away from the incubator when we had to leave the first night. They say that the baby will never remember what happened in the NICU but that doesn't matter because I will never forget every minute of that experience.

Our room at the Children's Home

Strapped in and ready to go by ambulance to the Children's Home

My typical NICU day, after we moved Will into the Children's home, was monotonous and thankfully uneventful. We were very lucky in the fact that Will did not have a lot of issues and had a relatively calm stay. If Dave wasn't staying in the NICU with me, I slept in Will's room on a cot. Through the night I'd wake up every three hours. The first wake up at midnight was easy. Sometimes I'd stay awake till then or just lay on the cot and doze on and off. I'd take Will's temperature and change his diaper. Measure how much pee or poop was in it and chart it for the nurse. We usually had some amazing nurses. There was one that was slightly off and I made sure to make mention that we didn't want her anymore. We rotated from a younger nurse and an older nurse. Both were amazing at getting him to eat his entire bottle. So after the nurse came in to make sure I was up and giving him his bottle and get his chart, I'd feed him his bottle and then we'd cuddle for a few minutes. Usually he went right to sleep after eating his bottle. After he had to go back into his isolette, I told the nurse how much he ate and then I started pumping. I exclusively pumped for three months. It was hard and it was worth it and I wish I was able to do it longer.

Feeding Will for the first time

Daddy feeding Will

The tape under his nose is to hold his feeding tube or "ng tube" in place

Pumping took about 20 minutes. I'd get to bed with at least two hours of sleep before the next wake up. Three am came too fast and sometimes I'd pump while the nurse fed him and then head back to bed. Six am was easy because after I pumped, I showered and got something to eat. We were very lucky to have such amazing nurses. So each day, every three hours, we'd take temperature. We'd weigh the diaper. We'd chart everything. I'd just sit and watch him sleep in his isolette. I'd talk to my mom on the phone. My dad would stop by on lunch. Dave's mom would come by after dinner. My mom later on at night. We'd just hang out in the room until the next three hours.

Always escaping my swaddle

FINALLY NO NG TUBE!

First smile

The first time in an open air crib! One step closer to home

Going home! December 11, 2012

I remember so many details of that time. I remember so much emotion. I remember the first day I didn't cry at all. I remember my birthday being one of the hardest days. He was so close to coming home but he failed the car seat test. I didn't want to leave the hospital that night but I had to get home and get his room ready for when he did come home. I honestly can't believe any of that ever happened. It's so strange to think that was only a year ago.

Tiny little peanut

First Christmas

So tiny 

The only picture with a pacifier. First day home

Daddy aka "Swaddle Champ"

When I found out I was pregnant, I was happy and excited. When I started having issues in the pregnancy and had so many appointments a week, I was scared but hopefully I'd make it to 40 weeks. When we went to the hospital the day before he arrived, I was in shock and it wasn't really setting in that it was happening. When I was getting prepped for the c-section, I burst out into tears and it all hit me like a ton of bricks that this was it. When I woke up hours after the c-section and Will was born, the fear that I first felt was God awful. I woke up and Dave was next to me, his parents behind him and my parents at the end of my bed. I didn't know if Will was alive. I didn't know if he was going to be okay. Was he breathing? Was he sick? When can I see him?

New Years Eve 2012

My beautiful sister and best aunt ever to Will 

Will was perfect. From the minute he was born, he was perfect. He was my tiny little peanut. He'll always be my tiny little peanut. I would do anything for him and to see him hooked up to wires and a ventilator was one of the hardest things to see. Now that he's an entire year stronger, and I look back at where we started, my eyes just well up with tears. I'm so proud of him. If you follow me on instagram, you'll see two videos of Will taking a few steps today. STEPS! WALKING! My little man is almost walking. What an amazing milestone to hit on his first birthday.

Will,
You are everything we could have ever wanted in our life. You make our days exciting and filled with love. Everything that you have accomplished so far has only proved to us how amazing you will be when you're older. We wish that you'll always know how much we love you. You're one year old but you'll always be our baby.
Love, Mommy & Daddy

Look how far you've come

365 Days

In merely a week, my tiny little peanut baby boy will be an entire year old. The fact that this year has come and gone is insane. I literally was pregnant yesterday, I swear! We had Will' birthday at the beginning of November. He doesn't turn one until the 18th but with flu season and the holidays coming I wanted to do it early. I was waiting to blog about it until my sister posted her professional pictures of the party but she's busy finishing up at college and I'll post better pictures later on!

We had a John Deere themed birthday party. My aunt made his smash cake and the cake for family. She has done my shower cake and will be doing our wedding cake as well. I also had oreos as "spare tires" and cow tails and my best friend/maid of honor Jenny made us rice krispy treats as "hay bales"!

I did a few other crafty things with Jenny. We made his garland in the window that will go in his room now that the party is over. His room is green and yellow and rustic themed. I also made a banner for his birthday that I'll probably just keep forever because it's so awesome. I had some great food as well with some clever tags. The utensils were pitch forks, spades and shovels. We had deviled chicken eggs, Will's veggie garden pizza, sloppy cowboy joes, potatoes, wagon wheel mac n cheese and apples from Will's orchard.

He received so many wonderful gifts from friends and family. We are truly blessed to have this little boy in our lives. He's truly a miracle and I can't believe it's been a whole year. Our NICU journey seems like it happened yesterday but I'm glad to have a whole year of being out of the hospital under our belts. We'll definitely be celebrating lots of things like Will's actual birthday, his NICU release date and of course his actual due date even though it's Christmas day! We really do have a lot of things to be thankful for this year and Will is on the top of that list.

Enjoy your fall weather and be sure to look for Will's 12 month update after we hit the pediatrician for his one year appointment!! (: 

Run Forrest, Run!

In a mere 3 days I will run my first 5k. When I thought about doing a 5k I didn't think it'd actually happen. First off, I'm now (almost) 26 years old. I'm not running my 7 minute high school mile nor my 8 minute college mile. I have also drank and smoked plenty of my share of multiple substances. Wink, wink. On top of even THAT, I had a baby. Which you know, is slightly a big deal.

Before I was pregnant, or rather, before I knew I was pregnant, I had started a rather intense running regiment. That was, until first trimester kicked my ass and said "go take a nap instead lady! you're growing a tiny human being in your belly!" So running took a back burner and then I found out I was pregnant. I was all about being that pregnant woman who still ran. That slowly changed as well because of my long hours of work and just plain being tired. I was never so lazy in my life.. yet somehow only gained 11lbs during pregnancy. No, I didn't diet and no I didn't do anything to put Will in danger of being premature. Side note, I think it's sad that we have to mention those kinds of things because someone out there is stupid and takes things the wrong way. Anyway back on (the running) track..

Once I had Will and the weather broke in Pittsburgh, we started walking. I am engaged and wanted to get into better shape for the wedding not necessarily train to run a ramce. Will and I walked about 5 miles, three to four times a week, depending on the weather. Then life got in the way again and I would only walk about 2.5 miles with him. I have some pretty motivating friends who run a lot and run distances that no sane person ever should. So I thought about seeing what the smallest distance race is, the 5k, which is 3.1 miles. I thought to myself, if I can walk 2.5 in about half an hour, I can totally add another .6 and run that S.O.B! Haaaahaaaahaaa...

So I started running. I ended up running better than I thought and I was loving it. So I said the hell with it, I'll sign up for a race. This last month's training has been shit. Life has thrown a million things in my way recently and I am not liking that I don't have a free 15 minutes to run. On top of that the only week I had nothing, Will got a really high temp due to teething and I wanted to keep him inside. This morning I had a panic attack and wanted to back out of it. I want to do it don't get me wrong. I'm just making lame excuses up and I'm not some lame punk ass who backs out of things.

Another side note, I swear a lot and apparently today I am just on point or something. I apologize to those who can't take words with a grain of salt. Grow up. (:

So now with a mere three days left till the big day, the butterflies are there. The anxiety is heightened and my nerves are shot. I will kick this race's ass and I will have the biggest smile crossing that finish line and I will do it a hell of a lot better than I would have three months ago. I will be damn proud of this accomplishment and I will smile the whole time. I know that Dave is proud of me already but I want him to be like, yeah, that's my wife who just beat your time. I want Will to see his mom accomplish something that she's worked for. I want him to know that if he works for something he will do it. He won't be a punk ass either ;)


And with that I leave you my next goal... I WILL run a 10k by the time Will turns three years old! That gives me two years and a wedding to get through so I figured that would be a good time to accomplish that goal. Trust me, I'm going to be writing about those fears three days before that race as well. Enjoy life ladies & gents. I bid you adieu.