Change Is Inevitable

WOW...our last blog entry was July 12, 2012.  It has been nothing but crazy since then and our family has gone through so much change.  Some good.  Some bad.  But in the end, we will find ourselves being better and stronger as a result of it all!  This post will probably be way longer than it needs to be...so let's get to it.

Abigail is growing like a weed!  She is strong, happy, independent, and loving.  She was 7 months old on the 8th of December.  That seems unbelievable to us.  We find ourselves saying things like, "One year ago we found out we were pregnant" or "One year ago I was SO sick".  It doesn't even seem real that over one year has passed since this journey started and now we have this beautiful, amazing little girl that makes every aspect of our lives infinitely better in every way.  Her personality has really developed and for as loving as she can be she can also be equally as demanding.  And as tough as it can be to keep our sanity when she is being demanding we love that she is such a fighter!

Abbie had a busy summer...she swam twice...the first time at Uncle Duong and Auntie Nha's party and again at the Kocher's house after the fantasy football draft.  She loved being in the water and actually fell asleep in Daddy's arms during the first swim!  She also went to the beach this summer.  We visited our good friends the Barrettos at the beach house they rented.  While she didn't swim she loved feeling the warm beach breeze tickle her face and the sand beneath her toes.  Of course, getting all the sand out afterwards was a task in itself!

Swimming Tires a Girl Out!

Beach Baby!

 Abbie really seems to like her school.  We wish we could say the same.  Don't get us wrong, we are happy with the school, but would rather have her at home with one of us!  No one will ever care for her like we can.

Abbie started cereal over two months ago and was rather ambivalent about it.  We couldn't feed her fast enough and she got pretty worked up.  We decided that since she did well with the cereal (didn't throw it all back up) that we would just forge ahead with solids.  She has tried (and likes) peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and pears.  More will be introduced in the coming weeks, but for now she gets one jar per day with rice cereal mixed in.  The doctor wants us to do this so she can get the iron benefits found in the cereal.

Carrots!

Cereal?

About 3 months ago Abbie rolled over in the middle of the night.  Lisa woke up and found her laying on her tummy in her crib.  Ever since then she is, without question, a tummy sleeper...just like her mommy!  Speaking of mommy, Lisa has witnesses and a reluctant Tuna agreement that we have heard her numerous times saying MAMA!  We are not sure if it is intentional, but dang it, she said it!

First Roll Over!

Can This Even Be Comfortable?

She also has this new habit of blowing air between her lips.  All the time.  It is so funny to hear her do it.  We will have to get it on tape as it is funny stuff!  She smack her lips, and is starting to chat up a storm.  We often wonder what is running through her little mind.  Wouldn't that be interesting to know?

We love Abigail so much and love all the adventures we have been on in the last few months.  We hope to give her more and more experiences that she will be able to look back on with happiness and joy.

First Aggie Tailgate and Game!

First Food Truck...Good Dog Hot Dogs!

Since Abbie has been born we have been asked the following question: "It is hard to even imagine your life before her, right?"  We found ourselves answering yes to that question...but not truly believing it...and feeling bad about that.  But the truth is, we feel like the arrival of Abigail has only enhanced the life we shared together before her arrival.  That time has prepared us for this little girl who means the world to us.  We loved every minute of that life together and she is another chapter in the great adventure. 

Unfortunately, some of the change that has occurred has been a bit more difficult to accept.  As most of you know by now we lost our beloved Golden Retriever, Rosey.  Lisa came home from work in mid-September and found that she had passed away while she was at work.  It was unexpected, horrible, scary, sad, and outright gut-wrenching.  But it was evident that she went peacefully.  Thank God for that.  We miss her so much and are trying to adjust to life without a dog.  But don't worry, we will be getting a dog one day.  We just want to be prepared to put the time in to properly raise a dog, but more importantly we want Abbie to be able to share in the process of picking out, naming, and caring for a dog.  Until then, we will sorely miss the nudge of a cold nose and cuddling with a furry friend.  Well, unless you count this cute little puppy...

Windows won't let me rotate pics sent from my iPhone...sorry!

We miss our Rosey.

We have also experienced two great losses within the last few weeks.  In early November Lisa's Uncle Henry lost his battle with cancer.  It was so unbearable she could not find the words to even express her sadness.  Henry was such a special person to her and losing him, while not unexpected, was still unthinkable.  So, here is what she has wanted to say:

"I never met my grandfather on my dad's side.  He passed away when my dad was just 18 years old.  So in a way, Uncle Henry played two roles for me - Uncle and Grandfather.  He was funny (boy was he funny) even though his jokes had to be the corniest jokes - EVER.  He always had a story.  No matter what the occasion or event he had a story about something that he had heard or experienced or knew of.  He should have written a book.  I learned more about life spending weeks at a time at the Crown B Ranch.  Chickens, pigs, cattle, (insert the "Circle of Life" song here!) etc.  Speaking of which, Anne and Henry loved their "girls" - cattle that is.   I am pretty sure that there was a photo album at one point!  At an early age I learned that it is truly a compliment to have a heifer named after you.  Both your first name and then your middle name.  A heifer birthing a calf - a bull calf - is a miracle.  Thus, Miracle, their first bull calf was born and I was there to witness that.  Oh yea, you should also make certain that no one has a video recorder when you fall off of a 4 wheeler and your ass lands straight in a steaming, fresh pile of cow shit.  This really happened.  Really.  Poor Henry...but he was such a good sport!  Now where is that video?  He constantly wanted to pick the "tick" off of my neck.  He tried for 38 years.  Never play 42 (dominoes) against him.  He was a pro.  And if he was teamed up with Anne, you should fold.  Immediately.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, is better than a Coke Float with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.  Especially on a hot summer evening - right after supper.  He taught me that and every single time I make a Coke float with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream I think of him.  I can't wait to share one with Abbie one day.  When we do, I will tell her stories of Uncle Henry and explain to her what a big heart he had.  He loved Anne so much and their marriage was a model of what everyone's should be.  I will miss Uncle Henry more than any words can ever express.  To end this I will use Henry's own words - 'Love ya kid.'"

Aunt Anne and Uncle Henry with Abbie @ 1 day old.

Lisa also lost her God-mother and namesake this past week.  Christine Marsters was a very special person to Lisa and her passing has been difficult to accept.  Chris was a master of words and a master of making you feel important and cared about.  Luckily, Lisa was a recipient of one of the letters that Chris was so famous for writing.  It was dated July 29, 1999 and was written on the occasion of our wedding.  It will serve to remind us of the importance of relationships.  Rest in Peace, Chris.  You are one of a kind.

It has been very difficult to deal with all of theses losses, lately.  However there has been a silver lining...Lisa has been reunited with some dear friends and family members she hasn't seen in decades.  While the occasion has been sad, it has been wonderful to reconnect and share stories of the good times.  This just serves as a reminder to us that we need to provide these types of experiences for Abbie.  We need to surround her with people that love her and care for her and her well being.  We will strive to provide this for her.

Continuing with the theme of change, we both have started new jobs.  Lisa went back to the classroom and is teaching 7th grade ELA in Katy.  A LOT has changed since she was last in the classroom during the 2007-2008 school year.  But she is adapting.  She is thankful for a job and is glad to be back teaching with some of her friends.  Of course, the ultimate goal is to become a school librarian and it will happen when the time is right!

Tuna has completely switched fields.  In early September Tuna decided to leave the landscaping company that he and another person began in 2011.  It would be fair to say that they did not agree on how to run the business and Tuna decided that it was time to move forward.  After A LOT of soul searching and number crunching and sleepless nights we decided that for the sake of our family that Tuna would not continue with the idea of opening his own landscaping company.  Besides, Tuna was ready for a change and an opportunity to work in the oil and gas industry literally fell into his lap.  He is now employed as a Junior Commissioning Specialist with Audubon Engineering.  The job requires travel and as many of you know (or have figured out) he has been in Pecos, Texas since before Thanksgiving.  He was able to come home for Thanksgiving and the company flew him home when Uncle Henry passed away.  But by the time the job he is currently on is finished he will have been gone a total of 47 days.  It has been tough being apart as we have never been apart for that long.  Not in 22 years of being together (outside of college).  Tuna misses Abbie terribly, but we both feel that this will be worth it in the end.  Additionally, we are abundantly thankful that he HAS a job.  The good news is that he will not be gone for this long of a time in the future.  He was there early to train for his position.  He comes home Thursday and we cannot wait to all be reunited.

Thank you to everyone who has been there to support us and offer words of wisdom.  It has been a tough road and we cannot express enough how much it has meant to us for to feel the love and support of our friends and family.  And for those of you who have had to constantly listen to us and our pity party (you know who you are) and has offered advice or just an ear to listen - THANK YOU and WE LOVE YOU!

We embrace change.  We look for change in order to make us better.  But sometimes change finds us when we least expect it and we wish it would just move along.  But when it is all said and done change is inevitable.  We have decided that change will make us stronger and happier and closer and more in love with our family unit - no matter what form the change comes in.  

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year and a good ole Happy Holidays!  We love you all and feel blessed for having you as a part of our lives!

xoxo,
Tuna, Lisa, and Abbie

The Nguyens - KDK Ranch - Thanksgiving 2012

Things We've Learned Since May 8th

Hello Everyone!
As of today our little Chickpea is 9 weeks and 2 days old.  It is unreal how fast time has gone by and how much Abbie has changed in that time!  What we have decided to do for this entry is make a list of things we have come to realize over the past 9 weeks.  There will be an update that follows the list...

Here are a few things we have learned since May 8th:

1. It doesn't actually take 4+ wipes to change a baby.  There may be a few exceptions, but generally speaking 2 should be the max.
2. Eating together, at the same time, is a luxury. 
3. Don't wait until after the baby is born to finish writing thank yous.  Bad, bad, bad idea.
4. You don't realize how loud you are "around the house" until you have a baby sleeping in it.
5. You don't realize how creaky your bones are until you have a baby sleeping in the house.
6. The first six weeks are hell.  Don't let anyone fool you.
7. There is a Facebook conspiracy.  We thought our baby was cranky and fussy because everyone only posts pictures of/talks about how wonderful their children are on Facebook.  We thought there was something wrong with ours, simply based on the Facebook postings.   
8. We have turned into "those people who only post pictures of their kid".
9. We prefer to call day care, "school", as it just makes us feel better.
10. Our friends and family are SO generous...beyond measure.  Thank you for that.
11. Medical bills are ri-dic-u-lous.  We could go on and on...but that last sentence sums it up.
12. Baby clothes are simply adorable and it is a good thing we didn't know what we were having as we would have spent every last penny buying baby clothes instead of furniture, diapers, etc.  You know, the essentials. 
13. Folding dirty diapers is an art.  It stems from trying to get them small enough to be able to fit as many as possible in the diaper pail.
14. We had no idea how much we could love another human.  It is incomparable and grows each and every day.

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of week:

Abbie's First July 4th!

See...a not perfect baby picture!

2 month picture...kind of funny!

2 months old - 07/08/2012

Abbie has changed so much since the last update.  At exactly 6 weeks old she slept through the night for the first time.  We freaked out when we woke up and realized that neither of us had gotten up with her!  Since then she has slept, on average, 10 hours each night.  Last night was an exception as she woke up to feed at 4:30, but she had a rough day yesterday.  She had her 2 month check-up and that included shots!  3 to be exact.  It was so sad...for us!  But Abbie really was a trooper.  She cried more than we had ever heard her cry, but recovered quickly.  We were so proud of her.  Needless to say, she slept all the way home and all afternoon.  We had to wake her up to eat and change, but after that she was back asleep.  That check-up took a lot out of the girl!  Luckily, she didn't get a fever, so we were relieved at that.  At the check-up yesterday she weighed in at 11 lbs 4 oz and was 22 inches.  This puts her in the 50th-75th percentile in both categories, which is good.

She is getting so responsive to us and is smiling and just starting to laugh.  Her cooing and flirting is simply adorable (according to us!).  She definitely recognizes us and responds to us when we smile or talk to her.  This is so heartwarming!  It has been fun to see her little personality develop right before our very eyes.  Literally each new day is different from last.

From the day we brought Abbie home she has been able to hold her head up - to an extent.  At the doctor visit she suggested that she might be crawling and walking a little earlier than normal.  While it is always nice to think of your child as "advanced" in any capacity, the idea of keeping up with her once she is mobile is a little frightening!  But we will handle it as it comes.  One day at a time...

We have had some fun outings to Grandpa and GG's house and to Academy with Daddy.  In fact today, he bought her home her first Under Armor.  Good grief!  A few weeks ago Grummies and Lisa discovered the Carter's outlet in Katy Mills.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Too cute!  Grummies got Abbie a couple of outfits that are too stinking cute (think little pink button up sweater!). 

Rosey hasn't left yet, but there are some days she looks at us like she is about to walk out the door.  We love our Rosey!

That is the latest from our neck of the woods. As always, thanks for following along our journey into parenthood.  It's a jungle out there!

xoxo,
Tuna, Lisa, and Abbie

The Things We Do for Love

Hello everyone! We thought it would be a good time to catch everyone up on the goings-on at our house.  It is probably best that we waited until this week to update the blog...as we are all just now getting in sync.  We love our girl, but it has been tough up until now to understand her and bond with her.  Not the we didn't LOVE her more than anything, but there were some tear-filled moments (mostly from Lisa) of frustration.  Now we are getting on a bit of a routine and this is making everyone's life a lot easier!

As of this blog post Abbie is 1 day shy of being 7 weeks old.  We cannot believe that the time has gone by so fast.  She had her first photo shoot at 16 days old...and the pictures were a-dor-able (at least we think so)!  We are waiting to get a video produced by the photographer and will share that with everyone via Facebook.  They did a really nice job and Abbie was a great model (meaning - she didn't cry or fuss!).  Her last doctor's visit was May 25th and she was measuring right on track.  She had to have a her heel pricked and blood drawn.  She hollered SO much!  Poor baby!  But all the results came back good, so it was worth it in the end. 

We spent the Memorial Day Sunday at Grandpa and GG's house.  It was nice to get away from our house. Abbie didn't really like her carseat, so it was a loud trip from Richmond to Cypress...but we made it!  By 4 weeks she was really starting to become very alert and aware.  She was really responding to us and that was such a neat thing!  Tuna has been strolling her up to Starbucks on Saturday mornings.  He is starting her early on the Starbucks route...by the time she is old enough to enjoy a hot chocolate or tea she is going to know exactly how to get to Starbucks!  Of course, Tuna has already taken her to Academy, too!  We have taken her on several outings and are getting used to what that entails (which seems to be the equivalent to a weekend road trip). But it has been fun to start to show Abbie the world around her. 

We had our first official night out on the 17th.  Grummies (Lisa's mom) sent us to the theater to see The Best Little Whore House in Texas while she and Bonna watched Abbie.  It was great!  We also went to dinner at Max's Wine Dive.  The whole evening was so nice and we didn't realize how much we needed it!

While we have had a couple of nights, early on, where she slept a little longer than she should have, we are officially saying that she slept through the night on June 20th - when she was exactly 6 weeks old.  She has been pretty consistent since then, so we are more than excited about that!  We have a good night time routine.  After a little play time with Daddy, Tuna gives her a bath every evening, Lisa feeds her, and then Tuna puts her to bed.  This seems to work well for us and since Abbie has slept through the night we would say that it has worked well for her, too!

We finally decided on a day care for Abbie (Lisa likes to call it "school" since that, for some strange reason, makes her feel better).  It is right by our house, they have completed some nice renovations lately, and the director and staff are very nice.  So today Lisa took Abbie and got her enrolled.  We have already begun discussing who will take her on the first day.  We both recognize that we are going to be a hot mess having to leave her.    

The end of last week and into this week has been a step for us in the right direction.  We are getting naps under control, feedings under control, and getting a routine established.  Nursing has been extremely tough for Lisa - both physically and emotionally.  But last week, she hit her stride and she has it under control.  It only took 6 weeks!  With the trials and tribulations that Lisa has had it became VERY clear why so many women give up.  It would have been VERY easy to give up and just use formula.  She started with setting goals and has stuck with it.  The one thing we have learned is the importance of a good latch.  That makes a HUGE difference!  HUGE! 

Rosey is still indifferent to Abbie and still has the "when is this thing leaving" look.  We make sure to give her extra love and treats so she doesn't run away!  Abbie is growing fast...and has already outgrown quite a few outfits.  She is growing like a weed!   This past weekend we discovered the Carter's store in Katy Mills.  Let's just say that it is a good thing we didn't know the sex of the baby prior to delivery...we would have spent all the "baby money" on clothes.  That store has the cutest outfits ever! 


Thanks to everyone who has come to visit Abbie!  We love that everyone is excited to see her and hold her and we love visiting with everyone.  And thank you to those who have babysat her while Lisa went on interviews.  It means more than you all know.


Here are a few of our favorite pictures since the last blog:

Abbie at 1 month!

Abbie at 1 month giving Dundy the stink eye.

Abbie's first outing to Babies R Us

Tuna and Abbie napping!

We love this little girl to the moon and back!

 Thanks for following along with us...


xoxo,
Tuna, Lisa and Abbie

Abigail Frances Nguyen

Today, it will have been two weeks since Abbie was born.  It is really hard to believe.  There have been many sleepless nights, tears (mostly from Lisa), and wonderful, sweet moments in between.  This is the toughest thing we have ever done and the best thing we have ever done.

This blog may be a little long, so bare with us...we want to chronicle everything we can and there is a lot to catch up on!

Here is Abbie's birth story...
Lisa went to see the doctor on Monday the 7th (Abbie's actual due date) and had an ultrasound.  The ultrasound indicated that the fluid level around Abbie was low and so our decision to schedule her to be delivered on the 8th was the right decision.  Lisa headed home and finalized packing and getting the house cleaned for when we got back home.  We were to check in to the hospital at 10:00 pm.  Around 8:00 pm that night we got a call from the hospital and all labor and delivery rooms were full.  They were going to call us once a room became available.  The call came at 2:45 am.  So we packed up all our stuff, took one last picture of the bump (see below) and headed out to Memorial Hermann Katy.

The last bump picture before going to the hospital.

Last view of the bump before going to the hospital.

The tired parents-to-be...it was 3:00 am!

We got there about 3:45 am and by the time we had filled out their paperwork and hooked Lisa up to various machines it was about 5:30 am.  We were able to sleep until 7:00 am and then the contractions started!  Little did Lisa know she was already having them (she just thought it was the baby moving down low), but once the Pictocin kicked in it was full-on contractions.  By 9:30 am the epidural was administered and that seemed to take the edge off, just a bit.  By this time Lisa's mom, dad, and step-mom had arrived for the big day and at 2:30 pm Lisa's brother had arrived.

This must have been after the epidural...!

By about 2:30 pm Lisa had made it to 7 cm dilated, but Abbie's heart rate was decelerating with each contraction.  The nurses and the doctor thought that it was a result of the Pitocin lowering Lisa's blood pressure to very low levels (90/60 at one point) and this impacted the blood flow to Abbie.  To prevent the decelerations Lisa was moved from one side to the other to sitting straight up in bed.  By 4:00 pm it was decided that she should try getting up on her forearms and knees on the bed.  Well, let's just say this was quite the event that involved an almost somersault over the front end of the bed and almost ripping out her IV all due to her right leg being completely numb while trying to turn back over (you should ask Lisa to tell you the story).  Well, the good news is that in the 15 minutes she was in the "downward facing dog" position - as Tuna called it - she progressed from 7 cm dilated to 9 cm dilated.  The doctor was called in and the pushing was right around the corner.

After a few pushes with the nurse and Tuna helping - the doctor finally arrived.  We didn't know it at the time, but Lisa had made it to 10 cm dilated.  So she pushed with all her might and we hoped that Abbie would be delivered safely.  But it was not to be...Abbie's heart rate was still decelerating and the doctor felt that with 45 minutes of pushing that Abbie could not withstand that kind of stress.  So it was decided that a c-section was the best, safest route for both Mom and especially baby.  Lisa and Tuna had discussed just this scenario and our thoughts were conveyed to the doctor prior to delivery.  We had decided that we would not fight the doctor if she recommended c-section.  It was clear to us that the nurses and doctor had done everything possible to get Abbie here safely via a vaginal delivery and that a c-section was the only option left.

Things happened VERY quickly once the decision was made.  Tuna was given scrubs, Lisa was prepped and wheeled into the OR and from there on out it was like an out-of-body experience for her.  People were bustling around the room getting things ready and then finally Tuna was let in to the room.  He was able to stand-up and watch the procedure from the first cut into Lisa's belly.  The procedure was a very odd experience for Lisa.  It was as if she could feel everything except pain.  Pulling, tugging, pressure, everything but pain.  At one point Lisa looked at Tuna and he gave the thumbs up.  Lisa thought this meant it was a boy...as this was right around the time the baby was being pulled out.  But at 5:26 pm the doctor announced that it was a "big girl" and that is when Tuna lost it.  He was able to see her, but due to the screen Lisa had yet to see her.  Finally, the doctor held her up over the screen and Lisa saw her for the very first time!  Then it was Lisa's turn to lose it!  Tuna then went over to where Abbie was being cleaned up and cared for by the nurses while Lisa was being sewn back up.  As it turns out, the cord was over Abbie's shoulder and she was not aligned properly so that shoulder with the cord over it was being pushed into Lisa's hip bone - thus the heart decelerations.  Below are some pictures from the c-section (warning...some of the pictures might be a little graphic).

Tuna waiting to go into the OR.

The first picture of Abigail Frances!

Showing her to Lisa over the curtain.

Daddy Tuna holding his baby girl for the first time!

And then there were three...

The ID bracelet all 3 of us wore.

 
Lisa was sent to recovery and Tuna stayed with Abbie.  He actually took her out to the waiting room to meet the family!  Everyone was excited to find out that we had a girl!  Of course, we hadn't decided on a name at this point, but The Chickpea was finally here!  Abbie and Tuna then went to the nursery where she was cleaned up and the family was able to take pictures.  Here is a great picture of Abbie and Tuna (credit to Jace):

Lisa finally made it to a room by 8:00 pm where it took another 45 minutes to get settled and for Abbie to get there.  Then the family was able to come in and see Lisa and hold Abbie for the first time.  We told them the middle name was going to be Frances.  It is a name that has been in Lisa's family for 4 out of 5 generations now.  For some reason, no one in Lisa's generation was given that name.  Up until now it has been used as a first name (this is Lisa's mom's given name...although most know her by Frankie).  Abbie will carry on the tradition by having it as her middle name.  Of course, we still had the task of deciding on a first name!

Abbie and Grummies (Lisa's mom)

Abbie and Grandpa (Lisa's dad)

Abbie and Uncle Jace (Lisa's brother)

Abbie and GG (Lisa's step-mom)

Abbie and Great-Aunt Bonna (Lisa's aunt)

 The first night was rough as nurses kept coming in to check on Lisa and the baby, so sleep was pretty much non-existent.  The hospital has in place what they call "rooming-in" where the baby stays with mom in the room throughout the stay.  While this, in theory is a great policy, we believe that it would have been much better for Abbie to have been in the nursery the first night.  Lisa was locked down in the bed with inflating leg cuffs and was being awaken every hour, for 4 straight hours, all through the night and had been up since 3:00 am the previous morning.  To say that we were exhausted would be an understatement.  We are quite certain that our care of Abbie that night was not the best and we were zombies the next day.  We would also like to add that this idea of taking advantage of the services that hospital offers and the down time it provides was not what we experienced.  Everyone that worked there was so nice, but it was a constant barrage of necessary and well-intended interruptions (like the cafeteria staff calling at every meal if Lisa hadn't ordered anything).  But overall, the hospital staff was very, very nice and caring.

Wednesday we finally decided upon a name for the baby.  The issue was kind of forced when the hearing test lady came in and asked her name.  As many of you know we had 3 names that we couldn't decide between.  Tuna was always certain about Abigail, but Lisa liked the others just as much.  But after a little chat earlier in the day Lisa just stated that Abigail was her name and Tuna just smiled.  Tuna had always liked Abigail - Abbie in particular.  We felt like the name was timeless and all-American and was a perfect fit for our little girl.  We call her Abbie, but her given name is Abigail.  We will teach her both names and eventually she will decide which name she prefers.  And that is how we decided on the name, Abigail Frances. 

We want to thank everyone who came and visited us during our stay.  It meant so much to us that you took the time to visit us, and by us we mean Abbie!  :)  We got a picture of almost everyone who visited and one day will be sharing those with Abbie.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

We couldn't wait to check out of the hospital.  Lisa's doctor would have discharged us on Thursday night, but we weren't prepared.  But that had to have been the longest 4 days...we couldn't wait to get home and start getting settled.  When we were finally discharged on Friday morning we got Abbie in the "coming home" outfit and loaded up the car and off we went.

Getting Abbie dressed in the outfit.

Abbie and Mommy...ready to go home!

Abbie and Daddy

First car ride...home from the hospital.

Lisa's mom met us at home and we took a few pics and spent some time getting settled.  Lisa's mom began a cooking extravaganza that lasted through Monday.  She cooked lunches and dinners each day and a few meals were frozen to eat at a later date.  What a lifesaver she was and when we get to the meals that were frozen we will be so thankful!  Thank you, Grummies!

Grummies and Abbie on her first day home.

A close-up of Abbie in the coming home outfit.

Yup...we went there - prom style pic!

Mommy, Daddy, Grummies and Abbie.

And thank you to everyone who has come to visit us since being home.  It means the world to us.  We would also like to thank Guilford, (aka GG) for also making and freezing a few casseroles for us to have during the coming weeks.

Some have asked about how Rosey is adapting and she seems to be indifferent to Abbie.  Although, she did look at us the other day with an "isn't this thing going away" kind of look.  Sorry Rosey, she is here to stay!

Since we have been home it has been tough!  We knew it be difficult, but it has been even harder than that!  To us, it is like each day is a puzzle and we have to figure out the right combination of things to solve the puzzle.  When Abbie is crying, and we have seemingly taken care of all of her needs, it can get very frustrating.  Luckily we tag team quite a bit in the evenings and that has helped a lot.  A LOT!  The hardest part is not knowing how to help her when she is feeling frustrated too!  But we will get through it!

A couple of milestones...
We believe Abbie had a her first documented smile on Monday, May 14th.  Many people say it is "gas", but when you look at that picture it is hard to believe that is not a genuine smile.  So we are counting it as the first!

Abbie is so happy in the arms of her daddy!

 She also lost the majority of her cord on Monday the 21st.  There is still a little scab left, but a big chunk of it is already gone.

She had her first visit to the pediatrician on May 16th.  The pediatrician was pleased with her progress.  She had already gained back the weight babies lose after birth.  This typically takes two weeks to do, but our little precious has done it in one.  We must have a healthy eater on our hands...  She goes back to the pediatrician on Friday the 25th.

She loves bath time!  Although at this point it is just a sponge bath, she never cries or gets upset.  She seems to love it!

After the first bath...of which she enjoyed!

Well, that is all of the news for now...we will keep updating as time goes on.  And thank you again, for coming on this journey with us!  It seems like yesterday that this blog was started and we shared the news of our family growing.  Wow...

xoxo,
Tuna, Lisa & Abbie

PS - Here is one of our favorite pictures...

Tuna snapped this one early one morning. 

We Have A Date! And Other Random Musings...

39 weeks.  In one more week, the baby will be full term.  That is so crazy to think back when Lisa was SO sick...that seems like ages ago, yet just like it was yesterday.  Seriously, where does the time go?  This is almost scary!  Below is a 39 weeks "bump" picture (please ignore the hair and outfit...it is all about comfort these days!):

Side view @ 39 weeks...no, that is not Lisa's belly button, just the drawstring on the over-sized shorts!

Front view @ 39 weeks - dang, those shorts are baggy!

Lisa had another appointment today and everything went really well.  She is still just 1 cm dilated, so not much progress from last week.  Lisa thinks that since she spent so much time telling the Chickpea not to come early so she could finish her masters program that the Chickpea has taken this job very seriously and is not ready to make an appearance at all.  What a good, obedient baby we already have! 

The doctor wanted us to set a date for induction at this appointment.  We had already discussed this and it was decided that anytime after Monday the 7th would be just fine.  So, earlier this afternoon the doctor emailed and we will be induced on Tuesday, May 8th...if the Chickpea doesn't decide to make an appearance before then.  When Lisa told Tuna what the date was, he jokingly said, "So should I take the day off?"  What a funny Tuna!

There will still be an appointment on May 7th and Lisa will be checked to see how dilated she is, there will be an ultrasound to see if the fluid levels are good (this is really starting to sound like a NASCAR pitstop...), and other preparations will be done to get ready for delivery the next day.  We will then check into the hospital by 10 pm on Monday night.  After that, we are not really sure what will happen, but hopefully it will all go smoothly and the Chickpea will be here - healthy and happy - on May 8th!

And how about this for a coincidence...Lisa's cousin Kim and Tuna share the exact same birthday (same year, too).  Kim's son, Connor (he is 10...soon to be 11) and Chickpea could possibly have the same birthday - May 8th!  Two generations of parents who share a birthday and their kids with the same birthday!  What a wonderful story!

Easter weekend we received a very special item.  Lisa's family, on her mom's side, has a "going home" outfit that has been in use since the 1930's when her Uncle Ronnie was the first baby to come home in the outfit.  Since then, most of Lisa's family members have come home in this same outfit.  Here is just her immediately family who have come home in the outfit:

• Frankie - 1948
• Lisa - 1974
• Jace - 1977
• Tre - 2001
• Caden - 2005
• "Chickpea" - 2012

What a neat family tradition to keep going.  We are trying to get a master list of everyone in the family who has come home in the outfit so we can have it for the records.  Below is a picture of the outfit:

Going home outfit...it is just about as fragile as the tissue paper it rests on!

It would probably be funny to be a fly on the wall in our house right now.  We keep having conversations that go something like this..."I wonder if the next time we put fresh sheets on the bed we will be parents?" or "This time next week we might be sitting here on the couch with a baby in the Nap Nanny."  That has been the gist of our conversations over the past week or so.

And we did get a laugh last night when we realized we have the same "biggest" fear.  Our biggest fear is that we will come in from being out somewhere, relaxing on the couch, and then it will hit us that we left the baby in the baby carrier in the car!  Seriously, since it has been "just us" for almost 13 years we are paranoid about leaving the baby somewhere!  Lord help us!

Here is a list of the things that Lisa can't wait to do once the Chickpea is here:

• Go back to sleeping on her stomach (yes, yes, with what little sleep we will be getting).
• Getting rid of constant heartburn...who knew water could give you heartburn?
• Have a glass of a nice, effervescent, bubbling champagne.  Sigh...
• Be able to belch a real, loud belch (yes, this is not lady-like, but gosh it is nice to do every now and then!).
• Shave her legs in a non-contorted manner.
• Stretch each morning without having to deal with horrible leg, toe, foot, etc. cramps (by the way...drinking a Gatorade a day has really helped with this).
• There are probably many more, but these are the big ones!

Lastly, we want to note that our backyard has been bombarded with Cardinals over the last couple of weeks.  While we typically see them around this time of year...we haven't seen and heard so many in our backyard - ever!  This is significant because we both believe that Cardinals are a sign that things are OK or will be OK.  This comes from Lisa's grandfather, "Bang" and his always being visited by Mr. and Mrs. Red in his backyard up at the lake house in Crockett.  They would visit everyday - never alone, but always together.  Cardinals were always significant to him.  When Lisa's grandmother was in hospice for the last few days of her life her room was on the second floor and overlooked a beautiful courtyard filled with trees.  And on the last day of her life Mr. Red flew around the trees and window and finally perched himself perfectly in our sight.  We believe that it was Bang telling Nana that it was OK to let go and "come home".  Cardinals have always been significant, but this event 100% confirmed to us that they are a sign of protection and peace.  They represent all that is good.  And seeing and hearing so many around our backyard has given us so much solace in the past few weeks.  We know we have the protection and reassurance that everything will be OK and that we are being looked over by our loved ones who are not here with us.

OK, now we need a hanky!

Thank you again for reading and sharing our journey...and we would be remiss if we didn't say this..."The next time we write this blog we might be parents!"  :)

xoxo,
Tuna and Lisa