Happy Thursday!

·         I find out my CPA exam results tomorrow or Monday (sometimes my state is slow to post) and I am scared to find out!  I have not had good luck with this section before.  I just hate taxes!  I even have someone else do my taxes.  Yes, I realize turbo tax is super easy.  I am just afraid of doing things wrong and getting audited.

·         I need to increase my supply of pumped breastmilk.  I feel like we are going through my frozen supply faster than I am pumping.  I am meeting with a BF support group on Monday and planning to find out what I can do.  How to balance pumping/nursing?  Feel free to leave any advice/suggestions.

·         My grandma has been battling cancer (colon, breast, colon) for the last 7 years.  She is finally done with all the treatment.  She is wore out and tired of it.  She, currently, only weighs 96lbs.  The goal now is to keep her comfortable and happy.  We made the 12hr trek home so she could meet Ava but stupid me never got a picture.  I am hoping she makes it mid-April so I can get a picture.  At least she got to meet her.

·         An infertility leftover, hormonal, emotional time for me is nightly reading Ms. Ava her books.  I absolutely love it and I can’t get through a book without tearing up!  And not just The Valventine Rabbit but Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton.  It is the time that I realize how lucky we are to have her and how at one point in time seemed impossible, our impossible dream. 

·         On a lighter funnier side, Sarah did a book review of Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Bloggess.  Sarah’s review included some links to her favorite Bloggess posts and I feel in love and can’t wait to read more!  Even if you read the two posts that Sarah mentioned you will be in tears!

PailBlogger 20 Questions

I am really enjoying PAIL Bloggers.  I am hoping it helps me stick with blogging and blogging more frequently!  I highly recommend.  I am participating in 20 Questions PailBloggers posed to readers to learn more about who use the site! 

1.      What was the last thing you threw in the garbage/recycling?

A very spoiled banana I was going to eat for lunch with a little Nutella.  Needless to say I still ate the Nutella without the banana.  That stuff is addicting!

2.      What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?

Hmmm… probably the latest Kenny Chesney CD.  I usually hit up Pandora more than my iPod.  Pandora is currently playing the Mumford and Sons station.

3.      What is your favorite quote?

“Just because it is happening in my head doesn’t mean it’s not real.” –Dumbledore.  I live in my own world half the time, which my husband so fondly named Kellyland for me.

4.      What chore do you absolutely hate doing?

Weeding.  I will mow, weed-eat, etc but do not ask me to pull weeds!

5.      What is your favorite form of exercise?

We have a bowflex and I really enjoy it.  Next, is trying to make time to use it! 

6.      What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?

I love Fourth of July.  I love the picnics, the fireworks, and the pool parties. 

7.      What is on your bedside table?

My glasses, a puppydog flashlight that barks when you use it, glasses, and my favorite picture of Ben and me.

8.      What is your favorite body part?

Hmmm…not loving my post baby body yet… so lets say my eyes.  I love how the blue changes depending on what I am wearing. 

9.      Would you use the power of invisibility for good or evil? Elaborate.

Mostly evil… I would love to pester Ben!

10.  If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

30… Right now, one of the happiest times with Ben and Miss Ava.  (Corny, I know.)

11.  What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?

I am dork I know but I would consult a financial manager.  I would payoff bills and go from there! 

12.  What is your biggest pet peeve?

Loud breathers!  Oh, I hate when I can hear people breathe.  I hate when I can hear myself breathe.

13.  If you could know the answer to any question, what would it be?

Did I pass my last CPA exam? And then all the answers to my next exam in April!

14.  At what age did you become an adult?

Am I considered an adult now? I guess it started when I moved to Baltimore after college and had to start paying for everything on my own. 

15.  Recommend a book, movie, or television show in three sentences or less.

Books – I love anything John Irving.  His twisted sense of humor leaves me laughing at the most awkward events.  TV – The Following with Kevin Bacon… scares me to death but I can’t get enough.

16.  What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

I was a good girl.  Didn’t really do much of anything crazy.  I was also very honest with my parents and told them what I was up to. 

17.  What was the first album you bought with your own money?

I think the first CD I bought was either Tiffany or Paula Abdul. 

18.  If someone wrote a book about you, what would be the title?

      Kellyland

19.  What story do you wish your family would stop telling about you?

How I threw a fit at the Cracker Barrel when my brother spilled a whole glass of OJ on me.  Did I mention we were just starting the 12 hour drive home from vacation?  Did I mention that my brother pestered me the whole vacation and I was finally at my wits end?   I refused to eat at a Cracker Barrel for 10 years!

20.  True or false: The unicorn is the greatest mythical creature. State your case.

True, as evident by the following picture!

Oh Miss Ava, will you please take a nap.

Oh Miss Ava, it would be fabulous if you would consistently nap. You sleep so well at night. Asleep by 8pm, up around 2am for a feeding, and up around 6:30am for more food and sometimes back to sleep until 9 and sometimes up.

But when it comes to naps, you fight it so so much and when we finally find the magic sleep trick for the day (that you so love to change everyday!) you sleep for 15-30 minutes tops! You wake up still sleepy/fussy.

Please please help daddy/mommy figure out what it is you need for at least 2 nice over an hour nap everyday instead of these 30 minute catnaps once or twice a day!

Then maybe we can play more vs. try to put you to sleep!

P.S. Even though, I may act mad when you are falling asleep while nursing and then all of a sudden you are wide awake smiling up at me to get me react... It really melts my heart. I just cannot let you know that just yet!

Breastfeeding and working

So I have started to write this blog several times and have never been able to finish it!  But after reading the news item from http://pailbloggers.com/ today I thought it was a perfect time and stop delaying!  The news items is an article written about breastfeeding and working and why many women quit breastfeeding when they return to work.  Visit Pailbloggers for the summary and article!  After reading the post, Pailbloggers asked the following questions:

If you are nursing and back to work, how is it going? Do you feel truly supported?
For me, work has been supported but I am not even a full week back.  I haven't really been an inconveniece yet and I wonder how long before I am an inconvenience.  However, I am an auditor and my boss understands the laws/regulations about breastfeeding so even though I may inconvenience her from time to time I do not see her saying anything as long as I am staying on top of my workload.  I am salary and not hourly so I guess if I have to come into work on Saturday every now and then to keep up it wont be too bad!

Do you have adequate access to a room to pump in, is it comfortable, clean, secure?
I am pumping in our meeting room.  My office is an converted old house.  I am upstairs by myself in this large room.  I realize I am spoiled since I am not in a damp dark closet!

Did you give up nursing because it was too hard to work and pump?
Not yet! And, I am hoping to make it past 6 months.  I would like to breastfeed Ava for her first year.

Did you have access to a Lactation Consultant in the hospital? Did you have access after you left the hospital?
Yes, I do.  I attend (when I can) monthly meetings that the hospital has for nursing mothers.  The problem is the meeting is during the afternoons and it is hard for me to get off work for them.  I am hoping to convince the ladies to have at least one night meeting a quarter for us working moms. 

Have you ever felt ‘penalized’ in your job because you chose to pump milk for your child while at work?

No, not yet and hopefully I never will.

My questions for those experienced pumping at work mommies:  I pump in privacy and would love to take my laptop to the my pumping area but I figure whats the point I am holding the pumps and do not have a spare third hand!  How do you do handsfree pumping?  I am using the Philips Advent pump.  I like it and got it for a bargain.  I just wish I could do something else while I am pumping besides just sit there watching the milk drop into the storage container.

10 Reasons

Since it is Valentines week in all...

I have been thinking a lot about my husband and how my love for him has grown/changed. I have several moments in time where I thought I would never love him as much as I do now.

When we had our first real kiss my knees got weak and I thought to myself this boy is going to do a number on me! I never expected all this. Flash forward to our wedding... I remember taking snapshots in my mind of him and loving ever minute of it thinking I will never love this man more than I did right then.

Now, watching him with Ava I just do not think I will ever be able to love this man more then I do at this point in time. He is so gentle, patient, and sweet! He can calm her so quickly most times. It melts my heart. The day she was born, the tears in his eyes still melt my heart.

I was reading Josey's Cheap Version of Therapy blog's 10 reason why she loves her husband over at http://mycheapversionoftherapy.com/2013/02/08/10-reasons/ and decided to do my own 10 reasons.

1. He is a provider. Even though, I do not want to be provided for, it is exactly what I need some times. I love that he works hard at his job and started his own business.
2. He does not pressure me. I never felt pressure from him during TTC. He was supportive of my decisions but never once did I feel pressured.
3. He includes me yet is independent. We are awesome at being a couple but we are not joined at the hip either.
4. He understands that I need my time too. Since having Ava, he has sent me out for Kelly-time at least once a week!
5. He is supportive of my activities. I race my car and he is always trying to help me and improve my car. Even the activities he doesn't enjoy (i.e., golfing and musicals) he lets me go without giving me any crap.
6. He still surprises me from time to time.
7. He is our social life! He makes friends so easily and I am more shy plus no one wants to be friends with an auditor!
8. He cooks! Yes ladies! He enjoys cooking!
9. He is so loving with Ava. Even when he is at his wits end with her fussiness/colic/screaming he remains so calm and loving. It is so sexy to see him with her.
10. It would not be right for me mention how incredible gorgeous he is! He is a man. He has to keep clean shaven for the work week but on weekends/vacation he lets his beard grow some... Just a little sexy stubble and boy does it melt my butter.

After 12 years of dating/marriage, he still has my heart!

Birth Control

At my 6 week checkup the doctor asked me what we wanted to do for birth control. Ben and I talked about it some but I know the ball is in my court. I know I do not want to take any hormones! After this last couple years I am over hormones!

Without hormones that leads us to condoms, diaphragms, IUD, and fate. I do not think I am talented enough to do a diaphragms and I really do not want to rely on condoms. I am not opposed to IUDs just do not know much about them.

Then there is fate. I like the idea of trusting fate. I know it is naive to think that we would not get pregnant naturally now but at the same time it took us three years to get pregnant. We both want more kids... Just not right now. We want time to enjoy a family of three before growing!

I think I am leaning towards the IUD. What have you done for birth control after infertility?

Monday Snapshot

It was a long night! We watched our first UK basketball game with friends and had a blast! I was still tired and Ava was a little fussy so we went downstairs so daddy could sleep longer. This is what he found downstairs when he woke up!


One of my favorite pastimes! Napping together on the couch! Love my baby girl!