Half way there!

Due to my gross negligence and pregnancy brain, I missed my 20-week anatomy scan last week. We were in the middle of assembling nursery furniture and getting ready for Thanksgiving, so it totally slipped my mind. I realized almost an hour late that I had missed my appointment and so I called immediately to reschedule. I was able to get an appointment for this afternoon, which was more than fine with me. Ian worked from home today because my appointment was the afternoon, during Bella's nap time. I dare not wake a sleeping child and Ian has the ability to work from home, so I took advantage of it.


The ultrasound technician is really nice and unlike most u/s technicians, she actually takes time to explain things as she is doing the scan. Little Miss Lasher is in fact, a little miss. We found out at a previous u/s and that fact was confirmed today. Her measurements look great and she's measuring right on time. She is definitely a wiggle worm and was moving and grooving throughout the u/s. 


Unfortunately, there is some slightly off putting news... at the end of my u/s, I found out there is a slight problem. I have a placental lake, which is essentially a pool of maternal blood in the placenta. The u/s technician showed the images to the OB and so she scheduled me for a level II u/s next week at the local hospital. The OB wants to get a better look at the placenta and this pool of blood. She reassured me that this is nothing to be concerned about, as if it were an actual concern, she would have scheduled the level II u/s for today. Easy for her to say, right? I am going to try to relax and not worry about this, but worrying is what we mothers do best! Of course I came home and googled "placental lake" and was surprised to find that this is a common occurrence. That was a relief... well sort of. If it's any consolation, at least I get to see her again next week!


This little girl is giving me a run for my money. My pregnancy with Bella was practically a breeze. I had absolutely no complications and my pregnancy was completely normal. This pregnancy has been plagued with constant nausea, horrendous back aches and now this little issue. I live off anti-nausea meds, I wear a belly band for back support and I will have to have a more in-depth u/s next week. If this is any indication of what Little Miss Lasher will be like as a child, then we are really in for it!


I am going to try to take it easy this weekend, which will be no easy feat. I have a 20-month-old toddler to chase, a baby shower to host for my friend, holiday cards to mail and a household to run. Luckily Bella is going to Grandma Ruth's on Sunday so I can focus on hosting an amazingly awesome baby shower for my dear friend, Lisa. A mother's work is never done, I tell you! 


Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2


P.S. I am not worried about this minor issue that is actually a very common occurrence, so please don't worry about me or Little Miss Lasher. If something were really wrong, my OB would have sent me straight to labor and delivery for monitoring and I would not be sitting here blogging about it. Just keep thinking positive thoughts and this too shall pass! =)

Sesame Street Live!

It's Big Bird's journey to Ernie!

Sitting like a big girl in her own seat.

My friend Sara runs the local Macaroni Kid website and hooked us up with free tickets to Sesame Street Live! at the St. Pete Times Forum. When she asked me the other week if we were interested in going, I jumped at the chance because Bella loves Elmo (a.k.a. Aldo) and enjoys the little Sesame Street show at Busch Gardens. 

Little did I know that Bella woke up on the wrong side of the crib this morning... so before we even left the house, I knew I had an irritable toddler on my hands. She whined and cried while getting dressed... while eating breakfast... and while walking to Sara's house. I thought her crabbiness would subside once we got to the show, but I was mistaken. All she wanted to do was climb the stairs or run down the row, which is a terrible idea. She tripped and fell several times, which caused me to remove her from the show. Rather than watching Elmo and his friends, Bella and I roamed the hallways. At one point, I attempted to sit her down to watch more of the show, but this caused Bella to become more upset and caused me to have a break down.

I rarely cry or lose my cool, but after being head butted twice I put Bella down, looked over at my friend Sara and cried. I then started to laugh because I felt so silly crying and asked her, "I don't know why I'm crying right now"to which she replied, "because you're pregnant and your hormones are out of whack." Silly hormones strike again! Thank goodness I have a sympathetic and understanding friend, who understands what it is like to have an unruly toddler. I managed to get a few pictures while at the show, but the lack of smiles were no surprise. But for what it's worth, Bella enjoyed at least part of the show. When she wasn't whining or crying, she was dancing and laughing. Her little dance moves and giggles made up for the bad stuff. The whining and crying continued after she woke up from her 3-hour nap and lasted until she went to bed tonight. Bummer. 

Here's to hoping that tomorrow is a better day and that Bella wakes up on the right side of the crib. We have a busy day of appointments and our weekly play date. Bella has a follow up appointment with the allergist, which figures because she has a terrible eczema outbreak right now. I have my 20-week appointment with the OB, despite not having my 20-week anatomy scan until Friday. We're meeting our friends at a local park after our appointments for some much needed play time. 

I have a sleeping child and I really need to recoup from this stressful day, so I'm going to take advantage and hit the hay myself. Nighty night y'all!

Love always,

Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2

banthebags.org?

Apparently the breastfeeding rates in Rhode Island are slightly below the national average, so there is a movement to ban the free formula given out to new moms as they are discharged from the hospital. Ban the Bags is a site devoted to a movement to ban the giving out of sample bags and formula. 

I follow a blog, babygatorsden.com, which is written by a very intelligent and down to Earth woman, named Joanna. She is a bit crunchy, but isn't annoyingly crunchy. She has a lot of insightful things to say and I found out about this hot topic issue via her blog. I love the fact that Joanna can see both sides and is more curious about the issue than anything. Love people who are able to play the devil's advocate and play it well!

Given my experience with both breastfeeding AND formula feeding, I will take my place on my soapbox for the evening. As a mom who relied on formula to provide nourishment for my child, I find "ban" absurd. I gave birth thinking that I would nurse Bella 24-7, however I quickly learned that this wasn't the case. Much to my surprise, Bella did not take well to nursing and I struggled to feed my child. I worked tirelessly with lactation consultants and relied on my mommy friends for guidance. I was in the hospital for 72-hours and every 2-3 hours, I paged a lactation consultant to help guide me in breastfeeding. Bella was such a terrible nurser that even the lactation consultants were frustrated with her. Can you imagine such a teeny, tiny little baby causing so much frustration?!? Well, she did. One night I even asked the night nurse what to do. She told me she couldn't give me medical advice as to whether or not I should give Bella formula, but as a mother she felt I should satisfy Bella's appetite any way possible. I loved her for saying that. I left the hospital with nipple shields, a supplemental nursing system and an appointment with an in-home lactation consultant. Our first night home was miserable, as Bella refused to latch or would fall asleep a few minutes into nursing. She was starving and dehydrated and I was frustrated and confused. 

At her check up with the pediatrician the next morning, we were quickly called and informed that Bella was severely dehydrated and her bilirubin levels were dangerously high. And the reason for the dehydration and elevated bilirubin levels was because I was afraid to give her formula. Bella was admitted into the NICU and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I felt like a total failure as a mother and a woman because my child was sick due to my inability to nurse her. It took a scolding from a NICU nurse for me to realize that it was okay to feed Bella formula, just as long as she was being fed! Again, I worked with lactation consultants and learned that while Bella may not nurse, I could pump to provide her with some breast milk. After a few days of sun bathing, pumping Bella's little belly full of formula and breast milk and some TLC, she was discharged and we were on our own again. I pumped for many, many weeks to provide Bella with any amount of breast milk I could. The pumping eventually got in the way of my bonding with Bella and I could not keep up with Bella's appetite, so I resorted to exclusively formula feeding. 

I was provided with samples of formula when we left the NICU and by the pediatrician. If it hadn't been for those samples, Bella would have starved. I hadn't planned on formula feeding, so I was totally unprepared. I didn't have formula at home and I didn't have bottles either. If it weren't for the samples, Bella would have continued to starve. I would have been a terrible mother for not feeding my child! Was the decision to give Bella formula a difficult decision? Heck yes. But was it necessary to give Bella formula? Heck yes. 

I'm not pro-formula or pro-breastfeeding, but what I am avid about is doing what is BEST for your child.  If moms want to formula feed, then they will go out and buy formula. Not providing them with samples isn't going to persuade them to breast feed. What this movement does do, is create a greater divide between those who nurse and those who don't. It's unfortunate and women shouldn't be made to feel inferior for not breast feeding. That is all. 

All of this being said, I hope the bags aren't banned in Florida. I plan to nurse baby #2 and will give it my all to do so, BUT having a can or two of formula around the house wouldn't be a bad thing. 

Love always,

Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2

Bella and Pop visit the Florida Aquarium

The first night Pop arrived, he and Ian attended the Wright State University vs. Florida basketball game at the St. Pete Times Forum (soon to be renamed the Tampa Bay Times Forum, but I digress). Bella and I joined them for dinner at Channelside and on our way there, Pop asked about the Florida Aquarium. He asked if Bella had ever been and if so, would does she enjoy going. Bella has been to the aquarium several times and she really enjoys looking at all the fish and other sea creatures. And so it was decided that during Pop's visit, we would make a trip to the Florida Aquarium.

We decided to go this morning because the kids were back in school and it wouldn't be as crowded. And wow, were we right, as the aquarium was deserted! Awesome. As we were about to purchase our tickets, I noticed a sign that said "10% off memberships" and so I inquired as to what new, low price a membership would set us back. The normal price is $95 for two adults, but with the 10% discount, it brought the price down to $85. After doing some quick math, Pop and I decided that it would probably be in our best interest to buy a membership, as basically two trips to the aquarium would cover the cost of a year-long membership. So thanks to Pop, we are now members of the Florida Aquarium! Thank you, Pop!

Bella loves the aquarium! She loves pointing to things and attempting to identify them. We heard the word "fish" quite a bit and it never got old. She identified starfish and referred to them as "stars." We gently pet "stars" in the touch tank, which was a big hit. She saw ducks and shouted, "quack, quack" as they swam by. Bella even identified an alligator and would have made her father proud by saying, "chomp! chomp!" Not only is she adorable, but she is so smart!

We will definitely be frequenting the aquarium more often, now that we are members. I know, I know... it seems like we have passes to anything and everything, but there is just SO MUCH to do in Tampa and passes really make it worth while. I love exposing Bella to new and exciting things, so having passes to the aquarium and zoo are great because not only are they fun places to go, but she can learn a little something while we're there. Plus, being out and about is much more fun than sitting at home!

Here are a few pictures from our day at the aquarium:

Laughing at the stingrays.

Pop helping Bella touch some "stars" in the touch tank.

Pop and Bella, just talking about "fishies." 

Bella chasing a shark... how fun!

Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011 Lasher family Christmas tree... 8 foot Fraser fir.

Live wreaths on the front doors, a Lasher family tradition.

Front entryway

It's only two days after Thanksgiving, but are off and running with decorating for the holidays. We're a mixed faith family and we celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. We decided to get a live tree this year because we haven't had a live tree since 2008. Our thinking was to get our tree early so that we could actually enjoy it. Plus, we eliminated the time it takes to set up and take down an artificial tree and put up our tree in 5-minutes. Tonight we will decorate the Christmas tree as a family, complete with Christmas music, another Lasher family tradition. And don't worry, the Hanukkah decorations will go up once we dig all of the holiday decorations out of the many, many boxes. Getting the house ready for the holidays is something I actually enjoy. Having the house decorated makes it feel extra welcoming and cozy. There's something about the glow of a Christmas tree that makes me feel all happy and warm inside. 

This year should be especially fun because Bella will be 20-months-old and will have a better appreciation of the holidays. I think we will begin teaching her the story of Christmas and the story of Hanukah, so that she will eventually learn the reason behind each holiday. The holidays aren't just about receiving gifts and pretty decorations... and we want Bella to grow up knowing that. The holidays are about the birth of Jesus (Christmas) and the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Bella is lucky enough to have a Jewish parent and a Christian parent to teach her the history, which we think is pretty cool. We have various books to help us teach Bella the true meaning of each holiday and hopefully she grows up respecting and appreciating the sanctity of each. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here and in another week or so, Hanukkah. It's a special time of year and a great time to be with family and friends. We have a jam packed schedule ahead of us, which should make for a very busy but fun holiday season. Well, I'd better get back to the decorating with the family... enjoy your Saturday!

Love always,

Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2

After Thanksgiving sales...

Unlike the millions of people running around in Best Buy, Target and the mall, I will not be participating in the riff-raff of shopping in stores the day after Thanksgiving. I refuse to step foot in a retail store today. I simply don't have the energy or patience to deal with the crowds. I seriously don't know how or why people do it. What I do know is that online shopping is exactly my style of shopping after Thanksgiving and so it begins.


I ordered Bella five 2-piece outfits from Gymboree, for $50 + free shipping! Pop told me to order her a few things for Christmas and I wanted to respect his wishes. I ordered outfits from the clearance section, which was an additional 30% off and I was able to use a 20% off coupon in addition to the sale prices. The free shipping really sealed the deal... gosh, I love free shipping!


To add to my own shoe fetish, I purchased five pairs of shoes from Stride Rite. They were having a 50% off sale and I couldn't pass it up. I ordered Bella five pairs of shoes for $70! Considering that Stride Rite normally charges $40 per pair, getting them for $15 a pair was a steal! Stride Rite shoes are the ONLY shoes I like Bella to wear, so I'm pretty much stuck buying them from consignment stores, receiving hand-me-downs or buying them myself. The majority of Bella's shoes have been new, but since her feet are teeny tiny and don't grow as quickly as the rest of her, we've been able to get a lot of use out of her shoes. And luckily we're having another girl so these shoes will all be passed down to Baby #2. 


From Pottery Barn Kids, I ordered decor for the nursery. I had a 15% off coupon and they were running a few sales. The accessories coordinate with the rest of the room and will really tie everything together. The mirrors, butterflies, lamps and blankets coordinate perfectly with the wall color and the bedding. The extra 15% was what really sold me, because PBK rarely has coupons that good. I am also a huge fan of PBK and PB's customer service, so when I needed to add something to my original order, it was no problem at all. 


One of my favorite online boutiques was offering $40 smocked outfits for $20 + free shipping! I ordered the girls (hehe!) their first matching outfits. Hopefully I ordered the proper sizes and they will be able to wear the outfits together at least a few times. I LOVE hand-made clothing and smocking is absolutely adorable on little girls. I cannot wait for the dresses and rompers to arrive next spring! Again, the price was right and I couldn't pass up such adorable outfits at such an unbelievable price. Check out The Smocking Bug for adorable and affordable hand-made smocked outfits for your kids.


I cannot wait for all of my packages to arrive! There's something fun and exciting about getting goodies delivered to your door step. I love not having to run to the store, finding a decent parking spot and fighting the horrendous crowds. I also love online shopping in my pajamas from the comfort of my couch. Online shopping is the best! Well, I'd better go hide the credit card because the sales are oh-so tempting and Ian's starting to get a little nervous. I think the fact that Bella learned the word "credit card" and I taught her the phrase, "charge it!" REALLY makes Ian nervous... there's nothing like a household full of women with daddy's credit card!


Happy shopping everyone!


Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2

Thanksgiving 2011

2011 Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Our 2nd annual family Thanksgiving has come and gone. It's hard to believe that after busting my butt in the kitchen for the past two days that it's all over. After many, many hours shopping, cooking and cleaning, we sat down to dinner around 5pm and stuffed ourselves silly with all of the traditional Thanksgiving day foods. We had the FULL meal: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, two kinds of dressing, corn, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls and gravy. Everything seemed to come together seamlessly and we topped off our wonderful meal with a homemade apple pie and pumpkin pie with freshly made whipped cream. It was so delicious and I'm already looking forward to next year!


My favorite part of cooking for Thanksgiving is the pause in conversation that occurs while everyone is eating. The clanking of forks and knives is music to my ears because it means everyone is enjoying their meal. It is so satisfying to receive compliments from people in regard to my cooking, but it is really satisfying to have 12 people sitting at your table in complete silence as they devour the food I prepared for them. And this year's meal was probably my best yet. It's my second time cooking a turkey and I think it turned out even better than last year's turkey. 


After dinner, the kids went for a walk with some adult chaperones while Ian and Pop washed dishes. This left a brief moment for my friend Stephanie and I enjoyed some quiet conversation. This is a rarity, as we are usually chasing kids around and it was much needed. A MNO definitely needs to be planned soon!


Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday to spend with family and friends. Our family has so much to be thankful for this year and I am so glad we were able to share our blessings with those close to us. This year, I am very thankful for my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughter and our network of close family and friends. Many, many thanks!!!


Well, I am exhausted and my back is killing me. The couch and heating pad are calling my name. Happy Thanksgiving y'all!


Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2

Over worked and overwhelmed

This post is going to be super short. Why, you may ask? Well it's because we've been going non-stop since Monday. Ever since we picked Pop up from the airport on Monday morning, we've been busy running errands or doing stuff around the house. We're preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow and preparing a meal for 12 people is no easy task. It's stressful, but it's fun. And luckily I have some awesome help (ahem... Pop, Ian, Aunt Dawn and Stephanie) and wouldn't be able to pull of this great feat without their assistance.


Today I am feeling very overwhelmed, to say the least. We are hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow and I feel like there is so much to do! Even though half of the meal is already prepared or in the process of being prepared, I still feel so overwhelmed. I do this to myself every time we host a family gathering at our house, but in the end, it is all worth it. This is our second year for hosting Thanksgiving and I think it's become the new tradition. Personally, I like hosting and even though I get stressed out, I enjoy the end result.


I suppose being 19-weeks pregnant just adds to all of the mayhem, right? Not to mention we prepped and painted the new nursery yesterday and assembled the furniture today. Someone (named Ian) wanted the nursery to be ready to show family and friends tomorrow. Someone (named Kim) tried to suggest that perhaps this should wait until after Thanksgiving, but someone else got his way. The nursery is just about finished, with the exception of lighting, wall decor and a few other odds and ends... oh, and a baby!


Well, I'd better get back to it. As the saying goes, so little time, so much to do! But so much to be thankful for this year!


Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby

The weekend update

In typical SNL fashion... here is the weekend update! Overall, it was a laid back weekend and I am thankful for that. The next month or so will be very busy, so weekends like this are a blessing. 


Our weekend started on Thursday when Ian and I attended a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. Bella was at Grandma Ruth's for the night and we had a night out on the town! It was fun to get dressed up and have a night out together. We used to do things like that all the time, but since having Bella, we rarely do stuff like this. It was a food and wine tasting event, so I indulged in only the food and Ian indulged in both the food and wine. The desserts were certainly my favorite and were absolutely amazing! There was a silent auction, so we bid on a few silent auction items, but didn't win anything. We watched the live auction and left shortly after that ended. Even though we were home by 10pm, it felt much later than that. Gosh, when did we get so old?!? Because I wore heels, my back was killing me*. Being pregnant in heels is not for me, as I spent most of Friday on the couch until Bella came home.


Saturday we packed up and went to the zoo for the day. Apparently there was some sort of Latin festival, so the zoo was a bit more crowded than usual. We didn't mind the crowd and we were able to see and do everything we wanted to. We finally rode the safari train, which was so much fun! The weather was relatively cool, so the animals were out and about. We headed home shortly after lunch for nap time. Bella took a quick nap and we headed to a fall festival that our HOA was hosting. Our community was only completed last year, so our HOA is relatively new. The board has only been in place for 6-months and this was the first event. It was great to meet more of our neighbors and we definitely enjoyed the yummy bar-be-que. There was a bounce house and other little games for the kids. Bella played with her little friends and LOVED the bounce house!


Sunday was a relatively laid back day. We did some things around the house, including all of the prep work for painting the nursery. Ian pulled all of our painting supplies out and I took inventory of what we needed. Luckily we just need some new roller covers and drop cloth, and that's it. I taped the room, floor to ceiling, and we are ready to paint! While Bella napped, we watched football and relaxed. My back was sore from all of the prep work, so I laid on the couch with a heating pad*. We then headed to the mall to do a little holiday shopping and for Bella's pictures. Bella did SO WELL with her pictures and we ordered pictures to give out during the holidays. We ended the evening with dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings (yum) and I returned to the couch with a heating pad.


*Despite only being a mere 18-weeks pregnant... I have been experiencing back pain almost every day. I had some back pain with Bella, but it wasn't this early on. I'm going to discuss my pain with the OB at my next appointment because it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I suppose picking up a 25-pound toddler isn't helping, but like I really have a choice in that matter.


And if you're wondering why I am posting at 4am, it's because pregnancy insomnia has returned. I went to bed around 10pm and woke up at 2:30am, wide awake. Thankfully, it's not every night but the nights it does occur, it is awful. My mind starts to wander once I'm awake and it makes it that much harder to fall back to sleep. I definitely haven't missed the insomnia and I will be glad when it subsides... which will most likely be after the baby is born. Oh the joys of womanhood and pregnancy!


Well, I'm feeling kind of sleepy so I'm going to go with it and try to go back to sleep... even if it's just for 3-hours!


Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2

Holiday Cards 2011

It's that time of year again! As we prepare to design and send out our annual holiday card, I thought I'd share a few pictures from our recent photo shoot with Black Onyx Photography. We went to a beautiful, secluded park and had a great photo shoot. The photographer worked really well with Bella and really got some amazing shots! 

Look at those beautiful baby blues...

Love her little Gator dress!

How adorable is she?!?

Love my family!

The loves of my life!

Bella, the baby bump and me.

My beautiful family.

This was my first photo shoot being pregnant. I can't say I'm thrilled with my appearance, but what women is, especially when she is pregnant? My family is absolutely beautiful and these pictures truly show all the beauty that is my family. And now to begin designing our holiday card. There are so many design options and we have so many gorgeous pictures to choose from... oh where to begin?!? 

Tiny Prints has some BEAUTIFUL holiday cards and I'm leaning toward ordering from here. Many friends have recommended Tiny Prints AND they have some great deals! For black and white photos, I think this is my favorite: charcoal holiday card. For the beautiful, colorized photos, I think this is my favorite: pleasant plaid holiday card. We have been sending out holiday cards since before we were married. My favorite tradition is sending out photo cards. I know this sounds simple, but cards without photos aren't much fun! Before we had Bella, we  started out with pictures of the dogs, pictures of us and pictures of us with the dogs. It's fun to schedule a photo shoot with a talented photographer and having him/her work their magic with the camera. 


Stay tuned kids and be sure to check your mailboxes in the next few weeks! 

Love always,

Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2