It All Started with a Little Skittle...

A friend's infant's chiropractor recommended this video. Apparently we've all been changing babies ages 0-6 months incorrectly.  Rather than lifting their legs we should roll them from side to side because 80% of their learning (I am assuming he means neurologically) is through their "gut."  He says that this technique reduces colic significantly. It' amazing that such a simple change (once you get used to it) can change you from having an extremely fussy baby to a happy baby. I will definitely try this with my next little skittle! If you have a baby that's not yet crawling pleas take a moment to watch this video and you will make your life a lot easier!

I found this as a draft and thought I would post it, it makes me so happy that Gabby is here and I am not longer pregnant! Just thought you guys would appreciate seeing a 17 week baby bump. What has my 17th week been like so far? Just the same as always. Here is a day in the life of preggo: 7:30: Go down stairs, make breakfast, vomit, then eat breakfast (I am convinced pregnancy is the only time in life a person is interested in eating only moments after staring the porcelain throne in the face) 8:30: Clean House 9:30: Eat a snack 10:00: Leave to run errands (mainly trying to find clothes that will fit and are work appropriate) 12:00: Lunch with mom 2:00: Shopping 3:30: Work on projects until Mike gets home 4:30: Relax 6:00: Dinner 7:00: Visit with my parents 8:30: Walk a mile 11:00: Bedtime! As you can see, food is involved frequently in this pregnant girl's life. Being pregnant is definitely an adventure. I just can't wait to no...

Today Gabby is one week old. Time is already flying and I am sad that it's already been a week! I can hardly believe she's been in our lives this long! She had a busy first week. She met one of her grandmas, grandpas, and great grandmas. She met her Aunt Lacey, Great Aunt Lisa, Kasey, Genny, and Amy (mommy's friends). She hasn't been put down for the most part because who wants to miss one moment of this little angel?!? We went to the doctor today and according to their measurements she gained half an ounce and lost half an inch! Also, another momentous occasion occurred yesterday. Her cousin, Molly Jo, was born! They will be less than a week apart! I can't wait until they meet in a few months. I think she really enjoyed her first week of life. Gabby already opens her eyes a lot more and has become a lot more coordinated with feeding (although further practice is needed). I honestly believe that she is more beautiful every day! Here is a short video of her...

So around 2:30 in the morning on March 17th I started having a contraction an hour, and knew that there would probably be a baby in the next 48 hours. I let Michael sleep because I slept too except for the labor pains once an hour. Then, once Michael got up around 7:00 (he got to sleep in that day) I told him I had been having a contraction an hour and then of course had one. Michael said he knew it was different than the contractions I’d been having all month. He threw his keys in a pocket, found a watch for me to time the contractions, and left (because I insisted he go to work this kind of labor could last for days). By the time Michael left I was having a contraction every 30 minutes. I called my mom and asked her to take me to the doctor as soon as they opened. My was of course, very excited. I packed the finishing touches in the suit case and we loaded it up when Mom arrived. By the time I saw the doctor at 9:30 my contractions were 5 to 7 minutes apart, the doctor said ...

Gabrielle Elyssa McIlroy 7 pounds 6 ounces 19 3/4 inches long!

People have started to guess when they think Gabby will be born. I find this very amusing and a great way to pass the time. Apparently so does Michael, he informed me that we should start a pool of bets at both of our works and see who guesses Gabby's birthday correctly. Although I find this idea amusing, I don't plan on actually doing it; however, who knows if Michael will?! So far I have been given these guesses: Michael (Daddy): March 17 th (which is St. Patrick's Day) My Mom (Nana): March 12 th (exactly 2 weeks early) My Dad (Papa): March 13th or 14th Mike's Mom (Grandma): March 24th Great Aunt Lisa: March 12 th Amy (A good friend): March 11 th or 12 th Sharon (Aunt Sharon): March 26 th (she thinks Gabby will be punctual) Lacey (Aunt Lacey): Says any day before the due date (because she will be out of town ON the due date!) Jenny (Mike's cousin: March 17th) My grandma stated at the very latest I will have her March 30 th because it's a ful...

Michael's work decided to throw us a baby shower last Friday, which I think was very thoughtful! There were sandwiches, decorations, cookie cake, pastel M&Ms, and really cute matching plates and napkins. All of the people Michael works with were kind enough to give up their lunch hour and celebrate our future daughter with us. It was really nice getting to meet the people that Michael works with and they were overly nice about giving gifts! I am grateful that Michael works with people who care enough to celebrate this life changing event in such a special way! I can't wait to take her to have lunch with Daddy one day, so he can show her off :)

While being pregnant these are the books I have read: Educational: Baby Wise The Happiest Baby on the Block Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy Into the Womb-National Geographic Pregnancy Guide Week by Week I'm Pregnant A Week by Week Guide Great Expectations Entertaining: Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy Chicken Soup for the Expecting Soul Belly Laughs Twighlight Audio Books: The Total Money Makeover The Millionare Next Door The Millionare Mind

Michael and I took a birthing class for 8 hours on Saturday. It was pure torture the ENTIRE time!! My doctor recommended that we take the class so we begrudgingly obliged . The class was not exactly what I expected, but was completely boring! It wasn't the teacher's fault either the subject matter just wasn't that interesting if you've read as many books as I have during these 9 months. The teacher promised we would leave knowing more than we did when we arrived. The only useful thing I learned was that if you turn a chair backwards and sit in it, it's a lot more comfortable than sitting correctly in a chair because it gives the baby more room. Michael learned some (vocabulary mainly), but nothing worth our time or money we invested. I guess it's a right of passage...I am sure in a few months/years we will look back on our class an laugh at the 8 hours of torture. So my advice to anyone who is going to take a birthing class is research it first and make s...

Yesterday I was leaving work for my bi-monthly doctor's appointment and there was this beautiful brand new white Navigator parked behind me. Since I had an incident about a month ago with backing into a truck (luckily only damaging my car), I was pulling out very slowly and cautiously...or so I thought! Of course I hit this BRAND NEW car (it still had paper plates)!!! At first I walked up to it and didn't see any damage, but I knew whose car it was (one of my professors from grad school and a lady who contracts with my company). So I went to my doctor's appointment (sure I'd be back before her session was over) and warned them my blood pressure might be high. When I got back to the office she had just driven off and didn't even notice the damage. I called her immediately and apologized profusely! She was extremely nice about the whole thing and told me the SUV was only 1 week old. I still feel terrible, but I am going to pay to get the scratches in the front o...

I bought some balloons for a friend who just had her baby. They were floating in our living room waiting for their festive delivery for 3 or 4 days. Days with balloons floating are very entertaining in our house because Ranger, our dog, is TERRIFIED of them! Not just apprehensive or skiddish , but TERRIFIED! I set the balloons in the corner so Ranger would basically still have free rein of the house. Last night right before we left to with the balloons I tied them to a gift bag and then left them on the couch. The balloons were swaying because they were disrupted. A few minutes later, I noticed Ranger walking the longest distance possible to come close to me and still be as far as possible from the balloons. Once he got close to me they gently swayed again, which put Ranger into code red mode. He began backing himself into the corner (the furthest point from the balloons) and growling while never taking his eyes off of the balloons. Michael and I just laughed because it's...

For the last two weekends I feel like all I have done is shopped. I forced Michael to go shopping with me the first week to do the heavy lifting. We bought the baby's glider (thanks Lacey and Grandma!), exchanged an extra swing for a playpen, and bought all of the little odds and ends that we have not received as gifts. We were very blessed with all of the help we had acquiring the necessities for a new baby. We were very organized and time efficient the first weekend (with our inventory list of course) and I think we were done with shopping in about 3 hours including the traveling. This trip was not perusing it was get in and out, because Michael is not much of a shopper and it you get stuck looking at cute baby stuff you are inclined to buy it all for yourself or your pregnant friends. This weekend I just walked around the mall with my friend Kasey and found an adorable Easter dress for my little one (can you believe it she will likely be here by Easter!). It's the most...

The funniest thing was pointed out to me last weekend. Apparently when I want to emphasize the significance of something I am no longer using convoluted words, instead I use the same technique that most two year olds use....I repeat the word to emphasize it's important. For example, I was excited about how many gifts I got at the shower. How did I tell people this?? I said, "I got a lot of gifts for the shower, like a lot a lot!" I catch myself talking like this at least 3 to 4 times a day, so I can only imagine how many times a day I truly repeat words to emphasize their importance. People are apparently nice and just ignore this for the most part. Only my husband and sister point it out to me, because we all think it's funny. Another pregnant brain example: Last Monday Mike's parents came into town and we went to eat a Zio's. When we got back to the house I bent down to grab my purse, but what do you know? I forgot it at the restaurant!! I told Mich...

I am excited to announce that the first of the four girls (who were pregnant in Sharon's wedding) had her baby! No, the births apparently are not going to occur in chronological order, which is good news for me since I should be last....but as always, I do not follow the trends of the other three so I am guessing I will be the last to have my baby. The first girl, Michele, had a healthy little boy! The exciting news is the person who was supposed to be first, had her water break last night! So hopefully there will be another little miracle soon! I am hoping that my baby will come a little early like both of theirs (again I do not anticipate this, but a girl can dream!). My boss informed me to not get my hopes up that the baby would be late because it is my first baby. She said not to get my hopes up because I will be highly disappointed when my due date comes and goes and there is still no baby. My plan? I plan to work out everyday...in the pool if my gym will allow and wal...

My mom, or Nana, informed me of a lot of people who read my blog, but are not "followers." Since I am a curious person I thought I would add a poll so please click just one time on my new poll so I can have an idea of how many people are really reading my ramblings. Thanks for all of your support during this exciting time!

I want to start off by thanking everyone for coming to the shower, I felt very loved! I am only sorry that I never had more than enough time to say "hello" and then disappear again! The total number of people at my shower was 45! I cannot believe that I know that many people much less than many women who love me enough to torture themselves at a shower. My Mom, sister, and friend Kasey went way over board on the whole thing, but I'm not complaining. There was enough beautiful food to feed a refined army, a candy table with nothing but pink and white candies (to make sure all of the kids were nice and hyper), there were handmade candy boxes to take home as favors, there were adorable cakes both real and made of diapers, there was a diaper wreath to welcome you on the front door, pink fresh flowers, a handmade "Welcome Gabby" sign, and a sea of gifts! I know that this may not paint the most elegant picture, but I think the shower was as elegant as...

Sunday night was a good night and a bad night! I enjoyed going to a friend's baby shower and then seeing Genny, one of my closest friends. Then I went over to my parents to cheer for the Saints and eat burgers. The Saints won!!! We were all very excited to celebrate the Super Bowl bound Saints! Then after cheering and celebrating Mike and I came home and went straight to sleep. That was the end of the good day... Around 11:30 I began being very sick! At 12:30 I called and woke my doctor explaining that I had been vomiting for an hour straight. I woke Michael as I began talking to the doctor handing Michael a list of my symptoms and throwing the phone at him (poor guy was disoriented, having no clue what was going on) so I could return to the porcelian throane. We were instructed to go to the hospital immediately. Michael said it was a good dry run (which we were not prepared for at all!). We made it into Labor and Delivery in 35 minutes without speeding or anything. I ...

Her face, and her nose won't be that wide! Licking her wrist Gabby's 5 fingers ....being shy Ten minutes before the appointment I drank a Code Red Mountain Dew before going to the ultrasound today. It was like drinking straight cherry juice but somehow I managed to keep it all down! This was our second try to see the baby and it was semi-successful. Rather than having two feet and two hands in front of her face the whole time while hiding in the placenta, she had ONE hand at all times on her face and was using the placenta as a pillow. My parents went with us and although we never really got a clear view of her face it was nice to see our little contortionist ! I am guessing she is going to really like gymnastics!