How many Lambros's does it take to change the battery in a fire alarm?
3 - One on the phone and two on the ladder... LMAO!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
A Very Merry Christmas
I dont have much to say today, but wanted to post a picture of our stockings... I LOVE THEM.
Thanksgiving... and the Redskins!!
I am so excited for Thanksgiving this year! Family, food and FOOTBALL! It is standard tradition that the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving. I've never been a fan of having 2 set teams play on this holiday. Why isn't it a random draw every year? Whatever the case, it's always fun to watch these games. We are early eaters. This means we are stuffed, happy and dozing in and out of consciousness during the games... just the way I like it. This year; however, will be different. The Redskins are playing the Cowboys!! This is huge! Not only are these two teams big rivals, but I have been a Redskin fan since the day I was born. My father wouldn't have it any other way. I started going to the games with him when I was 9. Rain, snow, sleet, blazing heat... there we would sit. If the game was 40-0... there we would sit. He passed away when I was 13 and the tickets went to me. There were 4 of them. My father had a son from a previous marriage and he was also interested in the tickets... my poor mom. After multiple awkward conversations, we decided to split them. Then, a few years later, we decided to move sections. It all worked out in the end and now, after 21 years of the tickets being in my name, our seats are 6 rows from the end zone and fabulous! I will never get rid of my tickets. Pulling up to the stadium for the first game of the season gives me chills. I can just feel my dad's presence! Granted, we have switched stadiums since his passing, but it still brings memories. RFK was our first home... Lot 8, under the tree. Memories! Now we are at Fed Ex Field and it's a wonderful new stadium. I am forever proud of my team.
So, this year... after turkery, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, candied yams, Grandma's homemade rolls and gravy, the entire family will be in one central location... in front of the tv with pie and coffee.
I am posting this late and....... THE REDSKINS WON! It was a great game!!!!
So, this year... after turkery, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, candied yams, Grandma's homemade rolls and gravy, the entire family will be in one central location... in front of the tv with pie and coffee.
I am posting this late and....... THE REDSKINS WON! It was a great game!!!!
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| Michael... after the Redskins won! |
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Horner's Syndrome? No thanks, we'll pass.
I know that having a premature baby is a life changer. Having a full term baby is a life changer in itself. From day one we have had worries, scares and stressful, challenging times. I am a researcher at heart... a doctor's worst nightmare. Or maybe not? I don't know if they respect the researcher or are annoyed by them. I'll never forget the neonatologist's face when he stopped by Juliana's isolet one morning to see if I had any questions. I had a huge book and my baby in my lap. I smiled when I looked up at him and said, "yes, I have a few." And I did. We did. Art and I had questions every single day. The NICU nurses said we were their best parents... we were so involved and wanted to know every detail. They told us that every set of NICU parents were different... some wanted to know it all, some didn't want to know anything. Everyone has different ways of dealing with "trauma". My way is by educating myself. I admit, there were things I omitted researching or asking about. I tend to do that a lot. If something really bothers me, I ignore it. I don't talk about it. It was/is different with Juliana though. I can only avoid things for so long... it's my daughter. It is my responsibility to ask questions and educate myself as much as possible. And that's just what I will do.
Our newest scare came in the form of two different sized pupils. I noticed her pupils when walking her around the kitchen one night. Her left pupil was a tiny bit bigger than the right. I'm not even sure I mentioned it to Art at first. It seemed so insignificant. I mean, what do pupils have to do with anything? I was sure that people were just born with different sized pupils... right? At our 2nd eye doctor exam - normal for preemies - I mentioned it to the doctor. He asked me a few questions and then requested that we come back - as scheduled - and to not dilate her eyes before he examined her. So, that's just what we did. About a month later we were back in his office and he began to exam our little one. He sat down, jotted a few notes and then said to us, "I think Juliana might have Horner's Syndrome... bla bla bla... nerves.... bla bla... trauma.... bla bla bla bla." Yep, that's about what I heard. What do you mean our little girl might have a "syndrome"? I dont want her to have any "syndromes"! He told us there were a few tests we would need to do. The first was a urine test by our pediatrician. It just so happened we were going there the next day. If that test came back positive - which it WONT - we would have to do a series of MRIs to make sure the "syndrome" wasn't caused by any tumors. M... R... I... ? As in, putting my baby under?
To the computer I went...
Dear Google - Does Horner's Syndrome affect eye sight? No.
Dear Google - Is Horner's Syndrome life threatening? No.
Dear Google - Is Horner's Syndrome caused by premature birth? No... Oh, really? Awesome.
Dear Google - What the hell is Horner's Syndrome?
Horner syndrome is a rare disorder that occurs when certain nerves that travel from your brain to your eyes and face are damaged. Horner syndrome isn't a disease itself. Rather, it's a sign of another medical problem — such as a stroke, tumor or spinal cord injury. In some cases, however, no underlying cause can be found. Horner syndrome usually affects only one side of your face. Typical symptoms of Horner syndrome include a drooping eyelid, decreased pupil size and decreased sweating on the affected side of your face. There's no specific treatment for Horner syndrome. Instead, treatment is directed at the underlying cause, when possible
Really? Yea... I don't think so.
Off to the pediatrician we went. He said a lot of the same things the eye doctor said and again, I didn't understand much of it. We were handed a urine collection kit to take home. I used the kit yesterday morning and had it to the doctor's by early afternoon. I called today to make sure they had enough urine and that it was sent to the lab. It was and it was.
My hope... Juliana has two different sized pupils in dim light. AND THAT'S IT. Both doctor's said they weren't too worried. Art asked both of them how worried they were on a scale of 1-10:
Eye Doctor - 1
Pediatrician - 2/3
We should know our next steps by next Monday.
Our newest scare came in the form of two different sized pupils. I noticed her pupils when walking her around the kitchen one night. Her left pupil was a tiny bit bigger than the right. I'm not even sure I mentioned it to Art at first. It seemed so insignificant. I mean, what do pupils have to do with anything? I was sure that people were just born with different sized pupils... right? At our 2nd eye doctor exam - normal for preemies - I mentioned it to the doctor. He asked me a few questions and then requested that we come back - as scheduled - and to not dilate her eyes before he examined her. So, that's just what we did. About a month later we were back in his office and he began to exam our little one. He sat down, jotted a few notes and then said to us, "I think Juliana might have Horner's Syndrome... bla bla bla... nerves.... bla bla... trauma.... bla bla bla bla." Yep, that's about what I heard. What do you mean our little girl might have a "syndrome"? I dont want her to have any "syndromes"! He told us there were a few tests we would need to do. The first was a urine test by our pediatrician. It just so happened we were going there the next day. If that test came back positive - which it WONT - we would have to do a series of MRIs to make sure the "syndrome" wasn't caused by any tumors. M... R... I... ? As in, putting my baby under?
To the computer I went...
Dear Google - Does Horner's Syndrome affect eye sight? No.
Dear Google - Is Horner's Syndrome life threatening? No.
Dear Google - Is Horner's Syndrome caused by premature birth? No... Oh, really? Awesome.
Dear Google - What the hell is Horner's Syndrome?
Horner syndrome is a rare disorder that occurs when certain nerves that travel from your brain to your eyes and face are damaged. Horner syndrome isn't a disease itself. Rather, it's a sign of another medical problem — such as a stroke, tumor or spinal cord injury. In some cases, however, no underlying cause can be found. Horner syndrome usually affects only one side of your face. Typical symptoms of Horner syndrome include a drooping eyelid, decreased pupil size and decreased sweating on the affected side of your face. There's no specific treatment for Horner syndrome. Instead, treatment is directed at the underlying cause, when possible
Really? Yea... I don't think so.
Off to the pediatrician we went. He said a lot of the same things the eye doctor said and again, I didn't understand much of it. We were handed a urine collection kit to take home. I used the kit yesterday morning and had it to the doctor's by early afternoon. I called today to make sure they had enough urine and that it was sent to the lab. It was and it was.
My hope... Juliana has two different sized pupils in dim light. AND THAT'S IT. Both doctor's said they weren't too worried. Art asked both of them how worried they were on a scale of 1-10:
Eye Doctor - 1
Pediatrician - 2/3
We should know our next steps by next Monday.
How beautiful is she??
11/27 UPDATE - All of Juliana's tests came back NORMAL! Basically, in certain light one pupil will be slightly bigger than the other. When her eyes turn brown (if they turn brown), you wont even be able to tell and this does NOT affect her sight. More importantly, it means no stroke, tumor or spinal cord injury! THANK GOD! Yay!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Michael Arthur Lambros - 1st Year
My little prince was born on November 4th, 2010. He weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches long. A quick labor story goes like this... after 9.5 months of being pregnant, I was ready to have the baby. My pregnancy was a wonderful journey filled with house hunting, designing a home and living at my mom's house while it was being built. It was the easiest pregnancy ever! So, after moving into our new home, I was ready for the little one to arrive. My husband called me at work one afternoon and said "I know we are saving, but tonight we are going out to dinner... and we are going all out." There were no complaints from this end! We decided on Carrabas since it was close to the house and chowed down on appetizers, huge meals and a dessert - delicious! Once we got home, I got a burst of energy. I excused myself and decided for an hour of pampering... showered, shaved, washed and blow dried my hair, painted my finger and toe nails and gave myself a facial. Ahhhh... it felt SO GOOD! Afterwards I went downstairs to watch a little tv and then we went to bed. At this point I was exhausted so I rolled over around 9:30p and BAM! My water broke! LOL! I said "I think... no... I KNOW my water just broke!" We called my mom and best friend and were at the hospital in 30 minutes. I labored for about 8 hours until I just couldn't take it anymore. I was hoping for natural, but I hadn't prepared and wasn't really focused. When the doctor told me I was 7 1/2 cm, I was like "no way... I can't do this for another 3 hours." So the epidural was given and the next couple of hours were nice. Relaxing and nice. When it was finally time to push I was ready! Yay! My husband was by my side and my mom was in the corner of the room. My step-dad and best friend were in the waiting room with my husband's dad and sister. I didn't progress as quickly as they wanted so a nurse who calls herself "the pushinator" walked in the room. "Honey, do you want to get this baby out or what?" "Ummm, yes," I replied. To my husband, "Honey, you ready to help?" "Ummm, sure," he replied. The nurse proceeded to lead him in front of me and show us how we were going to hold hands and play tug of war. I'll stop with the details at this point. About 20 minutes later, Michael was born, lol! It was 8:30am exactly and he was perfect...............
Michael Arthur ~ November 2010-November 2011
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| Newborn |
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| 1 Month |
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| 2 Month |
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| 3 Month |
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| 4 Month |
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| 6 Month |
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| 7 Month |
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| 8 Month |
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| 9 Month |
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| 10 Month |
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| 11 Month |
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| ONE YEAR OLD!! |
Ready for the holidays!
I am so ready for the holidays this season. I just ordered our custom stockings and am anxiously awaiting their arrival! Four stockings! How exciting. I haven't had a paycheck since August so the gifts will be limited, but the love will be there. We have SO much to be thankful for this year. Just the fact that Juliana is home and well is enough of a present for me (and maybe one pair of Uggs, lol).
My husband took my son to a birthday party in Maryland yesterday. This meant that Juliana and I were stuck in the house all day. I didn't mind though... we've had a lot of bonding time and I love snuggling with her on the couch. I did take advantage of a 2 year old free home though... the tree is up! We usually wait for the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I had to take advantage of the time. I've never put the tree up by myself before and I have to say, I was pretty proud! Lugging that monster upstairs and putting it together was a beast! I will admit that I definitely took a break before decorating. Juliana was so good. We had the Redskins game on and she just slept and occasionally peeked at me in between dreams. I just love her.
My husband took my son to a birthday party in Maryland yesterday. This meant that Juliana and I were stuck in the house all day. I didn't mind though... we've had a lot of bonding time and I love snuggling with her on the couch. I did take advantage of a 2 year old free home though... the tree is up! We usually wait for the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I had to take advantage of the time. I've never put the tree up by myself before and I have to say, I was pretty proud! Lugging that monster upstairs and putting it together was a beast! I will admit that I definitely took a break before decorating. Juliana was so good. We had the Redskins game on and she just slept and occasionally peeked at me in between dreams. I just love her.
Here's a glimpse of Christmas in the Lambros house...
And Juliana's Christmas outfit:
Friday, November 16, 2012
NICU Mom (Part 2)
As we waited in the post partum room, I remember thinking to myself, "everything will be ok... everything WILL be ok." I had to tell myself that. There was no other option. I would not accept anymore bad news. Minutes seemed like hours and finally the doctor came in. He said "wow, she's feisty!" He told us she was stable and while trying to put medicine down her throat for her lungs she smacked his hand away, lol! I dont really remember everything he said, but I do remember being a little relieved. He was definitely worried, but there was something calm in his voice. He'd obviously done this before.
An eternity later (or maybe 30 minutes) a nurse came in with a wheelchair to take us to the NICU. My heart stopped. I was so nervous! What was I going to see? What would they tell us? I remember Art being excited and that confused me. We were on two different wave lengths and that was a good thing. We balanced each other nicely and it stayed that way throughout our entire stay in the NICU. At that time though, I was a mess. I couldn't stop thinking "WHY?" As we were wheeled back I started to cry - it was fear, the unknown. When we finally entered the NICU, it was the most out-of-control feeling. There was my precious little girl. In the NICU. In a box. Wires all over her. An ugly mask over her little tiny face. It was heart wrenching and I sobbed.
We asked TONS of questions and I tried to listed to what the doctors and nurses were saying. I still didn't believe it though. I was a NICU Mom... and I was going to be a NICU Mom for a long time. I think the best news we kept hearing - even though we didn't know it at the time - was that Juliana was going to stay at Sentara Hospital. Sentara was close to our home, but Fairfax was supposed to be the best NICU around. We didn't mind traveling if it meant the best care for our daughter though. The doctor was positive about the situation though. He kept telling us, "She's doing really good... you don't want her all the way up there for no reason. Let's give her 48 hours and see what she does for us."
The next 48 hours were a blur. We asked millions of questions and received positive, encouraging answers. The nurses seemed to have halos around their heads, but it was still unnerving having all these strangers take care of our daughter. How could they be this calm? SHOULD they be this calm? Wait - she's leaving... I have to get used to another one? Does SHE know what she's doing? Did the other nurse do it like that? Was is that tube? Where does that go? Is that necessary? Has it already been an hour? Do you have to draw blood again? Can you use the other heel? Can you see if blood will come from the last heel prick? Can you make her neck more comfortable? Is she in any pain? Can you promise me that? PLEASE?
An eternity later (or maybe 30 minutes) a nurse came in with a wheelchair to take us to the NICU. My heart stopped. I was so nervous! What was I going to see? What would they tell us? I remember Art being excited and that confused me. We were on two different wave lengths and that was a good thing. We balanced each other nicely and it stayed that way throughout our entire stay in the NICU. At that time though, I was a mess. I couldn't stop thinking "WHY?" As we were wheeled back I started to cry - it was fear, the unknown. When we finally entered the NICU, it was the most out-of-control feeling. There was my precious little girl. In the NICU. In a box. Wires all over her. An ugly mask over her little tiny face. It was heart wrenching and I sobbed.
The next 48 hours were a blur. We asked millions of questions and received positive, encouraging answers. The nurses seemed to have halos around their heads, but it was still unnerving having all these strangers take care of our daughter. How could they be this calm? SHOULD they be this calm? Wait - she's leaving... I have to get used to another one? Does SHE know what she's doing? Did the other nurse do it like that? Was is that tube? Where does that go? Is that necessary? Has it already been an hour? Do you have to draw blood again? Can you use the other heel? Can you see if blood will come from the last heel prick? Can you make her neck more comfortable? Is she in any pain? Can you promise me that? PLEASE?
She wasn't though. She was amazing. A fighter. She beat ALL the odds. She stayed at Sentara the entire time and was moved from the ICU side to the "Feeder/Grower" side in about a week - amazing! We continued to watch her feedings increase, her weight increase and a million other things happen. It's funny... you never realize how much an ounce is until you're in the NICU. Ounces are everything. Tenths of an ounce are everything. We called every night at midnight to see what she weighed. The nurses stopped asking for her ID # because they knew our voices. I was there every single day from around 10am-3pm and back again from 7pm-10pm. Art was there from around 3:30-6:00pm. We never left her alone except for nights and even then we made sure whoever was on duty took extra special care of her. We didn't have to say much though. The nurses at Sentara were amazing. In fact, amazing doesn't even describe it. I love each of them and I'll never forget what they did for Juliana and what they did for US. Each one of them was born a miracle and I will forever be grateful.
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| Nurses Joanne and Margaret |
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| Nurses Joanne and Kathy |
After 55 days, clear brain scans, clear heart scans, a good feeding schedule, no spells and a decent weight, we were able to take our 4.14 ounce baby girl home!! It was the BEST DAY EVER! We still have worries and challenges ahead, but I have faith that everything will be ok in the end. I have faith that we will have a perfect little girl who will grow up to an annoying teenager. I have faith that she will sass me one day and I will give her "the look"... I can't wait for that day. I welcome it!!
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| Home Sweet Home! |
Thursday, November 15, 2012
NICU Mom (Part 1)
As of July 20, 2012 at 10:37pm, I became a "NICU Mom". No one ever thinks this will happen to them, especially me. I did not have gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or excessive amniotic fluid. I did not have problems with my placenta, like placenta previa or placental abruption. I did not lead an unhealthy life during my pregnancy. I did not have a sip of alcohol, I worked out 3-4 times a week and I drank tons of water. So why did this happen to us? We will never know. It took me a while to accept this. I'm still working on it...
It all started with annoying back pain for 3 days leading up to labor... little did I know, I was "in labor". I looked on the Internet and everything seemed perfectly normal, especially with this being my second pregnancy. On Thursday it became almost unbearable. I tried laying on the floor, stretching, massage and finally a hot bath. The bath helped but as soon as I got out I started having uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions. I called my doctor that evening and with no history of issues, she suggested I sleep it off and call her if the contractions become painful. I woke up at 1am, 2am and finally at 3:30am I tapped my husband and said "let's go in". My mom was at our house in 15 minutes flat and we were on our way to the ER. Once there, they immediately gave me a shot in my arm that should have stopped the contractions. An hour or so later, the doctor decided to check me because the contractions were not slowing down. Her face said it all... I was 3cm dilated. She proceeded to tell me that I would either have this baby soon or I would be in the hospital until I did... I wasn't due for 3 months. I felt scared, confused and most of all, MAD. This crap isn't supposed to happen to me? I still had hope though. I just assumed we would get comfortable and be in the hospital for a few weeks. How bad could that be? As long as the baby was safe I didn't care. At 6:30am I received a steroid shot. This was surreal to me. The shot was to help the baby's lungs mature. Wow... this was really happening. Terrified.
As the night continued, the contractions were all over the place. Sometimes they were 20 minutes apart and sometimes they were really close together. Nurses came and went. Their shifts started and ended. They all kept saying, "just make it to 6:30am again so we can give you the next steroid shot... 2 is so much better than 1, but 1 is amazing". I tried. I also tried to go without the epidural. And I did, for 20 hours. 20 hours of contractions. At the end of that 20 hours, I was 6 cm dilated. This baby was coming. The nurse and doctor came into the room and said they really wanted me to have the epidural because I was too stressed out and receiving the medicine might prolong the delivery. At this point I didn't care... as long as the baby was ok. I would do anything to keep her in as long as possible. Did I mention this was my baby girl? The little girl I had always dreamed of? Terrified.
At around 10pm the anesthesiologist came into our room. They decided to give me the epidural laying on my side so I wouldn't put any pressure on my bag of waters. I guess I haven't mentioned that I was not allowed to move this entire time. Any movement could have made my bag of waters break and we did not want that to happen. She proceeded to do her thing and to make the medicine spread to both sides, they gently rolled me on my back. The rest was a blur and at some point during all this my blood pressure fell off the chart and my eyes started to roll. Art yelled for the doctor and they ran in to give me a shot of addrenaline. It worked immediately and seconds later my water broke and I felt immediate pressure. I vaguely remember yelling "she's coming!" Art tells me that the nurses ran in, the doctor ran in and the NICU team was there within seconds. I didn't cry... I just laid there until they told me to push. I guess I was praying. I don't really remember. Two or three pushes later she came out. I didn't even know what to expect... Would she be breathing? What would she look like? Would she need recitation? Would they put her on my chest and tell me to say good bye? I just sat there, stone faced. However, when she came out, none of those things happened! She wiggled and cried immediately! She looked tiny, but completely normal! They checked her out - 2 pounds, 10 ounces and 15 1/4 inches long - and then brought her over to me for a kiss. The NICU team took her away and did what they do best - assess her and treat her. Terrified... numb.
The next thing I remember is being rolled to our room and waiting. Waiting for the doctor to come in or the nurses to come get us to meet our little girl...
It all started with annoying back pain for 3 days leading up to labor... little did I know, I was "in labor". I looked on the Internet and everything seemed perfectly normal, especially with this being my second pregnancy. On Thursday it became almost unbearable. I tried laying on the floor, stretching, massage and finally a hot bath. The bath helped but as soon as I got out I started having uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions. I called my doctor that evening and with no history of issues, she suggested I sleep it off and call her if the contractions become painful. I woke up at 1am, 2am and finally at 3:30am I tapped my husband and said "let's go in". My mom was at our house in 15 minutes flat and we were on our way to the ER. Once there, they immediately gave me a shot in my arm that should have stopped the contractions. An hour or so later, the doctor decided to check me because the contractions were not slowing down. Her face said it all... I was 3cm dilated. She proceeded to tell me that I would either have this baby soon or I would be in the hospital until I did... I wasn't due for 3 months. I felt scared, confused and most of all, MAD. This crap isn't supposed to happen to me? I still had hope though. I just assumed we would get comfortable and be in the hospital for a few weeks. How bad could that be? As long as the baby was safe I didn't care. At 6:30am I received a steroid shot. This was surreal to me. The shot was to help the baby's lungs mature. Wow... this was really happening. Terrified.
As the night continued, the contractions were all over the place. Sometimes they were 20 minutes apart and sometimes they were really close together. Nurses came and went. Their shifts started and ended. They all kept saying, "just make it to 6:30am again so we can give you the next steroid shot... 2 is so much better than 1, but 1 is amazing". I tried. I also tried to go without the epidural. And I did, for 20 hours. 20 hours of contractions. At the end of that 20 hours, I was 6 cm dilated. This baby was coming. The nurse and doctor came into the room and said they really wanted me to have the epidural because I was too stressed out and receiving the medicine might prolong the delivery. At this point I didn't care... as long as the baby was ok. I would do anything to keep her in as long as possible. Did I mention this was my baby girl? The little girl I had always dreamed of? Terrified.
At around 10pm the anesthesiologist came into our room. They decided to give me the epidural laying on my side so I wouldn't put any pressure on my bag of waters. I guess I haven't mentioned that I was not allowed to move this entire time. Any movement could have made my bag of waters break and we did not want that to happen. She proceeded to do her thing and to make the medicine spread to both sides, they gently rolled me on my back. The rest was a blur and at some point during all this my blood pressure fell off the chart and my eyes started to roll. Art yelled for the doctor and they ran in to give me a shot of addrenaline. It worked immediately and seconds later my water broke and I felt immediate pressure. I vaguely remember yelling "she's coming!" Art tells me that the nurses ran in, the doctor ran in and the NICU team was there within seconds. I didn't cry... I just laid there until they told me to push. I guess I was praying. I don't really remember. Two or three pushes later she came out. I didn't even know what to expect... Would she be breathing? What would she look like? Would she need recitation? Would they put her on my chest and tell me to say good bye? I just sat there, stone faced. However, when she came out, none of those things happened! She wiggled and cried immediately! She looked tiny, but completely normal! They checked her out - 2 pounds, 10 ounces and 15 1/4 inches long - and then brought her over to me for a kiss. The NICU team took her away and did what they do best - assess her and treat her. Terrified... numb.
The next thing I remember is being rolled to our room and waiting. Waiting for the doctor to come in or the nurses to come get us to meet our little girl...
Family of Four
My name is Tara. I am married to an amazing man, Arthur (or Art, for short) and I have two of the most wonderful babies ever, Michael and Juliana. I am starting this blog to keep track of funny and exciting moments in our family. I wont blog all the time, but I hope to keep it going for as long as possible. Here's a little bit about us:
Art and I knew of each other in high school, but we weren't formally introduced until a few years after school at an HFStival (this was a concert held at RFK Stadium). Eminem was performing that day and we were all pretty excited. Art and I hit it off right away and we continued to date for about a month. Being that we were at different places in our lives, we chose to end things. Three years later, we were reconnected during a group trip to Mexico! Multiple people in the group wondered how long it would take before we started flirting again. Art still thinks I was flirting with him before we boarded the plane. Maybe I was. Four and a half years later we were married!
Our wedding was an event I will never forget. There wasn't one detail left untouched. My mom and I had a blast planning everything from the flowers, the linens, the favors, the menu, etc. Art was very involved too. I believe his famous last words were "just let me know what time to be there"... yea right! LOL! We still laugh about that. I guess that's one of the reasons why I love him so much. He is very much involved in everything. I complain at times, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Back to the wedding! We were married at St. Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church, VA during a record breaking snow storm. If our wedding were one weekend prior, we would have had to cancel it. God must have been on our side though. Everyone was able to make it and the day was flawless! My bridesmaids were dressed in a beautiful shade of eggplant and the wedding sparkled in silvers and purples. It was beautiful. Our reception was on the top floor of the Key Bridge Marriott. Floor to ceiling windows surrounded the entire floor with breathtaking views of the memorials and Georgetown. Again, it was a night I will never forget. The next morning we took the first flight to Puerto Rico where we boarded a 2 week Caribbean cruise. Amazing!
During that 2 week Caribbean cruise, our first child was conceived! He arrived 9 months later on November 4th, 2010. We named him Michael after Art's dad, Mike. He has been nothing short of a perfect child and to even attempt to describe our love for him would be pointless. Just looking at him warms my soul and makes my heart ache. Its true... you never know what love is until you have your first baby. He is now 2 years old and thriving. He is an extremely picky eater, but that is our only challenge with him. He has only been sick a handful of times and is as sweet as they come. My mom retired the moment she found out we were pregnant (almost 40 years working for the Army!) and has been taking care of him every since. We know how lucky we are. We truly do.
On or around January 20, 2012, we conceived our next bundle of joy. Just what I had always dreamed of... 2 babies, 2 years apart. And that's just what was supposed to happen. Michael was born Nov 2010, this baby was due October 2012! I'm going to be honest, I really wanted a girl. Like, really really wanted a girl. I took two at-home gender prediction tests and one said boy and the other said girl... obviously. Then I scheduled an early gender sonogram. She looked and looked and then finally confirmed it was a boy. I was excited to see my baby, but my heart broke a little bit. I just really thought we were going to have one of each. So, in true Tara fashion, I didn't believe her. I went home and watched the video for TWO WEEKS. I drove my husband nuts! I just didn't see boy parts! I knew what I was looking for as I had done a lot of research before our appointment. So at our next appointment I took pictures to my doctor. He was kind enough to talk to the technician and she agreed to squeeze us in for a 'quick look'. I was about to throw up... this was it. All my family and friends were at home waiting... Is she crazy? Is she going to be ok when they confirm it's a boy? I laid on the table and the technician smiled at me "here we go"... within 60 seconds she said "ok... I know what it is... you are having baby girl." My husband's mouth dropped and he grabbed my arm. The rest was a blur. I sobbed. I knew it! I knew I would have my baby girl! Everything was perfect. Life was amazing................ and then it happened. Life stopped. Life changed. At 28 weeks exactly, I went into labor. I still don't believe it. How could this happen to ME? I eat healthy, I drink tons of water, I worked out every day, I didn't have a SIP of alcohol, I did everything I was supposed to do! But alas, she came. All 2 pounds, 10 ounces of her. To make a long story short, we spent the next 55 days in the NICU. She had absolutely no issues and came home a thriving little girl. We learned so much in the NICU... maybe I'll blog about that in the future...
So now here we are. A family of 4. Everything I've ever wanted... a loyal husband who is a rock star of a father, a beautiful home, a spunky, loving little boy and a precious baby girl. Thank you for reading my blog and I look forward to documenting fun times from here on out!
Art and I knew of each other in high school, but we weren't formally introduced until a few years after school at an HFStival (this was a concert held at RFK Stadium). Eminem was performing that day and we were all pretty excited. Art and I hit it off right away and we continued to date for about a month. Being that we were at different places in our lives, we chose to end things. Three years later, we were reconnected during a group trip to Mexico! Multiple people in the group wondered how long it would take before we started flirting again. Art still thinks I was flirting with him before we boarded the plane. Maybe I was. Four and a half years later we were married!
Our wedding was an event I will never forget. There wasn't one detail left untouched. My mom and I had a blast planning everything from the flowers, the linens, the favors, the menu, etc. Art was very involved too. I believe his famous last words were "just let me know what time to be there"... yea right! LOL! We still laugh about that. I guess that's one of the reasons why I love him so much. He is very much involved in everything. I complain at times, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Back to the wedding! We were married at St. Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church, VA during a record breaking snow storm. If our wedding were one weekend prior, we would have had to cancel it. God must have been on our side though. Everyone was able to make it and the day was flawless! My bridesmaids were dressed in a beautiful shade of eggplant and the wedding sparkled in silvers and purples. It was beautiful. Our reception was on the top floor of the Key Bridge Marriott. Floor to ceiling windows surrounded the entire floor with breathtaking views of the memorials and Georgetown. Again, it was a night I will never forget. The next morning we took the first flight to Puerto Rico where we boarded a 2 week Caribbean cruise. Amazing!
During that 2 week Caribbean cruise, our first child was conceived! He arrived 9 months later on November 4th, 2010. We named him Michael after Art's dad, Mike. He has been nothing short of a perfect child and to even attempt to describe our love for him would be pointless. Just looking at him warms my soul and makes my heart ache. Its true... you never know what love is until you have your first baby. He is now 2 years old and thriving. He is an extremely picky eater, but that is our only challenge with him. He has only been sick a handful of times and is as sweet as they come. My mom retired the moment she found out we were pregnant (almost 40 years working for the Army!) and has been taking care of him every since. We know how lucky we are. We truly do.
On or around January 20, 2012, we conceived our next bundle of joy. Just what I had always dreamed of... 2 babies, 2 years apart. And that's just what was supposed to happen. Michael was born Nov 2010, this baby was due October 2012! I'm going to be honest, I really wanted a girl. Like, really really wanted a girl. I took two at-home gender prediction tests and one said boy and the other said girl... obviously. Then I scheduled an early gender sonogram. She looked and looked and then finally confirmed it was a boy. I was excited to see my baby, but my heart broke a little bit. I just really thought we were going to have one of each. So, in true Tara fashion, I didn't believe her. I went home and watched the video for TWO WEEKS. I drove my husband nuts! I just didn't see boy parts! I knew what I was looking for as I had done a lot of research before our appointment. So at our next appointment I took pictures to my doctor. He was kind enough to talk to the technician and she agreed to squeeze us in for a 'quick look'. I was about to throw up... this was it. All my family and friends were at home waiting... Is she crazy? Is she going to be ok when they confirm it's a boy? I laid on the table and the technician smiled at me "here we go"... within 60 seconds she said "ok... I know what it is... you are having baby girl." My husband's mouth dropped and he grabbed my arm. The rest was a blur. I sobbed. I knew it! I knew I would have my baby girl! Everything was perfect. Life was amazing................ and then it happened. Life stopped. Life changed. At 28 weeks exactly, I went into labor. I still don't believe it. How could this happen to ME? I eat healthy, I drink tons of water, I worked out every day, I didn't have a SIP of alcohol, I did everything I was supposed to do! But alas, she came. All 2 pounds, 10 ounces of her. To make a long story short, we spent the next 55 days in the NICU. She had absolutely no issues and came home a thriving little girl. We learned so much in the NICU... maybe I'll blog about that in the future...
So now here we are. A family of 4. Everything I've ever wanted... a loyal husband who is a rock star of a father, a beautiful home, a spunky, loving little boy and a precious baby girl. Thank you for reading my blog and I look forward to documenting fun times from here on out!
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