The Most Beautiful Places in America!

I love watching Good Morning America each morning and the past few weeks, they have been doing a series called, "The Most Beautiful Places in America" and I have really enjoyed watching the unique places viewers sent in to be nominated!

I have been very lucky to have traveled many places inside and outside the United States and during the first day of this series, I thought about where I would choose:

My TOP most beautiful places in America would be:

1. Sedona, AZ -- I visited when I was 14 yrs. old and I was convinced that I would live there for the rest of my life. So incredibly beautiful and serene. We went all the way from Phoenix, AZ to Lake Powell, UT , and saw everything in between. The Grand Canyon by railway, rafted the Colorado River, explored Lake Powell, saw the Native American ruins, went horseback riding and so much more! I don't have any photos on my computer since it was before we had a digital camera.

2. Grand Tetons, WY - I visited Jackson Hole, WY when I was 19 yrs. old and still to this day, it is by far the most beautiful place I have ever been, inside America. (Also, the reason why I want to name our son Jackson...LOL) We slow-water rafted the Snake River and white-water-rafted the Snake River, horseback-rode in Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons, explored every angle of Yellowstone and saw so much wildlife!!! Also, the best food I have ever eaten in my whole life is found there!!!!! If I could move there tomorrow, I would!!

One of my favorite photos of my Mommy and I! (it's actually taken in Idaho though..we went over there one day while staying at Jackson Hole)

3. Boothbay Harbor, ME -- I visited when I was 10 yrs. old and before digital camera...no photos on my computer, but beautiful!!!!! We went on whale tours, explored National Parks and ate lots of good lobster!

4. Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI -- I visited when I was 20 yrs. old and my family went all over the northern area of Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula. We had so much fun and did a lot of fun things. We rafted the Snake River, went horseback-riding, swam in Lake Michigan...and so much more.

5. Lake Powell, UT -- I visited on the same trip as Sedona, AZ, and was speechless when I saw the first view of the man-made lake (The Colorado River was damned to make it). However, sadly it doesn't look anything like it did when I was there in 2002, as it has been drying up. In 2002, it was 17 feet below it's normal level and now it's ten time worse; and they have even had to move the marina many times into the middle of the lake. The lake water is so clean, locals say that you can drink it and it has more coastline than the whole West Coast!! It was absolutely beautiful though and Rainbow Bridge is worth the trip to see!

All of the other places I have been, have nothing on these 5 places. However, outside of the US, I would choose:

1. St. John, USVI
2. Aruba
3. Mont Tremblant, Canada
4. Quebec, Canada

The TOP 10 for GMA were (in no specific order):

1. Point Reyes, CA
2. Sedona, AZ
3. Aspen, CO
4. Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI
5. Cape Code, MA
6. Destin, FL
7. Grand Tetons, WY
8. Asheville, NC
9. Lanikai Beach, HI
10. Newport, RI

AND.....the winner, as the most beautiful place in America is, Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI!!!

Where would your most beautiful places in America be?

Helping Daddy with Fantasy Football!

Saturday evening Natalee helped Daddy make "her" fantasy football team,

"Team Natty Bo"!

On Sunday, Claire made "her" team, "Team Claire's Bears" and Madelynn made "her" team, "Team Gatar"!

We'll see who wins!!

Wordless Wednesday!

"Don't worry Mom, I'm not going to be hungry for awhile, I'll just eat my sister's foot!"

16 Weeks/4 Months!

I can hardly still believe I am pregnant, and to think I am 4 months pregnant, is even crazier!

How far Along: 16 weeks/4 months

How Big is the Baby:  Average size of fetus is 4.6 inches and 3.5 oz. Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender (thebump.com).

Weight Gain: Nothing.

Symptoms: Headaches, gum issues (which I heard is completely normal for this time of pregnancy and I remember it with the girls too), lots of stretching in my tummy and my c-section scar is really itchy. Peeing ALOT!!!

Emotions: Good this week. I find myself thinking more and more of when the girls were born and going over and over the few days before and after their birth and wondering what this next experience is going to be like.

Best Moment of the Week: Feeling better and not puking! Also seeing my cousin and her family on Saturday was a blast!

Maternity Clothes: Only when I actually leave the house.

Stretchmarks: No new ones, amen and I do not expect anymore!

Cravings: Brownies!!! And anything I don't have to fix myself!

Food Aversions: Hmmm, this week...I don't think I had any aversions, just stayed away from food in general for the most part.

Gender: Still thinking it's a girl, but hoping it's as boy!

What I Miss: Wine and margaritas!!!!!!

Sleep: When I get it, it's wonderful and full of dreams. Naps are super great too!

What I am Looking Forward to: Seeing the little bean next Thursday!!

And here is my bump photo from this week:

And with comparison with the girls:

 

First Trip to the Pool!

Friday, my sister and I ventured to the pool for the very first time this summer with the girls!!

Tim had to work late, so I thought of the perfect plan to ring my sister into helping me for the evening and going to the pool was the perfect idea! It was quite the adventure, but my quad stroller sure made it a lot easier. We packed dinner and bottles (and a million other things) and had a really great time.

Here are some of the photos from our afternoon of fun:

When we were getting out of the car and packing the stroller, Claire and Madelynn were holding hands and my sister just grabbed the camera in time to get it at the last moment!

Christine and Natalee

Of course, since I always had two babies in my hand almost always, there are no photos of me and no photos of the girls in the water. But here are the details...

Madelynn LOVED the water. She splashed all over the place and got her face and hair completely soaked. She even found it super fun to grab her sister's ear and try to pull her into the water.

Claire enjoyed trying to grab her painted toes through the water. It was so cute.

Natalee loved it too. She loved sitting with her Auntie and splash around.

I took each girl by themselves out in the water to "swim" around and they loved it!!!!!

All of the girls didn't mind being wet or being in their bathing-suits. They ate dinner in them while sitting in the stroller and did great. No major meltdowns and only one blow-out swimmy-diaper! So, I'd say it was a success!

I cannot wait to go to the beach in a few weeks and see how they do there!

Friday Ramblings!

These photos of Madelynn almost crawling were supposed to go up on Wednesday, but for some reason, they didn't. Even since Wednesday, she has improved her skills! I cannot believe how fast I will need to baby proof things that aren't and just maybe put up the "big pen".

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One of our cats got outside yesterday and it was a big problem! Tim accidentally left the back door to the deck unlocked and the darn cat can open the door by himself. He kept coming to the door and meowing (like once an hour), but every time I went to grab him, he would run away back under the deck. His brothers (Charlie and Tobie) sat by the door for hours waiting for him to come home. It was so sweet. Finally, around 11:30pm last night, I finally was able to grab him!

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We're going to the pool today for the first time! I am beyond excited, so stay tuned for LOTS of photos over the weekend!

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Here is the link to our story on Joy for Generations by Dr. Stillman:

SGFC Office: Rockville, MD
Job Title: Medical Director
Years of Service: 15

How do I encapsulate, in just a few paragraphs my 18 years in academic medicine practicing and teaching infertility and then my 15 wonderful years at Shady Grove Fertility as its Medical Director? How do I attempt to give an idea of immense pride and privilege it has been to help so many couples achieve their dreams of parenthood?
One story comes to mind:

So I inquired of the 23 year old woman of the couple sitting in front of me at their New Patient Visit how it was that she was referred to see me? She said, simply "My Mom referred me". I said, well, that was very nice, but how did her Mom know me? "Well", she said with a little smile, "you treated her - and I was born as a result".
Well, that was a shocking I-really-know-I'm-getting-old moment, as well as a great first opportunity to treat across the generations.

The infertility diagnosis for Mom and daughter were different, but fortunately the outcome was the same: my then new patient has subsequently delivered - in fact she delivered her wonderful triplets following a little TOO successful treatment! She and the triplets are doing beautifully. I hear that Dad's is the one who is a bit tired.
And of all the many pictures that I cherish of the families I've been privileged to work with, the picture of Grandma with her daughter and with her three grandchildren together will certainly be one that fills me with wonderment, pride, and joy.
Yes, Shady Grove Fertility "Delivering Joy For Generations", indeed.

I still have to write mine, but when I read his, I got tears in my eyes! I am so blessed!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Madelynn and Claire are teething like crazy, especially Claire. Her bottom tooth is really coming in, it's almost completely poking through! She is drooling everywhere and both of them have slight runny roses.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AND, how cute are baby toes that are painted!? I can't get over how darn cute my little girl's piggy toes are!

Happy Friday!!!!!

Visiting with Dr. Stillman!

Last week I received a call from the marketing division at Shady Grove Fertility Center informing me that they had this new website where doctors and patients can share their "joy" stories of successful treatments within the past twenty years, since they are celebrating 20 years and 27,000 births!!!  And the best part of all, Dr. Stillman decided that our family was his "joy" story for the past 30 years+ of his practice in infertility! I was so thrilled and so honored!

If you haven't heard the story of how Dr. Stillman is a legend in our family, here is the gist:

It took my parents 13 years to conceive a child; me. My mom had many surgeries with severe endometriosis, lots of reconstructive work and a very small chance of ever having a child. Of course 25-30 years ago, technology was very different than today, especially when it came to IVF! IVF was just in the very, very beginning stages. Dr. Stillman was still a surgeon then at GW, and preformed my mom's last four surgeries to clear endo out and to try and fix all of her issues. And so my mom was placed 4th on the list with Dr. Stillman for IVF, and she miraculously got pregnant the month prior, with me. She had a less than 10% chance of ever having another child and five years later my sister was born.  So we would not be here if it wasn't for Dr. Stillman.

And then 5 years ago, after an appendectomy, I was diagnosed with endometriosis also. After a surgery in 2009, I was told I had a semi-good chance of having children, even with having stage-IV endo, but it needed to be right away and my best chances would be after I had surgery each year to clean the endo out. Well, when Tim and I got married in May 2009, I had been off of birth control since January and so we started "trying" even before we were married, and in July 2009, we went to meet Dr. Stillman. Since I already had a severe diagnosis, I didn't have to wait the normal amount of time before seeing a fertility specialist. Dr. Stillman was speechless, a patient of a patient! It was really awesome to meet the man who helped my parents and little did I know how much he would help my own possibilities of a family. Dr. Stillman said that our best chance of having a baby would be to do IVF. It is the best approach with dealing with the pain of endo and surpassing all the issues that endo creates when trying to have a baby. Little did I know, how right he was. After many, many failed attempts at IUI's we finally decided to go for IVF in April/May 2010, and with two embryos and a 1% chance of triplets....here we are today with our three beautiful 7.5 month old little girls, plus another miracle surprise baby on the way! I'd say we are quiet the success story too!

Needless to say, Dr. Stillman will be forever a part of our family! I am so honored he chose our family story to be his "joy" story! We were invited to come and take a picture with him for the website and it will be posted at Family Day 2011 in September!

Thank you for all the wonderful help in our family, Dr. Stillman!!!

The girls were of course the highlight of the marketing office! Everyone was so sweet!! So here we all are, with our NEW stroller too:

15 Weeks!

How Far Along: 15 Weeks!

How Big is the Baby: The average fetus is about the size of a naval orange; and weighs 2.5 ounces and measures 4 inches -- and his/her proportions are becoming even more normal, since his/her legs now outmeasure his/her arms.
Weight Gain: Same as last week: +2lbs.

Symptoms: A little nausea, some puking (just twice in one day!), tired, light-headedness.

Emotions: Fine this week, other than just the normal stresses in life.

Best Moment of the Week: Only getting sick twice! I'd say that was super successful!

Movement: None, yet.

Maternity Clothes: More like just whatever I feel like wearing around the house. When I do go out, yes, maternity clothes.

Stretchmarks: No new ones, amen.

Cravings: PB and J!! And brownies! Also, Mexican! I made homemade chili and went to two different taco places, all in one week!

Food Aversions: Bananas!!!!!!!

Gender: I'm almost 100% positive it's a girl, but still hoping it's a boy!

What I Miss: Wine and margaritas!

Sleep: Whenever, and wherever I can get a few minutes to myself, I'm super happy to sleep!

What I am Looking Forward To: Going to the beach at the end of the month!!!!

Milestone: I dunno.

And here is my photos and comparison photo to the girl's pregnancy: