I've been here before

7 months pregnant and miserable.
I'm as big as a house and every move I make takes far too much energy,
I've got a lovely umbilical hernia that feels like an iron fist of fury ripping through my skin. This, of course, puts a real cramp in my style. There is SO much I want to do and I can't. I literally CANNOT. Everyone who knows me knows that I can't just sit here and be idle. I need to be on the move.

With less than 2 months until my June 2 due date, I finally feel like things are getting in order. Sydney's "big girl" room is pretty much finished. We just have some organizing to do in new baby's room and then we'll be set.

Slowly but surely, our little family is getting prepared to grow. :)

I can't wait to meet her.

I did some blog cleaning.
I deleted almost my entire archive up until August 2005.
Anything before that is not worth remembering so away they went.

Besides, August 2005 is when my life really started. :)

September flew by and I feel like October's going just as quick.

I took Sydney to the orthopedist last month to have her ankles looked at. They turn in when she stands almost to the point where the soles of her feet are parallel with the rest of her body. It looks as painful as it sounds. So, at her physical therapists advice, I took her to an orthopedist to get a prescription for SMO braces - small braces that fit just over her ankles and will help her stability.

2 orthopedists later (long story), Miss Nee is finally getting fitted TONIGHT for AFO's - larger braces that go all the way up to her knees. This, however, is just a small blip in everything that's going on with her right now.

In addition to the orthopedist and the orthotist (the professional that fits her braces), Corey & I are taking Sydney to Philadelphia on Thursday to see a neurologist. This was suggested by both orthopedists because they both feel Sydney's leg weakness is neurological - possibly Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida - which may also be to blame for her other delays (speech, fine motor).

On a positive note, we had our yearly evaluation with Early Intervention and Sydney did very well. She is, of course, way behind in her gross motor skills, rating at 10-months old. This is mainly because she is 22-months old and not walking. Her fine motor and speech skills rate at a 16-month old. While that is still delayed it is good that she seems to be progressing globally. The really good news is that cognitively and socially she rates right on target.

Some more positive thoughts......

Sydney is starting to express herself verbally more & more. Her wee vocabulary is growing in leaps & bounds. Right now we say "nana" for banana, "momma" (my personal favorite), something that sounds like "Elmo" and apparently "purple" according to the daycare.

Her ASL vocabulary is even better. She signs more, milk, please, thank you, cow, fish, eat and dog. We're working on cat, pig and cheese now. I love the looks we get when we're out in public and people see her signing to me. I had a woman in Target stop me one day and ask me how I taught her to do that.

Elena's wedding is in under 3 weeks and we're getting excited! My dress fits perfectly - aside from having to take in the straps a bit due to my lack of breasts LOL . Sydney's dress is gorgeous and I just got her black patent leather mary janes, too. I'm really looking forward to it - it's going to be a great party!

I think that's all for now. I have some great fall photos I'll have to post. We took Sydney to the Pocono Pumpkin Festival last weekend and I got some cute pics of Corey & her at the petting zoo. She also got to meet Tyrone from the Backyardigans at the Crayola Factory and I have a HYSTERICAL picture of that.

Soon, I promise. Soon.

lalalala, lalalala, Sydney's world....

Lots happening. Lots going on. July & August were super busy and September and October are filling up quick.

A week in Myrtle Beach was relaxing and some much needed respite for Corey, Sydney & I. Now that Labor Day is a week away, I'm getting nervous as fall is usually the busiest time of year.

New & exciting things in Sydney's world:

She's standing unassisted...finally! It's quite adorable, actually. She stands there and just stares like she doesn't know what to do next.

She started using a fork & spoon. Not very effeciently, but she's using it.

She plays music on her caterpillar xylophone. To everyone else, it's noise. To me, it's a beautiful melody.

She LOVES books. It's fun to watch her crawl over to the bookcase, pick out a book and hand it to Corey or I. She then stands up at our laps with her arms in the air to pick her up and read to her. When one book is done, we put her down and the cylce starts all over again. Yesterday I must've read "Panda Bear, Panda Bear" 12 times. (making a mental note to bring more books downstairs)

I love (sometimes) the little personality she's developing. I love that she (sometimes) listens to direction and (sometimes) actually understands me! She's testing her boundaries and it makes us laugh everyday.

Wildwood pictures!!

Here are some pictures from our mini-vacay in Wildwood-

Sydney enjoying the sand and the water. I was so amazed at how well she took to the ocean. I didn't freak her out at all. I thought for sure the noise alone would scare her, but no.:

Crawling away from me as usual. I LOVE the ruffled bottom of her swimsuit even though it catches all the sand:

Riding the carousel at Morey's Pier just like I did when I was little:

Chilling with a drink in Cape May. She's not really drinking from it - she just likes to hold it and suck on the straw.:

You wanna know what sucks?

I have no oven.

My wonderful Caloric crapped out on me on July 4th just as I was in the process of making Corey's birthday Chocolate Chip Pie, the four cakes I had planned for the block party and yummy raspberry filled almond cookies.

pfft.

BUT...my loving husband called the appliance repair guy today and my oven should be fixed by tomorrow or Wednesday. Yay!

Sydney & I had a great time with Grandma Diane in Wildwood. She loved the sand and the water and the boardwalk. I will post pictures as soon as I get them uploaded.

One thing I love about living here is the fact that we have a neighborhood. We have neighbors we know and see on an *almost* daily basis. We talk to them, play with their kids and pet their dogs.
This week is the annual Wilson Lion's Club Community Fair. It's at our local park - which is within walking distance from our house (BONUS!). It's your usual small carni - food, rickety rides and obnoxious people yelling at you to "TAKE A SHOT!! WIN HER A BEAR!!!"
We went last year, but Syd was just too little to really enjoy it. This year was a whole different story.
We walked over on Monday night and Sydney was just wide-eyed at all the lights and people and loud music. We had a cheesesteak. Yum. There's just something about a cheesesteak from a carni-vendor. Especially a Pennsylvanian Carni Vendor. It was truly soggy, cheesey piece of deliciousness.
After our clogging our arteries, Corey & I took Syd on the Merry-Go-Round. I went with her first. I sat her on the pony and she instantly grabbed onto the pole. It was like she had done this before. The ride started and Sydney just ate it up. The combination of the fair sights/smells/sounds, the carousel going around, the horse up and down and the wind in her face - she was shaking with excitement. I'd say "Weeeee!" and she'd laugh out loud - one of those good deep baby belly laughs that just melts your heart.
Corey took her next and I was glad he got to experience her glee first hand.

On a less happy note, yesterday was not a good day. I made Sydney an appointment with an allergist - "the best on the east-coast" they say. It was for yesterday at 10 am.
So, I took a vacation day from work, filled out the 10 sheets of paperwork, loaded up all her asthma medicines and drove Miss Nee 30 minutes to this doctor.
I go to check in and the receptionist informs me that my appointment has been canceled because "the doctor isn't in today."
What? What do you mean is isn't in???? I had a 10 o'clock appointment!!!
They explain to me that they called me and left me a message at home and at work - at 8 o'clock that morning.
They have a $100 no-show fee if you don't cancel within 24-hours. I asked the receptionist when I can expect my $100 since they didn't give ME 24-hours notice and I had to take a vacation day from work AND drive all the way there.
She just glared at me.
So, when can I schedule another appointment
SEPTEMBER.
I left there in tears and promptly made an appointment with a different doctor.

So, here I had a day with Miss Nee all to myself so I took her to the office for a few hours and then home to make red-velvet cake balls and sugar cookies.

Thanks to Dawn, I found a new way to make the cake balls and they came out great.

Then I experimented with rolled fondant as a way to cover my sugar cookies. A little time consuming but they look so nice and professional. I think this might be the ticket.

Okay - I'm gonna go cram one of those cookies in my mouth now.