Where does the time go???

Wow, has it really been 4 months??? I feel like it was just yesterday that I sat down to write Drew’s eviction notice blog and already – here we are – 4 months later, living out a dream come true with the most perfect baby ever! (OK, I know he’s not the MOST perfect…but he’s pretty darn close!)

I honestly don’t even know where to begin, so I guess I’ll just go back to Thursday, October 15th and start there! You may want to get a beverage and a snack – this could be a long one! :)

As you may recall, our little monkey had decided he was much too comfortable in his ‘home away from home’ (aka – mommy’s belly!) and wasn’t coming out. So, 4 days overdue, I met with my OBGYN and he suggested that if he didn’t come on his own that weekend, we would go in and get him via c-section. Well, that was all it took! Drew must have heard the news because Friday evening I began to have contractions. Much to our surprise, it appeared that we would be delivering this munchkin “o-natural” after all (with drugs, of course!)
Well, as usual, there has yet to be a dull moment where this little guy is concerned! I will spare you the gory details, but after almost 12 hours of contractions and Petocin (the most evil drug on the planet!!!) someone must have gotten stage fright because he wasn’t coming out! Drew’s heart tones were dropping every time that I contracted so to stop unnecessary stress on him, my doc made the call and we were wheeled down to the operating room. In less than 5 minutes our lives were forever changed!!!!!!! At exactly 3:52pm, weighing in at 7lbs. 2 oz and 20 inches long, Andrew Edwin-Marshall Giersdorf had arrived!!

While that moment will forever live in my memory (hopefully!), the next few weeks are sort of a blur. They were a whirlwind of sleepless nights, sore boobs (sorry, but it’s true!) crying, feeding, pooping, and the most overwhelming love I have ever felt. In fact, if you ask Justin, he wasn’t sure I was ever going to stop crying! (Though, I’m happy to report – I have…well, sort of!)

Most of November was filled with boxes, peanuts and packing tape! Yep, you guessed it - the Giersdorf gang packed it up and relocated to a new city and neighborhood! In the words of George Jefferson, “we moved on up!”…but to the westside! We slowly settled into a routine with a new baby and a new dwelling and couldn’t be happier!! We love our new home and we can’t wait for all of our far away friends and family to come see it!

December seems to have passed us by with a blink but we definitely made some wonderful ‘first memories’ for Andrew. Not only did he begin smiling and really start to show us his personality (and boy is he like his daddy!!!), he took his first plane ride all the way across the country to see his Grandma Giersdorf! During our time in Spokane, Drew got to meet his Great Grandma Norman, his Great Grandpa Dragoo (Melissa too!) and his Great Aunt Shirley and Great Uncle Dan! He also had the pleasure of meeting the big fat guy with the white beard and red suit…though, for a number of reasons, he will never remember it so it’s a good thing we have it documented on film!
We made it home just in time for New Years Eve where the four of us (we must not forget Simon!) said goodbye to a very blessed 2009 and rang in 2010 as a family!

With January upon us, so was the looming day that I was to return to work. I will say, with no uncertainty, January 11th was, thus far, the hardest day of my life. Leaving that beautiful little face to go off to work was the most heart-wrenching experience ever! I can only say – thank God there is only 1 first day back!!!! I want to give a special shout out to my mom, my sister, my mother-in-law, my very dear friends and last, but certainly not least, my husband, Justin, for helping me get through those first few days – it wasn’t pretty and I couldn’t have done it without you all! I truly believe that the only reason I have “adjusted” (please notice I use the word “adjusted” not “easier” – it will never get EASY!) is due to the fact that my life long friend Amy Yocum has agreed to be Drew’s nanny! Amy comes to the house 4 days a week and it is working out better than any of us planned!! I can’t even begin to describe how much her being with him has eased our anxiety. Knowing that he is with someone who loves him almost as much as we do and that he is safe in his own home makes all the difference in the world! Come the day that we have to actually put him into daycare will face a new challenge – but I’ll cross that bridge then – I’m blocking it out for now ! :)

February was busy, to say the least!!! Not only did Justin and I both have birthdays (man, we’re getting old!) and a 3rd wedding anniversary, we also celebrated the fact that our little monkey has been with us for 4 months already! I can’t believe he’s growing so fast!!! Where does the time go? It’s funny because so many people warned us that once he was here we would never remember life without him and I can honestly say - it’s true!! He is the best thing that has ever happened to us!! He had his 4 month check up and weighed in at 17.55lbs and almost 27 inches long!!! Can you say BIG BOY???? This should add some sort of perspective just how much he's changed in the few months he's been with us!!

Well, I should probably wrap this up. If I haven’t bored you to tears yet, or you haven’t fallen asleep on your keyboard, I commend you. If I have learned anything through this whole parenthood journey thus far, it’s that I could go on and on and on…(you get the idea) about my son and never get tired of talking about him!!!

With that being said, I solemly vow that I will do my best to be more punctual in reporting back to you all about his progress and keep you updated with pictures of his sweet little face. Until the next time, we love you all and miss the ones that are so far away!
XOXOXO,
Amie, Justin, Andrew & Simon!

The Eviction Notice Has Been Served!!!

So, for the last 9 months, Justin and I have been living for Sunday, October 11th! A day in the history books for us!! The day that our lives would change forever...the day that we were going to look into the eyes of the most precious little boy that we've ever met...the day that we began a journey that would forever change us and our lives...and much to our surprise - IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! At least, not yet, it hasn't!! Our little Drew has decided it is much to comfortable for him inside his mama's womb and he is not ready to come out and meet the rest of this world! Ironically, his mama feels the complete opposite! :) While I know that there is no safer place for him (at least for now anyway!), I am so anxious and as equally uncomfortable! Justin walks around gingerly and winces as he looks at me and utters the words, "soon babe, soon!"

The good news is that we (Drew and I) had a Non-Stress Test this morning at the hospital and Dr. Gatt (we love him!!!) said that everything looks good and that the baby is resting nicely. I have another appointment on Thursday (should we still be playing this waiting game) with Dr. Johnson (we love him too!!) and if nothing is happening by then, we will come up with a game plan. The best news of all is that I can say with no uncertainty - I will not be sitting here in this same predicament two weeks from today! The docs have assured me that they will not let me go past two weeks overdue. This is fabulous news, right? :) Hey - give a girl a break - I'm trying to stay optimistic here!

For now, I'm still working (or at least showing up to the office!) so that I can use as much of my time off on the back end. Though, it's getting more and more difficult to not only get around but to find clothes that are suitable for the workplace and still fit! The weather has definitely turned here and for the most part, the only things that I have seem to be spring/summer appropriate. Flip flops just aren't cutting it anymore...unfortunately!

We are still waiting (seems to be a common theme in our house these days!) to hear whether or not we got the house in Hartland. We're keeping our fingers crossed and while things look good, you just never know with these situations. Regardless of where we end up, we decided not to do much decorating in his nursery (other than clean the carpets and throw on a fresh coat of paint!) but I have to say - I find myself just going in there and staring at all of his things! I just can't wait for him to be here!! I find a sense of peace in there right now...but imagine all of that will change in 'due' time! :) (clever choice of words, huh? LOL!)

BUT...for now, we just continue to wait!! We wait to feel more love than we ever thought possible!! We will wait for the most amazing day of our lives...and we wait to hold the most precious gift ever given to us!!

We will keep you posted!!!

We love you all!!

"Showered" with Love!!

First, I can't believe it's been so long since I updated our site - where does the time go?? My apologies for being so behind...I have been so busy getting things ready for our little monkey's arrival that the days turned into weeks and here we are at the end of September already! We can't believe he's going to be here in less than 3 weeks! YIKES!! How does one truly prepare for the biggest life changing event ever? With a baby shower - of course!! ;)

On Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th, Justin and I were humbled by the absolutely generous outpouring of love and gifts during both of (yep - that's right - 2 of them!!) our baby showers!! We have so many wonderful people in our lives that the festivities were split into two parts and we made it a weekend extravaganza!!! Both days were absolutely beautiful and we couldn't have wished for anything more (other than having the loved ones that are so far to be here with us, too!!) Needless to say, by Sunday evening I was so exhausted that I could barely move!

However, I'm happy to report that three weeks later, his nursery is almost completely ready and both of our bags are packed (sort of!) There is no mistaking that there is going to be a baby in our house very soon!! Poor Simon has no idea what to make of all of the new things - he's in for quite the shock!!

Well, there isn't much else for me to say...(I know - me at a loss for words? As if!) We're in the home stretch now and as ready as we'll ever be! I imagine that I will be updating this site very soon with pictures of tiny toes and fingers...and lots of happy tears!

We can't wait to share this journey with all of you!!

Until then - wish us luck!!!

Love,

The Dorfs!

Every day is one day closer!

We have offically forged into the 3rd trimester of our pregancy and couldn't be more excited that every day brings us closer to the glorious day that we will get to meet our new little monkey! (Hence - the new layout! :)
Things are progressing along as planned - I had a doctor's appt. last week and the doctor said that everything looks good. I'm measuring a little bigger than normal - but c'mon...one look at his Grandpa Ed, his Uncle Seth and this little guys daddy...and you're surprised? LOL! Not to mention, I have thoroughly enjoyed my daily feasts thus far and am cringing at the thought of trying to get my pre-pregnancy body back...one day! Ha!
We attended our 3rd birthing class night and I can honestly say - wow! I think Justin and I both walked away with mixed emotions (good ones though) about everything! Excitement, anxiety, fear, joy,uncertainty...they're all wrapped into the next few months of our lives and we're on pins and needles waiting for it to start! We had the opportunity to do a quick tour of the hospital where we will deliver and we were both very pleasantly surprised at what we saw!
Justin painted the nursery last week (we left our little guy a hidden message behind the wall!) and we are getting ready for the baby showers at the end of this month. I can't wait to see it all come together! For a process that feels like forever, knowing that the last stretch is here (9 weeks and 5 days - not that I'm counting or anything!! ;) has begun and we are so thankful!
I will continue to keep you updated!
Love,
The Dorfs

Something missing? :)

I can't believe it's been so long since I last wrote - boy how time flies!! Not a whole lot new to report - just getting bigger and more cranky by the day! (I know that Justin would agree with a smile!)

So, a dear friend of ours posted all the things that she was thankful for during her most recent pregnancy! Anne - you know I love you dearly - but if you're reading this - here is my list of the things that I miss the most! ;)

A normal sense of smell - man, no one told I would be able to smell things a mile away! And, not always the good stuff!

Beer/wine - ahhhhh, my friend - I will be back soon, I promise! Laying by a pool or sitting by a camp fire in the middle of summer just doesn't feel right without you. I miss you!

Cute shoes - I swear if my feet get any more swollen, they may just pop. Flip-flops have become my best friend. Though, going without all together does feel awfully nice!

Feeling sexy and my pre-pregnancy body - it's amazing how much you don't appreciate what you had...until it's gone! :)

Emotional control - let's just say "tears 3 different times during the Hannah Montana movie with my niece." REALLY? I had to blame the salty popcorn!! Oh...and poor Justin...that's all I have to say.

Being included - gotta love the friends that still try to include you...but you begin to wonder - is it only for the 'designated driver' status that I hold? ;)

Diet coke - most people say caffeine-free diet coke doesn't taste different - but I'm starting to think otherwise.

No matter what I miss or how much I may long for it - I'd do it all over again and again because I know one look at this little guy and I will be head over heels in love - forever!
Sometimes...it just feels good to vent though... ;)

Well...a deep hole with water! :)

I just realized that I have started every one of these blogs so far with the word “well”…so, this time…I will certainly not disappoint and continue with tradition! :)
Well…(haha!) things are progressing along as planned with this pregnancy and while there isn’t really anything new to report, I’d thought I’d give you an update on what we’ve been up to lately!
I had a doctor’s appointment this past week and the doctor said everything looks great! Surprisingly (yes, that was sarcasm!) I am measuring a little big and the nurse believes that we may have a “BIG” baby on our hands! Ya think? LOL!! His heartbeat is really strong and he’s moving a TON! I keep teasing Justin that we may just have another “KICK-R” on our hands!! (inside joke for those of you that had the luxury of riding in the Probe back in the day!! Haha!)
Last weekend we started (note that I said STARTED!) our baby registry process. We walked into BabiesRUs and imagined that we’d only be there for a few hours. I mean, how difficult can this possibly be, right? LOL – to our surprise…the first item that we attempted to add to the registry (our travel system – stroller) took over an hour to pick out!! We collapsed and carried almost all of them around the store to see what worked, what didn’t, etc. – and even then, after we snagged a sales associate to help us with bedding and furniture, we decided to ask her advice on the stroller that we’d picked out...and needless to say…we deleted the one we selected and went with her recommendation! 4 hours later, we gave up with only 15 items on our registry! With the approval (and a huge smile of relief from Justin), I have decided to enlist the advice and guidance of my girlfriend who has been down this path before and allow her to ‘show me the way!’ We have yet to pick out a date…but she has graciously agreed to go back with me and help me add the items that we will need.

As an employee of the Walt Disney Company we have been tasked by the president of ESPN to commit to 30 hours of volunteer work over the course of this summer. And, I'm pleased to report that this past Friday, I swallowed a HUGE dose of reality by volunteering at Children's Hospital of Michigan and can not begin to express how much it put things into perspective for me. I often find myself complaining about being uncomfortable and having to pee every 10 minutes. Or, not having enough clothes to wear (maternity fashions are still extremely outdated!) but after spending 3 hours in the children's play area with some of these innocent little ones, I was humbled by their bravery. As a surprise for the kids, Mickey & Minnie joined us straight from the parks and lit up the faces of these little angels!! Ok, I can't lie - even a few of the adults in the room enjoyed the visit too! (see picture!) It was such a warm and comforting feeling to be part of something that, for a change, made these children feel like children again!! All in all, it was a VERY rewarding afternoon! I'm really looking forward to my next volunteer outing at the Detroit Institute for Children in July!
I guess that's all for now! Until the next time - I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of summer!

The Most Magical Place on Earth...

Well, I'm happy to report that we have officially "dried" out from our most recent trip to Disney World - aka the most "magical place on earth" and made it home, safe and sound! :) As our luck would have it, Florida was experiencing horrible flood-like rains the entire time we were there - go figure! (We should have known that something was in store for us considering that our luck seemed to be headed south (no pun intended) 10 hours before we took off for the sunshine state when Justin came home from his Wednesday night hockey league (code for beer league!) holding his side and in severe pain! Little did we know, he had broken 2 ribs...but of course, we wouldn't find this out until the week AFTER we arrived home! Poor guy!)

Anyway, back to our luck...so we land at Orlando airport and head to the luggage carousel to get our bags. Ann's bag - check. Brad's bag - check. Justin's bag - check. Amie's bag...NADA. Strike #2!! My bag was held at Detroit Metro by TSA (which we later learn is NOT the case but Spirit Airlines!) and will arrive later that night, after they have had a chance to go through it! Who would have known that my smuggling maternity clothes would have made me a target? LOL!! Thankfully, the next morning, my bag arrived, disheveled...but unharmed!!!

The next 3 days were spent dodging rains storms at the theme parks, all while uncovering the newest fashions in Florida (see poncho photo to the right!) However, the entire trip wasn't a complete washout - we did manage to catch a few rays in the early part of each day and had a great time taking in the sites!
I was a little nervous that I would get tired easily (it happened!) and that the heat would be too much (also happened!) but thankfully, it gave us an excuse to stop and sample appetizers in just about every location possible! Ha! We had some amazing food @ an Irish pub in Downtown Disney, in Germany, Mexico & Morocco (@ Epcot), and this great little Italian place in Hollywood Studios.
Needless to say we had a FABULOUS time on our last "adult only" trip and are looking forward to taking our little munchkin back once he can enjoy it!!