Dana Daily

Only the first of many. We had a low-key day and just hung out at home with Sarah and Emmy. I'm too tired and too uncomfortable to think about doing much else. Sal gave me a paper necklace and earring set. It's fittingly called "Eternity." This isn't the best picture from the website, but here's a description: " The crane is the ultimate symbol of eternal love and good fortune. Particularly influential in Asia, cranes are prevalent in paintings, origami and mythology. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted one wish. This legend, explained in Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, is what originally inspired me to create paper jewelry. Made from Japanese Chiyogami Paper, a traditional paper from the 1600s whose name means "thousand generation paper." It's made from the inner bark of the Kozo plant." He also bought us a gift certificate to the restaurant where we had our...

Soooo, we went another direction with the carpet and upholstery in the baby's room. Last time I posted we were sticking with yellows and grays. I just wasn't sold on it though. The giraffes are more my taste, and for Black Friday it was 75% off. We jumped on it. As you can see, we already received it and put it in the room. The background is more of a rust-orange and it looks perfect in the room. This is a 5 x 7 and fits the bare floor space perfectly. I don't know if the upholstery for the rocking chair we picked really works with it, but it will spend many more years in Sal's man cave than in the nursery. For the year or so that the chair will spend in this room, I think it will work well enough. I plan to put a throw pillow and blanket over the chair to break up this pattern in the room. Both of us really liked this print. We really need to finish up this room. Time is ticking.

It was an exhausting day, fun, but exhausting. We had nine guests and food enough for triple that, but again, it's Thanksgiving. You're supposed to have leftovers. The only pictures I took all day were of KISS performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade because Sal and my brother had to run to the store for a foil pan in which to bake extra stuffing. They sounded great!! :-)

Today was my follow-up ultrasound to check on the location of the placenta, primarily. The technician and the doctor were surprised and pleased to see that the placenta moved. Hey, if anyone can will a placenta to move, it's me. We also prayed hard. The tip of the placenta is still covering my cervix, but there's a good chance it will move completely as I grow over the coming weeks. My next appointment with Dr. Badway is on December 9 so I'm sure this will be a topic of discussion then. The doctor at Weinstein Imaging would like me to have another ultrasound in January, in about 6 weeks, to check the status. The nurse at my doctor's office went over the results of the ultrasound over the phone, and while she said it would be Dr. Badway's call, she thinks I'll deliver closer to my due date rather than in January. Meanwhile, the baby looks great. S/he sort of tucked him or herself in and didn't want to play during the scan, but at one point we did ge...

I think I maybe got 1.5 hours of sleep last night. There is just a lot that's weighing heavy on my mind. For me the worst part of having a bad night, is the next day. All the little things in life that each of us have to deal with day-to-day feel like very big things. It's hard to keep a fresh, positive perspective. I re-live the regrets and ponder the what-ifs, and for what? Like everyone else, I have questions for which there are no answers.

We knew one of my parents' friends was terminally ill, but I got a call today that I didn't want. He passed away this morning. Not even 60 years old; much too young. As a kid I adored his wife. She always seemed young to me, and she was fun. And Greek. Which meant the food and desserts were fantastic. So many wonderful memories. My dad and Craig were especially close. I imagine he will feel this loss for a very long time. There are simply too many memories and thoughts swirling around to say much more than this right now. Update: Here is the obituary. I'm copying and pasting as the link to it will not be available forever. Craig E. Haun 57, of Eustis, FL fell asleep in the Lord on November 24, 2014. He was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania. Craig was a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Orlando. He was formerly the Fire Chief for the City of Eustis, the Senior Director of Fire and Emergency Services for Lake County and recently retired as ...

The living room is painted. Finally. I've only been talking about finishing that project for a couple months now. I also cleaned the cold air return that's hidden behind a couch. Check it out. Gross! And actually, from this angle it doesn't look as bad as it really was. I can assure you, it no longer looks like that. Knowing that we're having guests over on Thanksgiving forced me to get it done. I had one short wall to paint in order to finish the room, and I'm pleased to say it looks good. I need to figure out what to hang on the wall, but for now I'm just happy that's done. I also baked pumpkin rolls. I had grand ideas of baking about four of them, but settled for two. It was a lot harder on my back than I expected. All that standing to bake and to wash dishes. I'm sure the pain will be worth it though on Thanksgiving morning. That's right. I start off the holiday with pumpkin rolls for breakfast. By the way, that's a Pampered Chef c...

This dry sink has been in Sal's family for years. He and his uncle believe it belonged to his great-grandparents. I admit, considering its condition, I was ready to toss it to the curb and tried to get Sal on board with that plan. He would have no parts of it. So, I explained to him that we have a small-ish house we can't just hang onto things just because. I proposed having it restored. I wasn't sure what someone would be able to do with it, but I figured anything would be an improvement. In the back of my mind I was also thinking it might make a nice baby changing table. Sal was hesitant, but I forced the issue and emailed these pictures and requested restoration quotes from several companies. The writing and arrows on the "Before" pictures were my notes to the restoration people because the pictures alone didn't capture all the work that would need done. One person / company stood out, Peck's Furniture Restoration . The price was right, and Crai...

I've been looking for a rug for the baby's room. Knowing how kids are, I didn't want to spend a lot of money so that presented a challenge. Area rugs don't come cheap. However, I found this one on sale, and I love the polka dots to coordinate with the striped walls. I hope the yellows work together, rather than clash. If I don't like it, there are free returns for 30 days, so it was a no-risk purchase. The room is finally coming together. I also heard from the person who repaired and restored our dry sink. It should be delivered this weekend. I can't wait to see it, and get it stocked with goodies. I met with the upholstery lady last night and didn't find any fabric in her store that I liked, but she suggested checking out JoAnn Fabrics and gave me some hints on choosing a fabric. After an hour of browsing, this is what I found. It wasn't my first choice because it's so plain, but the chair won't stay in the baby's room forever so v...

I just found out that I passed the three hour glucose tolerance test that I took at Quest yesterday. I had failed the one hour by ten points earlier in the month, but the nurse said all four of my numbers looked really good and that I am not a gestational diabetic. Hello stuffing and pumpkin rolls! The test gave me a headache, and I slept for about four hours afterward, but all in all it wasn't a bad experience. The Quest on McKnight has a private room with recliners and a television, although I had taken a book to read. At any rate, that's another milestone behind me. So, what's happening at 26 weeks? According to pregnancycorner.com: Symptoms and Body Changes at 26 Weeks By now you’ll be experiencing more frequent Braxton Hicks contractions  which feel like menstrual cramps, and you’ll frequently feel the need to use the restroom and the need to lie down. Many women begin to experience pain under their ribs as the baby kicks and stretches inside the uterus. T...

After a lot of research and debate, I ordered this car seat, the Britax B-Safe. All carseats are built to the same safety standards, but I liked that this one is lightweight. That's a big deal to me with my back/hip issues. This also has a 30lb weight capacity. Some carriers only go up to 22lbs, and both of my children were over 22lbs before their first birthday. I also like that it's easy to install in a variety of vehicles. Some car seats are a real pain in the butt in this department. The Britax B-Safe car seat also gets great reviews from parents, both online and in person. It retails for around $180, but I found it on sale on both Amazon and Target for $121. I also ordered an extra base. Runner-up was the Chicco Keyfit 30. That one also gets very high ratings, but the weight of the car seat itself was the biggest turn-off for me. It was also significantly more expensive.

I've caught my tummy bouncing around on a few occasions, but it's not an easy thing to do at this point. You basically have to stare at it and wait for the baby to move enough or kick hard enough. Well, Sal wasn't at home and I was feeling quite a bit of movement so I decided to see if I could capture it on video. There are little bounces around 8 and 16 seconds, and a pretty good punch or kick right at the very end. Enjoy. We did.

Since Sarah goes to a Catholic School, quite a bit of First Communion prep is done in the classroom, but there are additional classes/meetings throughout the school year as well. Today was her first class. Faith Formation and St. Ursula School second graders and parents met at the church at 9am. The children toured the church with a worksheet and learned about the different areas and items you will find in a Catholic Church. We talked about the baptismal font and associated articles (pascal candle, oils etc), we toured the sacristy and learned about the priests various vestments, we looked around the alter and identified the chalice and paten (among other things). I thought it was well-organized and definitely age-appropriate. One of the Faith Formation teachers also read from one of the gospels, and discussed its significance. When we were finished in the church, after about an hour, we went downstairs to the reception hall and had a light breakfast. Parents brought donuts, frui...

Sarah's on the end in a white shirt; blue flower in her hair. Asking the congregation to join in the responsorial psalm. Singing while classmates took the gifts to the altar.

I fell in love with the City Mini stroller during a 2010 trip to Disney World. It's lightweight, easy to fold, compact, and steers / maneuvers like a dream. I couldn't justify one then because we had a perfectly good stroller already. I'm not settling this time. The stroller comes in a multitude of colors, but I've decided that navy blue is a nice, practical choice. Don't think my heart isn't bleeding for the amethyst purple though. I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet, but I will.

At an amazing 13½ inches long and weighing just over 1½ pounds, your baby is growing rapidly. During week 25, your baby starts to plump up as fat builds up under the skin. If you were to have a 3-D ultrasound, your baby would finally start to look more like a person, and less like a miniature skeleton! At this stage, most patients report feeling a LOT of fetal movement. Do not worry, lots of movement is a good thing, and no, this is not a sign that your baby is going to be hyperactive. (At least, we hope not!) They're not kidding when they say parents feel a lot of movement. This is one busy baby. My plans for this week aren't really baby-related. Sorry kiddo. I've started Christmas shopping, and I'm doing as much of it as I can online. Walking around stores seems to make me feel light-headed and claustrophobic lately, and that may or may not be pregnancy related. I also need to think about holiday baking - pumpkin rolls, Christmas cookies etc. The end of November...

After the Steelers disappointing loss to the 1-8 New York Jets, I got a burst of energy and decided to finish up a small project in the nursery. The poms are hung. They are in the corner above the dresser and near where the changing table will be placed. I also started clearing out the spare room closet to make way for all things baby. This weekend we also bought some more necessary baby supplies. According to my list of things we need are: A travel system and extra base Breast pump One more mattress pad Crib Sheets Baskets (for nursery storage) Washcloths Humidifier Bouncy Seat Blackout Curtains Newborn Clothes I had a coupon code for diapers.com and have heard good things about this site from my friends. I put together a short list of items on Friday, and they arrived on Saturday. Pampers Swaddlers (my fav diapers for newborns) Huggies wipes (my fave wipes) Swaddle Me and a Sleepsack Bottles (compatible with the Medela breast pump) Nursing supplies (gel pads...

Open House was a success. We had eight families attend, which is a decent number for November. Two of them completed the registration process for the 2015-2016 school year. I'm really pleased and proud of St. Ursula's, and I hope other parents see all the great things going on as well.

This morning was my 24 week doctor's appointment. Now, I know other women have had far worse appointments than this, but it was my worst in three pregnancies. Lack of sleep probably isn't helping how I handle disappointing news. I failed the one hour glucose tolerance test. I scheduled the three hour for November 18. I tried to get in this week, but there weren't any early morning appointments. Any plans we had of actually going out of town before this baby is born have gone out the window, unless the ultrasound later this month shows that I have no previa whatsoever. I've been praying hard and willing it to move. My doctor is not hopeful. It's unclear whether or not I'll have another ultrasound prior to delivery. The nurse gave me three possible dates for delivery. January 26, January 29, and February 2. I suppose February 5 is another possibility, but it's after the 37 week point so my doctor might not want to risk it. Because I have older childr...

Most exciting news of the day - Sal got to feel the baby move. We've tried over the last few weeks, but the kicks haven't been strong enough. I was feeling a lot of movement last night, and thought there was a chance. Sure enough! Today begins a brand new week for baby growth, and it's not just any week. This is Week 24. The 1-hour glucose tolerance test. I failed this test by such a small margin with both of my prior pregnancies, that I was bound and determined to pass it this time. I didn't eat carbs or sugar at dinner last night, I fasted, and I went scheduled it for 6:45am. The phlebotomist took me back to Room 2 and asked for my prescription. I handed it to her and she asked me what my husband's profession is. Surprised, I said "teacher." She said, I thought so and named his school. Well, as it turns out her daughter had treated Sal when he went to the hospital for his bruised ankle over the summer. Sal had told me that his nurse was a f...

This evening I met up with my long-time friend, Sara. We try to get together once a month for dinner, just to hang out and catch up. I look forward to it. It was her choice this time and she picked El Campesino. We had a great time. Looking forward to meeting up in December.

October is never a fun month for Sal and I. We basically just do what we have to survive and get through it. He's always really busy with football games, varsity show practices, band shows on the weekends, and other commitments. It truly is crazy. Night after night he gets home about 11pm only to leave at 6am the next morning. Honestly, I don't know how he does it. Thank goodness for texting. For 31 days it's our main method of communication. I'm out of practice being a single mom too, so I definitely miss him in that regard as well. I looked forward to November 1 for so long, and couldn't have been more delighted when we changed the calendar. I was so happy to be able to go back to our old routine. However, he bought me roses and thanked me for supporting him and holding down the fort. They're so beautiful.