Gouls and goblins are not words that we would usually associate with weddings. However, now there are more ways to incorporate this spooky holiday into your big day without being too gruesome :) Here are some examples. Enjoy!
10.31.2012
Wedding Wednesday | Halloween Wedding Inspiration
Happy Halloween everyone!
Gouls and goblins are not words that we would usually associate with weddings. However, now there are more ways to incorporate this spooky holiday into your big day without being too gruesome :) Here are some examples. Enjoy!
Gouls and goblins are not words that we would usually associate with weddings. However, now there are more ways to incorporate this spooky holiday into your big day without being too gruesome :) Here are some examples. Enjoy!
10.30.2012
Trash The Bridesmaid Dress Shoot
Back in action again, Pea Pod Photography, out of Archbold, Ohio shot a "Trash the Bridesmaid Dress" Session, which I happened to be in :) We went to Flordia, Ohio where there is a gorgeous waterfall and amazing scenery to do a fun shoot! It was fabulous to do another shoot with Ashley, she didn't let me and my friends down....considering towards the end of the shoot it started pouring down rain!!!
ENJOY :)
We brought a few fun props along with us, like balloons to add some fun color.
We did a quick change into our rain boots :)
Oh ya, near the end of our photo shoot, we used chalk dust to throw all over eachother :)
Don't you wish you were there :)
Brittany showing off her "tiny" baby bump!!
This is when it started raining!
Check out the rest of the pictures on facebook, they are fun and amazing!!!
10.28.2012
Sunday Funday, #47
I love this ring shot, it captures a country love with a beautiful essential, the ring!!!
Photo taken by: Amber Phinisee Photography or check her out on facebook!
10.26.2012
shirley | edith - Holiday Cards for Sale!
Our shirley | edith holiday cards are officially up for sale for this holiday season!! Check out the different designs that are up for grabs!
recycled brown bag holiday card - "let it snow"
recycled brown bag holiday card - "happy holidays"
recycled brown bag holiday card - "happy kwanzaa"
recycled brown bag holiday card - "happy hanukkah"
recycled brown bag holiday card - "merry christmas"
10.23.2012
Baci's Baking | Lemon Cream Cake Bars
These are positively delicious!!! They're the perfect combination of a lemon tart and lemon cream cake :) yummmmm! Another great recipe from recipetips.com.
Lemon Cream Cake Bars
1/3 cup butter or margarine - softened
1 egg
8 ounces cream cheese - softened
1/2 lemon - grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1) In a mixing bowl, blend dry cake mix, butter, and 1 egg
2) Press into a 9 x 13 pan, ungreased
3) Beat the cream cheese until smooth
4) Gradually blend in the powdered sugar
5) Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth
6) Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and refrigerate it for later use
7) Beat the remaining 2 eggs, add the vanilla, and then beat this mixture into the remaining cream cheese mixture until well blended
8) Spread over the cake mixture
9) Bake at 350° until set, approximately 25 to 30 minutes
10) Cool completely
11) Spread the reserved cream cheese mixture onto the bars
12) Refrigerate until firm; then cut into squares and serve.
1) In a mixing bowl, blend dry cake mix, butter, and 1 egg
2) Press into a 9 x 13 pan, ungreased
3) Beat the cream cheese until smooth
4) Gradually blend in the powdered sugar
5) Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth
6) Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and refrigerate it for later use
7) Beat the remaining 2 eggs, add the vanilla, and then beat this mixture into the remaining cream cheese mixture until well blended
8) Spread over the cake mixture
9) Bake at 350° until set, approximately 25 to 30 minutes
10) Cool completely
11) Spread the reserved cream cheese mixture onto the bars
12) Refrigerate until firm; then cut into squares and serve.
10.21.2012
Sunday Funday, #46
I love anemones and I adore the color combination of blush, ivory and black so this bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings is pure heaven in my eyes!!
10.20.2012
Handpicked | A Different Kind of Bridal Event Giveaway - Cancelled
We are so sad to inform you that the November 1st Handpicked Event must be cancelled due to a last minute scheduling conflict. Therefore, the Handpicked | A Different Kind of Bridal Event Giveaway must be cancelled at this time. We are overwhelmed at the support from the community for our show and we are so excited to meet you all at the rescheduled event!
Thank you all!
Here's yet another opportunity to win a pair of FREE tickets to Handpicked | A Different Kind of Bridal Event on November 1st (in case you missed it NOTO and A Lovely Little Blog are each doing giveaways, too!)!!!
Here's how to enter to win this awesome prize (all three steps must be completed to win):
1) Head on over to the Handpicked Facebook Page and "Like" us!
2) Also, become a fan of the Baci Facebook Page or simply comment on this blog if you already are :)
3) Leave a comment below that includes your wedding date and location (We want to be sure the winner is a bride or groom-to-be!).
Two rules and that's it :o)
1) You must have a local mailing address.
2) No anonymous posts allowed. We need to be able to contact you if you win :)
**Earn bonus entries by Tweeting the following: "Win 2 tickets to @HandpickedAkron from @bacidesigner here: http://is.gd/Qj5fSH. #HandpickedAkron" or by writing on Handpicked's Facebook Page about why you're excited to attend the event!
Contest ends Friday, October 19th at midnight with a winner to be announced Saturday, October 20th!
10.19.2012
West Elm | Jami's Current Wish List
I stumbled upon this site on my sister's facebook page, so I thought I would check it out and they have so many amazing items!! West Elm is a chic store where you can buy unique items for your house :)
1) Parsons Floor Mirror - $499 (On sale for $424) - A heavy duty mirror to look at myself in..um, yes please :)
2) Tali Printed Shower Curtain - $39 - This pattern is so pretty and you don't see it everywhere either, which would make it unique.
3) Large Metal Wrapped Wood Tray - $89 - A girl could only hope that her husband would bring her breakfast in bed with this tray.
4) Scoop Back Chair (Petal Red) - $99 (On sale for $84) - If you haven't noticed by my many other posts, I love fun items you can put in the house and move them around and will look good in about every room, and this chair would be that item.
10.17.2012
Wedding Wednesday | Groom Reactions
I know I don't post often, but for those of you who have read my profile,you already know that my favorite part of the wedding day is seeing the groom's reaction to the doors opening up on his soon-to-be bride. So when Amanda sent me this link from Buzzfeed.com, I knew I had to repost it.
Here's the first picture from the link, just to get you started...
From my profile: "Most loved part of a wedding: Watching the groom as he sees his new bride for the first time. The best moment, hands down, as a groom and coordinator"
Here's the first picture from the link, just to get you started...
Image from Michelle Newell Photography
From my profile: "Most loved part of a wedding: Watching the groom as he sees his new bride for the first time. The best moment, hands down, as a groom and coordinator"
10.16.2012
baci's babies | Jackson Angelo
Can you believe how cute our most recent Baci's Baby is! Jackson Angelo Shorthouse was born on June 11, 2012 at 6:33 PM. He was born weighing in at 9 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 20 inches long. I can only image how excited sweet Gina and Jeff are with their little man :) Congrats to the Shorthouse family on your adorable new addition!
10.15.2012
Baci's Handpicked | A Different Kind of Bridal Event Giveaway!
Here's yet another opportunity to win a pair of FREE tickets to Handpicked | A Different Kind of Bridal Event on November 1st (in case you missed it NOTO and A Lovely Little Blog are each doing giveaways, too!)!!!
Here's how to enter to win this awesome prize (all three steps must be completed to win):
1) Head on over to the Handpicked Facebook Page and "Like" us!
2) Also, become a fan of the Baci Facebook Page or simply comment on this blog if you already are :)
3) Leave a comment below that includes your wedding date and location (We want to be sure the winner is a bride or groom-to-be!).
Two rules and that's it :o)
1) You must have a local mailing address.
2) No anonymous posts allowed. We need to be able to contact you if you win :)
**Earn bonus entries by Tweeting the following: "Win 2 tickets to @HandpickedAkron from @bacidesigner here: http://is.gd/Qj5fSH. #HandpickedAkron" or by writing on Handpicked's Facebook Page about why you're excited to attend the event!
Contest ends Friday, October 19th at midnight with a winner to be announced Saturday, October 20th!
10.14.2012
Sunday Funday, #45
10.13.2012
Ultimate Givaways | Free Tickets to Handpicked!
Hey everyone! Are you feeling lucky today?! NOTO and A Lovely Little Blog are giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets to the Handpicked Bridal Event we're hosting on November 1st! All you have to do is check out their blogs and enter to win. Good luck!
10.12.2012
Post-wedding True Brides {Eric + Jami}
I am FINALLY back to do a Post-wedding True Brides Post about Myself and Eric, hope you're ready!!!
October 8th, 2011 was our special day, but not only to just us, both of our parents as well. Eric and I got married on the day our parents celebrated their anniversaries as well, this year happened to be 24 years of marriage for them :)
October 8th, 2011 was our special day, but not only to just us, both of our parents as well. Eric and I got married on the day our parents celebrated their anniversaries as well, this year happened to be 24 years of marriage for them :)
Describe your wedding ceremony:
The wedding ceremony was beautiful, I couldn't have asked for anything better! I told my dad he had to make sure I wouldn't cry walking down the aisle, well, he failed at that, ha. I started bawling as soon as I walked into the church and because I was crying and get nervous around a lot of people, I started walking really fast and it wasn't until I came upon the alter, ALL of my bridesmaids mouthed "SLOOOW DOWN" :) haha--Later on, I asked dad why he didn't slow me down, he said, "I was just following you" :)
Eric looked handsome as ever, I felt like a princess--it was perfect!!
 |
| The wedding ceremony was HUGE!! |
Describe your wedding reception:
Fun filled, with lots of guests!! Eric and I invited around 750 people and I'm going to say that nearly 600 people were there, if not more because of a few drop in's, here and there.... it was huge, but wonderful! I didn't get to speak to all my guests, so I will apologize now, but there was so much going on! My favorite part of the reception was the Candy and Cookies Table--it was a HUGE hit and nearly 80% of it was gone within 20 minutes of the DJ announcing it was open. My dad, sister, Sarah, and Tyler's speech all made me cry (I realized during all of this, I am a big sissy on the inside, ha). Eric and I's first dance was to Staind's "All I Want" and we danced like there was no one in the room, it was beautiful! Eric and I also danced with both of our parents to celebrate all of our special days!!
What was the most special part of your wedding day?
I can't just pick out one---but here are the top 3.
1) Becoming Mrs. Jesse--when the wedding bands were on and the "I do's" were said!!!
2) Hearing all the cheers when Eric and I walked into the reception to "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield.
3) Heath singing "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban--My friend Heath was in a bad car accident back in March and doctors told us that he wasn't going to make it. I had already asked Heath in January to sing at my wedding, so I refused to ask anyone else until I was CERTAIN he was able to sing at least one song at my wedding (like I had planned since high school). We all prayed like crazy and a miracle happened---seven months later, he was singing a song at my wedding!!
What was the most stressful part about your wedding day?
In all honesty--I was stressed before the wedding and after the wedding (trying to figure out where we were going to put everything, ha) but the day of my wedding--I wasn't stressed at all!! (At least, I don't remember--ha--you might have to ask my sister on that one)!
 |
| Don't you just LOVE my purple shoes? Because I TOTALLY did!! |
Who was your favorite wedding vendor and why?
Did you plan a honeymoon and if so, where?
Eric and I went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon! I told him that if he didn't do anything for the wedding, that was fine, but he had to pick our honeymoon--and he did!! It was absolutely gorgeous there! Everything was so green! The only downfall was it rained every day---not all day, but every day.
*** Anything else you would like to share about your wedding day?
This day will never happen again, so make it wonderful and cherish it. Don't get all "bridezilla" when one little thing goes wrong, chance are it went wrong to show you that your wedding day is still going to be amazing, even if it's not perfect because it's YOUR day, the day you get married to your perfect someone!
This day will never happen again, so make it wonderful and cherish it. Don't get all "bridezilla" when one little thing goes wrong, chance are it went wrong to show you that your wedding day is still going to be amazing, even if it's not perfect because it's YOUR day, the day you get married to your perfect someone!
 |
| I had THE BEST looking wedding party around! |
All Images by Montography
10.11.2012
Baci Designs | Jami + Eric's Wedding {Defiance, Ohio}
October 8th, 2011 was the best day in my life.
I got to plan my own wedding with the help of my talented sister, Amanda. As most of you may know, Eric and I's wedding date was not only special to us, but to both of our parents as well. October 8th was Russ & Deb Jesse's and Tom & Jane Guilford's anniversary as well. When Eric and I got engaged, Eric called the K of C Hall in Defiance to see if October 8th was open..and IT WAS!!! We knew it was fate :)
Eric and I wanted to incorporate the special date into our wedding, well little did I know Grandma Shirley put Amanda in charge of getting a custom rosary made for me (Leaping with Faith did an amazing job!) and on the back of my cross there was Eric and I's wedding date and our parents!! It was perfect!!!! I also wanted to incorporate my grandfathers into our wedding because they both meant a lot to me and are no longer with us. I found a gorgeous vintage locket and put a picture of them in it. The rosary and locket hung from my bouquet and was close to my heart!!
Our photographer, Montana of Montography fromWauseon, Ohio did a fabulous job capturing special moments on our big day. One thing Eric and I knew we wanted were pictures having to do with baseball. Eric lives for summer AND fall playing ball at the park and I live to watch my husband do something he loves!! Eric gathered up his grandpa's old glove and an old ball bat to take with us on our wedding day (only in Northwest Ohio would that happen, ha). However, the props made for awesome pictures!!
I can't forget about my wonderful bridesmaids and groomsmen!!! They were super easy to pick and absolutely wonderful people to be part of our wedding!!!
Eric and I couldn't been any more pleased with how the day went, everything was perfect :)
10.10.2012
Wedding Wednesday | Jami + Eric's Custom Designed Wedding Stationery {Defiance, Ohio}
Having the honor to create stationery for my little sister's wedding day was absolutely amazing!! Designing gorgeousness for couples is always wonderful, but knowing that you're doing it for someone you love and care for takes it to an entire other level of awesome :o)
When Jami and I sat down to chat about what she was looking for, two things were clear - she wanted to incorporate a monogram and her favorite color, purple. So to check the first thing off the list, I went straight to the amazing talents of Laura Lavender Calligraphy - Laura is not only a favorite person of mine, but what she does with hand-drawn monograms and calligraphy is to-die-for! She certainly did not disappoint - the intricate, vintage-esque "EJ" monogram was so beautiful that we incorporated it on to everything we could think of. And when your older sister owns a stationery and design company there is A LOT of everything when it comes to paper, lol!
We started with a very traditional and elegant invitation suite printed on Ivorystone Classic Laid Stock (something completely unique to Jami and Eric), designed with a touch of that vintage feeling - incorporating the deep purple into the envelopes and finishing them with hand-written addresses. We also designed gorgeous, tall programs for the wedding ceremony itself.
At the reception, guests were greeted at a table full of crayons and cute pages to color on for the kiddos and cards for the adults to leave notes, advice and well wishes for Jami and Eric. At the gift table, a purple tulle encased bird cage was adorned with a sign reading "Cards". Each guest table, in addition to the beautiful centerpieces, had a homemade bottle of wine with a custom made tag and a hand-bent fork holding a sign with little bits of trivia about the couple. The dessert table, full of homemade goodies, had containers with "Thank You" labels so guests could take the treats home. Each dessert also had its own custom dessert stick with the name of the goodie (and who made it!) and couple's monogram was pressed into beautiful moss green napkins at the bar. Place cards told the bridal party where to sit at the head table and the bathroom kit even got a little sign!
We had an amazing time finding ways to incorporate stationery into Jami and Eric's big day and the result was breathtaking!
10.09.2012
Baci Designs | Jami's Bridal Shower Stationery + Event Styling {Sherwood, Ohio}
Being a stationery and event designer, I knew I had my work cut out for me when Jami got engaged - throwing her a typical bridal shower was never an option :o) So I, along with our mom, Jami's future mother-in-law and a dear friend threw her an incredibly fun Milk and Cookies Bridal Shower with a country twist - complete with bales of straw, mason jars and burlap!
As you can imagine, the stationery was a huge focus of mine for the event! I started off by designing the adorable chocolate chip cookie and milk bottle designs for the invitation. The textured white felt invitation was printed in shades of pink and brown and completed with a pretty bow of baker's twine. I then created coordinating recipe cards for each guest to fill out and bring with them to the shower - a perfect way to jump start any new bride's collection. I finished off the suite using kraft envelopes and matte wrap-around labels with the matching designs.
At the shower, we continued the milk and cookies theme with the rest of the paper items - place cards tied with twine let everyone at the head table know just where to sit and baker's twine signs helped denote what we were offering to drink (complete with the adorable pink striped straws!). We sent guests home with two heart-shaped cookie cutters tied with lace and a "make your own" cake mix cookie mason jar topped with fun fabrics and a tag with instructions tied with twine!
We kept the table design simple using white table cloths with kraft paper runners - finishing off each place setting with the favors, bamboo flatware wrapped in pink plaid napkins tied with twine and placing simple mason jar floral centerpieces of ranunculus football mums and carnations throughout. The cookie bar was truly the highlight of the shower - Jami's favorites were displayed with small wooden tags and a backdrop of pink, brown and white streamers completed the design perfectly! Not only did everything turn out beautifully, but we had the most fabulous time as well :o)
As you can imagine, the stationery was a huge focus of mine for the event! I started off by designing the adorable chocolate chip cookie and milk bottle designs for the invitation. The textured white felt invitation was printed in shades of pink and brown and completed with a pretty bow of baker's twine. I then created coordinating recipe cards for each guest to fill out and bring with them to the shower - a perfect way to jump start any new bride's collection. I finished off the suite using kraft envelopes and matte wrap-around labels with the matching designs.
At the shower, we continued the milk and cookies theme with the rest of the paper items - place cards tied with twine let everyone at the head table know just where to sit and baker's twine signs helped denote what we were offering to drink (complete with the adorable pink striped straws!). We sent guests home with two heart-shaped cookie cutters tied with lace and a "make your own" cake mix cookie mason jar topped with fun fabrics and a tag with instructions tied with twine!
We kept the table design simple using white table cloths with kraft paper runners - finishing off each place setting with the favors, bamboo flatware wrapped in pink plaid napkins tied with twine and placing simple mason jar floral centerpieces of ranunculus football mums and carnations throughout. The cookie bar was truly the highlight of the shower - Jami's favorites were displayed with small wooden tags and a backdrop of pink, brown and white streamers completed the design perfectly! Not only did everything turn out beautifully, but we had the most fabulous time as well :o)
10.08.2012
Happy Anniversary to Jami + Eric!!
Today marks the One Year Anniversary for Jami and Eric - we couldn't be happier for them and we certainly wish them many years of joy and happiness to come! We'll be dedicating this entire week to their wedding so stayed tuned for an unbelievable amount of prettiness :o) We can't wait to share!!
10.06.2012
Update :: Maternity Leave
I want to ensure I give all current, new and potential clients notice on when I will be available before and after this new little bundle of joy arrives.
My Maternity Leave will begin Monday, December 24th and will continue through the end of February. I will return to work part-time beginning Monday, March 4th and will resume full-time as usual later that month. With that being said, here are a few more details on what you can expect:
1) All current client work (that has a deadline before March 4th) will be completed before I begin my leave Monday, December 24th.
2) I will continue to take on new clients up until Monday, December 24th. After that, all new client requests will be put on hold until I return on Monday, March 4th. The new client process is unfortunately too involved to continue while preparing and caring for a newborn. This means that if you are planning an Early 2013 Wedding and would like to work with Baci, you should reach out to us {info@bacidesigner.com} well before Monday, December 24th.
3) We intend to continue a regular blogging schedule throughout my leave so no worries on a lack of prettiness :o)
4) I will be receiving and reading emails during my leave, however, I can not guarantee you will receive a prompt response. Not only will this be a very new experience for me, but I want to ensure it is a joyous one and that means spending as much time as possible breathing in every moment with our new little one.
My Maternity Leave will begin Monday, December 24th and will continue through the end of February. I will return to work part-time beginning Monday, March 4th and will resume full-time as usual later that month. With that being said, here are a few more details on what you can expect:
1) All current client work (that has a deadline before March 4th) will be completed before I begin my leave Monday, December 24th.
2) I will continue to take on new clients up until Monday, December 24th. After that, all new client requests will be put on hold until I return on Monday, March 4th. The new client process is unfortunately too involved to continue while preparing and caring for a newborn. This means that if you are planning an Early 2013 Wedding and would like to work with Baci, you should reach out to us {info@bacidesigner.com} well before Monday, December 24th.
3) We intend to continue a regular blogging schedule throughout my leave so no worries on a lack of prettiness :o)
4) I will be receiving and reading emails during my leave, however, I can not guarantee you will receive a prompt response. Not only will this be a very new experience for me, but I want to ensure it is a joyous one and that means spending as much time as possible breathing in every moment with our new little one.
10.05.2012
Special Edition :: baci's babies | Our Pregnancy Journey
While sitting here on the couch watching the new season of Giuliana & Bill reeling with crazy intense heartburn I can only assume is caused by this little one in my belly, I'm reminded of how we got here. This post is incredibly appropriate since October is SIDS, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. I feel that it's important to talk about the struggles we incurred while trying to conceive because sometimes it's nice to know there are other people out there who have or are struggling, too. Not every person can get pregnant "on the first try" or when they're "not even trying". A Random Note - these are phrases that should only be uttered when you know the surrounding company has had the same amazing fertility luck that you have, otherwise you may get punched in the throat ;o)
Back in December, I shared our story up to that point in my One Day in December, I Feel Lucky post - at that time last year we had gotten pregnant and miscarried after a very rough few weeks. We also believed we were having issues getting pregnant again. In late December after a chat with my lady doctor I had an ultrasound just to ensure everything was in working order and thankfully it was. So we kept trying - counting days, taking basal body temperatures, the whole nine yards - all while attempting to still have fun and not become crazy, baby-making obsessed people.
At this point we were a few months into the new year and I began to put two and two together - my periods had always been 100% predictable and never incredibly painful, but for the past several months (we're talking at least since September) they arrived a few days late and were completely out of the norm for me. Even though I had been a few days late each month, I wasn't taking pregnancy tests each time because I didn't want to get my hopes up. . . see "attempting to not become crazy, baby-making obsessed people" above :o) Anyway, I started to think that maybe I was getting pregnant each month, but it wasn't lasting long. Ilario agreed that this could be a possibility so we kept trying.
The next month we got a positive pregnancy test on March 19th. Sadly, I miscarried a few days later on the 22nd. On a positive note, this miscarriage happened all at once instead of lasting several weeks like our first one the previous February. This was the final straw for us - we needed answers so we made another appointment to see my doctor a few weeks later. Then began the most frustrating few weeks of my life - the doctor didn't agree with or truly even listen to anything we had to say. She simply shook off ours thoughts of getting pregnant and losing it each month with a, "Probably not." When asked what our next steps were (at this point we'd been trying for well over a year), she proceeded to treat us like a couple who wasn't getting pregnant. Her course of action was to have Ilario tested and for me to begin treatments for ovulation and have testing to see if my tubes were open. Meanwhile, we're incredibly annoyed because I could feel my ovulation each month, not to mention I had recorded my basal body temperature for what seemed like forever at this point, and having already been pregnant twice I knew at least one tube was open. When asked what they would do if I only had one, she replied, "Nothing." So what are we doing all this for, Lady?!?!
I wasn't settling for any of this. We had Ilario tested then I started to call and chat with the nurses before doing anything else she suggested - someone was bound to listen to me, right? They agreed to write up a call for a Thrombophilia test to see if I had some sort of clotting disorder. While I had absolutely no family history of miscarriages, the possibility of Thrombophilia was always in the back of my head because I knew several people who had dealt with it while pregnant. The nurses agreed and I had a 8 vials of blood drawn (oh the joys!). Then I waited. And waited. Finally, after the full two weeks they said it could take for the results I called to check in. My awesome doctor got the results back (which were negative), never called and then went on vacation. Hey, thanks, Lady! The nurses said there really wasn't anything more they could do so they decided to refer me to a specialist.
While all of this was going on, I had a predictable, normal for me period. Why? Because Ilario and I didn't try to conceive that month. In my mind, this solidified my theory and I was determined to figure out why I was getting pregnant each month, but unable to carry it longer than a few days or weeks.
A huge double blessing came in mid-May in the form of another positive pregnancy test and a last minute cancellation at Reproductive Gynecology in Akron. I had an appointment to see a reproductive endocrinologist just three days after I found out I was pregnant.
When Ilario and I met with Dr. Mooney he simply sat there and listened to us. It was amazing - that's all we had wanted this entire time! He then proceeded to list off all the things they do for someone who is suffering from recurrent miscarriages - HE BELIEVED ME, another amazing sound to my ears! Before we even left the office they took a sample of Ilario's blood and made an appointment to do the same for me the next morning. If I thought 8 vials was bad for the initial Thrombophilia test, I was in for a rude awakening - they took 11 vials that next morning to test things like karyotype and to re-test for Thrombophilia because apparently my first test appeared to be missing a few things.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mooney immediately started me on a course of Progesterone pills, folic acid (on top of my prenatals) and low-dose baby aspirin. We then scheduled an appointment for an ultrasound on June 4th. That was the day we first heard our little one's heartbeat and got to see its tiny beginning. It was a dream come true - absolutely unbelievable. Though incredibly ecstatic, we were far from relieved because we were only 6 weeks along. That was when everything started going downhill the first time around, but we felt hopeful hearing a heart beat - something we hadn't experienced before.
We continued to see Dr. Mooney each week and at 8.5 weeks (a point we had never before reached) he finally had our blood test results back. He said I had MTHFR and PAI1 - the first a form of Thrombophilia and both genetic deficiencies. Why my first doctor's test hadn't found this out weeks earlier, I'll never know, but thank God it hadn't been an issue. He went on to explain that since I had made it this far that this pregnancy probably wouldn't be affected, however, if I came in for my next appointment and my baby had no heartbeat they wouldn't look so smart :o( He also said that my deficiencies (I'm like an X-Man, but not as cool!) put the baby at risk for low birth weight and me at risk for preeclampsia and premature labor. We had a decision to make, continue as we had been with just the Progesterone, folic acid and low-dose baby aspirin or add a twice-daily Lovenox (a blood thinner) injection to the mix through my 20th week.
While stabbing myself in the stomach twice a day wasn't exactly the way I had planned on spending my next 12 weeks, Ilario and I wanted to do all we could to make sure this baby arrived as planned, safe and sound. So I began the injection regimen - every 12 hours, twice a day. After the first injection I bawled like a baby and just knew there was no possible way I could ever do this. Thank God my mom was here to read back through the instructions with me and calm me down so I would try again. That second time, with a little baggie full of ice to numb the area, was like heaven compared to the first shot. With some continual self-pep-talking I made it through those 12 weeks and if you're faced with the same thing know that you can, too! Some days it's awful, but most of the time it's a breeze - you eventually find your "groove" so to speak and it is just one extra thing you have to do each day.
Ilario and I continued to see Dr. Mooney through the rest of our First Trimester and we were so blessed to get to see and hear our baby each and every time. I don't know how "normal" pregnant ladies can stand not getting to see their babies each visit, it was amazing and exactly the reassurance we needed. Our final appointment at Reproductive Gynecology was July 18th. Typically, I would have started seeing my original OBGYN at this point, but since she had done nothing to help me reach this point I decided she was no longer an option. I loved the practice she was at though so I thought I'd simply switch to another doctor and I made my first appointment there. Most larger practices will have your first OB appointment be with a Midwife and I was no different, even at 15 weeks pregnant.
My hopefulness and optimism at this appointment were struck down time and time again. During that short visit, I was told approximately 15 things I didn't want to hear - ranging from the fact that if I delivered at the hospital we had chosen and my former doctor was on call the night I went into labor that she would be delivering my baby (NOT gonna happen, Folks!) and that I was going to need to take injections the entire pregnancy, switch to Heparin a month before my due date and get induced a week early. Oh, and by the way, "You're doing your injections wrong". It was awful and I was heart broken (and in a lot of pain when I tried to give myself the shots the way the midwife instructed - also not happening!). I had felt so comfortable, confident and downright awesome the entire time we'd seen Dr. Mooney - I had every right to be a nervous wreck, but he put me at ease (and made me laugh at every appointment with his smart-assery, lol!) and I realized that I truly needed that. In one hour, the mid-wife made me nearly have a panic attack and totally freaked me out.
So we decided we'd search for a completely new practice with a new doctor - a very scary thing to do at 15 weeks pregnant. After asking the opinion of friends and family, we came across Dr. Stewart - a high risk OB with his own practice. Everyone that had worked with him sang his praises and when I met him for the first time (at 17.5 weeks) I had all the same reassuring, comforting feelings I had experienced with Dr. Mooney. It was settled, Dr. Stewart was our man!
Ilario came with me to what is typically known as the "Anatomy Scan" appointment because not only did I need support in saying, "No, we don't want to know the baby's gender", but I also needed help with the fact that they were going to have me stop taking the Lovenox injections (at this point I was past 20 weeks). Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled at the idea of no longer having to shoot myself up every day and night, but I was so afraid at what could happen when I stopped. Once again, Dr. Stewart and his entire staff reassured me that all was well and the injections were no longer needed. MTHFR is such a common deficiency and thankfully mine is heterozygous, which is the least scary version.
So here we are at almost 24 weeks with a heartburn causing, hiccup-having blessing growing large in my belly (at our last ultrasound we were told the baby's head is in the 98th percentile, so I don't lie about the large part - lol!) - I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am to be having this experience and how indebted I am to the fabulous doctors that have been with us throughout this journey. It's so joyous and simultaneously crazy - especially knowing all that it took to get here. I am so looking forward to the next 16 weeks and to meeting our maybe not-so-little one :o)
For all the mommas-in-waiting out there, know that it's possible - don't give up, ever - no one can take away your dreams of becoming a parent. Maybe it's not in the cards for you to carry your child in your womb, but know that one day you'll be carrying them in your arms and that's what is most important. God bless and good luck!
Back in December, I shared our story up to that point in my One Day in December, I Feel Lucky post - at that time last year we had gotten pregnant and miscarried after a very rough few weeks. We also believed we were having issues getting pregnant again. In late December after a chat with my lady doctor I had an ultrasound just to ensure everything was in working order and thankfully it was. So we kept trying - counting days, taking basal body temperatures, the whole nine yards - all while attempting to still have fun and not become crazy, baby-making obsessed people.
At this point we were a few months into the new year and I began to put two and two together - my periods had always been 100% predictable and never incredibly painful, but for the past several months (we're talking at least since September) they arrived a few days late and were completely out of the norm for me. Even though I had been a few days late each month, I wasn't taking pregnancy tests each time because I didn't want to get my hopes up. . . see "attempting to not become crazy, baby-making obsessed people" above :o) Anyway, I started to think that maybe I was getting pregnant each month, but it wasn't lasting long. Ilario agreed that this could be a possibility so we kept trying.
The next month we got a positive pregnancy test on March 19th. Sadly, I miscarried a few days later on the 22nd. On a positive note, this miscarriage happened all at once instead of lasting several weeks like our first one the previous February. This was the final straw for us - we needed answers so we made another appointment to see my doctor a few weeks later. Then began the most frustrating few weeks of my life - the doctor didn't agree with or truly even listen to anything we had to say. She simply shook off ours thoughts of getting pregnant and losing it each month with a, "Probably not." When asked what our next steps were (at this point we'd been trying for well over a year), she proceeded to treat us like a couple who wasn't getting pregnant. Her course of action was to have Ilario tested and for me to begin treatments for ovulation and have testing to see if my tubes were open. Meanwhile, we're incredibly annoyed because I could feel my ovulation each month, not to mention I had recorded my basal body temperature for what seemed like forever at this point, and having already been pregnant twice I knew at least one tube was open. When asked what they would do if I only had one, she replied, "Nothing." So what are we doing all this for, Lady?!?!
I wasn't settling for any of this. We had Ilario tested then I started to call and chat with the nurses before doing anything else she suggested - someone was bound to listen to me, right? They agreed to write up a call for a Thrombophilia test to see if I had some sort of clotting disorder. While I had absolutely no family history of miscarriages, the possibility of Thrombophilia was always in the back of my head because I knew several people who had dealt with it while pregnant. The nurses agreed and I had a 8 vials of blood drawn (oh the joys!). Then I waited. And waited. Finally, after the full two weeks they said it could take for the results I called to check in. My awesome doctor got the results back (which were negative), never called and then went on vacation. Hey, thanks, Lady! The nurses said there really wasn't anything more they could do so they decided to refer me to a specialist.
While all of this was going on, I had a predictable, normal for me period. Why? Because Ilario and I didn't try to conceive that month. In my mind, this solidified my theory and I was determined to figure out why I was getting pregnant each month, but unable to carry it longer than a few days or weeks.
A huge double blessing came in mid-May in the form of another positive pregnancy test and a last minute cancellation at Reproductive Gynecology in Akron. I had an appointment to see a reproductive endocrinologist just three days after I found out I was pregnant.
When Ilario and I met with Dr. Mooney he simply sat there and listened to us. It was amazing - that's all we had wanted this entire time! He then proceeded to list off all the things they do for someone who is suffering from recurrent miscarriages - HE BELIEVED ME, another amazing sound to my ears! Before we even left the office they took a sample of Ilario's blood and made an appointment to do the same for me the next morning. If I thought 8 vials was bad for the initial Thrombophilia test, I was in for a rude awakening - they took 11 vials that next morning to test things like karyotype and to re-test for Thrombophilia because apparently my first test appeared to be missing a few things.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mooney immediately started me on a course of Progesterone pills, folic acid (on top of my prenatals) and low-dose baby aspirin. We then scheduled an appointment for an ultrasound on June 4th. That was the day we first heard our little one's heartbeat and got to see its tiny beginning. It was a dream come true - absolutely unbelievable. Though incredibly ecstatic, we were far from relieved because we were only 6 weeks along. That was when everything started going downhill the first time around, but we felt hopeful hearing a heart beat - something we hadn't experienced before.
We continued to see Dr. Mooney each week and at 8.5 weeks (a point we had never before reached) he finally had our blood test results back. He said I had MTHFR and PAI1 - the first a form of Thrombophilia and both genetic deficiencies. Why my first doctor's test hadn't found this out weeks earlier, I'll never know, but thank God it hadn't been an issue. He went on to explain that since I had made it this far that this pregnancy probably wouldn't be affected, however, if I came in for my next appointment and my baby had no heartbeat they wouldn't look so smart :o( He also said that my deficiencies (I'm like an X-Man, but not as cool!) put the baby at risk for low birth weight and me at risk for preeclampsia and premature labor. We had a decision to make, continue as we had been with just the Progesterone, folic acid and low-dose baby aspirin or add a twice-daily Lovenox (a blood thinner) injection to the mix through my 20th week.
While stabbing myself in the stomach twice a day wasn't exactly the way I had planned on spending my next 12 weeks, Ilario and I wanted to do all we could to make sure this baby arrived as planned, safe and sound. So I began the injection regimen - every 12 hours, twice a day. After the first injection I bawled like a baby and just knew there was no possible way I could ever do this. Thank God my mom was here to read back through the instructions with me and calm me down so I would try again. That second time, with a little baggie full of ice to numb the area, was like heaven compared to the first shot. With some continual self-pep-talking I made it through those 12 weeks and if you're faced with the same thing know that you can, too! Some days it's awful, but most of the time it's a breeze - you eventually find your "groove" so to speak and it is just one extra thing you have to do each day.
Ilario and I continued to see Dr. Mooney through the rest of our First Trimester and we were so blessed to get to see and hear our baby each and every time. I don't know how "normal" pregnant ladies can stand not getting to see their babies each visit, it was amazing and exactly the reassurance we needed. Our final appointment at Reproductive Gynecology was July 18th. Typically, I would have started seeing my original OBGYN at this point, but since she had done nothing to help me reach this point I decided she was no longer an option. I loved the practice she was at though so I thought I'd simply switch to another doctor and I made my first appointment there. Most larger practices will have your first OB appointment be with a Midwife and I was no different, even at 15 weeks pregnant.
My hopefulness and optimism at this appointment were struck down time and time again. During that short visit, I was told approximately 15 things I didn't want to hear - ranging from the fact that if I delivered at the hospital we had chosen and my former doctor was on call the night I went into labor that she would be delivering my baby (NOT gonna happen, Folks!) and that I was going to need to take injections the entire pregnancy, switch to Heparin a month before my due date and get induced a week early. Oh, and by the way, "You're doing your injections wrong". It was awful and I was heart broken (and in a lot of pain when I tried to give myself the shots the way the midwife instructed - also not happening!). I had felt so comfortable, confident and downright awesome the entire time we'd seen Dr. Mooney - I had every right to be a nervous wreck, but he put me at ease (and made me laugh at every appointment with his smart-assery, lol!) and I realized that I truly needed that. In one hour, the mid-wife made me nearly have a panic attack and totally freaked me out.
So we decided we'd search for a completely new practice with a new doctor - a very scary thing to do at 15 weeks pregnant. After asking the opinion of friends and family, we came across Dr. Stewart - a high risk OB with his own practice. Everyone that had worked with him sang his praises and when I met him for the first time (at 17.5 weeks) I had all the same reassuring, comforting feelings I had experienced with Dr. Mooney. It was settled, Dr. Stewart was our man!
Ilario came with me to what is typically known as the "Anatomy Scan" appointment because not only did I need support in saying, "No, we don't want to know the baby's gender", but I also needed help with the fact that they were going to have me stop taking the Lovenox injections (at this point I was past 20 weeks). Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled at the idea of no longer having to shoot myself up every day and night, but I was so afraid at what could happen when I stopped. Once again, Dr. Stewart and his entire staff reassured me that all was well and the injections were no longer needed. MTHFR is such a common deficiency and thankfully mine is heterozygous, which is the least scary version.
So here we are at almost 24 weeks with a heartburn causing, hiccup-having blessing growing large in my belly (at our last ultrasound we were told the baby's head is in the 98th percentile, so I don't lie about the large part - lol!) - I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am to be having this experience and how indebted I am to the fabulous doctors that have been with us throughout this journey. It's so joyous and simultaneously crazy - especially knowing all that it took to get here. I am so looking forward to the next 16 weeks and to meeting our maybe not-so-little one :o)
For all the mommas-in-waiting out there, know that it's possible - don't give up, ever - no one can take away your dreams of becoming a parent. Maybe it's not in the cards for you to carry your child in your womb, but know that one day you'll be carrying them in your arms and that's what is most important. God bless and good luck!
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