The Incredibles

A few days ago when I mentioned I was going upstairs to "work on my blog", my hubby joked that I used my blog to "exploit my children."  The fact of the matter is, I certainly don't intend to "exploit" my children - however, I do find that my boys (and any children for that matter) are euphoric.  Their imagination, honesty, sincerity and pure innocence bring me to a happy place where everything else sort of disappears.  So, if you ask me, its fitting that I use my children as a reason to blog because the posts that they help me write make me (and hopefully anyone else who reads them) elated.

I was reminded of a child's innocence and the euphoria they bring this week when my husband and I faced a a difficult time as we mourned the loss of my Uncle Ron.  I don't know that I struggled with bringing Tommy and Luke to celebrate my uncle's life and to say our final good-bye at the funeral home, but I struggled with how to explain that Uncle Ron now walked with God in Heaven.  I have to admit, Paul did much better with this than I did.  I wasn't sure what to say or do.  But together, as a family, we walked to the casket, knelt, folded our hands and we prayed.  Tommy wasn't afraid and didn't ask a lot of questions; he simply told us that Uncle Ron was sleeping.  Paul and I couldn't help but smile at his honesty and his innocence.  His folded little hands and sweet little words were appropriately euphoric.

Tommy loves his Super Heros - from Batman to Spiderman and all the others in between.  Batman isn't perfect in the least.  He comes from a troubled childhood where he lost his parents at a young age.  During his transformation to the amazing Spiderman, Peter Parker was mean and greedy.  Perfect? Not a chance. Though they have their flaws, somehow, these people are still named Super Heros.  With the passing of my uncle, the boys were also able to meet many, many, many relatives and friends and we were all fortunate to reunite as a family.  Again, thanks to my boys, I got to thinking about our family.  Much like the Super Heros that Tommy loves so much, in our family we all have our faults and imperfections; but we see past what we can, help mend what we need to and love each other for who we are.  So is it possible that we are all Super Heros somehow, someway to someone?  I say absolutely - our family - immediate, extended and by marriage is filled with Super Heros with super qualities.  We are THE INCREDIBLES.

The truth is, while it was difficult to face the reality of explaining death to our little boy, it was important for him to be there.  It was important for him to be around the super strength of our family of INCREDIBLES and to feel the love and support that poured out of the funeral home that day.  And just as it was important for our boys to be a part of this reality, it was equally as important for our family and friends to see the boys that day because just for a moment when they saw their faces or caught a smile, they could forget about their sorrow and their grief and feel that complete euphoria that little kids bring!

***May God Bless my INCREDIBLE Uncle Ron Cowoski as he watches over us from Heaven.***  

Uncle Ron with his "INCREDIBLES"

Our Year of Luke

When the words “induction” came out of Dr. I’s mouth at my 38 week appointment, I couldn’t believe my ears.  Since Week 35’s internal exam found me 2-3cm dilated and 60% effaced, it was thought that there was no way I would make it to my due date, 4/16/13.  Baby Pavicic #2 had other plans though and one day I will have to thank him…let me explain why.

38 weeks & 1 day Pregnant - 11 days before delivery!

After my 39 week appointment found me still at 4cm and 100% effaced, Paul and I decided that we would go through with Dr. I’s proposed induction and welcome our sweet baby into the world.  Though I had SWORN not to be induced (since I had taken medication for 20 weeks to ward off labor), the ability to have a “plan” for Tommy, my own wonderful doctor on call to deliver my baby and to not have to face the unknown of the onset of labor, were all reason enough to schedule.  So, at 39 weeks and 5 days, per our scheduled date and 8am time slot, we made our way to Hillcrest Hospital to watch our family grow by two feet!

Together, my hubby and I walked down the corridor carrying a few small bags.  We were greeted at the front desk by Dr. I himself and he quickly turned us over to my nurse (who I didn’t know would be so amazing yet), Karen.  She walked us to our delivery room, gave me a few instructions and was out of the room before I could blink my eyes.  While I had barely slept the night before because I was so anxious, I still managed to shower, put some make-up on and semi-style my hair.  My make-up didn’t stay on for long because just as the nurse left the room, the reality hit and the tears streamed down my face.  I was nervous for the labor to begin and even more nervous to interrupt our seemingly perfect family with the addition of someone new.  Paul hugged me, and tight, just what I needed.  I wiped away the tears, put a smile on my face and changed into my gown.  It knew it was go time.

At 8:30, dressed in his jeans, Dr. I came into the room and discussed the plan for the day.  He would break my water, start the Pitocin and we would wait for Baby Pavicic #2 to arrive.  Before he could do anything, my lovely nurse drew a few tubes of blood, hooked me up to the IV and got me started.  By 9am, Dr. I decided to break my water and begin the Pitocin.  I was feeling fine – a few contractions here and there – and so around 10am Paul left to get some food.  The delivery room only allowed for two visitors at a time (and this was a fairly strict policy) and so while he was gone my mom and sister (whom I probably scarred for life) sat with me to keep me company.  By 10:30am the contractions were coming on strong.  I breathed through them, but they hurt.  And they hurt bad.  At 10:40am I was calling on my nurse for the epidural and through gritted teeth, angrily asking where my husband was.  I will never forget my nurse telling me that it was a good idea to “get the epidural early.”  I thought for certain this meant I was in for a long day.

Paul didn’t make it back before the anesthesiologist came to administer the epidural.  Again, this hurt.  And this hurt bad.  My nurse was my saving grace talking me through each contraction, taking my mind off of the pain.  However, even with the epidural, the pain was not going away on my right side.  So, by 11:30am, the anesthesiologist was back in the room adjusting the catheter and by 11:50am I was finally able to ask for a popsicle.  Nurse Karen said she’d give me a little more time to make sure that I was pain free before internally checking on my progression.  So, at 12:00pm, she examined me to find that I was, in her words, “Ten Plus” centimeters dilated and it was time to push.  I was shocked.

By 12:10pm, Dr. Iafelice was back in the room.  I remember him checking my cervix and saying, “Ok, I think we can do this.  Let’s have you push.”   I stared up at Paul, not sure what to think or what to do.  I couldn’t feel a thing.  Was he sure that it was time to deliver this baby?  I suppose it was because on the  cue of him and nurse Karen, as a contraction came, I pushed…twice.   And Paul announced the arrival of our sweet baby, Luke Parnell, into the world.  After roughly 3 ½ hours of labor, on April 14, 2013, born at 12:26pm, clocking in at 8 lbs, 3 oz and 19 ½ inches long, another Pavicic man stole my heart!  And so as the Catholic Church is in its Year of Luke…the Pavicic Family begins OUR year of Luke.

I Believe in Miracles

Nearly three weeks ago at 35 weeks and three days pregnant, I went in to see Dr. I for my first official internal exam and my last injection of Makena.  Lo and behold, the exam found me at 2-3cm dilated and 60% effaced.  Dr. I was shocked at the progress and suggested that should there be any future pregnancies, the Makena injection is a must.  It had done such an amazing job warding off pre-term labor for 35 weeks.  He was convinced that labor was imminent in the next one-two weeks.  Here we are, working on three weeks later and my latest exams have found me a solid 3cm dilated and 80% effaced.  Baby Pavicic #2 is seemingly quite comfortable in utero and there have been no signs of labor so far.  Perhaps s/he will shock everyone and arrive on his/her due date (4/16/13) after all.

Getting to this point, (38 weeks tomorrow - Miracles CAN happen!!!) has stirred a wealth of emotions.  For 37 weeks, I rubbed my belly and told my precious child that s/he should stay put for as long as possible.  I received 20 injections, called the doctor's office about every possible ache or pain, given up a lot of responsibilities to my husband since I promised to rest, gone to bed at 9:00 p.m. and woken up every morning and wondered, IS TODAY THE DAY?  Every day was filled with worry, anxiety and anticipation that Baby Pavicic #2 may make an appearance sooner than we hoped for.

There has been quite a shift in mind set the past week...and it hasn't been easy.  To simply make the shift from worry to excitement almost in the blink of an eye has been difficult.  I am now allowed to ENCOURAGE the arrival of this little bundle of joy.  I am supposed to take any ache or pain in stride and remind myself that its my body's way of preparing to deliver.  The signs I looked for and worried about with pre-term labor, I am now supposed to look for and be happy about because labor is near!  I haven't completely given up the help of my husband (I've decided I'll always need that), but I do find myself staying up later than usual and doing more than I've done the past few months.  And yet still, I wake up every morning and wonder, IS TODAY THE DAY?  My days now are filled with excitement, relaxation and the natural anticipation that Baby Pavicic #2 may soon get to meet his/her awesome big brother, Tommy.

Last Easter by himself before he becomes a big BROTHER

Since I was expecting to go into labor much sooner, the nursery has been completed, clothes are washed and put away, the car seat is assembled and the hospital bags are packed.  And now, the only thing left to do is spend what precious time I have left soaking up the seconds, minutes, hours and days of being JUST Tommy's Mommy.  This week Tommy and I have plans for relaxation, lots of play time and even a special date to the Cleveland Metroparks Rainforest during my time off from school.  The longer Baby Pavicic #2 hangs out, the more time I get to spend spoiling my little boy and reminding him how much I love him.

A Glimpse of Baby's Nursery

While the past nine months have been anything but easy, I feel grateful to have the opportunity to carry this child and to be able to give Tommy a sibling, a play mate, a best friend.  I am thankful for the support of our families, my MANY amazing friends who have followed me, listened to me and advised me and of course, my unbelievable husband for his calm and collected nature and the evident love that he has for me, Tommy and Baby Pavicic #2.  I look forward to welcoming this new baby into our lives and to making our family complete.

Tommy & Daddy on Easter

  

Celebrating 30 Weeks and the Success of Makena

I should be doing a million other things right now…like working on my graduate course, laundry, cleaning, preparing for my substitute or maybe evening sleeping, but today I feel elated because I can finally count on one hand the number of Makena injections that I have to get – FIVE!

18 weeks ago my doctor sat down with me to share in the joy of my second pregnancy AND to lay everything out on the line.  Last pregnancy, when Tommy tried to grace us with his presence at 31 weeks, we were terrified.  Although the labor was stopped and through bed rest and medication we were able to deliver a healthy, beautiful baby boy at 37 weeks, the doc made it clear that precautions would need to be taken during this pregnancy.  This is when he suggested the Makena injection – a hydroxyprogesterone hormone injection that is given in the hip once a week beginning around week 16 and lasting through (up to) week 37.  The injection can only be given if you have had a previous spontaneous pre-term labor and/or birth and will not work if you are having multiples.  I was a seemingly good candidate.

Since we met at the 12 week mark, I had some time to make my decision about this injection.  I attempted to do my research, but information was difficult to find.  This is still a relatively new drug on the market and the statistics didn't do much for me.  It was hard to know the variables, the control, etc from a document (or maybe I didn't know how to read it) – so I turned to blogs, comments, and any other forums I could find.  Not many things turned up, but I decided to stop reading what I did find.  Some women complained of serious pain during the injection and after, headaches, bad acne, severe mood swings, difficulty walking…to name a few.  All of which did not sound appealing to me.

Selfishly, I toyed with the idea of passing up the injection.  None of these side effects seemed desirable, the anticipated cost of the Makena drug was outrageous and some statistics showed miscarriages and still births at a higher percentage when receiving the shot rather than not.  Luckily, the mom in me won the mental debate with my wimpy self and I decided to suck it up and receive the injection.

After 14 weeks of injections, I can tell you this…

The pain in not unbearable.  Is it fun?  Absolutely not.  While receiving the injection, I often feel a burning pain in the hip and down the leg.  The shot does take a good 30 seconds to 1 minute to administer because it is viscous.  But once you've been poked, you feel the burning and before you know it the band-aid is being applied.

After the shot, I notice my hip is a little sore.  There are nights when I have to gingerly sleep on that side – and I usually chose the other side to start out.  Sometimes, I get a bruise and a small (small as in the size of the eraser on a pencil) bump that is hard and lasts until the next injection.  If I push on the injection site its sore – but why push on it?  I don’t need to.  J

The day after (or sometimes a day or two later), I notice I can be extra hormonal.  Silly things make me cry or stupid things make me angry.  Sometimes, I cry for no reason.  Although I blame it on the shot, many pregnant women could say they act the same way without an injection. 

And lastly, the most aggravating of all the side effects is the inconvenience of the shot.  It’s preferred that the shot is administered on the same day every week (unless I have an appointment scheduled – then I just go on that day).  And in order to get the shot, a doctor has to be in the office.  The latest appointment I can book is at 3:00 – which means arranging to leave early from work once a week to receive the injection. 

At the 30 week mark (another reason to celebrate), I can say without batting an eye that I would hands down, recommend this injection to any mother to be who has had a spontaneous pre-term labor/birth.  The side effects (for me were few) and the aggravation of receiving the injection are minor sacrifices to protect this little angel growing in my belly!  Although I still have ten more weeks to go (and a lot to do to prepare for this baby), today I celebrate the success of 14 shots and 14 weeks of strength.  With the support of my family, friends, co-workers and the amazing office staff at the Cleveland Clinic (Willoughby Hills), I feel so good where I am today!

Here’s to 10 more healthy weeks of growing our new addition and spending time with my precious Pavicic boys...

Fall Fun

Its hard to believe that July was the last chance I had to sit down and blog about life in the Mentor Pavicic household...then again, maybe it is not so difficult to believe since I do have a very independent, yet attention-seeking, cute little two year old (+) man that I spend all of my free time with.  And when I say free time, well, there's not a lot of that either between work, taking a class, trying to maintain a household and taking care of Baby Pavicic #2 who's nesting in my belly!

Speaking of "nesting", maybe my mother of two+ (or expecting #2) friends can sympathize with me about my recent obsession with getting things done and making sure to spend EVERY FREE MOMENT doing something extra special with Tommy.  I've been hard at work making sure we enjoy our last fall season as a family of three.  Looking for simple things to do with your infant or toddler this fall?  Here are some of the simple, yet awesome things that we have done together.

(1)  Visit a Pumpkin Patch, Yearly - My hubby and his family used to go to Sage's Apple Farm each fall for pumpkins and apples when he was a kid.  So, keeping his tradition alive, we decided that our family will visit this same place each year.  We pick out pumpkins, take lots of pictures and sample apples.  We always come home with cider, apples and pumpkins!

(2)  Make "Spooky" Decorations & Surprise Your Child - While Tommy was down for a nap one day, I cut  out several spiders and bats and hung them in our kitchen window.  I told him to see if he could find the "spooky" decorations when he came downstairs.  He was so excited to look for them...and when we found them, we counted how many spiders and bats there were.  He looks for them every day!

(3)  Cook a Special Treat - This Fall we made special pumpkin shaped pancakes - well, attempted it...I now know I need to spray the cookie cutter with Pam before using it for pancakes - and cut out ghost, pumpkin and bat sugar cookies.  For a special touch, we added M&Ms to the cookies as eyes.  He loved this.

(4)  Decorate the Outside of Your House...and Use the Decorations for Great Snapshots! - Paul was so kind as to buy me outside decorations for fall for Sweetest Day.  Tommy helped us organize the flowers and pumpkins...and later, when he had his costume on, we let him climb up and arrange himself and we snapped a few pictures.

(5)  Prepare Your Child for "Trick or Treat" - Tommy is fairly convincing, so I wasn't surprised when he coaxed his Aunt Mary Pat to join us at the mall for "Trick or Treat."  This was a great opportunity to practice what to say to get candy, how to get it and put it in your bag and what to say after...and of course, to visit with Aunt MP and our friends, Kelly & Timmy.

(6)  Go on a Hayride - The Lake Metroparks put on a super cute hayride for kids of all ages.  Many people volunteer their time to act along the ride, park cars, take tickets, etc.  There's plenty of food and other activities for your kids to do outside of the hayride...however, rain does not make this an ideal event and YOU MUST BUY TICKETS EARLY!

(7)  Make a "Treat" for Grandparents (or Aunts,Uncles,Neighbors) - Thanks to Dear Chrissy (and Pinterest), I was able to find this cute craft for Tommy and I to make his Grandparents!  Like they did when we were younger, I know his grandparents will break this out every year come fall to help decorate.  How cute is this, really?

(8)  Make Halloween Special! - Since Halloween is tomorrow and Hurricane Sandra has mixed up the Trick or Treat schedule a little bit, tomorrow night will be a "Spoooooky" Halloween night at the Mentor Pavicic house.  Pinterest has given me great ideas to use for additional decorations and I think I have come up with a good dinner for all of us to enjoy!

The holiday season is going to fall upon us quickly and before we know it we will be celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's again.  Time seems to be going even faster than I had imagined.  Life will be busy at the Pavicic household as we re-do Tommy's room to make it ready for him to be a "Big Boy" and "Big Brother" and as we get the nursery together for Baby P #2's arrival in April.  Keep us in your thoughts as we start to transition our family...and I'll do my best to keep posting ideas and updates.

Bucket List

My ears perked up and my imagination soared when my husband started a sentence with “I crossed something off my bucket list this week” as we drove around Nags Head, North Carolina on a partly-cloudy morning in our 2012 Nissan Rouge vacation rental car.  Quickly, my mind started sifting through what we had done so far on our first family vacation. 
We drove eleven hours through the night and into the early morning to arrive at our destination. 

Tommy at different times of night/day on the ride down.

We swam in the pool.  

We made a trip to the aquarium. 

We saw the ocean, walked and played in the sand. 

We stayed up late drinking craft beers and tasting wine. 

We went out to eat.  We laughed and played games.  Even the kids played well together.

All of these things were fun and exciting…but, none seemed bucket list worthy.   Perplexed and curious, I asked him what it was that he crossed off his bucket list and his simple answer of, “I got to take my family on a vacation.” melted my heart.  OF COURSE, going on our first family vacation should have a spot on a bucket list!  I had never thought to add it to mine…then again - I don’t know that I officially have one!  And so, thanks to Paul and his genuine joy and excitement for providing us with our first family vacation, I have decided to create my own bucket list!

I’ve always been “in” to goal setting and reflecting – I blame the teacher in me for this!  I came up with a few guidelines as I started to prepare my own bucket list.

·        Find a way to sort it out - I am going to organize my bucket list by age.  Like:  by the time I hit 30, 40, 50 (eeeek), etc. 

·         Know the purpose - Usually, when I set goals I want them to be “attainable”.  However, the purpose of this bucket list is to think of anything that I want to do in my lifetime…and so, if it’s something I want to do, I’m adding it to the list.  It is important that I remember that nothing is too grandiose or too simple.  It’s MY list!                                                                                                                                          

·        Stick to it...without obsessing over it - I won’t get discouraged if everything on my bucket list doesn’t get crossed off as timely as I would like it to.  As my previous post mentioned, life came at me pretty quickly a few years ago…and so, if I had created a bucket list in my early twenties, it’s safe to say that there probably would have been several goals left untouched!

·        Document It! – Since I’m taking the time to create a bucket list, I will be documenting the things I accomplish either through this blog, a scrapbook or a journal.  Obviously, some items may have more documentation than others.  J 

·        Copy and Store It! - While I will have the blog entry from today, I will also be printing a few copies to keep with me.  One will always stay in my nightstand and another in my bible where I keep any card, note, quote, or picture that I hold close to my heart.

·         Add to it! – If I think of things that I want to do that I hadn’t thought of before, I’m adding them to my list!  After all, I AM the author.

·        Remember Voltaire – “Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her.  But once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.”  Bottom line, we might not write our own ending, but we do have the power to paint our own story.

Keeping all of that in mind (and the fact that I am already 27), I created a short, 20 item B4 30 Bucket List.  Like my hubby, some items are simplistic and other's are a little more out of the box.  Stay tuned as I share progress along the way as I, *hopefully*, cross things off of this list.  

Feel like sharing?  What ideas do you have for your bucket list?

That's Just Who I Am

This past weekend was perfect.  My sister-in-law and good friend, Kristin, got married.  The weather was fantastic, the bride was breath taking, the company was amazing, the emotions overwhelming and the memories, unforgettable.  As I clicked through the pictures posted online this morning, I relived the entire day.  With every click, I saw that each picture captured the moments and told the story of Kristin and Dennis’s special day.  And then I got to thinking, the wedding day was more than just a story of their love…it was a story of their lives.  From the rehearsal dinner, the bridal party, the ceremony, the toasts, the colors of the dresses, to the food, the first dance, the venue and the spirit and mood, their wedding day was a true reflection of who they are.  Sharing in their special day had me reminiscing about my own wedding day and was a true reminder of just who I am.

The New Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Urbanek

For those who don’t know me, my name is Ashley Pavicic and I am a 27 year old wife, mom, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, homeowner, dog owner and teacher.  Really, the roles are endless.  I grew up knowing that my future would be in teaching.  So, it was no surprise to anyone that I received my degree in Education from Mount Union College in the Spring of 2007.  I followed in the footsteps of my all-time favorite teacher and now colleague and friend, Dr. Colleen Blaurock.  It turns out that this was one of the best decisions I ever made – not only because I enjoy going to work every day, but because this decision led me to find complete happiness in the love of my life, Paul Pavicic, Jr. 

Paul and I met a few times in passing during my sister’s basketball season (he was her coach), but I never paid much attention.  I was busy with school and he was busy with work and basketball; and so we didn’t really talk much.  It wasn’t until the pursuit of my Spanish Teaching degree took me to Costa Rica for a summer abroad when the emails began.  During my time in Central America, we emailed back and forth and what seemed to be an innocent request for a “Costa Rican coin for his collection” turned into daily – sometimes twice daily – emails getting to know one and other.  When I finally arrived home to the states, I carried his requested “colón” and a hand painted shot glass as a gift on our first date.  I guess you could pretty much say that the rest is history.  Since that first date in August of 2005, I don’t know that there has been a day where we haven’t talked in some way (cell phone, text, email or in person)!

On December 5, 2008 (his birthday), Paul asked for the best birthday gift that money could never buy, my hand in marriage!  In downtown Cleveland’s Public Square, holiday lights twinkling in the background and bellies full from a dinner at Flannery’s (the location of our first “date”), Paul got down on one knee and popped the question.  Naturally, I said “yes” – and the date was set for December 19^th, 2009.  After four years of dating, we were ready to be husband and wife. 

As if the stress of planning a wedding wasn’t enough, Paul and I also put the priority of buying a house onto our already full plate.  With the new home buyer’s tax credit incentive, we couldn’t resist.  So, we set out with our realtor every free minute we had (bless her heart).  We learned a lot about each other from that experience.  Paul quickly learned that I have difficulty making decisions because, well, I just can see the potential in everything!  And I quickly learned that Paul had difficulty making decisions because he’s an intense researcher, a perfectionist, a man who knows exactly what he wants and has the patience to wait for it.  That being said, we finally found a middle ground and came across the perfect house.  It was a little bigger than a traditional starter home. It was clean.  The neighborhood was quiet and quaint.  It was “it.”  And so, we placed our bid and one month before our wedding, November 15, 2009, our realtor handed us the keys, the moving truck was packed and in the driveway of our new home and our friends and family were there to help us unload.  We were ready to begin the new chapter!

TLC Moves It setting us up in our new home.  Thanks, Daddy!

Just like Kristin and Dennis’s, our wedding day was amazing.  So many people (around 350, in fact) joined to celebrate our union as husband and wife!  It was wonderful to celebrate our love.  Since it was so close to Christmas, we didn’t want to rush our honeymoon, so we decided our trip to Europe (Spain, in particular) would wait until summer vacation when I wasn’t teaching and we could spend more than a week.  Instead, that intense, researcher, knows exactly what he wants, patient, husband of mine, did something completely out of character.  He found an advertisement for puppies in the newspaper and dragged me across town to Avon Lake to see seven week old Yellow Labrador Retrievers (did he think I would leave without one???).  And so, on December 22, 2009, three days after our wedding, The Pavicic Family grew by four paws and Bernie Pavicic came into our new home.

Bernie Pavicic

The transition was not easy.  We were in a new home, we were newly married and we had this cute, furry, four-legged friend running our lives.  (For the sake of hurting Bernie’s feelings, I will leave out the paragraph about how Paul wanted to give him back because he was worried he was going to be too big for our house!  Obviously, I did not let this happen!).  Just when Paul and I finally thought our lives could slow down a bit, I discovered and delivered the shocking news to Paul…you guessed it!  I was PREGNANT with Baby Pavicic #1!

And so, shortly after writing out the thank you notes for our Wedding Day, my family was on to planning the next event, a baby shower for our growing family.  The estimated due date for this baby was September 12, 2010.  Nearly nine months to the day after our wedding!  My pregnancy was actually wonderful.  Aside from the normal (at least, I think normal), difficulty with watching your body grow and change, I felt good.   For the first six months, I never really even felt pregnant.  I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t extra hungry, I wasn’t feeling anything but normal!  Of course, you could see my bulging belly – but it really didn’t feel much different.  Things were going awesome.  And then it happened...

The morning after celebrating my sister’s 21^st birthday, I woke up to something not so normal – blood – and lots of it.  This of course sent me into a panic.  I put in a call to the doctor she calmly sent us off to the maternity ward where I could be evaluated.  Contractions?  Nope – didn’t feel any.  Pain?  Nope – didn’t have any.  I felt fine; however, something was definitely wrong.  After being examined I was told that I was 3 ½ centimeters dilated.  I didn’t know it, but I was in labor.

Daddy giving Baby Pavicic #1 a thumbs up!

I got my first (and hopefully last) ambulance ride that day.  Paul, my rock through it all, was with me in the front seat.  He talked to me and kept me calm.   I was transported to Hillcrest Hospital where the NICU was waiting for us to arrive.  After a few shots, some strong medicines and five days in the hospital, the contractions and labor were stopped.  This baby was hanging out for a few more weeks – in the womb – but not without five weeks of intense bed rest, weekly contraction monitoring and of course, many “Ashley Sitters.”  Finally, at 37 weeks and 1 day, an acceptable time to make an entrance, Baby Pavicic #1 joined the world.  Clocking in at 6lbs, 12 ½ oz, 19 ½ inches long, baby boy, Thomas Paul Pavicic was welcomed with open arms into The Pavicic Family on August 23^rd, 2010 at 9:04 p.m.  My world was forever changed.  I was now a mom.

Thomas Paul Pavicic 8.23.10 <3

In December, it will have been three years since I married the love of my life and had my piece of heaven for a day like Kristin.  It will have been three years since Bernie graced our presence.  And, in less than two months, August, it will have been two years since that little boy rocked my world.  And I mean, rocked it.  But, truth be told, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the entire world!  It hasn’t been easy to become a wife, a homeowner, a dog owner or a mother in the past few years.  However, all of these experiences have made me thankful.  I am thankful for the character that they have built, the strength they have given, and the love they have afforded me.  

So, yeah, I can be a little crazy.  I know I can be difficult.  I have trouble concentrating at times.  My house isn’t painted or decorated to perfection and neither am I.  I have stretch marks and I am not the size I was on my wedding day.  I often wear my hair in a pony tail, my staple make up product is mascara and instead of a purse I carry a clutch that fits inside my diaper bag.  My facebook pictures are almost always of my Tommy.  I would rather spend money on clothes or fun stuff for my boy than a hair style or a new outfit for me.  My living room is almost always cluttered with toys and my DVR is filled with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  I haven’t seen a gym in three years.  If I want to exercise, I just chase Tommy around a little faster than normal or we go for a walk or jog in the stroller.  If I’m really feeling like an arm workout, I pull the wagon.  Instead of dinner dates, play dates fill my calendar and I sign up for things like Tumble Tots, Soccer and Mommy and Me Swimming Lessons.  I pretend and play make believe…a lot.  Is it all easy?  Absolutely not!  But then again, what in life really is?

Some days its easy to get overwhelmed.  And, writing this narrative really made me think about who I have become in the past few years.  I have changed a lot.  I’ve reprioritized.  I’ve become more self-less and less selfish.  I’ve learned to take each day as it comes…more so, every hour, minute and second.  I have learned to live in the moments and savor the memories.  And although the responsibilites are many, I guess its because that’s just who I am.

Our Happy Family.  Established 12.19.09