The MD & Me

Author Archives: Stefanie

• Isolation Day 65

  Posted at 9:59 am by Stefanie, on May 14, 2020

  It’s been 65 days since I have been out and about due to COVID-19. I’m about to lose my mind, running out of ideas to entertain the girls. I ordered more LEGOs from Target to pick up later today. We need more LEGOs like I need a hole in my head. But it will keep them busy. For a few hours.

  Apparently my entire state (Iowa) is reopening soon. Well, with restrictions of course. I’m not sure exactly what those restrictions are, as I’ve been avoiding the news lately. I’m not sure why we are reopening, as every medical expert is warning against such. But apparently our governor knows better. HAHA. I also don’t know how excited I am to get out. I mean, yes, I want out of this house, but I want life back to normal, and that certainly isn’t the case currently. Maybe I’ll wait a few weeks and see how many people turn ill due to the reopen…

  I made some yummy bread a few days ago, I highly recommend you try it, if you’re into making and eating bread! I was supposed to shape it into six loaves, which I did, but mine kind of reshaped themselves into larger round blobs… But they were super good!

  

  Nadia’s sleep is now hit or miss. She will have a few greats nights in a row, and then a night where she wakes three or more times, like last night. I ordered this sheet thing, it’s supposed to arrive today. I’m told it’s great for kids with sensory issues and/or just general sleep issues. It’s worth a shot, right?

  Alright, off to entertain my children and dream up dinner. Oh, and laundry, and clean the entire house, and heck, maybe I’ll shower today too!

  Posted in Motherhood | 0 Comments | Tagged COVID-19, Huggaroo Pouch, Outback bread, sensory processing disorder, social isolation

• Mother’s Day

  Posted at 4:04 pm by Stefanie, on May 10, 2020

  This may be the most uneventful Mother’s Day ever… I was able to sleep in a bit, but then we all kind of laid around, had a lunch of leftovers, and finally Eric showered to round on his inpatients and see consults, as he is on-call this weekend. The girls are playing downstairs, alone for once, and I’m dreaming up dinner and hoping Eric is home soon. I’m thinking takeout as I’m not in the mood to cook. Or clean up. Or do anything really.

  We haven’t made any decisions on the house… I feel like if I don’t love it, we shouldn’t buy it. But what if I never love anything in this city?? And then last night I found out a partner of Eric’s bought not one, but TWO very expensive lots to build. I guess they wanted a large lot for their castle they intend to design. And no, I don’t expect to spend that kind of money on land, and no, I don’t need a $2M home. I wouldn’t want to live in such a development where I felt like I had to keep up with the neighbors… But it still makes me feel a little sad. I just want to move and feel settled, and sooner rather than later!

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  Posted in Motherhood | 2 Comments | Tagged house, mother's day, moving

• House

  Posted at 8:45 am by Stefanie, on May 7, 2020

  Remember this house we made an offer on way back when which was rejected…? Our realtor just told me the sellers are now interested in making a deal. Eric said we would talk tonight, as it’s an expensive house considering I’d still want to redo the kitchen…

  

  Posted in Dream House | 2 Comments | Tagged dream home, moving

• Rainy Day

  Posted at 11:58 am by Stefanie, on May 5, 2020

  It’s rainy and cold here today… which makes entertaining my children more difficult than usual. So far we’ve built MagnaTile houses for Barbie, watched several episodes of some horse show on Hulu, played a bit on the new Hooked on Phonics app, and now we’re enjoying Fruit Loops for lunch. I can only assume Mac and Cheese will also be requested soon. We have an online grocery order to pick-up around 2pm this afternoon. Watch, they will surely fall asleep in the car as that’s later than I’d like for a nap! Isn’t that the way it always goes!?

  Eric has a lighter than normal clinic today, I assume due to COVID-19, so I’m really hoping he is home before 5pm. Of course, that means he’ll be home for dinner, which I have yet to determine. You’d think that since I’m picking up groceries soon I’d have a plan to cook later, but no, lately I’m horrible with meal planning. My grocery orders tend to include random items we’re out of, or junk food, sadly.

  I should go shower quick while the girls are occupied. What is everyone else making for dinner???

  Posted in Motherhood | 2 Comments | Tagged Hooked on Phonics, MagnaTiles, meal planning

• Have I lost my mind?

  Posted at 10:31 am by Stefanie, on May 4, 2020

  I may have lost my mind. Eric certainly thinks I have…

  I have been thinking about inducing lactation. Again. Remember when I was questioning it way back when? I forget when that was…and now I can’t find the post. Hear me out though, I have several reasons, and these are in no particular order… And I have no idea if I would even be able to produce milk, but I’m told it’s possible…

  • I keep thinking about our embryo. And yes, of course the whole surrogate process is on hold due to COVID-19, and I have no idea when we will be able to move ahead, and I have no guarantee of a baby from our frozen embryo… but I still think it would be nice to give our baby breastmilk. Perhaps pumping and freezing before baby is born to reduce stress after baby is born… And yes, I’ll repeat, there is a huge possibility our frozen embryo does not result in a child.
  • I know the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa is ALWAYS looking for breastmilk donations. I could donate some, or freeze some, or donate all for now, I don’t know, I didn’t think that far ahead. But it wouldn’t go to waste.
  • Maybe I just need a way to give back to the world, to feel like I’m helping others… accomplishing something. I don’t know. Does that make sense? Right now, being stuck at home, I literally sit here, yes, raising my daughters, teaching them, keeping up the house, but feeling rather, what’s the word…? I just don’t feel like I’m accomplishing anything right now. My experience in the NICU with my own daughters taught me it’s really tough to be a preemie mom, well, any mom yes, but the NICU is a tough place to be. Our NICU doesn’t allow formula, although I think some might, so if a mom can’t pump enough milk to feed her baby, which a lot can’t for lots of different reasons, then they rely on the Mother’s Milk Bank, which relies entirely on donations. I guess just knowing I was helping tiny babies and their families… it would be a way for me to give back and say thank you for the wonderful care we received in the NICU and all the people we met along this journey of raising premature babies.

  Thoughts?

  Posted in Frozen Embryo | 6 Comments | Tagged breast milk, breastmilk donation, relactation

• About the Author

  

  Stefanie

  Subscribe to follow my infertility, pregnancy, NICU, and motherhood journey. Outside blogging I enjoy reading, coffee, and long chats with good friends. I live in Iowa with my husband and daughters, Nora (5) and Nadia (3).

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