Finally!

She is finally here, we are finally home and I am finally updating the blog.

I apologize in advance; I will not be posting pictures of my baby girl on this blog. I know that a lot of people are comfortable posting pictures of their kids, their names, birthdates, etc, on public blogs, I am not.

Since I do think that blogging is a great way to keep friends and family updated, and to record events, I will be starting a new blog, in addition to updating this blog more frequently. The only difference is that the new blog will be private and I will post pictures there. This blog will be primarily Foreign Service and infertility focused, with "some" baby posts.

If you would like to see the new blog, stay tuned. As soon as I start it, I’ll provide information regarding how to get access. I’m not trying to keep anyone out; I just want to have some level of control over who has access to the pictures. Therefore, if you are a friend, relative, fellow FS blogger, fellow IF blogger, belong to a message board I’ve posted on, etc, you are welcome to join the new blog. I will be posting many of the same things on this blog, just sans names and pics.

Now that that’s out of the way….

Where have I been, and what have I been doing?

I had a baby. Need I say more?

No really, it’s been busy, and as with EVERYTHING else in my life, nothing happened when or how it was supposed to, which in turn affected EVERYTHING else and of course, my plans. Did I mention that I’m a Type A, planner, list-maker extraordinaire? So yes, things have been a bit nuts.

Just to give you an idea of the last 11ish months. It can be summed up with Biophysical Profiles and non-stress tests every two days. Very fast, UNMEDICATED birth. Late Pre-Term Baby. Jaundice. Paperwork for the Powers That Be. Lactation Consultant appointments every 2-3 days. A baby that couldn’t suck, swallow, and breathe, Medical clearances. Dip passport paperwork. Numerous trips to the pediatrician. Reflux. Visitors. Post partum appointments. More paperwork. Did I mention paperwork? Baby showers. Researching countries, because oh, did I mention we also had to bid last fall? Now you FS types know why I haven’t been around ;) A family reunion. No layette shipment (after being told we would have one, and shopping for it). A domestic and international flight alone with an infant. Returning to a house I’d lived in 12 days before leaving for several months. Plumbing and electrical problems. Finding a pediatrician in Ireland. A baby who doesn’t believe in naps. Oh, then my husband was promoted, hooray, but out goes the bid list. More research on possible posts. Bidding. More paperwork. Visitors. The Dublin Snowpocalypse of 2010. No heat. Too much snow. A baby that refused to be set down. More paperwork. Medical appointments. Reflux med changes. Laptop meets ice water. Goodbye laptop. Starting over on a new laptop. Sorting over 10,000 pictures, no joke. More paperwork. Oh I’m SOOOOOO tired of paperwork. Whew.

I will post a birth story in the next few days. As I said, nothing happened the way it was supposed to. Baby girl came early and fast; my scheduled c-section went right out the window, as did the last few weeks of alone time I thought I would have to finish last minute things….

If anyone is actually still reading, I promise, promise, promise to post more frequently. We pack-out this summer, which always provides great blog material. We also have those two little embryos on ice, so more about that, very soon.

Hope you are all well!