A Labor of Love (and post-partum complications)

At 35 weeks, I was more than ready to be done being pregnant; my stomach was measuring in at 44 weeks and I had officially surpassed K in weight (quite the feat when you think about our 11 inch height difference). When my OB removed my cerclage, we discussed the possibility of an induction should I still manage to be pregnant in the next 2-3 weeks. And while 38 weeks was always our goal to get the twins “to term,” I could not imagine being pregnant for that much longer! It was exceedingly difficult to move around -- or breathe -- and sleep was elusive as ever; our boys could not come soon enough!

The following week, I saw the maternal fetal specialist and was screened for preeclampsia due to the swelling in my feet and slightly elevated blood pressure. While I was approaching the criteria for preeclampsia, I didn’t have enough symptoms for an official diagnosis. Two days later at my weekly OB appointment, and at exactly 36 weeks, that was no longer the case; I also happened to be 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. And so at 5PM, I left my doctor’s office and headed home to pick-up my hospital bag before heading to labor and delivery for an induction. K waited for the grandparents to pick-up C, and then headed out to meet me at the hospital. It was go time!

I was taken back to a room just past 7PM. After getting changed, reviewing my medical history, getting the IV placed, and getting both babies and myself hooked up to the monitors, my OB came in to break baby A‘s water around 9PM. I was already having contractions by the time they started my Pitocin, but it definitely got things going faster! Just 2 hours later, my contractions were intense enough to have me in tears and I was ready for an epidural. My twin labor was much worse than the back labor I experienced with C.

During the placement of my epidural, I experienced an accidental dural puncture, aka a “wet tap,” which resulted in two things of note… First, it meant that they had to perform the epidural again, and second, it meant that I would be leaking cerebral spinal fluid. The consequences of the CSF leak meant that I could only receive a low dose epidural and there was a chance for a post-dural headache. Unfortunately, after all that, the epidural never took full effect on the left side of my body; I had to rely on breathing techniques to get through the discomfort of my contractions and I wasn't abe to get any sleep.

By the early morning hours I was finally feeling some relief and ready to get some shut eye, but it turned out that wasn't going to happen – at 5AM the L&D nurse did a cervix check, only to find that baby A was officially positioned (and visible!) in the birth canal... so instead of getting some sleep, they got us ready to head into the OR where 2 anesthesiologists, 4 NICU nurses, 2 L&D nurses, and my OB were waiting for the imminent arrival of the twins (the protocol for the delivery of multiples is to deliver in the OR where they are set up for both a traditional delivery and emergency C-section should there be any complications).

The Good

The birth of our boys was incredible -- everything moved so much faster than with C. It took 1 contraction and 3 pushes to bring D into the world! He was born at 6:12AM, weighing 5 lbs 15 oz. One contraction brought R down into position for the doctor to break his water and 4 pushes later, he arrived at 6:23AM, weighing 4 lbs 13 oz -- sunny side up (and causing a first degree tear, which was NOTHING compared to the third degree episiotomy with C).

Luckily, despite being born at 36 weeks and 1 day, both boys avoided the NICU completely. To top it all off, we were a bit like celebrities during our stay. Hospital staff who came into our room and anyone who saw us in the hallway would stop us and congratulate us on the birth of our twins.

The Bad

After D & R were born, we were moved back to our room in L & D. There, while enjoying double the baby snuggles, came the dreaded postpartum uterine massage. Although a necessary evil, I had vivid memories of this surprise part of the birthing process when I had C, and it was as bad as I remembered. Unfortunately, despite this painful procedure (which, for some unknown reason, they do while you hold your brand-new and very delicate baby - or babies), my bleeding would not stop.

For more than 2 hours, the nurses applied painful pressure to my abdomen every 15 minutes. At some point during this ordeal, I received an intramuscular injection of oxytocin to help control the bleeding, and yet, I could feel large clots and waves of blood pour out of my body each time they compressed my uterus. With time, and more than 1300 cc of blood later, everything settled down -- and I narrowly avoided a blood transfusion. With that, we were transferred to recovery where we spent the next 48 hours with an amazing team of nurses. Needless to say, we were a little sad when it came time to head home -- but grateful that we all got to go home together!

Once home, we settled into a routine survival mode, and I tried to fend off my post-dural puncture headache -- a lingering side effect of the wet tap.The pain was manageable when the Tylenol/Ibuprofen and Mountain Dew cocktail was at its peak (fun fact: Mountain Dew has the highest caffeine content of all sodas and caffeine is a decent cure for all types of headaches), but it became worse when upright for too long. Since I’d declined the blood patch* while at the hospital (the thought of a fourth injection in my back and the resulting muscle pain seemed worse than my headache), I spent the first 24 hours home, mostly, reclining on the couch.

*While a possible risk of an epidural, a dural puncture occurs about 1.5% of the time. Treatment for a dural puncture is a blood patch; the anesthesiologist places another epidural, but instead of medicine, they inject your own blood into the space to close the CSF leak via blood’s natural clotting. The other option is simply time.

The Ugly

On our third day home, I woke up in the early morning hours in excruciating pain. Instead of getting better, my headache had gone from bad to debilitating; the pounding in my head was like a vice grip at the base of my skull compounded with throbbing pain at the top of my head. It brought me to tears when I got up to nurse the boys. There was nothing I could do but lay as flat as possible while D & R laid on my chest, and watch the clock tick until 8AM when my OBGYN’s office opened. As soon as I could, I was on the phone to find out what needed to be done to get a blood patch and repair the post-dural puncture.

While K got the twins and C ready to head to the pediatrician for their first visit, my mom drove me to the ER, where I was told the anesthesiologist would be waiting. After being taken back to wait for the anesthesiologist, my blood pressure was dangerously high -- I was informed that they would have to admit me and officially start their “hypertensive protocol,” which included immediate placement of an IV and two rounds of emergency anti-hypertensive drugs before moving me upstairs. Official diagnosis: postpartum preeclampsia.

Once upstairs, I received the blood patch, but relief was minor -- not instantaneous like I had expected, and my blood pressure continued to be severely elevated. Speaking to the anesthesiologist and my OB about my symptoms, it seemed that my headache was likely due to both the dural puncture and preeclampsia… and possibly compounded by my pain. Due to the severity of my blood pressure, my OB informed me that the best treatment would be a 24 hour magnesium IV drip to prevent seizure and stroke.

Magnesium treatment was an experience. To give you an idea of what it is like, the side effects include the following:

• heart disturbances
• breathing difficulties
• poor reflexes
• confusion
• weakness
• feeling flush, warm, and/or tingly
• sweating
• feeling cold
• extreme drowsiness
  
  

I experienced them all; racing heart, hot flashes and sweats that turned into shivering cold, gasping for air as if my body had forgotten to breathe, imagining K and my mom being at the hospital, being too weak to push the call button... and the longer I was on the magnesium, the worse everything got. I felt like I was on a bad Alice in Wonderland drug-induced trip. Time had no real meaning, and I got little rest -- the nurses checked my vitals and reflexes every hour, and lab techs came into the room periodically for multiple blood draws to ensure that toxic levels had not been reached. Coming off the magnesium was no walk in the park either -- I received an emergency dose of calcium due to hypocalcemia (a potential risk associated with the administration of magnesium), and even after discontinuing the magnesium, it felt like I was coming off a high. After stopping treatment, and I remained at the hospital for an additional 24 hours of observation before finally being discharged when my blood pressure stabilized -- with a short term Rx for blood pressure medication.

The day I left, I was exhausted and it felt like it had been hit by a truck. But, after a scary 48 hours, I was happy to be headed home! Even though it had only been a few days, I felt like I had missed out on a lot being away from the twins, C, & K. As terrible as my experience had been, I couldn't help but worry about C being away from home and K trying to survive with two newborns without me. Needless to say, we were all beyond grateful for the support of my family and our amazing friends and neighbors who helped whenever they could!

Oh Boy, Oh Boy(s)!

Somehow (I am happy to report) this twin pregnancy has been a walk in the park – especially compared to C’s run in the womb. We are so grateful to have an uneventful go of it this time around, especially after I spent so long waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop, expecting the misery and complications to strike at any moment. It really is amazing what the body can accomplish when it has everything it needs! I can’t help but wonder just how different things would have been the first time if we had known about my NCCAH diagnosis and I had been appropriately medicated for it years ago, especially after my maternal fetal specialist has told me that I’ve been making multiples “look easy.”

The Cerclage (Round Two)

Despite things going well, it was recommended to go ahead and have a cerclage placed again; given my history and the increased risk of complications with multiples, it was mostly a preventative measure. So at 14 weeks, I found myself in the OR – this time the procedure was done with spinal anesthesia instead of IV sedation and it was a strange experience being conscious for it all, but everything went smoothly. Even the recovery was better than last time, which was good since it was done the day before Thanksgiving and I spent the Thursday cooking pies and a turkey with only minor discomfort. Honestly, the biggest inconvenience was the COVID protocol, which required that I get tested on Monday and then quarantine at home to ensure I didn’t get COVID before the procedure.

The Gender Reveal

With C, we I chose to be surprised at delivery on whether we were having a boy or girl.

I wanted that moment where the doctor places your baby on your chest and announces to the world, “It’s a …!” Honestly, I may have romanticized it a bit in my head, because when the actual moment came, the entire world fell silent around me and I didn’t even hear the doctor say “It’s a boy!”

But this time, since we were having multiples, we decided it was best to be in the know ahead of time. Our gender reveal was something we did for everyone else, and less for us. K and I knew after my 18 week ultrasound what we were having, but we thought everyone else might like to have a little fun, especially when we couldn’t have a get-together for the event.

Mathematically, the odds were in our favor to have a boy and a girl, given that our twins are fraternal, but imagine our surprise (and everyone else’s) when it turned out to be double boys! Especially when the only boy-boy guess was made because they “thought it would be funny” if I was the mother to three boys!

Twin Watch 2021

As of 2 weeks ago, I am officially at home, waiting for the twins to come. The cerclage is out and the boys were measuring 5 lbs 9 oz and 5 lbs 2 oz at the last growth scan – I am measuring 45 weeks and 100% feel that big; even the most mundane task has become a challenge. But, we are in the home stretch! That being said, at this point all we can do is anxiously await the arrival of these littles LaRosas, and then the real adventure begins!!!

Double Trouble: A Little More LaRosa

It's hard to believe, but the LaRosa family will be growing in just over 4 months! However, the journey to grow our family wasn't as smooth and easy as it was the first time around (although, as you may recall, the pregnancy itself made me miserable for a substantial amount of time and wasn't without a few surprises along the way).

About a year after C was born, I went to a fertility specialist for imaging of my uterus to get an official recommendation on if the uterine "defect" we discovered when I was pregnant with C would require removal prior to having another baby. So, in January 2019, I had a saline ultrasound and was told that the defect was fairly minor and while there was a risk for miscarriage, it wasn't severe enough to definitively recommend surgical intervention. Just to be safe, my OBGYN advised me to get a second opinion, and in February I had a hysteroscopy and hysterosalpinogram, which lead to a diagnosis of an arcuate uterus (rather then a septate uterus as was suspected), which didn't need correction. With that news, K and I decided it was time to grow our family!

As part of the work up with the second fertility doc, we both had some blood work done and to our surprise, my results came back abnormal. I had a second round of testing done to see if it was just a fluke, but in October were told to stop trying to conceive and I was instructed to see an endocrinologist for screening of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Easier said than done apparently, as the wait time to get into an endocrinologist was 3-4 months time...

In January 2020 I was finally able to have a stimulation test to check my adrenal glands. The doctor suspected that I was possibly a carrier for the disorder since I didn't exhibit all of the classic symtpoms and the ones I did have were fairly mild. But, to everyone's surprise, the test came back indicative of CAH and genetic testing confirmed the gene mutation on both chromosomes. So with that, my journey on corticosteroids began.
The next few months were a blur of frequent blood work and bone density scans. There were several adjustments made to my meds and side effects to manage. Since I had the gene mutation for CAH on both chromosomes, we were instructed to see a genetic counselor so that we could get genetic testing done on K - but the wait time was over 6 months long! Ultimately, we discovered K was not a carrier for CAH and our debate between IUI vs IVF settled on IUI. It was just a matter of when my body would be ready and capable of sustaining another pregnancy.

In July we had our first round of IUI; I had a baseline ultrasound, was started on Clomid, and then had another ultrasound 10 days later to check on how my ovaries were responding to the ovulation drugs. Not well it turned out. So we added 3 days of injectible drugs (luckily K had lots of experience with my weekly progesterone injections with C, so those 3 days were a breeze). A follow-up ultrasound showed follicle growth and we "triggered" ovulation with yet another injection 24 hours before the IUI procedure. After the procedures, I was started on progesterone to aid in implantation and help maintain an early pregnancy. Two weeks later I had a blood test to check for pregnancy - I was convinced the procedure took. I had all the early pregnancy signs! 

But, the beta blood test was negative; turns out the progesterone Rx was just mimicking all the symptoms.

Once my cycle restarted, we began the process again... baseline ultrasound, ovulation drugs (this time we combined Clomid with the Follistim injectable, rather than adding it at the end if the Clomid cycle), another ultrasound, trigger shot, IUI., and progesterone. Again, I had the early signs and symptoms of being pregnant, but I was much more skeptical this time around. And yet, 2 days before the beta blood test to check for pregnancy my belly was poochy - and I found myself asking if I had just eaten really poorly over the Labor Day weekend or if I could really be pregnant this time around? Turns out, our second round of IUI was a success! Actually, it was a bit more successful than we realized, as we found out at my first ultrasound that we are expecting TWINS!!!

A Little Party Never Hurt Nobody

The “Shelter in Place” home quarantine lasted more than 50 days, and things are JUST now starting to re-open here at home; meanwhile COVID-19 has traveled the globe and (as of today) infected more than 54,000 people in Texas alone. But – fear not – this is not a coronavirus post. This one is to show you how to have a little fun after the virus has waned and you are ready to par-tay!

It’s hard to believe how much everything has changed in just over 10 weeks. It’s hard to remember what “normal” is when I look back at what we were doing just a few months ago, let alone a year ago.

Although certainly not as life changing as the current state of things, K and I had reason to celebrate in 2019 - I was turning 30 and he was turning 29, and we wanted to do something special to commemorate the event. If you know me, you know I like any excuse to dress up in costume… so what better way to usher in the end of the 20s than a Roaring 20’s themed party?! Like they say, I little party never hurt nobody! (This year, K’s 30th was a much more subdued quarantine celebration at home and quite the tragedy given that it fell on both Taco Tuesday AND Cinco de Mayo this year.) So here are my tips on how to throw a GREAT Gatsby-esque soiree and put a little happy flare on 2020!

The Basics: The Color Scheme & Décor

The foundation to any good 1920’s party is the atmosphere – the booze, the décor, the music, the costumes. And there are so many good ideas on Pinterest these days, how could you not throw an amazing party with your friends decked out in your best flapper dress and pearls?

There seems to be some unspoken rule that a Prohibition era shindig should be black and silver, or black and gold, or both – thank you Leonardo DiCaprio for having the color scheme picked out for us. Luckily, black and anything sparkly is glamorous, so pick your preferred metallic accent and just start looking for all the easy décor you can find in the desired color scheme… grab some garland, poms, balloons, feathers, fairy lights, confetti, photo booth props, and you’ll be set!

For our party, we went with the classic black & gold (with a hint of champagne for good measure). I found some gold foil backdrops to hang across our windows, and made several strings of black and gold circle garland to drape in various places around the house. We spray painted wine bottles, dressed them up with ostrich feathers and fake pearls, and strategically placed some empty bottles in a box to give the look of stolen, bootlegged booze.

I used Vistaprint to make our black and gold invitations and even designed “Wanted” posters with the faces of famous gangsters of the time. I saved a few shipping boxes and stenciled some labels on them – Gin, Vodka, etc. and used our largest wall for our photo booth backdrop. But, my FAVORITE piece of the décor was our “popped champagne bottle” balloon display. It took a lot of air and a lot of tape, but I loved the way it looked like the champagne was pouring down our spiral staircase. 

The Food & Drink

Appetizers and h’or doeurves were a popular speakeasy staple in the 1920s, so “small bites” is a less stressful way to keep your guests fed. Our food spread was easy to execute: black olive tamponade, meatballs, fruit & cheese + veggies & dip plates, and brownies. Throw in some mixed nuts and crackers and voila! Party snacking made simple.

Now, there will be no shortage of drink choices for all the guys and dolls to indulge. Your giggle water choice could be as simple as bottles of champagne and call it a day, or you could get more creative with signature cocktails like Mint juleps, gin fizz, and bathtub punch. We kept it simple; we got a few bottles of champagne plus some liquor to add to mixers. I am no expert of mixed drinks, and I was not about to pretend I was an experienced bartender for my friends. And honestly, once the drinks start pouring, your guests won’t mind what’s in their cups when the company is good!

The Look

1920s attire has to be one of my most favorite things. Flapper dresses, bobs (which I could never truly pull off with the curly hair), glamorous accessories, and a smoky eye. For the guys, anything from a casual vest and fedora to a Gatsby-style tux will be the cat’s pajamas and period appropriate.

I found my dress online at Retro Stage – good fit and very reasonably priced! I made my pearl necklace from leftover peal strands I’d used as décor, and tried my best to pull-off a faux-bob via YouTube tutorials. It took a million bobby pins, but it totally worked! And trust me, if I can do it, anyone can!

The Music

I love creating playlists – whether it’s for exercising, driving in the summer with the windows down, belting out show tunes. You name it. So I was jazzed about the opportunity to set the mood for the party - big bands, 20s jazz, and even the Great Gatsby movie soundtrack. There was so much to choose from; I even discovered a new genre (well, new to me) – Electro swing – that combines the vintage sounds of the jazz age and combines it with EDM, effectively bringing it to the modern ‘20s. Check out our Spotify playlist here for some musical inspiration: Roaring 20's Playlist

Party Time

Hopefully this quick quarantine post has given you some good ideas for your own party, and shown just how easy it is to throw a themed Roaring ‘20s party. When it comes time to actually let loose, remember to be safe and have some fun! It really doesn’t take much to make your party the bee’s knees!

The Land of Vikings and Lingonberries

Helsinki, Finland

After the tears at home as I said goodbye to C, and the tears on the drive to the airport as I thought about how long I’d be away from C, and the tears while sitting on the runway as I was reminded how much C loves airplanes, I managed to survive the journey to Helsinki despite the mom guilt.

There, K and I met up at the completion of his work trip to start our Nordic & Scandinavian vacation - our first true baby-free trip in 2 years (we had spent about 16 hours in Houston without him earlier in the year, but that was barely comparable to 12 days without him). We took the train into the city and checked into our ADORABLE AirBnB before feasting on a traditional Finish meal of reindeer with lingonberry sauce at The Seahorse. Boy, oh, boy - it was delicious! 10/10 - strongly recommended!

The next day, we headed out on a walking tour of the city where we strolled passed the Havis Amanda Fountain, Senate square, Helsinki Cathedral, Uspenski Cathedral, and the harbor. For lunch, Kevin and I sat among the locals at one of the many food stalls at Market Square before browsing the works of Luther, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin, and Voltaire at the Helsinki Library.

Our second full day day in Helsinki, we took a small ferry to Suomenlinna Island, where we walked the cobblestone roads of the 18th-century sea fortress and took in the scenic stops along the defensive walls. Back in the city, we tried to achieve serenity at the Kamppi Chapel of Silence and in the pews of the Temppeliaukio Church of the Rock.

St. Petersburg Russia

In order to take advantage of the 72 hours visa-free visit to Russia, K and I arrived in St. Petersburg on the Princess Anastasia “cruise ship.” Disembarking the large ferry was nothing short of hectic; even knowing that things would be a bit crazy, we were not prepared for the chaos and lack of instruction. Nonetheless, we made it to our hotel around noon before heading out to see the Hermitage Museum - the second largest art collection in the world, second only to The Louvre. Also known as The Winter Palace, the iconic pastel green building was gorgeous - standing beyond the Bolshevik Revoluation and the bombings of Leningrad during World War II.



That night, we watched the sun set at the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood before watched the St. Petersburg ballet perform Black Swan at the Mariinsky Theater.

The next day, we took the train to Pushkin, about 18 miles outside of St. Petersburg, to tour Catherine Palace - the former summer residence of the Tsars. There we learned about the destruction of the palace during the Nazi siege, the disappearance of the infamous Amber Room, and the heroic efforts of the staff to save and restore as much of the original artwork and architecture. That night we dined at Gustogram, a gastro pub whose menu is entirely based on “Instagram worthy” plates - honestly, our meals were as good as they looked!
Our last day in St. Petersburg we braved the rain and the cold for a tour of the city, and we fell more in love with Russia’s former capital with each step - St. Petersburg was easily a favorite for both me and K. The history, the food, and the people were all phenomenal! After re-boarding the Princess Anastasia, we journeyed back across the Gulf of Finland, to continue our vacation.

Stockholm, Sweden

After arriving in Stockholm, we spent our first afternoon at the Vasa Museum - K’s FAVORITE thing from the entire trip. Without giving too much away, the entire museum is built around a restored 17th century Swedish ship and definitely worth a visit!

Our first full day we walked -a lot- doing a walking tour of the Stockholm city center in the morning, and a walking tour of Old Town in the afternoon. We saw where the Nobel Prizes are handed out and the picturesque Stortorget, stuffing our faces with delectable gluten free Swedish meatballs and coffee at Under Kastanjen (don’t forget the side of lingonberries)! 

The following day we toured City Hall on the tip of Kungsholmen island, and the site of the Nobel Prize celebratory dinner, before returning to Under Kastanjen for ANOTHER round of Swedish meatballs before catching our plane to our final destination.

Copenhagen, Denmark

When we originally packed for our Nordic and Scandanavian vacation, the weather was supposed to be cool, but pleasant - a nice reprieve from the 100+ degree Texas heat - but by the time we arrived, the weather had plunged 15 degrees and the fall rain had moved in. At a brisk 50 degrees, Copenhagen greeted us with the warmest but wettest weather of our trip.

The first day we spent in Denmark, we - of course - went on a walking tour of the city before meeting up with our friend from college and her husband. Although J & R had also lived in Texas for a few years, apparently it took crossing an ocean to see each other again after their move to the Midwest several years ago.

We started the next morning/the last day of our vacation, highly stressed after we tried to check in for our flight(s) home and learned that Thomas Cook Airlines, without warning, had gone out of business three days prior, essentially stranding us in Europe. After several hours of calls and internet searches, we booked new flights home and took our frazzled selves to the Michelin-starred Restaurant 108 for lunch with J & R, a can’t miss reservation for foodies the world over who don’t want to spend an arm & a leg at its sister restaurant Noma.

We then took in the breathtaking panoramic view of Copenhagen from atop Christiansborg Palace and ate our final meal at Torvehallerne market. I feasted on the traditional Danish Smørrebrød, while we watched the sunset one last time on our vacation.

I Will Remember

Dear C,

When you are older and moodier and when things no longer excite you like they once did, I will remember your pants on crooked as your little legs moved quickly across the living room. I'll remember your eyes wide with excitement at the sight of bubbles appearing from seemingly nothing.  I'll remember the sparkle in your eye.

When you no longer want kisses from mom, I will remember the “muah” sound and the feeling of your nose pressed against mine when you'd want a smooch from your mama.

When your voice changes into a deeper, manlier tone, I will remember how your sweet little voice would say “mommy” more than any other word. I'll remember how it sounded hearing you call for me when you'd hear me come home from work. 

When you don’t come to me for everything, and when you want to be with your friends, I will remember how you would always grab my hand and pull me to the ground so we could play with your toys. And then grab my hand and bring me to the next activity. I'll remember how that little hand felt gripping my fingers.

In the days when laughter is more difficult to pull out of you, I will remember the sound of your giggle. The giggle that could soften hearts, brighten a room, and warm my soul in an instant. The giggle that reminded me why I am so lucky to have you. The giggle that was, at least for a while, the soundtrack to our life together.

When cuddling on my lap is laughable because of your size, I will remember how you would bring book after book back from the shelf before snuggling into my lap so we could read your new favorite over again. I’ll remember how my lap was your favorite place to hang out.

When you roll your eyes at me and don’t laugh at my jokes, I will remember how you scrunched up your little face with a big, beautiful grin when you were being silly.

I know there will be a day when you will change, and these things will be gone. But right now, you need me. You run to me. I am your mother, and we have a special bond. 

And I’d be lying if I said letting that go will be easy.

So for now, I will try to enjoy those fleeting moments and burn them into my memory so they don't slip away... Nothing lasts forever, but I will always be your mother and you will always be my son.

(Inspired by, and modified from "Dear Son, When You No Longer Want Kisses from Mama" by Kelli Bachara)

Home Sweet Home

Last year, you were able to follow along with our pregnancy journey. What you may not have known, however, is that while I was busy growing a baby, we were also in the process of building our first (and hopefully only) house! We used to joke that it was a bit of a race to see which would finish first… Luckily, we were moved in and mostly settled before C made his arrival.

We have officially been in our forever-dream home with our little man for just over a year, but deciding to buy a house almost came at a whim. Whenever I had downtime at work, I found myself researching “custom home builders” and day-dreaming about designing my perfect house. I stumbled upon a neighborhood just 10 minutes from our apartment at the time and ventured out to look at the models of two different builders with my dad. I walked into these gorgeous houses and my heart and mind were made up – it was time to buy a house!

That was easier said than done, of course. Not only did I have to get K onboard, but we had not been saving for a down payment. Being home owners was still a little ways off in our minds. But, I took him to see the model home(s), showed him the ratings for the schools in the neighborhood, and when we learned that we wouldn’t need our down payment until closing (aka, after construction was completed) we realized that this could really happen - gotta love the LaRosa double-secret-probation-budget!

In August, we settled on one of the two builders in the neighborhood, but it was still a few months before they got the OK from the city to start construction. And so, we waited – and started saving. In December we got word that the city had given the green light, and so we picked our lot and floor plan. In preparation for the momentous decision, we traveled across the Metroplex to see homes in different stages of construction and met with a realtor to get her input on resale value of the changes we had in mind. Eventually, we settled on the Riverstone and placed the symbolic “sold” sticker on the map of the neighborhood.

In January, we found out we were pregnant, and informed our builder that it would be great if our house could be finished closer to the 6 month end of the 6 to 9 month timeline. With a September due date, we really did not want to be moving with a newborn! Later in the month we met with our contractor to go over our blue prints; we opened walls, we rearranged our kitchen, we added windows and extended the hardwood floors, we added a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, and we expanded our laundry room for more storage. We met with the company that would be wiring our house to decide on the location of our outlets, on a home security system, and our entertainment automation system. We went to the builder’s design studio and picked our floor tile, the orientation of the backsplash tile, our grout color, the brick color, the color of the trim on the house, the color of the dividers in the window panes, the wall color, the countertop shape, the design of our garage door, the type of cabinetry, and made decisions on every other customizable option in our home! Although satisfied with all our decisions, I was a bit nervous to see how it would all come together…

At the beginning of February, we broke ground and eagerly waited for our home to take shape. The beginning of the construction was slow, but once the foundation was set, the bones of the house began to take shape. Every weekend, we would drive by to see the progress on our house and shoot the contractor an email anytime we had a concern or question. By the end of April, the outside of our home was complete and, lucky for us, we had a mild spring with very few rain delays. We were actually ahead of schedule! Over the next three months, the wiring and ductwork was installed, the dry wall went up, and then the cabinets and hardwood were placed. The stairs were stained, and the walls painted. At the end of July, we closed – but not before dealing with the stress of a final walk-through and transferring of funds between banks to actually pay our down payment and closing costs. The first weekend of August, with the help of family and some friends, we moved into our new house and started to make it a home.