Minnesota

An Early Miller Christmas

by Sarah Novak on December 19, 2011

Since Nia and I are spending Christmas Day with Nick in DC, we celebrated early with the Miller family.  Nia was the belle of the ball in her new Christmas dress (and by new I mean ‘new to us’ – that’s right, this Baby Gap beauty was $4 at a Garage sale)!

We had a wonderful afternoon of games, food and present opening.  Nia’s sure going to miss the attention from all her aunties and Grandparents (and Mommy’s going to miss the help with middle-of-the-night feedings).  A shout out to Auntie Beth who could only be there in spirit (she lives in Chicago).  We are thankful to have such wonderful family (both the Novaks and the Millers)!  We wouldn’t have made it through these first 2 months without you…

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Nia’s Nervous System Checks Out

by Sarah Novak on December 18, 2011

Friday was a big day for little Nia.  It was her first visit to see Dr. Tonnie at Wellness Wave.  As many of you know, I’ve been doing Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) with Tonnie for several years now.  My work with her has helped me eliminate my chronic back pain, deal with my anxiety better and have a better overall level of health.  I can’t say enough good things about NSA and my two sisters (who now go there too) would agree.  I also had the opportunity to go during my pregnancy and I attribute the ease and short length of my labor to the neural conditioning I did beforehand.  I won’t go into the specifics of what NSA is – you can read about it at her website above or on two of my previous posts that describe it in detail: POST 1, POST 2.

So back to Nia.  When Tonnie told me that Nia could really benefit from NSA and that she did sessions for babies as young as a few days old, I jumped at the chance to get Nia’s neural network functioning at a highly efficient level from early on.  Since her neural pathways are so fresh and are forming connections so rapidly at this age, she’s able to undergo a much more rapid, radical transformation than an adult can.

Dr. Tonnie’s report was very positive.  Nia’s nervous system looked great.  Her only issue was that her upper-most vertebrae (C1) was out of alignment from her passage through the birth canal.  This is very common in babies since birth is the single greatest stressor they will experience in their lives.  She told me that if left out of alignment, Nia would see a greater incidence of ear infections.  Tonnie was not surprised when I told her that Nia had already gotten her first ear infection at 6 weeks old!

I’m so thrilled that my daughter is getting to experience holistic medicine at this age.  It’s made such a difference in my well-being and I sooo wish that I would have started earlier.

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The Year of the Mocha

by Sarah Novak on November 16, 2011

Every year I select an ornament that captures something representative of the year.  It gives me a way to collect meaningful ornaments for our tree and also helps me remember the major events.  I was in Caribou Coffee the other day with Nia and came across this adorable Caribou ornament mug.  I knew it was the perfect one for this year, as Caribou mochas are what I associate with both the pregnancy and this post-partum period.  In fact, I’m pretty sure they’ve been what’s gotten me through some of the tougher days….

What would your ornament be for this year?

 

 

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What Goes In Must Come Out

by Sarah Novak on November 15, 2011

Zi6_9706 CUT.MP4

We are in the habit of making videos for Nick each day.  This one was so good I thought we’d share it with a wider audience!

Warning: Projectile Vomiting at min 00:25.  Watch at your own risk…

 

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Nia Meets Her Aunties

by Sarah Novak on November 9, 2011

Nia got to meet her Minnesota Aunties for the first time this past weekend.  They’re helping me take care of her while I get a hang of this parenting thing.

Auntie Emily

Auntie Beth

Auntie Jenna

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Hit and Sob

by Sarah Novak on November 8, 2011

So last night I decided to make my first solo trip out to Target to get some miscellaneous baby items I needed in Minnesota.  My Mom was happy to watch Nia for a bit and I was excited to get out after what felt like a successful day of Mothering.  I was flying high, finally feeling like I was getting on top of things.

And then, just like that, as I was waiting to make my left-hand turn into the Target parking lot – BAM – I’m hit from behind and thrown forward.  I managed to keep it together through the exchange of insurance information, but as soon as the other driver pulled away I broke down into fitful sobbing.  It was like the flood gates just opened and couldn’t be shut off for the next two hours.

I sobbed about the irony of how each time I feel like I’m getting some semblance of control, I’m thrown for another loop.  I sobbed about the realization that I now am in charge of protecting this little life and even though she wasn’t with me today, there will be future incidents when I may not be able to protect her from other’s injury.  I sobbed for the simplicity of my ‘old life’ and I sobbed for the beauty of my new one.  So there I sat in the Target parking lot, sobbing because that’s the only thing I could think of to do.

One step forward.  Two steps back.  Just another day in the life of a new Mother.

From Novakistan, post Hit and Sob

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Calling in the Reinforcements

by Sarah Novak on November 1, 2011

So, I’m afraid I’ve hit my max.  With a diagnosis of Shingles yesterday, a dead car battery today and Nick going back to work on Monday it’s just not looking so optimistic for Mama Sarah.  The Shingles particularly worries me because although it’s not painful yet and we caught it early, it has the potential to be very painful and incapacitating for me.  For those not familiar with Shingles, it attacks those with weak immune systems under extreme duress.  I qualify in both categories as I already have Rheumatoid Arthritis and the last 10 days have been some of the most stressful of my entire life.  So I guess that’s how one gets Shingles.

My key concern right now is making sure that I have enough time to keep myself healthy, since the last thing I need is an Arthritis flare-up on top of all this other stuff.  After talking about it at length last night, Nick and I decided that I needed a support team (translation: my family) to assist me for the next few weeks.  Never thought I’d need to ask for help, but I guess that’s just yet another humbling lesson that I’ve learned in the first 10 days of being a Mom.

So, looks like Nia and I will be home to MN this weekend and staying through Thanksgiving.  We’ll then be heading back for 10 days to see Nick’s parents in DC and then returning again to MN through Christmas.  Put that all together and I have support through the end of the year!

So fret not MN friends, looks like you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet the babe.  And Daddy will have plenty of time to master Spanish (which we really need him to do so we can go to Peru).  I think this is going to be a win/win.  And you know me, I’m all about win/win.  Or maybe I’m just about minimizing my misery lately and maximizing my sleep (and health)!

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Nia’s 26 Week Photoshoot

by Sarah Novak on July 16, 2011

Hi Blog Readers – I just got my first US ultrasound done last thursday.  Boy was the tech surprised when she casually asked if this was my first ultrasound and I replied that it was actually my 6th!  Then I had to go on to explain the liberal use of ultrasounds in Manila.  She assumed they quality had been sub-par and was shocked when I told her that we got a CD with the pictures and video of the ultrasound!

You can see in the picture above that she’s starting to fill out and look more like a baby now.  Her arm is down by her side.  The dark hole near her arm is the stomach and the other hole northeast of the first is her heart.  It looks like she’s blowing a bubble but that’s actually the umbilical cord!

Here’s a top view of her face.  Turn your head sideways if that helps.  You can see the eye sockets and nose in between.  I swear she’s smiling in this one, even though she looks a little alien-like.

The big relief of the day was a 4th confirmation that she is a girl.  I’ve been having these nightmares that I’d show up at this appointment and suddenly find out my she was a he.  No fear now, the tech clearly showed me her little girl parts!  Nia weighed in at 2 pounds and is now 13 inches long.  She is measuring in the 60th percentile.  There was a chance that my rheumatoid arthritis meds could slow her growth, but happily we’re not seeing that yet!  Let’s hope it stays that way….

Nia was SUPER active during the ultrasound, a trend we’ve seen repeatedly.  The tech politely said she had great fetal movement which I know really means “you’re going to have a busy one on your hands.”  On the bright side, she did delight me by getting the hiccups during the scan.  It was so fun to witness that.  Her next photoshoot is at week 32, so it’ll be a bit before you see her again.  Rest assured that she’s starting to kick me at lots of inconvenient times (like when I want to sleep).  It’s been good practice for what’s coming!

PS – Nia is pronounced KNEE – AH.  Rhymes with Tia, Sophia, Mia, etc… I’ve had several people ask, so I thought I’d clarify!

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My Fantabulous Kid-themed 31st Birthday Party!

by Sarah Novak on July 13, 2011

As most of you know, Nick and I have been apart since early June.  While we’ve both done pretty well with the separation, I was pretty bummed that he wouldn’t be here for my birthday on July 9th.  Thankfully, my friends came through with flying colors and helped me forget about the fact that he couldn’t be with me.

My dear friend Dana offered to throw a themed party for me to celebrate my big 3-1.  I used to do a lot of themed parties back in my day, so we decided to recreate one of the past party themes that was a big hit.

Guests were required to bring their favorite kid foods and my-oh-my did we have a smorgasbord!  I’m super proud to admit that this plate pictured above was my birthday dinner.  You can’t get much better than a burger, corn dog, macaroni and ravioli.  In case you were wondering, I skipped over all the healthy stuff.  It was my birthday, after all!

Kids were not excluded from the festivities and added a nice playful dimension to the party.  We ended up with 1 baby and 2 toddlers in attendance.

And of course there were games!  This is me making my best attempt at cracking the pinata open.  Sad to say that I couldn’t get it done, but at least that gave other people a shot too!

Here’s a shot of me in my special birthday hat with my lovely hostess Dana.  I am so thankful that she shares my love of parties!

The night ended with a lovely peanut-buttery cake that we devoured.  Honestly, it was a perfect night.  There were all sorts of special people that I rarely get to see because of where they live or the hours they work for their job.  It seemed that the stars aligned for my birthday and brought them all together in one place.  Made me realize how blessed I am to have so many wonderful friends scattered around the world.

Here’s a picture of our whole group at the end of the night.  Thank you all for making it such a memorable celebration!

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The 2011 Turtle Lake Boat Parade

by Sarah Novak on July 3, 2011

Owning a cabin is pretty dang amazing.  I mean, there was nothing like the ‘cabin lifestyle’ in Manila.  Hence, I am appreciating all my glorious time here.  As you might imagine, the 3 most active weekends on the lake are Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day.  4th of July has always gotten top billing in my mind, as we reap the benefits of FREE spectacular lakeside fireworks in addition to the infamous boat parade.

Now, my family is not one to take traditions lightly, so each year we come up with a new USA-related theme to deck out our pontoon with.  I happen to think that we outdid ourselves this year due to the brilliant addition of Jenna Miller as THE STATUE OF LIBERTY!  I don’t think she could have been more radiant in her get-up.

Boat decorating always starts several hours before the event.  Janet pulls out all of the decor (which gets stored in the garage precisely for this very occasion).  We always make sure and time it so that we get a snack break in before the parade starts at 4 PM (meals and snack times are strictly adhered to at the cabin).  During snack time individuals have a chance to lobby for a place on the boat, since it is such a coveted honor.  Given my love for shooting with my long-range lens, I opted to be on shore instead of in the midst of the insanity.  :)  Good option for the pregnant lady, don’t you think?

Here’s a glimpse of the decorated boat, right before it pulled out from the dock.  You can see my youngest sister Jenna dressed as Liberty, my second youngest sister Beth occupying the prime right-front seat and my Mom Janet in the red shirt behind her.  They were a fine looking group indeed!  Now, there is supposedly an officially judged competition, but my Mom didn’t enter us this year because she’s of the philosophy that ‘everyone’s a winner’ (did I mention that she’s a preschool teacher?) so it doesn’t matter if someone declares us as such.  We know in our hearts that we stole the show!  I mean, after all, check out our competition (who gave it their best but just couldn’t top Liberty):

THE COMPETITION

Here Come the Millers:

Get to Know the Parade Participants:

Beth Miller, 3rd youngest sister in the Miller clan.

Janet Miller, superstar mother to the 4 amazing Miller girls!

Estelle, honorary Miller family member and my little sister in the Big Brother, Big Sister Program (we’ve been matched for 10 years now!)

Jenna Miller, aka Lady Liberty and youngest Miller sister, who felt the weight of her role as the parade rolled on.  Luckily, drama comes naturally for her, so she nailed the part!  :)  Nice work Jenna!

So that’s it folks, hope you enjoyed getting in on the action!

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