My first Sunday Dress

This dress was made for showing off . . . .

She was obviously thrilled . . . .

. . . a bit of a sneak peek . . .

. . . a couple of moments that took our breath away . . . .

. . . perfect . . .

More pictures to come in a few days, but here are a couple teasers . . .

. . . "You have never seen her run . . . she dances"

On July 23rd at 1:17 am, our lil darlin Kaydance, danced into our world.

At 6:00 pm, on July 21, I told my husband that I had been having mild contractions that were 5 minutes or so a part all day. I also mentioned that it was not enough to really get excited about, but that if they got stronger, we would need to call Alex, our doula. I went to bed a 10:00, knowing by that time that we were in for it and there was not going to be any sleeping for me. By midnight, we had called Alex and she got to my house at 12:30 am, now the 22nd of July.

Here is where the real fun began . . . The goal was to labor at home until I was at 6cm., go to the hospital, spending transition with them and deliver lil' Kaydance into this world. This however, is NOT how it went . . . not at all. By 6:00 in the morning, Alex had been at my house for 6 hours and I had been laboring at a pretty decent pace and intensity for 9 hours. My water broke and I thought, ok, here we go, maybe things will finally progress beyond the 3 cm. I had been stuck at for the past 6 hours. I was checked at 9, knowing it was a one shot deal and that Alex would not be able to check me again. I was STILL at 3cm. but Michel had called our Doc, who advised us to go down, not because our water broke, but because rooms were being filled and we should probably claim one before we end up laboring in the hall.

After a stressful, anxiety-filled and PAINFUL ride to Fresno, we got to the hospital and into room 619.

Lets back track for a second and cover some crucial ground. The ONLY reason we had a room was because of our friend Tina. She is a nurse there and had called ahead to reserve a room for us. Otherwise, I would of ended up in the P.I.T. laboring with 5 other women. That would NOT of been ideal at all.

Ok, back to entering room 619 . . . I was checked, found out I was at a 4, finally and got hooked up to our monitors, introduced to Monique who was OUTSTANDING and began the LLLOOONNGGG haul that was my labor in the hospital.

At this time, it was 1:00 in the afternoon, I was having decent "on of pain scale of 0 being nothing at all and 10 being 'I might be dying right now,'" 5 type contractions and a horrible laboring companion had entered my room. My legs began to cramp so bad, they soon become the absolute WORST part of my entire laboring process. For the next 11 hours, I went through contractions, laboring positions, checks, a HORRIBLE nurse change . . . we wont even get into that, but I was definitely handicapped by my legs.

My doctor had entered the picture around 8:00 that night, when I was at an 8 and moving closer to a 9. He checked me at 8:30 and told me I was almost there. This was FANTASTIC news, because at this point, my legs had absolutely NOTHING left.

Now let me brag a bit about my husband. This entire time, Michel had been with me every step of the way. Every contraction, he went through it with me. Alex and Michel were an amazing team. They held me in positions that were so painful for me, because of my legs, for ridiculous amounts of time. Michel became my "Temple-Jesus," and coached me every step of the way. There is NO way at all, I would of made it without him. Alex, our doula, was such an amazing asset to us. She advocated for me at times that I could not, she encouraged me to keep going, when I could not, and she got me to get into positions that I never would of been able to get into, to help me get to that next point of my labor. Both Michel and Alex should win the lottery for what they did for myself and my daughter. They are truly ROCKSTARS!

At 9:00, we began pushing . . . at 12:00, I found myself seeing July 22nd passing us by and knowing that at this point, I had nothing left in me and the horrible realization that I may not be able to deliever my daughter the way I wanted to, set in. Dr. G. comes in, takes one look at what my nurse had done . . . she had "stretched" me during each pushing stage I had gone through. I was now so swollen, my tissue had become almost non-elastistic. Something needed for the pushing stage of laboring. He also looked at me and i told him, I was pretty sure I was done and this was it for me. He does not preform c-sections. He believes in being as natural as possible, which I had done up until this point. I had eaten my own food, drank my own water, labored at home for as long as possible, gone through 28 hours of labor without drugs of any kind . .. but at this point, a c-section had become a strong contender and both Dr. G. and I were letting this sink in a bit. He looked at Michel, myself and Alex and said, " there is one other option . . . we could use the vacuum." He also went on to say that it would require me mustering up EVERYTHING that I had in me, and focus that into the next 30 minutes of pushing. At this point I also knew that tearing was inevitable.

For the next 30 minutes, we pushed harder than we ever had before, my mother walked the rom praying and interceding, Dr. G. maneuvered the vacuum expertly and Michel and Alex coached me into delivering our beautiful Kaydance. When she came out, I was so shocked that we had actually done it, that it took me a second to realize who was on my chest. Other than a cone-shaped head that rivaled many a baby, our little red-head was absolutely gorgeous.

Kaydance Musacchio was born at 1:17 am on July 23rd. She was 8lbs., 3oz., 22 in. long and absolutely perfect in every way. I would do all 31 hours without a doubt, hands down if that is what it took for us to meet our daughter. She has been nothing but perfect for the first few days of her life and I am so in LOVE with everything that is our lil' Kaydance. We thank the Lord every night for what He has given us and are truly . . . blessed . . .

When's that BAABBY Due?!?!?

. . . today actually . . .

However, here I sit, Kaydance still nice and cozy in my womb. I did my very best today, to persuade her to get a move on.

Today, my dad, mother, husband, Paulie and I went to Yosemite National Park. Our goal: hike to the top of the Giant Redwood Loop to see the Fallen Tunnel Tree. Total, my mother and I hiked 5 miles. 2.1 miles up and I mean STRAIGHT up and 2.9 miles down. We took a detour to see some other trees, helping us meet our 5 mile goal.

As I tromped through the wonderful Redwoods, I found many a tourist looking at me with a awry gaze. One said, "Move over Henry, she's due today . . ." as if my water was going to break right there and take him out. Another onlooker commented, "It looks as if she is gonna have that baby at any moment." I find this funny, because earlier in the day, a wonderful woman looked at me with amazement when she learned that my due date was today and not 4 weeks from now, as she had silently deduced from my rotund form. Needless to say, I was entertaining to watch . . . Oh yeah, and STILL pregnant.

4th of July Happiness . . .

Grizzley's Game on the 4th . . .

Michel not too Happy with picture taking time . . . "It is baseball time, Talitha, not picture time . . . "

Let's hear it for cooperation!

39 weeks pregnant at the Grizzley's Game . . . man it was HOT!

Stick a fork in me, I am DONE!

Here are some sausage toes to prove it . . .

37 weeks and GROWING . . .

At 37 weeks and 4 days, I was told that I am 40% effaced, but not dilated at all. To put it in the words of Dr. G., "the door is still shut." "I will be shocked if you have less than two weeks before Kaydance's arrival." He believed this so much, that I have my next appointment in two weeks as opposed to the usual one week. One disturbing bit of information that was given to me . . . Dr. G. seems to think that Kaydance is around 6lbs. at this point. At gaining a half a pound a week, she best make her appearance close to her due date. I really, really do not want to have a larger baby on my hands. My cousin can have those honors . . . no need to share. ;)

Life Changes . . . We Move Forward

Olmstead Point, Yosemite National Park . . . 9 months pregnant

WOW! It has been a while. With school ending and major changes occurring, it left little room for blogging. The first of many changes and probably the largest, is as of May 29th, I was no longer employed. The school I had been working for had to make some major changes financially in order to survive the current economic conditions. We knew that unless some major changes had occurred, the lay-offs would begin. As a staff, we decided to wait until the very end of school to find out rather or not lay-offs would be needed. Many donations were given to the school, but in the end, it was not enough to save some from being let go. I was one of those that were chosen and it has been nothing short of a roller-coaster of emotions since.

I know that God has a plan for our lives. It is hard to understand why it will not include being a teacher at a school that I love and believe in. I know that in January, when I need to have found another job, God is going to give us a job that meets these three things. The first, it will be a job that I believe in, not something that will just bring in money. The second, a job that is close, as Kaydance will be 6 months old by then and I would like to be close to her. The third, a job that provides insurance for our daughter and ourselves. I know that our God loves to answer the cries of our hearts and that this is nothing new for Him. Trusting, believing and having FAITH, is our job and daily, I find myself checking my heart, making sure that I am not wavering.

The other "large" life changing event, is I am currently nine months pregnant and we eagerly await our daughter, Kaydance's, arrival. We pass her room every morning and find ourselves imagining what a month of time will bring. I believe that things that seemed so large, will dwindle in comparison to our new roles as parents. Many have said that loosing my job, could very well be a blessing in disguise. Through the loss of my job, I have already received one precious gift. I will be able to stay home three months longer than we had originally planned. Instead of having to return to work in October, I now am able to stay at home until January. What a blessing it will be to have those three extra months.

9 months pregnant in Mammoth Lakes, California

I ask that those of you that read this, be in prayer and agreement that the right job will come at precisely the right time. Also, pray for both Michel and I as we step into this new phase of our lives, trusting and applying the principles of Faith, will be essential in this process.

Unexpected Blessings . . .

I think that it must be common for soon to be, first-time parents to stress about, "Where it all is gonna come from?!?!?" This feeling of doubt, I have had to combat with who I know my God is and what He is capable of doing, my entire 31 years. I am blessed to be a product of a home that truly lived by faith in that VERY capable God. On a daily basis, my parents reminded me of what faith is and how we ought to live "in it." This life-lesson is one that I WILL teach my daughter. I hope to do so in the same way that my parents did, through their actions and not by words alone.

I believe that God not only wants to give us the necessities in life, but also bless us with the "I really don't need that item, but how cool would it be if we got it," type of item. I usually fight these blessings with the "are you sure?" and "really?" feelings and comments.

Since being pregnant, I have really had to "turn my receiver on." My mother uses that phrase all the time and I find it applicable to our lives more and more often these days. I have learned that the receiver is not the only one being blessed. The giver is also blessed by Him because of their obedience. To ask the "are you sure" and "really?" questions, only cheapens those blessings and I would be so bold to say that by doing so, you are not walking in faith and obedience with Him.

Today, I have been dealing with my own inner-struggles with finances, life, future and all that comes with being 33 weeks pregnant. Questions like, "Where are we going to get that money," "What kind of parent will I be" and "I barely have time to spend with my husband now, how are we going to do so when our child is born," have been swilling in my head all day long. I find that my husband has been struggling with the same questions today and we are in the middle of talking about these very questions, when a good friend pulls up. Out of his truck he brings a gift. This is not just any gift . . . you receive all kinds of wonderful items when you are expecting, but there are some that you register for and HOPE and PRAY that you are able to purchase them some day. As Michel opens his eyes, he sees this:

Our Kelty back pack!

There really was no way that we would of ever been able to purchase this. I registered for it out of faith, beliveing that this very "it is not needed but would be so cool if we had it" gift, would be given to us when the time was right. Seriously, his timing could not of been more perfect. Just as we were questioning where money was going to come from, He blesses us with a truly OUTSTANDING gift. It was almost as if I could actually here Him saying, "see if I can give you this, just you wait and see what I have up my sleeve for the next blessing."

Drum Roll Please . . .

my talented husband made this to surprise me on Mother's Day!

Yes folks, we finally "officially" named our daughter . . . Kaydance. The name was originally thought of because of the very musical influences that are on the Cleveland side of the family. I wanted a name that would honor that side, considering my dad had all girls and no one to pass the surname down to. So Kaydance, normally spelled Cadence, was thrown into the list of possible names.

There are multiple meanings for the word Kaydance.

a melodic configuration or series of chords marking the end of a phrase, section, or piece of music

Balanced, rhythmic flow

A progression of chords moving to a harmonic close, point of rest, or sense of resolution

a rhythm or rhythmic construction in verse or prose

the melodic rhythm that keeps a song moving

These are just a few of my favorite definitions . . .

Do-dads and Birthday Surprises!

. . . Do-dads . . .

So yes, I make trinkets for little heads now . . . who would of thought!


A gift for a sweet little one . . . Not too shabby for my first REAL attempt.

. . . and Birthday Surprises!

I have been blessed by an amazing group of students this year. They have very dear, tender, caring hearts and have been nothing short of a true blessing all year. We have 4 weeks left of school and I will be very sad on my last day with them.

This wonderful class provided me with Birthday muffins, Birthday lunch, Birthday flowers and Birthday presents (a pedicure and Yodigity yogurt)!!!! They rocked my birthday this year!

29 WEEK PHOTO SHOOT!

My mother-in-law is an all-star! She took the following pictures. They were taken in Oakhurst at Fresno Flats and off of Rd. 600, in Ahwahnee.

There were many others. You will need to look at my facebook photos if you would like to see those.

A future fashionista?

The local skate-shop was having a sale and DADDY gave in and bought Lil' Darlin' her very first pair of shoes.

I will say that I was surprised, I figured that I would be the first to "crack" and make the first spontaneous, un-budgeted purchase for our sweet girl. Daddy, I have to say, you keep going like this, you are gonna buy a "kitty" some day.

The next day at school, at colleague told me of a sale that Babies-r-Us was having. The LAST thing I need for Lil' Darlin' is more clothes. A seasoned mommy has already given me a TON of clothes, with promises that there will be more throughout Lil' Darlin's first few months. All that said, the deal was too enticing and this mommy loves to buy clothes. So with coupon in hand, I met a good friend and went a shoppin . . . .

Seriously, how adorable are these?!? Lil' Darlin' is gonna be one stylin little chic!

Admit it . . .

You have done it . . . You are in a hurry. There is no time at all to stop to look at the fun $1 section of Target. You have a mission, find gift, card and random kitchen item and get out. There is no time for anything else! Then it hits you . . . being pregnant makes this just that much worse . . . you have to pee!

So, you run into the bathroom, breaking the cardinal Target Rule, with non-purchased merchandise in hand to get the job done and get out. You find the closest stall, ignoring that "small voice" telling you to spend the time to find the stall that was used the fewest amounts of time in-between cleanings.

Hold on one moment . . . back up . . . on a regular visit to the Target bathroom, one is careful about which stall they choose. I tend to use the one that is furthest from the door and always check to make sure that there is toilet paper and toilet seat covers. I also do a quick spot check around the toilet to check for shady looking water puddles and will usually wipe the seat with toilet paper before applying the toilet seat cover.

Now back to the earlier conversation . . . so despite my better judgment, I ran into the closest stall, did not do my usual routine, went to grab the toilet seat cover and was faced with a choice. There were no toilet seat covers. The CHOICE became, do I leave this stall, get into the now-forming line and wait for one with toilet seat covers? Or do I choose door number two, which is grab toilet paper and make it be a substitute for the missing cover?

It took me all of two seconds to make that decision. I know you know what I chose, otherwise there would not be a blog about it. I begin putting toilet paper on the seat. Now, when one uses this method, they have to make sure they use enough that it stays put, but not so much that it becomes too heavy and slips into the toilet before you can actually sit on it. In this case I was a bit stingy and . . . well . .. .

I sat and miraculously, it stayed put, BUT this was the part I left out. If you do not put enough, it does not create the proper seal, thus becoming useless and unsatisfactory. Whatever was left by the last user, will seep through and you will find yourself in a very soggy situation. I found myself wishing I had just sucked it up and gotten back in line!

Needless to say, I learned a lesson this day . . . ALWAYS listen to that "small voice" when using the public restroom. Otherwise, you might find yourself in desperate need of a bidet.

2-7

At 27 weeks, many new things have transpired. First, I now feel Lil' Darlin's hiccups daily. They are so cute . . . I read that this is one of the ways that God designed our little ones to develop their lungs. How amazing is that? It totally blows my mind how intricate and unique our God is in what He creates.

A few of my favorite things . . .

Second, I have been so blessed by so many already. Below are a few of Lil' Darlin's present thus far. I have wanted the BOB since before i was pregnant. My wonderful, generous parents surprised me with it at my L.A. baby shower. I am so excited to strap her in and "go a walking."

Third, below are some of the outfits that I have received as gifts. I am blessed to have some good friends who are allowing me to borrow some of their daughter's precious clothes. But, it is nice to receive some new things as well. I have plans to bring her home in the cute little navy blue outfit. The shorts that were given to her, are so small and SO adorable. The bathing suit has a ruffle-butt, and we all know how I feel about those. The green dress is so "us." There is one more dress that my sister gave Lil' Darlin' that I am saving for another blog . . . so fear not Lindsey, it will make an appearance.

Fourth, I have been given many wonderful friends that have blessed me with gifts and advice. I thank the good Lord for blessing me with each and everyone of them! I love you all and am so thankful and grateful for each one of you.

My Hat goes off . . .

So two mornings ago, I awoke to a familiar pain. Off and on, I have this "neck issue." It is where one can't move one's neck more than 5 degress. Seriously folks, I could not move it to the left . . . AT ALL. Throughout the day it got progressively worse, as if I believed that was even possible. I went home and got out my trusty neck heat sock. My wonderful hubby applied some "goop" that my friend Candace made me buy last year while in Mammoth. This morning, I am able to move it almost 45 degrees and am very thankful. So . . . my hat goes off to the wonderful inventor of the heat sock!!!!!! I seriously heart you!

A L.A. Shower . . .

This past weekend, I packed my car up with three women and a little lady. Myself, Kat, Candace and her little girl Emmy drove down to L.A. this weekend for my very first baby shower. Each lady was given strict instructions to pack as lightly as possible, due to us having to bring back all the wonderful gifts that I was to receive in L.A.


We made it in record time to L.A. and spent the first day prepping for the shower extravaganza. I tried on over 20 dresses that day in hopes of finding a shower dress. No luck!!!! Everything was too big. However, we found a beautiful skirt and my sister let me borrow one of her tank tops for the day. I was set! I introduced Candace to 21 Choices and spoke highly of Saturday morning's breakfast, 42nd Street Bagel. I went to bed that night, excited for Saturday's events.

Saturday morning we walked to 42nd Street Bagel, where Candace had her first honey-glazed bagel. It was a spectacular event! We came home and got ready for the afternoon's shower.

Lindsey did a spectacular job! She planned everything perfectly, down to the very last detail. I had Buca di Bepo, red velvet cupcakes, wine for the guests and a fun virgin drink for myself and lil' darlin'. Please take a look at Lindsey's blog for all the wonderful details of the day.




I received so many wonderful gifts from all of my friends and family. Lil' darlin' and I are so blessed to have all of you in our lives! I had such a wonderful time and could not of asked for a better day. From receiving my BOB, to all the cute little outfits for Lil Darlin', we are two very blessed girls!