Happy Birth Day, Waylon!

Well, it's been a long time since I've had any time to blog because Waylon finally made his debut on January 28, 2010 at 1:48 pm and it's been a whirlwind ever since. It was a long road to get there, both during the pregnancy and the last hours before he got here. I don't have alot of time to blog these days, so I'm going to write about it all in a series of several blogs as I have time. Here's how the story of Waylon's birth begins...



Wednesday the 27th was the date that the 20 week sonogram said that we were projected to have our baby based on his size at the time. The day before we were joking around that we were 'supposed' to be having a baby the next day, but that he would likely not be here for another week or two if not more. That morning, I started showing signs that I would probably be going into labor soon [I'll leave out the specific details!] but there was no way to know if it would be hours or days away. I let Nick know what was going on and called the Dr's office just to make sure that there was nothing special I needed to do, and then went on about my business. I went and got a pedicure and then went home and rested the remainder of the day. I had some cramping here and there that afternoon, which I later realized were mild contractions. Later on, Nick brought home some dinner, we ate, and I had my first hard contraction at 9:15 pm. I knew it was the real deal because it was really painful and I couldn't walk or talk or do anything until it was over. I didn't have another one for an hour, and then they started coming regularly and closer together. At first they were not close enough together to be able to go to the hospital, so I told Nick to go ahead and go to bed and try to get some sleep before we had to go. I tried to sleep but couldn't because of all the contractions, so I just sat on the couch with a stopwatch, pad and pen and wrote down all of the contractions so I could see how long they were lasting and how often they were coming. Sometime after midnight I called him [I was in the living room] on his cell because I was having so many contractions and they were so painful that I was scared to move off the couch. He came into the living room and I told him that we should go ahead and go to the hospital. Luckily we had already packed our bags weeks ago and I had already given Nick's parents all of the stuff they would need to keep the dog, so Nick took the dog to his parent's house and when he came back we got our stuff and left for the hospital.



Although I was a bit afraid that they would tell me that I should go back home once we got there, we went ahead and went to the hospital because my contractions were 3 minutes apart and pretty painful. We got there at 1:30 a.m. and they put me in the triage section of the Labor and Delivery floor to check me out. They hooked me up to a monitor to keep track of our heartbeats and the contractions and checked my dilation. When I got there I was only at a 1, which did not warrant getting admitted, but based on how quickly and hard the contractions were, they felt sure that I'd be dilated enough in a few hours and kept me there. I was very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain, but they said that if they gave me any medication it would stop the contractions and I'd be sent home. We definitely didn't want that, so I stuck it out. We were the only ones in the triage unit and we just talked and did our best to get through all of the contractions for hours. Finally, at a little before 8 a.m. I was dilated to a 3 and was allowed to be admitted.

More to come soon...

Week 38

Yesterday marked the beginning of Week 38! It's hard to believe that we are so far along and so close to the big day! We had a sonogram and then a Dr's appointment afterward. The sonogram was a bit disappointing to me because since he's so much bigger now that he's nearly full grown than he was at 20 weeks, his whole body did not fit on the screen and it was very difficult for us to be able to tell what we were looking at. His face was pointed toward my back, so we never really got a clear shot of his cute little face. There was a picture that she was able to get of his face and was showing us the nose, eyes and mouth, but neither of us can make out a face in that picture to save our lives! She also printed out pictures of an arm/hand and his little boy parts. Strangely, the boy parts were pretty much the only things that were obvious in the picture! I had assumed I'd have all of these cutsey sonogram pictures to post of his profile and face like last time, but since the only thing that was clear were the boy parts, I don't think I'll be posting those. All in all, it was great to see our little guy on the screen, even though we couldn't make out what we were looking at most of the time. It was really neat to see his heart pumping. It was so neat because you could see the chambers and everything! At one point when she was focusing on his head, trying to make him face the camera, she said 'let's check out his hair and see what that's like'. Turns out he has none! Depending on when he's born, maybe he'll grow some before his big day.

At the appointment after the sonogram, she checked me like usual and determined that there was almost zero change since the last visit. There was a tiny bit more dilation, but nothing significant. I just don't get it! I don't understand why everything was in fast forward just a few weeks ago and now we are just sitting on our hands. Don't get me wrong - I know that the longer he stays in and the closer to 40 weeks we get the better for his development. It's just such a rollercoaster to go from thinking we're having a baby any minute to just sitting around twiddling our thumbs! We're a little more relaxed about it now that he's not going to be terribly early, but now that we're so close to the due date, we can't help but still be somewhat nervous. She said that at 39 weeks she'd be medically allowed to induce or do a c-section, but we have decided against that if my body isn't ready for delivery yet. We are just not comfortable with 'playing God' for the sake of getting him here a week or two sooner. The Dr agrees that this is a good way to go and not force anything. So, we are just going to let things progress naturally and see where God takes us. According to the sonogram measurements, he is 7.7 pounds, plus or minus a pound. This give the Dr and us some hope that we will be able to avoid a c-section. I'm not totally against c-sections - in fact, in the beginning I was so scared of the alternative that I asked if I could have a scheduled c-section! However, now that I've had several months to learn more about each type of delivery and let it all sink in, I'd like to skip a c-section if at all possible. Either way, our baby is going to be born one way or another, regardless of the method of delivery, and that's all that matters! We discussed timelines and she is not going to let me go past 41 weeks. If we reach that point and are still pregnant, she is going to either have to induce or do a c-section, whichever is the best choice at the time.

Bed Rest...Week 4

Today marks the beginning of the 4th week of bedrest. I can hardly believe that it has been 4 weeks already! It is kind of strange to be home and not going 100 miles an hour each day with work, house work, etc. It's been nice to slow down, but also hard at times. There are days when I want to do so many things around the house, but can't.

The highlight of this week is that at my appointment on Friday I'll be 38 weeks and will get a sonogram! I'm so excited to get the sonogram and to see what's going on in there and to see what our little man looks like now. It feels like he's absolutely huge, but we'll see what size he actually is when they do the measurements. According to my 20 week sonogram measurements, he supposedly will be 10.5 - 11 pounds if I make it to full term, which is in a little more than 2 weeks. Given all of the ups and downs of this pregnancy, who knows what to expect anymore! At one time she thought I'd never make it past 36 weeks, but here we are. At one time things were in 'fast forward' mode and I was going to deliver any day, and that was weeks ago. How I wish this pregnancy business were more of an exact science!

37 Weeks

Today I am 37 weeks. It's hard to believe that we're this far already! It went from feeling like time just dragged on and on to feeling like it has just flown by. Just a few weeks ago I was effacing early, getting steriod shots to develop Waylon's lungs, and going on modified bedrest because he was probably going to be here by an estimated 35-36 weeks. At my appointment yesterday, the Doctor said that while I am 60% effaced and dilated to about a half a centimeter, nothing has changed since last week's visit. She said it's highly likely now that I'll make it to full term! What a change and what a surprise!! I'm so glad that he won't be a preemie and that we have made it this far. She is really surprised because since I have a small frame she didn't think that I'd be able to make it this far. For the past several weeks we've both been walking on eggshells, thinking that I'd have a baby any minute and that every little cramp or pain meant I was going into labor. We've even called the Doctor on call a few times over the past few weeks because we were so on edge. Nick pointed out that I often reference the fact I am still pregnant as if I'm mad or upset about it. I hadn't realized it until he said something, but he's right - I was doing that alot. It wasn't so much that I felt angry, but I was just so on edge that I was just ready for this baby to be here so we could stop being stressed out about it. Since he pointed that out and the Doctor says that I'll probably go to full term, I've been much more relaxed about the entire situation. Now I am concentrating on relaxing, reading - both about baby related things and for pleasure, getting as much rest as I can and keeping up with friends and family. All of these things will probably go right out the window as soon as a newborn is introduced into the picture!



On a different topic, I had yet another rude encounter with someone regarding my pregnancy this week. My mother in law and I were at the grocery store checkout when the checkout lady thought that it was a perfectly acceptable thing to ask me how much weight I've gained. I'm so sick of people thinking that completely rude questions and comments are Ok to say to pregnant people. For those of you who know me well, you know that I tend to harp on this subject quite alot. I swear I could write volumes on this topic because it seems to be everywhere! Here I was standing in line, 9 months pregnant, and this lady feels the need to ask how much weight I've gained. On top of that, there were at least 10 people in line behind me and she was not quiet about her question in the least. Rather than be completely rude, I sort of laughed and said that I didn't want to tell her that piece of information. I don't think she believed me at first, and then when she realized I really wasn't going to tell her, she seemed surprised and then started backtracking by saying how much she had gained in her two pregnancies. Maybe it's a coincidence, but the majority of the invasive commments/questions that I get seem to be from significantly older women for some reason. I wonder if the age gap makes them feel as if they've been there and done that and are entitled to asking whatever they want to. It probably doesn't help my case any that I'm 30 years old and often get mistaken for somewhere around 18-20 years old and am now too swollen to wear my wedding rings. These people asking me probably just dismiss me as an unwed teenage mother with no brain and just ask away and are probably surprised that I won't answer their questions!

Enjoying Sunday

Since going on bedrest I practically live on this couch - reading, doing things on the laptop, watching tv, talking on the phone, etc. Every time I get up the dog sneaks over and claims my spot! We go through this all day long!! If she's not stealing my spot, she's cuddling up on the other end of the Snoogle. She's really loving the fact that someone is home with her 24 hours a day...she's going to need some serious therapy when I go back to work and she's back to being alone all day!

We hade a nice lunch 'date' at Chili's earlier. You just never know when things like that will be the last one before the baby gets here. I haven't been out of the house in 6 days...weird! It feels good to get out periodically for little spurts of time, but I'm so tired out by the end that it's nice to get back home and get comfy again. Plus, people just stare so much, so that's kind of weird. I'm going to enjoy the rest of the day relaxing, reading, and spending time with the hubby.

36 Weeks

So here we are at 36 weeks and still no baby! I know she said that there was a possibility that he would not come early, but I kind of thought we'd have a baby by now or at least be further along. Then again, at my next appointment she may say that I've dilated alot more or something. Who knows. I've had alot of soreness lately...maybe that means I'm dilated more, and maybe not. I certainly have no comparison. I do know that my body feels way different lately, but maybe it's just par for the course. I'm really excited for the baby to be here and honestly the waiting game is really tiring!!

My next appointment is Wednesday afternoon...we'll see what kind of news she has for us!

The Joys of Modified Bedrest

This probably sounds silly to everyone out there, perhaps unless you have been on bedrest yourself: this is pretty boring. Sure, it's wonderful not to have to get dressed and go anywhere when I feel so icky, but at the same time, there is only so much reading, tv watching and internet surfing I can do in a day before it feels like my eyeballs are going to fall out of my head. I really shouldn't complain, though, because before I know it, we'll have a baby here and we will not be getting any rest whatsoever! It's a real challenge to look around the house and think up things I'd like to be doing, only I can't because of my physical limitations. I've made up a list of things that I can do to keep my busy...we'll see how long it takes to get them done and for me to be back to square one again!

As much as I didn't want to do it, I've succumbed to sleeping on the couch as of last night. It's just so difficult to sleep in the bed right now and all my tossing and turning wakes Nick up all night. The side that it's most comfortable for me to sleep on makes it very hard to get into a comfortable position in the bed, but is much easier to manuever on the couch. Plus, I get extra support from the back of the couch combined with my snoogle pregnancy pillow, so I tend to sleep better and for longer stretches throughout the night. I get up alot to go to the bathroom at night and since the couch is lower to the ground than the bed, it's much easier to get on and off of it. It's very weird to me being in the same house as my husband and not sleeping in the same bed, but it appears that it's best for everyone involved. I'm sure I'm making a much bigger deal of it than it really should be, but I'm really sentimental about things right now! As far as Nick is concerned, he just wants what is going to be most comfortable for me.

Last night was a very uncomfortable night. I woke up millions of times with soreness and achiness in places I have never felt pain in before! I am still having contractions around the clock, but they are not paired with pain, so we're still just waiting for that to happen. Yesterday was a really nice day because my brother Caleb brought me a delicious lunch and stayed here visiting all afternoon. It was a great time and I loved getting to sit and visit with him, plus it made the day go by very quickly.

Dilated!

We had a Dr.'s appointment this afternoon and I'm dilated! Well, it's not quite that exciting...I'm only dilated to less than 1 cm. At least we're headed in the right direction, though. She said she's surprised that I'm not further along than that and that it looks like I may go full term after all if this pace keeps up. My cervix has thinned some more, too, in addition to the dilation. She said if I go much farther that I will end up needing a c-section because he will likely be too big for me. I had hoped to avoid a c-section, but at this point I just want him to be here so I'll take what I can get!!

35 Weeks

Happy New Year! 2010 is going to be an exciting year, that's for sure! New Year's week was fun. Nick was off the whole week and the Colvins came to visit for a few days. We got to spend alot of time with them just visiting since I'm not supposed to be out and about. Since Sophie was coming to stay for a few days, Nick decided to go ahead and baby proof the house with cabinet/drawer locks, door knob protectors, and outlet plugs.

My Dr. has been telling me for a while now that if I have more than 4 contractions in an hour that I need to call, even though they appear to still be Braxton Hicks so far. Wouldn't you know that happened while Annie and I were here at home on New Year's Eve?! I called and the Dr. on call told me not to call back until they are 3-4 minutes apart. We had a little scare for a minute because we didn't know if I was going into labor! We calmed down after talking to the Dr., although I was a bit discouraged that he told me something different than my Dr.

The next night, the same thing happened again. I have been having contractions at all times of the day and night, but they really picked up around the same time as the night before. I had one 4 minutes from the previous one, so I called. I spoke to a different Dr. this time and she had yet another story. She said not to call or even begin to time the contractions until they hurt. After that, I don't need to call until they are the same amount of minutes apart and last for at least 1 minute. Oy. The adrenalin was really pumping because prior to calling we didn't know if I'd be going to the hospital or what.

I have another appointment today so we'll see what my Dr. says about all this and if I'm continuing to progress. My body feels really differently in many different ways, so maybe I am progressing or even dilating some. We'll see.

Nick put together the Pack N Play, bouncer and monitor yesterday, so I guess all of the nursery things are really ready now! We are ready for our baby to be here and to stop playing the guessing game!!

34+ weeks....Continuing to Wait

We had another Dr's appointment today and things are still good. I am 50% effaced now and it looks like I am starting to head toward dilation, although I'm not dilated yet. She also said that his head is even further down. So...we are continuing to progress but aren't in full labor yet. I am continuing to have alot of Braxton Hicks contractions - although the nurse said that they could be actual contractions even though they don't hurt yet. So who knows?! All I know in that regard is that if there are 4+ in an hour I'm supposed to call.

I also asked her about the fact that he is having the hiccups alot more lately than usual. She was really pleased with that and said that is very good becuase that means that he's developing and that he's using muscles and his central nervous system. That was great to hear!!

I'm still feeling pretty good, but get tired easily and take a nap nearly every day. I've already had a few visitors and the Colvin Family is coming tomorrow for a few days. It's exciting to have visitors to keep me company. It will be nice to be able to visit for a few days since we don't see each other as often as we'd all like to.



Nick took me to the bookstore and bought me a glider with an ottoman for the nursery. In my time alone I plan to sit in my glider and read alot! Nick's mom also let me go through her books and borrow a stack so I shouldn't run out anytime soon. I'm trying not to get bored and to think of things to do and get alot of reading in.

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas...our last without a baby in the house! It's strange but exciting to think of it that way. We got to visit with several family members and ate lots of wonderful food.

Last night at Christmas Eve church, the pastor announced we'd be doing something a little different. She divided us all into 5 groups and each group had a clue for a mini scavenger hunt. We had to go find our group's bag and inside the bag were the costumes for our portion of the impromptu Christmas pageant we were going to put on. Our group was purposely given the part of Mary and Joseph, for obvious reasons, and guess who played the parts? Being up in front of people isn't our cup of tea, but how could we say no to something like this, especially when the Pastor picked us to play the parts!? It was definitely something different and a Christmas Eve service that we will never forget. They got me a chair since I'm not supposed to be overdoing it, which was very nice. We went up to the front while the Pastor read the corresponding scripture, then followed the sheperds, angels, wise men and angels. It was definitely something special to be up at the front, surrounded by all those people, listening to the scripture about the Baby Jesus being born, all the while due to give birth to our own special baby any day. It was a great thing to have experienced together.

My brother Terrell will be taking his leave sometime after the holidays and we are excited to see him when he's able to come down and visit. Maybe he will get his leave after the baby is born, or even better, will be here when he's born and get to come to the hospital. That would be really awesome. We'll just see what happens, I guess!

I am enjoying having the luxury of getting to rest during this uncomfortable time, but am definitely having bouts of boredom. Nick is taking me to the bookstore tomorrow so I can stock up on reading material. There is only so much watching tv and surfing the internet that I can do without being bored. I love to read but haven't had alot of time for it in the past few years...now is the time to catch up!

We are very blessed this year and hope that the coming year is wonderful.

Bedrest!

We had another appointment yesterday and after checking things out, the Dr. determined that I am continuing to progress toward dilation [although not dilated yet] and that I should stop working, stay at home and take it easy. I can do light things around the house, like help with dinner, make myself some lunch, and light dish washing, but I'm not supposed to overdo it. I don't actually have to be in bed all day, thank goodness, but should be in the recliner, on the couch or in bed alot of the time. It's going to be hard to just take it easy and not get up and do things around the house! Luckily this came at a time where Christmas Eve and Christmas are just a day away, so at least I'll have something to break it up a little. At least I'll get to see some people over the next few days for the holidays...that will be nice!

She still kept her original prediction from last week of delivering at around 35-36 weeks. I'll be 34 weeks on Christmas Day, so that's not too far away! I have another appointment next Monday and we'll see how much further I've progressed. It's so wild that we are having our baby so much sooner! Our bags are packed and all the baby stuff is bought, so we are just waiting now to see when he's going to make his big debut!

Busy Times

Alot has gone on in the last few weeks. Two weeks ago I got home from work to discover we'd been broken into. Thankfully they only took two items - the laptop and the Wii. They didn't destroy anything but the back door, which we are thankful. It really sucks that this happened so close to Christmas and with a baby on the way, but we realize it could have been much worse and are thankful that it wasn't. Since then we have regrouped, replaced the door, and gotten a security system. I had a very hard time being at home, feeling safe, and sleeping, but now that we have the security system, I feel much better. We felt violated and were not happy that we would have to pay for these things out of pocket unexpectedly [the deductible on the insurance was more than the cost of the repairs and stolen items] but again, it could have been much worse.



I had a regular visit today that turned into a 5+ hour visit by the time it was all over with. It was very exhausting - mentally and physically. Over the weekend I felt as if the baby had dropped and I was right. He's getting ready to make his appearance. I have been feeling differently and I told her all about it and she wanted to check things out to see exactly what's going on. She did an exam and then ordered an ultrasound to get some exact measurements. My cervix is thinning and getting ready for Waylon's birth, so she wanted to see exactly how thin it was. I had to wait a long time at the ultrasound office [which is thankfully right across the hall] because they had to squeeze me in. Nick was unable to come to this visit this time because of work obligations, but as soon as I called to tell him that this was going on, he came right over. We didn't get in until about 12:10. I had hoped that we'd get to see a picture of Waylon, but we only got to see the top of his head in this one since they only had orders to measure the cervix and not the whole shebang. I was hoping we'd get to sneak a peek! After all of that, we were told to go eat some lunch [thank God!] and come back in an hour. We did that and the Dr. read the results to us. Thankfully I didn't need to be admitted to the hospital. I did have to get a steriod shot [and another one tomorrow morning] to hurry up the process of strengthening and developing his little lungs because it looks like he is going to get her early. She said based on everything she's seen going on in my body she anticipates that I'll deliver at about 35-36 weeks...which is in another 2-3 weeks from now. This is not set in stone...we'll have to see what happens with my body and how things progress. Could be sooner, could be later. We'll just have to wait it out.



We were initially worried that would be too early and he may have problems, but she assured us that since I had already made it past the 32 week mark and I was getting the steriod injections that we were in the clear. Depending on when he's born he may have to stay in the hospital a few days longer, but nothing major. We are just praying that he's healthy no matter when he's born. I've packed a bag for him and we need to get our own bags together as well. I'm so glad that his nursery and supplies are all ready for him to come home and I don't have to worry about any of that. We just need to get ourselves ready...mentally and physically! At least Christmas is next week, which will provide a good time to see family and visit before the baby's born.

Getting Ready for Baby

Today we went and got the remaining items we needed to bring Waylon home, like a car seat, stroller, bottles and accessories, and some other items. Now we're all ready for him to come home to his cozy little room! Nick put together the stroller and car seat and we attempted to put it in the car. We're not totally sure we did it right, so we need to get that checked out. It was not easy manuevering around Corpus with all of the Christmas shoppers everywhere. It was crowded everywhere we went! We only went to 3 stores, but it felt like it took forever. We ended up getting what we needed and getting back in one piece and spent some time afterward putting things away and putting things together. There are less than 2 weeks until Christmas and only a few more weeks after that until Waylon gets here! At my appointment next week I'll preregister at the hospital and be one step closer to the big day!

Getting Closer, A New Baby in the Group, and Apalling People

I'm a little over 31 weeks now and it's really getting to be crunch time! I'm going to the Dr. every 2 weeks now, instead of every 4 weeks. Things are going well - no gestational diabetes, anemia or high blood pressure. I still feel LOTS of movement, which I love. It's getting harder and harder to move around now these days. As much as I hated to make this decision, we are not doing a Christmas Tree this year. It's just too much work this year, and when it's time to take it all down it will be nearly time to have a baby. I just don't want to deal with all of that this year. I did a little bit of decorating and Nick put the lights on the house and that's all we're going to do.

Yesterday, another baby was born in our mutual group of friends. Ron and Kristin welcomed James Michael into the world and he's a real cutie! Now the only baby left to be born in the recent baby boom of our friends is Waylon. It's going to be great to see all of these little kiddos grow up together and play later on when they are older.

It's really strange because some people tell me how 'little' my tummy is and others are shocked by how big it is, say I look like I'm 'about to pop,' and ask if I'm giving birth soon. I don't get that. Maybe the ones saying it's little are just being nice! It will never cease to amaze me what people will say to a pregnant woman about her body...especially strangers! Being pregnant can make you feel self conscious about yourself, and it seems like that's the time that many people choose to point out every little thing about your body and comment on it as if you have no feelings. Sometimes it feels as if being pregnant is an open door for people to say whatever they want to pregnant people! It's really strange. I've had alot of people say very nice things to me and then I've had other people say things that frankly apall me and I can't believe they think that it's Ok to say! Early in my pregnancy I was shocked at how many people would respond to the news that I was pregnant with a story about someone they knew who had a miscarriage. Really?! Do you think any pregnant person wants to hear that? The answer is NO. No they do not. Oh well. I just have to learn to let those things roll off my back...right!? I guess the other option is to just punch them in the face and blame it on hormones. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This year we have so much to be thankful for! God, family, friends, jobs, and of course, a baby on the way. There are only 10 weeks left 'til my due date now! Time is really going by quickly. I know I say that all the time, but it's true. Every time I go in Waylon's room and look at the crib, clothes, books, blankets, and other baby things I just can't believe that we're so close to having our little sweetie here at home with us. Life will be forever changed and while we have an idea what that will be like, we probably don't even know the half of it. On this Thanksgiving Day I'm most thankful for my family and my little baby and I hope that we have an easy delivery and that everything goes smoothly on Waylon's Birth Day.

Getting Closer

I had an appointment yesterday and from now on I will be going in every 2 weeks rather than every 4 weeks. Time has really flown by and it's hard to believe that it's already time for 2 week visits!

Waylon's room is looking really cute. I still have some clothes to put away, but other than that, all else is put away. I guess I need to start thinking about getting bags together for me, Nick and Waylon for the hospital because I don't want to have to worry about it at the last minute. All of a sudden it seems like there is not all that much time left! Only 11 or so weeks left, which doesn't seem like much time at all.

Baby Shower #2

This past Saturday I had my second baby shower, which was given by Nick's aunts Margaret and Donna, Nick's sister Melanie, Nick's cousin Lori and her daughter Kylee, and my girlfriends Annie, Erica Stefany and Kristin. It was so wonderful! There was so much delicious food, fun games, and tons of presents. I never dreamed I'd recieve so many gifts for Waylon! It was really nice and it was great to visit with everyone. Afterward, some of the girls came back home with me and helped me to unpack and organize all of the gifts, which was a huge help. It is getting increasingly harder for me to physically do things, so having the help putting all of the gifts away was incredibly wonderful. By the end of the weekend, all of the new things that need to be washed were put into bags for Nick's mom to wash [which she so graciously volunteered to do!], the bedding was put on the crib, and things were organized and put away.

It's so much fun to go into Waylon's room and see it all ready for him to come home. We like being in his room and so does the dog. She goes in there and sniffs around at all of the new things. I've started wearing baby lotion so that the dog smells it on me and will recognize it as a familiar/friendly scent by the time we bring baby home. Based on how she has been with our friends babies, I think she is going to make a great 'big sister'.

Third Trimester!

Today marks the first day of the Third Trimester! Yay! That means that with every day that passes we're closer to the Big Day and further away from that dreadful first trimester. It seems like so long ago that I was feeling so sick and nauseous. I feel pretty good these days, but I do get tired out pretty easily. Baby and I both seem to be getting bigger by the minute and I've had to go shopping for larger maternity clothes! Luckily, my best friend Annie was nice enough to give me some great maternity clothes that she previously used and that was a real lifesaver! She also gave me a Snoogle to use, which is a really great long pillow that wraps all around your body and supports your back and belly. It's so much easier to sleep now! Time was really going by slowly in the beginning, but now it's really flying! My second baby shower is tomorrow and I can't wait to see everyone.

First Baby Shower!

Last week we had our first Baby Shower! It was held at my office and given by the legal assistants and attorneys. It was really sweet of them to do and we got some really cute things for Waylon! There was also alot of delicious food and everyone brought a dish. There was even an Aggie cake and maroon and white plates and napkins. Nick was able to come, which I was really happy about. He is so busy at work I wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it.

It just so happens that the H1N1 clinic fell on the same day as the shower. Nick did alot of research ahead of time about the vaccine and which one pregnant people were supposed to get. He researched online and talked to someone at the Texas Flu Hotline. He decided to come with me so that we could make sure that I got the right vaccine. This made for a really long day for both of us. I ended up going to bed at 8 that night! It was an interesting day, for sure. We got to the clinic, which was held in one of the malls in town, 45 minutes early and there were already over 100 people in line. My heart just sank when I saw that because I just knew that we'd be there all day, we'd have to stand that whole time, and we'd possibly miss the shower. When they got started, they divided us into different groups and there was a separate line for pregnant people. We were so relieved! We got out of there 45 minutes after they started. I was so glad. Nick made sure that I got the right vaccine and got the TV cameraman out of my face who was trying to film me getting the shot. I was so very glad he was there with me to stand in line with me and be there for me. He's going to be such a great, loving, and protective dad!

Fun with H1N1

My Doctor wants me to get vaccinated for H1N1...the only problem is that she is only getting 50 of the vaccines and has to reserve those for her high risk patients. She told me to look elsewhere to get the shot because she says I need it. There is a clinic tomorrow for small children, high risk people and pregnant women, so I guess I'm going to stand in line and get the shot. It starts at 10, which means I'm going to have to miss work to stand in line with a bunch of people. I know I sound really pessimistic, but I just have this vision of tons of people in line and people not following directions, thus making the process take a really long time. I really hope that I'm wrong. I have my paperwork filled out and ready to go and I'm going to get there super early in hopes of being one of the first ones to get my shot and get the heck out of there.

On the bright side, my first shower is tomorrow, so that will be nice! It is at lunch time here at work and Nick is invited too. I'm glad he's able to make it with his work schedule. I'm super excited for my very first baby shower!

Drumroll Please...

And now for the question that so many people have been asking...what's baby's name going to be??? After lots of debate and going back and forth, we've finally been able to come up with a name for our sweet baby. His name is going to be Waylon Logan Black. Waylon is a name we both liked and Logan is the name of Nick's grandfather on his dad's side. We have been tossing a short list of names around for a really long time now and we're really glad that we have made a decision and can stop discussing it now! :)

This week I had another regular Dr's appointment. Everything was right on track and things are going well. She was able to tell me which way he was situated in my stomach so now I know that the things poking into me are his little feet and knees! He is head down and his feet are pointed toward my ribcage...where he likes to kick. The appointments are sort of boring right now, but I'm sure that toward the end they will get interesting again!

There are only 15 weeks left until my original due date...unless he's a little early like she thinks he might be. That doesn't seem like very much time before we have our darling little boy here in person!

Braxton Hicks, Party of One...

I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a few weeks now, and yesterday was absolutely crazy! Baby was all over the place yesterday and I had alot more Braxton Hicks than has been usual for me so far. I called the Dr.'s office yesterday just to make sure that was Ok adn they said that as long as there were not 4+ in an hour that it was fine. I started keeping track and that didn't happen, but it still made me a bit nervous, being a first time pregnant person! They also told me to put my feet up and rest when I got home and to drink alot of water. Nick took care of dinner and everything when he got home and I just rested all evening. We also read the section about Braxton Hicks in the book just to further calm our first-time parent nerves. Today is much better. Baby is also taking it easy on me today - I think he wore himself out yesterday! Last night before I fell asleep he made the weirdest movements ever - way different than anything he has done so far - and I felt some sort of body part, but I have no idea which one. Maybe a foot, a hand, his little head...I don't know. It was very cool but very weird all at the same time! He was very unruly yesterday and I'm glad he's taking it easy today!

Time Is Flying

Another week has come and gone and next week I will be 6 months already! It's all going by so quickly now. The picture above is me at 22 weeks, taken last week. So many changes are going on with me and I have to realize that I can't go around doing things at the pace I used to! I have to take it easy so I don't get over tired and worn out. Soon it will be time for showers and holidays, and before we know it Baby will be here!

Our Little Pumpkin is on the Move!

Our little pumpkin is making his presence known more and more every day! Not only is my stomach getting bigger [seemingly by the hour] but now his movements are noticeable on the outside of my stomach! I first noticed this last night when I was reclined back watching TV. I have noticed his movements feel stronger and more prevalent lately and I saw something out of the corner of my eye and looked down and he was making my tummy move! It was so neat! I excitedly told Nick to look over at my stomach and he could see it too. It was so strange but so cool all at the same time. He continued to do it off and on until I went to sleep. This morning, I was standing up and a client was sitting down, more or less at eye level with my stomach, and she pointed out that she could see him moving! It is really neat that other people can see the movements now and I'm not the only one who is aware of them. I am always trying to get Nick to feel him moving around, but 99% of the time he stops moving when I put his hand there. Maybe he's going to be a stubborn kid!

This past Saturday, Betty, Melanie and I went shopping for Baby and bought him tons of super cute clothes! He is going to look so cute in all of the things we found for him. Since he is supposedly going to be on the larger side, we had to make sure and buy only 3 months and up sizes. The teeny newborn stuff clearly isn't going to fit based on the size charts. Sunday, Nick and I registered at Babies R Us and I have to admit it wasn't as fun as I imagined it would be. The registry lady was not all that helpful and instead of answering my questions with a straight answer, she was very overwhelming and kind of pushy. She kept insisting on wanting to add comments and things to my registry that I didn't want her to, which was quite aggravating. We registered for the majority of things, but by the time we made it up to the feeding and infant toy section, I had had it and I told Nick I wanted to go home! I had had enough at that point and I can either finish up the registry another weekend or online or both. Nick helped me pick everything else out, so I can just go and finish it up myself. I'm going to have to do some more research before I finish anyway...there are millions of different kinds of bottles, not to mention all of the coordinating stuff that goes with them.

For those of you who are asking - no, still no decision on a name yet. We'll share as soon as we know it...I'm just not sure when that will be. It's definitely not for lack of trying, that's for sure.

Future Linebacker?

Yesterday we had a regular checkup with the Dr. She read the sonogram results to us and our little guy is right on track! We were very pleased to hear that he has no cleft lip or cleft palate, that all body parts look right, spine looks good, etc. Some news we were completely shocked by was Baby's size! He is in the 98th percentile and based on measurements, will arrive a week earlier. The Dr. didn't make a mistake in our original due date and she has not officially changed it, his size just means an earlier arrival...a week earlier at this point.

The biggest surprise was that his estimated birth weight is 10.5 - 11 pounds! That really shocked me! Of course, time will tell what will actually happen and everyone has all kinds of stories about people who measured a certain size and the baby was significantly bigger or smaller at birth. I guess we'll just see what develops!! The most important thing is that he's healthy.

Nursery Move-In Day

Yesterday was a big day around here - lots of changes! We switched bedrooms so baby will have the room with less noise from the street, DirecTv came and changed the TV stuff around for the new rooms, and we moved in the nursery furniture. It was a long day and we're so happy that my Dad, my brother Caleb, Nick's Dad, Brandon, Melanie and Red were able to help us out with everything. The furniture all looks really nice in the new nursery and I am extremely pleased with how it all turned out. After all of the heavy lifting and moving was done, the guys went hunting and Melanie and I stayed here and put A&M and hunting things on the walls in the baby's room. It was a fun but tiring day! I am really happy with the finished product and now all we need is for Baby and all of his things to move right in!

By the way, if I have not already mentioned, the nursery theme is camo/hunting and A&M...anyone surprised?! :)

After 20 Weeks of Waiting, the Verdict is...

On September 17, 2005 at 4:30 in the afternoon Nick and I were running around like crazy, getting to the church and getting ready to walk down the aisle to say "I Do." Four years later, on the same day at that same time, we found ourselves in the waiting room of the Sonogram office waiting to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl. It's just so amazing all of the things that have happened in these four years and that we are preparing for the birth of our sweet baby.

And now, after 20 long weeks of waiting...it's a BOY! We're very excited about our new addition and knowing the gender and seeing the new sonogram pictures makes it all the more real. I have lots more sonogram pictures and will upload them soon [when I am not so tired!]

We will share the name as soon as it is finalized, so stay tuned...

Let the Nesting Begin

We had a really great, busy, and productive Labor Day weekend. We just stayed around the house for the most part and did some organizing and moving around of things. We made alot of headway and have a few more things to do before we can move the baby furniture into the house. We found baby furniture last weekend and as a surprise Nick's parents got it for us as a baby present!! What a an awesome present! It was such a welcome and wonderful surprise and I can't wait to get it into the room! In a few weekends we will be emptying out what will be the baby's room and moving the furniture in. I'm so excited! I can't wait for the nursery to start coming together.

The picture is of me at 4 months and 3 weeks, taken this week. Baby is starting to make an appearance more and more!!I still love it every time I feel baby moving around. Next week we find out the gender, then it will get even more exciting!!

Two More Weeks...

Two weeks from today we will have our appointment to find out Baby's gender. Finally! It's the longest 20 weeks ever!! It's going to be really awesome to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. I've been doing alot of browsing online to find the 'perfect' bedding for whichever we're going to have. My co-worker, Mary Jane, is going to custom make my diaper bag and I get to pick out the fabric! [These are the exciting fun things that I like to do, not sorting out insurance and icky stuff like that.] I'm really looking forward to that. She does beautiful work and has wonderful ideas, so it's going to be really fun to design the bag with her. It's kind of funny because I've had a really easy time finding boy things that I like and hardly any girl things that I like. Strange.

Baby is still moving around all the time and sometimes he/she can really kick, punch, or whatever is going on in there! It's so exciting each time I feel the movements.

Something else I didn't really think about because I am so looking forward to finding out the gender is the fact that once I hit 20 weeks we will already be at the halfway mark. That's both exciting and scary all at the same time!! It's still a bit surreal that we are going to have a real live baby in a few months. We've been looking forward to this so long that it's hard to believe it's really happening now!

Betty Meets her Grandchild (sort of) and Other Exciting Things

Nick was not able to make it to today's appointment due to a scheduling conflict at work, so I had asked Betty [Nick's Mom for those of you who don't know her] if she wanted to come along and hear the heartbeat. Silly question...of COURSE she wanted to hear the heartbeat of her first grandchild! It was really neat to experience that with her and I know she loved it too. The video above is of the heart beating. It was 159 this time. She said that she has been tracking her patients to compare heartbeat to gender and that normally they do trend toward having girls when the heartbeat is high. We'll know for sure in three weeks either way!　
　
In other exciting news, now that I am aware that that strange feeling is the baby moving around, I have been paying attention to the patterns and he/she is definitely on a schedule in there! There are particular times throughout the day and night when he/she is on the move. For example, a little while after I eat I can always count on Baby waking up and moving around. There is always some movement between meals, then more after I am laying in bed watching TV and before I fall asleep. He/she likes to 'punch' the seatbelt that is resting against my stomach on the way to work in the morning. I have just eaten right before I leave, so Baby is moving around while I am driving and perhaps doesn't like the seatbelt. Baby also likes to punch my keyboard at work. I have the kind that slides out and it has always rested against my stomach area. Now that something is living in my stomach area, things are a little different. Not that the movement are strong enough to move the keyboard or anything, but anytime something is up against there, he/she either tries to touch it or is trying to make it go away...not sure which! I asked the Dr. about it and she said that while it doesn't harm the baby, that babies usually don't really like it when things are pushing against the stomach.
　　
The most exciting part about all of this movement is that last night I was finally quick enough and put Nick's hand on my stomach as the baby was moving and he got to feel it twice! It was really cool!!!! We both agree that it's a really neat thing but at the same time it's honestly kind of weird!
　　
[on a side note I will be so glad in a few weeks when I can stop saying "baby" and "he/she" once we know the gender!!]

4 Months!

Time is really flying by! Here we are already at 4 months! I've been feeling increasingly better and have had more energy, but it still tends to fade very fast. Soon we are going to do a little rearranging around the house and switch bedrooms to start preparing things for the nursery. Our 'master' bedroom is actually the smaller of the bedrooms, so we are going to switch so we have the larger room and baby has the one that has less noise from the street. Once we know the gender we can really decide about nursery furniture, decor, etc. and do more work in the room.


I have been feeling movement lately, which is so very exciting. Now that I'm aware that it is the baby moving around in there, I have noticed a pattern and it usually happens around the same times every day/night. It's very exciting! At first I didn't really know what that sensation was, but after reading in the book and doing a little online research, it looks like its the baby moving around and not just my stomach or something. I've been able to feel it with my hand a few times and I keep trying to time it where Nick can feel it, but it hasn't worked out yet. Soon enough I'm sure we'll be able to feel the movements with our hands all of the time!

15 Weeks

Wow! 15 weeks already! Time is really flying by these days. Every time I turn around it seems like it's a new week. Baby is supposedly 4 inches long now and the size of an orange according to the book. So many things are developing in its little body and the baby is moving all around by now. Not that I am able to feel it, of course, but it's still so neat that those things are going on. I read today that he/she should be developing a sensitivity to light and that if you were to shine a flashlight on your stomach at its eyes that it would turn away from it. So cool! I wish I could just peek inside there every day to see what's going on.


My mother in law was at a baby shower this past weekend and it just so happens that our nurse from the Dr's office was there too. Once they made the connection, the nurse told her about how patient Nick is when he comes in, especially at the last appointment, which was SO long. She said that not all of the husbands are so patient! It was so nice to hear such a compliment and it made me feel really good. Nick really does so much for me and I appreciate every bit of it. It's so great to have such an awesome husband and I know he's going to be such a loving and attentive dad.


Only 5 more weeks until we find out the gender...how exciting!

One Down, Two to Go

Well, today marks the first day of my Second Trimester! Yay! One down, and two more to go. The second one is supposedly the best one, so I'm looking forward to that. I have been feeling alot better than in the beginning, thank goodness. I do have more energy, but it tends to be short lived and I feel like I have to rest after a while.

We are really excited to find out the baby's gender in 6 more weeks. Then the really fun planning can begin! We have been discussing names, but haven't decided on anything concrete yet. I have been looking around online at bedding and other fun things, but we won't get serious about any of that until we know if it's a boy or a girl.

Out of the blue, we got our very first baby gifts this week! It was really unexpected and nice! I had lunch with the assistant of my insurance representative this week. She has been super helpful in answering all of my questions about insurance coverage and how this is all going to work when I go into the hospital. I have [knock on wood] never had a broken bone, a stitch, a cast, a cavity...nothing. Going into the hospital is a bit overwhelming when you consider that! I completely wasn't expecting it, but she brought me a super soft cream colored minky baby blanket, a Goodnight Moon board book and belly cream! It was such a nice thing for her to do and I can't wait to wrap baby up in that blanket! One of Nick's fellow managers gave us a board book for the baby also. Those were some very nice and unexpected surprises this week! I am so glad that we have gotten some books for the baby. Reading to the baby is one of the things that I am looking forward to the most.

The Longest Dr. Appointment Known to Man

Yesterday was my first official OB appointment. I was warned last time that this appointment would be a long one because there would be alot to do and talk about. As with most doctor's appointments, you usually pretty much already know that there is going to be some waiting involved, but this was crazy! We waited an hour before we got called in, and then were there for a few more hours after that. When the doctor finally came in the room, she said that they were behind because she had delivered twins that afternoon. It just seemed to drag out forever...the nurse would come in and do some things, then leave for a long time. Then the doctor would do the same thing. I was so exhausted by the end! We probably spent 75% of the time waiting around. I peed a total of five times before it was all said and done. Thank goodness I packed snacks and water, or I would have died being there for that long! Finally, after several hours, we were done...the only thing was I still needed to have blood drawn and it was well after 5, so the lab was closed. I have to go back later in the week to do that. How fun.

On the brighter side of things, while there was no sonogram this time, we got to hear the heart beating for the first time! That was so wonderful and exciting. It's so surreal that you are hearing the heart of your baby beating inside your body! It was very cool and made all of the waiting around and everything worth it. The heartrate was 169, so if you believe in the theory that 140+ means you're pregnant with a girl, then maybe we should be buying pink. Time will tell!

I was so tired by the time I got home that I ate, took a shower and went to bed shortly after. That appointment was so draining! All of the waiting around, answering questions, asking questions, and general information overload was a bit much for one day. Thank goodness I have an awesome hubby to go with me or I'd be kind of lost.

Fun with Smells

Lately there has been a horrendous smell in our building, but no one seemed to know what it was. This morning I walked from the parking garage elevator to the building elevators this morning with some really nice lady from another floor and we were talking about the smell that had been in the building the day before. When we got to the elevators to go up to our floors, it seemed 100 times worse and I started gagging. Talk about embarrassing. I had my face covered with my hands, but you could still tell what I was up to. She was super nice about it and once we got on the elevator and I could breathe again, she said “you’re expecting, aren’t you? I recognize that look!” I must have been a sight to see and I was probably green. I always imagined that the first time that a stranger would say something about me being pregnant would be because I was showing and had a cute baby belly…not because they were afraid I was about to barf all over them.

As it turns out, someone decided that it would be a good idea to polish all of the brass in the bank, which is located on the first and second floors of our building. Luckily, I work on the 12th floor, so I only have to smell it when I'm coming or going, but that's bad enough. Hopefully by the end of the week that smell will be gone. It never occurred to me before now that smells could ever in a million years affect me this way!

That Doesn't Sound Fun...

I've been getting these weekly email updates from What to Expect When You're Expecting and this week's update is less than thrilling. Normally these updates are more light and fluffy, and full of fun happy thoughts about your growing little bun and the glorious pregnant body. This week's was a bit more harsh. Visible veins! Headaches! Constipation! So far I haven't experienced these things yet [knock on wood] but I guess they could be in my future. Every pregnancy is different and all that jazz, so maybe I'll luck out and not get some of these less fun side effects! Is it a coincidence that I am supposed to be experiencing constipation in the same week that my baby supposedly is the size of a prune?

In happier news, all kinds of things are supposed to be happening with baby's growth - teeth, bones, all kinds of things. I have my next appointment at the end of the month and I hope we get another sonogram! I can't wait to see what baby looks like by then! Hopefully he/she will look more like a baby than last time. Apparently this appointment is going to take a long time because we have to fill out all kinds of paperwork and do all kinds of things. I guess I better pack some snacks! If I don't eat consistently, I start to feel really bad, so I just make sure that I have food with me all the time and don't let myself get too hungry.

On a side note, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to continue this blog or even carry on a halfway decent conversation because the baby seems to be sucking every last brain cell right out of my head! You should feel very very sorry for Nick at this point.

Watermelons and Raspberries

We trekked to Luling this past weekend to see some of our favorite people in the world - Mike, Annie and Sophie! We planned on going to the annual Watermelon Thump like we do every year, but it was so hot that we just ended up visiting the whole weekend and didn't actually go to the Thump. We had a great time, though, and got to spend lots of time with our little Sophie. Sunday morning we got her out of her crib when she woke up and changed her diaper and clothes together. It was a fun little practice experience!! We got to see some other people that we usually only get to see the weekend of Thump as well, so that was great, too. Annie recently had surgery on her ankle and has a huge air cast and crutches, so she and I stayed in the house most of the time in the AC visiting and playing with Sophie. We got to visit with Ron and Kristin, who are expecting in December. We also got to see the Berry's on Saturday who are having a baby in October! It's going to be so fun when all of our babies can play together. We all sat around in the AC and had a great time talking about babies while the guys toughed it out outside in the heat.

According to our book, the baby is now the size of a raspberry! His/her little limbs are developing and he/she is supposedly starting to look more like a baby at this point. I can't wait to see what the sonogram looks like in a few weeks! It seems like forever until we will be at the 20 week mark and can find out the gender. That's going to be so fun! Nick is being the best pregnancy husband ever, waiting on me hand and foot and making sure I get plenty of rest. I'm so lucky!!

Telling Family...Part Two

We were finally able to tell Nick's side of the family this past weekend. We had planned weeks ago to celebrate Father's Day and Nicks mom's birthday on Saturday before we knew we were expecting, so we decided we'd wrap up a framed picture of the sonogram and give it to them together on that day since they were back from their vacation. Melanie and Brandon were there too and everyone was surprised!

Everyone is going to be such a good grandparent, uncle, aunt, etc. It will be a fun time planning and getting ready for the baby with everyone. This baby will be the very first grandchild on both sides of our families, so it will be extra exciting! Nick's mom and my dad pretty much took on the task of helping to spread the word about the news to our families. I have been so tired that I don't think I could keep up with it all right now! Hopefully that will get better in time.

Hello? Waistline? Where did you go??!

Ok...At seven weeks [tomorrow] I don't exactly have this big obvious baby belly or anything, but there's definitely something there! I didn't expect that to happen so soon so I was kind of surprised! A few nights ago I was deciding what to wear to work the next day and discovered that my pants no longer fully close! For now I am just wearing loose comfy dresses that aren't tight around my waist and stomach. I guess I'll have to look into those belly bands that you can use when you can't zip/button your pants! Dressing comfortably at home and on the weekends is no big deal because I live in flip flops and summer dresses alot of the time anyway. Dressing comfortably yet professionally for work is another story!


I've been increasingly more tired these days, too. I've gotten into the habit of taking a nap in my office at lunch and it's fabulous! I feel so much better afterward. I had to skip my nap yesterday because we had our monthly birthday lunch and I was so tired by the end of the day!

Saturday the wait can finally be over...we get to tell Nicks side of the family since his parents are back. Everyone is going to be so excited...I can't wait to tell them!

First Doctor Visit

Today was our first visit with Dr. Garcia since finding out we are pregnant. I had lots of questions and she had lots of information for me! She's so great about taking time and answering all of my endless questions. She did another sonogram because she wanted to see the heart beating, and although there was no printout this time, things are looking good! We saw the heart beating again, which is so awesome. She told me that every Friday will be the start of a new pregnancy week, so this Friday I will be 7 weeks. She cautioned us that we might not want to tell anyone until the 12th week or after, but we decided as soon as we saw that heart beating last week that this is our little baby and we want to share the news. We would rather just enjoy this wonderful time rather than dwell on the possibility of something going wrong.

I have been feeling so much better now that I am eating differently, too. She gave me some other tips on what to do if the nausea comes back since the hormone that makes you nauseaus is apparently going to keep increasing for a while. We bought What to Expect When You're Expecting this past weekend and have been reading up on it. Nick's reading it too so we both know what's going on and what's coming up. It's especially fun to read about the baby's developments each week.

Telling Family...Part One

My dad and Caleb, my youngest brother, came over last night to celebrate early Father's Day and Caleb's upcoming birthday. Nick made his delicious bbq chicken and we had a great time visiting. While dad and Nick were outside, I told Caleb and showed him the sonogram. He was excited about being an uncle! Later on, we gave Dad a Father's Day card with the sonogram inside. He was really excited! He's going to be such a cute grandpa! Later, I called grandma and my other brother, Terrell, who is in the Air Force and stationed in Maryland. Everyone was so excited and can't wait for our new addition. It's going to be a long wait until February!

Tomorrow will be our first appointment with the Doctor and I have a list of questions ready!

Morning Sickness?

Um, Morning, Noon and Night and everything in between sickness is more like it. Ugh. At first, the fluttering feeling in my stomach was kind of fun - you can't tell I'm pregnant yet, but I can still feel things going on in my body. Now it's not so fun. Last night I was up all night with stomach issues and it carried over into the morning. I called the Dr.'s office to see what options there are. They suggested a few things, so I am going to try them out and hopefully will find something that works for me. At least I have my appointment Monday so I can talk to the Doctor herself and ask all of my questions and hopefully get some relief! Until then, I plan to take it easy all weekend and try out the different remedies.

Baby's First Picture

Today we went for our first ultrasound. It was really exciting!! She had to tell us what we were looking at because the baby doesn't look like a baby yet. We got to see the little heart beating, which was probably the best part!! I had no idea we'd be able to see that this early. She said that I am 5 weeks along, which is what I had calculated beforehand. She said that everything looks good and is on track. Next Monday we will have an appointment with the Doctor and we will be able to ask her all of our questions. I need to start making a list because there are lots of things I want to ask. All of the information out there from the internet, books and people's opinions can be really overwhelming!

Nick has been really great about everything and he's just as excited, if not more so, than I am. He wants me to get plenty of rest, eat well, and not overdo it. He's going to be such a great dad! I think it was so great that we got to see our baby for the first time on his birthday!

Yes Ma'am, You're Pregnant!

After taking an at home pregnancy test the night before in which one of the lines was faint [the directions said that this meant a positive reading, but we didn't want to get too excited yet...] I took another test yesterday morning. Both lines were definitely dark, which meant we were probably pregnant. We were still hesitant to get too excited, so I called the Dr.'s office as soon as it opened to see about what should happen next. They told me to come in for a blood test to make sure, so Nick came and picked me up at lunch and I went and had my blood drawn...and then the waiting began! It only took about 2.5 hours for them to call me at my office to tell me the results, but that felt like an absolute eternity! The nurse called and said, "Yes ma'am, you're pregnant!" I had to ask her to repeat it to be sure I'd heard right! She also said that my progesterone and other levels were really good. I was thrilled! I called Nick and told him and he was excited too. The nurse scheduled me for what they call an "OB Quick Check" in 2 weeks and then a complete workup later on. I guess I have some homework to read up on between now and then! In the beginning of this whole process, I was reading everything I could get my hands on, and then I completely stressed myself out each month when I wasn't pregnant yet, so I just literally threw everything in the trash one night and decided to put everything in God's hands and stop stressing out. Needless to say, it worked because I got pregnant that same month...wish I would have thought of that sooner!


I think our heads are still spinning and it hasn't quite sunk in yet. We went to the Dr. together back in February to talk to her about our family plan and what we would need to do in order to get pregnant. She warned us not to get our hopes up and that it could realistically take 2 years or more before we were pregnant and not to get discouraged if it didn't happen overnight. I was pretty shocked when it happened only 3 months later! I am so glad that it happened sooner rather than later. The waiting game is no fun!


The Dr.'s office called this morning to tell me that the Dr. wants me to come in Monday to have an ultrasound to determine my due date so she will already know all of that information by our visit with her. This is especially exciting because Monday is Nick's birthday!!! It's so cool how God makes things fall into place! We won't get to see her or ask the Dr. any questions, it will just be us and the ultrasound person. The nurse said we'll probably get a picture printed out, so that's really exciting! According to the internet, our baby is the size of a poppy seed right now, so the ultrasound won't quite look like a baby yet, but we can't wait to see.


I think the most challenging thing right now is not spilling the beans to anyone. We both agreed to wait until the appointment before we would tell. It would be really cool if we had an ultrasound picture when we told our family and friends, so I hope that we will get one. We want to tell our families in person, so we have to wait a bit before that happens. We will see my dad and brother next weekend and Nick's parents are on vacation and won't be back for a few weekends. Its going to be hard to hold it in that long!