Jump the Gun

Well, I did it. I couldn't wait any longer. I started my registries. Babys R Us and Target. BRU is the only one with items listed because that is all I know Patrick agreed with. I will wait to add items to the Target registry until I can get Patrick to come along with me.

For all who wonder. . . I don't mind second-hand baby stuff. I am planning to buy a lot of stuff from Craigslist and garage sales myself. The stroller and Pack'N'Play are the only things I want to be new. Other than that, Have fun shopping for bargains!

I am getting the nursery in order as well. Last night I went into the nursery and decided to arrange all the clothes and nicknacks to make it look like a room. Patrick suggested that I use the turtle lamp as a night light. It is so cute! (Thanks John.) It will give just enough light for me to feed/cuddle without waking him up.

The dresser is on its way as well. It was listed as being on backorder and wouldn't be in until March. Lucky me. I love putting stuff together-especially Alex's furniture. I will send pictures when the room gets more ready. I figured that just in case he wants to show himself a little early, I can have most everything ready.

Hump Week

I am half-way though! Twenty more weeks to go. My son (wow, it is awesome saying that) is moving and kicking now, especially when music is on. He loves the worship songs at church.

In another week, he will be the same size Emily was when she was born. I love knowing what he looks like.

My belly seems to get bigger every day and my stomach seems to be smaller. I cant eat as much as I used to in one sitting. Lately all I think about is cottage cheese. I bought a 48 oz. tub just two days ago and it is almost gone. I did some research and found out that 75% of pregnant women crave dairy during their pregnancy so I guess I am not unique. I just hope that it doesn't lead to gaining too much weight. You know, dairy is quite fattening.

June is going to come up on me quickly, but for now it seems quite a ways off. It gives me plenty of planning time.

Look at my Crib!

Patrick and I just put this together last night. It was a lot of fun. I love putting things together and kinda took over a bit. The dresser won't be in until March, so this is it for a while. We are thinking about leaving the crib on the wall as you see it in the first picture. Our bedroom shares that wall and we can see him from the door. Are we getting nervous yet?

New Photos

Consignment terrors!

Have you heard of this? What a terrible law. In February, no baby clothes or toys will be able to be sold unless the company privately tests its inventory for lead. Apparently, not many can afford that.

Read this article to find out more: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-thrift2-2009jan02,0,2083247.story

Painting!

Well I am back in my classroom now. A small class made it quite easy to come back.

I love knowing I am free to be a regular pregnant lady and not have to worry all the time about something happening. God has assured me that He is taking care of everything and I need not worry. I hope that all of you can join me in that reassurance and peace.

On Sunday, Patrick and I began painting the nursery again. We did all four walls and the ceiling! I need to go back and touch up a few areas, of course, but it is looking cute. Green on the bottom 1/4 like grass and the rest is sky blue. Two clouds are already up. In order to keep the room ventilated enough we opened the window and had a fan blowing out the fumes. (In case you forgot, it was very cold that day.) We ended up warming it a bit by having another fan blowing the indoor heat into the room from the hallway. I did not have any warm clothes to paint in so the warmth was appreciated.

Yesterday as I was getting out of bed I noticed I was a bit stiff. Apparently painting is a good workout. I am sore today as well. When the soreness goes away I will tackle the room again for the touch-ups. I can't wait until it is finished so I can post a picture for you all to see!

Nursery News

My grandmother gave each great-grandchild's parents a special gift of money in order to help with furniture and whatnot. Patrick and I have been shopping around and found a crib we both love and a dresser that can double as a changing table. I am very excited and can't wait until we buy it and can set it up in the room.

We went ahead and bought the paint for the nursery and painted almost all day long. I am almost finished and then Patrick will be able to add some of his artistic flares in the way of trees, grass and bugs. When it is all finished, we can then buy the furniture and start setting up the nursery.

I am also beginning to research and make a mental list of all the goodies for my registry list. I am going to try to make it so that there are not duplicate items and I have only what I need. Hopefully, I will have a nice list that is easy to use. Note, I will not register for clothes since that is something I think everyone can find on their own perhaps at a nice resale shop where I cannot register.

June is coming so slowly. Maybe that is a good thing.

Happenings over Christmas break

I found out Christmas eve that my other sister-in-law, Christine, is going to have a baby in late August! And John and Charissa are having twin Girls!!! Three little princesses for my brother and sister. There must be something in the water here. My cousin is due in two more weeks and will hopefully send lots of pictures from Lebanon. The family is growing quickly.

I have begun to feel Alex moving about and it is very encouraging. He is about 5 1/2 inches long now from head to rump and his arms and legs are getting quite strong.

Candy (my cat) ran away again three days ago. That little terd cat. I have resorted to hugging my blanket at night since she isn't there. I wonder if she knew we were going to find her a new home and went searching herself. Please pray that she is safe. We are worried that without her claws for protection, she is a lame duck for all the dogs around here.

I went shopping for clothes! I went to Motherhood to use the gift card Chrissa and John got me for Christmas. I ended up buying two pairs of pants, a sweater and some unmentionables. Proud of me! As most people know, I don't shop for myself often--especially pants. Now I can return to work on Monday with clothes that fit. I apparently popped out a bit over the break. None of my old pants fit anymore. (of course it has nothing to do with the goodies I chowed down the last couple weeks)

Last Saturday, Patrick and I went to visit his Papa in Fredricksburg. He owns a ranch with lots of horses and chickens. I was very excited to pet them all. One horse in particular won my heart. She loved me too. She followed me around and was very quick to come over to me. You can't tell by the pictures, but she had the most beautiful light blue eyes. I felt as if she could speak to me just by looking at me. I only got to spend a little time with her since it was getting cold and we had dinner reservations that we had to get to. We ended up having a wonderful time. After dinner we went back to the ranch and Papa made a fire in an old stove out on the porch. A great time was had by all.

Crib bummers

Patrick and I went to Ikea to try to get some inexpensive baby furniture. We could get a whole bedroom for just over $800-- crib, armoire, changing table and shelf, wall shelf, toy chest, and side table! The only problem was that the crib was short and had fixed sides. Bummer. We decided to keep looking. The bug crib sheets we saw before and wanted were not there either. Another bummer. So now I am researching on the web again and am getting scared. Every crib made for under $300 has bad reviews (mixed with good ones.) It makes me worry that I might think like the reviewers and get upset. I refuse to spend more than $300 on a crib. There are too many other things to buy with the extra money. (like paint and bug stencils!) At least I have plenty of time before Alex comes.

It's a boy!!!

Doctor Berry said that I am now considered normal and can act like a regular pregnant lady. No bedrest the 3rd trimester!!! Woohoo!!

Bored

I know that there is stuff to do, but you know, sometimes you get too bored to do anything. The gray sky doesn't help either. I know I probably have done too much already this week. It is hard staying down when you don't feel bad. At least I get to nap and watch Oprah every day.

I can't wait for Monday so I can call the baby by name instead of saying "the baby" or "it" or a generic pronoun that changes depending on my mood. Please pray that the baby cooperates.

Weird Pregnancy Food Choices

Patrick is having a great laugh at me this week after hearing my food preferences. It was all very tasty, but maybe that is only the baby talking.

Weird food #1: Oreo and pineapple Blizzard (I didn't actually order it because of the looks I knew I would get, but Patrick got the Oreo and I got the pineapple. Mixed together was very yummy.)

Weird food #2: Pickle and ranch burrito (two small dill pickles with a drizzle of ranch wrapped in a tortilla--this too was really yummy.)

Weird food #3: White gravy with toast and refried beans. Not mixed mind you, I just wanted both.

Mexican food is always popular with me, mainly the refried beans and queso. I might do that for lunch!

Viruses and Bedrest

An apology to all those who are upset in the length between blogs. Let me explain a little.

I caught a cold this past weekend and the computer caught a virus as well. While the computer was at the fixers, I went to the doctor. The cerclage procedure went quickly and easily. I was knocked out and ten minutes later, I was waking back up. Apparently the baby wasn't much affected by the anesthesia, because the Doctor said that right afterwards they did an ultrasound and he was moving all over the place. I now call the baby the dancer. I did hurt a bit after the cerclage, and they gave me vicadin. That stuff is powerful. It took away the discomfort and allowed me to take a much loved nap.

I stayed in the recovery room only about an hour before I was allowed to leave. Leftover effects of anesthesia, vicadin, and an already present tendency for motion sickness did not make for a comfortable ride home. Patrick was wise enough to take me to his mom's house which cut off about 20 minutes of the drive. When we arrived I almost puked on her steps. Thank goodness I didn't-the elementary school was just letting out and there were kids and parents all over the street. They didn't need to see a lady spilling her guts on the front porch.

I then slept a good deal and got chicken noodle soup for breakfast/lunch at 5 and papa john's at 7. You would think that after not being able to eat since 10 the night before, I would have wanted food right after getting home. But, just like always, sleep wins over hunger.

So far it has been a full week of modified bed rest for me. I started crocheting, cross-stitching, crossword puzzles, and sudoku. It is nice having other things to do since we don't have cable to occupy my days. Only one more week of sitting on the couch and I will be able to get back to normal.

I will see the doctor for a post-op check-up next Monday the 22ND. He told my parents that he will do an ultrasound and we will probably be able to see the sex!!!! I just hope the baby cooperates and shows off. Patrick and I have agreed on names:

Evelyn Ann (after his sister and both moms)
Alexander Michael (because I always liked Alex and Patrick truly admires Uncle Mike.

Hopefully we will be able to spill the beans and let everyone know next week. What a great Christmas present! Hopefully we will know about the twins as well so that the whole family will be able to celebrate together.

The Date is Set

I finally got the okay for the procedure. It is set for Monday the 8th at 12:30. I will be taking that day and the next two weeks off from work. That uses almost half of my sick days! Good thing I am not normally out sick.

I am planning on starting some crochet projects and got some videos to keep me entertained for a while. I don't know how I am going to handle the boredom. Patrick just increased our cell phone service so I might be making a few long phone calls as well.

Everyone keeps asking me if I am anxious about he procedure. My first reaction is "no." But after thinking a while, I guess I am. Maybe more so about the bed rest part of it than the cerclage. I am very glad to know that the baby is secured and I don't have to worry about loosing him/her. Doc said that in the last 900 or so that he has done, he has only lost 5 babies. That's good odds. The stitches will come out at 36 weeks, beginning of May.

Charissa and John said that they might find out the sex of the twins by the end of the month. I wonder if I will be so lucky.

Great news!!!! The doctor's office just called with the results of my blood work for the genetic abnormalities testing. My chances of having a child with Downs Syndrome is 1 out of 5,500 and the chances of having one with trisome 13 is 1 out of more than 10,000. I like the odds.

Let the Fun Begin!

Well, as you could see, I got to see my little one yesterday. Unfortunately, Patrick was not able to come because of the time. It was amazing. The nurse tried to get him to turn over for what seemed like 10 minutes. She kept jiggling my belly and having me turn over to see if he would move. He seems to enjoy sitting straight up (she said he would make a great couch-potato.) He squirmed for a little bit and then slunk back to sleep. Once, she jiggled him so much he threw a fit. He kicked and punched with all his little effort for about 15 seconds and then tuckered out and gave up. She said that they are normally only awake for up to 20 minutes at a time now.

The room had a huge flat screen on the far wall so I could see every little detail of her body. (Yes, I know I changed pronouns.) My favorite is the close up of her little hand and face. It is as if she is reaching out for me. Isn't it amazing just how much she has grown in the past 6 weeks! From a blob to a baby.

The doctor is going to have me come back in on Monday the 1st to do the pre-op stuff. Then we will decide which date to do the cerclage. It will be some time the following week. After that, he said bed rest for the next two weeks to make sure I heal properly. That should take me up to almost Christmas depending on the exact date of the procedure. Ugh. I guess I can start crocheting or cross-stitching again. Maybe I will be able to make something for the little one. I am getting excited. I forgot how marvelous it is to see the baby moving. I can't wait until I can actually feel the punches and kicks. (I am awaiting the day when Candy is laying on my belly when the baby decides to move. She will freak out!)

For now, life is back to normal. I am extra cautious of what I eat and drink-almost like being on a diet. I guess that is why I haven't gained weight. Only one pound so far. I had voracious ravenousitis (wanting to eat everything in sight) with Emily. What a blessing. I am hoping to stay within the 15-25 pound pregnancy weight allotment through June. The doctor said that a healthy baby with few complications needs to be born after 32 weeks. That is my prayer. Once I get there, I will thank God for every day thereafter.

12 Weeks!

The first picture at 6 weeks. He is the little blob between the two X's. (Top half of the C.)

Lying on his/her side. Head is to the left.

He is doing a headstand!

See those precious little legs and feet?

A close-up of the hand and face.

She's doing the Chicken Dance!

Pregnancy is bliss?

Last night was a turning point in my understanding of my own emotions about this pregnancy. I pretty much threw a temper tantrum. I pitied myself for having to endure the symptoms of pregnancy and to make things worse. . . I bought some fiber stuff at the grocery store that is supposed to be mixed in water and drunk quickly. If you ever think of getting this stuff as a fiber supplement, don't! It is so disgusting. It congeals quickly into a slimy, disgusting mess. I got two sips down before I vomited it and my dinner up. Then later when I talked to Patrick about it I began dry heaving just remembering the feeling and taste in my mouth. Later that night, when I tried to drink some water to swallow a pill--you guessed it--I puked. I didn't even throw up during my morning sickness period. The only good thing that I can say about this experience is that apparently I am much like when I was as a child, after I throw up, the world is all better. My headache went away, I felt nauseous no longer, and I was more awake--but I still pouted. I got into the Yoga child's pose on the living room floor, listed out all of the horrible symptoms of pregnancy and told my husband that I didn't think I wanted to have another child unless she was adopted. I know now that after getting my fiber intake under control and finally feeling my child within me, I will say otherwise. (hopefully) These are the times when I realize I chose the perfect spouse, he walked me up to bed and tucked me in. Then he stayed and held me until I was almost asleep. He knew exactly what I needed to calm me down. I love him so much for putting up with my moods and taking care of me the way he does.

Another Doctor

I have an appointment set for Monday the 24th at 3:30 with the specialist guy. They said I will get an ultrasound and diagnostic so we can set up for the cerclage. I am glad that I don't have to wait four weeks to see my baby again! I hope this doctor is as nice as my other one.

The only thing that constantly reminds me of my pregnancy (other than excitement) is the terrible plague of constipation. I am taking a stool softener every day and hope that it will help. Why does God make this wonderful experience so annoying for some of us? I am almost to the point of saying that I would rather be nauseous, but that is a complete lie. At least this doesn't ruin my entire personality.

One thing God did bless me with--I got all my throwing up done and over with when I was a child, so He spared me that with my pregnancy. I was only sick for two weeks and that was just nausea, not vomiting. Blessings are hidden in the strangest places!

The Sweetest Sound

We went to the doctor today and was able to hear the heartbeat! My doctor only does ultrsound on the 20th week and right before birth, so we had a sonogram instead. Not as much fun, and it was hard to find the little guy. After a couple minutes and quite a serious prayer, we finally heard the beats. I could have listened to that forever!

I made an appt. to meet with the specialist for the cerclage consultation. It will be the Monday before Thanksgiving at 8 in the morning. They will do an ultrasound (yea!) and I can bring a tape to record it. I am sure it will cost extra, but I am going to try. Maybe I could find a way to get it on the blog for everyone. I also set an appt. for the actual cerclage. Apparently that happens at around 14-15 weeks. I am trying to be positive and believe that it will work but my nerves are recalling past memories and it is hard to overcome.

Patrick has been meeting daily with a friend as accountability partners. They read and study the Word, and then pray. It is making a wonderful change in our lives. I have also noticed more of a calling from God to me. He is asking for me to seek Him more often and read His Word. That is something I have not done in quite a long time. My emotions have been a bit raw with the anxiety of he pregnancy and just hormones in general. That is making it very hard to come to God. Please pray for me that I get the umph to obey Him.

Emotional Rollercoaster

Friday, I get to see my baby again. This time I should be able to hear him/her as well. My appointment is for 8:30 and they will be drawing blood. So, please be praying for me. I don't do well with needles.

Yes, it is still early; but, I have already started painting the nursery! It gives me hope that this one will stay. Patrick and I went to Lowe's to pick out the paint colors. Light blue for a sky and a brownish-green for the grass. I painted one wall so far and it looks nice. Hopefully by starting so soon, I will get it done by the time the baby arrives! I am a bit of a procrastinator sometimes. Patrick is going to add in the tree, and help with the grasses, and bugs. Every inch will be painted so (I hope) that it feels as if the room is actually an outdoor garden.

Patrick is very excited about the child and that helps me deal with the stress more easily. I have noticed that my patience at school is a little less and little things make me want to cry. (Yes, I am taking my meds still.) I am realizing just what a difference this is causing in my life. Money, family, time, sleep, work and sanity are all affected. I read on BabyCenter.com that right now is the time when most women get emotional with their pregnancy. I guess that means I'm normal. I just have 5 more weeks to wait for the cerclage to be done, then wait until week 28 when the baby will be considered viable outside the womb. Then from there, I wait for the birth and the future of unknowing anything.

Ten weeks down, 30 more to go!!!