Wednesday

Wednesday at 11am I am being induced by acupuncture. I am sooo looking forward to it. Not only will it bring me pain relief in my back, but, she should arrive within 48 hours of the session.
I've had this gut feeling that she isnt going to come without some help, and I've heard so many negative things and experiences about being induced with Pitocin, that I've been scared. Then it just hit me, DUH. People have been using acupuncture for thousands of years, and it's been increasingly successful in helping women go into labor.
So, if all goes accordingly, I'll be a mom by Friday :)

Not yet.

She's comfy cozy. Chillin on my tailbone, givin me LOTS of horrid back ache. I think I got MAYBE an hour sleep last night. My sciatic nerve is just shot. No signs of her coming. She's still super active too.
I have officially served her the eviction notice.

Patemm Pad!

My Patemm Pad arrived today! I'm excited about this buy because it's not only a great changing pad, with pockets to put wipes and diapers in, but it is also used as a play mat, it's nice and big.
Love it! Now she just has to come, so we can use it dangit!

NURSERY PICS. FINALLY

PB Lullaby Rocker $50 on Craigslist ( retails for over $1000)

Ikea Chandelier $40

Curtains $40 at BBB

Dresser/Changer $50 Garage Sale ..paint and new glass knobs $30

Mirrored Side Table $40 Target

Mirrors $6 each at local antique stores

Bedding $30 handmade by mom

Antique wired mannequin $100 ebay

Crib $50 ( retails for $350 ) Craigslist

Tea

Tonight I started to drink Organic Red Raspberry LEAF Tea. I am Sooo not a tea drinker, I really dont like the stuff. But I've been doing LOTS of reading, and testimonies and apparently it is excellent in toning the uterus. It has been known to send you into labor, but that is not it's purpose. I've read about many women who's labors were alot quicker and smoother because of this. ( these were women who had already gone through labor and tried the tea for their 2nd, 3rd pregnancy ) So I thought I have nothing to lose, only nutritional benefits to gain!

Is it time yet?

As of 37 weeks, she's measuring 7lbs 2oz...5 days ahead of schedule. That is according to the ultrasound we got. Now as we all know, those are estimates, and very well could be off, but I'm pretty happy if those numbers are correct. She probably wont gain more than 1/2 a pound a week because I am not gaining either ( that is according to my OB ). I'm sitting at 16 lbs total gained right now.
She is very low, boy do I know it. The tech couldnt stop telling me how amazed she is that I'm not contracting more because of it. Truth is, I do have braxton hicks, alot, but it's nothing to fret about and I haven't had an appt to see if I have progress. I go in on Monday again, maybe I'll have an internal then?! So my OB says anytime in the next 2 weeks she could very very well come.
Dan needs prayer, he's just spent. Work has been crazy long, he's had appts for his back, and trying to make my appts too, and we are both fighting not to get sick right now. He has 4 days off starting Wednesday so I'm hoping we can both re-coop somewhat and just hang out. I've been running around trying to finish up Christmas gifts, finishing the nursery and getting things off our registry.

TARGET's NEW POLICY

I love Target. Except for this new news.
As of the new year, they will no longer accept ANY returns without a receipt. Their current policy is you can do 2 returns without receipts under $20 in a one year period. Apparently that policy will be out the door January 1st. Even for registries. I received duplicates on my registry and they couldnt do anything for me.
Sooo new years resolution? Keep all your receipts, even for you gift givers. I'm really nervous about my registry now!

Less than 28 days

*sigh*
It feels so far away, yet, when I say "less than 28 days" I get really excited.I dont know who's worse, Dan or me. Everyday he talks to her, he asks herwhen are you going to come? Can you come today? He's just as anxious.He'll call from work and I'll usually be feeling something funky when he calls( evenings) and he always asks if I need to come in ( to his hospital ). And of courseI say no, I wish, but no. I refuse to be "that woman" that went in for every littletwinge or contraction, only to be sent home. My OB was very very specific aboutWHEN to come in to Labor and Delivery. He gave me 5 "events" in which I would come in. I need to shut up and stop thinking that I am going to have her early. I may be setting myself upfor disappointment.

Anyways, here is a pic of me at 36 weeks. I plan on taking one with Dan and I and using them in some Christmas cards for family.

Penny and Baby

This is our cat Penny. She is our "furbaby". We aren't sure how she is going to react to the big change of a new baby in the house, and we have been taking steps to prepare her. In the meantime, here she is loving the baby bump.

11/27. I will be 35 weeks and will have 35 days til my due date. FUN!

Online Shopping

Ok, I've always enjoyed finding HUGE deals. I'm not talkin saving a buck or two, I'm talkin the big time. So, I figured, since I'm supposed to be on "bedrest," and not out shopping or runnin around, that I'd do most all of my gift shopping online this year. Boy, has it paid off, literally.

In the last 2 weeks, I have saved well over $250. Seriously. It's 1:30 am right now, and I just got done getting $20 worth of stuff for $1.90 from a widely known site...i'll tell you after Dan opens his gifts :)
I cant expose all my deals as of right now because they are gifts for family...


I found a crazy code online for $20 off $20 ( so, yes, a free 20 bucks ) at Babycenter, last week. I found it at 11pm and shopped til 4am because the site was hammered with people. I got so much free stuff it's sick. Stuff that I would never just buy for our baby, because it's overpriced.I will post pics when it all comes. I got $180 worth of baby stuff for $22. NAME BRAND.

It's been fun getting a package in the mail almost everyday, and to not feel guilty about the money I'm spending ( if any ) is SUCH a rush!
I'm officially the queen of online codes and deals. If you need help, I'm your gal.

Bedrest?

2 nights ago I went into labor and delivery at St. Francis after calling my OB and explaining that I had been cramping continuously for 6 hours with low back pain and he thought I just should go in, better safe than sorry. ( Since I am at risk already for pre-term labor )
They put me on monitors and I was contracting, not alot, but it was there. After a very painful exam to check everything, they gave me 2 shots of Terbutaline to stop them. I wasn't dilated yet, so they figure she's just on her way down, slowly but surely. The nurses were great!
I go to see my OB in 2 weeks and hopefully I'll be progressing on time and I'll find out how big she is :)
In the meantime, I am suppose to be on bedrest. They literally want me getting up only to shower and go to the bathroom, until the cramping stops or until my next appt. But I have things to do around the house! Dan is great though and is doing everything he can on his days off to help me out ALOT. He's wonderful.

I am so pregnant

These last couple days have been quite eventful as far as pregnancy pains/twinges/kicks go.
I will not go into specifics of course, even though Renae ( thanks ) knows me intimately now.
I am constantly cramping low, not enough to take tylenol for, but it's there. She has been moving around 24/7 as if she is planning on doing something. I have these jabs in my belly that take my breath away and make me yelp out loud ( that's fun ) and OHH the acid reflux ( of course i only get it when I lay down to go to sleep ).
I'm 33 weeks 1 day and I already feel like 40 weeks. Ahhhh.
Please pray for my anxiousness!!
I go in on Friday to have my checkup, so we'll see what's goin on.

ps. Christie and Renae - I am jealous you are as far along as you are. :)

Baby Stuff

Here is baby's closet right now: ( looks like alot, but I'm needing sleepers! )


Here is the pattern for her bedding in which I am making:
I've jumped on the bandwagon and here are my handmade burp cloths thus far:

Profound men in my life

I love my husband. We came into each others lives at the perfect time. I admire him oh so much. He has an amazing drive, he's so compassionate about his work, and other people, He's quirky, intelligent and so funny. I look up to him more than he realizes. He has a lingering Minnesotan accent that pops up here and there that I still giggle at. He was truly tailor made for me, and I for him. He scares easily, and I mean, easily. He has a giant soft spot for our cat Penny. I cant begin to imagine how this little girl of ours is going to have him wrapped around her finger. I have learned to live with him reading the weird books he chooses and his love for scary movies.
He's truly one of a kind, and I'm glad he's all mine.


This is my grandpa ( mom's dad ). You cannot compare him to any other man. I hold him on a high, high pedestal and always will. He played a huge part in my wonderful childhood. He had a heart that I yearn to have, and knowledge that would knock your socks off. Of course he was loaded with every joke in the book too. He would always remind me to respect my parents and not to disappoint them. I could literally write an entire book on him, just from MY perspective. I know my sisters could easily do the same, as we all have fun different memories of him. It's almost been 3 years since he left us, but my gosh it feels like yesterday. I love him.



This is my daddy.
I dont think I could describe him in one word. He is good at giving hugs, letting us know that we are loved, and a great family man. He's more creative than we all give him credit for, he is a hard worker and loves the Lord. I admire his compassion. When Suz and I were little, he'd have a day called "Suz and Steph Day" in which we could pick where we go for lunch ( usually mcdonalds ) and a couple activities to do with him. ( We'd go to the ducky park and feed them, or shoot off rockets in the neighborhood often )
That is something that I want to continue with our kids. He may look intimidating due to his height, but as his friends say, he's one big teddy bear. He is going to make an awesome grandpa. I love him.

Craigslist deal

So my latest deal, that I'm so proud of, comes from Craigslist, once again. I had originally registered for an extra carseat base ( retails at $70 ) for my parent's SUV. We already have our "travel system " ( carseat and stroller combo ) which is a Chicco in green trim which I adore. I just so happened to find just the carseat on Craigslist for $60!!! It's in immaculate condition, looks new. Instead of my green, it has a nice orange trim. This retails for $160+. So instead of just a base, I got the whole sha-bang for less. Yippee!

Updates

Well I had my surgery 3 weeks ago today. I've been feeling ok, but it's been a long processI was told that I could eat normally after the surgery. Ya that's not happenin. I get really really bad stomach aches at random if I eat something I'm not used to. So I'm still sorta sticking to the diet I had before ( really low fat, or no fat at all ) which is fine. I'm used to it. I got weighed in last Friday and at 31 weeks and some days I had still only gained 12 lbs, but my OB isn't worried. I shouldnt gain much more anyways.
Baby is tugging down on the incision spots on my stomach and it hurts after just a few minutes of walking. I went to my massage therapist today and he was surprised at how bad my muscles and joints were acting ( it had been 3 weeks since I'd seen him ). SO I was in there for an hour and a half. It wasn't one of those leave and feel great massages! We are trying to make sure that the scar tissue forms properly while being tugged on and of course he found all sorts of new spots all over my body that were tight. I felt like crap when I left lol. But he's great. He is always giving me a hard time because sometimes I act like I'm not pregnant, doing things I shouldnt ( like walking Bellevue Square Mall this weekend ) BUT he was impressed because I still have ankles :)

Ok besides that, the nursery is so close to being done. I'm on the hunt for a crystal chandelier under $100 and still have to make the crib bedding, then I'll be done and have pics up.

I had a wonderful shower thrown by my sis and her sister in law this past weekend. Family and close friends of family came and it was just so nice. Dan and I got alot of great things off of our registries, as well as random fun stuff. It's been fun filling the nursery with baby gear, and stuffing her closet with clothes :)

Dad and the Wii

We all about died of laughter the other night when dad joined us kids and friends playing the Wii. Suz and him are playing some hunting game

Before and After Project

I bought this oak dresser for $60 and painted it, added glass knobs. It's going to be baby's dresser/changer :)

Infertility on Oprah

On Oprah today, she was talking about surrogacy and infertility issues. In fact one of the girls on the fertility boards that I have been on for years was featured on the show, because she has been trying to get pregnant.
Anyways, it felt like I was in a time warp watching it. 7 months ago I could have been featured on the show with our story. Martha Stewart's daughter was on there, talking about how much money she spends per month for treatments each month and the process she goes through. She went through her monthly routine of the injectables, the drugs, the monitoring and ultrasounds, and I just stared at the TV. My heart still aches when I think about all the junk we went through to get pregnant, and although I would do it all again, my heart aches for those still trying, because I understand the emotional and physical rollercoaster.
I have all these goals for the rest of my life, and alot of passion for different things, but infertility still hits home so much that I am beginning to wonder if I'm being called to help women with issues in some way. Maybe medically, maybe just as an infertility counselor. Who knows.
Once again, I am reminded how blessed I am to be 28 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby.

On a side note, as I am writing this, she is kicking the laptop so hard ( it's on my tummy ) that it's causing me to type the wrong letters and takes my breath away.

Nostalgia

Ya, this is my sister Suz and I at our nana's house, bathing in the sink. Ah the 80's.

Surgery

Today I had my cholecystectomy consult with a surgeon at St. Francis. I was scared to death going in, and scared to death going out. They basically left the decision up to me. The surgery is a huge risk, ( especially being that I am in the 3rd trimester, and baby is much bigger now ) and that could send me into labor and the baby could be hurt during because of pressure and the gases they use. On the other hand, I could keep going to the ER for each attack I get, which around every 7-10 days, and they give me Morphine, which isn't the best thing for her either. I also run the risk of it rupturing, or becoming infected, in which I would have emergency surgery. Its all very complicated and I'm so frustrated that this has to happen NOW. I so wish that I could put up with the pain for another 3 months, but I just dont think it's possible. It's horrid.
I made an appt for the surgery, which will happen in a couple weeks. I can back out at any time or postpone it. I am not scared for me, but scared for baby. We've waited soo long to be pregnant, and it's really lame that I have to be going through this, instead of enjoying this time.
I'm so sad, and so terrified. I need lots of prayer for my nerves, for my attacks, for the right decision to be made and that I will keep my strong faith in the Lord that HE will guide us and hold my hand through it all.

Aack!

Well we are moved :) Thanks to my hard working parents and a bunch of Sayle's friends, we managed to do it in like 5 hours or so. The house is going to be the right house to bring a new baby to, it's cozy, and is carpeted ( which we are used to hardwood ) and Dan and I like it!

So I have had my 4th horrific gallstone attack in 2 months and I'm just done with it. They are no words to describe really how horrible they are, and I've been to the ER for them. I had one the other night that lasted an hour and a half and the Dr's finally just gave me heavy morphine and some other narcotics. I ended up being there for 6 hours, with my wonderful husband by my side.
We are meeting with a surgeon this week to talk to her about surgery hopefully this month. It's risky with baby, but it will be laproscopically so it's less invasive....but I'm still very nervous. I cant go another 3 months with my gallbladder in though. It's just too miserable, and frankly, I'm afraid to eat. I eat cereal at least twice a day and very bland foods.
So anyways, I'll be posting pics of the nursery stuff soon...

Busy week ahead

Well we are moving this week! I have been packing like a mad woman. Dan has been working lots, but has the weekend off thank goodness. I really do like having lots to do each day though, oddly enough. It's soo nice because we dont have to clean at all when we leave the house we are in, since it's going to be flat in the next month or so :)
So we are calling this next house our "transition" house because our goal is to be there temporarily ( atleast 6 months though ) until we buy and the market clears up a bit. Nonetheless, it'll still be great to be out of the dust cloud of Fife and into something completely different. I tell you, everything is dirty here because of all the construction, and being in the middle of 2 large pumpkin/dirt fields! I cant count the number of bloody noses I have had.
Anyways, I am praying that our backs hold up for us. Dan and I both are in therapy once, sometimes twice a week for pain.
In the middle of all this chaos of moving, we lost our only Jetta key. It's here, somewhere, and we have looked everywhere. It may be locked in the car, but we cant see it. We had another key made ( pricey! ) but it doesnt fit the lock, so the previous owner must have changed the locks. Therefore, we must get the car towed to the dealer, and have them replace ALL the locks. I am so upset because we never just misplace things, and this is going to cost a fortune. I'm not thrilled at all. But lesson learned....always have atleast 2 keys for your cars....

Private Blog

SO I still dont know who reads this blog, and I feel these days as if it's becoming a waste of time. So I'm thinking about moving it to a private setting. One, for the safety of baby when she comes, because there's alot of creepy people, and horror stories I've heard of blogs being so public...two, I'll be able to actually know who's reading it! So probably in December or so I'll take it off public. Just FYI.

REGISTRY

Some of you have asked if we have registered and the answer is YES!
We are at Babies R Us and Thethingsiwant.com ( for clothes and misc stuff )
The things we registered for at Babies R Us are things we absolutely need! So I'm really hoping that people respect the fact that we registered, even after lots of people dont bother anymore ( ppl tend not to follow registeries ). There are links on the right side of the page to both of them. Thanks :)

Minnesota Bridge Collapse Pics

Pics

Just some Minnesota trip pics.

PRAISE THE LORD

My mom is constantly reminding me how God's timing is perfect. She is always giving me examples of how he's worked in our lives.
We leave for home tomorrow morning, after a very long, exhausting trip to Minnesota. God's gift to me today was a phone call from Dave saying that the state approved the appraisal and we do indeed get to move! Dan and I are sitting here in awe of HIS timing. All this time it's been a huge rock on our shoulders and we hate going home to our half packed, half falling apart house. I told Dave that the week before we left for this trip, that the house all of a sudden decided to fall apart, like it just knew it'd be demolished, as sad as that is. I had 3 lightbulbs burn out in one day, our sinks/pipes are gurgling, therefore not draining properly, the sugar ants have been one big pain in the butt this summer, and our hot water stopped working. And Dan and I just had to laugh at it.
Well, what a perfect way to end a trip like this one. Now I get to come home and pack, and you know what? I'm excited to pack! Dave does have a house lined up for us to move into, and we'll take a peak at it this week ( the lady that lives there just so happens to be giving her month's notice, again, a great example of His timing )

On another note of praise, I have my ankles back :) and my feet aren't swollen anymore.
And I'll get better at blogging, as requested. I have pics to post too. Oh, and i'm 23 weeks today :)

What the..

We are still in Minnesota, in the middle of no where. We had a really rough flight connecting to Arizona, then a 3 hour delay. Yuck.
I looked down at my feet this morning and said, in Jason's words," what the eff?" My feet are all puffy. JUST a day after I went and saw my massage therapist and he not only complimented me on how I look, but, that my ankles look wonderful! Gosh I hope this is just from traveling...

..more to come later.

:( Sad Day

Well it was 2 weeks ago that we got the news that Dan's grandpa had up to 6 months to live.
He passed away this morning after going to the hospital for some things. We dont want to act like we are surprised, but we honestly werent expecting to go back for a funeral. So that threw us. Dan did get to see his grandpa in May, and spent some time down there ( Dan is the oldest grandson on his mom's side )
He was around 69 or 70 I believe, and died of lung cancer. His wife is still living, as well as her 3 boys and 1 girl ( Dan's mom )

Vacation

Yes we are still alive :)
We've been in Leavenworth on our family vacation for the past week..we've been going for 13 years now. It's been great and very relaxing to just hang out at the pool and river.
We do leave on Wednesday for Minnesota and we'll be gone for one week.
Baby is doing great, she's very wiggly and really knows how to kick :) Dan can feel her kick on the outside now, which is fun.
Weird that it's September this week, but I'm so ready for fall! Time is cruising by...

Add us to TEAM PINK!

Today it was confirmed that we are indeed having a girl :)
My gut was correct and we are thrilled!
She is measuring ahead by a week, so I'm not so sure if I
will still have my January 1st due date. I go back in on
Friday to hear test results and to get some prescriptions
for my gallstones *just in case* for our trip to MN.
Anyways! Yeah for us!

Half way!

I am 20 weeks today! Incredible!
And to answer some of your questions, YES, we know what the sex is, BUT we will have it confirmed and tests ran tomorrow at our ultrasound, then we will announce it.
NO we will not be telling the name, but YES we have one.
YES I still feel sick about twice a week I still throw up...sorry TMI.

On another note, Dan and I will be flying out to Minnesota on the 29th to September 5th to spend time with his grandpa...thanks to all of you who've been praying for that situation.

Also, I've been feeling fine in regards to my gallstones. I must have just had a random attack last week.

ps. to all my nesties who "know" things, please refrain from commenting about it on here :)

What is going on?

Well as some of you know it's been another wild week for us!
Thursday I went to Labor and Delivery because I had been in pain for 10 hours and it wasn't going away. I knew baby was ok, because baby was moving around lots. So I got there and they discovered gallstones. I wasn't prepared for this and it just threw me for a loop. The pain did go away, and I will eventually get some prescription to help me out, but I will have to get it taken out, either before or after I have this baby. Hopefully after...

Friday we had a huge yard sale with friends and headed to a movie later that night ( We saw Stardust, I highly recommend, it's neat) . But while we were in there Dan's mom had called to give us the news that Dan's grandpa ( her dad ) isn't going to live much longer. His cancer has spread to his lungs and other parts. None of us knew how bad it really was because they kept it to themselves so their kids and grandkids wouldnt worry. ANYWAYS. We hopefully will be flying out to Minnesota in the next few weeks ( praying that tickets go way way down ) to be with him, and while I am able to fly out.
So that is that.

And yes, we are still waiting to hear if we are moving or not. SO frustrating, but God is challenging me this month and I'm up for it. We've got alot on our plate and I cannot let it freak me out. Gallstones, moving, packing, flying out, and a vacation possibly all in one month. Aaack.

What a Week

Welp I am 19 weeks! Almost half way, soo nuts to think about. We had a really wild week. Dan hurt his back at work so he was out of commission for a few days but is on meds now. So I was taking care of him. Then I "woke up" an old injury of mine in my back. I knew that my back would take a major toll during this pregnancy, as it's been bad since my car accidents in 2002, but I didnt think it'd be this early. Soo Dan and I both start Massage Therapy in a couple weeks. That'll hopefully be the key for us both. I havent had a full night's sleep in months. I dont fall asleep til 3am usually, and even then I wake up tossing and turning. It's been a hard couple days because I suddenly got very sick and couldnt keep anything down. ( Just when I thought I was passed that )
So that is my update! We are looking forward to our Leavenworth vacation in a couple weeks for sure.

My life is one big 2 week wait.

Ok So I might have posted about this before, but I need to post again. The biggest two week wait of my life was of course the one after my IUI. It's the time in which you must wait to test for a pregnancy. Everyone dreads that 2ww. But so it continues...
I now have 2 more weeks to wait til I find out the sex of baby. UHG the wait is horrid. I've officially had 3 dreams about baby girl, Dan has had 1, and we've had 3 very random friends that have had only girl dreams. Weird huh.
The other 2 week wait we have goin on is our stupid house situation. I wont go into detail, but basically that is the "time frame" we supposedly have to find out whether or not we are moving.
While I complain, I must say though that I am thankful that I have these things to complain about. It's times like these where I feel very blessed.

p.s. Good Luck, Rachel ( almost done with her BIG 2ww )

Ahhh I love this crib. I will never have it because it's $999 from Pottery Barn...but I'm in search of a knock off because I'm good like that :)

Some people...

So i was looking on craigslist like I always do in search of a deal. I came across a crib and the seller had this explanation of why she was selling it: " We are selling because we have found that our one year old prefers to sleep with my husband and I in our bed. "
I kinda just stared at the ad. Like, for reals? I had to really tell myself not to write this person asking her all sorts of questions like, uh do you know what you are setting yourself up for? If your child has this control over you at one year, do you really think it'll be easy to move them to a toddler bed? Plus, what child at age one has a "preference".Oh I could go on and on. Just had to share.

Not much new...

Well I did have an ultrasound last week but baby's legs were way deep down in my abdomen and wouldnt budge so of course no money shot. I was disappointed at first but then relieved because I would have hated to hear something like "well it's PROBABLY a..." or " But there's still a chance it's a ". So we go back on August 15 for our big ultrasound to get a for sure look :) The good news about that appt was that I was weighed and still haven't gained a pound.. which I am thrilled about even though I have a belly, things must be "evening out".
I am 17 weeks today and cant believe that a week from today I'll be in my 5th month! Geez.
I actually enjoyed those couple days of rain because I didn't feel bad for being inside and throwing up! haha

Dan has been busy with work. He's been charge nurse a few times, which is funny because they just kinda throw him into it and say go for it....which wasn't the original plan, but still nice for him.
He has a week off now so we are excited to just chill together.

Anxious

I just cannot put into words how excited I am. When I think about baby actually being here, I lose my mind. I am so ready.

Shout out to my girls...

This is to my buddies Rachel and Darleen and Christie who are always in my prayers.
Rachel is having her IUI soon and I'm praying that the Lord will give her strength and faith that this will be it!! We have never met but I adore her and so glad we can encourage eachother just via emails :) Rachel, more than anyone I want this for YOU.
Darleen is pregnant via her 2nd IUI and I am definately praying her through this, as her first baby didn't "stick" as we call it. I am soooo happy for you Darlene...and remember that the Lord doesnt want us to worry.
Christie I love ya girl and am praying for your move during your pregnancy! I am so excited for you and love to hear the thrill in your voice when you talk about your baby boy :) I am jealous that you are feeling kicks..as I cannot wait!!

On me : It's going to be like 100 degrees today and I plan on staying inside or going to my little blow up pool at my parents house. I feel fine when I'm doing things or being somewhat active outside..but if I stop...the baby and I disagree and I get sick. BUT i'm much better than I was 2 weeks ago ! I'll take it! I am 15 weeks 1 day

Congrats to Dan

I am sooo proud of my husband.
He had his year review last week at work and he has exceeded expectations considering that he's only been there a year...and is the youngest. He's an incredibly hard worker but loves his job. I mean he TRULY loves it.
Well he officially was offered the position of head nurse in the ER. AMAZING!
He'll be training over the next couple months and on top of that he has a student studying under him while he works..so he is training and helping her in the ER til August. So it's alot of responsibility that they have given him but that just proves how highly they think of him.
If there is anything I ever brag about..it's my husband. Never ceases to amaze me

Cheers!

2 Year Anniversary!

Yesterday ( june 24 ) was our 2 years! Crazy. It was a weirdo day. We celebrated over the weekend thinking that Dan had to work on our day...but he didn't.
He got me 2 dozen beautiful big roses that just made my day. We had dinner at Shenanigans and that was great.
We actually were super tired on our day... so we went to church, saw my nana in the hospital then went home and napped for 3 hours. Quite romantic. We just had to laugh. I've been so sick that I cant really predict how I'll feel until I wake up and start my day. But hey..that just means baby is growing!

Is anyone reading this blog?

I know of 3 people for sure that read this blog..just wondering if it's worth continuing. * there maybe more but ppl dont comment so I have no way of knowing*
:)

12 weeks! I graduated!!

Ahhh we are soo happy today. I graduated from our fertility clinic and now in the 2nd trimester. We are finally moving on to our OB.
We saw baby today and our appt was longer than usual because baby was moving and kicking so much that the nurse was having a hard time doing necessary tests. That was so great to see.
Baby is the size of a lime and has 10 fingers and 10 toes..very clear to see. Nothing abnormal at all. They did a down syndrome test along with a sinus test and everything passed. We are thrilled.
God is so good. What another HUGE sigh of relief for us.
I am finally feeling better these days. I wasnt doing good at all last week..and then poof...I was better on Sunday. Still way tired and not sleeping, but I'll take that over the other junk I was dealing with!

3 Years ago...Dan Proposed !

It's so weird that it's been 3 years.
It was Father's Day and Dan and I had planned to go to Ocean Shores for the day just for fun. So I packed us up but first stopped in to my parents to say happy father's day to dad and give him his gift. Dad was the one that was acting all weird. He was especially smiley and just kept saying "have a really good time." I was like ya dad, we will....
So off we went to the beach. Dan was quiet and we didnt talk much the whole way up...which isnt like us.
So we get there around noon and walked around in some shops. Then after that we settled down in a spot to eat our picnic lunch. It was a pretty nice windy day so we laid out for a while ..just relaxing. Well a couple hours later it was time to go. So I got up first and started putting food away and folding blankets. But Dan stayed down. I was like..could use some help here! :)
There he was on both knees ( afraid he'd fall over on just one) just beaming at me and I had noooo guess as to why. Even when he pulled out the ring box it honestly didnt click til he grabbed my hand. We were both just freaking out and sooo excited. I was thrilled that I didnt see it coming! So after I say yes we pack up and I was like we gotta go tell my parents! And he said...welp they already know! I was so impressed.
The night before he drove to my parents house ( I was living in an apartment) at 10pm.
He spent 3+ hours talking with them and asking for my hand. That is one of my mom's favorite memories because of all the little details involved ( i wont go into them).
So back to us at the beach.
We hop in the car and drive home on cloud 9. Dad was at home but he was alone. So he knew what was up and congratulated us. Mom was with Sayle and Suz at church because Suz was going to summer camp and was leaving in literally 5 minutes. We get to the church and mom knew what was up too so she was beaming and thrilled w/Sayle. I grabbed Suz off the bus and screamed "I'm engaged!" and she was so happy but sad because she had to go. So we were on such a high that we thought heck! Why dont we just drive to Wenatchee and hang out for a couple hours.
So to sum it up. We started at the beach...drove 2 hours home...then drove 3 hours to hang out with friends...stayed for a couple hours and then left that night back for home.
Wow this got long.

Pray for baby Kaleb.

You'll need the tissues. True story that is happening to a Christian family right now. Please pray and spread awareness. You can go to their webpage www.myspace.com/helpkaleb

Pray for baby Kaleb.

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Our cat Penny

This is our cat Penny. Dan and I get a kick out of how much we love her and how much we laugh at her throughout the day. So I thought I'd take a minute to describe some of her quirks.
The above picture tells it all. She LOVES to hide anywhere and then "pop out" when we come near. Often genuinely scaring us. See she is "hunting" us from the dryer in the pic.
She recently cut out a hole in the bottom of our box spring ( our bed is raised ) and that is where she sleeps when we go to bed.
She was taken from her mom far too early and we fostered her but couldnt give her back. She was the smallest and quietest of her siblings. Now she's SO loud and huge ( fluffly )So we had to learn to love her flaws. For instance, She JUST turned a year old and probably within the last few months has gotten down covering her poo in the litter box. If something around the yard or in the house doesnt smell right to her, she will paw the nearest surface in hopes the smell will go away. It's a kick.
She sits by the window for hours at a time watching these birds that are in the yard everyday. Her ears get very low when they come near ( as if they'll dive bomb her ) and chirps at them. If you havent heard a cat chirp before..it's halarious.
She LOVES running water. We have to lock her out of the bathroom when showering because she hops right in. Or after the shower she'll get in just to watch the water drip.
But she is a true companion. If we move to another room, even if it's for a second, she'll stop whatever she is doing..including napping..and move to the room we are in.
Ok we love our cat obviously.

What book not to read while PG

I had a couple people recommend to read the book " What to expect when you are expecting" so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Well I regret it.
If you are pregnant or trying do not get this book. Why? It will scare you and take the joy away from being pregnant. You'll turn into a worry wart. I thought, there's no way I'm alone on this! So I turned to my girlfriends on a pregnancy board I've been on for over a year. Turns out 95% of the ladies I talked to said it was horrible. Doctors are even telling patients not to read it because of "inaccuracies and overinflation of "worst case scenarios." I realize that it's good to know what things could go wrong to keep us "realistic"..but the book blow things way out of proportion, and teaches you to dwell on every little symptom you have. Worry Worry Worry. So I threw it out. Some will probably disagree and that's fine. I'm just sharing 40 pregnant women's opinions and mine :)

11 weeks!

Your fig-sized baby is now fully formed — measuring 1 1/2 inches long and weighing in at a quarter of an ounce. His skin is still transparent, allowing many of his blood vessels to show through. Some of his bones are beginning to harden, and tiny toothbuds are starting to appear under his gums. His fingers and toes have separated, and he may soon be able to open and close his fists. He's already busy kicking and stretching, and his tiny movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. These movements will increase as his body grows and becomes more developed and functional. As his diaphragm develops, your tiny tenant may also start to get the hiccups.

Beans n Fruit

Ok so I still have a weak stomach usually all day, but, I do have "staples" that I can always eat and my tummy wont get mad at me. I can always eat fruit. I buy bags and bags of green grapes and granny smith apples every week. Plus, I can always have bean burritos and black beans. Such a weirdo combo..but hey..it works for me!

Meant to be

This is really weird. Ok so I was looking at the social security website at the list of popular baby names from past years. The names we picked arent even on the top 1000 from the last 50 years so I'm excited. ANYWAYS..I looked up the top names of 1984 which is when Dan and I were born. Guess what names were 6th most popular?
Dan for a boy ... Steph for a girl. Meant to be :)

10 weeks!!

Not sure why that pic is so small but oh well. The head is on the right, baby has one arm up and one down. Baby was kicking and squirming around at todays appt..so that was soo cool to see. We are now relaxing as we only have a couple weeks left in the 1st trimester!

Dan coming home

I am so excited for Dan to come home. He has been gone since Wednesday! From what it sounds like he is very ready to come back to his wife. It was a long trip to say the least...but I wont go in to detail.
So we have our 10 week appt tomorrow and time is starting to cruise by...so glad!!
I will get signed on with a new doctor and will leave the infertility clinic that I am at now.
It will be bittersweet because the nurses there are so fantastic. I do plan on sending them all thank you cards as they have played a huge part in our lives in these past months!
For all of you that have been praying for me..especially this past week, thank you thank you thank you. I actually felt a bit normal at about Thursday-Saturday...but today I am so tired and nauseous again. BUT atleast I got a break for a bit :)

Diagnosis

Well I went to my clinic today to get a proper diagnosis. Turns out my pain was absolutely legit. I guess I had a fibroid that decided to die ( or bust ) and bleed into itself. So I'm still a bit exhausted and I get pretty bad in the evening.
Dan leaves in a few hours and will be gone for 5 days. This is the longest we've been apart I think ever! Some of you may laugh at that but we've always had a problem being apart ( we've been together for4 years...married for 2 ) And the timing isnt the greatest. I almost splurged and bought a last minute ticket to fly back with him but we weighed the pros and cons and the cons won. So I guess that I'll go back to "the start" and my mom will gladly be the one rubbing my tummy.

Brother Jay to the rescue ( My ER night)

What a night.
Last night all of a sudden I got hit with horrible cramps. Cramps dont do it justice though...they were actually uterus contractions. Now I say this often..it takes a lot of pain to bring me down. Well I was crawling...crying around trying figure out what was happening. Dan finally called from work to check in and of course freaked out to the sound of his sobbing wife on the phone. So he called Jason to come get me at 11ish. He took my crying self to the ER where Dan was working...thank goodness that they live so close ( for a few more days that is. ) Now no matter how much pain I am in..I dont know why..but i'll be all nice to whoever chooses to enter the room. My pain is at a 9 and I'm trying to be nice to Dan's coworkers. Ha!
The dr.s put me on this horrid drug that is suppose to take away the pain..instead it made me horribly nauseous and i couldnt open my eyes. I was in another state. So weird for me. So for about an hour they kept pushing the meds plus nausea medication plus an IV drip. In the middle of all this they have to cart me over to radiology to get an ultrasound to make sure baby is fine, which I already knew he/she was. Just like when I "knew" I was pregnant. I didnt need a test! So now that i think about it...it probably looked humorous. I'm delirous, holding a "basin" in case i have to..and they have to perform an internal ultrasound. At one point the lady was like look at your baby..it's moving around and I wasnt awake.
ANYWAYS. Cart me back to the ER room with a now more calm husband to wait for more tests. Conclusion? I'm a first time mom..my uterus is saying "you want me to do what?" In other words it was contracting a bit over time.
Today i feel like i was hit by a train. This isnt good timing because it's 80 degrees out, Dan leaves Thursday for MN, and i'm pretty much bed ridden til I get a grip.
So please pray! I'm certainly not used to being THIS sick and confused.

One more thing...

By the way...if I hear one more person say "oh you've still got a few weeks of sickness left" or " maybe you'll be sick throughout your entire pregancy"....I will lose it :)
I find it interesting that most women that have had kids...come with LOTS of advice on what not to do and horror stories about pregnancy. I just dont enjoy hearing all these negative things when I already feel like crap :) .. But oh well. I'm sure as this pregnancy progresses, people will have more joyful things to say!

Nurse Dan to the rescue

So I have been very lethargic and not eating a heck of a lot due to nauseousness. I just cant drink enough water. I feel useless around the house these days too. So Dan's manager insisted that he bring me home a IV saline drip to give me that bit of boost. So I spent Sunday, watching the Indy 500 at my parents house hooked up to an IV. Good times.

We can breathe easy

*Heavy sigh of relief* I am 8 weeks today.
Today we HEARD the heart beat. It was 170 beats per minute...the average is 140, so it's definately working away! How amazing that something the size of a bean can have such a powerful little heart! Quite a milestone for us. Dan and I get slightly nervous before each appt and so we pray all the way to the clinic. I find myself having a constant conversation with God all day long. I dont just set aside a time to pray. We have realized that it's much healthier and takes the worry away!

Dear Stomach,

You have been great to me up to this point. You've had a good appetite, I feed you when you are hungry, I stop when I am full! But why....all of a sudden, you dont want anything? OK OK with the exception of pretzels, lite yogurt and fruit, but that just doesnt do it! You see, I am "eating for two" now and it doesnt help when you dont let me eat full meals. I understand that this is a phase you must go through, but I'm hoping this pep talk will get you goin...and we can move on from this sicky phase. Welp, that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed your 1 strawberry, 3 pieces of apple, 2 meatballs, 4 grapes and pretzels for today. * heavy sigh* This too shall pass.

Your Owner

7 weeks

Major organs have all begun to form. The embryo has developed its own blood type, unique from the mother's. Hair follicles and nipples form and knees and elbows are visible. Facial features are also observable. The eyes have a retina and lens. The major muscle system is developed and the embryo is able to move.
I am 7 weeks today!

"Afternoon sickness"

Ooooo Eeee am I feeling pregnant today!
I dont get morning sickness...i get afternoon/early evening sickness.
I cant get up
I cant think.
I dont know what I want to eat
Thinking of eating makes me sick
My eyes are tired
Oh I could go on but I wont :)
Dan is being a great support right now :)

I'm a sucker for funny kid videos

Houston, We have a heartbeat!

Praise the Lord we can breathe easy for another 2 weeks! ( we go back in for another u/s)
Our little peanut is 4mm long and we could easily see the heart beating. So awesome! God is so good!
I am 6 weeks along today, or in my second month. I'm still crampy all the time, but I can deal with it! I cant keep up with my hunger, that's been a struggle, but I'm getting used to eating every 2-3 hours as recommended. We are just enjoying the ride so far! Below is the ultrasound picture and that little peanut blob in the middle of the uterus is baby :)