The Nesting Phase

I think my Nesting phase has finally begun...

Yesterday, hubby and I took down all of our curtains in the living/dining room and washed them. While doing this, I did dishes, cleaned the actual inside of the windows (thanks to Blaze for his wonderful slobbers), hubby pulled out the couch and end tables and vacuumed and dusted. Now, I am ready to start washing all of the baby clothes, blankets, towels, etc. that we have. Also, I have lots of things that need to go to Go.od.wil.l so we can get them out of our office.

The next step....clean my refrigerator. My shelves are pretty much disgusting. I mean, there is no reason for them to be as dirty as they are. I also would like to go through hubby's part of the closet and get rid of clothes that he does not wear anymore. I am sure he would love me for this...lol.

Yes, I am supposed to be taking it semi-easy right now, but seriously, I have a lot of sh*t to do before I can't do it anymore! Hopefully, that time will not come and my blood pressure and protein issues will control themselves a bit more, but until then, I need to get as much done as I possibly can before I can't. And that's honestly my fear...that I am not going to be ready for this baby when he decides to make an appearance. Or, the Dr. decides for him.

We still have a lot of things we need to get. There are a lot of things that need to be organized in the nursery. Car seats need to be installed in the vehicles. Which, by the way, can now be done because hubby was adament about having seat protectors in both of our vehicles before the car seat bases were installed. :) We purchased those this weekend.

I also did not have one receiving blanket in my possession. Lots and lots of regular blankets, but none that were receiving blankets, so I purchased a couple packages with about 4 in each at K.oh.l's yesterday with my mom, so we have a good amount to get us going now. There are still other items that I need to get, but I have got to make me a list. I think that will be my task for the rest of this week. Going through everything to wash and making a list of what we still need.

I am definitely starting to get nervous. We have "possibly" 6 weeks left. Yikes!!

34 Week Dr. Appt....

So I had my Dr. appt for, well, almost 34 weeks. I will be 34 weeks on Thursday. It did not go so well. Not horribly, but not the greatest either.

I have been having quite a bit of swelling in my feet and during the night my right hand/arm falls asleep and when I wake up, I have the carpal tunnel type feelings. Well, today was my Dr. appointment. I am measuring right around 34/35cm and have gained a total of 30lbs. (Im totally thinking some of that is due to the swelling...lol)

My blood pressure was a little bit higher than it ever has been. I was around 142/86. This apparently did not make my Dr. very happy. He informed me that I have to come back next week. We will be monitoring a little more closely. I was supposed to have one more 2 week interval, but oh well. I would rather be safe than sorry. I also had some protein in my urine and he did not like that too much either.

I was also told that I needed to inform my boss that I very well might be off work before I actually go into labor. We will be playing it by ear. I am sure she will love that...lol. Oh well! I would rather have a healthy, happy baby than anything else. It will all work out!

I am still looking for a sitter. I refuse to pay for a full-time daycare when we only need part-time...it's a little frustrating.

33 weeks and counting :)

I can't believe that Christmas has been here and already passed!! It seriously just seems like yesterday we found out we were pregnant...now, we are right around the corner from getting to meet our little man!

We have had a truly blessed Christmas this year. We truly did not want/need anything really for ourselves, we had told everyone that we just wanted things for the baby. Well, of course, you know that never flies! So, our two big gifts for us this year were a video camera from FIL and MIL and Glider with Ottoman from my mom and dad. Fantastic!

I will be working on doing some deep cleaning in the house this week while I have a few days off from work. I am also going to start washing baby clothes, socks, blankets, towels/washcloths, etc.

I have started packing a bag for him, but need to start one for me now too :) I still can't believe how close we are getting! 6 1/2 weeks is going to fly by I am sure.

Wait...you have what??

I totally thought that I was going to be one of those lucky few who gets to skip this whole part of pregnancy. However, that is of course too good to be true. I have cankles. You know, when your ankles look like part of your calves?? Yea, I have them. Of course, not as bad in the mornings, but by the time I get off work, man oh man are they huge. The swelling pretty much just started Monday. Merry Christmas to me!

This definitely puts a damper on my evenings at the present. I am trying to get my Christmas shopping done (yes, I am a procrastinator) and it isn't going too well. I was pretty much hobbling around everywhere last night and gave up after just getting a few gift cards. I am going to try to go again tonight since I get off work an hour earlier on Fridays. Hopefully I will be able to move my ankles and not look like I am waddling too bad :)

I am sure that I will have to finish my shopping over the weekend, but that's okay. If I have to start early in the morning before the ankles swell, that's what I will do :)

Hands aren't swelling too bad. I stopped wearing my wedding ring the day after my shower in fear that we would have to cut it off my finger. It started to get a little tight, so I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. I feel naked without it.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Enjoy!!

Oh, Im supposed to stay on two feet??

So...I have decided that I am going to try to get to know all of the other Dr's in my normal OB's office before this baby comes. Of course, this is not by choice. However, my body seems to think that it's a necessity. I disagree!

Yesterday we were celebrating Christmas with our work. We were setting all of the food up that everyone brought in and I was heading around the little island to set up my cheese ball. As I walked around the corner my feet flew out from underneath me and I landed on my back/hip. I think it knocked the breath out of me a little bit and of course it scared the crap out of me.

I called the Dr. shortly after (which of course, Tuesdays are my Dr.'s day off) and the nurse that was covering phone calls told me I needed to come in and do a Non-Stress test just to make sure all is well.

Non-stress test was fine for the most part. He was moving around pretty good and his heartbeat was normal range. However, those darn contractions were back. I honestly did not feel these one bit! Of course, they wanted to check my cervix. All is well in cervical land other than every single Dr. or nurse who messes with my cervix has to hunt for it for a couple minutes until they finally find it. I am still all closed up (phew!) so they sent me home and told me to make sure I rested.

Man am I sore today. My back is killing me and my left butt cheek is hurting pretty badly too. I went to see my Dr. for a regular 2 week appointment and the baby's heartbeat is still going strong. I am only measuring 1 week ahead this week, so he didn't seem too worried about that. I have now gained a total of 25lbs. And everything else seems to be a-ok!

I have completed one task for this week...I found a pediatrician! Hooray! Mark one off the list. Now, if I could just get my dang Christmas shopping done!! I still have so much to do! The swollen feet at the end of the day are not helping this situation :(

Weekend of Childbirth Class!

Hubby and I had an absolutely wonderful weekend! It was fantastic! Our Prepared Childbirth class went exceptionally well. The instructor we had was hilarious and we got a lot of great information to help us prepare for Aiden's upcoming arrival!

I was really excited with hubby's reaction to everything. Everytime we watched a video with cute little babies, his face lit up so much and I could just see him out of the corner of my eye grinning from ear to ear! I think that was the highlight of my weekend. :)

Saturday night, we did a little more shuffling of things in closets to help make room for Aiden's things. Moved clothes we had been storing back into our closet space, sheets into the top of the office closet, cleaned out the toy box (full of sheets...) and put all of the toys we received from the shower in there. We are getting closer to being a little more prepared for his arrival. We even bought a package of diapers yesterday to get going. We are going to try to start buying every time we go to the store. I have some coupons, so that makes it a little better.

I have another Dr. appointment this week, on Wednesday. He told me last time that since I measured 2cm ahead, he would keep an eye on me and make sure I dont keep measuring bigger than what I should be. If I do, we will have to do an ultrasound just to make sure he is not getting too big :) Yay for another ultrasound! I would like to get another peak at him before we see him come into the world. We shall see!

My goal for this week, is to find a pediatrician and call some sitters. These are the two things that I really need to get going on. It makes me nervous not knowing who will be watching my baby once I have to go back to work :( I would rather it be me, but that is just not financially possible at this point. He would only have to go part-time. No more than 3 hours a day M-F, so that's good. Hubby is on 2nds, so he has agreed that he will be keeping him with him until he has to go to work :) Fantastic! Saves some money I guess!

Oh what fun!

It should be a fun-filled weekend for hubby and I. I am sure he is just super ecstatic to be doing what we are going to be doing.

..................................................Prepared Childbirth Classes!!!.........................

Haha! I for one am actually pretty excited. I want to get as much information as I can possibly obtain before little Aiden graces us with his presence. Yes, we still have a little while, but that is beside the point. I want to be prepared. Well, as prepared as I can be given every situation is different. I think hubby is actually excited, no matter how much he doesn't want to admit it :) We will see how it goes. We get to be at the hospital from 12-5 on Saturday and Sunday both.

And has anyone ever attended any LaLeche League meetings? I am thinking about attending one in my area and wanted some input. I need to get as much information about breastfeeding as I possibly can. Because dangit, I want it to work for us! There is a meeting coming up Tuesday evening that I am thinking about going to. I think it will be beneficial for me.

On another note.....I need to get my Christmas shopping done! I have four of my nieces and nephews done, but other than that, nada. I have several people that I need to buy for. Maybe we can get some of that done this weekend now that we actually have a little bit of extra money. We shall see!

So much to do with so little time!! I started a list for things that I think I might need before the baby gets here. Oh and by the way....Dreft....that shit is expensive!! I need to find me some coupons! Has anyone used anything else that works just as well? Possibly for a better price?

Well, I will update after the weekend on how our classes went! Until then, everyone enjoy your weekend!!!

Belly shots and Baby Shower!

So I said that I would post them....a long time ago it seems. When my computer crashed, I lost a few pictures, so what you see is what you get at this point :) The wonderful belly shots are here! (there's only two of them, so dont get too excited...lol)

I am only around 19 weeks in this picture. But there is definitely a nice little bump :) The next picture was taken this past Sunday at my baby shower. Sorry I dont have one by myself with a side view, so this one will have to do :)
I am of course 30 weeks and 3 days in this picture. Feeling pretty good at this point! I've gained 18 lbs so far. Not too bad of a weight gain :) It's definitely all in the belly region!

And now, here are a couple more pictures from the shower on Sunday.

If you look closely, you can tell that the "roses" are actually little socks. The washcloth suckers are between the mints and nuts and then of course, MIL had to make personalized candy bar wrappers for each place :)

As I said earlier, it was a great shower and I am so thankful for everyone who came to celebrate with us! We are truly blessed :)

Baby Shower!!

I have had a fabulous weekend! My college roommate from my freshman year, who was also my Maid of Honor at my wedding, was in for the weekend. She is from Northern Indiana, so therefore it was quite a drive for her to get here. We had an excellent weekend shopping and just spending time together. She is fabulous!


But of course, she was down here for a specific reason. My baby shower! Yay! I'm not going to lie. It was a bit awkward being the center of attention after going through so much just to get to this point. However, it was fantastic! There were so many people who came to help us celebrate! We have been blessed with lots of outfits and blankets and all things baby to get us started! :)


I have already begun putting things in their proper places. Clothes in the closet, blankets on the shelves, booties and onesies in the drawers. And I still have lots of items to put away! I am so incredibly thankful for everything!


My MIL and SIL were the ones who threw the shower for me. They did a fantastic job with everything. Sock bouquets were made for each table along with washcloth suckers :) Blue punch and a wonderful cake! I will try to post pictures tonight.

We have started to put things together now too. Hubby is super anxious to get everything together as soon as possible. This would include things like the high chair (which won't be needed for quite some time), the swing/infant seat/rocker combo we got, and our wonderful travel system. All have been put together now because he just can't wait to get his hands on that stuff :) His eyes have lit up every time we get something else put together. We are running out of room for this stuff in the nursery because I still have things that I need to go through and put away.

Next project....washing the bedding and putting it all in the crib! :) And then washing lots of blankets and clothes. Anyone have any advice as to what is truly needed for that first little bit of time with a new baby? I am wanting to get a list put together so we can start marking things off. Thanks!

Words cannot express my sorrow

My heart is breaking right now for a certain person in the blogging world. She and her husband received some horrible news this week in regards to their adoption they had been looking forward to and anticipating. Words can not express how much I feel for them right now.

I would link her blog, but it is definitely not the appropriate time for that. Especially since we know each other personally and not just through blogland.

If you know who I am talking about, please keep her and her husband in your prayers as they fight through this situation. I can not even imagine what they are going through right now.

**B, I am thinking about you and K. I am so incredibly sorry. Words can not express how much my heart is breaking for you. We love you.

No GD! No GD! No GD!

I am in the clear for the time being. My Dr. is not worried about me having Gestational Diabetes, which is really good. That means that I really dont have to watch what I eat!! Mmmmm apple pie! (that has been my craving for months now and I have only enjoyed it a couple of times)

However, I do kind of have to watch that I am not eating foods that are high in fat. My Dr. seems to think that it really is my gull bladder that has been acting up, especially since the Pro.ton.ix has not done anything for my pain on my right side below my rib cage. I am supposed to just keep monitoring it for the time being. I guess there really isn't a whole lot they can do at this point. So his only suggestion was to watch the foods that are high in fat at this point.

I have only gained about 18 lbs at this point, which is good, because it's all baby :) and uterus, and probably amniotic fluid, etc. However, today I am measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule. So instead of measuring 30 weeks, I am measuring 32 weeks. This is the first occurence for this, so again, we will keep monitoring and if I keep measuring ahead then we will get another ultrasound of our little man to make sure all is well and he isnt getting too big in there! Of course, hubby is all proud of the fact that "his boy is getting big" while I waddle around and need help getting up off the couch and he laughs at me. (He's a turd like that)

So, things are going well. I can't believe there are only about 10 weeks left of this pregnancy! It blows my mind. Looking forward to spending time with friends and family on Sunday at my shower!! :)

Time to Get Down to Business

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know that hubby and I did :) I was able to enjoy all of the good food that comes along with it without feeling guilty too!! It was great to be able to see family that we hadn't seen in a long time also. We had a lot to be thankful for this year also.

I can't believe how fast my due date is approaching. We will soon be in the single digits for weeks away from my due date. Right now we are just about at 10 weeks left! It's crazy and I can't hardly believe it!

I feel like we have so much left to do. I still need to find daycare, a pediatrician, rearrange closets, take the childbirth class, wash clothes, etc. It's a lot to take in once I really sit down and start thinking about it. However, I will have lots of free time now that I am not trying to write a winterguard program. Maybe I could even get my mother to come and help me out with some things one evening? ;)

I am definitely getting nervous about our little man's arrival. Hubby is playing it all cool and calm and I really think that he is handling it a little better than I am right now. I just keep thinking that within the next 10 weeks there will be a new addition to our home and are we going to be prepared? I am definitely very excited, but still nervous.

The baby shower is happening on Sunday. I can't believe this one is finally for me. I will take lots of pictures! My MIL was showing me last night all of her table decorations and how she found a recipe for blue punch. She is so excited!

I am anxiously awaiting news from Bon about their new baby who should be here any time now!! So excited for them!!! :) yay!!

Glucose #2

So I have some good news I think! I only failed one of my blood draws from my second glucose screening yesterday! Yay!! Now, it is up to my Dr. to decide where we go from here. Of course, he is out of the office until Monday due to the holidays, but that's alright. I can pretty much enjoy whatever I want to eat tomorrow! Whoo hoo!!

I have been feeling much better than I was on Sunday. I still have my pain, but not like it was when I went to the hospital. I am still having some contractions, but nothing to be worried about. I am counting kicks and enjoying every minute of them :) He is an active little booger!

Last night, we decided that we were not going to be able to go through with our winterguard program. It sucks for my seniors. And it breaks my heart that we fought for the program and now really can't make it happen. We have lost a couple girls, which makes the rest of the kids have to do more fundraisers, which requires more time. And, we can not afford to hire someone to write our show for us. I, of course, can not physically do it on my own. Especially after Sunday's hospital visit. I wanted to cry for my two seniors whom I have taught all four years. :(

My baby shower is coming up on the 6th. I am really excited about this. I can't wait to see all of my friends and family that I do not get to see very often and celebrate our little miracle.

Will be getting my computer back tonight. However, Windows had to be reinstalled, so I have lost a whole lot of things that will now have to be put back on. Yuck! That sucks...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!! Here is a short list of the things that I am thankful for this year...

~First and foremost...the little miracle that is currently residing in my uterus :)
~My husband, who is my best friend and has been absolutely wonderful through everything!
~My family who is always there for me.
~My furbaby Blaze :) He will always be our spoiled little man!
~My job. As much as I may not enjoy some of it, I am thankful to have one.
~My healthy and happy pregnancy

I know there are more things that I could name, but this is the basic list :) Again, I really hope that everyone has a happy thanksgiving!! Be safe if you are travelling!

The week from HELL!!!

And I am not exaggerating when I say that it has literally been the week from Hell! I mean, I think that everything that could possibly happen within the past 7 days, has happened. Let me begin...

Sunday 11/15 - Computer crashes. There are so many viruses on the thing, our antivirus software won't even take care of them. We tried everything. Literally, everything. It's no good. So, I'm waiting to hear back from C.omp.uters Pl.us as to what they were able to do about it.

Monday 11/16 - Literally get cussed out on the phone for about 30 minutes. The first 10 minutes were by the person herself because she was informed that she would not be eligible for our program. The other 20, she was screaming and yelling in the background with every other word out of her mouth being F* this and that while I am trying to explain to her calm husband why they are not currently eligible for the program. Yes, I got short with her because she was screaming at me. I do not have to put up with people talking to me like that. Ever. Period. And I won't.

Tuesday 11/17 - Glucose screening. Didn't know my results yet, so that wasn't such an issue. However, met with our band boosters that evening and they pretty much told me that they were refusing to support our winterguard program. That we would have to open our own account and run all of our money through that. Oh yea, and I needed to apologize to the rest of the organization for apparently something that I said. Which I did not.

Wednesday 11/18 - Find out the results of my Glucose screening. Again, big fat F. Have to schedule for the extended screening. Oh yea, and I manage to get cussed out again because someone is not eligible for our program. And, did I mention there is not anything I can do about that??

Thursday 11/19 - Get hung up on due to someone not being eligible for our program and I honestly can not explain to her why she did not qualify after the online assessment. I did not understand it myself, but, again there is nothing that I can do about it.

Friday 11/20 - My supervisor informs me that I need to watch the way that I talk to people on the phone. Excuse me??? She said that she received a few complaints about me being short on the phone. However, would not give me any examples or tell me whether it was just possible clients or what. So, I explained that the only people that I have been "short" with are the ones who cuss me out over the phone. She actually led into this by asking me if I was stressed and how I was handling my transition from the Outreach Team to this program. I was not a happy camper the rest of the day.

Saturday went well, no issues here. Thankfully. I needed a reprieve from my crappy work week. So, I spent most of my day relaxing and had lunch with a friend whom I had not seen in a really long time.

Sunday 11/22 - Woke up at around 5am with sharp stabbing pains under my rib cage. I hadn't had that much pain for this spot ever, so of course I was worried. Called the hospital and they told me that I needed to come in for some labs. While hooked up to the monitor, they noticed that I was having contractions anywhere from every 2 to 5 minutes. Not cool. They did labwork and everything came back normal. They checked my cervix...closed (whew). They did a Fetal Fibronectin test which came back negative, so that meant that I was not going to go into labor anytime soon (thank God). So, they first gave me Procardia to stop the contractions, but that did nothing. Then, they gave me a shot to make them stop. Definitely helped. After all this, I am informed that they do not know what is causing my pain under my rib cage, so I am given a GI cocktail to drink and wait some more. It did nothing. So, they sent me home with a prescription for Protonix. And might I tell you that is some expensive medicine! So, basically, the Dr. thinks it might be something with my stomach....yea, not sure about that one. This of course, is not my normal Dr. She was the Dr. on call at the time. Im just glad that my contractions stopped and things are starting to look up!

So...since this is a short week, I'm thinking that things can't get much worse. Only three days of actual work. Yay! And then hopefully I can enjoy all the great food that Thanksgiving has to offer :) We shall see.

It's a Big Fat "F"

And what does "F" stand for? That's right ladies, FAIL. You said it, I failed my first glucose screening. They didn't really say how bad, they just said that I had to come back in next week and do the 3 hour screening. So, I will be back in the lab on Tuesday at 8am doing the test. Oh what fun.

I also spoke with my Dr. about the pain I have had right below my rib cage on my right side and in my back on my right side. He told me to keep an eye on it because 1. it could be nothing at all other than the baby in an uncomfortable position 2. the possibility of a toxic pregnancy, which is actually still too early to have. He said this usually occurs around 36 weeks or so. And it has to do with your liver enzymes, or 3. it could be my gull bladder. So, I am supposed to pay attention to what happens after I eat a meal, does it get worse? stay the same? etc. Here's to hoping that it isnt anything serious :( I mean, we had a hell of a time getting pregnant, of course the actual pregnancy can't happen without issues right? We shall see. The pain can be pretty intense at times and the spot under my rib cage and the spot in my back usually hurt at the same time. It definitely makes me a little worried.

I now start to see my Dr. every 2 weeks. As of today, we are around 12 weeks from seeing our little man come into this world! We are extremely excited and I am beginning to get a little nervous. I am worrying about whether I have put enough things on my registry to help us get by. I am worrying we wont have enough daipers, clothes, wipes, etc to keep us going for a little bit. And of course, I am worried that something else is going on with my body outside of this little man growing inside me. I hate worrying. It sucks.

And Chelle, yes, Marching season is over! Whoo hoo! :) We ended up placing 5th in Class D in the State of Indiana. It was a great season. We are now beginning our winterguard season :) Oh joy! lol

Dr. Appt, crappy computer...

Went in today for my Post Glucola test. Had to drink the orange drink. It wasnt as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was just really, really sweet. So, drinking it as quickly as possible was probably the best thing to do for myself. But all in all, it wasnt too bad.

So, once I was done with that, I was to head over to my Dr. for an appointment. After I sign in, they call me up and inform me that my appointment was not for today, but for tomorrow. Excuse? She apologized and said that my Dr. was not even in today, otherwise she would have tried to get me in. So, I have to go back tomorrow for my actual Dr. appointment. The bright side? I get out of another morning of work :) lol. Hubby was not very happy though, having to wait around for an hour before I could actually get my blood drawn. Oh well.

There will be no uploading of pictures anytime soon. My computer at home has pretty much crashed. My antivirus software expired and I hadnt had the time to update it. So, guess what happened? It became infected. I mean, crazy infected. It kind of blew my mind how much crap was coming up. So, in trying to upgrade our antivirus, something else happened and our computer pretty much shut down. So, now I have to call and see about getting it fixed, since we have done everything possible to fix it ourselves! Grrr!!

Well, I will find out tomorrow sometime whether or not I might have the diabetes. I'm hoping it's all good and I won't have to worry about it. We shall see. I will let you know!

Sleeping...What is that again?

So I have not been sleeping well...pretty much at all. Last night, sucked. Plain and simple. My back has a certain spot that has been hurting for nearly a month. Mostly, it's when I have sat for long periods of time. Which, coincidentally, happens on a daily basis.


Last night, I was able to sleep for a couple hours before hubby got home from work pretty comfortably. However, it was becoming very clear that a new part of my back was going to keep me from sleeping. I had hubby literally rub my back for about 15 min before I couldnt even stand laying down anymore. I had to eventually get up and move to the recliner with my pillow and a blanket. It helped for a little bit, so I tried to move back to bed. As soon as my body hit the mattress, my back began to ache yet again. So, I laid there for about a minute and then decided to walk my happy butt back to the recliner. And there I slept for the rest of my 3 hours until I had to get up and get ready for work.

Here I sit, my back still killing, but not in the place that it was last night. Anyone have any suggestions? I have used the heating pad at night when I get home from work, I walk around at my job every so often so that I am not sitting all dang day. I think I will talk to my Dr. on Tuesday just to make sure this is all normal and ok. I'm sure it is, but I want to be sure.

Okay, so seriously, I need to post some pictures of my belly :) I will try to do that tonight. I have a couple from earlier, but I dont have any that are recent. I will have to try to take a good picture of myself if possible :) lol.

Oh and please don't think that I am complaining about my pregnancy. Believe me, I am not! I would not trade this for the world! It has been the most amazing experience I have ever been through. I just want to make sure this whole back thing is a natural thing and should be expected. I am scared shitless about the impending third trimester...lol.

A fabulous weekend!

This weekend was the most fabulous weekend I have had in a really long time. I honestly did not have ANYTHING that I had to do!! Can we just say fantastic! :)

Saturday, I was able to sleep in for the first time since probably the beginning of August, not having to be up by 4am to be at the school to do guard girls hair. Hubby fixed french toast for breakfast. We took Blaze for a nice long walk around our neighborhood. Had a late lunch. Then, we actually were able to have a "date" night. Which, only consisted of going to the mall, out to eat, and then to Sears to price deep freezes, but still, it was fabulous! We then went home and spent the rest of the evening watching Fred Claus, which by the way, is a cute movie. My hubby is ate up with Christmas. He gets so excited way before it's even close to being here. So, his excitement starts around August or so.

Sunday, we slept in again, which was nice. And then I spent the day with my mom and my grandma. We had lunch and then we perused all the Christmas open houses at the local gift shops. I got to pick out my Vera Bradley diaper bag that I have been wanting since we first started trying :) This is the pattern that I picked out. I'm super excited! :)

So, all in all, a great weekend! And very relaxing I might add! We got our light put up in A's room and the shelves that need to go in there painted navy blue. Now, we just need shades, which will have to wait until the bedding comes after my shower on Dec. 6th. Yay!! Only 94 days left!! ish...lol

Down to the double digits!

Okay...does everyone see that ticker over there???? That's right, I'm in the double-digits!!! Whoo hoo!! Time is flying by so fast!! I can't believe it.

I stood in line for the H1N1 vaccine for 3 1/2 hours yesterday. Well, I brought a chair and my coworker (who falls into the chronic illness category) brought a blanket. The clinic started at 2, so we were there by noon :) I finally got the vaccine at 3:30pm. I feel much better now. Especially after hearing that my neice tested positive for it just yesterday. Really glad I was able to get the vaccine.

I go back to the Dr. on the 17th for a Post-Glucose test and my next OB appt. I'm really hoping that I do not have to go back for the more extensive test. After this next appointment, I will start seeing my Dr. every 2 weeks. Which, by the way, is craziness!! Because that means we are getting so much closer to the end! Wow...it's truly amazing.

I have one big baby shower coming up the first weekend in December. I'm excited, but I think I will have mixed emotions. Happy, of course, but I will always remember what it took to get to this point. Oh, the journey.

Nursery Pics!!

Please keep in mind that the blinds that are up are probably from like the 1970s or something, so they will be changing :) Haha...also, we do not have a light fixture yet, so the lighting is a little different too. The colors of the room are tan and burnt orange. It looks really good so far! :)

After the crazy weekend...

I am so incredibly tired today! It was a crazy weekend! We went camping starting on Friday night (it poured the whole night) and then Saturday was Marching Band State Finals. We ended up finishing 5th place! The kids had an excellent show and I couldn't have asked for a better performance from the girls. I then headed back to our campsite (3 hours away) to settle in for the evening. We came home from camping on Sunday afternoon.

The one thing I do not enjoy after a weekend of camping is the laundry when we get home. I swear it is never ending. Especially since it was a wet weekend. I will probably be doing laundry until the middle of the week. Yuck!

On another note...I found out that the cousin of hubby's who is due in March will be having a girl! So no worries about having another boy in the family with the same name as our son! :)

I am beginning to feel the joys of pregnancy. I can no longer sleep comfortably through the night and all throughout the day my back (right below my shoulder blade) kills me. Especially if I sit for too long. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being pregnant, but I think I need to go and get a nice massage somewhere :) Sound like a plan?? I think so! lol

I will be posting pictures of Baby Aiden's room here soon! I now have time to actually take some pictures :) so they will be up here as soon as possible! Maybe this evening, so stay tuned!!

25 Weeks Today!

I can't believe how fast time is going by! Pretty soon I will be in the double digits!! :) I am so excited about this whole experience. It has been absolutely fantastic. I think I have been pretty blessed feeling as good as I have.

Baby K's room is all painted!! I can't wait until we have our shower and can get everything else set up. We still need to get blinds and a new light fixture for the room, but other than that, we are set to go! I can't wait until all the baby stuff starts rolling in! I had been holding off on buying anything, but I think I am going to start shopping the sale racks for clothes (especially for next fall and winter). Of course, the one thing that hubby has already made sure the baby has, is a Colts warmup suit. Go figure :) Who knows, we might have a Super Bowl baby! lol.

I will post pics of the nursery as soon as I can. This week has been busy with getting things ready for Marching Band State Finals. I know that Saturday is going to be an emotional day for me and my Seniors. I started instructing them when they were just little freshmen :( They have grown so much in four years!

I still can't believe how fast time has gone. Here in the next few months we will be holding our son in our arms. Wow.

The Most Amazing Experience

Hubby was finally able to feel our little peanut on Saturday!! We were waiting for the band to start heading to warm-up and Baby K started doing a little dance. So, I hurriedly opened my coat and had him stick his hand to my belly. At that exact moment, Baby K kicked a few times. Hubby's face lit up! You would have thought it was Christmas (he goes nuts for Christmas Day). His exact words "that is the coolest thing ever!!" It was so awesome for him to finally get to feel our little boy.

We don't see each other a whole lot, so times together are extra special right now. He is on vacay this week :) We picked out our paint for the nursery and he was going to start on it today! He is so excited about it too.

I think I am going to have a soccer player too by the way. I feel like he has already bruised one of my ribs from kicking. Especially since it's around the same area where he is normally kicking up a storm. I absolutely love the feeling though. It makes me smile every time I feel him kick.

On another note....our band is going to State Finals!!!! Yay!!! I am so proud of the kids for working so hard the past couple weeks. We were 2nd coming out of our Semi-State compared to the Top 20 bands in Indiana. Only 10 move on to State Finals. So exciting!!! One more week of practicing and perfecting what we already have!! :)

23 week 5 day Appointment!

We had another Dr. appointment yesterday :) Everything went great. However, the nurse was concerned again that I had some sugar in my urine (could have been from that grape jelly I had for breakfast...), but my Dr. did not seem too concerned.

I am measuring right at 24 weeks, which is great because that means I am right on target! When my Dr. was searching for the heartbeat, Baby K decided he wanted nothing to do with that. He definitely tried to kick the doppler away a couple different times, but we finally got a good read and he has a nice strong heartbeat! He's gonna be a feisty little one ;)

Last night, the indigestion kicked in, and it was bad. It probably did not help that I did not get home until after 10 and then ate something (because I am always starving). I regret eating those spaghettios. I didn't think it was ever going to go away. Anyone have any suggestions on what foods you can eat that won't cause indigestion? I need all the advice I can get! :)

Lastly...I was going to go get the dreaded H1N1 shot yesterday at our local health department, but found out that people were getting there 3 hours in advance of when the clinic actually started, therefore by 2pm (when it was supposed to start) they were already out of all the vaccines they had. Over 500 people in line, but only 330 doses? That's all they were shipped. No telling when they will get more in. I was very leary of getting the vaccine, but after speaking with my Dr., he said that the risks of not getting the vaccine are much worse than getting the vaccine. Pregnant women are more susceptible to being hospitalized and the mortality rate is really flipping high. That definitely scares the sh*t out of me at this point. I just wish they were getting more of the vaccine out there. Well, hopefully I will get it one of these days, sooner than later.

That's all I have right now. Oh, the band made it to Semi-State after Regionals last weekend! So, hopefully there will be a whole other week of practicing for State after this weekend! The kids are really working hard right now! Until next time!

Name Wars...

Okay...I have to vent. I am a little perterbed at the moment with one of hubby's cousins. Hubby and I have had a name picked out pretty much since we were married for a boy. So, as luck would have it, we are being blessed with a boy. Well, I have the joy of finding out through FB that a cousin, who is not due until March (mid-late) has decided to use the exact same name as us. Upon mentioning the fact that hubby and I had decided on that name also, I am basically told that they will not be changing the name, with a nice little non-chalant "sorry Meg".

Call me a bitch and a little selfish, but I'm ticked. I guess the good thing is that our little bundle of joy will be born at least a month ahead of theirs. Really, I did not think we were going to have to worry about something like this. Lucky me huh?? So...any suggestions? Because the name we have picked out hubby and I have been set on FOREVER. I mean, 3 years, seriously.

Need I say more?? Other than, we worked our asses off to get pregnant, literally, and they get an "oops! now we need to get married sooner". Yea, I'm a bitch, I know :) lol. But it's justified right??

Update!! :)

I am really slacking in the posting department!! So sorry about that!! Things are moving along so fast around here and I have been so incredibly busy, it's been crazy!

I began a new job on October 1 with the same agency that I have been with since May of 2006. It has been ridiculous! It's a brand new program so therefore we have been bombarded with phone calls to get people in to determine their eligibility. It's a great program, but when people hear "free" money, they come out of the woodwork.

So, not only have I started this new job, but marching band has taken over my life outside of my normal work week. We are practicing at least 3 nights a week now and we are getting into the final weeks, which are usually the most intense since we have to cram changes in so quickly. I feel like my time is literally flying by!!

I have another Dr. appointment on Tuesday morning :) I will be getting close to 24 weeks! Which means, I will have to do a glucose test before too long. I am getting bigger, finally :) lol. I have noticed within the past week or so a difference. And...he is kicking. They are getting stronger, but you can't always feel them from the outside just yet. Every so often I can, but hubby has yet to be able to feel them. I can't wait for that day! Hopefully here before too long!

We finally started to register a couple weeks ago. We spent an hour and a half in B.ab.ies R. U.s and only got through maybe half of the store. We still have so much to register for and I have no idea when we are going to finish!! I would really like to finish soon, but with hubby on 2nds, we can't go through the week. I also would really like for us to take some classes through the hospital so that we are a little more prepared for this baby to come :) however, I have no idea when we are going to have time to do that! I really want to take the breastfeeding class, so i am thinking that will have to be done on my own. Ah!

Well, need to get back to my busy crazy job! Will update again soon!!

It's A.........

BABY!!!!!! hehe :) You know I am going to have to keep you in suspense until closer to the end right?? Sorry it's so late that I am updating, but today has been crazy!!! Left our training in Indy around 1:30, got home about 5:30 (had to stop to eat and potty), got home home 5:45, put my stuff down and headed to the school for band practice. I probably should have just stayed home, but of course, that would have been the sensible thing to do! Well, without further ado, I now introduce to you Baby K!! Baby K was very cooperative and photogenic for the ultrasound tech :)

The tech was able to get all of the measurements that she was needing for the entire Anatomy Scan. Baby K weighs 13 oz right now with a nice strong heartbeat of 142 bpm. I found out that I gained 5 more lbs in the last 4 weeks making a total of 6 lbs. I have really popped out again the last week and a half. I know, I need to post some progress pictures. If I had some, I would...but I don't. I need to take some :)

So, as I said, Baby K was being very cooperative for the tech and she decided that she was going to take all kinds of pictures. Really wish she would have given me a few more than what she did, but oh well! Needless to say, hubby was really excited when she scanned to this...

It's a boy!!! I wish everyone could have seen hubby's face :) it was priceless. He was grinning from ear to ear! And yes, I am super happy too! I honestly just wanted to make sure the baby is healthy and he seems to be doing really well in there!! After the tech got all the measurements she was needing, he decided that he had enough and started kicking up a storm :)

I have definitely been able to feel him a lot more within the past few days. He is getting stronger by the day. He really starts to get wound up when I lay down to go to sleep (of course) and after I have a full belly. So, here is one more shot of his cute little profile! Oh yea, and I am now at the 20 week mark!!

It's Finally here!!!!!

Today is the day!!!! We will "hopefully" get to find out what our little peanut will be!!! Boy or girl?? Ah, it's so exciting!! I won't be able to update my blog until Thursday evening though...I'm sorry :( I will be out of town for work starting this evening until Thursday evening. It makes me a little sad, because hubby had taken a personal day in order to celebrate, but we can't. Oh well, there will be plenty of time for celebrating the rest of the pregnancy!

Hubby picked up our crib on Saturday! Yay! We spent maybe 45 minutes yesterday afternoon putting it together :) It's beautiful! Now, we just need a mattress. Oh yea, and our chest and dresser :) It's so pretty!! I can't wait to start painting the nursery and putting things up, what little we have so far...lol.

I think that Blaze is starting to sense that things are changing in our house. Just since yesterday, while putting up the crib, he has decided that the nursery is a nice place to be. We found him a couple times later in the evening just laying on the floor (very unusual for him) in the room. Then this morning while I was getting ready for work, he decided that he would lay in there on the floor again. Yes, this is odd. One, he very rarely lays on the floor. If he is laying down it's either on the couch or our bed. Two, he very rarely goes in the spare bedroom (nursery) unless he has lost his ball or we are in there for something.

The other thing that I have noticed, he has been following me around the house like crazy. It doesn't matter where I go or what I am doing, he is right there. Not only is he following me, but he is wanting to have his head pressed against my belly if I am standing still. This has all begun within the past week or so. He is a very smart Great Dane, so I know he senses something. It is just amazing to me :)

And lastly, the marching band and my guard girls are doing so awesome!! We have been 1st place at all three contests the past two Saturdays and Best Guard at two of them! :) I am so proud of these kids! It's going to be a great season! One of my girls took a baby bump picture, so I will have to try to post it if possible sometime.

So, sorry I will be keeping everyone in suspense until Thursday...but I promise I will let you know then what we are having!!

Only one week!!

At exactly one week from today, almost to the minute we will be "hopefully" finding out whether we are having a boy or a girl. I am so excited, I can't hardly contain myself!!

Also...I am switching programs in my agency! It's fabulous news, because I have been wanting to head in a different direction for a while now, but jobs are so few and far between down here that I hadn't been able to find anything. At least I will be exploring a different avenue. Still working with homeless, but no longer the ones who are extremely hard to deal with (which puts a lot of stress on me at times). So I am excited about that!

We had our first day of Marching Band contests on Saturday! The kids did fantastic!!! We were at two different local high schools. We placed 1st at both, winning Best Drum Major in the morning and then Best Percussion and Best Colorguard in the evening!! I am so proud of my girls! Granted, it's the beginning of the season, and we still have LOTS to do, but they did a fantastic job! I think threatening them in the morning that they were going to make me go into early labor if they didn't get with the program may have worked ;) (of course, I was only kidding!)

I was so exhausted by the end of the day on Saturday that I passed out when I went to bed. I was up at 4 am and didnt get to bed until about 11:30 that evening. Talk about a long day! But it was worth it at the end :) I will post some pics when I get a chance!

18 week update!

I'm still not quite totally positive, but I think that it may have happened. At least most of the day yesterday (wednesday). I mean, it could be something else, but I have never felt this sensation before and as often as I have the past couple of days. Yes, that's right, I believe that I am finally feeling Baby K's little flutters!! I think I felt them a lot yesterday because I was at my desk for most of the day working on paperwork and not out and about moving around.

It's truly amazing. I have been trying to concentrate as much as I can on every little thing happening, but it's hard to distinguish at first if I really did feel the baby or if it's just something I ate for lunch. I am almost positive that I am feeling the little peanut :) Really and truly awesome.

So we only have a little over a week before we get to see Baby K again. I can't wait!!! We are both so excited!! Today marks 18 weeks, so we are almost halfway there. It's craziness.

Back to the work week...with lots to update!

Just a little update to start off the week. I know it's Tuesday, but it feels like Monday with it having been a long weekend. Of course, they are never long enough though are they?? I actually was able to have a 4 day weekend, which was nice. We went camping at a local park. Had some pretty crazy storms, but overall managed to not get too soaked :) Yay for that!

I am FINALLY wearing maternity pants! Yes, I am excited about this because I was miserable most of the weekend having to keep my pants partially unbuttoned and wear a bellaband. Those things really are not that comfortable to me. So, yay for being able to wear pants! And, I actually found some that are long enough for my long legs! Whoo hoo! Always a plus!

Hubby and I ventured into B.ab.y's .R. U.s yesterday after getting home and unpacking. We ordered baby furniture!! So exciting!! I finally found some that I really, really like! We only ordered two pieces for now, but plan to order the final one here in a month or so. A sneak peak?? Oh sure...please go here to see the crib and go here to see the dresser. We will be ordering the other dresser/changer in the near future. I am so excited!! I love it!! We should be good to go with the furniture. There will be plenty of dresser drawers for baby's clothes and I am sure other items!

Also, my MIL is on the ball with planning my shower. She already has a date booked with their church in December. And can you believe how close that actually is?? Hubby keeps talking about Christmas (it's, of course, his favorite holiday) and how it's all about the baby this year. And I totally agree. I think when I start getting asked what I would like for Christmas, I am going to say, "Please see our Registry at..." or "Size...diapers" lol. It works for me! :)

So...there is lots to start thinking about soon! We will find out (hopefully) in two weeks what we are having! Two weeks from today to be exact! Then we will be able to start registering. Yay!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week. I am gearing up for our first contests on Saturday. We still have lots to accomplish before then...I feel like we are really far behind right now. Busy week ahead!

A little survey! :) Thought it looked fun

For your viewing pleasure and in light of the 17 week marker, I am posting a little survey/questionnaire. I have seen this done on several other pregnancy blogs and it's really cute, so here is a little bit of info for your viewing pleasure!!



How far along? 17 weeks today!!!
Total weight gain/loss: As of my last appointment, I had only gained 1 lb. I am pretty sure that will change with the next appointment!
Maternity clothes? I am only wearing tops so far, but I probably should be wearing pants. I have a bellaband that I am currently wearing with my pants and it's working alright. I'm not sure that I really like it though. I just haven't been able to find any pants that fit me well. I don't have that much of a butt and I have long legs....so it makes it a little challenging.
Sleep: Well...with my husband and 140lb Great Dane in bed, it isn't going so well. I bought a body pillow and the one night that Blaze stayed at his Grandma and Grandpa's (we were getting our new carpet) I slept wonderfully!! I am always tossing and turning and trying to make sure I don't sleep on my back (not cool). It's a process.
Best moment this week: I think I have finally found baby furniture that I like!! Whoo hoo!! and it's not crazy expensive! :)
Movement: I am not really sure yet. I am thinking that I have felt something, but I'm not sure. And I usually only notice it in the evenings when I have settled down and when I am just laying down to go to sleep. I think I am doing too much during the day to notice anything yet :) I am getting so excited!!
Gender: We hope to be finding out at our Anatomy Scan! Which is scheduled for September 21st. Everyone keeps calling it a boy, so my guard girls and I are calling it a girl :)
Labor signs: Um, nada. Definitely too early...and lets keep it that way!
What I miss: Sunkist the best orange soda ever!!
What I am looking forward to: September 21, purchasing baby furniture, registering!
Weekly wisdom: Naps are fantastic when you actually get to take them!! :)
Milestones: I am in the 2nd trimester! Yay!! And almost to the halfway point!!

My hubby...is going to be a wonderful daddy

We only have 3 more weeks until our Anatomy scan!! I can't wait to see our beautiful baby on the screen again :) And, of course, we will hopefully be finding out the sex!! I am soo excited for the day to come! I am sure the three weeks are going to drag, but then again, things will be picking up at work (I am hopefully moving into a new position! yay!) and Marching Band contests begin on the 12th! So, I am sure it will actually end up coming really quickly.

We spent the afternoon over at my mom and dad's yesterday. I love my mom's home cooked meals. We had beef roast with potatoes, cooked carrots, green beans, rolls, and one of my faves, cottage cheese :) lol. Yum, it was delicious! My mom and dad were watching my brother's kids (my neice, 5, and nephew, 2). My nephew had fallen asleep on the way home from church, so arrived to the table late after a nap. When told that he had to eat before going outside, he only wanted to sit on his Uncle's lap and eat. And of course, decided that his Uncle G needed to help him eat his carrots, so he decided to shove one in his mouth :)

After lunch, we took the kiddos to the park down the street from my parents. My nephew, again, only wanted to hold his uncle G's hand walking down the street. It's a beautiful sight, seeing a grown man pretty much do anything for a little one. Hubby was like a big kid playing with my neice and nephew. One main comment that was made, from hubby, " I can't wait til our baby gets here and I can do all of this with him/her as he/she gets older." My response, "You are going to be an awesome daddy".

I was literally teary-eyed a couple times watching him play with my niece and nephew. It was fabulous. Now, if we can just make a decision on baby furniture ;).

15 week Dr. appointment

I had my Dr. appointment this morning. Not much more to update. I have only gained 1 lb. My Dr. doesn't seem to worried about it at this point. I had a little bit of sugar in my urine, but he didn't seem too concerned about that right now either. I guess they will monitor me every appointment just to make sure until my Glucose test is done.

We got to hear the heartbeat again, which was at a steady 150 bpm. I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally found it. The baby is up a little higher than what he had thought when he was first trying to listen.

We go back on the 21st of September for the Anatomy Scan!! Yay!! The next four weeks are going to creep by soooo slowly! We are really ready to find out what we are having. Come on September!! :)

A little background for ICLW

I'm thinking that maybe I should give a little background in case people dont want to search for it on my blog :) I know we are already a couple days into ICLW, but I feel like I need to let you all in (for those who don't normally read) on our "little journey".

It's obviously been a rough ride. There are parts that I hope I never have to go back to. I know that our journey has not been as rough as others, but we have faced our own battles. We are all, unfortunately, in this together at some point or another. I am sure that I have lost a few readers along the way now that I have crossed that rickety old bridge and made it to the other side. However, I know that I will NEVER be a normal pregnant woman. I will have that fear throughout my whole pregnancy of 'what if'. So, on with our journey.

Hubby and I started TTC about 2 months after we were married. Looking back, I am sooo glad we started when we did, because we would have never discovered our issues as soon as we did.

My Gynecologist first put me on the Clomid challenge after having me chart my BBT for a few months. When that didn't work, I was referred to my RE. My RE did the basic testing and sent me for an HSG. Which, ended up being not so successful. I was then scheduled for a Laparoscopy/Hysteroscopy where I was diagnosed with Endometriosis (March 08). The plan? IUI cycles. We were only able to do two cycles because our Insurance did not cover IF. We then found that hubby had abnormal morphology. One more thing to add to our list.

Since we were out of funds, we could not move on to IVF. We decided to take a break. Of course, my cycle decided to be a pain in the butt again in April. I was put on Prometrium to get things back on track. Two weeks later, still nothing. Prometrium for a second time. Positive blood test on June 26th. Really? Yea, we were in total shock.

So, here we are today. In the middle of my 15th week and still so extremely excited and blessed. Honestly, I still can't believe that it finally happened for us, after 2 1/2 years. As I said earlier, I know that 2 1/2 years is not that long, but it was a struggle. A struggle to deal, to get out of bed and face the day sometimes. I will always be IF. I have been there, I understand. And it sucks. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It takes you through Hell and back and sometimes you are there several different times. I am still fighting for everyone else who is fighting their own battle.

15 weeks!!

We have another week under our belts! Whoo hoo!!! It feels good to say that we are almost to the point of knowing what we will be having and also to the point of feeling my little peanut give some little flutters :) I am pretty excited about that.

Dr. appointment on Tuesday. I have absolutely no idea what they are going to do. It would be really nice to get an ultrasound, but I'm not sure they will be doing one. We will see!

The constant financial worrying

I am getting to the point where I am starting to worry a little bit. My worry mostly comes about when I am dealing with our finances. Shocking right? I think we all worry about finances at some time or another in our lives.

It feels like things just keep adding up and our savings just keeps slowly dwindling down. And of course, we decided that we needed to get new carpet in most of the house, so that is taking a nice little chunk of our money out of savings. I don't like that feeling.

I have always had a fear of not being able to make ends meet and end up where my parents did my freshman year of college. Losing our home. I know that we just need to start saving a little bit more and we will be fine, but it is a constant fear that I have. It's hard to shake when you have lived through losing your childhood home and everything you thought was safe.

Hubby and I have worked hard to make sure we are living the life that we wanted. I want to start working even harder because now we have to prepare for this little one to enter our lives. I am excited about the new carpet :) I know that it is something we needed to do before the baby arrives. It will be in next Wednesday!

We received an unexpected check in the mail from hubby's life insurance the other day, which was nice because we are going to use that toward baby furniture. We also have been saving up our change and are going to put that toward the furniture also. So, that will be less that will have to come out of our paychecks and/or savings! That makes me really happy.

Now, if I can just start giving my hubby an allowance every week, we might be able to save a little bit more money. You think I can get away with that?? ;)

14 Weeks Today!

If you have looked at my ticker, you will see that today marks my 14 weeks. The end of the first trimester and on to the second :) I'm excited. I'm ready for that time when everyone says you get a second wind once the second trimester starts. Hmm....day one and I am not feeling it yet...lol. We shall see!

I still get super hungry in between meals. I have been drinking lots of milk and orange juice (yay for me!) and eating lots of fruit. I need to work on eating a little bit healthier at meal times. Im trying...but it's hard when you have a limited amount of time to fix something at most meals.

I received a notice in the mail Tuesday that my appointment for the 19th was cancelled due to my Dr. not being in the office. So of course, when I call, they have nothing left for the rest of the week and now I have to wait until the 25th to see him again. I just want to know that the little guy/girl is doing alright.

We are putting in new carpet in the house. I had a family friend come out and do measurements and prices for me last night and it's really not too bad. I'm actually kind of excited that hopefully we wont have to worry about Blaze's nails getting caught in the loops and making any more snags :) Whoo hoo! We have had a huge run in the middle of our living room floor (covered by an area rug) for at least 2 1/2 years now made from Blaze having fun with a snag. And the carpet we have right now is almost white. So, of course, stains show up waaaaay too easily. Yay for a new project!!

We had two more pregnancy announcements over the weekend on DH's side of the family. However, both are apparently only a few weeks along. And Sunday night, when we got home, we found out that one has already lost hers. She's just now a senior in high school...my thoughts will stay to myself on that one.

So...this Christmas will be super busy for DH's dad's side of the family. B will have her baby!!!! (Ah, soooo excited for them!!!) We have one that was born about 2 months ago and then three of us will be expecting. It will be a madhouse, but in a good way, hopefully! :)

Not much else to report...colorguard is keeping me busy yet again! Our practices are in full swing now and the show is coming along pretty well! It's definitely giving me exercise!

Anxiously awaiting the next appointment...

Life has been a little crazy around here lately. Sorry I haven't updated for a while! Last week I was consumed with teaching colorguard for our band camp the entire week. Every night that I came home, I was so exhausted I didn't even hardly get on the internet.

Things are staying about the same. I made sure to not overdue it last week in the warm sun and the booster parents were pretty good about making sure I was taking care of myself.

Hubby is ready to start buying our furniture. Me? I'm still a little hesitant. He was adament about going to T.ar.get yesterday and getting at least a crib, well, it didn't happen. They have run out of the furniture that we had picked out and are discontinuing it. I still would like to wait a little bit longer before we make any big purchases of baby things. It makes me nervous and very anxious.

I just can't seem to get over the nervous feeling. Also, the anxiety that something I have done or not done has caused something to go wrong and I just don't know it yet. It's a constant nagging fear that I do not enjoy. I will never be a normal fertile person. I don't think it's possible. As many others have said, even though we move on to pregnancy we never forget where we came from and everything we have been through. It's still extremely scary and nerve wrecking not knowing from appointment to appointment what is going on.

I don't go back to my OB until August 19th. That's a long way away. I will be almost 15 weeks by then. Only one day shy. I got the impression that we won't find out what we are having until I go in for the 20 week Anatomy scan.

I am still wearing my normal clothes. I really need to take pictures of my belly because it has grown, but not a whole lot. Still just a little bit of a pooch. Nothing major.

Well, I do believe that is it for now. I'm trying to make sure that I have as little stress as possible in my life at this point. I am now back to my regular big kid job today...blah! I still need a change. We shall see...

First OB Appt

Was extremely uneventful...I totally thought that he would check on the baby with an ultrasound since he had never actually seen or heard it just to make sure everything is coming along swimmingly...but apparently not. I hadn't had my yearly exam since last July, so he of course had to do one. He said that he wouldn't be able to hear the heartbeat without the actual ultrasound, so he didn't even try.

I got lots of new Mom information about the hospital and insurance stuff (ugh!) and another book to read through, but other than that, uneventful. I was definitely disappointed that nothing more was done. It makes me really worried because I don't go back for another 4 weeks. Am I worrying over nothing? Am I just being selfish because I wanted to see our baby again and make sure he/she is growing like he/she is supposed to? Maybe I should have a little more confidence in my OB, but after all that we have been through, I can't keep from having that worried feeling constantly there.

It looks like my weeks actually change on Thursdays now too. My OB looked at his little calendar and said that I will be 11 weeks on this Thursday. So...trying to keep the worrying at bay until August 19th, where hopefully we will actually get to see our little one again.

10 Weeks!!

Yes, that's right....I am 10 weeks today! I need to start posting some pictures of my belly just so I can document the changes. There hasnt been a whole lot, but I can notice a little bit of a pooch. I'm still getting sick on occasion, but usually it's not too bad. I think I might have to start looking at bras...lol. I am about to overflow the ones I have right now :)


We have my first OB appointment on Monday at 3:50pm. And it turns out, hubby is able to get off work for a few hours to go with me! Yay!! He has a pretty understanding boss, which is really nice.


And...we have already been thumbing through baby names in our book :) I told hubby last night that I would like for both of us to come up with 5 girls names and 5 boys names. That way we will have a nice variety to look at and narrow it down from there. I am sure it will take us a while to get them together, which is alright! I just want some ideas to go off of.

Okay...hopefully pictures will be coming soon, even though there isnt really a whole lot to see! :)

9 weeks 3 days :)

I haven't had a whole lot to write about recently. Things are moving along as far as I know :) I don't go back to the Dr. until Monday afternoon. Hubby won't be able to go with me this time, but I think I might actually have my Mom meet me there. I am going to venture to guess that they will be doing another ultrasound considering this is the first appointment with my OB. I am sure he will want to get a good look at everything. Well, at least I would hope. And of course, I would really like to see our little peanut again :) I am sure the growth will just be amazing!

I was given several books this weekend on pregnancy. The "What to Expect When You're Expecting", "Your pregnancy week by week", Baby Name Wizard, Belly Laughs with Jenny McCarthy (by the way, it's hilarious!!!!), and "The Expectant Father". It's great to not have to buy these for one. And, honestly I have been getting a lot of good information out of them. And as I said, the Belly Laughs book is flipping hilarious! I love it. It cracks me up :)

Hubby started reading "The Expectant Father" the night we brought it home. I was super impressed. He read all the way up to the third month. He said that it is all really interesting and was asking me all kinds of questions about the things I am feeling. He is so excited.

I have been feeling pretty good. Got sick Monday morning before I was able to eat anything, but have been alright since. When I get home from work I just want to crash on the couch for the rest of the night because I am pretty worn out. All of my pants are still fitting alright for the most part. Now, my tops on the other hand are slowly dwindling down. Not that there's anything really noticable yet, but I am not a fan of tight tops, and a lot of them are starting to get a little snug. I'm keeping my eye out for tops that arent maternity, but are cheap and hide the middle :) at least somewhat for a little bit.

8 weeks 5 days!!! And my 3 year Anniversary!

The ultrasound went fantastic today!! The baby is measuring 8 weeks 5 days. We got to hear the nice strong heartbeat again at 187bpm. My RE told me it was time to head out the door and graduated me to my OB (who is just right down the hall). We also got to see the baby move!!!!! It was so incredibly awesome!!! It was just a tiny flicker of where the leg buds and the rear are, but we got to see it!! Ah!!

I have been given a due date of February 11th. A little Valentine baby :) I had an appointment for my yearly exam already scheduled for the 20th of July, so I was able to head down there and let them know the good news and just switch the yearly to an OB! It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders for the time being. By then, I will be a few days past 10 weeks.

I have also figured out that if I don't let myself get too hungry, I can keep the nausea down to a minimum. I think that's why I didn't have any issues over the weekend because there was always food available and I was almost always snacking on something. I am going to try to keep food with me at all times from now on. That means I need to find more healthy foods that I can snack on. I have been snacking on a peanut butter sandwich throughout today and it seems to have helped.

Hubby and I have been married for 3 years today! He is my best friend and I love him so much! We couldn't have asked for a better anniversary gift!! :)

Losing my cookies....again :)

I was doing so well!! And then I think I jinxed myself. I have been feeling pretty sick since yesterday late morning. Couldn't even eat breakfast this morning because too much time was spent in the bathroom...so I am eating Honey Nut Cheerios as we speak :) It's actually nice to have the sickness back because it makes me feel a little bit better about the baby. The other thing that I noticed yesterday was how exhausted I was. I had to cut guard practice an hour short because I really just was not up to being there for 3 hours. I feel pretty rested so far today, so we shall see how the rest of the day goes :)

I have been itching to put up a ticker of some kind that says how far along I am, but I don't think I am ready to do that yet. Maybe after this week's appointment? Eh, we'll see. Anyone have any thoughts on this??

Hubby and I are celebrating our 3 year anniversary tomorrow (Wednesday)!!!!!! Yay!!!!! And, our next ultrasound is tomorrow :) It should make for a decent day. At least we will get to have lunch together somewhere!

Back from Camping!

Well, we are back from a long weekend of camping. We did a lot of relaxing. We only went on one long trail walk, but it wasnt too bad. I was pretty worn out by the end, but other than that, felt pretty good. I took lots of naps midafternoon. And...huge accomplishment, I didn't get sick all weekend! Whoo hoo!!

The weekend was pretty good, other than on the 4th when it rained for most of the day. That was not so much fun. My two oldest nephews stayed the night with us Friday night, which was fun and amusing. They played in the rain for most of the morning Saturday. My in-laws got them all hyped up on sugar and then we took them home to my Mom and Dad :) Hehe.

As of today, I should be around 8 weeks pregnant. I am extremely nervous for this week's appointment on Wednesday. There is always a fear in the back of my mind now. I try to keep praying that all will be alright, but with everything that we have gone through, it's really hard. So, if everyone could just keep praying with me, that would be awesome. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!!!

Whoo hoo!!! A four day weekend!!

So, I am officially taking off work tomorrow. I will be sleeping in (hopefully) and getting ready for our camping trip. Hubby and I will be able to go early and set everything up and then enjoy the rest of the day. I am ready for this 4 day weekend! It should be great. It's been in the lower 80's here, which is fantastic because it will make for a great weekend with the weather not being very hot.

My "morning" sickness is back. I can't really refer to it as morning sickness though, because it hits me at different times of the day. It hit me last night and I now know to stay away from Cheeseburgers. It also hit me this morning right after taking my vitamin. However, there will be no complaints from this blog!! I welcome all the symptoms! Now, if I can just finish a meal! I can only make it about halfway through and then I can't eat any more, even though I am pretty much starving by meal time. Its a little strange actually...

Well, this will probably be the last post until we get back from camping on Sunday. Then we will only have a few more days before our next ultrasound!! I can't wait!! Until then...everyone have a fun and safe 4th of July!!!!

4th of July

I am excited about this weekend. It will be our first camping trip this year. I love camping. We are heading over there Thursday night and staying until Sunday. It should be a nice long weekend and I am excited to get away for a little bit. I also love the fact that it's a short week...and I'm thinking about taking a Personal day on Thursday so we can get set up early and relax the rest of the day.

I am extremely exhausted right now. I pretty much slept through my alarm this morning, not realizing that I had turned it off a couple of times :) Oops! I have been feeling pretty good otherwise. Again.....bring on the symptoms!

I am going to take it easy as much as I can the rest of this week until next week's ultrasound. We go back on Wednesday and I was told that we might be able to see the baby actually moving on the screen next week :) Right now the pictures that I have make the baby look like a little bean. Ah! We are so excited right now...

Our First Ultrasound

We arrived promptly at 8am this morning to Dr. B's office. Of course, we are all smiles :) The ultrasound went really well. As of today, I am measuring 7 weeks. So, we got to see the strong little heartbeat at 147 bpm. Yay :) I am sooo excited!! I have another ultrasound next Wednesday at 11:30 and we will actually get to see my Dr. while we are there. The next ultrasound also falls on our 3 year Anniversary. I am still in complete shock.

Can someone please tell me what this is??

I have never seen it before and I was just curious if anyone knew what to make of this....






















I AM PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my freaking goodness!!! I am so excited I could pee my pants at this point. I am in total shock and disbelief. I got a wild hair up the rear Friday morning when I woke up because I had been noticing the past few days that I have not been feeling well. I was getting nauseous for certain hours of the day and then it would come and go throughout the rest of the day and my boobs have been pretty tender. I mean, I never would have thought this in a million years. It was my last HPT, so I figured what the hey. Seriously...is this real?


I called the Dr.'s office as soon as 8am rolled around and told them that I really needed to come in for a blood test. I went in around 10am and they called me back around 12:30pm confirming that yes, I am pregnant. I cried. Lots and lots of tears. What is my beta you might ask? Well, as of Friday it was 32,040. Wow! The nurse said she thinks that I am probably about 5 or 6 weeks along. She said since everything was so confusing we would have to see on Monday at my first ultrasound!!!


So, hubby and I go in at 8am Monday morning. Is this really happening??? Is this really it for us??? Man I hope so. We decided that we are only going to tell both of our parents at this point and make them swear to secrecy. I definitely want to give it a little bit before we tell anyone else. Well, the people who know me IRL and read my blog will know, but please, please, please don't tell anyone. I had to tell blogland because I am still in total shock.



Hubby is so funny :) He was literally shaking Friday morning when he saw the pee stick on the counter. We are sooo incredibly thankful for this. I would have posted sooner, but life has been a whirlwind the past couple days. I'm still feeling a little nauseous throughout the day and the boobs are still sore, but other than that, I am good! Bring on the symptoms!!!!!!

Sleeping like a log?

So lets all say it together now....This F-ing Sucks!! Did I grab your attention? Good! And if not, well, sorry. Keep reading. You might find something interesting about this post :)

Quick update from the other day. I had to go in to the Dr.'s office yesterday and have some more bloodwork done. Imagine that one. I finally heard back from their office late this afternoon close to their quitting time of 4pm. The verdict? Back on Prometrium at 200mg for 7 days this time (it was 5 days 2 weeks ago). Bleh! This stuff makes me extremely tired. I mean, I have no idea my husband has climbed in bed with me when he gets home around 12amish. Nope. He talks to me and apparently I talk back, but have absolutely no recollection of said conversation. I even smacked his face away from me one night (hmm....lol).

I guess the positive is that I sleep really, really well and actually feel rested when I wake in the mornings. The negative is it makes me feel extremely bloated, almost like I did when I was injecting Gonal-F. And of course, the abuse of hubby. Again, bleh!

My Dr. (or nurse) doesn't seem to be too alarmed with this all of a sudden issue I am having. My estradiol level seems to be too high for me to start a period, yet again, but they seem to not be concerned at all. I, on the other hand, am concerned. NEVER have I gone almost 70 days without having a period. It's not cool. Especially when I am getting the occasional every other day to couple days menstrual cramping. It's very frustrating.

So, its off to the meds I go. Even after I get done with these it could still take up to a week and a half to get the 'Flow'. Just bring on the damn period already!!!

Waiting for the Dr.

I am sitting here waiting for my Dr.'s office to call me back. Yesterday marked two weeks of being done with the Prometrium and still nothing. Nothing at all. I should have started by now. I was told that it would take at the most a week and a half to get the ball rolling. So, now, I sit and wait for the phone call to tell me what has to be done next. I hate waiting.

I had a wonderful weekend though :) It was nice to be able to enjoy it without having AF in the way. Hubby, Blaze, and I participated in the annual Homeward Bound Walk, to raise awareness for the Homeless, on Saturday morning. We then headed out to L.ow.e's to pick up a new outdoor high dining table and bar stool set. We cleaned out our camper on Sunday in preperation for our July 4th outing. We were then able to grill out and enjoy our new dining set for the evening. It was nice to be able to just relax for most of the weekend.

I am looking forward to having company this coming weekend! My roommate and best friend from college is coming down with her fiance' and it should be a wonderful weekend! Now, I just have to get my house cleaned up before they get here....lol.

On with the waiting...

Weezer, the crotchity one who always seems to ruin the party

Okay...I mean really. 63 days?? Who does that?? Who literally goes 63 days without having a period?!?! I know, I know, I'm preaching to the choir with some of you, so forgive me because this is just a little abnormal for me. I have been cramping off and on for the past week now, thinking that she is on her way, but nooooo. You know, as I mock her, she will probably be the biggest bitch in the world and show up at my doorstep hotter and heavier than she has ever been before. If this occurs, there WILL be a sick day involved. Sorry work, Aunt Flow decided to be the biggest bitch ever and not allow me to be able to walk today so I will be in my bed with some heavy duty painkillers and a heating pad over my aching uterus and it probably still won't do the trick. I might be in tomorrow, if you're lucky. Oh wait...she does have to get here first, right?

I'm thinking if she does not make an appearance tomorrow, Dr. B's office will be receiving a phone call. I mean, is there any other way we can force her to come for a visit? How often do we really want to see our mean old Aunty F anyway? I for one, would like to not see her for the next 9 months if it meant only one thing. And apparently you do not have to have a visit every month, but I like to keep her coming so I know what I have to work with in the end. I do not like surprises. Well, most of the time. Unless it comes in a little white stick with two little pink lines showing in the fun little window. You know, I would also take a nice + sign. Or heck, why don't you just go ahead and throw in the PREGNANT digital one. But damnit, those things are ex-pen-sive. So if you're paying, count me in ;). No? Well....damn you Aunty Flow.

Do you know who I picture when I think about Aunt Flow? The lady off of Steel Magnolias (great movie by the way). I do believe her name is Weezer? Please correct me if I am wrong. That is the face that always seems to show up when I think of Aunt Flow. Old and crotchity.

Okay, I'm done mocking her now. I seriously believe that she is going to come back and make my life a living hell. Only time will tell...

Happy Blogoversary!!!

So....as I was thinking...today is a special day! Today is my one year blogoversary!!

Lobster anyone??

I. am. sore. My legs are burnt to a crisp. They seriously are almost Lobster red. I did everything in my power to not get this way, but apparently it was not enough. Sunscreen was NOT my friend yesterday. My poor hubby is Lobster red all over. Not really sure he will be able to get out of bed today...however, I do not have much sympathy for him. He refused to put sunscreen on for most of the day. He only put it on twice.

The important thing is, we had fun. We spent some quality time with some friends out on a boat on the river. It was a really nice day, but we will both be paying dearly for the next few days. I am half tempted to head home on my lunch and put on some sweatpants :) I am in the office all day today doing notes, so it probably wouldn't be a big deal. The thought is VERY tempting.

On another note....AF is nowhere to be seen. I'm starting to get a little pissy. Okay, that started when I had to take the Prometrium to get her to come around. Now, I'm almost fuming. Literally, 60 days. This scares the crap out of me! I could be overreacting, but oh well. I'm wondering if this is a sign that my endo is back. I don't know, but it sucks.

What's that you say?? How long?? Oh you HAVE to be pregnant! No?

This has been the longest cycle that I have ever had in my life!! I'm pretty sure that I have never gone 54 days without having my period start. Maybe in like Junior High, but I am pretty sure that even with my endo I have been pretty regular. Granted there were a couple months where I was about 2 weeks late, but never have I gone this long. It's a little weird to me...


My last two Prometrium pills were taken Sunday night, so AF should be coming along any day now. I feel and look bloated, so I wish she would just get her bitchy self here already!! Or am I the bitchy one? I'm pretty sure it goes both ways, right ladies? :)


We dog sat all last week for my in-laws. She is known as the little Princess by my MIL. Let me introduce to you, Miss Chloe Lynn, AKA "Little Shit".

In all of her 6 lbs of Ocherese fury, she will put my 140 lb Great Dane in his place. Whether this involves grabbing his lip while they are playing or kicking him out of bed for the entire week because she needs her space under the covers (I kid you not, Blaze slept on the couch alllllll week long). She ate HIS food all week underneath the kitchen table. She is given water via Dixie cups and will inform you when she would like some fresh with continuous barking and growling.

Lets just say, she is high maintenance. She is my MIL's pride and joy. No offense to little dog lovers, but I for one, will NEVER have a small dog in my household :)

On to other news...oh wait, there isnt any other news. Life is just plugging along over here in Southern Indiana. Oh yes, while at a wedding, one of the guys that I grew up with and his wife informed me that they will be trying to start their family this fall. I have a feeling we will be getting another announcement really soon.....

The results are in

Well, it seems that the tests for my thyroid came back in the normal range. This, is in fact good news. My sister has Hypothyroidism and I was really hoping that I did not have another issue to add to our list of problems. So, all is clear at this time.

Now, I sit and wait until we either get pregnant on our own or come up with enough money to get us through an IVF cycle. That, could be a long time waiting.

Driving home last night from picking up my Prometrium from T.ar.get I started thinking. And you know what thinking leads to? Tears. It was the first time in a long time that I had cried over our circumstance. I quickly brushed it away and drove on.

She's still a No-Show

Well...as of today, there is still no AF. This would make it somewhere around 47ish days? I have it written down at home (Im at work). I called my Doctor yesterday because I was out of town from Wednesday til Saturday last week and they got me in for some b/w this morning first thing.

Received a phone call back around 1:15 and was told that no, I am definitely not pregnant and that my estradiol level was definitely higher than they would like to see it. So...I have to go and pick up some prometrium tonight so that we can get my cycle rolling. This will be the first time that I have taken prometrium. The last time they prescribed it, my period started the next day :) tricky little shit she is.

When my nurse called back, I informed her that we may need to check out my thyroid, just in case. My sister has a history of Hypothyroidism (which Im pretty sure I told them last year at my initial visit), but I never had any baseline lab work done. Hmmm??? So, I am supposed to be receiving a phone call back for that. They had enough blood from my draw today to be able to run the thyroid test(s) without needing more. So...Im guessing they will give me a call tomorrow.

I just want to make sure we are checking everything just in case. Which, it should have been done from the get go. Oh well. Is it Friday yet????

Well....

I did as I was told. I tested Saturday morning. Sorry I didn't post sooner, but I was extremely lazy last night :) It's still a Big Fat Freaking Negative (BFFN). That's what I am going to start using from now on. I think it's fun. And you know, when you are really super, duper pissed off you can always change out the Freaking with, well, you know. And really, if I have to spell it out for you, you obviously have not been mad enough to utter that four letter word. We all know that I have because it has shown up on my blog several different times.

So...I am asking for advice now. I have absolutely no signs that AF will be showing. I am thinking that a phone call to the Dr. if she does not show up tomorrow would probably be a good thing. Then, they can at least have that in their records, yet again. Not that it will make much of a difference in anything.

Today was b-e-a-utiful. We got some landscaping done. Always fun! The front of our house went from blah to ooooh pretty :) Now I just need to figure out what else I want to add to spruce up the color a bit. I absolutely love this time of year because I get to landscape. I plan on planting Hydrangea's on the side of our garage next. Next year, landscaping around the deck. If you would like to see pics from last year, please click here.

Did you miss me?!?!

I'm pretty sure you probably didn't. I mean, my life has just been so incredibly thrilling lately (note: sarcasm). I am a week late with AF. My red light is going off in my head. Do I think I'm pregnant? HAHAHAHAHAHA.....no. The last time that I was late having a period was before my surgery over a year ago. As I said, the emergency red light is flashing in the back of my mind. Is my endo back? Did I stop ovulating regularly again because my endo is back? It's probably partially my own fault. I am not taking BCP's like I am supposed to. I'm stubborn.



You know that I can't be anywhere near optimistic because lets face it, I suck at getting pregnant. Is that a shocker to anyone? Nope, not me. Hubby? He is filled with optimism. Damn him. He's the one that puts that little bit of hope in the back of my head when I have been trying over and over again to get it out. Again, damn him and his optimism. I guess that one of us has to have that quality though right?



We put our deposit down on the cruise we are taking next March. I am sooooo ready for a vacation! I am actually taking a few days off next week and going with my mom and grandma to Quantico, Virginia to see my brother-in-law graduate from his Officer Training. That will be a nice get-a-way. However, hubby will not be able to join, which makes me sad.



My one year blogoversary is coming up on June 8th! Whoo hoo!! Exciting stuff ;)

I'm sick. life is boring, taking a hiatus

I dont have a whole lot to blog about at the moment. Things have been normal around here other than this flipping sinus infection that I have. My nose is so raw that it has bled at times when I blow it...yuck! And ouch!!

There are so many of you out there that I keep up with daily who are doing IVF. Truthfully, I'm a little jealous. I wish that we could be going through IVF right now, but considering our lack of coverage, it's impossible. Oh well. I'm rooting for all of you.

I'm a little perterbed at the moment. My sister told me that I could borrow her 3 children at any time...on Fac.ebo.ok...for all the world to see. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even read my blog anymore, if so, sorry. I took a stupid little quiz that predicts how many children you are going to have, mine came out with 4, so my response was 'lets get #1 out first', which was not to imply that we are having issues with fertility. I get a comment from my sister for all of my 'friends' to see, that it will happen when it's the right time and that I can borrow 1,2,or 3 of her children anytime. Thanks, D, for letting everyone know my problems.

I think I am going to take a break from blogging for a while. There isn't much to write about considering we are not going through any treatments at the present. I will be reading everyone else's blogs that are on my list and commenting, but there won't be much activity for a while over here, unless we happen to win the lottery. Fat chance.