Crazy Update! Eli is here!

So I guess pictures are coming first! Here are my last pregnancy pics taken on Black Friday at 39 weeks, pictures from the hospital, and pictures from our first Sunday at church!

WOW I cant believe it has been 3 months since I have been able to blog! :(

Since the move we have not had internet and basically....cant afford it. Luckily, my mom is now just down the street...so hopefully I can be back for good! :)

So where do I start? How do I put the last 3 months into one good blog?! Well, I cant...so I'll get to the best part...my son, Elijah Joel...is HERE! He is with us! I have waited so long to be a mom and I've got to say...it is WONDERFUL! It is better than I ever dreamed! He is amazing!

So here's the story, short and sweet...

He was born Dec 1st at 3:59am. He weighed 8lbs .8oz and was 21 in long. He has a head full of dark brown hair, blue eyes, and his daddy's dimples!

On Nov. 30th I was going in for my 39 week appt. I was actually 39 weeks on black friday...but my Obs office was closed, so I had to wait til Monday. I went in and my blood pressure was elevated. They sent me to triage to be monitored. Of course, I was already 39 weeks and 3 days...so I was kinda hoping to be induced...and I was right! After being monitored for 3 hours, my DH called into work and the on call dr came in and said he thought the risk of continuing the pregnancy with the risk of preeclampsia was way worse then going ahead and starting pitocin! Alright!

So we started the pitocin at 4pm, broke my water at 6pm, started contracting and got the epidural at 8pm. It took an hour to get the epidural in. It was the most pain I have ever felt in my entire life. It felt like I was being stabbed to death. I was contracting and the stupid lady kept going way too far to the right side and it took her 3 tries to get it in. I'm still honestly not sure if it was even worth the whole one hour of no pain I got from it. I was able to sleep for 45 minutes and then the contractions started again. I should have known to ask for an increase in meds at that point even though it wasnt hurting...because by the time it was hurting I still had to wait another hour for the stupid woman to come increase my dose! But, out of the 12 hours of labor...I was really only in pain for about 3. One when the contractions first started, one for the epidural (OMG), and one when the contractions came again while waiting for the increased dose.

The pushing was my most favorite part! He was sooo head down that I pushed one time with the nurse and she told me to stop and she went to go get the dr! It took about 3 contractions and 5 minutes and he was out! The cord was wrapped around his neck, but nothing serious! Pushing didnt hurt....I actually enjoyed it! I tore, but I didnt feel it and it didnt hurt...I was sore for about a week after...but nothing too bad at all!

He made his appearance at 3:59am! He was absolutely beautiful! No problems at all!

When he was 2 days old they came in and told me he was jaundice and that I needed to start supplementing. I was VERY upset about this because I was determined to breastfeed! They hooked me up to the formula tube so we could try that while he breastfed...but I gave in and started giving him a bottle. Breastfeeding is the only thing I have cried about since he has come home. We are still supplementing, but I have started taking fenugreek to try to increase my milk supply and I'm about to take the plunge to take him off the bottle completely. It will be a struggle because I believe he has gotten used to breastfeeding first, and then getting the bottle. So when he doesnt get the bottle afterwards, he's going to be mad. So I will just have to put him back on the breast and deal with the fussing. Wish me luck!

I really hope I can still keep up with this blog...I have missed my friends! Brooke and B MoM...I cannot believe I have missed the tail end of you journeys! I really felt so bonded with you guys since we were so close in our pregnancies. B, Kaua is GORGEOUS! And Brooke...I cannot wait to see Colton! Your maternity pics are BEAUTIFUL! I wish I had had some done, but you make an absolutely gorgeous pregnant lady! :) I have missed you guys so much!

Catching Up

Well...seems I have a lot to catch up on here! It feels like I NEVER have the time to update!

So where to start? Let's start at my appointment on Wednesday....

I was sooooo irritated with this appointment. My app was at 10:30am. DH and I got there at 10:20am. We watched every person that was there before go back. Then we watched everyone that came in AFTER us go back. It was 11:05am before we got called back. My drs office moved floors and so they have been in a big adjustment. But come on! The lady did my weight...thats a whole 'nother problem...and sent my DH to another waiting room while I peed in a cup. Then she took me back to the room at took my blood pressure, which was good...as usual. Without DH. After doing all this, then she goes to get him. Then we wait. Not too long...but a good 10 minutes. I was meeting the other midwife with my practice for the first time. I did NOT like her at ALL! This was my appointment...play by play...

Midwife: Hello!

Me: Hi!

Midwife: I'm Sharon, nice to meet you!

Me: Nice to finally meet you too!

Midwife: I see you've already had your Rhogam shot...why so early?

Me: I came in for another U/S for pictures of his heart and I guess they just thought lets go ahead and get it over with!

Midwife: Ok great! (Feels my tummy, starts the doppler...)

(HEARTBEAT, HEARTBEART, HEARTBEAT)

Midwife: Ok heartrate is in the 140s and we like it between 120 and 160..so thats good. Ok, see you in 2 weeks!

Me: Um, actually I am really concerned about the sudden swelling I have had in my hands and face and feet and my rapid weight gain all of a sudden.

Midwife: (Looking at my chart, not my feet, hands, or face) Well, you've gained a total of 36 pounds so far, so youre pushing it. We dont really like to see it over 40. When its over 40 there is an increased risk for (x,y,z...blah blah blah.) Plus there was no protein in your urine and your blood pressure is great...so it's most likely nothing.

Me: Well, actually my starting weight on this chart is NOT where I normally am. It's almost 10 pounds under where I am normally.

Midwife: Ok, well, around 26 pounds then you just want to be careful. Are you drinking a lot of juice or soda?

Me: I drink apple juice a lot. No soda.

Midwife: Ok, well cut out the juice completely because its empty calories and walk 3 times a week.

Me: Well, my concern is that NOTHING has changed in my diet and exercise...my job is very active working with kids, I dont just sit there and get fat. My weight gain has been good so far with just 2-4 pounds a month and then all of a sudden 6 pounds at each of my last 2 appointments!

Midwife: Just cut out the juice and make sure youre exercising. See you in 2 weeks!

Me: Um, is it ok if I try to get back on Friday appointments? Would you prefer that I do one week 1/2 appointment or let the next one go 2 1/2 weeks?

Midwife: 2 1/2 weeks should be fine, just call if you have more than 4 contractions in an hour. You're not having bad contractions are you?

Me: Um, no, I dont think so.

Midwife: Ok, then 2 1/2 weeks it is!

(and out she goes)

I was FREAKING PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told DH if she was looking at my chart she would SEE that I have PCOS and that works against me weight wise...should I go back on Metformin? My favorite nurse midwife told me it didnt matter if I did or not, so I'm thinking if I have another grand weight gain at my next appointment, I'm going to go back on it. But seriously, stop drinking juice and exercise?!?! Come on! Oh, I forgot to mention that during the doppler I asked her how big he was and she said there was too much fluid to tell and it was too early. Um, 29 1/2 weeks is too early to give me an estimate?! She said normally at 29 weeks they are about 3 pounds. I said he was already 2 pounds at my U/S at 24 1/2 weeks. (Do the math...that was 5 weeks ago) And she says "Then he's probably about 3 or 4 pounds now.

Ok...moving on. My next appointment is now Oct 9th at 32 weeks. I am 30 weeks today. My aunt and I had lunch together the other day to make baby shower plans! It will be at her church's basement (same as my bridal shower) on Oct. 11th. We are also making it a family shower...so its co-ed. That means DH will be there and my 2 best friends can come...and basically a bunch of guys can come too! I'm really excited! As many people as we are inviting (Im only having this ONE shower...so we're trying to get EVERYONE in) it is going to be a blast! I just desperately need to update our registry! We only have like 5 things on it! I got soooo worn out when we tried to do it in the store...so I'm just gonna try to do it online. I can't wait!

Housing situation update...we are now going to try to talk to the mortgage company and see if they will work with us. With DH and I both working the jobs we are now we can make payments. The only downside is I will NOT be working soon...so needless to say we are still looking at rental houses and are actually going to see 2 more this weekend. After all this drama I finally talked to MIL for the first time in like a month. I have been so resentful of her for not giving us the rental house. But she called and left a message for me to tell DH something, so I called her to let her know that I would tell him and then she just wanted an update on the little one.

Work has finally settled down. My boss is not nearly being as big a b*tch as she was before because I am looking more and more pregnant. Plus, all the little kids can feel Eli move on the outside, so of course she had to feel too...there is something so awkward about so many people touching your belly at once...but it was funny. I am just hoping and praying that I can really make it to Thanksgiving break. We REALLY need the money. Unless I am put on strict bedrest for some reason...or actually HAVE THE KID before then...then I am working right up until my EDD. Ugh...even though I want to quit NOW. lol

I am quite exhausted. My feet hurt and my hands hurt from swelling so badly. My heartburn is so bad I have it almost 24/7. I am taking Zantac 150...not 75. I was just taking ONE at night to get me through the night and then using milk to make is subside during the day. But today when I woke up it was SO BAD I took a pill AND threw up. And drank a ton of milk through the day at work. Those little 4 oz milks from school cafeterias are amazing! :)

So not much more to report here except that DH and I are just doing sooo much better stress wise...not that anything has changed to make the stress go away...just that we're learning to deal with it better. I just want some answers. So please continue to pray for us...and BMoM, thanks for all the links! I studied them intently! That is, in fact, how we have come to terms with the fact that maybe, just maybe, we can keep the house!

Now I will leave you with my 29 week belly pic. I havent taken my 30 week one yet today...that will come next time!

So Tired!

Well, I missed my dr appointment this morning. Actually, DH and I had a "morning in." LOL! We were both SO tired! I just called to reschedule. I just couldnt go...drive and wait...for only 10 minutes with the dr. Ugh. So I will go next week.

I have been working A TON of hours. Now, to most people my "ton" is not nearly a lot. I work 4 hours a day. 20 a week. Not much. But ohhhhh....its enough for me!

I have to have 2o hours of training a year. These training hours are coming due at the end of October. I work for a DHS approved child care center. So these are pretty important. I had only worked since May though...I had to take off from Jan to May for my internship with school. I worked all summer at a different center, our center was closed for the summer because we didnt have enough students. So needless to say...I have no gotten ANY hours. So all of a sudden I have a new boss (a previous coworker) and she informs me that I have 2 months to get all 20 hours of training. It has been incredibly stressful. She has been in the same job position as me (co workers), an assistant director at a different site, and now she is the director at our site. I like her. Dont get me wrong. But she has come in and tried to get everything PERFECT, where as my previous boss let A LOT of things slip.

In fact, there are plenty of things we have been doing now that I didnt even have CLUE we were supposed to be doing! So I have actually somewhat enjoyed knowing that we are actually doing what we are supposed to! But that in turn has caused a lot of stress...and I think she has taken it a little too far at times. She told me I needed to get those training hours...of course I have no problem doing this! Duh! If someone had told me sooner I would have had no problem doing them! She proceeds to tell me that if I dont get all my hours...I will not be able to work. That is NOT fair. I am going to EVERY SINGLE TRAINING that is offered in my area. It is NOT my fault that my previous boss NEVER brought up this issue...so I had no idea it even was a problem. (And FYI I have worked here since May 08 and last year I went to ONE training for 6 hours and did NOT lose my job) So I have for the past few weeks been going to extra hours of training. That's work...plus, we have our assessment coming up on Monday (yikes!) and I went in 4 hours early yesterday to get prepared. I worked 8 straight hours. Now granted, my job is NOT hard, but by the time I came home my back was hurting so bad that I was doing the "granny shuffle" to my kitchen. I couldnt even walk.

That's another thing...this new boss has no problem telling me she thinks I'm incompetent. She is constantly complaining because I'm always sitting...or not doing something else she thinks needs to be done. In fact, today, I was setting up my learning centers (areas for the kids to play) and my co worker, our only other employee at our site) did not have his centers finished. Mine were done, so I went ahead and kept setting up a few of his. I set up 2 of his 5. I also set up 5 of my own. I felt I was finished and it was not my responsibility to continue setting up...so I sat down and starting going through my paper work. My boss then preceeds to say "Emily, can you go to the stage (our storage area) and get the 2 folding chairs and put one in reading and resting and one in L.I.T?" I said "Uh, I guess...but my centers are finished. Those are Jonathan's." Now, keep in mind, me and my coworkers are friends. We all get along. Jonathan says he'll go get them and my boss does this little "huff." Well, I dont care. Not my center, not my responsibility. Plus, the fact that I help Jonathan lift our cart FULL of games everyday onto and off of the stage when I should NOT be lifting and bending...and she doesnt offer to do that. I could care less.

Well, at our staff meeting she gives us an agenda of things going on. Things to improve on, things we're doing well, etc etc. One bullet on the agenda was that we NEED to set up learning centers faster. I said "Laurel, I'm getting mine done. I dont mind to help, but we split them evenly. And mine are always done and always have what they need." Her response? "I know. It's just that when you see something that needs to be done...it would be nice if you would do it. Plus one of us has to be in here with Kindergarten at all times." I'm thinking...yea! I know that! Oh...and btw...she gives herself NOTHING to set up :) In fact, we sat down and split the centers evenly for a reason. Jonathan got the heavier centers and I got the game boards, table games and things like that. So really...even if I see something that needs to be done..I'm not about to do it if it requires me to bend over or carry something heavy.

Basically what I'm getting at is that Laurel just doesnt understand that there are things I just cant do or am not willing to do. I HATE lifting all that at the beginning and ending of the day. It takes us like 2 sec! I wish she would just do it and let me sit with the kids. But she doesnt get that it is too much. She comments ALL THE TIME about how I am constantly sitting...she just has NO IDEA how uncomfortable I am and how I am truly in PAIN sometimes! In fact, she has even said "Emily, there are nurses out there that are pregnant that are on their feet 12 hours a day...you can stand up." My response? "Yes, I'm sure there are...and I'm sure they're wishing they could sit down!" Sheesh...what I cant wait for is for the day I have to quit because its too much. I told her I am planning on leaving over Thanksgiving break. Basically, we go on break and I just dont come back. But that is a week before my due date...so it is very possible that I will have to leave sooner. Who knows.

So moving on from yet ANOTHER stressor in my life...LOL. My son is quite the mover and shaker! I have finally been feeling him move since around 25 weeks. MUCH later than I wanted, but with the anterior placenta and the fact that was overweight to begin with....I was not surprised. But since then I have felt him on a regular basis! He moves most at night when I first lay down...like he's trying to get comfy! He moves a lot in the evening when I am in my recliner. I feel him periodically throughout the day...and I LOVE IT. I just love, love, love it. I am guessing that he is about 4 to 4 1/2 pounds now. He was already 2 pounds when I was 24 weeks 5 days. And then he starts gaining like crazy around 28 weeks...something like 1 pound every 16 days or so...so I'm just guessing. I'll ask when I go back to the dr.

My heartburn has become soooo bad that over the counter things are just not helping. I'm going to ask about a perscription. I also still have that INCREDIBLE pain my right side on my back where my kidney is. I am going to ask about hydronephrosis or what it may be caused by. Other than that, everything is going quite smoothly.

I guess considering how everything BUT my pregnancy is completely out of control and stressful...I have to count it as a HUGE blessing :)

Blah Blah Blah

That's exactly how I feel!

For the past...oh, I dunno, week or so...I have felt completely and totally overwhelmed. I have seriously stressed out and cried and complained...so much, that I just dont even have the energy to continue!

DH and I had yet another one of our "discussions" about our housing situation...and once again, it escalated to tears and hurt feelings. We are both just so overwhelmed with the SAME problems and DIFFERENT ways of handling them. Honestly, when we reach a certain point in our talks...there is just no need to continue. If I take offense at something...I automatically do not want the conversation to continue because I am immediately on defense and "fighting." The same goes for him...he gets a thought in him head and runs it in the ground and gets to the point that he does NOT want my opinion. We both just need to learn when to stop. But for some reason we keep going. I dont know if its stress or what...but there is just no good in a conversation going down the road it's been going. I guess we both feel like if we dont talk about now, when will we? But I think it's gonna be better solved through small talks. If we talk too much, we get too stressed. Ugh.......

So here's the latest on this situation. MIL got a certified letter in the mail to her PO box. She has yet to go and pick it up. It's from her mortgage company. She thinks its a letter to inform her the foreclosure process has begun on her rental property. DH and I think she is CRAZY for not picking up this letter immediately. If she has already entered foreclosure, those little old ladies she has in that house have LESS than a month to get out now! And they dont have a clue! I dont think they would...but they would have every right to sue her for breech of contract for not giving them 30 day notice!!! Our latest plan was to "save" MIL from foreclosure and use my inheritance money to pay her up to date and use that as our first and last months rent. Use the rest of my inheritance to pay for my class and to fix our transmission on our Isuzu. Our only problem still in the way was getting MIL to actually TELL the ladies they had to move and giving us a firm OK that we could move in. However, last night...DH went down this road....

He wants to KEEP our house. He is mad at us for not fighting harder to keep it after all we did to get it. He claims that if he works a 40 hour a week job and a part time job and if I work a 40 hour a week job after baby...we will be able to keep it. I have a problem with this. When DH and I first got married he was working INSANE hours and we never got time together. The time we DID get together was spent fighting over nonsense...secretly because we just missed each other. I do NOT want to go to that point again. Especially because a baby will be in the picture this time. I want DH to have time to enjoy Eli growing up. I dont want him to turn around one day and go "where did the time go?" and regret working so much. I do not think this house is worth that. But when I asked DH what he would do about spending time with his family he just said "I would spend every second I had to be with my family." As great as that sounds...I just think it would be SO stressful and not worth it in the long run. I would rather sell and move and both of us work full time jobs and still have enough time for family.

His next idea was to...omg...offer the ladies that live in his mother's rental house right now...to rent out our basement. Again, I have a problem with this. DH sees this a solution for everything...he wouldnt have to work a 2nd job so he would get to be home more AND we would get to keep the house. I brought up the fact that the ladies are extremely elderly and the only access they would have to the kitchen is going upstairs. Then he said we could rent them our other 2 bedrooms and we (and Eli) stay in our bedroom. The basement and the living room/dining room/kitchen would be the area that we share. We would get to keep our dogs. I do not like the idea of having strangers living in my house. If I am keeping my house, I do not want to share it. I do not want it to feel like dorm life where you cant walk out of your bedroom without a bra on. I do not want to live in my own basement. (That was another option...we move our stuff to the downstairs since we are still able to use the stairs). I would rather move to the rental house, still have my own (smaller, but still private) space and start over. I want to sell the house. It was great when we could afford it. It's been a great first home. Granted, we bought it to "grow" into...but we could sooo fit in a smaller space. I want to cut my loses and start over. Less house, less stress. Even with him working 2 jobs and me working a full time job...we would be living paycheck to paycheck. If we moved to the rental house and we both worked full time jobs, we could save, put back...and live more comfortably without as much stress on bills. We would be close to my mom and sister for support and help with watching the baby. I cant believe I'm saying it, but I was actually looking forward to the move. Even if we had to foreclose...it would be a fresh start.

But I just dont feel like going down this road again with DH. The truth is, I am his wife...and I ultimately have to give it up to him. I will follow him where ever. Even if I am miserable. There's a point where I just have to give up.

The latest pregnancy news is that with all the stress I am going through I am having Braxton Hicks contractions. And the urge to poop (TMI!) a lot. Baby has been moving around like crazy (FINALLY!) for the past few weeks (started around 25 weeks that I could really feel him...stupid anterior placenta!). I love love love feeling him move! I think I may have hydronephrosis...where there is a pressure blockage on my ureter to my kidney that causes discomfort. This is what the on call dr told me. I'll find out at my appointment Friday if I get an U/S of my kidney. And OMG heartburn! Milk, tums, mylanta...NOTHING is working. I took TWO pepcid the other day and that was the FIRST time I had had relief. Needless to say, I will have to ask about a prescription at my appointment also. What else? Swelling...of my hands mostly...and my feet when Im in the shower. Sciatic pain in my left thigh is worse. Like frostbite. And I....am....TIRED. I have seriously never felt this fatigued the entire pregnancy. I could seriously sleep ALLLLLLL day. Oh, and nausea is back. I threw up the other day for the first time since I had the flu at 24 weeks. Ugh...I thought I had paid my dues! Grrr.

Sorry to have such a depressing post, but in all honesty...I'm really struggling. I will update with stats from my next appointment! Friday! I'll be 29 weeks! WOW! Getting sooooo close!

A Lot Going On!

So I had my appointment Friday...all is well! I have now started my every 2 week appointments! I was VERY surprised by this! It was a VERY quick appointment to check on the little guy...and then off we went! I believe this is what they will be like from now on...

We have our Super Saturday child birth class and hospital tour on the 19th! I'm VERY excited about this! DH and I have actually not really been around the hospital except for my Ob's office...so that part alone will be helpful. It's free for us on Medicaid too! :) Yay!

Yesterday was UTs first game of the season! We beat Western Kentucky 63 to 7! It was coach Kiffin's first game, and he proved himself worthy! We'll have to see if we keep it up. I was NOT feeling well yesterday and we ran all over the place! I told DH "I remember a time where I was the one always wanting to go somewhere and now I dont want to and youre dragging me all over the place!" We went to his cousin's house to watch the game...then came home and rested for about 2 or 3 hours...then out again to DHs best friends house 30 minutes away just to hang out. We watched a movie and ate dinner. That whole stinkin day my back was KILLING me!

Let me tell you about this back pain...it's on my right side...where my kidney is. It's not like excrutiating pain, but it got really annoying and worse. I had DH rubbing my back for what seems like all day. I couldnt stretch it out, I couldnt rub it out...I couldnt get rid of it! It even got so bad that I called the nurse line for my Ob. I was able to talk to a dr that explained it didnt sound like a kidney stone because I am not having any urinary symptoms...it more sounded like the uterus was pressing on my kidney and a nerve and that I would probably get relief by laying on the other side. If it got worse, or progressed until Tuesday...I should come in. It still hurts, but it is very bearable...like a 2 or 3 on the pain scale, give or take. Regardless...this is one lady that just wants to stay home for crying out loud!

In fact, just now DH came to me and told my BIL wants us to come out for lunch! I'm like 'NO! I was running around ALL DAY yesterday and I just want to stay HOME!" Sheesh! What bugs me the most is that WE always have to GO somewhere...no one can come to US! Although that would stress me out on a whole new level because I dont want anyone in my house! lol

On the house front/job front with DH...no news. We are REALLY upset that we sacrificed all this time for DH to get this "great job" at the end and we have seen NOTHING. This coming week will start week 2 after completing training. DH has interviews set up with jobs that have NOTHING to do with this training. We are both very very mad. We are also having to make plans for losing our house. If DH gets a job it would have to pay at LEAST what he was making before for us to be able to stay here. He is NOT going to find something like that. So our plan is to have him get a job making about 5 to 7 dollars less an hour and we will move. We will try to sell this house, but if it doesnt sell we will go into foreclosure. We will be moving into a rental house that his parents own. We will be paying them HALF of what we pay for this house. If we cannot sell this house, we will have to be out by Nov 25th. MIL would also have to give her now tenants a 30 day notice. We have given her until Friday to make up her mind. If she decides to give them their 30 day notice, then we are moving. So that would put it at Oct. 11th that we could start moving into the other house. It is much smaller...2 bedroom 1 bath...our house now is 3 bedroom, 3 bath. It is only 2 blocks away from my mom...MUCH closer to my family than DHs family. But right now we're not really close to either one of our families. I cannot wait to have a definite answer from MIL so I can start planning.

Needless to say, I have been WAY STRESSED OUT with all the troubles we have been having. I have had what I call "stress stomach" which is a stomach ache I get when I get stressed. I really do not want to cause contractions or pregnancy problems because I am so stressed. I am really TRYING to take it easy...but I am so stressed that just thinking of all the possibilities I could just break out in tears in seconds. The good news is if DH gets an ok paying job we can easily move to this rental house and get back on our feet. The bad news is we will lose this house...and we will most likely have a foreclosure on our credit. But oh well...you do what you have to do! My only problem right now is that it is out of my control...and I HATE that! I hate the unknown! And even after Friday if MIL does give her tenants a 30 day notice...I still have a MONTH before I can move ANYTHING over there! That puts me at Oct 11th at the earliest! I am just ready to cut my loses and move on! I will bawl my eyes out losing this house because it was our FIRST house and we worked HARD to keep it. It was where we planned on staying...to build a family...and grow into it. With the other house...it will not be where we stay. It gives us absolutely NO room to grow. But it's what we need right now. It will give me LESS of house to take care of and LESS stress about finances. We will be able to keep EVERYTHING else, just not our house. And that's ok with me. There are things about this house I don't like anyway...it's by no means perfect. So in 3-7 years when we have a down payment and are ready to try the whole "buying a house" thing again...we'll be ready. It will be a re-building opportunity.

If you have any prayers to spare...PLEASE PLEASE keep me and my family in your prayers. I need to calm down stress wise or I am going to be suffering the consequences. I NEED some good news so I can plan and start getting situated. Please pray that we are able to get that house.

Do I have anything else to share? Hmm...I dunno! I was 27 weeks on Friday...and baby boy is measuring ahead still. Although they didnt give me an estimate on his size?? I kinda wanted to know! lol I will be over 32 weeks pregnant by the time we start moving in to that rental house. OMG it's going to be a feat! But we will have LOTS of help...so I'm not worried. I just want to get in there and start turning it into a HOME before our son joins us. I want it to feel complete when we bring him home.

Gee...can you tell whats on my mind?! LOL! I will update you guys when I get the news on that house. That will relieve a TON of stress!

Oh...I almost forgot! 27 week belly pic!

Belly Pic!

So I guess I decided to start taking belly pics with my cell phone again. So the only one I will miss is 25 weeks til I get a new cord.

I just thought to myself that I couldnt have such a big lapse in pics! Plus if I did them on my camera I would not be able to remember which week I was! LOL

You think it would be easy, but I have forgotten many times!

So here is my 26 week belly pic from today :)

Double Digits!!!

OMG! Am I reading that count down thing right?!?!?! 99 days til our EDD?!?!?! OMG!

How exciting!!! I cant believe we are getting that much closer to our little man being here!

Oh and I have the funniest story! Last night at church I heard a name from the podium that I liked a lot...Judah. Now I have, believe it or not, already been thinking about names for future siblings to little mr. eli. For some reason, I have always thought we would have 2 boys. My DH is from 2 boys and BIL and SIL have 2 boys. I have also been on the look-out for a first name that sounds well with the middle name Isaac. Isaac is DH's middle name. It would have been Eli's middle name, but Elijah Isaac just didnt sound great to me. However, Judah Isaac sounds fantastic!

So anywho...I leaned over to DH and asked "Do you like the name Judah?" And his response was VERY quick! "Yeah, a lot!" haha! I said "I think Judah Isaac sounds great!"

When we got home DH sat on the sofa and looked at me and said "You know, I REALLY like the name Judah! It would be good for a girl too!" LOL I'm not sure if this was a hint that he wants to change Eli's name or not...but I just laughed and said "I like it too!"

So...I think it's pretty official if we have any other children, especially a boy, his name will be Judah Isaac. I think it goes great with Elijah Joel. Also, the nicknames Eli and Jude go well together too!

WOW what a random post! LOL So I dont think I have much to update with...I will be 26 weeks tomorrow! In my mind that is 6 1/2 months...so that's what I'm telling people! I am still taking belly pics...but I cant post them because I have not gotten a new camera cord :( I'm very bummed. I may start taking them with my cell phone again so I can upload them through my email...but I dunno!

I guess I will update again if anything new happens or when my appointment gets here Sept 4th!

U/S and Update :)

First off...my dogs chewed up my camera cord...so I have no idea when I will be able to upload pics again! :(

So we went for the follow up U/S. I was really surprised that they couldnt even remember why exactly I had to have another U/S! The tech said "Well, you have diabetes so they probably just want me to check on growth." And DH and I both said "What?!" I was like "I dont have diabetes!" So she looked at my chart again and said "Oh, insulin resistance" and then I was like "At the anatomy scan she was not able to get enough good pictures of his heart or his mouth/lips." She said "Oh...ok" and went ahead and did the U/S. It was really odd!

So we got to see little man again! He is still very much a little man! We got the actual "money shot" with his little "member" in between his legs. You know, the "looking up from the toilet" shot. We also got a pic of his little face and one where he has his arms crossed like an X. We also got to have the whole thing added to our U/S DVD :)

The U/S took about 25-30 minutes. It was nice to not be rushed because my appointment was set for 10am and it was PACKED in the waiting room and we didnt get called back til about 10:45am-only to wait in another waiting room! haha

So I also found out that I have an anterior placenta. I wish they had told me this last time!!! I told DH I was getting to the point where I was concerned about baby movement because when the dr said 10 kicks every 2 hours...I thought "I only get about 10 kicks a day!" But he put my mind at ease when he told me "you know what you feel on a constant basis...so when you dont feel him..you know to stop and pay attention." So now that I know I have that...that explains the lack of movement and I feel so much better!

Also, little bugger is 2 lbs! He's measuring about a week and 1/2 ahead. I was 24 weeks 5 days for the scan and he was measuring 26 weeks 1 day. She said "most people think this changes their due date, but it doesnt. some babies are just bigger!" LOL I asked if him being bigger presented a risk of going into labor earlier and she just said "nope!" So at least I know I dont need to worry about him being small! Although in our families...that really isnt an issue! LOL His daddy IS 6ft 3in! and his mommy is 5ft 10in!

After the U/S we met with the dr. It was the same dr I had at my last appointment. He started going over the whole contractions thing again. Then he said "Wait, didnt we go over this last time?" and I said "yes we did!" So he looked at my chart again and was like "ok...so what do I need to do with you?!" LOL Then he asked me why I had needed the other U/S...and then he said "Ok..we DO need to go ahead and give you the RH factor shot. So we'll do that...and then you can go!" Let me tell you...that shot HURT! The injection didnt hurt so much...it was more the pressure and stinging from it going in the muscle...she had to put it in my hip! It kept itching all day and hurt when I sat down :( But that was all they had me do. He even was about to give me another appointment in 3 weeks and I was like "I have one coming up Sept 4th" so he just said "Ok...just keep that one." I guess I screwed everyone up having to come for the GD test and the extra U/S on separate days....I dunno!

I have also gained 2 pounds since my last appointment...which puts me at a total *GASP* 12 pounds. Ugh. I asked him about my weight gain and if it was too much for my pre pregnancy weight and he just told me I shouldnt worry about it. He said it would be best if I gained less than more...BUT I am not at the point where I need to watch it so closely. I also asked "Is it ok to still sleep on my back?" His response? "ABSOLUTELY it is okay to sleep on you back! It is ok to sleep on your back the whole pregnancy. Dont let those pregnancy books scare you. Yes, there is a little better cardio vascular blood flow on your side...but the main concern is getting you comfortable and if youre comfortable on your back...then stay there!" Hallelujah! :) I'm still sleeping on my back! Although I have noticed I have started shifting to my right side some. I hardly ever sleep on my left side because for some reason it brings on my heartburn and nausea. So that was great news to hear!

Oh I almost forgot! I got a call from my dr Tuesday to tell me that the flu I had last week was....THE SWINE FLU! I couldnt believe it! Apparently they only do this extensive test on the elderly and pregnant women. They sent out my flu test to the health department. Now...I went to the dr last Monday...so this is a week and a day later that I find this out! I asked him if there was anything I needed to do and he said that the medication I took would have been no different...and basically nothing would have been different. So I should be okay! I just cannot believe it! This is something you hear about on TV and then when you get it yourself...and while your pregnant...it's just scary! But luckily I got to get an U/S and check up after I got better and I know for a fact my little man is doing great! :)

So my next appointment is Sept. 4th. And then I believe that I start every 2 weeks appointments from then on! OMG! Also...the other night I was updating my belly book with my pics and I went to put in my 24 week belly pic. I turned the page and there was no more room for belly pics...so I kept turning...and sure enough, the 25 week belly pic was under the 3rd trimester! I have read more often that the 3rd trimester starts at 28 weeks...but according to my belly book...it starts THIS WEEK! Ive also seen a few things online say 25 weeks too...but my drs office says 28 weeks so I'm gonna stick with that. But STILL! THIRD TRIMESTER?!?! I cannot believe I'm even talking about it! WOW!

So I think that's all I have to update about! If I can get my camera cord to work I will update some U/S pics! :)

Nursery Ideas

Well since I'm home bored with the flu...I figured I would take the time to show you guys the crib and bedding we're pretty sure we've decided on.

As I'm sure you guys already know...we want to do the nursery in Mickey Mouse. We originally wanted to do it with Disney Baby...but apparently that has not been made in forever and Pooh bear is about the only nursery line that Disney makes anymore :( We did NOT want to do Pooh bear...since it seems like everyone does Pooh bear. So we found a Mickey Mouse design at Babies R Us. We liked it ok...it was an older version of Mickey with a sports theme. We weren't too crazy about it...but it was Mickey. It was also $170! Just for the bedding set! This price did not include the mobile or decorations or anything. And we werent too crazy about it anyway! Well poo...

Well the other day a girl on my message board was thinking about me (yay!) and posted a Mickey Mouse bedding set online at Walmart. DH and I had looked at our local Walmart, but all they had was Pooh bear. But this is online! And we LOVE it! I was so thankful to this wonderful lady because this bedding set only costs $55! Plus we like it sooo much better than the other one at Babies R Us. So here are some pics...


I know that's alittle blurry...but you get the idea. Here's a pic of the comforter.

I LOVE that it just has Mickey and Pluto :) You all know how much I love my four dogs...it just seems so much more "us" than sports stuff! lol The only down side is I didnt see a place to buy the mobile or the decorations. The bedding set only includes the comforter, bumper, sheet, and dust ruffle. I really like the mobile and I also like the decorations and the quilt. I'll have to do my research online and see if any other Walmarts carry it. I also like how they have "site to store" shipping so I can buy this at my Walmart even though they dont carry it. :)

Now here is the crib we want. DH and I found this crib at Babies R Us for only $250! I was really surprised by the price and thought that it must be really poorly made or not sturdy...but the whole thing is made of wood! The major selling point for DH and I is that the changing table attached to it does not require us to bend over too much...which is great! We are both very tall and with my back problems it will really be helpful. The only downside I see to this crib is that the changing table stays attached even when you convert it to a toddler bed. You can use it a night stand or something...but it may look a little awkward. I also really like that the only other things we will need in the room is a dresser and a rocking chair. The room we have is very small...so this crib will take up one wall, the dresser will take up another, and we'll put the rocking chair in the corner. It will save a lot of space! DH and I also like all the little compartments and storage that the crib offers.

Now this is what it looks like converted to a toddler and a twin.


Another problem I have with it is that Delta does not make a matching dresser or chest of drawers or anything. So we will have to get one separately and just hope that it matches!

So that is our plan right now. I have already finished a cross stitch Mickey Mouse that I need to find a frame for. DH also wants to make our own decorations because we don't want to paint. We have tan walls everywhere in the house. Neither one of us like the idea of a bright solid color on the walls...so we just want to make a bunch of decorations and bedding and make it colorful that way.

Well I guess that's it! I am hoping I may have some family members get together and purchase the crib for us. My aunt is wanting to throw us a family oriented shower at her house where everyone comes, not just women. So hopefully if we register for it or someone asks...we can get it. But if not, that is really the only big expense we see. I won't have to buy clothes for years given the fact that we have 2 nephews close in age to Eli, plus my little brother...and having a shower where everyone LOVES to buy clothes...my kid will be in hand-me-downs for a long time :) I can't wait to start talking details of the baby shower! I'm thinking of starting my registery online... :) yay!

The FLU :(

I have the flu :(

I had a student come in Monday at work and then the next morning her mom called to tell us she has the flu and to warn the other parents.

GREAT.

By Friday I did not have a single symptom, so I thought I was fine. But come Saturday I felt HORRIBLE and it was just all of a sudden. DH and I were shopping and I felt weak/numb/tingly all over and had to sit down. I thought it might have been my blood sugar. So we went to get me something to eat. I STILL felt bad. So we went home. On the way home, our car started messing up! It wouldnt shift out of 2nd gear! :( Ugh...

Anywho...we got home and I took my temp and it was 100.8 so I called my on call dr and all he said was to take Tylenol and drink lots of fluids. "What if I have the flu?" "Take Tylenol and drink lots of fluids." Well...ok then. My temp spiked that night at 101.3 and luckily the Tylenol brought it down. It spiked 3 more times Sunday but every time Tylenol brought it back down. I was supposed to be in training this week and I figured if I didnt go I better go to the dr at least. So I went to an urgent care clinic today that my mom took me to. We got there at 11:30am. I got called back at 12 and finally saw the dr at 12:45. Then we did a bunch of testing. Two strep tests. One they did in the office and one they send off. Also 2 flu tests. Again, one they did in the office and another that they send off with a blood sample.

I have the flu. It came back positive on the in office flu test. I asked "So it's just the regular flu?" He said "Well, we dont know that. We will know when we get the results back from the one we had to send off." Ok. So he gave me tamiflu. He said since my symptoms started Saturday he is hoping that we made it to the 48 hour window and that the tamiflu will help. If not...it's Tylenol and lots of fluids for the rest of the week.

Apparently the flu is very scary right now. He told me he would suggest my husband come in and get some preventative meds. Since he doesnt have insurance we're not going to do that...but I WILL send him to this urgent care clinic if he gets it. These people were slow (I didnt get out til 2:30!) but they were helpful and nice. :)

So I have the flu :( Boo...

Gestational Diabetes Test and Monthly OB Appointment

Well...this was the first appointment I have had to go to by myself :(

DH luckily has been picking up some landscaping work through a family friend. Hooray! Down side is...even though he wasn't in training, he was working...so he couldnt go with me! My mom was going to come, but when DH found out he didnt get into training we told her nevermind...he's coming with me. I still thought he was, but the night before (at like...11pm!) he tells me he cant go. Too late to call mom! Oh well...but I ended up texting her the whole time I was there...it was a BORING hour to wait!

So...I passed! Hallelujah! I was soooo worried about getting GD since I have insulin resistance. But I'm good! :) The drink was carbonated (I HATE sodas). It tasted like orange soda but waaaaay too sugary. It wasnt really thick and syrupy...like I was expecting, but it definitely did not taste good! I just chugged it cuz I didnt want to wait any longer than I had to. It was only abouy 4-6 oz so not too bad. Then I had to wait an hour. That was awful! I was texting mom, playing a game on my phone...and did I mention? STARVING! For this test you have to fast from midnight on. This was hard for me because I keep this big thing of apple juice next to my bed to drink periodically through the night because I get a really dry throat. Water makes me gag. So I couldnt have my apple juice. I also keep a big thing of TUMS. One reason why I think still sleep on my back is because when I roll to my side it gives me heartburn and nausea. So I am popping TUMS and sipping apple juice just about every time I get up to pee. And that's about 2-4 times a night.

Anywho...so I totally still took TUMS that night! Oops! But it was ok anyway! So anywho...the last 15 minutes of the waiting was the worst. I started to get really hot and sweaty and REALLY hungry. It felt like a lifetime! Finally it was 9:45 and I went back. They pricked my finger...I now have a bruise :( lol. I only noticed because when I turned on my turn signal in my car it hurt! haha Then she sent me to room 1. I met a new dr today. A male dr. I havent had a male dr yet! I LOVED him! He was very relaxed, very funny, and very to the point.

So he comes in and introduces himself. His first question is "are you feeling baby move?" I say "yes, but not kicks. Just little rolls." Then he asks if I'm having any contractions. Contractions?!?! I said "I dont think so...." He says "Do you ever get a really tight, hard feeling in your lower stomach?" "Yes..." "That's a contraction." "Oh!!!!" He said most women think it's the baby balling up tight (add me to that group!) but he said "But do you really think you would feel that?" And I was just like "Um...I guess not!" haha. So apparently I am having contractions! OMG! He then went on to tell me that if they become more frequent or painful (because right now they dont hurt AT ALL) that I need to lay down flat on my back and feel my stomach. I need to time how long it stays hard. Then I need to time it from when it gets soft to when it gets hard again. If they become very frequent or very painful...I need to call. If they are 5 minutes apart...I need to come in. I said "WOW I cant believe I'm already talking about this stuff!" and he laughed and said "Yup, youre having a baby!" haha

All the while he's telling me about this he is using the doppler to hear baby's heartbeat. I loved that he did this because I got to heart it for longer. He said he sounds good and even threw in a few kicks! Then he actually felt my stomach and explained to me what exactly I need to feel for for a contraction. Very helpful! Then he handed me some paper work and said I needed to fill it out and send it in to register with the hospital. He said that way if I ever come in to ER or go in to preterm labor they will already have all my information.

He also said we are entering a critical period. The time period where baby can survive outside the womb. O...M...G. Obviously, we want him to bake A LOT longer, but at 24 weeks he has an almost 50% chance of survival! OMG OMG OMG! How bizarre! That is when he continued to talk more in detail about signs of preterm labor. If I start feeling even the slightest bit odd...I need to lay down. And I need to focus on my belly and contractions and movement. WOW. That was a little overwhelming!

And finally he said "Now I'm going to give you a chart and then I'm going to tell you to not do anything with it." Um...ok! lol It was about kick counting. He said "The only reason why I say that is because you know your baby is moving, you know how often he's moving, etc etc. If you ever reach a day where you go 'huh, I havent felt him yet today' then find a quiet place and focus on your belly. If you feel him move a few times, great. If not...it's time to start counting. You want to have around 10 kicks in 2 hours." Ok sounds good! He said if after focusing for awhile and not feeling anything...it's time to give them a call.

I also did my RH factor testing. Since I have O- blood I have to get a shot just in case my son has positive blood. I told him my DH has O- too. He said he wasnt going to take his word for it! lol Just to be on the safe side. He said if DH and I both have negative blood...then baby will have negative blood. But just in case DH is wrong...I need the shot. The shot gives me the antibodies to fight positive blood. He said it's not really a problem right now...but during delivery babies blood could get into my blood. Then my body would start producing antibodies against that blood. It wouldnt cause a problem for this baby...but it could cause problems is consecutive pregnancies or if I ever needed a transfusion. It could cause early miscarriage because my body would fight off another positive blood baby. So I'm good with going ahead and getting the shot just to be safe :)

All in all it was a fantastic appointment! It was very informative...but also very overwhelming with so much information! This is one appointment I really wish DH had been at. I think I would have been less overwhelmed. He asked me if I had any questions...I couldnt come up with any. But of course, as soon as I got home...I had some! Oh well!

So my next appointment is actually this coming Tuesday...the 11th. This is for my follow up U/S and hopefully we can get some better pics of his heart! Tuesday also happens to be mine and DHs 2 year anniversary! Hopefully we can do something fun! :)

After the U/S my next appointment is not until Sept 4th. I will be 27 weeks then! This is going by sooooo fast!!!

Belly Pics...

So I just realized that I have had a lapse in belly pics! LOL I went from showing you 19 weeks to 22 weeks! What happened to 20 and 21?! Well here they are! haha

20 weeks

21 weeks!

Weeks 22-23 of Pregnancy

Whew! Time is just flying by! I am truly having a hard time catching up! lol So let me see if I can cover everything exciting!

Ok first let me start off with my belly pic for week 22....

Oh my! It sure is growing! I have gotten to the point that my work shirt no longer covers my belly completely. You know the green shirt that I have some of my belly pics taken in? Yea...that one! I have reached a point where I have to wear a tank top underneath it to cover my belly. And this is the next size up from the size I was wearing pre pregnancy! I was wearing a large before pregnancy. I asked my boss for an XL and 2XL for later. I have been in my XL since about week 10...just cuz it was loose and comfy...but not anymore! I remember I time where I needed to pull my shirt tight in the back for my belly pics...and now I catch myself constantly pulling all the extra material to the front to try to cover my belly! haha

I have also reached the point where people can touch my belly and feel where the baby is. He really doesn't move a lot! I guess I may end up with a peaceful child! haha But really he only moves when he's being squished...or when I lay flat on my back I can feel him wiggle. The other day I was serving snack for my kids at work and leaned forward to hand a kid a pickle. My stomach hit the table when I leaned over it and I got the weirdest felling right next to my belly button! I honestly thought for a second that one of the children had reached over and tickled my belly! haha! I guess it was Eli letting me know I squished him!

In dr appointment updates...I have my GD test in the morning. I am somewhat nervous since I have insulin resistance that I will have GD too. So if I get it, I will not be surprised. I will just take care of myself the best I can! I also have my next U/S on Tuesday. This will be DH and mine's 2 year anniversary! :) And I'm pretty sure he's gonna be able to go! Also next week on Thursday is my breast feeding class. I am making my little sister go with me! lol I'm sure she's thrilled...and I think after that my appointments dwindle a little til Sept.

So Monday was DHs 27th bday! He didnt do ANYTHING for my birthday a few weeks ago...so I went ALL OUT for his! haha I got him 2 25 pound weights that he's been wanting...and a study Bible he mentioned he would like to have. I also got our family and friends together for a big birthday dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. He thought it would just be me and him and my sister...and it ended up being a lot more! :) He was VERY happy! I bought an ice cream cake with Mickey and Minnie on it :) And if you know us at all you know this is very appropriate! And his mom made his favorite pineapple upside down cake that she has not made in years! My aunt got him some more extra long t shirts that we found at Walmart that he LOVES and she got him some new jeans too. He was VERY happy! :)

So tomorrow I am 23 weeks...so I went ahead and took a picture tonight! Today at work we had a "pie throwing at teachers" activity....so my hair was a MESS with whip cream all in it and I lost my contacts after wiping my eyes...so I'm actually in my glasses for once! And FYI-my boss did NOT give us a heads up about this! So I had to call my hubby to bring me my glasses and a change of clothes! LOL It was so fun! So here's my 23 week pic!

Half Way There!

I am now officially 21 weeks and 3 day pregnant today! So here is my "half way there" update!

I got sick AGAIN! My vomitting is back! I cant believe it! I threw up on myself while driving on my way to work! I had to stop and pull over really quick! I found an empty McDonalds cup to throw up in! LOL It was NOT pretty! I was soooo mad! I was over 20 weeks this time! COME ON! The morning sickness should SO be over by now! OMG!

What else? Well the physical therapy is going well. They did my initial measurements...like how far I can bend over and back and side to side...at my first appointment. Then today after 4 appointments we did it again and he said I had majorly improved! YAY! And all I've been doing is stretches. He said thats basically all I CAN do while pregnant. So I will most likely have 2 more appointments and then stop. I will just continue the stretches on my own. No big deal! Maybe do some more appointments later on if I cant do the ones I'm doing now when my belly gets bigger...not sure.

So as far as movement goes...I'm very jealous of others. I am not getting any big kicks or big noticeable movements. Every now and then I feel something move like he's rolling over or something...but it really just feels like gas. It's not, but it doesnt feel much different from gas. So I am REALLY hoping that I will start feeling Eli SOON! Although after I watch the U/S dvd over and over I am realizing that my son is not much of a mover. He's very relaxed. So I'm not too worried.

I also had to change my drs appointment around a little bit because I found out I'm having training one week from 8-2 instead of my normal 12-6 schedule. So I now have my gestational diabetes testing on August 7th and my U/S on August 11th....which just happens to be our 2 year anniversary! I dont expect us to be doing anything exciting since we have NO money...but it's still an exciting milestone!

And please please please continue to pray for my DH! He finally got in to the first of the three weeks of training he needs! Thank God! Unfortunately there have been complications for applying for unemployment because his last employer is saying he quit! That is NOT true! They laid him off. He would not qualify for benefits if he quit! He would NEVER do that! So we are living off of MY paycheck which is NOT enough and we are really struggling! I just keep telling myself that after this week he only has 2 WEEKS of training left. We can make it 2 weeks! I am so proud of my hubby and I just keep reassuring him that we took this risk TOGETHER for him to get a better job and that I'm behind hims 100%! He is just feeling so down on himself and he hates having to rely on my money because neither of us know how much longer I will be able to work!

So now I will show a new belly pic! This is my 20 week...I have yet to upload my 19 week one from my camera cuz it takes too long. But this ones from my cell phone! Here it is! I'm getting bigger!!!

Oh My Goodness...

Man, I have had a lot going on! Whew! Well...as of today...I am officially half way through my pregnancy! 20 weeks! yay!

I am also 22 and 2 days old! lol My birthday was Wednesday. It was not a very fun day! I had a horrible day at work...and DH did...well, nothing. :( But that's ok because he made up for it by letting me buy a butt load of maternity clothes last night! I had to buy new tennis shoes for work (we have to wear tennis shoes and my feet are swollen so I cant wear mine) so I was in the mood to shop and I was able to buy 2 new skirts, 2 shirts, and 2 tank tops at Motherhood Maternity. I already have 4 shirts right now, and about 4 skirts already. BUT..I bought some of them big, so I cant wear them yet. The clothes I got last night...I cant wear AND expand!

So lets see. Yesterday was my first physical therapy appointment. OMG. Someone finally thinks they know what has been causing my back pain! She agreed with me that she thought it was muscular. She also said I am not very flexible in my hamstrings. She thinks that it actually might be so bad that THAT is whats been causing all my back pain! Because my back is trying to make up for the work and stretching that my legs should be doing! So she has me doing hamstring stretches 3 times a day and I go back 2 times a week. She also taped my back...with athletic tape...to hold my muscles together? And she gave me a cozi back pillow to use for the curve in my back and it even fits on my seat in my car when I drive! So I told her I would use it in my car instead of in bed because I use lots of pillows in bed anyway and I actually LOVE my bed!

I was SOOOO scared all day yesterday that my back was going to go out on me. I was so stiff and sore! But I made it through the day just fine...I just laid down last night and couldnt get up. I had to lay down and stay there. Now that Ive slept through the night...I feel better.

So what other updates do I have? Well..nothing really! My next appointment is not until August 10th. OH!!!!!!! I didnt mention this! This was REALLY scary! On Sunday morning DH and I made our way to church. It was hot in there! I was just sitting there and I leaned forward. I took DH's lesson sheet and started fanning myself. I started to feel better and I went to sit back up. The second I sat up I felt very nauseous. So nauseous that I actually thought to myself "Ok, if I puke I can catch it in my skirt and then run to the bathroom." Then all of a sudden I started to get really light headed. Keep in mind I'm sitting this whole time. I look up at the preacher and everything around him starts shining and getting blurry and all different colors sparkling. I grabbed DH by the leg because it was only getting worse. Then my ears started ringing. So loud I couldn't hear anything. It was kind of like that feeling of having water in your ears. Plus ringing. Anyway...I grabbed DHs leg rather hard I guess...because he grabbed me and I couldnt talk. I was afraid I would puke. I just stared straight ahead and held on to his leg. When it finally passed and I just said "We need to leave." And I got up and walked out and he was not far behind because he thought I was going to pass out. My ears were still ringing and it took a good 5 minutes for my hearing to come back. And I broke out in a sweat and went extremely pale. DH was freaking out. I was too! He even had my uncle help him walk me to the car. When I finally got my hearing back I started explaining to DH what happened. My uncle asked me if I had eaten. Yes, DH had made me 2 eggs and 2 waffles with jelly for breakfast. It wasnt my blood sugar. I thought it had to be my blood pressure. DH took me out to my BIL and SILs house to use their blood pressure machine. The down side was they were 30 minutes away and by the time I got there I was feeling better. I went to get out of the car I felt sooooo weak. I seriously felt like I had ran the whole way. BIL took my blood pressure and it was 117/70 which is great. But my pulse was 110! Wow! He said "Um, have you been running a marathon?!"

So I called my Obs emergency line and talked to the same doctor that I saw that day for my stomach virus. She said it was totally normal (WHAT?!). She said I blacked out. What most likely happened was the blood pooled in my legs from sitting too long (I had only been sitting for 20 minutes) and that when I leaned back up it gave me a head rush. Now, dont get me wrong, I'm not saying shes wrong, but Ive had black outs before like when you stand up too fast out of bed in the morning...this was NOTHING like that. I've also passed out before...and again, this was NOTHING like that. DH actually contemplated taking me to the ER. I told him if it happened again I would go, but I think I'm fine.

So that's my scare for the week! It hasnt happened again, so I guess that doctor was right...I dunno!

It's A......

BOY!!!!!

We are SO SO SO excited! His name will be Elijah Joel. Joel after his daddy :). He will go by Eli. YAY! No more having to stress over girl's names now! LOL!

So here's the crazy story....My MIL wanted to come to the U/S. I told her that was fine. Especially when I found out that DH might not be able to go because of work. My mom and sister offered to come because DH might not be there. Ok....then my SIL wanted to come! Alright...so now we have a full house! And it turns out...DH DID get to come! Oh my! Well...it turns out my mom couldnt make it...so it ended up being me, DH, my sister, MIL, and SIL....and my 2 nephews! OMG!

Needless to say it was very hectic! I had told DH that if he got to be there I wanted him to find out first and then he could bring in the rest of them to find out. MIL did NOT like this idea at all! But oh well! But it turns out our little guy was being very stubborn and showed us his back practically the whole time! So after DH and I were in there alone for about 5 minutes I told him to just go ahead and go get everyone. I didnt want them waiting for a really long time...and I wanted them to be able to see the U/S!

It all turned out just fine because there were 2 chairs in there where my MIL and SIL ended up sitting to take care of my nephews. My sister came right to my side...which was good...because...lets face it...I would prefer my own family over my in laws to be all up in my...well, you know! So it turned out great. My MIL and SIL could still the U/S screen and DH and my sister stayed by my side.

After about 10 minutes the U/S tech said she still couldnt see anything! That little bugger had his legs bent up and he was grabbing his foot! She kept wiggling my belly to try to get him to move around. I, of course, didnt mind at all just watching my little one on the screen! Finally out of no where the tech says "Oh, its a boy!" And who heard her?? Just me and my sister! LOLOLOL Everyone was chatting and not really paying attention because it was taking so long and so it ended up being a special moment for me and my sister. It was awesome! I started crying a little bit seeing a little winky on the screen! LOL DH came over and gave me a kiss :) It was a very nice moment. No amount of people in the room would have bothered me right then. Right after we found out, Abby said "Ok...who can I tell?!" I said "Go ahead and tell whoever you want!" So she called mom up right away and had my DH yell it into the phone! Then she started texting all her friends! It was really funny.

My MIL was so so so desperately wanting a girl. Deep down I think she knew it would be a boy...but she so wanted a grand-daughter! As soon as the U/S was over, my MIL and SIL left. They didnt even say goodbye to me! But they were in a rush with the 2 little ones...so I understand. Then I had to wait around to see the doctor and go over the results and all that jazz. Everything is measuring just fine! The tech said she didnt get good pictures of his heart like she was hoping and she wanted better measurements of the legs. So what does this mean? I get to go back in 3 weeks for another U/S! YAY!

So here are the "money" shots! LOL


And here's one of his cute little alien face!

We also got some cute pics of his foot, but my camera is being stubborn and stopped taking good pics of the U/S pics! grrr. I need a scanner! LOL

Our little man was measuring 10 inches long...approximately because she couldnt get a good measurement of his legs...and he weighs 10 oz! It is amazing how much more connected you feel to you little one when you can call them by a name! :) I LOVE BEING PREGNANT!

Some Belly Pics!

Ok....here are some belly pics...

16 weeks


17 weeks...




18 weeks...


So now that that has been taken care of...what can I update about? Well...this coming Friday is our BIG U/S! I cannot WAIT to find out what we're having!!! I am soooo ready to be set on a name and start looking at specific designs for the nursery, etc. This must be the fun part of having children! LOL

Now for some not so good news...I dont want to give away too much information...but I DO want to ask for prayer for my husband and I. Ever since he lost his job again we have not been able to keep up with our house payment. We are now almost 3 months behind. It is a very scary time. A job opportunity has been made available for DH that would pay almost 3 times what he is making at his current job. That's great, but he would have to quit his current job for 3 weeks of unpaid training. This is just unfathomable to us right now to go 3 weeks without a pay check. My job barely pays anything. He thinking about going back on unemployment for those 3 weeks to help us get by...but that just won't cut it. It's even come so far that my husband has asked me to see if I can get my inheritance from my grandmother early. I am not suppose to get it until I'm 25...I'm almost 22 now. I don't even want to talk to my mom about it...but my husband is insisting. I don't know what to do. So all I ask is that whatever decision we make...that God is at the center of it. He will look out for us. Just pray for us that whatever happens we will be alright.

I guess thats about all that we have going on right now. I'm still sick: nausea and vomiting...and it sucks. I will be 19 weeks on Friday for our U/S. Also please pray that the anatomy scan comes back perfect :) I will update Friday with the news!!!

Sickness Update with Dr Appointment

Well....as I'm sure most of you know...I am still very sick. Vomiting is just NO FUN! So it had been 3 weeks since I had vomited, but Wednesday night I had another episode. I thought "Great, it's back." But a few hours later...when DH got sick too...I knew it wasn't regular morning sickness.

On a side note...I have to say how HILARIOUS my DH was being sick. I threw up the second I took my last bite of dinner. I got up to pee and thought "Hmm...I dont feel so good..." and the rest is history. DH jumped up and ran to the bathroom to hold my hair :) What a sweetie. When I was finally done I just thought somehow my body didn't want that food. We had Captain D's, which is really greasy...so I chalked it up to that. But then about 4 hours after eating my DH got sick too!!! He was sooooo pitiful! When I finished throwing up, I didnt necessarily feel "bad." In fact, I felt better after throwing up. DH was the EXACT OPPOSITE. lol. When he was finished he climbed in the bed with his "oooooh" "uuuuuuugh." LOL! Then the next thing I know he's talking about calling in to work!!! I was like "What?!?!" I have thrown up so many times being pregnant and have been forced to "bounce back." Now poor hubby gets sick and he's going to call in! And sure enough...he did!

Since I thought we both must have a bug I called the next day to make a doctor's appointment before I went to work. My appointment was at 10 and I have to work by 12. I called to tell them that I was right about having a fever the day before (I had a 101 degree temp at work the day before) and I may be late because I was going to the doctor. Well I went to the doctor and she let us hear the heart beat! :) 149 bpm. Our little one also kicked the doppler! yay! But anyway...she said I definitely have a virus! But I can't take anything but Tylenol for the fever! So that was that...she also said not to go to work that day and that generally if you are sick you should not work for 24 hours. So if I throw up again, I probably shouldn't work Friday either.

Well...on the way home I was struggling. DH still did not want food...but being pregnant and sick is very weird. You're sick and dont want food, but your stomach is growling and starving! So DH stopped and got me some food and I ate it when I got home...it was SO GOOD! I called work again to let them know I wouldn't be in that day. DH and I just sat around all day. But lo and behold, after I woke up from a nice 3 hour nap...I felt WORSE! omg....and what happens?? I threw up again! It completely snuck up on me! I was laying down...had a headache...coughed and covered my mouth and there it was! I jumped up and leaned over the trash can! I dropped my cell phone right in it! (LOLOLOLOL) and my hand was covered! My sweet DH felt SO bad! I hardly had anything left in me! I was throwing up pure liquid acid. It was probably the WORST sickness experience I have had. The acid taste and acid reflux stayed the rest of the day up until bedtime and Tums were just not helping. I ended up finally eating some soup at the end of the day that my sweet hubbs got for me. I munched on crackers the rest of the evening to try to curve the hunger pains.

So I had to call in to work again today. They couldnt get me a sub. That means they're understaffed today. Thats NOT good...and I know I'm going to be blamed. But I cant help it. Being sick (and pregnant!) is really hard...and we're not suppose to work if we have a fever anyway because if a parent noticed that a staff member was sick and wanted to get us in trouble...they could. So I'm just sitting here dreading going back to work on Monday...I'm still feeling icky today...but I haven't thrown up yet. DH only threw up the once. That second time really hit me hard. DH actually started feeling sorry for me after that instead of feeling like we were both sick :) I love him!

The good news that came out of all this is that we got to hear the heart beat again and I got to meet a VERY SWEET new doctor. I may just stick with her! I didnt feel rushed with her at all...and she was the on-call doctor! My appointment was last minute! She was very nice! She took the time to show me where my uterus is up to now and where I could probably feel the baby the most. My uterus is up to my belly button now! Our little one is way down there...if I press where my belly starts to curve back in (where I'm all squishy! lol) I could feel a little bump! It was SO cool! So anywho...she also asked about my lower back pain (that Ive had for 2 years now) and she up and took me to the schedule lady to start looking for a physical therapist! It's been a week since my last appointment and apparently it hadnt even been taken to the schedule lady! She even suggested a PT that she loves and wants me to see her if at all possible! So I should be getting a call soon about scheduling these appointments! All in all...even though it was a last minute appointment...I felt so much more comfortable with this doctor! I think she's a keeper! :)

So today I am officially 17 weeks pregnant! I have exactly 2 weeks before our next appointment and BIG gender U/S! I can't believe how big my belly is getting. At my last appointment it looked like I had gained 4 pounds...and then yesterday it looked like I have only gained 2. I think it changes with the clothes I'm wearing and stuff like that. I'm going more by my scale at home and it looks like I've gained 2-3. I wear the same night gown when I weigh and at about the same time each week.

I'll add a belly pic when I actually get enough energy to get dressed and take one! :)

Doctor's Appointment Update :)

I had my monthly OB appointment yesterday...finally with a doctor instead of a nurse. It was at 4pm...so I really felt rushed...but all my questions were answered. And everything looked fine...so I guess I have no complaints.

The heart rate was in the 150s. And I had to ask the nurse for that...the doctor didnt give me that information. I'm a little upset by that because I have been keeping a pregnancy journal...and I have written down every little thing from each appointment and I've known the exact heart rate at every appointment but this one. :( Oh well.

She told me the cramps and low pain were totally normal and checked my cervix and everything is fine. She also told me she will check with my insurance to see if PT is covered...and if it is...then I'm totally taking it. I'm really not wanting to stop taking care of this back pain after 2 years just because I'm pregnant. So hopefully that will work out.

I also asked about my blood pressure increasing when I have an "episode" with my back and that I'm afraid that I'm stressing the baby. She said we'll talk more about it at my next appointment if PT doesnt work out. I'm ok with that.

So the BIG U/S is not until July 10th! I swear I feel like EVERYONE on my DDC Board on BZ already knows the gender. And I'm due at the BEGINNING of the month...so I should be one of the first to know! Grrrrrr. I'm going crazy!

Well...I'm pretty sure that's it...I'll go ahead and attach the 15 week belly pic I finally uploaded :)