This past week....

I celebrated my 33rd bday and I feel every second of it!! haha. It's been a rough week at work, even with a day off. And, Chuck is sick, not sure what exactly, thought he had the flu to start with but now it 's more upper respiratory/coughing/achy/feel bad. We're finishing day 2 of it tonite, and he seems to be a bit better. He stayed home today and slept off and on and he's about to dose up with some meds and go to bed. He's got to be better quickly--firstly because I can't/won't get sick and secondly, we have a busy week next week. Shower is next Saturday and we have lots of guests coming into town!
As far as baby goes, she's kicking and moving, and doing her thing, quite well! On my bday night, Chuck took me to dinner and when we got home, I was sitting on the couch and my stomach was just rolling, a weird rolling, not a belly ache, just a funky feeling. So I lifted my gown to see and you could see all kinds of movement through my belly. It was hilarious. I'm guessing she must be about the size of my belly, because simultaneously there would be movement at my belly button and just under my breasts. What a monkey!! And on the sides there would be smaller movements, punches somewhat, so I'm assuming her hands and feet were there, not sure though. She did that most of the night. I woke up the next morning not feeling well, some nausea and just all over achiness, but it only lasted the day. Probably the 33 yr old blues! haha
Til next week.....

Sept 21 MD appt

Had a great MD appointment today. Lisa (my sis) went with me since she is back-up in case Chuck needs help during L&D. Doctor decided to do another ultrasound today and we got to see her, although she was being a little stinker and wouldn't show her face. She kept her arms up over her face the whole time, but she is growing, rapidly! Her belly was poked out there, fat & sassy, as my late grandmother would say! My blood pressure was still perfect and I've lost another pound. Doctor isn't concerned b/c I am eating all I can, I'm not skimping! Baby is just getting everything I eat. I go back in 2 weeks, on Oct 2nd, the day before my shower. Doctor said I would come again in another 2 weeks and then mid-October I would begin weekly appts and she would doing exams at that point to check for dilation and cervix placement, etc. It's getting close and the nerves are building. She did share an interesting thing with me today. I asked if there was any way to tell if I'd be able to deliver vaginally or if a C-Section would be necessary, as I was told many years ago that a vaginal delivery may be impossible, due to a malformation or something I have "down there". And she said that my pelvic bone is shaped in an odd direction and that vaginal may be difficult, however it hasn't been checked in a couple of years and with age, hormones, and pregnancy, that all could be totally changed and she would know more when she does a pelvic exam in late October, and will know more as to what we may could prepare for. Please pray that vaginal delivery is possible, although C-section isn't the most horrible thing in the world, I really want to have a vaginal delivery. I really want to experience it all, even though the thought scares the crap out of me all at the same time! I want the best for my baby and me and God has it all in His plan!
As of this point, we are about 2 months away from Birth Day! Shower is weekend after next. I can't for either but I am not wishing my days away. I'm enjoying every single one!!!

Parenting Class

We went to a day long parenting/birthing class yesterday and the biggest thing I learned was I am now officially scared to death! We got to tour the birthing suites and learn about vaginal vs Csection births. Yes, I know millions of women have done this before me, and have survived but that makes me no less scared! All in all I know when the time comes, it will all be fine and just holding her will all be worth it, but now I have 2 months to think about it!!!

Sept MD appt

Yesterday was my September monthly appt. All is great. Blood pressure is great, even a little low, but no concern. Weight still good. Dr. Christine couldn't get her heartbeat to pick up on the Doppler machine (or whatever you call that) so she sent me to ultrasound. Jamie (our favorite ultrasound lady!) found her right away, in which she was lying at my back, on her tummy. Heartbeat still very strong and loud! Jamie wiggled the wand and pushed down some and baby girl pushed her bottom up as if to say "kiss it!". It was really funny. She just took a couple of pics for Dr. Christine and then baby girl pulled her head up toward the camera and Jamie was able to see (notice, I typed Jamie was able to see, not me!) that she has some hair. Dr. Christine is maintaining that she is a little ahead of schedule, for a Nov 23 due date, so she's still estimating a week or so ahead. So, in essence, I'm about 30 weeks along this week, give or take a day or two. I have all the symptoms of week 30 according to babycenter.com. She'll be here before we know it!
Mom and Daddy brought the crib over on Monday and Chuck put it all up. It looks beautiful!! Mom also found a homemade quilt (that my Mammaw made) years ago that is pink and white that I have on the bed that is also in her room, which just makes it special and girly!
Chuck has a cold and is sickly right now, and I'm doing my best to stay away from him as much as possible. I really don't want or shouldn't be sick at this point, so I'm doing my best. Doctor told me to get a flu shot soon with all the sickness going around, which I plan to do this weekend.
We go to the parenting/birthing class this Saturday so I'm sure by sundown Saturday we'll both be completely freaked out!
Tomorrow is our 4th anniversary! Never dreamed we'd also be awaiting baby at this time! Very cool!
Baby shower is also fast approaching, it will be October 3rd and I can't wait! So excited!!!

No Fancy Title...just an update!

It's been a while so I thought I'd write a little....We had a little scare last Saturday, I didn't feel baby move for a couple of days so doctor had us go to the hospital for some fetal monitoring. The minute the nurse put the monitor on me, her heartbeat was loud and fast. And then we could hear her kicking around. They kept me on the monitor for about 2 hours and then sent me home. Doctor thinks she was probably just a little far, closer to my back so I couldn't feel her. But she has definitely made up for lost time, i don't think she stopped saturday night through tuesday. She is becoming much more active and harder. She must be growing. Chuck has felt her a good bit more and we talk to her a good bit and she seems to respond a bit to that. Lisa even got to feel her kick pretty hard Tuesday night.
Funny side note: While we were at the hospital, we were trying to think of anything to get her to move so we could hear/feel her. So Chuck decided to put his phone/MP3 player up to my tummy and see if she would respond. First he tried Dave Matthews Band, no luck. Then he played "Insane in the Membrane" which is a really terrible old rap song and she went nuts. She started kicking and pushing and dancing around. It was hilarious. The nurse started calling Chuck "Rockstar Daddy". It was too funny. I really hope bad rap is not the music she likes!
Nothing else really exciting going on. Daddy started painting the crib and it looks great so far. We are going over to their house tomorrow and Chuck is going to help him finish it up. I can't wait for it to be finished and over here in her room. I hope we're able to finish moving furniture around and getting the room as ready as we can, which I'd like to get finished on Sunday, but we'll see! Once it's all arranged, I'll try to take some pics to show it off!
I guess that's about it for the moment, next MD appt is Sept 8, but it'll just be a routine visit. But I'll update! Til then...

Sick..ugh!

Woke up Sunday morning not feeling great with a sore throat but figured it was just from sitting outside on mom's patio saturday night. As the day progressed, I got worse and barely got out of bed all day and by mid afternoon I had a low grade fever. I started the Tylenol. By 4 am Monday I was having stomach cramps, more sore throat, a headache that won't quit, aching back, and just felt crappy all over. Called the doctor and they wanted to see me. I was tested for strep, flu and swine flu. Negative for all thank goodness! Doctor thinks I have a throat infection with a bug of some kind and gave me antibiotics for a week. I still feel kinda blah tonite but I will make it. Baby girl apparently has felt fine because she has continued her kick-a-thon and rolling and spinning right along.
On a darker note, today at our apartment, our neighbor downstairs son who is home on leave from Iraq started having some post traumatic stress syndrome and started shooting. SCARY!!! We heard about 15 shots but as we left for the doctor today, the CSI team and Detectives were doing their thing and we saw 23 "evidence" markers of casings and bullets all over downstairs breezeway. It is all very sad. We spoke with his father, who is our neighbor, a very nice older gentleman. He said that apparently his son "lost it" and started screaming and shooting. He shot himself, I'm assuming in the shoulder, because when I saw him on the sidewalk, the paramedics were bandaging and wrapping his shoulder. His father said he would be ok physically. There was another son injured, appeared to be in the hand. Before the cops arrived we heard a female screaming "I didn't do anything" repeatedly, for which we assumed a domestic violence situation but we did not go out to see where it was coming from, Chuck called 911. But later found out the female was the poor man's mother and I just feel for the entire family. It is very sad that this brave man has gone overseas and fought for his country and comes home to spend quality time with his family, and is able to spend that time, but yet, he mentally can't unwind or forget enough to be settled. I'm not going to make this blog political or anti-war or pro-war or anything like that, but today, seeing/hearing this first hand has really made me appreciate the sacrifices that the soldiers and their families make. Unfortunately, the war isn't just "over there." I pray for this family, and all the others like it that I don't know. The look on his father's face made me just want to hold him and cry with him. Very very sad.
On a much better note, Daddy went through further testing today for his heart, a Pet Scan. Basically a dye is run through his heart to check for blockages and such. They didn't admit him, so we're hopeful this is a good sign and they told him he would hear results in 2-5 days. Mom said he made it through with no problems. He then went to another doctor (he was trying to be a professional patient today!) and had some cysts removed from both eyes. I talked to him this afternoon and he said he felt fine and was having no problems. Thank God!
Well, I think I'm going to go to bed now, I'm exhausted and my head is starting to hurt a bit, so I'm going to medicine up and go to bed.
Night!

Week 24

Week 24 officially began today. I have a dcotors appointment tomorrow for the gestational diabetes test and another sonogram to check her kidneys. So we'll get to see her once again tomorrow and see how she's growing and changing. Can't wait!! I know she must be getting bigger because I'm feeling her a lot more and much more often now. Chuck even got to feel her for the first time on Friday, July 31. About 5 am, we were both awake (I usually am, not sure why he was!!) and watching tv and he leaned over and started rubbing my belly, asking where she was. I pointed him to where I felt her and it wasn't long til she did a couple jumps under his hand and he jerked it back. He said she felt like an alien trying to escape!! But I think he was happy to finally feel her. He said he knows now why I make some of the faces I do when I she kicks and moves. As long as she moving and jumping and happy, so am I!.
In other news, both of her grandpas are having some health problems now so please pray for them both. Both of them mean the world to us and I cant wait for her to have them wrapped her little fingers, as if she doesn't already!
Mom and Daddy plan to start working on the crib in the next week or so. They are painting it black. It's going to be gorgeous!
Chuck got the job he's been wanting forever last week. He starts Aug 25 at AT&T as DSL Help Desk person, not sure what you call that! He's anxious and so ready to get back working, so am I!!!
I will post tomorrow night after the appointment with all the updates!