update

According to my ticker..... 5 days to go....

I went to the emergency room on Saturday, December 18th. I was in excruciating pain. I knew it was just a pulled muscle/ligament, but I needed something to help relieve the pain. I pulled this same ligament earlier in the pregnancy, so I was fairly sure what was wrong and I was not too concerned. Of course, Jon is not employed, so this time I did not have to go alone. We drove all the way to G-ville, waited for 3 hours in L&D while my doc delivered two babies. She came in for 5 minutes and gave me a belly brace and a script for loratab. Well worth it. My mom is in town, so I did not have to take the girls. It was not a bad day, all in all, except for all the pain i had to endure. But the brace was amazing and I have even been walking on the trail since I got it. I think they should issue these to pregnant ladies on their second and third babies... It is a must. lol.

I went to the doc last tuesday and he checked me. I am not effaced. I do not seem to be moving at all... but the baby is back in position, with his head where it should be. He has not dropped, but he is in position. I am one to two centimeters dilated. Everything else looked fine.... blah blah..

I am one miserably preggo girl. I am big and uncomfortable. I was really hoping to have this baby while my mom was here to help me. But he is obviously not ready to come out. I am showing NO signs of getting ready. I have not had NOT ONE contraction. Nothing. At this point, I would welcome painful contractions. I will be one mad lady if I go all the way to my due date.

I did ask my doctor how long past your due date they will let you go. He told me they would induce me next week (which would be this week) if I wanted too, they do not follow the practice of allowing you to go up to two weeks past your due date. Which I was relieved about. I think it is crazy for doctors, now-a-days, to allow you to go two weeks over.... for many, many reasons that I will not list. I kinda wanted to have him in 2010... for obvious reasons. I go back to the doctor on Tuesday, see what happens... I am so hoping and praying he comes naturally like the other two did.... by friday.......... hahaha

37 weeks.... standing still

37 weeks along. According to my ticker, 16 days to go. Sounds good... but maybe not.

I went to the doctor yesterday. Before he did the exam he said all was good and he was ready when I was to have this baby whenever I was. (cause your considered full term at 37 weeks... so you can have that baby anytime after that.)

But, when he did my (now weekly) exam, the baby was no longer in position. He was very concerned, He stated that we would need to schedule a C-Section if the baby is improperly turned. So, he did an immediate ultra sound. That little man is curled up under my ribs, his head is just floating around in there, he is no longer in position, but he is not in a dangerous position. So, we wait til next week to see if he is moved back down to where he needs to be. There is nothing dangerous happening, but that means I am no where near going into labor. I am not dilating or moving forward cause he his is not in position. This is why I am so miserable and cannot breath and cannot get comfortable, he is literally in a little ball right over my lungs up under my ribs. As I type this, the pain and tightness in my upper stomach/rib area is intense.

Sigh....... I say, it just figures. I was so hoping that things were moving along and next week would be the time. I certainly do not want a C-section. Never had one, but I know surgery is the last thing I wanna do. I am not sure what will happen at next weeks appointment (except I know I will be violated.... hahaha). If he is still curled up, will the doctor insist on surgery? Or let me keep going to see what happens? This just kinda sucks. I just wish he would move down a little, it feels like my ribs are gonna crack.


Some things I wanna remember:

I crave Cherry flavored drinks... Juice mostly. My favorite is Welch's Cherry Burst. It is awesome and I could drink it all the time. I also like cherry 7-Up, pretty much anything cherry flavored..

I MUST.... CRUNCH.... ICE... It is not a want, it is an absolute NEED. I go nuts if we are out and about and I cannot get to some ice.. I crunch on it three or four times a day. It satisfies something in me, I just HAVE to HAVE IT! I did not do this with Shay, but with Alysha I remember crunching it some, but not to this level.

Day -Cation

We decided to skip school and responsibilities and take a little day trip this week. We went to the Villages. This is simply a big retirement town down here where everyone drives around in tricked out golf carts. There are roads and bridges specifically designed for the carts to drive. There are places to eat and shop and it was just somewhere we have never been, thought it would be cool to see. Getting out of the house for a few hours sounded great!!

We had fun, but I will say that those retiree's drive crazy.. they are seriously mean. I have never seen so much honking and ugliness than I did those few hours we were there. They just whip through there in their golf carts and fancy cars and expect you to get out of their way. Four times someone just pulled out in front of us and we had to hit the brakes. Seriously, if they are tired of waiting, they just GO! I did not enjoy that part, but we had a great spontaneous day as a family.

This is us walking in the downtown area, just checking it all out.

I played peek - a - boo with Shayla in the restaurant. She did not want to get out of her stroller, so we just pulled her up to the table and she ate. We had mexican.

We headed over to the Barnes and Nobles and had a coffee and let Shay play in the kids section.

Daddy sitting in the kids section with Shayla. Interesting note.... I could not fit in those green chairs, but Jon and Alysha could. :(

I regret not getting a picture of the golf carts all tricked out. The streets in the downtown area are all lined with golf cart parking. That is all there is, golf cart lined streets, and it is a hilarious site.

Nesting

Okay, I had my nesting spell on Monday!! One HUGE spurt of energy where I cleaned like a mad woman. I felt GREAT!! It is so awesome to feel SO GOOD!! Why can't everyday feel that good? I rearranged my whole walk in closet and got everything put together and ready for a baby boy to arrive. I cleaned my bathroom from top to bottom, my baseboards are shining. I cleaned my kitchen the same. I was running and jumping and just feeling awesome in general. I accomplished amazing things. It is the best day of the pregnancy!! I love it! (Hila, I got your gift packaged and mailed - Merry Christmas!)

The only bad part is that I was so busy RUNNING around the house, I forgot how clumsy I still am and just went to fast. I stubbed my foot and broke a toe.......... hahahaha... seriously. It turned a nice black color. :( It hurts so bad. But at the time I just kept on going. Cause when I get that energy spurt I feel to good to sit down. I had a rough night though, trying to remember it and not accidentally touch it or move the other toes around it. Extreemly painful.....

On a fun and interesting note...... I looked up in my blog when I "nested" with Shayla. I had my spurt of energy on the 18th and on the 30th I had her. Twelve days.

That would put me having this baby right around my birthday on the 20th. If it were to be about the same. The thing is, I have had a problem with their due date from the beginning. I believe it is wrong. I was based on the baby's size at my emergency ultrasound. When I looked at the calendar, I knew that I could not have possibly conceived around that time. I have believed from the beginning that I am at least a week farther into the pregnancy than they calculated, simply based on when I could have possibly conceived. I have always felt I am a week farther along than they figure.

So, I guess we will see. It really does not matter either way, this little man will come when he is good and ready. I just pray for another easy and safe delivery for me and little man. The first two were so smooth. This one I hope goes the same, whenever he comes. (I do secretly hope he does come before my birthday or a few days after it. Not on New Years. :)

36 weeks - The final countdown

I feel like a whale. In one week, my belly went straight out. My medium maternity shirts now have belly hanging out the bottom. The fabulous red-neck pregnant look. So, now it is larges and long mediums only, further limiting my clothing choices. Of course, if this one goes like the other ones, I am only looking at three more weeks or so. Both of my first two were born at 39 weeks. I am well aware that that does not mean it will happen this way this time, but - a girl can dream.

As of December 2, my husband was no longer active duty military. It happened suddenly and without warning. We are now without an income. I know there is not "good" time to be without that very important thing, it does seem like it happened at the worst time in our lives. Nine months pregnant, twenty days away from Christmas. We have no job prospects simply because we were not expecting this to happen in the least. Hubby is applying for jobs. We are not limited by geography, we will move anywhere. I think he is focusing on federal jobs, they tend to be military friendly and all his military training transfers to alot of these positions. These kinds of jobs take time. (I will clarify that this was a voluntary, honorable seperation - they offered us a terrible billet and said take it or get out....)

I would definitely say that this situation is much harder for me simply because I am pregnant. I am more emotional and easily overwhelmed, so I have cried alot. We saw alot of our plans and dreams simply disappear with this sudden life change. We are at a loss of what to expect from our future.

This is what we do know: The Lord led us here. We were given an ultimatum and God spoke CLEARLY as to what choice we were to make. This was one of the hardest decisions we have made, to give up income and security for the sake of our family. Family comes first, paychecks come second. That is a very noble statement, but when you are sitting here without any idea how you will pay for anything, with a baby on the way, it is very scary. We are trusting in the Lord. HE led us to this point, and HE will lead us the rest of the way. We are simply trusting in HIM. We have already seen fruits from this decision in our family, we have been blessed and brought together in a way we have not been since joining the military. We know we are sitting where HE wants us to be. It is the not knowing where we are going next or how in the world we will get there that is so very scary.

This has been a turbulent month in my life and in this pregnancy. Jon did sign up for the reserves, but we are waiting for a billet, which means we had to buy some insurance to cover having this baby boy.... which equals an obscene amount of mula... something we no longer have coming in... hahaha. (this was not funny two weeks ago, but now I have come to accept it and it is so surreal it is comical to me.)

You wonder why God allows things to happen the way HE does sometimes. In my selfish timing, I think his plan should have involved me having the baby, THEN getting out... But, the Bible says, "His ways are not our ways." So, for now I am just focusing on having this little man and taking each day a step at a time. We are all healthy, we are all together, and we will soon welcome a new little addition to our sweet little family. I am truly blessed!

35 week check up

Went back to the doctor today for a check up and an exam. I am one centimeter dilated and the baby is in position. Does not mean anything but my body is getting ready and it is right on schedule. I actually had contractions last week, but they were fake ones. I am moving right along and I am feeling pretty good. I am uncomfortable pretty much all the time, but that is normal too. I gained two more pounds, which puts me at 19 total.

My mother informs me that I need to have my bag and the baby's bag all packed up. I am apparently falling down on the job. It has not even occurred to me. I have not even picked out a coming home outfit for baby boy. I will do that this week, but I think I still have plenty of time... (famous last words..)

We did accomplish something this week. Shayla is officially out of her crib and into her big girl bed. It is so awesome. Gotta give kudos to Jon, he did it all. He has trained her the whole time. She sleeps all night in her big girl bed. She lays there and calls my name to come and get her when she wakes up in the morning and from her naps. She is so big and grown up.... Time sure does fly............

My little shadow

Little girls are the best!! My Shay is just like my Lysh was at this age. She likes to do everything mommy does. She "helps" me with whatever I may be doing....

• When I do the laundry, she "helps" me. Which, of course, means I have to refold what she has attempted to do, and it takes twice as long, but I love it still. Love teaching her and spending time with her.

• When I sweep, she holds the pan so I can sweep the dirt in it.She even has her own little broom so she can "help" me sweep.
  

• When we vacuum, she likes to be right beside us, sometimes holding the cord, pretending to do it too. She especially likes to help wind the cord back up after we are done.

She is right there with me all day. When I get ready for the day, she "gets ready" with me. She brushes her teeth with me, puts on deodorant, and pretends to put in contacts, just like mommy. She especially likes it when I put on make up. I let her sit on my dresser and she pretends to put on some make up too. I let her hold the blush brush, and she copies everything I do. I always put some lip gloss on her. (I do not use lipstick, but just a light gloss). This is her favorite part, and mine, cause she puckers those sweet little lips out for me to put it on her.

She is learning all the time. She is striving for her independence, wanting to do things herself. She wants to open her juice cup so I can pour in her refill, turn out the lights herself when we leave the room, carry her "purse" (a.k.a diaper bag) when we leave the house, get her own utensil out when it is time to eat.... etc. If you forget and do it for her, she gets upset. She is learning and growing up so quickly.

She plays independently really well, but she likes to be in sight of me. She does not venture off by herself. If I head into her bedroom or mine to clean up, she comes toddling in there with her toys she was playing with and sits on the floor and plays til I am done. She just wants to be near mommy or sissy.

Speaking of Sissy.. she LOVES her sissy. Lysh with get on the floor and rough house with her and she just laughs and screams. That is her favorite time! Lysh will hide in the hallway and "roar", which makes shayla scared, but she LOVES to be scared so she will just scream and run into the hallway!! Lysh will hide and jump out and scare her and Shay just eats it up, she LOVES it. Sissy is so much fun!

Her most favorite thing in the world is to help me cook/bake. I put her on the counter as I prepare food and she gets her own spoon to stir and "help". Sissy bakes alot, so she really loves to help stir the batter and then she gets to lick the spoon afterward, which is good and sugary. Cooking dinner is her favorite time of the day. Just like everything else, she slows me down, but they are only little once........

She is also a very prissy little one. She does not like for anything to get on her hands. She comes to me, hands out in front, saying "oh no, dirty". Which is so funny cause most of the time there is just a little something on one little finger. But she feels dirty. When we go outside to play in the sand box, she would be ready to go in after 30 minutes cause she was dirty - haha. (I hear boys are just the opposite). My other sweet girl was the exact same way, just mommy's little shadow. Shay is more adventurous though, she will leave my side, whereas Lysh was a shy little thing and never ventured far from me when we went places.

I do love little girls... Did i say that? They are sweet, sweet, sweet!

MY GIRLS

Shay in the laundry basket!

Lysh and her bestie at halloween

My very grown up looking girl - soon to be 15!

Shay loves to hold the camera while you take a picture. We have many, many close up pics like this... cracks me up!! Loving this age!!!

32 weeks - another doctors visit

This picture is just one of the things I will miss and NEVER again be able to use once this baby boy arrives. I love Maternity parking... hahaha... I am easily pleased. It is just a "perk" of being big and uncomfortable. Not many stores around here have it, unfortunately, so I make it a point to go to the ones that do. All for a parking spot. :)

I went to the doctor today and all is well. I have gained a total of 17 lbs. I am gaining less with this one than with Shay, which is normal since I do not have the diabetes this time. I go back in three weeks. It is really going by fast now. The end is coming up soon and I just cannot believe it is almost over. I am trying to remember it and enjoy it, since it is my last one.

November so soon?

I really cannot believe it is November. The weather is typical of Florida, still warm and hot. Still shorts and flip flops. Which is fine cause I do not have alot of long sleeve maternity tops, but I have a load of short sleeve.

I cannot believe I am 32 weeks. I have not accomplished things I wanted to, specifically with Shayla. I really wanted to have her potty trained and in her big girl bed by the time this baby comes. Neither of this has happened. I do believe she is ready to start potty training in some ways, but I am so big and uncomfortable that is seems like such a chore. I gave it a great big try this week. She woke up with her diaper all dry and I put big girl panties on her and gave her lots to drink. She peed once before naptime... on the floor. We did spend alot, alot alot of time sitting on the potty. She enjoys the potty, enjoys wiping and feeling like a big girl. She simply does not understand when she has the urge. Of course, when I laid her down for her nap, with her pull up on, she woke up with a full pull up. Could she really have held it?

My baby sleeps til 9:00 everyday. Then she plays in the crib for an hour almost every morning. This is why I have not moved her over yet. I love sleeping in a little extra. Once I put her in a big girl bed she will get up immediately upon waking and come to me. I know she is ready, I am not ready. I like the crib. I like sleeping in. I do not get much sleep as it is, so sleeping in a little is a nice treat for me. I am too big and uncomfortable to rest now. I pee three times a night. I have to HEAVE myself to change positions. This is all normal, I remember this with Shay, but it is definitely no fun.

On a funny note, my teenager says to me this week, "you no longer have a cute baby bump, now it just looks like you have a watermelon strapped to your tummy." Gee Whiz, thanks. :(

halloween

Just a picture of my oldest in her costume this year. She wanted to be a fanatical gator fan...

Since When..........

...........is it Okay to insult a pregnant lady? People are crazy... old people in particular. The bigger you get, the more people feel like it is acceptable behavior to comment on your size. This was particularly frustrating last time I was preggo, even though I only gained 20 lbs.. that last two months I always got the reaction of "your huge, your gonna go anyday." I am now 30 weeks and my belly is nice and round. I have gained even less lbs with this one, and yet I am getting the SHOCK FACE from people. Twice this week. Once in a department store, the check out lady - who was nice at first - commented on my pregnancy and then asked when I was due... no big deal. (This is normal, see my previous post - the secret club)

She then proceeded to moan and groan and act like she was just shocked.... I got the "you look like your gonna pop any second" spiel. ?? Any second? I was polite, but that kinda stuff ticks me off.

My second encounter this week was at a dollar store. I wait in line ten minutes to buy TWO things - holy crap- and the check out lady is making small talk about my being preggo... blah blah- yes it s a boy.... blah blah.... i have two other girls....blah blah. The usual. The old lady behind me makes a comment about being due soon and I said, "I only have two more months to go." She about blew a gasket, or her last brain cell, heehawing about how HUGE I am and how I am gonna go ANYTIME.

Now, let me ask you... If these people feel it is perfectly acceptable to make these rude and crazy comments to my face, am I obligated to be polite back? there are alot of women who gain LOTS and LOTS of weight... I wonder what they say to them?

I was always nice with the last pregnancy, but now I am older and wiser, or simply more fed up. I absolutely do not think I am going to be able to hold it in. ("It" being my sarcastic responses)

I am not very big.. every time I hear this said all I can think is, "you ain't seen nothing yet, this baby is gonna get big!" He is only 3 lbs, he is gonna get up to 7 or 8. When I have THAT belly, then you can comment. I am short so my belly just goes straight out. :) This little "round mound" I have now is nothing!

I just wonder when it became perfectly normal for perfect strangers to say things like that to your face... seriously?

Here is a side shot pic of me in my jeans and a tight maternity shirt. Shows my belly nice. :)

29 weeks

I went for my doctors appointment this week. I have now gained a total of 12 lbs, which my doc and my nurse were so happy about. :) The best news I got was that I passed my Diabetes test. No finger pricking for me this time. I am measuring perfect with the time line every time go, which is good. Basically this one is going just like the other two. I am having no complications or problems, and for that I am grateful. I love how easy my pregnancies and births always go, hopefully this little man will come out without a complication. :)

I was told that once you get diabetes, you get it every time. I was concerned that I passed the test this time, but I was reading up on it and only 33% of women get it the second time around. Only 5 % get it the first time. I did NOT have it with my first or my last, just my middle one... Strange? Shay was just too much for my body to handle. :)

This little man is feisty. He is only 3 lbs now, but he can hurt me - seriously! It is quite painful sometimes, which makes me so nervous cause he is so small. What will it feel like when he is 6 or 7 lbs....

The Secret Club

It is a funny thing about being pregnant, you are suddenly thrust in the spotlight. People notice you wherever you go. When I walk into a store or restaurant, people look at me or at my belly. Their reaction is always funny. I am pretty sure they are trying to figure out how far along I am. I know I do the same thing to other preggo ladies... I always stare a little at their bellies.

Strangers are perfectly comfortable coming up to you and making conversation. There is no other time in my life where I talk to more random ladies than when I am pregnant. Today is a good example. I went to eat with my friend, and then we went to Target and Walgreens. In Target, I was looking through the junior section for my teenager, cause she wants some leggings. A lady I do not know strikes up a conversation about my belly. Of course, I always get the same first question, "when are you due?" Usually proceeded by, "is this your first?" We then proceed to have a little conversation about babies and having babies and so forth. It always happens pretty much the same way. We had a nice chat, she congratulated me on my first boy, she shuddered that I was having my THIRD, and went on her way. When we get to the check out counter, the check out girl asks me the infamous question and makes "baby" conversation. Then we head to Walgreens, where the check out girl is psychic and makes her prediction and proceeds to tell me what I am having.... a girl.... WRONG. She claims she is never wrong..... ahem.... I just smile. I mean, what is an appropriate response for me? I saw the ultrasound and there was definitely a "third leg." hahaha. But she was polite, so I just smiled. This is completely typical of my experience EVERY TIME i go somewhere. Especially of check out girls, they have nothing better to do than chat, so they love to make small talk and ask lots of questions about my belly. I always get a really BIG response when I tell them my due date. (which is New Years' Eve). Everyone seems to think that is soooo cool; however, I am thinking I wanna go way before then. :)

It just strikes me as funny that ladies - complete strangers - feel comfortable talking to other pregnant ladies, our own little club. I always notice the nostalgia in their eyes, when they think about their own pregnancies. It is a special time in a woman's life and I am not taking it for granted. I have enjoyed this second trimester to the best of my ability. I enjoy the looks, stares, and smiles I get from strangers. I am carrying life, a little piece of me and Jon, and that is exciting. I am happy to share my excitement and happiness with anyone.


Here is a picture of me in Savannah, GA. :) I recently took a vacation there with my BFF hila. We had an awesome time!!

Doctor's visit

Went to the doctor for a my check up. This time I made the appointment five weeks out from the last one, just cause. No reason to show up there every 3 or 4 weeks for nothing. It is an hour's drive for a 15 minute visit. I do love my doctor though, so it is worth it. We had a really great experience at that hospital too.... Not really impressed with the ones in the county we live in.

The good news is I only gained one more pound this visit. That puts me at 9 lbs total for this pregnancy. I am doing really well, go me!! The heart beat was 140, perfectly normal. Jon went this time so he could hear the heartbeat and so we could register with the hospital. The active duty service member has to be there or they will not do it. Tricare is so picky. I was joking with the doctor that when I get to heaven they will not let me in unless Jon is there with his Military ID and I have a referral from my PCM. :)

On a funny note.. this morning Jon and I were getting ready to go and I was standing over the sink brushing my teeth and jon was behind me. My hubby makes this comment, "The way you carry babies is so funny, standing here looking at you I cannot even tell your pregnant." :) The way he said it, it was a compliment. He is impressed with how I carry. You really cannot tell I am preggo until I turn around and my big buddha belly is visible. I would like to think I am short and cute, not short and fat. :)

Another interesting note from the hubby is that it just hit him the other day that we are about to have our third kid and it is a boy this time. REALLY...... It just really "sunk in". Crazy man. I guess it is different when you are not the one carrying the load... so to speak. :) I thought that was rather humorous.

kicking right along....

This baby is a kicker. The neat thing about this baby boy is how random he is. Shayla was so routine, even in the womb. She had her "happy time" in my tummy about the same time every night. She would be still for hours, and then do her "exercsises".

Not this one. He is active on and off all day long. There is no set time of movement. He just kinda flip flops around in there all day long. I like it.

I want this one to be different from the last. Shayla lives off of her routines. Shayla is afraid of alot of stuff. i.e. the merry go round. She wants to go on it soooo bad, then when we get on it, and it starts to move, and the little horsey goes up and down, she gets upset. Her whole little life she has done that. We went on the merry go round today and I thought since she was older she would be more fun. But she is the same little baby girl.. still afraid.

But my boy..... I am thinking he is gonna live a NO FEAR lifestyle... which will have its upside and downside. I am looking forward to the difference. Both my girls were cautious and shy and sweet. A boy will be a whole new world and I am looking forward to it. :) As long as I have Jon there with me, I can handle this little man. It is gonna be a great adventure!

FOR SALE

We are up for sale again. This time it is a Short Sale. We are looking at getting orders in the next two or three months. We found out our house is worth less than half of what we paid for it four years ago, so the mortgage company said our only option was a Short sale. So here we are!!

I am excited about it. We had heard horrible things about short sales, but it is not as bad as it seems. There are so many people in the same situation as us, that the mortgage companies are taking what they can get to avoid foreclosure themselves. It cost the bank around $25,000 to foreclosure on people, so this saves them money in the long run.

The best news is that we do not have to pay capital gain taxes on it. They do give you a 1099C, but since it is a "C", it cancels the debt, whereas if it was a regular 1099, we would have to pay taxes. We had decided that paying the taxes would be cheaper than coming up with sixty thousand dollars in the difference in what we owe, so we were ready to do it. Luckily for us, this is going to work out better and not destroy our credit. No foreclosure, no bankruptcy, and keeping our credit . . . . answered prayer.

I will now have to keep the house clean, clean, clean, but I am excited to show it. The last time we had it up for a year and it never showed once. This time it should. :)

I am excited to just be moving forward in the future. Things are not standing still, it feels good to be doing some proactive moves, something we felt the Lord calling us to do. HE gave us the nudge, and we obeyed, now it is a wait and see game again. Seems to be how this whole year has gone.... God is good!

6 months

Finally half way thru!

I went to the doctor last week. I gained another four pounds. Which means I have gained a total of 8 pounds so far. The doctor said the average for six months is 10 pounds, so I am under that, which is good.I am actually feeling better. I am active all day. I still feel the need to sit alot, but I do not sleep all day. That is so much better.

I am actually at a good point in my pregnancy, not big enough to be really uncomfortable and not sick at all. I am planning to enjoy these next few weeks. I have been pressure washing my driveway for the last two weeks. :) Trying to stay active and busy while I can. :)

I have a nice round baby bump now. I am showing nicely. We had company all week, Jon's cousin from California. Here are some pics. In case your are wondering, I am the big round one by the two skinny ones.... hahahaha! Alysha and Allison look exactly the same.... Allie is 22, but Alysha looks so grown up you cannot tell. They are beautiful girls!!

All Things New

It's a boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had our ultrasound Tuesday. Jon, Alysha, Shayla and I all go back to the room. Shay and Lysh sit in the two chair and Jon stands by the bed with me. We are all staring at the 42" flat screen. :) That little baby comes up and it was so awesome! She takes some head shots and moves around and I am looking at the full body shot and I asked her, "Is that what I think it is?" She just smiles. I know I have never seen that on an ultrasound before. So she puts the arrow on the baby and says, "Can you see that dad?" It's DEFINITELY a boy. :) hahaha. It was so funny. Lysh squealed, Jon laughed, and Shay is saying, "TV, TV" She was enthralled with the big ole tv on the wall.

Then she turned up the heartbeat so we could all hear it and Shay Shouts, "BABY" :) how cute is that? How did she know that was the baby's?

All in all it was a good day. Baby is doing great. She changed my due date to December 31. We had a great time and now we know it is a boy!

The first picture shows us that it is a boy. :) There is an arrow pointing to where you need to look. haha
This is a profile picture. Just his little head, looking down on him. :) Pretty neat. Looks like an alien to me....

5 months

Alysha told me I had to take a belly shot, like I did with Shayla. So here it is:

This week I am officially five months along. I am getting excited about this little baby bean.

I have just started showing so I am officially in maternity smalls and med shirts. I was so blessed that two different girls I knew were giving away their maternity clothes and they gave me two full bags. I got some really cute stylish tops and stuff. I am excited to have more choices in what I wear everyday... for free. :) I still do not look preggo as much as I look like I gained some weight in my middle. I think I just look fat... my tummy is not rounded yet. I remember blogging about this last time...it looks like I have half a watermelon under my shirt....I like it when my belly rounds out and all my tight maternity tops fit just right. :)

I am feeling the baby move almost daily now. I felt this baby move really early in this pregnancy. I have been feeling it for weeks. In the last few weeks it has started happening more often. I LOVE this part of pregnancy - feeling that little one rolling around in there. :) It is a little miracle.

I am dreaming vividly again. It is amazing how being pregnant affects you. My dreams are so emotional and realistic. I remember this from last time... dreaming like crazy every night.

The babybean Adventures

If I had thought of it sooner, I would have named my blog... BABY BEAN ADVENTURES.... That is soo cute. (My nickname is Juliebean.... in case you did not get it... )

I had a terrible weekend. On Friday night I had a tightness in my left side in the abdominal area. I went to bed thinking my muscle was just tight. At 2:00 a.m. I am awake and in excruciating pain in my left side. I can barely sit, stand, or walk. It really feels like a pulled muscle to me, simply because there was one position I could get in while sitting or laying that would alleviate the pain. I reasoned that if it was a kidney stone or something terrible, I would find no rest or reprieve from the pain.

BUT, I am pregnant, so I was worried that something was wrong with the baby since the pain was in my abdomen. Of course, this was my hubby's weekend to work, so I call his barracks and wake him up. I am debating going to the ER. Unfortunately, he says they are working a skeleton crew and he cannot leave at all. poo. This is the hard thing about being military and moving around, I have no family to lean on.

My only choice is to wait til morning and leave when it is light outside. I wake Alysha up about 8 and she helps me to get dressed. I am not exaggerating to say that it took me a solid hour to change clothes and walk to my van. Whew! I am in SO MUCH PAIN! I can barely move. At this point I am a little afraid for my baby.

I drive myself to the ER. I had to park in the back forty and walk, I use the term "walk" loosely, up to the door. I am extremely lucky that there is no one else in the waiting room and they take me on back. The poke and prod me and take all my bodily fluids. An hour later, the diagnosis was simply, "we don't know whats wrong, come back if it gets worse." All my tests were fine, they did a simple ultrasound and the baby was fine. It was rocking around in there with a steady heartbeat. Their best guess? My Uterine wall was contracting. When they are releasing me, Hubby shows up. :) I love my hubby. I have cried alot laying there all by myself, it is good to have him there.

I am blessed I was literally only in the ER for an hour and a half. Total. They gave me pain pills, which was N-I-C-E. I did not know you can take this stuff when preggo. I called my OBGYN, just to double ck. His over the phone diagnosis of my description of my pain, "Your uterus is growing and it can be very painful." ? what's up with the Uterus?

I am blessed to have Alysha. She completely took care of Shayla and me for the next two days til dad could come home. (he immediately went back to work.) I popped pills and slept thru Sat and Sunday. By Monday I could walk and sit and move without horrific pain. Today I am all better. Was it my uterus or my muscles? Maybe it was a uterus muscle... down by my pelvic bone... hahaha.

Final beach pics

This is the cutest little body shot. I saw this everyday on the way to the pool. That little body would walk down the hallway to the elevator. She was so excited. :)

Me and my beautiful 14yr old. Look how tall.
My girls at the shopping/eating place. :)

Jon came down for a day and hung out.

I got Lysh a Henna tattoo. It was pretty, but a big waste of money.

Everytime we would hit a stop sign, Lysh would take our picture. So funny. We look like sista's

four months along

Went to the doctor today. Heard the baby's heartbeat. She said all is well. These appointments strike me as pointless. You show up, pee in a cup, stand on a scale, see the doc for two seconds... then your done. Of course, don't forget about the endless waiting in the waiting room and the exam room. Big fat waste of time... and speaking of fat....... I have gained four pounds. That would be total for my whole pregnancy. Four pounds in four months. It really does not sound too bad when you word it that way... But really it is four pounds in the last four weeks since my last useless appointment. :)

I told my doctor that I am tired from sun up to sun down and I sleep ALOT during the day and still sleep all night. It is so funny that every time I tell them I have an immediate problem they just send off for tests or cultures or whatever and I get nothing to help me feel better. So, her diagnosis of my unnatural tiredness? Thyroid. I have to go get bloodwork - I assume it is blood work - since no one explained to me. I just have to go to quest and either pee in a cup again... whoopee ... or let them stick a needle in my arm.... again. So, that means I wait until my next appointment... four weeks away.... to find out what is wrong. What do I do in the meantime? Sleep my life away? Luckily Shayla is so good and docile and likes to just play on the floor wherever I am napping. (and I have a teenager to keep an eye on her). sigh.

I did make my appointment for THE ULTRASOUND. The one where I should find out what it is. It is August 18th. I am excited about that. This is the exciting part of pregnancy for me. I love this ultra sound. Jon and the girls there with me as we find out what the new addition to our family will be. Sweet memories. I remember vividly the day we had Shayla's ultrasound. It was awesome. Since this will be our last Ultrasound Day, I will enjoy it thoroughly.

To end on a happy note... I got two new bags full of maternity clothes. Two different ladies I know were giving them away!! They are so cute and stylish!! i am wearing maternity now just to get some use out of them. Alysha is jealous cause I look so cute!! :)

beach trip part 2

Look at that white body. Luckily for me, she does not burn easy. I forgot sun tan lotion and she did not even get a little pink. Look at that belly!!

Sisters.........:)

so pretty!

This girl loves to laugh.

beach trip part one

Just some cool shots of my girls from our week at the beach.

She loved the pool. She just laid back in my arms all peaceful. We went to the pool everyday.

my girls

Shayla likes to put my shirt around her neck and dance around. :)

Isn't my teenager pretty?

This is my girls at KP Hole, a local spring. Shay is hot and tired, we had been there almost two hours.

There is my good looking man. :)