Our Baby

pregnancy due date

Nov 29, 2011

34 Weeks

This week was really relaxing, which I needed. I only worked a day and half this week, which was a nice break for me. On my half day off I got a pedicure and went shopping with one of my friends. That evening Mark and I were going to have our Newborn Care class, but the instructor forgot to tell us they moved the class to the past Thursday. So, they are doing special class for us in a week.
We had the girls for Thanksgiving this year. Every year we have the girls for Thanksgiving, we allow them to cook at Thanksgiving meal just for the four of us (about to be 5 of us). They pick out the menu, from the main course to dessert and even a special drink. Of course I help them with all of this and I made them simplify it a little this year because I could stand all day long. The girls fixed a turkey breast, broccoli and cheese casserole, sweet potatoes, dressing, gravy, rolls, and pumpkin pie. We also had sparkling grape juice as a drink. Usually they will make the drink, but again I told them we had to make it simply this year. Even with this small dinner, it still wore me out. I did take frequent breaks and rest while I allow them to finish up easy items. The one good thing about all this food it that we had leftovers for the rest of the weekend, plus what we will bring back from mom’s house. We spend Thanksgiving at my mom’s house this year since we were not traveling. We did not have a big crowd at mom and dad’s but it was nice to relax at mom’s house. Late that afternoon we watched the Madagascar 2, it was really cute.
On Friday, Mark and I took the girls to see the new Muppet movie. We really enjoyed the movie, it was so cute and we all laughed the whole time. It is nice to go see a movie and not worry about if it is appropriate or not for the girls. The rest of the weekend we spent resting and decorating the house for Christmas. I love Christmas time. I also labeled all my Christmas cards and will mail them out on Dec 1, I am thankful to have those completed. I also was nesting a lot this weekend. The guest room was driving me crazy. So we decided to take out the bed so we could have more room. We do not have a lot of guess that stay with us, but we do have a blow up mattress if we do have a guess any time soon. We are hoping to put our house on the market this spring and by this time next year we should be in our new home. We really need more space; our house seems to be shrinking.
Baby girl is still doing well and is moving all over the place. Starting with our next appointment we will have weekly appointments with Dr. Rister. During our next appointment we should be scheduling our c-section, I cannot wait. I am planning to work three more weeks and they will go by fast. Another mile stone we hit was 34 weeks. Dr. Rister said she needed to stay in until 34 weeks and we made it to that point. We feel a lot better about things down that we are on the downhill side of this mountain.

Nov 22, 2011

33 Weeks

This week has been really busy for us. We had two ultrasounds and two different doctor visits. Yes, that is four appointments total. My insulin is still high so they added another shot to my day. I am now on three shots of insulin. I am taking 15 units in the morning, 10 units at lunch, and 35 units before dinner. Both doctors (Dr. Amar and Dr. Rister) said that it is normal for my numbers to keep going up.
We also went to Because of You for our second ultrasound. I love watching her on the screen and seeing her movements. She would yawn, smile, scrunch up her face, etc… She is adorable to watch. She also seems to have my nose, cheeks and lips, along with Mark’s legs and fingers. She has really long legs and fingers.
Our second ultrasound was with Dr. Rister’s office, which is never too exciting. They are so plain and it feels like a medical procedure. That is why I like Because of You. At Dr. Rister’s office they took all of her measurements. She was measuring at 32 weeks and 5 days (just two days behind) and weighed about 4.5 pounds, which is average at this stage.
The next day we had our appointment with Dr. Rister. I think he is really concern about me, but is just not saying anything at this point. I do not think he does not want us to worry at this point. We are still looking to have the c-section to week of Dec 19th. Less than a month away and she will be here. We are so excited, especially me because I am tired of pricking my finger and giving myself shots.  The rest of the pregnancy is great and I feel wonderful. The only time I feel bad is when my blood sugar goes up.

Nov 16, 2011

32 weeks


I will have to say after last week, this week was much easier. I am glad we did not go to Oklahoma, because I think it would have pushed me over the edge. We did go to Red Lobster for our anniversary on Saturday. For the rest of the weekend, I pretty much rested, but I still did not feel well. I even stayed home from work on Monday, which I hated to do. After what happened the week before I decided I better now push myself, if I am not feeling well. I think my blood sugar is making me feel bad. My blood sugar is still really high and is going up, no matter what I do. I know next week they will be upping my insulin again.
One thing I failed to mention last week was my work was throwing a joint baby shower for a co-worker and me. The shower was going to be last Monday; however, over the weekend my co-worker end up having her baby (I know they planned the shower really close to her due date) and I ended up in the hospital. So on Thursday they throw me a baby shower. My co-workers are so generous and I received lots of great gifts. They also were giving me a hard time about using cloth diapers, even though they pitched in and bought me two. I brought some other diapers to show them, and once they saw how they worked, I did not hear another peep out of them. Later that night I used up all my Target gift cards online to buy everything else left on my registry that could be bought online.
I still have a few more items I need from Target and Babies R Us; however, the majority of everything has been bought. The only really big item we have left is the high chair. I am going to wait until after she is born to buy the chair, unless it goes on sale. After I buy a seat protector for my car (I have leather seats), I am going to install her car seat. I was reading a baby book and it recommended installing the car seat during the beginning of your 3rd trimester in case you have the baby early. After our experience last week, I think we need to car seat installed. Last week also prompted me to start thinking about my hospital bags. I started packing MaKayla’s bag and now I need to pack my bag. I also finished up my c-section birth plan, which I will take to my doctor next week. I feel like we are getting closer to having everything done, now we just have to wait on baby girl.

Nov 11, 2011

31 weeks


This week was a crazy week. At the beginning of the week, I attended the HR Southwest Conference in Fort Worth. After coming back from the conference we had our first child birth class at Pinwheel Kids. They let us choose the classes that were related to our situation. Our first class was on c-sections and we learned a lot of information that night. Then on Friday I received another great massage from Amy. I am loving these pre-natal massages, even though they do not compare to a regular massage. I am already to set up my next one.
Over the weekend we made a trip to Ikea to finish buying some organizational supplies for MaKayla. I almost have her stuff completely organized. I know I will rearrange it again once she is here. I also attended my last baby shower of the year. I have enjoyed attending the baby showers because it gives me a chance to visit with people I have not seen in a long time.
Then, this week ended with a trip to Labor and Delivery. About 9:30 pm Sunday evening I started having contractions. I had a few here and there, especially when I pushed myself too hard.  This time something felt different, they were lasting long and they were harder. Mark fixed me a bath, hoping this would help relax my muscles, but it did not help. I even tried a heating pad and they were not going away. After 45 minutes, we called the doctor’s office and spoke to the on call doctor. He told us if they keep progressing and I am uncomfortable to go to Labor and Delivery. Once the one hour mark hit we decided to head to Labor and Delivery. At this point my contracts were about 2 to 5 mins apart.
I do not think I have ever seen Mark drive as fast as he did not night. Mark is a turtle when it comes to driving and for those who know me well knows that is not my style of driving. Well on the way to the hospital we ran into construction and traffic was stopped. I tried to talk Mark into taking one of the on ramps to get off but he would not do it. When I finally started having another contraction, I talked him into driving on the shoulder (he already had his flashers on). I am sure all those people did not appreciate us driving in the shoulder, but I did not care. By the time we reached the hospital, I had about three contractions. We go to the registration desk, luckily we had pre-registered; however, we still had to fill out more paperwork.  While we were filling out the paperwork, I had my worse contraction yet. I was in tears crying because it was so painful. They hurried up the paperwork and got us back to a room.
When we go back there they put a heart monitor on me, which MaKayla did not like. She did not like the contractions either. Every time I had one she would start moving around and pushing. It was kinda funny that she knew exactly where that heart monitor was on me. She would kick it, push it, or anything else she thought would make it move. At one point she was lifting it off my stomach. After they watch her heart rate, examined me, and ran some test, it was determined I was slightly dehydrated and had a bladder infection. At this time I gave me a shot in my leg to stop the contractions. The good thing was that I was not dilated.  The on call doctor recommended I stay overnight in the hospital.
Finally about midnight we were able to go into a regular Labor and Delivery room. They also started an IV on me so I could some fluids. I did not sleep very well that night. MaKayla moved the whole night and was constantly kicking the monitor. Everything she kicked or I moved our could hear it come across the monitor, so all that was keeping me up along with the nurse coming in about every 45 mins.
About 6 am I started feeling pain in my stomach again, so I called the nurse for another shot. After 20 minutes, I sent Mark for her and they assured us they would be right there. Then 10 mins later my IV went off, so I called the nurse’s station again. One of the other nurses came to check on the IV, but did not bring the shot. Finally at 7 am, when the new nurse came on she brought me a shot.  The bad part was this nurse was in a hurry because she needed to check on someone delivering a baby. She pushed that medication into my leg really fast and it burned so bad. I was not too happy with her at this point. She unhooked me so I could go the bathroom and sent in another nurse. When I got back in bed the new nurse asked where did all the blood on my gown come from? I told her I was not sure. When she lifted up my gown I had blood running down my left from that shot. So she cleaned up the blood and then noticed that my left had huge whelps and was swollen.  I told her the shot from last night did not do that to me. I knew it was from that other nurse pushing that medication in too fast. This is the second time that has happened to me when I stayed in a hospital. A year ago when I was in the hospital for food poisoning, the nurse was pushing some medication into my IV and she received an emergency call. That nurse pushed that medication in so fast I was in tears and she blew out my vain. When she came back in my mom told her to leave and get someone else. They had to restart a new IV, which at this time I had about 3 IVs. Next time I am in the hospital I am going to remember to make sure these nurses slow down when it comes to give me a shot.
About 8 am, Dr. Rister came to see me and of course he was teasing me as always. The first words out of his mouth were What are you doing? He was just shaking his head.  I told him eating a popsicle, which was my breakfast.  In all seriousness he told me I did the right thing. He said if I had not come in that the contractions could have pushed me into labor. I told him I was worried about coming in at first because I did not want them to send me home telling me it was all false labor. He reassured me that I can come in anytime I am worried. Also, he said he did not want to see her until at least 34 weeks, at the earliest. Then he released me from the hospital. I felt pretty good going home, but after my shower I passed out on the couch. I slept off and on for most of the day.
For our one year anniversary we were going to ride the Amtrak train up to Oklahoma City over the weekend; however, we decided after my hospital stay not go. I think Mark is trying to plan something special for us around Waco, since we cannot go on our trip. Needless to say I am disappointed, but I would rather be safe and take care of MaKayla than to risk another trip to Labor and Delivery.

30 Weeks

This week has been fairly interesting and busy. On Sunday I left for the HR Southwest Conference. I have not attended this conference in about 7 years. I had a lot of fun with my co-workers in Fort Worth. I was worried how I was going to manage my blood sugar, but it was really easy. My sugar is still high and they are adjusting my insulin again. Right now I am on 15 units in the morning and 20 in the evenings.  Baby girl is staying really active and we are getting more excited each day.

Oct 27, 2011

29 Weeks

This week has been really rough. I visited the endocrinologist this week and it was a hard visit. She was not happy that it took this long to get me in to see her. She said I should have been in at the beginning because I have a history of high blood sugar (I am not diabetic, but I have elevated blood sugar). Basically she told me the only thing she can do at this point is keep MaKayla from getting too big, because it is too late to prevent anything else.
After looking over my blood sugar, she decided to put me on insulin shots. Currently I am taking two shots a day, one before breakfast and supper. I also have to take my blood sugar 4 times a day. My blood sugar is starting to come down, but not low enough. I am going to have to call to have my insulin adjusted. They said I will have to adjust my insulin several times during the rest of my pregnancy. They also want to see my back once a week, until I have MaKayla.
Besides all of this, everything else is going really good. MaKayla is very active and is moving a lot. I love to feel her move throughout the day. I cannot wait to meet our little girl and know that she is safe and healthy.

Oct 25, 2011

28 Weeks

I am actually behind one week in writing; however, I am caught up based on my doctor’s calculations. Dr. Rister pushed my weeks back by one, due to MaKayla measuring a week behind. This week we had our monthly doctor’s visit. So far I have only gained 6 pounds throughout my pregnancy. Dr. Rister is not too concern about my weight gain at this moment.
Dr. Rister is very concern about my gestational diabetes (GD) and the effects on MaKayla. He said that he will take her at least three weeks early because with GD is not good for the baby to stay in for a long time. Since she is measuring behind we are still looking at having her delivered the week of December 19. He is also very concern about my blood pressure. So far it has been perfect; however, he said that GD can raise it. If my blood pressure goes up, then he will place me on bed rest. I asked him how do we know when she will be ready to be delivered? He said that it will be a number of factors that will all happen at once and we will know it is time. He told me it will be a joint decision between all of us, which makes me feel a little better. I also asked about her lung development and the possibility of her ending up in NICU. He told me he could always give me a steroid shot to help her lungs develop and he is going to try his best to keep her out of NICU. We all are praying that she will be okay. We all keep praying she will be okay.
Next month we are going for our 4D ultrasound and the next day our doctor is going to do a measurement ultrasound. I get to see Miss MaKayla two days in a row, which I think will make me feel better. I am excited about seeing her again. My next doctor’s appointment is the last of my four week appointments. After this appointment I am moving to two week appointments. I cannot believe she is almost here. So far I have to say I have enjoyed my pregnancy and it has not been too bad. Next month might be a different story, but for now it has really gone well.

Oct 11, 2011

27 weeks

This week had its ups and downs. First the down part of the week, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and we have been working on how to manage this right now. I am still waiting on a referral to an endocrinologist so I can get started. Luckily, I know how to manage my blood sugar and I already started eating better. Also, I notice my feet, ankles and legs are starting to swell. I cannot stand on my feet an hour or longer without them swelling.  
The ups this week are we received 4 inches of rain and took family pictures. We were so excited to see rain, it has been too long. During our family pictures we also took some maternity pictures. I cannot wait to see all our pictures. A girl I use to work with took our pictures and she does a wonderful job. She owns Soulful Snapshots in Waco.
Overall baby girl is still doing really well. She is moving around like a wiggle worm. Mark still has trouble trying to feel her move. MaKayla’s kicks are getting stronger, so it will not be too much longer before Mark and the girls can feel her. So far I have not had too much trouble sleeping at night. The most problems I am having are with my hips. I will lie on one side for too long and then they start to hurt. I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by, and I cannot believe I am about to be in my third trimester.

Oct 3, 2011

26 weeks

This week has been an exciting week. We finally announced baby girl’s name, MaKayla Grace. Miss MaKayla has been moving around a lot this week, and she is starting to respond to me. We also had our shower this weekend, which was wonderful.
Earlier in the week I started patting my tummy and then would stop to see what MaKayla would do. When I would stop she would start kicking her feet about the same length of time I patted my belly. I did this about three times and she kicked her feet every time. Then I started talking to her and telling her how funny she is and rubbing my belly. At this point she really went crazy and then settled back down. She is not even here yet and she is making me laugh.
This weekend was our shower and I do not know where to start. Our friends and family are so wonderful and generous to us. We did have a good time visiting with all our friends and family. We had about 50+ people show up for the shower, and we received more gives than we could ever imagine. We are truly blessed to have so many people who love and care about us. We did receive three of our big gifts this weekend, our pack and play, car seat, and bed room decorations, including her bedding.
This next week I will be moving into my third trimester. I cannot believe I am almost 7 months already. One thing that did not go well this week was my glucose test. I was about 100 points over what the doctor already considers high for blood sugar. Today I had to go back for a 3 hour glucose test, where they stuck me four different times. Hopefully my blood sugar will go down this time around. If it does not go down, then it means I will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

25 weeks

This week was actually pretty calm. Baby girl is starting to move around a lot more. Once thing we did accomplish this week was exchanging the pieces of her dresser at Ikea. I highly recommend not exchanging or returning anything at Ikea, ever.
A few weeks ago, Mom and I were in Dallas and we bought baby girl’s dressers. We asked the sales person to load our cart up since I am pregnant and mom is not allowed to lift anything. I told the sales person to make sure he tripled checked everything because we live far off and I did not want to come back. I tried to double check his work but he was moving pretty fast. When we got home, we realized that the big dresser should have two pieces (a 1 and a 2). When looking over the box, we discovered two number ones. I was so upset with no only the sales person, but myself for not checking those numbers. I thought I saw him grab the two box. I checked the dresser pictures and the colors, but not the piece numbers.
Well the next week was Labor Day weekend and we decided to go to Austin. I told Mark we could stop at the Ikea in Round Rock and try to exchange the dresser there. No such luck, one thing we actually forgot the receipt (mom bought the dressers and she forgot to give it to us) and second, they told us we need to go to Dallas. Why do we need to go back to Dallas, I have no idea. Anyways, we finally went to Dallas Ikea to exchange the dresser and this time we had to receipt. When to sales person was looking over the receipt they realized the cashier rang up the wrong dresser. The cashier charged us for three small dressers instead of a big dress and small dresser. The sales person had to call security to have them pull the camera to see what happened. Meanwhile, the sales person told us we could not receive a refund without my mom’s credit card. At this point I was hot and I explained to full situation to him. I told him all I want is my number two box; he could see we had two number ones. Finally he was to pull the number two box for us and calculated up the cost differences. It basically came down to them owing us 98 cents. I told them to keep the 98 cents, we just want to box. Thankfully we did not have to wait on security, he just let us have the box. In summary, we finally have baby girl’s dresser put together and ready to go.
Since the dresser was put together, I was finally able to start organizing her stuff. Baby girl already has lot of clothes, and she will probably receive more at the shower. I just hope we have room for all her clothes.

Sep 19, 2011

24 Weeks

We finally made it to 6 months, I can hardly believe it. As of right now if I went into labor Baby Girl has a good chance of surviving. I feel like I can take a deep breath now. We find it so interesting that Baby Girl already reacts to things on the outside. This week we were watching Joyce Meyer and she got really excited and active, then after it is over she settled down. Every time we pray over her or read the bible to her she starts to move. I think it is neat that she recognizes God’s word. She also reacts to other things, such as Polka music and Czech food. I keep telling Mark she is definitely Czech.
This week has been really rough. Friday was one of the worse days I have had in a long time. My allergies are really bothering me and I do not think Clairton is working very well. I could not get up without getting dizzy or sick at my stomach. I also had a headache too and my sinuses were all blocked up. I think part of it is because I had a massage Thursday night, which was wonderful. My doctor had told me I had a lot of blockage below my ear and down my neck. I have had ear aches and my jaw has been hurting. I think during the massage it loosen up all of that blockage. Saturday through Monday has felt like a daze to me and I still do not feel 100%. We go see Dr. Rister tomorrow, so we will be able to find out if I can do anything else for my allergies.
This weekend was crazy busy. We had a wedding on Saturday, which was a lot of fun. Then we had our family reunion and a baby shower on Sunday. Everyone at the family reunion kept asking what baby girl’s name is and I told them they will have to wait for two more weeks. They were trying to trick me into telling her name by catching me off guard, but it did not work. We finally told the girls this week; however, it was not planned. It accidently split out, but we have wanted to tell them anyways. We told them they could not tell anyone until after the shower.
Other Updates: It finally rained yesterday!!! We received 2 inches of rain. On a side note, Mark hurt his hand yesterday. One of our cows is sick and we have her pinned up. She was trying to get her into the shoot to give her a shot and she decided not to go in. When she backed up she smashed Mark’s finger between a metal pipe and a post. One of our really good friends, who is a nurse, looked at it last night and did not think it was broke. She doctored him up and he has an appointment with the doctor today. Keep our fingers cross that it is not too bad.

23 weeks

We did not have too many exciting things going on this week. Over the weekend my big sister (from my sorority) and her family came to stay with us. We had a great time with them and their daughter. She has a 1 year old little girls and it gave us a chance to get us to having a baby in the house. We also were able to see how GiGi, our boxer dog, was going to react. GiGi did very well with Anne Marie. By the end of the weekend GiGi started to lay down on her own when Anne Marie was in the room. Annie Marie did get scared when GiGi would yawn or shake, but overall they got along very well.
Baby girl has been very active this week. I really enjoy learning her patterns. I laugh at her because if I am lying down and lean too much on my stomach, she will kick me until I move. I can tell she is already going to have a strong personality. She also did this the other day when our cat Belle laid on my stomach. She kept kicking at Belle, until I made Belle move off my stomach. She seems to like her space.
Other Updates: We did have some relief from the heat this week; however, we still had a few days over 100.

Sep 8, 2011

Not Pregnancy Related - Texas sets a new record

I know this is not pregnancy related, but I want to document a record breaking summer for my pregnancy journal.

http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-texas-hottest-june-august-163258438.html

Texas has hottest June-August on record in the U.S.

Texas just finished the hottest June through August on record in the U.S., the National Weather Service said Thursday.
Weather service meteorologist Victor Murphy told The Associated Press that Texas' 86.8 average beat out Oklahoma's 85.2 degrees in 1934.
That Dust Bowl year is now third on the list for the three-month span, behind No. 2 Oklahoma's heat wave this June through August (86.5 degrees).
Both states and others in the nation's southern tier have baked in triple-digit heat this summer. Texas had its hottest June on record, the fifth warmest month overall, and July was the warmest month ever.
Oklahoma's July was the country's highest monthly average temperature ever, at 89.1 degrees.
Louisiana's heat this June through August puts it in the fourth spot all-time — 84.5 degrees.
The average figures are taken from the entire 24-hour cycle of the day, not just from daily highs.

The reason for all the hot, dry weather lies thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean. The La Nina phenomenon is associated with cooler sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. It brings dry conditions to the southern U.S. states.
Unfortunately, the forecast shows the likelihood of La Nina re-emerging.
Texas hasn't just been hot this summer. It's in the midst of its worst drought since the 1950s and enduring its driest single year going back to 1895.
The heat and lack of rainfall have clobbered agriculture. An early estimate shows crop and livestock losses at $5.2 billion. That figure was expected to rise. The drought and scorching temperatures have burned grazing pasture and rangeland, forcing ranchers to severely cull herds. Ranchers keeping animals are paying high prices for supplemental feed or the cost of transporting their animals to states with grazing land.
Producers who planted more than 2 million acres of cotton that rely on only rainfall to grow in the world's largest contiguous growing patch around Lubbock abandoned their fields.
Texas' economy will take a more direct hit. Agriculture accounted for $99.1 billion of Texas' $1.1 trillion economy, or 8.6 percent, in 2007, the most recent year data on food and fiber was available from the extension service. Losses in that sector have a ripple effect that's about twice the amount of the actual agricultural loss.
Grasses, vegetation and trees around the state remain tinderbox dry and wildfires have destroyed more than 3.5 million acres since last November, about when the drought started. Just this week, hundreds of homes were destroyed when wildfires raged southeast of Austin.
Fish and other wildlife are struggling as lakes and rivers are drying up across the state and more than 850 water suppliers have implemented mandatory and voluntary restrictions on usage. Two Central Texas springs relied upon for life by eight endangered and threatened species are perilously close to levels that will require an evacuation by federal wildlife officials.
The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday shows that not a speck of Texas is out of drought, and more than 81 percent is in the worst category. A year ago just 15 percent of Texas was abnormally dry, the least dry status on the map.
Other states in the southern U.S. also are in drought. Almost all of Arizona and Oklahoma are in some drought stage. All of New Mexico is mired in drought, with about 38 percent of it in the worst stage — exceptional. About 70 percent of Oklahoma is in exceptional drought.

Sep 6, 2011

22 Weeks

This week was a very eventful week. We finally confirmed baby girl’s Godparents. I could not think of anyone more fitting to be Godparents, than my best friends Lori and Father Will. We all have been through so much together and they have been there for me more than anyone.  We actually talked to them about being Godparents about three years ago when we first start trying for a baby. Part of the reason we talked to them is because we wanted to make sure that once Father Will became a priest, that he could still be the Godfather. Not only are we very excited about our choice, so are the new Godparents. The great thing is that Lori, Father Will, and Mark have become just as good of friends. I cannot wait for baby girl to meet her Godparents.
This is a picture of all of us at Will orientation ceremony when he became a priest
This is a picture at the rehearsal dinner for Mark and I’s wedding. We laugh at this picture and say we are three peas in a pod because we are dressed alike. No, we did not plan dressing alike either. :)
Also this weekend we went to Austin to stay with Lori. We went downtown Austin to see the bats fly out. The girls loved watching the bats fly out from the bridge, it was pretty neat sight. Then the next day we drove back into West and rested for the afternoon. Then about 6:30 pm, baby girl experienced her first Westfest. We had such a good time out there. Baby girl enjoyed a beer bread sandwich and some kolaches. We also listened to some polka music and Gary P. Nunn, which she seemed to enjoy. Mark and I also had a chance to dance a few times, which she seems to also like. I can tell you that all this moving about took its toll on my ankles. When we arrived home that evening, I had indentions around my ankles from my socks. Then Monday my ankles were sore most of the day. I just tried to stay off of them as much as possible. My ankles are a lot better now and I feel pretty good.
Other Updates: We had a record breaking summer. I want to Thank God for the relief we had this weekend from the heat. This summer we had 83 days over 100 degrees and 44 of those days were consecutively over 100 degrees.

Sep 1, 2011

The Pregnant Working Girls

Within my office at work, we have four pregnant women. Yesterday we decided to take a picture before one us ends up on leave. We were all matching because we had open house yesterday.

Aug 30, 2011

21 Weeks

This week has been exciting. I went to the Women of Faith Conference in Dallas and I think it was exciting for baby girl. During the conference was the first time I really started feeling her move a lot. I think it was the great music (which was very loud), by Sandi Patty, Amy Grant, and Mandisa. Afterwards, Mom and I went to eat at Oliver Garden and during lunch I felt her moving all around.
Then Mom and I went to Ikea in Dallas, which I will never do again. I love the Ikea in Austin and I am custom to that atmosphere. In Dallas it was crammed packed, kids running wild, people trying to run you over with baskets, and the sales people were not very helpful. This one guy helped us load our dressers on the chart and I asked him to make sure he was picking up the right ones. I was so busy double checking the color and the dresser, that I did not pay attention to the 2 piece product. When I arrive home, I realized we have 2 number ones, instead of a 1 and a 2. Now, we are making a trip to Austin this weekend. We were going to take the girls to Dallas, but I do not want to go back to that Ikea. Hopefully we can get these dressers straighten out.
Mark was able to put our kitchen cabinet and small dresser together. The kitchen cabinet is for baby girl’s bottles and other kitchen supplies. We do not have a lot of cabinet space, so we had to buy something. I am looking for items that will fit well in our new house. We are planning on putting our house on the market in September. The small dresser, I should say short dresser, is also for baby girl. I already have some of her stuff washed and packed away inside the dresser. I feel like we are finally making progress.
Also while we were in the metroplex, we went baby shopping of course. On our way to Dallas we stopped at Carter’s at the outlet mall and bought a bunch of cute things. We bought her first Christmas outfits, they are so cute (pictures will be up soon). Then we went to Fort Worth for Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby. All I can say is WOW, for Buy Buy Baby. This was my first trip and the store is awesome. I hope we can have one around here one day. We do not have any good baby stores around here and Buy Buy Baby would be nice.
Other Updates: We are still over 100 degrees; however, they are predicting rain this weekend (about a 60% chance for 5 days). I am not going to hold my breath on the rain; I will believe it when I see it. I am praying that God will send rain our way, we really need it.  So far I found that we have 77 days over 100 for the year 2011 and 44 of those days were consecutive days. In August alone we have had 29 days over 100. I am ready for a break in this weather. Out of our herd, we had one calf (which was my brother in laws) die due to the heat. The calf’s foot was caught in a big crack and he could not get free. My father in law went to check the cows and found the newborn dead. I felt bad for the poor calf; this is the first time we lost one in a really long time.

Aug 25, 2011

20 weeks - Appointment

We had our 20 week appointment and baby girl is completely healthy. The doctor confirmed we are having a girl. We now have two verifications from the ultrasound tech and our doctor. We are really excited. During the ultrasound they also checked all her organ, spine, and measurements. She is measuring 5 days behind, but they said that is not a big deal. They would be concern if she was a month behind, but I know she may catch up. The other thing is that my mom and grandmother had small babies so she could just be on the small side. As long as the doctor is not worried, I am not worried.

I still have not really felt her move yet. I felt a kick the other day, a kick during the elective ultrasound, and then Mark and I felt her move. Dr. Rister said it is still early to feel her move, but I should start feeling her within the next few weeks. I am not in a hurry to feel her move too much just yet. She is very active, so I know when I start to feel her move that I will not have a peaceful moment after that. She seems like a very happy baby on the ultrasound screen. I cannot wait to meet her.

Other Updates: I think we are in a temperature breaking summer. Last I heard I think we are at 50 straight days of being over 100. One good thing is that it rained last night, but I heard on the radio the high today is 107. Thank you God for the little rain we did receive.

Aug 12, 2011

Baby Website

We created a baby website, which can be located at the left hand side of this page. I hope you enjoy our baby website.

http://MarkandJuliesbaby.ourbabychannel.com/

Aug 11, 2011

19 Weeks - Elective Ultrasound

Yesterday we had our elective ultrasounds and found out we are having a GIRL!!!! We are so excited. Baby girl is definitely her daddy’s daughter, she has his long legs. The ultrasound tech could not get over how long her legs are and keep talking about them. I even have pictures, which is why I am posting today. I marked up the pictures so everyone can know what they are seeing.  The 3D/4D pictures are not as clear because she does not have a lot of fat on her. When we go back between 32-34 weeks, we will have clearer pictures of baby girl.
One more thing, we are not revealing her name until her shower on October 2. We kept debating on when to announce this, so we have been telling everyone we have not picked a name yet.


Aug 8, 2011

18 Weeks

I am going to post early this week, since I will post a special blog for our Wednesday appointment. I am excited about Wednesday because we will see baby again, and we will find out if we are having a boy or a girl. We do not care either way, as long as our baby is healthy. I know God has designed the perfect child for us and our family.  When I say perfect, I mean God’s perfection and not the worlds.
This week is going pretty smooth. On Saturday, my mom, Libbie (mother in law), and the girls went shopping in Ft. Worth. We were able to pick up a lot of things for baby. We bought the co-sleeper, breast pump bottles, a gown for the hospital, changing pad, changing pad cover, new nursing cover (which I love, it is better quality than the other one I have), blanket with a hood, and I bought two gender neutral outfits. I need to take pictures so I can post them.
Sunday was not a great day. I felt awful and I still feel awful today. I have had a headache for almost 24 hours and now my throat is starting to hurt. I think my body and hormones are changing again. I was kinda snappy at Mark this weekend, which happens when my hormones change. He is a real trooper; he knows how to make me feel better, even when I am not feeling well. I love my wonderful husband.
We already set up the co-sleeper. We are trying to decide what is going to work best for us and where to official put the co-sleeper. I really like having the co-sleeper next to me; it will be convenient for nursing after I have my c-section. This is the main reason for buying it, I know it will help me, so I will not have to get in and out of bed. I posted a picture of a co-sleeper, just in case you do not know what I am talking about. It is a way to have the baby sleep next to you, without being in your bed.


We decided our parenting style is going to be based on attachment parenting. If you want to find out more information, you can Google Dr. Sears, attachment parenting. What I like about attachment parenting is that it is a set of tools for you to use. Based on your situation, you can use the tools that are best for you and your child. The main point they push is using your own instincts and using your best judgment for your baby. Most of the wolrd, outside of the USA and Europe, use these methods. I feel these methods are based on the way God designed us to care for our children. Again, what I love about them is that you can use what is best for your child at the moment. These are just tools to help you along that path. The following are the 7 tools you can use for attachment parenting.
Birth Bond – This will be difficult for us, since I am having a c-section. There are other ways to bond with your baby after they are born. Like I said these are tools and you do not have to use all of them.
Breastfeeding – We are going to be breastfeeding.
Baby Wearing – Wearing a baby in a sling or wrap. This allows the baby to see things at an adult level and watch what an adult is doing. As they the babies grow, they are learning more.
Bedding Close to Baby – This is why we bought the co-sleeper. This can reduce the changes of SIDS, since the mom is close to the baby. They give you tips on how to transition baby from your bedroom to their bedroom.
Belief in a Baby’s Cry – “A baby's cry is a signal designed for the survival of the baby and the development of the parents. Responding sensitively to your baby's cries builds trust. Babies trust that their caregivers will be responsive to their needs. Parents gradually learn to trust in their ability to appropriately meet their baby's needs. This raises the parent-child communication level up a notch. Tiny babies cry to communicate, not to manipulate.” – Dr. Sears. We are not using the cry it out method.
Beware of Baby Trainers – “Attachment parenting teaches you how to be discerning of advice, especially those rigid and extreme parenting styles that teach you to watch a clock or a schedule instead of your baby; you know, the cry-it-out crowd. This "convenience" parenting is a short-term gain, but a long-term loss, and is not a wise investment. These more restrained styles of parenting create a distance between you and your baby and keep you from becoming an expert in your child.” –Dr. Sears
Balance – It is important to give your baby all your attention, but if you are starting to get frustrated and things are working, then it is time to change to something else. Again, I cannot say this enough, this is what I love about this style of parenting, it allows you to be flexible based on your baby. Sum it up in Dr. Sear’s words “AP is an approach, rather than a strict set of rules. It's actually the style that many parents use instinctively. Parenting is too individual and baby too complex for there to be only one way. The important point is to get connected to your baby, and the baby B's of attachment parenting help. Once connected, stick with what is working and modify what is not. You will ultimately develop your own parenting style that helps parent and baby find a way to fit – the little word that so economically describes the relationship between parent and baby.”
For more information on attachment parenting: http://www.askdrsears.com/

Aug 4, 2011

17 Weeks

This week has been fun and I felt really great. Over the weekend we went to Fredericksburg and Kerrville, Texas. My dad’s brother, Tommy got married on Friday of our trip. I am so excited to have my new Aunt Davella as part of our family. The exciting part is that I was able to be with almost my whole family. We were missing a few of the cousins, but at least the rest of us were able to be together. Here are some pictures from the wedding.
My dad's side of the family


 Stacey, Me (and baby), and Heather
My cousins’ children were so cute. They kept coming up to talk to the baby and rub my tummy. Mark and I stayed late after the reception for the after party. We went to the Inn on the Hills, were my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins where staying. We all hung out by the pool while the kids swam. Then my cousins and I join my newly married Uncle and new Aunt at the Pub of the hotel. It was a really nice place; it was not smoky at all (I told Mark if it was smoky, I was not staying because of the baby). Mark and I had a chance to dance a few rounds. I can tell my lung capacity is not where it should be, since everything is now being pushed up. We left about 11:30 pm that night, and left the cousin up partying the night away. Yes, I was drinking water!!
 Cousins at the Pub
The next morning, Mark, Dad and I went to an old railroad tunnel, which houses about 3 million bats. We did not know what to expect; however, it was pretty amazing. I will post a few pictures below. It was a long hike down to the tunnel. Mark guarded me as we walked down the rocky trail. Going back up was the hard part. Again, I fully realize I do not have my lung capacity. Luckily, I was able to take small breaks up the trail. The first set of stairs was the hardest part of the climb back up.

Mark and I at the top of the tunnel

Me by myself

Dad

About half way to the bottom, the top part of the picture is where we were standing 

At the bottom. There are about 3 million bats in there, but they do not come out until late evening


I was taking a break after the first set of steps


 Me at Hondo's in Fredericksburg. We were listening to Thomas Michael Riley. An wondeful Texas music singer. He writes songs for Gary P. Nunn. We try to listen to him when we come to Fredericksburg.
My plan is to print out this blog and place it within my pregnancy journey.  I am trying to document important events and things going in the world. Currently we have had about 34 days of straight triple digit weather. The temperatures are anywhere from 102 to 110. My car read 111 yesterday going home. We are all ready for cooler weather.
As for baby, well baby is doing very well. Growing like a weed and so is my stomach. Next Wednesday we go for our elective 3D ultrasound to see the baby and determine if we are having a little girl or boy (bambino or bambina – Mark and I’s terms). I feel like we are having a girl. We are excited about the baby in general and will be happy with either a girl or a boy. I cannot wait to see how much baby has grown over the past few weeks. The following week, we will have an anatomy scan for measurement. We will get to see the baby two weeks in a row, yay!

Jul 25, 2011

16 weeks

The weeks are now starting to fly by and I cannot believe my 16th week comes to an end tomorrow. This week has been great and I feel so much better. I am still tired, but it is not the extreme fatigue that I had a few weeks ago. On Friday (July 22, 2011) the most amazing thing happened, we felt the baby move from the outside. I do not think I will feel the baby from the inside for a while because of my previous surgeries. I cannot feel anything between my scar and almost up to my belly button. As for feeling the baby, it was a complete accident. I was having some sever pain around my scar and I was pressing really hard in that spot, hoping to stop the pain. After holding that area for about 2 minutes, I felt the movement. It was the same movement that Gracie made when my friend April was pregnant with her. I remember feeling Gracie move around and it is not like anything else I have ever felt. I grabbed Mark’s hand and placed it in the same spot, within a minute he felt the baby too. It felt like the baby was doing flips or swimming around. We were so excited. I do not think we would have felt the baby if we were not pressing so hard. Mark is ready for the baby to start moving around more, but I think I can wait. I know once the baby starts moving, he or she will never stop. Every time we have seen the baby on the ultrasound, he or she is very activity.
This weekend my mom and I went to a baby shower. We had a lot of fun, we saw a lot of people we have not seen in a while. I also found out the mother to be is going to use cloth diapers, which was exciting for me. She is the first person I know who is using them. I was excited to see the diaper she brought and what her plans were for using them. Every time I tell someone we are using cloth diapers they look at me like I am crazy. Of course they are thinking of the cloth diapers that our moms used, which are not the trend any more. They have created some sophisticated diapers and I am excited about using them. If you are curious about these new diapers, just google cloth diapers and I think you will be surprised.

15 weeks - Appointment

This week we had our monthly appointment and everything went very well. We did not get to see the baby this time, I figured that would be the case. We did get to hear the heartbeat which was exciting. I have not gained any weight since my first official doctor’s appointment. I am hoping the weight will stay off until I am a little further along. I know my body and I will pack on the pounds later on in my pregnancy. Dr. Rister said this was a boring appointment, which is just how we want it. I agreed 100%.
Our next appointment is August 16 and we will have our 2D ultrasound. The week before on August 10, we are going to Because of You in Waco for a 4D ultrasound. I know this will put both ultrasounds back to back, but this is the last time we will have the girls during the week before they start school, and we want them to go to an ultrasound. I will have another 4D ultrasound later in my pregnancy. We are so excited about seeing baby next month.

Jul 7, 2011

14 weeks

I am still at the beginning of my 14 weeks, but I am feeling so much better. I am still nauseas and having headaches, but I feel better. Next Tuesday is my doctor’s appointment with Dr. Rister. I am so excited, hopefully we will get to see the baby again. After the scare we had, I am hoping he will want to check on the baby. I also have to get blood work today, yuck! I have been putting this off since my last appointment.

We have been buying baby stuff here and there. We know we will not get everything at our shower, so we have started to buy some of the big things. Here is what we have bought so far:

Stroller – it was being discontinued and we loved it. They only had one left in the store.
Breast Pump – I had a coupon for it and received a great deal on it.
Glider / Recliner – Since I am having a c-section, I wanted a glider that reclined so I could lay back and rock the baby in the first few days.
Slings and Wraps
Cloth Diapers

We also bought a few odd and in types of things. We are very excited and cannot wait until we have the baby.  

13 weeks

The first week of my 2nd trimester, YAY!!! I am so excited we made it to 13 weeks. I always hard the 2nd trimester is the best and was expecting a pretty good week. On Sunday I started to feel bad and I rested all day. When I woke up Monday I felt a lot worse and I did not go back to work until Wednesday. I was sick at my stomach, fatigue, and had a headache. Finally on Wednesday, I had the doctor prescribe me Zofran. I am so happy I asked for the prescription. Zofran is my new friend. On Friday I started to feel better and I think things are finally improving.

Jun 24, 2011

12 Weeks

Week 12 has been an adventure. At the beginning of the week we went to Fiesta Texas and Sea World. We had a wonderful time! No, I did not ride any roller coasters. My friend Lori came with me to Fiesta Texas and we did a few things together while everyone else was riding the rides. We spent most of the day in the water park because it was so hot. I pretty much stayed in the lazy river the whole time. I did get a very nice tan.

The next day we went Sea World and I was able to do a lot more. The girls fed the dolphins and I petted one. We watched all the shows, which were awesome. The one thing I love about Sea World is they have an all day dining pass, and it is completely worth it. We ate our fair share of food. Most of the stores had cups of fresh fruit, and I would grab a cup at every chance I had. We did not stay in the water as long at Sea World. For the most part the day was really nice, so we only swam during the hottest part of the day. The one thing I enjoyed was the penguin exhibit. While Mark and the girls rode the roller coasters, I sat in the air conditioned penguin exhibit and watched the penguins swim. We were all tired after our two full days.

Now to yesterday, June 23, 2011, we had a rough day. I thought we were going to lose the baby. I was heading out to lunch and stop by the bathroom. I noticed I was having bright red spotting. I immediately freaked out! I ran back to my office (our poor admin, I scared her half to death) and called Dr. Rister. It was close to lunch time and I knew the office closes at 12:00. I asked for the nurse; however, she was on vacation. I told the person on the phone what was going on and I start crying. She put me on hold and was able to get Dr. Rister on the phone. Dr. Rister told me since I was not having cramping that it sounds like everything is okay, but he wanted me to come in immediately for an ultrasound. I was so worried that I pushed myself too hard over the last few days (going to Fiesta Texas and Sea World).

Mom was in town and I called her to meet me at the doctor’s office, along with Mark. We had the ultrasound and the baby was alive and well. We saw the baby waving at us and moving around. We heard the heartbeat again and everything was perfect. Mom, Mark and I were all crying. Dr. Rister thinks I had some blood vessel that broke from the baby growing. We were all relieved the baby was okay and nothing was wrong, Thank God!! My boss told me to take the rest of the day off, and I was glad. After I calm down, I felt like all my energy was zapped from me. Dr. Rister thought it was a good idea for me to go home and rest. Again, Thank God that everything is okay.

Jun 14, 2011

11 weeks - Appointment

Today’s appointment was completely amazing! We were so excited to see the baby again. The baby was very active and looked like baby was waving at us. It was wonderful to see the baby move so much. I was worried for a while, because I could not see the heartbeat. Then I saw the heartbeat and the doctor apologized for not showing me right away. Then the most amazing thing happened, the doctor flipped a switch and we heard the heartbeat. I was so surprised because I did not expect to hear the heartbeat this soon. It was completely amazing. Everything is going so well that Dr. Rister said, well I guess I am going to start treating you like a regular patient. I do not go back again for a month. We are just excited everything is going well.

Jun 13, 2011

10 Weeks

10 weeks has been the roughs week so far. Last week I felt awful, and I do not think I have ever felt this way before. I cannot describe the tiredness I felt. I also had a lot of morning sickness and did not feel like eating. I do not post last week because I felt too bed. On Thursday, my eyes were stinging so bad I had to lie down in my office during lunch. I am surprise I made it through work each day. You know it is bad when your co-workers tell you that you do not look good.

For some reason people do not understand when I say I feel bad I really mean I feel bad. It bothered me that people kept pressuring me to do things or making me feel guilt for not participating in events. Like my mom said, my baby is number one I need to do what is best for baby. Mom even came over and cook for my Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Thank goodness for mom. I am just glad this week is starting out better.

I have my next doctor’s appointment tomorrow. After this appointment I will have month to month appointments, until I get closer to the end of my pregnancy. My doctor said tomorrow will count as my actual first appointment and it is going to be long. I am not sure what all they are going to do, but I guess I will find out. I am just excited I get to see the baby again tomorrow.

May 31, 2011

9 Weeks



In the picture of above, the baby is looking down and is curled up (feet are tucked in), I think the baby kinda looks like a bean. My mom has nicknames the baby sweet pea. This weekend while we were in Austin, we found an outfit and a blanket that say Sweet Pea.



Two weeks ago we went in for our first appointment and the baby was measuring small. My doctor wanted to see us back in two weeks to make sure the baby was still developing. Yesterday we went back and the baby is now measuring right on time! We feel so much better knowing everything is okay. I go back in another two weeks for my official #1 OB appointment. I feel like all the weight has been lifted off of me.

I am still having morning sickness, all day long, and I am very tired. To me these small inconveniences are completely worth what is waiting for me at the end. I think today is a better day, I feel better than yesterday.

My doctor is really funny. Yesterday he walked in the room and said Oh! I forgot the ultrasound machine, that is the only reason you came to see me. I said it was not the only reason. He told me to quite lying, it is the only reason people come to see him, but said he did not care. He makes me laugh. I am glad I have such a wonderful doctor who is upbeat and cares about his patients.

We told everyone at work yesterday and we had so many congratulations it was over whelming. It made me feel good that everyone was excited. We also announce it on our Facebook pages, so the world officially knows we are now pregnant!

May 23, 2011

8 Weeks

We have made it to week 8 of my pregnancy. I am still having morning sickness and tired symptoms; however, overall I am doing very well. I am going to try to post at least one posting a week. We have our next appointment in one week. Dr. Rister is keeping a close eye on me for right now. The good thing is I will get to see the baby again and receive another picture.

This weekend I had a dream we had a baby girl. The dream felt so real and I feel like we are going to have a girl. My mom and my friend April think I am going to have a girl. We will see in about 8 to 10 weeks if we are going to have a girl or not.

Around week 22, I am going to have a 3D/4D ultrasound at Because of You in Waco. My doctor’s office does not provide the ultrasounds. Because of You allows several friends and family member to come see the ultrasound live. I will have another 3D/4D  ultrasound around week 34. Some people told me they want to be surprise when they see the baby. My main reason is not to see the baby, but to have a memento for my baby. By  having the 3D /4D ultrasound I can show my baby this is what you looked like before you were born. For myself, I find this very interesting and I wish they had the 3D/4D ultrasounds when my mom had me. I am hoping my baby will find these pictures fascinating, as they grow older.

I have not made an announcement about the baby on Facebook or at work yet. I am waiting for my results from next week’s appointment, before I make a big announcement. At that time I will be over 9 weeks along and figure it will be safe to make an announcement.

May 16, 2011

1st Ultrasound Appointment - 7 weeks

We had our first ultrasound appointment today. We saw the baby and the heart beat. I started to cry when I saw our little baby. This is a picture of our sweet little baby.


Dr. Rister said everything looking very good. Since I had previous surgeries to my uterus, Dr. Rister recommends I have a C-Section. I am due January 4; however, he said we will take the baby at least two week early. It looks like we are going to have another Christmas Baby.

May 9, 2011

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother’s Day with my family. Yesterday, Mark and I cooked lunch for everyone at my parent’s house. My mom loves not having to cook on Mother’s Day. Plus, we have lunch ready before everyone comes over from church. My family is Baptist; however, Mark and I are Catholic. We usually go to church on Saturday evenings and it makes it easier for us to get everything ready while the family is at church.

My cousin Zach came into  town, which was fun. Zachary is like my brother and I have not seen him in several months. We had a chance to spend lots of time together this weekend. Also, my whole family knows that I am pregnant. Everyone was pampering me after lunch.

I have been feeling okay lately. I am still very tired and I keep getting nauseas. Another thing I notice is how hungry I am all the time. I am trying to watch what I eat because I do not want to gain a bunch of weight, but I am starving. I am working out at Curves, so I am hoping this will help keep the unrelated pregnancy weight off.