Happy Leap Year!!

This day doesn't come around annually, so we should celebrate... yay! Ok, I'm done.

I had a doctor's appointment today, and all went well. The baby's heartrate was 145, and get this, I avoided the internal exam again! Whoo-hoo! But he's definitely doing it next time, but hey, I get to put it off for another week. I am so happy about that :) I told him that I have pain all over, my legs, my hips, my groin, my lower back. Everything hurts when I get up, move around, or any kind of position change. Last night (or early this morning) I had issues after I got up to pee, because I just wasn't comfortable in bed and it was keeping me awake. I woke Josh up as well with my moaning. Poor guy :( He needs his sleep so he can function at work. So I got up at 4am to read a little. I was tired, but I didn't want to lay down right away. I thought that sitting up for a bit would help my aching muscles, and I think it did. I shut our bedroom door because I had the light on and didn't want to disturb my slumbering hubby. Well, when he got up this morning, he didn't know the door was shut and ran into it (sorry honey). I tried sleeping in the bed again at 6:30 and it worked. I woke to the 8am alarm, wishing it was not going off. It's a good thing I had Josh reset it for me, otherwise I might have been rushing to my appointment. Oh yeah, that's how this paragraph started, me talking about my appointment. Where was I? Oh yeah, I told him about my aches and pains and he said that in a year or two when I want to get pregnant again I will forget all the uncomfortableness. He told me that he had a patient on her 4th kid and she was going with no pain meds. She was doing the typical, screaming in pain, cursing, yelling at her husband. By the time the baby came out and they cleaned him off and gave him to her, she said, Oh, that wasn't so bad. I think God puts the unpleasantnesses (is that a word?) of pregnancy and labor in our short-term memory so that we'll keep having kids. I wonder if guys could ever handle what we go through?

I also told him I was concerned that the baby's movements have decreased. He doesn't seem as active lately. He told me to do the fetal movement test at home, which is just counting every movement in an hour (8-10 is good, less than that is bad), and just to be on the safe side, he told me they would give me a non-stress test. Nothing stresses you out more than to be told you are going to have a non-stress test. No, I'm kidding, I wasn't really worried. I actually felt kinda special that I had to get something extra done. I got to relax in a recliner and they strapped a moniter to my belly to hear the baby's heartbeat. It prints out a paper that shows if his heart rate changes with his movements. Oh, and I had a button that I pressed every time I felt movement. I almost fell asleep in the chair. Anyway, the nurse said I passed with flying colors. So I guess he's still just as active. I either don't feel it cause of my padding (hee hee) or he's purposely making subtle movements so I won't feel him as much. What a booger! But I love him anyway :).

Oh yeah, and my blood pressure was lower than last time, so the doc seemed pleased with that. And to quote a famous movie, That's all I have to say about that.

Monkey Paws and Easter Eggs

We received a package from Josh's grandma over the weekend. She had made two baby blankets and bought us a couple outfits and bibs. One of the bibs is camouflage and says "Major Trouble" on it. Yeah, that's gonna be my kid alright. But not because of me, you know. Anytime he's mischievous or misbehaving, it's all from Josh's personality, not mine. I am a perfect angel ;) Anyway, here are some shots of the blankets.





This is the pattern of the Snoopy one up close. Aren't they both so cute? Thank you, grandma! Your great-grandson is going to love these!


I put up this next picture not because I look fabulous, cause I don't, but it's so you can see our stroller all set up. The brand is Chicco, and the colors are gray and green. We think it looks sharp, and it's not too boyish for a girl later on down the road.


Ok, and this next one is not supposed to be a belly picture. Well, it was at first, cause that's why Josh took it, but I don't think it shows my belly very good. But I put it up because I want you to notice something. Take a good look at my arm. Doesn't my hand look fat? Yeah, that's the good ol' swelling I've been having. It looks like a monkey paw! A chubby monkey paw! And today my feet are doing the same thing. I'll be glad to see this go away when I deliver our little dude.


And finally, the next shots are officially of my eight-month belly. The first one I took while Josh was napping, which is why it was taken so close. My arms are only so long you know. And the next one Josh took before we went to church. Behold, the biggest Easter egg on the planet!!




Let's see, what else did we do this weekend? We did some errands Saturday morning, one of them being a stop at JCPenney to look for a cushion for the rocking chair. And we found one on clearance for $7! Can't beat that! It probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but Josh liked the price, and he thought the colors matched the wood of the rocking chair nicely. It doesn't match the nursery, but that's ok, because someday when our kids aren't babies, the chair won't be in their room. And again, 7 bucks? I am ok with that!

Oh, we bought girl scout cookies outside of Walmart too. Josh's fav is the Thin Mints, which he's gotten me to love also. I like the Tagalongs, recently renamed Peanut Butter Patties, which, coincidentally, describes what they are! Yeah, so that box is gone, and so is one box of the Thin Mints. Did I say that we love these cookies? Cause we do :) We knew they wouldn't last long in the house. And ya wanna hear something weird? Josh likes to put the Thin Mints in the freezer! They are good that way too. They aren't really frozen, just nice and cold, and all the more yummier!

And I would like you all to cheer for me now, because I finally set up an appointment with a pediatrician! I've been dragging my feet on it, but I don't know why. I think it's because he won't be permanent. If we move, it will be farther away from him, so we would most likely change doctors. And I didn't want to put in all the effort of interviewing several pediatricians. The guy I've picked comes recommended by my OB, so I think we'll like him. A while back my sister sent me a few websites that give you good questions to ask the pediatrician, so I've been working on a composite list of things we want to ask. I'm excited now that the appointment's set up, because it makes the arrival of this baby more imminent. We want him to come early, just so we can see him sooner. I hope he looks like Josh, but I want to see some of my features in him too. It'll be fun to study his cute little face.

Oh, I had a Braxton Hicks contraction the other day. Don't panic. For those of you who don't know, it's not a sign of real labor, so relax. It's practice contractions that your uterus does from time to time to warm up for the big day. It was so weird, my whole belly was firm and tight, and I had Josh feel it, and he was like, Whoa, that thing's a rock! It was pretty cool :)

I have another baby shower coming up, and I'm excited. It'll be fun to hang out with the ladies and hear them tell me how big I am, but then tell me how great I look. You know, you don't wanna upset a hormonal pregnant woman, so ya gotta be careful ;). Is it bad for me to say that I'm looking forward to the gifts? I really am. It's fun to see what other people pick out for my kid to wear or play with, things I haven't seen or thought of. And I like writing the thank you notes too. Is that weird? Maybe, but it's me, so adjust :). And once the shower is done, I can really start listing out what's left that we need to get before this baby arrives. And then I can go shopping--yay!

Oh, yeah, I need to pack a bag for the hospital too. Well, first things first, make a list of what I want and need, then proceed to pack it all up.

Ok, I've been at the computer for several hours, so I need to go put my feet up and drink some water. Peace out!

6 Weeks Left!

Yup, you heard right. Just like the groundhog signaled six more weeks of winter, I've got six more weeks of pregnancy to endure. Of course, it could be less, if I went into labor early. But the majority of pregnancies are either on time or late, so we'll see what happens.

I had a dr's appointment today that I was kinda nervous about. I thought I'd be getting my first of many internal exams, but I didn't! Whoo-hoo! You wanna know why? Ok, I'll tell you. Two weeks ago the doctor told me he'd start checking my cervix next time, and from what I've read it seemed like it was a little early for that, but I didn't argue. I mean, he's the doctor, right? He knows what he'd doing. So today the nurse calls me back to take my weight and blood pressure, and as I'm getting on the scale she says...

You're not very big for 37 weeks.

Me: Ha, wait til you see the scale. It will tell you otherwise. (In my head--wait, did she just say 37 weeks? That can't be right. I'll have to ask her about that)

Once we are in the examining room...

Me: Did you say I was 37 weeks?

Nurse: Yup, that's right.

Me: Cause I thought I just finished 34 weeks.

Nurse: Are you keeping track on a calendar?

Me: Yeah.

Nurse: Sometimes the calendar doesn't line up with the wheel (side note--they use this funky wheel to determine your due date)

Me: So I'm still due April 2nd?

Nurse: Yup, you've got three more weeks.

Me: But in three weeks it won't be April 2nd.

Nurse: (pause) Let me double check your paper in a minute (she was listening for the baby's heart beat at this point)

After a moment... Oh, you're right. Last time you were here the nurse put you down at 35 weeks, but you're not. You're just now in your 35th week.

Me: Ok, I thought so.

Nurse: That means your had your group B strep test too early. Let me check with the doctor to see if you need to have it done again.

And I didn't--yay for me again! So I didn't need my cervix checked after all cause it was too early. I'm pretty sure they'll do it next week though, and every week after that. Yeah, I'm to the point where I have an appointment every week. It's really getting down to the wire here folks. This little guy is going to be here before you know it (squeal of delight) :)

So the baby's heartbeat is good--154 (boy do I wish my weight was that same number!). But my weight, amazingly enough, didn't change from my last visit, even though my scale at home betrays another story. My blood pressure is a little higher than it's been--142/90. And I even asked my doctor about the extra swelling I've been having. He checked it out, but he said my BP is not high enough to worry about yet, and the swelling just comes with the territory. I'm doing all he's said to do before, decrease salt, increase water, yada yada, but he said sometimes no matter what you do you just can't avoid it. So that made me feel better. I've been doing all the good stuff, but if swelling is inevitable, then I don't have to feel guilty anymore.

It's about time for an eight month belly picture, but you'll have to wait. It seems our camera battery died yesterday. Josh tried to get a picture of the lunar eclipse, and it just pooped out. It's final hours were spent taking that award-winning video of my husband this past weekend ;) What an intelligent way to spend our weekend. Oh, I know what I can post! BABIES FOR DUMMIES

To My Dad

My dad is the best father a girl could ask for. Some children can't recall past memories where their father is involved, but I am thankful that I do. I know he loved me from the moment I was born, and probably before that too. He used to call me pumpkin when I was little. Why? Well, that's because when I was born I was jaundice, which is supposed to make your skin look yellow. But I had darker skin, so I was orange instead. Hence the nickname. I also remember when I'd ask him to pick me up, and he'd say, "You want me to pink you up?" Yup, he had a corny sense of humor from the beginning, but it just makes him all the more lovable. I also remember asking him to check me out, even when I didn't feel sick. He'd oblige my childhood antics and retrieve his doctor bag from the hall closet. First he'd hoist me up onto the counter, and then he'd check my reflexes by hitting my knees with that cool little hammer. Then he'd feel my throat glands, to make sure they weren't swollen. My favorite part was when he'd pull out his little device to check ears. It had a light and everything! He'd always tell me that he found pink elephants or ones with blue polkadots.



When I wasn't playing around, he was the best real doctor. When my tummy hurt, he'd make sure I took the right medicine. And when my feet would cramp up (which they did a lot) he'd massage away the pain. When I had a bad dream, he was so easy to wake up in the middle of the night. And he'd come back to my room with me and rub my back until I relaxed and went to sleep.



My dad has always been the silent leader of our family. He did not always say much in a large and loud crowd, but when he did speak, all of us around the table would stop to listen. He would tell us something that happened at work or about something he heard on the radio. A lot of times, he had a new joke to tell us, and though they brought groans, I always enjoyed his sense of humor. Because it was clean and safe. I've never once heard my dad tell a dirty joke or say a bad word. In fact, as a child, I remember one time trying to get him to say some potty words just because I'd never heard him say anything like that, but he wouldn't give in to me.



The dictionary definition for the word meek is : Showing patience and humility; gentle. There should be a picture of my dad right next to it, because that is him in a nutshell. I remember hearing my preacher and Bible teacher say how Moses was the meekest man in the Bible, and I thought, Yeah, my dad is just like Moses. I think sometimes the strongest leaders are the quiet ones. It takes a different type of character to lead by example, and it takes a deep wisdom to know when it's best to let your actions speak for you. My dad knows how to do all of that. Proverbs 4:1 says "Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding." As a child, I didn't know how to hear my dad all the time, but looking back I can appreciate his leadership and I can see how he instructed me in not-so-obvious ways. That's my dad, influencing me without me realizing it until later.



My dad is so supportive. He's been there for all the milestones, from graduating high school to getting married. He's supported my decisions, like changing my major a few times or picking the man I'd spend the rest of my life with. I know he's proud of me, and yet, the tables are turned because I am proud of him too. He has raised five children and taken care of my mom when she was sick. And now he gets to reap the benefits. He goes on romantic trips with my mom, an almost 6-year breast cancer survivor. And four of his kids have brought new spouses to the family, two grandkids, and two more on the way. I hope his cup overflows with joy at this stage in his life, because he deserves it.



My dad is recovering right now, and we are all praying for him to get better fast. He's rarely been sick all his life. I remember a cold here and there, or maybe the chills one winter, but that's it. He's always been healthy. So it was pretty scary to hear that there was something wrong with his heart and that he had to be taken to the hospital two nights ago. But I know God is healing him, and He has given him a wonderful wife to help him recuperate. Get better soon, Dad! Your grandson can't wait to meet you :)

Josh in a Box

This is Josh...


This is Josh on caffeine...



Any Questions?

To My Valentine!

Ok, so it's a day early, but that's the surprise! I wanted to sneak in a blog to brag on my special Valentine, my wife, my Mary. :) Yes, this isn't Mary writing this time, it's me Josh.

As most you of you know or at least should know by now (since you read this blog regularly) that Mary and I are expecting. Can I say that my wife is going to be the VERY BEST mother of all time for our little boy?! Our little boy is going to have a mom who exemplifies what a beautiful and charming woman should be. In a world where everyone focuses on external beauty and blantely ignores internal beauty and integrity - my wife is the supreme example of internal beauty, integrity, and grace. Hollywood's leading ladies should take notes from Mary! (And for the record, my wife beats out any Hollywood leading lady or model when it comes to looks!)

Proverbs 31:28b "...her husband also, and he praiseth her."

Some of you may be wondering why I keep using "my wife" instead of using her name. It's simple...she's my wife and no one elses! She's my "trophy wife"! ;)

So with that said...

Mary, I love you and I am so thankful that you accepted my proposal of marriage almost 3 years ago. You make coming home from work the best highlight of my day! You are my best friend and I will always love you!

A Full Week

This week contained three days of baby-related events. Tuesday night was our first of two baby care classes. The nurse teaching the class was really fun and kinda crazy, but that made the two hours go by fast. We went thru some slides of what babies look like when they first come out (aliens!) and also went over some common things they can have that aren't anything to worry about, such as baby zits and blue hands, etc. We talked about what's a serious fever for a newborn. In other words, when to call your doctor. The difference between a wet burp (aka spit up) and actual puking. Oh, and she was totally against ear thermometers, calling them gimmicks. And she justified her reasoning, so it made sense to me. The ear thermometers use a infrared light to bounce off the ear drum, which gives a reading. But a baby's ear canal doesn't straighten out until they are a year old, so it's not accurate at all. She was all about the rectal temp, also adding that if your baby is constipated, taking his temp there might solve his problem. Interesting, huh? We talked a little about infant massage, but we have a whole class on that after the baby's born. Anyway, it was a nice intro to it, and we even had baby dolls to practice on. We talked about sleeping patterns and crying (colicky and non-colicky) and oh, I also learned that your OB dr. does the circumcision a couple days after the baby's born. And, even though the umbilical cord hasn't fallen off yet, you can still give the baby tummy time, because it won't bother them. I was under the impression that you had to wait until it came off, so I'm glad, cause I don't want my kid on his back all the time cause he fusses if he's the other way around. Of course, he still could fuss about it, but he's just gonna hafta deal :)

Wednesday night (yes, we missed church for it) we had childbirth preparation class, and we'll have three more of those this month. We brought our pillows from home. The teacher talked about what was going on in our bodies right now, and we spent a lot of time on when to know if you're in labor, or if it's false labor, all that good stuff. There were five couples total in the class, and only us and one other couple remembered our pillows. One guy who forgot his pillows called us "over-achievers." And I got all mad at him, cause I was thinking, Hello? The paper said to bring pillows. We followed directions. But I was good, I didn't say any of this out loud, but I wanted to :) Ok, so the second half of class we moved the tables and chairs to the sides and pulled out some mats. The pregnant people (that would be me) got to lay down on them with our pillows and get comfy. Then the teacher instructed our coaches (that would be Josh) how to massage us and get us to relax. They were told to start by stroking our hair, and my silly husband started pulling my hair! Then I got the giggles and we were both laughing. Not exactly relaxing to begin with, but it was fun :) Once we got serious about it, ahh, it was so nice! And she told us to practice at home, so I'm excited about that :) Oh yeah, she also taught us some exercises to relieve pain, like in the lower back. We had a good time overall. It's fun learning this stuff along with Josh. I mean, I've been reading books and stuff, but it makes it more real to drive to the hospital where our child will be born and take the classes together. I love having him with me!

Today I had a dr.'s appt, and everything went, eh, ok. They used a tiny probe to test for a common bacteria that pregnant women get. It's not even a big deal if I have it, cause they will just give me medication while I'm in labor, so the baby doesn't get it while he passes through the canal. Anyway, the doc said I'd feel pressure (I think that's every OB's favorite word), but it hurt! And that surprised me, which made me tense, which didn't make it feel any better. So yeah, a tiny probe and I was in pain. I can't even imagine what labor will be like. Oh, so my next appt. is in two weeks, and I believe he said that they'd start checking my cervix to see if I'm dilated. And I said, Already?! That seems too soon, but he's the doc. Anyway, I'm not looking forward to that.

Me: Will it hurt?

Dr: You'll feel some pressure. (there's that word again)

Me: Yeah, well, if this thing you just did hurt, then I'm sure next time it will hurt worse.

Ugh, I don't want to go thru that. Do I sound like a baby? I'm sure labor and delivery will hurt worse, but now I'm going to be scared at my upcoming appointments. Is it too early to cry about this? Cause I already did on the way home, and I'm sure I'll cry again when Josh gets here. He's so awesome though, cause he'll put his arms around and tell me something awesome that will make me feel better. He'll probably get me to laugh too. I love him so much. He's gonna be the best coach for me, cause he knows me so well. I haven't been able to wear my rings for a while now, and I really miss that, cause I like people to know that I'm married to this wonderful man. Oh, it must be the hormones, cause I'm crying right now as I write this. I think the fear of labor is starting to build. I mean seriously, who in their right mind wants to go through pain? It's something you instinctively avoid, you know? But I know the Lord will equip my mind and body to get through whatever I need to get through. And He's given me Josh, whose gonna help me so much, I just know it.

Ok, time to dry the tears. Josh sent me an e-mail he got from a co-worker, and it was called "Babies for Dummies." These are so funny! I was laughing out loud as I went through them. There's a bunch of them, so I won't post them all at once. Enjoy the weekend!!

Look what Josh got me!

I have a cool husband. I saw these canvas organizers and just fell in love with them, since they match the nursery theme. So he pops online and adds them to the cart. Then he finds this gorgeous snowglobe and buys that too! He's awesome. I love him. But not cause he buys me things :)