It has been an interesting turn of events. Yesterday, I was told to go into Labor and Delivery after experiencing contractions about five minutes apart - out of no-where, I might add.
We had such an excellent report at 20 weeks I was hesitant to report but when they started getting rhythmic I decided now wasn't the time for second guessing. Fortunately, I have a very proactive team at my OB office and they did not second guess either and sent me right on up to the third floor of BSA.
Stephen and I, me in particular because it's less my personality, remained eerily calm until we had some answers from the doctors, but we got some fairly scary news from the nurses first. I'm currently at 23 weeks (most of my family reading out there knows I was born a miracle at 27 weeks - so naturally I leaned on mom for some comforting advice). For a baby to be considered viable they want you to be at 24 weeks because there is a lot of lung development that happens this week.
The nurses (two of whom checked me) said they thought they felt that I was dilated and in some ways I think the RN was a little more nervous for me than I was. Mom and I decided God provides the calm because that's exactly what mom and baby need. She was also calm with me. I can't help but think this little girl and I have been through so much together already, surely this isn't the end!
Again, because of the great team of care I was surrounded by, after a sonogram with no clear distinction on dilation or how much, they did not hesitate to call the doctor on call - which fortunately was my doctor whom I love and trust. He checked me and did two different types of sonograms to confirm I'm NOT dilated and we all breathed a little easier. However, the contractions had not stopped so blood work and iv fluids were ordered to see if maybe dehydration was factor.
I did not think it was because I've had fluids enough this pregnancy to know what dehydration feels like. My veins were easy to do an IV and after the bag was done in a half hour, I was about to die to pee. As a reference point, sometimes it took hours after I got fluids in the ER...
But confident things weren't changing and or progressing they sent me home (which is currently a hotel five minutes down the road since our kitchen isn't finished with the remodel) with the promise I would call if I continued to have contractions or anything changed.
It calmed down after I had dinner and went to bed, but I woke up with contractions again at 3:00 am and laid awake as they continued in a less severe, less rhythmic pattern, but their none-the-less. I woke up again about 5:00 am with them and then again around 7:30 when Stephen's alarm went off, so as soon as the doctors office was open, I called again.
I was sent to Labor and Delivery again and this little stinker is causing her daddy problems on Ash Wednesday of all days! With a service at noon, I drove myself and told Stephen I would call him or text if there was an update or an emergency. Dr. Anderson happened to be in surgery at the hospital and had been briefed that I was back.
My contractions proved present, but less severe and we waited word from him on what to do next. After about two hours, he ordered a couple tests, one for Strep B which is a strain of strep found in the rectum and or vaginal cavity (sorry for the details) which can cause preterm and delivery problems. The other (and this test is really cool!) is a test that can predict if you're going into labor in the next two weeks, however you have to have not had your cervix checked for 24 hours (which I had about three times the night before) so I am getting that test done tomorrow morning. It's not always accurate, but can be an good indicator in whether or not more aggressive treatments like steroids for growth or progesterone need to be administer to help baby grow quicker.
I will follow up with the doctor on Friday and have been put on bed rest until then. What I'm hearing right now,is that I'm not in immediate danger of going into labor but the contractions are worrisome that I may go into preterm labor sometime in the near future that we want to stave off as long as possible and in particular AT LEAST until next week.
Again, I'm oddly calm and Stephen is taking things in stride as well. All we can do is sit, wait and follow the directions for bed rest and fluid intake and pray she stays put because the rest we don't have control over.
I'm trying not to think too much about the kitchen not being done, or how I might organize a kitchen while on bed rest or whether or not I'm going to actually get to sew things for the nursery. It all seems a little trivial anyway. I just want my little girl whom I love so much already to stay put and quit misbehaving! Well, she can keep misbehaving by kicking me as much as she wants because that and her strong heartbeat are definitely helping me keep my wits! I can't help but think with a Ward disposition she's got to be as stubborn as her mamma to be in this world and hopefully she got an ounce or two of Friedrich patience to stay in long enough to give herself a fighting chance!
She received ashes from her daddy today when he brought some to me. I told her she would return to dust in due time but a LONG, LONG time from now - SO STAY PUT! Dad seconded the though and keeps telling her she needs to keep her hands, feet, bottom, head and everything else well inside her mamma until we're and the world are good and ready for her on the outside!
We are doing ok, for now. I am allowed to get up to shower, make food and use the bathroom which is a little more self-sufficient than I was back at the beginning of the pregnancy, so hey, there's a bright side! We do ask for your prayers as an army of prayers surrounding us has gotten us so far already. Our biggest hope is that this is all a fluke and she stays where she is for a while with me just dealing with contractions intermittently or not at all. Most of all, we're just praying our hearts out, telling baby girl how loved she is and trusting that God is in control.
Thank you for taking this journey with us!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
A fantastic report!
Monday brought an excellent report from the doctor. Baby girl is measure in the 50th percentile on almost everything. (For those of you like me that had to ask what that meant - she is growing right down the average growth rate for her age of 20 weeks when the ultrasound was done.) Her arms, legs and vital organs look great and the thing I'm excited about - she's measuring neither too big (THANK YOU JESUS!) or too small.
I know lots of people have C-sections but I would prefer to avoid recovering from major surgery and figuring out this whole baby thing at the same time, so not having a baby that's measure big makes me SO thankful...I'm not that big of a person myself! I just hope nothing comes up in labor to require it...but lots of other tough mammas have made it so if it comes down to that, I'm sure I'll make it through.
Her kicks are getting more powerful in that I'm feeling minute movements as opposed to just intense jabs. I tried to see if Stephen could feel it on the outside but she kept wiggling away from his hand. Maybe in a few more weeks...should I be secretly happy she might be a mommy's girl? :-) I don't know...I have a prediction she might get Daddy wrapped around her little finger.
Because I lost so much weight being sick at the beginning of pregnancy, I've only gained three pounds at this point. I was so shocked because my belly popped - I feel huge and was so sure I'd gained ten pounds. I can also tell I'm holding my body differently and my back, knees and ankles definitely feel like they are holding extra weight, or at least weight differently. I have found my maternity belt takes a lot of pressure off my back and supports the weight of the belly. Little weight gained or not, I can tell carrying a baby on my small frame is already taking its toll, and I'm not looking forward to getting bigger.
Since baby girl is measuring average and healthy no one is concerned about the weight and it's not like I didn't get into this situation with a little extra padding anyway. The third trimester brings the most of the weight anyway so I'm glad things haven't gotten out of control so far.
The next few things coming up is the test for gestational diabetes and blood work in about three weeks. I'm pretty nervous as I still regularly deal with some nausea which sugar doesn't help. If I have something on my stomach other than pure sugar I do ok, but drinking a sugary concoction made to jack up your sugar makes me nervous. The OB is very understanding and for the first hour is starting me on the lowest dose to produce results. He also told me to pre-medicate right before I come with the Zofran and Reglan so the strongest dose is still in my system. I'm trying to think positive!
Everyone keeps asking us about names. We have a few in mind and have mostly been going down the traditional route, but we're keeping them to ourselves. :-) Although people generally mean the best, I don't want anyone ruining our thoughts on names and with a whole church supportively waiting on edge in addition to friends and family members, it's just too much! We're thinking we'll go in with two or three and chose one when we meet her, anyway.
Thanks for your prayers and keeping us with us! Keep 'em coming!
I know lots of people have C-sections but I would prefer to avoid recovering from major surgery and figuring out this whole baby thing at the same time, so not having a baby that's measure big makes me SO thankful...I'm not that big of a person myself! I just hope nothing comes up in labor to require it...but lots of other tough mammas have made it so if it comes down to that, I'm sure I'll make it through.
Her kicks are getting more powerful in that I'm feeling minute movements as opposed to just intense jabs. I tried to see if Stephen could feel it on the outside but she kept wiggling away from his hand. Maybe in a few more weeks...should I be secretly happy she might be a mommy's girl? :-) I don't know...I have a prediction she might get Daddy wrapped around her little finger.
Because I lost so much weight being sick at the beginning of pregnancy, I've only gained three pounds at this point. I was so shocked because my belly popped - I feel huge and was so sure I'd gained ten pounds. I can also tell I'm holding my body differently and my back, knees and ankles definitely feel like they are holding extra weight, or at least weight differently. I have found my maternity belt takes a lot of pressure off my back and supports the weight of the belly. Little weight gained or not, I can tell carrying a baby on my small frame is already taking its toll, and I'm not looking forward to getting bigger.
Since baby girl is measuring average and healthy no one is concerned about the weight and it's not like I didn't get into this situation with a little extra padding anyway. The third trimester brings the most of the weight anyway so I'm glad things haven't gotten out of control so far.
The next few things coming up is the test for gestational diabetes and blood work in about three weeks. I'm pretty nervous as I still regularly deal with some nausea which sugar doesn't help. If I have something on my stomach other than pure sugar I do ok, but drinking a sugary concoction made to jack up your sugar makes me nervous. The OB is very understanding and for the first hour is starting me on the lowest dose to produce results. He also told me to pre-medicate right before I come with the Zofran and Reglan so the strongest dose is still in my system. I'm trying to think positive!
Everyone keeps asking us about names. We have a few in mind and have mostly been going down the traditional route, but we're keeping them to ourselves. :-) Although people generally mean the best, I don't want anyone ruining our thoughts on names and with a whole church supportively waiting on edge in addition to friends and family members, it's just too much! We're thinking we'll go in with two or three and chose one when we meet her, anyway.
Thanks for your prayers and keeping us with us! Keep 'em coming!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
South Texas Extravaganza!
This past week, as part of my Christmas present, I got to go with Stephen to the annual Tri-Synodical Gathering in New Braunsfels, TX. Yes, I consented for it, and yes, I was excited, so yes, I guess that makes me just as much of a nerd!
All kidding aside, I really went for a few reasons.
1. Road trips with Stephen will be far and few between in the coming months and years.
2. Kenda Creasy Dean, one of our favorite authorities on Youth Ministry was speaking at the conference.
3. We took some extra time to get down and back and were able to do a little Texas sight seeing on the way.
(4.) As a nice side benefit that was somewhat unexpected...the kitchen remodel finally began so we were able to be out of the house for some of that.
For those of you unfamiliar with Texas geography, New Braunsfels is located just outside of San Antonio in the Southern tip of Texas, a fair distance away (8 or 9 hours) from Amarillo. We went two ways - through San Angelo on the way there (which is nothing to write home about...) and Austin which alotted for a quick pop through Barnet where we met up with some old Southern Seminary friends.
As big as Texas is, it was fun to see some of the different geography on the way there and back. Unfortunately I'm not able to tell you where some of these were, but here's a glimpse of what we saw. One thing we learned, just because a town is listed on a map, it doesn't mean it's going to be a place to stop! We had to take mostly country roads and let's just say driving with a pregnant lady whose bladder is compressed and body needs to move every two hours proved to be challenging!
We were able to find places, but sometimes we, and by we, I mean me...came close to not making it!
For some reason, I can't get this one to flip, but it was a really pretty sunset as we arrived in what is referred to as "Texas Hill Country". A definite foreign concept from what we're used to in Amarillo. Although, I will say, Amarillo can have some pretty impressive sunsets. I can't really speak all that much to sunrises...;-) Although I'm sure they are equally gorgeous!
After what seemed like a very long two days of traveling, we arrived in New Braunsferls and stayed at the "Historic Faust Inn." I wish I'd thought to take pictures. It was a cute quaint room, but very tiny!
We even ran into some of the interns from Southern Seminary who were first year students when Stephen graduated. Hard to think we've been out that long! They were a sight for sore eyes...say hello to Christine and Curtis!
That first day we heard from Kenda Creasy Dean who has written several books on youth ministry. She was absolutely fantastic and if you want to read about what we learned, hop on over to Stephen's blog on the BSLC website. Click on "Tri Synodical Day 1". I stole Stephen's pen because I forgot one and took a furious three pages of notes - you may reap the benefits on this post! Check on day 2 and 3 for other highlights from another speaker, Diana Butler Bass.
Yes, this post is all kinds of imformative now!
After our three days in New Brausfels, we decided to take the long way back and go home through Austin, Barnet, and Abeline.
For those who don't remember their third grade capital memorization tests, Austin is the capital of Texas. We decided as official citizens of the state of Texas that we needed to do our civic duty and stop by the state house. We took a brief tour which I felt like I needed to have learned more Texas state history in school to understand but if you would like to know more about South Carolina's state house, I could probably help you out more. Never-the-less here are some fun pictures, complete with our stop at the Texas gift shop for a little spoiling of our own little Texan.
If you think I look excited about this pink t-shirt dressing my belly up that says "Made in Texas" you would be right. I was so tickled! The shirt is a size 2 and so she won't be wearing it any time soon but I still couldn't resist! I think baby girl clothes might be the death of me and my "blow money" in our budget.
This lady has a story that I don't remember...but the important part is she's holding up the ever present Texas star!
Here is Stephen pictured underneath Davy Crockett. Add Sam Houston in the mix and we're convinced the best Texans come from Tennesee first!
After our visit to the state house, we went to this hole-in-the-wall place called "Magnolia's Cafe" after a recommendation from a friend of Stephen's at first call thelogical education. It was yummy. I think I could eat there every day and not get sick of it. We were told we had to get the "mud" which was a bowl of layered dip with beans, guacamole, pico-de-gallo and cheese. Another menu item that got me all kinds of excited was a comibination of my two favorite middle-eastern foods - hummus and tabouli. The tabouli was the best I have ever had. The cracked wheat was soft and tasted like it had soaked up the best of the lemon juice. I'm salivating just thinking over it. The oranges and strawberries tasted fresh too. Stephen ordered a side salad and split my plate and the "mud" and we were two happy eaters! The place even had fantastic service. After spilling a little "mud" on my white shirt, the waiter brought by soda water free of charge as a suggestion and empathizing with me about a stain on his pants which he just recently got rid of having discovered the miracle of soda water!
The people in Austin were so nice! Of course, this was the "artsy" place to go if you wanted to get a real tast of Austin culture. What we loved most were the bike lanes, the walking paths and over all commuter friendly nature down town. These weren't the last friendly faces we'd see that day though!
Ricky and Cricket Leapheart were friends of ours at Southern. Ricky was a classmate of Stephen and Cricket got to do a few things with the spouses group while we were there. They are tride and true South Carolinians who also got uprooted and called to be among God's faithful people in Texas. It was so good to see them, hear their story and the good things God's got going on in Barnet. Like us, the seem to miss home and the family there (who woundn't?) but seem to have also found themselves in a place where God is at work and the people are taking good care of them. It is so wonderful to be on this side of seminary and see the good things God is up to - especially when we think back on all those days where we though "What in the WORLD have we gotten ourselves into!"
It also helps us feel less "alone" because we have history with them - kind of like family, and eight hours sounds a HECK of alot better than eighteen! We had fun talking about how different things are and some funny things about Texas culture compared to where we come from. It was nice to have that kind of conversation and have someone else understand where you are coming from - what your home looks like and the towns and places around it. Well, I could go on for hours and we only spent about two with them. Let's just suffice to say, it was a sight for sore eyes!
We arrived home yesterday and the reality of the kitchen remodel sunk in...we concurr with about everyone we've ever talked to. Remodels are NOT fun. We don't have any pictures yet as there's not much to report. Like we figured, the electrical has taken longer to figure out, but the good news is, the new part of the kitchen floor has been laid down (without grout yet) and it already looks fantastic. Stay tuned as I'm sure we'll have more pictures once we can get in there.
Coming home to a torn up house when we were both worn out and sick with head colds was not easy to take, but I did have a very bright spot come in the mail! Kelly, my best friend of 26 years who will be an aunt to my child no matter how far away she lives (currently in Rock Hill, SC) sent a package of the cutest onsies and outfits for her niece. I'm telling you, it may stink being so far from everyone we love, but I get constant letters and packages that say you all love us very much. This was NO exception! Check out my favorite onsie of the bunch!
Mommy...tee, hee! That's me! :-)
On Monday we get to hear all the good news from the ultra sound a few weeks ago, so expect an update soon! Thank you all for loving and praying for us!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Getting used to a girly world!
I'm up early so I thought a blog update might be a good choice!
Many of you have asked if everything looked OK with our girl since my pregnancy has been so rough. Thank you so much for your concern! The tech couldn't tell us much other than gender and that we're still looking at a June due date. However, we did see a her heart with a strong healthy heartbeat. Measurements were taken of her head, arms and legs, and we have good pictures of her stomach, kidneys and other organs. While she hid her face, what we saw of her face looked healthy with to me, no signs of a cleft palette which at the point in my pregnancy when I took the steroids wasn't really anything more than a very mild concern. We were also told that we would be called before our two week follow up if anything of major concern was found. So far so good! We see the doctor for a comprehensive explanation on the fourth of February.
I still deal with mild nausea and have remained on the medication needed to help me keep food down. In the past two weeks my baby bump has expanded to show a healthy looking bump! It looks pretty big in this picture, but she was also sitting rather high. I look a little more deflated depending on where she decides to be. I prefer when she's a little lower because I get out of breath a lot quicker when she's high...phew, and I'm only halfway! They keep telling me at the doctors office it's just the nature of my body to be uncomfortable so early because there's just nowhere for her to go. Oh well, I'm shaped just like my grandma and she gave birth to three children so I'm sure I can do it if she did! Mom passed on that my aunts even said grandma had been a few weeks late. Yikes! At least they have technology to induce now!
Stephen and I are still trying to process the news of our little girl. I've told several people this, but it's so contrary to how envisioned my family. With Friedrich male-dominated genetics on our side, I always pictured being a mom of a group of boys, which I didn't really mind with the exception of wanting to sew for a little girl.
With my own family structure in mind, it's also hard to picture a girl being the oldest, as I was the youngest. Being the younger sibling of a brother shaped me in ways I never really noticed until I started thinking about it. My "can-do" attitude, anything John can do I can do, tomboyish nature all came from my overwhelming love of my brother who I looked up to. I also always felt like I was taken care of because if anyone ever messed with me, well, I'd just sic my older brother on them and they'd be sorry! Of course, I would have never admitted any of this!
All of this pondering has come forth as I imagine what our girl will be like. Will she be athletic and like to kick soccer balls like her dad? Or play softball like her mom? Or will she take in my footsteps and love music and realize to do it well sports have to take a back seat? What about sewing? Will I get to share that with her or will she think it's lame? Will she soar through academics like dad, or work really hard for those B's and sometimes A's like her mom? Patient and laid back like her dad, or impatient and high strung like mom? (PLEASE BE LIKE DAD!!) She sure has two parents who were VERY shy as children! Or will she be completely different than both of us and leave us flabbergasted?
One thing is for sure, while she's little, she's going to have a lot of girly looking stuff! When I went to register, I was thinking I would get gender neutral things for the big ticket items like the stroller and pack and play and anything else that might be reused. But everything was so clearly gender dominated. It looked either very girly or very boyish. Several of my friends are pregnant or hoping to be that way or have been helping other pregnant friends, and one in particular made an interesting point. It used to be that people bought these items out of necessity before the baby was born and before they knew what they were having. Now people find out so early the retail market has accommodated and I've helped them by registering for everything girly from strollers to burp cloths! I guess I didn't realize how excited I was until I was told it was a girl!
Oh well, protocols and products change so quickly as to what's "good" or "bad" for the baby by the time we get ready for another everything may be outdated anyway.
Thank you all for your continued prayers. We're so thankful everything is looking so good so far! Keep 'em coming!
Many of you have asked if everything looked OK with our girl since my pregnancy has been so rough. Thank you so much for your concern! The tech couldn't tell us much other than gender and that we're still looking at a June due date. However, we did see a her heart with a strong healthy heartbeat. Measurements were taken of her head, arms and legs, and we have good pictures of her stomach, kidneys and other organs. While she hid her face, what we saw of her face looked healthy with to me, no signs of a cleft palette which at the point in my pregnancy when I took the steroids wasn't really anything more than a very mild concern. We were also told that we would be called before our two week follow up if anything of major concern was found. So far so good! We see the doctor for a comprehensive explanation on the fourth of February.
I still deal with mild nausea and have remained on the medication needed to help me keep food down. In the past two weeks my baby bump has expanded to show a healthy looking bump! It looks pretty big in this picture, but she was also sitting rather high. I look a little more deflated depending on where she decides to be. I prefer when she's a little lower because I get out of breath a lot quicker when she's high...phew, and I'm only halfway! They keep telling me at the doctors office it's just the nature of my body to be uncomfortable so early because there's just nowhere for her to go. Oh well, I'm shaped just like my grandma and she gave birth to three children so I'm sure I can do it if she did! Mom passed on that my aunts even said grandma had been a few weeks late. Yikes! At least they have technology to induce now!
Stephen and I are still trying to process the news of our little girl. I've told several people this, but it's so contrary to how envisioned my family. With Friedrich male-dominated genetics on our side, I always pictured being a mom of a group of boys, which I didn't really mind with the exception of wanting to sew for a little girl.
With my own family structure in mind, it's also hard to picture a girl being the oldest, as I was the youngest. Being the younger sibling of a brother shaped me in ways I never really noticed until I started thinking about it. My "can-do" attitude, anything John can do I can do, tomboyish nature all came from my overwhelming love of my brother who I looked up to. I also always felt like I was taken care of because if anyone ever messed with me, well, I'd just sic my older brother on them and they'd be sorry! Of course, I would have never admitted any of this!
All of this pondering has come forth as I imagine what our girl will be like. Will she be athletic and like to kick soccer balls like her dad? Or play softball like her mom? Or will she take in my footsteps and love music and realize to do it well sports have to take a back seat? What about sewing? Will I get to share that with her or will she think it's lame? Will she soar through academics like dad, or work really hard for those B's and sometimes A's like her mom? Patient and laid back like her dad, or impatient and high strung like mom? (PLEASE BE LIKE DAD!!) She sure has two parents who were VERY shy as children! Or will she be completely different than both of us and leave us flabbergasted?
One thing is for sure, while she's little, she's going to have a lot of girly looking stuff! When I went to register, I was thinking I would get gender neutral things for the big ticket items like the stroller and pack and play and anything else that might be reused. But everything was so clearly gender dominated. It looked either very girly or very boyish. Several of my friends are pregnant or hoping to be that way or have been helping other pregnant friends, and one in particular made an interesting point. It used to be that people bought these items out of necessity before the baby was born and before they knew what they were having. Now people find out so early the retail market has accommodated and I've helped them by registering for everything girly from strollers to burp cloths! I guess I didn't realize how excited I was until I was told it was a girl!
Oh well, protocols and products change so quickly as to what's "good" or "bad" for the baby by the time we get ready for another everything may be outdated anyway.
Thank you all for your continued prayers. We're so thankful everything is looking so good so far! Keep 'em coming!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
A letter to our baby girl...
Dear Baby Girl,
You dad and I are OVER the moon today! Although we "met" you once before around the time you were eight weeks in my womb, you looked like a little peanut and I thought to myself "Really? That little thing is what's making me so sick?"
Today, not only did we find out you were going to be a girl, we saw you in the most life-like way! I cannot stop smiling or looking at pictures of your ultrasound. Your dad and I, several hours later are still downright giddy! You were shy with your face, but we saw the cutest profile of your little nose and you had your mouth open. I can't wait to kiss that face!
One of my favorite parts, was when we saw the tiniest little hand up on the screen clinch into a fist and open again - out little girl waving hello! I didn't know I could be so in love with a little hand!
I'm hoping you get your dad's patience, because your mom has none. I want you here, healthy and well-- now, and we're only half-way! It's a miracle how much love God has given me for you in my heart. No doubt you'll learn at a very young age how much God loves you, but God has also put a mom and dad in your life that already think you are the greatest thing EVER - and will spend lots of time reminding you how much you are loved, by us and your creator. Your dad even blesses you ever night.
I told Mr. Cat he was getting a sister. He didn't seem too impressed, but you'll learn soon enough not to be too disappointed. He doesn't get too excited over anything but food, water and a good head rub.
We also talked to your grandparents today and told them about you. They can't believe you're a girl, as your dad has a history of boys in his family - but everyone is STILL so excited. My dad, your Papa - even giggled a little, and as you will learn really quickly, your Mimi squealed over her baby grandgirl. Your Nana got teary eyed, but don't worry she's not sad - she's just REALLY happy. Your Grampa Jimbo told your dad to be prepared to be outnumbered. I had a laugh over that. As you can tell everyone is so excited to meet you and love is something you will never be without!
Despite my impatience, you be sure to take your time and grow strong and healthy. We will be anxiously awaiting your arrival in June!
With more love than I ever knew possible,
Your Momma
xoxoxo
You dad and I are OVER the moon today! Although we "met" you once before around the time you were eight weeks in my womb, you looked like a little peanut and I thought to myself "Really? That little thing is what's making me so sick?"
Today, not only did we find out you were going to be a girl, we saw you in the most life-like way! I cannot stop smiling or looking at pictures of your ultrasound. Your dad and I, several hours later are still downright giddy! You were shy with your face, but we saw the cutest profile of your little nose and you had your mouth open. I can't wait to kiss that face!
One of my favorite parts, was when we saw the tiniest little hand up on the screen clinch into a fist and open again - out little girl waving hello! I didn't know I could be so in love with a little hand!
I'm hoping you get your dad's patience, because your mom has none. I want you here, healthy and well-- now, and we're only half-way! It's a miracle how much love God has given me for you in my heart. No doubt you'll learn at a very young age how much God loves you, but God has also put a mom and dad in your life that already think you are the greatest thing EVER - and will spend lots of time reminding you how much you are loved, by us and your creator. Your dad even blesses you ever night.
I told Mr. Cat he was getting a sister. He didn't seem too impressed, but you'll learn soon enough not to be too disappointed. He doesn't get too excited over anything but food, water and a good head rub.
We also talked to your grandparents today and told them about you. They can't believe you're a girl, as your dad has a history of boys in his family - but everyone is STILL so excited. My dad, your Papa - even giggled a little, and as you will learn really quickly, your Mimi squealed over her baby grandgirl. Your Nana got teary eyed, but don't worry she's not sad - she's just REALLY happy. Your Grampa Jimbo told your dad to be prepared to be outnumbered. I had a laugh over that. As you can tell everyone is so excited to meet you and love is something you will never be without!
Despite my impatience, you be sure to take your time and grow strong and healthy. We will be anxiously awaiting your arrival in June!
With more love than I ever knew possible,
Your Momma
xoxoxo
Monday, January 14, 2013
New FLUFF!!
No it's not a euphemism for the foul smells that often come from a lady with less and less space around her bowels...
But it's not that far off! I'm talking DIAPERS!!!
Stephen and I are already considered flaming liberals for the fact that not only do we recycle, we pay to have it picked up every two weeks. SO, why not add to our green tendencies by using cloth diapers?
It's something we've considered for a long time and these aren't my momma's cloth diapers...well I was a 'sposie (diaper lingo for disposable) kid anyway. Not only does it make a ton of sense financially, as there is little need for a diaper service and all the diapers we are purchasing are considered "one size" these diapers should last through potty training. The only time these may not work is the new born phase, which our baby may be born bigger than anyway. Because of the uncertainty of size at birth (both Stephen and I were born pre-term - me especially so, but there are no indications of that being the case with our baby, so far) we decided to use disposables to get us through that short period when financially it makes the least sense to invest.
The lingo is hard to wrap your mind around as there are SO many choices. I have chosen to get our current stash from a site called Cottonbabies.com. They offer a wide selection, free shipping, and my latest batch that just came in are from a "seconds" sale. Diapers that didn't make the cut for top quality, but the most I've noticed wrong are a spot here or there where the serging may have clipped in or out a little bit but only on finished edges...nothing structural or anything an untrained eye would see. At $7 for the cover, and $3.95 for the insert, I couldn't have hardly made these any cheaper!
So, what do we have so far you ask? Well let me educate you on our current stash! (Because I know diapers are just as exciting to you as they are to me right now!)
First up, upon the recommendation of our friends the Bocangels, we have Bum Genius Brand, All-in-One 4.0 diapers with aplix (velcro) closures. (I know, the LINGO is rediculous...)
These may prove to be the longest lasting in terms of style. Almost all brands have an option of either aplix or snap closures (like you see in the sizing). I have heard the velcro can wear out, but it looks easy enough to replace - and since sewing velcro is a snap (ha!) for this girl, I went ahead and bought this type of closure. This diaper is likely to be the most comfy for baby, as the outside cover made out of PUL (poly-urithane laminate sp?) and is lined with fleece and the diaper is considered a "pocket" diaper. Inside the pocket is a micro-fiber liner which you can double at night for extra protection. To wash, you do a pre-cycle on the liner, run a warm wash cycle on both the cover and the liner, and line dry. As the baby gets bigger, the was strap can be adjusted and you simply snap or unsnap the front to either shorten or lengthen the diaper. As a fully lined pocket cover, these are the most expensive, but also seem to accommodate to the largest size.
The next style diaper I ordered on a super "cyber monday" sale (yes I bought diapers for my Thanksgiving shopping...) are Bum Genius One Size Freetimes.
This is essentially the best of a Bum Genius All-in-One without the need to stuff the pocket. They are still PUL outsides, with a fleece inside but instead of the pocket, two liners are attached, one at the front and one at the back, providing maximum coverage for the "wettest" parts of the diaper. They are washed the same way, and one of the reviews mentioned a downside as taking too long to line-dry. Currently living in a world without much humidity, I didn't think much about it. These are completely snaps, both to lengthen and shorten and to attach. Some parents preferred these are they are harder for babies to eventually learn to pull off...however, they're also harder to snap and I can imagine getting them closed on a wiggly baby would be fairly difficult.
The next kind I got, I believe are made by BG, but sold exclusively by Cottonbaby.com. They are a cover with an insert that lays on top.
The good news is that the inserts for these and the the first diaper are the same. These have high ratings in Europe and day care centers as they work most like 'sposies. These are the ones I bought on seconds. You can layer as many inserts as needed, but the nice thing is, theoretically if it's just wet, or not that big of a mess, the covers are not lined but are still made of the water-proof PUL material and you can then remove the soiled liner, wipe the cover out, put a clean liner in and off you go! Drying time should be cut in half as compared to the first diaper posted and they are by far the cheaper option (even when not sold as seconds). The downside is, they may not be as comfortable as the previous two.
Regardless, diaper rash is always drastically reduced when using cloth, as are many other diaper related discomforts. Not to mention, even though 'sposies are made out of a lot more biodegradable material, we are still saving LOADS from the landfills.
To make washing easier, there is also a sprayer you can get for the back of your toilet to wash the "chunkier bits" in the toilet, put the diaper in a wet bag contained in a pail, and wash diapers ever two or so days depending on how big your stash might be. We're currently sitting at about 15, a good working stash for the beginning.
Unfortunately, none of these diapers are available at our mainstream registry stores (...told you we're crazy green liberals!), and in fact, here in Amarillo there is only one small boutique that even carries cloth and then it's only BG 4.0's. They often can't keep stocked...imagine that! So if you're interested in getting us fluff to help out, it's probably best to get a generic gift card, or go on cottonbabies.com and order any of the three varieties we named above.
Next week on the 22nd, we get our gender scan (if the baby is behaving and not being too modest!). Cloth comes in so many colors and patterns and you can bet as soon as we know, there will either be more pink or blue, dinasours or butterflies!
Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!
But it's not that far off! I'm talking DIAPERS!!!
Stephen and I are already considered flaming liberals for the fact that not only do we recycle, we pay to have it picked up every two weeks. SO, why not add to our green tendencies by using cloth diapers?
It's something we've considered for a long time and these aren't my momma's cloth diapers...well I was a 'sposie (diaper lingo for disposable) kid anyway. Not only does it make a ton of sense financially, as there is little need for a diaper service and all the diapers we are purchasing are considered "one size" these diapers should last through potty training. The only time these may not work is the new born phase, which our baby may be born bigger than anyway. Because of the uncertainty of size at birth (both Stephen and I were born pre-term - me especially so, but there are no indications of that being the case with our baby, so far) we decided to use disposables to get us through that short period when financially it makes the least sense to invest.
The lingo is hard to wrap your mind around as there are SO many choices. I have chosen to get our current stash from a site called Cottonbabies.com. They offer a wide selection, free shipping, and my latest batch that just came in are from a "seconds" sale. Diapers that didn't make the cut for top quality, but the most I've noticed wrong are a spot here or there where the serging may have clipped in or out a little bit but only on finished edges...nothing structural or anything an untrained eye would see. At $7 for the cover, and $3.95 for the insert, I couldn't have hardly made these any cheaper!
So, what do we have so far you ask? Well let me educate you on our current stash! (Because I know diapers are just as exciting to you as they are to me right now!)
First up, upon the recommendation of our friends the Bocangels, we have Bum Genius Brand, All-in-One 4.0 diapers with aplix (velcro) closures. (I know, the LINGO is rediculous...)
These may prove to be the longest lasting in terms of style. Almost all brands have an option of either aplix or snap closures (like you see in the sizing). I have heard the velcro can wear out, but it looks easy enough to replace - and since sewing velcro is a snap (ha!) for this girl, I went ahead and bought this type of closure. This diaper is likely to be the most comfy for baby, as the outside cover made out of PUL (poly-urithane laminate sp?) and is lined with fleece and the diaper is considered a "pocket" diaper. Inside the pocket is a micro-fiber liner which you can double at night for extra protection. To wash, you do a pre-cycle on the liner, run a warm wash cycle on both the cover and the liner, and line dry. As the baby gets bigger, the was strap can be adjusted and you simply snap or unsnap the front to either shorten or lengthen the diaper. As a fully lined pocket cover, these are the most expensive, but also seem to accommodate to the largest size.
The next style diaper I ordered on a super "cyber monday" sale (yes I bought diapers for my Thanksgiving shopping...) are Bum Genius One Size Freetimes.
The next kind I got, I believe are made by BG, but sold exclusively by Cottonbaby.com. They are a cover with an insert that lays on top.
The good news is that the inserts for these and the the first diaper are the same. These have high ratings in Europe and day care centers as they work most like 'sposies. These are the ones I bought on seconds. You can layer as many inserts as needed, but the nice thing is, theoretically if it's just wet, or not that big of a mess, the covers are not lined but are still made of the water-proof PUL material and you can then remove the soiled liner, wipe the cover out, put a clean liner in and off you go! Drying time should be cut in half as compared to the first diaper posted and they are by far the cheaper option (even when not sold as seconds). The downside is, they may not be as comfortable as the previous two.
Regardless, diaper rash is always drastically reduced when using cloth, as are many other diaper related discomforts. Not to mention, even though 'sposies are made out of a lot more biodegradable material, we are still saving LOADS from the landfills.
To make washing easier, there is also a sprayer you can get for the back of your toilet to wash the "chunkier bits" in the toilet, put the diaper in a wet bag contained in a pail, and wash diapers ever two or so days depending on how big your stash might be. We're currently sitting at about 15, a good working stash for the beginning.
Unfortunately, none of these diapers are available at our mainstream registry stores (...told you we're crazy green liberals!), and in fact, here in Amarillo there is only one small boutique that even carries cloth and then it's only BG 4.0's. They often can't keep stocked...imagine that! So if you're interested in getting us fluff to help out, it's probably best to get a generic gift card, or go on cottonbabies.com and order any of the three varieties we named above.
Next week on the 22nd, we get our gender scan (if the baby is behaving and not being too modest!). Cloth comes in so many colors and patterns and you can bet as soon as we know, there will either be more pink or blue, dinasours or butterflies!
Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Merry White Christmas again! That's right, Amarillo was greeted with snow on Christmas day along with what we consider to be bitter temperatures. When we woke up to walk over to church for the Christmas day service, it was 9 degrees with a windchill of -1. BURRR!!!
But as you can see, it provided quite the picturesque scene!
It did provide a little aggrivation as we did not get out to Knoxville on Christmas day, but after the chaos of trying to refund and rebook flights to get to Knoxville in the near future, we took a nap, then headed over to the Coggins for some dinner and games! Not a bad Christmas day afterall!
The next day was pretty rough. We ended up having to fly into Nashville and Jim and Craig picked us up for the three hour drive to Knoxville. The weather caused some nasty turbulance and some not so great landings and so needless to say, I was thankful for the polite passengers and those airline vomit bags.
We finally got to Knoxville in time to see some of Stephen's family. We had dinner with his Grandma Joan (pronounced JoAnn) opened some presents from his family and had a good time catching up. Top gifts were the jello mold kit from Mary Sue and Maggie (someone's been reading the blog!!) and the lack of cutco knives from the Parker family in replacement of Texas ornaments. What can we say, Nancy has some smart sisters!!
The next day we got to spend time with Stephen's Uncle Mark, Sue and cousin Michael, and his other grandparents, Roland and Mitzie. I got to hear some fun stories involving Stephen, rockets, a skateboard and lots of padding. Sadly, we don't think there are pictures. I still can't figure out why the oldest cousin let the younger cousin shoot rockets at him while slaloming down a hill on a skateboard, but hey, to each their own fun!
We took a side trip to walgreens because my insurance only fills my favorite Zofran medicine 12 at a time, but it was a nice trip because we immediately felt at home.
I'm sure you can only imagine why! Smokey and the rest of the Volunteer nation will have it's newest biggest fan come football 2013 this year! I think baby Friedrich will bring some good luck to the new coach!
Other present highlights included this from my brother John and soon to be S-I-L Cat.
Baby's first stuffed animal! If this baby is anything like me, it's going to love something soft and cuddly to curl up with. I had about a ba-ZILLION stuffed animals. My favorite was when mom made them come to life and talk to me in the mornings to wake me up. I will be carrying on the tradition!
Speaking of mom, I found this addresed to me from her.
It became somewhat of a family joke that I was going to do anything everyone else could do all by myself, thank you VERY much! I loved this book, as you can imagine why!
I have had good days and bad days, but the bad days are relative because food has still stayed down. The fun development this week has been the ever changing baby bump! When baby is low, I still just look a little chunky in the middle, but on New Years Eve, baby migrated up and I had the cutest little bump that seemed to come from nowhere. Now I know to take a picture next time that happens as the baby has migrated further down since then, but still my little baby bump seems to have a slightly different shape every day. That is defininately fun to see!
Yesterday I felt very queasy and worn out and tired. I have learned the more I do, the sicker I feel and am learning to heed the advice of other HG moms not to push myself to over do to much at a time. Consequently I missed the chance to see some other Knoxville friends which left me rather bummed, but I can only continue to be thankful that food is staying down. I've even gained two pounds back! (The only time I'm happy to gain weight!!)
Tomorrow we head back to Texas feeling grateful for the time with family and Stephen for the time off as well! Prayers for smoother plane rides will be much appreciated!
But as you can see, it provided quite the picturesque scene!
It did provide a little aggrivation as we did not get out to Knoxville on Christmas day, but after the chaos of trying to refund and rebook flights to get to Knoxville in the near future, we took a nap, then headed over to the Coggins for some dinner and games! Not a bad Christmas day afterall!
The next day was pretty rough. We ended up having to fly into Nashville and Jim and Craig picked us up for the three hour drive to Knoxville. The weather caused some nasty turbulance and some not so great landings and so needless to say, I was thankful for the polite passengers and those airline vomit bags.
We finally got to Knoxville in time to see some of Stephen's family. We had dinner with his Grandma Joan (pronounced JoAnn) opened some presents from his family and had a good time catching up. Top gifts were the jello mold kit from Mary Sue and Maggie (someone's been reading the blog!!) and the lack of cutco knives from the Parker family in replacement of Texas ornaments. What can we say, Nancy has some smart sisters!!
The next day we got to spend time with Stephen's Uncle Mark, Sue and cousin Michael, and his other grandparents, Roland and Mitzie. I got to hear some fun stories involving Stephen, rockets, a skateboard and lots of padding. Sadly, we don't think there are pictures. I still can't figure out why the oldest cousin let the younger cousin shoot rockets at him while slaloming down a hill on a skateboard, but hey, to each their own fun!
We took a side trip to walgreens because my insurance only fills my favorite Zofran medicine 12 at a time, but it was a nice trip because we immediately felt at home.
I'm sure you can only imagine why! Smokey and the rest of the Volunteer nation will have it's newest biggest fan come football 2013 this year! I think baby Friedrich will bring some good luck to the new coach!
Other present highlights included this from my brother John and soon to be S-I-L Cat.
Baby's first stuffed animal! If this baby is anything like me, it's going to love something soft and cuddly to curl up with. I had about a ba-ZILLION stuffed animals. My favorite was when mom made them come to life and talk to me in the mornings to wake me up. I will be carrying on the tradition!
Speaking of mom, I found this addresed to me from her.
It became somewhat of a family joke that I was going to do anything everyone else could do all by myself, thank you VERY much! I loved this book, as you can imagine why!
I have had good days and bad days, but the bad days are relative because food has still stayed down. The fun development this week has been the ever changing baby bump! When baby is low, I still just look a little chunky in the middle, but on New Years Eve, baby migrated up and I had the cutest little bump that seemed to come from nowhere. Now I know to take a picture next time that happens as the baby has migrated further down since then, but still my little baby bump seems to have a slightly different shape every day. That is defininately fun to see!
Yesterday I felt very queasy and worn out and tired. I have learned the more I do, the sicker I feel and am learning to heed the advice of other HG moms not to push myself to over do to much at a time. Consequently I missed the chance to see some other Knoxville friends which left me rather bummed, but I can only continue to be thankful that food is staying down. I've even gained two pounds back! (The only time I'm happy to gain weight!!)
Tomorrow we head back to Texas feeling grateful for the time with family and Stephen for the time off as well! Prayers for smoother plane rides will be much appreciated!
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