Makenna's Present

A couple days late, but I promised pictures of Makenna's Christmas present!






Of course it will be a while before she can ride it, but I love it! (And Robert is okay with it.)

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year.

No big news

The appointment went well this morning. I am not sure that I gained much weight - surprising given I feel like I ate a ton at Christmas. My dr. has two offices and they keep the records at the other office - and send them back and forth each time you visit. Apparently they forgot to send my records over for today, so I can't recall what my weight was last time vs. now. But, I don't think it was much!

Dr. Pope thinks I am about 1 cm dialated and Makenna's head is in the pelvic area. If I make it to next weeks appointment, they will do an ultrasound to find out if the placenta is doing okay and the amount of amniotic fluid. But, she says I could see them at the hospital before then. You just never know. So, we are still waiting!

We'll update when there is news.

Christmas

We had a nice Christmas with my family. Kind of quiet and nothing out of the ordinary. Makenna received a couple of gifts - one I will have to post a picture of later. It came from her great-grandparents and is really cute!

It's been a quiet weekend. We walked around the mall yesterday and they had it extremely hot - of course this is coming from a pregnant lady - but Robert admitted it was warm. Since it is rainy out today, we just hung around the house. I have a doctors appointment in the morning and then we will probably run some errands.

I'll update more tomorrow. (Unless she is late - we are in the single digits!)

Christmas Cards

We have decided not to mail Christmas cards this year. Everyone will be receiving a birth announcement soon enough and would much rather have a picture of the baby. However, we hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love, Robert and Carmen

Full Term

I am now 37 weeks, which is full term. And I am starting to feel it! I can't get comfortable in bed - my back tends to ache and nothing seems to help - pillows behind my back, pillows between my legs - not much works. But, that is okay. Just a couple of more weeks!

And, I must ask what in the world is up with the weather? 70 degrees in December - really? I told Sharon (at work) that my summer clothes didn't fit any longer (the shirts aren't quite long enough to cover the protruding belly) and I may just have to cut the sleeves off some of my clothes! I think my hormones are making me hot already, I don't need the weather to help! Plus is just doesn't feel like Christmas when it is 70 degrees outside. Not that it gets extremely cold in Georgia anyway, but this is too warm!

I have Leadership Newton County tomorrow, so my work will be visiting different health related facilities in the area. Most people at work think I have the day off, but I must say we put in a good 8 hours visiting community places on these days and it can be quite tiring.

My manager is gone for the rest of the year - he lives in Canada and flies home tomorrow morning. So, that means my last 3 days should be quiet. Because when the plant manager is gone, the rest of the office leaves early too. Most of the time I am not included in that because I have deadlines outside of the plant that usually keep me there normal hours (so when everyone leaves I can get my work done), but I have a feeling this time might be a little different! I want to give my replacement the most time possible and answer questions now so that I don't have to answer calls while I am out, so we'll see how early we can leave!

We only had a Christmas lunch this year for work, so no spouses were invited. The lunch was yesterday and the plant gave us the swing for the baby, so that was very nice and thoughtful. I work with a good group of people and am thankful.

Now we wait

I saw Dr. Attar today. He is not as talkative as Dr. Alexander. I was negative for Strep B, which is good - I don't have to be given antibiodics during labor. Makenna's heart rate was good. He didn't confirm that her head is down, but we will do that next time. That was pretty much the entire appointment. I go back again next Friday and Dr. Attar will be there again, so hopefully another quick visit.

He said all we do now is wait....

Less than a Month!

There is less than a month before Makenna will be here (I hope)! I am starting to slow down a bit and have a few more aches. I'm sure the aches will continue and maybe get worse, but it will be worth it. At least I only have 8 more days of work before the plant shuts down for Christmas. And, I don't plan on returning until late March/early April. That may help with my aches - knowing I don't have to worry about work. I have also realized that I am out of breath more frequently, but that means that the baby is growing as she should and it is getting cramped in there!

Speaking of work, I never updated that my replacement has been with me since the week of Thanksgiving. I'm not sure that I have covered everything that needs to be covered, but he has it better than I did. Hopefully I have left enough notes and details to get him through. If not, I guess he can call someone for help - hopefully it's not me!

I never updated on my cold - I feel much better than last week. My most still gets a little stuffy at night, but I think that is normal. I have another appointment tomorrow - with Dr. Attar. I haven't seen him in a while and don't expect a newsworthy appointment.

We have newborn care class and breastfeeding class on Saturday. I know the husband of another couple that will be there, so that will be nice. We hope to learn lots of good things!

I've got a cold

I think I have a cold. I have had trouble breathing since Sunday night. I am just hoping it is not that congestion that they say some pregnant women get because I'm not sure not being able to breathe will go over well for another month! Hopefully I'll get better soon!

Dr. Alexander wasn't as bad as I thought he would be about my weight. He looked at how much I had gained the past two weeks and said I must not have eaten a lot at Thanksgiving because I was only up 3 pounds! I am the one that brought up the weight overall and he said yes, I needed to watch it. But that was it.

He didn't say anything about the not being able to breathe. Overall it was a good visit. In 1.5 weeks (when I am 37 weeks) Makenna will be full term, so any time after that they are okay with her coming. How crazy is that?!? I forgot to ask what she was measuring today - oh well - but I was curious to know her position, so he felt my belly and found her head. He had Robert place his hands in the same spot to feel it. She is currently head down - which I think is where she is supposed to be. I now start going every week, so we are getting close!

Our small group is going to feed the homeless tomorrow and then we are going to dinner for a mini-shower. That was nice of them! I don't think that I will be serving food - I'm just not sure that is wise at this point - but Robert will be there. Hopefully they will do it again so that I can participate!

I suppose we will be off baby shopping this weekend to pick up the items that we will need when Makenna arrives. And I suppose we should also get some Christmas shopping done! Have a good one.

Christmas look

I love this website that I have found - thecutestblogontheblock.com. They have the cutest backgrounds for blogs. The only problem I was finding is with some of their backgrounds, you have trouble reading. Hope this one works well.

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. We had a nice day at my uncle's and had lots of yummy food. And then the shower today. Everyone has been very generous!

According to the ticker, I am less than 40 days! I go to the dr. this week - and then I think I start to go every week. Crazy!

Robert and I both had good football weekends - both of our teams won! And they were pretty exciting games. Go Jackets!

Makenna 3-D

I said I wouldn't pay to have this done. But the nurse made me nervous. Not that I wouldn't love my child any differently if it were a boy instead of a girl, but I had to know. And there was a 3D place that has a current special. So we paid. The baby is still a girl. And she loves her hands! And there is only one - the things people say to make you nervous! She was quite active in the beginning and decided to take a nap towards the end. But here is our sweet baby girl!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Maternity Photos

Here is the link to the proofing website:
http://www.sugarsnapps.com/index2.php

Here is the password:
Bailey1108

Hope you enjoy!

Not exactly what I wanted to hear

I had another dr. appointment today. The first thing is to get on the scale. I start looking at how she is sliding the weight and was thinking it was going way higher than I thought it should. I gained 6 pounds - in 2 weeks!!!! She told me not to stress out about it. It could be water. Great.

Then the nurse used the doppler to hear the heartbeat (apparently it was between 140 and 150). She says, "So, you're having a boy?" Um, no, we're having a girl. Her reply, "I wouldn't buy all pink." Um, we have her name hung on the wall? Do we change it to Ken and make it blue? Robert says if it is a boy he is going to have identity issues and wonder what in the world this Makenna thing is that we've been calling him. I told Robert we could tell him that Makenna is Indian for sweet baby boy.

So then the nurse comes back and says I had sugar in my urine - which I have had almost every time I've been. And even though I passed the 1 hr. glucose test a number of weeks ago, they had to check. So, I got my finger pricked - it was normal.

Apparently my blood pressure was elevated from last time - still normal - but higher. More blood taken out of my arm. I'm pretty good at giving blood now! The dr. thinks it will come back normal, but just to make sure.

All in all, I suppose it wasn't a bad appointment, but the weight gain is throwing me! And to top it off, I go to make the next appointment for 2 weeks - Dr. Alexander will be here that day. He's the one that gets on to you about weight! Oh, how about Thursday? (Me trying to be sneaky.) Oh, he will be here Thursday too. Great. Can't wait for that appointment - right after Thanksgiving!

Personal Experiences

Normally I don't do these, but this one looks fun!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (I assume concert band counts!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (does Stone Mountain count?)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - everytime I think about doing it - I get sick!
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (I've wanted to!)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (Not yet!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Childbirth Class

So Robert and I went to our childbirth class today. We opted for the one day thing. Actually, we had signed up for a two night class at the hospital in Covington in November, but we were apparently the only ones signed up for the class, so they moved it. I couldn't attend those nights and I can't risk them changing the December class, so we did the one day thing at the other hospital.

It wasn't that bad. The only bad thing is sitting in a chair for most of the day. I am not sure if the instructor uses different materials than most, but I didn't think the birthing video was that bad. Robert thought the messy diaper pictures were more disgusting than any of the other pictures/videos, so I guess I wasn't the only one.

We have already toured both hospitals that we would go to. There are pros and cons to both. We'll have to wait and see what happens before we decide. The one in Covington is supposed to be getting a NICU - not that we plan to need one - but you never know. The one in Conyers had a NICU and the post-partum rooms are much more asthetically pleasing - not that the room should have anything to do with the decision. We can't remember security from the hospital in Covington. One of the neat things they pointed out today (about the one in Conyers) is the baby will get this band around her ankle that would lock doors to the outside so no one could take the baby. Again, not anything you would ever plan to need, but nice to know they have. My doctors say the care at both will be fine. The one closer may have more personal care because they tend to have less patients. I may not decide until we are on our way!

I don't know what it was, but Makenna was extremely active today. She is beating me up! Sometimes after she has settled, I can feel (from the outside) where some body part is. After I find her, she moves, so it doesn't last long and I can never tell what part of her I feel. Robert was able to feel her while we were in class. Kind of neat!

It was an early morning, so I think I may head to bed. Good night!

Shower Pictures

Thanks Ruth for passing these along! I realized when I got home that my camera didn't have the memory card in it! Thanks again to our friends in Greenville!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My rings

I have decided to put my rings away for now. One would think with the colder weather that I would be cooler. However, since the heat is on, I am still very hot! My hands stay warm and I started to notice that when I took them off before taking a shower, they were beginning to leave marks on my finger. So, I have decided to take them off. Hopefully they will go back on once Makenna arrives!

Maternity Pictures

My parents have friends from their Sunday School class whose daughter is a photographer. Her name is Amy and she has recently started her own business. So, we had her do some maternity pictures on Saturday outside at an historic house.

I found plum colored maternity shirt at Kohl's the other night. I figured that was a nice fall color. Robert will tell you I made him match, but I did not force him to buy the matching colored shirt.

Of course since they were family pictures we had to take Bailey. Amy took pictures of me by myself, me and Robert and then me, Robert and Bailey. We had Bailey on her leash and at one point Robert let her go and told her to go to mom. Well, there were some other people having their pictures made at the same site and she went straight for them. So much for listening! We didn't try that trick again.

Another time Robert went to include Bailey in the picture and when he got back by my side with her, she started going nuts giving me kisses all over my face. Amy was laughing and was able to take some pictures. I hope some of them come out! Bailey being Bailey.

And then there was the one where Robert was messing around sticking out his belly to match mine. Again, Amy thought that would be a cute one, so we posed belly to belly with one hand on top and the other on the bottom of our respective bellies. Robert thinks he looks about a month behind me. We'll see when we get the proofs!

We had a good time and hopefully we will have a couple of pictures to frame and keep for Baby Makenna.

Knew it was Coming!

I had my dr. appointment today with the very personable doctor. Robert was there and the dr. talked about car seats, strollers, breastfeeding, differences between men (how one patients husband was engrossed in a football game 6 hours after the birth of their child), and so on. I made it through the appointment - which he explained how the measurements of the belly match the number of weeks along. "Back in the day" as he phrased it - they determined that from the top of the pelvic bone to the belly button was about 20 centimeters. At about 20 weeks, the top of the uterus is at the belly button. Apparently, the uterus grows 1 centimeter a week. So, if the doctor was not sure how far along you were, once the top of the uterus was at the belly button, they added 20 weeks to come up with the due date. Who knows how accurate the info is, but that is what he said! I thought I was in the clear - we were out of the exam room and at the appointment desk when he says - oh - you have gained 31 pounds and we recommend 35 tops. So, you need to start watching it. I knew it was coming - the nurse the last time said he was obsessive about weight - and it doesn't bother me - a pound a week - which is what it has been for almost the entire pregnancy. I'm not concerned and the lady making appointments said not to worry about it. And very graciously pointed out that I have BOTH Thanksgiving and Christmas to get through. Thanks - I appreciate the reminder!

Our friends in Greenville had a shower this weekend and they were very generous. It was good to see everyone again - even if just for a bit. Mom came with me, so it was a fun weekend just me and mom. And baby Makenna. Mom was finally able to feel her move. She moves quite a bit at night, but if she knows someone other than me is watching her - she stops. Silly baby.

I brought the camera to the shower, but it ran out of memory - apparently I left the card in the other camera at home while uploading pictures to the computer. Oh well! Ruth has some pictures that she is going to email, so I will post some when I get them!

My"replacement" was here this week and I think he finally gets it. He said that the regional controller should come spend a day with me because he doesn't think they (the people in Greenville) have a clue what I do on a daily basis. I told him we kind of figured since they only wanted to send someone down for a couple of days a month! So, it looks like it will all work out. He is going to come down at the end of the month to see what I do to prepare for month end and then he will be back Dec. 1 until Christmas - which is when I plan to go out.

It is that time of year at work - business plan - and I have brought some stuff home to work on. I guess I need to get working on it before I go to bed!

30 Weeks

Wow - I am 30 weeks - only 10 more to go - unless Makenna has other plans!

The weather has finally turned cooler - I just hope it stays that way. I had always heard that pregnant ladies tend to be hot because of the additional hormones. But, I never really understood what that meant. Poor Robert! Because the weather has been cooler, he has turned on the heat at night. I think it is set at 68 or 69 degrees. But, I have to have the ceiling fan and a floor fan (only blowing on me) turned on as well. And, I am still warm. This is the craziest thing. So, the cooler weather is much welcomed by me!

For those that are married, you have probably heard of Theknot.com. Well, they also have TheNest.com and what used to be thenestbaby.com is now TheBump.com. So, I like to go to TheBump.com and see how other girls in the 3rd trimester or those that have had success after IF (infertility) are progressing. From this website I have found a couple of blogs that I like to read. There are two in particular that are 36 and 37 weeks. Both have recently had trouble with high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia (not sure of spelling) and have therefore been on some sort of bedrest - not complete bedrest, but restrictions on being up. One of them doesn't work, so it didn't have to much of an affect and the other was signed out by the doctor.

So, this of course has me thinking - what if something similar happens to me? You never know - and at some point Makenna could come whenever she wants - so now I am nervous. Because I have spent the past year and some months finally getting the finances and such organized and in order at work. They were supposed to find someone to come down my entire leave and work 5 days a week in my office, doing my job. Well, apparently things have changed. It sounds like the guy is only going to come down for month end. Now, I am at a small plant and I guarantee that my plant manager is not interested in someone coming down for a couple of days every month to process transactions through the system. This was the one thing that had me worried from the beginning - the lack of someone being there the entire time and the stuff getting messed up all over again. I don't believe I will have the energy or the desire with the little one at home to spend as much time as I have in the past to get things right again.

Of course the plant manager and others are raising flags to the higher powers, so we'll see - I am trying not to worry. The thing making me nervous at the moment is the temporary replacement has yet to come train with me. He did come down a couple of weeks ago for a day and I gave him a tour of the plant and breifly described differences between my location and others. When he came to visit he had been with the company 5 days - so this ought to be fun! He is coming next week - thankfully! I just hope he is able to get what he needs because I highly doubt I will be available to help if he has questions when I am gone. I know it will all work out in the end, it just doesn't seem to be working how I want it to! (I promise, I am not stressing - just thinking. Your brain does some strange things sometimes!)

On to other things.....a few weeks (probably over a month ago) I complained about sciatic nerve pain. And while we were in Hilton Head, it went away - replaced by sunburn. Well, it has decided to return - but on the right side this time. This is really not a fun pain to have - you look very odd trying to walk. I was thinking - I have 10 more weeks - and if I have to live with this pain for 10 more weeks - although I don't want to - in the end I will have my baby - and that makes it all worth it. I shouldn't complain - even though it took us longer than we wanted to get pregnant - we didn't have to struggle with shots and other IF treatments - our baby looks healthy and doesn't have markers for Down's or other diseases - I didn't struggle with morning sickness (although going on Metformin wasn't the most fun) - if this is my only problem - I have had an easy pregnancy - and for that I am grateful.

Makenna's First Ga. Tech Game

Robert and I went to the Ga. Tech Homecoming game vs. Virginia yesterday. My parents, brother and grandparents were going, so we decided to go as well. Here is a picture of the family in the Ga. Tech gear (minus Jamie, who was with some friends and Robert, who took the picture).

The outcome of the game wasn't as we would have liked, but we still had a good time. Most of you know Robert is a Nebraska fan. Apparently Ga. Tech is doing something with the "Best Games of" series on their programs - and a video during the game. For those that are not Ga. Tech or Nebraska fans - Ga. Tech beat Nebraska in the Florida Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2001 to end their season at 11-0-1 and share in the National Championship. Here is the cover of the Homecoming Program from yesterday (I think you can double click to make it larger, but if you can't - it is the score from the Ga. Tech vs. Nebraska game):

And of course the video I mentioned was from that game as well. Poor Robert - they must have known he was coming! :)

You can't take food or beverages into the stadium. I had an apple and a pack of crackers in my bag (which I was holding in front of my belly), so the guy made me throw them away. Robert says, "You're going to make the pregnant lady throw away her apple?" To which the guy apologizes and said he didn't realize my belly because of my bag. So, Robert proceeded to grab my apple out of the trash. Apparently it had been sitting on some paper. I of course washed the apple and enjoyed it during 3rd quarter!

My mom hasn't been able to feel Baby Makenna move, yet. She was pretty quiet when we were with mom yesterday before the game. I told mom that she was going to move the entire game and when we met up with them after she would stop moving. And that is exactly what happened! Silly baby. Hopefully she will cooperate next weekend when mom and I are together!

Wall Letters

We added wall letters to the baby's room the other night.


Robert and I went to a consignment sale this morning. It was the last day, so most everything was 50% off. We picked up a couple of things, but nothing big. The most expensive item(s) we purchased were a set of 10 Dr. Suess books (new) for $15. We learned that they have this twice a year - March and October. Good to know for the future!

I've made some progress on the stocking, but one of the first things is to stitch the name. Mom had to show me how to do the stitch and called me later thinking we may have started backwards. So, I am going to start on step 2 and skip the name for now! Which reminds me that I need to add stuffing to my wal-mart list. I'm sure I could use cotton balls, but they probably won't work as well.

Not to be left out - here is a picture Robert captured earlier this week. Bailey loves to sun bathe! And will stand in the sun and whine until you move her bed - which she apparently didn't want this day. Spoiled?

Too ambitious?

All of the pieces above will look like this when I am done (of course with Makenna's name - not Joseph):

My mom made all of our Christmas stockings from a kit like the one above - and she still uses them each Christmas. I think they are special since so much love and time is put into sewing it all together. I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but there are a ton of sequins that have to get attached and very small pieces to cut out. This is going to be a great project! Hopefully I have over a year to complete this, but one never knows!

I was supposed to have a doctors appointment this coming Friday, but the dr.'s office has had to reschedule. I don't go until a week from Wednesday - I'll be 29 weeks then. Crazy! I assume since I never received a phone call (other than to change my appointment) that my bloodwork and glucose came back normal. Actually I had a glucose test the other day at work - in preparation for a new health care plan - and it was normal. Thankfully I don't show signs for gestational diabetes!

We are keeping my parents dog this weekend. Her name is Punkin. Here is a cute picture of the two dogs - Bailey had been asleep - but apparently woke up for the picture.



Silly dogs!

Belly Movement

I suppose Makenna's space is getting confined these days. I have been able to see my belly move for a while, but it is starting to get quite obvious! It is so fun to watch her move - I have to smile every time. Work has been pretty stressful lately and I am trying to watch it - I haven't been very successful with that - but I'm trying! No matter how stressed I am, if I see my belly move it makes everything better - for a second. :) And, check out the counter - we are now in double digits - unless she is late. Amazing!

Not baby related - I am getting my hair trimmed on Saturday. I haven't had anything done to my hair in about a year - that is sad! So, hopefully it is just a trim and not a cut! We'll see.

I am off to spend time with Robert and Bailey. I haven't seen much of them lately!

Hilton Head Pictures

Hilton Head Pictures - Be sure to see the nursery/baby pictures below. Enjoy!

Me and Robert

Me - on Monday (25 weeks on Tuesday)
Bailey's version of going in the ocean! :)
My poor feet! (One of these day's I'll learn!)
Me and Bailey (and Makenna)

Nursery/Baby Pictures

Here are a couple of additional nursery pictures. We did not have to paint a thing - this is what they previous owners already had. We like it and the colors match the bedding (that I've had for a while!) We have recently hung the curtains and plan to get letters (spelling her name) to hang below the Bible verse.
This is Makenna's coming home outfit. We figure pants will work best with the car seat and not knowing what the temperature is going to be like we think this is safe! I'm sure we will have blankets to make up the difference and of course something to protect her ears/head. We couldn't resist. We found it at Baby Gap outlet while in Hilton Head. The "normal" Baby Gap has a similar dress with fall colors (which I love), so when we saw this one - we had to get it. And we got 3-6 months - so even if she grows fast - hopefully we can get a couple of wears out of it?! Since it didn't come with bottoms, we had to get the brown leggings - right? :)

Hilton Head

We are back from Hilton Head. We had a nice trip. We hung out by the ocean, went to the outlet mall and relaxed. What more could you ask for? We also played putt putt at a place called Legendary Golf. It was a little different than your typical putt putt in that there were par 2,3,4 and even 5! Robert won with 4 under par but I was still under par....maybe the first time ever!! Though I had a hard time walking we still had a good time.



Well, after 30 years - you would think that I would learn, but apparently I haven't. We headed out to the beach Saturday morning and as the sun was not peeking through the clouds and the temperature was too cool to get in any kind of water - I did not put on sunscreen. I take that back - I had sunscreen on my face - but that was it. As a reminder, the baby (or something) had affected my sciatic nerve lately and it has been very difficult to walk. I was just starting to feel better (who knows - less stress - or maybe Makenna moved?) and I had to go and burn the tops of my legs and my feet. So, once again, I struggled walking. I am doing much better today, but I still think my ankles are swollen. Time to go put up my feet for a little while longer!



My appointment went well last week. This was the first time I saw Dr. Alexander and he was great. I indicated that we were having a girl, so he asked if we had a name. The entire rest of the visit each time he referred to the baby, he called her by name. I thought that was nice. He and his wife just had their first, so he advised to take advantage of the remainder of the second trimester and the lack of sleep I may get in the third is nothing compared to when you bring the baby home. I suppose you can hear that ten million times, but won't fully be able to comprehend it until it happens. We'll try to enjoy the time we have as "just the two of us," but I am looking forward to the joys of having a child!



25 weeks tomorrow - which means only 15 more weeks to go. The scary thing is, that means 13 and a half more weeks until Christmas. How quickly the next few months are going to go. Well, I have some unpacking to do before work tomorrow. Have a great week!

I'm trying to post some pictures, but our computer or the internet are acting up - I'll post some later!

24 Weeks

I am now 24 weeks along. It has gone fast! I go tomorrow am for the 1 hr. gluclose test. I sure hope I pass because I don't have time for the 3 hr. in the near future! It's budget time again at work, so it has been crazy. Robert and I are headed to Hilton Head this weekend for our last weekend away before Makenna arrives. Thank goodness the weather has gotten cooler - I am so glad I was not further along during the hot summer months - but I hope it is somewhat warm for the beach!

I am generally still feeling well - my biggest problem is that I think Makenna likes to lay near my sciatic nerve or something else is pushing on it. It is quite painful to stand up and sometimes even walk. I don't feel that I am that big - I shouldn't be having such difficulties! I plan to talk to the dr. about that one! Maybe the rest I plan to get this weekend will help.

I'll update after the long weekend away - maybe with some pictures!

Couple of pictures

Nursery (see post below to find out if we have to paint):


Me (21 weeks 2 days):

It's A....

I was a little anxious at first because I found out yesterday that the ultrasound tech was not the normal tech as she was out of the office this week. It turns out the girl who filled in was very nice. They had told me to drink 32 oz. of clear liquids an hour before my visit. By the time we got there, I knew I couldn't make it another 30 minutes and thankfully she let me go before the ultrasound. Good thing too, because she had to work (and poke) to get some of the shots!

We haven't decided on the girl name yet (we considered Roberta Paula after Robert....for about 2 seconds....but we didn't think that would go over well in school), so I suppose her name for now is still Baby G. She is measuring average and weighs about 14 oz. She was napping during our visit and had her head down and towards my back - must be why I haven't felt her poke much today! At the moment the due date is still Jan. 6 - maybe we can talk them into a couple of days earlier - we'll see.

We are very excited and can't wait to meet her. Although Robert is slightly disappointed that it's not a boy - this little girl will have him wrapped around her little finger before we even bring her home!

Here's one more of her profile....(it kind of looks like she's blowing bubbles!)

19 Weeks - 1st Belly Pic

I decided it was time to go ahead and post a picture.

I am still feeling pretty good. More tired than I expected to be during the 2nd trimester, but nothing to complain about. I have been having weird dreams - one involving a huge boat and another involving an RV that had helicopter propellers so that it could fly. (Robert thinks I'm crazy!) Sounds kind of a like a boy, but what do I know! I have always thought that I would not find out the sex of the baby before birth, but the closer I get to the comprehensive ultrasound the more excited I am and know there is no way I could wait another 20 weeks! We knew from the beginning we would find out because there really is a boy in my belly we have some painting to do. Robert isn't going for pink in a boy's room. I can't imagine why not! Enjoy your week!

Carmen

16 weeks

I was 16 weeks on Tuesday. I can definitely tell a difference in my waist. Depending on what I wear - others can sometimes tell!

We had another appointment today. Baby G was cooperative and we were able to hear a heartbeat. What a neat sound. Apparently they say if the baby's heartbeat is over a certain number it is usually a girl and if it is under this number it is usually a boy. There are a couple of different numbers, but we'll go with 144 beats per minute. So the midwife said the heartbeat today is between 140 and 150. Guess that means we're having a baby!

We scheduled the "big" ultrasound for Aug. 28. I will be a little over 21 weeks, so the baby should be plenty developed to get all of the measurements that the dr. needs and hopefully cooperative enough to find out if we need to paint the nursery!

It's time to get some rest. Have a great weekend!
Carmen

It's been a while

Sorry - we haven't updated in a while. Everything is still going well. I had a dr. appointment on June 27 and we thought we would get to hear the heartbeat; however, that was not the case. The nurse tried for a bit and the dr. tried for a bit, but the little one wouldn't cooperate. So, we got to see the baby again! The dr. did an ultrasound - my first external - which was nice! It is so amazing to see the little one moving around. The first ultrasound, you couldn't see very much, but this one the baby looks so much bigger. And, you could see arms, legs, feet, etc. You couldn't help but smile!

Baby G was quite active that morning, but everything looked fine. Hopefully s/he will cooperate next time with the doppler - it was a little nerve-wracking when they couldn't hear anything.

I had found a card a while back that I gave Robert to tell him when I had a positive test result. The outside read: When is a kick in the stomach a good thing? The inside read: When it comes from the inside! After the active ultrasound I told Robert that if there is a next time, I will be more careful in the card that I pick!

I'll be headed to Greenville in August. I don't think Robert is going to make it this time. I'll keep you posted and those in the area, maybe we can get together.

We'll try to be better with the updates. Have a good week!

Carmen

Ireland Trip May 2008

Here is our Ireland Trip video -- It is about 10 minutes long but it does cover a whole week in that short time. There are beautiful pictures throughout and some funny signs and animals and stuff towards the end so stick it out all the way through the whole video. Enjoy!

Just Starting

We are just starting and plan to post info related to our coming trip to Ireland after we return. This is new for us so we hope to spice things up as we learn more and get used to the whole blogging thing.