Hopefully after reading this he won’t have a ton of other women in love with him too!
Ever since I met Cary I knew he was special and that I was lucky to have found such a wonderful man to share my time with and now I get to share my life with him and I feel luckier every day because of that. I had never witnessed a love more true and deep than the love he expresses to me until he let me read his letters to Baby Co. Don’t get me wrong, I know he loves me more than anything, but the love a person has for their child is different, not more or less, but different in a way that cannot be quantified to even compare.
12/5/11
I wanted to write you real quick before I head out tonight and let you know that I have thought about you quite a bit lately. Things are going to really get interesting on Wednesday when we get to know more about you. We have picked out many things for you which you will learn from the time that we first set eyes on you. You know, it’s impossible for you to understand, but I am finding that I completely love you, everything about you, and yet haven't had the luxury of actually meeting you face to face. Your mother and I are so excited to have you join our family, and while it seems a while before we do, it will be here faster than we can imagine. I look forward to writing you again real soon. Your mom and I love you
Daddy
12/9/11
Well, we found out a lot more about you on Wednesday, and boy oh boy are we excited. Son, you are going to make a perfect addition to our family. I have dreamt about having a little boy for a long time, and it has only magnified in the past 4 months since I found out Mommy is going to have you. And, then I found out and am so excited. I look forward to having a best little buddy. I can't wait to have you join me for all kinds of boy stuff. Can't wait to do all kinds of things with you. I want you to know that your Mommy and I are so excited to have you join our family. We will be working on your new room very soon and it will be the best boy room ever. I love you so much already and pray that everything goes well for you while you are still in mommy's tummy. I think about you all the time...wonder if you can hear me talk to you. Wonder if you can hear me tell you I love you. Wonder if you are getting enough to eat. If you are comfortable, if you can feel me rub mommy’s tummy. I will do anything that I can for you. I just cannot wait to see you more and more in the coming weeks and months...and dream about the day I will get to hold you for the first time. Love you son.
Daddy
12/28/11
Hey buddy. I wanted to write you now that Christmas is over with. I do want you to know that I did get a lot of gifts from a lot of people this Christmas, but nothing was a better present to me than the news our doctor gave us about you! I think about you all the time. You are suddenly one of my best friends (along with your mom). I did get both a little sad and excited at the same time this Christmas because (sad) I didn't get to hug you and tell you I loved you this Christmas, but excited because I will be able to do that every Christmas the rest of my life! I am going to get started on your new room now that we got Lucy in her new room. Can't wait to make it super special for you! And it will be awesome that it will be right next to ours so that your mom and I can come in and see you all the time! Well, I am excited for you to join our family...Love you lots.
Daddy
I love you Cary, thank you for letting me share your letters; you are such a wonderful man and I am honored to be your wife.
Baby Update: Every day my belly grows bigger and the interaction between Co and the three of us is also increasing. Last night, Cary and Lucy were both able to feel some kicks and wiggles from the baby and I could see the excitement on both of their faces. It is just really neat to see how much the two of them already love our little guy and how much he already fits into our family. Our next appointment is on Tuesday and we will be doing the glucose test which I am secretly looking forward to for two reasons:
1. That stuff actually tastes good! Like an extra sugary orange soda!
2. It made Lucy go crazy and I loved feeling the 20 minutes of pure movement from the sugar high!
Hopefully that test comes back normal and we are in and out of there quickly because Tuesday is also my little Lucy’s Birthday! I took the whole day off so the two of us can have some fun! I think we may go to The Amazing Pizza Machine or see a movie or maybe both! The day will consist of whatever she wants after we are done with the appointment and we plan on having some fun!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know we had a great one and are looking forward to closing out on a great year and moving into an even better one! So much has happened this year; it’s hard to believe this is the last week of 2011 and then here we’ll be in 2012! For those of you I won’t see until 2012..I hope you have a Happy New Year, may 2012 bring you happiness, safety and good health!
-Lexi
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Blog 7: Thank you for NOT telling the truth…
Most people HATE being lied to, but today… I LOVE IT!!!
What a relief! Today was our appointment with our High Risk OB Doc to take a closer look at Baby Co’s umbilical cord and it was kind of nerve wrecking! First a girl did the Ultrasound part and was looking very closely at the baby and measuring every bone, taking notes of all the organs, and monitoring how much fluid and blood flow is around the baby. It took forever for her to check him over and the longer she went without saying anything the more nervous Cary and I got! After over 30 minutes had passed she kind of chuckled and said she was getting tired of fighting our kid because he was rolling like a barrel, doing flips and just wiggling like crazy! She was having a hard time getting the pictures she needed for the full work up so she went and got our main Doctor to do the rest. He came in with a bright smile and the room instantly felt warmer and less stressful having his positive presence. He shook my hand, introduced himself and said, “The reason you are here today is for me to take a look at the cord insertion for fear of an abnormality, well, this is a short story and was originally untrue because everything looks normal, but I will go ahead and take an even closer look.” He began his portion of the ultrasound and got another huge grin. After looking things over for a few more minutes he shut the machine down and assured us that our umbilical cord is right smack in the middle of our placenta, exactly where it should be!!! He also went on to tell us that our baby is perfect and from an anatomical view we have a beautiful little boy that does not have a single thing abnormal about him!!!
We feel so blessed to be having a baby and to know that he is at no greater risk and that my pregnancy and delivery have no reason to be anything but normal is a huge relief! My Doctor gave me the ok to exercise again and get back to normal levels of activity! It was quite the scare for us and while it stinks that we were under extra stress for the last week it was only a week and to know everything is fine is such wonderful news I don’t ever have an ounce of annoyance over the first radiologist being wrong!
Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your Holiday Season is wonderful and safe! Today kind of felt like Christmas to me with the beautiful gift of good news!! Thank you all so much for thinking of us and keeping us in your prayers, who knows, maybe we had our own little miracle here!
-Lexi
What a relief! Today was our appointment with our High Risk OB Doc to take a closer look at Baby Co’s umbilical cord and it was kind of nerve wrecking! First a girl did the Ultrasound part and was looking very closely at the baby and measuring every bone, taking notes of all the organs, and monitoring how much fluid and blood flow is around the baby. It took forever for her to check him over and the longer she went without saying anything the more nervous Cary and I got! After over 30 minutes had passed she kind of chuckled and said she was getting tired of fighting our kid because he was rolling like a barrel, doing flips and just wiggling like crazy! She was having a hard time getting the pictures she needed for the full work up so she went and got our main Doctor to do the rest. He came in with a bright smile and the room instantly felt warmer and less stressful having his positive presence. He shook my hand, introduced himself and said, “The reason you are here today is for me to take a look at the cord insertion for fear of an abnormality, well, this is a short story and was originally untrue because everything looks normal, but I will go ahead and take an even closer look.” He began his portion of the ultrasound and got another huge grin. After looking things over for a few more minutes he shut the machine down and assured us that our umbilical cord is right smack in the middle of our placenta, exactly where it should be!!! He also went on to tell us that our baby is perfect and from an anatomical view we have a beautiful little boy that does not have a single thing abnormal about him!!!
We feel so blessed to be having a baby and to know that he is at no greater risk and that my pregnancy and delivery have no reason to be anything but normal is a huge relief! My Doctor gave me the ok to exercise again and get back to normal levels of activity! It was quite the scare for us and while it stinks that we were under extra stress for the last week it was only a week and to know everything is fine is such wonderful news I don’t ever have an ounce of annoyance over the first radiologist being wrong!
Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your Holiday Season is wonderful and safe! Today kind of felt like Christmas to me with the beautiful gift of good news!! Thank you all so much for thinking of us and keeping us in your prayers, who knows, maybe we had our own little miracle here!
-Lexi
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Blog 6: Hello Baby _ _ _ _ _ _!!!
We are so excited to finally know who you are!
Yesterday was a very crazy day and definitely had its ups and down, but one thing Cary and I could not wait for was our ultrasound at 1 o’clock! I think it is natural to spend a lot of time wondering if the unborn child is a boy or girl and Cary and I were no exception. We talked endlessly about the little person and how we could see either one fitting into our lives so perfectly. After a lot of fantasizing and dreaming about our baby being either a little man or little lady it was almost sad to have that end, but also very exciting to be able to focus on who our baby really is! Knowing the sex of your child is definitely a personal preference and I can see why some prefer to wait, but for me I felt that it would help me bond better and quit calling it an “IT”! I always felt so awkward talking about my baby without a gender identifier and it is even more difficult now that I know “IT” is a “HE”!!!
That’s right; we have been blessed with a baby boy that is already a wild man! Yesterday during the ultrasound he was kicking and moving all around! The Ultrasound Tech could hardly keep up with his wiggles, but when it was time for him to let us know if he was a boy or girl he proudly spread those little legs and revealed a VERY CLEAR image of what he has going on!
Once we found out I could tell Cary was ecstatic because he has one dimple in his left cheek that was showing nonstop after we saw and had it confirmed that Baby Co is a little boy! Those that know my family also know that little boys are hard to come by and while we love our little girls it is nice to see some boys being added to the family tree without having to marry into it. It also is proof that having boys is not impossible for the Dunlop Women with my older sister having one just last spring and now I’ll be having boy number 2 right after him! Very exciting stuff for our family to welcome any new family member, but knowing that this is a little boy puts a little extra spin on things since I think if any of us were gambling people we would have bet on this baby being a girl…
As I mentioned before, yesterday was a bit of a rollercoaster and definitely had its ups and downs. After being on cloud nine from our ultrasound we had an appointment with our OBGYN to go over how Baby Co is doing and he looks great, has all his organs and limbs, 10 fingers and 10 toes and is exactly the size and weight he should be at 20 weeks! All a sigh of relief until our Doctor said oh and there is one thing we need to discuss as she walks over to the closest chair and sits down… this did not settle well with me and I was bracing myself for some not so good news (I could also see on Cary’s face all the worry I was feeling inside).. The Doctor went on to tell us that our child was healthy and perfect, but that his umbilical cord is not perfect and is actually connected to the placenta incorrectly… This happens in about 1% of pregnancies and does have a fancy name, but to prevent unnecessary googling (I’ve been told not to so I don’t want anyone else doing it either) I’ve decided not to post it right now. However, I will try to explain it the way it was explained to me and I just ask that everyone keeps our little man in your thoughts and prayers because at the end of this pregnancy all we want more than anything is for our guy to be healthy. So what this means for Baby Co is that his umbilical cord has a harder time carrying all the nutrients he may need to grow as big as he could/should be (Like I mentioned before he is perfect size right now and has been getting an adequate amount so far). The biggest risk for him is being born too early due to him not getting what he needs and becoming stressed... Our Doctor warned us that she has had to deliver babies as early as 25 weeks, but has seen them go much longer, even full term at 37 weeks! Our hope is that he stays in my belly for as long as possible, because most of us know that a baby delivered too early would have a very long road. The silver lining in all this is that they saw the problem (it is missed a lot because it isn’t common or an easy diagnosis to make) and now they can watch him really close! So close that I will be having another ultrasound already on Wednesday the 14th and then seeing a doctor every 2 weeks staggering doctor appointments and ultrasound visits with the High Risk OB team. I know that Co and I are in good hands and will have to trust our Doctors and most importantly God to watch over us.
While obviously my top priority is my baby and the fact that I will do anything for him and will make sure I follow any instructions I’m given to keep him as safe and healthy as humanly possible and my biggest fear is for something to happen to him and for Cary, Lucy and I to lose a family member that we already love very much.. I have my own personal fears and disappointments that honestly, I feel guilty for even thinking let alone typing for people to read, but this blog is if nothing else an honest view at what I am going through during this pregnancy and I am going to try to keep it that way. One of the things around this situation that disappoints me is now I am not allowed to exercise because I need to preserve nutrients for my baby. I am not a crazy work out fiend by any means, but I am an active person and I like to try to stay healthy and fit. This is obviously a small price to pay to keep Co healthy, but it was an outlet for me and now I feel more stressed and worried than ever and I won’t have that to turn to… and another thing that disappoints me is that I probably won’t get to experience having labor and then the delivery of my son, I thoroughly enjoy being pregnant and am sad at the high probability of that being cut short… not that I loved being in labor with Lucy, but that is part of the falling in love process.. You work so hard for that little person because you love them so much and it hurts and you think you might die and then they are there and everything is perfect as long as they are perfect and it is a very rewarding experience. The last thing is a huge fear of mine and that is having a C-section... I know they aren’t the end of the world and if that is what is best for Baby Co than I will do it in a heartbeat, but I’m really really scared. I delivered Lucy without pain killers because I am more afraid of the epidural than I am of the pain and there is a good chance this baby will be delivered by cesarean which means a spinal and a knife to my belly! Again, I know these thoughts are very selfish thoughts and I do feel guilty about them because when I find my mind going there I always remember what is important and who matters at the end of the day and that is the little boy who’s life depends on me.
Today I am 20 weeks pregnant! Officially at the halfway point... And now… the countdown really begins :)
-Lexi
Yesterday was a very crazy day and definitely had its ups and down, but one thing Cary and I could not wait for was our ultrasound at 1 o’clock! I think it is natural to spend a lot of time wondering if the unborn child is a boy or girl and Cary and I were no exception. We talked endlessly about the little person and how we could see either one fitting into our lives so perfectly. After a lot of fantasizing and dreaming about our baby being either a little man or little lady it was almost sad to have that end, but also very exciting to be able to focus on who our baby really is! Knowing the sex of your child is definitely a personal preference and I can see why some prefer to wait, but for me I felt that it would help me bond better and quit calling it an “IT”! I always felt so awkward talking about my baby without a gender identifier and it is even more difficult now that I know “IT” is a “HE”!!!
That’s right; we have been blessed with a baby boy that is already a wild man! Yesterday during the ultrasound he was kicking and moving all around! The Ultrasound Tech could hardly keep up with his wiggles, but when it was time for him to let us know if he was a boy or girl he proudly spread those little legs and revealed a VERY CLEAR image of what he has going on!
Once we found out I could tell Cary was ecstatic because he has one dimple in his left cheek that was showing nonstop after we saw and had it confirmed that Baby Co is a little boy! Those that know my family also know that little boys are hard to come by and while we love our little girls it is nice to see some boys being added to the family tree without having to marry into it. It also is proof that having boys is not impossible for the Dunlop Women with my older sister having one just last spring and now I’ll be having boy number 2 right after him! Very exciting stuff for our family to welcome any new family member, but knowing that this is a little boy puts a little extra spin on things since I think if any of us were gambling people we would have bet on this baby being a girl…
As I mentioned before, yesterday was a bit of a rollercoaster and definitely had its ups and downs. After being on cloud nine from our ultrasound we had an appointment with our OBGYN to go over how Baby Co is doing and he looks great, has all his organs and limbs, 10 fingers and 10 toes and is exactly the size and weight he should be at 20 weeks! All a sigh of relief until our Doctor said oh and there is one thing we need to discuss as she walks over to the closest chair and sits down… this did not settle well with me and I was bracing myself for some not so good news (I could also see on Cary’s face all the worry I was feeling inside).. The Doctor went on to tell us that our child was healthy and perfect, but that his umbilical cord is not perfect and is actually connected to the placenta incorrectly… This happens in about 1% of pregnancies and does have a fancy name, but to prevent unnecessary googling (I’ve been told not to so I don’t want anyone else doing it either) I’ve decided not to post it right now. However, I will try to explain it the way it was explained to me and I just ask that everyone keeps our little man in your thoughts and prayers because at the end of this pregnancy all we want more than anything is for our guy to be healthy. So what this means for Baby Co is that his umbilical cord has a harder time carrying all the nutrients he may need to grow as big as he could/should be (Like I mentioned before he is perfect size right now and has been getting an adequate amount so far). The biggest risk for him is being born too early due to him not getting what he needs and becoming stressed... Our Doctor warned us that she has had to deliver babies as early as 25 weeks, but has seen them go much longer, even full term at 37 weeks! Our hope is that he stays in my belly for as long as possible, because most of us know that a baby delivered too early would have a very long road. The silver lining in all this is that they saw the problem (it is missed a lot because it isn’t common or an easy diagnosis to make) and now they can watch him really close! So close that I will be having another ultrasound already on Wednesday the 14th and then seeing a doctor every 2 weeks staggering doctor appointments and ultrasound visits with the High Risk OB team. I know that Co and I are in good hands and will have to trust our Doctors and most importantly God to watch over us.
While obviously my top priority is my baby and the fact that I will do anything for him and will make sure I follow any instructions I’m given to keep him as safe and healthy as humanly possible and my biggest fear is for something to happen to him and for Cary, Lucy and I to lose a family member that we already love very much.. I have my own personal fears and disappointments that honestly, I feel guilty for even thinking let alone typing for people to read, but this blog is if nothing else an honest view at what I am going through during this pregnancy and I am going to try to keep it that way. One of the things around this situation that disappoints me is now I am not allowed to exercise because I need to preserve nutrients for my baby. I am not a crazy work out fiend by any means, but I am an active person and I like to try to stay healthy and fit. This is obviously a small price to pay to keep Co healthy, but it was an outlet for me and now I feel more stressed and worried than ever and I won’t have that to turn to… and another thing that disappoints me is that I probably won’t get to experience having labor and then the delivery of my son, I thoroughly enjoy being pregnant and am sad at the high probability of that being cut short… not that I loved being in labor with Lucy, but that is part of the falling in love process.. You work so hard for that little person because you love them so much and it hurts and you think you might die and then they are there and everything is perfect as long as they are perfect and it is a very rewarding experience. The last thing is a huge fear of mine and that is having a C-section... I know they aren’t the end of the world and if that is what is best for Baby Co than I will do it in a heartbeat, but I’m really really scared. I delivered Lucy without pain killers because I am more afraid of the epidural than I am of the pain and there is a good chance this baby will be delivered by cesarean which means a spinal and a knife to my belly! Again, I know these thoughts are very selfish thoughts and I do feel guilty about them because when I find my mind going there I always remember what is important and who matters at the end of the day and that is the little boy who’s life depends on me.
Today I am 20 weeks pregnant! Officially at the halfway point... And now… the countdown really begins :)
-Lexi
Saturday, November 19, 2011
**The Curse of Bog #5**
***For those that followed my wedding blog you may remember a post on having the stomach flu... well that was my 5th blog... and now here I am surviving a terrible stomach flu and writing my 5th blog on this countdown!!***
Talk about a CrAzY week! It all started on Tuesday morning at 4:30 AM when my little Lucy woke up from a bad dream and came in my room. As soon as she snuggled in next to me I could feel the heat off her body and knew she had a fever! I scooped her up and carried her back to her room, took her temperature, gave her some Tylenol and then I stayed with her til she fell back to sleep(by that time it was pretty much time for me to get up for the day and get ready for work). Cary woke up also not feeling well so Lucy and Cary both stayed home for the day and I went in to work. The next day was almost like ground hogs day because again at 4:30 I hear Lucy opening our bedroom door so I got right up and met her as she was walking in to take her back to her room so she didn't disturb Cary. I laid with her til she fell back to sleep and then again was in the position where I might as well just get up for the day.. Lucy was still running a very high fever and luckily Cary's parents were able to come in and watch her for the day while I worked and also went to the doctor which I will talk more about later.. As Wednesday went on Lucy got better and better and by the time I was off work she was full of energy and her usual orneriness so I was pretty sure school would be in her cards for the next day. Thursday morning, 4:30 AM, I hear crying coming from her room and slowly getting closer to my door. I again meet her at the door and find a very upset girl because she had just pee'd the bed (probably from all the fluid we had her drinking all day Tuesday and Wednesday). I get her cleaned up, pulled out her little mattress(we had this under bed from when she was first getting potty trained so if she pee'd the bed we wouldn’t have to make up her big bed in the middle of the night) and got her back to sleep before stripping her bed and starting the laundry. Again, by the time that was done it was time for me to hit the shower... I tell you what, 3 days of getting up at 4:30 had me pretty darn tired, but that was nothing compared to the tiredness to come...
On Monday, Alyssa, her friend Hailey, my mom, and me decided to make plans to see Breaking Dawn at midnight on Friday and I went ahead and bought our tickets online... no backing out after you buy tickets! Without knowing the week I was about to have I didn’t think it would be a big deal, but had I known the lack of sleep I was going to experience I definitely wouldn’t have bought myself a ticket! Anyway, it was too late for that kind of thought and Thursday came and I was exhausted, but I stayed up with the other gals and it was a GREAT movie! When Friday morning came I woke up feeling like complete crap, but figured it was just from being tired so I got ready for work and went in. BY 10 AM I had been sick 3 times and decided enough was enough and talked to my boss about going home. (I had planned on taking my half day for the week anyway so I only left 2 hours earlier than I had planned) When I got home I got sick again, and then laid down and fell asleep to wake up about two hours later to horrible pain in my stomach. I ran to the bathroom and started throwing up and knew I wasn’t just tired, I had the stomach flu! After doing this all day I finally called the OB doctor and asked if I could do anything to help myself or if all this throwing up could hurt my baby and she assured me that I wasn’t hurting my baby, but needed to get some fluid back into my body.. However my inability to keep ANYTHING in my body was worrisome and she thought a hospital stay with an IV and drugs to reduce my nausea were my best bet for keeping my baby hydrated... I asked her if I could try anything else first (ER + Hospital stay = $$$$$) and her being so awesome and smart prescribed me some drugs I could take from home to reduce my nausea so I could attempt to hydrate. Being as sick as I was I had no way of getting to the pharmacy... I was already so weak and sick I couldn't stand up because of dizziness so I had to crawl to the bathroom every time I had to throw up because every time I threw up the other end(SORRY!) had an equal reaction, so I had to be on the potty and throwing up into the trash can.. (Again, sorry...TMI, I know, but hopefully only understanding women or men who have a strong stomachs are even reading this!!)... Anyway, Cary was off from work at 5 so he was able to pick up my drugs on his way home and by about 7 PM (after the meds took affect) I was no longer crawling to the restroom every 20 minutes and was able to drink some 7UP, a little Gatorade/water mix, and I ate about 5 saltines. This seemed to stay down til this morning and while I am still not throwing up I cannot get very far from my bathroom or be on my feet for more than a little bit at a time due to being queasy and dizzy I at some toast and drank some Gatorade and neither took long to get rid of... my body isn't quite ready to let in much..
It is hard to believe what the flu can do to your body in such a short amount of time. On Wednesday I went to the doctor and was weighed and had gained 8 lbs since my first OB appointment and this morning I had lost 10... My pregnant belly looks all shrunk down and I miss it :( I know that it'll only take a day or two of being able to eat normal and it will be back, but right now I just feel so blah... Ok, enough of the poor me sob story and back to my Baby Co. Everything at the doctor on Wednesday looked good and normal, I had some blood drawn for the Quad Screen test, peed in a cup and listened to the heartbeat :) All was good and the best part of the whole appointment was the end when Cary and I got to go out to the receptionist and schedule our Ultra Sound!! It will be our 20 wk ultra sound and we will get to find out the sex of our little one and we are so excited! It is only about 2 1/2 weeks away and on December 7th, assuming I can get a hold of all my sisters, brother, and both set of parents I will be making the announcement on what we're having!! I am carrying high, my love handles are (were) big, I am craving salty food over sweet, the ring test is going in a circle and one chinese birth chart says girl and the other says boy... anyone want to make a guess?!
Til next time!
-Lexi
Talk about a CrAzY week! It all started on Tuesday morning at 4:30 AM when my little Lucy woke up from a bad dream and came in my room. As soon as she snuggled in next to me I could feel the heat off her body and knew she had a fever! I scooped her up and carried her back to her room, took her temperature, gave her some Tylenol and then I stayed with her til she fell back to sleep(by that time it was pretty much time for me to get up for the day and get ready for work). Cary woke up also not feeling well so Lucy and Cary both stayed home for the day and I went in to work. The next day was almost like ground hogs day because again at 4:30 I hear Lucy opening our bedroom door so I got right up and met her as she was walking in to take her back to her room so she didn't disturb Cary. I laid with her til she fell back to sleep and then again was in the position where I might as well just get up for the day.. Lucy was still running a very high fever and luckily Cary's parents were able to come in and watch her for the day while I worked and also went to the doctor which I will talk more about later.. As Wednesday went on Lucy got better and better and by the time I was off work she was full of energy and her usual orneriness so I was pretty sure school would be in her cards for the next day. Thursday morning, 4:30 AM, I hear crying coming from her room and slowly getting closer to my door. I again meet her at the door and find a very upset girl because she had just pee'd the bed (probably from all the fluid we had her drinking all day Tuesday and Wednesday). I get her cleaned up, pulled out her little mattress(we had this under bed from when she was first getting potty trained so if she pee'd the bed we wouldn’t have to make up her big bed in the middle of the night) and got her back to sleep before stripping her bed and starting the laundry. Again, by the time that was done it was time for me to hit the shower... I tell you what, 3 days of getting up at 4:30 had me pretty darn tired, but that was nothing compared to the tiredness to come...
On Monday, Alyssa, her friend Hailey, my mom, and me decided to make plans to see Breaking Dawn at midnight on Friday and I went ahead and bought our tickets online... no backing out after you buy tickets! Without knowing the week I was about to have I didn’t think it would be a big deal, but had I known the lack of sleep I was going to experience I definitely wouldn’t have bought myself a ticket! Anyway, it was too late for that kind of thought and Thursday came and I was exhausted, but I stayed up with the other gals and it was a GREAT movie! When Friday morning came I woke up feeling like complete crap, but figured it was just from being tired so I got ready for work and went in. BY 10 AM I had been sick 3 times and decided enough was enough and talked to my boss about going home. (I had planned on taking my half day for the week anyway so I only left 2 hours earlier than I had planned) When I got home I got sick again, and then laid down and fell asleep to wake up about two hours later to horrible pain in my stomach. I ran to the bathroom and started throwing up and knew I wasn’t just tired, I had the stomach flu! After doing this all day I finally called the OB doctor and asked if I could do anything to help myself or if all this throwing up could hurt my baby and she assured me that I wasn’t hurting my baby, but needed to get some fluid back into my body.. However my inability to keep ANYTHING in my body was worrisome and she thought a hospital stay with an IV and drugs to reduce my nausea were my best bet for keeping my baby hydrated... I asked her if I could try anything else first (ER + Hospital stay = $$$$$) and her being so awesome and smart prescribed me some drugs I could take from home to reduce my nausea so I could attempt to hydrate. Being as sick as I was I had no way of getting to the pharmacy... I was already so weak and sick I couldn't stand up because of dizziness so I had to crawl to the bathroom every time I had to throw up because every time I threw up the other end(SORRY!) had an equal reaction, so I had to be on the potty and throwing up into the trash can.. (Again, sorry...TMI, I know, but hopefully only understanding women or men who have a strong stomachs are even reading this!!)... Anyway, Cary was off from work at 5 so he was able to pick up my drugs on his way home and by about 7 PM (after the meds took affect) I was no longer crawling to the restroom every 20 minutes and was able to drink some 7UP, a little Gatorade/water mix, and I ate about 5 saltines. This seemed to stay down til this morning and while I am still not throwing up I cannot get very far from my bathroom or be on my feet for more than a little bit at a time due to being queasy and dizzy I at some toast and drank some Gatorade and neither took long to get rid of... my body isn't quite ready to let in much..
It is hard to believe what the flu can do to your body in such a short amount of time. On Wednesday I went to the doctor and was weighed and had gained 8 lbs since my first OB appointment and this morning I had lost 10... My pregnant belly looks all shrunk down and I miss it :( I know that it'll only take a day or two of being able to eat normal and it will be back, but right now I just feel so blah... Ok, enough of the poor me sob story and back to my Baby Co. Everything at the doctor on Wednesday looked good and normal, I had some blood drawn for the Quad Screen test, peed in a cup and listened to the heartbeat :) All was good and the best part of the whole appointment was the end when Cary and I got to go out to the receptionist and schedule our Ultra Sound!! It will be our 20 wk ultra sound and we will get to find out the sex of our little one and we are so excited! It is only about 2 1/2 weeks away and on December 7th, assuming I can get a hold of all my sisters, brother, and both set of parents I will be making the announcement on what we're having!! I am carrying high, my love handles are (were) big, I am craving salty food over sweet, the ring test is going in a circle and one chinese birth chart says girl and the other says boy... anyone want to make a guess?!
Til next time!
-Lexi
Sunday, November 13, 2011
BLOG 4:Girl Gone Wild!!
Probably a better title would be “Emotions Gone Wild”, but it just wouldn’t have caught the same attention.
So, I am pretty well passed the dog days of pregnancy with the constant nausea and on to some crazy mood swings! I am ultra sensitive and the littlest things can sometimes set me off. The emotions really started to run wild this week and in my line of work it is very important that I keep it together. No matter how I feel I must greet my customers with a smile and make them think whatever they need is the most important thing and that I want nothing more than to fulfill that need or solve that problem. Sooo this can get extra exhausting for a pregnant emotional woman and Wednesday was one of those days that left me with zero “keeping it together” capability. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty sensitive and tired so fortunately I had put a dinner and the crock pot and didn’t have to cook. We all ate dinner and then I went into my room to change for my evening walk and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and was mortified! I had just put on a sports bra that was definitely overly tight due to the recent rapid growth in my chest and I had a roll! On my back! Under my bra line! NOT COOL! I immediately began to cry and found myself in Cary’s arms listening to his reassurance of how “beautiful” I am and “wonderful” I look. I finally got calmed down and then Alyssa (my little sister) showed up to walk with me and asked me if I had been crying and I immediately burst back into tears as I told her my horrible news of the roll under my bra on my back! Thursday was an easy day for me for the most part.. I was somewhat busy at work, but I knew that once 5 o’clock hit I would be home for a 3 day weekend (Bankers Hours are great when it comes to getting extra holidays!). So then Friday came and I got to spend the morning and early afternoon with my other sister Angee and her youngest daughter and had an easy going day of shopping and then cleaning and then in the afternoon I went to Sam’s Club and Grocery Shopping and honestly I was shot! The night I made dinner and Alyssa came over for dinner too and then we played Just Dance and Alyssa has crazy long arms and accidently, barely hit me and I just felt so sensitive and it felt like it hurt a lot even though I don’t think it really did and she started laughing and I started crying and had to go upstairs because I was just sensitive and I knew it was just me. Saturday was cool though, Lucy and I went and visited my parents and pretty much just relaxed all day and then last night we relaxed some more and I had no outbursts of tears and then today I didn’t cry but I felt like I was going to because Cary forgot to stop at JC Penney for me.. I tell you.. being pregnant is tough on a woman!
Outside of being overly emotional my pregnancy is going great! I still listen in on the baby about once a day or so for a minute or two because the lazy little guy/gal is always in the same spot so I can find them super fast with my dopppler! I am up to 8 lbs gained on a bad day and have yet to feel the baby move. We have an appointment on Wednesday afternoon and then we will schedule our gender scan and I definitely am excited to know what kind of a baby is growing in my tummy! Cary and I also have our names picked out, but don’t ask because it is a secret! Cary also wrote his letter to Baby Co recently so I still have to try to talk him into letting me put it on my blog. With the wedding blog he did a little paragraph for me describing his experience and as of right now I think I’ll wait til this crazy emotional phase passes before I let him loose on here! I don’t need self provoked water works!! I think that is it for tonight!
-Lexi
So, I am pretty well passed the dog days of pregnancy with the constant nausea and on to some crazy mood swings! I am ultra sensitive and the littlest things can sometimes set me off. The emotions really started to run wild this week and in my line of work it is very important that I keep it together. No matter how I feel I must greet my customers with a smile and make them think whatever they need is the most important thing and that I want nothing more than to fulfill that need or solve that problem. Sooo this can get extra exhausting for a pregnant emotional woman and Wednesday was one of those days that left me with zero “keeping it together” capability. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty sensitive and tired so fortunately I had put a dinner and the crock pot and didn’t have to cook. We all ate dinner and then I went into my room to change for my evening walk and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and was mortified! I had just put on a sports bra that was definitely overly tight due to the recent rapid growth in my chest and I had a roll! On my back! Under my bra line! NOT COOL! I immediately began to cry and found myself in Cary’s arms listening to his reassurance of how “beautiful” I am and “wonderful” I look. I finally got calmed down and then Alyssa (my little sister) showed up to walk with me and asked me if I had been crying and I immediately burst back into tears as I told her my horrible news of the roll under my bra on my back! Thursday was an easy day for me for the most part.. I was somewhat busy at work, but I knew that once 5 o’clock hit I would be home for a 3 day weekend (Bankers Hours are great when it comes to getting extra holidays!). So then Friday came and I got to spend the morning and early afternoon with my other sister Angee and her youngest daughter and had an easy going day of shopping and then cleaning and then in the afternoon I went to Sam’s Club and Grocery Shopping and honestly I was shot! The night I made dinner and Alyssa came over for dinner too and then we played Just Dance and Alyssa has crazy long arms and accidently, barely hit me and I just felt so sensitive and it felt like it hurt a lot even though I don’t think it really did and she started laughing and I started crying and had to go upstairs because I was just sensitive and I knew it was just me. Saturday was cool though, Lucy and I went and visited my parents and pretty much just relaxed all day and then last night we relaxed some more and I had no outbursts of tears and then today I didn’t cry but I felt like I was going to because Cary forgot to stop at JC Penney for me.. I tell you.. being pregnant is tough on a woman!
Outside of being overly emotional my pregnancy is going great! I still listen in on the baby about once a day or so for a minute or two because the lazy little guy/gal is always in the same spot so I can find them super fast with my dopppler! I am up to 8 lbs gained on a bad day and have yet to feel the baby move. We have an appointment on Wednesday afternoon and then we will schedule our gender scan and I definitely am excited to know what kind of a baby is growing in my tummy! Cary and I also have our names picked out, but don’t ask because it is a secret! Cary also wrote his letter to Baby Co recently so I still have to try to talk him into letting me put it on my blog. With the wedding blog he did a little paragraph for me describing his experience and as of right now I think I’ll wait til this crazy emotional phase passes before I let him loose on here! I don’t need self provoked water works!! I think that is it for tonight!
-Lexi
Thursday, November 3, 2011
BLOG 3:Can You Hear Me Now???
According to my pregnancy app on my phone my unborn child has made a developmental milestone and can now hear me!
So if you ever see me walking around like I'm talking to myself most people that know me wouldn't be all that surprised because I tend to talk a lot(even in my sleep).. Well now just know that I am helping my little Baby Co's brain develop by constant stimulation! When I was pregnant with Lucy I talked to her all the time before she was born and even read to her and listened to classical music... especially when I started being able to feel her move I just never felt alone and always like I had someone to entertain! Now I have a little social butterfly so maybe all that talking early on helps? Either way, it gives me an excuse to talk and I'll take it!
As my belly continues to grow so does everything else! This being pregnant business does not have me feeling very attractive these days, but of course it is all part of the process and as long as a healthy baby is the result it is 100% worth every inch I grow and every pound I gain! So far the lbs are not too much... since my 1st appointment I have gained roughly 4lbs, but it looks more like 10 with all this bloating that is “common” in pregnancy! My pregnancy app also tried to tell me that this bloating helps bring on the pregnancy “glow”, but I COMPLETELY disagree with that! The only thing glowing these days is the microwave...I’ve found microwave popcorn is the one thing I am wanting all the time! I am even munching on a bag right now while I type and am regretting it as my keyboard gets kind of buttery! At least popcorn is fairly low in calories unlike my pregnancy addiction with Lucy which was pizza rolls! I haven’t even had a pizza roll since then because it contributed to my 70lb gain I had with that pregnancy! Fortunately I now know what kind of damage you can cause by eating crappy and I am making an effort to not over indulge... although I will admit I do allow myself some things I wouldn’t have prior to being preggers from time to time..
So I am pretty pumped to say I found a coupon for a free 3 month rental of a fetal heart monitor and have been able to listen to my little baby’s heart beat at home. I was reluctant to get it at first because I have heard from other mom’s that they had trouble finding the heartbeat from time to time and it would cause them to panic when it wasn’t necessary. My only word of advice is getting a good one! Don’t bother buying a cheap one that won’t work anyway... Instead, rent a really nice one (if you can’t find a coupon you can rent them for as little as $12 a month)! The nice FDA approved Dopplers are easy to use and most women can regularly find the heartbeat as early as 10 weeks while a lot of the cheap ones don’t even work till you are late in the 2nd trimester! It is so nice to have a little reassurance in-between appointments and I’ve been an extra worrier lately so I definitely appreciate the peace of mind. I will definitely be sending mine back after the free offer because I think once I can feel the baby move regularly I will have the daily reassurance I need!
Speaking of baby movement... I would really like some feedback on this... I am 15 weeks tomorrow and I have yet to feel a flutter! Granted I haven’t really tried to lay still and feel it, but that is because lying down usually puts me right to sleep! How early did you other mom’s feel it?! I think I was closer to 17 or 18 weeks with Lucy, but I’ve heard the 2nd go around should be earlier...
That is all for now!
-Lexi
So if you ever see me walking around like I'm talking to myself most people that know me wouldn't be all that surprised because I tend to talk a lot(even in my sleep).. Well now just know that I am helping my little Baby Co's brain develop by constant stimulation! When I was pregnant with Lucy I talked to her all the time before she was born and even read to her and listened to classical music... especially when I started being able to feel her move I just never felt alone and always like I had someone to entertain! Now I have a little social butterfly so maybe all that talking early on helps? Either way, it gives me an excuse to talk and I'll take it!
As my belly continues to grow so does everything else! This being pregnant business does not have me feeling very attractive these days, but of course it is all part of the process and as long as a healthy baby is the result it is 100% worth every inch I grow and every pound I gain! So far the lbs are not too much... since my 1st appointment I have gained roughly 4lbs, but it looks more like 10 with all this bloating that is “common” in pregnancy! My pregnancy app also tried to tell me that this bloating helps bring on the pregnancy “glow”, but I COMPLETELY disagree with that! The only thing glowing these days is the microwave...I’ve found microwave popcorn is the one thing I am wanting all the time! I am even munching on a bag right now while I type and am regretting it as my keyboard gets kind of buttery! At least popcorn is fairly low in calories unlike my pregnancy addiction with Lucy which was pizza rolls! I haven’t even had a pizza roll since then because it contributed to my 70lb gain I had with that pregnancy! Fortunately I now know what kind of damage you can cause by eating crappy and I am making an effort to not over indulge... although I will admit I do allow myself some things I wouldn’t have prior to being preggers from time to time..
So I am pretty pumped to say I found a coupon for a free 3 month rental of a fetal heart monitor and have been able to listen to my little baby’s heart beat at home. I was reluctant to get it at first because I have heard from other mom’s that they had trouble finding the heartbeat from time to time and it would cause them to panic when it wasn’t necessary. My only word of advice is getting a good one! Don’t bother buying a cheap one that won’t work anyway... Instead, rent a really nice one (if you can’t find a coupon you can rent them for as little as $12 a month)! The nice FDA approved Dopplers are easy to use and most women can regularly find the heartbeat as early as 10 weeks while a lot of the cheap ones don’t even work till you are late in the 2nd trimester! It is so nice to have a little reassurance in-between appointments and I’ve been an extra worrier lately so I definitely appreciate the peace of mind. I will definitely be sending mine back after the free offer because I think once I can feel the baby move regularly I will have the daily reassurance I need!
Speaking of baby movement... I would really like some feedback on this... I am 15 weeks tomorrow and I have yet to feel a flutter! Granted I haven’t really tried to lay still and feel it, but that is because lying down usually puts me right to sleep! How early did you other mom’s feel it?! I think I was closer to 17 or 18 weeks with Lucy, but I’ve heard the 2nd go around should be earlier...
That is all for now!
-Lexi
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
BLOG 2:Letter to Baby
Dear Baby Co,
Hello my sweet little unborn child, I cannot wait to meet you face to face! Dad and I got to hear your heartbeat for the first time yesterday and it was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. A lot of worrying has been going on because we want you to be healthy and strong and during the weeks between appointments Dad and I are always wondering how you are and what you are up to! It was nice to get some reassurance today when we heard the thump-thump-thump of your heart! We have lots to do to get ready for you and that big day is getting closer and closer so it is about time to get started.. We already bought you a couple packages of diapers because no matter if you are a boy or a girl you have to wear those! That’s another thing I should tell you about.. Your Daddy thought he wanted you to be a boy sooo bad and I think he still likes the idea of having a son, but now, more than anything, he just wants you, no matter who you are(or what is between your legs!). We love you so much and we don’t even know you yet! When the day comes and you are finally out of my tummy you are going to be greeted by a TON of people that are so happy to have you in our world! You already have a big sister, Lucy, and she talks about you every day and at the end of all of her bedtime prayers she prays that you are healthy and safe. Dad, Lucy, and me all pray together every night and we always include you because you are already a big part of our family. I love you little Co! April can’t come soon enough!
Love Always and Forever,
Mom
Hello my sweet little unborn child, I cannot wait to meet you face to face! Dad and I got to hear your heartbeat for the first time yesterday and it was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. A lot of worrying has been going on because we want you to be healthy and strong and during the weeks between appointments Dad and I are always wondering how you are and what you are up to! It was nice to get some reassurance today when we heard the thump-thump-thump of your heart! We have lots to do to get ready for you and that big day is getting closer and closer so it is about time to get started.. We already bought you a couple packages of diapers because no matter if you are a boy or a girl you have to wear those! That’s another thing I should tell you about.. Your Daddy thought he wanted you to be a boy sooo bad and I think he still likes the idea of having a son, but now, more than anything, he just wants you, no matter who you are(or what is between your legs!). We love you so much and we don’t even know you yet! When the day comes and you are finally out of my tummy you are going to be greeted by a TON of people that are so happy to have you in our world! You already have a big sister, Lucy, and she talks about you every day and at the end of all of her bedtime prayers she prays that you are healthy and safe. Dad, Lucy, and me all pray together every night and we always include you because you are already a big part of our family. I love you little Co! April can’t come soon enough!
Love Always and Forever,
Mom
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
BLOG 1: Anyone ready for another countdown? I guess I better be…
Only 192 days to go!
Cary and Lexi sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G, First comes LOVE, then comes MARRIAGE, then comes the BABY in the baby carriage!!
So much truth in such a silly song! Well, I guess I have a bit of an announcement to make.. I’M PREGNANT!!! Cary and I are both very excited to have a baby on the way and it has not been easy keeping all the joy to ourselves... in fact, it has been so difficult that some of you already know! Exciting things have a way of getting around and the big mound already popping out of the front of my body tells anyone that I happen to run into! It is such a perfect addition to an already wonderful year and now we have something awesome to look forward to for next spring and the rest of our lives!
After getting married in June we were already thinking we were ready to start adding to our family, but were not going to necessarily try to have a baby (but we were also not going to not try). My family has always seemed to have some sort of SUPER fertileness that could produce an instantly impregnated woman and I assumed we would come home from our honey moon and approximately 2 weeks later I would be staring at a positive pregnancy test... well, that didn’t happen and I was surprisingly bummed. The next month rolled around and Cary was sick like every day and then I got sick and it was another lost month and another bummer for me because the more the months passed the more I wanted a baby! Then, on the next month I was very hopeful, but also very anxious and tried to take a pregnancy test 5 days bmp(before missed period(I really didn’t want to say that haha I don’t know why)) and it came back negative.. I was crushed and I finally told Cary how OBSESSED I was getting with wanting to be pregnant because he had no idea I wanted to so bad and he felt sad that I was sad and we agreed that next month we would officially start trying. The next morning I woke up at 4:00 AM and had one more pregnancy test left so I thought I would use my first morning pee (Google said this is the best kind of pee to use) and it came back with the faintest pink line that meant positive!
I woke Cary up and he couldn’t really see it.. you had to hold it just right and even then it was tough.. I was so sure the night before that I’d missed another month and then this little pink line gave me a tiny glimmer of hope.
Every day the pink line got darker and we got more excited that this was really happening; I was truly pregnant! At 7 ½ weeks we had our first doctor’s appointment and were able to see Baby Co for the first time.. Our cute little poppy seed with a flickering heart beat!
What a beautiful sight for me and I think a bit of a frightening one for Cary because during the entire appointment he looked like he might pass out.. I am a little worried about delivery day, but he has a lot of time left to get ready for that!
Here are the details: As of today, Tuesday, October 18th, I am 12 weeks 4 days along. My due date is April 27th and according to the Chinese Birth Chart I am having a BOY! Although a lot of the wives’ tales are seemingly GIRL! It is still plenty early, but kind of fun to wonder and fantasize about who this little person is that is taking over my body!
Cary and Lexi sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G, First comes LOVE, then comes MARRIAGE, then comes the BABY in the baby carriage!!
So much truth in such a silly song! Well, I guess I have a bit of an announcement to make.. I’M PREGNANT!!! Cary and I are both very excited to have a baby on the way and it has not been easy keeping all the joy to ourselves... in fact, it has been so difficult that some of you already know! Exciting things have a way of getting around and the big mound already popping out of the front of my body tells anyone that I happen to run into! It is such a perfect addition to an already wonderful year and now we have something awesome to look forward to for next spring and the rest of our lives!
After getting married in June we were already thinking we were ready to start adding to our family, but were not going to necessarily try to have a baby (but we were also not going to not try). My family has always seemed to have some sort of SUPER fertileness that could produce an instantly impregnated woman and I assumed we would come home from our honey moon and approximately 2 weeks later I would be staring at a positive pregnancy test... well, that didn’t happen and I was surprisingly bummed. The next month rolled around and Cary was sick like every day and then I got sick and it was another lost month and another bummer for me because the more the months passed the more I wanted a baby! Then, on the next month I was very hopeful, but also very anxious and tried to take a pregnancy test 5 days bmp(before missed period(I really didn’t want to say that haha I don’t know why)) and it came back negative.. I was crushed and I finally told Cary how OBSESSED I was getting with wanting to be pregnant because he had no idea I wanted to so bad and he felt sad that I was sad and we agreed that next month we would officially start trying. The next morning I woke up at 4:00 AM and had one more pregnancy test left so I thought I would use my first morning pee (Google said this is the best kind of pee to use) and it came back with the faintest pink line that meant positive!
Every day the pink line got darker and we got more excited that this was really happening; I was truly pregnant! At 7 ½ weeks we had our first doctor’s appointment and were able to see Baby Co for the first time.. Our cute little poppy seed with a flickering heart beat!
Here are the details: As of today, Tuesday, October 18th, I am 12 weeks 4 days along. My due date is April 27th and according to the Chinese Birth Chart I am having a BOY! Although a lot of the wives’ tales are seemingly GIRL! It is still plenty early, but kind of fun to wonder and fantasize about who this little person is that is taking over my body!
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