Week 34

Hello everyone, I hope this holiday season finds you all happy and healthy (if possible)!!! So much has happened in the past 2 weeks, I actually thought I had missed a blog, but I hadn't. In any case, let me get off and running....

Maddux and I went to the doctor both today and Dec. 10th. At the last appointment, we found out that Maddux was 4 lbs. 9 oz. and that he scored an 8 out of an 8. He is making perfect scores already, he is so smart!!!! I also got a gold star for my eating and blood sugar record keeping. She was happy with my numbers both today and the previous appointment, so she is keeping me on the same regimen for now! She was happy with the measuring of the belly today and said he did perfect on my first stress test! I got to actually hear his heart beat for an extended period of time (almost 20 minutes). I almost fell asleep just listening to him.....and then he would move and I would have to press the button, but it was so nice! She said he looked great, which is always good to hear. All in all, a great 2 weeks have gone by.

School is out until January 4th for me, so that is nice. That will give me time to get his room more in order. We found a great dresser from a second hand store that looks perfect in his room. I'm going to start washing all his clothes so that I can fill up the dresser and get the clothes off the floor finally. We also found drapes for his room and Sam took a day off of work last week to hang those and a few others in the house. It is truly starting to feel like a cozy home!!

I did have another shower this past weekend, and boy did we get a haul!! We got more decor for the room, a rocking horse, baby cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, a baseball and mitt, great clothes, our diaper bag and so much more. Several of the gifts made me cry, but the kicker came from Melanie who had taken Maddux's sonogram picture from this blog, superimposed a Santa hat on him and framed him in an ornament. I cried uncontrollably!! Thanks Mel!! I loved it!!! I loved everything actually, and being with Sam's family was awesome, I only wish my family could have been there too!!! In any case, we really appreciate all the fabulous gifts!!

So, we have another appointment in a week and then the next appointment we get to see him again. I have a ton of sonogram pics from the last appointment, but our scanner isn't hooked up to get the pics on the blog. Hopefully, by the next one, it will be. In any case, we got some great shots of his profile and he even showed us how he practices breathing in there. There are a few pics where it looks as though he has a massive forehead to which Sam asked, whose baby is that? There is one pic that looks like Bart Simpson from the side, kinda funny!

Well, that is about all for now! We are having our first Christmas here in Atlanta, my first away from Texas and my family.....but I'm sure we will survive it! I miss everyone already, but it will kind of be nice to start (or share) my family traditions here in Georgia! I have convinced Sam to agree to having Christmas dinner at our house, so we are in for adventure at the end of this week. Wish us luck! Merry Christmas to all of you and enjoy your time with loved ones!! Until next time.....

32nd Week

Okay, so 32 weeks and on our way!!! What has been going on....not a whole lot! We did make it to Dallas for Thanksgiving and that was fabulous! We had so much fun seeing family (We missed you Vicky, but congrats!!)! The trip was pretty uneventful as far as Maddux goes. The flying was no big deal and I felt good most of the time! The only thing that was of any significance was that I was on the insulin. Being only the 2nd week I was on it, I was still so emotionally overwhelmed. Things seem to have calmed down since then, so it is coming along!

I did go to the doctor the week I got back and she did raise my insulin dose. She was still worried about my blood sugar being so high in the mornings. So, she raised the dose and it seems to be going very well ever since. Sam gives me a shot twice a day. HE does it in the morning before I eat breakfast and right before I eat dinner at night! He is so sweet and hates when it hurts! But, he is a pro now! If I weren't such a baby, it wouldn't be so bad....and truly it is not, but it doesn't always feel great!

We have and appointment on Thursday to see how big Maddux is! I CAN'T wait!!!! My doctor has already told me we weren't going to have a small baby! Whatever, she doesn't know, right?? Ha, anyway, we'll see on Thursday! So, until then.....Happy December (I love this time of year!!!).

30th Week

Wow, I'm at 30 weeks this week, which means....technically, I could have anywhere between 7 to 12 weeks left! Who knows if he will come early or late, but I am ready either way! So, what is the latest.....

We (my amazingly helpful and motivational friend Gin and I) finished painting his room, organized all the clothes we have gotten, put together the changing table, and unwrapped about a thousand diapers from my awesome diaper cake Anne made from my previous shower! The changing table looks awesome and Sam even said, "If I had know it was gonna be that nice, I would have put it together a long time ago!". I laughed and asked what he thought it would look like and, of course, his answer was inaudible! Boys!! Anyway, his room is coming along and now I just need to get a dresser, armour, and crib and we'll be set!! My wonderful Mom, however, did have the bassinet I slept in as a baby sent to Atlanta this week and Sam and I went to pick it up yesterday! It has been in our family since my brother was born, which means (sorry Doug), it is over 42 years old. I think that is extremely cool, not to mention, I think my cousin used it and Paige used it for her kids! I love family tradition! It makes my heart smile!! Thanks Mom!!

So, how are we??? Maddux is as active as ever. He is growing, but since I have been on the diabetes diet, I have not gained any weight (even though my mom swears I have 3 babies in my belly because it is so big). I guess the food I am eating is just going straight to him. I am so okay with that! Everyone I have seen this past week has been so complimentary! My friends have been so sweet about my clothes and say I look cute prego. It is amazing how at the is point in my pregnancy, I am as big as a house, yet my friends are making me feel amazingly pretty! Thanks ya'll, it is really appreciated!! You really don't know how nice it is to feel good when you are so out of whack!!

Back to Maddux....So, I went to the doctor and she was fine with all the numbers I had been getting with my blood sugars....except my morning readings. She said she as worried, but could put me on a pill that could help. Turns out the pill is made with Sulfa in it and I am allergic to Sulfa. So, I played phone tag with the doctors office all Thursday and Friday. I am not sure how the lines got crossed, but the next thing I know, my doctor tells a nurse to call me and tell me that I would then go on insulin. Shocked as I was, I decided to make an appointment and see the nutritionist asap. So, I have an appointment at 10:30 tomorrow to see what I can do. I honestly don't think I can give myself shots! My solution thus far, since seeing my doctor last week, was to eat only (or mostly) protein, and I have to say, personally, I think it has worked great! I will see in the morning when I see the nutritionist, but keep your fingers crossed! I do not want to go on insulin!

Sam and I leave for Dallas on Wednesday to go see my family! I am so excited because both my grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sister (and fam.), mom and dad will be there! I haven't seen my grandmothers, cousin and aunt since Sam and I got married! Some I haven't seen in 3 years!! I am so psyched! I am looking forward to a great family thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and we'll see you in a couple of weeks!

28th Week

Hello all....sorry it has been a couple of weeks. I am now heading into my 28th week. To start it off, I get to go meet with the dietitian tomorrow at 2:00. Yes, it is true, I have been told I have gestational diabetes and that I am anemic!! No wonder I have been so tired over the past month. I was beginning to worry!

So, a week and a half ago, I went for my diabetes test. I went after school and was told not to eat or drink anything different than usual! So, I didn't. Sam went with me and the test was bearable. It really wasn't as bad as people were warning me! The orange stuff was gross and sugary, but not near as bad as I had envisioned!! Low and behold, I had to go back last Friday to take the 3 hour glucose test because I miserably failed the 1 hour! The good news was that I got to take the day off school, the bad news was that I had to fast from the night before and then get 4 tubes of blood taken over a 3 hour period!! ( I have horror stories about the blood that was taken, but I will spare you all!!!) The worst part about it all is that they found I am diabetic. In dealing with this news, I have a little story to tell.....

So, there is this mom at my school who I have seen over the past couple of months walking around with a bandanna on her newly shaven head. I, of course, assumed she had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Well, she stopped me the day I found out about the diabetes. She asked me how I was feeling and was really sweet.....and as I was walking away, I asked her about herself and apologized for being rude and not asking about what she was going through. She was so matter of fact and was so positive, I was sort of taken aback. She ended by telling me that she had 12 days left of chemo and that she had decided long ago that as long as whatever was going on her life, that was not so positive, was happening to her and not her kids, she was happy and could handle it. I thought, wow, what a great way to view life!! So, I turned to her and said, you know, I shouldn't be whining, as long as the diabetes only effects me, I should be happy I can do something about it, Maddux will be just fine in the end! So, with my new lease on life, I go into the next couple of months knowing, I can do what I have to do for Maddux!!! I'll meet with the dietitian tomorrow and will have to change my diet, but I know I can do it!! I simply can't believe that in about 2 and a half months, I will have a little man to hold and smile at! (Tear:))

Maddux is still super active. My belly is growing rapidly and my friends are incredibly sweet and continue to tell me I look great! I want to give a shout out to Sarah and Whit as I know they are faithful readers!! (I really appreciate you ladies!!) I hope this blog post finds everyone happy and ready for Turkey soon!! I love ya'll and will continue to keep you posted on our progress!! Happy November!! Wow, November already, crazzzy!!

25th week...almost the 26th

Hello all...I hope this finds everyone doing well!! Maddux and I are doing fabulously! We are so happy these days! I think when I finally realized exactly how to take care of us, my body started responding so positively!! I feel great these days and am growing a good amount. Someone told me on Monday to stop eating whole watermelons over the weekends! Funny, huh?? In all seriousness, I am carrying Maddux very low and he is popping out a great deal!! I kinda feel cute!!

In any case, what have we been up to??? Well, last weekend Sam and I went to Vanderbilt for my 10 year college reunion. It was a lot of fun, but I definitely over exerted myself! I had no idea I could be sore in such weird places just from walking around!! I have been told since, that it only gets worse. So, we will begin to start walking in the evenings sooner rather than later! The weather is amazing here right now (Unlike last weekend in Nashville), so I have no excuse!

On Monday, we then had our whole downstairs gathered into our kitchen so that we could have our new hardwood floors installed. Sam tried to do it himself, but even the guy who did it said they were particularly hard to put in. So, as of Tuesday evening, we had new floors but the house was and is a wreck. All three of our couches were crammed into our kitchen and we had to eat out every night this week! We may have a kitchen this evening, but we'll see. The task we have take on now is staining the molding around the floors and installing that ourselves. Despite the mess, the floors are gorgeous! But, enough about our house...

So, Maddux is great and we are painting his room this weekend. I bought a green paint that matches his bedding but is light enough to look like a baby room. Plus, being next to our green bedroom, I had to make sure it didn't clash! In any case, we are painting this weekend so I can start setting up some of the fabulous gifts we got 2 weeks ago.....speaking of....

The shower....my friends are amazing! Maddux had his first shower 2 weekends ago and we got so spoiled! We got our changing table, an umbrella stroller, our bouncy seat, clothes, room decor...I mean, I could go on and on....I feel so lucky to have such generous friends! I will add pics of the decorations too, they did such an awesome job! Everything was adorable! Truly, I had so much fun and really appreciate all my friends did for me!! Love ya'll!!

Well, I have blabbed on enough....I hope everyone has had a great week and I will get back to you soon!! Oh, and here is an extra pic for thiose who actually read down to the bottom, again sorry for rambling!!! Te he!!

23 Weeks

Hey all,

Well, I don't really have anything to say about now...things are going rather well these days! I actually go to the doctor tomorrow, but I am only going to hear the heart beat. Always fun, but I am ready for another slide show!! I do plan on asking about the "swine flu" vaccine and the flu vaccine as I have never done that before! I am nervous it will make me ill.....especially since my body hasn't really grasped the concept of enjoying this pregnancy!

Maddux is officially having a party in my belly. I swear he has one of those "dance, dance revolution" mats in there and he is doing routines every night when I try to go to bed. I can feel him moving and groovin', but Sam is still having a hard time! Times when I think he won't be able to feel him, he says he does! So, who knows! I am sure any minute he will feel him move as much as I do! It is definitely getting more uncomfortable to sit in certain positions too. I can no longer sit up leaning on a desk because Maddux starts kicking around making me lean back. I am sure it is very crowded in there and he wants to be able to have his space!

We have cleaned out and emptied Maddux's room. I have also gone to look at paint colors! I am torn and want a professional designer to just come and do it! Anyone know Genevieve on HGTV??? That sure would be great!! I think I want green and brown strips....but Sam is not too keen! O well, this one is my decision, since the first name was solely picked by him! I think that entitles me to picking the middle name as well, right??

In any case, things are moving right along! I have my first baby shower this weekend and I am super excited and gracious! I know it is going to be so fun to get things for Maddux! So, y'all have a great rest of your weeks, and check back soon!!

21 Weeks

I am 21 weeks as of yesterday and am moving right along! I have had 2 days where I have felt kinda dizzy, but as long as I have gone to bed when I feel that way, I seem to do fine! This has been an exciting 3 or 4 days though, Maddux has been movin' and groovin' in my belly. So much so that I can feel him kicking on the outside now. Sam can't feel it yet but I think that is because I can feel it on the inside too. But, this morning, on my random Tuesday off because of all the flooding here, I woke up to a big ole' elbow or kick to my tummy! I barely had my hand on there and he moved my hand! I couldn't stop smiling for 20 minutes and waited for him to do it again, but of course, no command performances! That is where we differ.....ha ha!

Anyway, things are good, I went to Home Depot today to pick paint colors for Maddux's room! Last weekend, a friend of mine and I went to Babies R Us to register. After three hours, I felt pretty good about all my choices. Man, did my feet hurt! It was incredible. The next day, I took another friend with me to Target. Their selection was not as overwhleming as Babies, but also not as much to pick from. Never the less, I am now registreed at Target and Babies R Us!!! It was super fun!!!

Lastly, to those who read this.....thank you for taking the time out of your days to follow me and what is happening to Maddux! I love that I can mention it to friends or family and they know what I am talking aboutHaving someone say "I know, I read that on your blog", is pretty awesome!! It is nice to know that it is being read and I am not sharing this with no one!! Thanks ya'll, you all rock!!

Sonogram Pictures!!!

20th Week

Hey ya'll, I am going into my 20th week, which makes me going into my 5th month! I can't believe it! This week has been an exciting week! We found out what we are having (as most of you know per Facebook!). We are having a BOY!!!! He is already 10 oz. We got to see his ribs, feet, brain, heart chambers, facial features, etc. It was the coolest thing I have ever seen. This sonogram made everything so real!! He was moving all around....so much so the technician said he was showing off! Like mother, like son!! I wouldn't expect anything less. I am so excited!

Well, that is all I have for now as I want to post the pics for ya'll! Enjoy!

18th Week

Hello again! So, I am starting my 18th week today and feeling pretty good! Feeling so good, that Sam, Sadie and I just went for a walk! It is 70 degrees here and feels amazing.....

The weekend was rough on me, however. Sam and I took on the adventure of traveling back to Texas for my birthday! Phew, am I glad that is over! The weekend was fast and furious!! Don't get me wrong, I LOVED seeing my family and we had so much fun....but the weekend was too short and the 2 traveling days pretty much stunk! On the way to Houston, we were diverted to New Orleans because of a nasty storm in Houston (we had to land and get fuel)....and on the way back, we were delayed by over 2 hours because of storms in Hotlanta, not getting us home until almost 10 pm. Needless to say, I am exhausted today! School was a hard pill to swallow!

Other than that....no real happenings....we did have an appointment last Thursday and I got to hear the heartbeat! As luck would have it, we also convinced my doctor to do an unscheduled ultrasound. We think we know what we are having, but, I am going to wait to announce until after my appointment, 2 weeks from now! We did find out that my placenta is low...but no worries...that is why we are going back in 2 weeks instead of 4. We will get to find out the sex for real and make sure all the major stuff is developing correctly....brain, heart, bones, all that! So, I will just have to keep you all posted! Happy Labor Day week!!

16th Week

Well, my time seems to be going by sooooo slow, yet so fast. I feel like I just posted my last post, but that was 2 weeks ago today! Crazy. And now, I am only 6 weeks away from finding out what I am going to have! Sam is going crazy. He is quite possibly the most impatient person I have ever met. I thought he was a pain when we were waiting to get married.....but I was wrong, he is twice as bad now! He is a "I want it now" kind of guy! Well, 4 months down and 5 more to go.

I have felt great, for the most part, lately. My first week of school went off, really, without a hitch! I seem to have a great class and I am really excited. My week was, however, fairly stressful, as we had Open House for the parents on Wednesday. Despite my stress, it went very well. I was able to tell all the parents of my students that I was pregnant. I was really nervous, but their response was great! They all seem to be very excited for me. The next day, I let my kids in on the secret ( although, I had already spilled the beans to 5 of my girls the day before....I just couldn't hold it in any more!!). My kids were excited as well, especially my girls!! So, I am looking forward to a great 5 more months with this class and then coming back to end the year with them around mid May. Yes, I have to go back to school for atleast the last 2 weeks of school, if not more depending on when I actually go out!

Otherwise, nothing more has really gone on....I did do a ring and pencil gender test with a few of my friends on Friday night. We all agreed it is going to be a girl. Now, I know, you can't believe those things, but it was fun to do anyway! So, until next time!! Happy baby growing!

14th Week

This past week I spent a lot of time at school. Monday, I went to tell my principal I was pregnant. I was really nervous, but it went well. Tuesday, I went back to school to direct parents, teachers, and volunteers as to where all the teachers boxes were to go (which room, etc). On Thursday, Sam took the day off to go hear the heart beat with me. Our appointment was at 8:30. My doctor has 2 doctors offices (why, I don't know), so I called the day before to make sure I knew which office to go to (as I have gone to wrong one before). So, we leave at 7:45 just to make sure we have enough time in case there is traffic. As I am sure you have already guessed, we went to the wrong office. Evidently my questions to the secretary, the day before, weren't clear enough. So, after we got back in the car and drove to the correct office, it turns out, my doctor was running over 45 minutes late anyway.....so showing Sam where the other office was just must have been part of the plan, since I will be delivering up there anyway! In any case, we got to hear the heart beat and I cried. It was quick (since my doctor was still running late), and she only held the "doppler" there for about 10 seconds, but it was pretty awesome! I can't believe I now have to wait 4 more weeks just to hear it again and then another 4 weeks to get to see the gordita! I am sure once school starts, time will start to fly by! The upside to all of it is that in 8 weeks we get to see what we are having!! Yippee!!

So, I am now making my way (for real) into my 2nd trimester, and people keep telling me I am going to feel better any day now! Well, I am ready for it! I just have this constant ickiness about me. It is no fun. Last night, I took my first Tylenol since I have been pregnant to cure my pounding head. I was so excited that my headache went away and I wasn't nauseous. However, after sitting outside from 9:30 until 3:00 yesterday, at our community garage sale, my body was so tired and run down that going to sleep was quite an episode. Once asleep, however, I had a wonderful nights sleep.

We did go to a wedding shower last night as well, and I was distracted enough to have fun with some of Sam's old friends. Congrats again to Ami and Dave.

So, I start school tomorrow and will have to forget my days of sleeping in. I am truly sad about that. However, I guess I will be ready for it when the little gordita finally shows him/herself. So, wish me luck and I will update you again in another week or so!

My First Trimester

So, I have finally delved into the blogging world! Here is my first post...

I am 12 weeks along and have felt lucky so far as to how I have been feeling. I have had the generic nausea, but no physical sickness. I find I am really good at suppressing the urge to .....you know!

I have had 2 incidents in which I was super unhappy! My first one was the day we found out we were pregnant (May 30)! We went to the movies to see Angels and Demons. After 3 trips to the restroom, I finally had to drag Sam out of the theatre. I was feeling claustrophobic, dizzy, and nauseated all at the same time. Before I could even walk thru the door, when we got home, Sam had a preganancy test, unwrapped, held out in his hand for me to take. It is suffice to say, he knew before I did. I thought we were the ones with the supposed sixth sense!

The 2nd incident was 2 weeks ago in Flordia. We were renting a 2 bedroom condo from one of my student's grandparents. We had been there about 4 days when I had the same claustrophobic, dizzy, and nausiated feeling (but much worse). Nothing seemed to make it better. I even made Sam go down to the parking lot with me to pace. He is so sweet! In any case, I couldn't just get up and leave the theatre this time....so I paced the parking lot, rested my head on Sam's chest, and forced myself to breathe. It was like having a panic attack. My sister has checked up on it, since the incident, and has found that several women have experienced this as their morning sickness. So, I was able to go to sleep that might and we ended our vacation a day early in order to avoid it happening again!

As of today, July 21, I feel better than I have in a while! My appetite is back and I can usually take a tums to subside the nausea! So, finishing up the first trimester and things are looking up! I will get a pic of the baby bump and our first songram we had a few weeks ago posted here soon! I am going to try to keep this as updated as possible! I hope you all enjoy!