Milestone

 Tonight Sylvia noticed her feet for the first time! It was one of the neatest things to see her experience something that you and I just take for granted.  There aren't any pictures because it was unexpected and when it happened we didn't want to interrupt it. Maybe next time!

Bath time!



Deep in thought...

Isn't it time for lotion?

Oh yes, this is like a spa!

MOM! PUT THAT CAMERA AWAY!

Well, we are a couple days behind so, a few extra pictures to share.  Time just seems to slip away from me lately.  It's hard for me to even remember what day it is.

Sunday Grandma and Grandad Cooley came to visit.  We went to church together and out to eat together.  It was nice to get to see them, and they were able to see Sylvia's beautiful smile in person.  Pictures just can't do her smile justice! She is smiling more and more every day.  As far as testing her voice out, it's something she still only occasionally does, but we continue to encourage her "talking". 

When sitting home by myself talking to Sylvia, who knows I'm talking to her, but has no idea what I'm saying, I'm struck by the thought that my mom used to babble to me also about anything and everything.  Having a child of my own brings a much greater understanding to me of my own mom, to know that she went through exactly the same things with me as I am going through with Sylvia.  Not only does it give me perspective and a new respect for my own mom, but also for my mom and dad's committment to eachother. Parenting is exhausting and hard.  There have been several more arguements between Allen and me than normal, but fear not, we are stronger because of them.  With all of the stress of being new parents, I can honestly say I love my husband more now than ever before.  He is my rock.  I see him in a new light. Not only is he my companion, but also my partner.  We're in this together.  He supports me and I support him.  Even when we are short with eachother, I love him and he loves me.  I love him for the little things he does, like getting me a glass of water while I'm breastfeeding, or the bigger things, like taking the first shift sleeping in the recliner so I can get some rest, or the biggest thing, going to work in a factory every day, while I am still on maternity leave here at home spending precious time with our baby girl. It's hard on him to leave us here at home.  He is the best. God has truly blessed me.

Sylvia's uncle Caleb is coming over tomorrow to spend some time with her while I attempt to make some Christmas goodies.

Family milestone!

Today we successfully went out to eat at a sit down resaurant without incident.

Picture as proof!

We also went to the mall. Sylvia REALLY seemed to enjoy this! She's taking after her mommy already.
But it was a long day, and enough  was enough. Sylvia had fun but was very ready to go home at the end and let us know this the WHOLE way home from Quincy.

Tomorrow should be a good day, Allen's parents are coming to visit; and we are all going to go to church together.

Sure wish we could read this little girl's mind!

Daddy is soooo funny!

Sylvia Says

Do I have any boogies up my nose, mom?

Mom and Dad were right...should have went to bed earlier last night!

Who needs sleep???

She's pretty cute for a baby who didn't get very much sleep last night!

One Month

It's hard to believe, but Miss Sylvia Sue is one month old today! Today she responded to music playing on the computer, we danced together to some reggae music! We also found out since she has started to smile, Allen and I will make complete fools out of ourselves just to try to get a smile out of her. Her smiles are the best!

We're BACK!

Here it is! The long awaited first blog after the birth of our precious baby girl.  My apologies to those of you who have checked this blog faithfully for four weeks and were disappointed each time by no new blog.  I failed to mention on the last post the day before our induction that there is a four week maternity leave from blogging after the birth of a child.

I feel like I have so much to say but not exactly sure how to put it all into words. Also, being as sleep deprived as I am, you can be sure there will be grammar and spelling errors throughout this whole post.  So I will apologize in advance.

Labor and Delivery:
We woke up at 3:30 a.m. to get ready for the big day, this was early but I don't think I slept two winks all night anyways! The hospital nurses wasted no time getting everything going for the induction.  The crazy thing is, that when I got there my contraction were already two to three minutes apart.  I had no idea I was already in labor! Everyone told me, oh you will know it, don't worry.  I knew I was uncomfortable and every now and then I would have a contraction strong enough to make me say I had a contraction, but I had no idea I was having them so often.  I really didnt believe them, but they showed me the tape that they were monitoring my contractions on and sure enough there they were.  They started the pitocin , which was supposed to help increase the strength of my contractions but we had a problem because it was also putting my contractions much closer together than what is actually productive for delivery. So, the levels of pitocin they had me on went up and down all day and all night. They kept asking me if I was doing ok with the pain, and for the most part I can honestly say the pain was much less than what I had been expecting, which was good because I wanted to go through it all sans epidural or pain meds.   The nurse I had told me that alot of patients she has had started their epidural only a couple hours into what I was going through.  This gave me a lot of confidence! I was expecting to have a baby before the end of the afternoon but it just wasn't in God's plan.  My cervix was dilating extremely slowly considering the amount of contractions I was having along with the amount of pitocin being administered.  I had mentally decided I could handle the pain, but what became the hard part for me was the length of time I was enduring the constant contractions.  It became an endurance race.  I was starting to get very tired.  The worst part of the whole thing was when they told me to walk the halls.  I ended up having what showed up on the monitor as practically one large 10 minute contraction. (It was actually just one contraction right after the other without any breaks.) This resulted in my puking.  UGH! I hate to puke, but puking because of pain is the worst kind. When that happened, I seriously questioned my decision to opt out of pain meds; but the nurses and Allen were very supportive of my choice. My dilation stalled at 7 cm.  When the doctor came in after 18.5 hours of the unproductive labor, she checked and said that my cervix was swelled, instead of thinning the way it is supposed to.  That meant time for the c-section.  I cried of course because I was disappointed.  It was a long time and a lot pain to go through without being able to deliver vaginally, but of course it wasn't about me, this was about bringing baby Sylvia safely into this world. The surgery room for c-sections has to be the scariest room I have ever been in, a room perfectly strerile, freezing cold, bright lights, strange machines beeping, approximately ten people running around in hair nets and masks. They wasted no time at all hooking me up to the machines, getting the anesthesia going, and securing me down to the surgery table.  Allen sat next to my head behind the sheet.  I felt nothing but some pressure and tugging.  In less than five minutes we heard, "Quick Dad! Look!" Allen stood, I heard him gasp, and then I heard what will be for the rest of my life the most memorable precious sound I have ever heard, the strong cries of our baby girl.  They disappeared for a minute to weigh her, clean her, and check her vitals.  Allen quickly came back to the table while the doctors were still sewing me up , crying the first thing he said was, "She has your chin and Josh's toes." Translation: Sylvia has the Downing dimple in her chin and my brother's abnormally long toes.  Then they brought her to me.  The second I looked into her beautiful wide open eyes was the moment I became a mom.  My whole purpose in life in my arms. It completely took my breath away to meet eye to eye with the tiny human being who spent nine months in my womb.  She was a hungry hungry girl too! I thought that she might fall asleep right away but she didn't.  She continued to stare at me while feeding and it was amazing.

The rest of the hospital stay was rough! Recovering from labor, a c-section, staying in an unfamiliar environment, constant interruptions day and night from nurses  and doctors, and a newborn babygirl who didn't and still doesn't know what sleep is, and was hungry all day and all night! They let us go home one day early because we were both doing so well.  We  were more than ready to go.

Life With Sylvia Sue
One of the first questions everyone always asks is how is our dog Penny getting along with the baby.  Well, Penny doesn't seem to mind her at all, what Penny does mind is the big decrease in attention she has been receiving resulting in a few "accidents." We're working on it...

The second question we usually get asked, "Is she a good baby?" My response to this is, "Define good baby".  Is she perfectly healthy and beautiful? YES. Does she pee, poop. sleep, and cry? Yes, yes, yes but not at night, and YES. However, she is a demanding baby and seems to be on the fussy side, and the biggest thing is that she has her days and night still completely mixed up.  I have never seen the sun come up so many days in a row in my life! We are working on this but it's a process. 

She has been full of personality from day one, but at four weeks she is really starting to develop.  She is looking around more, and smiling, and starting to occasionally coo.  Her favorite thing to look at are the curtains in any room of the house.  She can stare at them for a very long time without getting bored.  At my grandma's house she likes to stare at the border wallpaper. 

She's so darn cute! I want to take pictures of her all day and all night.  If you want to see the many many pics that I am taking , bookmark http://www.photobucket.com/sylviasue . :)

Allen and I both have admitted to crying when we're by ourselves, just holding our beautiful baby girl because it's so overwhelmingly emotional to look at her face.

We made it to church this past Sunday for the first time since she was born.  She made it all the way through service without throwing a fit! :) She was so quiet and good, we couldn't believe it.

We are sooo grateful to God for blessing us with such a beautiful healthy baby girl. Our lives have changed for the better.  We plan on still sharing our adventures through this blog. Again, sorry for the delayed "She's here!" post, but the "blogging maternity leave" was necessary, but now that we are starting to settle into our new roles as parents it will be easier for me to blog.

Love you all!!!!!

Our last Friday night...

...as parents to be. Tomorrow we will be just plain parents.  We have patiently waited for Miss Sylvia to choose to make her entry into the world on her own, however it has been determined that she is going to need some coaxing on out.  Tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. we will be entering the hospital to be induced. We will have a baby before the end of this weekend. If all goes well before tomorrow evening.  In some ways these past nine months have seemed like a long time, in most ways they seem to have flown by so quickly; I feel like we blinked from the day of the positive pregnancy test to now.  9 months is not enough to fully mentally prepare for the adventure we are about to head out on, I don't think even a year would be long enough, but ready or not the day is upon us.  I sit typing with a mix of emotions so intense I find it impossible to express adequately. We are grateful for this opportunity, this ultimate blessing to be able to bring another life into the world, and scared out of our minds at how well we will do.  We are about to meet the biggest responsibility of our lives.  We are so excited and so frightened, I really find nothing else to say at this time; other than please pray for us.  Pray for a healthy delivery of a healthy child; and we will soon be posting true color pictures of Miss Sylvia Sue, no more black and white ultrasound pictures.  We love you all. Thank you for all your prayers and support so far, and we thank you in advance for the continued support and prayers.

Anytime now!

Well, she isn't here yet...has been pretty still today.  Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe she is resting and storing up energy for a day or two so she can make her entrance. Every little pain I feel shoot across my belly I'm waiting for it to turn into real contractions.  This waiting is going to drive me CRAZY!!!!

A journey through ultrasound pics

6 weeks

12 weeks

20 weeks

                    

30 weeks

                  

38 weeks

Well, the doctor called today and she weighs approximately 9lbs 5oz, give or take a pound and a half. She said she looks good and thinks we should be able to try this vaginally because of my "good pelvis".  She doesn't think we need to plan a  c-section.  I have orders to rest today because of some serious pain I woke up with, but after rest, my orders are to walk, sit backwards in chairs, and to make frequent love to my husband! Can you imagine Allen's surprise at order number three? It's any man's dream come true. Dr's orders to spend some extra time in the bedroom. If we don't have her by Wednesday the doctor will strip my membranes, which in most cases means a baby within 24-48 hours.  Not for all women, but for most.  And she said if that doesn't work she will consider scheduling an induction for me. Either way this baby girl is going to be here in time for Thanksgiving! Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for strength for both of us and for the health of Sylvia. 

Ultrasound...waiting to hear from doc

The ultrasound was really neat this morning because we were able to see her practicing breathing.  Her little chest was moving up and down, preparing for life outside the womb.  The ultrasound tech couldn't really tell us anything and the dr was out of the office today, so I have to wait to talk to her about the results until tomorrow, but one thing we do know as a result of the ultrasound, and I quote the tech "She is definately a girl!"  Sylvia wasn't as shy this ultrasound and showed her little girl parts on the screen.

So, do we think she is going to be cursed with my giant forehead? LOL! Aren't her little lips and nose so cute! If thsse's this cute in black and white , how much cuter is she going to be in color! I CANNOT WAIT! :)

38 Weeks!

Where do 9 months go? We have two weeks until our due date and since we are full term as of last week, Sylvia can make her grand appearance at any time now without being considered premature. After today's dr appointment I don't think we have any reason to believe she is going to make an early appearance. The dr said I haven't progressed any further than last week. Besides no progress, she expressed concern over Sylvia's size. She thinks she is a large baby and wants to see how big, so we are going to have an ultrasound tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. We won't know the results of the ultrasound until Friday since the dr isn't in tomorrow. She just wants to see if we should be preparing for a c-section or not. She says that my pelvis looks really good and she doesn't think I should have any problem delivering a 9lb baby, but would still like to get some measurements. I myself am looking good. No weight gain this week. Total weight gain over 9 months, 15 lbs! :) No sugar or protien in urine. Blood pressure was fine and my swelling has been at a minimum. I am still wearing my wedding rings! YAY! Although I do admit the swelling has been worse the past week than it has been all pregnancy, I know I don't really have anything to complain about. I could do with out any of the recent migraines and completely sleepless nights. AND I REALLY REALLY WANT TO MEET THIS LITTLE GIRL!!!!! I think I may be suffering from the end of pregnancy craziness the books warn about. I am SOOOO over being pregnant. I am ready to see what she looks like and to look into her eyes.

So a few pics to post, the picture in the purple patterned shirt is a pic at 37 weeks taken last week. Then the pics of Allen and me are closer to 38 weeks taken this weekend. Then of course the car seat which is taking some time to getting used to seeing in the backseat of the car everyday!

36 weeks!

Well, the time has come to start thinking about every braxton hicks contraction...."Was that one a real one?" I have an appointment tomorrow and the doctor is going to check my cervix so we will know if there is anything going on down there or not. I know for certain that poor little Sylvia is running out room to play in my belly, so she's probably going to want to make her appearance pretty soon. The video above is a video of Dr. Maple taking Sylvia's heartrate. The first heartbeat on the left side is my heart beat and when she switched over to the right side is Sylvia's heart beat. It doesn't get very clear until the very end of the video, but I still wanted to share...

Allen starts second shift next week. So, if all goes as planned he should be adjusted to the second shift sleeping schedule before Sylvia arrives so that we can get used to a new "baby" schedule together.

We are getting two different outfits to take to the hospital with us for Sylvia's going home outfit. We are going to take a newborn sized outfit and a 0-3 month outfit in case she is too big for newborn clothes. Tonight we found one really cute outfit at Wal-Mart that we had to buy. It says "Daddy's sweet heart". Everyone all together now... "AWWW!"

I know...I know...

Time for a new post...which I will have to do tomorrow. I spent tonight packing up our "go" bag. So tomorrow I will try to write a Cooley family update, but for now, GOOD NIGHT ALL! :)

34 weeks!

Tonight we went grocery shopping and we purchase the essential personal hygiene items for the "GO BAG" that we will be packing this weekend. We only have 6 weeks left, unless she decides to make an early appearance, which we are hoping not. I've never been so excited and so nervous before in my whole life. It's causing insomnia. Not that sleep is very easy these days anyways....I had no idea how much you actually use your stomach muscles to roll over in bed. Or how much you use your stomach muscles to to sneeze or cough, or lots of things for that matter.

Allen has his second shift bid, but they still haven't moved him to the actual shift, so he is still working overnights. I wish they would move him very soon so he will have a little bit of time to adjust to a new work schedule before Sylvia gets here.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

33 weeks!

Good Report

Dr said I'm doing good with my weight and that my blood pressure is just right. No protein or sugar in my urine. Healthy happy heartbeat, (doc's words...). :)

32 weeks!

Two months or less to go! :) I am going to try and catch my belly on video moving with Sylvia. Tonight would have been a perfect video of course I didn't have my camera on hand to capture her little butt moving across my stomach. Such a miracle, such an amazing experience! I have a dr's appt tomorrow, going to discuss the birthing plan. Keep us in your prayers!

Silly Girl!

Well, Sylvia refused to cooperate for today's ultrasound. She was laying very still and had her legs tucked up underneath of her, so we didn't get any good pictures, just one kind of blurry one of her profile, but they were able to get the necessary measurements for the doctor to be able to advise us that she has the potential to be a 9 lb. baby. Parts of her body were measuring 33-34 weeks instead of the 30 weeks I truly am. I have had several people at work tell me though that they were supposed to have bigger babies and theirs all ended up around 7lbs. Everything is still looking good and healthy for both baby and me. I'm still doing really good with my weight gain. (I still weigh less now than I did at Christmas of last year.) Although I had a bout with some serious dizziness this week, I think I'm just going to have to be sure I am eating something about every two hours to prevent it from happening again.

29 weeks 3 days

So, this morning Allen says, that belly sure is growing. LOL! So I figured it was time for an updated baby bump picture....not exactly a bump any more...more like a watermelon attached to my abdomen. :) It means Sylvia is a growing girl!

Good news

Allen has received a second shift position at his job. It's one of the shorter committment jobs in the sauce room as a label inspector. He will only be required to stay in this position for 6 months, after that he will be able to bid into another position if it opens up, including a first or third shift job. We have discussed that he may want to switch back to thirds depending on how these 6 months go. We have talked about it alot and we feel for when Sylvia arrives it will be best for Allen to be on second shift so that we will be able to have full weekends together and for the sleep/parenting schedules that we hope to be able to establish once she gets here.

Please continue to pray for us during this time of transition and preparation for becoming new parents. The day is getting closer and closer. Sylvia keeps reminding me every day! I thought she was moving a lot before, but now she is REALLY moving on a regular basis. I can pretty much tell when she is asleep and awake now. (She sleeps alot...) and the movements have changed since her room inside my belly is becoming more restricted as she grows, her movements are much closer to the surface of my belly. I can frequently looked down and see the movements, which is really neat. It's a unique experience to have her rolling around inside. I can now just place my hand on my belly and feel her. She's definately growing stronger day by day. Some of her movements now even hurt, but it's an amazing feeling. I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined what it would feel like to have our child rolling around inside me, but I love it. I love her! I just can't wait to meet this little person who keeps me company all day and all night!

What a weekend!

Saturday night we attended the joint birthday party our friends Amy and Jessica. They served pizza from a pizza place in Quincy that Allen and I had never tried before. It was delicious! It was also nice to get to see friends that we don't get to see very often any more.

Sunday was an amazing day filled with church activities and baby registry scanning. First was church in the morning, which as always was wonderful. God is really moving at Madison Park. Our numbers each Sunday continue to grow, two Sundays ago the number of attendees was over 1000 between the two services, but unlike some other "mega" churches, Madison Park truly has the mission of Christ in mind. Sure we could spend the church's money on building a new and bigger building, instead, the elders of our church have made the decision to bring in an outside church consulting group to help us maximize the space we already have and to meet the needs of a growing church congregation without spending massive amounts of money on a new buidling. The wise mission minded elders of our church know that the church funds are better spent being put back into the community, investing in people like we are supposed to.

After church Allen and I started our baby registry at Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart in Quincy didn't have everything we want to register for so we will have to finish the registry here in Hannibal.

Then we headed back to church for Summerfest 2011, a community event our church throws in order to reach out to our community to offer a great family fun atmosphere, to expose others to the idea that Christian aren't all stuffy judgemental bores. We really do know how to have fun! :)

This is something I wish more people could understand. I don't think of all athiests as animal sacrficing, blood drinking, demon lovers, so why must I automatically be thrown into the category of crazy, judgemental, bible thumper? Everytime I turn the tv on and see another church spewing hate and judgement towards their fellow man, instead of loving them like we have been commanded to do, I feel nauseous. How is the world to ever really know the good news if they only have examples of the exact opposite be shoved down their throats? Identifying oneself as a Christian doesn't mean the right to judge others, and choose who you love and who doesn't deserve your love. Identifying oneself as Christian means to be a follow of Christ, who is the only perfect example of love we have. Unconditional love. Not I love you because you think like me, act like me, and agree with what I say. Not I love you because your skin in the same color as mine and you speak the same language that I do. Unconditional love. I love you no matter what.

Good news!

Diabetes check, I passed! :) YAY! What a relief!

Good appointment

Today's doctor appointment with the new doc went well. I like her and she seems thorough. I am anxiously waiting the results of my blood tests, they went ahead and ran the gestational diabetes test, thyroid test and iron check. Results won't be in til tomorrow. Sylvia's heart beat is good, fast, and strong. AND the best news of the day is we get to peek inside to see her again through ultrasound on Friday September 9th. I can't wait!

Hiccups?!?!

Well today was supposed to be my first appointment with my new doctor. Unfortunately the appt was cancelled because Dr. was sick. They have rescheduled me for Thursday of this week. Would have been nice to get to hear Sylvia's heartbeat today, but I will just have to wait a few more days.

I have finally discovered what this strange "kicking" I have been feeling alot lately is...Sylvia is a hiccupping little girl! She seems to get them quite frequently. It feels like she is drumming on the inside of my belly, or perhaps like popcorn popping against my belly. I decided to look this up and also asked a coworker, and everything points to hiccups. (I will of course talk to my doctor to be sure what I have been told and what I have read is correct...) But it makes sense and it makes me smile. It means she is practicing breathing, which is a good sign. :)

(p.s Tried to post this yesterday, on Monday but blogger wasn't cooperating...)

Hoot hoot!

I am now convinced for sure we have a little night owl on our hands. She snoozes during the day and has little belly parties all night long! I didn't get any sleep at all, (unless you count 45 minutes at a time sleep...) due to the outrageous heartburn, and little miss Sylvia's after hour parties. She wasn't just kicking either. She is now large enough for me to feel when she rotates, which she was doing plenty of last night. Is it true that heartburn means a head full of hair? If so she's going to come out like Rapunzel! Heartburn that four tums at one time can't touch, is pretty bad!

Happy Monday to all! Tomorrow week 27 starts. 13 weeks left! AHHHHH!

Saturday Plans

Working some overtime tomorrow while Allen sleeps, and then a trip to the farmers maket, and maybe Hobby Lobby. Then nap, bbq with my hubby, and maybe , just maybe a trip to the movies, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Then more sleep...that's what this pregnant lady needs!

Burlap To Cashmere - The Other Country

I am really REALLY digging this song right now. Hard to believe this song is just coming out 2011, definately sounds like it came straight out of the 60's. Not sure what exactly it is about this song but something about it really relaxes me and this week I really needed it.

Today,

Of all the things I want to rant and rave about on this blog (work related...) , instead I'm going to be thankful for today. I'm thankful that today the weather was amazing. Allen and I took a wonderful walk this evening with Penny, and I'm thankful for having a husband that can deal with my crazy pregnant butt. I'm thankful I have a job. I better type that one again...I'M THANKFUL I HAVE A JOB. I'm thankful I live in the midwest, where as hot as it has been, we are are not experiencing drought, famine or flooding or riots or genocide and violence. I'm thankful I ate dinner tonight and had clean drinking water to quench my thirst.

Whatever I have to complain about today, I will not because I am blessed.

Less than 100 days!

At first I thought the little ticker at the top of the blog keeping track of how far long we are with this pregnancy was super cute...until the count down dropped below 100. Now, it simply is serving as a reminder as to how quickly time flies by, how quickly Allen and I will be parents. How quickly we are going to be taking on the biggest responsiblity of our entire lives! The closer it gets, the scarier it gets, the more exciting it is. It's by far the biggest emotional roller coaster ride I have ever had in my life so far. We are sooo excited to meet this little girl rolling around in my ever growing belly, and at the same time absolutely terrified. It's hard to focus on any of my everyday tasks, especially work when I am either day dreaming about how wonderful it will be to be a mom, or worrying about all the things we are getting ready to head into as parents. I am just grateful to God for blessing us with strong support system we have in our family on both sides as well as the good friends we have. As scary as preparing to become parents is, having the support of our loved ones does make it a tiny bit less frightening. Also, being able to place our trust in the creator of the universe, our Lord God Almighty, knowing that as long as we make him the head of our growing household, we cannot fail, is comforting.

Will she have my nose, or Allen's nose? Will she have my tiny ears and Allen's eyes? Will she want to play the piano? What will be her favorite book?

The Baby Bump! :)

Above: My view looking down. Below: The view from the side. Either direction...SYLVIA IS IN THERE! :)

The baby bump is much cuter when I'm looking down at it (all I see is round belly), than from the side, but it's definately official. I have a baby bump! YAY!

Good Heartbeat!

Today was another prenatal appointment, my last with my Quincy dr. I am now in the process of transitioning my care to a dr in Hannibal, so that I will be able to deliver at the Hannibal hospital. It was hard to tell the doctor and nurse who were there for me through my miscarriage and have been very kind and supportive of me so far through my pregnancy that I am switching doctors. I felt like such a traitor, but my doctor said the right thing , "You have to make decisions that are best for you." Allen and I have discussed it and we really think this is the best thing.

Anyways, our little baby girl has a good strong heartbeat. Doctor said her bpm is exactly where she should be. Took a minute to get a count because she was moving around my belly. My numbers were all good too. I weighed in at only 3 pounds more than my visit last month, which makes my total weight gain in 4 1/2 months, only 3 pounds! For anyone who doesn't know, when you are overweight to begin with, as I was , during your pregnancy you are not expected to gain the normal 25-35 pounds. My blood pressure was good and I passed the urine test for sugar and protein.

We are slowly starting to accumulate baby things...we better get this computer room transformed into a baby room so we can make sure everything has it's place before Sylvia makes her big appearance! :)

Oh this crazy heat!

Poor Allen has had a very long week in the heat at work. Tonight is his last night before the weather man is promising a cool down. Let's hope for once they are right. He has had a pretty good week at work considering the heat, except for last night when one of his coworkers called in and he had to do this other person's job in addition to his own. He was definately ready for bed this morning.

I was sick Monday-Wednesday of this week. My doctor's office said she thinks I must have had a virus. I hope she is right.

Sylvia is still kicking. I'm afraid she might have her days and nights mixed up. Her most active times are at night and early early morning...I am resigned to the fact I may never sleep again. She will be worth it I'm sure.

I have been trying to find bedding for a crib online and have been overwhelmed by the choices and the costs. Much more expensive than a set for our queen size bed! I was able to get a steal from my friend Amy at work who is having a little boy in November. Her last baby was a girl and she sold me her adorable bedding set for $25! WHAT A GREAT DEAL! :)

Little wiggle worm...

Sylvia is getting big enough now that I am starting to really feel her on a regular basis. I have been feeling her for a while now, but it still seems to suprise me a little bit when she gets going. It's like she saying "Hey mom, I just want you to know I'm in here!". My belly is in a crazy growing stage...I swear it's getting bigger every day! I know for sure bigger than last week, just based on how my clothes fit me.

Such an exciting time!

I think we have decided on a crib from Walmart, one at a very reasonable price that will convert into a toddler bed/day bed and then will be able to serve as a headboard for a regular twin size bed. Which means we can use it for several years! We don't want to go crazy and spend an outrageous amount on the actual crib frame, but we will probably want to spend a little bit more on the mattress, since this is the important part.

We found a cheap and nice corner computer desk at Walmart, which we need b/c we are turning the guest bedroom into our guest bedroom/computer room. It's not a very big room so having the little corner desk will save some space.

We also found a cheap, baby friendly, and attractive TV stand at Walmart which will allow us to hide the cords. (Unlike the one we currently have which is VERY unsafe for a baby that we will blink and they will be into everything.)

I am having a really hard time deciding what kind of swing to get...

Honestly this whole baby shopping thing is completely overwhelming. There are a million and one different types of whatever it is I'm looking at, and of course a million and one product reviews, which I feel compelled to read so that I can be an informed consumer.

We really need to go ahead and buy the big stuff though and get things in their places so that I feel confident and ready that our home is baby ready. Allen and I are both known procrastinators...we really can't do that with a baby on the way. It's either do it now...when our lives are calm and we have enough sleep to function, or regret it later when we are sleep deprived and have a newborn to take care of.

Of course we wont be painting any of the walls because of renting, but there are alot of really cute things that can be bought to decorate, but everything is EXPENSIVE. I need to sit and think and get creative!! :)

Pregnancy Milestone!

Allen was able to feel Sylvia kick tonight! (or punch, or head butt me, whatever it is she is doing to me from the inside...) It was a special moment. The furniture shopping has begun. I'm trying to do this online and to get the best possible deal for best quality possible without spending an arm and a leg. There are a billion different choices. It's very overwhelming. Wish us luck, because we need to start getting this show on the road.

Have you ever had to pee so bad?

Have you ever had to pee so bad that you cried like a child in the waiting room of the dr's office? I HAVE! Wednesday was a very exciting and wonderful day for us to find out that our baby is healthy so far and is a little girl, but finding this out came at the serious breakdown of Sylvia's mommy. You have to have a full bladder for the first part of this ultrasound so that they can see the things they need to see and measure. The instructions say to drink 32 oz water w/in the hour prior to the visit. Well, I wasn't sure I would be able to drink the full 32 oz w/in the hour of the visit since I was leaving from work to the visit, so I just steadily drank water through out my morning without relieving myself, figuring this would work the same as the 32 oz in an hour. Well, it worked way way way too good. As we were waiting for them to call my name the urge to pee was becoming more and more urgent. (It does not help my dr's waiting room has a waterfall running! This is not a joke...they really do!) At first Allen and I were laughing about it, hahaha, drank too much water. As the minutes ticked by the humor was completely lost on me, when I realized I had to go pee worse than any time in my whole life that I can remember. It was painful, and I became quite certain that I wasn't going to make it, but I knew I had to make it or they wouldn't be able to check what they needed to check. So I held it , and held it, annnd held it. Allen kept asking me if I was going to be ok? Then he switched from asking me if I was going to be ok, because the answer each time was NO!, to telling me, "You're gonna be alright." Then they started calling people back into the ultrasound rooms that got there a long time after me. I really started to lose it. I turned into what I can only describe as a waiting room monster. They were 20 minutes late and my bladder was over an hour WAY too full. I started to cry...Allen told me, "Don't cry!" I snapped, "Don't be tired!" (He hadn't been to bed yet.) I started to sweat and feel lightheaded. I just knew I was going to pass out in the waiting room on my big ultrasound day and pee all over their floor. I began to think that perhaps I had the wrong appointment time, that maybe instead of 9:15 it was actually 9:45. I went to the front desk to confirm my time and was told 9:15 was correct, they were just running a little behind. I started to ask how far behind but couldn't hardly breathe and I was crying so, I opened my mouth to ask how far behind, but what came out of my mouth was, "Can we check to see when they are going to get me in because I am going to pee my pants." The girl said I will see what they can do, and sure enough two minutes later it was my turn. It's a good thing too, because I honestly believe if I had to wait even five more minutes, I would have had to reschedule that appointment. It was definately a memorable day in the waiting room!

It's a GIRL!

The ultrasound went well today! She seems to be a healthy little baby. She weighs about one pound! That is a little more than a can of soda! She wasn't shy about showing her stuff either. One of the first things we saw during the ultrasound was the space between her legs. I'm exhausted from such an exciting day , so I am going to take a shower and get some sleep, but tomorrow I might have to give you some more details about the ultrasound. The first part of it was quite comical, but that will be for another blog. Love you all! Sylvia says hi! :)

Halfway point! :)

20 weeks down. 20 weeks (or less?) to go! Tomorrow is finally the big ultrasound day. I'm probably not going to sleep very well tonight because I'm so excited to see this little one I am carrying. Allen is so excited too! Tomorrow's picture will not be a picture of a fruit or vegetable, but a picture of what baby C really looks like right now! :)

Quick shout out to our friends Jessica and Alex celebrating their 3rd wedding anniversary today! Congratulations! Here's to many many many more years of happiness to you! Love you guys!

Of course...

Lawn mower broke this week, what a coincidence that this weekend is one of the few weekends my job is offering over time......ironic, eh? Thought we might be able to put some extra money in the bank, instead...it's already spent before I earn it. Go figure. Sigh! Off to bed for me! Love you all!

19 weeks!

This is going to be the longest week! One week from tomorrow is the big day to find out the baby's sex. I'm still having conversations with this little one to make sure they know that next Wednesday is their big day to show their stuff!

AHHHHH!!!!

There's a baby in my belly!

Yesterday was a big day for me. I felt the baby move for the first time. I was sitting at work listening to a coworker when I felt it in my lower abdomen, clear as day. It was very strange, but wonderful. I made me coworker stop talking because I was so surpised. I still can't believe there is a human being living inside me! :)

Not much going on this week. The temperature this week has been a lot better for Allen at work than last week. I would think we've had our share of rain for quite a while...but it seems there is more on it's way.

Going to spend time in Sturgeon this weekend, can't wait to visit with everyone.

Hope everyone has had a good week! Tomorrow is Friday! :)

Much cuter than an onion!

2 more weeks and we are halfway done with this cooking a baby business!

Awww...our little...ONION???

22 DAYS UNTIL WE FIND OUT IF OUR LITTLE ONION IS A BOY OR A GIRL! :)

Great weather, great friends, great weekend!

16 weeks

Three day weekend starting tomorrow night! WOOT!

We are spending the weekend in the Ozarks at the Lake with two of our best friends Kate and Seth. Looking forward to getting away for the weekend. I hope the weather is nice. It looks like maybe a chance for rain on Saturday but nice for the rest of the weekend. Allen's vacation starts next week. I wish I had vacation with him, but oh no, to work I will go. :( Oh well.....in about 5 months I'm going to have about two months off from my employment. I don't want to say two months off from work, because as I understand it, it will just be the start of the main work for the next 18 to who knows how many years of my life!

I'm so excited about having a baby and so nervous at the same time I just can't decide which I am more!

I'm not really visably starting to show too much yet, but my body shape is changing a lot, and Shhh...don't tell anyone, but I haven't bought any maternity pants yet, sooo....I've just been unbuttoning my pants at work and wearing shirts long enough to cover it up. LOL! :) I'm just about to the point though to where I'm seriously going to have to go shopping for a few pairs of stretchy pants.

The nausea is gone. It has been replaced with heartburn, headaches and dizziness, both of which are very normal for pregnant women to experience. I will take all three of these "symptoms" over the nausea though. I'm so glad that's over! My energy has returned (even though I still get tired easily...) I have been feeling much better over all.

Allen has put in a bid for two different second shift positions. Maybe this week will be the week...keeping my fingers , toes, legs, arms, and eyes crossed. (Telepathically have asked baby C to cross their teeny tiny fingers too! )

Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Love you all!

15 weeks....