...she looks like ME! :)

I'm not bragging...but our little girl is adoooorable!! At first I couldn't tell by the 4D pictures who she looked like, but Kevin and the ultrasound tech both agree she looks like her momma! :) I just said "Ah!" but Kevin is ecstatic that she looks like me! So sweet. haha.

Okay, let me go back to my last update and start from there. Sorry. I just had to share the news of her adorableness.

ANYWHO...my last appointment was the 28 week check-up which included the glucose tolerance test. Not gonna lie, I was dreading the appointment for two reasons...1)I was terrified the glucose drink would be disgusting and I'd throw up in front of everyone and 2) because I knew they would be taking blood. It's not that I'm a total weiner about having blood taken (only a semi-weiner!) but the last time they had to try FOUR times before hitting the vein. That's three times too many in my book!

Oh, and let me add that little miss Elaina had decided her favorite spot was now on mommy's sciatic nerve. So, I'd been in horrible pain and barely able to walk for like 3 days prior to this appointment!

So, I get to the dr office, weigh in (up a total of 5lbs from appointment #1), have my blood pressure taken (it was "great"!), listen to Elaina's heartbeat on the doppler (144) and then they hand me the drink. It looked great...like orange soda. So, I open it and chug like 1/2 the bottle. I wait for the gagging...and nothing. It actually wasn't that bad. It tasted like orange Gatorade kinda...just sweeter. So, I really had no problem drinking it in the allowed 5 minutes. After finishing it off (with a small burp I might add...hey, there was no one in the room and it felt good!) the nurse practioner came in to see me. I'd been considering asking them to change my assigned doctor, so I brought it up. She said that they'd be more than happy to change that for me if I wanted them to...so, we're now assigned to Dr Harmon! yay! She checked my ankels for swelling, measured my belly (27.5 inches!), and gave me information on local birthing/parenting/breastfeeding classes. I mentioned my back pain/difficulty in walking and she agreed that it was Elaina on my sciatic nerve...then said "It's horrible...and there's nothing we can do about it." WELL THANKS FOR THAT RAY OF SUNSHINE! sheesh. I could've cried. Idon't know what I expected them to do, but just hearing that there was nothing available made me even more miserable. ((Good news...Elaina's mothers day gift to me was moving OFF the nerve! Thank you baby girl...Mommy REALLY appreciated that!)) So anyway, I finished up with the NP, waited the rest of the 60 minutes required for the GT test, and went to have my blood taken. Thank God the lady hit it the first time and I barely felt it. I could've hugged her! :)

They called me the next day with my results and said everything looked great, except my thyroid which could be fixed by increasing my medicine. I was so relieved to hear I didn't have gestational diabetes. My mom had it with both my brother and me, but was lucky and had no complications whatsoever! However, I figured with her having it, I'd be at a higher risk...thank God for answering that prayer!

Now onto the 4D goodies...

Kevin and I had discussed having the 4D ultrasound done, but my regular office charges $200. I couldn't see spending that much money on it...till I heard about a place down the road that only charged $100. So, I told Kevin about it and said that I'd let him make the decision. Well, this uber excited daddy couldn't pass up the chance to see his little girl...so we made the appointment. And now, I am SO glad we did. It was amazing. Here are a few pictures...

with her foot in her face. it must be comfy b/c that's been her position of choice during the last TWO ulrasounds.

looks like we have a thumbsucker!

...who sleeps just like her daddy--with her arm up over her face!

See...told ya she's a doll! :) Now, after seeing these pictures and her in action, Kevin and I are bouncing off the walls and oh-so-ready for her to make her debut! We've told her to cook for at least 6 or 7 more weeks at least...then get her booty out here so Mommy & Daddy can hug and love and kiss on her!

26 weeks & 5 days...last update of 2nd trimester!

I can't believe it. This will be my last update in the 2nd trimester! As of Tuesday, I'll be in the "home stretch"...eek! Scary AND exciting!

They say the 1st trimester sucks, 2nd trimester is smooth sailing, and 3rd trimester is full of discomfort. Well...2nd wasn't exactly "smooth" for me. No, it wasn't horrible, but my morning sickness hung around till about week 20, I had a UTI at week 24, my back has killed me for the last 6 weeks and I feel huge. haha. Regardless, I've enjoyed the 2nd trimester because it brought more good than bad! Finding out our little one is a girl, feeling her move for the first time, feeling her move from the outside the first time, Kevin getting to feel her move, watching my stomach roll while she kicks and dances, and finally looking pregnant! haha. So...I'm sad to see this trimester end, but I know we're getting close to her arrival and that makes it all worth it!!

Total weight gain/loss: at my last appointment I'm finally over my starting weight...by 2 pounds! :)
Maternity clothes? yes please...I need more though!
Stretch marks? dang it. I wish I could say 'no'...but I can't. :( I have two. They're very faint and so far down on my stomach I'll never have to worry about anyone (other than myself and Kevin) seeing them...but I bawled like a baby when I found them. Kevin reassured me it was okay, promised he still loved me (b/c mid-sob I said "you won't love me with a road map on my stomach!!") and reminded me they were momentos of an amazing time in our lives. aww.
Sleep: Honestly, we're trying to get as much as possible now b/c we know we won't get this luxury for like 18 years! haha.
Best moment this week: getting the crib and dresser into the nursery
Movement: oh my lord! she's SO active! i love it...even though it's slightly uncomfortable sometimes! haha. i think she's gonna be a great soccer player!
Food cravings: nope. nothing really.
Gender: still a girl! :)
Labor Signs: nada.
Belly Button in or out? in, but it's not as "deep" as before. haha.
Wedding rings on or off? still on! :)
What I miss: hrm. other than the drink I mentioned last time, nothing really. :)
What I am looking forward to: holding our little girl for the first time. we're so anxious.
Weekly Wisdom: Just because you babysit a kid one time doesn't qualify you to give me parenting advice...and pregnancy is NOT a handicap. You are not dead nor helpless so get over yourself. (sorry...i feel better now.)
Milestones: End of 2nd trimester/Beginning of 3rd!! :) yippee!

nursery on a budget!

I believe it's 50 times more fun to decorate on a budget than what I suppose it is to decorate on a unlimited budget (i wouldn't know...but i'm just guessing!)

I knew when we started the nursery that there was NO WAY i wanted to spend tons of $ on it. I wanted her to have a nice room, but honestly Elaina's (or any child for that matter!) not going to be any better of a person because she has a $1500 crib instead of a $400 crib. So...I just wanted to share some great bargains I've found thus far as proof that decorating CAN be done for cheap.

These letters are wooden and were painted white already. I wanted something "girly" and cute so when I found these at Hobby Lobby I knew they would be perfect. However, they were full priced...$2.99 each. Okay, call me cheap but $3 x 6 letters = $18 + tax (which is 10% in TN!). So, being the admitted cheap-o that I'm proud to be I decided to wait because I know how Hobby Lobby works. They rotate stuff on 50% off ALL THE TIME! Why would I pay full price when chances are they would be on sale in a week. SOOOOO...I waited and sure enough next time, they were on sale! $1.50 x 6 letters = $9...much better! :)

I found this rug at Kirklands...one of my absolute favorite stores in the world. I could honestly spend an entire months income in there in about 30 minutes and leave still wanting more. Anywho, I knew I wanted a "pop of color" but was having a hard time finding a rug I liked that was the right size and NOT $100+. So, the day I walked into Kirklands and saw this beauty rolled up I about peed my pants. Even better, it was marked down from $30 (still a great price!) to $24.99...THEN when the wonderful man at the register rang it up it was only $20!!! Yippee!

So, those are my two favorite bargains so far. I have a few more that are "projects in progress" so you'll just have to wait on those! Until then...happy bargain shopping! :)

...more nursery progress!

Thank God for grandparents! :)

Elaina's nana and grandpa (my mom & dad) came down this weekend and put together the crib and dresser for us! Kevin had to travel to VA Saturday morning, but got home just in time to see the finished product...then fuss at us for not waiting on him! haha. Anyway, the room is looking GREAT! I am SO happy with it!

Here are a few pics from the weekend...

yay for Nana and Grandpa

Kevin's home and likes what he sees!! :)

Moving the crib into place.

Nana working on the wall letters. Thank God for her b/c there's no way mine would have been straight OR centered!

Kevin & I...can you tell how excited we are for our little girl to get here??

the "thus far" picture. we LOVE how it's coming together!

Hear Ye. Hear Ye.

If I want your parental advice, I will ask for it.

If I don't ask for it, keep you big fat mouth shut.

If you aren't a mother...I don't even think you have the right to give an opinion. I'm not a mother yet, and I keep my mouth shut when other moms talk about how they raise their kids.

This little girl is going to be the child of Kevin and I...therefore, WE will be the ones who make all decisions on how she will or will not be raised. I honestly couldn't give a rats ass if you agree with it or not. She's not your child. Have your own and raise them the way you choose.



Thankyouhaveagooddayandeffoff. :)

2 excited grandmas + paint + nursery=progress! :)

I promised a few pictures of the nursery thus far, so here they are...more to come very soon! :)

the excited mommy & daddy after clearing out the room and taping off all the molding and such!

i go to work for 4.5 hours and come home to this! thank God for grandma's! :)

my mom working on the wall design that will be above the crib.

the paint colors are Disney by Behr...closet is 'TinkerBell' and the rest of the room is 'Timeless Tales'.

the grandma's finishing up the wall design.

all finished...except for her name (which will be the white wooden letters in the picture ^ up there)

love love love love LOVE how it turned out! :)
(pardon the dresser in the middle of the floor. it's going in the nursery closet for extra storage so we didn't really see much use carrying it out...plus it's heavy and worked well for a catch all! ha)

24 week check-up!

Friday was my 24 week check-up.

Things went well, for the most part. My first stop was the potty to leave a urine sample, then the nurse weighed me and took my blood pressure. I'd been below my starting weight up until this appointment...now I'm +2 lbs. Nothing to complain about. At 24 (almost 25) weeks pregnant, I'm thinking +2 is pretty darn good. My mom only gained 17 lbs with my brother and 21 lbs with me, so I'm hoping my weight gain stays in that range too! For my starting BMI my suggested weight gain is 15-25 lbs and for my health, as well as Elaina's, I want to keep it as close to that as possible. I know some people say "Aw, you're gonna gain more than that. Just eat what you want" but I want to stay as healthy as possible so Elaina will too! I'm not saying I'm dieting or not eating what I want, but I do try to make wise choices. If I do gain more than 25, oh well. I won't be upset.

After the weight and BP check, the nurse listened to Elaina's heartbeat. It was kinda funny. Everytime she'd put the doppler over Elaina and find her heartbeat, Elaina would kick the doppler and move...so the nurse would have to start her search all over again. ha. Stubborn, like her daddy! ;) (Kung Fu baby anyone?)

I got to see Dr Harmon again this time and I must say, I really like her. I'm assigned to another doctor (which I haven't got to meet yet b/c the appointment when I was suppose to meet him, he got called out for an emergency c-section) but I really think I'm going to ask next time if I can be reassigned. Dr Harmon is just so nice and easy to talk to.

She told me my urine sample showed there were white blood cells present, which she informed me meant I have a urinary tract infection. She asked if my back had been hurting lately and I said "oh my gosh yes!!"...and according to her, while part of that pain is just a normal pregnancy pain, the majority of it was from the infection. Thank God they found that infection because my back pain was getting unbearable...to the point where Kevin would have to help me off the couch and out of the bed. So, she prescribed me a 7 day antibiotic and said they would make sure to check next time that everything had cleared up. Dr Harmon also measured my stomach (first time I've had that done) and said I was measuring perfectly. Yippee for that!

Last, I asked her about cord blood banking.

((dr harmon recommended CBR for cord blood banking))

Kevin and I have discussed the topic since finding out we were pregnant. Before researching it, I didn't really get what the big uproar was about, but now it makes so much more sense to me. Not only that, but some of Kevin's family members have kids who have had life changing injuries and could have used that childs cord blood to help them. However, cord blood banking is so new that they didn't really have that information available when these kids were born. So, Kevin and I see it as a blessing that so much research and information is out there that we can make a conscious decision on banking. By all means, we hope that we NEVER have to use Elaina's cord blood...but the 'What If?' is always there and I'd feel so guilty if we had this opportunity and turned it down only to regret that decision in 5,10,15 years. The cord blood banking is NOT cheap, but Kevin's parents have seen how it could've changed the lives of people close to them, and have offered to pay for it as a gift to us AND Elaina. Honestly, there's no better gift they could've offered. We're so grateful to them...and like they've told us, having that reassurance that if something did happen to her, we'd have her cord blood to possibly cure her is priceless. Dr. Harmon said she suggests cord blood banking to anyone who asks her about it. She said the results they've had with it already is amazing, and to just think about what they'll be able to cure in 5 or 10 more years. I know cord blood is controversial with some people, and to each their own, but for Kevin and I the health of Elaina is more important than any political debate.

I go back to the Dr on May 6th...then they'll do the glucose test (which I'm dreading), a HIV test that's required by the state of TN, and my thyroid blood work. Can't say I'm excited about all the blood I'll be losing. ha.

Oh, and we started on the nursery this weekend. It's painted and looking gorgeous! I'll post pictures soon!