Christopher Shad, Jr. Has Arrived!

Christopher's Birth Story:

I was scheduled for a c-section for Thursday, December 15 and had to be at the hospital by 8:00 a.m. We arrived on time, but just sat around in my assigned Labor and Delivery room for a couple of hours before anything happened since I was the 3rd c-section that morning.

At about 11:00, the nurses came into my room to get me ready. By 11:30, I was in the operating room and by 11:40 Christopher was born! He weighed in at 8 lbs. 2 oz and was 19.5 inches long. Not the estimated 9 lbs 2 oz, but still big! In addition, he was face-up when he should've been face down for delivery. Therefore, the doctor was saying that it was a good thing we did a c-section just for that reason alone!

It was SUCH an AMAZING experience! I just couldn't believe that it was really happening! Both Shad and I bawled when the doctor pulled Christopher out! I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life! As soon as they got him out and started cleaning him up, I was given morphine and don't remember much after that. The whole rest of Thursday was pretty much gone for me! I do remember bits and pieces, but was so tired that I would fall asleep in the middle of a conversation! Friday was a better day, though.

Everything was just fine with me and Christopher until Saturday afternoon. I went and brought him back to my room from the nursery to visit with his Granddaddy for a little bit. While he was sleeping, we noticed that he was having little seizure-like tremors. Shad got a nurse, who in turn, took Christopher back to the nursery to have his vitals checked. Everything came back fine there, so they called the on-call pediatrician. She ordered a Head Ultrasound, but didn't get over to look at him until late that evening. The ultrasound came back normal, but the Pediatrician and the Neonatologist were still suspicious, so they put Christopher in NICU to be monitored for 48 hours. They also ordered other tests to be run. All those tests came back normal, though, and the tremors stopped a day or two later. They later determined that it was dehydration that was causing them. Since I was breastfeeing exclusively, he wasn't getting the water that he needed. After supplementing the breastfeeding with formula, all tremors stopped.

I was discharged from the hospital on Monday, December 19 and Christopher was discharged on Wednesday, December 21.


Thursday, December 15

Tuesday, December 20

A Date Has Been Set!

38 weeks 6 days

Countdown: T - 3 days!!!

I had my ultrasound and doctor's appointment today:

Blood Pressure: 118/62
Weight: 2 lb loss from last visit...total of 41 lbs
Urine: Good
Christopher's heart rate: 128 bpm
Christopher's estimated weight: 9 lbs 2 oz

Since the weight is estimated to be so big, the doctor suggested that we go ahead and go straight for a c-section. So much for avoiding it if at all possible! He said that it was up to me, though. We could wait to see if Christopher will come on his own, but of course, he's only getting bigger. Then, we run into too many risks that come along with me being small and him being big. I want to do what's best for Christopher, so am going with the c-section.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15 is the date that's been set! I'm waiting for the hospital to call me with a time, but it should be sometime Thursday morning.

I'm planning to go ahead and work Tuesday and Wednesday. It should keep me occupied and help me get through the next 2 days. I still feel numb and have a lot of different feelings right now. I can't believe it's becoming a reality! I don't feel ready yet! We still need to make a shopping trip to get a few things, so will need to do that pretty quick.

My next post should be after Christopher's birth and should include photos!

38 weeks 2 days

Countdown: T - 12 days!

Yesterday was my weekly OB appointment. Here were the stats:

Blood Pressure: 120/74
Weight: 2 lb gain from last visit...total net gain of 43 lbs
Urine: Good
Christopher's Heart Rate: good (although there was so much static that I really couldn't make it out!)
Stomach measurement: 39 cm
Cervical Exam: baby is still "really high," I've not dilated at all, but have thinned out a little

The doctor wants me to have a 3rd ultrasound to check the size of the baby. It's scheduled for Monday, December 12 @ 2:30 with a follow-up with the OB at 3:30. The doctor specifically requested Monday so "we'll have a few days to play with in case we need to induce." It's looking as if I could have this baby either late next week or early the following week!

38 weeks

Countdown: T - 14 days!

Time to update with some pictures:

Christmas Party on Sat., Dec. 3

37 weeks 5 days

Friday, December 2 was our 5th anniversary. We celebrated by going to dinner at Fuji's, a Japanese Steakhouse. The food there is always so delicious, but I wish that I could eat it all! Other than dinner, we didn't do anything since our biggest gift is on the way. Maybe we can do something big for our 10th anniversary.

Saturday was my company Christmas party. We had dinner at a really nice Italian restaurant and then spent the night in a nice hotel. Again, the food was so delicious, but I couldn't finish it all! I found out that if I ever want a really good piece of chocolate cake, I'll have to go back as their cake is to die for!!!

On Sunday, I tried to sleep in, but was unsuccessful. The hotel bed was really comfortable, so the only thing I can think of was that it was because I was in a different place. Shad and I ended up going to breakfast at Shoney's and then headed to pick up Brinkley at Granddaddy's house. We spent the afternoon watching the Titans totally embarrass themselves against the Colts.

Later that afternoon, my father-in-law and his friend, the interior decorator, came over to look at the nursery. The theme is Blue Jean Teddy, so we're going to paint the walls blue jean blue and possibly put some of the characters on there. I'm going to use shades in the two windows instead of blinds and will have valances with teddy bears on them. We're going to take down the sliding closet doors and hang a shower rod with a sheet instead. In the closet, since I still have to use most of the space for my own clothes, we're going to install an organizer that will allow for more hanging space for Christopher's clothes. We'll also have a dresser and chest of drawers, plus several other places if needed to store folded clothes. We're going to hang a Blue Jean Teddy quilt a friend made and gave me over where we'll put the crib once we get it. I'm not too sure about the rest of the details at this point, but that's pretty much the idea. John, the interior decorator, won't be able to get started until next Monday (December 12) due to prior commitments. I'm hoping it can still be done before Christopher arrives, but if not, we'll have to finish afterward. I'll take pictures and post them after it's completed.

I have my next appointment tomorrow afternoon in addition to the hospital tour tomorrow evening. Therefore, I'll post an update sometime on Thursday.

Symptoms: I think I'm finally feeling some Braxton Hix contractions! It's possible that I've been having them for a while, but just didn't know it. I finally had one today that I KNOW was one! I'm also still dealing with the heartburn and lots of swelling. I am SO ready for this all to be over with! Come on Christopher!!!

37 weeks 2 days

Countdown: T - 2 weeks 5 days!

I had my weekly check-up today. Here were the stats:

Blood Pressure: 122/78
Weight: 3.5 lb gain from last visit...total net gain of 41 lbs
Urine: Good
Christopher's Heart Rate: good
Stomach measurement: 37 cm (right on track for a change)

The doctor corrected me today on the estimated weight of Christopher. We thought it was 6 lbs 5 oz the day of the ultrasound, but the doctor had in his notes 6 lbs 15 oz. That was 9 days ago, too. The doctor is now estimating the weight to be about 7.5 lbs! He also said that the baby is STILL really high and hasn't dropped at all. If he's still high at next week's visit, he wants me to have yet ANOTHER ultrasound at the following week's appointment (December 14).

In other news...we've finally got the consultation set up with the interior decorator. He's coming over this Sunday and then I hope things move quickly from there. I'm antsy to get this nursery finished in time!

This Friday (December 2) is mine and Shad's 5th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's really been 5 years! Time has just FLOWN by so fast! And it stinks that we can't do much to celebrate. I think we're going to go someplace nice (but not too nice) for dinner. On top of that, my company Christmas party is on Saturday evening (another nice dinner). My boss is putting everyone up in a nice hotel that night, so that's going to be our anniversary getaway. Maybe we'll be able to do something big for our 10th anniversary.

I am so ready for this baby to come! I spend my weekdays at work (sitting, standing, walking...sitting, standing, walking...etc.). By the time I get home, I'm completely worn out! Mondays seem to be my worst days. I've missed my 9:00 show the last several weeks because I've either gone to bed early or fallen asleep in the recliner. On top of the fatigue, my feet, ankles and lower legs are always swollen now. They don't even get better with all the water I've been drinking (AT LEAST 64 oz per day!), as much as I try to keep them propped up or even after sleeping all night. It's just something I have to deal with for a little while longer. I really hope they go back to their normal size after Christopher is born, though!

The heartburn has really been horrible the last couple of weeks! I had some occasionally during the early part of my pregnancy, but it's come back with a vengence lately. I'm constantly popping Tums, which helps for a little bit...until I eat something else. And it doesn't matter if I eat something spicy or bland...it all affects me. I asked the doctor about taking Zantac today and he said that it's okay to take 2 of the OTC kind twice a day. I'm going to wait and see how everything goes tonight since things weren't too bad yesterday for the first time in quite a while.

That's pretty much all that's going on for now. My next appointment is my weekly check-up next Wednesday (December 7) @ 1:50 pm. I'll update again afterward. Hopefully, I'll have some belly shots to post then, too.

36 weeks 1 day - 2nd Ultrasound!

Countdown: T - 3 weeks 6 days!

I had my weekly check-up and my second ultrasound yesterday afternoon. There really wasn't too much to see since Christopher is so much bigger now. We didn't get any pictures but we did get another video tape. We found out that he's head down and face down, so is preparing to make his arrival! Also, the ultrasound estimated his weight to be 6 lbs 5 oz, but that's only an estimate. I asked the doctor about my chances of having a c-section. He said that they're typically about 25%, but the longer that the baby stays really high, which is where he is now, and the longer it takes my uterus to thin, the higher my chances. He said that it's still too early to decide on that right now, though.

Here are this week's stats from the check-up:

Blood Pressure: 112/64
Weight: NO GAIN! Still at a total of 37.5 lbs.
Urine: Good
Christopher's Heart Rate: 140 bpm according to the ultrasound
Stomach measurement: 37 cm (down 2 cm from last week, which is most likely a result of the baby's position)
Results from Strep-B test: Negative, so won't need antibiotics during labor/delivery

My next appointment is next Thursday (December 1) for a weekly check-up.

The doctor has given me the go-ahead to travel to West Tennessee for Thanksgiving, so we're leaving this evening to go see Shad's grandparents. We're going to spend tonight and come home tomorrow evening. I'm hoping to be able to put up Christmas decorations on Friday. I don't ever get out to go shopping on that day and I'm SURE not going to start this year!!! I'm just hoping that I won't be too worn out from traveling to decorate. It might just have to take me all weekend.

Well, it looks as if the interior decorator can help us anytime after December 1. I want so much to have the consultation on Friday, December 2, but that's mine and Shad's 5th wedding anniversary. I don't know that we have any plans yet, but I'm sure we'll do a little something, even if it's just to go out to eat. Saturday, December 3 is my company Christmas party. The boss is treating us to a nice, fancy dinner and putting us all up in a nice hotel for the night. So, I don't know when exactly we'll get going on this nursery. I just hope Christopher doesn't decide to come before it's finished!

Symptoms: Okay...I've had a few uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms pop up in the last few weeks. My feet constantly stay swollen now. It's so bad that I skipped church a couple of weeks ago because I didn't have any dress shoes to wear! I ended up borrowing a few pairs from my mom to get me through the next month or so. I've also been dealing with MUCH more heartburn AND acid indigestion. YUCK! I don't think I've gone a day without popping at least 2 Tums in the last week or so. Ugh! I'm finally at the point where I can't wait until this is all over with! Plus, I'm excited to meet Christopher!

35 weeks 1 day - Baby Showers #1 and #2

Countdown: T - 4 weeks 6 days!


33 weeks 2 days

I'm SO sorry it's been so long since I last updated!!! I've been keeping VERY busy at work and by the time I get home, all I want to do is go to sleep!

The sinus infection finally went away after taking an antibiotic. However, I still have a stuffy nose, which is causing me to snore, which is keeping Shad awake at night! I wish that I could say it'll all be over soon, but after Christopher is born, I STILL won't be able to take my Allegra-D and Flonase since I'll be breastfeeding! The sacrifices women make!

I had a regular OB appointment last Wednesday (Nov. 9) and everything went well. It was my final "tummy check."

Blood Pressure: 100/70
Weight: 6.5 lb gain from last visit...net gain of 36 lbs
Urine: Good
Christopher's Heart Rate: Good
Stomach measurement: 34 cm

I'm now going weekly and had another appointment today. This started the cervical exams:

Blood Pressure: 122/74
Weight: 1.5 lb gain from last visit...net gain of 37.5 lbs
Urine: Good
Christopher's Heart Rate: Good and strong
Stomach measurement: 38 cm

The doctor said that the baby was "really high." I don't know if it's connected or not, but he's having me get another ultrasound to check the size of the baby and to see if he's breech. I'm looking forward to that since I was only expecting 1 ultrasound, which I had when I was 18 weeks. I get to see how big he is now! I just really hope I won't be delivering an 8 or 9 lb baby! That means c-section for sure! On the plus side of that, though...I'd get to be off for 8 weeks instead of 6 if I have a c-section.

My next appointment is on Tuesday, November 22 for the ultrasound and visit with the doctor.

I've had 2 more baby showers in the last couple of weeks. The first was thrown by my co-workers in the church nursery. The went in together and gave me an Evenflo stroller. I've assembled it and everything seems to look good. I can't wait to put it to the test!

The second shower was a luncheon thrown by my regular co-workers. We had a local deli cater sandwiches and a fruit and cheese tray. Everybody went in together and gave me a $150 gift card to Wal-Mart. I think we'll use it for diapers, etc. after Christopher arrives.

As far as the big items we're lacking...we still need a crib, pack 'n play and highchair, plus a few other miscellaneous items. I'm going to start looking around at consignment stores and sales for something gently used.

We FINALLY finished cleaning the nursery a couple of weeks ago!!!!! That was SUCH a stress reliever!!! Now, we're just waiting to meet with the interior decorator so he can get started! I'm getting so antsy and just want everything ready and waiting for Christopher!

Here's a before and after picture:



I'll update again after the room is decorated.

I guess my biggest complaint now that I'm almost finished is how tired I am and how SWOLLEN my feet are! I try keeping them up as much as possible and drink TONS of water, but nothing's really helping, so I guess I just have to live with it for the next 5 weeks. Ugh!

Well, that's pretty much all that's been going on. I'm hoping to do a better job next week on the ultrasound update!

32 weeks 2 days

As I'm sitting here typing this, Christopher is busy squirming around inside of me! It's such a weird feeling...not painful at all, but just weird. I like to lift my shirt and watch the waves go across my stomach. I wish so much that I could see what he's actually doing in there! Is he rolling side to side? Is he doing somersaults? Is he just kicking his legs and flailing his arms? I can't wait to meet this little person! Only 7.5 weeks left to go!!!

I've been fighting off a sinus infection again...second one since being pregnant! But then again, I usually get them about twice a year anyway, so I guess pregnancy isn't going to excuse me from them. I've had it since last Tuesday (Oct. 18), so well over a week now. I tried calling the doctor's office last week to see if they wanted me to come in or if they'd call in an antibiotic prescription for me. The nurse returned my phone call and told me to take Sudafed or Tylenol, keep using the Vick's cream and to try a warm steam vaporizor (to help me breath better and to keep me from snoring, which was keeping Shad awake most of the night!). Of course, I listened to her and didn't insist on coming in and I'm STILL dealing with this crud! I had my regular OB appointment yesterday and mentioned how I felt to my doctor. He went ahead and e-mailed a prescription for Zithromax and Alavert to my pharmacy; I started taking them last evening. I've still felt pretty crummy today, but think I might be getting better. I know I can't blame this crud on the flu shot, but I find it a funny coincidence that I got it less than 1 week after getting that shot!

Unfortunately, I've passed it on to Shad, who started feeling sick on Monday. The really bad part was yesterday (Oct. 26) was his 30th birthday! Poor thing didn't feel like doing anything at all. He managed to eat dinner at church, but went straight home afterward while I worked in the nursery. I convinced him to go to bed early, but was unsuccessful at getting him to stay home from work today. So stubborn...

Everything at my appointment went well. It was a routine visit:

Blood Pressure: 118/62
Weight: 1.5 lb gain from last visit...net gain of 29.5 lbs
Urine: Good
Christopher's Heart Rate: Good
Stomach measurement: 34 cm - a tad on the large side, but according to the doctor, nothing to be concerned about now

My next appointment is in 2 weeks...Wednesday, November 9 @ 1:50 pm. That will be my last tummy check. I'll start going in weekly after that for cervical checks...fun, fun.

I have Baby Shower #2 a week from this Sunday (November 6). It's being thrown by the group of ladies that I work with in the church nursery. So far, from how they've been talking, it sounds like they're going together and getting me something like my Pack 'n Play. That'll be nice since it's one of my big items. We still need the crib, a stroller, a high chair and a breast pump. Everything else, I believe, is taken care of.

Oh, and no, the nursery isn't finished yet. I was planning on going with Shad to Knoxville this Saturday for the ballgame (he'd go to the game while I watched it on tv at my dad's house). Now, though, I'm thinking that since I haven't been feeling well and the game doesn't start until 6:45 p.m. CDT, I'll stay home to work on the nursery and watch the ballgame on tv. The guys are going to be getting back home SO late! I'm better off staying home this time.

30 weeks 6 days - Baby Shower #1

Well, Shad and I survived our first baby shower! It was hosted by our Sunday School teachers and was basically like our normal get togethers where everyone brings some kind of dish and we hang out. The main difference, of course, was that my mom and aunt attended, we played a couple of games and Shad and I opened gifts...or rather I opened everything as he opted not to. We ended up getting lots of goodies:

• a Blue Jean Teddy backpack/tote and a 3-pack of socks from my mom
• a convertible onesie/layette gown and a wrist rattler from my aunt
• a pack of washclothes, some bibs, a rattle, a pack of onesies and a fleece blanket from the host and hostess
• a couple of baskets of bathtime essentials (lotion, wash, bubbles, powder, oil, etc.), washclothes, onesies, a pack of Lil' Sport receiving blankets, a Lil' Sport fleece blanket, a jumbo pack of Pampers Swaddlers and a couple jumbo packs of wipes from the other guests who attended.

We still have other showers, but only 1 is scheduled right now. That's on Sunday, November 6 and will be given by the group of ladies that I work with in the nursery at church. My co-workers have mentioned throwing me a shower, but a date hasn't been set yet. Also, a couple of DH's co-workers who were invited to this weekend's shower but were unable to attend have mentioned to him about doing something, but we don't know what it is yet.

All in all, things are coming together slowly but surely. We're still lacking a few big items such as the crib, a pack 'n play, a high chair, a stroller and a breast pump. Everything else on my registries are the smaller items that I'd like to have but aren't essential and are things that we can buy ourselves if we don't get.

I worked some more on the nursery this weekend, but it's STILL not finished. That, too, is coming along slowly but surely. I did notice that there's a lot more baby items and a lot less of mine and Shad's "junk," so that's promising! If only I could get Shad to help me out, maybe we could knock it out in a weekend, but he doesn't seem to be in a helpful mood. I'd have to say that's the most aggravating thing he's done during this pregnancy! I understand that the oil in the cars needed changing along with a few other necessary tasks, but they didn't take all day! Plus, we had some time on Sunday, too! Grrrrr...

This weekend, UT is playing Alabama at Alabama, so we'll have our usual football party at our house on Saturday. Game time is 2:30 pm CDT. October 26 is Shad's 30th birthday, so we're going to throw him a surprise party this Saturday, too, since everyone will be over for the game. I think we'll do Slick Pig bbq wings (which come with celery sticks and dressing) and an ice cream cake. It'll be a little different from our usual, so it should be fun for all. Wish me luck that I don't screw it up!

30 weeks 2 days - 7th Prenatal Appointment

I went to the OB today for a routine visit. Everything seems to be going well.

Weight: Gained 7 lbs - net total of 28 lbs
Blood Pressure: 114/66
Christopher's Heartbeat: Good and strong
Urine: Good
Stomach Measurement: 32 cm

Once again, I got stuck by a needle! This time it was the flu shot. Fun!

My next appointment is in 2 weeks: Wednesday, October 26 (Shad's 30th birthday!).

30 weeks 1 day - Baby Showers are Set!

I now have 2 showers scheduled: one is being thrown by my Sunday School class this Saturday (10/15) and the other is by the group of ladies that I work with in the nursery at church. That one will be on Sunday, November 6. I think there's still a third one in the works, which will be thrown by my co-workers, but there's no date set yet. The one this Saturday will be at our teachers' house and will be more of a cookout and get-together since it's co-ed. I don't think there will be any games...at least, I hope not! I prefer to just talk and play cards instead.

This past weekend was pretty good. On Friday, Shad and I went over to Bill and Jen's for dinner and to hang out for a little while. We had a really good time. I just hope it's not the last chance we have to do that while child-free!

On Saturday, Shad went with his dad and Bill to the game in Knoxville. I stayed home and worked on cleaning out the soon-to-be nursery. I've been making some progress, but still have a long way to go! Jen came over to watch the game with me in the afternoon and then helped to take down the double bed that was in the nursery. That cleared up a lot more floor space for me to work. I'm hoping to get it mostly finished this weekend. I'll have Friday after work and then Saturday before the shower to try. And just MAYBE Shad will get the urge to help me at some point! Except for moving the big blue chair back out into the living room and my glider/ottoman into the nursery and sorting through one of his boxes of stuff, he hasn't been of ANY help yet. All I can say is that he'd better get in gear as I could REALLY use his help to finish it up now!

Sunday was our usual routine: go to church, go out to eat lunch with friends, go home and take a nap (Shad mowed the lawn), and then I went to work in the nursery at church.

I had an appointment with Dr. Adams, the pediatrician we plan to use, on Tuesday (10/11). We know her from church and have heard a lot of positive things about her. Everything at the consultation went well. She answered most all of my questions before I even asked her, which impressed me! I've thought about looking around at other doctors, but I'm very satisfied with Dr. Adams, so I don't think I'll bother.

My next OB appointment is tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 13). It should just be the same routine stuff. After this appointment, I'll start going every 2 weeks! Only 10 weeks left!!! Eeek! Where has the time gone?!

29 weeks 1 day

Time sure is flying by quickly! Last Tuesday (September 27), I had a big package waiting on my front door steps when I returned home from the doctor's office. Turned out to be a bassinet that my mom bought and had sent to me. I guess Christopher will be sleeping in it in our bedroom for the first couple of months. Here's a picture of it:



Last Friday, Shad and I went to a local high school football game with a friend of his who is a teacher/coach at this particular school. It was more of just an excuse to just get out of the house for the evening since I have no opinion about this particular school's football team.

On Saturday, Shad, his dad, a friend of Shad's and I all went over to Knoxville. The guys all went to the Vols football game while I watched it on tv at my dad's house. Patti gave me a bunch more hand-me-down clothing and other stuff. Thanks to yard sales and her grandson, Cooper, I'm quite certain she's going to have me stocked up on clothing for Christopher until he's at least a year old, if not longer! She also gave me some bibs, a Baby Einstein video, an activity set and a Johnny Jump Up.

On Sunday, I ended up having a pregnancy moment and decided not to go to church since I couldn't find anything to wear. I have a few things, but I didn't like how they looked on me, so I just didn't want to get dressed up. Instead, while Shad went by himself, I went to the grocery store, came home, cleaned out the refrigerator, put groceries away and then washed my car. Yes, I DID have quite a bit of energy to start with, but by the time I was half-way done with my car, I was TOTALLY exhausted!!! I guess I won't be doing that again! But my car sure needed cleaning and there was no telling when it would get done otherwise.

After Shad got home from church, we went down to my mom's to have a late lunch with her and my aunt. I was informed during that time that our Sunday School class has set my baby shower for Saturday, October 15, which will be at our teachers' house. It'll be co-ed, but more like our normal get-togethers since the guys don't want anything to do with an actual baby shower. We'll socialize, eat, socialize some more and then have cake, ice cream and open gifts toward the end. I'm really looking forward to it!

So far, this work week has been very hectic! Today's been the first somewhat slow day in a long time! At least I haven't been bored, though.

This Saturday will be the first game that I won't be going to Knoxville; I've decided to stay home for this one. I really need to finish the nursery, so will probably spend a good part of the day working on that. I just really want to get it done and out of the way!

Symptoms: Occasional heartburn and now some minor swelling of my feet, ankles and fingers. I've taken my rings off and am wearing them on a necklace. Other than that, though, everything's good!

My next appointment is Thursday, October 13 for a regular check-up.

28 weeks 2 days

Recent photos:

27 weeks 6 days

Our weekend was very busy, but fun! On Friday, after work, I went and got my hair cut...and, boy, do I mean CUT! It was about 2.5 inches below my shoulder and it's now just above my chin! I told the hairdresser that I wanted it to be chin-length when DRY, but she cut it chin-length when wet instead. Therefore, when I dry it, it draws up some. I figure it'll grow out sooner or later, though. Plus I've had a lot of compliments, which makes me feel better.

Later, Shad and I went over to the Cookeville area for an old classmate's of Shad's cookout. That sure made for a late night! We got up the next morning and had breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Then, we bummed around Monterey, which was where the cookout and reunion were held. We were able to visit with a few people that we hadn't seen in a few years. One lady he hadn't seen in so long that I'd never even met her!

Afterward, we went just outside Monterey to a small community called Muddy Pond, which is a Mennonite community. We visited the General Store where they sell a lot of homemade items, including food. I ended up buying a broccoli and rice mixture (similar to Rice-A-Roni) and some brownie mix. I found a cedar chest that I want to buy to put at the foot of our bed, but it's almost $300, so we'll have to wait a while on it. After browsing the store and deciding what we wanted to buy, we got a sandwich for lunch from the deli. I was VERY surprised to find that they sell Lebanon bologna!!! This is the first place that I've found it in Tennessee! Normally, we have to go to Pennsylvania for it, but now we just have to drive 1 1/2 - 2 hours away instead of 12 or 13! Unfortunately, we didn't bring a cooler and weren't going to be going home until late that evening, so we couldn't buy any to take home with us. We'll soon have to make another trip over there and bring a cooler along so we can stock up on the Lebanon bologna, cheese and some other goodies that we found.

The reunion was a lot of fun. Of course, it was more fun for Shad, but I enjoyed meeting many of his old classmates and hearing stories of the "old days." There were only a total of 47 people in his graduating class, so he was pretty close to many of them. I compare it to how close I was to classmates in band when I was in high school since my graduating class was somewhere around 250-300. At the very end before we left, they popped a videotape in of a play they all participated in during their Senior year. It was very funny to see Shad at that age and all the skits they did! Poor Shad didn't want to leave, but we still had to pick up Brinkley at his dad's in Nashville, drive back to Smyrna to pick up his truck at work where he'd left it and then drive back to Murfreesboro. We ended up not getting home until 12:30 and in bed until about 1:00!

On Sunday, we had to be at church at 8:00 to rehearse for the Celebration service. That made for a very long morning! We didn't leave the church until 12 noon. By that time, my feet were SO swollen!!! I went straight home to put them up and take a nap! I did decide to go back to church to work in the nursery later that evening, though, which was okay. Shad and I were both VERY ready for bed that night, that's for sure!

I should be having my 10-year high school reunion sometime next year, so Shad will get to endure that with me then. Hee, hee! Overall, though, we both had a lot of fun this weekend. All of his classmates seemed really nice and they all had a lot of interesting stories to tell. I just wish that our children could one day have the experiences of high school like Shad and I both had. Unfortunately, I don't think it'll come close for them since we live in such a big town and things just aren't the same as they used to be.

Tomorrow starts week 28, my 3rd trimester and 7th month!!! Only 12 more weeks to go!

27 weeks 3 days - 3 Hour Glucose Test Results

I FINALLY got my test results back this morning! Everything is normal, so no Gestational Diabetes! I'm VERY relieved!

I actually received a phone call yesterday morning from the nurse. After getting my hopes up that she had the results, she told me the EXACT same thing as Friday...that my iron is low, so I needed to pick up a supplement and that my sugar tested high, so I needed to schedule the 3-hour glucose test. Ugh! Apparently, she neglected to mark me off her list, so she didn't realize that she'd already called me. I told her that I'd had the 3-hour test done on Wednesday and was waiting for the results. She looked in my file, but the doctor hadn't looked at anything yet, so she couldn't give me an answer at that time. She said that she'd only call back if there was anything out of the ordinary. I don't like that one bit, so I decided to call her back this morning since I hadn't heard anything...just to ease my mind.

So, that scare is now past. I get to go into the doctor's office again on Tuesday (9/27) for the RhoGam shot. I can go in anytime between 4:00 and 5:00, so I'll just leave work at 4:00 and go straight there. I don't know much about the shot, but I hope it's not too bad.

Because of my schedule on Wednesday with the glucose test, I've been having to make up my time at work. On Thursday, I only took a 30-minute lunch (I normally get 1 hour) and then stayed 30 minutes later than normal. Now, today, instead of getting off at 11:00, I'm staying until 1:00. Yuck! I've gotten WAY too spoiled being able to get off at 11:00 on Fridays!

After I get off here today, I'm planning to go get my hair CHOPPED off! Right now, it's about 2.5 inches below my shoulder. I'm going to have it cut to where it's right about chin level. It's not anything too drastic as I do this about every couple of years. It's just not something I do regularly, so I'm sure people will notice.

Shad and I will be going to Cookeville tonight to a cookout at the house of an old classmate of his. Tomorrow evening is his 10-year high school reunion. Then, on Sunday, we have our Celebration Sunday at church, so we'll have a hectic schedule with that. I'll be so ready to collapse when I finally get home Sunday afternoon!

27 weeks

I had my most recent OB appointment last Thursday (9/15). All my vitals were good and I've gained a total of 21 lbs so far. I also had the 1-hour glucose test, which wasn't too bad. I had to drink a sugary liquid and then have blood drawn 1 hour later. I was supposed to be able to choose between a lemon-lime or orange flavored drink, but never got the choice. I was handed the lemon-lime and told, "Here you go!" It actually tasted pretty good; it was a lot like Sprite and didn't even taste flat.

On Friday, I got a phone call from the doctor's office with the results of my blood test. First of all, I have low iron, so am now on a supplement called Icar-C. Second of all, I have to go back for the 3-hour glucose test tomorrow (Wed., 9/21). I don't expect it to be too bad...just long and I'll be starving since I can't eat anything after midnight tonight. I just really hope that I don't have Gestational Diabetes...for mine and Christopher's sakes!

Christopher's movements are now getting a bit stronger! Over the last couple of days, it can get a bit uncomfortable when he moves as he's leaving elbows/knees/whatever poking into my stomach! It wouldn't be so bad if he'd just move on, but he stays in that one spot for a little while or until I make him move. It feels a lot like a muscle that's cramping up. Shad finally got to feel the movement again last night for the first time in a few weeks. Any time he would try, the baby either wasn't moving to begin with or he quit moving just as Shad tried to feel. Shad still says it weirds him out. I asked him how he's going to react when we see a hand or footprint on my stomach! He said that it'll probably weird him out even more!

I finally started working a little bit on cleaning out the nursery, but haven't accomplished too much. I worked for 2 hours one evening and filled a 55-gallon trash bag to the top! It's taken us 2 trash pickups to completely empty the bag, so now I can finally get going again. By looking at the room now, though, it looks worse than before I began! I need to start making some progress soon, though, or the guy who will be helping us won't have time to paint and decorate the nursery.

A couple of weekends ago, we started working on the dresser that will go in the nursery. We stripped, sanded and primed it, but decided to leave the painting for another day. We're planning to wait until the paint is decided for the nursery first. I'm thinking that I want a blue jean shade of blue since my theme is Blue Jean Teddy, but will wait for the opinion of the professional. We still need to prime and paint my old study desk that will be converted into a changing table, too. Ahhhh...so many things left to do and the end is approaching ever so quickly!

The Fall co-ed softball league has begun again. Just like last year, Shad is a sub for when they don't have enough male players. They could really use me as a sub for when/if any of the women aren't there, but under the circumstances, I'll have to sit out this season. I've already told Shad that if it's AT ALL possible, I'm playing in the Spring! I'm sacrificing playing in the Fall, so he may have to sacrifice playing in the Spring. I guess we'll see when that time comes.

Between get-togethers and UT football, it looks like we'll be keeping pretty busy for the next several weekends. This weekend is Shad's 10-year high school reunion, so we'll be attending a cookout on Friday night with one of his old classmates and then the reunion on Saturday night. It'll be interesting seeing some of these people that he's spoken about. We'll be spending one night away from home, which will be a nice getaway for me since it'll probably be my last for a while.

I almost forgot to mention that we've had our friend's 2 Samoyeds for almost 3 weeks now (in addition to all his stuff in our garage!). Let me just say that THIS is why I don't want big dogs! One of them (Honey) is the mother and is a couple years old; she's the good one! The other one (Fluffy) is the 8 month old puppy of the first. It's the puppy who's digging holes in our backyard, taking things off the patio into the yard and then demolishing them, and completely shredding any stuffed toys our neighbor is so graciously giving them (thus leaving white stuffing ALL OVER our backyard). I wouldn't mind having just Honey, but put the two of them together and they LOVE to BARK...especially in the middle of the night. I'm surprised the neighbors haven't said anything yet! Poor Brinkley has decided that the dogs have overstayed their welcome, too. The first couple of times he was around them, he did just fine and played hard with them. Lately, though, he basically ignores them except when they're in his face. Then, he growls at them. Now, I LOVE dogs, but these are just getting on my last nerve! Pregnancy is NOT the time to have new dogs around! Our friend is supposed to close on his new house this week, though, so hopefully the dogs won't be staying much longer.

Well, that's about all around here. I'll post again once I find out the results of my 3-hour glucose test.

25 weeks

Today officially starts my 25th week...only 15 more weeks to go! Christopher has his active and not very active days. On Sunday morning in church, he was squirming around quite a bit. I informed Shad who was then able to put his hand on my stomach and feel for a while. He seemed very excited and ready to brag!

Our Labor Day weekend was pretty busy. On Saturday, we went to Knoxville to watch the Vols play University of Alabama at Birmingham. It wasn't a very pretty game, but we won. I did enjoy it, but I'm definitely glad it's my only game for this year! Unless I can be airlifted into my seat, I'll watch the rest of them on the big screen with my dad or at home. I was so worn out that I was still recuperating on Monday!

After the game, while in Knoxville, my dad and Patti joined us for dinner. Patti had been yardsaling and wanted to give me a small box of stuff that included a bunch of baby clothes ranging in size from birth to 9 months, 2 pairs of baby shoes (1 for walking and 1 for before he starts walking), some cloth diapers to use as spit-up rags, 1 maternity shirt, 1 maternity blouse and a pregnancy pillow wedge. I couldn't help but ooh and aah over the baby clothes and shoes! They're SO cute! I can't wait until Christopher comes just so he can wear everything!

My father-in-law, Richard, has offered to have a friend of his who is an interior decorator come over and help us with our nursery. I am so excited about having some help! However, he can't start until we clean out the junk, so I guess I now have even more motivation to begin that not-so-fun task! I'm hoping to start a little bit at a time each evening this week. The majority of items will probably just get tossed in the trash, but there will still be plenty to keep. All of that will be moved into our garage closet. Unfortunately, DH agreed to let a friend keep his stuff in our garage for a week or two. I'm just hoping that we won't need the garage as overflow space of our own! I have some "before" pictures of the soon-to-be nursery. After we're finished with it, I'll have to post both the "before" and the "after" pictures just so everyone can see the major difference!

A friend in our Sunday School class had her baby on Saturday. The baby weighed OVER 9 lbs! Last we heard, she was in NICU because of a breathing problem and a bacteria infection. She could be there anywhere from 7-21 days. Please keep the mother, father and baby in your thoughts and prayers; they're names are Neal and Jennifer and the baby's name is Briley Rae.

How 'bout those gas prices! In my town, I saw them as high as $3.29! Thankfully, they're coming back down again and are around $2.99 today. That 3 hour trip to Knoxville sure didn't help the pocketbook! Plus, I had to drive 1 hour each way to drop Brinkley off at my mom's who dog-sat for us while we were out of town. Ouch! I have NO plans to drive very far again...at least for a couple more weeks anyway! Shad's 10 year high school reunion is September 24, so we'll have to drive about 1.5 hours to get there. The next UT home game isn't until October 1 and then they'll be more frequent after that.

Well, I think Christopher's using my bladder as a trampoline and my gut as a punching bag, so I'll end here. I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend!

24 weeks 2 days - Definitely Movement!

Well, it's definitely movement! Christopher sure has been squirming around a lot and kicking up a storm over the last couple of weeks! Thankfully, it's not bothersome yet. Also, he doesn't seem to be too active at night, either. Shad's been able to put his hand on my stomach and feel the movement a few different times already. I'm so glad the baby isn't playing shy when Shad wants to participate! I made a comment to him the other night as we were going to bed about how active the baby had been that day. He put his hand on my stomach and right away was a HUGE kick! Shad's eyes got really big and he asked, "Was that it?" After keeping his hand on my stomach a few more minutes, he was able to feel a lot of different kicks and punches. As we were turning out the light, he confessed that feeling it kinda freaked him out. He said it reminded him of the movie "Alien" where the alien was coming out of the woman's stomach! I found that TOO funny!!!

I had my most recent OB appointment back on Monday, August 22 (22 wks 6 days) with the Nurse Practitioner. Everything went well. I had my blood pressure taken (102/50), weight checked (9 lb gain from last visit...net gain of 16 lbs), Christopher's heart rate checked (approximately 135 bpm), and my stomach measured for the first time (right on track @ 23 cm).

I'd had a very minor itching rash for a couple of weeks, so decided to mention it at my appointment. I was referred to a dermatologist, which I saw on Thursday, August 25. I was diagnosed with Pityriasis Rosea. I was told that it is not pregnancy-related, although I'm convinced it is since the doctor said it depends on your immune system whether or not you get it. My immune system has always been fine, so I figure that being pregnant must have lowered it. I was also told that the rash would go away on its own in 6-8 weeks and was given a prescription for an anti-itch cream. I've only had to use the cream once and now all the spots are going away with no new ones appearing. I'm glad this turned out to be nothing major!

Well, football season is upon us once again! Shad, his dad and I have season tickets for the UT Vols! Unfortunately, I'm probably only going to be able to attend the first game, which is this Saturday (Sept. 3). The next home game isn't until Oct. 1 and I figure it'll be a lot harder for me to make it through the day and the possible heat by that point. This week's game is against University of Alabama at Birmingham.

My next appointment is Thursday, September 15 @ 11:30 am. It'll be the usual routine with the addition of the Glucose Test. I'll also need to get the RhoGam shot, but will have to wait until my 28th week.

Symptoms: Besides FINALLY feeling the baby move, nothing else is new. I've had the occasional heartburn and will occasionally have a heartier appetite. Neither are always consistent though.

22 weeks 1 day - Feeling Movement?!

We had a fairly decent few days this past weekend. On Friday, we went to the Titans pre-season game against Tampa Bay. The walk to the stadium and WAY up to our seats was definitely MUCH more difficult! I didn't even think about the fact that we probably could've used the elevators!

Our next ballgame is on September 3... University of Alabama at Birmingham vs UT Vols in Knoxville!!! Unfortunately, it'll most likely be the one and only game I go to. I'll be 24 weeks 4 days. The next home game won't be until October 1 when I'll be 28 weeks 4 days. My biggest concern for the Sept. 3 game will be the heat. We'll have another long walk from where we park and tailgate to the stadium and then up to our seats, but we'll just have to go slow. I'm usually the one who doesn't like to walk slow and will meet Shad and his dad up near the stadium. Not this year, though!

I spent Saturday on the couch feeling crummy most of the day. I was still fighting the sinus problems, although it wasn't an infection at the time. I thought it was making its way into my chest (the usual routine for my sinus infections), but nothing really happened. I was feeling a little better on Sunday and have progressively improved since then. Pregnancy does weird things to a woman's body!

About 1 week ago, I started having what I thought were muscle spasms in my stomach around my belly button. Since Monday, though, I've been becoming more and more convinced that it's Christopher's movements and not muscle spasms! Since I have an anterior placenta (assuming it hasn't moved), I figured I wouldn't feel the butterfly feeling that I keep hearing about. I was hoping to start feeling movement back around week 20, but now is good too. As long as I know that he's still alive and well!!!

I've still been dealing with indigestion...sometimes much worse than others! I now carry a supply of Tums in my purse! Other than that, I haven't had too many other symptoms. I have never had to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and, hopefully, that won't change! I have no problem getting and/or staying comfortable in bed at night...at least not yet! I have just as much trouble waking up in the morning as I did before becoming pregnant, so that's nothing different for me. My hunger is one of those things that fluctuates. Some evenings I'm STARVING by the time I get home from work. Others, though, I could wait another hour or so before eating. Sometimes I can eat 2 helpings of food. Others, though, I'm lucky to finish one. Just about every night, though, I'm ready for a snack not too long after dinner! I just have to be careful about the foods I eat so I don't get indigestion!

Shad will be leaving Thursday evening with a group of men from church for their baseball trip. He'll be gone from then until late Saturday evening. They're going to Chicago to watch the White Sox and Yankees play on Friday. Then on Saturday, they're going to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play the Giants. I have no problem sleeping alone at night since he used to work 3rd shift. I'm going to have the most difficult time on Thursday evening, Friday afternoon/evening and all day Saturday unless I find something to keep myself busy. A friend is having a yard sale on Saturday and invited me to participate. If I can round up some things to sell, I'll be joining her. That'll keep me occupied for that day at least.

Speaking of Shad's job...he started his new daytime job back on August 1. So far, everything's been going well. He's learned quite a bit, but still has a long way to go! He's definitely going to be deserving that raise in 6 months! His shift is supposed to be 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, but there have been several days where he got off late. He still gets home before me, though, on most days.

I have my next appointment on Monday, August 22 with the nurse practitioner instead of the doctor. The only thing different at this one will be that she'll start to measure my stomach. The appointment after that will be Thursday, September 15. There'll be a few things different at that one: I'll have a glucose test done in addition to getting the RhoGam shot. I believe I'll have another cervical check, too. I'm mainly looking forward to getting to hear the heartbeat at each visit...at least until I know for certain that I'm feeling him move!

20 weeks 4 days - Halfway There!!!

20 weeks 2 days

This week marks the halfway point in my pregnancy! Approximately 20 more weeks until we get to meet Christopher, Jr.!

Well, the indigestion has now come back almost full force this week! I've been waking up in the morning with it and going to bed with it...and eating a lot more Tums and Rolaids!

I seem to be fitting into my maternity clothes a little better. A couple pairs of pants are still a bit big, but I'm sure I'll be fitting into them quite well before too long.

While shopping at Wal-Mart this week, I purchased a Prenatal Heartbeat Listener. It's not a doppler, but instead uses the Bell stethoscope method of amplification. It also allows us to record the heartbeat either on cassette tape or the computer. I have yet to master this technique, so haven't heard anything other than my own heartbeat. Once I do find it, I plan to record it on the computer and e-mail it out. Please let me know if you're interested in receiving it, otherwise I'll just be sending it to our immediate families. I also plan to record my own heartbeat on cassette so that I can play it for Christopher after he arrives.

I still haven't felt any movement...that I know of. At the ultrasound 2 weeks ago, I was told that I have an Anterior Placenta, so that's probably preventing me from feeling anything at this time. I'm thinking that when I do start feeling movement, it won't be the "tickling, butterfly" feeling, but the full fledged kicks! I'm sure there'll be a time when I'll wish he would quit kicking so hard, so I'm just enjoying my time of calmness while I can! I'm fairly confident that everything's okay since we saw him quite active at the ultrasound. I have my next appointment on August 22, where'll I'll get to hear his heartbeat again. As long as I can hear that, I'll be okay!

Symptoms: Other than the indigestion, I'm starting to fight off a sinus problem. I've been dealing with a little bit of congestion for the past 3 months, but just woke up this morning with a sore throat that has yet to go away. Pre-pregnancy, I would have started taking Allegra-D and Flonase. However, those are both on the list of drugs not allowed, so I'll have to go get some Tylenol Sinus and hope that works as well. I'm going to miss my trusty Allegra and Flonase!

19 weeks 6 days

Today was Shad's first day at his new position at work. He's now working days instead of nights. This is definitely a big adjustment for him. After speaking to him during our lunch breaks, it sounds as if he's not going to be bored for quite a while!!

The new schedule is also a big adjustment for Brinkley and myself. Poor Brinkley is used to having someone home with him all the time and now he has to spend the entire day by himself. I get to go home for lunch, though, so can let him out to use the bathroom and play for a short while. He's going to be completely FULL of energy tonight, though! I'll probably let him loose next door to play with the neighbor's dogs and run laps around their house as their entire yard is fenced in!

Both Shad and I took vacation days last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so started our new sleeping schedule a bit early. So far, we're both adjusting well. My biggest complaint is actually about Brinkley...he INSISTS on sleeping against me all night! I try pushing him away and he just scoots back! If it keeps up like this, he's going to end up sleeping in his crate!

For our vacation, we didn't go out of town since we're trying to save money for my maternity leave. Instead, we did stuff in the area that we normally don't get to do. On Wednesday, we went to the Aquarium in Chattanooga. On Thursday, Shad played golf with the guys while I had a pedicure and pre-natal massage. The massage was actually a Valentine's Day gift from Shad that I was unable to redeem before becoming pregnant; it was originally supposed to be a Chocolate Decadence Massage. Under the circumstances, though, I had to change it. Nevertheless, it still felt WONDERFUL! I told Shad that it would make for a perfect gift again in about 4-6 months!!! On Friday, we went to the Nashville Sounds baseball game with a group from church, which was lots of fun even though the Sounds lost pretty badly. We got to watch an up close and personal fireworks display! I'm surprised that I didn't start feeling Chris move that night! I'm still waiting, although I've been wondering about what I'm feeling today...is it him or is it something else (gas, hunger pains, gurgling stomach, etc.)??? I just can't wait until I KNOW it's him that I'm feeling. According to the doctor, that should be happening any day now.

Symptoms: None!

18 weeks / 18 weeks 4 days - The BIG Ultrasound!

17 weeks 5 days / 18 weeks 2 days

We had the BIG ultrasound on Thursday! Everything seems to be going well and the baby looks to be healthy and developing normally. We found out that...IT'S A BOY!!!! Christopher Shad, Jr.!!! He was definitely NOT shy for us either! We were able to take home a videotape in addition to a whole lot of pictures!

The ultrasound measured me at 19 weeks, which would put my due date at December 15 instead of December 24. My doctor instead split it in half and changed my due date to December 20.

Here are some of Baby Christopher's first pictures:

He's waving hi to us...that's his hand above his stomach

Another profile shot

Here he's literally JUMPING off my bladder and showing off to us! He's definitely a boy and already very active!

At the time of the ultrasound, he was in breech position. Meaning, his head was at my belly button and his feet were at my bladder. Even with him as active as he was at the time, I still have not felt anything at all. My doctor said that I probably wouldn't for another week or so. Plus, I have an anterior placenta, meaning it's at the front of my abdomen between the wall and the baby, padding me from his movements.

My next appointment will be Monday, August 22 for just a routine visit. I also have an appointment set for Thursday, September 15 for the glucose test and a couple of other new things.

On Friday, I went shopping for maternity clothes as I'm finally at the point where I can't where any of my regular pants. So, I went to Target and Phase II and bought a TON of stuff! I should, hopefully, be set for the rest of the pregnancy!

In addition to clothes shopping for myself, I went to Carter's and bought Baby Chris a going-home outfit. I ended up choosing a 6-piece layette set with a sleep & play, layette gown, bib, bodysuit, side-snap shirt and cap. I also bought another couple of onsies and a pair of pants. At Phase II, I bought him a onsie with an airplane of the front. I can't wait to be able to put these to use!

On Saturday, I went to Wal-Mart to make sure that the registry I created online would also work in the store. Thankfully, they're linked so I only had to go around and add a few more things. If interested, go to www.walmart.com to the Baby Registry page and type in Tami Holloman in the search box. I'm the only one listed with this particular spelling. You can either print it off from there (with pictures) or go to your nearby Wal-Mart to the registry computer and print off a list from there (without pictures). Please don't pay too much attention to the online version that lists some items as in-store only or online only as it's not correct.

Symptoms: Occasional indigestion, frequent trips to the restroom and a minor hunger increase.

16 weeks 6 days

Well, there doesn't seem to be any change in my stomach from last week's picture to this week's picture. However, my clothes don't seem to fit as well now. I wore maternity pants for the first time this week! Boy, are they comfortable! I also bought a pair a maternity jean capris, but they're a bit big for me yet. I'm hoping they'll fit in another 1-2 months. I really need to go check out Phase II and see if they have any maternity clothes. I do have several items already that were given to me, but a lot are leggings or cotton shorts with the stomach panels, which I'm finding I don't like quite as much. I need to get some more khaki pants & shorts, jeans & jean shorts and some dress pants. I'll worry about shirts later since I'm not having any problems with them yet.

This week has been somewhat uneventful. I'm just anxiously counting down the days to next Thursday for the ultrasound! Hopefully next weekend I can go shopping for some baby clothes to celebrate!

I'm also looking forward to July 27, 28 and 29 as Shad and I are both taking those days off of work for vacation. Unfortunately, since we're saving money right now for when the baby comes, we can't afford to go out of town. Therefore, we're planning to spend one day in Nashville going to places like the zoo and taking a cruise on the General Jackson, one day in Chattanooga visiting the aquarium and then one day here in town to do our own thing. Shad's really wanting to go golfing since he's only been once this Summer and I still have a chocolate massage that he gave me for Valentine's Day. I need to call to find out if they'll accept me since I'm pregnant. That sure would be nice to redeem! I'm sure it would be better when I'm closer to the due date, but figure I have a better chance of getting them to accept me if I'm not showing a whole lot. I've heard there are special massages for pregnant women, so will have to inquire about that soon. I might splurge and get myself a pedicure while I'm there, too. These last few months will probably be my last chance to pamper myself for a while.

Symptoms: The indigestion is definitely coming back this week! I made the mistake of having a caffeine-free Coke one night about 1 hour before bedtime. I started regretting it right away! I guess it's time to go out and buy some more Tums.

6 more days until the ultrasound!!!

15 weeks 6 days

I finally figured out how to post pictures to this thing, so here's one taken during my 15th week.

Since my last post 2 weeks ago, there have been a few things to happen. On Saturday, July 2, we went and picked up the dresser and chest of drawers that I've been needing to get from my mom. We've put those in our main bedroom and will be putting the ones we previously had into the baby's room. We still need to repaint the old dresser and refinish the old chest of drawers, but we've still got plenty of time. I've also received a couple of other baby/maternity related items from friends, family and co-workers including my boss and his wife.

Our 4th of July weekend was very good. We had several friends from our Sunday School class over to cookout, watch the local firework show and then shoot off our own. We've done that each year for the last 4 years we've been in this house. I just hope we can continue the tradition next year! By that time, we should have a 6 month old!

Our biggest news of this week is that Shad finally got a new job!!! He's been trying to get a position in managment with his current employer for the last 4-5 months, but there was nothing available. They finally created an entry-level position and offered it to him. Even though it's only entry-level, it comes with a small raise and potential for another raise in 6 months. Plus, he has a better chance to "climb the ladder" in this position. He starts on August 1. Since this is a daytime position, it'll be a change for both him and me, in addition to Brinkley who's used to having "Daddy" home with him all day! This will be the first time since we've been married (4 years and 8 months as of August 1) that we'll both be on the same schedule.

In other news, we just got DSL Internet at home! It's something we've been wanting but thought was WAY too expensive. Shad researched it and was able to combine our phone, internet and cell phone services into one, which gave us a discount. That in addition to a couple of things somehow allowed us to get the DSL without spending more than our normal budget allows. I just love it; it's SO much faster than dial-up!!!

Symptoms: I've been feeling pretty good through this whole pregnancy. My most recent symptoms have been frequent hunger, slight indigestion and frequent trips to the bathroom!

13 more days until the ultrasound where, hopefully, we'll find out if it's a Christopher or Rebecca!!!

13 weeks 5 days - We Got To Hear the Heartbeat Again!

I had my appointment today and everything went well! I went through the usual routine: urine test, check weight (gained 3 lbs), check blood pressure (just right). Then the doctor came in and asked how I was feeling and if I had any questions. Then he did the sonogram. He found the heartbeat (nice and strong) the first place he put the transducer, which helped ease my mind! This time the baby was on my left side whereas last time the baby was on my right. I just wish that I didn't have to go 4 whole weeks before I can hear or see it again!

My next appointment...the ultrasound...is scheduled for July 21 at 2:30 pm. We're definitely planning to find out the sex! I just hope the baby will cooperate with us!!! I was told to bring a video cassette so I can have a copy! After the ultrasound, I'll see the doctor at 3:30 pm.

So, everything's right on track and the baby seems to be doing well!!! Thank you for your prayers and please continue to do so.

Symptoms: Not much at all. I had a little indigestion this morning for the first time in about 2 weeks. Also, I've been very tired the last few days, but mainly first thing in the morning and again in the late afternoon/evening hours. Other than those two things, there has been nothing else. I just hope things keep going this smoothly!

Birth Prediction

I found something very interesting off the website http://pregnancyandbaby.com/read/articles/736.htm. I'll look back at this after the baby is born to see how true it is:

Madame Zaritska's reading

Madame Zaritska, our resident clairvoyant, wants to help you prepare for the arrival of your child. Here she does her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.

What she senses for you
The day you deliver, outside will be overcast. Your baby will arrive in the evening.

After a labor lasting approximately 4 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and will be 19-1/2 inches long. This child will have blue eyes and a lot of hair.

But there is more. It is perfectly healthy and normal to want to look good, even during these interesting months! I sense you feel a little reluctant. Well, you're not being silly or shallow -- you're taking care of yourself. And I am happy that you are.

13 weeks 3 days

We had a pretty fun and exciting weekend. We didn't do much of anything on Friday, but on Saturday, my dad, Patti and Shad's dad, Richard, came over to grill out for Father's Day. My dad and Patti surprised me with a glider and ottoman in the color I wanted!!! I was really excited as that's been one piece of furniture that I really wanted to get for the baby's nursery! We all had a fun and enjoyable visit with each other, too.

I had my final softball game last night. I don't know if I'm ready for the season to be over with or not, but I do know that I'm really going to miss being able to play!!! We ended our season with a 10-8 win. When we all get the bats going, we tend to have a pretty good team! I even got a solid hit over the left centerfielder's head, which gave me a triple! By the time I got to third, though, I was SO out of breath!!! I'm glad that the next batter also got a good hit which allowed me to pretty much trot home! We have our end-of-season picnic scheduled for next Monday evening.

I really can't wait to find out whether this baby is a boy or a girl!!! I want so much for it to be a girl, but of course, will be very happy with a boy, too. A lady on my softball team had a TON of baby girl clothes in the back of her vehicle and asked if I wanted any. Since I don't know yet, I had to pass, but I'm going to give her a call after I find out. She said she's got everything from newborn up to about 16 months; most of it is for 0-6 months, though. Since I want a girl and Shad wants a boy, and all the old wives tales are telling me I'm having a boy, I'm probably going to have a boy. Only 4 more weeks to go before the ultrasound...hopefully!!!

12 weeks 6 days

Well, no matter how you look at it (12 or 13 weeks), I am just about done with my first trimester! Yippee!!! I've only had that one bout with morning sickness, so hopefully I'll be just fine the rest of the time. The indigestion has been off and on...sometimes pretty bad, but others just mild. Over the last week, I've actually lost a lot of my appetite instead of gaining more. I'm pretty sure that I haven't been gaining weight. I'll find out for sure on Thursday, June 23 when I have my next appointment. The doctor will use the doppler again to find the heartbeat and Shad will be with me this time. I pray that everything's going well and the baby is doing just fine! The doctor wants to schedule the ultrasound for my July appointment. We plan on finding out the sex of the baby, so if being 17 weeks and 5 days is too soon to find out, we'll be waiting until probably my August appointment when I'll be almost 22 weeks.

I can't tell for sure, but I think my stomach is actually starting to pooch a little bit. I can still fit into my clothes pretty well, but I've noticed that they're a bit tighter than normal. With as much as I want more proof that I'm pregnant...preferrably the belly...I don't want to have to go out and buy maternity clothes! I've heard from several people in similar situations as me that they didn't start wearing maternity clothes until they were about 5 or 6 months along (approximately 20-24 weeks). Maybe I'll be the same.

Softball season is almost over; we've finished the regular games and are now playing the make-up games. Unfortunately, we're not going to get first place this year like we did last year or even second place. I believe we ended up having 10 wins and 4 losses (not sure, but one loss may not count). We won our game last night 13-4. Thankfully, we've had enough players show up the last 2 games so that I can sit out if I want. Last night I played the whole game since it was short and was actually nice and cool even at 6:00 pm! On Monday, I played 3 innings and then came out. I want to be able to play some, but am usually very tired about half-way through. We only have 1 more game left and then I'll be done for who knows how long! Shad and I were talking about that and I guess it's possible that I might could play next year. Sign up is usually around February with practices beginning in March and games in April. By the time we start practicing, the baby should be about 3 months old. We'd have to work out a way for one of us to be with the baby, though, so right now I have no idea what will happen. Shad may opt to not play with the men in the Spring but play co-ed in the Fall instead. We'll just have to wait and see.

Other than softball, we've been having a fairly busy last few weeks. I'll be at a friend's wedding this Saturday and then my dad, Patti and Shad's dad will be coming over Saturday evening to grill out for Father's Day. Shad and I have been TRYING to plan a small getaway so we can use up our vacation time. We REALLY need one last real vacation before the baby comes, but because of finances, we won't have that chance. So far, we're thinking about just sticking around Murfreesboro and Nashville and going to places like the Stones River National Battlefield, the zoo and other places we've never been. It's funny that we live so close yet never do that kind of stuff! So, that's our plans for now; just trying to keep busy!

My next update will come after my next appointment! Please keep me and the baby in your prayers!

10 weeks 6 days

204 days to go.

This week has been so-so. For the first part, I dealt with both indegstion after EVERYTHING I ate and exhaustion. The indigestion seems to have backed off over the last 2 days, thankfully! Now, I'm mainly just exhausted.

We had a fairly relaxing Memorial Day weekend. We really didn't do much at all except have friends over to grill out on Monday. That was fun, though. We did FINALLY get to go to The Melting Pot on Saturday evening. How I wish we could go more often!!! We both just LOVE all their food!!! The great thing for me was that afterward, I didn't have ANY indigestion. My body made up for it on Sunday through about Wednesday, though!

I ended up not having any softball games this week at all and it's possible that Shad may not either. Since Monday was a holiday, there were none scheduled for that day. My game Thursday evening was rained out (so who cares about a little standing water on the field?! I've played in much worse!), so that's another one we'll have to tack on at the end. Since it's pretty much been raining for 3 days straight, Shad's game will probably be rained out tonight, too. We really need to be going to the gym when we're not playing softball!

As for this weekend...right now we don't have much planned. The only thing really besides our regular church schedule is our Sunday School...excuse me, I mean LIFE GROUP...get-together Saturday evening at our teachers' house. We're having chicken/steak/shrimp kabobs for dinner...yum! We always have so much fun at get-togethers like those.

Only 20 more days until my next doctor's appointment - another sonogram! Only 48 more days until the ultrasound!!!

9 weeks 6 days - We Have a Heartbeat!!!

Well, I had the sonogram yesterday and WE HAVE A HEARTBEAT!!! The doctor estimated the rate to be about 140 bpm.

After much confusion about what was going to actually happen at my appointment (I've found that people use the terms sonogram and ultrasound interchangably), it turned out to be just a minor thing. The doctor had a transducer attached to a speaker that he moved around my stomach. It was as simple as that. No images...nothing internal. And it only took a couple of minutes.

After hearing that it might be done internally, poor Shad reluctantly opted out of going with me. He was kicking himself afterward, though! Well, now we know how it's done and what to expect from a sonogram in the future.

My next appointment is June 23 and the doctor will do the same thing. Shad will definitely be there for that one! Two months from now (18 weeks along), we'll have an ultrasound. That one might be done internally. I told Shad that if he wants to be there to actually see the baby, he has 2 months to prepare himself. He said that he'll just have to suck it up and go.

As far as symptoms go...basically all I've really been dealing with this week is indigestion. I'm not quite as hungry, tired, or blah as I've been in the past, so maybe it's easing up. I only have 2 more weeks until I'm out of the first trimester. I did find out that I actually LOST 2 lbs from my last visit 4 weeks ago! I feel like I'm eating so frequently and I've only been sick the one time. I don't understand how I've actually LOST weight. I guess I shouldn't complain as I'll be gaining a bunch before I know it!

Monday is Memorial Day. As of now, our weekend plans include taking Brinkley to the vet Saturday morning for his annual shots and then FINALLY going to the Melting Pot Saturday evening. Of course, we'll have church Sunday. I think Monday we'll have friends over to grill out. Other than that, it's just going to be a lazy weekend!

I hope everyone has/had a great Memorial Day weekend!

9 weeks 3 days

Another week has gone by fairly quickly. This Thursday is my appointment to have the sonogram done. I'm really excited and can't wait!!!

We had a pretty good weekend overall. After work on Friday, we went to a matinee to see Star Wars Episode III. Afterward, we went and looked at used lawn mowers as we were needing to get one pretty badly. We also went by the local library where I got myself a card and tried to check out "The Time Travelers Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. I'm going to start participating in an online book club. Both copies were already checked out, though, so I'm the next on the list when one is returned.

I had my first bout of "morning" sickness on Friday evening. I think it was from eating too much popcorn, so will have to be more careful in the future. I had to put up with feeling nauseous for about 4 years beforehand, though. Once I actually got sick, everything was fine and I went about my normal activities.

On Saturday, my mom and I went down to Chattanooga to my sister's best friend's wedding. From there on Sunday morning, my sister and I drove over to Knoxville to visit my dad. All that traveling made for a very quick weekend!

I had another softball game last night. We won 13-1 and I even got a triple! My teammates and coach are all contributing my "power" to the prenatal vitamins!!! LOL! I'm afraid that I won't be able to finish out the season as we have 3 games to make up, which will extend our season from June 9 to a week or two later. I'll be between 12 & 14 weeks. I'll have to talk to my doctor about that while I'm there on Thursday. I've noticed in the last few weeks, that I get a lot more exhausted earlier than I normally would pre-pregnancy. So far, the heat hasn't been too bad, but I know that it's only going to get hotter the later into June that we go. Last evening was quite warm, but thankfully there was a fairly heavy breeze to help me out. The rest of this week is supposed to stay in the mid-70's, so shouldn't be a problem heat-wise.

I guess I had my first hot flash yesterday afternoon. I was at work, where I'm normally freezing. As soon as I got back from lunch, I put on my sweater as usual. It wasn't very long when I was completely burning up. That lasted about 20 minutes or so and then I was freezing again. Nothing like that has happened since. It was nice to not have to be bundled up in my sweater!

Well, that's all for now. I should have more to post after Thursday's appointment, which is in the late afternoon. I sure hope and pray that everything is okay!!!

8 weeks 3 days

Wow! Another week has just FLOWN by! Everything is still pretty much the same as it has been the last several weeks: morning hunger, fatigue, indigestion, afternooon blahs. Actually, the last couple of days have been so "normal" that half the time I don't even remember I'm pregnant! I've not had ANY symptoms today...not even the blahs! Hopefully, everything will stay the same for the rest of today.

I've still been keeping busy with softball. Last night's game was REALLY hard for me, though. At one point, I ran all the way from first base to home. Afterward, I was so winded and out of breath that I couldn't even talk louder than a whisper! Thankfully, the temperature was nice. However, if it gets a whole lot warmer, which I assume it will soon, I may not be able to continue. I'll feel guilty, though, since I know they need players pretty bad. Most games, we don't even know if we'll have the minimum number of players. I've always been one they can count on to be there each game.

On Saturday, my sister and I will be going to a friend's wedding in Chattanooga and then over to visit my dad in Knoxville on Sunday. She's going to be down from school in Pennsylvania, so it'll be a nice catch up time for us.

No news on the house buying process. We haven't moved forward yet like we were planning to last week. We want so much to be able to be in a house of our own before this baby comes, but realistically know that, unless finances change, it's not going to happen like we want.

Only 9 more days until the sonogram!!! I'm so afraid that, with my lack of symptoms, we're not going to find a heartbeat. Please pray that all goes well and this child is healthy and growing like it's supposed to be growing!

7 weeks 3 days

Time sure is flying by fast!

Both Shad and I kept really busy this weekend. We went to an air show on Saturday and saw the Thunderbirds. It was a really nice day for an activity like that, but I have to say that I was somewhat dissappointed in them. Most of their show was good, but the show was stopped long before the Thunderbirds were even ready to go and then they didn't do their signature Bomb Burst, which I was expecting them to do.

Saturday evening was my first bout with nausea. I've noticed over the last few weeks that I tend to feel the worst in the afternoon/early evening hours. However, on Saturday, I actually felt nauseated. Thankfully, I was able to sleep it off and it didn't last very long. I was well enough to eat a barbeque sandwich from Slick Pig for a late dinner!

For Mother's Day on Sunday, we went to my mom's and made her and my aunt a late lunch/early dinner and visited for a while. Surprisingly, I even received a gift (set of picture albums) from Richard along with a few cards for Mother's Day myself. I sure wasn't expecting that!

Other than the nausea on Saturday, my biggest symptom has been fatigue. Sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes in the evenings and sometimes all day long. Overall, I'd have to say that I'm having a pretty easy pregnancy. I'll feel much better after we have the sonogram done on May 26, though! I think I may tell my boss and co-workers after that appointment...assuming all goes well!

I think we're ready to move forward on buying a house. We now need to set up an appointment with the mortgage lender and update him on where we stand. If everything looks good to him, we just need to get approved, which should be no problem. We're also waiting on our realtor to get her contractor's license. She's planning on taking her test on May 23 and, if she passes, will be ready to go about June 6. If all of that goes well, we'll be first looking into building a house. If not, then we'll probably just stick with buying an already built home. As for Shad's job change...we still haven't heard anything from his boss, so nothing's changed there. Please continue to keep that in your prayers! We would appreciate it very much!

6 weeks 5 days

This week has been quite uneventful as far as the pregnancy goes. I am now almost 7 weeks along. As usual, the only symptoms have been fatigue, hunger (but still not a very big appetite) and just a little bit of the "blahs." I haven't had too much in the way of indigestion lately, but the acne has been a bit more active.

We've had 1 softball game (won by forfeit) this week and have our second tonight. Shad and I ended up letting our gym membership expire at the end of April, so we need to renew it and get back into our routine. Since softball games for both Shad and me have started, though, it's really hard to get over there during the week. I figure we'll have to start going more on Saturdays and Sundays.

Our plans for the weekend include going to the air show in Smyrna on Saturday and then visiting my mom on Sunday for Mother's Day. At least it's something to keep us busy so we're not just sitting around being lazy and bored!

6 weeks 2 days

There's not been anything too exciting happening lately. I've been feeling okay; pretty much the same symptoms of fatigue, having a little bit of the "blahs," and some indigestion. As for hunger...my stomach does still growl more often than it would if I weren't pregnant, but in reality, it's more in line with when I should be hungry anyway (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Every now and then it'll growl in between those times, but not too often. I'm just not used to it growling much at all.

I've been getting used to taking naps whenever I get a chance. Sometimes I don't even realize that I'm tired until I lay down. Then, before I know it, I'm out like a light!

At my last appointment, the doctor gave me the go-ahead to play softball. Our season only lasts until the beginning of June, so I'll be right at the end of my first trimester when I finish. He told me that really the only way I could injure the baby at this point would be to break my pelvis, which certainly won't happen in our league! We're all just playing for fun and the coaches know that I'm pregnant, so are keeping a close eye on me. If I need to come out, I know to just say something.

Shad's been fun to watch come around with all this news. He still has his moments, but he's doing a lot better. Every now and then he'll make a comment to Brinkley about being a "big brother." I just have to laugh! He's still really wanting to be in our own house by the time the baby comes, but we really don't know how much of a possibility that is for us. Financially, we might could swing one or the other, but certainly not both at the same time. Therefore, he really needs to hear back from his boss regarding the promotion to management very soon! For some reason, his boss just keeps procrastinating. I guess that it is possible his boss is being honest and needs more time, but on the other hand, if there's nothing available and he has no intentions of promoting Shad, he just needs to say so. Both of us feel like it's just being dangled out in front of us like a lure, but it's not really something attainable. Please keep Shad's job prospect in your prayers in addition to this pregnancy!

5 weeks 5 days - First Prenatal Visit

Today was my first prenatal visit with the doctor. Since I wasn't thinking and scheduled this one for in the morning, Shad wasn't able to come along (he works 3rd shift and sleeps during the day). In the future, I'll make my appointments for in the afternoon so he can be there, too.

My doctor went over family medical history, what to expect in the way of prenatal care, what to expect at my next visit, any questions I had and he informed me of the 15-20% chance of miscarriage. I also had an exam, blood work and urine test. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about anymore blood work for a while, but I guess I have to get used to the urine test as that's done at each visit.

The doctor confirmed my estimated due date of December 24. He doesn't see anything that would put me into the high risk category, so all's well there. He did mention that because of my size, depending on the size of the baby, I have a higher chance of needing a c-section, which is something I figured going into this. I guess I'm hoping not to have a big baby!

My next appointment is on Thursday, May 26 at 3:30 pm. I'll be almost 10 weeks along, so they'll be doing a sonogram! That's when I'll feel more relieved about how the baby is doing. I believe he told me that if everything's okay with the sonogram, they'll schedule an ultrasound for 2 weeks later. I really look forward to that as Shad and I have both determined that we want to find out the sex if it's possible.

Symptoms: I'm still hungry more often and have indigestion somewhat frequently. Other than that, I've been a bit more tired the last few days. I did have a couple of days where I felt "blah," but still no morning sickness, thankfully!

5 weeks 2 days

Well, the cat's officially out of the bag now. After finding out that people at church knew, I figured I may as well go ahead and let everyone else know, too. Maybe we can keep it to ourselves a little longer when/if we have a second child.

Today's been a kind of "blah" day. The heartburn/indigestion has been pretty strong and I've had a little more of the nauseous feeling. Plus, I've been SO tired. During my lunch break, I went home and even tried to take a nap. Thirty minutes just isn't long enough, though!

I've had so much to do at work today and just don't *feel* like doing anything at all. Unfortunately, I've got to do what I've got to do to get paid.

Shad's got a softball game tonight and I told one of his teammates that I planned to be there, so he asked if I'd care to watch his 2 children while he played. I'd probably stay home otherwise. Oh well...I like getting out and watching his games, so I'll just go to bed early tonight.