1st appt...

Well this weekend went well. Cole is just a dream! He nurses so well and sleeps great. He wakes up two or three times a night and then goes right back to sleep. All three of us have a hard time keeping our hands off him! We all want to hold him. Ryan does such a great job helping out. This morning while Josh was ironing his clothes, I went to the bathroom and asked Ryan to hold Cole. He puts the boppy around his waist and holds him so well! They were doing so great that I ate my breakfast while Ryan held him! :-) Cole woke up about 5am and I was still tired and wanted to sleep, but it was also nice just to get to hold him and spend some special time with him while Josh and Ryan were sleeping. So Cole had his first appt today at 11am. We all went in to see Dr. Bartlett and Cole's weight is down a little bit, so he needs to go back in for a weight check on thursday and also to do his follow up pku test. I'm doing well except for my swelling feet. They were REALLY bad this weekend. Josh propped pillows under one of the cushions on the couch and I slept there with my feet up. When I woke up this morning, they looked SOOO much better, but now they are getting swollen again. I think it's just a combination of retaining water and the heat we've been having. I'm going to sleep with my feet up again tonight and tomorrow it's supposed to start cooling off a lot! I actually can't wait to start getting this weight off! I think it's going to be a little bit of a process...but oh well. :-) When we picked up Ryan this weekend he hugged my tummy and said "Wow! It's squeezy!" I definitely don't want to be "squeezy"!! LOL! Alright, well the littlest munchkin has woken up and needs to eat so I will go now. Hope everyone has a great day! :-)

Today's appt...

So I went in and told my dr I was READY! LOL! He checked me and said that if he was just checking me...I was 1.5 cm. Then he said "Well let's see..." and then he told me he could easily stretch me to 3 cm and that I was 70% effaced. So that made me really happy to have SOMETHING to go on! :-) I then proceeded to take Ryan to the park and circle the play set while he was playing. Of course after about 15 circles or so, I was totally tired, so I had to sit down. :-) I'm happy that I have some progress and my dr said IF I don't see him before then, he will see me at my appt on Friday. I'm really hoping Cole comes soon!!! I want to see him!! :-) My dr also said that the shape of my belly had changed and that Cole's head was nice and low. :-) So that is good. I took another picture today, so once again, I'll post that too. I look really tired...cause I am! LOL!

Last week's pic



Today's pic


Please try not to be TOO jealous of my sway back! LOL!

Cross your fingers!

I have another appt today at 3:45pm. I'm really hoping that I am at least a little more dilated! I really want Cole to come this week...cause next week my dr is out of town and that would suck! I was really crampy Saturday night, last night and this morning. I'm hoping that means at least something is happening. :-) So when I get back from my appt, I'll post my 38 wk pic and an update. So wish me luck!

Cinco De Mayo!

Josh REALLY wants to take Ryan to this little mexican restaurant in Rainer because they are going to have a mariachi band tonight. I told him we will have to get their pretty early because I'm sure a lot of people will be wanting to do dinner there. He's going to see about getting out early.
The weekend was nice. The weather was beautiful! I had my appt on Friday, it took forever and my dr. didn't check me, but said I indeed had dropped some. The baby's HR sounded good and my BP was good. I don't have another appt until the 12th, so we will have to see how things are going then. :-)
We drove down to Eugene on Friday evening so that I could be there in time on Saturday for the baby shower. Jess and Nicole took me out for a pedicure which was SOOO wonderful! And now my toes look cute! :-) The shower was SO much fun! Jess and Nicole did a great job and we had a blast. We got so much fun stuff for Cole...I can't believe how lucky I am to have the best family and friends ever! Nicole took the pics, so when she emails them to me, I will post them here. I was so happy to get to see everyone and visit. It definitely made me miss Eugene. So anyway, I'll post more about the shower, when I get the pics. We drove back up to WA on Saturday night after we had pizza for Bryan's birthday. Unfortunately for me, Sunday I was NOT feeling well. My heels were hurting SO bad and so was my lower back. Also I kept feeling like I was going to throw up, which was no fun at all.:-( So I think that's about it. I hope everyone else had a great weekend too!!

New belly pic and 35 week appt...

Okay so first let me start off with the appt. My weight gain was enormous as always, my bp was still really good and he did the group b strep test. He checked me and I'm about 1 cm dilated and about 50-60% effaced. It was funny and weird at the same time cause he said he could poke the baby's head and I was like...hmmmm...is that good or bad!? LOL! He said he was going to check me again at my next appt to see if I've progressed at all. I was happy to have some numbers because I wasn't even to this point yet with Ryan when I was 38+ weeks!! So it's nice to know that my body is getting ready. :-) So that's about it for the appt. Now for the pics...I'm going to post my 30 wk pic so you all can compare (and laugh at) with the 35 wk pic.


30 wks...


35 wks...

Okay, let the laughter begin!! LOL!

Just got back from my appt...

It was just a quickie appt. Ryan got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. He stood there for a few secs and just got a huge smile on his face. Then he said "That is SO funny!" and started laughing like crazy. It was pretty funny. :-) My BP is good, my 3 hr test came back just fine, so YAY for all the extra pokes for no reason! :-) I go back in a couple weeks. We will do the group b strep test and he will check me again to see if I'm moving along at all. Like I said an easy peasy appt. :-)

Mom update...

Well mom is out of the ICU! YAY! She trying to talk and I got to talk to her on the phone which was nice...but kind of sad at the same time. I hope she didn't hear me crying. She is in an intermediate care room. My sil Nicole is there now helping dad and my Aunt Teresa will be heading over I think on Wednesday. I know that dad really appreciates them and I just wish there was more that I could do to help. :-( I haven't been sleeping well again and Ryan has been waking up at 6:30am. I don't know why...but it's really killing me. I have a dr's appt today at 4:15...I think it will be just a short, listen to the heartbeat one. Ryan and Josh are both going to go so they can meet Dr. Bartlett. But that's about it for now. I'm going to feed Ryan and then let him lay down on the couch to watch Rolie Polie Ollie while I shower. Hope everyone has a great day!

Sorry I've been MIA...

I'm sorry it's been so long! I've been just trying to get things done around here! :-) So I haven't heard anything about my 3 hr test...I'm guessing that's a good thing. I figure if there was a problem, they would have called me by now. :-) Also I have my next appt on Monday so I'll ask then.
On the Mom front...she is doing much better. Dad called me this morning and said that she was taken off the ventilator so that is really great news! Her throat is really raw and sore, but they are giving her stuff for that. Dad is hoping by Sunday they will be out of the ICU. That is basically the only update I have right now. After Ryan and I get done with our picnic and I put him down for a nap, I will finally make a picture update from Easter and The Wiggles for you. But I have to hop in the shower or Ryan is going to get mad at me cause I'm not moving fast enough. :-) Thank you Lisa for the bump to make an update! :-) I sometimes forget I'm leaving people hanging here. :-)

Mom update and 3 hr test update...

Okay, so after a spinal tap and several other tests, they've landed on the fact that mom does have Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Today they are supposed to start a plasma exchange, which is a blood cleansing process that should really shorten her recovery time. Dad said that mom looks much better but that she's still on the ventilator and still in the ICU but any trace of pnemonia that was in her lungs is gone now. She's frustrated with not being able to communicate because of the tube, but dad says she seems much more comfortable and looks like she is getting better. The drs seem very optimistic about this process and that it will help alot and mom will be on the road to recovery very soon. Mom and dad's dr, Dr. English has been spending lots of time at the hospital with dad helping him understand all this and being a really great friend to him. So if you could continue to pray that she responds well to all the treatment and gets better quickly. Also pray for my dad, this has been really draining and stressful on him and he can use all the comfort he can get! Thank you all for your sweet comments and concern, we all really appreciate it.

As for my 3 hr glucose test, it went okay. They took my blood 5 times instead of just the four that I was expecting. But oh well, what's one more right? I haven't gotten the results back yet...I'm not sure how long it takes, but hopefully I will know soon. I didn't realize how much that takes out of you...but seriously after not having eaten for 14 hrs, I ate some lunch, came home and crashed for like three hours...I was just SO tired. So I think that's about it for me. Today is rainy and gray, but hopefully it will clear up enough to get to go outside for a while and let Ryan run around.

Yesterday's appt and Mom...

So I met my new dr and he's actually really nice. I like him a lot. He's very friendly and personable which I REALLY like! He definitely wants Josh and Ryan to come in for the next couple of appts to hear the heartbeat and so he can meet them. I explained Ryan's fear of dr's to him and he said that the best thing to do would be for Ryan to come to as many appts as possible close to the end so that he gets to know Dr. B and understand that he's there to help me and not hurt me. My bp was 110/60...is that good?? The nurse didn't seem concerned at all...so I'm guessing I'm okay. :-) When I laid back I thought Cole's foot was going to come through my stomach! It hurt so bad, the dr said that Cole was probably laying at my back and down low, I was measuring at 32 wks but he said that probably wasn't an accurate measurement due to how Cole was laying. I'm still stuck taking the 3 hr test because I was measuring so big at 27 weeks and family history...boo! When he lifted up my gown to measure my stomach he goes "Wow! You're just carrying him right out front there aren't you?!" Then he did a basic pelvic to check the position of my uterus and everything. He asked me if Ryan was early and I said he was only about 5 days before his due date and he said "Well I wouldn't be surprised if you go early cause your cervix is VERY soft." That would be nice...not too early, but maybe just a couple of weeks. :-) He asked me how big Ryan was and how my labor was. I let him know that Ryan was average 7 lbs 9 oz. I also let him know that my water broke on it's own, but they had to give me pitocin cause I couldn't feel my contractions. I also let him know that I had to push for 3 hours to get Ryan out cause he was sunnyside up and wouldn't drop. He said "Wow! I hope you don't have to do that this time!" LOL! So it was a really good appt. I'm hoping I do go a little early and I'm glad I like my dr. :-) That's all though! :-)

An update on Mom...she is still in the hospital. They were going to give her an MRI and wait for the rest of the test results to come in. The neurologist thought one possible cause could be an electulyte imbalance...so they were giving her potassium. They also had her on an anti anxiety med to help her sleep and pain meds. I haven't heard from them yet this morning so I'm hoping that she was actually able to sleep and is just resting. I'll update when I know more. Thank you all so much for the prayers. I really appreciate it! We are headed to Oregon for the weekend so I'll see some of you on Sunday and I'll post again when I get back.

Update on my 3 hr test drama...

So this week I will be 30 wks...they couldn't even get me in for my three hour test until NEXT Tuesday...then I'll be 31 wks...will it really even matter by then? Oh well...

So this weekend was good. We got some stuff done around the apartment and were able to take Ryan to go feed the ducks which he has been begging to do. I took a few pics so I'll post them for you. Other than that, it's going to be a homey Monday...since Josh needed the car today. :-)

BOO!!!!

UGH! My dr's office just called and said that my results from my glucose test came back and it was within the normal range but the higher end of normal, so they want me to do the three hour test. :-( :-( :-( I don't want to! I've given more blood in this pregnancy then I've given in donations to the Red Cross!! Yes, I'm whining and pouting...I don't want to do this.

Oh yeah, Rachel, apparently the TB test, they inject serum under your skin and it makes the area bubble up like a bee sting/blister...it's weird. It goes down pretty fast...well it does if you DON'T have TB...I guess it stays raised if you do have it. I don't. Yay or something. :-)

EDIT: OH MY GOSH! I just found out that they are going to take my blood FOUR times for the three hour test? Are they trying to kill me??

A Pokey morning....

So I woke up REALLY early to get to the lab as soon as it opened to do my dreaded glucose test. I got there and the lady was really nice and said hopefully they would give me the orange soda...nope, they hate me and gave me the "cola" flavored. Also, no one told me you have to drink the WHOLE thing in only five mins...I was trying to chug it...not fun. So I waited the hour and then they took my blood. Anyone who knows me, knows this is no fun for me. So then I went and picked up Josh and Ryan so we could take Josh to work and run to the post office. We got our stuff done and then I had to go back to the hospital for my appt. So Ryan got to hang out with his daddy at the hospital while I did my appt. I got asked all the standard questions...got a cute little welcome kit and then I had to take a tb test. So I got my skin bubbled...which by the way is gross looking. Then the nurse noticed that my labs in Eugene didn't include a Hep C...so I had to go BACK to the lab and get more blood drawn. Needless to say...my arms are just a bit on the sore side and I'm missing some, what I feel, is very important blood! :-) But it's over and barring any other random tests they feel they need to inflict on me, I should be done being poked for a while.

So to follow up on Ryan's elephant sadness...when it came time to go to bed, he started to cry and was REALLY upset that they elephant was going to hit him again. So I checked the closet and closed the door. Then he wanted me to lay down by him, so I did. When it was time for me to get up, he started to cry again and said that he was scared. I told him that we had said our family prayer and asked that we would be safe and not scared. And then I said "Ryan what do we say when people hit?" And he said "We say Please don't hit." I said "Okay, so when elephant tries to hit you, ask him to not hit and then say "Why don't we play and be friends?" He seemed okay with this and fell asleep shortly after. When he woke up this morning he said "Mommy guess what? Me and elephant played last night!" So hopefully this will put an end to the elephant fiasco. :-) Well I think I am going to nap while Ryan does.

Whew!!!

Well after a little bit of drama and thinking that no drs here in Longview had space for me...I have a dr and my appts scheduled. I will be going to for an initial meeting with the nurse on Friday. She is putting in the paper work for me to go to the lab to take my glucose test anytime between now and my appt. Then my appt with the actual dr...Dr. Bartlett is the following Friday, at 3pm. So YAY for that being taken care of! I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to find a dr! :-) I feel better now!

Yesterday...

After calming down and realizing it wasn't helping being mad about the missing keys, wonderful Rachel offered me a ride to my dr's appt. She's so great!! And we also got time to visit! My appt went well. The dr did verify the fact that I'm enormous by telling me that I was measuring at 32 weeks. I'm only 27 weeks. :-( But I did only gain 3 lbs since my last appt! My last appt I was 25 weeks and was measuring 28 weeks...so I've gain TWO WEEKS!! The dr said that it could be because of how short waisted I am or because of the way the baby is sitting. Jenn said she thinks it's because I'm going to have a 27 lb baby with 12 teeth! Everything looks fine. Cole's heart rate was at a strong 152 and he's head down. Which would explain the painful kicks I am experiencing to my ribs and stomach. We didn't end up doing the gluclose test as planned. Apparently Dr. Cooper was taking pity on me. :-) It was sad that it was my last appt with him. He's such a great dr and I will miss his wonderful office and him. So that's about it. Josh will be home tonight, his boss gave him Friday off to move and the truck will be here tomorrow so we will be getting all that stuff done and hopefully the move will go smoothly. Oh yeah, obviously we heard from the apt complex and everything went through just fine. So it's official...we have a place to live! It's a nice complex and it's right next to the elementary school that Ryan will be going to, so I'll be able to walk him to school when he goes to kindergarten. :-) YAY for easiness! Alright, I'd better get back to the packing!

Cast your vote...

I have a little poll on whether or not you think I'll be having a boy or a girl. I go in for the big ultrasound on the 16th! We are really excited to see if it's going to be a baby brother or a baby sister!! :-)

Christmas at our house this year was awesome! Jenn's family came from Utah and Tommy and Nicole came down from Portland. Sadly, Mom and Dad didn't get to come home and they were very missed! On Christmas Eve, we kept up with our family tradition and headed to Papa's Pizza for dinner. It was nice to know that we didn't have to cook a big dinner at home (considering there were 18 people staying the night on Christmas Eve) that we would have to clean up after. The kids got to play and have fun while us adults got to relax and eat some yummy pizza! After that we came home to open our Christmas Eve gifts! Each year our family opens one gift on Christmas Eve and it's always new pajamas...cause we don't want to be in old pj's when Santa comes! :-)

This is Ryan getting his jammies on.

Uncle Timmy and Ryan in their new Christmas jammies!!

Christmas morning was wonderful! It was a blast to get to watch the kids open their presents and have so much fun with their new things!

All of the kids, 18 and under, waiting on the stairs to come and see what Santa brought for them!

Ryan's Santa gift. Santa knew how much Ryan loves to go hiking with his daddy so he brought him a Lightning McQueen tent, hiking backpack, sleeping bag and water bottle set!

This is Ryan sitting in his tent looking at what he got in his stocking. He spent most of the morning sitting in there! LOL!

When Jenn got here, she was reading a book called "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. I had heard a lot about this book so she was almost done reading it and when she finished I started it. She brought the second book "New Moon" with her also. So as I started the first one, she started the second. We finished close to the same time (in about 10 hours) so I started the second one. I finished the second one on Christmas Day and luckily we both have wonderful husbands who only occasionally hate our reading obsession and they got us the third book "Eclipse" for our Christmas presents! Although I finished all three books in about five days, I'm excited to go pick up the first and second ones (selfish Jenn took them home with her!) and reread them! They are really amazing books, and even written by an LDS author! We even got Nicole hooked on them too! We would have roped in Jessica, but she was too wrapped up with her Pillars of the Earth sequel book to get involved. :-) So if you are looking for a really good set of books to read...definitely pick these up! The fourth book doesn't come out until August, so I'm going to have to find something to do to keep myself busy until then! :-)

As crazy as our house was with everyone here, it now feels so empty that everyone is gone. Tommy and Nicole had to take off after Christmas dinner and Jenn and Nate's family had to leave today. They took Timmy with them to spend some time with our Cousin Jeff in Idaho and work on baseball stuff during winter break. It's hard to imagine that a house that still has 8 people living in it can feel empty, but it does.

I had my third doctor's appt on Thursday. Everything is still going good. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat again and Dr. Cooper said that hopefully the horrible pains that have been plaguing me since the beginning will soon go away. I did get to schedule my BIG ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby!! We are really excited! January 16th will be the big day! I got the earliest appt at 8am so I don't have to wait all day! :-) We will be happy either way but keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll get a little princess! :-)

Okay Ryan is patiently waiting for me upstairs for prayer so I'll go now. I hope you all enjoyed this little update!