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11 weeks old

• 
  We have already passed a few milestones in little Conner's life! He had his first set of booster shots August 28th. Michael and I both went to support Conner. It was SO sad! He cried the "you hurt me bad and you hurt my feelings" cry. As soon as they were finished, I held him in my arms and he calmed down in about 5 minutes. We gave him tylenol throughout the day and made sure we cuddled him and spent lots of time soothing him. He slept most of the day and did pretty well.


• The next day we left for South Carolina and visited Michael's Dad and Debbie. Conner did well on the car ride. But, we took Daddy's car and I rode in the back with him. When he rides in my car, he screams and cried the WHOLE time and will not stop - even if I take him out - he just starts back up again. We have concluded that he either hates my car or hates riding in the back by himself - neither one of which we can really do anything about. Conner got to meet his cousin Maddy who is only three weeks younger than him. It was so cute to watch them interact. Conner got to go to church for the first time. We had been hesitant to take him yet because he is so young and we were nervous about how he might act. He can get REALLY fussy. But, we were pleasantly surprised that he sat there the whole time and didn't let out a peep. Michael says he is going to be a Pentecostal because as soon as the music started he raised his hands! He likes music. :)



• Another exciting thing happened today. Our neighbors gave us their old bouncy seat that attaches to the door frame. Now, Conner is too young for it now, but we tried it out anyway and put a little neck pillow up to support his head (even though he really doesn't have a lot of problems holding his head up.) He LOVED it! He can't jump up and down on his own so we would bounce it for him and his eyes would light up with delight. When we would stop bouncing him, he started crying as if to say "bounce me more!" So, we would bounce him more and he would stop crying! It was so funny. When he gets a little older he is going to LOVE that thing because he loves being bounced.
• He is really getting to be much more independent. He is kind of growing out of that phase where he wants me to hold him 24/7 now that he has sort of learned to entertain himself. He has his good days and his bad days. We can put him in his little rocker and he will play with his toys, or like today, I came in and Michael had him sitting in front of the tv watching the Smurfs. I used to LOVE the smurfs. He was taking it all in with such alertness and attentiveness. Everyone we meet is astonished (first by "that head of hair" then) at how alert and expressive he is. He always seems to be learning and paying attention to what is going on. He will follow you around the room or turn towards you if you enter the room. He always seems to be studying things very seriously just taking it all in. We play a mimic game with him and he will imitate our facial expressions.
• He's been a little sick this past week, but not running a fever. He has had a stuffy nose, coughing and sneezing. So, I called the pediatrician and they said to give him a little bit of children's benedryl and infant tylenol. That helped and now he has already improved greatly.
• Well, you can probably tell that we are enamored with our little man and every little thing he does is a special miracle to us. He is truly the apple of our eye (and very entertaining to say the least.) He is growing so fast! I already wonder what happened to my little infant? He's already a baby! But, as sad as it is that time flies so quickly, each new stage in his development comes with something new and exciting that we couldn't do before.
• I'm attaching a link to a video I put up on you tube. It's really crappy quality and I am still trying to learn how to do all of this uploading of videos using the myriad of cameras and computers we have around this house. So, I'm still experimenting but when I get it figured out and get a good one, I'll be sure to let you know.
• Hope all is well. Nat

7 weeks

We are almost at the two month mark! Conner (or, little man, as we call him) has still been having a hard time with his formula. He has been having an aweful time with his tummy hurting and spitting up (which makes Mommy really sad). The doctor felt like it was acid reflux so he prescribed some Zantac for him. It tastes really bad so he makes a horrible little face when he has to take it and he hates to take his medicine. But, we've already noticed an improvement since he started taking it! He seems more relaxed, less fussy, and actually will take a nap during the day. Hopefully this is a new pattern developing! He does really well at night and only wakes up one time in the middle of the night for feeding. He's already changed so much. He seems so much bigger and has already outgrown his newborn clothes.

He's started to smile a little bit every now and then but he's still practicing. He has started actually playing a little and gets really excited when he does. He likes to shake his rattle vigorously and bats his arms at his toys hanging from his play mat. We just bought some new CD's with children's songs and he LOVES it when I sing to him and dance with him. He coos right along! He also likes to be bounced. He moves his legs up and down and flaps his arms. He tries to stand when you hold him up.

I'm attaching some pictures of Conner at 7 weeks. Here's how big he is compared to my old Cabbage Patch doll! I guess he is still pretty small when you think about it!

Well, those are all of the updates for now. I'll have more after his two month check up at the end of the month. He gets his first set of vaccinations and I know its going to be just as hard on me as it will be on him. Seeing him hurt is the worst thing ever! I'll probably cry right along with him.

More later,

Nat

1 month old!

We had our one month appointment at the doctor yesterday and Conner is progressing great! He weighs exactly 9 pounds on the dot and is 21 inches long! He has been able to hold his head up since we brought him home from the hospital and is continuing to do so when we put him on his belly. He recognizes our voices and can follow objects with his eyes and head. He loves watching his rainforest sounds and lights toy in his crib. As of now, he sleeps 5 hours through the night and then goes back to sleep after a feeding. This is great! But, the trade off is that he stays awake and alert ALL DAY LONG. The doctor said this is rare! He won't take naps for more than 15 minutes at a time and wants to be held 24/7 or he cries. He is constantly in exploratory mode and you can just see the little wheels turning in his head! Needless to say, it's been hard getting anything done with little man wanting to be held the whole time. The doctor said we should gradually try to wean him and let him cry so he can learn to self sooth. That was a validation for me because I feel guilty anytime I eat, take a shower, or do housework! I hate for him to be upset. But, both he and I are getting better at it!

He already has gotten to meet two of my roommates babies. Amelia - in Atlanta - Julie's baby - and Lydia - his birthday twin - Chery's baby!

Every now and then we catch a smirk or a smile or a twinkle in his eye and it makes my heart smile! When I watch him sleep I feel so much love that I am reminded what a gift and miracle this little guy is. I can't imagine our lives without him now!

He had his first official bath last week (Non-sponge bath) since his chord fell off! He LOVES having his hair washed! I'm attaching a few updated pictures so you can see how much he has grown already! Everywhere I go people always comment on his hair! He was born needing a hair cut! And, no, it's not going to fall out. I had a full head of hair like him and it never fell out!

My time is limited so I will try to update as I can. Lots of love!

Natalie & Conner

He's here!

Baby Conner was born on Wednesday June 25th at 2:02 in the afternoon after only 4.5 hours of labor! My blood pressure went up and they kept me overnight in the hospital for monitoring so they ended up inducing me the next morning. But, they found out I had actually started progressing naturally the night before. So, the induction just sped things up a bit. Everything went VERY smoothly and I couldn't have asked for a better labor and delivery. He weighed 6 pounds and 14 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. He has TONS of black hair! :)Ironically, Cheryl ALSO went into labor at 3:00 am the night before and had her baby Lydia THE SAME DAY at 7:00 PM! So, Conner and Lydia share the same birthday! I can't wait for them to meet!

We just got home yesterday and I am recovering. I didn't feel much pain until recently and now I am recuperating from the labor and delivery. I have lots of back pain, cramps, and bruising when I sit. The pain medication makes me sleep so I'm kind of out of it lately. But, all of it is totally worth it. I love my little angel! Mom is here helping us take care of Conner. I guess since I had such a great and easy delivery I have to pay for it somehow - Conner is having a hard time adjusting to his feedings and gets fussy and has a very sensitive tummy at night. He has his days and nights mixed up so Michael and I got a whole hour of sleep last night. We go back to the doctor on Monday so we will see what he suggests. The worst part is knowing that he's upset and hearing his little tiny baby cries and not being able to console him. We have him on some medicine for his tummy so hopefully that will help.

Conner is already ahead of schedule and the pediatrician said he seems like a full term baby born at 40 weeks. He is already holding his head up and moving it around a lot. He is very attentive to people and things around him and he is very strong! He loves his pacifier and likes to hold on to it while he sucks it. It's so cute - he is so loud when he sucks it you can hear him at the other end of the house! He sounds like Maggie from the Simpsons! He gets really angry if he loses it and he gets really mad if you have to check his diaper, change his clothes, or unswaddle him for any reason. It's kind of cute because he flails his little arms and legs around and makes tiny little fists! But, I hate seeing him unhappy. He is so sweet too! When I hold him to burp him, his hugs my hands and rubs them like he is petting them. He also likes to talk. From the moment of birth, he has been cooing and making little baby noises all the time.

So far, the dogs are getting along well with him. Tino and Sophie love him and love to give him gentle kisses. Tino gets really distressed and whines when Conner cries. Tino actually made him quit crying last night when he started licking his feet! It was funny because Tino is a big sleeper. Last night he looked at us like "Is he crying AGAIN?" and went and hid under the pillows! Baxter is kind of less interested. He just sniffs him and then walks away. For now the only dog allowed around him is Tino. The others stay in their own space.

Well, that is all I have to update now! I'll try to update next time I happen to have time and energy! :) Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers! Conner is loved by so many people and we appreciate all of you who have supported us during this time.

Love,

Nat

1 day shy of 37 weeks

Today was Cheryl's baby shower and it was tons of fun! I think she looks so great to only be two weeks behind me! It was great to see Kenzie and for 3 of the 4 of us old college roomies to get together! Now, if I could somehow just photoshop a picture of Julie and Amelia in the picture - the group would be complete!! Hopefully after Cheryl and I have our babies we will all be able to get together for a baby play date/ college roomy reunion!

So, I am one day away from 37 weeks. Last week I was kept at the doctor's office for two and half hours of monitoring because I was having so many contractions. The nurse said they didn't want me to have that many, but they didn't do anything about it so I'm thinking it's ok. Conner doesn't seem to be distressed by them at all. He's doing great! As a matter of fact, he usually stays quiet these days, but as soon as they hook him up to the monitor, he starts breakdancing in my belly! The contractions still aren't officially doing anything more (other than REALLY annoy me). I have been having them every 5 minutes now for two weeks. But, today I talked to Kenzie and she had the same thing happen for a month before Patrick came. So, I'm not holding my breath or anything! I imagine these will continue up until they induce me. They are getting stronger and more painful, but still nothing to make me think it's REAL labor. So, right now we are just ready and waiting! He could come at any time but he probably won't until July 6th week. Don't want to get my hopes up!

No real news otherwise! I have another appointment on Wednesday so if anything changes I'll be sure to update!

Nat

Update

Yesterday I went back to the hospital for MORE tests and monitoring. The regular contractions I was having eventually dwindled off and became irregular so they chalked it up to dehydration. I've still been having them every day and night. My blood pressure was still high yesterday until they had me lay down and then it went back to normal. So, they sent me home with orders to be on bedrest. POO!

Today I had a doctor's appointment and my blood pressure was back to normal. So, the doctor took me off of bed rest but said she didn't want me to do anything but take it easy. :) As of today, Conner weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces. He's measuring a little bit ahead, but even if he gains a half a pound a week, he still won't be humongous at 39 weeks when they induce! She also said that he has already dropped - meaning his head isn't too big! YEAH!! I didn't even notice a change in my profile, just lots of pressure. I am 70% efaced, but still only 1 centimeter dilated. She also said that as of now, I'm far enough along that if I do go into labor, they won't stop it (like they did on Tuesday - at least they tried to stop them, but they came back). They were also previously concerned that I might have too much amniotic fluid, and they checked that today and everything looks great! It's been a good day! :)

Things are definitely happening but I have no idea what they mean as far as a timeline is concerned. My contractions are definitely uncomfortable and I feel lots of pressure, sometimes sharp. They actually wake me up in the middle of the night. Anyway, the doctor said that is normal just as long as they aren't evenly timed like clockwork like they were on Tuesday. I'm having tons of them lately, but nothing on a regular schedule. So, 3.5 more weeks at the longest - maybe sooner if he decides he wants to come before then! I kind of have a feeling he might not make it to 39 weeks, but that could just be wishful thinking. :) At least now we know if he does come it's safe and he will be fine. :)

We're ready for him! Can't wait to see him and hold his little fingers and feel his soft little feet that have been kicking me. :) I can't wait to be a Mommy!

One Mohr in JUNE?

Strange things are happening! As of Monday afternoon, I have been having contractions on regular intervals. At first I wasn't sure that is what they were until I called all my friends and Angela to confirm it! (Thanks guys! I didn't know what a contraction felt like. I've never been pregnant before!) I was really confused because they weren't hurting, they were just uncomfortable (lots of pressure) but they were very frequent (like every other minute) and were not quitting when I would get up to move around or when I slept. Yesterday, I woke up and they were still happening so I called my doctor to ask if it's normal to have Braxton Hicks that close together for so long. Everything I have been taught about BH say that they are not consistant, not painful, and usually go away if you walk around, change positions or sleep. Not so with these. I also had thrown up a few times and had some gastrointestinal disturbances - also signs labor is starting. I was having lots of pelvic pressure and sharp pains every now and then, but other than that I felt fine and had no reason to believe it was "REAL" labor since it didn't hurt.

Well, the doctor's office didn't seem to think so. They sent me to the hospital for monitoring. Sure enough, my contractions were lasting 40-50 seconds and coming every other minute but I was not dilating anymore. The hills were just like clockwork on the little chart. They said they did not want me having contractions this early so they gave me a shot of something to make them stop. That worked for a few hours until right before I left and they have been coming ever since again. They actually woke me up at 4:30 this morning feeling stronger.

They didn't seem as concerned with what they called "Preterm contractions" as they were with the fact that my blood pressure was really high. They also found protein in my urine. Those two things together indicate preeclamptic conditions. (If you don't know what preeclampsia or toxemia is, it can be dangerous. At this point I would rather not go into it and assume everything is ok. The only cure is to deliver the baby.) So, they put me on 24 hour bed rest and I have to do a pee study for 24 hours and go back tomorrow around 2:30, get hooked up to everything again, have my labs tested, and see if things have changed. If not, they said they would probably admit me to the hospital, though not necessarily induce me at this point. Induction will depend on how much of a risk me and the baby are in and how serious the situation is. They want him to bake in the oven a little longer to make sure his lungs are well developed.

The funny thing about all of this is I FEEL GREAT!! I haven't had this much energy and felt this good in 9 months! Funny how it works like that I guess. I did have some MAJOR nesting going on Monday. I got all of Conner's things washed and put away and organized and finally got around to packing my hospital bags. It's like my body knew or was telling me "it's getting closer!" So, we will know more tomorrow. I'm betting the contractions will still be there, they will give me more medicine to try to stop them. I may or may not be dilated a little more. I bet my urine will be fine and my blood pressure will be down too. They said I was dehydrated "Off the charts" and that could be why the contractions started. I have NO IDEA how I was dehydrated unless drinking too much gatorade can do that. I've been dehydrated before and I sure didn't feel dehydrated. I drank about 5 or 6 glasses of Gatorade on Monday and then after 3:30 I had a glass of water I was drinking at all times. I wasn't outside in the heat or physically exerting myself so I have no idea how I was dehydrated with as much liquids as I was drinking. I've been drinking TONS of water like a fish since I got home and it hasn't made the contractions go away. But, someone told me it takes 24 hours to recover from dehydration, so maybe it will just take some time.

Conner is doing fine! His heartbeat and movement was strong. He would get really still when I would have a contraction and his heart rate would go up a little, but not much. I think that is normal. I think they just don't want it to DROP. What's funny is I hadn't really felt him move much in DAYS and as soon as they hooked me up, he started break dancing all around in my belly! He wouldn't be still! They were trying to get his heart beat but he kept wiggling around. It was kind of funny. Again, I feel super great! I'm just confused as to what is going on. They aren't Braxton Hicks, but I'm not dilating (maybe tomorrow), is this preterm labor getting my body ready for the real show?? We'll have more info and answers tomorrow evening so I'll be sure to update, unless I'm admitted to the hospital, in which case it might take me a little longer to get my computer.

We'll see how effective their attempts to stop my contractions are this time. Conner told them yesterday "You can't stop me! I'm ready to come out and play!" Hee hee!

More later,
Love,
Nat
(And hopefully little Conner soon too!)

34 week update

Here's a quick update!





I'm doing much better health, energy, and migraine wise! (Thank goodness!) I still have a few bad days here and there, but not nearly as many as before. I'm already dilating! Woo hoo! As many of you know, this doesn't necessarily mean I will go sooner, but it does mean I need to be ready because it could happen. Every pregnancy and body is different so there is no exact science to determining the "when" question. (Darn it! I was kind of hoping it might mean he would come a few weeks early!) It is good though because it means everything is "ripening" and I will be able to be induced at 39 weeks no problemo. At his growth rate so far, I do not want to go beyond 39 weeks and I don't think my doctor wants me to either. Hospital regulations will not allow an induction before 39 weeks because it could increase your risk for complications. I haven't started efacing and he hasn't started dropping. They said if his head is too big, we will know because I will continue to dilate and my water will break but he will never drop. Then, we will have to have a C-section. :( At the last doctor's appointment last week she said he is measuring ahead and big, but we won't be able to get a REAL accurate measurement until 35 weeks. So, next Thursday we go back for an ultrasound to find out more details. After that I will be going to the doctor every week.





The baby shower was this past weekend! It was so fun and friends and family went way out of their way to spoil little Conner and make everything so special! He is going to be so loved! Nancy did an AWESOME job putting it together! I'm attaching a picture of me and my belly from the shower. (Puffy fluffly goodness and all!)








We've been putting stuff up in Conner's room. We're almost ready with the exception of a few finishing touches! Once we get it finalized, I will put some pictures up.





I've started swelling! I now have cankles! Yipee! You can see from my picture my face is puffy too. Water retention! UGH! Other than muscle aches and swelling, I've been doing pretty good though! No complaints other than regular old pregnancy stuff! I think I am getting so happy and excited that he is going to be here soon that all the other stuff doesn't bother me as much anymore. :) The end is near and I can see it! YEAH!!



Love,
Nat

32 weeks! 7 to go!

I switched OB doctors for a variety of reasons. One of which was breech of confidentiality regarding my care. Someone in the office leaked information regarding my care to a pharmaceutical rep who I happen to know. I was and still am livid that someone would be that careless. On top of that, when I requested my files, they gave me mine AND someone elses in a folder. It had EVERYTHING about that girl in it. They also LOST my files from my first doctor and asked me every visit since December what my blood type was and would say "Well, we'll see if we can find your files. They are probably on so and so's desk." They never got around to requesting them again until a few weeks ago. They had them at first because I personally handed them to the nurse. So, needless to say, with all the carelessness going on in that office, it made it very uncomfortable for me to continue my care there, no matter how nice the doctor was and how cool the 3D ultrasounds were. There were some other issues as well.

I went to another doctor last Friday and so far she is great! Hopefully her office is too! I go back again next week. She was very good at educating and explaining things and said that she would like to induce at 39 weeks if everything is "ripe and ready." She said they would only do it if my body was ready because otherwise it would increase my risks for a C-section. I like the sound of that as opposed to what I got before - "We will induce you at 39 weeks - period." And, here I was freaking out about Conner's size and big head and the new doctor told me that it is still too early to get an accurate estimate and that we really won't know anything until 36 weeks. So, at that time, I will have an ultrasound (no 4D this time. :( ) and get a better idea of how big he is. I wish the old doctor had said something reassuring like that! She pretty much just said he was big and had a big head and "Don't worry, he'll fit." Thanks. That makes me feel SOOOO much better! I like to be educated and have things explained to me.

So, if everything goes as planned, Conner will be arriving sometime the week of July 6th. We will still be at the same hospital - Parkwest. I'm in week 32 right now and so that leaves a little under 7 weeks. We are NOT ready. We have many house projects going on that need to be finished before then. I've been on poor Michael's case for months to tie up the loose ends (I think I have been the epitemy of the pregnant hormonal nagging wife) because I don't want our house torn up with a newborn. I think when I put it like "He could be here in as early as 6 weeks" he realized we've got to roll! Ever since then he's been working very hard to get things moving. Actually, he's been working hard and doing a lot of stuff already, just leaving a few loose ends. I think he gets bored with one thing and moves on to something else before he finishes the first stuff. He's a guy, what can I say? Regardless, I love him bunches and wouldn't trade him for the world. He's super good to me and he's going to be a good Daddy. :)

Here's our to do list that we pretty much just have 6 weeks to complete.
1. We still have quarter round to put down and some more baseboards in the kitchen, upstairs and downstairs bathrooms (we still have to buy the quarter round, paint and cut it.)
2. paint the doors and door frames where they got banged up
3. staple the carpet where they meet the thresholds in the hallway (staple gun broke)
4. fix some nails coming out of a trim piece on the stairs
5. lay flooring in pantry
6. fix a rod in our bed
7. move some furniture in the upstairs guestroom and downstairs so people will have places to sleep when the baby gets here.
8. Finish ripping up carpet downstairs, laying tile, doing the grout. (I can live with this not being completely finished because it's downstairs).
9. Lay mulch in our front flower beds
10. Fix a faucet that doesn't work
11. Replace the toilet downstairs when we tile the bathroom (It's like some mini-me from the 70's put it in there! It's so short!)

But, here's what Mikey's done so far! It's not like he's just been sitting around doing nothing. (I helped with some of it, what I could. My Mom and Dad helped with painting and the baseboards and quarter round)
1. put laminate floors upstairs, also quarter round
2. painted the tiles and bathtub that were green - white (looks so much better)
3. we did knock down in the bathrooms, painted them, ripped up the tile around the floor and put down baseboards (I helped a lot with that! I hated those stupid tiles! I'm good at tearing things up!)
4. replaced Michael's piece o' crap vanity with a new one (this also involved ripping out more tile, doing more knock down, more painting - not to mention plumbing and fixing the floor where the old vanity was) (That was my Mother's Day present. It looks AWESOME! Everything was on huge sale too!)
5. landscaped the front yard
6. hung new blinds in Conner's room
7. Michael's already ripped up half of the carpet downstairs and started laying tile through half of the den.
8. cleaned off the deck and bought a new clean umbrella - got it fixed up so we can sit out there.
9. cleaned the carpets in Conner's room and our bedroom
10. finished putting some kind of stuff on the refinished front doors - varnish?

I'm sure I've left off something else, but you can see we've been busy! Well, Michael has been busy. (As if I know how to do any of this stuff! I helped with the shopping and the bathrooms. Plus, I'm so freaking huge I can't even bend over!)

Conner's room is coming around. I still need to buy some little shelves to put on his walls. Last night I went ahead and boiled all of the four free bottles and pacifiers we got. (I burned myself by splashing water on my arm! Not smart!) After the shower I guess I will see what we still need for him and then go shopping. There's so much! I have a list of the "essentials" so I won't forget anything.

Conner is excited about getting here. He is very active and moves a lot. It's fun to watch my belly roll around like jello when he moves! We are getting excited too! I can't wait actually! We have our hospital packing list just in case we have to pack fast if he comes early. (Wishful thinking) I go in two weeks to the Pediatrician to talk to them.

Well, sorry my blog was so long, but as you probably noticed I hadn't posted in a few weeks. I guess I only feel like I should post when I have news. So, keep in touch everybody! We'll need lots of help after Conner gets here so don't be shy about calling. Michael will be taking off for one week and my Mom is planning to come stay for at least a week. (I'm hoping two but I know she is busy taking care of my grandpa too.) So, the second week will probably be the roughest.

More later,
Nat

BIG BOY!

(Click on the pictures to make them bigger)

Today I am 29 weeks and 5 days. We went back to the doctor today and learned that Conner is a BIG BOY! He is only supposed to be right under three pounds but he weighs 3 pounds 10 ounces already!! AGH! No wonder I feel like I am about to bust! I haven't even been eating that much!! I don't know how he is getting so big. The doctor said that is a little big for his gestational age and also that his head is a little big. I weigh 159 pounds!! But, from what I and the nurse see, it looks like it is all baby. I'm pretty much scared to death now! Conner is just so excited to get here he wants to hurry and finish growing before his time. He must have inherited his impatience from his Mommy. Anyway, they want to keep an eye on his growth so in three more weeks I will have another ultrasound to see how he is progressing. If his head is too big, we might have a C-section, which I'll be fine with if he is huge. Other than that, he looks normal and healthy.

He slept during the whole thing today. He would open his mouth and he stuck his little lip out and frowned once. Even though he looked upset, it was so cute! He is positioned head down, face up which is good. In the pictures, you can see he is very flexible! Right now his foot and big toe are right in front of his forehead! LOL! The other thing is his umbilical chord. Can't tell about hair. I am so amazed by these ultrasound pictures. If you notice in the one by itself, you can see his EYELASHES!!!! Amazing. I posted 6 but we actually got TONS of pictures. He looks so cute in every one. I can't wait for him to be here so I can hold him! All 18 bazillion pounds of him!

Love,

Nat

Pictures of babies at 29 weeks

I'm having another sleepless night. So, what do I do? I play on the internet!! I often wonder what little Conner is doing in there and what he looks like. Some of you may find this disturbing, but I find it fascinating. I found pictures of lots of babies who were born at 29 weeks. No one wants their baby to be born that early, but it is comforting to know that modern medical science has made it so that if that does happen, after 28 weeks the babies can be sustained and usually don't develop any major life long problems (though they still can). Anyway, it is so cool to see these babies and think "That's what Conner looks like inside!" They are so teeny tiny, yet big at the same time when I think about that being inside me and how perfectly complete he already looks! I can't wait for him to get here so I can hold him! Most of these babies are around two pounds.

New pain of the week!

Sorry I dont have much to add to the blog. I have a doctor's appointment on Friday and I am supposed to have an ultrasound. So, maybe more pics. Anywho, the new ache and pain of the week is . . . . sciatica!!! Never felt that before today. It's a real pain in the butt though . . ha ha ha. Mostly just my lower right back and everytime I move my right leg. I feel like a fat little old lady. I tried to bend over today to pick up some magazines today and couldn't. I've still been having killer migraines about every three days or whenever the weather changes. Unfortunately, none of the meds the nuerologist gave me really help. Right now between the pain in my butt, my joint pain in my hips and knees, the acid reflux I experience when I lay down, the feeling that I can't breath because the baby pushes on my diaphram, the migraines exacerbated by the hormones, the fatigue, the hormones that make me cry because I miss my chihuahua, the sinus pressure, the stretchy feeling and pressure from the baby growing, my overall achy body, getting car sick and throwing up when I ride in the car, gas, bloating, upset bowels and other pooper problems associated with them and being pregnant, I would have to say that being pregnant SUCKS! I'm kind of a weeny for pain in the first place, but this is getting to be ridiculous. I mean, really! How much more can a person take!?!?!? Does God not want me to have any more children? It hurts to move! I really want more than one. It's so hard to tell though because "Every pregnancy is different." I won't NEED birth control after this! This works just fine! I think recovering from childbirth, having fatigue, and sleepless nights with a little baby are going to be a welcome change. At least then I will be able to MOVE! I know being a new Mom will be hard and a challenge, but seriously, I don't think it will be as hard as this. Plus, little Conner will be here and I can't wait for that!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm doing pretty good on my weight gain. I started off at 155 and then lost 15 pounds from being sick so much. Well, I've only gained two pounds past that and my hips, legs, and butt are still smaller than they were when I started. I read that from now on I can expect to gain one pound per week and Conner will gain .25 lb per week. (Right now he is over 16 inches long supposedly and weighs almost 3 pounds) I hope it's all baby weight! I really haven't been eating much because my stomach is all scrunched up. So, I try to eat little healthy snacks. I've been craving a lot of string cheese, milk, fruit, apples, and cereal with strawberries. I've been taking those prenatal vitamins too to supplement since I haven't been eating enough to be getting all the nutrition I know Conner needs.

The other day I felt a body part I could recognize for the first time. I was laying on my right side trying to sleep and all of a sudden I yelled "OUCH!" Conner was practicing being a race car driver already and "Flooring it." He stretched his little leg out as far as it would go and I felt his two inch foot (sounds little, but feels big when it's poking out of your side) come out of my side. I pushed on it and he pushed it back in. It was kind of cute and funny and painfully not funny at the same time. Then, the next day, he kicked under my ribs and it was hurting so I started pressing on his foot/leg or whatever it was to move it back in and this time he pushed back. He's already being rebellious. :)

I'll update after my appointment on Friday and hopefully be able to have an estimate of how big he is as well as some pics! :)

Until then, I'm surviving!!!
Nat

Big Mama - 28 weeks

Ok, I'm officially huge now. (I am also officially in the 3rd trimester.) I guess the good news is that it is all baby weight. Every time I see a nurse they say "Oh, he's going to be a big boy!" BE QUIET! Don't tell me that!!! Squeezing a 10 pound baby out is the last thing I want to think about!! I don't think there is much truth to that anyway. I know people who were huge and had little babies and also who were small and ended up having big babies. My hips have never been super wide so that only leaves one direction for him to grow - OUT! If they tell me he is going to be 9 or 10 pounds, I will personally hand them the knife myself. I don't want a C-section, but if he's huge, I'll take one!

Well, I have officially gone on medical leave for the remainder of the school year and am at home resting and trying to conserve my energy for things like keeping the house clean and not getting migraines. I have been having a terrible time with migraines. Before I was pregnant, I would get migraines maybe once every 2-3 months and my Zomig would help. But, Zomig is not recommended to take while you are pregnant. (It restricts the blood vessels in the baby's brain too). Lately, the migraines have been getting more frequent (weekly) and more intense (lasting 2-3 days making me completely incapacitated and throwing up all the time.) I went to a neurologist several weeks ago and he gave me all kinds of narcotic pain relievers supposedly safe during pregnancy. Unfortunately, they haven't been working. So, this week, the final straw broke and he sent me to the ER. I HATE going to the ER! This is the third time!!! I don't think I have ever been to the ER as many times in my LIFE as I have while I have been pregnant. I was so upset. You can imagine a nerve wracked, exhausted, hormonal, sleepless pregnant lady who doesn't want to go to the ER. I was boohooing. I eventually got over it though and pulled myself together and Mom took me. Luckily, it was in the middle of the day and they weren't busy so we were in and out in two hours. It was the usual. An IV of fluids and then a cocktail of anti-pain medication. It worked pretty well this time though! Sometimes the stuff they have given me would knock me out and make it go away for awhile, and then it would come back even stronger. The doctor said with the narcotic pain relievers, if it doesn't get rid of it up front, quit taking them every four hours because they can cause rebound migraines. I wish someone had told me that upfront!!!

Conner is moving . . . A LOT! He will go 2 or 3 days of moving NON stop, then slow down for a day or so. It will feel like I have a trout out of water flopping around in my belly and you can see it move! At one point I was scared because I thought he was having a seizure in my belly or something! He was vibrating and you could actually see my belly vibrating! (I called the doctor's office though and they said it is normal for them to spasm too.) He moves SOOOO fast! I have never seen little babies move this fast! And, he shows no mercy at night. I've been having BAD insomnia too (which don't help migraines). He calms down more during the day - but only during his "off" days - so I can rest during the day, but it stinks because I am starting to get my nights and days off kilter. He was giving me a break for a few days, but last night he kept me up again until 3 am. Then, I couldn't go back to sleep after 8:00 a.m. I smell a nap coming later this afternoon (If he will let me!)

I think he is having another growth spurt. I can usually tell when he does because my stomach feels like it is going to bust from the inside and I can't breathe. So, that is where I am today. My whole body aches. I'm not really having fun being pregnant. Not only the migraines and other problems I've had, but a bunch of other stuff that I can't really mention in detail on a public blog, things that no one really tells you about until it's your turn! It's awesome to feel him move and talk to him and read to him and plan for his arrival. Most of you who know me well though know that I am an impatient person. So, I'm ready for this to be over and for him to be here! I am excited and joyfully anticipate the day little Conner will be here, but my opinion of pregnancy in general is that it sucks! Lots of my friends feel that way too - unfortunately they don't tell you that until AFTER you get pregnant or they just now had their own babies too. I envy women who have easy blissful pregnancies and walk around with healthy glows on their face saying "I feel WONDERFUL!" Maybe IF this accidentally happens again it will be better next time. They say you forget all about it once the baby gets here. What, do you lose brain cells or something!?!? Does that baby just suck your memory away?? I've got a whole lot of forgetting to do! Sorry to sound so negative. Hopefully Conner won't be an only child, but there have been many days when I have seriously thought it! I guess today is one of those days. Who knows, my next entry may say "I feel WONDERFUL!" (doubtful). Adoption is nice too.

Well, that's probably enough negative Nancy talk for now. That's partially why I haven't posted anything lately - no real news. I did have my gestational diabetes test and I passed. I go back again May 2nd and I am supposed to have an ultrasound then. Hopefully we will get to see little Conner again. I'm sure he has changed a lot in 10 weeks!

Love,

Natalie (& kicking Conner)

Happy Easter!

We both look fat and happy in these pictures and they aren't too flattering. I'm going to just pretend it was the camera angle. But, we had a good day at church today for Easter. Conner apparently enjoyed the service because towards the end he was squirming around and you could see him moving/ jumping in my belly. Michael got a new Easter suit and I got a new maternity Easter dress so we were rocking it out in our new Easter clothes at church! I had to take a picture to document the occasion. I dont think I have ever seen Michael in a suit other than at our wedding. :)

Well, last Tuesday was our first prenatal class at the hospital. I thought my belly was getting big until I saw some of the other mom's in there about a month ahead of me. Oh no! It's going to get MUCH bigger! Somedays I don't see how it's possible, but it's an amazing miracle what your body will do to accommodate the growing new life inside. Hope he's comfy in there because I'm sure not! At our class we got to tour the hospital's maternity ward. I LOVE the rooms. It's like a hotel! All rooms have a jacuzzi bathtub that you can use while you are in labor or whenever the fancy hits you. All rooms come with a pull out sofa for the dad. They all have hardwood floors and all of the electronic equipment is hidden behind nice hardwood cabinets until they need it, then your room instantly whips into a delivery room. You labor, deliver, and recover all in the same room. You have a menu in a little book and you can call the cafeteria any time and they will bring you or your husband food (except during labor - only ice and popsicles then because you will get sick). It's just like room service - only I'm sure the food probably isn't the same quality. ;) Once the baby is born, everyone has to leave the room for an hour and a half during recovery. So, if you plan on being at the hospital when little Conner makes his debut, I think they might let you see him for a minute, but then plan on either hanging out for awhile or going to get something to eat. Same with a C-section. They wheel the baby down the hall for the family to see for a second, then everybody has to leave while Mom is in the recovery with baby for two hours.

So, things we learned in class this week were hospital policies for visiting family members and such. No one is allowed to stand in the hallways - this is in case there is an emergency. They have a waiting room at the end of the hall that is really nice with a tv and refreshments and stuff. Only two people will be allowed in the room during the delivery - Mom and Michael but anybody can visit while I am laboring, though depending on the medication situation I may not feel like talking to anybody. Visiting hours are 10:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. If anyone has been sick within the past 14 days with a communicable disease they are not allowed in the Labor and Delivery Unit. Only one person is allowed to stay with me at night. No children under 12 years old are allowed unless they are siblings of the newborn.

Other than that, in class we learned about preadmission to the hospital, signs of preterm labor, when you should go to the hospital, a little bit of anatomy and physiology, and some relaxation techniques. I think next class they will go over pain management techniques and getting an epidural and who knows what else. We will be watching some really scary videos too.

This week was Spring Break. I was off all week and Michael had the last two days off. We spent the whole time working on house projects, except when I was too tired to do anything. I didn't accomplish NEAR as much as I wanted to because I got hit with a sleepy spell and then a migraine yesterday. But, I did manage to help out by putting knock down on the walls in my bathroom and trimming the paint in my bathroom and half of Michaels. I also took it upon myself to rip down all of the baseboard tile in the bathrooms that we plan to replace with real baseboards. We are painting all of the bathrooms and then Michael also refinished our avocado green shower tiles and they are now white. YEAH!! It looks so much better!

We also got some work done in Conner's room! It is officially a baby's room now! (See attached pictures.) It's still a little plain but we have some more finishing touches to add later. You can get the idea though.

Well, today, even though it is Easter, is a work day. We have lots of laundry to do if we are going to have any clothes to wear this week and still lots of cleaning to catch up on. Hope you all had a Hoppy Easter!

Love,

Natalie

Registry

I have created a baby registry online through BabiesRUs and Wal-mart. It was so great! I didn't even have to go into the store! I originally was going to go to Target, but several of my friends told me horrible stories about Target's nasty return policy without a receipt. So, I switched it to Wal-mart. They have the exact same things anyway and there are more Wal-marts than Targets! There were 5 or 6 things that Wal-mart didn't have that I left on the Target registry, just for the heck of it. If all else fails, we can go get 10% off of what's on there later on. I have no idea when we will be having showers (maybe late April or early May?) or who will throw them but I'll be sure to keep you updated when I find anything out.
You can view our registries by going to http://www.toysrus.com/registry/index.jsp and entering in my name or Michael's name and the same at http://www.walmart.com/giftregistry .
More later!
Love,
Nat

I can feel him!! YEAH!!

Finally, this weekend I was able to feel Conner move! Each day I feel him a little more and more, reminding me that he's still there! He seems to be most active at night when I am resting or trying to sleep. But, I read their sleep patterns are usually that they sleep during the day because the activity from your body lulls them to sleep. Then, at night when you get still, they wake up and play. This morning I was able to distinguish his standard soft wiggling from an actual kick. He kicked me twice! I think he was trying to tell me to get up and get out of bed! Well, hopefully soon other people will be able to share the excitement of his movements too!

Baby Conner officially has a room now! Today we moved everything non-baby related out of his room and set up his crib. We fixed his bedding, the valences, and took everything out of bags and put into place. I bet he will love his crib and his Lil' Dino bedding. Our tiny chihuahua Tino loved it! The whole time we were setting things up he stayed in the room with us. As soon as we got the mobile out, he started wagging his tail and got right up in our faces. I'm pretty sure he thought the little stuffed dinosaurs for the mobile were for him. :( The best part was when we put the mobile on the crib and started the music ("Go to Sleep"). When the music started and the dinosaurs started going around, Tino sat straight up and stared at the mobile as if he were hypnotized! He didn't even blink! We are talking about a little dog that has an attention span of about 5 seconds. He looked at that thing for at least a minute without moving. He was probably wondering "Why did they put my toy way up there? How am I supposed to chew those dinosaurs apart when I can't reach them?" Then, as the music slowly wound down, he laid down and let out a big yawn. So, I guess the mobile and the lullaby music works . . . for Tino at least!! Hee hee!

We're still waiting on the changer/dresser, glider, and some other stuff. But, when we get his room fixed, I will be sure to put some pictures up!

That's all for now!
Nat

Here he is!!

Here is baby Conner Nathaniel Mohr - all 12 ounces of him! He measured and weighed in at 20 weeks 4 days, even though he was only supposed to be 19 weeks and 3 days. (Maybe that's why my belly grew so big all of a sudden!) They won't change the due date, but he is growing at a rate that projects him born on July 5th, rather than the 13th. (July 5th is my Dad's birthday!). All of his organs are perfect and all of mine look good too! His tiny feet measured 3.31 cm, approximately 1.25". He's so tiny but he already shows so much character. I think his little mouth looks JUST like Michael's. Throughout the whole ultrasound he wiggled and moved, stretched, played with his hands, pointed, grabbed his ankle, and even took a moment to recognize our country with a salute! Don't ask me how he did it, but all of us in the ultrasound room were laughing because he really put his little hand up in a salute by his forehead! I wish we had gotten a picture of that! The technology of these 4D ultrasounds AMAZE me! I can't imagine what it will be like in 10 years.

He looks perfect - all 10 fingers and toes. Everything is forming just right. Babies are a miracle.

Right now I can't feel him very much because the placenta is in the front. But, last night I woke up in the middle of the night and could feel him because he had the hiccups! It was so cute! Other than that, it is still really hard for me to feel him.

He can hear us now! His ears are fully developed so if you want to talk to him next time you see me, just say hello to my belly!

The happy grandmothers got us started on his room yesterday! We were all so excited we went straight to Babiesrus after the OB visit. It is going to be decorated in the Lil' Dinos theme from Babies R Us. I'll be sure to take pictures and put it up when we get his room ready. But, don't hold your breath, it will probably be awhile. :)

I've had a nasty cold or something so I was off of work Wednesday. Luckily, they cancelled school Thursday and Friday due to illness so I have a few extra days to recover! YEAH!!! This weekend we may go to Babies R US and target and do our registry now that we know 100% that its a boy. I may start some of it online today if I get a chance.

Love,

Natalie

Kablam!

"Kablam!" I'm still waiting to hear the sound of my belly exploding from the past week's growth! I can't believe how FAST it grew in one week! It doubled in size! I feel huge but then I remember that the baby doesn't even weight a whole pound yet and can only imagine what I am going to feel like when he is 6 -8 lbs! My back, belly, and legs already ache! Wow! I''ll be 19 weeks on Sunday so its been a little exactly one week since the picture below. We took this picture after my VERY long first week back to school so I was exhausted. Ignore my face!

Tuesday we have the anatomy scan so we will be 100% sure of the sex (rather than 90%) and check for any abnormalities in the organs and growth. Hopefully it will be a good report! I'm looking forward to seeing our baby again, especially after he's grown so much!! Oh yeah, the triple screen for genetic defects, neural tube defects, and down syndrome came back normal! YEAH!!

More later!
Nat

Baby bump

This Sunday I will be 18 weeks (in my 5th month) and I FINALLY got a baby bump! Before now it was kind of hard to tell if it was just my fat little belly or if it was the baby, but now it is obvious! And, I swear it is like it grew over night! It just popped out! I feel bigger today than I did yesterday too! So, here is a picture of my little baby bump.

My blood pressure is still high but my OB sent me to a Cardiologist just to be on the safe side. My Diastolic pressure has been ranging from the 90's - the 100's, which is high. But, my Systalic pressure pretty much remains in the normal range around the 130's. (But last time I was at the doctor's office it was 150/100.) Anyway, I was worried because it has never been than high. Terms like Preclampsia and Pregnancy induced hypertension were running through my head with images of all of the serious complications that can accompany them. Fortunately, the cardiologist does not think it is preclampsia because it is a little too early for that to be developing. Plus, it is strange that it is JUST my diastolic pressure that is high, which doesn't worry him as much. The prognosis is we are just going to watch it. If it goes up more, they will put me on medication. They have been checking to see if I am leaking Protien and I haven't, which is a sign of preclampsia. So, all the news sounds good!

I finally am feeling better. I have more energy now and don't feel sick. My appetite is coming back. I have lost 15 pounds but hopefully now that I can eat again I won't continue to lose weight. I go back to work Monday. Wish me luck!

That's all for now!

Love,

Nat

It's a . . .

NOT a girl!! I guess the Chinese gender charts, old wives tales tests, and gut feelings I was having were all WRONG because we are having a boy! Michael and I couldn't be happier, though our main wish is for a healthy baby. Michael is especially excited and has already begun to plot the racetrack that is going to go in our back yard. There's no telling what kind of trouble he and his little "mini-me" will get into!

We weren't supposed to find out for another three weeks, but my blood pressure has been really high lately. The doctor wanted me to come in to check things out. She ran some tests and I should hear the results soon. Today it was fluctuating from slightly high to low. She mentioned I could just have a virus, or if I have high blood pressure, they will have to put me on medicine. This early, its not too big of a deal. Later on it could be if medication does not get it under control. Anyway, my heart rate was also high so they wanted to check the baby and in the process were able to tell that its a boy!

During the ultrasound, he put his little hand up to his face and yawned! It was so cute! The technician got a picture of it, but it turned out to look NOTHING like what I saw! I saw his little 3D face moving and the picture showed his little skull yawning! Looks kind of scary, but if you use your imagination you can imagine how cute it was!

We got a facial profile. Everything on the baby looks normal and healthy. Good, steady heart rate. All of the organs and heart seem to be doing well, though we will get a more detailed scan in three weeks. And, we got numerous bottom shots, which the doctor also confirm looked like a boy. So, two professionals agree that it looks like a boy. They said they are 90% sure and in three weeks we will be 100% sure. I don't think you can really mistake that for a girl though.

Well, I am really tired and am trying to get my energy back for going back to work on Monday. In the mean time, here are some 16 week ultrasound pics!

Love,

Natalie

Old Wives tales, chinese gender charts, etc.,

According to the Chinese gender chart calendar, we are having a girl.
According to the old wives's tales online test, we are having a girl.
Childbirth.org gender quiz says its a girl.
The ultrasound pictures of 15 week girls and older online look like our baby. :) http://pregnancy.about.com/od/boyorgirl/a/girlboyultras.htm
http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/ultrasounds/l/blusq1q1.htm
Therefore, I THINK IT'S probably A GIRL. :)

I'll be happy whatever it is, as long as it is healthy.

Our baby-moon was very nice with the exception that we went to escape cold weather and Charleston had unusually COLD weather for them. All the locals were saying "It NEVER gets this cold here!" It was better than TN was while we were gone, but still too cold for my taste. It was still nice to see GREEN trees, PALM TREES, GREEN grass, and GREEN leaves. I HATE the dead winter here. It's so depressing. Everything is brown, grey and DEAD. We saw dolphins THREE times on Saturday - once REALLY close and Michael found a HUGE shark tooth on the beach. I've never seen one this big. I wore myself out on Saturday, but I think I am making progress. I was more active than I have been in the past few months. But, Sunday, I paid for it and had to crash until the afternoon.

I have JUST recently gotten my appetite to sort of come back to where I am eating solid foods again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Our baby is either a reincarnated Japanese person and is going to LOVE seafood or will be so sick of it and HATE it. (Do they make Gerber baby food in seafood flavors? That just doesn't sound right. EW!) I have been craving TONS of shushi (being preggers - can't have raw meat, so I eat the veggie stuff or the kind with the cooked crab meat), and steamed Oysters and shrimp!! I had so many steamed oysters with cocktail and hot sauce at the beach! It's all I wanted! I've also been craving lots of orange juice (they say that means you are having a girl), avocados, bananas, and tacos. I definitely have entered the weird cravings stage. Speaking of which, its lunch time and I'm getting hungry! Will it be drive through seafood or sushi from Kroger???

Boy or Girl? You decide!

We went back to the doctor's office again. It's still a little early to accurately determine the baby's sex, but from what we saw today, it's PROBABLY a girl. Don't rush out and buy anything pink yet. We return on the 19th of February to find out for sure. Everything looks healthy and normal. The baby is A LOT bigger and I'm showing a little now. Heart rate was good. Baby was moving around and didn't want to sit still to have her(or his) picture made. (Sound like anybody you know?) Anyway, we will keep you updated. In the mean time, here is a picture of our baby's bottom and legs for you to ponder over if you want to try to guess. :) We'll be out of touch until Tuesday. We are taking a much needed break.

Mom's going home!

I just spoke to Dad and Mom and she is being discharged! YEAH!!! I left a list of questions for Dad to ask the doctor. I'm a stickler when it comes to wanting details and answers. They spoke to the cardiologist today and everything looks fine. The doctor assured my Dad that it is normal and common for there to be short term memory loss after anaphylactic shock and that it would be extremely rare for her to NOT recover fully and regain her short term memory abilities within the next few weeks. YEAH!!! (I wish they had told us that sooner rather than "it COULD be this or it COULD be that" - "No way to tell right now" !!) They also said that the tests indicated that there was NO significant damage to the brain and so when she stopped breathing it would not have been for long enough to do any harm. DOUBLE YEAH!!! She still has trouble remembering things from one hour to the next. (This is a BIG improvement from Saturday when she couldn't remember 5 minutes to the next!) She can carry on a normal conversation and you probably wouldn't even notice she's been affected unless you gave her a quiz over the past two days. The only issue is that if you call her or visit, she might remember tomorrow or she might not. But either way I know she appreciates your thoughts and prayers . . . and so do we! Thanks for your support!! Please continue to pray that she has a steady recovery. :)

Mom's trip to ICU - please pray!

Friday, my Mom was suffering from a sinus infection and took a decongestant (Advil Cold & Sinus). After she went to the doctor, she took an anti-biotic (Keflex - a derivative of Penicillin). She had been prescribed that medication before and had not ever negatively reacted to it. Within 7 minutes of taking the anti-biotic, she passed out and could not breathe. Dad had to call and ambulance and they too her to the Jefferson City ER. Her airways swelled up, she stopped breathing and had to have the help of a device to open her air passages. Her body went into anaphylactic shock and began shutting down.

In the ER, a team of 8 doctors, nurses, and specialists were able to get her back on track and she actually stabilized on her own. She was unconscious all Friday. Saturday we went to visit her in the ICU. She was doing better with the exception of her short term memory. The shock caused trauma that affected all parts of her body and organs, including her short term memory. They think it is temporary but they have no way of knowing at this point. She would frequently ask what day it was, where she was, how she got there, etc. and then ask the same questions again 5 minutes later because she couldn't remember asking before. We visited her all day but by the end of the day she didn't remember any of it, anyone who had come by, etc. :( The doctor's said the medication she is on should not be causing this. I'm thankful that she is alive, but I still hope I get my Mama back.

I talked to Dad yet this morning and they said she is being moved to a room today (Sunday) and they are keeping her overnight again. They want to continue monitoring her heart. Her short term memory is still not working yet. The ICU nurse said at this point, her memory is a secondary concern and that we should just be thankful that she is alive. He said if my Dad had not been there and called 911 when he did, she would not still be with us. So, PRAISE - It wasn't Mom's time to go! Prayer - Please help her get better and get her mind back! She's got to be a grandma!

A better sound video of baby's heartbeat

This heartbeat is MUCH clearer. ;)

This is a good example of what happens when I have too much time on my hands.

Baby's heart beat - staticky

I'm going to fix this. It irritates me. You can barely hear it, but on my PC version you can.

Finally feeling a little better

Well, after another serious bout of sickness and vomiting, we thought we were going to the ER a THIRD time. I probably should have gone because I was throwing up liquids for over 24 hours and couldn't keep down my Phenergan or Reglan, but I REALLY didn't want to go back AGAIN. So, I eventually was able to drink half a glass of water and felt I would be ok. Then, I got a super migraine that left me completely incapacitated for two and a half days. Normally I can take a migraine pill, then shortly thereafter begin to function again. But, tylenol just doesn't do any good when it comes to migraines. After lots of sleep, cold packs, rest, and fluids, I finally started feeling better today - only super duper tired. Today I got out of the house for the first time in over a week. We just went to Lowe's really quick, but I was exhausted! Hopefully now that I am not feeling sick I will STAY THAT WAY and I can start taking little walks and get out more often. I'm starting to feel like a prisoner in my own home!

The fetal heart monitor works! After several minutes of searching we were able to locate the baby's heart beat. We've used it several times and enjoy being reminded that "there's something in there!" It's kind of funny because you can tell the baby is moving around in there and you have to move the probe to follow it! (It's hiding!) Michael says one day the baby is going to take revenge and say "Quit poking me with that thing!" and KICK the probe really hard so it makes a loud sound and scares me. We recorded it onto the computer, but the transmission was really static-filled. So, if we figure out how to post it, we will. Hopefully I can find a way to magically clean up the sound.

I had another doctor's visit last Wednesday. The doctor feels that it would be best for me to wait another month before returning to work. That kind of surprised me. I was hoping to be better sooner than a month from now. I got to start taking my medication yesterday again (some of it) so it will be awhile before it kicks in and I start feeling myself again. Before that point, he feels the stress and anxiety (mainly my ability to handle it without medication) of teaching and working would be too much for me right now. It has a tendency to take a physical tole on me that I normally wouldn't feel. He also said that the stress could be harmful for the baby so its best to wait until we get all that under control and stay away from as much stress as possible. Thank goodness for AFLAC! It only lasts for three months though so I've got to get back to normal soon! I'll be so happy to get out of the house again.

Well, that's all of the updates so far. I think things are slowly getting better. Michael has been working on the house trying to finish up projects. He stripped and refinished the front doors (while I was gone), put laminate floors down, put knock down in the bathroom downstairs and re-painted, added crown molding around the columns in the living room, and painted the 70's melon gold bath tiles and tub white. The bath and tub tiles look like they have always been white! It's amazing! You can't even tell! Now he is just going back and laying quarter round, filling some spaces with wood filler, and touching up door frames and baseboards. Once he gets that finished we picked out some colors to paint the bathrooms. We are going to paint the upstairs bathroom tiles (currently avocado green) white and replace the vanity in Michael's bathroom. (Halls salvage has some awesome deals!) We are going to tear out the green tiles around the floor and replace them with baseboards. But, he knows he's not allowed to start any new projects until all of this is finished first. :) One thing at a time (or I'll go crazy). We made a "to do" check-list of everything that has to get finished FIRST and put it on the refrigerator. It really helped speed things up because it gives Michael something tangible to look at and accomplish. Of course, my personal theory is that all men need personal secretaries to help them stay focused and organized. What's that saying? . . . "Behind every good man stands a good woman?" (hee hee). It's NOT a "honey do" list! (The ONLY thing I've requested for the honey do list is painting the bathrooms and replacing the vanity. Michael has lots of drive and comes up with this stuff on his own.) It's a "honey finish" list. All just completing little details and finishing touches. Well, hopefully by the time he gets the list finished (hopefully by next week at the speedy rate he is going) I will feel up to it and can actually help before I get to be the size of a beached whale! We have so much to do before the baby gets here! AGH!! July will be here too soon!