here comes santa claus

December 24, 2009

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with lexy on his sleigh!

this morning started out normal - just headed off for our NST/Clinic appt. NST went normal, so we headed down to the clinic. after waiting the appropiate hour or so, we were finally called back. we didn't see our normal doctor again, we saw another really nice lady. they checked for the heartbeat and uterus size and the doc said she'd give me 1 more week to have the baby and then they would induce me. so i got off the table and sat down beside her desk while she wrote in my chart, then she said she had to talk to someone and would be right back.

20 minutes later...
we're being told we're getting induced this week!

they wanted to induce me today, but the doctor was nice enough to put her foot down and let me have christmas at home. so saturday, dec 26 we'll be headed off to the hospital to be induced. i have to say, i did well up with some tears when they told us. i knew she was coming, obviously i've carried her for 9 months, but just knowing an exact day i'd be going into labor is scary! i doubt i'll get much good sleep before then, but i'll try :)

manny & i are busy making sure the house is all ready. i had to wash some of lexy's clothes and do the dishes and more laundry and the floor needed mopping. plus, we need to be ready for christmas tomorrow & the arrival of my family! it's been absolutely the weirdest christmas eve ever.

but i think that we're ready for the most part. i'm nervous, of course. but manny couldn't be more happier...unless she was coming today lol but i'd really rather have christmas at home!

so merry christmas to all of our families - can't wait to spend the day with you all tomorrow - and to my far away family, i can't wait until we can spend time together and you can meet our beautiful baby girl!!!

and a special note to bubba - don't you worry, we'll put her on the webcam the day she comes home so you can meet her :) she loves her blake just as much as we do! & she loves her tyler just as much as well!!!

only 2 more days to go!
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Ohh i'm a slacker

December 22, 2009

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Snow!!!

I said i was going to get up and do something...but instead i was catching up on blogs and decided i should post one!
I had such great CVS deals to post about...but, i never did. I'll probablly post them later (once i find the reciepts b/c i absolutely won't remember what i payed for things) even though the deals are expired now.
So today makes 39 weeks! Woo! Who would have thought i'd be here already?! M is getting very antsy about L's arrival. He told the NST lady this morning that he was hoping she'd read contractions lol - he can't wait for his bundle of joy to arrive. I can't either - i'm feeling blahh lately. Just tired and like i am at the end, which i am! Time is just crawling by now though - slow as a snail.

And we got a blizzard this weekend! The snow is starting to melt, but i'm hoping it'll last long enough for me to have my first white christmas!! We got, im guessing, about 15 inches or so. It was so pretty at first, now it's dirty and shoved to the side of the roads lol. But snow is snow! Help's it feel like the holidays :)

Well, this was a small post - but i didn't have much to update, just didn't want to put off updating the blog even longer. I'll post again when something happens ;)
Only 7 (can you believe it?!?!) days left!!!
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38 weeks & still preggers...

December 16, 2009

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Yup, the bun is still in the oven. Tuesday made 38 weeks - the end is so near! Not that it really feels that way though. Tomorrow is my clinic appt, maybe something will be going on. My NST & sono were good yesterday. Lexy weighs 6 lbs 10 oz. I think she's going to be smaller than we expected.

I have my hospital bag ALMOST packed :) Gotta get a few things out of the laundry and set aside some snacks and change for vending machines and a book for me, but mostly it's ready to go. Now, it's really just a game of waiting.

I can't believe christmas is next week! It doesn't feel like christmas. Firstly, i expected some snow by now - it def snowed last year before christmas. I guess manny & i are so concentrated on everything else going on that we haven't payed much attention to the holidays. We decorated, put up the tree, shopped for all the presents and wrapped most but i don't know, just doesn't feel like christmas.
I'm slowly knocking out my large to-do list - although i'm come to realize its probablly not all going to get done before Lexy arrives. But, i did finish the christmas & thank you cards - just got to get a few addresses then drop them in the mail!

So, we had our 3rd and last baby shower this past Sunday. We all had fun and enjoyed ourselves - just very tired when it was all done! We got some great gifts and what we didn't need/already had we exchanged for stuff we did need. We ended up getting her a bumbo seat w/the tray, and some halo sleep sacks. Also, we got the frog pod that holds toys in the bathtub (it's so cute!), lots of clothes and blankets. Some cute decor signs. More, of course, but my brain isn't working right now. I have to put all the gifts away this week so her room is nice and organized again! But, i think we finally have everything we need for her arrival :)

My friend sabrina is taking up photography and just got a new camera so i headed over there a couple days ago and we took some preggo pictures! She's still working with them and editing them but she did email me 2 she had finished. They look great! She's also going to take some of Lexy once she gets here - she's got great ideas for them!
37 weeks 6 days

Only 13 days to go!

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Cheesesteaks!

December 9, 2009

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They were yum! I wish i could have chopped the meat really thin, like restaurants - but i don't have a food processor. So they were thicker pieces, but still delish!
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Round of applause...

December 8, 2009

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for my black beans!
they were delicious - i mean, manny only had 3 servings ;) they were worth the onions burning my eyes :D
manny says between the breadsticks last night & the beans tonight, i'm setting the expectation bar really high for yummy-O dinners like this way more often. we'll see LOL ;-)


we went to pick out our christmas tree after dinner. man, these places get HUGE trees! and woah, some went up to $120 bucks. who seriously pays $120 bucks for a tree they can't even plant and keep forever?! not this gal. we needed something pretty but small b/c it's squishing into our small dining room with the dining room table & computer desk. and we found one - only $26 :-)
but you only get pictures after we decorate it!
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Madisynn Alexyss Grant

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it's been 5 years since this little beauty passed away. her life may be been short, but it was so full of life & love. not a day goes by where i don't think of my princess. i love her and miss her to pieces! i know she's up in heaven looking down at all of us - she's our angel <3 div="">

i just wanted to let my family know i'm thinking of all of you on this day! keep on living and being happy because that's what she would want us to do!
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Oh, yum!

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i had full intentions of posting how dinner came out last night with my homemade breadsticks - but the printer wasn't working to pull my pictures off of the memory card and once the printer was working i had full intentions of staying on the sofa!

it must be pregnancy, b/c unlike before i was preggers, i can totally dig into a plate of spaghetti, in fact i could even eat some now! i ate a little too much last night. it's actually nowhere near what a normal meal is - i eat way less than the norm and even then i feel stuffed like a turkey. anyways - dinner was really good. we both stuffed our faces with ceasar salad, spaghetti & meatballs, & breadsticks.

i think the breadsticks could have been a bit more flavorful but manny seemed to love them. & it was my first time ever making any kind of dough by scratch. i mean, i've screwed up pizza dough from the bag where all you add is water! so i must say i am pretty proud of myself for my accomplishment. i was going to take pictures of the process along the way - but that required a bit too much organization for me. maybe next time ;)

here's the final product - yum O!














for tonight's dinner, i'm going to attempt to make black beans according to back of the Goya can. i lovelovelove black beans. it's high-time i try to make them myself :) i'm going to cook skirt steak, yellow rice, rolls, & a salad w/tortilla strips to go with the beans.

as for lexy updates, my nst/sono were both good this morning. lexy wanted to sleep for most of the nst and had to be waken up by the nurse with a buzzer thing. she wasn't too happy about that. but after that she did her part so mommy could go home! of course, it's ob 1x wk, sono 1x wk, nst 2x wk. i'm in the hospital so much, i won't know what to do once i don't have to go anymore. the really nice nst nurse is retiring in 5 days :( now lexy & i will have to get used to a new nurse. but this nurse already understands my crazy daughter who does what she pleases once we're hooked up to the machines - so she'll be missed.

now after all of my belly aching yesterday, i managed to find a couple things to spruce up the house - just some cute $1 bulbs to throw in a pretty dish for the dining room table & some garland. i'm going to try it out on the banister in the house & if i like it, go back and get more for the banisters outside. it was only $1 too! i finished my gymboree trip i needed to make - got lexy the cutest pink high tops that look just like converse! oh my, she's going to be adorable in them! and i got all of my coupons clipped and stored and pulled out all the ones i needed for todays cvs/walgreens trip! i'm glad i got some things accomplished.

i still need to clean my house though - my parents will be here on thursday. yay!!! of course, mom, you can feel free to clean my house ;)

only 21 days to go!

oh, AND i'm technically full term today!!! 37 weeks :D although, i really feel she's going to take her time coming out - but i can't blame her, she has plenty of stubbornness to get from me and her daddy!
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My daughter...

December 7, 2009

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makes my body feel like it has food poisoining. nice, huh?

i love my darling lil girl & i love having her inside me for as long as she needs, but do ya think she could please not need any more time in there? i want to love her in my arms now! i'm not too keen on the pushing out a 7/8 lb chunker out of my body but i am ready to have normal bodily functions back.

so, it's december. & it's cold. & ABC Family has all my favorite christmas movies playing everyday. but it doesn't FEEL like the holidays. i'm sure thats partly due to the fact that i thought i had way more festive decor to spruce up the house with than what i really have. the house is bland and unfestive. i'm hoping i can find something @ the dollar store or big lots or marshalls. because, well, it's christmas & we have 2 large families & 2 spoiled furkids & a baby on the way & a non-working me & a not so large paycheck from the military. all that = a small budget! a small budget we don't manage nearly as well as we should :/ but that happens when you get married at 20 and 22 and all of a sudden you have your own money and freedom. smart choices aren't usually made. but we're living and learning. so budget christmas decor is what i'll be after!

but i still don't feel in a festive mood. i should. it's the holidays - i LOVE the holidays. and for the next couple weeks i have all the time in the world to do whatever i need to do. and i have a baby that'll be born on or around the holiday/new years. so what's my problem? no se.

i am excited about scoring 1 yr subscriptions to Good Housekeeping & Cosmopolitian for only $5 each, shipped! sweet savings for moi!
here's the link to them on amazon - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&ref_=br%5Flf%5Fm%5F1000461761%5Fgrlink%5F1&docId=1000461761

i should really stop using my amazing procrastination skills and do something. there's presents to be wrapped, gymboree trip i need to make, presents to be mailed out to germany (sorry! b/c of my before mentioned procrastination skill your presents will probablly be late), christmas cards to finish writing, a house to clean, laundry to put away (yes, still, even after putting away 5 loads yesterday), a very aggravating rocker chair to figure out how to recushion/cover, dinner to shop for and cook, a toby that could use walking, coupons to clip. *deep breath, now* you know, all the stuff that seems to accumalate when you let it.

+ i've been finding these yummy cookie recipes in my inbox that might help with the holiday spirit. and who doesn't love eating cookies?!
i'm also thinking of trying to bake a batch of homemade breadsticks for dinner and serving with spaghetti. now, i'm not my "marthastewart" sister, even if i did wish to have all of her wonderful skills :), so i could totally fool myself by thinking i can do them, but i'm going to give it a try!

i'll post an update later if they do indeed work out for me.

until then...
only 22 days to go!
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Week 36!

December 4, 2009

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WEEK 36!

36 weeks preggo! It's the final stretch :)
I had my doctor appt yesterday - they did an internal exam & took blood. My cervix is still closed - lexy is snug as a bug in there for the time being. Oh, and at my last sono Lexy weighed 5lbs & 13 ozs! I'm now going to weekly ob appts and the doctor changed my NST back to 2x a week. I lost another 3 lbs in 3 weeks. The nutrionist isn't too concerned, she said with high blood pressure the body can retain water and then lose it, so that could explain the weight fluctions. Otherwise, everything seems to be good.


Wednesday was my last day of work - WOOT! It feels nice to know i have time to do things now. I don't have to try and cram everything into my day off. I managed to get the kitchen cleaned last night! Now, the rest of the house :) Hopefully, Manny & i can decorate for christmas this weekend and get a tree soon. All the presents have taken over the dining room table!


So manny and i were lucky enough to score a spot on the ice right in front of Rockefellar Center christmas tree Wednesday night! NBC was doing a special for a unit of marines that just came back from overseas and they invited local marines & their families to come to the tree lighting. It was pretty cold & rainy all night! And, of course i didn't think through my footwear and just wore flats with no tights or anything! Standing on ice in flats is not very warm ;) My feet were frozen most of the night! But we had up front seats to see Jose Felicano, Michael Buble & Aretha Franklin! Who gets to see Aretha Franklin up close? Although, we're pretty sure she lipsynced and that kinda bummed me. We unwrapped the video camera so we could get footage of the night - it was a once in a lifetime thing! The tree was huge & beautiful! So cool to see it light up that close :) Manny also got to shake hands and meet the host Zachary Levi - he's got a show on NBC (Chuck, i think?!) and is playing a role in the new Alvin & The Chimpmunks movie. He personally went around and thanked each marine he could for doing their service. I thought it was pretty nice :) All the girls were going crazy and he posed for individual pictures with all of them! It was a really cool evening and we finished it off with some very yummy nachos @ Canyon Road.

Of course, yesterday we were exhausted from all the events but it was worth it :)

For some Lexy news: we finally finished her room! Minus a rug, lamp, fixing the rocking chair, & picture frames. So, okay, not completely finished. But finished enough for her arrival! She's got enough supplies, clothes are washed & put away, bedding is washed and made!


Now i have a house full of cleaning to get to!
Only 25 days to go...
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING

November 26, 2009

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Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends! We love you all and miss those that can't be near us today!

Manny & i enjoyed a nice dinner of turkey, gravy, mashed 'tatos, deviled eggs, corn, green beans, rolls, yams w/marshmellows, & cake! Now comes the horrible cleaning part ;)

I made Toby his own special meal again this year, he loved it of course! And there's plenty leftover for him to enjoy it tomorrow too. But i think we got him used to people food, he didn't devour it as quickly as he did last year - last year he attacked it!
I think Lexy enjoyed the meal - she started a kickoff as soon as i was finished :D

Now that thanksgiving is over, i'm so ready to decorate for christmas! I can't believe this year has gone by SO fast! It still feels like it's last year at this time. I'm sure time is just going to keep flying by with christmas coming up and then Lexy's arrival!

I'm getting a little anxious - but i think it's because im not sure what to expect. All i can do is take it as it comes and hope for the best.

Here's week 35 belly shot!
I can't believe i'm this far along, i remember in the first weeks i would dream of being this pregnant, not wanting to wait until the day, and now it's actually here! The last small stretch!

Only 33 days to go...
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Thanksgiving is...

November 24, 2009

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About being thankful and giving.
We may all have hard times but there is always someone out there that has it worse.
I have SO much to be thankful for this season. I have my amazingly wonderful husband who will do anything in the world for me. I have my beautiful daughter that will be making her arrival soon. I have my good health & the health of everyone around me. I have family far and near that love us dearly. I have my 2 furbabies, who can make me smile at least once a day, even on the roughest day. I have a few cherished friends. I have a nice house to come home to, a car that takes me where i need to go, the means to provide for ourselves. I have more food than manny & i need.

I really couldn't ask for more!

So this season - i want to think of others.
I just gave another marine wife (i don't know her, but what she's doing it really amazing) all these groceries to donate to families in need.

And manny & i will be giving toys to the marines for Toys For Tots.



Now, i challenge all of you to do the same. Even when we think we have nothing to give, we always have something. And the people on the recieving end are going to be so thankful for you and your kindess!
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Swing, Swing.

November 19, 2009

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Lexy got a swing tonight :)

I got it from a very nice thrift shop close to here.

It's the Starlight Papasan Cradle Swing - it's in great condition and a really good price. We payed $64 for it and it goes for about $150 in stores.

It's really cool b/c it has nature sounds and music, a mobile, and reflects stars on the walls. And bonus, it can plug right into the wall so i never have to worry about batteries! Batteries always fail me so this is a big PLUS for me. We turned it on and cut down the lights, it's VERY peaceful! Even manny and i wanted to go to sleep to it LOL.

Im sure Lexy is going to LOVE this swing!

And so far, Toby seems to *for the most part* ignore the swinging motion of it :)
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Lia Alexyss ♥

November 18, 2009

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Our beautiful baby girl ♥
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Chubby cheeks!

November 17, 2009

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Lexy is 100% a confirmed GIRL! Now i can finally wash the rest of her clothes! She's healthy, happy, a big mover/kicker, and weighs 5 lbs 4 oz. And has cute chubby cheeks that everyone is going to want to eat up!


And i guess my NST looked good enough today that the doc who overlooks them says i can cut back down to once a week! That means this Thursday is all mine - no work, no doc appts, just me/house time! And i got to cancel another appt i had made for next week :)

I'm 34 weeks today!

Only 42 days to go...
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WE'RE ALL DOING GOOD

November 15, 2009

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Lexy is good! She wasn't moving a whole lot for about 1 day & a half, but she came back around and has been kicking good once again. And squishing what feels like most of her body across my stomach (so very uncomfy! which is why she does it, so manny says LOL). We tryed getting her on video tonight, but i don't think it turned out quite well. I'll post it anyways - just seem a close eye on the left side, i think thats where all the kicking went on. And excuse the belly rubbing, sometimes it takes some encouraging! We'll keep trying until we catch her. I swear, it's like she knows we're taping her so she stops!
Manny & i are good - just working and spending what time we can together. My week seems to get taken over by work and doctor appts. The last few weeks it seems the only time i have much time to do stuff is on a Sunday. But the house is starting to look like some improvement went on. All this week i am going to be very busy. Work every morning for about 6 hours, except Tues & Thurs where i'll be at the hospital with appts. And of course, i'm working friday and saturday again - so once again, Sunday is mostly the only "me/us/house" day i get. But, i think i'm going to give in my notice. I don't want to stress about hours or work or blah blah with Lexy. And i don't want to spread myself too thin - i want to enjoy being a 1st time mom. Of course, this isn't final - but it's what i'm leaning towards. And as much as i love my discount, i'd have to give it up someday unless i plan on working at Old Navy forever, which is a big fat heck no!

Toby & Jezzy are good as well. Currently chasing each other through the living/dining room. I wish i had their energy sometimes :) And of course, Jezzy felt the need to pee all over my new sofa cover. Guess it just didn't belong in our house until someone peed on it! Luckily i found out quick and threw it in the washer. Otherwise, they are just being themselves as i always say :)

So thats mostly what's going on here. Thanksgiving is coming up and i haven't prepared anything or have any ideas of what to prepare. Except a very cute cupcake idea lol. We have gotten a bit more christmas shopping done though. So we should be prepared for that! I can't believe only 2 holidays left until our baby makes her appearance! It's so soon!

And we still have 2 more baby showers left to go! My friend is throwing us one on Nov 28th, then manny's family is throwing us one on Dec 13th. I just can't believe how fast time is going by!

Only 44 days to go...


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Week 33

November 13, 2009

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Week 32
Week 33

I had a blah, busy day at the hospital yesterday. I was stuck there for almost 5 hours! I'm now going for 2x weekly NST.
Lexy decided she didn't want to participate in her NST yesterday - she wanted to just move around and make it hard to trace. And then she had a horrible case of the hiccups. It took an hour to get a good tracing for the doc. But once we got it, everything looked good.
Then i went downstairs to my clinic appt. Of course, i had to wait because i was an hour late due to the NST taking me in 45 minutes after my appt. My blood pressure was good, weight was 224. I don't remember last weeks weight, but overall i've finally gained 4lbs over my prepregnancy weight. The nutrionist still isnt worried because she doesn't want me gaining alot of weight anyways. Otherwise all is good. Appts are getting very hectic to control and trying to make them all together is just aggravating. But we're almost to the end :) Oh, and the doc said Lexy was vertex (head down) on the last sono. So hopefully she stays that way! But i don't know, she seems to do what she wants when she wants LOL.
Only 46 days to go...

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Big kicks!

November 10, 2009

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My beautiful baby girl is finally kicking so hard you can see it just by watching my belly :) I was laying in bed last night, just bonding with her. I'd rub part of my belly then wait for the big kick off to start ;) I don't think i've enjoyed this pregnancy as much as i should have. I think it took me by surpise of how it really is - all the doctor drama, then the extra appts and all the excess testing, not getting big like i thought i would, working too long hours and just feeling overwhelmed with time. I realized last night i love being pregnant. Because for these 9 or 10 months, she's all mine. She's in my belly and i have the most control over it. I get to feel all her kicks and movements. I get to know that i have a miracle in me and i get to be a little selfish about it. I can't wait to share her with her daddy but i think i want to hole up in the house with manny and lexy and just bond. Just steal all of Lexy's moments for ourselves ♥ Of course, that won't happen - but it's a nice thought. Hopefully since i should be working less, maybe i can start to really enjoy the last few weeks of having my daughter all to myself. She's so peaceful inside my belly - just a little bit of food and rest and her daddy talking to her make her happy!

Well my sonogram is today - i'm curious to know how much she weighs and how long she is! I know she's getting big because i'm getting big. I gained 4 lbs at my last appt! I wonder if she's still breach too...i don't think she seems to be in a big hurry to make the big flip for the big day! I think she takes everything in her own time, when she's ready.

Only 49 days to go...
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Fall, Family, & Halloween...Oh, my!

November 1, 2009

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It's officially the first day of November!! And no better way to start my favorite month of the year than with an extra hour of sleep :)

Lately, i feel i'm so scatterbrained and torn between work and doc appts to do much of anything. I should really ask Old Navy to cut my hours, i just haven't gotten around to doing it. 3 days a week isn't bad, but it sucks when it's for crappy shifts like 11 - 7 or 8:45 - 5:45 ...i'm getting too tired to work those long hours and only have my days off for doc appts. The house has gotten out of control and i can't remember the last time i actually cooked a nice dinner for manny & me and that makes me feel really bad.

I did get stuff done today though - lunch with a friend, a little grocery shopping, a few errands. It's nice to get that out of the way before my busy week ahead. I've got a doctor appt, an NST and a sono. I've also got to find time for a pedicure because the USMC ball is on thursday. I'm working monday, wednesday, and saturday. And after a longgg 9 hour shift on saturday, manny and i are going to an Islanders hockey game. When do i rest? LOL!

I'm ranting a bit...it'll get better once i cut my hours. And most likely i'll stop working in the beginning of december. That should give me about a month before Miss Lia makes her arrival!

Halloween was yesterday - manny, tobes, and me went apple picking again upstate with his family. It was yucky out and we all got muddy but we enjoyed ourselves and had some apples. Then we went to a park and toby LOVED running through all the leaves. The park was empty so we let him off his leash and he went CRAZY! It was so much fun for him - i just wish we could do it more often. And manny jumped into his first pile of leaves ;) LOL, i remember how much fun it was to do when i was little and manny had never done it before so i insisted he tryed it! I think he enjoyed it :) I really enjoyed watching him and toby have fun and play - i can't wait until Lia is joining in. They make me so happy ♥

Afterwards, we stopped by the mall for some Chick-Fil-A...YAY! You know i miss my chicken :) Then we rushed back to make it in time for trick or treaters. I love seeing all the costumes and i especially didn't want to miss it since i ran around 5 stores for an hour the night before hunting down candy! But, we still missed most of the trick or treaters and didn't go through all the candy. More for me ;) We still have quite a few come out though. After that, we just rented a movie and got popcorn and had a lazy night. Toby didn't like his costume much but he looked adorable! And jezzy wouldn't let me get hers on, so she watched from the screen door without a costume this year.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable weekend. Just got to get ready for the busy week ahead now!

Only 58 days to go!


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I'm such a slacker...

October 27, 2009

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I'm too busy being tired & blah from working and being preggo to do stuff i really should do, like clean, cook and update the blog!

So i'll try to make this a good one :)

First off - my last clinic appt with the OB was on Thursday. It went well. I lost 2 lbs, so i'm down to 217. The doc & nutrionist are okay with it - nothing to worry about. Lia is doing good, growing just like she should! My belly measured at 30...whatever they use lol. Heartbeat was good. My blood pressure was and is still good. I passed my glucose test so no diabetes for me! And no more yucky stuff to drink for the test, such a relief ;) I had a TB test done and it was negative. And i'm now going for weekly sonograms along with my weekly NST (non stress test).

I've had a couple NST's since last post - one was today, along with a sono. All have come up good, really good for how far along i am (or so the nurse always says). And my blood pressure looks good at every visit. My sono was good today too. Lia weighs 3 lbs 12 oz and the tech said she had a buddha belly! Everything looked on track and normal - the umbilical cord is giving her enough blood and at a good rate. She's also got enough fluid. She was very busy holding her hands and feet in front of her face so we wouldn't get a view of her pretty little face :) It was actually cute. At one point she was playing with her toes! And then daddy started to speak and she moved those arms and legs so fast! Such a daddy's girl ♥

I'll go again next Tuesday for my NST & a BPP (biophysical profile, a certain type of sono). And next Thursday is my OB appt. As for this week, i'm done with all my appts so i can enjoy my day off at home with manny on Thursday.

Now, enough about our Miss Priss!

The rest of us are doing good - Toby & Jezz are being themselves...playful, loud, & sometimes annoying :) Manny took the week off of work so he's got the house all to himself this week since i'm working three 11 am to 7 pm shifts! Blah to that.

Manny & i went apple picking this weekend upstate NY. It started as a Sunday last minute drive to check out the fall foliage and we ended up at the apple orchard. We didn't bring any home, we just enjoyed the ones off of the trees while we were there. Even toby went and enjoyed some apples :) Pictures are on facebook!

The week has just started and already it feels like i'm been doing so much. Hopefully, work will get slower because i imagine doctor appts are only going to get more frequent!

Only 63 days to go...
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Week 29

October 16, 2009

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Belly Pic of Week 29




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Weekly Hospital Visits

October 11, 2009

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Yep, from now on i will be at the hospital once a week. The joys of pregnancy.... < i'm being sarcastic, i think it's a miracle how a body can create and nurture a baby and i'm especially glad mine can!

This pregnancy has been so different than what i had always dreamed about. But, i guess that's how its supposed to be - it just is what it is with everyone differently.

As we said before, we thought it was a girl. We went for a gender ultrasound as a suprise to mom & dad on their visit here and they said it was a girl!

The name, as everyone mostly knows already, is Lia Alexyss ♥

Ms. Lia is kicking a lot more the past week or so. And slowly but surely my belly is growing more each day.

As for my weekly hospital visits, as a precaution to my high blood pressure and high risk status, my doctor is having me have a NST (non-stress test) paired with a sono once a week. The NST tracks baby's movements and heartbeat while making sure im not having any pains or contractions. The sono will check babys growth and make sure she's weighing and measuring in the way she should and everything is still going well there.

My doc appt last week was full of stuff!
My weight has not changed - still 219. The nutrionist (who i have to see on every appt now) says she's not worried because the fundal growth matches up with my weeks of gestation. The doctor said everything looks great - babys heartbeat was 151. My blood pressure was good. Next week, i'll be going for another (and hopefully last) glucose test and they'll test for anemia at the same time. I'm dreading it, of course. I don't care about the needles anymore - i'm just tired of the nasty, sticky drink. Hopefully i can get through it fairly easy. I'll also be going for my reg OB appts every 2 weeks now. So pair that along with my weekly NST/Sono and it'll seem like all my free days are spent at the hospital.

But i guess i can't complain too much - Lia has a clean bill of health so far! My NST on Friday was GREAT. The nurses and doctor who sign off on the results kept saying how beautiful the tracings were and they wanted to hang them on the wall because thats how every baby should be tracing. Which felt great, because i didn't expect such good results! My sono also went well. The doctor there said everything looked right and was the right size. And she weights 2 lbs and 11 oz, which they said was a normal size at this time. She was breech this time around, but the doctor says baby still moves so much the position doesn't matter at this time.

The room is coming along - i just get aggravated with trying to figure out how to organize everything easily and neatly with what little space i have. I've kinda left it alone the past few weeks, just to let my mind go away from it and hopefully once i try again it'll be a fresher start.

Otherwise, everything is good. I've got to ask for less hours at work - i work 4 days again this week and they are all 8 hour shifts with 1 9 hour shift. It's getting to be alot with standing on my feet all day and then it seems my only days off, other than Sundays, are spent at the hospital. And i don't want to spend the rest of my 12 odd weeks like that.

Only 79 days to go....
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOBY

September 24, 2009

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Happy Birthday to Tobes - he's the big TWO years old :D
I can't believe how fast time flies...it feels like we were just bringing him home!






And sorry for the lack of belly pictures!
Here's week 26!


Next week i'll start my THIRD trimester! Can you believe it?! Cuz i can't ;)

P.S The room is put together, just let me straighten it up some before i take pics and post them. I used all the furniture to hang the baby clothes to dry :)
Only 96 days to go...
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Happy 1st day of Fall!

September 22, 2009

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And i can't forget - it's officially the first day of my favorite season!!!

& only 2 days until Toby turns the big TWO years old :)

Wonderful cool weather, pretty leaf colors, just the perfect crisp time of the year!
Before we know it, it'll be halloween then thanksgiving, then christmas, and somewhere between then and new years (or maybe a bit after new years) it'll be baby villa's birthday :)
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"Loads" of laundry :D

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This is only the gender neutral items! LOL, i didn't realize i really had that much stuff stored everywhere :)

It's 4 loads of laundry and thats not counting the bedding i still have to wash.
But i can't wait to put away all the tiny adorable things :)

I'm in my last week of the 2nd trimester - and for being this far, i generally feel pretty good. I tire easily and my feet swell sometimes, but i don't have too many big complaints. And my appetite is starting to pick up!

The room is all set up, furniture wise. It looks really good - i'll take pics soon and post them, i just need to pick up a little. Now, i just need to organize and find homes for everything and decorate with pictures and such.

It's going to be a great nursery when we're done.
Only 98 days to go...can you believe it?!
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September 17, 2009

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Nothing beats this time of the year! My room smells delicously like pumpkin spice, i have the exchange holiday catalog here & i'm catching up on all my fave shows that came back - it just doesn't get much better. Unless manny was here with me :)

He's on a duty-drive run right now but should be home in an hour or so!

I had my OB appt today - ugh, i'm so tired of sitting around a waiting room for hours on end. My apt was @ 9:30, but hoping to get a headstart i showed up at 9. It did me NO good :( They didn't take me to the nurses station for weight & blood pressure until around 10 am. Then, i didn't see the doctor until a bit after 11, and didn't get to leave until 12! It's silly, because the appts don't take that long, they just can't get people in and out in a decent time. Which is why i never work on appt days, because there is no telling what will happen or when i will be done.
But - the baby's healthy. My sono was good, my blood pressure was good, i gained 4 pounds (1 lb a week lol). It looks good! I have to see the nutrionist on every visist now - just so she can keep an eye on my weight - but i personally feel better about my weight, for gaining the 4 lbs.

Baby is still kicking - i notice it more and more as the days go by. Its mostly flutters or gentle kicks - but every once in a long while, i'll get kicked hard :) As weird as they feel, i love those movements. I guess i said "kick" alot - but as manny brought up, how do we know it's not an arm? LOL!

So, we got the changing table & bedding in - we just haven't gotten a chance to put it together. And no mattress yet, so the bedding will stay packed away. We went to buy the wardrobe at Ikea a few days ago, and they are out of stock. All the ikeas in this area (NJ, Connecticut, Brooklyn) are all sold out! Shipment for them won't come back until November. I have to work on Saturday, but manny needs to go get uniforms anyways so he's going to drive down and get the wardrobe at the VA store. It's a long drive - but he's the best hubby <3 br="">
And since i am a multitasker - it took me just now to finish this and manny will be home in about 10 minutes - so i'm done for tonight!

Only 103 days to go...
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CRAFT

September 9, 2009

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I'm not usually crafty - not that i don't want to be, i just am not usually great at it.
Well, i love these glass coasters Arisbel gave us - i just never got around to putting pictures in them. I mean, who really has pictures that will work that small? I decided today i was tired of looking at them with their generic insert, so i pulled out my stationary that i NEVER use ( even though i should lol) and decided to fix them up.


I started with this:


And ended with this:
Not bad for a 2 minute craft? I got cute new coaster and put to use a good piece of stationary that would have otherwise never seen the inside of a mailbox :)
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PICTURES

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CAT NAPS & BABY KICKS

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Ms Jezabel found a new purpose for the basket from the baby shower.
She's now peacefully napping in it ontop of the kitchen table, safe away from toby :)
So, big news! The baby started kicking a few days ago!!! Manny & i were laying in bed watching tv and i felt was i call a flutter in my stomach. I thought maybe it could be the baby so i layed really still and i felt it a few more times. I told manny and he just smiled really big and wanted to feel. The baby wasn't moving hard, so i ate some toast and then layed back down and put his hand on my belly and a few minutes later we both felt a big kick! His eyes got so big and happy - it's one of the best moments of my life <3 div="">
Since then, baby doesn't kick much. Usually after i've eaten and i'm laying down. Sometimes it feels like a flutter and others it feels like the baby is kicking itself off my stomach to move around. But i love it!
We had our ultrasound yesterday. Baby V is being very stubborn and refusing to show the goods. Yesterday he/she was sitting on top of the placenta, so even though the legs were open, the placenta was blocking the view. I guess he/she really wants us to be surpised. I think we're going to try one more time, at a place out in town that does selective gender ultrasounds. We pay $50 and they look for the gender. If that doesn't work, i suppose we'll just be surpised with what it is! Otherwise, baby v is healthy and growing! The only pictures we got at the ultrasound were its arm and heart though. It wasn't feeling like showing us it's face or anything else!
We got the room all painted up last weekend - i LOVE it - it's exactly what i had in mind :) The bedding and changing table are in the mail. The crib is put together in the room. The stroller is safely in the box in the room. And we'll be buying the wardrobe next week. It's starting to come along and definitely get more real :)
I'm feeling better today - i've been kind of blah the past few days. Just tired and nauseous. But i'm not looking forward to working the next 3 days starting tomorrow.
I'm going to try to attempt to clean or at least pick up the house today and do some laundry.
The pregnancy is good - still not really gaining weight, but that's hard when most foods turn me off. Last night, the thought meat seasoning even made me naeusous. LOL, i tell manny i'm going to write a book about how my pregnancy so doesn't follow the typical pregnancy.
Manny is good - being very helpful around the house! Last night he cooked dinner since i wasn't feeling well. And he's done such a great job with the baby's room :) And running out to fix my cravings lol - last night he made a run for chocolate icecream with reese's ice cream topping. Then another one for popcorn :)
Toby & Jezzy are good - both just had their checkups. Toby just has to go back in November for vaccines. They are a handful, but good!
Fall is almost here :) Only 2 weeks to go!
And only 111 days to go...
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Week 23

September 3, 2009

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Here's "the belly" picture of week 23. I'm officially out of regular pants and into maternity pants. Luckily my regular shirts are still working good, for the moment.


We got the crib in the mail yesterday - i'm itching to put it together, but first we have to empty out the baby's room, paint it, steam clean all the carpets in the house, then the crib can get put together!

We also went ahead and bought the stroller - i'm still as much in love with it as when i first saw it. I just can't wait to have the baby to put in it ;)


*Baby's new ride! I LOVE this set - it has so many good things about it, including a spring the basket so no matter how the baby is sitting or laying, the basket pops down then right back up :)


I've decided to paint the baby's room white and sponge paint over it with "chilled lemonade" yellow. I still have the bedding i bought off lejeune yard sales, but i did find some ADORABLE pottery barn bedding on ebay (i'll post a pic if we wint it). Keep your fingers crossed we get it! And the rest of the room will be done with yellow accents - aunt marys yellow blanket draped across the rocking chair, a yellow lamp, a rug w/yellow in it. It will be a very charming and peaceful place for the baby to have! I'm just too excited to get it all started :)


We're getting the changing table soon and we'll be buying the wardrobe with the next paycheck.

I think it's all slowly starting to get more real for the both of us - especially with all this baby stuff invading the house - invading in a good way, that is ;)


Now onto the baby - no movement yet :( It's really kinda bumming me out, but i guess he or she will move hard enough for me to feel in it's own time. I rescheduled our sono appt for next tuesday, the 8th. Keep your fingers crossed we can see the gender! Then my next checkup is the 17th. So far everything seems to be going well - i'm tired but i feel good. I get naeusous here and there, but usually when i'm too hot and moving around alot. Luckily, the weather has changed so fast here! It doesn't get higher than mid 70s :) My favorite season is just around the corner - i can see it and feel it. And smell it, i love walking past the grocery store on the corner and when the wind blows all you can smell is the cinnamon pinecones outside! It's happiness :)


Can you believe we're down to about 18 weeks to go?!

Only 117 days to go...i still can't believe it's going by soo fast now!
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Doctor appt & Baby room

August 20, 2009

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I had my regular OB checkup today. It was actually one of the best ones, i really feel like the pregnancy is going on a good track now! My blood pressure looked good, even though i still need to take the medicine. My urine and blood tests came back normal. As far as my sono, she said the good news is that they didn't find any problems, the bad news is that they didn't tell her enough info. So i don't know if they have to look for more info or if the sono dept just didn't send the right info over. Anyhow, i'm going for another sono on Sept 1st, which i'm thrilled about! I love spending that time seeing the baby and how unique he or she is. And hopefully, i'll get a better look at the parts and we can know whether we need pink or blue ;) I asked about my weight, since i'm still 215, but the doc said it's normal with morning sickness in the beginning to lose weight and my uterus and the baby are still tiny. But i did gain 1/2 lb in a month so she's glad i'm not still losing it. She said i should start gaining weight soon, once my uterus starts getting even bigger. But she does want me to stay on the lower end of weight gain b/c of my weight now. All in all, everything is good, im told to just keep doing what i'm doing. And i don't have to go back for another 4 weeks, which is a good change from going every week or 2!

And for the really fun stuff :)
I think we've finally figured out most of the details of the nursery!
We're going to paint the bottom of the room blue and the top white & yellow stripes.
And i found some matching bedding on ebay from Pottery Barn Kids. It's blue OR yellow, whichever one we decide on, the skirt is striped and the duvet is floral on 1 side and striped on the other. And im going to get a white bumper and white sheets.
I'm going to paint the rocking chair my mom gave me and buy a new cushion for it.

Here's the crib, changing table, & wardrobe:














And a funny little tidbit - all i want lately is salads w/ranch dressing & mashed potatoes :)
Only 131 days to go...
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CONCERTS & THRIFT SHOPS

August 14, 2009

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So manny and i went out to the city last night for a show at Webster Hall (the club/concert venue that manny's brother works at). Well he so nicely and awesomely got us in to the show and upstairs in the balcony so i wouldn't get pushed around.

The show was AWESOME. The opening band was Parachute & the main band was The Script - both were great. Better than i expected :) Even manny enjoyed them, and they aren't usually his type of music. But i had so much fun - it was so nice going out and enjoying something. We never take advantage of the city like that. And the venue was a really old, really cool building. And at one point on the balcony, i was only a few feet away from Parachute :D

Before the show started, we were just strolling around the block and i wanted to go into a thrift shop. I've never been in an NYC thrift shop - they are very cool :) The furniture was very expensive lol but still very cool. It was all antique things. I did come across this childrens book that was printed in 1963. It's a christmas book, and i thought it would be fun to start a tradition of reading that book to the baby every christmas. So i picked it up and payed .54 cents for it :) This one is no longer in print, i think. But today when i sat down and really looked at it, i realized its missing a few end pages - but i can probablly make up the rest lol. It just looked like such a cute story :) And maybe i'll find another thing like it, i really want to check out the thrift stores in the city before we leave.

I still haven't felt the baby move :( At least, i don't think i have. I thought for sure he/she would make some movement last night with the noise, but nope lol. Stubborn ;) Baby is completely acting like mommy & daddy already haha. My next OB appt is on Thursday the 20th. Hopefully everything will still look good and maybe they will tell me when my next ultrasound is.

Thats it for now...i'm very tired!
Only 137 days to go...

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It's so amazing ♥

August 7, 2009

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We had our ultrasound today!
It was absolutely amazing :) It made everything seem REAL! It's so reassuring now, and i feel like i have a baby growing inside me instead of just thinking i'm pregnant lol.

I haven't felt the baby move yet - but boy does it move!!!

But first - everyone wants to know about the sex ;) I can't say it's 100% sure, b/c the baby is still small (the doc said it measures at about 18-19 weeks, and according to my calculations i'm 19 weeks 4 days) and even though the baby spread it's legs, we got the back view with the butt sticking out at us.
So again, it's not 100% but both techs said they thought it was probablly a....GIRL!!!!

I really thought it was a boy, but now after the ultrasound, i do feel like it's a girl. And she was plenty dramatic with her hand on her head most of the time like she was saying "woe is me" lol :)

It was too cute. And wow, baby moved sooo much - i didn't realize it was moving like that, but it's a good sign. Very active!
And plenty of personality early on! I saw her eating ( fluid, i guess lol), distinctly pointing at something with 1 finger on 1 hand - it was so crazy seeing her point lol like an adult! I also got a couple butt views - baby mooning us already can't be a good sign haha. And once, when the tech was trying to get a view of the top of her head to see inside it, i guess the vibrations were too loud for such little ears because she covered up her ears with her hands! That was the cutest of all!

And then, just when daddy got to come in (sadly, they did almost the whole thing before they let manny back in the room, he only got to see a couple minutes of the action) she turned and looked directly at the camera! It was the best shot ever, and it appears to be a smile going on :) Daddy's little girl already ♥

The tech said everything looked great, and even for the small size she got all the pictures of the anatomy she needed, even some she wasn't sure she could get because of the size. Although it took over an hour lol - baby wanted to move way too much - it was so funny! My laughing probablly didn't help that situation either lol.

So we have a healthy, happy, active baby which we think will be a girl LOL!
I add in the "think" just to be safe, but it's probablly a girl. We saw nothing between the legs from the view we got!

And our baby girl will be named Lia Alexyss ♥
After the most amazing little girl in heaven!

Only 144 days to go...
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Ideas for the baby room :)

August 4, 2009

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So, if any one is curious on what we're thinking about for the babys room then here's some ideas :D

Manny & i were walking around Ikea last night and found some really cute baby room stuff!


Here's the 2 duvets we really liked - and the blue elephant one also comes in pink.

We also found some really cute curtains, but i can't find them online.

And since the baby room closest is stuffed with our stuff, we're going to buy a wardrobe for the baby and we found a very big one for a good price at Ikea :) The only issue is that it's got that white-washed look to it, so i have to decide on a good color of other furniture bc i feel plain white isn't going to look right with the white washed look.


But maybe that's just me ;)




Only 147 days to go...
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Yesterday's OB appt

July 31, 2009

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So yesterday was my 1st high risk OB appt, and it wasn't much different than the others. I saw the same nurse practioner that i saw my very first time at the hospital. She thinks that some of my high blood pressure might have to do with the machines, so from now on, i'll ask for a manual reading. Yesterday the machine reading was 126 over something, and the nurse taking it said it was okay b/c i was on meds for it, but the doctor had another nurse take it manually and it was 110 over something. So she says next visit maybe they'll do something about the dosage of my meds, and i'm assuming she means lower the dosage.
As far as my 24 hr urine catch for protein, i failed to produce enough urine LOL. Who would have thought a pregnant lady had a problem doing that. So that catch was basically useless and i have to do it again this Sunday, and when i take it in on Monday they'll also take some blood with it to check my liver or enzymes maybe? I don't exactly remember what they said, but i think it's just to see where they are now - not a test b/c something is wrong.
I also had an EKG done yesterday - the doc said that was just to see what it looked like now, bc of being high risk and high blood pressure, in case i came in complaining of chest pains they'd have a "before" EKG to compare it too. I think the hospital likes to be prepared for things, i'm not sure.
I have my ultrasound on Thursday, although manny needs me to try and change the appt. And then i go back in 2 weeks for another OB appt.
The baby seems fine, heartbeat of 154, i think. Still in the same area. And they tryed measuring my uterus with a tape measure but it's still a little too small. I guess i'll be a late bloomer (:

7 days until we find out if we're Team Boy or Team Girl (:
151 days to go...
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Makes me miss home ♥

July 27, 2009

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This is for ya'll North Carolinians at heart...You know you're from NC if:
1. You've gotten used to the smell of cow manure on a car trip to Raleigh.
2. Saying "y'all" isn't just a cute expression; it actually means something.
3. There are big labrador retrievers in the back of every truck.
4. You give directions using KFC and Waffle House as landmarks.
5. You still see Dale Earnhardt tributes on cars.
6. You can't imagine life without Bojangles' sweet tea.
7. Your annual church fundraiser always deals with BBQ and potato salad.
8. You have a sunburn from May to October.
9. Your 'heavy winter clothing' consists of some turtleneck sweaters, a fuzzy jacket, and your daddy's boots.
10. Your family has fried chicken once a week.
11. You can tell the difference between cotton fields and tobacco fields while driving.
12. One of your neighbors has a confederate flag hanging on their front porch.
13. Those "damn yankees" are taking over your school/church/workplace/neighborhood...
14. You've been "properly raised", and yankees love it when they hear you say "ma'am" and "sir".
15. You get your carbs from biscuits, rolls, pancakes, and grits.
16. You know the difference between a "redneck" and a "hick".
17. You own at least one t-shirt from Bert's Surf Shop, AB Surf Shop, or The Sanitary Fishmarket.
18. No matter what those people in Ohio say, we are still "first in flight".
19. The Coca-Cola 600 is as big as the Super Bowl.
20. You prefer Chick-fil-a to KFC.
21. You know pastry is a chicken stew, not a dessert item.
22. Every time you visit someone you’re offered something to eat and a glass of tea.
23. Your granddaddy always wore overalls and your grandma always wore an apron.
24. In summer you have home-grown tomatoes with every meal.
25 When it rains and the creek rises, everyone gathers to see how high it rose.
26. You know that "chunk" the ball means to throw it.
27. You've had a burger "all the way" - chili and slaw on it.
28. You can recognize a copperhead and your heart drops when you see one.
29. You have at least one relative that raises collards.
30. You know Krispy Kreme makes the best doughnut.
31. You have an opinion about UNC. You went there and loved it, or you hate everyone who did. 32. You know the difference between eastern BBQ and western BBQ (see number 85).
33. You would rather eat at Bojangles than McDonald's.
34. You have actually uttered the phrase "It's too hot to go to the pool".
35. You faithfully drink Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sundrop or Cheerwine everyday of your life.
36. You have your own secret BBQ sauce.
37. You or your neighbors have more hunting dogs than you have family members.
38. You know Pepsi originated in New Bern, Cheerwine in Salisbury, and Sundrop in Gastonia. 39. You know Coke tastes better in the little bottles and that peanuts make Coke taste even better..
40. Your folks have taken trips to the mountains to look at leaves.
41. Your school took a field trip to the State Fair in Raleigh.
42. You would elect Richard Petty or Ric Flair for governor if either ever ran.
43. You watched as Dale Earnhardt was the only man who ever lived who could go 200 mph, spin somebody out, call them a you-know-what, and win the race, all in the last lap.
44. You skipped school or work to go to Dale Earnhardt’s memorial service.
45. A tobaggan to you means a knit cap, not a sled.
46. You sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts for a school or church fundraiser before those glazed doughnuts went global.
47. When you're traveling out of state, people ask if you're from Mayberry.
48. You remember watching the ACC Tournament on television at school.
49. The local newspaper covers state, national and international news in one page, but sports requires six pages.
50. Most men in town consider the first day of deer season a national holiday.
51. Fifty degrees Fahrenheit is “a little chilly."
52. You have no problem spelling or pronouncing “Conetoe", “Topsail", or “Beaufort."
53. You know it’s pronounced APPALACHIAN and not “App-a-lay-shun."
54. Your school classes were cancelled because of cold.
55. Your school classes were cancelled because of a chance of snow.
56. Your school classes were cancelled because of heat.
57. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waitin’ to pass a tractor on the highway.
58. Your school classes were cancelled because of a hurricane.
59. Your school classes were cancelled because of hunting season.
60. Your school classes were cancelled because of a livestock show.
61. You’ve ridden the school bus for an hour...each way.
62. You know more about ACC basketball than professional basketball.
63. You know the Carolina League is the greatest baseball league in the country.
63. You know that "Carolina" refers to UNC-Chapel Hill, while "State" refers to NC State.
64. You think South Carolina was dead weight well shed.
65. You know tea is served sweet unless you specifically ask for unsweetened.
66. You’ve ever had to switch from “Heat" to “A/C" in the same day.
67. You think ethanol makes your truck run a lot better.
68. Stores don’t have bags...they have sacks and are called Piggly Wigglys.
69. You see people wearing bib overalls at funerals.
70. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it, no matter what time of the year.
71. Most of the festivals around the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, tobacco, or seafood: Seafood Festival (Morehead), Mullet festival (Swansboro)...
72. Priming was your first job...and you know what it means.
73. Your idea of a really great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun and comes with cole slaw on top.
74. You say catty-wampus, yunto, ill-ass and ah-ite.
75. You know the difference between a deer dog, a bear dog and a coon dog by the way they bark.
76. You put security lights on your house and your garage and leave both of them unlocked.
77. Your four seasons are almost summer, summer, still summer, and highway construction.
78. You can tell if another North Carolinian is from Eastern or Western North Carolina as soon as he opens his mouth.
79. You can spell words such as Ocracoke, Fuquay-Varina and Chocowinity.
80. When asked how your trip to any foreign, exotic place was you say, “It was different."
81. Hyde County is considered a foreign or exotic place.
82. In the Piedmont, you see all the grown-ups go out and play in the snow.
83. Schools and churches hold barbecue fundraisers with banana puddin’ as the dessert.
84. After church you either stay for the barbeque lunch or the pig pickin'.
85. You know that barbeque is a food, not an occasion, and it applies to pork, not hamburgers or hotdogs. You also know that the best of any version, whether chopped or pulled, vinegar or tomato, can be found somewhere in NC.
86. You know what a "pig pickin" is and you can't wait to go.
87. You consider being a “Pork Queen" an honor.
88. You carry jumper cables in your car.
89. You know what “cow tipping" is.
90. You've driven with "Carolina Hurricanes" flags on your car because WE WON THE STANLEY CUP!!
91. You dip.
92. You've seen One Tree Hill and/or Dawson's Creek being filmed in Wilmington.
93. Pop refers a lot of things, not including soda.
94. You learned ALL about The Lost Colony in 4th grade...(and you know where Blackbeard's treasure really is ; )
95. You listen to beach music and you can shag.
96. You can pay the mechanic who worked on your truck with a quart of moonshine in return.
97. Your school was declared a "Tobacco Free Zone", but there are tobacco fields right outside. 98. You constantly see signs for tractor pulls and turkey shoots while driving through eastern NC.
99. You mash buttons and eat creamed potatoes.
100. You show this to some Carolina friends ‘cuz ya know it’s true, darlin'!

I ♥ NC!
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OB appt

July 23, 2009

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17 weeks.

So i had my o/b appt today to discuss the results of some testing i had done.
My glucose test came back negative - no diabetes!
And my quad screen genetic test came back normal as well :)

However, the doctors are putting me in the high risk clinic to keep an eye on things. Since my previous doctor said i had the antibodies issue and the doctors now say i have high blood pressure, they want to make sure they keep everything under control and have a close watch on me.

I'm now being put on more folic acid and blood pressure medicine. They'll also be checking my urine for protein. And i have to watch my salt intake.

Hopefully i do not have preclampsia, i just read about it and it looks SCARY!

It looks like i'll see the doctors more often than with a normal pregnancy. But whatever it takes to have a healthy baby, then thats what i have to do.

My next appt is on Thursday, at the high risk clinic. I do not know what exactly they will do - but i'm hoping it's nothing bad and it'll be a good, easy appt.

Anyways, for now lets just hope for good news!

159 days to go...
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Updates

July 22, 2009

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I think i'm going to combine the 2 blogs - and put family & baby all this one.

So - update on baby villa.
I went to my appt a few weeks ago at NUMC (the hospital here). Luckily, it wasn't as bad as i expected - most people seem friendly and nice. And it's clean. Hopefully, my opinion will stay the same or get better.

The baby is good - we heard the heartbeat for the first time! However, both times i went, the nurse thought the heartbeat sound fuzzy, so they did ultrasounds both times and the baby is fine and the heartbeat is consistent each time. And...we find out on Aug 6th what we're having. I can't WAIT!!! I think it's going to be a boy - i just have a feeling. And manny says he think's i'm carrying low so he thinks its a boy too. But we'll see.

We've pretty much got names down...but i just started thinking that i'd really love to give the baby a family name for the middle name. If it's a girl we're using Alexyss, after maddie of course :) But if it's a boy, i'm not sure. Maybe make a name from the grandpa's names?

I went for my quad screen ( a genetic blood test) and my 1 hour glucose test last week. I'll get the quad results tomorrow, i believe. And i failed the glucose test, so i took the 3 hour one on monday. NOT fun! And now i can't drink orange soda or coke bc it reminds me of the test! Which is good i guess lol, i'm sure the baby would be better off with water. I'll get the results tomorrow and i'm crossing my fingers that it's good news. But if it's not, and i do have a diabetic problem, then i'll do what i can to square it away and try not to dwell on it.
Its just important that the baby is healthy and will be okay.

I'm starting to show a little bit, but i can't wait to get further along, so i really feel pregnant! We started registrys at Target, BabiesRUs, and BuyBuyBaby. Although there isn't much on them bc we're really waiting to find out the sex to start shopping :)

I can't believe in about 3 weeks i'll be half way done!

And now an update on the rest of us:
Jezzy went to the vet today for another set of xrays and....her leg is HEALED!!! we're so excited she'll be coming home in a couple hours with no cast. I can feel good about her running around and playing with toby and not being locked up. Fingers crossed that she doesn't break it again :)

Manny's trip to SC got cancelled, now he's going the last week of august. Which means, maybe, just maybe i can visit my parents in NC b/c his class will held in NC at that time!

Other than that, everythings' pretty much normal. Toby's doing good - being his weird self :) Work is good for both of us.

160 days to go...
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It's been a while...

May 2, 2009

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Since dinner is delayed b/c manny is running to the store for cheese since i didn't realize we were out of..i guess i'll post an update :)

Lets see...
Jezzy had her cast replaced last week and it went well. She goes in again next thursday for another cast change. Then she'll just have 6 more weeks, i believe. She's good, getting restless int the laundry room for sure but there's nothing i can do about that. For some reason, she peed on the floor today instead of the litter box. And she keeps kicking the poop out of the box onto the floor. I'm so ready for her regular litter box that never makes a mess!

Toby is good too. He spends his day dragging out countless toys to just leave them laying around. And when i pick them up and put them away, he goes and pulls them all out again and leaves them laying around LOL.

Manny is good but busy! He's going to Camp Lejeuene for training next Sunday and will be back the following saturday, and tomorrow he's going somewhere upstate NY (i think) to play paintball with his brothers and some other guys. And next saturday, he got chosen to be in the colorguard for an event at Ellis Island! I'm so proud of him - i'm hoping i can make it to see him.
Today is the last full day i have with him before he leaves for a week.
He's looking good these days - he even has to have his blues taken in for the event! He's done so well with the weight loss :)

I'm doing good too. I switched positions at work. I'm now customer service, which is what i was originally hired for anyways. Mainly i'm just doing cash registers. No more 4:30 am wakeups! Which is nice! And i don't mind too much coming home at 5 or 6 at night, which is what my shifts have been lately. Im not crazy about working on saturdays again though!

I don't think anything else is going on. Mostly the same ole stuff.
Until something more exciting happens, i'm done with this post!

& Manny should be home soon with the cheese ;)
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Is it tuesday or wednesday?!

April 21, 2009

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Gah, it's only tuesday and almost all day i've been thinking that yesterday was tuesday, i even asked a coworker if they'd watched American Idol last night...uh, no, it comes on tonight!
It seems like it's going to be a long week.

So i've started going to the gym now. Well i'm striving to go everyday this week...or at least 5 out of the 7. I've gone today and yesterday. Good so far! I decided to take a book along, so i wouldn't just stare at the clock ;)
I'm also trying to watch what i eat - i was SHOCKED to find out there's about 200 calories in a kid's meal size french frie at Wendys. Can you believe that? That small bag is not worth 200 calories for sure.
I bought a new book called Hungry Girl. It's recipes for healthier versions of favorite unhealthy foods. I haven't tried it yet, but i'm going to soon. On their website, hungry-girl.com, they even give an alternate recipe to Dairy Queen blizzards - yum!
And my new fave, actually not too bad for you snack is The Skinny Cow low fat mini fugde bars - they weigh in at just 50 calories & 2 grams of fat a bar! And they taste exactly like regular fugde bars.

Other than trying to lose weight, i'm good and everythings normal.
Toby & Jezzy are good as well. She's got an appt tomorrow for her cast. Only 4 more vet visits to go after that!
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OH SUNNY DAY

April 18, 2009

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It's actually 75 degrees out!

It's beautiful outside - bright, blue skies and the sun is shining. This weather makes me not hate LI so much ;)
Manny and i racked our brains for something to do today, i can't stay inside on a day like this. So we ended up putting up the croquet set and playing a few games. Suprisingly, i won twice! It would have been more interesting with more than 2 people though, but it was fun.
Now we're grilling out BBQ chicken - i love the smell of a charcoal grill.
If only the weather would last!

Jezzy is doing good - she has an appt this coming up week to have her cast checked and put back on. Hopefully we'll have just as much luck with that one as we did with this one. She just lays on her pillow all day - occasionally i'll go in and see her up and walking, but she cant go far in the laundry room.
Toby's doing good too, missing being able to play w/Jezzy, but he loves going outside the past 2 days and playing with us!

Manny & i are good as well, just working :) Manny will be coming down to NC May 11-16th for some training classes so he'll be able to see you guys back home!
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Jezzy's update

April 13, 2009

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I hope everyone had a great Easter! Manny and I did, but we didn't really do anything. We grilled out burgers & chicken and just relaxed around the house.

So i wanted to update on Jezzy. She had her first cast put on Wednesday, but it fell off sometime through the night and i found her in the morning with the cast just hanging by her fur. We took her back to the vet on Friday and they put another cast on her and again, kept her overnight. We picked her back up on Saturday morning, and so far so good. She's living in the laundry room now and she has to keep a cone on her head most of the time to be sure she doesn't mess with the cast. She just lays on her pillow all day, and we go in from time to time to check on her and give her treats so she doen'st feel completely left out. Toby misses her like crazy - he knows she'[s in there and he'll go up to the door and sniff, wanting to get in.

But she's doing okay, and her cast is still going strong.
Only 10 weeks to go :)
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Jezzy comes home!

April 9, 2009

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Here's jezzy with her cast - i just brought her home a few minutes ago.


She'll have her splint for 10 weeks, and it'll have to be changed every 2 weeks. And for the 10 weeks, we'll have to keep her up in the 2nd bedroom, away from toby and anything she can really jump on. It breaks my heart to see her in her cast, she's not crazy about it but she's doing fine. I can already tell i'm going to have to wash the outside of the cast daily - its so hard for her to move it around in the litter box.


But she's adjusting, she devoured her treats, used her litter box, ate some food and now she's relaxing in front of the door - she thinks she's gonna be able to get out!



It's going to be a long 10 weeks - but i guess that's what motherhood is all about, even if i'm just the mother of a cat :)


Oh, and a little last note - Happy Birthday to Jezabel, she turned 1 today!!! I can't believe it's been a year since we've had her, i remember the night we got her, she was so tiny, she'd sit in her milk/food bowl everything she'd try to eat!



Jezzy, the night we got her :D


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