Showers & Photos Well I've had 2 showers now! They were so much fun, and I'm so thankful for the wonderful things everyone got for Alyssa. My Carson-Newman shower was a small group of our closest friends (music majors of coarse) and the other shower was my Sunday school class from church (well we call them ABFs, but so everyone knows what I'm saying I call it Sunday school). The ABF shower was a double shower for me and another lady, Nina. She's about to have her baby probably any time now. I can't wait to be at that point, but we are so not ready yet. We have to get in the new house, set up Alyssa's room and all the rooms for that matter. But no stress, it will all get done eventually. I just posted some new photos; some from the shower and some that my sister Tiffany took of me to show how much bigger I've grown. It almost seems crazy that I'm 31 weeks and this big. I feel huge, well not my whole body, but my belly. And I just wonder how much bigger will it get? It may be hard to do anything by the end because I'll be so front heavy. I guess that's normal though. I haven't been working out as much this week. I've been pretty lazy, so my plan is to be much more consistant this coming week, (hopefully I'll get to wake up and go before work, but that means waking at 6am). We'll see how that works out. Well I just wanted to update everyone with showers and photos. Enjoy!
2008-03-04 (30 weeks)
Blessings! Well I went to the doctor on Friday and got some great news. We did an ultrasound and I will not (as far as we know now) have to have a c-section, because my placenta has moved to the right place. So that's great! We got to see the baby, and Wow! has she grown so much! Her little cheeks looked like they had fattened up. She was so cute. She was playing around and moving so much that we couldn't get a good picture of her, but at least we got to see her in the 3d. That is so cool, to be able to actually see her face and hands and feet. It's amazing to me to see what all has been moving around in there. They said she weighs 3 pounds and 12 ounces, so she is growing a lot! More great news from the doctors is that things are back to normal for me. I can still work out, but just need to take it easy and not overwork myself, and I have to drink lots and lots of water to stay hydrated since dehydration is probably what started my contractions. My cerevix looked fine, and the doctors didn't see any reason to put me on bedrest or anything like that. So great news! I'm very glad that I won't be on bedrest because more great news is I am going to be packing up our stuff, because WE GOT A HOUSE! We made a bid on a foreclosed house (kind of an auction type deal that lasted for the weekend) and we found out yesterday that we had the winning bid! It was a great deal, and such a blessing to find this house and to have the winning bid. So we met with the man that had the house on auction and signed our papers and stuff. We can close as soon as 2 weeks and no later than 45 days from yesterday. I'm so excited about it! Our first house together! It's a cute 3 bedroom 2 full bath, one level house. It's a perfect set up for us. And it's pretty new, built just a few years ago. I'll post pictures soon. Since it was a foreclosure there is some work that needs to be done. We'll have to put all new floors in the house because the people pulled them up when they left. We'll also have to paint and buy some appliances like an oven and a fridge. It's a lot at once, and I hope we can afford it all. But I know that God has provided for us so far, and He will continue to. I can't explain how excited I am about the house! It is such a blessing! And I'm so thankful. Sunday, Nick and I decided on the name officially! ALYSSA! We still haven't decided the middle name, but the first name is certain. So if you're shower gift is personalized with a name then that's it, and have no fear of us changing it. I guess we just new with our first instinct since that's the first name we chose. Yesterday, my mom and I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some wooden letters to put her name up in the nursery, and then Home Depot and bought the nursery paint. I can't wait to decorate it! It won't be long and we'll be in the new house working on it. So look forward to seeing lots of pictures in the next month of these things (the house and Alyssa's nursery). Nick and I have Teddy Bear University tonight (we have missed the last two, because of my hospital visit and because they wrote the wrong date on the calendar). I can't wait to get caught up. I've been reading the book though, and wow, childbirth does sound very scary and painful. There's so much noone ever told me! Yikes! But I know that if I keep a positive attitude about being able to take part in one of God's greatest miracles, then things will be a lot smoother for me, rather than focusing on how scary things might be. I know it will all be worth it in the end to have my baby girl in my arms.Also I have 2 showers this week! Megan is giving me my Carson-Newman shower on Thursday night up in Jefferson City, and on Saturday morning my ABF group from church is giving one to me and another lady from our Sunday school that is also expecting (it's a double shower). I'm so excited about both! It'll be fun to have the girl time, eat yummy snacks, and of coarse to get stuff for Alyssa. I love baby stuff, it gets me so excited! So that's all, for now. Hope everyone is doing good!
2008-02-28 (30 weeks)
Hospital Visits In my last entry I wrote about the "scary cramps". Well it turns out they were scary. They were contractions. After I got off work I went home to lay down and hopefully start feeling better, but that didn't happen. I started feeling worse. So I called my doctor again and they told me to come in to the hospital and get things checked out. So when I got there they had me put on a gown and hooked some machines to me to moniter contractions and the baby's heart beat. The nurse said after about 5 minutes of watching the machine that I was definitely having contractions. They waited about 30 minutes to see how frequently they were happening then the doctor that was there came in and saw me. He looked a little concerned because my contractions were coming consistanctly about every 10 minutes, and they were getting more painful for me. So he check my cerevix and said it was thinning out, so they decided to give me shots of medicine to make the contractions stop. I did not like the medicine in those shots at all! The nurse said it was a stimulant, like adrenaline, I think it was brethin (don't really remember). All I know is they made my heart race and I was gittery, and felt like I was having a panic attack. They made me so nervous and anxious. They came back after about an hour and I was still having contractions, but they were getting shorter and further a part, which was good progress. So they gave me another one of those shots. Right after that shot I got sick and had to throw up. It was horrible. She said it was a normal reaction to the medicine. I was just hoping that they wouldn't have to give me another because they made me feel horrible. Then they had me give a urine sample and found that I was dehydrated. They thought that may be what was causing the contractions from the start. So they hooked me to an iv to give me fluids and medicine to keep me from getting sick any more. I hated the iv. I'm not looking foward to having an iv the whole time I'm in labor and after I have the baby. My arms are so bony and my veins are tiny. She had a really hard time finding a spot to give it to me, she had to put it on the under side of my arm. It was painful, much worse than the shots. So I felt like I was in a straight jacket or something, because I had bands going around my belly to moniter contractions and the baby, and iv in my right arm, and a blood pressure thing on my left arm. I could not even move. And everytime I had to go to the bathroom it was a big ordeal. Nick was great through all of this. He just rubbed my hair and my back, and helped me to get to the bathroom when I needed to. My parents also came and sat in the room with me. I think my dad looked really nervous, but it was scary. I'm only 30 weeks, so it would've been really scary to have the baby this early. I've watched baby shows were babys are born that early and they have to be in the NICU for a long time, and it just looks so scary. Well finally my contractions did stop, but I didn't feel any better. My stumach was still hurting. The doctor said I probably have a virus, and they were going to discharge me because the contractions had stopped, and they were very busy. So I went home about 11pm. I got home and Nick went to get me some medicine from Walgreens while my parents stayed with me at the house. I tried to go to sleep, but by midnight my stumach was cramping so bad I couldn't stand it. Nick and I went back to the hospital. When I got there I was so sick, stumach hurting so bad I couldn't breath and I was throwing up. The lady had to wheel me up in a wheel chair. When I got up there we did the same things over again. Got in the gown, got hooked up to all the stuff. Then the doctor came in and checked my cervix and felt on my stumach to see if he could feel contractions. They said I was looking really bad and they would try to get the cramps to stop. So they gave me some shot (I don't know what it was, just know it was wonderful), after they gave me that shot my stumach stopped hurting. It was amazing! I've never been so greatful for a shot before in my life. They discharged me for the second time at 3am. Poor Nick looked exhausted, and I had been sleeping in the hospital bed since my stumach stopped cramping and the medicine made me very drowsy. They took me down in a wheel chair since I was dizzy from the medicine. Then we went home and finally slept. I slept the whole next day until about 5pm. I got up and drank and ate for the first time. I felt a lot better! My stumach still feels a little sensitive, but I can now eat and drink and not have to sleep all day. I came back to work today, but just to work a half day. I am leaving at 12. So it's nice to get things back to normal. I have a doctor appointment on Friday still, so I'm looking foward to checking up on things since all of that took place. Sorry we didn't call anyone, we were just trying to get through it. We couldn't really think about calling people to tell them. I'm just glad it's all over now.
2008-02-26 (29 weeks)
Scary Cramps
So I know this is my 2nd journal entry in one day, but I just wanted to share. I have been having tummy cramps, and they are kind of scary. I started having them off and on at like 10:30am and I'm still having them now at 2:30pm. I got really scared, because I thought what if it's preterm labor. So I googled preterm labor symptoms and read up on them a little. I was unsure becuase my stumach is cramping up but it's not low in the pelvic area where contractions are described to hurt, and my back is hurting too with the cramps which is part of the description, but I really don't know what's going on. I may just be getting sick. But the really scary part is that they come and go, it's not just one constant cramp. It lets up for a while then comes back. I called my doctor's office and talked with a nurse about them. She didn't seem to think it was something to worry about just yet. She said if it gets worse or if I have any other symptoms of preterm labor to call. So I've been trying to stay really in tune with my body, but so far it's just my stumach cramping. It's not comfortable at all though. I'm subbing at Karns Middle right now, and I can't wait until 3:45 to leave. I just want to lay down. I hope my scary cramps are nothing, and I hope they go away by tonight because Nick and I have our Teddy Bear University class at 6:30. Also something exciting to look forward to is my doctor's appointment this Friday, I am getting an ultra sound! They are checking on my placenta to see if it's still low and if it is then I may have to have a c-section. Chances are high that it corrected itself and that everything will be fine and I can have a normal vaginal birth. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. And I just can't wait to see my baby girl swimming around in there.
Also I have 2 showers this week! Megan is giving me my Carson-Newman shower on Thursday night up in Jefferson City, and on Saturday morning my ABF group from church is giving one to me and another lady from our Sunday school that is also expecting (it's a double shower). I'm so excited about both! It'll be fun to have the girl time, eat yummy snacks, and of coarse to get stuff for Alyssa. I love baby stuff, it gets me so excited! So that's all, for now. Hope everyone is doing good! 
It's not comfortable at all though. I'm subbing at Karns Middle right now, and I can't wait until 3:45 to leave. I just want to lay down. I hope my scary cramps are nothing, and I hope they go away by tonight because Nick and I have our Teddy Bear University class at 6:30. Also something exciting to look forward to is my doctor's appointment this Friday, I am getting an ultra sound! They are checking on my placenta to see if it's still low and if it is then I may have to have a c-section. Chances are high that it corrected itself and that everything will be fine and I can have a normal vaginal birth. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. And I just can't wait to see my baby girl swimming around in there. 