Can't believe he's already 1 month old...

Sorry it’s been so long since I posted an update. Carter’s last doctor’s appt went great- his bilirubin level is now normal and he weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz, so he is now above his birth weight. He goes back on January 21st for his first shots. We still can’t believe Carter is 1 month old…time is going by too quick! He is starting to follow people’s movements and is also starting to smile when we talk to him. We’ve been trying to have tummy time every day, but he isn’t very fond of it. This past Sunday was a big day for Carter…we took him to church for the first time…he was awake almost the entire time and did so good. Our pastor prayed for him and walked him down the aisle and introduced him to the congregation (a tradition for all new babies at our church). Then he went to his first restaurant and after that had his picture made with Santa at Rivergate Mall. He was such a good boy the entire day and we were so proud of him! We finally finished our Christmas shopping and Matt has been downstairs wrapping presents so I could come update our website since Carter was taking a nap. It’s so funny how I fly around the house trying to get things done when Carter is napping! Matt even asked me why I was running in the house the other day…Carter had been fussy and I knew that I only had a matter of minutes before I needed to go to his rescue again! : ) We are looking forward to our first Christmas with our precious baby and although Carter won’t really know what is going on this year, we will cherish every wonderful moment with him! Christmas in our family was always a special time with lots of traditions (baking cookies, pictures with Santa, hiding the pickle ornament on the tree, topping the tree with the beautiful angel, etc) and we are so excited about starting those traditions with Carter!
Well, I better run…hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Update on Baby Carter

Life with baby Carter is so wonderful! We are all adjusting really well, and it is amazing how refreshing an hour or two of sleep is these days! : ) The day we were discharged from the hospital, we found out that Carter is slightly jaundice, so we've had to take him back to the doctor 3 times now and have his bilirubin level checked. It has been going down slowly, but they still want to check it again this next week. Other than that, he is doing great! He is such a sweet baby- we just love snuggling with him and giving him lots of hugs and kisses! He smiles a lot when he sleeps and has the cutest dimple in his left cheek! : ) I was holding him last week and he smiled so big...it was so precious, it made me cry! Matt & I both had a lot of hair when we were born, but we are still amazed at how much hair Carter has...he needed a haircut from day 1. He also had newborn pedestal pictures made at Morrison Photography last week...he was so cute! He had a little accident on the pedestal, but other than that did great! : )
I'm feeling really good now too! My recovery was so much worse than labor...I tore a little during the labor and had to get a few stitches. I was in so much pain for almost a week afterwards. Matt even had to take me to the emergency room the night before Thanksgiving because it was so bad. They gave me medicine with Codeine in it, which made me nauseous and gave me the worst headache ever, so I ended up just taking Motrin. Luckily, the pain went away soon afterwards.
Matt had to work a couple days last week and then will be working this week, but after that he'll be off until New Years...yeah!!! My mom has helped us out tremendously...she is great with babies and is always willing to come over and help us take care of Carter so we can take a nap or run errands! Meredith is finally getting over her cold, so her & Shanda came over last week and spent time with us too...we had so much fun!
Matt & I love Carter so much and we are so proud of him! We can't wait to keep you updated on how he's doing! Gotta run...my precious baby is starting to wake up now! : )

Baby Carter's Arrival

We arrived at the hospital around 4:45 am on the 16th, and as Shanda mentioned, they started the Pitocin (level 4) around 5:30. I was already dilated to 3 before they started the Pitocin and within 10 minutes I was already having strong contractions. They increased the Pitocin drip to 6 about an hour later and then broke my water around 7:30. They increased the Pitocin drip to 8 not even 30 minutes later and then to 10 within 15 minutes. I called for my epidural a little after 8:30. They kept telling me that I would know when I needed to get it, but I honestly didn't...I didn't know how long it would take the anesthesiologist to get there, so I decided to go ahead and call for it. They gave me my epidural at 8:50- the epidural by itself wasn't bad, but getting it while having intense contractions was kind of rough. The Pitocin was working so well and I was having so many contractions that they quickly decreased the drip to 5. I went ahead and apologized to Matt the night before, just in case I was mean to him that day...I wasn't too bad, I just wanted complete silence and didn't want to be touched when I was having a contraction. Matt and my Mom thought it was so funny when I would hold up a finger to let them know that I was having one...they would laugh and it would make me start laughing too! By 9:30 they determined that I would need another epidural, since it only affected my left leg and a portion of my upper back...by that time the contractions were incredibly intense! Apparently that doesn't happen very often, so I had a room full of hospital staff and medical students come in to watch...I didn't even care, I was just so excited that I would soon be able to meet our precious baby! I was already dilated to 7 when they checked me after the second epidural. I was a little drowsy after the epidural and kept feeling like I wasn't breathing when I would fall asleep. I kept telling Matt and my mom to watch me and make sure I was still breathing. Shortly after telling them that I felt like I was going to pass out...the epidural had caused my blood pressure to drop and they had to give me Ephedrin. They checked me again around 11:30 and I was dilated b/t a 8 and 9, and by 12:40 I was dilated to 10. Before our doctor arrived the nurse had me do some pushes to get ready. Not knowing what to expect, I was scared to death to start pushing, other than feeling like my head was going to explode, I honestly didn't feel anything. They kept making me laugh and every time they did Carter would start coming out on his own...a lot of the labor seems like a dream, and I actually just remembered this part of it days after his birth...but one of the nurses said what a wonderful way for a baby to come into the world...through laughter and happiness! They said that the pushing stage can average between 30 minutes and 2 hours...Carter was practically coming out on his own so they had me stop pushing until the doctor got there. Carter was born at 1:28 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and is 20 1/4 inches long. He had thick brown hair with blonde highlights and blue eyes (now they look grey and brown, so who knows what color they will end up). He is amazing and my labor experience was so wonderful! I had awesome nurses and I'm so thankful that Matt, my Mom, and Shanda were able to be in there with me...they kept me calm and were so wonderful at encouraging me and telling me how great I was doing! Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers...everything went great and baby Carter is such a blessing...we thank God for him everyday!!!

Baby Carter is almost here!!!

We had our last checkup this morning and everything is still great! She said I was dilated a good 2.5...not quite 3 but that it was a really good start. I will be induced at 5:00 in the morning, so I really need to be going to bed soon since I have to be up around 3:00 to get ready! : ) Not sure that we'll get much sleep anyways though...we still can't believe that our baby will be here tomorrow! I started getting nervous this past weekend...still a little nervous, but we are sooooooooo excited! I've been really emotional lately too...I want my baby here so bad, but at the same time I feel like I need more time to prepare. I'm going to miss my baby bump too...it has been so amazing to feel him move inside of me and to be able to protect him and know that he is with me at all times...I think I'm scared that once he is born I won't be able to protect him like I can now...not sure if that's a common feeling or if I'm just being crazy and overprotective already! Well, I better go make sure everything is ready for tomorrow!
Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers!!! We can't wait to be able to share the details of baby Carter's birth! : )

Dr. Appt Update

I had my Dr. Appt. checkup this morning and everything went great! My measurements were good and Carter's heartbeat sounded great! There was a little bit more change…I'm now dilated to 2.5 and 80% effaced. And I'm scheduled to be induced next Friday (Nov 16th)…yeah! He may decide to come sooner, but at least we know he will be here on the 16th…we can't wait! We bought him the cutest little outfit to come home in!
I've actually been feeling pretty good the last few days. I had contractions all day yesterday and although they were fairly consistent and were starting in my back, they never increased in intensity. Although Carter is starting to run out of room, he was very active last night…it was so funny to watch my stomach shift from side to side! : )
I go back to the doctor next Thursday (Nov 15th) to check my status, and unless Carter has other plans, we will be able to post an update either next Friday or Saturday with details of his arrival and pictures!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

I had my Dr. Appt. checkup this afternoon and I'm now dilated to 2 and 80% effaced...yeah!!! Since my measurements were perfect and Carter is doing great, she won't do another ultrasound unless I go past my due date. That shouldn't happen though, because I went ahead and asked if I could be induced on the 16th if I haven't had him before then...she said that shouldn't be a problem as long as I continue to progress at the rate I currently am. I was so excited...now I won't have to worry about him coming on Thanksgiving Day or me still being in the hospital then either. I've had occasional contractions throughout the day today, but they are pretty strong at the moment...especially in my back. Doubt he decides to come tonight, but we'll keep you updated if he does! : ) My mom took some pictures of us the other day, so I'll try to post those soon. Hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!!!

Update #9

Sorry I didn't have a chance to post an update last week. We've been busy getting everything ready for Carter and I have been so exhausted lately. Still bruised from my fall, but I'm not really hurting anymore, so that's great!!! I was having contractions last week, especially on Tuesday. They were very uncomfortable and were in my back. I wasn't really noticing many breaks, so after several hours I called the doctor and they wanted me to go over to Centennial and be monitored. They gave me an IV (even though there is no way I was dehydrated) and monitored me and Carter for several hours. Carter was doing fine…his heartbeat was good and he was very active! I was dilated to 1 and 70% effaced. Although I was still having contractions, they weren't causing me to dilate any further so they finally let me go. My doctor's appt was that next morning and I was still only dilated to 1 and 70% effaced. I'll go back on Wednesday (24th) to see if there have been any other changes and to get the results of my Group B Strep test. Matt's work threw him a surprise shower last Friday…thank you all so much for the wonderful gifts!!! And I had a church shower on Sunday…thank you Shelley for hosting and thank you to everyone for all the great gifts...I'll try to post pictures soon! We have everything we need now…just waiting on Carter! Matt and I installed the car seat tonight, the camera and video camera are charged, and my bag is packed and ready at the front door! Even though Carter probably won't be here for Halloween, we bought him a little decorated pumpkin...it is too cute! I'll post another update after our doctor's appt.

Only 5 more weeks!!!

I've been taking it easy today after my rough day yesterday...I'll explain- Matt & I didn't have any plans, so we were working on getting things done around the house for baby Carter. Early that morning I fell going up the stairs...I was carrying too much and my slippers were pretty slick on the bottom...luckily my elbow broke my fall so there was no danger to baby Carter. It was only a couple hours later and I was coming down the stairs again (with the same slippers on) and Maggie was taking her time going down in front of me...I nudged her with my foot to speed her along and lost my balance at the top of the second landing and slipped all the way down hitting my back and butt on every step and sliding out into the den floor. It absolutely scared me to death, not to mention how bad it hurt...once again, luckily my back end took the fall and my stomach was protected...I was worried about Carter, but was glad he was moving around afterwards. We're doing fine...I'm just incredibly sore and bruised...and for the slippers, they were trashed!
We had Carter's diaper bag monogrammed this weekend and it looks so cute...it is all packed and ready for his arrival! Also, Matt and his dad were able to hang his letters over his bed, so his room is all ready too! Only 5 more weeks left...we can't wait!!!
I had a doctor's appt on Friday- everything went great and we will now start going for check-ups each week. My next appt is on the 17th, so I'll try to post an update afterwards- she will check to see if I'm dilated yet and I'll also be tested for Group B Strep.

Update #8

I'm feeling much better this week- still exhausted from last week and this past weekend, but other than being tired I'm feeling great! I added a new photo page from my surprise work shower on October 4th- it was so wonderful…thanks again!!! That day was also Matt's 26th birthday, so I took him to Maggiano's after work and then to the Preds opening game…it was a great game and we had so much fun! Carter really enjoyed it too…he was very active and kept kicking out my right side! : ) Matt thought we needed to get him a souvenir for his first game, so we bought him a little hockey stick to put in his room…it is too cute! : )
My Aunt Lori threw me a wonderful shower on Saturday for family and a few close friends…thank you so much Aunt Lori (and Darlene for all your help), I had such a great time!!! I'll be adding a new photo page soon! We've been able to put away most of our gifts, except for the clothes…they are all over the den! Hopefully I'll get those put away soon…I'm such a neat freak, it has been driving me nuts! I told Matt the other day that I think my brain has started nesting, but my body isn't quite there yet! : ) Matt got the pack-n-play and highchair put together this weekend, and my hospital bag is about halfway packed…so everything is coming right along.
As of today, we only have 39 days left until the due date…I can't believe how quick it has gone and how soon our baby will be here! I'm so emotional and so excited, I can't even put into words how I'm feeling…just thinking about our precious baby makes me tear up…I just can't wait for him to get here!!!! Our next Dr. Appt is this Friday, so we'll see if I've started dilating any…this was about the point that Shanda starting dilating, but as we all know Meredith had her own plans and wasn't coming out any early! : ) My ankles and feet have been swelling more often lately, so I've tried to elevate them more. Also, still having bad back aches and the pain above my stomach is from ligaments stretching- that has continued also. We're hoping to get Carter's letters painted and hung over his bed this weekend…other than waiting on one piece of furniture to be swapped out, that is the only thing left for us to finish in his room. Once again, I had a "blast from the past" craving last night at the grocery store…Rice Krispie Treat cereal…and of course we couldn't find it! Why can't I just crave something that you can find anywhere??? Guess that would be too easy! : )
Oh, check out the updated pictures of Meredith…especially the picture of her in her little pink sunglasses…adorable! : )

Update #7

I had a Dr. Appt last Friday and everything is still going good…I didn't have any pre-labor symptoms this week, so I won't have to go back for 2 more weeks. Also last week, my parents bought Carter's travel system…we were so excited to put it together! I was finally getting over my cold by the weekend and we had a great time at my scrapbook shower...see photo page.
Carter has been so active lately and gets hiccups like crazy. I've been getting really bad backaches and I've also had a pain above the right side of my stomach for the past few days…not sure what it is, but it feels like muscles stretching…ouch! Sunday night my throat started hurting again and felt like it was swollen, I was also really achy and nauseous. The symptoms weren't getting any better, so I went to the doctor on Wednesday- I had a sinus infection so now I'm on antibiotics.
I haven't had as many cravings lately but the ones I've had have been very random…Cherry Laffy Taffy with sprinkles and Egg Salad sandwiches…I can't even remember the last time I had either one of these, it had to be back when I was still in high school! : )
I'm having a Family & Friends shower this weekend at my Aunt Lori's house…it's going to be so much fun, I can't wait…I'll try to post pictures this weekend. Almost 34 weeks, so I'll have another pregnancy picture to post too…I feel huge lately! : ) I weigh about what Shanda did when she had Meredith and I still have 6 1/2 weeks to go! Carter, how big are we going to get??? : )

Update #6

Sorry I haven't posted a journal in a while, I've been trying to take it easy this week. Here's an update on what's been going on:
While I was getting ready for church on Sunday (9/16/07), I started cramping and having pre-labor symptoms. I was really worried since usually I feel so good and haven't had any issues during my pregnancy. I called the doctor and they said that if the cramps didn't stop that I could come into the hospital- so around lunchtime Matt & I headed off to Centennial Women's Hospital. Carter had been moving around so that made me feel a little better, but I was still worried. I should have been resting before we went, but I was thinking "what if he actually decides to come today?", so I was running around throwing things in my hospital bag just in case! : ) I had gradually been adding to it, but I definitely didn't have everything I needed in there. My mom met us at the hospital and they took us back as soon as we got there. They hooked me up to all the monitors and ran a couple tests. I hadn't started dilating yet, so that was a good sign and Carter was still active- he always kicks at things that touch my stomach, so he was having fun with the thing that was monitoring his heartbeat! : ) They kept me there about three hours and although the cramps hadn't stopped they said I could go home- they thought maybe I was just dehydrated and suggested that I drink lots of water and rest as soon as I got home. Shanda had the same symptoms around 33 weeks when Meredith started dropping, so maybe that's what it was. I also had a pretty busy day on Saturday too with our childbirth class, 3D/4D ultrasound, and our search for a new car, so I'm sure that probably had something to do with it. Yes, we're going to have to trade in my bug…the car seat and stroller won't fit in there at the same time! I knew it would be a pain to get the car seat in and out of my back seat, but hadn't even thought about having the car seat and stroller in there at the same time! : ) I love my car, so it's going to be hard to find a replacement! I felt better on Monday after resting, but got hot at work later that afternoon and almost passed out…I even had to lay on the floor. I was working with my friend at her desk…poor Mandy, I know I must have freaked her out! : ) On Wednesday, I volunteered at the Cumberland Crisis Pregnancy Center for our work's Community Day. I had a great time putting together baby layettes for the expectant mothers attending their childbirth classes, and matching baby outfits. Later that afternoon I stopped by to see Shanda and sweet baby Meredith and I told Shanda to come feel Carter moving…when she felt my stomach, she asked if I was having a contraction. And sure enough, I was! Up to this point, I had only had two Braxton Hicks contractions on two separate days. I didn't even feel that first contraction, but a couple hours later I could tell I was having one even before I felt my stomach…they were coming every 10 minutes and the pains were even starting in my back. I just timed them for a while and once again drank lots of water and tried to rest and after a couple more hours they stopped being as consistent and by bedtime they had pretty much stopped. We had our Infant CPR & Safety class on Thursday. My grandmother (Betty) came with us since she is going to be watching Carter and Meredith when Shanda & I go back to work. I'm so glad we were all able to take the class. I had taken a CPR/AED class last year at work and couldn't remember a thing...for everyone I work with you still do 30 compressions & 2 breaths for infants too! We had a Dr Appt on Friday, everything went good- my weight stayed the same, Carter's heartbeat sounded great, and I still haven't started dilating. She wants to see me back next week because of the pre-labor symptoms I was having. Today, Matt & I had our last childbirth class- Newborn Care. I also woke up sick today with a cold...I feel awful!!!! Hopefully it won't last long. My first shower (scrapbook shower) is on Saturday, so I need to be better by then.
Oh, and we also decided on baby's middle name this week- Matthew!!! Not only will he have part of Matt's name, but Matthew also means "gift of God" and that's exactly what he is- he is such a blessing already!
Hopefully next week won't be as crazy!

"Labor of Love"

Last Saturday, Matt & I attended the first portion of our "Labor of Love" childbirth class. We talked about common discomforts during pregnancy and warning signs, stages of labor, and relaxation techniques. The guys even got to wear the sympathy belly! I knew Matt would get a chance to wear it, so I came prepared with my camera! : ) We go back on Saturday morning for the second portion of the class to discuss pushing positions & techniques, pain medications, types of delivery, etc. I had really started getting nervous about labor, but I feel a little better after our first class. I can't wait for his arrival- I just want to hold him and snuggle with him! : ) Shanda and our friend Shandie from church have both had their babies now- seeing them with their precious babies makes me that much more excited and ready for him to come! : )
His first name is definitely going to be Carter...we even bought the letters to hang over his bed at Joann's last night. We've gotten so used to just calling him "B", it's going to take a while before I start calling him Carter. We've narrowed down the full name to either Carter Matthew or Carter Ryan...we're hoping to decide within the next few days...maybe we'll know after the 3D/4D ultrasound on Saturday afternoon. I've been hoping it would just come to me in a dream or I would all of a sudden have a really strong feeling about one of them, but so far nothing...I still really like both! I'll try to post the pictures this weekend, so everyone can see how much he's changed!

Update #5

Hope everyone is doing well! We had a doctor's appointment this past Friday and everything is still going good. My next appointment is in three weeks and then I'll start going every two weeks. As my third trimester started, I began to have minor swelling in my ankles and feet, so I've tried to prop them up more...it is so difficult for me to just sit there though, I would much rather be up doing something. My back has been hurting more often too, but other than that I'm doing great!
All the baby furniture has finally arrived- it looks so great!!! I added some new pictures on the Nursery #2 page. Now we just need to hang a few pictures and his room will be all ready for him! We're getting closer on a name too...finally! : ) We think we're going to go with Carter for his first name (we can just use Garrett if we have another boy later down the road), still undecided on his middle name though.
Only two more weeks till our second 3D/4D ultrasound...can't wait!

Welcome Baby Meredith!!!

Welcome Baby Meredith Grace! My sister Shanda and her husband Matt had their baby on 8/16/07. She was 8 lbs, 4 oz, and 20 in long. She is absolutely adorable and is such a sweet baby! I have added a new photo page with some of her recent pictures. I'll be able to get lots of practice holding Meredith and changing diapers before Baby B comes…I wish he was here now though, I can't wait to hold him!
Me and Baby B are still doing good! Still no name…Shanda has been calling him Mr. B and lately we just call him B, I think he kind of likes it, but I guess we'll have to come up with a real name! : ) His room is coming right along though- we hung his curtains last night and now we are just waiting on the rest of his furniture to arrive. I added a couple more pictures of his room to the nursery photo page. We also found out last week that we had won a Boppy pillow from Babies R Us at their recent Baby Fair…we haven't had any showers yet, so we were so excited to go pick it up on Saturday! : ) The last couple days I've been having headaches, but I'm so thankful I don't have one today…I needed a break! Recent cravings- Orange Tangerine Juicy Juice (I can't get enough of it!), nectarines & watermelon, Outback pizza from Nick N Willie's Take & Bake Pizza, #2 Cheeseburger Meal from McDonalds (not so good for me, but tastes so yummy!), and I almost forgot- hot chocolate (yes, even in 100+ degree weather). B got hiccups twice yesterday…I think he has had them before, but I didn't know for sure until yesterday. It happened both times after I ate Chewy Sprees, not sure if they were the cause, or if it was just a coincidence. : ) We will be starting our Childbirth Education classes soon…we actually had one scheduled the night Meredith was born, so it had to be rescheduled. Our next Dr. Appt is on August 31st and the second 3D/4D ultrasound is scheduled for September 15th…I can't wait to see his sweet face again!

Update #4

Sunday morning I had two donuts before church and after I got there I started feeling awful- I was so weak and I was really worried that my blood sugar was high. Shanda checked my blood about an hour and a half after the donuts and everything was fine. Up until that point I hadn't been nervous about the glucose test results, but I was really concerned all afternoon since I felt so bad. Last night we checked the doctor's website and my glucose test results had been posted- we were so glad that everything was normal!!!! I still don't think I'll have anymore donuts for a while though. Yesterday I was craving Potato Salad from Shane's Rib Shack so bad- we had it for lunch and then we had to drive back up there last night and get a pint to go because I wanted it again for dinner! I still crave milk and pickles all the time too! This afternoon I had hot chocolate and doritos...that is probably one of my strangest combinations, but it was so good! : )
The baby furniture was actually delivered on Friday night- I thought it was coming on Saturday, but Matt had called and arranged for it to be brought on Friday, to surprise me (he is so sweet)! : ) The dresser and armoire were messed up, so they will have to be re-ordered (hopefully they will be here in a couple weeks), but the chair, ottoman, and bed were delivered! We love the furniture...it looks better than I had imagined it would! We washed all of baby's bedding and set up his bed...it is adorable! I uploaded a few pictures on the nursery section of the website. We can't wait till baby is here...we are so excited, just the thought of our precious baby brings tears to my eyes!
I've been feeling baby moving for several weeks now, but his kicks are getting stronger. He typically moves before and after I eat and at night when we read in my pregnancy books and I write in my journal. He's especially active when we talk to him at night!
Our first 3D/4D ultrasound is on Saturday...we can't wait to see him!!! I'll post pictures and give you all an update afterwards!
Still no name for baby yet...hopefully soon! : )

Glucose Test

I had another doctor's appointment today- everything went great! My measurements are right where they should be and baby's heartbeat was good! I also took my glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. The glucola just tasted like flat orange soda and I didn't have any trouble getting it down in 5 minutes. Later while we were waiting to have my blood drawn, I got really weak and was worried I was going to pass out...luckily Matt was there to take care of me! He was so sweet to massage my back and try to make me feel better! My doctor said as long as I didn't hear back from them then I won't have to come back for a second test, so now we're just waiting.
B.F. Myers called yesterday and all the furniture is in...we are so excited!!! They are delivering it Saturday morning, so unless Shanda has Meredith this weekend we will be able to work on setting up his room! We'll post more pictures as soon as we are able to!
I'm still feeling really good...I've been having more backaches lately, and I can't move as quick as I normally could, but most days I feel as good as I did before getting pregnant! : )

Baby Furniture

We finally decided on baby furniture...yeah! We ordered it yesterday from B.F. Myers and it should arrive in about 4-6 weeks. It is the New Haven collection from Young America...we ordered the crib, the door chest, and the double dresser. I can't wait till it gets in and we can set up his room. My parents also ordered me an awesome glider chair (thank you!!!)...it feels like you are sitting in a cloud, I love it! I'll post pictures as soon as everything comes in.
Matt goes out of town on Wednesday for a few days. : ( This will be the first time he has been out of town since early in my pregnancy...I'm really going to miss him! I'm lucky that he hasn't had to travel much this summer- last summer it seems like we barely saw each other. At least Shanda & Matt are just a couple houses down if I need anything. Hopefully Shanda won't have Meredith while he's out of town...I don't want him to miss all the fun and excitement! : ) I can't wait till Miss Meredith comes though...she is going to be so precious and her aunt already adores her!
My next doctor's appointment will be on August 1st...that's when I have to take the glucose test, so hopefully everything will come back good. I'll keep you updated!

Update #3

Just wanted to post a quick update. I've been feeling great the last couple weeks- not really any morning sickness and more energy! My next doctor's appointment is on August 1st…it will just be a regular checkup, other than taking my glucose test. I feel our baby moving every day now…he is definitely getting stronger! Usually he moves a lot when I get hungry and when I lay down to go to sleep. I didn't go to bed till after midnight last night…Matt was painting in the nursery (all we have left is the trim now, so we should be finished painting tonight), and I was trying to clean our house for Shanda's scrapbook shower on Saturday. Well, apparently, midnight is when baby really wakes up…I've never felt him move so much and it took him a while to settle down (it even felt like he did a roundhouse in there!), so who knows what time I finally was able to get to bed! : ) Guess that's just a little glimpse of what's to come!
We're hoping to look at baby furniture this weekend and we're still trying to come up with a name. Everything we really like doesn't work with our last name. Once we decide on some favorites, I'll post them on the site.
Thanks for checking to see how we're doing!

Countdown

We can't wait to find out what we're having...we've been counting down the days and now we only have a couple left! We are so excited!!! Our appointment is Monday morning, so we'll be sure to post an update as soon as we can. I thought I had felt the baby moving a couple times during the past few weeks, but I have definitely felt it everyday this week! Usually I feel the baby at night when I lay down or sometimes during the day when I get hungry. Matt has even felt it now a couple times! The baby really likes it when we talk to it, it moves around a lot. It also liked the claps and cheers at the ballpark the other night! : )

Update #2

I’m sorry it has been so long since I have posted an update…I have had the worst cold! I have been so miserable and it has taken longer than usual to get over it since the medicine I can take is limited. My cough still sounds awful, but I’m feeling better today and I’m starting to get my appetite back! : ) We had another doctor’s appointment yesterday- everything went great and our ultrasound is scheduled for July 2nd!!! Yeah…we can’t wait to find out what we’re having! I thought it was a boy at first, but now I have no clue! I think I’ve felt the baby move a couple times, but I’m still not sure…I can’t wait until I start feeling it everyday!
We had a wonderful time in Maui ! It was absolutely beautiful and we had so much fun spending time together. Matt travels a lot for work, so we don’t always get to see each other as much as we would like. Usually I’m a good traveler, but pregnancy + a 10 hour flight do not go well together! : ) I know I was wearing Matt out on the flight…I kept asking him how much longer (every few minutes) and telling him I wasn’t going to make it- I was very uncomfortable and they didn’t even serve snacks on the 6+ hour portion of our trip. At least we were able to sit beside each other on the flight back home. On the way down there, we were able to sit together till we switched planes in Phoenix and then didn’t have seats together. We were not aware of that though and when the lady at the airport (rudely) told me that there were no more seats and we couldn’t sit together, I started crying…I went to the restroom and just bawled my eyes out! Luckily some people didn’t show up and I was able to move seats and sit across the aisle from him. (I’ve been very emotional lately…luckily, my episode at the airport has been the only breakdown in public!) Other than that, our trip was perfect…the weather was great, the people there were so nice, and my sweet hubby took such great care of me!
We went to look at baby furniture this past weekend…still no luck! We had picked out a style that we liked from USA Baby’s website; however, they don’t carry it at the Franklin store…we would have to drive to Memphis or Atlanta if we wanted to look at it. At least we still have time to think about it…which is good, because I’m so picky! : )

Last Big Vacation before the baby comes : )

Hey everyone! Matt and I are leaving for Hawaii on Sunday (we can't wait!!!), so I wanted to post an update before we leave. We'll have to add some of our pictures to the website when we get back. I've been doing good since the last time I made a posting, other than headaches. I've had one everyday since this past Saturday.
Our last Dr. Appt. went really good. We heard the heartbeat again…it sounded so much stronger and faster than last time! It is so amazing...we listed to it all the time!
We worked on cleaning out the guest room - soon to be nursery - this weekend. We can't wait to find out what we're having so we can pick out bedding and start decorating...only 4 more weeks!

Update

Well, I had started working on this journal last week, but never got around to posting it...
Good news: On May 16th, Shanda and I celebrated our 26th Birthday! We had a great dinner at Olive Garden (our favorite!) with our family! Matt got me the sweetest card and some Pink Grapefruit lotion and lip balm from the Body Shop…it smells so yummy! He always makes birthdays and other occasions so special! And the best birthday news ever- my blood work came back from my ultrascreen appointment and everything was normal!
Update on how I'm feeling: Lately, other than getting really hot, a little morning sickness, and a couple dizzy spells, I've been doing great. I was getting sick every morning, but now it is only occasional. I definitely don't have anything to complain about…I have had very few bad days since getting pregnant! I need to start exercising again…before I got pregnant, I was working out on our elliptical machine almost every day, but lately I can barely drag myself upstairs to check our emails, much less doing any physical activity when I get up there! ; ) Hopefully my energy will return soon!
I've bought a few maternity clothes, but hadn't really needed to wear them yet. During the past couple days though, my clothes have starting becoming a little more snug, so I'll probably get to start wearing them pretty soon.
Our next doctor's appointment is on Wednesday, May 23rd. It is just a check-up appointment, but we're looking forward to hearing the heartbeat again.

1st Trimester Ultrascreen Appt

Today we had a 1st Trimester ultrascreen appointment (combination of an ultrasound and blood work to screen for Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18 defects). This is a new procedure that our Doctor's Office offers through Vanderbilt's Womens Imaging Clinic (they weren't even offering it when Shanda was in her 1st Trimester). The heartbeat was at 164, which she said was perfect. Also, she said everything seemed normal based on her measurements of the neck. Now we are just waiting on the results of my blood work- they should be ready next week. I'm so glad Matt was able to come with me- it was so exciting! Our baby was so little and cute…it kept moving around! She said based on the measurements I am right at 12 weeks, which is what we had estimated.

Our baby's first picture- We love it!!!

Baby was so cute and little...it just kept jumping around! : )

It looks like the baby is sucking it's thumb in this picture...how sweet!

1st Doctor's Appt

Today we had our first doctor's appointment. I am going to the same doctor Shanda is using...she is great! I had to get blood taken at the lab and the doctor discussed our family medical history and any questions we had. We were also able to hear the heartbeat for the first time- it was so amazing!!! We recorded it and have listened to it so many times since then! I was only 10 weeks and the doctor said she usually doesn't expect to hear it till 11 weeks, so she was very surprised to find it so easy.

Welcome to our Blog!

Several months ago we both decided we were ready for children. After finding out our good news in March, we decided to wait until after our first doctor’s appointment to tell our parents (of course I had to tell Shanda first)! On Mother’s Day, May 13, 2007, Pastor Jason announced the big news to the rest of our family and church! Our precious baby is due on November 18, 2007!!! We are so excited and can’t wait for our baby’s arrival! We will keep you updated!