Nikki is CA bound

Daisypath Vacation tickers

Thursday, May 29, 2008

39 week check up

I had my 39 week check up this morning and here's what's going on:

My blood pressure was slightly elevated.

I lost another 1lb

Baby's heart rate and all are fine.

I however have not dilated or done anything more in the progress of getting ready for the baby. For whatever reason the crazy amount of contractions that I've been having every 5 minutes since last Thursday have not resulted in any changes. I'm exhausted and physically drained. I've been sick a lot too which explains losing just a little bit more weight. I've also been in a lot of pain in my lower back and my abdomen so with all that in mind the doctor has decided that Monday they are going to induce labor. She thinks that my body just needs the extra little push to get it going like it should since it apparently doesn't remember doing this before. lol. (Oh course there is always the possibility it could suddenly remember and decide to do something on it's own before Monday which would be fine too)

So Monday is the big day. I'm excited since I know that there is an end in sight and that soon our amazing little girl will be here and I will be in a little less pain. I'm also nervous as this is going to be a major adjustment for everyone having a second child around. I'm sure it's going to be an interesting couple of days with Sam and a newborn. On the plus side I know that my Mom will be here late Wed. night and spend 2 weeks here helping me with the kiddos. It will be nice to have her around to help as Todd won't be able to take much time off from working.

Anyways that's what's going on. We will be going in Monday 8am so I'm sure there wont be any updates or pictures from me for a little bit. I will try to post info when I feel up to it. :) So be patient with that as I'm sure you all are as excited as we are to see our little girl.

In the meantime pray for us as we prepare for our little girls arrival and pray that I am able to get some rest (I'm exhausted and I know I need some rest before the baby comes). Thanks everyone.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

All about Sam

Sam playing hard today. He was determined to get all the pieces from one side to the other.

Look Mom, this one is green.

Must move it carefully.

I love this toy.


These are from a few days ago. Sam and Todd were reading in Sam's bed. Sam loves reading.


Early morning snuggle time with Daddy.

Hey Mom!!

I asked Sam to put away his books and this is what we got. The top left corner is the books that he had pulled out. He put them back and I was rather impressed. :)

Surprise picture taken while Daddy changed his diaper.


The above pictures are ones that I've captured within the last week that I thought were just too great not to post. :)

Sam is doing great. He seems to be get funnier every day. Here are a few of his current activities:

-dancing in circles with his eyes closed
-shutting the front door after the mail man comes in the morning.
-walking like crazy all over the house and out in public now too (thankfully Todd is there to chase after him)
-reaching into the kitchen sink and pulling things out of the dish drainer (ie. a steak knife...yeah it was a pretty scary moment and needless to say dishes are now washed and dried as soon as possible to prevent further scares like that)
-coming to see me when I'm on the home phone and telling me "done" and then trying to hang up the phone
-bringing us books to read to him like 10 times a day. His current favorite book is The Cat in the Hat
-handing me baby items--blankets, clothes, and basically anything else that he can find and bringing it to me and saying "baby" (I think someone is ready for his sister to be here)
-trying to answer the phone when it rings if Mommy doesn't hear it.
-wanting to eat what is on our plates even if it is the exact same thing on his plate (ours must taste better I guess)
-playing with his little people farm animals and stacking his wooden blocks
-getting upset whenever mommy leaves the house at all for any reason at all
-coming into our bedroom early in the morning coming to my side of the bed and saying "mom" and reaching out with his arms to be picked up. As soon as I pick him up he cuddles down right between me and Todd and either goes right to sleep or begins giggling.
-playing with his belly button and laughing about it

Okay well there's some of the fun stuff that has been going on with Sam. He's amazing and I'm so thankful for my sweet silly little guy. Life just wouldn't be as much fun without him. :)

False alarm

Last night I started having contractions regularly at 7pm. They were coming every 5 minutes and lasting from 30-45 seconds long. I felt okay and was walking and talking and still doing everything I normally do. By 11pm though they became stronger and were lasting up to a minute to a minute and a half each. So at 12 midnight I called the doctor to find out what I should do. She recommend that I come in and get checked since I had now been having contractions regularly since 7pm.

After calling my mom and having her come over so someone would be here with Sam we headed to the hospital. Anyways after checking in and being there for about 2 hours they sent me home. I was having contractions, but they determined that I was not in labor and sent me home. I'm still about 3cm dilated but I'm now about 80% effaced. After getting a late night snack we came home, sent my mom home, and spent a few minutes with Sam who woke up when we got home.

So that brings us to now...I'm not having any contractions but am exhausted from being up late. Todd is home with me now until about 4pm when he goes into work so I've been able to rest and be lazy which is nice. Once Sam has lunch I think the plan is that we will all try and take a nap. :)
We are all tired from our long night from our false alarm.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Being patient

So yesterday after I posted the updates..things started moving along a little bit more for me. I wont give details but one of the things that's going on is I've been having contractions off and on since yesterday afternoon, but nothing regular to get too excited about and make a trip to the hospital for. I am beyond exhausted and am trying to enjoy my time with Sam while I can. The contractions that I have kinda limit some of the playing that I can do with him, but we have spent a great deal of time reading and watching cartoons together and he doesn't seem to upset by that. :)

I was told yesterday that things could potentially start moving along rather quickly for me within 48 hours so we will see what happens. I'm trying to be patient though I have to admit it's a little hard to do. Todd is working a double today and is scheduled to work the next two days so I'm anxious about that as well especially if things do start moving a little faster for me. I know things will work out it's just something else that's on my mind.

Anyways..just pray for patience and peace for us as we need it. Oh and maybe some rest too. :)

Thursday, May 22, 2008

38 Week check up

Went to the doctor this morning and was really hoping that something exciting had happened and that they would just keep me and we would have the baby today. Not so much.

Here are the stats:

Blood pressure: 117/65

Weight gain/loss: Lost 3 1/2 lbs.

Baby Measurements: 38 weeks

Baby Heart Rate: 166 she was very active

Other measurements: I'm 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced.

Other news....if I haven't had the baby by by next appointment on the 29th they are going to go ahead and induce me. At least I know there is an end in sight. :) Obviously the baby could come before that if she wants to but at least there has been some progress to report.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

5 Lessons (borrowed from a friends blog)

Lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.

When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour.

Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'

After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'

'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies.

'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story:


If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.


Lesson 2:


A priest offered a Nun a lift.

She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.

The priest nearly had an accident.

After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story:

If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.


Lesson 3:


A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.

'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'

Puff! He's gone.

'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'
Moral of the story:

Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4


An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'


So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story:

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5


A turkey was chatting with a bull.

'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:

Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..

Lesson 6


A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.


The dung was actually thawing him out!


He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:

(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.

(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your
friend.

(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep
your mouth shut!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Sitting and waiting

Okay so not a whole lot of sitting really going on. I do have a toddler who refuses to be still for very long. We are still waiting for Baby girl to let us know when she plans on making her arrival. I think we have 17 or 18 days until her due date, but still it feels like an eternity waiting to find out if it will be that long before she comes or if it will be sooner. I feel like it will be sooner, but then again I could just be hopeful. :)

I go on Thursday for my 38 week check up. So here's to hoping something has changed by then. I had Sam when I was 38 weeks and 3 days so I'm start to get more anxious as we approach my check up time.

Last week I kept myself busy with three Pampered Chef shows. They all turned out very well and I had a lot of fun, but also wore myself out. As of right now I don't have another party scheduled until July. Hopefully, by that point I'll be ready to do more shows. Other than that I haven't really done too much. I'm trying to take it easy. I'm not feeling so great because of seasonal allergies and it seems like anything that I take for that only makes me sleepy. So slowing down isn't really an option it's something that I'm forced to do. lol

Sam and I did go out to dinner with our neighbors and their kiddos last night to Saul Good to enjoy the half price pizza and some time talking. It's always fun to hang out with my neighbors and spend time with them. I figured we should hang out while we can since I'm sure once baby girl comes I will need some time to myself to adjust to being a parent of two. Todd was working so he wasn't able to join us, but he was our server and was able to chat with us and hang out for a couple of minutes at a time which was good. He worked a double yesterday and it was nice to see him even if it was for only a few minutes at a time.

Todd is at work now and Sam is starting to wake from his nap. I have been fortunate that the last several days that Sam is napping for about 2 hours which is nice for me since I get to sleep too. :) Well...that's about it. Nothing really all that exciting going on really just thought I would let you all know that I'm still here and baby girl isn't yet. When she comes I'm sure you all will find out as soon as we can let everyone know. Until then pray for us as we continue to wait.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

37 Week Update

I had my 37 week doctors check up this morning heres the stats:

Blood Pressure: 100/60

Weight: Gained 3lbs (total gained weight 13 lbs)

Baby's Heart Rate: 160

Measurements: measuring right at 37 weeks and I'm still only 1cm and 50% effaced.

Everything appears normal and I'm doing okay and I go back next Thursday for my 38 week appointment.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Cuddle time






The last few days my normally very independent little man has decided that he needs some cuddle time with Mom and a good book. This has happened several times in the last few days and he always insists on sitting on my lap which is a bit uncomfortable for me. No matter how uncomfortable or tired I am I just can't resist him and we always wind up reading a book or two.

Please forgive the above pictures of me. I look awful, but I'm really tired and am suffering from allergies so these are not the best pictures of me. I had to post them anyways since I never have any pictures with Sam since I'm the one usually taking the pictures. However, Todd was home and was able to capture our cuddle time on film. :)

Speaking of Todd being home when these pictures were taken...Sam normally ignores me when Daddy is home, but lately it doesn't seem to matter what Daddy is doing he wants his time with Mom. I wonder if he knows that his time as an only child is about to change so he's trying to spend as much time with Mom as he can now? In any event I'm glad to take time to read to my little guy and am thankful to know that he loves me and wants me to read to him even if Daddy is home. :)

Saturday, May 10, 2008

FYI


Hey everyone just wanted to remind you all that the cost of the postage stamp is going up soon. Check out this article for more information about the price changes on stamps.

http://biz.yahoo.com/cnnm/080510/051008_postal_rates.html?.v=1

Sleeping through the night: A baby's point of view

I found this on someone else's blog and laughed so hard. I guess I should start thinking about this again since baby girl will be here soon.


Sleeping through the night: A baby's point of view

OK, here's my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost 7 months. The first few months were great--I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then something happened.

Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night).

At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse. I've talked to other babies, and it seems like it's pretty common after Mommies have had us for around 6 months.

Here's the thing: these Mommies don't really need to sleep. It's just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleep--they just don't need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle.

It goes like this:

Night 1--cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it's hard. It's hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it's for her own good.

Night 2--cry every 2 hours until you get fed.

Night 3--every hour.

Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights. Some Mommies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don't give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!!

If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT'S HARD! But she really does not need the sleep, she is just resisting the change.

If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it. Last night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to stick to it and just go for it.

BE CONSISTENT! I cried for any reason I could come up with.
My sleep sack tickled my foot.
I felt a wrinkle under the sheet.
My mobile made a shadow on the wall.
I burped, and it tasted like pears (I hadn't eaten pears since lunch - what's up with that?)
The dog said 'woof' (I should know. My Mommy reminds me of this about 20 times a day. LOL.) Once I cried just because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the monitor in the other room.
Too hot, too cold, just right--doesn't matter! Keep crying!!
It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am. Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am.
You need to slowly shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset your Mommies' internal clocks.

P.S. Don't let those rubber things fool you, no matter how long you suck on them, NO milk will come out! Trust me.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Why God made Moms

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by
2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.



How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me.

He just used bigger parts.


What ingredients are mothers made of ?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and

everything nice in the world and just one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.



Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.



What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would

be pretty bossy
3. They say she used to be nice.



What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook?

Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs

and YES to chores?


Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.



Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.



What's the difference between moms & dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause

that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.



What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.



What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind

of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.


If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1 She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean.

I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my

sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the

back of her head.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

This and That



The above pictures are from Tuesday morning. Sam had gotten up and came into our bedroom to snuggle with Daddy. Usually he comes in to see me, but I was already up so Sam decided to relax with Todd. How cute are these pictures? I love my guys.

I had my 36 week check up today. My normal Dr. was out since she just gave birth to her fourth child on Monday so I had to see a different doctor. She was nice, but I had to wait a really long time even though I was her first appointment of the day and she didn't give me much of my info that I like to keep up with. I wound up asking the girl who checked me out to tell me the stats. So here's what we know:

Baby's heartbeat: 155
Baby measurement: right on target with 36 weeks
Weight gained: 3 lbs which brings me up to 10lbs total gain
Blood pressure: 116/65 or something close to that

It doesn't appear that I've progressed any more with the whole dilating thing and what not. Bummer. I was hoping I would have, but I guess I just have to be a little patient with it.

I have been having lots of pelvic pain which she said is normal since it does appear that the baby is even lower than before. So I guess that's good news. I'm also feeling really sick to my stomach a lot and having tons of heartburn even though I'm on meds for that. I guess that's just my body telling me something big is going to be happening soon. At least that's what I hope it means. :)

I'm not sleeping all that great and feel so tired all the time which is hard since obviously I can't sleep all the time when I have a toddler.

Sam is doing great. He has calmed down on the temper tantrums and seems to be sleeping better since we put the AC window unit in his room. Maybe it's the noise or it being cooler, but whatever the case he has been sleeping much better and not getting up so fussy in the mornings or at nap time. I am thankful for that. :)

He is also walking tons more. Every day he does more than the last. He's even starting to venture out a little more on his own outside. I think playing with the neighbor kids helps with that. It looks like any day now he will just take off in a run outside. I am so excited about his progress and can't wait to see what he does next.

Todd is working tons of hours trying to do what he can before the baby makes her arrival. I'm thankful for all his hard work and how hard he works at supporting us all. With him working at Saul Good we are able to visit too so that is nice especially on days where I feel like I'm going to lose my mind. If you are in the Lexington area and still haven't tried the food you should it's a nice place and the food is great.

Well...I think that's about it for now.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Weekend Update

I'm tired. I just thought I would start off with that. It's been a long and tiring weekend. Good but exhausting.

Friday Sam and I went up to see Todd at Saul Good since he was working a double. I was already feeling pretty tired and worn out, but went up for lunch and to chat with Todd between his tables. It was still pretty early in the day so Saul Good wasn't too busy. Lunch was good and then Sam and I headed home. After that he pretty much fussed and cried about something all day long. He wasn't happy for one reason or another and continued to pitch a fit whenever he saw fit. I actually took a "mommy time out" and stepped outside my front door to get a breath of fresh air while Sam banged on the front door (it's a screen door I just didn't up and leave my kiddo where I couldn't see him at all). After a few minutes he and I both felt a little bit better. A couple hours later though we went to a Surprise birthday party for a friend and Sam lost it there again. It was angry the whole time anyone but me held him, refused to let me eat or eat himself, and cried the whole time. I think we stayed like an hour and then left. I couldn't handle it anymore. I was beyond frustrated, tired, and worn out. After that he seemed fine. He finally went to bed and it was finally quite in the house for the first time all day. lol.

I don't know why Sam has been in a mood lately, but it sure can be rough. I think he may be going through a growth spurt or something. He wants to eat all the time (except for when we are not at home of course) and gets mad if you tell him there isn't anymore. He's also adapting well to playing outside more and easily looses his temper as soon as it's time to come in. Ah...he's almost 2 so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. It's just hard since I have a hard time keeping up with him and have little to no patience for his tantrums.

Saturday was another busy day. Lucky for me Todd was off and was able to watch and hang out with Sam. I had a Pampered Chef meeting in the morning and then had my baby shower at 2pm. I had a lot of fun and was blessed to receive some really cute clothes for baby girl. We had tons of cake and cupcakes left over so after getting back from the shower I walked around the neighborhood handing out goodies to the neighbors that were home. I'll try and get some pictures up of the shower when I get them from Colleen later on. She did an amazing job planning and getting everything together and I'm thankful for all her hard work and love that she put into the shower. After all that I'm exhausted more than I was before. lol.

The end must be in sight on this pregnancy as I'm feeling very worn out and also wanting to prepare for her arrival as much as possible. I feel like I have a hundred things I want to get done or do before she comes. Pray for me that I am able to rest and feel rested and that I wont feel the need to be in hyper speed all the time. :) My back and legs are killing me too so it becoming harder to keep up with Sam and his path of destruction around the house. lol If you have a toddler or work with little kids you will understand how quick they are and how fast they move from one mess to the next. All prayers will be appreciated.

Anyways....that gets us up to today. We didn't go to church as I was too tired and worn out to even attempt getting myself and the little man ready to do that. I hope today is more restful than the last several have been. I need the rest.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

35 week update

I had my 35 week update this morning which is exciting since that means I will soon be done with being pregnant. :) The appointment went well and here's the stuff everyone wants to know.

Blood pressure: 112/66 lower than last time so they think last time may have just been a fluke that it was higher at my last appointment. Overall blood pressure is on target.

Weight Gain: I gained 4 lbs in the last two weeks. So after losing 3 1/2 from being dehydrated I am now up a grand total of 7lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Yes I know I suck for those of you that are going to complain about how little weight I've gained. I lost a lot of weight through out this pregnancy from being so sick so I'm just glad to have gained my normal weight back plus a little bit more. I still have several weeks to go too so I could still gain more weight.

Measurements: Baby is measuring right on target for 35 weeks.

Other news: The baby is in the right position to be born. I am already 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Yeah!! Still having mild contractions and the doctor said that if I went into labor in the next 2 to 3 weeks that they wouldn't stop me since I would be considered full term. She hasn't changed my due date, but still thinks it is unlikely that I will have to wait until June 6th for this baby to come.

I go back in one week and will have more news then. Everything is moving along and soon our little girl will be here.